Characteristics of a Capitalist Society

Characteristics of a Capitalist Society Title: What social, economic or cultural characteristics define a society as capitalist? Which characteristics have held constant, and which been transformed, in the period since the late 18th century? According to sources, it was William Makepeace Thackeray who initially applied the notion of ‘capitalism’ in 1854 to define the ownership of capital. Throughout the history, the term capitalism has been closely associated with other related notions, including: market capitalism, laissez-faire (pure capitalism), economic liberalism, private enterprise etc[1]. Capitalism transformed feudalism in the Western world, namely Britain, from where it had flourished throughout Europe predetermining economic, cultural and political developments of the then society. Later, over the 19th and 20th centuries, capitalism formed the grounds of industrialization[2]. Nevertheless, namely the eighteenth century became crucial in the foundation of capitalism concept after the first economic school was established in Britain. The school has produced much of the fundamental thought in the field of classical political economy supported by the invaluable contributions of David Ricardo, Adam Smit h, John Stuart Mill, and Jean-Baptiste Say et al who thoroughly researched various ways goods were produced, distributed and exchanged under market conditions. Namely, those classical thoughts have set the foundations of the contemporary perception of capitalism[3]. During the 18th century the concept of capitalism was much commercialized and dominated by merchants. Consequently, by the end of 18th century, mercantilism was in dire straits since mercantile activity could not longer provide sufficient resources to maintain military expenditures of those states that depended on commerce. The subsequent industrial revolution was another driving force that had intensified the crisis since the new industrializing countries were questioning the true value of mercantilist practices. In the course of the industrial revolution, merchants were replaced by industrialists to dominate the capitalist system and diminish the roles of conventional handicraft labourers, including guilds, artisans and journeymen. Other effects involved the advancement of bourgeoisie as a dominant social class as well as immense mechanization of agriculture. Being the center of the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century, Great Britain made a considerable influence on the ne w perception of traditional mercantilist doctrines through the works of economic theorists who claimed that the global wealth was constant and only states were able to increase their own wealth at the account of other (weaker) states. According to Marx, since the last third of the 18th century industrial capitalism should be associated with the following factors: (1) development of the factory system wherein manufacturing was based on the complex division and exploitation of labor within work processes; (2) routine designation of work duties; and (3) the overall dominance of the capitalist mode of production[4]. In the mid-18th century, French physiocrat David Hume much contributed to the promotion of free trade as well as the concept of land as the main source of wealth. Later on, in 1759 Franà §ois Quesnay outlined further features of capitalism in his Tableau Économique, wherein he provided the first ever analytical description of the economy, having predetermined the grounds for the economic theory forwarded by physiocrats. These critical views were strongly supported by Anne Robert Jacques Turgot who advocated free trade in contrast to customs duties and tariff. More precisely, Richard Cantillon featured the notion of long-run equilibrium being the balance of income flows, pointed out the dependence between land and prices, and the impact supply and demand had on short-term prices[5]. 1776 marked the appearance of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations wherein the economist defended his standpoint regarding natural liberty system and fiercely opposed mercantilism. At this point, according to economic theorists, the roots of classical political economy were put down. Specifically, the economist forwarded a couple of capitalism-related concepts that are of great theoretical and empirical importance today. For instance, Smith’s ‘invisible hand’ theory of the market indicates that individual interest is a core prerequisite of collective social good (wealth). While forwarding his liberal economic concepts favoring free markets, Smith was vehemently opposed by the sentiments of then domineering mercantilist society[6]. In particular, Smith severely criticized all forms of state intervention in the economy, as well as restrictions imposed by a state including duties and tariffs, and monopolies, on the other hand. At that he held a strong view that market alone was able to fairly redistribute all the available resources. More than that, Smith advocated retaliatory tariffs as indispensable part of free trade, wherein patents and copyrights encouraged innovation[7]. In a while, Smith’s views were supported by David Ricardo the author of the economic law of comparative advantage forwarded in 1817 in The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, explaining mutual benefits of trade between the parties, regardless all possible economic differences between them. Thus, the notion of free trade was proven. Guided by the Say’s Law, Ricardo emphasized on the significance of full employment enabling a competitive economy with normal equilibrium[8]. Furthermore, Ricardo advocated strong interrelation between the changes in credit and monetary quantities and inflation, and emphasized on the diminishing returns highlighting the interdependence of additional inputs and outputs[9]. Following Smith’s ideas, Karl Marx clearly differentiated the use and exchange value of commodities in the market. Hence, Marx perceived capital as the value created through the purchase of commodities in order to create new commodities which exchange value would exceed the amount of initial purchases. Moreover, Marx considered the use of labor force featured by certain exchange value (i.e. wage) as a sufficient commodity in the capitalist society. Though, according to Marx, the value of labour force has always been less compared to the value potentially gained by the capitalist out of its use. Such principle difference, as Marx argues, creates surplus value extracted and accumulated in the capitalist society. Marx’s fundamental work is named Capital, where he clearly distinguished the capitalist mode of production. Precisely, to provide a relevant evidence Marx explained how the surplus was extracted by the capital owners from workers through the sale-value of produced commodities[10]. In due respect, Marx claimed that namely surplus value extraction laid the grounds for a struggle between the classes. Thus, Marx considered labour as the primary source of profit. In addition to this, Marx held a strong opinion regarding an exploited labor as the driving force that could revolutionize socialist-style economies. Herewith, the analysis of Marxian thinking assumes that centrally-planned economies mainly established in the former communist societies to a great extent reflected the features of state capitalism through the exploitation of labor force. Subsequently, in 1916 Vladimir Lenin transformed the notion of Marxian capitalism into imperialism claiming monopoly capitalism as the highest stage of capitalism society in his Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism[11]. The German Historical School provided fresh insight into the perception of capitalism as the efficient system that supplied markets with production. In such a way, this approach highlighted the core difference between capitalism and previous modes of economic activity since capitalism assumed principal shift from medieval restrictions imposed on money and credit to the monetary economy emphasizing on the profit. Another prominent thinker that influenced the understanding of distinguishing characteristics of capitalism in the 19th century was Max Weber, German social theorist. Weber mainly concentrated on market exchange conversely to production, as the main distinguishing characteristic of capitalism. At that, he pointed out that within the capitalist mode enterprises focused on the rationalization of production by maximizing productivity and efficiency[12]. In his fundamental work 1904-1905 The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Weber traced the way capitalism transforme d previous economic systems. For this purpose, the theorist highlighted the ‘spirit of capitalism’ particular to Puritan comprehension of human laboring. Weber deemed that a devotion to God helped the Puritans to lay the foundations of the then economic mode. Compared to Marx, Weber regarded capitalism in a broader perspective rather than merely a result caused by the alterations in the means of production[13]. Therefore, capitalism, from Weber’s viewpoint, was the advanced economic system that had ever been developed throughout human evolution. In particular, Weber identified the following distinguishing characteristics particular to capitalism: public credit, corporate business, and expansion of bureaucracy. Being opposed to socialist remarks against capitalism, Weber himself criticized the very economic system as one that posed threat to the conventional cultural values shared by the society as well as the one that constrained human freedom. Namely, Weber much criticized ‘spiritless specialists’ and ‘heartless hedonists’ who had nothing in common with the genuine Puritan spirit particular to capitalism[14]. During 1930-s, John Maynard Keynes had a tremendous influence on the notion of capitalism and the role of monetary policy. The British economist emphasized on the important functions of monetary policy within economic policy. In his The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money 1937 he argued that capitalism was not able to fully recover from the slowdowns in investment. At that, Keynes claimed that the economic mode particular to the capitalist society could sustain its indefinite equilibrium even in spite of high unemployment. At that, during the 1930s Keynesian approach to economics assumed that laissez-faire capitalist economics was self-sufficient and did not need any intervention from a state to cut down unemployment or boost aggregate demand. Furthermore, Keynes suggested ‘pump-priming’ approach to save the economy from recession in the period of economic down-turn, which involved increase in government borrowing and spending as well as cutting-down taxes. In such a way, Keynes put forward his idea of cutting real wages through the system of their control from the state and deterring from holding money during inflation[15]. This indicates that Keynes much favored state regulation as an effective tool to eliminate economic slowdown. Actually, Keynesian policies enabled the capitalism recovery afterwards the state of the Great Depression[16]. The contemporary academic research on the concept of capitalism is largely grounded on neoclassical economics and the relevant approaches developed by the Chicago School. The modern perception of capitalism therefore favors neutral government regulation and coordination of markets with the focus being placed on property rights’ maintenance; deregulation of labor markets; promotion of corporate governance by private owners; development of transparent financial systems with capital market-based financing in their core. According to Milton Friedman, active follower of Adam Smith’s thinking, under the conditions of free competition social responsibility makes up an indispensable part of any business activity and profit-making. In such a way, Friedman shows how self-interest can benefit the entire society in the modern economic conditions[17]. The major distinctive features of capitalist society were pointed out throughout the 20th century while experts compared and contrasted due system with the centrally planned economic system. In due respect, capitalism has always enabled consumers with free choice, while producers were able to satisfy a consumer demand. By contrast, in the planned economies the production was entirely controlled and directed by a hierarchically-led state policy. Thus, capitalism alone has achieved sufficient delivery of goods and services through the privatization of previously state-owned means of production and infrastructural objects. In addition to this, the notion of capitalism is closely associated with the abolishment of subsidies and free trade wherein capitalist society is prone to perform both rational and irrational actions that are often unpredictable. Namely the last quarter of the 20th century clearly indicated the increasing ability of people and capital to mobilize. Globalization alone has opened a new avenue for the development of both capitalist and non-capitalist models. Today, capitalism is regarded by many as world system featured by all the peculiarities of capitalist trade. Analysts state that such perception of capitalism dates back to the early 20th century imperialism. Following the same fashion, imperialistic policies emphasized on the promotion of capitalistic principles of free trade among countries. Taking the abovementioned features of the contemporary capitalism into account, it is noteworthy that along with many positive effects global capitalism has caused the state of global inequality in income rates, social security, access to strategic resources, and redistribution of world capital. In due respect, since the times of the Industrial Revolution there have been considerable changes boosted by economic growth in such areas as life expectancy, access to educational resources and information and communication technologies, literacy, infant mortality, child labor etc. By and large, global capitalist economy has been dramatically shifted b y the invention and fast application of telecommunications within the last thirty years. Information and communication technologies such as computers, Internet and cell phones have enabled most of the business transactions in virtually any part of the globe[18]. Overall, capitalism promotes economic growth and social standard of living measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). According to Adam Smith, free market alone allocates necessary resources and controls production and price, which is particular to the contemporary world capitalist system. Furthermore, capitalist economy, if compared to conventional economic systems and feudal or socialist societies, provides vast opportunities to raise individual income while engaging in new professions or launching private business ventures, for example. As Milton Friedman puts it, competitive capitalism leads to economic freedom and subsequently to the political one where there is no place for the centralized control of economic activity or political repression from the state. Conversely, the variety of market economy transactions causes wide diversity of activities and/or their free choice. In accordance with John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek, capitalism is a reflection of economic freedom w hich is essential for social survival and development[19]. Thus, many capitalism supporters claim that namely the decentralized system of coordination is the most powerful feature of capitalism. Particularly, the decentralization of economic processes leads to free competition and optimal solutions to the arising challenges. Even the slightest control from then state, according to the Austrian School thinkers, can potentially cause serious inefficiencies since economy then becomes unpredictable in the long-term perspective. One of the major causes of the Great Depression, for instance, was the immense interventionist policy led by the Federal Reserve. Despite such positive views on capitalism, throughout its long evolution this economic concept was fiercely criticized by namely left-oriented proponents. 19th century conservatives, for instance, regarded particular characteristics of capitalism such as commodity production and free market exchange as potential threats to religious and cultural traditions. Other critics associated capitalism with the spread of negligence, corruption, and many other socio-economic problems. Socialists, for example, strived for the state regulation of capitalism rather than its abolishment. Throughout centuries, much of criticism has been received from religious leaders who fiercely opposed the materialist side of capitalism. From a religious viewpoint, it would rather be mixed economy that could meet the demands of society and ensure economic justice. For the most part, critics point out at negative features of capitalism including: inefficient and unfair distribution of power and wealth; monopolisti c tendencies of businesses and corporations; signs of cultural and economic exploitation of cheap and unskilled labour force (including children and/or old people); social alienation, unemployment, economic instability, and inequality to name a few. Nowadays, however, we understand capitalism as an economic system that assumes private ownership and control of wealth and the means of its production. In due respect, state ownership bears limited relation to the essence of capitalism. Both private individuals (entrepreneurs) and companies (corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises) own, operate, and trade capital and labor, as well as other resources for the sake of profit-making. In the contemporary conditions, capitalism is an indispensable component of market economy which entirely excludes any government intervention in the transactions that involve investments, income, distribution, production, pricing and supply of goods and services etc. Furthermore, labour as such is a distinguishing feature that characterizes capitalism in the contemporary conditions of fierce competition. Based on appropriate knowledge and skills, human resources are viewed as the most valuable asset by the majority of employers. Herewith, marke t rules make up a regulatory framework that determines economic developments in the contemporary capitalist state. In most instances, the role of a state is limited to the provision of relevant infrastructure and public goods. This indicates that economic developments are predominantly grounded on the so-called ‘laissez-faire’ principle envisaging a minimum state intervention into the economy. Consequently, the contemporary notion of capitalism highlights the ultimate importance of the control over the means of production by private owners wherein the state role is mainly limited to the protection of property rights. However, such conclusion would be correct only from the pure capitalism viewpoint. By and large, the well-developed contemporary economies present a mixture of public and private ownership and therefore are reasonably referred to as the capitalist mixed economies, where both private capital and state serve their particular roles. In its essence, classical p olitical economy has been strongly interrelated with classical liberal doctrine assuming minimum economic intervention on the part of government. At that economic and social realms were clearly distinguished, wherein state could provide necessary public goods and services[20]. Reference list Bellamy, R. 2003, The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Political Thought. Cambridge University Press Burnham, P. 2003, Capitalism: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics. Oxford University Press. Calhoun, C. 2002. Capitalism: Dictionary of the Social Sciences. Oxford University Press. Edgell, S. 2006, The Sociology of Work: Continuity and Change in Paid and Unpaid Work. London: Sage, Ch 1. Erhardt, E. History of Economic Development, Lindner Center Auditorium, Cincinnati. Evans, P. 1997, The Eclipse of the State? Reflections on Stateness in an Era of Globalization. World Politics 50 (1): 62–87. Friedman, M. 1970, The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits, The New York Times Magazine. Hunt, E. 2002, History of Economic Thought: A Critical Perspective. M.E. Sharpe Kumar, K. 1978, Prophecy and Progress, London Penguin. Ch. 3. Lane J. Ersson, S. 2002, Government and the Economy: A Global Perspective. Continuum International Publishing Group. Saunders, P. 1995, Capitalism. University of Minnesota Press. Skousen, M, 2001, The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great Thinkers. M.E. Sharpe Wheen, F. 2006, Books That Shook the World: Marxs Das Kapital1st ed. London: Atlantic Books 1 Footnotes [1] K Kumar 1978, Prophecy and Progress, London Penguin. Ch. 3. [2] P Saunders, 1995. Capitalism. University of Minnesota Press. p. 1 [3] M Skousen 2001, The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great Thinkers. M.E. Sharpe [4] S Edgell 2006, The Sociology of Work: Continuity and Change in Paid and Unpaid Work. London: Sage, Ch 1. [5] M Skousen 2001, The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great Thinkers. M.E. Sharpe [6] E Hunt 2002, History of Economic Thought: A Critical Perspective. M.E. Sharpe [7] P Burnham 2003, Capitalism: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics. Oxford University Press. [8] M Skousen 2001, The Making of Modern Economics: The Lives and Ideas of the Great Thinkers. M.E. Sharpe [9] C Calhoun 2002. Capitalism: Dictionary of the Social Sciences. Oxford University Press. [10] F Wheen 2006, Books That Shook the World: Marxs Das Kapital1st ed. London: Atlantic Books [11] E Erhardt, History of Economic Development, Lindner Center Auditorium, Cincinnati. [12] Erhardt (Ibid). [13] Erhardt (Ibid). [14] Erhardt (Ibid). [15] Erhardt (Ibid). [16] M Friedman 1970, The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits, The New York Times Magazine. [17] Friedman (Ibid). [18] P Evans 1997, The Eclipse of the State? Reflections on Stateness in an Era of Globalization. World Politics 50 (1): 62–87. [19] R Bellamy 2003, The Cambridge History of Twentieth-Century Political Thought. Cambridge University Press [20] J Lane S Ersson, 2002, Government and the Economy: A Global Perspective. Continuum International Publishing Group.

Effect of both parents working Essay

â€Å"Good, honest, hardheaded character is a function of the home. If the proper seed is sown there and properly nourished for a few years, it will not be easy for that plant to be uprooted.† ~ (George A. Dorsey. http://www.quotegarden.com/parents.html ). The fact that parents nowadays lack attention to their children has caused the child to have a weak performance, bad behavior, and a negative outlook had grown in popularity among people. It is possible to identify two main aspects in which parents don’t give their children the right attention they need as a child; the outer aspects, and the inner aspects. Consequences arise when parents don’t spend enough time with their children, one would be behavior toward the society, and the other is the negative affect on the family bond. First of all, children might seek attention from people around them, which may result might make him loose them. For example, when a child comes home from school, he/she likes to talk about what has happened in school, and kinds of details about his/her day. However, if that person was not around on a regular basis, the child will slowly start to seek attention from elsewhere. Second comes the lack in the family bond. For example, parents will get used to not having their children around, therefore, consequently will not value their parents presence like they should, so neither of the two parties will value the other and as a result, this valuable parent-child bond will start to get weaker with time. Thirdly, communication between parent and child will be effected, which will lead to many issues ahead. F or example, when a child lacks communication with his parents, attention will be pursued with someone else, which is not an advantage for either the child or the parent. Many children tend to develop a sense of shame and embarrassment when such issues arise. Moreover, if attention is still not found, emotional issues arise, where children start to bottle up instead of opening up, and this itself may have a negative effect on the emotional stability of the child. Finally, when not much time or attention is given to children, there will be a gap in a child’s life as he/she grows up. A strong bond with children creates the most wonderful memories of time spent together that will last a lifetime, and when such  bond is affected, memorable moments decrease along with their value. For example, when a child grows up, if a memory seems to be unclear, looking back at a precious photo in an album brings back all the good memories spent that day, when the photo was taken. The emotional, physical and mental environment the child is brought up in plays a big role in an individual’s life even up to late adulthood. Firstly, if there was a lack in affection expressed by the parents, children might not have enough affection towards their own parents, which is what they have learnt from their own family and what they will be considering to be normal. For example, children will not love their parents enough to look after them in old age. Secondly, lack of moral guidance. For example, children will not be able to develop the sense of right or wrong, unless they were guided and told over and over again by their parents. Thirdly, children might suffer from emotional vacuum. For example, children will always try to search for someone to fill this this emotional gap they have, which could result in children drifting to the wrong path, and as an adult this individual might develop regrets to the past and force him/herself to escape reality via drugs or alcoh ol, which could result in all sorts of addiction problems in time. Finally, a child might not get to draw the great qualities of character his/her parents have, and instead draw in negative behavior and qualities from his/her friends at school. For example, children who lack the care and attention of their parents try to get it through a strong act, such as stealing, lying or bullying. In conclusion, parents have to be careful in many aspects of a child’s life while growing up. A person’s childhood is such a critical time in an individual’s life because it has the biggest input in shaping and molding the individual as an adult. The better and healthier the childhood is, the more successful an individual is in many aspects of life such as being a parent, work, career, social life, health, cognition etc.

Tattoos on the Heart: Success

Gregory Boyle begins chapter eight: â€Å"Success with a few questions that seem so simplistic at first glance. What is success and what is failure? What is good and what is bad? Setback or progress? † (Boyle 167). Taking a few moments to process these questions, one realizes that the question is quite complex and difficult. Success has such a subjective definition that it can only be defined by the one who answers the question of â€Å"what is success to you? † and has no universal definition. Specifically with gang members, success in the context of their lives is about personal growth and less about tangible results. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect†(Biblegateway). Their lives have endured much turmoil and through experiences they find what is good and acceptable and perfect to themselves. Individuals may have their own views on success and failures, and these views may be similar or vastly different. Success for anyone, particularly the gang members, is doing the best one can in any given situation. This may be forgiving the killer of your son or deciding to discontinue participation in gang activities. Although defining success proves to be elusive there are many forms of success that should be embraced with open arms. From personal experiences my definition of success has differed greatly from time to time. This is similar to how success of a gang member is dependent on where they currently happen to be in their lives. On one day success was defined as getting out of bed and staying awake for me, just as how a gang member thinking about changing his life. Getting out of bed is quite an insignificant act on its own, but in that period of my life I was not able to function and this was considered to be quite successful. A gang member simply thinking about his life may not be a significant act on its own, but when he has dwelled in chaos all of his life, this thought is like a shining light piercing the clouds that hinder him. All of a sudden these insignificant acts take on the form of complete success. On another day success was thriving and excelling in college. Getting out of bed and staying awake was success for me when I was in the midst of a depressive episode, and now success is fully applying myself in college courses. Simply getting up out of bed compared to excelling in college, one can recognize that these actions differ greatly, but given the circumstances, are both successes. This same philosophy can and ought to be applied to former and current gang members. Consider Stan, he is the co-founder of the Crips street gang and is on death-row for past crimes he has been convicted of. Stan is also the epitome of success. Father Gregory Boyle has said that Stan is â€Å"not the person he was 27 years ago, and if he is granted clemency, his impact on kids, who plan their funerals and not their futures, will continue† (Allen). He has transcended from his previous life and become a resource against his original foundation of gang life. When we acknowledge the past decisions Stan has made and compare those decisions to where he is now, the amount of success found in that comparison is absolutely immense. In any circumstance speaking out against the negative consequences of gang banging is a feat on its own, but in the context of Stan’s life he lived and breathed gang life. Now he is speaking out against gang violence and this is what makes Stan the epitome of success. From where he was to where he is, he is a changed man. Success is like the silver lining of every cloud. Even in the case of a grieving mother screaming and wailing out of agony when hearing her son has died, success can be found. â€Å"All the homies gathered together plotting vengeance†¦ I lean over and whisper to her that Victor is dead. And this time the homies are there to hear†¦ Screams that curdle your insides. The homies didn’t do anything that night† (Boyle 170). No parent should need to bury their children and this enunciation of pain along with proximity to the homies was enough to alter their planned vengeance. Just like the questions Boyle proposed at the beginning of the chapter; there was difficulty in making a connection between the death of a child and the idea of success. With further evaluation it became evident that success was not in what happened, but what did not happen. It is safe to assume that the majority of people would consider the death of a child a failure, but the majority of people fail to look past this isolated event. The gang members were ready to claim vengeance as theirs and continue the cycle of pain, death, and violence. But because of a tragedy stricken mother the cycle was broken right then and there. The breaking of this negative downward spiral is a success in its own right. Another mother would not need to receive the news of her son being shot, another confused gang member would not end up in the penitentiary system, and another child would not be left fatherless. Just as every cloud has its silver lining; unfathomable sadness has positive aspects within itself. Mark Torres, S. J. , beloved spiritual guide at Homeboy Industries, says, â€Å"We see in the homies what they don’t see in themselves, until they do† (Boyle 178). The gang members hold within themselves a poisonous shame that corrupts their sense of self. Without a sense of self it is tremendously difficult to move forward and people tend to stay stuck in what they know. Homeboy Industries nurtures these members and provides them with the support and stability to shed that poisonous shame, which allows them to find their sense of self and succeed. Albert Ortega was recently released from prison and says, â€Å"I wanted a new way of life. †(Jordan) This statement alone is success. Here is a man wanting to change his life for the better and taking actions to acquire that change. In the context of Albert’s life he was a past criminal and the fact that he wanted better for himself is a major step and major success. Not only did he want more, but he took the initiative and seized the opportunity Homeboy Industries offered him. Just as clay can take many forms, so can success. Whether Albert takes the steps to improve his life through education or a grieving mother’s scream sways gang members from pursuing vengeance; these are both successes in differing forms. As much as how success can be displayed differently through actions; our own views of these actions influence what form of success we may come to the conclusion of. Homeboy Industries is consistently looking for funders to provide resources and help the nonprofit flourish, but funders tend to fund success that can be measured in quantitative values. What have you done and why should we, the funders, pool our resources into your organization? This is one way to view success, but this view is narrow sighted and fails to see so much more of the bigger picture. This perspective fails to see all the men and women deciding enough is enough and taking steps to better themselves, or the former gang member who wants to better his community. These successes may not be able to be tallied up on paper, but are successes in their own respective form. These people are doing the best they can and bettering themselves given the hand dealt to them. Success has no universal definition and cannot be limited to measurable values. Particularly funders, but everyone should not limit their field of vision by only observing this miniscule idea of success. On Friday $60,000 to $70,000 worth of equipment was stolen from Homeboy Industries storage, but will not cripple the 3-year-old program. All this burglary did is reverted it back to an older form of graffiti removal–buckets and rollers (Mccartney). The homies working in a graffiti removal unit were utterly disrespected by others and they simply decide to continue doing their job—graffiti removal. â€Å"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself† (Mark Caine). These former gang members were not affected or provoked by these acts. They were not held captive of their environment, accepted what had happened, and moved forward. Similarly to how success can be displayed and viewed differently, sometimes the simplest acts are the most significant. A typical person losing $70,000 worth of equipment would go on an absolute rampage, but these former gang members faced adversity with resilience and simply picked up where they had to. There is a sense of awe in how such a simple act portrays so much success. The act of continuing to move forward and denying oneself of ruminating is simplistic, but powerful. Especially given the background of these men and women, this act of continuing just shows how successful they are and how successful they will continue to be. Although success takes on many forms and depends on our own personal views of what is considered successful, the real success is ones acceptance of each other’s actions. From my experiences of getting off of the couch to a crew of former gang members facing adversity with resilience; the idea of success shrouds itself within our own perceptions and prejudices. Just like the saying, â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder,† so is success. Living in this world we ought to strive for the same level of objectivity that God projects when looking upon us. We cast aside our own perceptions and inherit the perception of God where we can see the whole picture, not just the portion we prefer. After taking a moment to analyze the questions posed at the beginning of chapter eight, it is clear that these questions demonstrate and stress the subjective aspects of success. When Gregory Boyle included the chapter based on success, he wanted us to get a sample of the different forms that success may present itself in. Regardless of the act that has occurred, we ought to welcome success in its many forms. Success may present itself in the form of a baby taking her first steps or a gang member acknowledging she has a problem. These scenarios may seem different at a first glance, but in the end, all successes are welcomed and celebrated in their own forms.

Effect Of The On Human Mental Health And Cognition Essay

There is an emerging revolution in global drug policies, with significant changes to the long-held western model of prohibition (Taylor, Buchanan and Ayres 2016), where policies to decriminalise recreational consumption are developing. 3,4methylenedioxymethamphetamine, with popular epithets MDMA and Ecstasy, is one such popular narcotic up for debate (McDowell and Kleber, 1994; RNZ 2015; Taylor et al., 2016). The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2013) estimates 26.2 percent of Americans have tried MDMA at least once, with those rates increasing (McDowell Kleber 1994). It is emerging a lack of evidence, efficacy and justice are behind current restrictions (Boland, 2008; Pryce, 2012; RNZ, 2015; GCDP, 2014). Throughout this problem-solving essay, topics will be discussed surrounding justification for MDMA declassification, and if it truly does affect human mental health and cognition as currently proposed. To understand MDMA popularity, it must first be understood the human physiological effects. Both psychedelic and stimulatory, effects may include colour, image and mood alterations, a yearning to dance, coupled with an increased level of energy and sexual arousal; depleting within four to six hours (Davison and Parrot, 1997; Ramsey, 2015). MDMA increases the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline within the central nervous system, coupling effects by hindering reuptake pathways; it is non-addictive compared with other popular narcotics (Downing, 1986;Show MoreRelatedI Find This Journal Article Interesting As It Discussed1335 Words   |  6 Pageslate-life cognitive and emotional health. It is relevant in my age group, particularly in my husband’s case who is in his mid-thirties. Although I have been aware of the implications of certain psychosocial factors in someone’s well-being, I wanted to know the other aspects of midlife psychosocial development a nd its effect as the person ages. 2. A summary of related literature or studies Erikson’s psychosocial development theory became the foundation of understanding human development across the lifespanRead MoreThe Effects Of Midlife Psychosocial Development On Cognitive And Emotional Health1331 Words   |  6 Pageslate-life cognitive and emotional health. It is relevant in my age group particularly in my husband’s case who is in his mid-thirties. Although I have been aware of the implications of certain psychosocial factors in someone’s well-being, I wanted to know the other aspects of midlife psychosocial development and its effect as the person ages. 2. 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The first article is the fifth chapter Coping with Stress taken from the book Health psychology, 2nd ed.) written by Richard O. Straub in 2007. The three main points that have been focused on in the chosen chapter include different ways of responding to stress, different kinds of therapies that are available for dealing with theRead MoreMental Health Study Guide 11071 Words   |  5 PagesFunctions Health, Wellness, and Illness: Health Beliefs Related to Mental Health- Theories Legal Issues: Legal and Ethical Considerations 1. Define and describe psychiatric and mental health nursing: Psychiatric nursing focuses on care and rehab of people with identifiable mental illness or disorder Mental Health nursing focuses on well and at risk population to prevent mental illness or provide immediate treatment for those with early signs of a disorder. Psychiatric mental health nursingRead MorePositive Thinking And Mental Health1290 Words   |  6 PagesPositive Thinking and Mental Health Positive thinking is the enabling ability to have good mental health and positive relationships with other people and self. Positive thinking is learned through positive psychology, it is learned through the support of others, and support from self. According to the Penn state positive psychology web site, the field of positive psychology is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful lives, fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselvesRead MorePhysical Exercise and Cognitive Functioning in Children1691 Words   |  7 Pagesphysical activity has a positive effect on attention, neuroplasticity and intellectual development in children and adolescence. The studies also seem to show the importance of physical activity like PE classes and recess in schools and curriculum to have well-founded, healthy children. The studies show that physical activity has affects on brain growth and development and if children activate and grow their brains to their fullest p otential, it could have lasting effects through adulthood thus elevatingRead MoreEffects Of Major Depression Disorder ( Mdd )1565 Words   |  7 PagesAffect on the Diagnosed Individual Major depression disorder (MDD) is a serious mental disorder that has an intense impact on the individuals social and economic mobile functioning, directly related to increased disability, absenteeism from employment, and social exclusion (Haddad Gunn, 2011). Research suggests that mothers who are depressed have the potential to genetically predispose their children to social, cognitive impaired development; it appears as though offspring may experience heightenedRead MoreThe Influences Of Intuitive Judgment Of People And Learning Essay997 Words   |  4 Pages2000). According to Bandura (2011) Social Cognitive Theory model gravitates towards a triadic reciprocal determinism. This model reflects reciprocal causation, cognition and other personal factors, alongside of environmental influences, while all operate as determinants that ten influence each other bidirectionally (Bandura, 2011). While the human development is seen through the lens through the lifespan, the influential dete rminants are a variety of life events that can vary in â€Å"their power to affectRead Moreconsumer1670 Words   |  7 PagesCHARLES NYUNGU REGISTRATION NUMBER: R115700F PROGRAM: H.P.S III COURSE: CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY LECTURER: MR MATIKA ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Scan three adverts from a magazine or newspaper and outline the advertisement‘s effects on your affect, cognition and behaviour. DUE DATE: 24TH MARCH 2014 Advertising plays a pivotal role in the lives of consumers. Advertising moulds the attitudes of the person as well as of the society and they certainly influence behaviour of the customers