Sexuality at Different Life Stages Essay Example for Free

Sexuality at Different Life Stages Essay Anna, an adolescent girl, is very much in love with her boyfriend who is three years older than she. He is putting a lot of pressure on her to have sex. At the same time, she is anxious about her parents’ attitude towards her boyfriend. Her mother constantly warns her about dating an older boy and assumes that he intends to take advantage of her. Young Anna is experiencing new emotions along with new physical sensations triggered by hormones and the lives of her peers. There are several topics Anna needs to discuss in order to make the best decision without feeling uncomfortable or forced by her parents, her boyfriend, or even her therapist. Anna’s Age Anna needs to discuss the difference between what she is feeling now versus how she will feel as an adult, once the hormone levels have evened out. It is important for her to understand that what she thinks may be a long term, emotional, attachment, may end much sooner than she think and that making a decision based on these emotion may end up causing her emotional pain. By explaining to Anna that, if the love is as strong as she believes it to be, her relationship will last long enough for her to be able to make this decision without all of the physical, emotional, and peer pressure she may feel more comfortable in waiting to make such a major move with her boyfriend. Self Esteem Anna is feeling pressure from her boyfriends and may fear the relationship will end if she does not have sex with him. Anna and her therapist need to take time to discuss how she sees herself and how she feels others view her. With a higher self esteem, Anna may come to understand that she doesn’t have to give in to his pressure and, if the relationship does end, that she will have plenty of chances to find someone else who she will see as just as good, or better, than her current boyfriend. Raising her self esteem may also help her feel more confident in making decision that may go against what her peers are doing or trying to convince her to do. If she can feel strong in her decisions, there may be less of a chance of others changing her mind simply because â€Å"everyone else is doing it†. Sexual Realities Many adolescents may believe that engaging in sexual activities makes them more mature or helps them reach adulthood faster than others. Helping Anna understand the truth about what sex may or may not change about her body and personality could give her a better understanding about herself and her peers as she tries to make the difficult decisions that come with growing up. It may also help calm some fears that she may have about sexuality that she may have receive from listening to misinformed peers. Contraception and Sexually Transmitted Infections Whatever Anna decides, she needs to know how to protect herself from unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Since there are many myths on how to prevent pregnancy and STIs, she needs to know the truth so she can avoid potentially dangerous or negatively life altering situations. With this knowledge, Anna may decide to wait until she has more understanding or, at least, until she can feel sure that sex with her boyfriend is safe and they are both willing and able to take on the responsibilities of contraception, or of raising a child if they choose not to prevent pregnancy. Conclusion Whatever Anna decides, the best thing is that she makes an informed decision. With proper knowledge, she can prevent much of the emotional and physical pain that can come from a misinformed decision and possibly even decide to wait until her body, and her emotions are fully matured and she is truly ready to take on the responsibility of sexual activity. Her therapist needs to help her communicate openly about her fears, wants, and needs and show her what she needs to be happy and healthy through this stressful and confusing time in her life. Before and after Anna decides, she needs someone who is well informed to speak to openly about sex and the different feelings that come along with each activity.

Soldiers Home And How to Tell a True War Story Analysis

Soldiers Home And How to Tell a True War Story Analysis War can be defined as a situation in which competing enemies are involved in an active struggle. Different authors have over time written war stories and their effects on individuals. Tim OBrien wrote How to tell a true war story while Ernest Hemmingway wrote Soldiers Home. Both stories illustrate to readers the effects of war on an average person. Both stories are the same in many aspects because both authors had a stint in the army. OBrien served in the Vietnam War and he chooses a narrator in his story who is the same as him. This makes the reader believe in OBriens stories as if they actually happened. Hemmingway, on the other hand, served in the World War I and bases his story on real life experience such as lies, relationships and death. In both stories, we are told that soldiers in a war do whatever that they like. This is supported in Soldiers Home when Krebs does nothing to get a job or make money throughout the day. In How to tell a true War Story OBrien is of the opinion that a soldier yearns for a perfect world while in the battle zone. On his return home, Krebs is truthful and blunt on his answer not caring how others take it. Themes can be referred to as the fundamental ideas that have been explored in a piece of literature. Both stories have the theme of physical and emotional burden in which the characters are both figurative and literal. Both OBrien and Krebs carry loads that are emotionally heavy. The load is composed of terror, grief, longing and love. Each mans burden is related to their emotions. After the end of the war, both men have psychological burden which continue to haunt and define them. They survived the war but continue to carry grief, and confusion. Fear of shame as a motivation is delved in both stories. OBrien experiences in war shows that the motivating factor in war is the fear of feeling ashamed before peers. Krebs also has the fear of relating to the towns people and even his own family. Both stories explain the complexities of relating war experience to story telling/narration. Tim OBrien chooses to have a fictional narrator who is also known by his name Tim OBrien. He shows that the narrator has the power to shape the opinions of his listeners. In both stories, the authors use the stories to allow the listeners tackle the past experiences .They use narratives to pass their message. Loneliness and isolation features prominently in both stories. OBrien explains that there is loneliness and also isolation in Vietnam during the war. He says that loneliness and isolation are destructive the same way as ammunition. Krebs on the other hand is isolated and lonely in his home town since returning from war. He is disillusioned and is unable to fit in his society or even his family. Both titles Soldiers Home and How to Tell a True war story are both ironical. Soldiers home in real sense refers to a place of rest, a place of retirement but in the story, Krebs does not find rest in his home town, in fact he suffers from post traumatic stress and isolation. In How to Tell True War Story, it is ironical that OBrien starts by saying the story is true only to argue later at the end that one should not believe a true war story since it is even impossible for one to tell a war story that it is true. In Soldiers Home, we find that Krebs lies so much to the extent that when he returns home, lying makes him sick. OBrien backs this theme when he says that one Hs to stretch the truth and lie so as to make the public believe ones war story. Krebs tells his stories of war with other war veterans assembled at the pool room. In the same way, OBrien tells others about his war experiences. Readers of Hemmingway story are told that people do not want to hear Krebs stories while on the other hand OBrien also thinks that war stories are meant for people who do not listen. How to Tell a true War Story is not straight forward and does not follow chronological paths from the start to the end like a traditional story. Instead it has a collection of various small stories that have been interspersed with instruction on war stories. The story also has commentary whereby the narrator says that a war story which is true is never moral. The narrator through commentary also argues that distinguishing on what really happened from what seemingly happened in a true war story is difficult. . The protagonists in both How to Tell a True War Story and A Soldiers Home tell the stories of their lives and also about war and its effects on their lives. This can be seen in the modifications of war stories by OBrien and the social isolation of the protagonist in Hemmingways story. In both stories, the protagonists are traumatized by their time in the military service. OBrien accepts that fabrication is essential and relevant to his stories. He agrees on his stress that is post traumatic and admits to telling lies through his literature. Hemmingways depiction on stress occasioned by war differs from that from OBrien because his war veteran, Krebs is recovering from the effects of war on him. Krebs does not like remembering his time in the military. While OBrien likes embellishing and talking about the truth, Krebs was sick of it. Krebs depicts negative effects of war by emotionally alienating himself from the society. He still lives in his parents home and is not married or has any career. Ernest Hemmingways Soldiers Home is not a story about an old soldier in an old peoples home waiting to die, but it is a story of a young man called Harold Krebs who has just returned from war and is unable to figure out what he wants in life. Although he is at home, he does not feel at home. It is like he did not want to come home. Krebs knows that he has changed but everything else in his hometown seems the same. He is expected to pick up and continue with life from where he had left while going to war but he does not know how to do that. He is confused. He feels no one understands what he is undergoing, the turmoil that is within him. The many atrocities he witnessed in the war zone have made him not to believe in God anymore. One feels sorry and sympathy for Krebs. His troubles can be compared to what other war veterans went through when they arrived back home from war. Krebs is timid and uncomfortable in the company of women except his immediate family members. He depicts a picture on how hard it is to be assimilated back in to ones society after military service. Social acceptance as a theme in Ernest Hemmingways Soldiers Home and OBriens How to Tell a True War Story is significant in both stories. Both major characters are isolated socially and are unable to relate well with all those who are around them. It is fair to conclude that neither Krebs nor OBrien is no better off at the end of these stories than when they started. It is understandable that both writers of these stories- Soldiers Home and How to Tell a true war Story were both scarred in the wars. These stories are therefore very personal and the experiences offer us glimpses into the lives of both the authors, their many trials and tribulations that they faced.

The Rise and Fall of Country Music Essay -- Music, Robert Johnson

Is country music still country music? Country music has roots unlike any other genre of American music. Country music was one of the most influential styles of music in the twentieth century. It had stars such as Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. These stars represented what the South felt. They understood shotgun weddings, not knowing where the next meal would come from, and fearing the wrath of God while simultaneously loving the sweet and instant satisfaction that sin brings. They took those pains and painted beautiful, harsh, and most importantly real portraits of life. The majority of today’s country music, the country that is played on mainstream radio, has lost its serious feel and replaced it with a more laid back sound—which at times makes it hard to hear the difference between a rock song and a country song—and it has left behind authenticity for its Nashville sound and pursuit of money and popular appeal. Country music branches off into many sub-genres. You have the blues of Robert Johnson, the more pure country music of Williams and Cash, and the southern rock of Lyndyrd Skynyrd and The Drive-By Truckers. What is the difference between this music and the music played on the radio today? Dana Jennings, the author of Sing Me Back Home and a self-proclaimed country music lover opens his book describing authentic country music like this: â€Å"Country music is the backfire of a rattletrap pickup truck creaking down a dirt road and the lowing of a lone cow. It’s music for scouring junkyards, setting out to the porch, and shooting horseshoes†¦its TB, orphan music, and outhouse music. It’s potato sack dresses, loyal three-legged dogs, and water lugged from the well† (Jennings 1). This is the type of music played on the radio fifty ... ...hen I had it/ now it is gone I’m learning what that is†. This is the story of hating a nine to five job but realizing life is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. It is real. Good country music is still being made, just not for the radio. Trampled by Turtles, Avett Brothers, Bill Mallonee, and Drive-By Truckers are all consistently putting out great country albums. There are plenty more artists like them, putting out songs not just to make a buck, but also to express their pains and struggles, songs you can relate to and songs with feeling. It makes it that much more special finding a good country band. Sooner or later, Nashville will pay for her sins. But until then, listening to Southern Rock Opera will teach you ten times more about human frailty and the daily struggles of ordinary people than listening to a hundred hours of a country radio station.

Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Essay examples -- Preven

The Los Angeles Times recently ran survey results that found that four out of five teenagers suffer sex harassment at school. One in ten students said that he/she had been forced to commit a sexual act during school hours. The surveyors state that the findings provide evidence that sexual harassment in schools has reached â€Å"epidemic† proportions. Employment training programs now ten years after the sexual harassment prohibition and the well-publicized Thomas hearings begin with myths and facts about sexual harassment or pre-tests on knowledge of the prohibitions against the activity. These tests still come up with â€Å"true† for the answers to myths like, â€Å"Women working in a predominantly male job should expect to live with rough language and dirty jokes† or â€Å"Only certain kinds of men harass women workers.† Sexual harassment, a form of sex discrimination violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and in the employment context Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended in 1991. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment or education, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work or educational performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work or educational environment. Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances. The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex. The victim could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct. ... ...vention and claims defense. A program to eliminate sexual harassment from the workplace is not only required by law, but it is the most practical way to avoid or limit damages if harassment should occur despite all preventative efforts. Unfortunately, â€Å"Boys will† still â€Å"be boys† and †girls too. Bibliography http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/sexualHarTypical.htm http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/employerObligations.htm www.eeoc.gov/laws/vii.html www.dfeh.ca.gov King & Barlow, Sexual Harassment: When a Quick Response May Not Be Prevention Enough, 1999 Brower & Associates, Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, 1999 Parham & Rajcic, Sex and Power in the Schools, 1996 Liebert, Cassidy & Frierson, Finding the Facts: Harassment Investigations School Policy Legal Insider, April 1999 Equal Opportunity Commission: Policy Guidance on Sexual Harassment, 1990

Mother Jones :: essays research papers

Mary Harris Jones Mary Harris was born on May 1, 1830. She was born near Cork, Ireland. Her father got into some political trouble and had to move the family to Canada when she was eight years old. After high school Mary decided she wanted to be a schoolteacher and later moved to Tennessee in 1861. That is when she met George Jones and they got married. He was an Iron Molder like her father. In 1868, Marry Harris Jones’ lost her entire family to yellow fever. She was 37 years old and it killed her four children and her husband. It had swept Memphis where they lived. After this happened to her, Mary moved to Chicago to become a seamstress. Before she could get her little shop going a fire burnt down her business and her house with all of her belongings in 1871. Mary was having an awful time but managed to keep on trying. She finally got a job working with people who wanted to get decent wages and have their working environment improved. She also tried to stop child labor. Her work involved making speeches, recruiting members and organizing soup kitchens and women's auxiliary groups during strikes. Mary Jones later became an official for the United Mine Worker’s Union. She was in her sixties at this time and everyone knew her as Mother Jones. She was also known as a hell raiser and called the Most Dangerous Women in the World. The establishment types she battled had less flattering things to say about her. On the floor of the House of Representatives she was branded a ''notorious and troublesome woman.† Mary became a member of the Industrial Workers World. This is also known as the Wobblies. Mary Jones traveled the country helping workers to form themselves into unions. In 1908 Jones played a leading role in the mine strike in Paint Creek, West Virginia. During the strike, men employed by the mine-owners machine-gunned the strikers and their families. Mary was accused of being involved in this act and when one of the guards was murdered she was thrown in jail with a twenty-year sentence.

Aging and Cognitive Status

The following paragraph will identify the physical manifestations of aging, thus illustrating the most commonly viewed perception about elderly – forgetfulness. What is it all about and why and how does it affect human lives. This essay will answer the question as to whether forgetfulness is a pathologic or biologic characteristic of aging.The premise on which this paper operates on is the inference and personal opinion of the author relative to the effects and conditions of forgetfulness, its impact to both young and old alike.Aging is tantamount to the degeneration of all bodily functions, until such time when the function exhausts itself and degenerate. This is because the life span of the human cell only extends up to such time until it no longer regenerates.As we age, the usual optimal level of bodily functions that we have gotten used to begins to slow down. This also holds true with the cognitive and motor functions. In the cognitive aspect, aging brings along the tende ncy of memory loss and focus. Older people sometimes finds it hard to remember events that took place in the past, even more so with events which took place just recently.Cognition won’t be as efficient and sharp as it used to be. There is the deterioration of vision and eyesight that sometimes causes a great deal of confusion among elderly and sometime the same culprit as that of accidents and fall.As for motor functioning, there is the slowing down of bodily movements, as in the case of slow movement. One of the possible reasons can be attributed to the poor vision, where in they move slowly because they can not see very clearly therefore requiring them to make sure every step they make.Certain cells in the brain die causing it to alter cognition in a way also affecting other functions like the satiety, taste buds memory and etc.This is true to almost every human being, although the rate of deterioration may differ on a case to case basis, depending on how the body has been taken cared for while in their youth (AAGP. 2004). Almost every elderly, experiences a certain percentage of memory loss, deterioration of vision and taste buds, as well as that of motor functions at certain point in time.Although, the hearing, memory, taste and vision loss is common among elderly, this can also happen in earlier stages of life, especially so with accidents causing injury or trauma to the central nervous system. Forgetfulness also happens to young people, which is especially true when there are a lot of things going on in a person’s life.Sometimes, there are just too many things to take care of, responsibilities at home, in school, the family and even to self. Sometimes it is the kind of lifestyle that causes this.Memory lapse can be a bothersome thing, however temporary they may be; the idea of forgetting things can be so irritating especially if you lost it at the time it is most needed.The best thing to do if this happens to younger people like me is to s top whatever it is that I am doing and concentrate, de-stress and relax, so that the thought comes back when the body is at the state of ease and comfort (Rauch. 2005).Reference PageAAGP [American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry]. (2004). Geriatrics and Mental Health factsheet. Retrieved online on 14 Feb 2007 from http://aagponline.org/prof/facts_mh.aspRauch, Kate. (2005). Why are many elderly people forgetful? It may be the blues. A WebMDarticle published in MedicineNet webpage last Jan 30, 2005. Retrieved 14 Feb 2007 from: http://www.webmd.com/content/article/13/1674_50449

Pet peeves

Pet peeves, everyone has them. Some people make their peeves known; others Just grit their teeth and keep their annoyance to themselves. My pet peeves Include my husband talking loudly In public on the phone, people using their phones In public, and the way people care for their kids. These are just a few of my pet peeves that I want to talk about. My husband is one of the worst about talking to loud on his phone in public. One day in particular comes to mind. We were going to walk into a restaurant, and his phone rang.He answered it and began to talk. I started to walk slower, hoping he would do the same. He did not even realize that he was almost yelling. As we were walking into the restaurant he continued to talk and people turn their heads to see who was talking so loudly. I was trying to get him to hurry up, but that was not happening. I could Just see other people around us looking at him wishing he would hang up his phone. He finally finished his call and hung up his phone. Th is does not happen often, but whenIt does I try to remind him that he has many pet peeves and his loud talking Is one of mine. It Is possibly my biggest pet peeve. Furthermore, phone etiquette in general is one of my pet peeves. Don't get me wrong, cell phones are great; I just really wish that someone would write a book on the proper way to use a cell phone. If there ever was such a book the author would be a millionaire instantly. Cell phones exploded on to the scene so fast and furious that many people did not have time to think. It is understandable for people not to understand proper phone etiquette.The ability to talk wirelessly to anyone, and everyone from almost anywhere in the world has been around now for many years. People should know that there is a proper time and place to use a cell phone. I can understand If a call comes Into a person's phone that Is an emergency. However It Is not an emergency If a friend has Just broke up with their boyfriend or girlfriend. If one I s In a walling room of a doctor's office, or a public place people do not need to hear about y personal life problems.Be courteous to the ones around and, get up and walk outside to finish the call. I can promise that no one else wants to hear a one-sided conversation. Parents drive me crazy when they allow their children to scream and cry in a public place. I can understand some children have special needs and there is Just no way for a parent to soothe the child. The parent should still get up and take the screaming child outside or to the bathroom. My husband and I were at a restaurant the other day and there was a child crying and screaming at the top f his lungs.The mother just sat there and did nothing to try and soothe the child. We quickly finished our meal and left the restaurant. Parents should try and consider that not everyone cares to hear their child screaming and crying In public places. In conclusion I normally do not say a whole lot about the different things that g et on my nerves. I am typically the kind of person that Just goes with the flow. The loud talking on the cell phone, the lack of phone etiquette, and children crying and Pet peeves Pet peeves, everyone has them. Some people make their peeves known; others Just grit their teeth and keep their annoyance to themselves. My pet peeves Include my husband talking loudly In public on the phone, people using their phones In public, and the way people care for their kids. These are just a few of my pet peeves that I want to talk about. My husband is one of the worst about talking to loud on his phone in public. One day in particular comes to mind. We were going to walk into a restaurant, and his phone rang.He answered it and began to talk. I started to walk slower, hoping he would do the same. He did not even realize that he was almost yelling. As we were walking into the restaurant he continued to talk and people turn their heads to see who was talking so loudly. I was trying to get him to hurry up, but that was not happening. I could Just see other people around us looking at him wishing he would hang up his phone. He finally finished his call and hung up his phone. Th is does not happen often, but whenIt does I try to remind him that he has many pet peeves and his loud talking Is one of mine. It Is possibly my biggest pet peeve. Furthermore, phone etiquette in general is one of my pet peeves. Don't get me wrong, cell phones are great; I just really wish that someone would write a book on the proper way to use a cell phone. If there ever was such a book the author would be a millionaire instantly. Cell phones exploded on to the scene so fast and furious that many people did not have time to think. It is understandable for people not to understand proper phone etiquette.The ability to talk wirelessly to anyone, and everyone from almost anywhere in the world has been around now for many years. People should know that there is a proper time and place to use a cell phone. I can understand If a call comes Into a person's phone that Is an emergency. However It Is not an emergency If a friend has Just broke up with their boyfriend or girlfriend. If one I s In a walling room of a doctor's office, or a public place people do not need to hear about y personal life problems.Be courteous to the ones around and, get up and walk outside to finish the call. I can promise that no one else wants to hear a one-sided conversation. Parents drive me crazy when they allow their children to scream and cry in a public place. I can understand some children have special needs and there is Just no way for a parent to soothe the child. The parent should still get up and take the screaming child outside or to the bathroom. My husband and I were at a restaurant the other day and there was a child crying and screaming at the top f his lungs.The mother just sat there and did nothing to try and soothe the child. We quickly finished our meal and left the restaurant. Parents should try and consider that not everyone cares to hear their child screaming and crying In public places. In conclusion I normally do not say a whole lot about the different things that g et on my nerves. I am typically the kind of person that Just goes with the flow. The loud talking on the cell phone, the lack of phone etiquette, and children crying and