Person Centred Therapy: Overview and Analysis

Person Centred Therapy: Overview and Analysis Person-centered Therapy Ong Khai Lun Abstract This article discussed about Person-centered Therapy which is developed by Carl Rogers. Carl Rogers who is the Humanistic psychologist believed that there are needs that needed to be fulfilled by individual in order for the wellness of the individual. Person-centered Therapy is developed based on the Humanistic approach in the psychology field. In this article, whole of the Person-centered Therapy will be discussed, the core elements that need to be practiced by Person-centered therapists will be discussed and the critical condition in order for the therapy to be success will also be discussed in this article. This article is to help understand Person-centered Therapy and what requirement that needs to be followed when practicing Person-centered Therapy. Introduction In Person-centered Therapy, Carl Rogers believed that the client should focus on the present and the future as opposed to Gestalt Therapy that focused only on the present. Carl Rogers also believed that by focusing on the present and the future, the client would be able to understand more about himself or herself (McLeod, 2008). In Person-centered therapy, the client will be the main focus rather than the focus on how good is the therapist. This is due to Rogers believed that the self-healing ability and the personal growth that helps lead the client towards self-actualization (McLeod, 2008; Love Pinkowitz, 2013). The main purpose of Person-centered Therapy is to allow the client to have the opportunity to develop the sense of self where the client will be able to realize how their attitudes, their feelings and their behaviors that are being affected negatively (Love Pinkowitz, 2013; Swartout Swartout, 2012). Based on Person-centered Therapy, the self-concept is main element of our experiences and self-concept is influencer that will mold our perception towards the world and the perception towards the individual himself or herself. For example, an individual who is very confident towards himself or herself will behave confidently. The self-concept might not always fit the real world but as every individual is different in nature, the way we see ourselves and others see us might be different. For example, individual A might be a fun person to the eyes of others but individual might see himself as boring person, so individual A behave as a fun person to increase his or her self-esteem. The way individual A sees himself or herself might reflect how individual A values his or her self-esteem. In Person-centered Therapy, those who came for the therapy will not refer as ‘patients’ instead they will be referred as ‘clients’. This is due to the therapist and the clients are viewed as equal partners. The client is responsible to improve his life or her life and not the therapist (Corey, 2009). This is the part where Person-centered Therapy differs from psychoanalysis, where the patients is diagnosed by the psychologist and treated by the psychologist. The clients will be consciously and rationally make decisions for themselves about what is the right things to do and what should be done. The therapist in Person-centered Therapy is viewed as a friend that will listen to the problem and encourages the clients on an equal level rather than the therapist that view himself or herself as superiority in the session (Corey, 2009; Hagner, Kurtz, May Cloutier, 2014). Hagner, Kurtz, May Cloutier (2014) state that there is no absolute counseling technique to be applied in Person-centered Therapy as every counseling relationship that built with the clients are unique by itself. The quality of the therapeutic relationship between the client and the therapist is more important compared to the therapy techniques. There are three important elements that should be practiced by Person-centered Therapists is congruent, unconditional positive regard and emphatic. The first element that needs to be practice by Person-centered therapists is congruence. Congruence means that therapists need to be genuine in the therapeutic relationship. The therapists need to fully involve himself or herself in the therapeutic relationship in order for the wellness of the clients. The client is allowed to experience the therapist’s experience as Person-centered therapists can use their own experiences to enhance the therapeutic relationship (Cornelius-White, 2008). The second element that needs to be practice by Person-centered therapists is unconditional positive regard. Carl Rogers believed that in order for an individual to grow and fulfill his or her potential, it is very important that the individual is valued as himself or herself. This means that Person-centered therapists need to care about their clients deeply and genuinely in order for the growth and potential development of the clients. This also means that the therapists need the attitude of a ccept their clients as how the clients are (Corey, 2009). Thus Person-centered therapists need to always carefully maintain positive attitude toward their clients. The third core element that needed to be practiced by Person-centered therapists is empathy. By practicing empathy means that the therapists have the ability to understand what the clients’ experience and the clients’ feelings at the current moment. There are six critical conditions that need to meet in order for therapeutic change for the clients; therapist-client psychological contact, client incongruence, therapist congruence, therapist unconditional positive regard, therapist emphatic understanding and client perception (Corey, 2009; Cornelius-White, 2008). Therapist-client psychological contact is a relationship that needs to be established between the client and the therapist. Client incongruence means that there is an existence of incongruence between the clients’ experiences and the clients’ awareness. Therapist congruence means that the therapists need to be congruence in the therapeutic relationship. The therapists need to fully involved in the relationship and also they can use their own relationship to facilitate the therapeutic relationship. Therapist unconditional positive regard means that the therapists need to accept their clients as they are. This will help to increase the self-concept of the clie nt. Therapist empathic understanding requires the therapist to have empathic understanding towards the clients’ inner-self. Adequate empathy will allow the clients to believe their therapists have unconditional love towards them. Client perception is where the clients perceive the therapists’ unconditional positive regards and the therapists’ emphatic understanding. These six critical conditions are then summarized into three important elements; congruent, unconditional positive regard and emphatic (Maslow, Fazio, Ortigara, Kuhn Zeisel, 2013). As a conclusion, Person-centered Therapy requires the clients to concentrate in his or her present and future, which the clients will be able to know himself or herself more. Besides that, Person-centered Therapy will concentrate on the clients self-healing ability and the self-concept of the clients. In order to promote the self-concept of the clients, the therapists would need to practice three main elements; congruent, unconditional positive regard and emphatic. Aside from that, for the therapeutic relationship to be successful, the therapists need to ensure six core conditions to be presence; therapist-client psychological contact, client incongruence, therapist congruence, therapist unconditional positive regard, therapist emphatic understanding and client perception. References Corey, G. (2009).Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy(8th ed.). Belmont,  CA: Brooks/Cole. Cornelius-White, J. D. (2008). Reexamination of Rogers (1959) Collection of Theories on  the Person-Centered Approach. Person-Centered Experiential Psychotherapies,  7(3), 201-208.   Hagner, D., Kurtz, A., May, J., Cloutier, H. (2014). Person-Centered Planning for  Transition-Aged Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal Of Rehabilitation,  80(1), 4-10. Love, K., Pinkowitz, J. (2013). Person-Centered Care for People with Dementia : A  Theoretical and Conceptual Framework. Generations, 37(3), 23-29. Maslow, K., Fazio, S., Ortigara, A., Kuhn, D., Zeisel, J. (2013). From Concept to Practice:  Training in Person-Centered Care for People with Dementia. Generations, 37(3), 100-  107. McLeod, S. A. (2008). Person Centered Therapy. Retrieved from  http://www.simplypsychology.org/client-centred-therapy.html Morhardt, D., Spira, M. (2013). From Person-Centered Care to Relational Centered Care.  Generations, 37(3), 37-44. Swartout, K. M., Swartout, A. G. (2012). Shifting perspectives: Applying person-centered  analyses to violence research. Psychology Of Violence, 2(4), 309-312.  doi:10.1037/a0029910 Why Did Margaret Thatcher Win? Why Did Margaret Thatcher Win? The essay has been divided by 3 parts, equally with the 3 periods of time that Mrs Thatcher campaigning to be in power. Each part Id state the key events and policies circulated by Mrs Prime Minister and the Conservatives Party and also the opposition partys activites, together to conclude the factors that contributed to Mrs Thatchers 3 consecutive General Election victory and her 11 years in power. Why did Tories/ Margaret Thatcher win the 1979 General Election? The period of time from 1974 to 1979 is when the two dominant British political parties were under controlled by their two leaders: Jim Callaghan for Labour and Margaret Thatcher for Conservatives. The February 1974 General Election saw a hung parliament as a result and Labour was the largest party (Owen and Howe, 2011). The leader of the Labour party was Harold Wilson. In April 1976, he was succeeded by Jim Callaghan, who was the first and remain the only Prime Minister to hold the role in all three offices of state, which are Home Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Exchequer (1964 70), Foreign Secretary of State from 1974 before holding office at number 10 Downing Street (BBC News, 2001). Meanwhile, Margaret Thatcher successfully challenged Edward Heath for leadership of the Conservatives party to be the first woman to lead a major political party and the Tories had got its very first woman leader. The economy at such this point wasnt an alliance with the Labour government t o leave them in a well-controlled position. After the quadrupling of oil prices in 1973-74 of the O.P.E.Cs oil prices crisis, inflation rose sharply to over 24% and the sterling pound ( £) reached an alert point in the international currency market. During 1971 and 1974, inflation had been arrived at a rate of 9.3%, but had a peak of 27% in 1975. Between 1974 and 1978 the average of inflation was 17.3% and later on fell down to 9.3% in 1979 (Visitor6 Website, 2012). To keep up and to survive with costly goods in such an inflationary era, its inevitable for all the workers to claim for higher wages to live with the situation. Greater paid amount for workers was campaigned by the unions, in fact, they would favour a rise in wages up to 22% for fireman, 14% for bakers, despite the limit of 5% of the government policy (ibid, 2012). In consequence, the strikes began. Strikes carried on by truck drivers and oil tanker drivers, garbage collection services stopped in Liverpool, resulting in rubbish all over and pile up on the streets. Even worse, the grave-diggers went on strike, dead bodied were not buried, making this the most depressed chaos ever and making the government looks like it couldnt cope with the situation (ibid, 2012). This, was so-called, the Winter of Discontent, which was a significant factor contributing to the victory of the Conservative in the 1979 General Election, as the Labour government was seen with nothing to rely on. Another thing to note is that, by April 1976, after two days Callaghan holding the Prime Minister Office, the Labour party has lost its majority to be a minority government of 1, as a result of the resignation of the formal Cabinet Minister John Stonehouse, and the 2 backbenchers left to establish a new Scottish Labour Party (BBC On This Day Website, 2005). This was also a miscalculation of Callaghan, when he had the right to call an election by October 1978, but he didnt as the economic performance started to get a little bi t better, and then the Winter of Discontent (WoD) appeared. Meanwhile, the Conservatives were getting every single opportunity out of their excellent media campaign. Mrs Thatcher was more than welcome for the attraction of the media and to provide journalists lots of photo-opportunities. The Tories also managed to get an efficient use of TV broadcast, and also the influence of their poster Labour isnt working delivered by advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi, imitating a queue of jobless people (Bunn, 2010a). The Conservative manifesto advanced greatly away from the Keynesian economic policies which had been adopted since 1945 by all government. Instead of applying demand management like previously, Mrs Thatcher adopted the idea of monetarism policies, which stated by the Chicago economist Milton Friedman that money supply is the main reason rising the rate of inflation, hence for the government to be able to control inflation, public expenditure shall be cut down and the amount o f money circulated in the business flow should be well under controlled, although all of this would lead to further unemployment rate (Owen and Howe, 2011). To be focused on lowering the rate of inflation, the Tories reckon that small inflation would create greater developing environment for firms and businesses, therefore providing greater demand for jobs because of the non-fluctuation condition in the market (Visitor6 Website, 2012). Other policies including leaving the market opened and free movement of the economy, breaking down the excessive power of the Trade Unions and tax cuts. The Conservatives party now seen as the party of Law and Order, giving Britain a new begin to escape from the so long chaos (Owen and Howe, 2011). The 1979 General Election results putting the Conservative back into power after with the total win of 339 seats, winning a solid majority of 44, marking the first of the 4 consecutive Genereal Election victories in the following years of the Tories, and Ma rgaret Thatcher became the first woman to be the Prime Minister and serving on number 10 Downing Street (Bunn, 2010a). Thatchers first term in power: 1979 1983 The first two years of the Thatcher Government were a remarkably difficult time in British politics. As stated above, Thatcher was massively inspired by the idea of monetarism, which believe the biggest demon of government is inflation, and to be in a good hand of controlling inflation rate, government need to control the flow of money supply (EconomicHelp Website, 2007). Indirect taxes were increased, government expenditure was lowered down and higher interest rate as government was fighting inflation (ibid, 2007). In the first Budget introduced in 1979, income tax rates were cut by 3%, from 33% to 30% but VAT was increased to a single rate of 15%. Interest rates were kept high, even raised up to 14%. The result was an economic recession (1979 81) in which manufacturing productivity fell by nearly 20% (BBC Budget Website, 1997). The subsequent rise in unemployment made it difficult to reduce government spending, which, as percentage of GDP, increased until 1983, although thereafter it fell noticeably. On the other hand, as a result of the recession, inflation fell significantly. By 1982, it was at 5% which was the average of the OECD and then reached its bottom for almost 20 years at 2.6% in 1986 (Owen and Howe, 2011). The turning point for the Conservatives Party during this tough period before the 1983 General Election was the Falkland War. Four months before the Falkland conflict, Mrs. Thatcher was the most unpopular Prime Minister on record according to the early 1980s opinion polls (Owen and Howe, 2011). After the island attack, her popular ratings increased from 41% in April and to 56% in May 1982 and when the invasion was finally over in June, her approval ratings was favourably reached 59% (IPSOS Website, 2007). Nevertheless, even before the Falkland factor happened, the economic was slightly recovered from the recession, backing up Thatchers image, and also there was obviously public support behind the governments decision of fighting and getting back the island. The Economist conducted a survey showed that 83% seen the decision of sending the naval task force to Falkland was right, followed by 85% in a later week and 85% in early May (ibid, 2007). Hence, the Prime Minster was doing what t he people also desired to do and expected to do so, and with the successful achievement of the invasions outcomes, Mrs Thatcher was seen as a strong and patriotic leader. Adulations were honoured to Mrs Prime Minister by the tabloid press across the nation (Owen and Howe, 2011). There was clearly the Falkland factors behind the Conservative win on the 1983 General Election, but theres others factor supported Thatcher too, such as what was happening on the side of the opposition party. The Labour was divided, and appeared to middle-class voters as extremely left-wing and too close to the Unions. Their Manifesto for the 1983 election, later describes as the longest suicide note in history by Sir Gerald Kaufman, was the most left-wing manifesto ever as believed (Rayner, 2013). The party wished to exit the EEC by the end of the next term and non-business with all nuclear weapons. It would not let the market to be left freely and pledged to more state intervention in the economy with the association of the Trade Unions in paying and other decisions. It also wanted to nationalised again all the assets to the state, including the bank of England. Finally, the party was saying to end one of the most popular policies of the Tories, The Right to Buy council tenant houses (Bunn, 2010b). Adding all of the elements stated above, the result was a second victory for Margaret Thatcher and a landline winning for the Conservative Party with 397 seats and an overall majority of 144 (Bunn, 2010b). With that massive amount of majority, Thatcher would be able to perform even more radical reforms in her next following term in power (Rayner, 2013). The second term in power: 1983 1987 Not long after the 1983 election, Thatcher in 1984 attended a summit of European Union leaders at Fontainebleau, France. She has been wrangling many years to claim for the rebate that Britain should have earned as contributing a massive amount to the budget of the EEC, for example Britain was the most imported agriculture-products country and paid heavily for the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP)s financial statement (Zijlstra, 2005). I want my money back with this legendary saying at the summit, Mrs Thatcher put British Euroscepticism into words clearer than anyone else before. The event was seemed to be successful for the Iron Lady, but on the other hands, distanced herself with other EU leaders in the area (Owen and Howe, 2011). The key event associated with Mrs Thatchers second term in office is undoubtedly the Miners Strike Defeat (1984 85). Since 1974, Mrs Prime Minister believed a strike could be expected, as when the miners had heavily tackled down the Heaths government. In addition, in the 1983 general election, the Labour party again was unable to be in power with Michael Foot being its leader, she said a strike would naturally arise (Craig, 2013). The National Coal Board was planning the strike by shutting down many of the uneconomic pits and stem financial losses running into billions (ibid, 2013). Ian MacGragor was appointed as the boards chairman by Mrs Thatcher, foreseeing the strike and stocking a massive amount of coal at power stations with orders and support from Nigel Lawson and later Peter Walker, the Energy Secretaries of State (ibid, 2013). The miners leader, Arthur Scargill, was negotiating with the Colonel Gaddafi of Libya and Mikhail Gorbachev for sufficient fund for the prolonging st rike. He was said to have got  £150,000 from Lybia, but by forecasting the strike long ahead, Mr Gorbachev agreed not to support the miners after Thatchers successful persuasion (ibid, 2013). By the end of 1984, the miners and their families facing financial shortage and poverty, returned to work and the strike was seen as admitting its defeat. This Miners Strike event was a direct hit on the Trade Unions, weakening its power, and as Thatcher wrote in her memoirs, What the strikes defeat meant was that Britain could not be made ungovernable by the Fascist Left (ibid, 2013). The 1980s also can be clearly seen as the era of privatisation. The nationalised assets had gradually been selling to private buyers and investors: British Telephone (1984), British Gas (1986), British Airways (1987), British Steel (1988). Electricity privatisation begun in the 90s, British Rail was privatised by Major later on. The Thatcherite support for privatisation was that it created more options and competitions in the market, hence provide the best service and offer best prices to customers, and also contribute extra funds to the Treasury (Owen and Howe, 2011). Approximately  £440m was raised by the privatising progress by 1987, which is the perfect condition for government to allow further direct tax cuts. Despite the increase in inflation rate, these were seen as the economic feel-good factors, putting the Conservatives Party on another term in power, but turn out to be Thatchers last election victory (ibid, 2011). Bibliographies BBC Budget Website (1997), http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/budget97/background/bud1979_92.shtml (accessed 7 May 2013). BBC News (2001) Elections Battle 1945 1997: 1979: The Thatcher Era Begin, http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2001/in_depth/election_battles/1979_over.stm (accessed 7 May 2013). Bunn, M. (2010a) 1979 UK General Election, http://suite101.com/article/1979-uk-general-election-a231103 (accessed 7 May 2013). Bunn, M. (2010b) 1983 UK General Election, http://suite101.com/article/1983-uk-general-election-a231863 (accessed 7 May 2013). Craig, J. (2013) Miners Strike: Margaret Thatcher Triumph, http://news.sky.com/story/1075351/miners-strike-margaret-thatchers-triumph (accessed 7 May 2013). EconomicsHelp Website (2007) UK Economy under Mrs Thatcher 1979-1984, http://econ.economicshelp.org/2007/03/uk-economy-under-mrs-thatcher-1979-1984.html (accessed 7 May 2013). IPSOS-Mori Website (2007) Political Commentary The Falklands Factor Revisited, http://www.ipsos-mori.com/newsevents/ca/273/Political-Commentary-The-Falklands-Factor-Revisited.aspx (accessed 7 May 2013). Owen, V. and Howe, C. (2011) Politics. Essex: Pearson Education. Rayner, G. (2013) Margaret Thatcher dies: time and achievements as Britains first female PM, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/8081313/Margaret-Thatcher-dies-time-and-achievements-as-Britains-first-female-PM.html (accessed 7 May 2013). Visitor6 Website (2012) The Reasons why the Conservatives won the General Elections of 1979, 1983 and 1987?, http://visitor6.com/political-thought/the-reasons-why-the-conservatives-won-the-general-elections-of-1979-1983-and-1987/ (accessed 7 May 2013). Zijlstra, T. (2005) The people want their money back, http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/1311/the-people-want-their-money-back.html (accessed 7 May 2013). Why Is Play Important? Why Is Play Important? The right to play is a childs first claim on the community. Play is natures training for life. No community can infringe that right without doing deep and enduring harm to the minds and bodies of its citizens. By playing, children learn and develop as individuals, and as members of the community. Letting children go out and play is one of the best things that parents can do for their childrens health. A mix of active, imaginative and creative play makes for a brilliantly balanced diet of play. Some children prefer to spend most of their time with creative play, some with imaginative play and others with active play. There is nothing wrong in liking one toy or game in particular, but a balanced diet of play is best for development. In other words, its good for your child to play in lots of different ways. Each type of play contributes in its own way to all-round psychological progress. Your child gets something different out of playing with different toys. Encourage your child to achi eve a balanced diet of play by offering a regular change of play activities. You can suggest new types of games and new toys. A balanced diet of play is as important as good food or love. According to Dr Richard Woolfson (an educational psychologist with 30 years experience and a qualified nursery and primary school teacher), a portion each of three types of play each day helps with every childs healthy development: Creative play is about drawing, painting, playing music, cooking, or making something (anything!). It doesnt matter what your child makes, or whether theres a perfect result. Through creative play, your child expresses his- or herself, learns about process, discovers cause and effect and gains pride in their achievements. Imaginative play starts in your childs head. It can be role-playing, creating a new game, giving toys a voice, inventing adventures or playing a word game. Through imaginative play your child begins to understand the world, investigates fact and fiction, and develops positive relationships with themselves and other people. Active play is how your child moves in the world. It is running, jumping, catching and dancing all of which build strength and boost coordination. Active play is also a great way to learn about teamwork, release tension and feel truly free. Play is a serious business, as far as children are concerned. Play makes an immense contribution to your childs development in lots of important ways.As a child plays, they learn all about themselves and what they can do. Play helps them make friends, enjoy company and discover the world around them. Your child has fun while playing and at the same time is exercising, discovering and developing both emotionally and physically. Thats what makes play so wonderful! Improving Confidence Through Play Play boosts your childs self-confidence in many ways: Exploration. By learning through discovery, your child develops belief in their skills and abilities. Movement. As soon as your child can move, they want to play. The I got there by myself expression shows your childs growing confidence. Playing is also a fantastic form of exercise and as the facts show us, children need regular exercise. Facts: Welsh children are the second most overweight in Europe According to recent research by the World Health Organisation -in Wales, 23% of boys and 17% of girls are obese. 60% of children spend up to 4 hours a day watching TV. Only 60% of children have regular opportunities to play outside. Imagination. Children use their imagination in pretend-play. This is a new and exciting experience for children, and they love it. Creativity. Every child can be creative in play. Your child will be delighted when you smile at their drawings and paintings. Socialising. Playing with friends is a great way for your child to learn important social skills like sharing and taking turns. Problem-solving. Your childs confidence is boosted by solving a puzzle they would rather do it without too much help. Language. Playing with others builds up your childs vocabulary, speech and communication skills. Individual Play Patterns The way your child plays depends on many different factors. First theres their age and stage of development play becomes more complicated as your child grows older. Personality matters too an enthusiastic child will get stuck in to toys immediately while a passive child may hold back. The range of toys and games available affects play a child who hasnt got a pedal toy, for example, wont learn how to make it move by pushing the pedals. Every child instinctively needs to play. But there are many distractions that can grab young interest. For example, a television programme or a computer game may attract your childs attention away from toys and games. A Balanced Diet of Play Some children prefer to spend most of their time with creative play, some with imaginative play and others with active play. There is nothing wrong in liking one toy or game in particular, but a balanced diet of play is best for development. In other words, its good for your child to play in lots of different ways. Each type of play contributes in its own way to all-round psychological progress. Your child gets something different out of playing with different toys. Encourage your child to achieve a balanced diet of play by offering a regular change of play activities.

William James

William James, an American psychologist and philosopher was born on January 11, 1842 at the Astor House in New York City. His father James Sr. is described as an independently wealthy and notoriously eccentric Swedenborgian theologian well acquainted with the literary and intellectual elites of his day. (wikipedia, 2011, p. 1) The James family were remarkable epistolary of talents. His brother became a prominent novelist and his sister publicly published a diary. James was a very ill child, who had various amounts of sickness both physical and psychological all growing up and eventually until his death. He attended Harvard Medical School in 1864 and the following year, went on a scientific expedition on the Amazon River. Soon after he fell sick and traveled to Germany in search of a cure and stayed until November 1868. His self diagnosed â€Å"soul-sickness† was cured in 1872. James went on to earn his M. D. in June 1872, although he would never practice medicine. In the same year James began to teach at Harvard University. In his spare time James read philosophy and began to see a link between it and physiology. To James the two seemed to converge in psychology. Morris, Maisto, 2010, p. 6) He published his first textbook, The Principles of Psychology in 1890. He married Alice Gibbons in 1878. William James studied and taught biology, medicine, and psychology but was more interested in the scientific study of the human mind. James' acquaintances Herman Helmoholtz of Germany Pierre Janet of France implemented courses of scientific psychology at Harvard in the 1875-76 school ye ar. (Shultz, 2004, p. 179). James and associates created the lively group known as The Metaphysical Club in 1872. Some of James' students included Boris Sidis, Theodore Roosevelt, W. E. B. Dubois, Walter Lipmann, Mary Culkins, Ralph Barton Perry, G. Stanley Hall, Horace Kallen, and George Santayana. William James retried from Harvard University in 1907. James published Pragmatism, Pluralistic Universe and The Meaning Of The Truth. During his last years he became ill again but this time with cardiac pain. James worked on a philosophy text (unfinished but posthumously published as Some Problems In Philosophy. The following year James sailed to Europe to partake in experimental treatments that proved to be unsuccessful. He returned home and finally succumbed to his illness on August 26, 1910 t his home in Chocorua, NH. He was buried at Cambridge Cemetery in Cambridge, MA, in the family plot. (wikipedia, 2011, p. 3) James despite his constant illnesses lived a very prestigious life, he lived out his passions and researched his curiosities. He was one of the strongest proponents of Pragmatism in philosophy and functionalism in psychology. James founded the American Society for Psychical Research. He always challenged his colleagues and students not to let a narrow mindset prevent and honest appraisal of those. (wikipedia, 2001, p. 3) James was found to be the 14th most eminent psychologist of the 20th Century. (Haggbloom, 2002, vol. , 6, No. 2, 139-45) Pragmatism is defined by James as â€Å"truths emerge from facts, but they dip forward into fact again and add to them; which facts again create or reveal new truth (the word is indifferent) and so on indefinitely. The ‘facts' themselves meanwhile are not true. They simply are. Truth is the function of the beliefs that start and terminate among them. † (Mounce, 1997). â€Å"The Will To Believe† a philosophy of pragmatism and a famous lecture of 1897 by James defended the right to violate the principle of evidentialism to justify hypothesis' venturing. This theory justifies religious beliefs by using results of his hypothetical venturing to prove support the hypothesis' truth. â€Å"My first act of free will shall be to believe in free will. † (XXX, 1909, p. 177) James simply asserted that his will was a free two-stage decision process that separates chance, from choice. The Philosophy of Religion was taken very seriously by James he interpreted religious experiences according to his pragmatic conclusions. He claimed that when studying Religion the main topic should be just that, Religion because everything else is just a descendent of Religion. James also said that only a Psychologist can accurately interpret Religious experiences because have the best insight of the human mind. in 1884 William James published an article â€Å"What Is An Emotion? † (psychclassics, 1884, p. 188-205) he conceived of an emotion in terms according to a sequence of events. This article was very important not only because of his remarkable response to the question but also because there were no psychology journals, yet. James felt that emotions were often accompanied by bodily responses. For example If you were to run from a vicious dog, your body will respond to your emotion of fear by heart rate increase, because you ran your body will sweat and/or ache you may also be out of breathe. Basically your body goes through physiological upheaval. Now love has a totally different physiological signature, the parasympathetic nervous system.

North Korean Authoritative Government Essay

In this paper, I will attempt to explain why authoritarianism regimes such as the one in North Korea, still continues to govern even though the government is one of the more corrupted types of government still in existence today. The word authoritarianism is defined as, â€Å"a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc. )†(Word Net) There are currently many countries in our world that are not democratic societies. There are authoritarian regimes that still exist today. Probably one of the more well known authoritarian regimes is the government in North Korea. North Korea gained its independence from Japan in the year 1945. Kim Jong Il is currently the leader of North Korea. The mismanagement of economics through the 1990’s has made North Korea rely heavily on international aid to feed its population. North Korea has expanded their resources to help develop a military of about one million soldiers. Central Intelligence Agency) â€Å"North Korea’s long-range missile development, as well as its nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs and massive conventional armed forces, are of major concern to the international community. † (Central Intelligence Agency) The government in North Korea is a big part to blame for the economic struggles. In President Bush’s first State of the Union Speech he declared North Korea as part of the â€Å"Axis of Evil. † President Bush also went on to say his goal was, â€Å"†to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends with weapons of mass destruction. He singled out Iraq, Iran and North Korea, claiming these states â€Å"and their terrorist allies constitute an axis of evil arming to threaten the peace of the world. † (Fact Sheet) â€Å"The United States must act against these regimes by denying them the â€Å"materials, technology and expertise† to make nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and provide them to terrorists, Bush said. † (Fact Sheet) North Korea is currently a communist-state one-man dictatorship. Under a communist-state one-man dictatorship elections are held but there is nobody to run against the leader. For instance in September of 2003 there was an election held in North Korea. Kim Jong Il and Kim Yong Nam were the only nominees for the positions and nobody opposed them. (Central Intelligence Agency) The government controls the people. The government rules a lot of what the people of North Korea can do or say. For the executive branch in this country, Kim Jong Il has been the ruler since July of 1994. Kim Yong Nam is the president of its Presidium and he also has the responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials. Central Intelligence Agency) As for the legislative branch, the ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition, but some seats are held by minor parties. (Central Intelligence Agency) The judicial branch of North Korea consists of a central court, and the judges are elected by the Supreme People’s Assembly. The way this government is set up is very different than the way the democratic states are set up. In a democratic society the people get to vote for leaders and high ranking officials. While in these authoritarianistic regimes, the people have no say in who is going to run their country. There have been many North Koreans that have tried to escape either to China or South Korea. Few people have made it across the boarders safely. However, if they fail to escape and they are captured by the North Korean military they will be tortured or even executed in some cases. (Pearson Education) â€Å"North Korea, one of the world’s most secretive societies, has been accused of egregious human-rights violations, including summary executions, torture, inhumane conditions in prison camps, which hold up to 200,000 prisoners, and denial of freedom of expression and movement. Access to the country is strictly limited and North Korea’s domestic media is tightly controlled, making it difficult to substantiate the accusations. † (Pearson Education) I believe a huge part of why North Korea is actually still in existence is because the military has so much control on the people. Of course no country wants to start a war with North Korea because of their military strength and their nuclear weapons. â€Å"A number of stabilizing elements assist the regime’s efforts to maintain internal order. The society seems united in popular support for the party, and the people have a strong sense of national pride. Kim Il Sung, by all indications, truly is admired and supported by the general population. † (Federal Research Division Library of Congress: Pg 275) It is difficult for people that are from a democratic government to actually understand why authoritarianism governments work. Most all of the authoritarianism governments that I know have a strong following from their people. Whether the masses like the leader because he is helping the economy or helping a food shortage situation is another story. Personally I think these people in these countries are so afraid of what the leader might do to them or their family that they just do what they are told. Of course these people have never had it any other way. They don’t know what it is like to have a democracy. They don’t know what it is like to voice their opinion. The people in North Korea didn’t get to choose where they wanted to be born. If we had a free world I’m sure when some of those people realized that there are better governments in the world that won’t control your every move then they would leave the country. It is just not that easy for anyone to just get up and go to China or South Korea. People born into democratic societies should be thankful that they can enjoy the freedoms that they have, because there are other parts of the world where the idea of having rights is completely out of their control. There is no possible way the people can over throw the government in North Korea. North Korea has too strong of a military. One way the government will get overthrown is if it is done internally. The second way it will get overthrown is if they go to war with another country and they lose their power. â€Å"Indeed, research on Korean communism has become the pursuit of an avocation, meandering off the mainstream of contemporary social science. Most students of Korean communism have come under the influence, in varying degrees, of the lingering legacy of Kremlinology and the advancing model of Chinese studies. Following the general lines of development in Chinese studies in the 1960s and 1970s, research on Korean communism has shown an uneven advancement. On balance, research and knowledge concerning North Korea’s domestic politics and economy have developed more rapidly and significantly than the study of its foreign policy, which has remained neglected and underdeveloped. (Kim Pg:282) The economy in North Korea is struggling. Due to flooding and the lack of arable land, the people in North Korea are at a food shortage. Massive amounts of international food aid have allowed people of North Korea not to starve. Central Intelligence Agency) Mal-nutrition and poor living conditions still exist heavily in North Korea. As with everything else in the country, the government has the right to control the food and economic conditions. The religions that are practiced in this authoritarianism government are traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, with some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way. ) â€Å"Autonomous religions activities now are almost nonexistent; government sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom. (Central Intelligence Agency) Like other authoritarianistic governments such as Cuba, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq until not to long ago, the regimes will last until somebody does something about it. The United States ended the authoritarianism regime in Iraq because we had enough military power to overtake Sadaam Hussein. The U. S. troops are still over in Iraq trying to force the Iraqi people into having a democracy. The Iraqi people that have voted so far on the new leader of their country is not a man that the United States wants t o have them run their country. Sadaam Hussein would still be in power and have complete control of Iraq if the United States didn’t take him out of power. The military balance in South Korea is much stronger then North Korea. In case of another North Korean invasion, the South Korean military only has about 600,000 people while the north has around one million. However these numbers are misleading because of the fact that these numbers don’t include the superior training, equipment, and logistical support that the south has. Kang: Pg 262) â€Å"The South has outspent the North on defense in the last 15 years, if not longer. † (Kang: Pg 262) North Korea’s nuclear threats are a grave concern for South Korea and the rest of the world. The Soviets were building bombs in the 1950’s and China developed a nuclear bomb in the early 1960’s. North Korea didn’t start trying to assemble nuclear weapons until South Korea became a threat to them because they were overtaking North Korea in a lot of areas during the 1970’s. Kang: Pg 266) â€Å"North Korea’s significance to the world with a bomb is much greater than without a bomb. † (Kang: Pg 266)In conclusion, there are many reasons why the authoritarianism regime in North Korea is still up and running to this day. There is simply no way that anyone can overthrow the government unless it is done internally. The people located in these authoritarianism regimes usually like the leader, and agree to what he says. These people didn’t choose where they wanted to be born just like nobody in a democratic state had an opinion as to where they would like to be born. It is sad that most all of the money spent in North Korea is aimed toward building up a better military and not helping out with the economy or the food shortages. The only way these people know how to live is to be ruled by a dictator. Until the United States or some other world power takes down North Korea, the authoritarianism regime will continue to govern.

Video Games And Its Effects On Society - 924 Words

In the video games, for example, we found a series of steps we must take, no real ambiguity with which we have to face in life to many of our decisions. Metaphors, which form of knowledge that helps us to live in the paradoxical nature of life, are outside the transfer of continuous images you see on television and other media. Essential to produce universes of meaning, we cannot escape the need for us to continue it and relate to the world. It may be that the neurological system is enriched with certain aspects of electronic popular culture, but how works in our consciousness? Video games can be dangerous if prolonged long exposure to them. Reflecting the extreme violence causes aggressive players, because the brain reacts as if these violent video games were real, creating repeating patterns in everyday life. Can the brain differentiate reality from fiction or only does our conscience, that appendix that physically is not yet fully determined? Do you develop electronics our capacit y for judgment or, conversely, the sleep? The human being is not only a machine to make decisions, but also a thinking, capable of generating its own universe of meaning to be. The problems of electronic entertainment mechanical responses produced in us, and the system of Johnson makes us think of dopamine as a mere dispenser of pleasure too mechanical and not a complex form of interaction with our surroundings. That role it plays in our lives consciousness. Johnson has been hypothesized thatShow MoreRelatedVideo Games And Its Effects On Society1463 Words   |  6 Pages Movies, video games, music and television shows come in different genres. However, depending on age in regards to youth not just anyone is allowed to: watch certain movies, buy just any video game, listen to any music or watch any tv show. Sometimes they can see certain movies with a parent or guardian. Seeing violence in excess causes violent acts to take place in society because it gives ideas to viewers or listeners especially those who are young. This the reason there are ratings for mediaRead MoreVideo Games And Its Effect On Society Essay1380 Words   |  6 Pagesthe 1970’s, video games in America have been controversial. Currently around 97% of America s children play video games in some form; from home consoles such as Xbox, to personal computers and mobile games on smartphones, even in an educational form, video games are nearly everywhere and bringing in big money. Around $21 billion is being funneled into a domestic video game industry. But what are these kids viewing when playing video games and how does that affect their role in society? A commonRead MoreThe Effects Of Video Games On Society1274 Words   |  6 PagesViolence in video games can affect ones mindset in so many different ways, where we don’t even realize it. 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However, in recent years, these postulates have been put to the test; a number of scientists have conducted ex perimentation in order to discover whetherRead MoreThe Effects Of Video Game On Society1466 Words   |  6 PagesFor generations games have been an important part of our culture. Many of these games center on war and strategic tactics. Boys and girls have played soldier, Cowboys and Indians, Monopoly, or Chess . Through games such as these the future men and women of society learned strategy and the consequences of controlling and restraining themselves because their actions had consequences. However with the invention of the computer high definition graphics, these games, and many others have been createdRead MoreThe Effects Of Video Games On The Society859 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to a U.S Study by Rideout Et Al (As Cited in Anderson Bushman 2001.a), the popularity of video games is rapidly increasing. 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