The Validity of Recovered Memories Essay Example for Free

The Validity of Recovered Memories Essay The sudden recovery of repressed memories from a traumatic event such as childhood sexual abuse can be both validating and confusing for clients that are seeking help with various problems. These new memories might be able to help client identify the cause of their feelings and issues that are affecting their life. However for others it can be a very difficult time because of the conflicting emotions about the abuser. Worst of all when dealing with the recovery of repressed memories they may be all together false. The accuracy of recovered memories in regards to sexual abuse is low and can come with significant consequences. These false memories can be very harmful to the client as well as anyone falsely accused of sexual abuse. In the late nineteenth century Sigmund Freud began using the term repression to explain how memories of a traumatic event can be inaccessible for a period of time and then return at a later date sometimes suddenly while during other times slowly developing over a period of time into a more clear memory. It was believed that repressed memories or motivated forgetting was a defense mechanism for people who needed to protect themself from the harmful and painful memories of a traumatic experience (Boag, 2006). More recently repressed memories being recovered about childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has caused more studies to be conducted to determine if the memories being recovered are valid or if false memories are be produced due to the fact that â€Å"human memories are vulnerable to distortion, that illusory memories can be created and therapies designed to recover memories of repressed abuse may inadvertently foster false memories of trauma† (Clancy, Schacter, McNally, Pitman, 2000, p. 26) Some therapist believes that memories that have been repressed can be successfully recovered with therapy and that these memories accurately portray the past events to the extent that legal action can be taken. Some states have even ratified laws to accommodate the recovery of repressed memories so that believed offender of CSA can be prosecuted once the client has recovered their memory of the traumatic event (Partlett Nurcombe, 1998). These memories can be recovered using various therapies such as hypnosis, dream interpretation, guided imagery and truth serum. Many of the therapies used for recovering repressed memories include having the client  in a relaxed state so that the memories can then be recalled more effectively. However a fallacy can occur when trying to help a client recover a repressed memory. If a therapist explains how a type of therapy such as hypnosis is helpful in recovering memories of CSA the client may then remember such instances of abuse simply because th ey believe the therapy works, so it does. ***As with any type of memory recovered memories are also subject to corruption and can vary from partially true to completely false. Recovered memories can be a fabrication of events and details that never actually took place. Because of these false memories being about such extreme information such as CSA an organization called False Memory Foundation was created in 1992 to help those who have been accused of such acts. The foundation will help the accused get in touch with attorneys that specialize in cases regarding repressed and recovered memories (Lein, 1999). For example a women’s recovered memory of being forced to drink blood as a child was later discovered to be nothing more than her drinking from a communion cup as a child. The wine she drank was explained to her as the blood of Christ when going to church and as a child thought the wine to be of real blood. This caused what appeared to be a traumatic memory but turned out to be a memory that was explained easily and while the memory was true the actual act of drinking blood was not (Pope Brown, 1996). At times the memories that are recovered are later found to be true with evidence from an outside source such as collaboration from another family member that was present at the time of the abuse or documentation such as diary’s kept by the abuser. Currently there is not a clear black and white understanding of recovered memories so theses type of therapies will continued to be practiced but should be done so cautiously. Not all memories recovered are false making it difficult for some to decide how they feel about the issue of repressed and recovered memories. I believe that memories can be forgotten and later recalled with prompting from exposure to an outside stimulus that brings the memory to the surface again. However because of the number of ways a memory can be corrupted I am forced to doubt the validity of recovered memories. Without substantiated proof that a memory that has been recovered is true I feel it would be unjust to presume that memory is truly factual, especially when accusation  of CSA can be so traumatic for not only the client but for their family as well. In most cases clients accuse their fathers of the assault which result in disruption of the family and for some court cases (Groman, 2008). The practice of therapist trying to help clients recover repressed memories can become unethical extremely quickly depending on how the therapy progresses. Therapists have been sued and found guilty of implanting false memories (Stocks, 1998). It is important the therapist use open ended questions that allow the client to proceed with the sessions as they see fit rather than using suggestive or leading questions (Holmes, 2006). â€Å"Clients can be asked if they had any experiences in childhood that they found sexually inappropriate, uncomfortable, or frightening† (Pope Brown, 1996, p. 158). However informing a client that their symptoms present in a way that the therapist believes the client has been a victim of CSA is a leading statement and can begin an unethical path to false recovered memories. Participation in survival groups can also cause these false memories of CSA. These memories appear to be real to the client however groups can cause conformity and may be causing false memories in the absence of any real CSA memories to be recovered(Stocks, 1998). Asch (1956) also demonstrated how groups can cause conformity to the point that members will make reports that are inconsistent with observable facts. Also with the therapist being in a position of authority clients can feel the desire to please their therapist and will push them self to remember the tragic memory believed to be repressed in order to satisfy the therapist. Having a therapist in anyway push or persuade a client in to believing that they have repressed memories of CSA or any other repressed memory that needs to be recovered is extremely unethical due to the highly damaging effects this can have on the client’s life. Because of these and other ethical concerns some organizations have decided to create a code of ethics in regards to repressed and recovered memories. This code of ethics gives therapist a place to seek help when ethical dilemmas arise. Giving therapist a variety of choices and steps they can take if presented with such a case (Pettifor, Crozier, Ch ew, 2001). While it is important for people who have either actually repressed a memory of CSA or have been afraid to come forward before that point to have the ability to peruse their offender in court it is also important to remember  the consequences of false memories. When a client recovers a false memory of CSA not only will the client have to deal with the emotions that come with that false memory but they can also become cut off from their family. For some the false memory has become so over whelming that they begin to hurt themselves with suicidal thoughts, self-mutilation, sleep disorders, and nightmares in an attempt to handle the information they have recovered and perceive as true. These symptoms appear to lessen after terminating therapy (Stocks, 1998) Along with the client the accused person must also deal with ramifications of the false memories. The accused can be taken to court and put in jail if found guilty. Because of the lack of imperial data supporting that a significant number of recovered memories are indeed factual I find myself unable to support a therapy that can be so damaging to everyone involved from the client, to therapist and the family of both the client and the therapist. If false memories are produced and legal action is taken against the presumed abuser or the therapist for implanting false memories regardless if it was done purposefully it can cause damaging consequences for all parties involved. References Asch, S. E. (t956). Studies of independence and conformity: 1. A minority of one against a unanimous majority. Psychological Monographs, 70(9), 1-70. Boag, S. (2006). Freudian repression, the common view, and pathological science. Review of General Psychology, 10(1), 74-86. Clancy, S. A., Schacter, D. L., McNally, R. J., Pitman, R. K. (2000). False recognition in women reporting recovered memories of sexual abuse. Psychological Science, 11(1), 26-31. Gorman, G. (2008). The recovered memory controversy—A new perspective. European Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 8(1), 22-31. Holmes, L. (May 06, 2006). The debate over recovered memories In About.com. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/dissociative/a/dabaterec.htm. Lein, J. (1999). Recovered memories: context and controversy. Social Work, 44(5), 481-484. Partlett, D.F., Nurcombe, B. (1998). Recovered memories of child sexual abuse and liability: Society, Science, and the law in a comparative setting. Psychology, Publice Policy, and Law, 4(4), 1253-1306. Pettifor, J., Crozier, S., Chew, J. (2001). Recovered memories: Ethical Guidelines to Support Professionals. Journal of child Sexual abuse, 10(2), 1. Pope, K. S., Brown, L. S. (1996). Clinical work with people who report recovered memories. In Recovered memories of abuse: Assessment, therapy, forensics (pp. 145-205). Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association. Stocks, J.T. (1998). Recovered memory therapy: A dubious practice technique. Social Work, 43(5), 423-436.

Consumer Protection Act Case Study

Consumer Protection Act Case Study This case study concerns the liability of a manufacturer of a product for harm which is suffered by the â€Å"ultimate consumer† of that product. It is important to consider the remedies that would be available in contract and under the doctrine of tortuous liability for defective goods. There is privity of contract in the relationship between Pamela and Cooks Stores and, therefore, in contract a remedy would be available to Pamela only. To invoke such a remedy under contract, Pamela should be able to rely on the terms implied into the contract by the Sale of Goods Act 1979, such as provided under s. 14 (2B) by which goods are not of satisfactory quality if they are unsatisfactory in terms of safety and durability, according to the standards of a reasonable person. The SGA provides recourse to a seller and, therefore, this act should enable Pamela to reclaim the  £175 purchase price of the food processor from Cooks Stores. According to the â€Å"narrow rule† in Donoghue v Stevenson a manufacturer owes a duty to the customer to take reasonable care when he sells goods in the form in which he intends them to reach the ultimate consumer with no reasonable possibility of intermediate examination. This rule is a variety of negligence and creates a regime of fault-based liability on the part of manufacturers, which will include retailers, such as Cooks Stores, alongside Price (UK) Ltd. Both Pamela and Rose are potential claimants since here they are both â€Å"ultimate consumers† and the rule covers those who receive goods as presents and bystanders. To bring an action in tort Rose, as the claimant, would have to show the existence of a duty of care, breach and causation. Rose might have a cause of action against Price (UK) Ltd as manufacturer, if she can show that there has been a failure in the production process, for instance. The doctrine of res ipsa loquitur may be useful here, as developed in Scott v London and St Katherine Docks Co., which, it has been argued, creates a rebuttable presumption of negligence on the part of the defendant. Following Erle CJ Rose would have to show that the accident was of the kind that does not normally occur in the absence of a want of care, that the defendant had exclusive control over the thing which caused harm and that the defendant cannot offer any plausible alternative explanation of what caused the accident. Although these would be evidential questions, they might help Rose to determine whether or not Price (UK) Ltd has breached its duty of care, which is important since experts are unable to identify the precise reason for the incident. It is important to consider the possibility of intermediate examination and whether Rose was using the food processor properly. While it is stated that Rose followed the operating instructions carefully, it should be noted that Pamela has used it previously – if not frequently – without difficulty. This leaves open the possibility that consumer misuse is at the root of the problem. Further, the manufacturer might be exonerated if another person can reasonably be expected to inspect their product. From the facts as presented it is unclear whether the food processor could reasonably be subject to an intermediate investigation, as was argued unsuccessfully by the defendant in Grant v Australian Knitting Mills. If this reasonable expectation arises the tester could be regarded as the cause of the harm, and therefore, Cooks Stores might be found to have contributed to the negligence of Price (UK) Ltd. It is, however, unclear whether a retailer can reasonably be expected to test every appliance that it sells. This defence would be unlikely to allow Price (UK) Ltd. to deflect all the blame on to Cooks Stores. The burden of proving the causal link between any breach of duty by Price (UK) Ltd and/or Cooks Stores and the harm suffered by Rose rests with Rose herself, as confirmed in Foster v Biosil. Should she fail to satisfy the burden of proof in this respect, her action will fail. Should Rose be successful, following Aswan Engineering she would be able to recover â€Å"non-integral† damage caused by the defect in the food processor, such as the vase. She would also have a claim for loss of amenity in respect of the personal injury to her hands and face, with a quantum to be evaluated. The regime introduced by the Part I of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) 1987 would provide Rose with an alternative, since it purports to create a system of strict liability in respect of defective products that cause physical harm to a person or property. The CPA 1987 makes a producer, i.e. Price (UK) Ltd., responsible for the defectiveness of their product, however, according to CPA 1987 s. 3(1) regard may be had to any warnings which had been provided. The status of any such warning remains unclear. The CPA 1987 s. 3(2) allows a court to consider how a product might reasonably be used. It remains to be seen whether Rose was using the food processor for the correct purpose, even if she was attempting to follow the instructions. It is clear from CPA 1987 s. 6(4) that the defence of contributory negligence will apply to a defective product and any damages awarded to Rose may be reduced dependent on her blameworthiness. The CPA can be invoked against anyone involved within the chain of manufacture and distribution and liability is joint and several, so Rose would be best advised to sue whoever has the greatest financial resources. Cooks Stores, as a supplier, is however only liable to name their supplier and, accordingly, Price (UK) Ltd. will be Rose’s target for any damages. The CPA covers personal injury, but no damage to property under  £275 and, therefore, under the guise of this act, Rose would be unable to claim for the damage to her vase and would be advised to rely on tort.

Neuropsychological and Neurobiological Ageing

Neuropsychological and Neurobiological Ageing By the year 2075, more than 50% of the European population will be aged 60 or more, and there will be a three-fold increase in individuals aged 80 or more, relative to the present day. It is important that our society prepares for this demographic change and endeavours to enable older adults to optimise their quality of life and autonomy for as long as possible. To the extent that age-related cognitive decline is one of the biggest threats to independent living and well-being for this cohort, the field of cognitive neuroscience is arguably the discipline with the most potential to help in this regard. Non-pathological ageing is accompanied by several cognitive and brain changes that are a product of the natural ageing process, one’s environment, and one’s ability to compensate for them. These changes become evident in multiple cognitive dimensions. On the one hand, older adults have improved regulation of emotion, better vocabulary, better culture-related knowledge, and have better life satisfaction, compared to younger adults. On the other, they have reduced acuity of the senses, they require more time to both process, and respond to, sensory information, and invariably, they undergo declines in a number of other important physical and cognitive capacities. As the deterioration of older adults’ cognitive capacities begins to occur, the ability to monitor and evaluate the success of their cognitive processes is of paramount importance for detecting errors, and calibrating their daily activities to suit their strengths and weaknesses. Yet, the extent to which these metacognitive monitoring processes are affected by the natural ageing process has rarely been considered in the literature. A wealth of evidence from research on clinical populations indicates that metacognitive capacities are highly susceptible to disruption in several diverse neurological conditions, particularly those with damage to right frontal regions. Considering there is m uch evidence to suggest that the frontal lobe is one of the brain regions that undergoes the most extensive age-related changes (Dempster, 1992; Mosocovitch Wincour, 1992; Raz, Gunning, Head et al., 1997; West, 1996), the question follows whether metacognitive capacities are also vulnerable to disruption due to the natural ageing process. The present chapter is organised in six main sections. In the proceeding section, an overview of different perspectives on ageing at the neuropsychological and neurobiological level is provided. The third section introduces the topic of metacognition and draws on the clinical literature surrounding anosognosia to highlight the importance of metacognitive abilities, how they are measured, and what is known about their neuropsychological and neuroanatomical bases. The fourth and fifth sections provide more focussed reviews of the cognitive neuroscience literature on performance monitoring and conscious error awareness, respectively, which in the context of this thesis, are hypothesised to be critical to the accuracy of many metacognitive abilities. The sixth and final section provides an overall summary and an outline of the objectives of this thesis. Age-Related Cognitive and Cerebral Decline A robust, and positive, finding to emerge from cognitive ageing research is that age-related losses are not necessarily seen across all cognitive functions. Patterns of relative preservation versus decline are usually particularly apparent for what are known as crystallized versus fluid intelligence domains (Horn Cattell, 1967). These two clusters of intellectual abilities have also been discussed in terms of the pragmatics and mechanics of cognition (Baltes, Lindenberger, Staudinger, 1998). The former constitutes a culture-related knowledge base that is accumulated through experience, whereas the latter constitutes content-free information processing that relies on fundamental biological processes, and therefore mainly on the integrity of the central nervous system. Both cross-sectional (Lindenberger Baltes, 1995) and longitudinal studies (Schaie 1996; 2005) have indicated that processes in the fluid intelligence domain begin to decline from middle adulthood on, whereas capacitie s in the crystallized domain improve from childhood right through to adulthood and then either remain stable or continue to improve until very late in life. As such many authors have described cognitive ageing as a multi-dimensional and multi-directional process.   Perspectives on cognitive ageing at the behavioural level Many theories have been proposed to explain age-related declines and individual differences in cognitive functioning. Given that it is not within the objectives of this thesis to test any particular theory of cognitive ageing, this section provides a brief overview, as opposed to a comprehensive review, of the main perspectives on cognitive ageing at the behavioural level. This section is then followed by an overview of literature on cognitive ageing at the neurobiological level. The cognitive control hypothesis Common to many of the processes that witness age-related declines is a reliance on cognitive control. Cognitive control is critical to a range of higher order processes that allow for the regulation of sensory information and behaviour in accordance with one’s goals. These processes include monitoring, sequencing, initiation of action, inhibiting pre-potent responses, formulating goals, focusing attention and generating response alternatives (Fuster, 2000; Miller, 2000; Miller Cohen, 2000). These higher order control processes are also frequently referred to as executive functions (Baddeley, 1986; Norman Shallice, 1986; Shallice, 1998), and are predominantly mediated by the frontal lobes. Age-related differences are consistently observed on tasks that place high demands on cognitive control, including working memory (Borella, Ghisletta, de Ribaupierre, 2011; Hasher Zacks, 1988; Salthouse, 1994), attention (McAvinue; McDowd, 1986; Milham, Erickson, Banich et al., 2002; Hawk ins, Kramer, Capaldi, 1992; West, 2004), multi-tasking (Clapp, Rubens, Sabharwal Gazzaley, 2011; Jimura Braver, 2010), as well as episodic and source memory (Craik, Morris, Morris, Loewen, 1990). In contrast, older adults’ performance on measures of non-declarative or implicit memory, which are believed to rely on more automatic and less control demanding processes, has been found to be largely age invariant (Bergerbest, Gabrieli, Whitfield-Gabrieli et al., 2009; Fleischman Gabrieli, 1998; Light Singh, 1987; La Voie Light, 1994). Such observations have prompted many authors to propose that age-related cognitive decline may arise from impaired or inefficient deployment of cognitive control processes due to age-related degeneration of frontal lobe structures (Braver Barch, 2002; Crawford, Bryan, Luscez, Obonsawin, Stewart, 2000; Glisky, 2007; Greenwood, 2000; West, 2000; Rodriguez-Aranda Sundet, 2006). This general idea has been variously termed the â€Å"cognitive c ontrol hypothesis† (West, 1996; 2000; Gallo, Bell, Beier, Schacter, 2006; Koutstaal, 2006) â€Å"frontal lobe hypothesis† (West, 2000), â€Å"frontal ageing hypothesis† (Greenwood, 2000), â€Å"executive decline hypothesis† (Crawford et al., 2000), and â€Å"frontal hypothesis† (Rodrà ­guez-Aranda Sundet, 2006). In support of this idea  executive functions have been found to mediate the relationship between age and general cognitive capacities (Salthouse, Atkinson, Berish, 2003) and have explained age-related differences in learning and memory (Brooks, Kempe, Sionova, 2006; Crawford et al., 2000). Furthermore, when young and older adults’ performance on putative tests of frontal, temporal, and parietal functions were compared, the strongest correlation to emerge was between age and frontal measures, with advancing age being predictive of decreasing performance on frontal lobe measures (Mittenberg, Seidenberg, O’Leary, Digioulo, 1989). The processing-speed hypothesis Salthouse (1996) has argued that age-related deficits in controlled processing are secondary to a generalised reduction in the processing speed of underlying cognitive operations. Behavioural slowing has long been considered a primary concomitant of the ageing process. Christensen Kumar (2003) have suggested that processing speed peaks in the early 20s and then declines by approximately 20% by the age of 40, and by up to 40-60% by the age of 80. Age-related declines in processing speed have been attributed to a general slowing of information processing (Birren Fisher, 1995) or increased neural noise (Welford, 1965) within the central nervous system with advancing age. In support of the processing-speed theory it has been observed that age differences on several capacities in the fluid domain, such as abstract reasoning, working memory, and problem solving were attenuated after statistically controlling for processing speed (Bors Farrin, 1995; Salthouse, 1996; Salthouse Babcock, 1 991; Zimprich Martin, 2002). Speed of processing was also found to be the main predictor of age-related changes in memory and spatial ability (Finkel McGue, 1993). The inhibitory deficit hypothesis Hasher and Zacks (1988) advanced that a selective deficit in inhibitory control processes may constitute a global cognitive ageing phenomenon. More specifically, this theory assumes that in order for goals to be fulfilled effectively, automated responses to non-goal relevant information need to be suppressed. However, age-related reductions in inhibitory control enable non-goal relevant information to vie for attentional resources, which results in greater distractibility, slowed and error-prone behaviour, and greater forgetting rates (Lustig, Hasher Zacks, 2007; Hasher Zacks, 1998). Age-related declines in inhibitory control and increased susceptibility to distractors have been found to explain a considerable proportion of age-related variance in working memory capacity (Hasher, Zacks, May, 1999). In a more recent study, both processing speed and inhibition were identified as independent mediators of age differences in working memory capacity (Borella, Ghisletta, de Ribaupierre, 2011). Dedifferentiation and cognitive permeation Many studies have reported that the statistical correspondence between sensory and sensorimotor abilities such as vision, hearing, balance, and gait, and intellectual abilities in both fluid and the crystallized domain is significantly greater in older adults than in young adults (e.g. Baltes Mayer, 1999). Moreover, it has been found that for older adults sensory functioning is a stronger predictor of capacities in the fluid domain than a comprehensive set of sociobiographic factors (Baltes Lindenberger, 1997). This apparent loss of domain specificity with increasing age has been termed â€Å"dedifferentiation.† A number of authors have proposed that this apparent dedifferentiation of functions may be attributable to sensory and sensorimotor functions placing greater demands on attentional control resources. This has become known as the cognitive permeation hypothesis (e.g. Lindenberger, Marsiske, Baltes, 2000; Schà ¤fer, Huxhold, Lindenberger, 2006). According to this hypothesis, resource overlap and competition amongst domains increases with advancing age, and compensation in the form of resource allocation trade-offs become more frequent (Li Lindernberger, 2002; Schà ¤fer et al., 2006). In accord with this, Li et al. (Li, Lindenberger, Freund Baltes, 2001) have shown that balance during walking was preserved at the expense of performance of a simultaneously executed cognitive task. Such findings suggest that age-related declines in cognitive domains could be attributable to increased allocation of attentional resources to processes that were previously automated. Cognitive Reserve Another important conceptual framework labelled ‘cognitive reserve,’ concerns how older adults may be able to draw on a pool of accumulated resources to maintain cognitive function. The notion of cognitive reserve emerged from recurrent observations that levels of cognitive impairment did not always manifest to the extent that would be expected from a given brain pathology (Stern, 2002). For instance, Katzman et al. (Katzman, Terry, DeTeresa et al., 1998) have reported that older adults can be cognitively intact up until they die, but exhibit advanced AD-related cerebral pathology at post-mortem. Such discrepancies have also been observed in a range of other conditions including stroke (Ojala-Oksala, Jokinen, Kopsi et al., 2012) and traumatic brain injury (TBI; Kesler, Adams, Blasey, Bigler, 2003). This apparent elevation of threshold for cognitive impairment appears to be promoted by factors such as high levels of education, occupational complexity, and participation in cognitively stimulating leisure activities (Mortimer, 1997). It has been proposed that cognitive reserve may mediate individual differences in non-pathological cognitive ageing by fostering more efficient utilisation of brain networks or an enhanced ability to recruit alternate networks (Stern, 2002). Summary The natural ageing process is associated with myriad cognitive changes. Some of the most pronounced and consistently reported are on tasks that challenge cognitive control processes and working memory, or that require long term working memory (Hedden Gabrieli, 2004; Piguet Corkin, 2007). Several hypotheses about cognitive ageing at the behavioural level have been advanced, and each hypothesis described above continues to feature prominently in recent literature. However, it is difficult to arbitrate between these theories in the absence of neural evidence. The next sub-section will outline how the increasing availability of neuroimaging technologies has provided important new insights into the relationship between age-related changes in brain structure and function, and concomitant changes in cognitive abilities. Perspectives on cognitive ageing at the neurobiological level In the same way that ageing does not have an equal impact on all cognitive domains, ageing does not result in a general deterioration of the brain. Rather, the ageing brain is characterised by a ‘patchwork pattern of differential declines and relative preservation,’ not only at the structural level, but also at the functional level (Raz, 2000). Structural changes Grey matter integrity Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based studies consistently show a global age-related reduction in grey matter volumes, but considerable regional differences exist in terms of the magnitude and relative rate of change. In a longitudinal study, which spanned five years, Raz et al. (Raz, Lindenberger, Rodrigue et al., 2005) found a significant negative association between age and volume in the lateral prefrontal cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex, the cerebellum, the caudate and the hippocampus. These associations were found to be stronger  after five years for the prefrontal regions, the cerebellum, the caudate and the hippocampus, indicating age-related accelerations in the shrinkage of these regions. Conversely, volumes in areas such as the primary visual cortex, the fusiform cortex and the inferior parietal lobes were not significantly associated with age, and there was no change in these associations over the course of five years. Several other studies using a variety of methods h ave reported similar findings, and in particular, an ever-growing literature documents the most dramatic age-related grey matter

The Influence Of Personal Experiences In Emily Dickinsons Poetry Essay

The Influence of Personal Experiences In Emily Dickinson's Poetry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  None of Emily Dickinson's readers has met the woman who lived and died in Amherst, Massachusetts more than a century ago, yet most of those same readers feel as if they know her closely. Her reclusive life made understanding her quite difficult. However, taking a close look at her verses, one can learn a great deal about this remarkable woman. The poetry of Emily Dickinson delves deep into her mind, exposing her personal experiences and their influence on her thoughts about religion, love, and death. By examining her life some, and reading her poetry in a certain light, one can see an obvious autobiographical connection.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All the beliefs and emotions Emily Dickinson wrote about were based, in one way or another, on the same aspect of her upbringing, which was religion. During her childhood, life in Amherst was based strongly upon religion and Puritan values. The distinctive Puritan virtues of simplicity, austerity, hard work, and denial of flesh, were ever-present disciplines in Emily's life (Sewall 22). Despite her stubborn denials to be labeled, she was very much of a â€Å"New Englander†. Cynthia Griffen Wolff, author of Emily Dickinson, points out that Emily â€Å"knew every line of the Bible intimately, quoted from it extensively, and referred to it many more times than she referred to any other work... yet in this regard she was not unusual by Amherst's standards† (72). The most prominent figure of religious virtues in her life was her father, Edward Dickinson. Reading the Bible to his children and speaking in town of religious ethics were daily events in his life. At home, he tried to raise his children in the rigorous religion of their ancestors, however his methods appeared quite harsh. People who knew the Dickinsons referred to Edward as a â€Å"severe, latter- day Puritan, a power-minded tyrant...†, and his home was often depicted as a â€Å" gloomy prison† (Sewall 8). In fact, Emily's fear and awe of him seemed to dominate her life. Although he read aloud from his Bible, conducted prayer service in his home daily, and he educated his children in a strict Puritan way, he himself was not quite a believer. He delayed conversion until well into middle age, â€Å"...displayed no mark of singular devotion, defined his vocation in terms of business, an... ...ath - distancing it, coming to terms with it, and finding no fear in it† (Sewall 665).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The personal experiences of Emily Dickinson had a great influence on her poetry. Through her verses we can understand and relate to her much more easily. Without them, her withdrawal from society would have kept her unknown. Once she wrote:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is my letter to the World   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That never wrote to Me -   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The simple News that Nature told -   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With tender Majesty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Her Message is committed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To Hands I cannot see -   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For love of Her - Sweet - countrymen -   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Judge tenderly - of Me It seems fairly obvious that Emily Dickinson knew that someday her poems would be found and would be used as a window into her thoughts.

what is the sociological perspective (imagination) Essay -- essays res

Question 1: What is the sociological perspective?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is the nature of the social sciences? This is the question that began the study of society, first performed by C. Wright Mills in his development of the idea of the sociological imagination. There are many different aspects to the sociological perspective. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines perspective as â€Å"the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance†. Having a sociological perspective means that you view all of societies components and their relationship to the individual. First I will discuss how individuals are socialized. Next I will point out societal structures role in that socialization. Finally I will discuss how the sociological perspective allows us to view different inequalities in the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While growing up we rarely think about why we do things the way that we do, and make the decisions that we make. From infancy we are socialized, meaning that we are trained how to exist within our social environment. By developing a sociological perspective we are able to see that we are socialized, and view how our social environment has an effect on the decisions that we make. Social environments differ across many boundaries including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, and class. For example I was raised within a poor, Caucasian, single parent, low class family, which means that the deci...

Examples Essay Essay

The internet is a wondrous creation and the world is progressing rapidly ever since things have become available with just a click. It has an impact on our daily lives every day in more ways than one. With the use of internet, life has become easier and smoother and almost all required information are at our fingertips. Before the internet, communication was done in 3 ways; face to face, written correspondence and through phone. Before mobiles there were landline telephones, and before that were telegrams and even before we had the ever so reliable system of the mailing letters via horse. Sending letters has to be one of the oldest ways of long distance communication in our society. Letters have been sent as far back as biblical times. Yet now we have a countless other ways to communicate: email, text, instant message, Facebook comment/reply/message, video chat, Face time, the list goes on and on. In fact, communication tools such as Face time are practically replacing face to face conversations completely. Not that any technology will ever replace the experience of sitting face to face with someone and having a normal conversation, but it’s not like technology hasn’t taken any other aspects of communication and transformed it. But then again none of this wouldn’t be possible without the internet and the way it can allow us to communicate with other individuals from the farthest corners of the planet. We need the internet more than anything in today’s society and if somehow the internet were to just disappear out of thin air, the lives of millions of people would forever be different in all the wrong ways. The internet is the way of the future for communication, and the future starts now.

Postgraduate education

Electronics & Communication Eng as my major for it offered me innumerable choices of specialization. During these 4 years I learnt Subjects like-Electronics Devices & Circuits,Pulse & Digital Circuits,programming in C, Digital Integrated Circuits,Digital Communication Theory,Veils Design,Computer Communication Networks and Digital Signal Processing. These subjects aroused my research instincts when I realized I am really excited about the prospects of me being a part of such researches. Research Background I always had a Liking for the books from a very young age, perhaps this made meInquisitive about everything I came across yearning to know It's Intricacies. This later helped me immensely when I started representing my school team regularly at inter- school science festivals. My first brush with serious research was in final year of my undergraduate course when I successfully completed a project titled â€Å"Design and implementation of ARQ Protocols in Data Communication† a t Communication division,Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (L. R. D. Elders Research & Development Organization,Government of India-Ministry of Defense,Bangor as art of a 4 member team.The project implements ARQ Protocols in data Communication networks using the widely popular coca microelectronic. The coca systems used for Transmission and reception have been designed and Implemented. We did parallel research along with our gulled providing valuable inputs apart from helping him with calculations. Coals In a decade from now I envisage myself as a Research Scientist In premier research Laboratory or as a Professor in a top university. I understand that M. Sc culminating in University. Why University of Saskatchewan ?A Graduate education that would enable me to pursue advanced degree is what I have aspired for . 1 also believe that good graduate program is an essential step for realizing my long-term goals. I hope to fulfill my ambition at University of Saskatchewan , whi ch I consider one of the best to pursue graduate studies . 1 have gone through the brochure and website very carefully and I have concluded that with excellent research facilities and highly knowledgeable faculty, University of Saskatchewan will provide a perfect environment to focus all my resources towards research.I am confident that I'll be able to meet the standards of the University. I am eagerly waiting for an opportunity to make significant contribution in research and Development programs of the University. Conclusion I fully understand the kind of dedication, perseverance and resolve a graduate program calls for; I believe that I have the ability and determination to tread on this exciting path. In conclusion, I do hope that I'll be given a fair chance to realize my objectives by being granted an admission. I look forward for a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the University. (Ninja Visitant's Mashes)