River in Siddhartha Essay Example for Free

River in Siddhartha Essay Siddhartha many times in the book, and has many meanings. In the first chapter, Siddhartha visits the river to bath and to make holy sacrifices. â€Å"The sun browned his slender shoulders on the river bank, while bathing at the holy ablutions, at the holy sacrifices. †(pg3) When Siddhartha left Govinda behind, Siddhartha meets with the river again, and crossing this river led him to a new beginning. â€Å"During the night he slept among the boats on the river, and early in the morning, before the first customers arrived in the shop, he had his beard shaved off by the barber’s assistant. He also had his hair combed and rubbed with fine oil. Then he went to bathe in the river. †(pg52) Moving into the town on the other side of the river, Siddhartha got caught up with having money, just like everyone else in the town. â€Å"He was not long in Kamaswami’s house, when he was already taking a part in his master’s business. Daily, however, at the hour she invited him, he visited the beautiful Kamala, in handsome clothes, in fine shoes and soon he also brought her presents. (pg66) After getting tired of the materialistic lifestyle, Siddhartha crossed the river again, he lets go of all the memories he had on the other side of the river. He started to let go, by giving away his fine clothes. So crossing the river again gave Siddhartha a fresh start. â€Å"Will you accept these clothes from me, which I find a nuisance? I should prefer it if you would give me some old clothes and keep me here as your assistant, or rather your apprentice, for I must learn h ow to handle the boat. †(pg103) Staying with the ferryman, next to the river, was one step closer for Siddhartha to find Nirvana. Whenever Siddhartha meets with the river, it represents rebirth and forgiveness. In this novel, they use the river as a symbol for the stream of life and unity. When Vasudeva teaches Siddhartha to listen carefully for one last time, he hears voices which he always heard before, but this time they sound different, he heard the whole of a thousand sounds, the sound of Om. The river taught Siddhartha unity, that how he left his father and his father was hurt, Siddhartha’s son left him, which left him hurt by the loss. And that the agony is experienced again and again throughout a lifetime.

The Mending Wall by Robert Frost Essay Example for Free

The Mending Wall by Robert Frost Essay This phrase was first used in 1914 in a poem called The Mending Wall by Robert Frost. This paradox has become a proverb which essentially means that â€Å"People live more harmoniously when there are clear boundaries between their properties and lives†. There are, however, many different opinions on the truth of this proverb. Does separation and the creation of boundaries really keep the peace and make people better neighbours or do the boundaries we place between ourselves push us further apart? When looking at this proverb in a literal sense, it is important to realise that there are many examples where walls have severed ties between people and created unrest instead of harmony. An example of this is the Berlin Wall. It was originally constructed in order to separate the areas of Germany which had different political orientations. The people who were responsible for the building of the wall believed that creating a boundary between groups of people with different political beliefs would keep the peace. This, however, was not the case. At least 137 people died because of the violence that this divide created and when the wall came down the country united as one. In this case good fences most certainly did not create good neighbours. They created unhappiness, unrest and even death. Boundaries can cause unhappiness but they can create peace and order. Frost himself even says that walls are necessary when keeping livestock as this eliminates the potential for arguments over which animal belongs to which man. In an even more literal sense I believe the walls we build between our houses and, therefore, our neighbours make us ourselves into better neighbours. Because we are then no longer living â€Å"in each other’s pockets†, we manage to allow each other privacy but strive to be welcoming if needs be. I believe that these walls then provide each neighbour with enough space to live their lives independently but still retain the ability to make contact if it is needed. Walls don’t only have to be physical objects they can also be figurative. For example I believe there is very little tension between members of my family as we respect very distinct boundaries. We give each other space when we’re upset and try not to pry into each others lives unless the people involved ask us to. For us this works very well as we rarely get frustrated with one another. The metaphorical walls people build can also have negative effects, keeping them from forming relationships with people. This then isolates them, these walls make them much worse neighbours. And as a saying goes â€Å"People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges†. There are many conflicting opinions on the necessity of walls and whether they make good neighbours. In my opinion they do not. I don’t believe it is a wall or a boundary that will make you a good neighbour or not. I believe you are a good neighbour only if you are a good person.

Beliefs of filipino women: Traditional feminine gender

Beliefs of filipino women: Traditional feminine gender A 2 (US women vs. Filipino women) X 2 (daughters vs. mothers) ANOVA matched group design with the OKelly Women Beliefs Scale (2010) scores as the dependent variable was conducted to study irrational beliefs about traditional feminine gender schema from a Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) perspective (Ellis, 1956) in a sample of Filipino women living in the US. Results indicated significant main effect for cross-cultural differences among the two racial groups, but no significant main effect was found for generational differences among the groups. A Post-hoc Least Significant Difference (LSD) performed on the four subscale scores of the OWBS also showed significant differences in Demand with Filipino women scoring higher than their US counterparts, and scores of both groups in Awfulizing, Negative Self-talk/Rating, and Low Frustration Tolerance (LFT) were not significantly different. Keywords: Filipino women, irrational beliefs, gender schema, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, OKelly Women Beliefs Scale Irrational Beliefs about Traditional Feminine Gender Schema of Filipino Women Living in the United States This study evaluates the cross-cultural and intergenerational differences among Filipino women and US women living in the United States in regard to their beliefs about the traditional feminine sex role using the OKelly Women Beliefs Scale (2010). Several factors of acculturation greatly affect the international migration, economic globalization, and political conflicts that arise in the creation of multicultural societies (Enrile Agbayani, 2007), that studies regarding this matter are essential in understanding it in a deeper sense. There is a great quantity of literature regarding feminine topics written within the conceptual scheme of the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy or REBT (Wolfe, 1985; Wolfe Naimark, 1991). The founding practitioner of REBT, Albert Ellis, developed this form of psychotherapy to assist his clients in the reconstruction of how they perceive their distress by asserting the importance of taking it on with a more philosophical outlook. When Ellis changed Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) to its present name of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), he acknowledged the possible odds in using the term rational as ideas concerning it may vary across cultures (Ellis, 1999). Ellis always emphasized the importance of taking his clients cultural background into consideration when analyzing their viewpoint and attitude towards life. It has been considered that the development of the Womens Belief Scale coincide with the criteria described by Locksley and Colten (1979), who highlight that the use o f a term within a questionnaire involves self-evaluations and supposes comparisons of itself that were not present like in Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 1974) in the developmental process of the items; this allows a significant effect of measurements on the representation of the feminine gender that provides a distinct point of view of what behaviors are appropriate for females. The view of womans proper place being in the home fulfilling their domesticity, motherhood and pleasing their husbands, isolated from the public world of men did not always dominate the Western culture (OKelly, 1980). It was not until the rise of capitalism when independent businessmen could afford to support their dependent wives and children kept within the confines of a private home, that this view of womens roles started to greatly influence the modern Western culture (OKelly, 1980). By the eighteenth century, these roles sporadically spread to the less affluent classes and eventually became the Western ideal for women (OKelly, 1980). In the recent years, with the help of the feminist movement, dramatic changes in the Western social roles expected from women are continuously taking place. Feminists insist that those customary views of womens roles immensely limit and restrain them from taking their places as full adults in the society (OKelly, 1980). However, less developed countries continue to have strict views on the roles of the women in their society and they intend to maintain their cultural beliefs regarding this matter. There are hardly any studies done to examine the influence and effects of these societal roles placed on women from less developed countries, like the Philippines, in their response to acculturation and attitude towards life. The OKelly Womens Belief Scale was developed within the scheme of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy or REBT, reflecting the process of beliefs about Demand, Awfulizing, Global Rating, Low Frustration Tolerance (LFT) and Negative Self Rating. To develop this scale, 2,562 questionnaires were sent to women that worked in great companies. With the data obtained of 974 questionnaires, the OKelly subscales were developed: Demand, Awful, Low Frustration Tolerance (LFT) and Rating, which are irrational nuclear conclusions or beliefs previously mentioned. Each of these scales has internal consistency. The test-retest reliability and validity have been established by the results of a sample that consisted of 285 women, wherein 37 also completed The OKelly Womens Belief Scale a month later. In the measurement of the irrational thought from an REBT perspective, previous studies (Lega Ellis, 2001; Kumar, Lega, Bladiwalla, 2007) indicate cross cultural and generational differences in the samples of USA, Latin America, Europe and India. Filipino Americans are one of the fastest growing minority groups in the United States as they are the second largest Asian American ethnic group, and the second largest number of immigrants to the United States (Ong Loksze, 2003). Recent studies suggest that acculturation, changes in attitude or values that result from the contact of one culture with another (Berry, 1997), may have something to do with attitudes towards women (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). According to Berry (1997), there are four acculturation strategies: separation, marginalization, integration, and assimilation. Separation refers to favoring ones original culture and refraining from interacting with the host culture, whereas marginalization is when one does not actively maintain either his own original culture or the host culture (Choi Thomas, 2007). On the other hand, integration refers to favoring ones own culture while at the same time interacting with the host culture, and assimilation is when one abandons his o riginal culture in favor of the host culture (Choi Thomas, 2007). The international relationship between United States and the Philippines has a rich and unique history that has made the Filipinos very well familiar to the American culture that even allowed them to easily adopt the English language, educational institutions, democratic belief system, and faith in the American Dream (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). Most Filipino immigrants arrive in the United States with a vast knowledge about the local culture and the English language (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). Filipino women living in the US, mostly as immigrants, try to adapt to their host countrys cultural values while striving to preserve their own at the same time. Like other individuals from impoverished nations, especially those who have spent most of their lives in their native countries, Filipinos are also well aware of how difficult it can be to live in a country of limited opportunities like the Philippines. However, like other immigrant groups, they also praise the United States as a land of s ignificant economic opportunity but simultaneously denounce it as a country inhabited by corrupt and individualistic people of questionable morals (Espiritu, 2001). Parents of first generation Filipino children enforce high expectations especially on their daughters. Espiritus interviews suggest that there is an idealized notion of womanhood based on traditional Filipino values and beliefs (Espiritu, 2001). This idealized notion of womanhood is for a woman to think of her family (collective vs. individual values), to gain good education (in order to help better the family), remain chaste, dutiful, and obedient (Agbayani-Siewert, 1994). Older children, girls in particular, are expected to care for their younger siblings and perform household duties even at an early age (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). Past studies suggest that while the older female is given more responsibilities, privileges are made easily accessible usually to males in the family. Most Filipino women, who participated in past studies, also reported that their parents treated them more strictly while growing up as compared to their brothers (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). As they grow older, Filipino women are expected to display characteristics of a Maria Clara, or the proper, marriage-minded, Filipino Catholic woman with good morals (West, 1992). This stereotyped representation of an ideal Filipino woman continues to exist in the present time. Filipino women were taught and encouraged to be publicly submissive so that it will appear that men are the ones in control (Cimmarusti, 1996). Almirol (1982), a researcher who performed a qualitative study on Filipino American farm laborers from Salinas, California, found that a higher value was placed on males over females and that women were discouraged to display power in public. Scholars have shown that the Maria Clara stereotype is not only used by certain Filipino feminist nationalist, but also by first generation Filipino immigrants (Ignacio, 2000). Prior researchers show that despite the high cultural expectations enforced on Filipino children by their parents, they appear to have easily assimilated into the American society as the Filipino population in the US has a high rate of college graduates, and most of these graduates are immigrants from the Philippines (Enrile Agbayani, 2007). Different perspectives suggest the existence of change and differences in attitudes and interests from one generation to the other, as well as in the cross-cultural factor. This study was conducted in the USA wherein Filipino daughters and mothers, and their counterparts used The OKelly Women Beliefs Scale examine the differences in gender roles and the ethno-cultural scheme. Method Participants Two matched groups according to age of daughters (from 17-25 yrs. of age) vs. their mothers (45 75 yrs. of age) and culture of origin (70 Filipino vs. 70 USA) living in the USA participated in the study. Instrument The OKelly Women Beliefs Scale (OKelly, 2010) was used. The scale consists of 92 items in which the participant indicated the degree of agreement or disagreement using a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). This is divided into four subscales: Demand, Awfulizing, Low Frustration Tolerance and Negative Self Rating. Procedure The participants completed the questionnaires individually and anonymously. It took approximately 45 minutes to complete. Participants were also advised to refrain from answering the questionnaire with their mother/daughter. Results A 2-way ANOVA (culture and generation) with total OWBS scores as the dependent variable showed a significant main effect for Culture, F(1, 140) = 37.681, p .05) Posthoc (LSD) comparisons between Filipino and US women for all four subscale scores of the OWBS showed significant differences, with Filipino women scoring higher than US women in Demand: F(1, 140) = 5.265, p .05). No significant results were found for Generation, or for the interaction between Culture x Generation (p>.05) Discussion As one of the fastest growing groups of Asian immigrants, Filipino immigrants are purposely trying to become part and to develop a positive attitude towards acculturating to the host culture, at least to some extent. However, it is understandable that the process of acculturation have a distinct influence in the immigrants viewpoint and attitude towards life. The results suggest that the overall total scores of US-Filipino compared to US women were higher than the latter. Recent studies might suggest that acculturation may play a part in Filipino womens irrational beliefs about themselves. A past study on acculturation by Phinney and Flores (2002), affirms that the two dimensions of the phenomenon (mainstream adaptation and ethnic retention) can be independent and have different influences to its outcomes. The results of their study showed that the bicultural (integrated) individual is more likely to be involved in mainstream American society as well as to manifest sex role attitudes closely similar to that of the mainstream, and yet manage to retain their own racial social networks and native language. Later generations of immigrants are also expected to be more prone to changes associated with both dimensions of acculturation; that is, they typically retain less of their ethnic culture and tend to be more accepting of the host culture t han earlier generations (Phinney Flores, 2002). On the other hand, the present study showed no significant effect for generational differences (mother vs. daughter) in either culture (US-Filipino or US women). It was expected that Filipino women would score higher than their US counterparts because of societal expectations and traditional gender schema on women. Filipino women are expected to manifest certain characteristics such as capability of building a family, running the household and responsibility for taking care of others need before her own to name a few. Some researchers propose that immigrants do not simply yield their old or native values for new ones, but rather select, and modify to adapt to the new environment (Choi Thomas, 2007; Buriel, 1993; Mendoza, 1989). Although most Filipino immigrants eventually become accustomed to their new environment, they also retain their traditional cultural traits, beliefs, values, and mores which may result to a conflict in their b elief system and a higher level of irrational belief. However, when it comes to Generation, the non-significant differences between Filipino daughters and mothers may be found in that the cultural expectation of both generations (Filipino mothers vs. Filipino daughters) has rooted its ideals from our past generations belief as a collective community as opposed to individualistic values. It is an integral characteristic of the ideal Filipino family to have children who highly adhere to the familys values and principles and to behave according to these passed on standards. Daughters are taught to greatly exhibit the same positive qualities that their mothers exhibit and this practice have a substantial influence on the non-significant differences in the point of view of both generations. In terms of posthoc comparisons, where individual sub scale scores were obtained for Demand, Awfulizing, Negative Self Talk and LFT, a significant effect was only found on Demand of Filipino women vs. US women. This suggests that Filipino women experience higher emotional stress than their US counterparts. First generation immigrants, as they are called, sometimes experience acculturation and cultural pressure to adapt. Cultural adaptation to the host country may suggest conflict with the traditional culture of the heritage country while parents try to raise their children on both cultures. Prior researches show that Filipino immigrants tend to lose their traditional customs and values as they acculturate to ways of life in the United States (Del Prado Church, 2010). Being torn between adhering to their conservative cultural values and the ability to access the opportunities of their contemporary American culture can create stress and conflict (Napholz Mo, 2010). The Socio-cultural differences that include the Asian collective culture versus the American individual culture, extended versus dominant nuclear family lifestyle, isolative American lifestyle, womens roles, communication styles, and child-rearing practices have a vast impact on the Filipino immigrant womens self-esteem and sense of control over their lives (Napholz Mo, 2010). As Filipino women become more acculturated to their host countrys cultural values, factors such as their origins, psychosocial and economic stress, as well as their compliance to traditional cultural values may have an influence in the nature and quality of their present lives (McBride, Morioka-Douglas, Yeo, 1996). High scores on each subscale according to the OKelly Women Belief Scales or OWBS (OKelly, 2010) suggest that Filipino women have higher irrational beliefs on the traditional feminine gender role as their culture may have manifested on them over the years. The Demand subscale (element at which people reveal their musts and shoulds) suggests that Filipino women need to reach certain expectations according to their culture. A high score in this subscale suggests that Filipino women, compared to US women strive more to reach expectations set forth by their society as a result from a collectivist point of view. Almost every society has prescribed roles that women and men are expected to satisfy, however the strictness of these standards vary across cultural societies. In the Filipino culture, individuals that belong to the society are expected to respect and conform to the rules of the society as exactly as possible. Deviating from the accepted norms and social roles brings forth unforgiving criticisms not just from the society at large, but by ones own immediate family as well. A traditional Filipino family is not usually inclined to being tolerant to issues and practices foreign to them, as they believe that everyone should behave accord ing to what is widely accepted. Thus, the process of acculturating to a new culture that has some aspects that conflict with the Filipino culture can be very perplexing and stressful to Filipino women striving to develop positive attitudes toward the process. An example question from this subscale was I must have a child to be fulfilled; Filipinos are expected to be capable of building a family and both generations (mother vs. daughter) must reach this expectation as their society and past generations expects them to. This idealized notion of womanhood is for a woman to think of her family (collective vs. individual) (Agbayani-Siewert, 1994) as mentioned came from most of the Oriental cultures belief of collectivism vs. individualism. In short, the expectation that Filipino women would score higher than their US counterparts because of societal expectations and traditional gender schema on women was confirmed.

Kids getting lazy, fat and disrespectful Essay -- essays research pape

Kids these days are getting lazier, fatter, and more disrespectful. The baseball and soccer fields are empty, and the parks are empty. Kids are just no where to be seen nowadays. Where have they all gone? Well, if you look in the right places, then maybe you’ll see them. By the right places, I mean in front of our good friends the television, the play station or the computer. Parents should   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Here are some stats from the U.S. Surgeon General’s office. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Almost half of Americans aged 12 to 21 are not vigorously active on a regular basis. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  About 14 percent of those same kids reported no recent physical activity. Participation in any type of physical activities decrease dramatically as these kids get older. Kids are getting more sedentary every day and they’re paying the price of this lifestyle with their health. For every effect, there has to be a cause, according to the law of cause and effect. There is a specific reason as to why kids of the current generation are lazier and less active, and that is technology.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As kids are born into the information age, new technology is readily available for their use. Life has gotten easier as the years progress, as new technology is developed it aid us in our everyday errands. Even though is aid is available to us, kids are starting to become over reliant on it, and they are slowly growing dependent on technology to do the...

The Importance of Censorship Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Essays

The Importance of Censorship   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Censorship affects our society in many different ways, it affects the music we listen to, the movies we watch, the books we read, and many other aspects of our everyday lives. Even though many might argue that censorship doesn't really have a place in a society that emphases freedom of speech and the freedom to express oneself, but censorship is an essential and needed part of our growing society, it's needed in the television industry, the Internet, and the music industry. Censorship helps to make our world a better place because it creates a better environment for us to live in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Censorship is an important and essential part of television. Without the presence of censorship television would be unsuitable for our younger viewers because censorship helps to filter out the appearances of nudity, real life violence, the use of profanity and other obscene gestures during the youth viewing hours. However, during the prime time viewing hours it?s a different story. The method the television stations use is a mere waste of time and money because a little symbol in the corner of the screen is not going to prevent a child from watching the program. The only way this method can work is if the parents/guardian is there to change the channel but let?s be realistic, how many parents/guardians actuarially have the time to monitor everything there children watch. So most children do end up viewing these programs anyway, and whether we like it o...

contract law :: essays research papers

In the case of Fletcher vs. Peck, the Yazoo land grants were on trial. One Georgia legislature had sold millions of acres to four separate companies at a price of two cents per acre. (Garraty 174). When the next legislature came into power, it was learned that many of those legislators that sold the land had been corrupt. The companies had sold land to many small farmers who had no idea that the land should not have been sold in the first place. When the grant was taken away by the Georgian legislature, the farmers looked to the Supreme Court. (Corwin 151). The Court could have easily decided not to hear the case. The whole land grant process had been corrupt, so the Georgian legislature had the right to take them away, but Marshall believed there was something more to this case. He decided that he would hear the case. Marshall declared the rescinding act void because it violated peoples rights, and went against the separation of powers. For Marshall, this explanation was simply not enough, so he turned to the Constitution to find something in writing to support his decision. He found his support in the contract clause. The problem Marshall had was that the contract clause was there to protect persons waiting for a contract to be carried out, a land grant is over and done with once the land is handed over. (Corwin 153). By using a very loose interpretation, Marshall stated that when something is granted, the granter is not expected to try and take back what he has been granted. In reality, the Constitution did not say this at all, but morally it made perfect sense. Marshall believed that there was a moral contract involved and that both parties should assume that the grant is permanent. By using a very broad interpretation of the Constitution Marshall made this moral contract a legal one. Marshall used his broad interpretation of the Constitution to strengthen the judicial branch.

The Three Tier Essay

The five-paragraph essay is a form of written argument. It is a common requisite in assignments in American schools. The format requires an essay to have five paragraphs: one introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs with support and development, and one concluding paragraph. Because of this structure, it is also known as a hamburger essay, one three one or a three tier essay. The introduction serves to inform the reader of the basic premises, and then to state your thesis, or central idea. When a thesis essay is applied to this format, the first paragraph typically consists of a narrative hook, followed by a sentence that introduces the general theme, then another sentence narrowing the focus of the one previous. (If the author is using this format for a text-based thesis, then a sentence quoting the text, supporting the essay-writer's claim, would typically go here, along with the name of the text and the name of the author. Example: â€Å"In the book Night, Elie Wiesel says†¦ â€Å"). After this, the author narrows the discussion of the topic by stating or identifying a problem. Often, an organizational sentence is used here to describe the layout of the paper. Finally, the last sentence of the first paragraph of such an essay would state the thesis the author is trying to prove. The thesis is often linked to a â€Å"road map† for the essay, which is basically an embedded outline stating precisely what the three body paragraphs will address and giving the items in the order of the presentation. Not to be confused with an organizational sentence, a thesis merely states â€Å"The book Night follows Elie Wiesel's journey from innocence to experience,† while an organizational sentence directly states the structure and order of the essay.