The Effects of Nature and Nurture on Shaping of Behavior Essay

The Effects of Nature and Nurture on Shaping of Behavior The nature/nurture investigation has been studied for many years by psychologists and it is a subject that is still in debate today. It brings up the question, how is our behaviour shaped, and the two sides of the answer are nature and nurture. Behaviour in the context of a human being can be described as; the way humans act and think in situations. What is meant by nature and nurture? Nature is the word used to describe the biological aspects that shape behaviour, for example genes. Nurture is the word used to describe the social aspects that shape behaviour, for example interaction with parents. This essay will cover both sides of the argument referring to psychological theory. To start with the psychodynamic theory, this is defined, according to Dictionary.com as â€Å"The interaction of various conscious and unconscious mental or emotional processes, especially as they influence personality, behaviour, and attitudes†. This is a theory used on the side ...

Being materialistic Essay

being maThey say that money makes the world go round. And indeed it does as without money, life would be very difficult as in today’s society, nothing is free. The side effect however is that people are becoming more materialistic; more concerned with making money and what money can buy. But how much money is enough? Is it ever enough? To some, it will never be enough. In my opinion, I truly believe that this statement is true and that people are becoming more materialistic in nature. In this essay, I will discuss how materialism has affected modern society’s way of life on an individual level, the country’s economy as well as our spiritual and moral beliefs. First and foremost, each individual is affected by materialism to some extent in this day and age because hedonism is becoming an uprising trend. This is because today’s generation are geared towards making more and more money so that they can enjoy the carefree lifestyle that is so popular these days. Moreover, people now are striving to earn more income in order to afford things that are more expensive and branded. For example, people spend their hard earned money on material objects like genuine LV and Coach handbags, expensive gadgets like Iphones and Tablet pcs and so on which in my opinion is a waste of money when regular goods may prove to be good enough. Therefore, while individuals become more focussed on their pursuit of material wealth and improving their standard of living, they may forget that what matters most in life is quality time spent with family and friends and not the quantity of their material goods.

Change the World by Changing Poverty

Poverty affects many people â€Å"with over three billion living on less than two dollars and fifty cents a day† (Shah). The majority of the parents living in poverty are unable to provide for themselves and let alone able to feed their children, send them to school, get them the medical attention they need, or even provide them with shelter (â€Å"What is Poverty? †). Since parents can not properly provide for their kids, it causes â€Å"twenty-two thousand children to die each day due to poverty†. South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are the areas most affected by poverty even though it is in every continent, country, and city around the world (Shah).This large poverty problem is a global issue that could be changed into a much smaller one, or even an inexistent problem, by implementing a few different solutions. One way to end poverty is by investing in children. This means to mainly focus on their education, especially when they’re young. Boteach talks ab out how President Obama has an idea to create a â€Å"universal pre-K that would provide millions of parents with a quality, reliable place for their children to thrive, enabling them to work more or steadier hours to bring additional income into the family, as well as create greater economic opportunity for their children in the long term†.In doing this, it would help these children obtain a proper education that can lower poverty at a high rate since children are the ones most affected by it. With the correct education they can grow up and learn to live a life of non-poverty unlike their parents who may have not of had the chance to obtain a proper education (Boteach). Children living in poverty are unable to control their life. They’re vulnerable because they’re at the will of others and they sometimes demean themselves to make ends meet (â€Å"Invest in Services†). So they deserve to be invested in for their future and their well being.Investing in ch ildren can reduce the poverty rate in tomorrow’s world. Another way to end poverty would be to make a world-wide minimum wage law. Why? People live in poverty mostly because they can not make enough money to support themselves or their family. Very rarely is it because people are lazy or don’t have a job (Shah). Why is there still so many people living in poverty if they have jobs? Poverty is mainly caused by too low of minimum wages because â€Å"the leading cause of hunger and homelessness is low-paying jobs† (â€Å"Universal Living Wage†).Most countries do already have a minimum wage, but they are usually not high enough to support a family in today’s world. The United States is a good example of this because â€Å"under current law, a full-time worker with two children earning the minimum wage will still raise his or her family in poverty† (Boteach). This is unacceptable because most employers will pay their workers minimum wage if they can get away with it. And anyone working deserves to not have to live in poverty no matter where they live or what job they do. So there needs to be a world-wide, minimum wage law made.It needs to state that every country has to make a high enough minimum wage that would not allow anyone to live in poverty if they worked a normal forty-hour week. They need to be able to afford essential clothing, nutrition, utilities, medical care, and shelter (â€Å"Universal Living Wage†). So making a world-wide minimum wage law would help reduce poverty. Making sure everyone has access to the proper energy is another solution to end poverty. The people living in third-world countries that are poverty stricken, is mainly due to not having access to energy needed to live day in and day out.Without them having access to the proper electricity they have to work much harder in their lives because they do not have access to running water, lights, heat, refrigeration, air-conditioning, plumbing, stoves, and many other things that most people take for granted. They also struggle not having the proper energy because it affects their ability to get a decent education or earn a nice living or even just trying to keep themselves healthy is an everyday struggle for them.It is physically impossible and too expensive to make sure every square inch of this earth and everyone has access to electricity though. So the solution would be to work with communities to develop renewable energy technologies. These technologies would use natural resources such as water, wind, sun and wastes so they could work in even the smallest or most remote communities and not cost very much to build or maintain (â€Å"Powerful Solutions to Poverty†). Making sure everyone has access to the proper energy needed to live life easily would really help reduce poverty.Investing in children would help end poverty in tomorrow’s world. If children were given the chance to get a proper education it wou ld create a greater economic opportunity for everyone in the long term. For example, â€Å"every year that we keep children in poverty, it costs our nation, United States, half a trillion dollars in lost productivity, poorer health and increased crime,† so if children got a proper education, it would boost the economy, raise health, end a lot of crime and reduce the costs by trillions (â€Å"Ending Child Poverty†).It would also lead to outcomes such as better high school graduation rates, higher worker productivity, and lower rates of violent crime that revenue seven dollars in savings for every one dollar invested upfront in children’s early education (Boteach). This is a realistic solution because The Early Learning Challenge Fund is investing one billion dollars per year in challenge grants to build high-quality early learning systems for children from birth through age five (â€Å"Investing in Early Childhood to Reduce Child Poverty†).Investing in chi ldren’s education from an early age can help reduce poverty to a lower rate. Making a world-wide minimum wage law would reduce poverty drastically. If they raised the minimum wages and indexed them to the cost of living, it would increase the wages of millions of low-wage workers, and create demand in the economy for goods and services as workers spend their increased wages in local businesses (Boteach). For example, if the United States were to raise â€Å"the minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour† then that â€Å"would inject about four hundred and fifty billion dollars into the economy each year†.It would give more purchasing power to many poor and lower/middle class Americans, so therefore stimulate buying, producing, and hiring. Also, the Economic Policy Institute has done studies that prove raising the minimum wage to fifteen dollars would benefit sixty-four percent of the workforce, eighty-one million people, and therefore their families would no longer have to live in poverty and then they would be able to buy more clothing, new cars, and food from the nation’s businesses (Hanauer). Imagine if every country made a minimum wage and made it high enough to do the same as if it would for the United States.Every country’s economy would be booming and many people could live a better life therefore benefiting the countries in several ways. People would no longer need to use tax payer programs such as food stamps or Medicaid, and then the countries could use that tax money to get out of debt or for other reasons. The United States alone could save a lot of money and get out of some debt since â€Å"according to the Congressional Budget Office, the federal government spent three hundred sixteen billion dollars on programs designed to help the poor in 2012† (Hanauer).This is a realistic solution to poverty. Many minimum wage paying jobs are employed by franchises that make billions of dollars a year and still pay their workers nothing. These franchises and companies can and should have to pay their workers a higher minimum wage. Businesses would be responsible to pay the increase to their workers but it is their responsibility to employ and pay them fairly. Making a high, world-wide minimum wage law would help end poverty. Making sure everyone has access to the proper energy is a good solution to end poverty.Having the proper energy resources is important to any area because a â€Å"modern energy supply is foundational for economic development† (Pielke). This is a very realistic solution. In most poverty stricken areas it is impossible to get electricity. So the solution is to work with communities to develop renewable energy technologies. The organization Practical Action is a charity that does just this. They are funded completely by donations and have worked with poor women, men, and children all over the world helping make their lives better.So if they got enough donations, they could end poverty in many third world countries that don’t have the access to electricity. They could do this because of their renewable energy technologies that they invent, build, and distribute. They are always looking for ways to better their inventions and ways to help out the people more (â€Å"Powerful Solutions to Poverty†). Giving everyone access to the proper energy they need can reduce poverty rates. Poverty is a sad thing because it affects every part of these people’s life.It affects their health, learning, jobs, raising their families, and just everyday activities that should be simple. That is why there is a great need to do something to end poverty. Whether the world works together to invest in children and their education, or to make a high, world-wide minimum wage, or to make sure everyone has access to proper energy, the world will have less poverty. Everyone needs to stand and work together to make these solutions work. If everyone acts on them all , we could end poverty completely, so take a stand today and end the suffering for millions of adults and children all over the globe.

Fast Food Nation Summary and Reaction Essay

Eric Schlosser wrote the book â€Å"Fast Food Nation† to prove that the fast food industry is solely responsible for many problems that affect today’s society. He begins his argument by explaining how the fast food industry came to be and who made it happen. Carl Karcher was the biggest starting pioneer of this new industry. After his marriage in 1939, he bought his first hot dog cart and â€Å"by the end of 1994, [he] owned 4 hot dog carts in Los Angeles. † His next fast food venture was his Drive-In Barbeque, but the competition was soon on. â€Å"Dozens of people were standing in line to buy bags of ‘McDonald’s Famous Hamburgers’ (Schlosser 18, 19). Richard and â€Å"Mac† McDonald had their own business, but were tired of having to find new carhops and cooks. So they began to use today’s way of how fast food chains do business, assembly line style. This was the beginning of the rising power of the fast food industry. Schlosser then briefly describes the lives of many other fast food pioneers such as William Rosenberg who opened his first â€Å"doughnut shop in 1948, later calling it Dunkin’ Donuts. † Glen Bell founded the restaurant chain Taco Bell, Keith Cramer founded Insta-Burger-King, Dave Thomas founded Wendy’s, and Thomas Monaghan opened the first Domino’s. And Harland Sanders was the famous man of them all with his opening of the world’s first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant (Schlosser 22-23). Thanks to these men, America has her fast food. In order to explain how fast food became so popular in American culture, Schlosser continues his book with the complicated relationship between Ray Kroc and Walt Disney and their rise to fame. â€Å"Ray Kroc took the McDonald brothers’ Speedee Service System and spread it nationwide, creating a fast food empire (Schlosser 34). † Walt Disney created a fantasy world that fulfilled the American child’s dreams. Their great success was their uncanny ability of marketing their products to children. Even though Walt Disney’s success arrived sooner, Kroc’s company was most successful with the invention of the character Ronald McDonald in enticing America’s children. â€Å"Indeed, market research has found that children often recognize a brand logo before they can recognize their own name (Schlosser 43). † Playgrounds and even public school systems have fell victim to advertising. Playlands in McDonald’s stores attract whole families with young, hungry, and noisy children. Believe it or not, children are the ones who made McDonald’s Corporation as rich as it is today. Schlosser continues with stories and facts about what happens behind the counter. The mass number of fast food stores across America shows growing problems surrounding those who work at them. Crew members are only paid minimum wage and sometimes even less. They are prevented from being paid overtime, forming labor unions, and are forced to work only when they are needed. Workers going overtime are being paid for the extra time in food, not money. Robberies have been known to occur by current of former employees, not just third parties. McDonald’s sees it only necessary to add security to its stores rather than increasing its employee wages to incentivize workers to try and prevent theft. McDonald’s uses a combination of teenagers and illegal immigrants as its workforce supply. These workers are not concerned about being paid little since most do not have to support a family. With such a tremendous supply of labor, there is no incentive for McDonald’s Corporation to increase employee wages. Franchisees of many fast food chains are increasingly upset about encroachment, multiple stores of the same chain within short distances of each other. It is terrible that corporations are not thinking too highly of their franchisees. But there is no incentive for these corporations to change since they own the land that their franchises sit on. Franchisees periodically sue their franchisors â€Å"about inflated price charged by suppliers, [and] about bankruptcies and terminations that seemed unfair (Schlosser 100). † The meat packing industry is by far the most dangerous industry in America. Countless injuries occur without being reported and all that seems to matter to the industry is meeting the daily schedules. The faster the employees are made to work, the more dangerous the work becomes. Workers are usually fired after they are severely injured and are sent to specific doctors who do not document these injuries and convince the workers that they are fine. Any defiance against the company and those workers are either fired or given harder and more dangerous tasks. The only thought that comes across meat packing company executives is profit margins. There is relatively no social justice for the employees of the fast food and meat packing industries. Their wages are minimal, they receive no benefits, and no bonuses are given. There is no excuse that can justify falsified reports and time clocks. This is one of the few points where private interests go too far. Minimized costs is a must have in the private sector, but not to the point where the lives and welfare of workers are at stake and laws are being violated. There is simply too much private interest alive in Congress which prevents any further prohibition of such behavior. These industries are technically victimizing their workers by using them as cheap labor. Fast food chains use advertising which targets children who are the most vulnerable and exploit that weakness to maximize profits. In addition to Schlosser’s arguments, fast food is the worst possible food that people can eat. The sad thing is children at such young ages are eating it and the parents either do not even know any better or they simply do not care just because it is good to their wallets. Eric Schlosser’s critical views towards the fast food and meat packing industries, I dear say, are very informative. In sharing his views, I believe things must be done to address these issues. If the end result means higher prices for fast food, I, unlike most of Americans, simply would not mind paying it because then at least the employees of both industries would be earning better wages, learning real life skills, and working in a safer environment especially for those who do the meat packing. The facts about the fast food industry in this book definitely prove to me what I have been supporting, working at a McDonald’s for the past two years. I may actually consider finding a new job this summer with a company that pays me better, a company that does not have the kind of nasty reputation that the fast food chains have.

Finding the audience ( media audience) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Finding the audience ( media audience) - Essay Example While newspapers and radio have suffered though little, they have made their user groups intact due to their low cost and local news coverage network. Television media has undergone various changes after the advent of satellite technology. The fragmentation of audiences that has already occurred means that Public Service Broadcasting TV channels can no longer command large audiences unless there is some national event that interests everyone and the huge audiences of the past, for example, for the Christmas Morecambe and Wise Shows or the final series of Only Fools and Horses, will be impossible in the future and only on the great state occasions of national interest, where coverage is exclusive or shared by one or two channels, will large audiences be achievable (Media Watch U.K.). The active users of video recorders in the cities and the internet live coverage of many of the social programs in the recent times have made the television industry under pressure. Hence The audience generation to television programs during the last decade has become a very difficult task. In these prevailing conditions, the success of Channel 5, the recent analogue of terrestrial channel, reaching nearly 80% of the population in Britain, have made to understand the common man and the business marketing community, that what works in the entertainment market, when promotional strategies and the branding specifics are properly selected, continuously changed and improved. The history of television media started in U.K. since the launching of British Broadcasting Corporation in 1922 and passed through the second television network, Independent Television Network (ITV), which started in 1955. While BBC has maintained through the license fees and ITV generated funding through marketing. The

How have the culture and mentality of the Chinese contributed to their Research Paper

How have the culture and mentality of the Chinese contributed to their success as entrepreneurs - Research Paper Example This unusual success is based on the Chinese culture and customs. Chinese school of thought Confucianism has deep roots with the entrepreneurship. Confucianism evokes qualities like hard work and constant struggle and also suggests that people should do such actions which become a source of pride for not only their family but for the state also. The Chinese custom of saving money and not using more than their needs, help them to investment in their business. Confucianism allows its followers to lead a loyal and modest life, and not using corruption as a tool to progress. Along with other qualities like interpersonal relation, self discipline and risk taking, the importance given by Chinese government on education has helped them to come up with latest and innovational solutions in the field of science and technology. The state is now taken extra steps to motivate young individuals to enter in the world of entrepreneurs and try to facilitate them in every way. Loans, coaching and help are offered to the interesting candidates. Thus their culture and the policies offered by the country helps the Chinese entrepreneurs to succeed beyond others. ..

Essay on the biochemical assessment of a named disease

On the biochemical assessment of a named disease - Essay Example When the body uses these hormones, the thyroid creates more to replace them. The pituitary gland monitors the amount of the thyroid hormones in the bloodstream and adjusts the production of its own hormone accordingly. The pituitary gland also sends this information to the thyroid gland so the latter knows how much hormone it needs to produce (Endocrine Web, 2006a) Thyroid diseases occur when the thyroid gland produces more hormones, which prompts the body to consume more energy. This disorder is called hyperthyroidism. When the thyroid gland produces fewer hormones, the body is prompted to lessen its energy consumption. This condition is called hypothyroidism (American Academy of Otolaryngology, 2006) Thyroiditis, a disease which can either be painless or painful, can trigger the thyroid gland to produce more hormones, thus, causing hyperthyroidism to occur in short periods of time. The painless type usually happens to women who have just given birth. The symptoms of hyperthyroidism include severe irritability and nervousness, muscle tremors, unpredictable and infrequent menstrual periods in women, sudden weight loss, inability to sleep, enlarged thyroid, eye irritation, and sensitivity to heat. The symptoms of hypothyroidism are fatigue, heavy and frequent menstrual periods in women, severe forgetfulness, sudden weight gain, dry hair and skin, raspy voice, and sensitivity to cold (The Cleveland Clinic, 2006) Doctors perform various thyroid diagnostic tests to determine if the thyroid gland is functioning well. These tests include the T3 and T4 tests, the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test, and ultrasound of the thyroid gland. The TSH test is usually done first, as it is the best measure of how well the thyroid gland functions. When the blood levels of TSH is high, the thyroid glad is under active; and when it is low, the thyroid