The Joys of Applying to Graduate School COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

The Joys of Applying to Graduate School COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The following entry was written by Beatriz Guillén, a second year student concentrating in Economic and Political Development. _____________________ Applying to SIPA was challenging. I remember trying to confront the long list of things I had to do. First, it was the tests. It took me a long time to prepare for the GRE. I remember struggling with questions such as “Is malinger to duty the same as recluse is to humanity or is it scholar to pedantry?” “What is the area of the square inscribed in the circle of radius a?” I also had to take the TOEFL, because I am an international student, and needed a score of at least 100! At the same time I had to figure out who was going to write my recommendations. My boss? One of my former professors? How am I going to contact them?   And of course, the essays… Thinking of my life goals, my quantitative experience… (That was a tough one… I had to study macro and micro economics in a community college because I hadn’t enough quantitative experience.) But, in the midst of all this excitement and stress, the admissions blog helped me through the whole process. I realized I wasn’t the only one with these problems and questions and that many people had done it before me, so I could do it. And after everything, here I am, in my second year at SIPA, experiencing one of the best stages in my life. I strongly encourage all of you struggling with your application or in need of inspiration for your essays to come and visit the campus in the coming weeks. I love Columbia University during the winter time, especially when they turn on the holiday lights around campus. It is very inspiring to walk through the main campus. And if you cannot come to New York, follow what is going on at SIPA through the website, the blog, or watching conferences and lectures by SIPA professors   here. We have interesting events and remarkable speakers visiting school every day. All of this will give you courage and the motivation to re-take your tests if you didn’t get the score you wanted, or the inspiration and vision to finish your statement of purpose. Good luck!   All the hard work is worth it! Beatriz

The Effects Of Sleep On Teen Health - 1981 Words

According to The Journal of Youth and Adolescence, with every hour of sleep lost by a teenage student, there is a 38 percent increased risk of that student being sad and hopeless and a 58 percent increase in suicide attempts (Gregoire par. 8). This horrific fact is proof that not only does sleep have a significant impact on teen health, but it can lead to frightening results such as suicide and depression. Many argue that the teenage years is the most significant time in development, so it seems counterproductive that some schools’ schedules deprive students of much needed sleep. By implementing a later start time than currently exists, schools would enhance students’ chances for success. A later start time for high school classes would result in more sleep time, which is beneficial to students because adequate sleep elevates mood, enhances health, and improves academic performance. High school students often stay up late at night sand as a result, have difficulties get ting up in the morning to go to school. A later school time for students would mean an extended amount of time for these students to catch up on sleep. Sleep studies have shown that with increased hours of sleep, a teenagers mood can become elevated. According to a Minnesota study of Minneapolis high schools, shifting start times from 7:15 to 8:40 a.m. resulted in students being more active in classes and not falling asleep at their desks. Students were clearly more alert at the start of the school day, andShow MoreRelatedAdolescent Sleep Deprivation: Causes, Effects, and Prevention1438 Words   |  6 PagesAdolescent Sleep Deprivation: Causes, Effects, and Prevention Adolescent sleep deprivation is a common problem in today’s society, and it is also a very dangerous one. There have been numerous studies done to determine the causes of sleep deprivation in teenagers, the most prevalent being teens not getting enough sleep due to things like jobs and early school start times. There are many perceived dangers of this, such as sleepiness while driving and a risk for hypertension. There are a few waysRead MoreThe Dangers Of Lack Of Sleep Deprivation913 Words   |  4 Pagesof Lack of Sleep in Highschoolers Sleep deprivation in high school students is creating a long list of problems in their health and academic areas. Sleep deprivation has been linked to many different health effects, and a major cause of sleep deprivation in high schooler s is the start time of their first morning class. Many different studies have been conducted concerning start times in schools and the current time that schools begin classes, is wreaking havoc on student health. Sleep has been shownRead MoreSchool Should Start Later With The Lack Of Sleep1324 Words   |  6 Pagesstart later in the morning. Do teens know how many problems can come with the lack of sleep? with sleep deprivation comes many long term effects on people s mental and physical health.lacking sleep is a cause of depression, obesity ,and makes it hard to function in school. School shouldn’t start as early as it does.because, it s unhealthy and lowers academic scores. Lack of sleep puts teens at risk for mental and physical issues.Less amounts of sleep put teens at a higher risk for depressionRead MoreThe Effects Of Lack Of Sleep Deprivation On Children1315 Words   |  6 Pagesstart later in the morning. Do teens know how many problems can come with the lack of sleep? with sleep deprivation comes many long term effects on people s mental and physical health.lacking sleep is a cause of depression, obesity ,and makes it hard to function in school. School shouldn’t start as early as it does.because, it s unhealthy and lowers academic scores. Lack of sleep puts teens at risk for mental and physical issues.Less amounts of sleep put teens at a higher risk for depressionRead MoreSleep Deprivation Essay901 Words   |  4 Pages Most teens do not know what sleep deprivation is, it occurs when a person fails to receive enough sleep at night. A teen need nine hours of sleep to not feel sleep deprived also to be well alert and rested for the next day. Its more than important to manage enough sleep for the next day or experiences regarding the effects of sleep deprivation will occur. Many teens definitely have experienced sleep deprivation and may not have known how serious it is along with how bad it can affect them. TeenagersRead MoreOn Some School Nights, I Have A Rough Time Trying To Fall1052 Words   |  5 Pagesthese factors were resulted by the lack of sleep, or sleep deprivation. Many more harmful problems can result from sleep deprivation, such as sleep disorders, difficulty driving, and physical and mental effects on students. In which case, students wouldn’t want sleep deprivation affecting their academic grades and education in school. Therefore, students in high school should be allowed to s leep for a longer period of time on school nights or else sleep deprivation will affect the students’ educationRead MoreInternet Addiction And The Internet1409 Words   |  6 Pagesdefines Internet addiction disorder (IAD) is the overuse of the Internet or excessive Internet use. The problem of Internet addiction is gradually increasing in American society, especially for teens aged 12 to 17. Troubled teenagers aged 12 to 17 are more vulnerable to addiction than other generations. Teens get attracted to technology because of online games, the ability to find acceptance in social websites, unlimited access to the most kind of entertainment, and the ability to own technology asRead MoreStart School Later And Let Teens Sleep : Persuasive Essay973 Words   |  4 PagesStart School Later and Let Teens Sleep: Persuasive Essay The national sleep epidemic that has taken the world by storm is also taking a toll in not only teen’s health but also their performance in school as well as personal safety. The sleep deprivation that teens are experiencing everyday has caused many health problems as well as academic problems. I believe starting school later will hinder this ever growing teen sleep deprivation problem we face today. Letting teens sleep later is beneficial toRead MoreTeen Texting1524 Words   |  7 PagesTexting and Teens in the Media So the news is we have indefinitely entered a new zone of communication in the twenty-first century. â€Å"They do it at night when their parents are asleep. They do it in restaurants and while crossing the streets. They do it in the classroom with their hands behind their back. They do it so much their thumbs hurt.†(Hafner) Texting and teens has become a cause for concern. The stereotype of young chatty teens spending hours on the phone has faded. The interactionsRead MoreAdolescents Today Face A Widespread Chronic Health Problem : Sleep Deprivation1566 Words   |  7 PagesAdolescents today face a widespread chronic health problem: sleep deprivation. Research shows that getting enough sleep is a biological necessity. Sleep is essential for a person’s health and wellbeing, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Teens are among those least likely to get enough sleep; while they need on average 9 1/4 hours of sleep per night for optimal performance and hea lth and brain development, teens average fewer than 7 hours per school night, and most report feeling tired

Should Professional Sports Be Banned - 2135 Words

Professional sports, a possible career for the talented and gifted athletes whose dreams are to push themselves to their limits to finally gain fame and wealth by playing the game they love. But a significant idea has the capability to change the whole concept of playing in the sports league. The legalization of performance-enhancers is able to negatively impact the mindset of every athlete in the field, cause repercussions onto athletes, and generate incredible health issues that surround all competitors. All professional sports should ban the use of steroids in the business, as it creates a violation official rules leading to unethical practice in the sports industry. Claim #1: Athletes that use steroids do not need to restrict themselves nearly as much as legitimate athletes since performance-enhancing drugs make it much easier for athletes to achieve their set goals without as many restraints and as much inputted effort. Evidence 1: â€Å"First, athletes who choose not to use steroids are at an unfair advantage – most will be unable to compete at the same level as athletes who are using steroids.† -April Ashby http://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2010/10/20/why-steroids-have-no-place-in-sports/comment-page-1/ Elaboration: How does this drug enhance the human body’s ability to create muscle? Every time someone trains their body, there are constantly microscopic tears occurring within the tissues which is the root of all muscle growth that occurs. The body’s natural repairShow MoreRelatedDrugs Should Be Banned For Professional Sports1211 Words   |  5 PagesDrug Use In Sports Ninety-eight percent of professional athletes say that they would take performance enhancing drugs if they didn’t have a chance of getting caught. Performance enhancing drugs, or PEDs, or steroids, have been around since 776 BC when the Greeks would use them to improve their performance in the Olympic Games. During World War II, the Germans, including Hitler, would take steroids to make themselves stronger and more aggressive. The Americans, British, and Japanese also began toRead MorePerformance Enhancing Drugs Should Be Banned in Professional Sports2737 Words   |  11 Pages1). Some professional athletes claim to use performance enhancing drugs to recover more quickly from injury; others take them because they have not seen the positive feedback in working out, without the use of the steroids. Steroids may be referred to as roids, juice, hype, or pump and they are powerful drugs. Performance enhancing drugs should be completely banned from professional sports because t hey are illegal, unhealthy, and unfair. Steroids are illegal in professional sports becauseRead MoreSteroid Use in Sports1732 Words   |  7 Pagesastonishing ten to fifteen percent of professional athletes use illegal steroids which are also known as performance enhancing drugs. These substances which are banned in professional sports aren’t just any type of steroid or drug. They are called anabolic steroids or performance enhancing drugs, and they are synthetically produced substances of male testosterone hormones. The use of these illegal steroids has garnered a lot of publicity within the world of sports over the past few years. As athletesRead MoreThe Debate on the Banning of Boxing Essay1070 Words   |  5 PagesThe Debate on the Banning of Boxing Boxing is an ancient sport with a long history dating back centuries. It developed from bare knuckle fighting in the 18th and 19th century. The sport has already experienced a ban in 1865 and despite this remains a popular today despite this. The sport has rules established by Marquees of Queensbury that form the basis of modern boxing: three minute rounds and boxers must wear gloves. The spot attracts audience and athletes,Read MoreBoxing Should Not be Banned Essay923 Words   |  4 PagesBoxing Should Not be Banned In recent years, there have been many campaigns to try and have boxing banned. Those in favour of banning boxing argue that it is dangerous, potentially life threatening and generally unsafe. It can also be argued that it is immoral to give someone money forRead MoreWhy Boxing Should Be Banned1206 Words   |  5 PagesDetrimental is one reason why professional boxing should be prohibited in the United States. According to James Holloway, â€Å"The British, American, Canadian and Australian Medical Associations have all called for an end to boxing, citing the high risk of brain damage and other injuries.† (Holloway, 21-22) Four major medical associations all agreed that boxing should be banned due to its harmful effects. One harmful effect being brain damage which could cause boxers to be more prone to mental deteriorationRead MoreThe Issue Of Performance Enhancing Drugs1453 Words   |  6 Pagescontroversial in the sports world. A number of high profile athletes from Barry Bonds to Lance Armstrong have seen their reputations tarnished as a result of their use of these substances. Even the US Congress has held a number of high profile hearings on the subject to rid professio nal sports of their usage. In the sports world, it is almost assumed that sports are better when PEDs are removed from the game, and that the sport’s integrity is threatened when its players use these banned substances. BudRead MoreUse of Steroids by Athletes Essay1538 Words   |  7 Pagesoffered a banned performance enhancing substance that comes with two guarantees: 1) You will not be caught. 2). You will win every competition you enter for the next five years and then you will die from the side effects of the substance. Would you take it? More than half the athletes said yes. As we can infer from the above survey, a large number of professional athletes are willing to risk their lives for the chance of victory and recognition. The controversy of doping in sports is centeredRead MorePerformance Enhancing Drugs For Sports Essay1514 Words   |  7 PagesPerformance-Enhancing Drugs in Sports A tremendously large problem in sports is whether or not athletes should be able to use performance enhancing drugs. To most people, it doesn t make any sense for athletes to be using them. They have to know what affect it has on their body not only physically, but also mentally. Around the early 2000’s is when all this starting coming up and it has made a dramatic impact on the sports world. The few people who want performance-enhancing drugs in sports don’t worry aboutRead MoreThe Possibility of College Sports Being Banned775 Words   |  3 PagesThe first time that I had any type of knowledge about the possibility of college sports being banned was just a few weeks ago inside of my English 101 class. I cannot express how surprise I was when I found this out. Not in a million years I ever would of thought a activity that most athletes live by every day can just go away in a snap of a finger. How could somebody even turn professional if they have not been in the col lege phase yet? Questions just arise in my head when I hear about this topic

Permanent Change In An Individuals Knowledge Or Behaviour Free Essays

Learning can be ocular, kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, lingual, logical, realistic, religious and moral, and, consequentially, scholars have really differing degrees of intelligence in these different sorts of larning. It is per se of import for instructors to hold a on the job cognition of how different pupils learn because of this fact that non all pupils learn in the same manner. An educators occupation is to ease acquisition for a pupil, and hence must be adaptable to these assorted acquisition manners in order to adequately supply for them, and this can non be done without an apprehension of different larning theories and manners. We will write a custom essay sample on Permanent Change In An Individuals Knowledge Or Behaviour or any similar topic only for you Order Now A pupil who is kinesthetic or visually intelligent is non traveling to profit from certain manners of learning every bit much as a pupil who is a logical scholar, presuming the pedagogue is merely learning in a logical manner. Therefore it is necessary for pedagogues to understand the differing sorts of larning so that they can provide for multiple intelligences within their lessons, both by admiting their being and leting pupils the chance to larn in different ways every bit good as developing pupils abilities to interact with intelligences that they might otherwise be non as accustomed to. Equally good as different intelligences there are different worldviews on how learning occurs, whether it is inactive or active, whether it is societal or personal, and these theories straight affect the teaching method embraced by the instructor keeping them. Therefore the acquisition theories will needfully order the types of intelligences most supported by the acquisition that is taking topographic point, and it is up to the pedagogue to understand these learning theories so that they may use them in a manner to outdo explore all of the multiple intelligences and give their pupils the best opportunity of making a higher order apprehension of any capable affair. Behaviourism is a theory that operates upon an ‘action-reaction ‘ or ‘stimulus-response ‘ construct of larning. At its kernel this worldview places the scholar in the place of being a ‘blank slate ‘ , an empty vas or ‘tabula rasa ‘ , which is so filled with the coveted cognition or acquisition. Behaviourism assumes that the scholar is inactive and that they respond to any and all environmental stimulations that they are exposed to. The environment acts on the scholar, non the scholar on the environment. Behaviorism can be broken down into two possible signifiers of conditioning: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, the late of which was founded by B. F. Skinner and is one of the most outstanding larning theory places. Skinner ‘s operant conditioning position is non-dualistic, it denies that the head is a separate thing to the organic structure, alternatively situating ideas to be private behaviors, analysable in the same manner that public behaviors are. Essentially learners learn to ‘operate ‘ on the environment. Functionally, operant conditioning plants on a footing of support and penalty. Reinforcement is a procedure by which a targeted behavior is caused to happen with greater frequence and penalty a lesser frequence. Both these effects have positive and negative fluctuations, by positive and negative we refer to their linear or subtractive qualities, non their moral deductions. Positive support is when a rewarding stimulation is to happen following a desirable behavior, therefore increasing its frequence. Negative support occurs when an unwanted stimulation is removed after a desirable behavior, besides increasing its frequence. Positive penalty is the happening of a penalty or negative stimulation following an unwanted behavior, diminishing its likelihood, while negative penalty is the remotion of a positive or honoring stimulation following a unsought behavior, besides diminishing the opportunity of reoccurrence. In contrast to behaviorism, constructivism positions the scholar as an active participant in the acquisition procedure. The scholar is an â€Å" information builder †[ 3 ], one of the basic premises behind constructivism is that â€Å" people are active scholars and must build cognition for themselves. †[ 4 ]This base premise is that the scholar is a â€Å" alone person with alone demands and backgrounds. †[ 5 ] Learning is a constructive, contextualized and active procedure by which the scholar is engaged in actively making a subjective reading of an otherwise nonsubjective world. One of the cardinal differences between constructivism and behaviorism is that the scholar is seen as conveying past experience and cognition to the acquisition, and that it is this past experience that is the specifying factor in the defining and constructing of new cognition. This construct at work postulates that people generate their appreciation on cognition through an interaction between their thoughts and experiences. Furthermore the scholar acts upon the environment, interacting with it to make significance, instead so being acted upon. Constructivism, nevertheless, is non a incorporate theory. Under the streamer of constructivism subsists three chief positions dubbed the exogenic position, the endogenous position and the dialectical position. An exogenic constructivism â€Å" position posits a strong influence of the external universe on cognition building, such as by experiences, instruction, and exposure to theoretical accounts. Knowledge is accurate to the extent it reflects that world. †[ 6 ]On the other manus, endogenous constructivism provinces that cognition is derived from earlier mental constructions and focal points on a coordination of â€Å" cognitive actions †[ 7 ], while dialectical constructivism is a blend of the two, situating that cognition is non wholly construed from the external universe, nor is it entirely of the head but instead is the consequence of interactions between the scholar and the environment. – Schunk, Dale H. ( 2008 ) Constructivist Theory ( Chapter 6 ) . In Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective. 5th Edition. ( pp.234-277 ) . Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall. ISBN 9780132435659 pg 239 A behaviorist schoolroom places the scholar in a inactive function, as earlier mentioned, they are ‘tabula rasa ‘[ 8 ]. As a consequence the pedagogue is positioned in an active function, basically ‘acting ‘ on the scholar to instil cognition. This can take to a schoolroom where the scholar is non needfully encouraged to prosecute with the cognition presented to them, but instead to basically digest it, taking the cognition in to regurgitate ‘as is ‘ when needed. There is nil incorrect with this type of acquisition, so for certain topics and certain countries of topics it is arguably the most efficient signifier of acquisition. However a failing nowadays within the behaviorist theory is that it does non let the scholar to come on much further so the ‘applying ‘ phase in the new blooms taxonomy. It may be wrong to state that it does non ‘allow ‘ , but it surely does non promote the scholar to come on farther into the analysin g, measuring and making phases of the theoretical account without proper motion into determining the scholars behaviour. Even though they may acquire their ain their ain, the attack does non supply scaffolding to back up the scholar to these more advanced interactions with the cognition. This is because the scholar is non forced to prosecute with the cognition in an active manner, they do non hold to do it their ain, alternatively expected to be able to retrace what the instructor has presented to them, demoing an ability to retrieve and reproduce, but non needfully to grok on a meaningful degree. On the other manus a constructivist attack efforts to guarantee that the scholar interacts on a degree that allows them to prosecute in making from the footing of the cognition conveyed, hence promoting higher order thought. However In a behaviorist schoolroom the instructor will be actively seeking to place behavior to be changed, and, one time identified, they will be after specific intercessions to change that behavior in a coveted manner utilizing ancestors and effects. The instructor invariably accumulates informations on the consequences of these intercessions and modifies their attack to more efficaciously ‘shape ‘ the pupils behaviour. Praise, although contingent upon the behavior of the pupil, will strategically and often be given out to reenforce coveted behaviors. Each lesson will hold clear and precises ends in footings of cognition, attitudes and accomplishments to be transferred to the pupils, and cues and prompts will be utilized in order to put up behavioral forms and determine the pupils into the coveted acquisition form. This would so be scheduled with uninterrupted regular support to get down with, followed by more intermittent and sporadic support to ease the pupil into ego regula ted acquisition. This defining is necessary because a rigorous behaviorist attack is merely utile for a short period of clip, determining is required to foster the pupils larning. In an English schoolroom it would be expected that the instructor would be actively reenforcing the battle of pupils in category treatment with prima and directed oppugning accompanied with congratulations for engagement. The teacher*/*** As a instructor it is of import to gain that behaviorism does work, it is a important portion of any instruction and has a really effectual and functional intent but that it is non all of the image. As with the demand to be various in learning to cover the multiple intelligences, so excessively do we hold to be various in the theories we use in our pattern. While behaviorism is a really of import tool we can utilize, and basically covers a big part of the behaviour direction and positive forms we can put in the category, we still need constructivism in order to ease * Piaget posited four phases that all human existences go through in the procedure of ripening. The sensorimotor phase is that phase â€Å" from birth to age 2. Children experience the universe through motion and senses ( utilize five senses to research the universe ) † -Santrock, John W.. Children. 9. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1998. The preoperational phase consists of kids from ages two to seven and consists of egoism and begins to see the universe symbolically, so the kids begin to believe logically and travel into the concrete operational phase between ages seven and twelve and eventually from age 12 onwards reach the formal operation phase and develop abstract logical thinking. â€Å" the fact that many of the voluntary responses of animate beings and worlds are strengthened when they are reinforced ( followed by a desirable effect ) and weakened when they are either neglected or punished. † â€Å" †¦ organisms learn new behaviors and when to exhibit them and E »unlearnE? bing behaviors. † â€Å" †¦ all behaviors are accompanied by certain effects, and these effects strongly influence whether these behaviors are repeated and at what degree of strength. † â€Å" Positive interactions between instructor and pupils can bring forth successful acquisition results in the presence of complex kineticss of individuals, conditions and results. † Snowman et Al. ( 2009 ) . Chapter 7. â€Å" Behavioural Learning Theory: Operant Conditioning † . In Psychology Applied to Teaching. 1st Australian Edition. Milton, QLD: John Wiley A ; Sons Australia Ltd. Bibliography How to cite Permanent Change In An Individuals Knowledge Or Behaviour, Essay examples

Sexuaity in the context of Social Construction Essay Example

Sexuaity in the context of Social Construction Essay The concept of social construction is introduced by, thinkers, who view ‘society’ as constructed not natural. Human beings have their total control on the machinations of the society and they are responsible of how a society would develop. To understand the social construction concept the knowledge of broader concept of constructivism would be greatly helpful.Constructivism believes that the knowledge of human beings is attained and acquire through experience and time. It also explains that the gender, race and sexuality are the realities shaped by man and are thus constructed socially. The reality is constructed and not given by some creator or superimposed which is known as Ontological Reality. There is a heated debate about the interpretation of ‘reality’ at every level of society especially at the level of the higher philosophical schools like the constructivists and those who believe ontological approach. Yet this is not the subject matter to be include d in this paper. Truth, for a realist is not objective it is related to the understanding of matters by the members of a society. In this way the constructionists near themselves to the theory of ‘Natural Selection’ given by Darwin that the man has developed into the present shape and position not by some predetermined scheme but by virtue of his abilities and mental capabilities that lead him to keep himself fitted to the survival in rivalry with the competitors. The constructivists consider Darwin as the person who gave the most reliable scheme to explain the human factor in his development and the most reliable source of modern scientific inquiry.Based on the encompassing knowledge of constructivism the concept of social construction is linking itself to the contributory factors as sexuality, gender and race. More specifically to say, that sexuality, race, and gender the factors that are responsible for the construction of a society, as it is seen today. The attitude of society towards sexuality is evident from Focaults these words, The affirmation of a sexuality that has never been more rigorously subjugated than during the age of the hypocritical, bustling, and responsible bourgeoisie is coupled with the grandiloquence of a discourse purporting to reveal the truth about sex, modify its economy within reality, subvert the law that governs it, and change its future (p. 296).The development of societies is affected by human behavior, the greatest shaping factor of society. It is the human behavior that compels the human beings to form and develop a society. The behavior of the members of the society keeps them adorable to each other that they live and grow together. Here some information about various factors involved in the shaping of human behavior are essential. The behavior is controlled by social, cultural, political, philosophical, spiritual, psychological, sexual, physiological, theological, legal, and religious factors involved in the co nstruction of a society. Human sexuality is dependent on the mode of behavioral development of the members of a society and is a contributor to the behavior contrarily as well.The definition of human sexuality is not an easy task as described by Padgug, â€Å"In spite of the elaborate discourses and analysis devoted to it, and the continual stress on its centrality to human reality, this modern concept of sexuality remains difficult to define. Dictionaries and encyclopedias refer simply to the division of most species into males and females for purposes of reproduction; beyond that, specifically human sexuality is only described, never defined. What the ideologists of sexuality describe, in fact, are only the supposed phrases. Of its operation: gender; reproduction, the family, and socialization: love and intercourse. To be sure, each of these spheres is thought by them to have its own essence and forms (‘the family’, for example), but together they are take to define the arena in which sexuality operates† (Page 7).The workings of human sexuality on the change in behavior, ultimately contribute the change in the mode of construction of a society. In this way, human sexuality plays the most important part in shaping the lives of individuals in a society that is reflected in the collective behavior of the society. The human sexuality casts its influence on the shaping of human behavior and thus brings about developments pertaining to historical period, region, and culture therefore it is controlled by laws and conventions as promulgated by a particular society.Laws and conventions guide the members of the society of how to reveal sexual behavior to the other members of the same society or the members of the other societies. Hence the sexual behavior greatly influences the construction of a society.The physiological factor involved in the influence of sexuality is probably could never be controlled by laws as it is associated with the hormonal changes though Rubin might be of the view that, It is often easier to fall back on the notion of a natural libido subjected to inhumane repression than to reformulate concepts of sexual injustice within a more constructivist framework.   But it is essential that we do so.The hormones decide the gender and in turn it is the gender that decides the behavior in relation to sexuality of the human beings. It means that the hormonal influence during the fetus stage decides whether the person would be a male or a female. The male and female members of the society are therefore the decision makers about the shape, out look, priorities, and achievements of a given society. In this way sexuality influences the construction of a society.   Focalt writes, †¦repression operated as a sentence to disappear, but also as an injunction to silence, and affirmation of nonexistence, and, by implication that there was nothing to say aboutThe sexual behavior has its own history. It was prohibite d to make sex the way one wanted to in almost every society in the history. This means that law always controls penetration. It was the law that was to decide who would establish a sexual relationship with a person from among the society.The sexual behavior was never discussed, as would be cause of threat to the social construction process as it is being discussed. The cause of it is that the World War II in conjunction with the industrial revolution originated the need for female members of the society to contribute to the industrial productivity. The men were, on the other hand, required to wage wars. The drag of women into the industry initiated the demands of special treatment of women, as they had to rear children and give birth.They needed extra vacations and flexibility in working hours, which the industrialists were not ready to yield easily. The gender equality discourse emanated the demands of social incorporation by homosexuals as well. Though the homosexual, who seemed t o clinch the demands of privileged treatment by the society at large, could not convince to win equal status to that of women. Though they succeeded, some how, in securing some legal facilities but remained isolated and hated by the fellow members of the society. The social construction concept developed the legal and social status of females considerably. Their contribution to the society is now acknowledged and respected as the part of society that they are not only contributing into it but also rearing children. The homosexuals while are still struggling more to be recognized as respectable social partners. In fact the concept of social construction has enormously gained importance owing to the debate of sexuality and its role in the social construction.

Roman Sports essays

Roman Sports essays Throughout history entertainment has varied. The ancient Romans set a prime example as a people who loved sports and games. Similarities between the Romans and the modern sports fan can be seen with their love for races and violence. Vespasin, who is considered to be one of the greatest builders of roman time, built the Colloseum in A.D. 80 (Scarre 70). To honor the occasion he held one hundred days of continuous competition. Over five thousand gladiators were believed to have taken part in the one hundred days of games, but no accurate record of the match outcomes exist to this day (Cowell 173). Known as the Flavian Amphitheatre in its time, the Colloseum held fifty-five thousand spectators (Scarre 70). It stood a height of one hundred fifty nine feet and is one of the greatest architectural achievements of mankind (71). The crowds of the gladiatorial games were spiteful and excited by the amount of blood that was shed in the arena (Rowell 160). Criminals were forced to fight to their death, and the loser of each match was often executed by his opponent upon condemnation of the crowd (161). After the bloodletting of the gladiatorial combat, men dressed as demonic figures removed the disemboweled corpses from the arena (Arnott 40). These warriors of all shapes and sizes entrenched themselves in combat. One category of gladiator was the Samnite. They wore cumbersome armor along with a visor helmet accented by a crest and plume. In one hand they carried a large oblong shield, and in the other a sword or a lance with a sleeve on the arm. The remainder of the gladiators fell under the category of Thracian. These combatants attire featured bands of leather around the leg or thigh. For their weapon they brandished a curved scimitar and used a small round shield opposed to the Samnites large oblong defense. These different types of gladiators often fought against each other and the contrast in the way they dresses he...

How the Romans Voted in the Roman Republic

How the Romans Voted in the Roman Republic The vote was almost a side issue. When Servius Tullius, the sixth king of Rome, reformed the tribal system of Rome, giving the vote to men who had not been members of the three original tribes, he increased the number of tribes and assigned people to them on the basis of geographic location rather than kinship ties. There were at least two main reasons for the extension of the suffrage, to increase the tax body and to add to the rolls of young men suitable for the military. Over the next couple of centuries, more tribes were added until there were 35 tribes in 241 B.C. The number of tribes remained stable and so new citizens were assigned to one of the 35 no matter where they lived. So much is pretty clear. Details are not so sure. For instance, we dont know whether Servius Tullius established any of the rural tribes or just the four urban ones. The importance of the tribes was lost when citizenship was extended to all free people in A.D. 212 by the terms of Constitutio Antoniniana. Posting Issues Roman assemblies were called to vote after notice of issues had been publicized. A magistrate published an edict in front of a contio (a public gathering) and then the issue was posted on a tablet in white paint, according to the University of Georgias Edward E. Best. Did Majority Rule? Romans voted in a couple of different groupings: by a tribe and by centuria (century). Each group, tribe or centuria had one vote. This vote was decided by majority vote of the constituents of said group (tribe or tribe or centuria), so within the group, each members vote counted as much as anyone elses, but not all groups were equally important. Candidates, who were voted on together even when there were multiple positions to fill, were counted as elected if they received the vote of one-half of the voting groups plus one, so if there were 35 tribes, the candidate won when he had received the support of 18 tribes. Polling Place Saepta (or ovile) is the word for the voting space. In the late Republic, it was an open wooden pen with probably 35 roped-off sections. It had been on the Campus Martius. The number of divisions is thought to have corresponded with the number of tribes. It was in the general area that both tribal groups and comitia centuriata held elections. At the end of the Republic, a marble structure replaced the wooden one. The Saepta would have held about 70,000 citizens, according to Edward E. Best. The Campus Martius was the field dedicated to the war god, and lay outside the sacred border or Pomoerium of Rome, as Classicist Jyri Vaahtera points out, which is significant because, in early years, Romans may have attended the assembly in arms, which didnt belong in the city. Voting was also held in the forum. Centuriate Voting Assembly The centuriae may also have been started by the 6th king or he might have inherited and augmented them. The Servian centuriae included about 170 centuriae of foot soldiers (infantry or pedites), 12 or 18 of equestrians, and a couple of others. How much wealth a family had determined which census class and therefore centuria its men fit in. The wealthiest infantry class had close to a majority of the centuriae and were also allowed to vote early, just after the cavalry whose first position in the metaphorical voting line (may have) earned them the label praerogativae. (It is from this use that we get the English word prerogative.) (Hall says that later after the system was reformed, the first [selected by lot] centuria to vote had the title of centuria praerogativa.) Should the vote of the wealthiest (infantry) first class and that of the cavalry be unanimous, there was no reason to go to the second class for their vote. The vote was by centuria in one of the assemblies, the comitia centuriata. Lily Ross Taylor thinks the members of a given centuria were from a variety of tribes. This process changed over time but is thought to have been the way the vote worked when the Servian Reforms were instituted. Tribal Voting Assembly In tribal elections, the voting order was decided by sortition, but there was an order of the tribes. We dont know exactly how it worked. Only one tribe might have been chosen by lot. There might have been a regular order for the tribes that the winner of the lottery was allowed to jump over. However it worked, the first tribe was known as principium. When a majority had been reached, the voting probably stopped, so if 18 tribes were unanimous, there was no reason for the remaining 17 to vote, and they didnt. The tribes voted per tabellam by ballot by 139 B.C., according to Ursula Hall. Voting in the Senate In the Senate, voting was visible and peer-pressure-driven: people voted by clustering around the speaker they supported. Roman Government in the Roman Republic The assemblies provided the democratic component of the mixed form of Roman government. There were also monarchic and aristocratic/oligarchic components. During the period of kings and the Imperial period, the monarchic element was dominant and visible in the personage of the king or emperor, but during the Republic, the monarchic element was elected annually and split in two. This split monarchy was the consulship whose power was deliberately curtailed. The Senate provided the aristocratic element. References The Centuriate Assembly before and after the Reform, by Lily Ross Taylor; The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 78, No. 4 (1957), pp. 337-354.Literacy and Roman Voting, by Edward E. Best; Historia 1974, pp. 428-438.The Origin of Latin suffrÄ gium, by Jyri Vaahtera; Glotta71. Bd., 1./2. H. (1993), pp. 66-80.Voting Procedure in Roman Assemblies, by Ursula Hall; Historia (Jul. 1964), pp. 267-306