Understandings of Jesus Essay Example for Free

Understandings of Jesus Essay There are probably as many understandings of Jesus as there are people who write, think or speak about him. If there was one historical Jesus, we approach that Jesus through four gospels, which suggests that even without including other gospels (so called non-canonical) Christians accept some diversity of images of Jesus. One Jesus of history produced many Christs of faith. Inside and outside Christian tradition, people bring their own agendas, influenced by culture, politics, social circumstances and even sexual orientation, to what they read. Marxists see a radical Jesus who challenged the status quo. Some see a sexually libertine Jesus, some a homosexual Jesus, some a feminist Jesus, some think that Jesus was preoccupied with the end of the world, others that he had no concern about this. Some argue that Jesus taught a social ethic, others that he was only interested in saving souls for life in a future realm. Some argue that Jesus intended to lead an armed revolt against Rome. Others say that he was a pacifist. Some say that he was a good Jew who never claimed to be God, whose teaching had much in common with the Pharisees. Others argue that Jesus roundly condemned the Pharisees (Bennett, 9 –10). Pelikan’s book Jesus Through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture presents eighteen images of Jesus. He asks what it was that each â€Å"age brought to its portrayal of† Jesus? (Pelikan, 2) Language was an early reason why understandings of Jesus changed, due to cultural and historical context. Among the early Christians, the idea that a Messiah was expected who would usher in an era of peace or liberate Palestine from Roman rule had meaning. However, while Jews or some Jews were waiting for one or more Messiahs, Greeks and Romans had no such expectation. The Gospels were written in Greek, although Jesus had spoken Aramaic and Hebrew, so a process of translation took place. All those who think about Jesus subsequent to the first generation of those who knew him must view him through translation. The Hebrew word for Messiah was translated as â€Å"Christ† (anointed). However, this word did not carry any special religious significance for Greek speakers, so soon came to be used as a â€Å"name†, as Bennett writes, â€Å"The Greek word ‘Christ’ became rather like a modern family name: ‘Jesus Christ’ as in ‘Clinton Bennett’† (74). Christians often think that they know what Messiah means and are surprised to learn that Jews did not have a single concept but several concepts of Messiah and that Jesus did not meet any of their expectations. Here, from the perspective of Jewish identity and tradition, Jesus fails to fulfill any of the criteria for being Messiah. Subsequently, Christian thought did not spend much time clarifying Jesus’ Messianic status but focused on how he could be understood as God, or as God’s son. Cultural differences between what emerged as the Western Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church also impacted on doctrine. All Christians recognized Jesus as savior of the world but how did Jesus save? Here, the West focuses on Jesus’ death, seeing this as a substitution or sacrifice for the sins of humanity. This is predicated on the idea that all people are sinners. In Orthodoxy, salvation is more closely linked with the beginning, not end, of Jesus’ life. Timothy Ware writes, â€Å"Where Orthodoxy sees chiefly Christ the Victor, the late medieval and post-medieval West sees chiefly Christ the Victim† (229). Orthodox thought sees the incarnation, God taking on human form, sanctifying the whole of creation as a victory. This reunited humanity with God, â€Å"by uniting humankind and God in His own person,† Jesus reopened for us humans the path to union with God† (225). Ware says that unlike the Western church, the Eastern argued that â€Å"after the Fall† humans â€Å"still possessed free will and were still capable of good action† (225) thus doing what Jesus did takes priority over believing certain doctrines about him. East and West possess the same gospels but emphasize different aspects of Jesus’ life. They then formulated different views of the atonement. One Jesus lies behind these understandings but cultural context results in differences. The fact that the East survived the collapse of the Roman Empire much longer may have encouraged the idea of â€Å"victory†, of a Christ who ruled through the Emperor from the new, Christian city of Constantinople. Rome’s fall in the West, followed by division and rivalry, may have encouraged a view of Jesus as a victim. When Christian missionaries began to preach across the globe, they often took with them a picture of Jesus that had become domesticated within European culture. Jesus was a Mediterranean Jew, so was almost certainly dark, not light-skinned but became a blue-eyed, blond-haired European. Taken to an extreme, some Germans argued that Jesus was not Jewish but of European decent (see Bennett, 255). Racist lenses, applied to reading the Gospels, transformed Jesus into a European. This Jesus, though, was unappealing to many who heard the Gospel. In Africa, new images or ways of seeing Jesus made more sense than some traditional understandings. If â€Å"Messiah† carried little meaning when translated from the Hebrew into the Greek context, fewer Biblical titles carried meaning into the African context. Thus, while theology in Europe concentrated on Jesus’ son-ship, on relations within the Trinity, on whether Jesus’ had one or two natures, Africans found â€Å"images of Jesus as healer, ancestor or as chief more relevant and meaningful† just as they asserted that Jesus could speak to them through their prophets and prophetesses (Bennett, 182). Schreite’s Faces of Jesus in Africa shows how African culture has influenced how Jesus is understood. In Asia, it was Jesus as the â€Å"only way† to God that attracted censure. Hindus and Buddhists saw Jesus as divine, as a manifestation of God (an avatar), as a savior but not as the one and only savior. Is â€Å"avatar† acceptable as a translation of John’s â€Å"became flesh†? Keshub Chunder Sen set up his Church of the New Dispensation. He looked to Jesus as a â€Å"fully self-realized man† so said that to â€Å"worship Jesus was to worship humanity† (Bennett, 330). With others, he believed that a single universal religion would emerge which would adapt culturally to different contexts. In India, that religion would â€Å"wear Hindu dress†. Pictorial images of Jesus as a yogi have been produced in India; the Trinity has been depicted as the Hindu trimurti images of Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver) and Shiva (destroyer), clothing Jesus with Hindu dress. Buddhists have described Jesus as a Bodhisattva, and have pictured him in Buddhist iconography. Others insist on the blackness of Jesus, arguing that the Christian God became the God of slavery and oppression, so until whites hate their whiteness and embrace blackness, they fail to achieve full humanity. Cone writes, â€Å"What must I do to be saved? Blackness and salvation are synonymous† thus supplying a different answer to the same question than either the classical Catholic or Orthodox responses. Cone’s emphasis on Jesus’ blackness is determined by his identity and cultural context. The kingdom Jesus preached is found wherever people suffer and die from want of dignity, says Cone. Language and context, including political context (are we oppressors or oppressed) contribute to how we understand Jesus. I agree with Bennett that all images need to be tested against what can plausibly be affirmed of the Jesus about whom we read, albeit usually in translation, in the gospels. I am reluctant to insist that my Jesus must be everyone’s Jesus, leaving Jesus free to meet different human needs. Jesus is not mine to control, or to limit to my particular perceptions and experience. Bennett, Clinton. 2001. In Search of Jesus: Insider and outsider images. London: Continuum. Cone, James H. 1986. A Black Theology of Liberation. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Pelikan, Jarasov. 1985. Jesus through the Centuries: His place in the history of culture. NY: Harper Row. Schreiter, Robert. 1991. Faces of Jesus in Africa. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis. Ware, Timothy. 1993. The Orthodox Church. NY: Penguin.

Should Marijuana be Legalized? Essay -- The Debate Over Marijuana

Weed, bud, ganja, chronic, dro, herbs, grass, trees, pot, reefer; these are all names of the one drug that causes so much dispute, marijuana. Loved by so many, and hated by the law. It’s a two sided argument which everyone has their own opinion on. Is there any specific reason why weed should be illegal, or is the government just making money from catching people with it? Is there any real medical purpose for marijuana, or is it just a gateway drug for kids? These are the questions everyone should know the answers to. Whose side are you on? First, when trying to decide what you think about the legalization of marijuana, you need to stop to listen, and actually understand where each side of the argument is coming from. Some or even half of the U.S. argues, â€Å"The drug marijuana, is equally or less as dangerous as alcohol and tobacco products. Telling the people they can or can’t smoke or do what they want to their bodies, is an invasion the people’s right to freedom. If marijuana is legal, then it would be sold at a cheaper price, so the users of marijuana would not have to steal as much and it would lower the theft rate. There are all sorts of medical purposes, and it treats cancer patients and other people who need a treatment, but cannot take any other medications. Less people would be getting hurt and murdered in the streets over marijuana related drug disputes. The government could put tax on it and make more money and maybe get us out of the economies horrible recession. The cops could sto p wasting their time on little problems like marijuana, and start focusing on more serious crimes. The courts and jails could make more time for more serious offenses as well. Other drug dealers would lose a lot of ... ...history.html Science Blog. Study says marijuana is no gateway drug (December 4, 2006). Retrieved on August 11th from http://scienceblog.com/12116/study-says-marijuana-no-gateway-drug/ Kimberly Back. EduBook. Why Marijuana should be illegal (6-11-2009) retrieved on August 11th from http://www.edubook.com/why-marijuana-should-be-illegal/7039/ James Vaughn. Why Marijuana should not be legalized (November 3, 2005) retrieved on August 11th from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/13115/why_marijuana_should_not_be_legalized.html High Times. AlterNet. The top ten reasons marijuana should be legal (September 1st, 2007) retrieved on August 11th from http://www.alternet.org/drugs/60959/ Drug War Facts. Retrieved on August 11th from http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/53 Drug War Clock. Retrieved on August 11th from http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm

How did the Prohibition Change USA Essay

The word â€Å"Prohibition† as stated in the World Book encyclopaedia â€Å"refers to laws that are designed to prevent the drinking of alcoholic beverages.† The enforcement of the Volstead Act in the United States of America (USA) saw the nationwide beginning of the prohibition on the 16th of January 1920. The Prohibition brought about a change in attitude for the people of the United States (USA). It caused an extreme rise in crime; encouraging everyday people to break the law and increased the amount of liquor that was consumed nationwide. Overall this law was a failure because a law can not be enforced on a democratic society with out the support of a majority. The effect of this mistake (prohibition) lingered on American (USA) society for many years to follow. Before the Prohibition the people of the United States of America had high moral standards, were more conservative and in many ways experienced less freedom both socially and economically. Before the Prohibition period the crime rate was relatively low compared with pre – prohibition figures. There was a â€Å"78 percent increase in crime† from those crime rates that were recorded before the Prohibition. Alcohol consumption in pre – prohibition in years had begun to drop since 1910, however this may have been due to the fact that â€Å"between 1880 and the beginning World War One in 1914 many states had adopted†¦state wide Prohibition.† Before Prohibition occurred nationwide, the economic boom of the 1920’s (also known as the Roaring Twenties) had not yet taken place, therefore the changes in attitude amongst the people of the United states were not yet established, consequently pre – prohibition years were times of less social freedom, more conservatism and some would argue higher moral standards. Due to these higher moral standards some groups believed Prohibition was a necessary measure in the creation of a society free from evils and less tainted in the old ways – meaning a society where crime rates, poverty, and death rates would be considerably reduced, the idea was that this in turn would improve the economy and quality of life for the people of the United States of America. The Prohibition caused an extreme rise in crime and in many cases it encouraged everyday people to break the law. As moral standards within society declined and prohibited alcohol consumption increased crime rates  within society rose considerably. This was because in order for alcoholic needs to be met, everyday people were forced to break the law, going against the honesty and freedom once shared by the democratic nation. Crime rates within the United States of America rose a great deal during the Prohibition years, criminal activity rose to 78 percent above that of pre-prohibition rates as more and more people broke the law, whilst serious crimes such as murder and assault rose to nearly 13 percent above what it had once been. With the Volstead Act running its course a new market was created for â€Å"corrupt politicians and gangsters to give the public what they demanded -alcohol and plenty of it.† One of the main reasons for the increase in crime rates was due to lack of enforcement; this was because there weren’t enough Prohibition agents to enforce the laws which were being broken on such a large scale. â€Å"It was assumed that Americans would follow the requirements of the new Prohibition law and so only 1520 Prohibition agents were employed in 1920 †¦ the number climbing to 2836 in 1930.† This rise in the amount of Prohibition agents did not really help matters very much as people continued to rebel against the enforcement of the Prohibition and continued to break the law, finding more creative measures to get away with their violation of the Volstead Act, â€Å"many people hid their liquor in hip flasks, false books, hollow canes, and anything else they could find.† Nationwide liquor consumption increased during Prohibition years. In order for people who wanted to fulfil their alcoholic needs to do so they were forced to break the law. Alcohol consumption considerably increased within the first couple of years of nationwide Prohibition in the United States (USA). â€Å"The drinking of alcoholic beverages became an act of rebellion against authority from the beginning of Prohibition, especially among university students and flappers.† Alcohol consumption did increase over Prohibition years, â€Å"$40 million of liquor had been smuggled into the United States in 1924† alone and that did not include the amount of alcohol which people made illegally in their own homes, which was most likely consumed that same year as well. There was a decrease in the consumption of beer, because it had to be transported in large quantities, which made the substance difficult to hide, as a result prices of beer and other alcoholic substances which had to be transported in such large quantities skyrocketed.  Once this had happened people began to turn to the more concentrated forms of alcohol or â€Å"hard liquors†, which were a lot easier to transport and as a consequence they were cheaper. Due to the increase in consumption of more concentrated forms of alcohol, people got drunk much faster than in pre – prohibition years. Consequently there were more alcohol related deaths during the Prohibition, due to a rise in alcohol consumption, as people were being poisoned by alcohol that was highly concentrated and or poisoned. â€Å"Deaths from poisoned liquor rose from 1,064 in 1920 to 4,154 in 1925.† There are many views as to why the Prohibition failed. One of the main reasons was due to the fact that a law can not be enforced on a democratic society without the support of a majority. During the prohibition there were many people who opposed the alcoholic limitations placed on their lives, as a result of the Prohibition, with many individuals feeling this way more and more people began to rebel against the restrictions which had a hold on them, they began breaking the law in protest to the Volstead Act. â€Å"Prohibition did not achieve its goals. Instead, it added to the problems it was intended to solve.† â€Å"The results of the [Prohibition] are clear: †¦organized crime grew into an empire; †¦disrespect for the law grew; and the per capita consumption of the prohibited substance †¦ increased dramatically† the prohibition had been a failure. Some believe that perhaps if the Prohibition had have been better organised and powerfully imposed then the Prohibition of the USA would have been more of a success. However this was not the case and due to the mistake made through the enforcement of the Prohibition the moral standards of society were changed forever. Nationwide Prohibition ended on the 5th of December 1933. However the effect of this mistake (Prohibition) lingered on American (USA) society for many years to follow. â€Å"It was hoped that Prohibition would eliminate corrupting influences in society; instead, Prohibition itself became a major source of corruption.† After the Prohibition had ended many people had changed their attitude towards the government, as they believed that the government had become too involved in the personal lives of individuals through their enforcement of the Volstead Act of January 1920. The United States of America would never be the same again, the nation never returned to the way  things had been in the years prior to Prohibition. During the time of Prohibition the great decade of change occurred, which was known as â€Å"The Roaring Twenties† with it came Prohibition, one of the gravest mistakes ever made by an American (USA) government, this mistake saw society change in more ways than one. As a whole moral standards declined, disrespect for the law became evident and faith in government policies decreased. After the Prohibition there was a â€Å"Midwestern crime wave in 1934 [where], gangsters robbed hundreds of banks, kidnapped and murdered scores of people.† Due to these criminal offences by 1940 people became untrusting of immigrants and under the Smith Act immigrants were to be fingerprinted as people feared that these people may have been gangsters. Prohibition was a grave mistake which changed the United States. During the Prohibition years the mistake of the Volstead Act caused an extreme rise in crime; encouraging everyday people to break the law and increased the amount of liquor that was consumed nationwide. Within Society moral standards began to drop, people began rebelling against the laws put in place, and breaking the law was no longer regarded as such a heinous act. â€Å"The dishonesty and corruption that grew with †¦ [prohibition] made †¦ [US people] lose their respect for the law and for the people who were supposed to enforce it.† American (USA) society has never really recovered from the effects of Prohibition, it has never returned to the moral standards once held as a nation. On a whole the Prohibition was one of the greatest mistakes made in the USA during the 1920’s. Overall the Prohibition was a failure that should not have been enforced at all, let alone in a decade [The Roaring Twen ties] where rapid change was taking place on its own.

Ballet Don Quixote

Marius Petipa was born in Marseille, France in 1818 moved to St. Petersburg in 1847 from Italy and died in Gurzuf Ukraine in 1910. He worked for nearly 60 years at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and had a profound influence on modern classical Russian ballet. He directed many of the greatest artists in Russian ballet and developed ballets that retain an important position in Russian dance repertoire.After Marius Petipa's debut in Nantes, France, in 1838, he danced in Belgium, France, and the United States before accepting an engagement in Spain, where he gathered material for ballets later produced in Russia. He established a reputation as a talented pantomime artist and one of the outstanding dancers of his day. Petipa made his initial appearance at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre in 1847 in Paquita. For his wife, the ballerina Mariya Surovshchikova, he created Le Marche des Paris (1859; â€Å"Parisian Market†; staged as Le Marche des innocents, 1861).His first outstanding success was La fille du pharaon (1862; â€Å"The Pharaoh's Daughter†). Later, after becoming choreographer in 1862 and chief choreographer in 1869, Petipa produced more than 60 ballets, working from carefully detailed plans that became the basis of modern classical ballet in Russia. He collaborated with Tchaikovsky on The Nutcracker (Casse Noisette, choreographed by his assistant Lev Ivanov) and The Sleeping Beauty and presented versions of Swan Lake, Raymonda, and Giselle that have been revived frequently.Among other major ballets are his Don Quixote (1869), La Bayadere (1877), and Le Corsaire (1899). The composer who collaborated with Petipa in creating Don Quixote ballet was Aloisius Ludwig Minkus. His biographical information is very diverse but the most commonly data on his origin states that he was born in Vienna in 1826. There are opinions that he was of Polish or Czech origin. His first compositions were light music for dancing. His first public presentati on of ballet music was an en'tracte included into a Moscow performance of Adam's Orfa.In1861 Minkus worked in the Bolshoi Theater, first as violin soloist, later he became a composer of the theatre and in 1864 he was became a ballet composer at the Bolshoi. His career in Bolshoi was interrupted by the trip to France and on returning to Russia the composer started creating ballet music for Petipa’s works. In 1868 Petipa made Don Quixote ballet for the Bolshoi Theater, with music composed by Minkus in the same year. The ballet was a well-deserved success being first performed in 1869 in Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. It was fame for both Minkus and Petipa.This was beginning of fruitful activity by Minkus, and in 1877 appeared one of his most successful compositions La Bayadere, Roxana or The Beauty from Montenegro in 1878 and many others. Though the ballet by Petipa on music by Minkus was not the first attempt to put the well known novel into music and dances Petipa's version of Do n Quixote, is considered as the standard ballet version of Cervantes’ story with the popular virtuoso pas de deux. The great deal of ballet success depends on the style of this ballet which is mostly determined by Minkus’ music.Minkus ballet music is filled with rhythm, vigour and energetic melody. Don Quixote music is often regarded as ordinary music which does not exceed the bounds of traditional accompaniment to the dance. In fact, Don Quixote score is devoid of rich colors typical of later ballet music, it does not explore moving lyricism like Swan’s Lake by Tchaikovsky. We also cannot feel any symphonic depth or other features which are distinctive for the best ballet scores. However, this music is extraordinary dancing, with deep rich rhythm and thus it helps the dance to adopt the necessary emotionality and vividness.Don Quixote music is dynamic and it is very important for the comedy performance, it explores hot temper, melody and cheerful passion the fe atures so typical for Spanish melodies. Minkus’ music is both the accompaniment and impulse to dance. Don Quixote is described as a â€Å"bol’shoi balet† in the Soviet catalogue of Petipa’s works (Slonimsky 1971, 377-388). A translation of the French ballet a grand spectacle, the term is used to describe ballets that resemble nineteenth-century grand operas in their length, the complexity of their narratives, and tendency toward visual spectacle.(Scholl 1994, 4-5) Because these works dominated the Petersburg stage from the 1860s through the 1890s, and because Russian ballet had no serious competitors in Europe by the 1870s, the Petipa â€Å"grand ballet† has come to represent the ballet style of the late nineteenth century. Petipa, the founder of romantic dance in Russia, developed two versions of the ballet – one was created specially for Bolshoi Theater and the second one was created for Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.This second vers ion contained such elements like â€Å"white act† with its strict symmetry and the famous final virtuoso pas de deux. As Scholl observes, before the work was staged in St Petersburg, Peterburgskaya gazeta, the newspaper best representing local balletomane opinion, reported on the Moscow production: Don Quixote was staged in Moscow in the decadent manner. As an example, several dances were staged so that on one side of the stage they danced one way, and on the other side, to the same music, other dances were performed. (1 September 1901), (57)Petipa’s main objections center around the primacy of dance in Don Quixote in which, scenery, and costumes were of secondary importance and respectively the music had to act only as accompaniment and incentive. Don Quixote is a successful combination of perfect and vivid dancing with emotional music. While being brisk and full of vigor the Minkus’ music in no way dominates the dance itself. The dancers appear before the spec tators in their full advantage. As it was already stated the music was best suited for the plot related to events with hot Spanish characters.This music is distinguished by its gift to set any listener to feel like dancing. And that was, probably, why exactly Muniks’ music was chosen for this ballet. Minkus adored waltz and his passion for that style determined the presence of gypsies, rajahs, Spanish bullfighters, Indian temple maidens dancing to a waltz rhythm in Don Quixote ballet. Though the ballet does not have clear development of the plot it attracts the spectators by its effervescent, masterly dances parade so prolific in the ballet.The dance here serves as the natural expression of the action taking place on the stage. Don Quixote heroes are not simple performers of numerous dance issues; they live in their dance and express through it their thoughts and feelings. The spectator gladly forgives the bit parts prepared for Don Quixote and his faithful Sancho Panza and r eadily accepts cheerful Kitri and her friend Basilio. These two young heroes are definitely more appropriate for such vivid and passionate music than old knight in heavy armour.Petipa displays a remarkable command of mass on the stage and the form taken by his dancing shows considerable imagination. The choreography and staging Petipa devised for the ballet were similarly ostentatious. The ballet’s ballabile featured 36 dancers with baskets of flowers on their heads containing children who suddenly appeared in the dance’s final pose. Scholl sums up Petipa’s choreography as â€Å"the culmination of the evolution of a particular type of theatrical dancing, designed to exploit the scenic potential of the proscenium stage.The ballet’s emphasis of the human body’s maximal legibility evolved as the Renaissance perspective stage was developed†. (8) As consequence, the perfect combination of Petipa’s choreographic approach and Minkus’ music developed into a sunny comedy with farcical elements. Petipa-Minkus ballet Don Quixote convinces the spectator that ballet is great art. Ballet can express thoughts, create harmony and an integral map of the world as any other artistic form of expression. Reference list: Koegler, Horst. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ballet, 2nd ed.Oxford, 1982. Noble, Jeremy. â€Å"Legends of the Maryinsky. † Dance Magazine. Vol. 73. Issue: 6. June 1999, p. 57. Scholl, Tim From Petipa to Balanchine: Classical Revival and the Modernization of Ballet. New York: Routledge, 1994 Sedov, Yaroslav. â€Å"Inside the Bolshoi†. Russian Life. Vol. 47. Issue: 6. November-December 2004, p. 22 –, â€Å"The Museum of Ballet†. Russian Life. Vol. 48. Issue: 1. January-February 2005, p. 38 Slonimsky, Yuri. Marius Petipa: materialy, vospominaniya, stat’i. [Marius Petipa: Materials, Reminiscences, Articles], Leningrad, 1971

Discuss and reflect on how different theories of motivation help explain your intention to maximise the experience of being a student in a University The WritePass Journal

Discuss and reflect on how different theories of motivation help explain your intention to maximise the experience of being a student in a University Abstract Discuss and reflect on how different theories of motivation help explain your intention to maximise the experience of being a student in a University , p. 1). By demonstrating that I have engaged in various activities as part of my University life will not only benefit me, but it will also be highly valued by any potential employers. This will certainly add to my motivation of being a student since I will be confident that I have maximised my experiences of University life, whilst at the same time preparing myself for the future. Theories of Motivation There are various motivational theories that seek to explain why people act in certain ways and are generally based upon conscious and unconscious motivations. Here I will seek to explain how three of these motivational theories help explain my own intentions to maximise the experience of being a student by engaging in various co-curricular activities. The first theory that helps to explain this is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. According to Maslow, there are five classes of hierarchic needs which people are generally motivated by. These needs are; physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualization (Pritchard and Ashwood, 2008, p. 6). Such needs cause one to act in a certain way in order to gain satisfaction and Maslow believes that lower needs take priority. This is because the higher needs will not be fully activated unless the lower needs have first been satisfied. For example, if I haven’t eaten or slept properly (physiological) then I will not be mot ivated to achieve my self-esteem desires. This will in turn impact upon my experiences of University life as I will not be motivated to maximise my University life experiences. Another motivational theory that helps to explain my own intentions is the Incentive Theory which is the desire to obtain external rewards. This theory is one of the main motivational theories that exists and illustrates that individuals are motivated by a desire to reinforce incentives. As put by Bernstein (2011, p. 4); â€Å"people are pulled toward behaviours that offer positive incentives and pushed away from behaviours associated with negative incentives.† This suggests that different types of behaviour are generally caused by the different incentives to which they apply. Therefore, individuals with different incentives will act in different ways. My incentive to achieve success and obtain good grades at University will affect the way I behave. Regardless, the value of my incentives can change over time and will pretty much be dependent upon the situation that I am in at the time (Franzoi, 2011, p. 3). An example of this is the praise which I may receive from tutors. Such praise may have greater value in certain situations, but not in others. In effect, incentives can only be considered a powerful tool if great importance is being placed upon them. The final motivational theory that will help to explain my intentions to maximise the experience of being a student in a University is the Intrinsic and Extrinsic theory. This theory is based upon the belief that motivation is divided into two types namely; internal (intrinsic) and external (extrinsic) motivation. Intrinsic motivation occurs when an individual is driven by an interest in a particular task, whereas extrinsic motivation occurs when an individual is influenced by exter nal factors. It has been suggested that extrinsic motivation often results in a reduction of intrinsic motivation as individuals are more likely to be influenced by external sources (Wilson and Lassiter, 1982, p. 811). Whilst at University I will influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. This is because I will be motivated to study in order to get a good grade (extrinsic) and because I enjoy the subject (intrinsic). In addition, I will also be motivated to take part in co-curricular activities because it will assist in my development once I leave University (extrinsic) and I will also find it enjoyable whilst studying (intrinsic). In effect, the main difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations is the fact that extrinsic motivation arises from outside influences, whilst intrinsic motivation arises from within. Importance of motivation in University Motivation is clearly an important attribute to have whilst studying at University since it will help one to develop further and make life easier and more enjoyable whilst studying. From these findings it is evident that motivation is driven by the desire to succeed, which can be attained by taking full advantages of all the activities Universities have to offer. Provided that I maximise the experience of University life by taking part in co-curricular activities whilst studying, I will remain focused and motivated. In order to stay motivated it is essential that I avoid situations that will most likely be distracting and set goals and targets. This will ensure that I stay motivated to study as I will be able to clearly identify the goals and targets that I have set out to achieve. Long term goals will include; graduating, being employable, obtaining my dream job and proving to myself and others that I can achieve anything that I set out to do. Short terms goals will include; improvi ng the way I study, taking part in co-curricular activities, obtaining part-time work in order ease financial pressures, creating a study timetable and getting organised. Whilst it can be extremely difficult to stay focused when there are outside distractions, I can alleviate this by thinking about ways to eliminate such distractions in advance and managing my time appropriately. As put by Rybak (2007, p. 14); â€Å"If you care about it enough to stay motivated you’re ahead of the game.† Nevertheless, in order to stay motivated, I need to first identify my goals and prioritise any tasks and activities that will me to achieve them. Conclusion Overall, it is clear that the different theories of motivation do help to explain my intention to maximise the experience of being a student in a University. This is because motivation is a psychological attributes that enables me to achieve my desired goals and targets. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs clearly demonstrates that in order for me to achieve my goals, I first need to consider the five classes of hierarchal needs and ensure that my lower needs are given priority over my higher needs. This is because he higher needs will not be fully activated unless the lower needs have first been satisfied. The Incentive theory also signifies how I can stay motivated whilst at University by focusing on behaviours that offer positive as opposed to negative incentives. Finally, the Intrinsic and Extrinsic theory allows me to focus on both internal and external motivations so that I can fully appreciate and achieve my objectives. References Bernstein, D. A. (2011). Essentials of psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Ferguson, J. G., (2001) Co-Curricular Activities: A Pathway to Careers, Facts on File, Business Economics. Franzoi, S. L. (2011). Psychology: A discovery experience. Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning. Klesse, E. J., (2004) Student Activities in Today’s Schools: Essential Learning for All Youth, RL Education. Pritchard, R., and Ashwood, E., (2008) Managing Motivation. New York: Taylor Francis Group. Rybak, J., (2007) What’s Wrong with University: And How to Make It Work for You Anyway, ECW Press. The Guardian., (2013) Why our students need co-curricular activities, not extra-curricular, activities, Learning and Teaching Hub, theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2013/jan/22/student-development-university-curriculum-design [Accessed 10 November, 2013]. Wilson, T, D. and Lassiter, G. D., (1982) Increasing intrinsic interest with superfluous extrinsic constraints. Journal of personality and social psychology, 42 (5).

Career Choices Essay Example for Free

Career Choices Essay Making the perfect career choice is a lifetime decision that will have a lasting impression on your life and the life of your future family. As we all grow up in life we hear from our parents and mentor’s that if you decide to choose a career that you dislike, you can spend a life time living a miserable lifestyle and your career will have a short life span. In vice-versa, if you find something that you love to do in life and you are  able to make that into a long lasting career. It will seem like you have never worked one day in your life. Throughout time, many working class individuals have chosen to pursue educations in careers that will lead to a future living a stable lifestyle but it is not what their true passions are in life. So they are stuck doing something that they hate in life just because they have to work in order to provide a sufficient lifestyle for themselves and family. Another critical aspect that you must take into consideration when making a career choice is to make a valid consideration on whether you can grow inside of the career decision you make or will you remain static performing one position for the rest of your life. The reason why a lot of individuals choose to go to college is because they are stuck in a dead end job that has no momentum to further gain a promotion or advance in pay. In my opinion, entrepreneurship should be every individual’s long term goal in life. The ultimate decision making factor in choosing a career and working for a prominent company is to get the working experience making mistakes under another companies supervision, so when you begin to start your own company you will already have the experience to make smart business decisions and know how to make your company prosperous. Even though there are a lot of great career choices out there in the world, I believe that a career in either health and wellness or software engineering would be the best fit for me because they will give me the opportunity to grow, both fields are very challenging, and they both will give me the opportunity to prosper and own a private company. 1 The Importance of Having A Software Engineering Technical Career Since the late 1940’s the software engineering field has been growing rapidly as a challenging and profound profession for a lot of software students that would like to inquire skills that helps to maximize the quality and create database software. Since this time excellent software programmers have found ways to improve these components by increasing their speed, security, usability, cost, testability, size, readability, and stability. Engineers have developed business software that have changed the world and has adapted this same concept onto many home computers so consumers can have the same usability as larger corporations from the comfort of their own laptop computer. Computer innovation has evolved greatly since the 1940’s with higher advanced platforms that are able to integrate businesses with consumers easier, through the invention of the World Wide Web. Laptop computers along with tablets have created an easier and more efficient way to access the internet with access to public networks that can be routed from any major hotel or fast food restaurant, and mobile phone technology that has been designed by Mac and Android allow consumers to stay connected to the world from the comfort of a palm sized device. It takes a very talented array of programmers to design these devices and with the world of technology at the forefront of driving innovation; this career field is here to stay. With stability also come growth and business opportunities for talented engineers to step up and continue driving this career field to unknown places. Recently CNN money came out with an article titled â€Å"Best Jobs in America† which had a detailed listing of the top 100 careers in America with great pay and growth potential. It was not a surprise to see software architects at the top of the list at number 1 with a 10 year job growth forecast of 34% beating out other leading career opportunities such as physician assistants coming in at number 2, and management consultant coming in at number 3. CNN has stated, 2 â€Å"Like architects who design buildings, they create the blueprints for software engineers to follow and pitch in with programming too. Plus, architects are often called on to work with customers and product managers, and they serve as a link between a company’s tech and business staffs† (CNN Money, 2010). Making this a well-diversified career field where you get the opportunity to work inside a comfortable office setting but also visit customers at their facilities and help out with customer service issues at remote locations. Along with the exceptional growth potential this career path shares, it also can create amazing entry level financial stability as well as stated in figure 1 below: 10th%| 25th%| 75th%| 90th%| As you advance your experience and expertise in the software engineering career field, programmers have the option to choose a specific craft such as a technical support engineer, C++ software engineer, or lead software engineer where your average annual income can range from $63,000 upwards to $120,000 a year easily based on an individual’s knowledge. Even though ultimate career stability along with a great compensation plan and benefits sounds great from the outside looking in we must also understand that with great opportunities also comes a great challenge. Programming in laments terms can be contributed to learning a second language such as 3 Spanish. It takes a lot of dedicated time to perfecting this skill along with training. Depending on your decided expertise there may be a ton of syntax and logical instructions that you have to learn in order to program effectively and unfortunately most of this time is spent outside a classroom or job setting really learning the craft at home on an individual’s personal time. But in a more positive perspective a lot of these languages such as Java, C#, and Visual Basic derive from the parent language of C++ so if you are able to get a great concept for this computing language the others will come fairly efficient for beginning programmers. Another positive aspect to this career field is since there are such high demands for these positions a lot of companies offer entry level programming positions offered to developers that have no experience so this will give individuals the opportunity to work under mid and senior level technicians to learn the ropes. A lot of individuals stray away from challenge, growth, and hard work but this is a career field that awards individuals for hard work, and gives techs the opportunity to learn a new aspect of the business every single day which makes this career field interesting. Below in figure 2 is a progression  chart that shows the career path a software engineer should take in order to become great at their craft and make a nice 6 figure income. A career progression chart generally resembles the one below. It may vary from company to company. | Role| Years of experience| Trainee software engineer| 0-1| Software engineer| 1-2| Senior software engineer| 2-4| System analyst| 3-5| Project leader| 5-8| Figure 2 ExpressComputerOnline.Com career roadmap for software engineers One could only imagine that one day a company that was started in your parents garage would evolve and become a multi-billion dollar company that has millions of dedicated customers, and releases innovative products that changes the world every year. Well this is not a dream anymore; it has actually been a reality for major companies such as Google, Apple, and Macintosh which have all started out of garages. The biggest disadvantage the many software developers face when building their own business is they do not have a lot of business experience, but with help from outsourcing agencies such as fog creek which specializes in the development and startup of technology companies they state that â€Å"if you have an innovative product that can compete for market share versus other companies all you have to do is market, sale, price, and hire exceptionally well† (Fog Creek Software, 2011). Which is not an easy process but if you are able to do it effectively your business will have a fair chance of competing in a vastly competitive marketplace. How A Health And Wellness Career Will Create A Great Business Career Individual health and wellness have been in the forefront of the world for many decades now being led by activist groups and government agencies  initiating â€Å"Go Green† marketing campaigns and household tax credits for individuals and homeowners who convert their lifestyles to a more healthy and energy efficient environment. CNN states that health and wellness physicians â€Å"Perform routine care such as physicals and tests, counseling patients, and even prescribing medication, all under a doctor’s supervision. Today’s doctor shortage will only worsen as boomers age and health care reform brings more patients into the system, creating a huge need for this field† (CNN Money, 2010). 5 So even with an aging population this will continue to be a career path that will always be in high demand. On the CNN money web article that was published earlier in the year physician’s assistants that also are in health and wellness practices partake in the number 2 position with a 39% 10 year annual growth forecast. Even though going green and living health is not new in the minds of many Americans a lot of individuals have not accepted the lifestyle thus living in an unhealthy environment. Statistics have shown that just in woman alone â€Å"Recent national data show that 82.1 percent of Black women and 75.7 percent of Hispanic women are overweight or obese compared to 59.5 percent of White women (Ogden, 2012).† This shows that there is still a lot of room for growth in this industry and still barriers to break down before this money making opportunity really explodes. In college classrooms instructors have put a major emphasis on students teaching their patients how their living environments vastly effect there personal health and living an unhealthy personal lifestyle will have a vastly negative effect on their health. With more educators out there pushing the idea and government agencies pushing the effort there is a ton of room for growth in this industry. Health and wellness physicians make a pretty comfortable lifestyle as represented below in figure 3, and it is also pretty fulfilling knowing that you are changing individual lives by helping them improve their health. With any career field that is rewarding and has a tremendous opportunity for growth there are some challenges and risk that must be taken into consideration. Just like with the software engineering career path there is a journey that needs to be taken before you have the appropriate authority to recommend patients for certain treatments and products. There was an article posted in the New England Journal by Michael Porter which makes an argument that states, â€Å"By shifting our focus on value, simply defined as quality divided by cost, we can lower costs and improve quality (Porter, 2011)†. So in order to make this a rewarding career path, consumers would have to switch their focus as well which makes this a difficult path to choose. Education will not be a hard factor to fulfill because there are tons of institutions that offer individuals certification opportunities and there was an article on livestrong.com that supports health and wellness professionals that states, â€Å"If you have a passion for health and wellness, sharing your interest can enrich the lives of others as well. College majors in kinesiology or exercise science can teach skills for exercise and wellness careers but may not be required to obtain certifications (Case, 2011).† 7 Building a Health and Wellness Company may not be easy but if we are able to get it off the ground and running it does offer a tremendous reward and fulfillment knowing that you are offering individuals great products and services that will change their lives by allowing them to live a healthier fulfilling lifestyle. There are even lots of companies out there in the market today which assist business minded individuals such as Melaleuca in helping individuals start their own health and wellness companies. They provide products along with customer service to those who are small companies and need outsourcing to get started. This helps break down a lot of barriers and makes the transition into entrepreneurship a lot easier. Developing a career in software engineering or health and wellness can be very growth orientated, lucrative, and rewarding careers that both give back to the community. Even though there are a lot of great career choices out there in the world, I believe that a career in either health and wellness or software engineering would be the best fit for me because they will give me the opportunity to grow, both fields are very challenging, and they both will give me the opportunity to prosper and own a private company. I was always told in my life that as you begin to mature in life an individual should always have three forms of income coming in which first is a primary income which results from a regular steady job. The second is an alternate income which may result from a part time job or secondary business. While the last form of revenue may result from investing or savings income. My final career choice decision is to pursue software engineering as my primary income since I have dedicated so much time and effort towards learning the craft, and pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems will help me get a great entry level position with a great starting pay. Plus I have a passion for innovation and enjoy the challenge of learning something new every day. Second, I also have a passion for helping others and with the sales background that I currently have it would be an excellent opportunity for me to build a business starting a secondary health and wellness company selling health certified products to homeowners that wish to live a healthy and clean lifestyle. Case, H. (2011, June 14). Exercise & wellness careers.

Film Critique Double Indemnity (1944) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Film Critique Double Indemnity (1944) - Essay Example The protagonist cannot hear his steps, as if he were dead already. The greatest irony is that the crime which seemed to be perfect has been solved by the insurance company in order not to lose its money. The supporting character Keyes manages to outshine the main ones in some scenes. Anyway, there is one more reason to value this film – Barbara Stanwyck created an image of a femme fatale, who is impossible to forget. Could Wilder fancy his adaptation of a non-fiction novella by J.Cain to become one of the brightest examples of film noir genre, though it failed to win at least one out of seven nominations for an Academy Award? It is doubtful. However, Double Indemnity is a classic of the genre possessing all its indispensable attributes – low-key lightning, monochromic visual style, flashback framing of the narrative, voiceover intrusions, tense atmosphere of fatalism and desperation, urban setting with its labyrinth of streets (even the drugstore seems to be a small labyrinth), well-developed archetypal characters. The storyline is rather convoluted. Wilder understood the risk of letting the murderer confess his crime at the very beginning of the film – his hopes to hold viewer’s attention were put on the twists of the plot and constantly increasing tensions. Some elements of the storyline have many times been exploited by other directors working within this genre, that is why it may seem familiar or even predictable. Dealing with insurances of any kinds, the protagonist lacks his own one in case of meeting a femme fatale. The consequences are voiced as the film begins â€Å"I didn’t get the money and I didn’t get the woman†. Perfectly elaborated dialogues cannot be left without attention – some phrases were destined to be quoted. Film characters and their relationship become canonical. A fatal blond with a