16. June 2009 by student.

My father has an addicting personality. He smoked crack for eight years until he finally quit, then he jumped to alcohol. My father had an alcohol problem for 4yrs until he went to get some help. What possessed him to do this? He had a loving wife and family. I feel as though my father was fighting with his own demons. 

Millions of Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs alone - legions of scientists are asking: What aspects of psychological makeup contribute to addiction? Are there common threads that weave through all addictions, from hard drugs to cigarettes, from gambling to overeating? It is part of a much broader effort that has already seen progress in understanding the chemistry of addiction, as biochemists isolate the chemicals and mechanisms by which the brain gives itself pleasure. And the whole panoply of addiction research has led to insights that buttress a profusion of therapies. Though some of them hold great promise, all would benefit from an increased understanding of the addictive personality.Despite the wide gulf between an addiction to drugs and an addiction to gambling, some mental health experts find it useful to view addiction as including all self-destructive, compulsive behaviors. Some even go so far as to include the relatively benign activity of compulsive television-watching.In bringing together much of the existing knowledge on the personality’s role in addictions, with an emphasis on drugs and alcohol, a new study prepared for the National Academy of Sciences concludes that there is no single set of psychological characteristics that embrace all addictions. But the study does see common elements from addiction to addiction. The report finds that there are several ‘’significant personality factors” that can contribute to addiction:- Impulsive behavior, difficulty in delaying gratification, an antisocial personality and a disposition toward sensation seeking.- A high value on nonconformity combined with a weak commitment to the goals for achievement valued by the society.- A sense of social alienation and a general tolerance for deviance.

- A sense of heightened stress. This may help explain why adolescence and other stressful transition periods are often associated with the most severe drug and alcohol problems.

:http://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/18/science/the-addictive-personality-common-traits-are-found.html?sec=health

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16. June 2009 by student.

Chief among these reasons is loneliness. Women often look to relationships with individuals other than their partners because emotional companionship is lacking in the primary relationship. It may appear to be a contradiction that women who have partners are lonely, but often, this partnership is less than emotionally fulfilling. Women may have affairs if they feel they do not receive the attention they deserve from their partners. If a man is too involved with his work or a hobby, he may have little energy left to pay attention to the woman in his life. Women often feel lonely even in the presence of their partners at times. A man may be physically present, but emotionally absent, and this can lead a woman to look for fulfillment outside the relationship.

Revenge is another reason that women cheat on their partners. Women of today are not willing to suffer in silence as their counterparts did in previous generations. If a woman feels wronged, if she has an indication that her partner is cheating on her, she will often have an outside affair to retaliate for the pain she is feeling. Women who find their partners have been cheating on them feel completely justified in having an affair for reasons of revenge. They view an affair as way to make their partners hurt in the same way that they do.Boredom may cause a woman to look for love outside her primary relationship. As time goes by, relationships may become routine and lose the excitement of their first days. Instead of trying to remedy the current relationship, women may try to inject excitement into their lives by having affairs. Affairs are exciting, both because they involve sex with a new person, and because they involve a considerable amount of ’sneaking around,’ hiding things from friends and family, essentially living a second life. For some women, the excitement is so attractive that they are willing to lose their primary relationship in order to pursue an affair.

:http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_do_women_cheat_on_men

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 6 Comments »

16. June 2009 by student.

A lot of my friends always cry to me to about their boyfriends, on how much of jerk they are and how they cheat on them. Cheating is usually the number one reason why my girlfriends are in such distress. And as a loyal friend I try to give them the best advice. So the million dollar question is, “why do men really cheat?”

When men have affairs, they tend to be motivated by sex — new sex, more sex, different sex.  But are men’s motivations really that simple? No. Even for men, cheating is far more complex. Studies show most men who cheat want to experiment sexually and experience the rush associated with “new sex.” This is their way of prolonging indefinitely the early and intoxicating phase of infatuation in a relationship. But men also have affairs to either avoid intimacy, recover their lost youth, or escape an unhappy marriage. Men who fear intimacy will have affairs to maintain power in their relationships. If a man doesn’t commit to his lover, he controls his level of vulnerability. Some men cheat in fact to avoid any real intimacy. Intimacy scares them, so they distance themselves from their wives by cheating on them and they don’t get emotionally involved with their lovers. This way they never have to trust their partners or rely on them. This kind of man may also fear conflict. Then there are men who will strike up an affair when they start to feel the fear and loss that comes with aging. They realize they are no longer young and invulnerable, so they have an affair to deny that they are getting old. Finding someone who is “young and new,” makes them feel more youthful. Biologists believe men cheat by the Darwinian instinct to spread their genetic seed to more mates (whereas women would one mate to get protection and support). However, since more women are cheating, this suggests that they felt societal pressure in the past to suppress their sexual desires. There also may be another reason men are more likely to stray: environment. Psychologically speaking, men who cheat are often the child of an adulterer. They are repeating behavior that they know and looking to correct that feeling that no one ever loved only them.

So the bottom line men, cheating is wrong no matter which way u look at it… The best thing is to just break up with your partner instead of bringing them along this emotional roller coaster… It will save everyone the heart ache…

:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18096687

:http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/20080827_tows_cheating

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16. June 2009 by student.

Tragedies such as redunduncy or bearevement can have a catastrophic effect on person’s ability to manage financial problem.  According to David Ellecock, a vice president at Incharge Intitute and Financial Counselling, over the past year, the number of unemployed people increased by 1.6 million. Most of them have debts. When they lose their jobs, they aren’t able to pay their mortgages that lead to home foreclosures, and 79 million people are strugling to pay their medical debt. Average college student s graduates with nearly$20,000 0r more in students loans. Poor people  have to borrow money in order for them to go to college or send their kids to college, that put them more in debt.When bills pile up, mortgage rate adjust, the credit card balance grows that can lead to have a bad credit score. When a person who has a bad credit score wanted to purchase a house,or a car, in the future,they are most likely to have a higher interest, if approved. Financial stress impact our health, our job, and relationships. People who are in depth are more likely to be depressed, and sometimes, will lead to suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death among Americans, accounting 1.3% of all deaths in the United States. Financial problems are the number one that causes divorces, according to the Institute for Divorce Financial analysts.

Posted in Introduction to Sociology | 1 Comment »

16. June 2009 by Mr. Andoscia.

All posts below have been graded.  Some really interesting stuff! Keep them coming. Some of you need to get inspired. Tomorrow is the deadline!

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16. June 2009 by student.

By, Victoria Lecorps

A recession or depression happens when the demand for money is greater than the supply. When this happens, people stop spending their money. The factories don’t need to make as many products to sell because no one is buying them, so people lose their jobs. Then they have even less money to spend. This leads to a long slowdown in business activity. This is called a depression.

A depression always starts with a recession. A recession doesn’t always turn into a depression though. A recession is never as bad and usually lasts less than a year. A depression lasts much longer, sometimes many years, and money is much scarcer.

A depression affects children as well as adults. In a depression, many parents lose their jobs and the family has very little money. This means there isn’t enough food, clothing, and good housing for the children. Sometimes children leave school early to try and find work to help support the family.  Then the children lose out on a good education. Some families need to rely on charity to survive. Often the parents are tired and irate from worrying so much about money. And in some cases the father may leave the home to try and find work somewhere else.

Let’s face it most people hate when the economy goes into a depression but some people like it. For instance, people who still have a lot of money left can buy businesses, stocks, and property at a very low price. Then when the economy is better, they can sell it for much more money.

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16. June 2009 by student.

Headaches Anyone?  It seems like more and more people I talk to have headaches.  Headaches are painful and can lead to the disabling migraine.   So what is leading to people having headaches?  Is it the hard times that are country is facing financially?  According to a recent survey done by the National Headache Foundation the answer is yes.  The tough financial times are adding to stress and anxiety, and this is wrecking sleep and causing more and more headaches.   Has our culture that we as Americans live in today become a trigger for the headaches and migraines?  The daily hustle and bustle and drive to do more than we can handle in a day’s work?  I believe that for some of the headache and migraine sufferers that our culture does have an influence on this issue.  I myself do suffer from headaches and migraines.  Stress is one of my biggest triggers and causes the dreaded tension headache.  Unfortunately, I’m not alone; over 100 million Americans suffer from tension headaches a year.  Other known triggers for tension headaches include lack of sleep, poor posture, and irregular meals.  So with this knowledge what can be done to change the most common kind of headache?  Can Americans begin to slow down their pace of life in order to improve their daily sanity, and I say sanity because there are some days that I feel like I’m going crazy from the pain.  Well I’m ready for the pain from headaches to stop, and I’m sure every other headache and migraine sufferer is too.  Is it possible for Americans to get 8 hours of sleep per night, meals every two to three hours to keep our blood sugar levels up, work days that stop at 8 hours, exercise 30 minutes a day, and dinner with the entire family around the dinner table?  I ask these questions because times have changed and Americans aren’t getting enough sleep and are so busy that dinner is no longer a time for family to come together and talk about the day’s events, but it is now dinner on the go.  Headache and migraine sufferers are ready for the pain to stop, but what about the pharmaceutical companies?  According to the American Headache Society more than 3 billion dollars a year is spent on over-the-counter medications and more than one billion dollars of which can be attributed to headaches.  The pharmaceutical companies are a functional part of our society; they provide jobs for Americans and provide headache relief for all the headache sufferers.  I would like for someday to come when I do not have to refer to myself as a headache sufferer.  Hopefully, this day will come sooner rather than later.  As for now, I’ll try to get more sleep, exercise more often and have more relaxing filled days!  Jillian Freeman

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16. June 2009 by student.

IRAN, a country with lots of problems ever since the regime has changed in 1978 by overthrowing the Shah’s regime and the coming of religion figure Khomeini. In last 30 years there have been many presidencies in IRAN with the last one being four years ago under president Mahmoud Ahmadinejas.

The outcome of Mr. Ahamdinejad for IRAN and its societies was nothing but embarrassment for that nation. From denying the Holocaust to the inflation and rise in unemployment as well as instability of a simple life are the fruits of his last four years of presidency. Also creating a harsh and unrealistic foreign policy toward most civilized nations in the world is another outcome of this ruling. People of IRAN were waiting for this election, they were waiting to express their opinion and cast their vote for change. They thought this could be their only chance to choose a different leader who could save their nation and become more moderate in his agenda both domestically and internationally.

New candidate Mr. Mussavi was people’s choice to become a new president. So they all geared up for Election Day. They all hoped to go to the voting places and do the job right and they all did, with the hope that their new leader would be Mr. Mussavi. According to the government over 85% of eligible voters went to vote ((about 40 million people)), the largest in IRAN’S history. A society with lots of hope and exceptions for change got drastically disappointed by the results. They got cheated so clearly that they could do nothing but to come to the streets of Tehran and other cities and shout loud “Where Is My Vote?”

In the past it would take at least two to three days to count all the votes. For this election not only there were much higher number of voters but less time to announce the results that Ahamidinejad won by margin of two to one. What a disappointment for hopeless societies of IRAN. What happened to their votes?

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16. June 2009 by student.

   Internet is a huge outlet right now for predators to exploit the youth. They use Internet where they can hide their identities and age, and their true intentions towards kids. Keith Dunn, a former cop and a member of the national Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, said that one out of five children using computers will be asked to meet in person. Predators focuesd on sites like my space .com, which many teens, or adults post their personal web sites. Youngsters are often abducted because of information that predators can find out about them online or elicit from the child on the telephone/cell phone. According to Lauren Casey, executive director of the campaign against the Sexual Exploitation of Children, predators prey on children due to their vulnerability. For example, a girl with low self steem who is very unsure of herself may think that a person on the other line make her feel good by saying good things to her. These kids thinks they found a friend, who really cares about them.Children are tend to trust other people easily and easier to be lured. They may think that they are chatting with someone their own age and sex but they are not. Children who don’t get enough attention from their parents are also an easy prey because they turn to internet to get attention from other people, and parents who don’t pay attention or don’t give ultimatum on the time for their kids computer use are also a factor that a predator can easily lure the kids. The review, publised today by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Center(CEOP), also found evidence that individual paedophiles are running multiple e-mail accounts, sending out hundreds of messages a day to children.  Urging parents to educate themselves and their children about internet safety because education , and paying attention more to their children is the best deterrent against predators.

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16. June 2009 by student.

I personally love Beyonce, she is smart, beautiful and talented. Her music is very catchy and inspirational, and her dance moves are mesmerizing. In my opinion she is a well rounded talented person. But I am not obsessed with her, nor do I want to be her. I appreciate her music, but my life is my own and her life is hers. 

There is a phenomenon that is sweeping the country, even the globe, that people are becoming obsessed with celebrities. In this day in age with technology booming it is so easy for everyday people to gain access into celebrities’ lives. You can go on the Internet and find thousands of pictures of celebrities or just turn on your television set to a channel dedicated to celebrities. In this media based country, following celebrities’ lives is a daily routine. But why are we so obsessed? There are many factors as to why people are so dedicated to celebrities.

A celebrity is a widely recognized person who claims a lot of media attention. There are many different types of celebrities including movie stars, models, world leaders, media moguls, etc. There are different levels of fame, for example, Angelina Jolie is a mainstream celebrity and known around the world for her movies, while Bill Gates founded Microsoft and his work made him a global celebrity. But why are people so celebrity obsessed? Why do we constantly look at pictures of celebrities or watch t.v. shows dedicated to them? Why must we know what they’ve had for dinner or who they are engaged to? People are obsessed with celebrities because they have it all. Not everyone has millions of dollars, great looks and access to the most prestigious places around the world. 

People think celebrities are nearly perfect and want to relate in some way, that’s why we are always looking at pictures of celebrities. We as people also like to watch celebrity television and look at pictures of celebrities because it makes us feel like they are somewhat normal. The Paparazzi invaded celebrities’ privacy day after day just to provide us with juicy pictures of celebrities wearing no makeup or taking their kids to school. We can relate to them more as everyday people when we see them doing everyday things. It doesn’t make us feel so bad about ourselves. But at the same time we constantly look at pictures of celebrities to read about what we don’t have. Let’s be honest, not all of us have 12 million dollar homes on the beach or travel around the world at the drop of a hat. But we like to look at pictures of celebrities doing these things. We can’t afford those $10,000 Versace gowns, so we look at pictures of celebrities who can. Even though we can’t imagine what it would be like to be followed around constantly, living life under constant scrutiny, we still continue to fuel the fire and look at pictures of celebrities and buy the magazines that sometimes ruin their lives. Unless the media does something about it, our obsession with celebrities will never end. We will constantly be searching for pictures of celebrities and their new dates or pictures of them with their children. But to everyday people, it’s just fun gossip that doesn’t harm anyone. 

Personally I would love to trade places with a celeb to see how it would feel to be in line light, to understand the pressure they go through with the paparazzi, media and their fans.

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