SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF MEDIA
According to the esteem psychologist LISA DUNNING, “The increasingly competitive economy is creating an environment where parents are forced to spend longer hours at work and fewer hours with their children. As a result, outside influences have greater access and influence over our children then ever before. The internet and the media are bringing the outside world into your home; your child's peers; the influences on children from movies and the music they listen to are growing in importance and influence everyday, the negative effects of television violence to children, negative effects marijuana, cigarettes, alcohol and some of the heavier drugs are all having negative influences on child brain development. If you are like most parents, you cannot afford to decrease the amount of time at work to monitor their exposure. Therefore, the quality of time you spend with your child is critical to maximize your influence over the negative effects of the outside world.”
It's a fact that violence is everywhere these days. It's on the streets, in homes, in video games, and in the movies. It is up to adults to set an example for children and to protect them from any form of violence. When children are young, parents can take steps to reduce or minimize the amount of violence their children are exposed to. Parents can build a strong, loving, relationship with their child. Because of this type of relationship, children will feel safe and secure. It'll also help them develop a sense of trust. Children often learn by example. Adults can show children appropriate behaviors by the way they act. Be firm with children about using violent behavior. Praise children when they display good behavior. Children tend to repeat good behaviors when they are rewarded with attention and praise. According to an article on the Internet, you can teach your children no aggressive ways to solve problems by ("Raising Children to Resist Violence: What You Can Do"):
Discussing problems with them,
Asking them to consider what might happen if they use violence to solve problems, and
Talking about what might happen if they solve problems without violence.
There is a new technology that can help parents censor shows on television. "The v- chip, technology that allows parents to block objectionable programs, is now available in at least half of all new television sets. V-chip work with an electronically coded rating system that already is in place to identify programs that contain sex, violence or crude language.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Effects of Media Violence on Fears, Anxieties and Sleep Disturbances
Effects of Media Violence on Fears, Anxieties and Sleep Disturbances
Although most of researchers' attention has focused on how media violence affects the interpersonal behaviors of children and adolescents, there is growing evidence that violence viewing also induces intense fears and anxieties in young viewers. For example, a 1998 survey of more than 2,000 third through eighth graders in Ohio revealed that as the number of hours of television viewing per day increased, so did the prevalence of symptoms of psychological trauma, such as anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress. Similarly, a 2007 survey of the parents of almost 500 children in kindergarten through fourth grade in Rhode Island revealed that the amount of children=s television viewing (especially television viewing at bedtime) and having a television in one's own bedroom, were significantly related to the frequency of sleep disturbances
Indeed, 9% of the parents surveyed reported that their child experienced TV-induced nightmares at least once a week. Finally a random national survey conducted in 2007 reported that 62% of parents with children between the ages of two and seventeen said that their child had been frightened by something they saw in a TV program or movie.
Two independently conducted studies of adults' retrospective reports of having been frightened by a television show or movie demonstrate that the presence of vivid, detailed memories of enduring media-induced fear is nearly universal. Of the students reporting fright reactions in the study we conducted at the Universities of Wisconsin and Michigan, 52% reported disturbances in eating or sleeping, 22% reported mental preoccupation with the disturbing material, and 35% reported subsequently avoiding or dreading the situation depicted in the program or movie. Moreover, more than one-fourth of the respondents said that the impact of the program or movie (viewed an average of six years earlier) was still with them at the time of reporting.
Studies like these and many anecdotal reports reveal that it is not at all unusual to give up swimming in the ocean after seeing Jaws -- in fact, a surprising number of people report giving up swimming altogether after seeing that movie. Many other people trace their long-term fears of specific animals, such as dogs, cats, or insects, to childhood exposure to cartoon features like Alice in Wonderland or Beauty and the Beast or to horror movies. Furthermore, the effects of these depictions aren't only "in the head," so to speak. As disturbing as unnecessary anxieties are by themselves, they can readily lead to physical ailments and interfere with school work and other normal activities (especially when they disrupt sleep for long periods of time).
For the most part, what frightens children in the media involves violence or the perceived threat of violence or harm. It is important to note, however, that parents often find it hard to predict children's fright reactions to television and films because a child's level of cognitive development influences how he or she perceives and responds to media stimuli.
Although most of researchers' attention has focused on how media violence affects the interpersonal behaviors of children and adolescents, there is growing evidence that violence viewing also induces intense fears and anxieties in young viewers. For example, a 1998 survey of more than 2,000 third through eighth graders in Ohio revealed that as the number of hours of television viewing per day increased, so did the prevalence of symptoms of psychological trauma, such as anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress. Similarly, a 2007 survey of the parents of almost 500 children in kindergarten through fourth grade in Rhode Island revealed that the amount of children=s television viewing (especially television viewing at bedtime) and having a television in one's own bedroom, were significantly related to the frequency of sleep disturbances
Indeed, 9% of the parents surveyed reported that their child experienced TV-induced nightmares at least once a week. Finally a random national survey conducted in 2007 reported that 62% of parents with children between the ages of two and seventeen said that their child had been frightened by something they saw in a TV program or movie.
Two independently conducted studies of adults' retrospective reports of having been frightened by a television show or movie demonstrate that the presence of vivid, detailed memories of enduring media-induced fear is nearly universal. Of the students reporting fright reactions in the study we conducted at the Universities of Wisconsin and Michigan, 52% reported disturbances in eating or sleeping, 22% reported mental preoccupation with the disturbing material, and 35% reported subsequently avoiding or dreading the situation depicted in the program or movie. Moreover, more than one-fourth of the respondents said that the impact of the program or movie (viewed an average of six years earlier) was still with them at the time of reporting.
Studies like these and many anecdotal reports reveal that it is not at all unusual to give up swimming in the ocean after seeing Jaws -- in fact, a surprising number of people report giving up swimming altogether after seeing that movie. Many other people trace their long-term fears of specific animals, such as dogs, cats, or insects, to childhood exposure to cartoon features like Alice in Wonderland or Beauty and the Beast or to horror movies. Furthermore, the effects of these depictions aren't only "in the head," so to speak. As disturbing as unnecessary anxieties are by themselves, they can readily lead to physical ailments and interfere with school work and other normal activities (especially when they disrupt sleep for long periods of time).
For the most part, what frightens children in the media involves violence or the perceived threat of violence or harm. It is important to note, however, that parents often find it hard to predict children's fright reactions to television and films because a child's level of cognitive development influences how he or she perceives and responds to media stimuli.
VIDEO GAMES
VIDEO GAMES
Many experts believe violence is learned through environmental factors. One of these factors is the exposure to violent video games. The video game industry has gotten so big that they're only behind television as the most popular form of entertainment in homes. Parents worry that kids may be vulnerable to learning the bad things being portrayed in violent video games.
A high school shooting in Littleton, Colorado raised a controversial question concerning the effects of violent video games and their influences on children. In addition to other forms of media, many parents and teachers blame the exposure to violent video games on children as the cause of their violent actions. One thing certain is both killers of the Littleton, Colorado shooting played a violent video game named Doom. There are indications that video game exposures do have some, if not a lot, effect on the actions of these two killers.
In addition, there are many video games on Play station and Nintendo featuring violence as their primary game content. Mortal Combat, Street Fighter, King of Fighters, etc. are just a few of a whole list of fighting games available today. Perhaps the most controversial fighting game is Mortal Combat, which features intense violence with blood and body parts falling off. An average teenager spends 2-3 hours a day playing video games.
There is no clear-cut answer to whether violence in video games directly affects a child's behavior because there are no proven facts that support these claims. However, there are patterns that suggest more interaction with violence will lead to violent actions.
Many experts believe violence is learned through environmental factors. One of these factors is the exposure to violent video games. The video game industry has gotten so big that they're only behind television as the most popular form of entertainment in homes. Parents worry that kids may be vulnerable to learning the bad things being portrayed in violent video games.
A high school shooting in Littleton, Colorado raised a controversial question concerning the effects of violent video games and their influences on children. In addition to other forms of media, many parents and teachers blame the exposure to violent video games on children as the cause of their violent actions. One thing certain is both killers of the Littleton, Colorado shooting played a violent video game named Doom. There are indications that video game exposures do have some, if not a lot, effect on the actions of these two killers.
In addition, there are many video games on Play station and Nintendo featuring violence as their primary game content. Mortal Combat, Street Fighter, King of Fighters, etc. are just a few of a whole list of fighting games available today. Perhaps the most controversial fighting game is Mortal Combat, which features intense violence with blood and body parts falling off. An average teenager spends 2-3 hours a day playing video games.
There is no clear-cut answer to whether violence in video games directly affects a child's behavior because there are no proven facts that support these claims. However, there are patterns that suggest more interaction with violence will lead to violent actions.
PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
In recent years, the entertainment industry saw the booming and revitalization of professional wrestling. Professional wrestling continuously tops the charts among cable programming. Vince McMahon, the chairman and owner of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), reports that 15% of his audience are 11 years old and under. Another 15% are between 12 and 17 years old. Adults from 18 years and older comprise the other 70% of the total viewers. McMahon notes his television shows are rated TV14 (McMahon). However, what happens to the 15%, or one million viewers of his audience who are 11 years old and under?
Today's version of professional wrestling, WWE in particular, is more violent, sexual, and vulgar than ever before. Many pediatricians and parents argue that wrestling is teaching children at a young age everything that is bad in society.
In the early 1990s, professional wrestling started airing in Israel. Due to this, violent behaviors increased among third through sixth graders. When airtime was decreased, violence also decreased (Rossellini). Howard Spivak, chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' task force on violence believes "kids don't always differentiate fantasy from reality" (Rossellini).
In recent years, the entertainment industry saw the booming and revitalization of professional wrestling. Professional wrestling continuously tops the charts among cable programming. Vince McMahon, the chairman and owner of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), reports that 15% of his audience are 11 years old and under. Another 15% are between 12 and 17 years old. Adults from 18 years and older comprise the other 70% of the total viewers. McMahon notes his television shows are rated TV14 (McMahon). However, what happens to the 15%, or one million viewers of his audience who are 11 years old and under?
Today's version of professional wrestling, WWE in particular, is more violent, sexual, and vulgar than ever before. Many pediatricians and parents argue that wrestling is teaching children at a young age everything that is bad in society.
In the early 1990s, professional wrestling started airing in Israel. Due to this, violent behaviors increased among third through sixth graders. When airtime was decreased, violence also decreased (Rossellini). Howard Spivak, chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' task force on violence believes "kids don't always differentiate fantasy from reality" (Rossellini).
The effects of television violence on young children
The effects of television violence on young children
The impact of television violence may be immediately evident in the child's behavior or may surface years later. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, when children see super hero’s beating villains with violence, they learn that fighting is the preferred method to resolve the conflict
The American Psychological Association estimates that the average American child or teenager views 10,000 murders, rapes and aggravated assaults per year on television. Over 1,000 studies and reviews have found that exposure to heavy quantity of television violence increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior. Hundreds of studies on the effects of television violence on children and teenagers have found that children may:
1,Become "immune" to the horror of violence;
2,Gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems;
3,Imitate the violence they observe on television; and
4,Identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers.
Violence used to resolve a conflict is evident in the movie "Home Alone". Kevin, the main character, performs numerous acts of violence to defend his home and scare away the intruders. These acts of violence appear to be very real and could potentially hurt someone. The movie however, does not display the harmful effects violence can have on a person. Instead, violence seems to be portrayed as something humorous and children have a reason to laugh at an individual who inflicts deadly force onto another person.
MTV's "Beavis and Butthead" is another example of a program that contains excessive amounts of violence. The program encourages fire, smoking, foul language, drinking, and stealing. Although the message is clear to an adult, that a person will be labeled as a "butthead" if he/she performs these acts, it is not so clear to children. As stated earlier, children are visual learners and because the characters in the program believe that violence is cool way to solve their problems, the children are inclined to perform these acts.
As a result of watching too much violence on the screen, children have been known to use physical or verbal abuse toward others on the playground or at school. Children may also become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others. Viewing violence encourages children to see other people as enemies rather than as individuals with thoughts and feelings like themselves. Children who cannot put themselves in others' shoes may become less desirable playmates (Beckman).
The impact of television violence may be immediately evident in the child's behavior or may surface years later. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, when children see super hero’s beating villains with violence, they learn that fighting is the preferred method to resolve the conflict
The American Psychological Association estimates that the average American child or teenager views 10,000 murders, rapes and aggravated assaults per year on television. Over 1,000 studies and reviews have found that exposure to heavy quantity of television violence increases the likelihood of aggressive behavior. Hundreds of studies on the effects of television violence on children and teenagers have found that children may:
1,Become "immune" to the horror of violence;
2,Gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems;
3,Imitate the violence they observe on television; and
4,Identify with certain characters, victims and/or victimizers.
Violence used to resolve a conflict is evident in the movie "Home Alone". Kevin, the main character, performs numerous acts of violence to defend his home and scare away the intruders. These acts of violence appear to be very real and could potentially hurt someone. The movie however, does not display the harmful effects violence can have on a person. Instead, violence seems to be portrayed as something humorous and children have a reason to laugh at an individual who inflicts deadly force onto another person.
MTV's "Beavis and Butthead" is another example of a program that contains excessive amounts of violence. The program encourages fire, smoking, foul language, drinking, and stealing. Although the message is clear to an adult, that a person will be labeled as a "butthead" if he/she performs these acts, it is not so clear to children. As stated earlier, children are visual learners and because the characters in the program believe that violence is cool way to solve their problems, the children are inclined to perform these acts.
As a result of watching too much violence on the screen, children have been known to use physical or verbal abuse toward others on the playground or at school. Children may also become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others. Viewing violence encourages children to see other people as enemies rather than as individuals with thoughts and feelings like themselves. Children who cannot put themselves in others' shoes may become less desirable playmates (Beckman).
Growing Influence of Media on Children
Growing Influence of Media on Children
Media consumption has taken the place of reading story books or playing games as the favorite past time of children today. Overall, children between the ages of two and 18 spend an average of almost five-and-a-half hours a day at home watching television, playing video games, surfing the Web or using some other form of media, revealed at 1999 Kaiser Family Foundation report called "Kids & Media at The New Millennium." Often children multitask, engaging in more than one media-related activity at the same time.
How does all this media use affect children's cognitive, emotional and social development? Researchers are only beginning to search for answers, now that society is taking the question seriously.
Violence in children is a big problem in our society today .The entertainment media plays a powerful role in the formation of values and morals in children.
There are many things that can influence a child's behavior, but we will only focus on the entertainment industry: television, wrestling, and video games. We will also offer some solutions to how parents can help to control the amount of violence a child is exposed to in the media.
TELEVISION
Television violence affects youngsters of all ages. Today, children and teenagers are subjected to vast amounts of violence on television and in the movies. Because young children cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality, they are easily influenced by what they see in the media. "Children are visual learners and they model both positive and negative behaviors they see (Beckman)."
Facts about television viewing and children (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) ("Children and Violence")
Children watch an average of over 28 hours of television per week. By the time the average child reaches the age of twelve, he or she has witnessed over 8,000 murders.
Children's television programs actually contain five times more violence than the average prime time hour of TV.
Children who spend more time watching violent television programming are rated more poorly by their peers, have fewer
Problem-solving skills, and are more likely to get in trouble with the law as teenagers and young adults.
Extensive viewing of television violence by children causes greater aggressiveness. Children who view movies, in which violence is very realistic, are more likely to imitate what they see.
Media consumption has taken the place of reading story books or playing games as the favorite past time of children today. Overall, children between the ages of two and 18 spend an average of almost five-and-a-half hours a day at home watching television, playing video games, surfing the Web or using some other form of media, revealed at 1999 Kaiser Family Foundation report called "Kids & Media at The New Millennium." Often children multitask, engaging in more than one media-related activity at the same time.
How does all this media use affect children's cognitive, emotional and social development? Researchers are only beginning to search for answers, now that society is taking the question seriously.
Violence in children is a big problem in our society today .The entertainment media plays a powerful role in the formation of values and morals in children.
There are many things that can influence a child's behavior, but we will only focus on the entertainment industry: television, wrestling, and video games. We will also offer some solutions to how parents can help to control the amount of violence a child is exposed to in the media.
TELEVISION
Television violence affects youngsters of all ages. Today, children and teenagers are subjected to vast amounts of violence on television and in the movies. Because young children cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality, they are easily influenced by what they see in the media. "Children are visual learners and they model both positive and negative behaviors they see (Beckman)."
Facts about television viewing and children (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) ("Children and Violence")
Children watch an average of over 28 hours of television per week. By the time the average child reaches the age of twelve, he or she has witnessed over 8,000 murders.
Children's television programs actually contain five times more violence than the average prime time hour of TV.
Children who spend more time watching violent television programming are rated more poorly by their peers, have fewer
Problem-solving skills, and are more likely to get in trouble with the law as teenagers and young adults.
Extensive viewing of television violence by children causes greater aggressiveness. Children who view movies, in which violence is very realistic, are more likely to imitate what they see.
GUIDANCE FOR HEALING:
GUIDANCE FOR HEALING:
You cannot gather the full and real blessings and treasures of the Qur'an unless you devote yourself to understanding its meaning, unless you know what your Creator is saying to you.
This is not to deny, as we said earlier, that even those who cannot understand it may partake of its blessings. Obviously an overwhelming majority of Muslims do not know Arabic, and many do not possess any translation in their language. But, if they read the Qur'an with sincere devotion, reverence and love, they should not fail to share in some of its riches. For, being in the company of the one you love, even if you do not know his language, certainly deepens your relationship with him. Yet immensely greater will be the blessings and stronger will be the relationship if you also understand what he is saying.
On the other hand, merely understanding the meaning may also be of no avail. Many listened to the Qur'an from the lips of the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, and understood every word of it; yet they went further astray. Millions of people for whom Arabic is their language understand the Qur'an; yet it makes no impact upon their lives. Scores of scholars, Muslims as well as non-Muslims, spend a lifetime studying and reading the Qur'an, and their scholarship can hardly be faulted; yet they remain impervious to its touch.
Yet, despite this, the urgent need to devote yourself to understanding the Qur'an remains. The Qur'an has come as a guide, reminder, admonition and healing. It is not merely a source of reward (thawab), a sacred ritual, a sacrament, a revered relic, or a holy magic. It has come to radically change you and lead you to a new life and existence. Understanding it is no sure guarantee of finding that new life, but without it the task of fulfilling the real purpose of the Qur'an and inviting mankind to it must remain extremely difficult.
You cannot gather the full and real blessings and treasures of the Qur'an unless you devote yourself to understanding its meaning, unless you know what your Creator is saying to you.
This is not to deny, as we said earlier, that even those who cannot understand it may partake of its blessings. Obviously an overwhelming majority of Muslims do not know Arabic, and many do not possess any translation in their language. But, if they read the Qur'an with sincere devotion, reverence and love, they should not fail to share in some of its riches. For, being in the company of the one you love, even if you do not know his language, certainly deepens your relationship with him. Yet immensely greater will be the blessings and stronger will be the relationship if you also understand what he is saying.
On the other hand, merely understanding the meaning may also be of no avail. Many listened to the Qur'an from the lips of the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, and understood every word of it; yet they went further astray. Millions of people for whom Arabic is their language understand the Qur'an; yet it makes no impact upon their lives. Scores of scholars, Muslims as well as non-Muslims, spend a lifetime studying and reading the Qur'an, and their scholarship can hardly be faulted; yet they remain impervious to its touch.
Yet, despite this, the urgent need to devote yourself to understanding the Qur'an remains. The Qur'an has come as a guide, reminder, admonition and healing. It is not merely a source of reward (thawab), a sacred ritual, a sacrament, a revered relic, or a holy magic. It has come to radically change you and lead you to a new life and existence. Understanding it is no sure guarantee of finding that new life, but without it the task of fulfilling the real purpose of the Qur'an and inviting mankind to it must remain extremely difficult.
GUIDANCE FOR MAN KIND
GUIDANCE FOR MAN KIND:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
1. Alif, Lam, Mim, Sad.
2. A Book revealed unto thee,- So let thy heart be oppressed no more by any difficulty on that account,- that with it thou mightest warn (the erring) and teach the Believers).
3. Follow (O men!) the revelation given unto you from your Lord, and follow not, as friends or protectors, other than Him. Little it is ye remember of admonition.
4. How many towns have We destroyed (for their sins)? Our punishment took them on a sudden by night or while they slept for their afternoon rest.
5. When (thus) Our punishment took them, no cry did they utter but this: "Indeed we did wrong."
6. Then shall we question those to whom Our message was sent and those by whom We sent it.
7. And verily, We shall recount their whole story with knowledge, for We were never absent (at any time or place).
8. The balance that day will be true (to nicety): those whose scale (of good) will be heavy, will prosper:
9. Those whose scale will be light, will be their souls in perdition, for that they wrongfully treated Our signs.
10. It is We Who have placed you with authority on earth, and provided you therein with means for the fulfilment of your life: small are the thanks that ye give!
11. It is We Who created you and gave you shape; then We bade the angels bow down to Adam, and they bowed down; not so Iblis; He refused to be of those who bow down.
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
1. Alif, Lam, Mim, Sad.
2. A Book revealed unto thee,- So let thy heart be oppressed no more by any difficulty on that account,- that with it thou mightest warn (the erring) and teach the Believers).
3. Follow (O men!) the revelation given unto you from your Lord, and follow not, as friends or protectors, other than Him. Little it is ye remember of admonition.
4. How many towns have We destroyed (for their sins)? Our punishment took them on a sudden by night or while they slept for their afternoon rest.
5. When (thus) Our punishment took them, no cry did they utter but this: "Indeed we did wrong."
6. Then shall we question those to whom Our message was sent and those by whom We sent it.
7. And verily, We shall recount their whole story with knowledge, for We were never absent (at any time or place).
8. The balance that day will be true (to nicety): those whose scale (of good) will be heavy, will prosper:
9. Those whose scale will be light, will be their souls in perdition, for that they wrongfully treated Our signs.
10. It is We Who have placed you with authority on earth, and provided you therein with means for the fulfilment of your life: small are the thanks that ye give!
11. It is We Who created you and gave you shape; then We bade the angels bow down to Adam, and they bowed down; not so Iblis; He refused to be of those who bow down.
EFFECT OF PRAYER ON SOCIAL LIFE
EFFECT OF PRAYER ON SOCIAL LIFE
The reforming effect of prayer is certainly not confined to the individual only. It encompasses a wide range of social domains, so that the life is organized and straightened according to Allah's will.
In order to fulfill the objectives of prayer, the Qur'an links keeping up prayers to social reformation and doing good deeds.
The Holy Qur'an declares:
"...and you shall speak to people good words and keep up prayer and pay zakat (the poor-rate..." Holy Qur'an (2:83)
"Have you not seen those to whom it was said: Withhold your hands, and keep up prayer..."
Holy Qur'an (4:77)
"And We made them imams who guided (people) by Our command and We revealed to them the doing of good and the keeping up of prayer..."
Holy Qur'an (21:73)
"Those who, should We establish them in the land, will keep up prayer and pay zakat (the poor-rate) and enjoin good and forbid evil; and Allah's is the end of affairs."
The reforming effect of prayer is certainly not confined to the individual only. It encompasses a wide range of social domains, so that the life is organized and straightened according to Allah's will.
In order to fulfill the objectives of prayer, the Qur'an links keeping up prayers to social reformation and doing good deeds.
The Holy Qur'an declares:
"...and you shall speak to people good words and keep up prayer and pay zakat (the poor-rate..." Holy Qur'an (2:83)
"Have you not seen those to whom it was said: Withhold your hands, and keep up prayer..."
Holy Qur'an (4:77)
"And We made them imams who guided (people) by Our command and We revealed to them the doing of good and the keeping up of prayer..."
Holy Qur'an (21:73)
"Those who, should We establish them in the land, will keep up prayer and pay zakat (the poor-rate) and enjoin good and forbid evil; and Allah's is the end of affairs."
PRAYER AND GOOD DEEDS:
PRAYER AND GOOD DEEDS:
"...and keep up prayer for My remembrance." Holy Qur'an (20:14)
"Prayer is the faithful's ladder to sublimity." Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
Praise be to Allah, the ever Sublime. a praise that however sublime, cannot comprehend His mercy and blessings. Prayers and peace be upon the master of mankind. the conveyer of His Message, the truthful and the trustworthy. Muhammad, (s.a.w.) and upon his favourites and beloved ones- the Prophet's descendants, and upon those devoted to Allah and His helpers - the righteous companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.), and upon all the revolutionaries who are travelling on the path of struggle till the Day of Judgement.
One misconception commonly held is that prayer (salat), and other Islamic rites, represent a mere abstract spiritual relationship between the Muslim and his Creator; a relationship that is irrelevant to the individual and the society's economic, social and political affairs
"...and keep up prayer for My remembrance." Holy Qur'an (20:14)
"Prayer is the faithful's ladder to sublimity." Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
Praise be to Allah, the ever Sublime. a praise that however sublime, cannot comprehend His mercy and blessings. Prayers and peace be upon the master of mankind. the conveyer of His Message, the truthful and the trustworthy. Muhammad, (s.a.w.) and upon his favourites and beloved ones- the Prophet's descendants, and upon those devoted to Allah and His helpers - the righteous companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.), and upon all the revolutionaries who are travelling on the path of struggle till the Day of Judgement.
One misconception commonly held is that prayer (salat), and other Islamic rites, represent a mere abstract spiritual relationship between the Muslim and his Creator; a relationship that is irrelevant to the individual and the society's economic, social and political affairs
Belief and good deeds
Belief and good deeds
"In the name of Allah, most Gracious, ever Merciful."
"Those who disbelieve and hinder men from the way of Allah - He renders their works vain."
"But as for those who believe and do good works and believe in that which has been revealed to Muhammad - and it is the truth from their Lord - He removes from them their sins and improves their condition."
"That is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. Thus does Allah set forth for men their similitudes." (47:1-4)
And good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with that which is best. And lo, he, between whom and thyself was enmity, will become as though he were a warm friend.
16:129. Verily, ALLAH is with those who are righteous and those who do good.
"In the name of Allah, most Gracious, ever Merciful."
"Those who disbelieve and hinder men from the way of Allah - He renders their works vain."
"But as for those who believe and do good works and believe in that which has been revealed to Muhammad - and it is the truth from their Lord - He removes from them their sins and improves their condition."
"That is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. Thus does Allah set forth for men their similitudes." (47:1-4)
And good and evil are not alike. Repel evil with that which is best. And lo, he, between whom and thyself was enmity, will become as though he were a warm friend.
16:129. Verily, ALLAH is with those who are righteous and those who do good.
Research Questionare
Research Questionare
Name: _____________________
Gender: Male Female
Q1.) What is your age?
A. 10-20
B. 20-30
C. 30-40
D. 40 above
Q2.) What is your profession?
A. Student
B. Businessman
C. Housewife
D. Employee
Q3.) What is Your Income?
A. 15000-25000
B. 25000-50000
C. 50000-100000
D. More than 100000
Q4.) How many cups of tea do you consume in a day?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3.
D. More than 3
Q5.) How much amount of money you spent on Tea daily?
A. Rs 10
B. Rs 20
C More than Rs. 20
D Haven’t thought about it before.
Q6.) Have you heard of Doodhpatti?
A. Yes
B. No.
Q.7) If yes, where did you learn about Doodhpatti?
A. T.v
B. Newspaper
C. Billboards
D. Radio
Q8.) Have you consumed Doodhpatti?
A. Yes
B. No.
Q9.) Did you find the product satisfactory?
A. Yes
B. No
C. To an extent
D. Not as such
Q10.) Which one do you think is an alternative for Doodhpatti
A. Tea
B. Soft Drink
C. Coffee
D. Others
Q11.)What do you think about the Environment of preparing Doodhpatti?
A. Hygienic
B. Unhygienic
Name: _____________________
Gender: Male Female
Q1.) What is your age?
A. 10-20
B. 20-30
C. 30-40
D. 40 above
Q2.) What is your profession?
A. Student
B. Businessman
C. Housewife
D. Employee
Q3.) What is Your Income?
A. 15000-25000
B. 25000-50000
C. 50000-100000
D. More than 100000
Q4.) How many cups of tea do you consume in a day?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3.
D. More than 3
Q5.) How much amount of money you spent on Tea daily?
A. Rs 10
B. Rs 20
C More than Rs. 20
D Haven’t thought about it before.
Q6.) Have you heard of Doodhpatti?
A. Yes
B. No.
Q.7) If yes, where did you learn about Doodhpatti?
A. T.v
B. Newspaper
C. Billboards
D. Radio
Q8.) Have you consumed Doodhpatti?
A. Yes
B. No.
Q9.) Did you find the product satisfactory?
A. Yes
B. No
C. To an extent
D. Not as such
Q10.) Which one do you think is an alternative for Doodhpatti
A. Tea
B. Soft Drink
C. Coffee
D. Others
Q11.)What do you think about the Environment of preparing Doodhpatti?
A. Hygienic
B. Unhygienic
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Real Cold War: A High-Stakes Chess Match of Global Proportions
The Real Cold War: A High-Stakes Chess Match of Global Proportions
No missiles were launched and no guns were fired between the two superpowers, but The Cold War was a war nonetheless: a battle of indirect aggression, of politics, of economics and propaganda. The term "Cold War" was originally coined by presidential adviser Bernard Baruch during a 1947 congressional debate. That term would come to signify decades of tension and hostility between the United States and the United Soviet Socialist Republic.
The conflict would take many forms, from the chess game of ever-shifting global alliances to an escalating arms race that would spark worldwide fears of a nuclear holocaust. Often thought to refer solely to the strained relations between the U.S. and U.S.S.R., the Cold War, in fact, involved the whole world. If the United States and the Soviet Union were the main players, then lesser countries were their pawns.
Fall of Hitler, rise of Russia
At the end of World War II in 1945, the clear-cut relationships between the Allies began to unravel. Their common enemy, Hitler, was done away with; ideologies and agendas set aside during the war were taken up again. The victors of WWII, surveying the altered landscape of global power relations, also began to eye one another warily.
By 1948, the Soviets had already established leftist governments in the liberated Eastern-bloc countries as a bulwark against any renewed German threat; America and Great Britain feared that Soviet influence, if not curbed, would spread to Western Europe. In 1947-48, the U.S. was building its own bulwark, sending aid to Western Europe under the Marshall Plan. With the Soviets having installed openly communist regimes in the East, the Cold War had begun.
The next five years would mark the height of the Cold War, with the Soviets and the U.S. dividing Europe with their military forces and ideologies. The subsequent years unfolded in an unnerving match of maneuver and counter-maneuver: After the Soviets unsuccessfully blockaded Western-held sectors of West Berlin in 1948-49, the U.S. and its European allies formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military presence that served to keep Soviet influence in check. But the Soviets were advancing in other quarters nonetheless, exploding their first atomic warhead in 1949, ending the U.S.'s primacy in weapons technology. Also, in 1949, the Soviet-backed North Korean government penetrated the border into South Korea, which was supported by the U.S. The ensuing Korean War would last until 1953.
Hot points
That same year, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin died, easing the standoff somewhat. But two years later, relations were strained anew as the two superpowers' military organizations -- the West's NATO and the Soviet Union's newly formed Warsaw Pact -- scrambled in a sort of larger-than-life membership drive.
The race was for technology as well as allies: the U.S. and U.S.S.R. began developing intercontinental ballistic missiles in 1958, touching off another intense period. When the Soviets were discovered to be secretly installing missiles in Cuba -- well within range of U.S. cities -- the superpowers were poised at the brink of war. Fortunately, this episode, known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, was defused when an agreement was reached to withdraw the weapons.
The outcome was strangely hopeful: it showed that even top defense leaders of both superpowers feared the awesome destructive power of these new weapons. With the signing of the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty in 1963, both sides agreed not to engage in above-ground nuclear weapons tests.
But hostilities still ran high. The Soviets considered the outcome of the Cuban Missile crisis nothing less than a humiliation to them; they vowed to never again be shamed by their rival in the west. The Soviet Union thus began a buildup of conventional and strategic forces over the next 25 years -- and the U.S. would be forced to keep pace. This escalating arms race would be one of the definitive aspects of the Cold War, inspiring civilian peace movements and deep fears of The Bomb.
The Cold War had its hot points, battles carried out in allied and enemy countries. The Soviet Union fortified member countries such as East Germany, Hungary and Afghanistan. The U.S., meanwhile, tried to stanch communist influence closer to home, overthrowing a leftist regime in Guatemala, invading the Dominican Republic and Grenada, and backing a failed invasion of Cuba in 1961. Most infamously, it fought from 1964-1975 to stop North Vietnam from bringing South Vietnam under communist rule.
The thaw
But cracks were forming in the Communist bloc. Countries that were once of middling consequence showed signs of autonomy and political strength, and the globe wasn't so easily defined in terms of U.S. or Soviet influence. China had largely distanced itself from the Soviet Union, creating a rift in what was formerly considered a unified Communist front. Meanwhile, Western Europe and Japan were developing at an explosive rate.
Tensions were eased further with the SALT I and II agreements, which limited the development of antiballistic and strategic missiles. Still, tensions spiked in the 1980s with a flurry of mutual arms buildup. However, the administration of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the Cold War wound down, as he attempted to democratize the U.S.S.R.'s political machine. With the fall of the Soviet bloc of Eastern Europe in 1989-90, the rise of democratic governments in its place and, most notably, the unification of East and West Germany under NATO oversight, the tensions of Cold War were finally disappearing.
In late 1991, the final stubborn bastion of Communism, the Soviet Union, collapsed, creating 15 newly independent nations. Russia itself saw a democratically elected leader come to power, and the world sighed with relief: it was the surest sign that the Cold War had thawed at last.
No missiles were launched and no guns were fired between the two superpowers, but The Cold War was a war nonetheless: a battle of indirect aggression, of politics, of economics and propaganda. The term "Cold War" was originally coined by presidential adviser Bernard Baruch during a 1947 congressional debate. That term would come to signify decades of tension and hostility between the United States and the United Soviet Socialist Republic.
The conflict would take many forms, from the chess game of ever-shifting global alliances to an escalating arms race that would spark worldwide fears of a nuclear holocaust. Often thought to refer solely to the strained relations between the U.S. and U.S.S.R., the Cold War, in fact, involved the whole world. If the United States and the Soviet Union were the main players, then lesser countries were their pawns.
Fall of Hitler, rise of Russia
At the end of World War II in 1945, the clear-cut relationships between the Allies began to unravel. Their common enemy, Hitler, was done away with; ideologies and agendas set aside during the war were taken up again. The victors of WWII, surveying the altered landscape of global power relations, also began to eye one another warily.
By 1948, the Soviets had already established leftist governments in the liberated Eastern-bloc countries as a bulwark against any renewed German threat; America and Great Britain feared that Soviet influence, if not curbed, would spread to Western Europe. In 1947-48, the U.S. was building its own bulwark, sending aid to Western Europe under the Marshall Plan. With the Soviets having installed openly communist regimes in the East, the Cold War had begun.
The next five years would mark the height of the Cold War, with the Soviets and the U.S. dividing Europe with their military forces and ideologies. The subsequent years unfolded in an unnerving match of maneuver and counter-maneuver: After the Soviets unsuccessfully blockaded Western-held sectors of West Berlin in 1948-49, the U.S. and its European allies formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a military presence that served to keep Soviet influence in check. But the Soviets were advancing in other quarters nonetheless, exploding their first atomic warhead in 1949, ending the U.S.'s primacy in weapons technology. Also, in 1949, the Soviet-backed North Korean government penetrated the border into South Korea, which was supported by the U.S. The ensuing Korean War would last until 1953.
Hot points
That same year, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin died, easing the standoff somewhat. But two years later, relations were strained anew as the two superpowers' military organizations -- the West's NATO and the Soviet Union's newly formed Warsaw Pact -- scrambled in a sort of larger-than-life membership drive.
The race was for technology as well as allies: the U.S. and U.S.S.R. began developing intercontinental ballistic missiles in 1958, touching off another intense period. When the Soviets were discovered to be secretly installing missiles in Cuba -- well within range of U.S. cities -- the superpowers were poised at the brink of war. Fortunately, this episode, known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, was defused when an agreement was reached to withdraw the weapons.
The outcome was strangely hopeful: it showed that even top defense leaders of both superpowers feared the awesome destructive power of these new weapons. With the signing of the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty in 1963, both sides agreed not to engage in above-ground nuclear weapons tests.
But hostilities still ran high. The Soviets considered the outcome of the Cuban Missile crisis nothing less than a humiliation to them; they vowed to never again be shamed by their rival in the west. The Soviet Union thus began a buildup of conventional and strategic forces over the next 25 years -- and the U.S. would be forced to keep pace. This escalating arms race would be one of the definitive aspects of the Cold War, inspiring civilian peace movements and deep fears of The Bomb.
The Cold War had its hot points, battles carried out in allied and enemy countries. The Soviet Union fortified member countries such as East Germany, Hungary and Afghanistan. The U.S., meanwhile, tried to stanch communist influence closer to home, overthrowing a leftist regime in Guatemala, invading the Dominican Republic and Grenada, and backing a failed invasion of Cuba in 1961. Most infamously, it fought from 1964-1975 to stop North Vietnam from bringing South Vietnam under communist rule.
The thaw
But cracks were forming in the Communist bloc. Countries that were once of middling consequence showed signs of autonomy and political strength, and the globe wasn't so easily defined in terms of U.S. or Soviet influence. China had largely distanced itself from the Soviet Union, creating a rift in what was formerly considered a unified Communist front. Meanwhile, Western Europe and Japan were developing at an explosive rate.
Tensions were eased further with the SALT I and II agreements, which limited the development of antiballistic and strategic missiles. Still, tensions spiked in the 1980s with a flurry of mutual arms buildup. However, the administration of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the Cold War wound down, as he attempted to democratize the U.S.S.R.'s political machine. With the fall of the Soviet bloc of Eastern Europe in 1989-90, the rise of democratic governments in its place and, most notably, the unification of East and West Germany under NATO oversight, the tensions of Cold War were finally disappearing.
In late 1991, the final stubborn bastion of Communism, the Soviet Union, collapsed, creating 15 newly independent nations. Russia itself saw a democratically elected leader come to power, and the world sighed with relief: it was the surest sign that the Cold War had thawed at last.
Application of conditioning to promote Pro Social Behavior:
Application of conditioning to promote Pro Social Behavior:
Operant conditioning is mostly practiced to promote pro social behavior. E.g. If some one breaks the law , they will be punished severely by the state government .
Parent management training (PMT) refers to programs that train parents to manage their child's behavioral problems in the home and at school. PMT has emanated from two lines of work. First, maladaptive parent-child interactions, particularly in relation to discipline practices, have been shown to foster and to sustain conduct problems among children. Second, social learning techniques, relying heavily on principles of operant conditioning, have been extremely useful in altering parent and child behavior. In PMT, parent-child interactions are modified in ways that are designed to promote prosocial child behavior and to decrease antisocial or oppositional behavior.
Treatment sessions include instruction in social learning principles and techniques. The therapist provides a brief overview of underlying concepts, models the techniques for the parents, and coaches parents in implementing the procedures. Procedures and interaction patterns practiced in the sessions are then used in the home. Parents usually are taught how to define, observe, and record behavior at the beginning of treatment because once behaviors (e.g. fighting, engaging in tantrums) are defined concretely, reinforcement and punishment techniques can be applied. The PMT therapist details the concepts and procedures derived from positive reinforcement (e.g., contingent delivery of attention, praise, points) and punishment (e.g., time out from reinforcement, loss of privileges, and reprimands). Reinforcement for prosocial and nondeviant behavior is central to treatment. Parents are taught how to use reinforcement and punishment techniques contingent on the child's behavior, to provide consequences consistently, to attend to appropriate behaviors and to ignore inappropriate behaviors, to apply skills in prompting, shaping, and fading, and to use these techniques to manage future problems. There is an extensive amount of practice and shaping of parent behavior within the sessions to develop skills in carrying out the procedures.
Because the immediate goal of treatment is to develop parenting skills, the therapist begins by having parents apply new skills to relatively simple problems (e.g., compliance, completion of chores, oppositional behavior). As parents become proficient using the initial techniques, the child's most serious problem behaviors at home and in school are addressed (e.g., fighting, poor school performance, truancy, stealing, firesetting). In most PMT programs, the therapist maintains close telephone contact with the parents in-between sessions. These contacts are used to encourage parents to ask questions about the home programs, to provide an opportunity for the therapist to prompt compliance with the behavior-change programs and reinforce parents' use of the skills, to strengthen the therapeutic alliance, and to allow the therapist to problem-solve when programs are not modifying child behavior effectively.
Follow-up data have shown that gains are maintained from post treatment to 1 and 3 years after treatment has ended. One research team found that noncompliant children treated by parent training were functioning as well as nonclinical individuals approximately 14 years later (Long, Forehand, Wierson, & Morgan, 1994). The benefits of PMT often generalize to areas that are not focused on directly during therapy. For example, improvements in parental adjustment and functioning, marital satisfaction, and sibling behavior have been found following therapy. Overall, perhaps no other technique has been as carefully documented and empirically supported as PMT in treating conduct problems.
A unique feature of PMT is the abundance of research on child, parent, and family factors that moderate treatment effects. Moreover, PMT, either alone or in combination with other techniques, has been applied with promising effects to other populations including autistic children, mentally retarded children and adolescents, adjudicated delinquents, and parents who physically abuse their children. The principles and procedures on which PMT relies have also been applied in many settings including schools, institutions, community homes, day-care facilities, and facilities for the elderly.
Operant conditioning is mostly practiced to promote pro social behavior. E.g. If some one breaks the law , they will be punished severely by the state government .
Parent management training (PMT) refers to programs that train parents to manage their child's behavioral problems in the home and at school. PMT has emanated from two lines of work. First, maladaptive parent-child interactions, particularly in relation to discipline practices, have been shown to foster and to sustain conduct problems among children. Second, social learning techniques, relying heavily on principles of operant conditioning, have been extremely useful in altering parent and child behavior. In PMT, parent-child interactions are modified in ways that are designed to promote prosocial child behavior and to decrease antisocial or oppositional behavior.
Treatment sessions include instruction in social learning principles and techniques. The therapist provides a brief overview of underlying concepts, models the techniques for the parents, and coaches parents in implementing the procedures. Procedures and interaction patterns practiced in the sessions are then used in the home. Parents usually are taught how to define, observe, and record behavior at the beginning of treatment because once behaviors (e.g. fighting, engaging in tantrums) are defined concretely, reinforcement and punishment techniques can be applied. The PMT therapist details the concepts and procedures derived from positive reinforcement (e.g., contingent delivery of attention, praise, points) and punishment (e.g., time out from reinforcement, loss of privileges, and reprimands). Reinforcement for prosocial and nondeviant behavior is central to treatment. Parents are taught how to use reinforcement and punishment techniques contingent on the child's behavior, to provide consequences consistently, to attend to appropriate behaviors and to ignore inappropriate behaviors, to apply skills in prompting, shaping, and fading, and to use these techniques to manage future problems. There is an extensive amount of practice and shaping of parent behavior within the sessions to develop skills in carrying out the procedures.
Because the immediate goal of treatment is to develop parenting skills, the therapist begins by having parents apply new skills to relatively simple problems (e.g., compliance, completion of chores, oppositional behavior). As parents become proficient using the initial techniques, the child's most serious problem behaviors at home and in school are addressed (e.g., fighting, poor school performance, truancy, stealing, firesetting). In most PMT programs, the therapist maintains close telephone contact with the parents in-between sessions. These contacts are used to encourage parents to ask questions about the home programs, to provide an opportunity for the therapist to prompt compliance with the behavior-change programs and reinforce parents' use of the skills, to strengthen the therapeutic alliance, and to allow the therapist to problem-solve when programs are not modifying child behavior effectively.
Follow-up data have shown that gains are maintained from post treatment to 1 and 3 years after treatment has ended. One research team found that noncompliant children treated by parent training were functioning as well as nonclinical individuals approximately 14 years later (Long, Forehand, Wierson, & Morgan, 1994). The benefits of PMT often generalize to areas that are not focused on directly during therapy. For example, improvements in parental adjustment and functioning, marital satisfaction, and sibling behavior have been found following therapy. Overall, perhaps no other technique has been as carefully documented and empirically supported as PMT in treating conduct problems.
A unique feature of PMT is the abundance of research on child, parent, and family factors that moderate treatment effects. Moreover, PMT, either alone or in combination with other techniques, has been applied with promising effects to other populations including autistic children, mentally retarded children and adolescents, adjudicated delinquents, and parents who physically abuse their children. The principles and procedures on which PMT relies have also been applied in many settings including schools, institutions, community homes, day-care facilities, and facilities for the elderly.
Operant Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning, on the other hand, does not use a stimulus to prompt behavior. Rather, it employs a 'reward' after the desired behavior, or sometimes a punishment to discourage inappropriate behavior. Examples of operant conditioning are the 'puzzle box' experiments conducted by the American psychologist Edward Thorndike in the late 1800s. Thorndike placed a hungry cat or other animal in a box that could only be opened if the animal pulled on a string or a latch, or performed a combination of similar actions. The first time the animal was placed in the box, it usually took some time to escape and enjoy some nearby food. But over time, the animal learned to escape within seconds. In these experiments, behavior was modified through the rewards of escape and food.
Operant conditioning can be used, among other things, to shape the behavior of cocaine users or patients with severe behavioral problems.
Many (perhaps doubtful) stories are told of how college and university classes use operant conditioning to shape the behaviors of their professors. In one such story, students in an introductory psychology course agreed to 'reinforce' their professor for each move to the left by nodding approval and paying attention, ignoring him and stopping their note-taking if he moved to the right. According to the story, recounted in a popular textbook about the psychology of learning, the professor got midway through the lecture and then fell off the left side of the stage.
Conditioning seems to explain more about how laboratory animals learn during laboratory experiments than how animals might act in the wild. Yet more sophisticated experiments in the 1990s have led to tantalizing insights into how the brain works in response to conditioning. So-called expectancy theory tries to explain what the brain believes about the immediate future. Medical researchers in the United States in the late 1980s studied such theories as the helpful effects of placebo drugs, and posited that the brain is organized to work in response to what it assumes will come next, as well as in response to what it actually senses. In the case of placebos, humans are conditioned by the sight of a doctor in a white coat, the prick of a needle, or the smell of antiseptic, for example, to expect to get relief from pain or illness. In many cases, a patient given a placebo improves just as dramatically as a patient given a proven drug because the patient is in some way conditioned to get well. Expectancy theory gained ground in the late 1990s, supported by fascinating research from around the world. Whereas the earliest conditioning experiments studied relatively simple and observable responses to stimuli, researchers in the late 1990s were able to study the brain's chemical reactions and related responses in the immune, endocrine, and hormonal systems.
Operant conditioning, on the other hand, does not use a stimulus to prompt behavior. Rather, it employs a 'reward' after the desired behavior, or sometimes a punishment to discourage inappropriate behavior. Examples of operant conditioning are the 'puzzle box' experiments conducted by the American psychologist Edward Thorndike in the late 1800s. Thorndike placed a hungry cat or other animal in a box that could only be opened if the animal pulled on a string or a latch, or performed a combination of similar actions. The first time the animal was placed in the box, it usually took some time to escape and enjoy some nearby food. But over time, the animal learned to escape within seconds. In these experiments, behavior was modified through the rewards of escape and food.
Operant conditioning can be used, among other things, to shape the behavior of cocaine users or patients with severe behavioral problems.
Many (perhaps doubtful) stories are told of how college and university classes use operant conditioning to shape the behaviors of their professors. In one such story, students in an introductory psychology course agreed to 'reinforce' their professor for each move to the left by nodding approval and paying attention, ignoring him and stopping their note-taking if he moved to the right. According to the story, recounted in a popular textbook about the psychology of learning, the professor got midway through the lecture and then fell off the left side of the stage.
Conditioning seems to explain more about how laboratory animals learn during laboratory experiments than how animals might act in the wild. Yet more sophisticated experiments in the 1990s have led to tantalizing insights into how the brain works in response to conditioning. So-called expectancy theory tries to explain what the brain believes about the immediate future. Medical researchers in the United States in the late 1980s studied such theories as the helpful effects of placebo drugs, and posited that the brain is organized to work in response to what it assumes will come next, as well as in response to what it actually senses. In the case of placebos, humans are conditioned by the sight of a doctor in a white coat, the prick of a needle, or the smell of antiseptic, for example, to expect to get relief from pain or illness. In many cases, a patient given a placebo improves just as dramatically as a patient given a proven drug because the patient is in some way conditioned to get well. Expectancy theory gained ground in the late 1990s, supported by fascinating research from around the world. Whereas the earliest conditioning experiments studied relatively simple and observable responses to stimuli, researchers in the late 1990s were able to study the brain's chemical reactions and related responses in the immune, endocrine, and hormonal systems.
Classical Conditioning
Classical Conditioning
The best-known examples of classical conditioning are the experiments conducted in the late 1800s and early 1900s by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Initially, Pavlov was interested in the functioning of the digestive system (he received the 1904 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for that work). In experiments with dogs, he developed an experimental apparatus for measuring their saliva formation as they ate, using tubes that redirected secretions from the animals' salivary ducts. While conducting these experiments, Pavlov noticed that some dogs started salivating before they were fed.
New dogs did not salivate in this way, only those that had previously participated in similar laboratory sessions. Pavlov showed that this salivation was initiated by some stimulus associated with the earlier feeding, perhaps the ringing of a bell or just the appearing of the lab worker who fed the animals.
Thus, in classical conditioning, a stimulus not typically associated with a particular response (i.e. the ringing of the bell) is repeatedly presented around the same time as a stimulus that causes the response naturally (in the case of Pavlov's dogs, food), until the initial stimulus evokes the response on its own. This is known as a conditioned reflex.
Continuing to study this phenomenon for more than three decades, Pavlov concluded that a great deal of animal and human behavior resulted from classical conditioning. Although his view of the importance of conditioning was probably exaggerated, subsequent research has uncovered dozens of reflexes that respond to classical conditioning, including blinking of the eyes, the knee-jerk response, and stimulation of the heart, liver, kidneys, and stomach.
More recently, researchers have become interested in the effects of classical conditioning on the immune system, which creates antibodies that fight infection. Studies in mice and humans have demonstrated that when the immune-strengthening drug interferon is administered a few times combined with the odor of camphor (an aromatic compound that normally has no effect on the immune system), later exposure to camphor alone increased activity of the body's natural killer cells, which act against tumors and viruses. Similarly, animal research has suggested that classical conditioning might be useful for suppressing the body's immune response that rejects transplanted organs.
Other medical applications of classical conditioning are for combating alcohol and tobacco abuse, and to teach children to stop bedwetting.
New dogs did not salivate in this way, only those that had previously participated in similar laboratory sessions. Pavlov showed that this salivation was initiated by some stimulus associated with the earlier feeding, perhaps the ringing of a bell or just the appearing of the lab worker who fed the animals.
Thus, in classical conditioning, a stimulus not typically associated with a particular response (i.e. the ringing of the bell) is repeatedly presented around the same time as a stimulus that causes the response naturally (in the case of Pavlov's dogs, food), until the initial stimulus evokes the response on its own. This is known as a conditioned reflex.
Continuing to study this phenomenon for more than three decades, Pavlov concluded that a great deal of animal and human behavior resulted from classical conditioning. Although his view of the importance of conditioning was probably exaggerated, subsequent research has uncovered dozens of reflexes that respond to classical conditioning, including blinking of the eyes, the knee-jerk response, and stimulation of the heart, liver, kidneys, and stomach.
More recently, researchers have become interested in the effects of classical conditioning on the immune system, which creates antibodies that fight infection. Studies in mice and humans have demonstrated that when the immune-strengthening drug interferon is administered a few times combined with the odor of camphor (an aromatic compound that normally has no effect on the immune system), later exposure to camphor alone increased activity of the body's natural killer cells, which act against tumors and viruses. Similarly, animal research has suggested that classical conditioning might be useful for suppressing the body's immune response that rejects transplanted organs.
Other medical applications of classical conditioning are for combating alcohol and tobacco abuse, and to teach children to stop bedwetting.
Discrimination
Discrimination
Differences are many and tolerance is decreasing. I am referring to one of the biggest curses that have evolved, largely in our society. It is sectarianism of all forms. Whether it is religion, race or provincial belonging, the differences are obvious.
These differences can cause great hostilities in the society and are quite detrimental for nations. I hate it when people say that I am sunni or shia rather than saying that they are muslims or that I am pathan or mahajir rather than saying that they are Pakistanis. It depletes tolerance among people who start questioning others without analyzing themselves. Moreover, several quotes such as “united we stand, divided we fall support my arguments against sectarianism.
Religious sectarianism is very common in our country. The clashes at hangu between the sunnis and the shias reflect how united we stand in the name of Allah and the holy prohet(peace be upon him).the shameful part is that these people violated the Islamic principles of tolerance taught at Fattah-e-makkah and many other occasions. Moreover there is no one to judge the others behavior. Hence people should focus more on practicing their own forms of religion rather than commenting on others. I think that the perfect model is just to focus on one’s own deeds rather than pointing fingers o others. Such attitude will not only eliminate disputes but also promote brotherhood in the Muslim ummah.
Differences of cast and provincial belonging have led to hatred among the people for many years. Since the creation of Pakistan, we have failed to unite. Fierce clashes among mahajir and pathans were witnessed at the end of 2008. These disputes were simply due to differences in political goals and opinions which could have been easily solved by peace talks. The only solution to remove these differences is to increase the concept of nationalism in the people of Pakistan and promote only a Pakistani culture in the country.
Differences are many and tolerance is decreasing. I am referring to one of the biggest curses that have evolved, largely in our society. It is sectarianism of all forms. Whether it is religion, race or provincial belonging, the differences are obvious.
These differences can cause great hostilities in the society and are quite detrimental for nations. I hate it when people say that I am sunni or shia rather than saying that they are muslims or that I am pathan or mahajir rather than saying that they are Pakistanis. It depletes tolerance among people who start questioning others without analyzing themselves. Moreover, several quotes such as “united we stand, divided we fall support my arguments against sectarianism.
Religious sectarianism is very common in our country. The clashes at hangu between the sunnis and the shias reflect how united we stand in the name of Allah and the holy prohet(peace be upon him).the shameful part is that these people violated the Islamic principles of tolerance taught at Fattah-e-makkah and many other occasions. Moreover there is no one to judge the others behavior. Hence people should focus more on practicing their own forms of religion rather than commenting on others. I think that the perfect model is just to focus on one’s own deeds rather than pointing fingers o others. Such attitude will not only eliminate disputes but also promote brotherhood in the Muslim ummah.
Differences of cast and provincial belonging have led to hatred among the people for many years. Since the creation of Pakistan, we have failed to unite. Fierce clashes among mahajir and pathans were witnessed at the end of 2008. These disputes were simply due to differences in political goals and opinions which could have been easily solved by peace talks. The only solution to remove these differences is to increase the concept of nationalism in the people of Pakistan and promote only a Pakistani culture in the country.
The Origins Of free Masons
The Origins Of free Masons
The origins and early development of Freemasonry are a matter of some debate and conjecture. This history is generally separated into two time periods: before and after the formation of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717. Before this time, the facts and origins of Freemasonry are not absolutely known and are therefore frequently explained by theories or legends. After the formation of the Grand Lodge of England, the history of Freemasonry is extremely well-documented and can be traced through the creation of hundreds of Grand Lodges that spread rapidly worldwide.
associated with the craft guilds
In the year 1099, Pope Urban II of France, declared war on the Muslim Caliphate to capture the land of Jerusalem, which was under Muslim rule since 637. The Dome of the Rock was seized by a group of warrior monks calling themselves the "Knights of the Temple of Solomon" or more simply "The Knights Templers". In Jerusalem the Templers learnt the secret arts of the Kabala, an ancient form of Jewish magic, along with its dark rites and rituals In 1603 King James 5th of Scotland became King of England by virtue of descent. In doing so Scotland and England joined to form a new Kingdom and the power that the Templers held over Scotland spread to give them a firm grip on the whole of Great Britain. In order to preserve their secret order the name "Templers” would have to die and instead the new name they chose for themselves was the "Freemasons"
HOW DO THE FREEMASONS CONTROL YOU The Freemason's recognize that their plan for a global government hinges completely on subjugating the masses to their agenda. The greatest threat to their plan posing more danger than any army or law is the threat of a free-thinking mind. In order to eliminate this threat and to achieve their objective the Masons have set about the boldest plan devised. The complete control of every aspect of human life. YOUR life. And the weapons they are using against you are in your very homes, entertaining you and your children and gradually indoctrinating you without you even realizing. In today's society, people are spending more and more time engaged with modern media, television, cinema, and computer games and the Internet. Popular fiction and popular music are integral part of our lives yet these provide a vast expanse on the information which you are taking either consciously or subconsciously into your mind- information on society ranging from ideals and morals and the difference between right and wrong to the way societies and economies should be structured is passed before you every single day
The origins and early development of Freemasonry are a matter of some debate and conjecture. This history is generally separated into two time periods: before and after the formation of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717. Before this time, the facts and origins of Freemasonry are not absolutely known and are therefore frequently explained by theories or legends. After the formation of the Grand Lodge of England, the history of Freemasonry is extremely well-documented and can be traced through the creation of hundreds of Grand Lodges that spread rapidly worldwide.
associated with the craft guilds
In the year 1099, Pope Urban II of France, declared war on the Muslim Caliphate to capture the land of Jerusalem, which was under Muslim rule since 637. The Dome of the Rock was seized by a group of warrior monks calling themselves the "Knights of the Temple of Solomon" or more simply "The Knights Templers". In Jerusalem the Templers learnt the secret arts of the Kabala, an ancient form of Jewish magic, along with its dark rites and rituals In 1603 King James 5th of Scotland became King of England by virtue of descent. In doing so Scotland and England joined to form a new Kingdom and the power that the Templers held over Scotland spread to give them a firm grip on the whole of Great Britain. In order to preserve their secret order the name "Templers” would have to die and instead the new name they chose for themselves was the "Freemasons"
HOW DO THE FREEMASONS CONTROL YOU The Freemason's recognize that their plan for a global government hinges completely on subjugating the masses to their agenda. The greatest threat to their plan posing more danger than any army or law is the threat of a free-thinking mind. In order to eliminate this threat and to achieve their objective the Masons have set about the boldest plan devised. The complete control of every aspect of human life. YOUR life. And the weapons they are using against you are in your very homes, entertaining you and your children and gradually indoctrinating you without you even realizing. In today's society, people are spending more and more time engaged with modern media, television, cinema, and computer games and the Internet. Popular fiction and popular music are integral part of our lives yet these provide a vast expanse on the information which you are taking either consciously or subconsciously into your mind- information on society ranging from ideals and morals and the difference between right and wrong to the way societies and economies should be structured is passed before you every single day
Narrative essay
Narrative essay
Narrative essays are on the list of basic essays that students have to be familiar with. For some these are the hardest to write, for they require fantasy and writing style. We examined the tips available online and now offer you the basic rules for writing a custom narrative essay. To make these guidelines more valuable, we also share some of our professional essay writing tips that come directly from experience.
1. Writing a Narrative Essay. Getting Started
Definition:
Narrative essay is a story about your experience – imaginary, or real. It can also tell a story of somebody’s life.
General guidelines:
- think of a story you want to write about;- choose the most interesting fact/idea for thesis;- make notes of the parts that are to be the brightest;- make an outline.
Our tips on writing custom narrative essays:
Great idea is to talk to somebody about the story you are to describe. Your interlocutor can have an absolutely different point of view or memory about the fact. His/her perspective can add some interesting details to your essay.
2. Writing a Narrative Essay. Introduction
Definition:
Introduction is an important part of your essay paper as it grabs the reader’s attention.
General guidelines:
- Start with an introductory phrase. It has to be short and catchy. An unexpected point of view is always interesting to get acquainted with.- State the thesis.- Write supporting sentences. Give reasons why the story you are sharing is significant.
Our tips on writing a narrative essay:
Professional writers love the saying: “Don’t tell. Show.” It’s not interesting to read about the garage sale. But it is fascinating to see, feel and experience one. Don’t be greedy on details.
Remember that the reader was not there when the story happened. He is trying to catch up with it while reading. Be polite and thoughtful and don’t get into useless details or get swept away by a story, leaving your reader wondering and wandering.
3. Writing a Narrative Essay. Main Body
Definition:
Your entire story is concentrated in these paragraphs – from three to as many as you wish.
General guidelines:
- A rule familiar to a lot of essay writers is to give one idea per paragraph.- A story has to follow some logical pattern. Chronological is the easiest one.- With every new paragraph underline the significance of experience and the universal truth the story brings to the audience.
Our tips on writing a narrative essay:
Amazing how many people think about the idea, but prefer to avoid thinking about its shape. Your personal writing style is important. It can be philosophical (careful – requires some knowledge), ironical, critical, romantic…. Whatever you choose, it has to be you from top to bottom. Writing style is like an autograph. Work on it.
4. Writing a Narrative Essay. Conclusion
Definition:
Conclusion is as important as introduction, for it leaves the aftertaste.
General guidelines:
- You can summarize.- If you don’t like summarizing, or it doesn’t fit the style of the story, wrap up with a rhetorical question or plans for future.
Our tips on writing a narrative essays:
Give your readers an idea. Think about the main message of the story and remind it. One of the purposes of a custom narrative essay is analytical thinking. Leave your readers with a feeling that they need to sit back and think about the problems you bring up. Leave them a good aftertaste.
Narrative essays are on the list of basic essays that students have to be familiar with. For some these are the hardest to write, for they require fantasy and writing style. We examined the tips available online and now offer you the basic rules for writing a custom narrative essay. To make these guidelines more valuable, we also share some of our professional essay writing tips that come directly from experience.
1. Writing a Narrative Essay. Getting Started
Definition:
Narrative essay is a story about your experience – imaginary, or real. It can also tell a story of somebody’s life.
General guidelines:
- think of a story you want to write about;- choose the most interesting fact/idea for thesis;- make notes of the parts that are to be the brightest;- make an outline.
Our tips on writing custom narrative essays:
Great idea is to talk to somebody about the story you are to describe. Your interlocutor can have an absolutely different point of view or memory about the fact. His/her perspective can add some interesting details to your essay.
2. Writing a Narrative Essay. Introduction
Definition:
Introduction is an important part of your essay paper as it grabs the reader’s attention.
General guidelines:
- Start with an introductory phrase. It has to be short and catchy. An unexpected point of view is always interesting to get acquainted with.- State the thesis.- Write supporting sentences. Give reasons why the story you are sharing is significant.
Our tips on writing a narrative essay:
Professional writers love the saying: “Don’t tell. Show.” It’s not interesting to read about the garage sale. But it is fascinating to see, feel and experience one. Don’t be greedy on details.
Remember that the reader was not there when the story happened. He is trying to catch up with it while reading. Be polite and thoughtful and don’t get into useless details or get swept away by a story, leaving your reader wondering and wandering.
3. Writing a Narrative Essay. Main Body
Definition:
Your entire story is concentrated in these paragraphs – from three to as many as you wish.
General guidelines:
- A rule familiar to a lot of essay writers is to give one idea per paragraph.- A story has to follow some logical pattern. Chronological is the easiest one.- With every new paragraph underline the significance of experience and the universal truth the story brings to the audience.
Our tips on writing a narrative essay:
Amazing how many people think about the idea, but prefer to avoid thinking about its shape. Your personal writing style is important. It can be philosophical (careful – requires some knowledge), ironical, critical, romantic…. Whatever you choose, it has to be you from top to bottom. Writing style is like an autograph. Work on it.
4. Writing a Narrative Essay. Conclusion
Definition:
Conclusion is as important as introduction, for it leaves the aftertaste.
General guidelines:
- You can summarize.- If you don’t like summarizing, or it doesn’t fit the style of the story, wrap up with a rhetorical question or plans for future.
Our tips on writing a narrative essays:
Give your readers an idea. Think about the main message of the story and remind it. One of the purposes of a custom narrative essay is analytical thinking. Leave your readers with a feeling that they need to sit back and think about the problems you bring up. Leave them a good aftertaste.
THE ORDEAL
THE ORDEAL
5th March, 2007- Finally I came of age. My 18th birthday was the most awaited moment of my life and I was really excited at the prospect of getting the freedom at last. Freedom to having a bank account, freedom to vote, freedom to drive and the list goes on. The only thing associated with the 18th birthday that we Pakistanis hate the most is the visit to National Databases and Registration Authority (NADRA) to get our National Identity Cards (NICs).
As soon as I turned 18, I accompanied my Dad to the NADRA office at the Awami markaz, Shara-e-Faisal, with all the necessary documents. It was an ideal spring day, a light blue sky, flecked with little fleecy white clouds drifting across from west to east and a bright sun shining in between. We reached the office at around 8:30 AM and were greeted by an unexpected view. A long queue of around a hundred people had already assembled outside the closed office. Begrudgingly I joined the long queue while my Dad took a rather moth-eaten bench. The counter opened at 9:15 AM, exactly fifteen minutes after the official opening time and eventually the people in front of me started moving at a snail’s pace.
After four hours of enduring the scorching heat I still had ten people between me and the counter. Even my father would not have recognized me had he not been there. My hair were all messed up, my brand new shirt now carried stains of crow’s dirt on it, my feet were swollen and I had more of other’s sweat on me than my own. To add to the agony Karachi Electric Supply Company played its due role and as soon as I reached the counter there was a power breakdown. I cursed my fate and went to inquire the guard as to how much time will it take. Puny wisp of a man, with a shaven head and vague liquid eyes, he had a thick, sprouting moustache, absurdly too big for his body. He told me that there was a technical fault which would only be removed when the KESC personnel come and sort it out. I wondered why such an important Government office did not have a stand by generation. At least it would save people like us from such mental torments.
We were advised to come the next day as there was no probability of electricity restoring that day. Next day we tried to be there even earlier but still had to cross a dozen or so people who I think had woke up with the sun to be the first to reach NADRA office and avoid the long queue. Finally I got the ticket and soon my number came. I was in such a bad temper due to the whole experience of two days that when the photographer taking pictures for NICs asked me to smile I was unable to even force a fake one. This is the reason I never show my NIC to anyone. The picture in it is so horrible that it reflects all the physical and mental torments I went through in the process. Any ways I provided them with all my documents and information and ordered an urgent NIC which they said I will get in 10-12 working days.
Therefore I went to the office after a fortnight, keeping in mind the strikes and Sundays. Even then I was returned without my NIC as it was still in Islamabad held for further verifications. After another week or so I finally got my NIC and the first thing I did was that I checked the validity date and sighed with relief. “Ha! At least 12 more years before I will visit this place again.”
5th March, 2007- Finally I came of age. My 18th birthday was the most awaited moment of my life and I was really excited at the prospect of getting the freedom at last. Freedom to having a bank account, freedom to vote, freedom to drive and the list goes on. The only thing associated with the 18th birthday that we Pakistanis hate the most is the visit to National Databases and Registration Authority (NADRA) to get our National Identity Cards (NICs).
As soon as I turned 18, I accompanied my Dad to the NADRA office at the Awami markaz, Shara-e-Faisal, with all the necessary documents. It was an ideal spring day, a light blue sky, flecked with little fleecy white clouds drifting across from west to east and a bright sun shining in between. We reached the office at around 8:30 AM and were greeted by an unexpected view. A long queue of around a hundred people had already assembled outside the closed office. Begrudgingly I joined the long queue while my Dad took a rather moth-eaten bench. The counter opened at 9:15 AM, exactly fifteen minutes after the official opening time and eventually the people in front of me started moving at a snail’s pace.
After four hours of enduring the scorching heat I still had ten people between me and the counter. Even my father would not have recognized me had he not been there. My hair were all messed up, my brand new shirt now carried stains of crow’s dirt on it, my feet were swollen and I had more of other’s sweat on me than my own. To add to the agony Karachi Electric Supply Company played its due role and as soon as I reached the counter there was a power breakdown. I cursed my fate and went to inquire the guard as to how much time will it take. Puny wisp of a man, with a shaven head and vague liquid eyes, he had a thick, sprouting moustache, absurdly too big for his body. He told me that there was a technical fault which would only be removed when the KESC personnel come and sort it out. I wondered why such an important Government office did not have a stand by generation. At least it would save people like us from such mental torments.
We were advised to come the next day as there was no probability of electricity restoring that day. Next day we tried to be there even earlier but still had to cross a dozen or so people who I think had woke up with the sun to be the first to reach NADRA office and avoid the long queue. Finally I got the ticket and soon my number came. I was in such a bad temper due to the whole experience of two days that when the photographer taking pictures for NICs asked me to smile I was unable to even force a fake one. This is the reason I never show my NIC to anyone. The picture in it is so horrible that it reflects all the physical and mental torments I went through in the process. Any ways I provided them with all my documents and information and ordered an urgent NIC which they said I will get in 10-12 working days.
Therefore I went to the office after a fortnight, keeping in mind the strikes and Sundays. Even then I was returned without my NIC as it was still in Islamabad held for further verifications. After another week or so I finally got my NIC and the first thing I did was that I checked the validity date and sighed with relief. “Ha! At least 12 more years before I will visit this place again.”
“WILL A SCHOOL UNIFORM POLICY (IN UNIVERSITIES) HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON STUDENT ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR?”
“WILL A SCHOOL UNIFORM POLICY (IN UNIVERSITIES) HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON STUDENT ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR?”
School uniform is an issue which has caused a lot of debate in the last few years. Many students feel they lose their identity when everyone is required to wear the same clothes to schools. Others feel a school uniform makes students equal. Many teachers and school administrators are looking to a school uniform or a uniform dress code as a means for instilling a feeling of discipline in the classes as well as an atmosphere of learning. However, in my opinion wearing of uniform should only be restricted to schools and colleges. Implementation of a school uniform policy at the university level will neither have any positive effect on the student attitude and behavior nor will it help increase school spirit and minimize the discipline problems.
In a study called "The Effects of Student Uniforms on Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Use, and Academic Achievement," two University of Notre Dame sociologists concluded that uniforms did not affect discipline and such. David L. Brunsma and Kerry A. Rockquemore wrote in the late 1990s, and revised in 2004, that "student uniforms have no direct effect on substance use, behavioral problems or attendance."Recalling his own university life back in the 70’s, Mr. Abdul Waheed Akhund, now a retired Telecom Engineer, says, “There was no such uniform policy in our times and we had complete freedom to choose what we wear.” Even today almost 85% of the local and foreign universities do not force their students into wearing uniform since they know that this will lead to nothing but resentment.
One thing that a college student looks forward to when he is about to pass out from the college phase is the fact that on joining some university he will at least get rid of wearing the uniform which he so begrudgingly did in his school and college. Thus implementing a school uniform policy at the undergraduate or postgraduate level, instead of having a positive effect, will have a negative effect on the student’s attitude and behavior. It will take away a student’s individuality, his ability to make choices, his right to free expression of his own self and it also stops the student from feeling unique and special.
Most of the supporters of the uniform policy have a viewpoint that this policy helps maintain uniformity and equality among the students thus reducing the chances of any superiority or inferiority complexes and finishing the difference of rich and poor. The viewpoint can be deemed as acceptable at the school and college level since at these levels the minds of the students are a bit immature and thus prone to such complexes but at the university level everyone is grown enough to accept the differences that exist within the society and have learnt to live with them. Secondly it is believed that uniform policy increases attendance and academic achievement. Several studies, surveys and researches contradict this viewpoint stating that uniforms have no direct bearing on academic achievement. Last but not the least some people, especially the parents of our society, believe that students forget the moral and ethical codes when they dress casually and that a particular uniform will help maintain modesty while dressing. For this I would just like to say that instead of restricting the students to uniform policy the university authorities should introduce a proper dress code that abides by our cultural, moral and religious values.
Thus in my opinion a school uniform policy at the university level is not at all the solution to the disciplinary and attitude problems among the students. In fact it creates frustration, agitation and further problems among the students. It inhibits individuality and a student’s freedom of choice and, therefore, should be restricted only to the schools and colleges.
School uniform is an issue which has caused a lot of debate in the last few years. Many students feel they lose their identity when everyone is required to wear the same clothes to schools. Others feel a school uniform makes students equal. Many teachers and school administrators are looking to a school uniform or a uniform dress code as a means for instilling a feeling of discipline in the classes as well as an atmosphere of learning. However, in my opinion wearing of uniform should only be restricted to schools and colleges. Implementation of a school uniform policy at the university level will neither have any positive effect on the student attitude and behavior nor will it help increase school spirit and minimize the discipline problems.
In a study called "The Effects of Student Uniforms on Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Use, and Academic Achievement," two University of Notre Dame sociologists concluded that uniforms did not affect discipline and such. David L. Brunsma and Kerry A. Rockquemore wrote in the late 1990s, and revised in 2004, that "student uniforms have no direct effect on substance use, behavioral problems or attendance."Recalling his own university life back in the 70’s, Mr. Abdul Waheed Akhund, now a retired Telecom Engineer, says, “There was no such uniform policy in our times and we had complete freedom to choose what we wear.” Even today almost 85% of the local and foreign universities do not force their students into wearing uniform since they know that this will lead to nothing but resentment.
One thing that a college student looks forward to when he is about to pass out from the college phase is the fact that on joining some university he will at least get rid of wearing the uniform which he so begrudgingly did in his school and college. Thus implementing a school uniform policy at the undergraduate or postgraduate level, instead of having a positive effect, will have a negative effect on the student’s attitude and behavior. It will take away a student’s individuality, his ability to make choices, his right to free expression of his own self and it also stops the student from feeling unique and special.
Most of the supporters of the uniform policy have a viewpoint that this policy helps maintain uniformity and equality among the students thus reducing the chances of any superiority or inferiority complexes and finishing the difference of rich and poor. The viewpoint can be deemed as acceptable at the school and college level since at these levels the minds of the students are a bit immature and thus prone to such complexes but at the university level everyone is grown enough to accept the differences that exist within the society and have learnt to live with them. Secondly it is believed that uniform policy increases attendance and academic achievement. Several studies, surveys and researches contradict this viewpoint stating that uniforms have no direct bearing on academic achievement. Last but not the least some people, especially the parents of our society, believe that students forget the moral and ethical codes when they dress casually and that a particular uniform will help maintain modesty while dressing. For this I would just like to say that instead of restricting the students to uniform policy the university authorities should introduce a proper dress code that abides by our cultural, moral and religious values.
Thus in my opinion a school uniform policy at the university level is not at all the solution to the disciplinary and attitude problems among the students. In fact it creates frustration, agitation and further problems among the students. It inhibits individuality and a student’s freedom of choice and, therefore, should be restricted only to the schools and colleges.
Dowry Claims & Bride-Price-Justified or Not?
Dowry Claims & Bride-Price-Justified or Not?
“13 year old daughter sold to a 35 year old man”…..... “Young housewife burnt alive for dowry....... “Woman ends life due to dowry harassment”. Every morning our newspapers are full of such heart-rending and tragic incidents. Such cases are either hushed up by the in-laws by suborning the witnesses and authorities or in other cases not even pursued by the parents of the victim. As a result, most of the times, such incidents remain uninvestigated by the police who then record the death as “A Cooking-Stove” accident, having been assisted towards this conclusion with “a wad of rupees”. But the main issue over here is not the corruption of the officials in fact it is the system and the practices leading to such mishaps that need to be examined and the illegal systems and practices abolished. As far as my opinion is concerned both the dowry system and the bride price system as practiced in our society and culture are illegal, absurd and completely unjustified.
Now practiced primarily in Asian cultures, the dowry system originates from the ancient Greece, Rome, India and Medieval Europe. Bestowing dowry, then, involved the transfer of wealth in the form of money and/or property from the bride’s parents to the bride and its sole purpose was to provide a degree of financial autonomy to a bride who, otherwise, had no right to property at all. Today, however, people have changed both the meaning of dowry payment as well as its purpose. These days it simply means the transfer of wealth from the bride’s parents to the groom and his family, moulding marriage into a commercial transaction where a groom and his family instead of searching for a suitable life partner seek the status of the probable candidate so as to ensure a healthy dowry. This puts a lot of pressure on the middle and the lower classes who are either forced to give away all their savings or to take loans with heavy interests on them in order to meet the demands of the groom’s family. Increasingly inflated dowry payments are sometimes six times the bride’s family’s annual income. Thus most of the middle and lower class families find it extremely difficult to get their daughters married. The greed of dowry has reached to such an extent in our society that the brides bringing less dowry with them are tortured, humiliated, harassed and even killed by their husbands and in-laws. This sort of exploitation is strictly prohibited in Islam. In fact Islam has given women an edge over their husbands in so far as it obliges the bridegroom to pay meher(Its a gift as well as the amount of money that has to be given to the bride in case of a divorce. It can be a small amount or a large amount, depending on the financial situation of the groom) and maintain wife in a decent way. Still dowry practice is a common phenomenon of our society where Muslims dwell in majority.
Another evil that haunts our society is the bride-price system. Bride-price is basically an amount of money demanded from the bridegroom or his family by the bride or her family, usually bride’s father, without which the daughter will not be given in marriage. It was a common practice in the pre-Islamic era of the pagans who treated women as articles of trade. However, with the emergence of Islam such senseless and ridiculous practices got abolished and banned and instead haq-meher was introduced which is paid by the husband to the wife at the time of nikkah (marriage) as a form of security in case of the dissolution of marriage. In spite of that, in Pakistan, especially in the tribal areas, people are still practicing the bride-price system thus transforming the marriage agreement into a transaction of a commodity, i.e. the bride. Girls as young as ten, who do not even understand the responsibilities of a married life, are given in marriage to men as old as fifty. The poor class sells their young daughters due to extreme poverty but they do not perceive the perils that she will have to face after her marriage. Such men, who pay the bride-price to get married, consider it a right of ownership thus treating their wives according to their will. A married woman or girl can not even protest against the cruelties or ask for dissolution as this will mean risking additional violence at the hands of her natal family, whose worries about paying back the bride-price can take precedence over any concerns about the health and welfare of the daughter.
Eradication of such evils can never be achieved with the blink of an eye. But with time and consistent efforts we can free our society from both the dowry system and the bride-price system. The first and foremost step should be to pass legislations in the parliament against both practices. This, however, will not at all be a conclusive solution and there will be a need for the provision of adequate resources for law enforcement and support services in order to curb the practices. Secondly large scale awareness programs will also help in reducing both the crimes from our society.
Since Islam has granted women equal status to that of men and also grants her right to property, we as a Muslim country should not indulge in these absurd customs and traditions which are an imitation of the ancient Hindu culture in which daughters were not given any share in the family property, but were given payments, part of which might be In the form of household goods, as a measure of compensation. We should only follow what our Holy Prophet (PBUH) taught us and what is mentioned in the Holy Quran and refrain from practices that transform marriage into a mere transaction and thus depriving it of its real meaning and purpose.
“13 year old daughter sold to a 35 year old man”…..... “Young housewife burnt alive for dowry....... “Woman ends life due to dowry harassment”. Every morning our newspapers are full of such heart-rending and tragic incidents. Such cases are either hushed up by the in-laws by suborning the witnesses and authorities or in other cases not even pursued by the parents of the victim. As a result, most of the times, such incidents remain uninvestigated by the police who then record the death as “A Cooking-Stove” accident, having been assisted towards this conclusion with “a wad of rupees”. But the main issue over here is not the corruption of the officials in fact it is the system and the practices leading to such mishaps that need to be examined and the illegal systems and practices abolished. As far as my opinion is concerned both the dowry system and the bride price system as practiced in our society and culture are illegal, absurd and completely unjustified.
Now practiced primarily in Asian cultures, the dowry system originates from the ancient Greece, Rome, India and Medieval Europe. Bestowing dowry, then, involved the transfer of wealth in the form of money and/or property from the bride’s parents to the bride and its sole purpose was to provide a degree of financial autonomy to a bride who, otherwise, had no right to property at all. Today, however, people have changed both the meaning of dowry payment as well as its purpose. These days it simply means the transfer of wealth from the bride’s parents to the groom and his family, moulding marriage into a commercial transaction where a groom and his family instead of searching for a suitable life partner seek the status of the probable candidate so as to ensure a healthy dowry. This puts a lot of pressure on the middle and the lower classes who are either forced to give away all their savings or to take loans with heavy interests on them in order to meet the demands of the groom’s family. Increasingly inflated dowry payments are sometimes six times the bride’s family’s annual income. Thus most of the middle and lower class families find it extremely difficult to get their daughters married. The greed of dowry has reached to such an extent in our society that the brides bringing less dowry with them are tortured, humiliated, harassed and even killed by their husbands and in-laws. This sort of exploitation is strictly prohibited in Islam. In fact Islam has given women an edge over their husbands in so far as it obliges the bridegroom to pay meher(Its a gift as well as the amount of money that has to be given to the bride in case of a divorce. It can be a small amount or a large amount, depending on the financial situation of the groom) and maintain wife in a decent way. Still dowry practice is a common phenomenon of our society where Muslims dwell in majority.
Another evil that haunts our society is the bride-price system. Bride-price is basically an amount of money demanded from the bridegroom or his family by the bride or her family, usually bride’s father, without which the daughter will not be given in marriage. It was a common practice in the pre-Islamic era of the pagans who treated women as articles of trade. However, with the emergence of Islam such senseless and ridiculous practices got abolished and banned and instead haq-meher was introduced which is paid by the husband to the wife at the time of nikkah (marriage) as a form of security in case of the dissolution of marriage. In spite of that, in Pakistan, especially in the tribal areas, people are still practicing the bride-price system thus transforming the marriage agreement into a transaction of a commodity, i.e. the bride. Girls as young as ten, who do not even understand the responsibilities of a married life, are given in marriage to men as old as fifty. The poor class sells their young daughters due to extreme poverty but they do not perceive the perils that she will have to face after her marriage. Such men, who pay the bride-price to get married, consider it a right of ownership thus treating their wives according to their will. A married woman or girl can not even protest against the cruelties or ask for dissolution as this will mean risking additional violence at the hands of her natal family, whose worries about paying back the bride-price can take precedence over any concerns about the health and welfare of the daughter.
Eradication of such evils can never be achieved with the blink of an eye. But with time and consistent efforts we can free our society from both the dowry system and the bride-price system. The first and foremost step should be to pass legislations in the parliament against both practices. This, however, will not at all be a conclusive solution and there will be a need for the provision of adequate resources for law enforcement and support services in order to curb the practices. Secondly large scale awareness programs will also help in reducing both the crimes from our society.
Since Islam has granted women equal status to that of men and also grants her right to property, we as a Muslim country should not indulge in these absurd customs and traditions which are an imitation of the ancient Hindu culture in which daughters were not given any share in the family property, but were given payments, part of which might be In the form of household goods, as a measure of compensation. We should only follow what our Holy Prophet (PBUH) taught us and what is mentioned in the Holy Quran and refrain from practices that transform marriage into a mere transaction and thus depriving it of its real meaning and purpose.
How to Think Positive
How to Think Positive
Build Good Habits. The key to success in any activity is to develop effective skills.
Athletes develop athletic skills; musicians develop musical skills; managers develop managing skills; learners need to develop learning skills. Developing skills means building good habits.Develop the Habit of Mental Self-management. Mental self-management or metacognition is the art of planning, monitoring and evaluating the learning process. To be good at metacognition means you have to know the options. Here are the major choices. Identify your best learning styles - visual, verbal, kinesthetic, deductive or inductive. Monitor and improve your learning skills - reading, writing, listening, time-management, note-taking, problem-solving. Use different learning environments - lecture, lab, discussion, study groups, study partner. Try to complete the learning cycle - For most courses, the learning cycle goes like this:
Memorize new information, rules and concepts - often tedious and boring.
Assimilate and organize this information - often hard, but interesting.
Use this information to analyze, synthesize and problem-solve - often difficult, but satisfying.
Incorporate this information into evaluations, judgments and predictions - often powerful and exhilarating.
Many students never get past the first step. They never experience the joy of learning.Develop the Habit of Positive Thinking. Use it for increasing confidence and self-esteem. Use it for setting goals and enjoying learning. Use it for taking charge of your own education. See Section 2 for more ideas.Develop the Habit of Hierarchical Thinking. Use it for setting priorities and for time management. Use it for summarizing ideas and for organizing information. See Section 10 on organizing information.Develop the Habit of Creative and Critical Thinking. Use it for making decisions and solving problems. Use it for synthesizing and creating new associations. See Sections 20 and 21.Develop the Habit of Asking Questions. Use it for identifying main ideas and supporting evidence. Use it for generating interest and motivation. Use it for focusing concentration and improving memory. See Section 6 on asking questions.10 Steps for Building New Habits
Select a new habit or technique you want to develop, like one found in this book.
Convince yourself it's important.
Make it fairly easy to do.
Write out a schedule for working on it.
Practice using the technique, keep track of progress.
Reward yourself after each practice period.
Use your habits as often as possible, both in simple and in new situations.
Use a coach, teacher, tutor, group or friend.
Identify internal blocks, e.g., lack of time, poor self-esteem, procrastination, poor techniques, lack of success, lack of confidence, stress, poor organization, poor reading and math skills. Seek help if necessary
Build Good Habits. The key to success in any activity is to develop effective skills.
Athletes develop athletic skills; musicians develop musical skills; managers develop managing skills; learners need to develop learning skills. Developing skills means building good habits.Develop the Habit of Mental Self-management. Mental self-management or metacognition is the art of planning, monitoring and evaluating the learning process. To be good at metacognition means you have to know the options. Here are the major choices. Identify your best learning styles - visual, verbal, kinesthetic, deductive or inductive. Monitor and improve your learning skills - reading, writing, listening, time-management, note-taking, problem-solving. Use different learning environments - lecture, lab, discussion, study groups, study partner. Try to complete the learning cycle - For most courses, the learning cycle goes like this:
Memorize new information, rules and concepts - often tedious and boring.
Assimilate and organize this information - often hard, but interesting.
Use this information to analyze, synthesize and problem-solve - often difficult, but satisfying.
Incorporate this information into evaluations, judgments and predictions - often powerful and exhilarating.
Many students never get past the first step. They never experience the joy of learning.Develop the Habit of Positive Thinking. Use it for increasing confidence and self-esteem. Use it for setting goals and enjoying learning. Use it for taking charge of your own education. See Section 2 for more ideas.Develop the Habit of Hierarchical Thinking. Use it for setting priorities and for time management. Use it for summarizing ideas and for organizing information. See Section 10 on organizing information.Develop the Habit of Creative and Critical Thinking. Use it for making decisions and solving problems. Use it for synthesizing and creating new associations. See Sections 20 and 21.Develop the Habit of Asking Questions. Use it for identifying main ideas and supporting evidence. Use it for generating interest and motivation. Use it for focusing concentration and improving memory. See Section 6 on asking questions.10 Steps for Building New Habits
Select a new habit or technique you want to develop, like one found in this book.
Convince yourself it's important.
Make it fairly easy to do.
Write out a schedule for working on it.
Practice using the technique, keep track of progress.
Reward yourself after each practice period.
Use your habits as often as possible, both in simple and in new situations.
Use a coach, teacher, tutor, group or friend.
Identify internal blocks, e.g., lack of time, poor self-esteem, procrastination, poor techniques, lack of success, lack of confidence, stress, poor organization, poor reading and math skills. Seek help if necessary
The Power of Positive Thinking
The Power of Positive ThinkingWhy Think Positively? All of our feelings, beliefs and knowledge are based on our internal thoughts, both conscious and subconscious. We are in control, whether we know it or not.
Aim high and do your best.
We can be positive or negative, enthusiastic or dull, active or passive. The biggest difference between people is their attitudes. For some, learning is enjoyable and exciting. For others, learning is a drudgery. For many, learning is just okay, something required on the road to a job.
"Most folks are about as happy as theymake up their minds to be." Abraham Lincoln
Our present attitudes are habits, built from the feedback of parents, friends, society and self, that form our self-image and our world-image. These attitudes are maintained by the inner conversations we constantly have with ourselves, both consciously and subconsciously. The first step in changing our attitudes is to change our inner conversations.What Should We Be Saying? One approach is called the three C's: Commitment, Control and Challenge. CommitmentMake a positive commitment to yourself, to learning, work, family, friends, nature, and other worthwhile causes. Praise yourself and others. Dream of success. Be enthusiastic. ControlKeep your mind focused on important things. Set goals and priorities for what you think and do. Visualize to practice your actions. Develop a strategy for dealing with problems. Learn to relax. Enjoy successes. Be honest with yourself. ChallengeBe courageous. Change and improve each day. Do your best and don't look back. See learning and change as opportunities. Try new things.
Consider several options. Meet new people. Ask lots of questions. Keep track of your mental and physical health. Be optimistic. Studies show that people with these characteristics are winners in good times and survivors in hard times. Research shows that,"... people who begin consciously to modify their inner conversations and assumptions report an almost immediate improvement in their performance. Their energy increases and things seem to go better ..." Commitment, control and challenge help build self-esteem and promote positive thinking. Here are some other suggestions.7 Suggestions for Building Positive Attitudes:
1,In every class, look for positive people to associate with.
2,In every lecture, look for one more interesting idea.
3,n every chapter, find one more concept important to you.
4,With every friend, explain a new idea you've just learned.
5,With every teacher, ask a question.
6,With yourself, keep a list of your goals, positive thoughts and actions.
7,Remember, you are what you think, you feel what you want.
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