My Sexuality free essay sample

In our lives there are many people and events that influence your beliefs or things that you do as time goes on. Our sex lives are sometimes hard for us to talk about. We struggle to tell our children the facts of life, and we struggle to tell our partners what pleases us. Sex is personal, and, at its best, is an intimate treasure savored privately. We each want to please and be pleased, to feel warm, safe, and desired. Our sexuality is also sometimes hard to talk about. Events that happen in our lives and the people we bring into our lives change us as a person making it harder for some people to talk about their sexuality then it may be for others. I for one have had many contributions in my life that has caused my sexuality to be the way it is. Family happens to be one of the biggest contributions when it comes to my sexuality. We will write a custom essay sample on My Sexuality or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Parents are different when it comes to sexual intercourse at a young age. Fathers are always more open with their sons about it and less open with it to their daughters. When it came to my father it was exactly that. It was against everything in him to have sex before marriage. His parents were brought up in the 1920’s in Italy where it was against all morals to get pregnant or even have sex before marriage. My older sister got pregnant before she was done with high school and dropped out. When my grandpa on my father’s side had found out about her pregnancy he got extremely mad at my father because in his eyes it was my father’s fault she got pregnant before marriage. So I promised my father I wouldn’t shadow what she did and finish school. I felt like I could never come to my father for help when it came to guys because I felt that he would be disappointed in me for anything I did sexually. When it came to puberty, I couldn’t even ask him to be put on birth control because to him birth control gives girls a reason to have sex. â€Å"They feel â€Å"protected† when they are on the pill it, it will give them a reason to keep having sex. †, is what he always used to say. Though one thing he didn’t realize is that birth control not only helps you from getting pregnant, but it also helps with girls cramps during their menstrual cycle. Now, my mother was a bit different. She had told me that I don’t have to be scared to come to her, talk, and go to the doctor’s to be put on birth control if I thought I was going to get sexual in any of my relationships. Even if had to happen behind my father’s back. She made me feel more comfortable about any sexual encounters that I may have been involved in because I knew I could trust her about anything I had to talk to her about or anything I felt nervous about in my relationships. Religion is a big part of my life and also helped sculpt my sexuality. I had planned on being a virgin until marriage because in church I was taught that premarital sex is a sin. Though another concept that I learned in church is that Jesus died on the cross for our sins so they can be forgiven. Although, I had sex before marriage I do believe my religion does keep me from trying things like masturbation, kinky sex and pornography. Abortion is one thing that I am STRONGLY AGAINST. I believe that if you â€Å"think† you are ready and responsible enough to have sex that you should â€Å"think† you are ready and responsible enough for any of the consequences that come with your so called â€Å"readiness†. I don’t like when friends or acquaintances talk about getting abortions when they think they are pregnant. School has been another big impact on my sexuality. Classes and teachers always really pushed about waiting to have sex. When students were caught having any kind of sexual relationship in school they were suspended and if numerous offenses happened they were sometimes expelled. So basically they put in your head that sex was wrong. In health class you are taught about STD’S and how you should wait to have sex when older and when you feel you are 100% ready to take care of any consequences that may come. Also they try to talk to you and tell you not to be ashamed of your sexuality whether you are straight, bi or homosexual. Peer-pressure is a HUGE thing in school. Drugs, sex, and partying are three of the main things that are peer-pressured in high school. My friends and other peers were having sex at younger ages. They tried to persuade me to start having sex with boyfriends and/or start/try masturbation because they thought it was fun and/or thought it felt good. It wasn’t because they were in love. Being raped at a young age caused me to be more cautious on who I talk to, trust, and hang out with. I have more of an attitude to certain people I don’t trust or like. I hold a lot of grudges when someone does something to lose my trust. It takes a lot of time to build the to forgive them and for them to earn their trust back then before. The rape has also caused me to push people away that I believe come too close. One last thing it caused me to lose was a lot of self respect and self worth. I don’t feel comfortable being naked with significant others or even being naked around myself. It made me feel disgusted of myself. I also became pregnant by the rape which made me feel even worse and not only that I have been raising my son since age 14. Though it did help me to be more aware and cautious of who I hang around and who I bring around my son. It also has shown me that a lot of men are still to immature to be in a serious relationship and caused me to lose a lot of relationships because of their immaturity. I am getting better as years goes on to get over the rape and move on with my life but again there is some things in your life that you can never forget. Since we grow up with so many different influences and events that happen in our lives, it could be difficult for some to realize where our beliefs come from. Though the events in my life caused me to be more cautious and grow up faster then others have some of them would have been better off undone. To recognize or at least be aware of what caused my beliefs, attitudes and values has helped me in a variety of ways whether it helped me be more careful of the things I do or the people I keep my loved ones and myself around or even made me a stronger person. Factors in my life had even caused me to be sure of my sexuality and made me who I am today as a more mature and stronger women then I would have been if some of my life events haven’t happened.

Choosing the Best Economics Graduate Program For You

Choosing the Best Economics Graduate Program For You As the About.com economics expert, I get quite a few inquiries from readers about the best graduate schools for those pursuing an advanced degree in economics. There are certainly quite a few resources out there today that claim to give the definitive ranking of graduate programs in economics around the world. While those lists might prove helpful to some, as a former economics student turned university professor, I can say with great certainty that choosing a graduate program requires so much more than arbitrary rankings. So when Im asked questions like, Can you recommend a good economics graduate program? or What is the best economics graduate school?, my answer is usually no and it depends. But I can help you find that best economics graduate program for you. Resources for Finding the Best Economics Graduate School Before moving forward, there are a couple of articles you should read. First is an article written by  a professor at Stanford, titled Advice for Applying to Grad School in Economics. While the disclaimer at the start of the article reminds us that these tips are a series of opinions, but that is generally the case when it comes to advice and given the reputation and experience of the person giving the advice, I would have to say, have no dear.  There are plenty of great tips in here. The next recommended piece of reading is a  resource from Georgetown with the title Applying to Grad School in Economics. Not only is this article thorough, but I dont think there is a single point I disagree with. Now that you have these two resources at your disposal, Ill share my  tips for finding and applying to the best economics graduate school for you.  From my own experience and the experience of friends and colleagues who also have studied economics at the graduate level in the United States, I can give the following advice: Take Advantage of Your Undergraduate Resources: Ask the professors who are writing you recommendation letters where theyd apply if they were in your position. They usually have a good idea of the schools at which youll do well and which ones may not be suited to your strengths and interests. Of course, it never hurts when the selection committee at a school knows and respects the person writing your letter of recommendation. Even better if your reference writer has friends or former colleagues on the selection committee at that school. I do have one disclaimer on this subject: Dont choose an undergraduate reference solely based on their reputation or their network. An honest and personalized letter from someone who can specifically speak to your strengths as a candidate is always better than an impersonal one with a famous signature.Rankings Arent the Most Important Decision-Maker:  That is to say that I dont suggest that you apply to just the highest ranked schools. In fact, many would agree when I say that this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in the application process. If youre interested in studying time-series econometrics, apply to schools that have active researchers in that area. Whats the point of going to a great theory school if youre not a theorist? Dont Put All Your Eggs in One Basket: Apply to as many graduate schools as reasonable. Id recommend applying to about ten schools. Ive seen a lot of terrific students only apply to top-ranked schools or their first choice and not get accepted  to any of them. Find your dream school(s) and your more reachable schools and build your list from there. And while you certainly dont want to focus on possible failure, make sure you have some backup plans. Have an idea of what you might do should you not be accepted into a graduate this year. If pursuing an advanced degree in economics is your dream, make sure that your plan B is something that only strengthens your candidacy for the next application cycle.Do Your Research:  As an economics student, you should be no stranger to research. But your economics graduate school search should not be limited to the internet or your undergraduate college counseling office. Talk to current graduate students at the school youre thinking about attend ing. Theyll usually tell you how things really work in their department. While talking to professors can also be enlightening, make a mental note that they have a vested interest in you applying to their school, which can greatly influence their opinions and advice. If you do choose to talk to a member of the faculty, try to get some sort of introduction. Contacting a professor unsolicited can a great source of annoyance, and why take a chance when this person might wield the power to say yes or no? Consider Size:  In my opinion, the size of the school can be just as important as its reputation. When approached for advice, I generally encourage prospective students to consider applying to larger schools. This is not to say that smaller schools are not worth your consideration, but you must always weigh the risks and rewards. Smaller departments are more likely to be negatively impacted with the departure of one or two key faculty members. So go ahead and apply to the program that boasts your dream professor among its ranks, but also look for schools that have three or more active researchers in the area you are interested in. That way, if one or two leave, youll still have an advisor you can work with. More Things to Read Before Applying to Graduate School So youve read the articles from Stanford and Georgetown, and youve made notes of my top bullet points. But before you jump into the application process, you may want to invest in some advanced economics texts. For some great recommendations, be sure to check out my article Books to Study Before Going to Graduate School in Economics.  These should give you a good idea of what you need to know to do well in an economics graduate school program. It goes without saying, best of luck!

Pressure groups in U.K. and U.S. politics Essay

Pressure groups in U.K. and U.S. politics - Essay Example Pressure groups are essential part of democratic process - they provide a real possibility to influence governmental decisions and transform public views into actions which often assert government to change its policy, but there are also essential lacks: the groups often defend their interests ignoring other sections of population and making misbalance in governmental policy. Pressure groups activity is widely developed in such democratic states as the United States and the United Kingdom. There are differences and similarities of pressure groups activity features in these countries, and the aim of this paper is to analyze and compare the roles played by pressure groups in U.K. and U.S. politics. The paper will be referred to common trends of U.K. and U.S. pressure groups development, as well as specific organizations and their activities in the both countries. 2. The main difference between U.K. and U.S. pressure groups activities is that there are more such groups in the United States than in the United Kingdom. ... So, pressure groups features in Great Britain are determined by its political system. One more feature of U.K. pressure groups activity is that groups and parties in Great Britain cannot influence governmental policy so much as in the United States because of partial secretiveness of the British political system, and the range of pressure groups is not so widely presented as in the USA with their constitutional and more democratic traditions. Some of the most powerful British sectional pressure groups (groups which present interests of some sections of the population) are the National Union of Teachers, Trades Union Congress, the Confederation of British Industry, the Nation Farmer's Union and some others. There are also promotional pressure groups in U.K. politics. These groups are fighting for real aims, and they can consist as well of small amount of members as great amount. The examples of such groups are Liberty and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), but their influence on British political parties and governmental decisions is limited unlike such groups in U.S. political life. One of the reasons of this situation is that the British government is not so fragmented and decentralized as that of the United States where the policy of federalism is prevailed. So, "in the early 1980s over 250,000 supporters of CND marched in London on several occasions. Despite this show of popular support, CND failed to influence the government's defense policy" (What are promotional pressure groups). As was mentioned before, pressure groups in the political process of the United Kingdom provide wide developing of democratic processes and allow public opinion to be heard. Political parties in Great Britain cannot represent the

Morality and Ethics Essay Topic Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Morality and Ethics Topic - Essay Example A person can be classified as a good or bad on the basis of his ethical and moral values. Generally ethics and morality can be interchanged as they are almost identical on the basis of the concept that they hold. Ethics and morality is that important of life without which the life would be all messed up and confused; as it boldly demarcates between the good and evil conducts. A person cannot spend his entire life without being able to differentiate between what is right and wrong. For a person to spend a life that is balanced and complete and such that others can be benefitted from it and he himself can feel satisfied and contended with his doings and ultimately his entire life it is necessary that he must be able to differentiate and recognize the right and wrong or evil in his life and he must be able to distinguish between the practices and conducts that must be followed and adopted and which must be avoided or abstained from (Pojman, 56). In this world there are many goods and ev ils present and we are surrounded by them at all times and it all depends on us that which practices attract and appeal us and how we would prefer to spend our life. Usually the goods are difficult to adopt and follow but once we adopt them it does not remain difficult on the contrary the evils that are present in the society and all around us are no doubt very attractive and appealing, in fact they are like magnetic forces which attract the people towards them and the people who get attracted are doomed for their entire life (Hauser, 102-105). In the beginning it all seems good and composed but slowly and gradually the person realizes that he has destroyed the peace, calm, serenity in his life by opting for the wrong deeds. A person who chooses to adopt the bad will not be able to come out of the world of bad deeds and his entire life gets destroyed; however a person who has a very strong will to get rid of all bad deeds and doings can manage to get out of this mess after a very lo ng and tiring struggle. This means it is not impossible to get out of the darkness (Pojman, 89). An important fact is that people get confused in understanding and distinguishing between the good and bad. The evil has so gained so much strength that the most obvious things around us that have become a routine for us are bad but owing to our routine observation we do not consider it bad or evil and feel no harm in adopting them. The goods and evils of the society have been defined by the people themselves. The acts and conducts that bring about peace and calm in one’s life and also the acts that are beneficial in some way or the other for the people or the society are considered as good deeds or good conducts and those acts which snatch away all the happiness in the life of a person, resulting in darkness in one’s life and the acts that bring harm or damage to the society or the people are considered as evils. There is no rule book or book of code of conducts for the pe ople to follow. The people learn and get to know about these conducts as they move on in their lives. The elderly and experienced people can serve as a guide for all the people and guide the people to what is good and what is evil. As a person grows and enters the age of maturity he himself becomes capable of sorting out matters and classifying them as good and evil. The ability of

How To Fix A Social Security Number Essay Example for Free

How To Fix A Social Security Number Essay The fastest growing crimes in America are Identity theft. Identity thieves are dishonest people that’s steals ones information or identity through ones Social Security number. Most of the time identity thieves use your number and your credit to apply for more credit in your name. Then, they use the credit cards and do not pay the bills. It’s a cankerworm that is eating deep into the American economy. This essay however looks at ways by which a social security number can be fixed. Social security number as a form of identity is a confidential and private number given to every citizen of United States. However, thieves get social security numbers through stealing wallets, purses, personal information provided to an unsecured site on the Internet, among others. When a social security number is stolen, there are some specific steps to take in order to get it fixed. In the first instance, a call would be made to the creditors who approved the credit (follow up with a letter). Also, a report would be filed with the police. After that, a contact would be made with the fraud department of the major credit bureaus in the country in order to make some rectifications. Finally, if all have been done to fix the problems resulting from misuse of the social security number but nevertheless someone is still using the number, then a new number may be assigned by the Federal Trade Commission subject to some stringent conditions and restrictions. REFERENCES 1. Advisory Council on Social Security. 1997. Report of the 1994- 1996 Advisory Council on Social Security (Washington: Government Printing Office). 2. Boice Dunham Group, Inc. 1993. The Nature and Scale of Economically-Targeted Investments by the 104 Largest U. S. Public Pension Plans, Prepared for Goldman Sachs. 3. Diamond, Peter A. 1997. Macroeconomic Aspects of Social Security Reform, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 2.

Teacher Quality in Education Essay -- essays papers

Teacher Quality in Education Teacher quality has a major influence on how the students will learn and perceive the information given. As time has gone by, teachers have gone through many things that can help them become better teachers. There are tests in which to certify them and to make sure that they can teach to their best ability. In some cases, even if a teacher is certified they might not be fully interested in their teaching so the students might not be getting the full attention that they need and they might not be working to the best of their abilities. They feel that if the teacher isn’t showing interest, then why should they. Teacher burnout is something that occurs in teachers when they become disinterested in their teaching. All of these things are major factors in teacher quality and this essay will prove how these aspects lead to either positive or negative teacher quality. Throughout history it has been a long process in getting teachers to be certified. â€Å"In 1858, the superintendent first authorizes that teachers need to be certified. In the year of 1873, the state board of education created an examination that teachers needed to pass in order to be certified within the school systems. In 1876, the board of education of cities of the first and second class were authorized to certify teachers. In 1893, the state board of education authorized to substitute credit from approved colleges for examination in those subjects as qualification for the certification of teachers. In 1909, the state board of education authorized to issue certificates to high school graduates completing high school normal training courses and passing a state examination. In the year of 1915, the legislature set Bachelor degr... ... 8, 2003. http://npin.org/pnews/2001/pnew1101/int1101d.html This article states that how a teacher teaches their students affects their abilities in and out of the classroom. The article also gives ideas on how parents can get involved and make sure that the kids are getting the best education that they can. Klicka, C. (2003). The Myth of Teacher Qualifications. Obtained from the internet on November 8, 2003. http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000002/00000214.asp This article is stating the things that help to make a teacher more qualified to teach. It also says that even some qualified teachers should not be qualified because they aren’t putting their greatest effort into it. No Author Stated. (2002). Teacher Certification. Obtained from the internet on November 8, 2003. http://www.kckps.org/disthistory/state_school_history/tchr_certification.htm Teacher Quality in Education Essay -- essays papers Teacher Quality in Education Teacher quality has a major influence on how the students will learn and perceive the information given. As time has gone by, teachers have gone through many things that can help them become better teachers. There are tests in which to certify them and to make sure that they can teach to their best ability. In some cases, even if a teacher is certified they might not be fully interested in their teaching so the students might not be getting the full attention that they need and they might not be working to the best of their abilities. They feel that if the teacher isn’t showing interest, then why should they. Teacher burnout is something that occurs in teachers when they become disinterested in their teaching. All of these things are major factors in teacher quality and this essay will prove how these aspects lead to either positive or negative teacher quality. Throughout history it has been a long process in getting teachers to be certified. â€Å"In 1858, the superintendent first authorizes that teachers need to be certified. In the year of 1873, the state board of education created an examination that teachers needed to pass in order to be certified within the school systems. In 1876, the board of education of cities of the first and second class were authorized to certify teachers. In 1893, the state board of education authorized to substitute credit from approved colleges for examination in those subjects as qualification for the certification of teachers. In 1909, the state board of education authorized to issue certificates to high school graduates completing high school normal training courses and passing a state examination. In the year of 1915, the legislature set Bachelor degr... ... 8, 2003. http://npin.org/pnews/2001/pnew1101/int1101d.html This article states that how a teacher teaches their students affects their abilities in and out of the classroom. The article also gives ideas on how parents can get involved and make sure that the kids are getting the best education that they can. Klicka, C. (2003). The Myth of Teacher Qualifications. Obtained from the internet on November 8, 2003. http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000002/00000214.asp This article is stating the things that help to make a teacher more qualified to teach. It also says that even some qualified teachers should not be qualified because they aren’t putting their greatest effort into it. No Author Stated. (2002). Teacher Certification. Obtained from the internet on November 8, 2003. http://www.kckps.org/disthistory/state_school_history/tchr_certification.htm

Social Science Study Guide

Study Guide: Intro to Social Sciences Anthropology: * How culture contributes to the make-up of humanity * Science of people (origin, classification, distribution, races, physical character, culture) * Emphasis on cultural relativity, in-depth examination of context and cross-cultural comparisons * Anthropologists: Ruth Benedict, Margaret Mead * Both quantitative and qualitative methods of research * Fields: Biological/physical anthropology, Sociocultural anthropology, archaeology, anthropological linguistics Sociology: Studies the actions of members within a specific society * How people organize themselves in groups, institutions and associations * Fields: Demography, criminology, gender studies, social stratification * Sociologists: Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, George H. Mead * Both quantitative and qualitative research methods Psychology: * Science of mental processes of a group/individual * Used in counselling to business * Fields: Developmental psychology, abnorm al psychology, clinical psychology, social psychology, organization psychology, cognitive psychology, personality, neuroscience. Psychologists: Sigmund Freud, Ivan Pavlov, B. F. Skinner, Albert Bandura, John B Watson Sociology * One area of society affects another directly or indirectly * Ideology of society influences marriage, economics, love, freedom, politics * Sociologists seek to make sense of the beliefs and values of the personalities interacting within the complex society that is continually being recreated. KARL MARX (1818-1883) * Study society using a scientific method to try to predict social outcomes (Marxist theory) * Production is essential for the advancement of society A few individuals will control the majority of the resources and production * Conflict in his theory: division of social class one person’s status is elevated while other workers are forced to make money. * Labour Theory of Value: human productive power will be exploited in order to maximize pr ofits for the bourgeois. * Proletariat produces goods valued at more than they are being paid rich getting richer. * Money is the driving force in our society * Businesses are exploiters, cannot see positive nature of the bourgeois TALCOTT PARSONS (Structural Functionalism) * As much as things change they stay the same Believed society will create structures within itself that will help with its basic functioning requirements * Our society will work to achieve a homeostasis where equilibrium is achieved * Every aspect of society contributes to the successful function of another aspect. (Relies on each other) * When a system breaks down, it is necessary for other components in society to take over or assist the malfunctioning social structure. * Ex: Legal system * Structural functionalism: Does NOT look at social change; deals with the maintenance of a society (seeks normality, equilibrium).GEORGE H. MEAD (Symbolic Interactionism) * Symbolic interactionism: Focuses on how humans inte rpret (define) each other’s actions. Their response is based on the meaning which they attach to such actions (not the actions directly). * Individuals learn and react from interactions within a society. * People influence their surroundings and shape the development of a society. * Society shapes the individual as he/she is shaping the society. * Analyses from the â€Å"standpoint of communication as essential to the social order†, not individual psychology. FEMINISM Liberal Feminists: Examine social institutions, equal access to increase women’s influence on society. * Radical Feminists: Focus on the exploitation of women. Seek to change the patriarchal social structure through complete structural changes. * Marxist Feminists: Focus on women’s labour being underpaid. * Social Feminists: Focus on the overthrow of the capitalism; believe it is the root problem of inequality of sexes. Fields Demography * Demography is the scientific study of human populati ons-their size, composition and distribution across an area. * Fertility, mortality, and migration.These three processes influence how people inhabit the earth, form nations and societies, and how they develop culture. Criminology * Criminology is the study of the criminal justice system and the law enforcement from a social and individual perspective. * Focuses on the behaviour which may have caused the criminal to violate a law, and seeks its influences, whether it is psychological, social or cultural. Gender Studies * Gender studies seeks to analyse gender identity and gendered representation in the fields of psychology, political science, sociology, media studies, human development etc. Gender studies investigates the physical and biological gender differences between sexes, nationality etc. Psychology * Study of human behaviour. * Examines actions, responses, how someone reacts under specific conditions, how this individual affects society. SIGMUND FREUD * Creator of psychoanal ysis * Human behaviour is driven by desires and the suppression of these desires. * Mind has three areas: Conscious, Preconscious, Unconscious * Personality is motived by drives= Id (part of the unconscious mind) * Superego= socially conscious of all decisions Ego= mediator between Id and Superego * Too much Id= not worry about social responsibilities; engage in dangers, breaking social rules. * Too much Superego= too uptight, too worried about social expectations and rules * Freud view human development as progressing through stages of development where the main conflict deals with an erogenous zone of the body. * Human development is understood in terms of changing focuses of sexual desire. B. F SKINNER (Operant Conditioning) * Interested in outward behaviour; believed that our personality develops because of external events. He used a rat experiment to show the idea of positive reinforcement; praise for good behaviour has the highest chance for producing long-term behaviour chang e. * Humans develop their behaviours due to a set of rewards that promote activities being repeated and reinforced. * Skinner believes that Operant Conditioning is good tool to promote an individual to make changes in their behaviour. IVAN PAVLOV (Classical Conditioning) * He wanted to see how the mind could be conditioned to make the body respond to the possibility of an event occurring. * Ex: Salivation reaction of a dog to a meat powder ERIK ERIKSON (development stages table) Believed that at a certain stage of someone’s life there are tasks (milestones) to achieve in order to have a healthy development. * Unlike Freud, he believed that a person can pass through a stage and not get â€Å"stuck† at a certain level of psychological development. Fields Developmental psychology: Developmental psychology is the science of studying developmental growth in humans over the course of their life span-from conception until death. Neuroscience: Neuroscience psychology is an int erdisciplinary field which applies the knowledge and study of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and networks of sensory nerve cells.Abnormal psychology (deviance): Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies deviant (unusual) behaviour, emotion and thought. Personality psychology: Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that strives to determine how different personality traits and tendencies influence our thoughts, behaviour and actions and makes each human unique. Clinical psychology: Clinical psychology is a branch of psychology which applies scientific, theoretic and clinical knowledge in order to assess, prevent, predict and to treat abnormal behaviour, ysfunction or mental disorders in order to improve the individual’s well-being and personal growth. Social psychology: Social psychology is the study of individuals’ thoughts, feelings and behaviour and how they perceive and influence others. Organizational psychology: O rganizational psychology is the scientific study of employees, workplaces and businesses. Cognitive psychology: Cognitive psychology is a branch of psychology which studies the mental processes including how people learn, remember, think, perceive and solve problems. Anthropology * Science of studying people and their culture. Anthropologists pose important questions concerning the continuation of poverty, racism, violence, and social inequality around the world. FUNCTIONALISM (Margaret Mead) * Understanding how social institutions fill social needs. * Every custom or practice in society provides a form of stability for the entire system. * All aspects of a society—institutions, roles, norms, etc. —serve a purpose and that all are indispensable for the long-term survival of the society. * Having established laws, customs, and agreed upon practices provides a sense of predictability and stability within a society. In order to understand a society, researchers must under stand the function of social institutions and their respective contributions to the stability to their society. * A critique of functionalism is that all institutions are considered to provide stability, when this is not the case. * Ex: The presence of family violence produces instability in the culture with a difference in power among the different sexes. STRUCTURALISM * Reinforcement of a norm or a value increases the acceptance of the practice within a given society. * Cultures, viewed as systems, are analyzed in terms of the structural relations among their elements. Structuralists believe that meaning is produced and reproduced within a culture through activities and various practices that show their significance. * For example, North American society values the concept of romantic love and close friendship. This social idea is reinforced through media and national celebrations. Ex Valentine’s Day. * Different societies' institutions reinforce different values. Fields Bi ological/physical anthropology: Biological anthropologists seek to understand how humans have evolved and what affect that has had on our behaviour.Sociocultural anthropology: Sociocultural anthropology examines social patterns and practices by studying and comparing human societies across the world. Archaeology: Archaeology is the study of past people, cultures, and civilizations through the analysis of material remain, ranging from artefacts and evidence of past environments to architecture. Linguistic Anthropology: Linguistics is the study of languages; how they are formed, evolved, and how it has interacted and contributed to a culture.