Compare two separate popular weight loss plans Research Paper

Compare two separate popular weight loss plans - Research Paper Example The weakness of the SlimFast program is that it does not induce a long-term behavioral change in the individual. The SlimFast program only replaces a couple of meals and snacks by powered drink mixes and pre-packaged bars. Another weakness of the SlimFast weight-loss program is that the individual does not find the powdered drink mixes tasty enough to stick to for a long time, though it provides the individual with a good alternative to a milk shake in terms of reduced intake of fats and calories. A potential drawback of the SlimFast weight-loss program is that it does not provide the individual with any social support. The Fit or Fat weight-loss program is very popular among people. Millions of copies of the series of eight books written by Covert Bailey have been sold since their publishing (Tate, 2008). The Fit or Fat weight-loss program encourages the individual to lose weight through increased exercise. The plus points of the Fit or Fat weight-loss program are that not only is it safe to undertake, but is also very inexpensive as it does not rely on special diets to cause a reduction of weight in the individual. The Fit or Fat weight-loss program resembles the SlimFast weight-loss program in that it offers no social support to the individual. People attempting to reduce the weight through the Fit or Fat weight-loss program are encouraged to undertake such exercises as weight lifting, aerobic exercises, and cross training. Their food is rich in vitamins and low in the sodium content and fat. The Fit or Fat weight-loss program is better as compared to the SlimFast weight-loss program in that it relies on natural techniques to cause weight loss in the individual rather than prescribing them expensive diets. Exercise is a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle, which provides an individual with a whole range of benefits in addition to causing loss of weight. Such benefits include but are not limited to reduction of the risk of

Milton Babbitt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Milton Babbitt - Essay Example Such a composer creates a commodity that has negative market value and is little performed. A condition of musical and societal isolation is created which gives the composer an advantageous position to forward his music. It also results in the creation of new music. The music employs a tonal quality that is more efficient than its derivatives. The increase of meaningful pitch materials and the functions associated with the musical event would be multiplied. Each event is located in a five dimensional musical space that is determined by pitch-class, register, dynamic, duration and timbre. Musical compositions under discussion possess a high degree of contextuality and autonomy. The principles of relatedness which determines the coherence of continuity are more likely to evolve in the course of the work rather than from generalized assumptions. In many fundamental respects this music is â€Å"new†. It represents a vast extension of the methods of other music. Such rooted composition elicits comparable knowledge and experience from the listener. A listener will be puzzled and bored by such a composition. This is understandable but what is undesirable is the translation of this boredom into resentment. Advanced music reflects the knowledge and originality of the composer. It can scarcely be expected to appear intelligible to a person whose musical knowledge is less than extensive. A person with limited knowledge of music is not capable of understanding advanced music just as a layman is not equipped to make sense out of advanced mathematical theories. Circularity seems to be the norm where criticism is concerned and personal tastes are converted based on general principles. For most critics, the music they dislike is â€Å"not music† and if they do not like the music of certain composers, then they are â€Å"not composers.† Therefore passing judgment or criticism on music is best left to professional journals. The music critic understands that

The Conditions Under Deviant Behavior Problems Criminology Essay

The Conditions Under Deviant Behavior Problems Criminology Essay The conditions under which deviant behavior exists have presented an enduring question for researchers. Within the literature the majority of definitions of deviance share one commonality: that social norms and values subjectively label behaviors as deviant. Similar to the number of theories of deviance there exist a number of motivations why individuals choose to engage in deviant behavior. Existing theories-general strain, anomie, labeling, control, and learning-examine these factors and attempt to clarify the hows and whys of deviant behavior. The most common factors which facilitate individual deviance include personal strain, social disorganization, a lack of self-control, and the perception that the benefits for engaging in deviance outweighing the potential costs. Because of these variations there is currently no universally-accepted theory of deviance. Introduction An urgent question in contemporary social sciences is how and why certain behaviors, attributes, or classes of individuals come to be defined as deviant.  [1]  Since social groups make the rules, deviant behavior results from individuals who fail to adhere to said rules. When behaviors are defined as deviant it is assumed that they will either promote or inhibit individual motivation to engage in such acts and will evoke certain social responses which serve to influence subsequent behavior by those within said society.  [2]  A number of theorists attempt to identify a commonality to the different types of deviant behavior. The underlying theme is that this type of behavior offends societys normative order and deviance becomes a theoretical construct of this consensus. There exist a number of theories which seek to define how individuals and their behavior are identified as deviant. Definitions of and Motivations for Deviant Behavior Despite a wide variety of definitions of deviance there is consensus that deviance refers to behaviors or attributes manifested by specified kinds of people in specified circumstances that are judged to violate the normative expectations of a specified group.  [3]  This consensus perspective serves to promote collective agreement as to what core values, norms, and goals should be. Behavior that falls outside of the specified parameters are deemed deviant. The degree of deviance is directly correlated to the perceived serious of the punitive response it elicits. Many questions abound as to individual motivations to engage in deviant behavior. Fundamentally, if one anticipates that satisfaction will ensue from engaging in the behavior then he will do so. Hirschi (1969) asserts that the motivation for deviance is always present and that research should examine the circumstances which permit individuals to act on these motivations.  [4]  In another view, Merton (1938) argues that societal strain increases motivation for deviance in order to achieve certain unattainable culturally-sanctioned goals.  [5]  Where the majority of individuals will embrace conformity as a response to strain others resort to deviance. Similarly, Tittles (1995) control balance theory assumes that individuals have a strong need to exercise control over themselves and to escape having control exerted over them by others while Katz (1988) argues that the motivation to deviance occurs to protect ones self esteem, encourage a desired reputation, establish autonomy, [ or] demonstrate competence, for example.  [6]   These theories all share the presumption that deviance is motivated by the need to adapt to psychological distress which results from the failure to achieve desired goals through conventional means. Accordingly, when pushes, or psychological impulses which compel an individual to engage in deviant behavior, and pulls, or the attraction of deviant opportunities, interact then motivation for deviance increases.  [7]  Deviance results from individuals motive to engage in deviant behavior being stronger than the motive not to amidst the existence of the opportunity to do so. Theoretical Foundations There are two primary types of theories to explain deviance: structural and processual. Structural theories are labeled sociological theories while processual ones are termed social psychological theories due to the differences in goals and scope.  [8]  Structural theories emphasize the relationship of deviant behavior to particular structural conditions within society and attempt to explain why deviance is higher in certain areas, such as those with lower socioeconomic status.  [9]  On the other hand, processual theories seek to describe the processes by which people engage in deviant behavior by attempting to explain the conditions which lead to the commission of deviant acts.  [10]  With respect to scope, structural theories address the epidemiology, or distribution in time and space of deviance and processual theories focus upon the etiology, or specific causes, of deviance.  [11]   Specific Theories of Deviance General Strain Theory (GST) GST addresses the interrelatedness of strain and its emotional response, individual coping mechanisms, and deviance.  [12]  As a theory it focuses not upon strain itself but upon individual responses to strain and seeks to identify those characteristics which enable non-deviant responses amid strain. Sharp, Brewster Love (2005) argue that certain types of strain create certain actions which influence delinquent behaviors. Anger, for example is an emotional response which has a high likelihood of encouraging deviant behavior. Therefore, where there is a strain-particularly one perceived as unfair-low social control creates pressure which, in turn, causes deviant behavior.  [13]  Research indicates that gender is a strong predictor of strain-induced deviance with males more overt in their responses than females who tend to internalize strain. GST has been used considerably in the study of juvenile deviance. Repeated exposure to stressful life experiences has been found to both escalate and accelerate juvenile delinquency and depending upon when during ones life-course trajectory the strain occurs different implications ensue. The literature suggests that involvement in delinquency begins to increase during early adolescence, peaking around age 16 and 17, and followed by a decline in such behavior.  [14]  Agnew (1997, 2006) claims that this life-course trajectory highlights that adolescence is a period of high transitions, that adolescents perceive their environment as negative more so than adults, and that there is an increased propensity for juveniles to react to adversity through deviant behavior.  [15]  The lack of useful coping mechanisms in juveniles makes it difficult to react to strain more effectively. Anomie Theory According to anomie theory-much like GST-deviance results from social disorganization in that elements in society promote deviant behavior by making such behavior a feasible adjustment to society. Where the earliest form of this theory hypothesized that anomie results from a failure to achieve positively-valued goals Agnew (2001) expanded upon this theory by including that anomie can also result when positive stimuli are removed and when negative stimuli are applied.  [16]  One criticism of anomie theory is that it assumes universality in what should be defined as deviant and how most individuals should behave; however, in reality, deviance is a relative concept so this universality is erroneous.  [17]   Labeling Theory Labeling theory presents an interactionist perspective to the study of deviant behavior by stressing the importance of the processes through which society labels a particular act as deviant and the subsequent negative social sanctions which influence the individual to engage in further deviance.  [18]  Becker (1973) claims that deviance is a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an offender.  [19]  Therefore, while the act or the person may not be inherently deviant, existing social controls create deviance by defining acts that the majority believes to be so and, consequently, labeling individuals who engage in such acts as deviant. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy by amplifying the very phenomenon that it is intended to suppress.  [20]  Of primary importance is that subsequent events serve to reinforce the deviance because an individual internalizes the label attached to him by societys stigmatizing and creates secondary, or tertiary, deviance. The labeling itself serves to ensure that every society has a percentage of deviants which is critical to maintain the majority consensus.  [21]   Control Theory Control theory is similar to anomie and social disorganization theories to the degree that deviance results from the lack of social controls on individual restraint to engage in deviant behavior.  [22]  Durkheim (1933) asked why people conform to social norms instead of why they engage in deviant behavior. Under this theory it is assumed that everyone would engage in deviant behavior if given the chance, that a small amount of social controls will increase deviance, and that there exists a central value system which defines deviance in society.  [23]  There are four components of an individuals societal bond which serve to prevent deviance: attachment to specific groups through affection, respect, and socialization; commitment to accepting conforming behavior; involvement in non-delinquent behavior; and a belief in the dominant value system of any particular group.  [24]  When social bonds are reestablished or strengthened then the deviant behavior ceases. Accordingly, individuals who engage in deviant behavior do so due to low self-control. Under this theory low self-control is comprised of six personality traits: anger, impulsivity, preference for simple tasks, risk-seeking, being more physical than mental, and being self-centered.  [25]  Gottfredson Hirschis (1990) self-control theory asserts that inadequate child-rearing results in lowered self-control which facilitates a predisposition to engage in deviant behavior.  [26]  They also claim that individuals who engage in one type of deviant act will commit other deviant acts. Learning or Socialization Theory These theories suggest that deviance is a learned behavior similar to how non-deviant individuals learn conforming behavior. By attempting to distinguish variations in behaviors theorists assume that differences in rates of deviance among various groups can be determined. One of the most widely-cited learning theories is Sutherlands (1947) differential association theory which postulates that deviant behavior results from normative conflicts in neighborhood structures, peer group relationships, and the organization of family in society.  [27]  The fundamental tenets of Sutherlands theory are that criminal behavior is learned, that learning is a result of personal interaction, that primary learning occurs in intimate group settings, that people learn that socially-normative attitudes are either favorable or not, that deviant behavior results when conditions favorable to deviance exceed those unfavorable to violating the law, and that deviant behavior cannot be explained by general needs and values.  [28]  Accordingly, an individual learns various motives which are favorable to engaging in deviant behaviors as well as rationalizations and techniques for achieving them. While the behavior may be defined as deviant to the rest of society, within a particular individuals in-group the behavior may adhere to the groups norms. Akers (1985, 1989) expanded upon Sutherlands work by adding that deviance results when a person learns definitions that portray some conduct as a desirable, even though deviant, action.  [29]  If an individual is rewarded for a deviant act by his in-group then he becomes socialized to continue the behavior under the expectation of similar positive experiences for subsequent acts. Other Theories Deterrence theory asks whether the expectation of certain, severe, and swift punishment for engaging in deviant behavior would deter such behavior.  [30]  Rational choice theory addresses an individuals anticipated cost-benefit ratio of acting on deviant impulses. A greater expected or perceived benefit increases the likelihood that the individual will commit the act. Finally, conflict theory asserts that the development of formal social controls and laws are legitimized by the more powerful societal groups.  [31]   Conclusion The wide variation of social psychological theories of deviant behavior seeks to answer why individuals become motivated to engage in deviant behavior, how behaviors and attitudes are defined as deviant, what factors facilitate deviant behavior, why some deviant behavior is escalated, and what consequences exist.  [32]  Despite the number and variety of theories of deviance the commonality is that this concept is a socially-defined construct utilized to maintain a societys normative values. The disparities in definitions of deviance among societies make it difficult to establish an all-encompassing theory to explain the existence of deviant behavior in contemporary society.

Free Glass Menagerie Essays: Parallels to Williams Life and Symbolism :: The Glass Menagerie

The Glass Menagerie:   Parallels to Williams' Life and Use of Symbolism The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams is a touching play about the lost dreams of a southern family and their struggle to escape reality. The play is a memory play and therefore very poetic in mood, setting, and dialogue. Tom Wingfield serves as the narrator as well as a character in the play. Tom lives with his Southern belle mother, Amanda, and his painfully shy sister, Laura. The action of the play revolves around Amanda's search to find Laura a "gentleman caller. The Glass Menagerie's plot closely mirrors actual events in the author's life. Because Williams related so well to the characters and situations, he was able to beautifully portray the play's theme through his creative use of symbolism. The Glass Menagerie reflects Williams's own life so much that it could be mistaken as pages from his autobiography. The characters  and situations of the play are much like those found in the small St. Louis apartment where Williams spent part of his life. Williams himself can be seen in the character Tom. Both worked in a shoe factory and wrote poetry to escape the depressing reality of their lives, and both eventually ended up leaving. One not so obvious character is Mr. Wingfield, who is the absent father seen only by the looming picture hanging in the Wingfield's apartment. Tom and Williams both had fathers who were, as Tom says, "in love with long distances." Amanda, an overbearing mother who cannot let go of her youth in the Mississippi Delta and her "seventeen gentleman callers" is much like Williams own mother, Edwina. Both Amanda and Edwina were not sensitive to their children's feelings. In their attempts to push their children to a better future, they pushed them away. T he model for Laura was Williams' introverted sister, Rose. According to Contemporary Authors "the memory of Rose appears in some character, situation, symbol, or motif in almost every work after 1938." Edwina, like Amanda, tried to find a gentleman caller for Rose. Both situations ended with a touching confrontation with the caller and an eventual heartbreak Tennessee Williams's brilliant use of symbols adds life to the play. The title itself, The Glass Menagerie, reveals one of the most important symbols. Laura's collection of glass animals represents her fragile state. When Jim, the gentleman caller, breaks the horn off her favorite unicorn, this represents Laura's break from her unique innocence.

Christian realism Essay

â€Å"This meant that human wars do not accomplish divine righteousness. They are not holy. They belong to the real world of politics with all its tensions, paradoxes and contradictions; He called his position ‘Christian realism’. There can be some reconciliation between the church and state if the people are spiritually prepared. The more spiritual Ð ° people, the more they are able to rule their own affairs and the less they need the heavy hand of government to keep them in line. The Puritans prepared the national soul of their country for liberty and democracy as their congregations, beginning with the work of Robert Browne and Robert Harrison, spread this gospel throughout England and later in America. They planted churches that advocated the autonomy or liberty of each congregation from outside interference and the right of the people to select or depose their own ministers and members. Each of these congregations was forged together by the consent or covenant (foedus) of its members and so became the catalyst behind the move toward federal government in the modern world. By the time of the Puritan Revolution of 1640– 60, the Levellers, who grew up with these congregations, became the most strident advocates of congregational principles on the national scene. They rejected the Machiavellian world of depraved government. Their most eloquent spokesman, William Walwyn, rejected the pessimism and resignations of Machiavelli’s policy in the hope of creating Ð ° Christian view of government, where the love of Christ would guide all private and public undertakings with its tolerance and impartiality. The prospects for peace in Iraq and the Middle East has much to do with the type of people with whom we are dealing. H. Richard Niebuhr felt that it was most essential to ask the question, ‘what’s going on? ’ in Ð ° particular situation before formulating Ð ° coherent response. This war too, Washington advises us publicly and in advance, is Ð ° war of global proportions. It is an open-ended war with the world as its battlefield. The enemy assumes two general forms. One part is visible, above ground, represented by evil governments and reminiscent of the old Soviet bloc. So far only four of the enemy governments in the new war have been identified—the former governments in Afghanistan and Iraq, and two remain â€Å"axis of evil† governments in Iran and North Korea. The other enemy component is invisible, consisting, we are told, of cells in some 50 or 60 mostly unnamed countries. These are not the cells of the communist party, but the underground organizations of what Washington chooses to call â€Å"terrorists† Whatever its form, whether bearing the legitimacy of government or existing underground, the enemy must be destroyed. To do this, we must sometimes act alone, unilaterally. Other times we can act with our allies. (Frederick 2004 191) â€Å"An ethical judgment serves as Ð ° second stage, addressing and reacting to Ð ° specific set of circumstances. of course, Ð ° discussion of this type could prove endless in Ð ° relative universe, where every element of Ð ° situation is the product of the complex interactions of all things, But Ð ° discussion must limit itself to what is more proximate to the situation at hand and stands neglected or misunderstood in the public forum. Among these elements the matter of religion seems to qualify in the present circumstance. It is most essential to the people of the Middle East and misunderstood by our ‘secular’ government, which fails to understand the potency of its ideas. This failure is Ð ° product of recent times with its emphasis upon church/state separation but does not represent the verdict of scholars throughout the ages. In former days the role of religion was more appreciated for the part it played in ruling and understanding Ð ° people. Tocqueville said that religious customs of Ð ° people are more crucial than the physical circumstances or governmental structures surrounding them. Montesquieu believed that the one who conquered Ð ° people must bow before the conquered in ruling the land, if one wished to maintain some semblance of order. The religions and customs of Ð ° people were considered most essential in forging Ð ° sound policy. The prospects of peace were related to the fundamental Geist of those who must respond to outside forces. No policy could expect to find success without considering this most essential ingredient. † (Paul 2001 38-77).

Labour Day Essay

The short essay, â€Å"Labour Day Is a Dreaded Bell in the Schoolyard of the Mind† by Harry Bruce is about his memories of Labour Day over many years of his life. He talked about how Labour Day was like foreshadowing the coming of school, which he hated. Harry described Labour Day as if it were the ‘last meal’ one would take before the inevitable electric chair. Not only was Labour Day bad for foreshadowing the coming of school, it comes with a good-bye to days on the beach, bonfires and all the good things that one enjoys during summer. He clearly shows how Labour Day is a bad day for children, but he also shows the grown-up side of things. His friend drove over one thousand three hundred kilometres to see him, then quickly had to drive back home to go to his job. He talks about how Labour Day makes you grow up in a sense, because instead of focusing on fun childish events to do on the weekend, you have to prepare to get back to your careers. Honestly, to me Labour Day did not really have that much meaning to me growing up. It was just another holiday near the end of summer that in a sense signified the coming of school just as Harry said. I never understood why people took it so seriously. Of course the first thing that pops to my mind about Labour Day is the, ‘Don’t wear white after Labour Day’ rule, but I always neglected it. It also signifies a lot in my household. My parents are typically more left wing on the political spectrum so I remember growing up, going to the parade or protest if you will, and celebrating all the achievements of the workers. It also meant that i was closer to seeing some of my friends that I hadn’t seen for two months. Showing them how much I’ve grown, since I was typically the short kid in the class and grew many inches over the course of summer, where I went, what I did, that kind of stuff. That’s pretty much all that it meant to me, just another holiday where my parents dragged me out to watch a parade and one that signified the coming of the new school year. What people forget is that Labour Day is a holiday; it’s a chance to get together with family and just sit down, have a barbeque, and relax together. It might signify upcoming doom with the likes of school for children or going back to careers for adults, but nonetheless it still is a chance to just take an extra day off. What I learned is that everybody neglects that fact and sees it only with pessimism. Harry taught me to ‘live life in the moment’ if you will, as according to him as you age, Labour Day just gets worse. For me Labour Day wasn’t so bad growing up because I never really acknowledged it but who knows, maybe in the upcoming years I’ll learn to hate it just like Harry Bruce.

Classic Literature for the Supernatural Lover

Classic Literature for the Supernatural Lover If you are you a fan of supernatural fiction, be sure to check out these superb classic novels that explore supernatural themes.   H.P. Lovecraft, a champion of the genre, once wrote, â€Å"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.† In that spirit, the list below includes some of the best examples of early speculative fiction, for modern readers who might like to know where it all began! The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Anne Radcliffe This is perhaps the quintessential Gothic romance. It is filled with now well-established themes of physical and psychological terror, including remote and crumbling castles, a dark villain, a persecuted heroine, and supernatural elements. The extensive descriptions can be a bit much for some readers, but the effort is worth it in the end. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson Although only a novella, this story packs a wallop. Split personalities, science gone wrong, an inquisitive friend and a trampled young woman. What more could one want from a supernatural thriller? Well, how about a number of film adaptations and incessant cultural references? You got it! Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) by Mary Shelley Shelleys work is the standard-bearer for the Romantic genre. The 1800s were a time of rapid scientific advancements, and literature of the time reflects these marvels and the fears and doubts they generated. Frankenstein is written in epistolary form and is inspired by a number of epic predecessors, including John Miltons Paradise Lost, Samuel Taylor Coleridges Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and, of course, Ovids Promethean myth. The Tempest (1611) by William Shakespeare The Tempest is a romantic tragicomedy inspired by the courtly masque that differs quite substantially from Shakespeares other works. It follows a neoclassical style and seems to comment on itself as a play quite openly, in what critics would later discuss in fiction as meta-narrative. Theatrical illusion mirrors story magic and supernaturalism to create a play that is both entertaining and self-reflective. The Turn of the Screw (1898) by Henry James The Turn of the Screw is a strange sort of ghost story. Jamess novella is perhaps most brilliant in its open-endedness and in its ability to create in the reader a personally significant confusion and sense of suspense. There is an evil hinted at throughout the story, but the nature of it is never really explained. Christabel (1797/1800) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge Coleridges long narrative poem was published in two parts, with three more parts planned but never completed. There is an odd sensation created by the rigid rhythm of the poems form (a consistent four beats to each line) juxtaposed against the mysticism of the tale itself. Modern critics have examined the poem through lesbian and feminist lenses, but it is the demonic presence which drives the action that makes Christabel so supernaturally appealing, even to the point of inspiring the great master of macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. Carmilla (1872) by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu The lady Carmilla gains strange powers at night but is oddly restricted from crossing the threshold of a house. What rules keep her out without invitation? What mysteries of ​at  midnight drive her strength? This Gothic novella comes replete with castles, forests, and outlandish romantically-charged relationships between young women. The Complete Tales and Poems (1849) by Edgar Allan Poe Although Edgar Allan Poe wrote poetry (some macabre, some not) as well as being a literary critic and journalist, he is probably best known for his mysterious and imaginative short stories. Tales such as , The Pit and the Pendulum, Mask of the Red Death, and The Tell-Tale Heart, along with eerie poetry such as The Raven have made Edgar Allan Poe a household name worldwide.