Sexuality and Middle Adulthood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sexuality and Middle Adulthood - Essay Example According to Erik Erikson, the most important developmental challenge of middle adulthood is the conflict of generativity versus stagnation. Most people in the middle adulthood consider sexuality as essential component for physical and mental well-being. However, one of the basic issues concerning human sexuality during the middle adulthood is that there is a considerable decline in the frequency of sexual activity. According to Zanden, Crandell, and Crandell, "Frequency of activity and number of partners declines in middle adulthood ' Many healthy adults enjoy an active sex life into 70s and beyond' Medications for health problems often have sexual function side effects'. Lack of opportunity can be a factor... Time pressures of the job and family may leave couples with little time or energy for sex' Sexuality is refocused to sensuality for many middle adults." (Zanden, Crandell, and Crandell, 2000, p. 519). Therefore, human sexuality confronts serious challenges during the middle ad ulthood, although it is a highly essential component of human life during this period. Human sexuality during the middle adulthood confronts a basic issue with regard to the sexual activity of the individuals and most often there is an important decline in the frequency of sexual activity during this period.

In The Time Of The Butterflies Essay

In The Time Of The Butterflies Essay Many years ago, people believed that women did not have the right to express their ideas and feelings. These people thought that women were born just to get married and become mothers, and if they considered going to school they were often punished by society. At that time, women were not allowed to go to school or to have a job because they had to be in charge of the house. At home, women had not only to take care of their children but also they had to satisfy their husbands, take care of the old and sick members of the family and do the housework. Something very important that we have to consider is that in those times the families did not have just one or two children, but six or seven. This made it even more difficult for them. Women of that time were discriminated against socially. They did not have the same opportunities as men. Women could not have important jobs, and if they had, they did not receive the same treatment and salaries as men. Women were the worst paid and the mo st exploited. Women had always a secondary role in the family and society. Fortunately now, the situation has changed and society has established more rights for the protection of the women. However, there are still some places where people continue to have the negative beliefs about keeping women always at home. Nowadays, women have rebelled against those who think they are just an object that can be bought and sold. Most of them are not afraid to fight for their rights anymore, they are now allowed to do everything they want; they can work, they can express their opinions, they can attend school, and they can even vote and have important jobs in our society. In our new society, women can have as important jobs as men. For example, in Germany, the citizens have a woman as president because now society supports them and believes in them. In this paper, the two stories that I am going to analyse are In The Time of the Butterflies written by Julia Alvarez and The Color Purple written by Alice Walker. My essay is going to focus on the role of the main women in each story. Celie, Nettie, Sofia and the Mirabal sisters. The reason I decided to talk about this topic is because even though I am a man, I think women should receive the same treatment and opportunities as us, men. And also because it is very important to know that women have an important and essential role not only at home but also in labour lives. In The Time of the Butterflies is a story that talks about the lives of the Mirabal family, especially of the Mirabal sisters. This story takes place in the Dominican Republic where each Mirabal sister narrates the story according to her point of view. The Mirabal sisters called Patria, Minerva, Dedà © and Maria Teresa. These women were involved in a movement against Trujillo, who at that time governed the Dominican Republic. This man was an oppressor and he governed the nation in a brutal and cruel way. This movement against Trujillo shows the Mirabal sisters as strong women, women who fought for their rights and who gave their lives in order to get the treatment any woman deserved. On the other hand, The Color Purple is a story about violence, oppression and discrimination against women. Celie, a little black girl, is raped by her stepfather many times. She had two babies by him. Celie receives discrimination from white people, who treat black people as animals or, at best, as servants. Celie is given to Mr Black by her stepfather. Mr Black forces Celie to have sexual relations with him. He beats her. The babies Celie has had from her stepfather have been taken away from her. Celie is just fourteen years old, but she has now to take care of Mr Blacks children. Celie knows nothing about love because she has never experienced that feeling. She has just received beating and oppression from everyone. Mr Black has a son, Harpo, who marries to Sofia. Harpo humiliates and hits Sofia. But he gets a huge surprise; Sofia will not allow it. Sofia is a strong and independent woman who fights for her rights. Nettie, Celie ´s sister, is discriminated against as well. As we see, these two stories have many things in common, and one of the most important is the role that women play in each novel. In The Time of the Butterflies, the Mirabal sisters grew up in an upper class because their father was a businessman. The Mirabal sisters were very close and they were expected to get married and to have babies, and that is what they did. The Mirabal sisters supported each other in any decision they made. Here we can find a clear similarity with The Color Purple; it is because in this novel the sisters Celie and Nettie were always very close as well. Even though these sisters were separated from each other, they were together their thoughts. Another similarity between these two stories is that in both novels women have very traditional roles. For example, in The Color Purple when Celie is taken to Mr Black ´s house, she has to take care of the children, do the housework and satisfy Mr Black. She has to do everything Mr Black wants; she was even forc ed to have sexual relations. Celie was hit by Mr Black and she received a terrible treatment. Even though Celie was just fourteen years old Mr Black did not allow her to attend school. Women at that time were expected to get married and become mothers and going to school did not make any sense at all. It is another similarity with In The Time of the Butterflies, people also thought that women should stay at home with the children. A clear difference between these women is that in The Color Purple Celie, the protagonist of the novel, and her sister Nettie, did not have the opportunity of attending school. They were poor and they did not have someone who could support them. On the other hand, In The Time of the Butterflies, the Mirabal sisters, Patria, Dedà ©, Maria Teresa and Minerva had the opportunity to study because their father, Don Enrique Mirabal, earned enough money to send them to school. However, these sisters suffered too, but in a different way. The Mirabal sisters suffered because of Trujillo. Trujillo was the government of Dominican Republic at that time. He was an oppressor and his dictatorship was brutal. Trujillo used to treat women as objects, he could have any woman he wanted because he had the power. Here, we have another similarity with The Color Purple, in this novel Mr Black was an oppressor and a dictator too. He forces Celie to do things she did not want to do. However, Celie had to ob ey him, and she did not have the opportunity to say what she really thought. Mr Black had Celie as a servant in his house while he spent time with Shug Avery, a woman who Mr. Black loved. Thats why Trujillo and Mr Black have many things in common. Both were machinists. In The Color Purple we have Sofia, character who for me is the strongest woman in the novel. Sofia married Harpo, Mr. Black ´s son. Harpo wants to treat Sofia, his wife; of the same manner, his father treats Celie. However, Sofia is a very intelligent woman and she does not allow it. On the contrary, Sofia takes control of the house and she does not allow herself to be insulted by anybody. She confronts even the white community, this community treated blacks as animals, but Sofia rebelled against that and she fought for her freedom. Unfortunately, she was taken to jail because she hits and insults a very important white man in the town. The similarity with In The Time of the Butterflies is that Sofia has the same courage that Minerva, one of the Mirabal sisters. For me, Minerva was also the bravest and strongest woman in this novel. I think these two women are similar. They have the same purpose in fighting; they wanted freedom for themselves and for their families. These two women did not really care if they lost their freedom in order to get their fights. Minerva Mirabal gave her life in order to have a better country and Sofia, from The Color Purple, lost her freedom in order to get a better treatment for her family and for the black community. Another similarity I found is that in each novel there is one woman who narrates or tells her story through writings. For example, in In The Time of the Butterflies Dedà © narrates her story through a diary, in which she wrote all that happened to her. On the other hand, In The Color Purple Celie tells her story through letters to God. In these papers, Celi and Dedà ¨ could write all their thought and all those things they could not say in front of people. In these papers, they expressed all they felt. And I could say that these papers were like a person they could talk to. In conclusion, I can say that these two stories made me think about the life I want for my daughters in a future. In these novels there was much tragedy but they showed me the value people should give to the women. I personally believe that all women have to have the same opportunities. The society should not distinguish between black and white women, because they are all equals. Consequently, they have to be treated in the same manner as the society treats men. Women have the same and even more capacity as men and sometimes they are stronger. Women have the power to sacrifice her life in order to save their relatives not matter what. The difference between genders is just an obstacle created by the human mind.

America Online Inc., Essay -- Business Case Study Marketing, solution

Strategy Analysis of America Online Inc. Prior to 1995, AOL was very successful in the commercial online industry relative to its competitors CompuServe and Prodigy primarily because of its pricing rate structure which was the easiest for customers to understand and plan for ahead of time. CompuServe and Prodigy offered the same pricing as AOL for its standard service, but, charged additional fees for premium services and downloading which made it more difficult for customers to anticipate their monthly spending. The key changes taking place in the online industry in 1995 are the introduction of the Microsoft network and the coming of use of the Internet World Wide Web which offered alternative channels to content providers that provided more control over their offerings and potentially higher revenues. Microsoft Network took only a 30% commission fee (versus 80% taken by AOL from its content providers’ revenues) from its content providers and offered providers the option of choosing any format and font to display their content (versus the standard screen displays offered by AOL and its rivals). Also, the per-hour pricing policy offered by Microsoft was superior to AOL’s. With the development underway of a way to provide on-line currency collection, the World Wide Web offered huge incentives for providers to start publishing material on the internet by their own means without having to go through a middle-man such as an online provider. Both of these offerings do not bode well f or AOL’s future prospects due to the huge incentives for customers and content providers to switch to these alternative distribution channels. Prior to 1995, there is substantial evidence in the case (Exhibit 2 in the case) to suggest that the benefits of the expense of the free-trial CD marketing programs in acquiring customers will accrue over multiple periods. The average lifetime of a user was projected to be approximately 32 months (prior to 1995) and this makes a strong case, in my opinion, for capitalizing these expenses, as AOL did. With the advent of competition, as discussed earlier, compounded with the difficulty of retaining retail customers, especially online, it is highly unlikely that AOL’s customers are likely to stay for an extended period of time just because of the initial inducements. Hence, I would recommend that the accounting policy be changed gradu... ... $87,471 Million Adjusted Book Value of Capital = Book Value of Capital – Value of Subscriber Acquisition Costs Asset   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   = $239,754 M- $130,473 M = $109,281 Million   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Subscriber Acquisition Costs Capitalized  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Subscriber Acquisition Costs Expensed Return on Assets (ROA)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (19,294)(1-.34)/406,464 = -3.13%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (70,131)(1-.34)/ 275,991 = -17% Return on Equity (ROE)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (33,647)/217,944 = -15.44%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (84,484) /87,471 = -97% Return on Capital (ROC)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (19,294)(1-.34)/ (21,810+217,944) = -5.31%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  (70,131)(1-.34)/109,281 = -42% C.3 Differential Tax Benefit Subscriber Acquisition Costs in 1995 = $111,761 million Amortization of Subscriber Acquisition Costs in 1995 = $60,924 million Tax Deduction if Subscriber Acquisition Costs were expensed = $111,761 million * 0.34 = $ 37,999 million Tax Deduction if Subscriber Acquisition Costs were capitalized = $60,924 million * 0.34 = $ 20,714 million By expensing instead of capitalizing, AOL is able to derive a much larger tax benefit ($37,999 million instead of $20,714 million). The differential tax benefit can be written as: Differential Tax Benefit = $37,999 - $20,714 = $17,285 million

What is an educated Filipino Essay

The conception of education and of what an educated man is varies in response to fundamental changes in the details and aims of society. In our country and during this transition stage in our national life, what are the qualities which an educated man should possess? Great changes have taken place in the nature of our social life during the last forty years. The contact with Americans and their civilization has modified many of our own social customs, traditions, and practices, some for the worse and many for the better. The means of communication have improved and therefore better understanding exists among the different sections of our country. Religious freedom has developed religious tolerance in our people. The growth of public schools and the establishment of democratic institutions have developed our national consciousness both in strength and in solidarity. With this growth in national consciousness and national spirit among our people, we witness the corresponding rise of a new conception of education – the training of the individual for the duties and privileges of citizenship, not only for his own happiness and efficiency but also for national service and welfare. In the old days, education was a matter of private concern; now it is a public function, and the state not only has the duty but it has the right as well to educate every member of the community – the old as well as the young, women as well as men – not only for the good of the individual but also for the self-preservation and protection of the State itself. Our modern public school system has been established as a safeguard against the shortcomings and dangers of a democratic government and democratic institutions. In the light of social changes, we come again to the question: What qualities should distinguish the educated Filipino of today? I venture to suggest that the educated Filipino should first be distinguished by the power to do. The Oriental excels in reflective thinking; he is a philosopher. The Occidental is the doer; he manages things, men and affairs. The Filipino of today needs more of his power to translate reflection into  action. I believe that we are coming more and more to the conviction that no Filipino has the right to be considered educated unless he is prepared and ready to take an active and useful part in the work, life, and progress of our country as well as in the progress of the world. The power to do embraces the ability to produce enough to support oneself and to contribute to the economic development of the Philippines. Undoubtedly, a man may be, and often is, an efficient producer of economic goods and at the same time he may not be educated. But should we consider a man who is utterly unable to support himself and is an economic burden to the society in which he lives as educated merely because he possesses the superficial graces of culture? I hope that no one will understand me as saying that, the only sign of economic efficiency is the ability to produce material goods, for useful social participation may take the form of any of any of the valuable services rendered to society trough such institutions as the home, the school, the church and the government. The mother, for example, who prepares wholesome meals, takes good care of her children and trains them in morals and right conduct at home, renders efficient service to the country as well as the statesman or the captain of industry. I would not make the power to do the final and only test of the educated Filipino; but I believe that in our present situation, it is fundamental and basic. The educated Filipino, in the third place, must have ingrained in his speech and conduct those elements that are everywhere recognized as accompaniments of culture and morality; so that, possessing the capacity for self – entertainment and study, he may not be at the mercy of the pleasure of the senses only or a burden to himself when alone. There are, then, at least three characteristics which I believe to be the evidence of the educated Filipino – the power to do, to support himself and contribute to the wealth of our people; acquaintance with the world’s progress, especially with that of his race, people, and the community, together with love of our best ideals and traditions; and refined manners and moral conduct as well as the power of growth.

My aunt Gertrude is a rare gem.

My aunt Gertrude is a rare gem. She remains unmarried till this day, and has no desire to do so even though she is exiting the prime of her life in a few months’ time. I asked her once whether she ever contemplated being alone during her twilight years, without the comforting companionship of a husband or the dutiful doting by her children.She looked straight at me in a gaze that at once appeared as if she was reaching deep into the recesses of her being.She spoke in a barely audible whisper that she once had such a dream as I mentioned, but no longer. I was gripped with a curiosity that was tinged with a certain sadness, as I detected that within her voice and readily embraced it as my own in empathy and identification with this woman whom I love.She started tearing, and continued slowly the sad poetry that had haunted her for the past decade. When she was younger, just out of college, my aunt was engaged to a gentleman from Chicago, by the name of Mollier. He was a dealer in antiques, and had a thriving business by the time he became acquainted with my aunt Gertrude.They were a loving couple, always together, engaged in frequent intimate conversations and shared many common interests and tender moments. He was the man that my aunt was destined to marry, and to love and hold till eternity.Alas, one evening as he was making the trip home from California, he ran into a road accident and was tragically killed. My aunt did not receive the call from the coroners till a day later, after they had verified his identity and checked through their databases. Her life there and then was thrown into disarray.She left her newly-begun job, and hid in her parents’ home for the next five years. She had to learn how to live again. As she conveyed these to me, it was not her who sobbed and cried. It was me, one still young and too tender to know just what it meant and how she must have felt.She told me the pain that she carried within her heart, and how that very m oment she had died to her own ambitions, plans, and sensitivity.Her life as she knew it, was over. She had died with him. I learned from her that day what courage meant, and how with silent purpose and prayer, one can emerge from a forest of lost dreams and darkened hope still intact, at least in person. I also learned just how great love can really be, and what lovers go through each time their love disappears, even for a moment on an errand.Aunt Gertrude will never marry. She will live out the rest of her days as a spinster, having come so close to living her life with the man she truly loved and losing it all at once.She will still go about her days bustling about in a cheery manner, loving her nephews and nieces, tending to their moments of despair and immature concerns. She now lives outside herself; a woman constantly challenging herself to focus her love on others in order not to drown in the despair of her own unfulfilled love. She is a beacon of light and hope to us all in the family, and she is what makes us strong and secure.