Social creatures Essay Example for Free

Social creatures Essay We human being are social creatures. We love to inter act with other people just so we can talk to them and be acquainted with them. It is physically impossible for us to stay detach for other people. We also need to feel that we belong to a certain circle of friends as a teenager and I high school. Hey I can was young once and I also felt these things. But looking back I had an outstanding relationship I have that would be very good at this point, so let me start. The first relationship that I want to talk about is a relationship I have with one of a family member. She is my father’s younger sister and a neurosurgeon at that. She is the youngest one in my father’s family, so as many would think since she is the youngest she is spoiled. Yeah, that fact is true, she was a spoiled brat, because according to my grandmother she was a sickly baby. But this didn’t bother me at all because I was her favorite. She and I always were close. Now come to think of it, if I had to choose which of the communication theories apply to our relationship, it will be the Uses and Gratifications Theory, I know that this mainly use for the media and that it is hard to fathom that a family member can make use of another family member but it happens on some occasion. As for me, since I was a first grandchild I too was very spoiled to the point of becoming a brat. My grandmother would describe me as intelligent but foolish and with a good conscience. But I have this temper which is extremities. See when I like you I remain very nice to you and loyal, but once you have already betrayed me you have just raised your own personal hell. I don’t forgive very easily. How did I come to this conclusion? It was when she got married to the husband to whom she was divorced now. Let’s take a look at it now, it was 8 years last May 19 of this year when my problems with her first started. I think it was a before that my grandmother had found out that she was pregnant with a guy five year younger than her. For some reason my grandmother really didn’t approve of the guy and kicked her out of the house. So My aunt went to live in with the guy, and I visited her once in a while to bring her some food that my grandmother cooked for her. Sometimes I would even stay over night at her place, especially when my parents and I have an argument. As I spent more time with her in the man’s house I began to understand why my grandmother hated the guy. Yes, he was an ophthalmologist, but he was a lazy bum. When he would get home from work he would sit in his computer and play and chat with other people on line. I on the other hand would help my aunt fix dinner and all. I did not claim to be a martyr nor an angel at that point I was far from it even up to the present time. I also had to deal with my things, my parents breaking up, I started to drink and go with all the wrong people. But when I was there with my aunt I would pull my weight. I would give their dogs a bath and help out in any way I could. When the month of May finally arrived my aunt gave birth to their first child a baby boy. I was the one who went to their house and got the things needed for her. When I went to the house, this lady called looking for my aunt’s husband and so I told her that my aunt gave birth. I watched my aunt in the hospital while the husband was at home tinkering with his computer. There was a visitor that came and I offered that visitors some pastries that were brought for the visitor. The visitor commented of on how great that I was taking care of my aunt and all. But she commented that I was taking care of her so that I could just eat. That comment began our Uses and Gratifications Theory of Communications. How can I say this? Easy because it’s true, another example would be when she returned to my grandmother’s house. She told me to go with her so that she could buy some clothes for me and a mobile phone. So I went with her, in the car she told me that we were going to have lunch with her husband and that I should not tell my grandmother. I had lunch with them and then went to buy the clothes and mobile phone. My aunt the dropped me off at the corner heading to our compound saying that people might start asking questions if they see me with her that day. So I went down to walk to my house and told my mom what my aunt brought for me. Hey who was I to question her. Then she got pregnant with her second child again, and it all repeated once again. She got kicked out; I had to take care of her with a lot of freebies on the side. But the final straw was drawn when that husband had the audacity to hit my aunt. She called me to tell my grandmother to pick her up along with her children. Now she is a neurologist and still staying with my grand mother. When my birthday came she took me and one of my cousins out for some breakfast, and who was waiting for us at country waffle was the husband. It’s just she told us that her children needed a father to so we helped her out by covering up for her. What really made me realize that she was just using us is when she accused my cousin of stealing her mobile phone. But it was her helper all along that stole the phone. You see my younger cousin’s family stays with my grandmother. So in order to save face my cousin and his family left. Till now that feud is still on going. I could have just let it go, but the made turned her ugly head towards me. She would call mobile phones and use my name to charge it to the land line. It was a good think that one of my aunts checked and it was made to a driver that the maid was flirting with. She also took money and let others take the blame for it. I ended my relationship with my aunt when I started my kennel business. I got tired of being use and using my aunt is return. But what really ended it was when I fought with her helper because her helper told me to put all my dogs in the pound. So I told our house boy that that help was flirting with to just give her what she wanted and have sex with her. That message got to the maid and she slapped me, so I broke her face with my fist. The left and cooled off with my father. The last straw was when it was my grandmother who called my attention about lying about going with her to the hospital at a late night call. So she called me when I was in a party to asked me to go with her to the hospital. Then she lied and told me I was not with her. She even bribed the driver to tell my grandmother that I was not with her. That’s when I all decided to stop this relationship. It was taking its toll on me and I had to live and let live. See I have learned that the communication theory of Uses and Gratifications will only benefit one person. That other person in that relationship will find it gratifying for a while but it will not last. I have learned that the hard way, and got hurt and burned the same way. I also learned that having a relationship whether it be family or love communications should be constant and no one should get hurt. Source: http://www. mhhe. com/mayfieldpub/westturner/student_resources/theories. htm

Free College Admissions Essays: Landscape Architecture :: College Admissions Essays

Landscape Architecture    How to create an environment suitable for human living when resources are limited is a challenging problem for modern society. My strong interest in photography and art has compelled me to become especially observant toward the relationship between human beings and the environment. I have come to realize that the environment we live in has suffered much damage from pollution and lacks competent planning, making it difficult to find beautiful scenery to photograph or sketch. I began to think that I could make use of my artistic gift, concern about, and interest in the environment by entering the field of landscape design and putting my effort into beautifying our surroundings. Therefore, after graduating from high school, I entered the Department of Landscape Architecture at ABC University.     ¡@ ¡@During my freshman year, I joined the school's mountaineering club, where I served as a guide and also as president of its photography group. I went to many mountainous areas and ecological preserves, and saw that Taiwan is rich in natural resources; but I also saw that these precious resources are gradually disappearing due to poor planning and illegal land use. This realization solidified my determination to learn concepts of environmental planning and design. Due to my lengthy contact with nature while climbing mountains, I knew that landscape designers should treat nature and residential areas with respect. Over the next two years, I learned more in-depth concepts of landscape design, enhanced my basic abilities in environmental planning, and started developing an interest in urban design. I received commendations from my professors for my performance and ideas. In addition, I served as administrative head of the department student association during these two years, re sponsible for planning our department exhibitions and intercollegiate activities for exchanging ideas about landscape design. This experience increased my teamwork abilities and efficiency in problem solving, which will be of great help in my future pursuits.     ¡@ ¡@The value of landscape education is not in its accumulation of knowledge, but rather in its methods for solving real-life problems. I believe that one must learn more than plain theory, and so in the summers after my freshman through junior years, I took part in internships in related fields, mainly in urban design. I was involved in planning, design, and implementation of landscaping projects, combining theory with practice. After graduation, I worked at XYZ Landscape Consultants as a designer.

What’s Wrong in Marrying?

On reading Catherine Newman essay â€Å"I Do. Not. : Why I Won’t Marry? ,† the first point that arises in the mind is the amount of power and choice that women enjoy today. One cannot simply imagine this kind of freedom of thought or expression from a woman say, a hundred years back. Those were the times when most women didn’t even have the liberty to analyze or acknowledge their needs and desires. While the freedom that women enjoy today is a welcome change, Newman’s essay is wrought with a number of misconceptions and apprehensions. It appears that she hasn’t gotten over the fear of slavery that people experienced centuries ago, especially the one brought by the institution of marriage. The invisible bond that keeps together any relationship is trust. It may a bond between a child and its mother or father, between friends, between a student and a teacher, between two life partners, or between husband and wife. In today’s world a man and a woman have every freedom to choose their life partners. And, they can also choose on how they wish to live—whether they want to formalize their relationship by marrying or simply carry on until they are sure of each other. Prudent people will use their wisdom in weighing the pros and cons of any relationship that they may get into. Newman’s objection to marriage is the way in which a bride is â€Å"given away† by her father to her husband in the altars. She argues that the number of gifts that the father bestows on the daughter and the heavy money that he spends on the wedding make the bride look like a â€Å"commodity† that is being transferred from one to another for a sum. By this argument she overlooks the love and care that the father has for the daughter, and the last thing that will be in the father’s mind at the altar will be the welfare of his daughter and her new family and definitely not the money that he is spending on the occasion. There are many marriages that take place in a very simple manner and there are many that take place in a pompous manner. It all depends on the spending capacity of the families concerned and that doesn’t have any relation to the bondage and goodwill that goes with the ceremony. Newman mocks at the ritual where the bride blows the candle from her father by telling that the bride blows away her â€Å"naughty old independent self. † This straw man argument totally misrepresents the bride’s position and it is a negative way of looking at things. It would have been healthier if she had looked at the ritual from the point of view of the bride lighting up one for her husband and had said that it portrays that beginning of a new life. This only goes to strengthen Newman’s misconceptions of marriage. Another lame argument that Newman puts forth against marriage is by projecting the gay people. She argues that married people fail to acknowledge gay people and even humiliate them. This is a gross generalization and her fear of marriage is further proved when she asks the readers to assume marriage as a â€Å"fragile and gasping little injured bird† in trying to promote the cause of the gay community. She acknowledges that she had had gay relationship in the past until she found her partner, Michael. Her thoughts are baseless when she argues that she will be doing injustice to her gay friends â€Å"if I put on a beaded cream bodice and vowed myself away in front of all our gay friends. † She assumes that they will be â€Å"gossiping wickedly† against her and even goes to justify that â€Å"what they’re snubbing should certainly be a viable option. † Newman states out loud and clear that she doesn’t believe in monogamy. The argument that closely follows this statement is purely sensual in nature. She argues if â€Å"climbing onto the same exact person for fifty years† will maximize our â€Å"brief fling on the earth. She argues for variety and says that â€Å"it seemed cruel and unusual that one should have to give up so much in order to commit to a man. † She agrees that she and her partner do not practice monogamy and doesn’t seem to have any regrets about it. This doesn’t justify her stand against marriage nor are her arguments sound enough to rationalize polygamy. Some fears that Newman expresses towards marriage are the fear of losing her individual identity and the life-long commitment that wedlock demands. She conveys that neither she nor her partner ever felt the need to get married. She argues that strongly held beliefs on marriage and commitment can be aloof â€Å"from the world where people actually feel things†¦ The best life partner is exactly the sort of person who doesn’t crave possession. † She claims that marriage brings with it the baggage of possession of one’s wife or husband! This argument is feeble in today’s world. People are quite independent to do what they want, and what keeps a family together is not â€Å"possession† but simple caring, and love and take. Newman seems to enjoy the fact that she gets to choose and be chosen to continue her relationship with her partner every day. She says that when a couple is not married and when they remain partners, they have to constantly keep choosing each other. She seems to take pleasure in the choice that she and her partner make every day to keep the relationship going. This way they feel more wanted and the â€Å"unmarried space† helps them to move forward and keeps them going she says. Dr. Neil Clark Warren in The Cohabitation Epidemic sums up this attitude beautifully well: â€Å"The fundamental agreement upon which live-in relationships are based is conditional commitment. This attitude says, â€Å"I’ll stick with you as long as things go well. But if we run into problems, all bets are off. † Relationships that begin with a quasi-commitment carry the same mind-set into marriage. When things become trying, as inevitably they will from time to time, the spouses say goodbye. † Newman says that they are quite devoted to each other, and with the birth of her child the bond between them has only grown stronger. She feels that there cannot be anything more â€Å"permanent soul binding than the sharing of the child. † She proudly confesses that her partner has taken on to his duties as a father like a fish to water. But somehow, the fear of getting married seems to linger on and she continues arguing against marriage. Newman’s fears are purely psychological in nature and they do not have any solid reason behind them. In putting forth pseudo intellectual arguments she does not offer clarity of thought. Her thoughts are distorted views coming from an immature person with some kind of a psychological fear for commitment. It is natural that a person who seems to have a fear psychosis towards marriage objects to it. Wedding or live-in relationship—it all depends upon the individuals. As Nancy L. Van Pelt and Fleming H. Revell put it, â€Å"Whatever happiness is achieved results from personal effort, knowledge, love, and commitment. † No magic happens with marriages in making individuals better. There are men and women who walk out of marriages even after having children. So, Newman’s argument that kids are â€Å"permanent soul binding† is void. However, with marriage, the commitment becomes legal and the people involved in the break up are legally bound to fulfill certain obligations to each other. So even while the break up is painful, there is still a legal protection offered. In a live-in relationship, this protection doesn’t exist.

Analysis Of Fanon s A Dying Colonialism Essay

Fanon’s second book, A Dying Colonialism was also released in 1965. Two years later, Black Skin, White Masks and the posthumously published collection of Fanon’s essays Toward an African Revolution, followed. Hence, in addition to the specific historical context of its release in the United States, the publication order also shaped the way Fanon’s ideas were perceived and debated in the political atmosphere that saw an increasing number of African Americans, particularly the younger generation, growing more and more frustrated with the lack of enforcement of the modest but hard-earned civil rights legislation, and the continuing humiliation and attacks on civil rights protesters. The publication year of The Wretched of the Earth was significant in several ways/more than one way. On February 21, Malcolm X was murdered. With him, African Americans lost a leader and role model renowned for his unequivocal rhetoric and his focus on African American interest, evinci ng little concern for catering to white sensitivities. Hence, his book would function to provide very practical advice on how to approach the exhaustive process of colonization, written by a Black intellectual who was committed and actively engaged in the struggle for liberation. Fanon, who shortly addressed the particular racial dilemma African Americans faced in the United States in both BSWM and TWE, was also influenced by the writings of African American intellectuals of that time. In 1967, ZolbergShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pageslamentable. Taken together, the key themes and processes that have been selected as the focus for each of the eight essays provide a way to conceptualize the twentieth century as a coherent unit for teaching, as well as for written narrative and analysis. Though they do not exhaust the crucial strands of historical development that tie the century together—one could add, for example, nationalism and decolonization—they cover in depth the defining phenomena of that epoch, which, as the essays demonstrate