An analysis of age gap relationships

An analysis of age gap relationships Views towards age-gap relationships should not be viewed through stereotypical eyes; instead they should be viewed with an open mind, for they are more than what you see. Age-gap relationships have been around since the dawn of human life. Historically age-gap relationships have been between an older male and younger female, and many cultures arranged marriages with this pattern. Age-gap relationships are not socially constructed, but have evolved. They are also seen often in nature. Stereotypes and negative opinions are heard often in media, by friends and by family. Many famous celebrities, royalty, and rock stars have been in age-gap relationships. In many cultures, arranged marriages have been between a young girl and an older man, this could have been to prevent marriage outside of the culture, to increase political power, for livestock, or to resolve inter political issues. Doing this helped to increase the number of the community members, because a young girl could produce many more children than an older woman. Older men had more resources to support the girl and her offspring than a young boy. By arranging the marriages in this way the parents were insuring a greater number of surviving grandchildren to pass on their genes, wealth, legacy and land. At an evolutionary stand point age-gap relationships should be more common as well as less criticized. .. men are predisposed to produce as many offspring as possible, to increase the probability that their genes will be passes onà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦women prefer a mate who has adequate resources, or the potential to obtain resources,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.(Banks and Arnold 2001) By learning to seek these qualities we have subconsciously insured the survival of the human race. This evolutionary process is not much different from the way animals use to choose their mates. Mate preferences may have evolved, rather than being socially constructed (Banks and Arnold 2001), therefore age-gaps should be considered the social norm, and similar age relationships should be considered abnormal. Age-gap relationships have a rollercoaster history, where they were once accepted, then they werent, and now they are becoming accepted once again. Women older relationships however are still considered taboo, but that doesnt mean they should be discriminated more. Age-gap relationships whether female older or male older should be looked at as a regular relationship. The same challenges and problems should be considered when the relationship itself is being evaluated. Criticism of age gap relationships is similar in the way which different races and gay couples are criticized, people look at what is on the outside and not at what they really are. There is an old adage Dont judge a book by its cover and I feel that more people should follow this, not only when dealing with age-gap relationships but when dealing with all situations in which it is not as it appears. There are many different stereotypes put towards age-gap relationships. Such as: The younger partner is either looking for a parental figure or is in it solely for monetary gain, and the older partner is only after youth and physical attributes (Anisman-Reiner 2008). Sadly these stereotypes are true in some situations, but it does not mean that every age-gap relationship is like that. The relationship in question should be examined first, then the age of the partners. Many relationships that were healthy and actually had love in them, were broken up due to constant harassment from family, friends, and even strangers. Criticism that age-gap relationships receive are based on extreme instances. The older partner will get dirty looks and be called a cradle robber or be accused of cheating on their spouse (which other than the younger partner doesnt exist). Other things people say are: what could you possibly have to talk about, can they even keep up with you physically or they are holding you back from experiencing your youth this usually causes stress for the couple. These are not always true but it causes the couple to focus on what people say about them, instead of other things in their relationship. Its possible for couples with large age gaps to be able to have common interests, as well as have the same amount of physical activity. For example a 45 year old man can play a game of tennis at the same level as a woman in her 20s, or both could be into classic rock or horror movies. It is true that sometimes when you enter an age-gap relationship you are risking losing some life experiences, but yo u can create new ones that neither of you have had. That way the older partner is not repeating life experiences, and they younger partner is gaining life experiences. Either way age-gap couples get around these obstacles and have healthy lasting relationships. Many people will admit that they have been in an age-gap relationship or they know someone has. These relationships are becoming increasingly common nowadays and yet they still receive criticism. Although men and women report a preference for and openness to age gaps in their own relationships, they typically disapprove of age gaps in others relationships. (Lehmiller and Agnew 2008) Why would you be willing to consider something for yourself, but then tell your friend that they shouldnt do it? If it is because you know you could handle it and your friend couldnt, what makes you think you know your friends capabilities better than they do? Better yet if your friend doesnt know herself, then what makes you think you know your own self? These are questions you should ask yourself before you make the decision to discriminate against others being in age-gap relationships. My grandmother and her husband were 25 years apart and yet they did not receive criticism, but when I entered into a r elationship with a 14 year age difference she made a big deal about it. Sadly this occurs often to people by their family and friends. We are all born with an incest avoidance instinct, sometimes depending on your upbringing it could go away, but normally we tend to react to what we see before we have a chance to think about it. A difference in age of 15 years and greater would mean that a couple could, in terms of age be parent and child and so we suggest that social opposition to these age-differences will be greater, because people would wish to avoid the suggestion of incest (Banks and Arnold 2001). Due to the appearance of the couple we instantly think that the older partner could be the younger partners parent. Because of this instinct we become so focused on the difference in age that we dont notice anything else about the relationship. Parents are often worried that when and if their young son or daughter enters into a age-gap relationship, that the older partner will exploit them for sex and not truly love them, or that the partner is closer in age to themselves than their child. I feel that though the parents mean well, they should evaluate the relationship and get to know the older partner before being so quick to judge, and find out if it is healthy for their son or daughter. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone (John 8:7). Due to the different rates at which boys and girls mature, age-gap relationships could even be considered ideal to insure the survival of a relationship. Its possible for two people at different ages even with a 20 or 30 year age gap to be equally mature, however you define the term.(Anisman-Reiner 2008) Everyone growing up has heard that girls mature faster than boys, and it makes sense that this would make it easier for age-gap relationships to work and last. It also answers why many similar-age relationships (especially high school relationships) dont last. As you get older the age-gap in the relationship matters less, because both partners are maturing. Many famous couples both present and throughout history were involved in age-gap relationships. The gaps range from less to one year to more than thirty years. Billy Joel and Katie Lee had thirty-two years between them, and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have sixteen years between them. These are people we idolize, we watch on television, on movies, and whose music we listen to. One day the media will pick them for cutest couple and then the next day they criticize them, and we just go along with it, instead of using our own minds. The criticism increases more if the woman is the older partner, and they have been labeled by the media as cougars. Such as Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher (15 years difference), they receive tons of criticism and yet remain happily married, so far for 5 years. It is not only in present times that age-gap relationships exist, they have been around for centuries. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar had more than 30 years between them when their romance began. Another co uple would be Frank E. Butler and Annie Oakley who had 22 years between them. During my personal experience in an age-gap relationship I have been lucky to have friends and family to support me, well most of my family. We do get dirty looks in public even though my boyfriend doesnt look that much older than me and definitely doesnt act older than me. If we just focused on what other people thought of us, we wouldnt last. Together we have accomplished so much, and continue to climb mountains! I guarantee that if we did not receive the support we have, we would not have made it. You should not discourage an age-gap relationship unless you know for an absolute fact that it would be damaging to one or both parties, you may find that age-gap relationships are a wonderful positive experience. In conclusion age-gap relationships are criticized, stereotyped, and put down. Even though they are becoming more common, have been around for centuries, occur in nature, and have proven to have lower divorce rates. Society should look at the relationship, not the ages of the people, and maybe more of these relationships would succeed. Age-gap relationships are just like normal relationships and should, according to evolution, be the social norm though due to social influences this is not the case. Nobody likes to be picked-on especially for something that makes them happy, so we should follow the golden rule Do onto others as you would have them do unto you. Age-gap relationships should be looked at for what they are, not what they seem.

One Language In The World

One Language In The World As countries communicating more and more today and without any doubt to be a larger extent in the future, people often predicate that if the world developed to be united enough and then all people will speak the same language for daily communication. Is it realistic? How long will it take to fulfill such a dream? English, as the acknowledged official language for international communication, has been accepted by more and more people over the world since it can bring benefit for almost all who can speak it. Many countries also make policies to train the young people to become good English speakers. Can English become the only one language in the future and other languages will be eradicated? This essay will give analysis from some perspectives. The essay will start with discussing about what will happen if the prediction of eradication of variation of existing languages came true. In this part, it will also introduce the history of Esperanto which is acknowledged as world language by most people. Following this, it will introduce what are languages related to mainly in five perspectives which are history, culture, social status, profession and worldview. Finally, the essay will focus on whether English has the possibility to become the only one language in the future. It would be Perfect if Variation of Existing Languages could be Eradicated It is true that the world will be operated more harmoniously if all people speak the same language. Generally speaking, as the most important tools for communication among people, language is also considered as the first factor differing human from animals (Lonely Publications, 2007). It is developed as society occurred and developed. People who often speak the same dialect in the same nation can live together with less confliction. Due to the good communication, a nation can bind together as time goes. Finally, the nation become an integrate body, by which the human race developed more and more rapidly and leave the animals behind far away. Therefore, it can be concluded that language homogeneity promote the group developing more. However, language homogeneity does not exist among the whole word due to the long time of separation of people from different continents. As some nations have the ability to travel across seas and reach other continents, communication become source of ther e divisions. Wars then become the consequences of this misunderstanding of languages. To some extent, it is true that language is the divisive force for different groups and areas (Crystal, 2001). In fact, some elites of the old years have given serious thought about whether it was possible for people from different countries and nations can solve the conflicts through promoting implementation of the same language across the world. Hundreds of years before, they started to dream that there was a kind of language which can be called world language could be produced to make the world get united in short time. Actually, in the human history, world language did have been created. Esperanto, a language invented by an eye doctor named Lazaro Ludoviko has been acknowledged as the world language by people. Although after creation of the language more than 50 thousands of works have been published in Esperanto, it finally did not avoid being eliminated by the time (Polinsky Comrie Matthews, 2003). As an ideal trial, the invention of Esperanto reflected the dream that people want to create a completely impartial language to benefit the world. It was failed due to lack of root in any n ations economic and cultural life. The consequence also proved that language had to set root on the nations history and experience. Impossibility of Eradication of Languages Although it can be seen that language homogeneity can produce much benefit for the human race politically and economically, it is impossible for the entire world speak the same language in the foreseeable future. People once predicted that when the worlds economic system come to stable enough and people really believed that only one language is superior to language varieties for their life, the nation and languages differences will go to elimination and will be taken place by language homogeneity (ONeill, 2008). However, how long will this consciousness come to be true in the future? It is obviously that at least in the next 100 years this will not be reached by the human race. Actually, formulation of languages is more complex than people thought. It is at least being affected by the following five factors: Firstly, Language development is an outcome resulted by long history to become the current mature communicative system. From the ancient times, as people invented their native language, it has been continuously improved to be more effective for communication (Putz, Martin Marjolyn, 2000). It can be seen that after being developed through thousands of years modern people can hardly recognize their native languages ancient edition. If they check back their ancient language, they would find it was not so easy to express precisely what they want. For instance, Chinese people have to spend large amount of time to learn the old language since most of their characters have already change their original meanings. Actually, all languages have taken a long period of time to evolve to the current forms, which will be difficult for a new language to achieve in short time. If a world language has been created now, can people have the patience to use it with a lot of confusions? The answer is obv ious. The world would be impossible have such far-sight to benefit their offspring to enjoy the language homogeneity. To some extent, language is spontaneous and can not be created on purpose. An existing language has been tested by its speakers through long period of time. It is naturally produced to meet needs for communication and developed also to meet need for better communication. English is now being learned by people from all over the world and have been impulsively promoted by authorities from many governments for nearly 100 years. Nevertheless it is still not mastered by most people from the countries learning it. A hundred-year time actually is very short for language development process. Therefore, the unification of language is hardly to achieve in one or two generations. Secondly, language is produced due to the need of communication but has developed to a more complex product which is also reflecting the culture of a nation, which also enhances difficulty of people from one nation quitting their current language (Botha . C. Knight, 2009). In other words, language is a kind of art and has been merged into many national feelings. For some people, their native language is not just for communication since they can also enjoy a lot more from appreciating it (Gordon, 005). Many people would have the experience of reading translated article from foreign great writers. Nevertheless it is always difficult to understand the original meaning of the author although the article is translated by the best linguists or translators. English learners usually find it is finally losing the beauty of the original works when reading it in their native language edition. And further, some works is classical not just due to its meaning but also attribute to its rhyme. This will make it impossible to reaching the feeling when it has been translated to other languages. And also, many people are pursuing in other jobs relating to languages such as Chinese calligraphy. A language has evolved to an art which is mainly emphasizing on its look and image. Therefore, the eradication of one language will not just force people dropping their familiar communicative tools but also will ask them to drop a long history of art which may be considered as their national treasure. Thirdly, social status of speakers of one language affects significantly whether it can develop into prosperity or go to extinction. There are thousands of sorts of languages ever being created and spoken by people all over the word in the history. But 90% of the languages can not avoid going to extinction and being forgotten forever by their native speakers, which was caused by the lower social class of the speakers (Skutnabb-Kangas, 2000). It is true that languages also have their social status as their speakers and they have been undergoing fierce competition from the time when created. From some examples this phenomenon can be explained in details. Why English gets some much attention all over the world today? Why many countries choose English as their second language. Its speakers social status may matter a lot to give the reason. After entering the 20th century, English speaking countries has developed to be the most powerful and wealthy areas, which means their dominance in ec onomical and political fields in the international interaction. If the word is perceived as a society, Americans and west Europeans are in the upper class without any doubt. Then English established its advantage in the competition process and now develop to be a language spoken by more than 2 billion speakers. From the example it can be seen that the power of a language is in deep relation to its speakers. Therefore, for a new created world language, its fate of development to some extent decided by whether the upper class have the interest to speak it. If it just can be promoted in a small group of people in lower social class, soon or later it will suffer from the result of those extinctive languages. In the foreseeable future, English is still the first consideration for most countries to communicate in international issues. If word language can come along, it is only can be English for its social status. Fourthly, language difference exists also connecting with the speakers profession. People can always guess what the persons job just through the way of his talk. Politician will always give speech agitatively while scientists speak in a way hard to understand but precise. University students will always talk their slang from which their status can be easy to tell. In addition to their talking style, profession vocabulary is also a decisive factor for language difference. For a non-native speaker, it is almost impossible for him or her to recognize the professional but important words. Therefore, as a mature developed language, it not just contains the daily communication and large amount of professional vocabulary should also be included to fulfill the professional need. Does it possible for a new language to get the complexity in short time? A world language as a good will to the world development may have difficultly to fulfill this requirement unless experiencing long history of e volution. The existence of this problem would lead to it is only possible to choose one widely used language to be the world language in the future. English may be the first consideration while there are also other possibilities such as French and Chinese and other languages that have developed to be a well round system. Fifthly, as a complex system, language is also a reflection of the speakers worldview. There are some explanations about what worldview is. The most direct one is that worldview is the overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world (Geoffrey, 2002). It has been proved that different nations have different worldview and people are taking a totally different perspective on those basic ontological issues from that in other nations. For some nations, their religious belief which differs from others can be reflected in their own language. But in another language, it may be difficult to find out vocabulary or expression to interpret their religious thought or behavior. However, religious beliefs for all nations are always the very important consideration for them to merge. For some people, religious belief is their motivation to be alive and if they can not find their religious belief in language change things will get seriously. Religious conflicts have led to a lot of w ars to world and this may happen when the languages of the word are forced to be get unified. Therefore, worldview of speakers of different language may be also a disturbing parameter to hinder they merge into each other. Possibility of English Developing into the only one Language of World When the world rolled into the 20th century, English speaking countries established their advantages in political and economical and cultural fields. In the 20th century, countries of the world went to together rapidly due to some transnational events such as the two world wars and communication in scientific and cultural and academic arrears. America became the dominant country of the word and has input much into other areas including technology and culture. Added to English basis left in the colonial countries across the world, English then has been chosen to be the most popular language for many countries (Mithen, 2005). In the 21st century, as globalization continues to evolve into deeper extent, the need of one international language would be more necessary for all the countries and it can be seen that English will continually take this important role. However, can the English become the first language for all the countries in the foreseeable future if it is developing as fast a s countries go to together? The answer is no. To some extent, English is the world language for transnational issues when people from different countries have to communicate for benefit. But no matter how English will be popular, it is still the first choice for non English speaking countries to communicate internationally, not the native language for their daily communication at family or at parties with local friends. As what has been said above, language is related to history, culture, social status, profession and worldview of the speakers. To accept English as the daily language and eradicate their current one, it is still far away from the communication just in official occasions. From the history it can be seen that only colonialism can input language into another countries and force them to forget their original language with high speed. But it will always bring tragic loss for the human race in many other areas. Therefore, English may still be the most popular language of t he world in the next centuries but will have no way to become the only one among the countries in the world. Conclusion In conclusion, the formulation of a language is more complex than people think. It is at least related to five aspects as the essay has discussed, which make it impossible for a new created language to reach the conditions. To become a language accepted and implemented broadly by people across world, the language should experienced long history of evolution to have the cultural basis. And also, it should be accepted by people from the main stream and from various religious groups. In addition, the new language would be possible contain vocabulary in many professional fields. Most of these features of language have to develop through thousands of years of implementation by people who take it. If possible, English may become the only one langue spoken by people all over the word in the future nevertheless it would be unable to realize in the next centuries. Therefore, it is impossible in the foreseeable future that variation within existing languages can be eradicated.

Absurdity in Albert Camus’ The Stranger Essay -- The Outsider Essays

The word "absurd" or "absurdity" is very peculiar in that there is no clear definition for the term. Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary gave its definition of "absurd" as "having no rational or orderly relationship to human life: meaningless, also: lacking order or value." Many existential philosophers have defined it in their own manner. Soren Kierkegarrd, a pre-World War II German philosopher, defined absurd as "that quality of Christian faith which runs counter to all reasonable human expectation" (Woelfel 40). Jean-Paul Sartre a post-WW II French philosopher, felt that absurd was "the sheer contingency or ‘thereness’ or gratuitousness of the world" (Woelfel 41). Both of these definitions are hard to interpret and for the most part are not how Camus viewed the word absurd. Camus gives his interpretation of absurd in his book The Myth of Sisyphus, which is the point at which man realizes that all the struggles that we put forth in a repeated daily cycle are in all actuality completely meaningless (Woelfel 44). In James W. Woelfel’s book, Camus: A Theological Perspective, he gives us Camus point of absurdity in detail, I have said that the world is not absurd. Neither is man the strange animal absurd. What is then? The absurd, Camus says, is precisely the relationship between man, who demands ultimate rationality, and his irrational world: the "confrontation between the human need and the unreasonable silence of the world" (Camus, Myth 21). †¦ man experiences himself as other than his natural environment and as wanting more than it can yield†¦nature has produced a being with needs it cannot fulfill. The juxtaposition of the human need for ultimate meaning with the ultimate lack of meaning yielded by the universe is the a... ...tranger.’† Storybites.com. Storybites, 2011. Web. 26 August 2015. "Absurd."   Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary.   http://www.merriam-webster.com/ Web. 26 August 2015. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absurd Braun, Lev.   Albert Camus:   Moralist of the Absurd.   Cranbury: Associated UP, 1974. Camus, Albert.   The Myth of Sisyphus.   Trans. Justin O'Brien.   New York: Vintage, 1955. ---.   The Stranger.   Trans. Matthew Ward.   New York: Vintage, 1988. Ellison, David R.   Understanding Albert Camus.   Columbia: U of South Carolina P, 1990. Masters, Brian.   Camus: A Study.   London: Heinemann, 1974. McCarthy, Patrick.   Camus: The Stranger.   Cambridge UP, 1988. Todd, Oliver.   Albert Camus: A Life.   Trans. Benjamin Ivry.   New York: Knopf, 1997. Woelfel, James W.   Camus: A Theological Perspective.   New York: Abingdon, 1975.   

The Illiteracy Problem in America :: Teaching Education Essays

The Illiteracy Problem in America It continues to be a big problem with the ranks swelling each year. Although safety nets are everywhere, illiteracy is still abundant. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, in 1998, ten million children between seven and eleven years of age performed below the most basic level of reading achievement. Illiteracy is not limited to children, teenagers, adults, a particular socio-economic level, or a particular race. When George, now 68, was a child he moved frequently because his father ran a small circus. He never stayed in one place long enough to learn how to read. Finally, he quit school, never to return. Now after retirement, he has decided to learn how to read. He arrived at the library reading room to find the door was locked. The sign indicated that a key was available at the information desk, but George did not know what the sign said. So he sat down and waited several hours for someone to open the door. Meh Chin from China, the mother of a third grader, is interested in communicating better with her children, who have already become fluent in English at an early age. Literacy programs should be an integral component of every community. Not only do these programs serve adults and foreigners, but they also serve those that live with the problems of poverty throughout their daily lives. In 2000-2001, 15.7% of students missed 21 or more days during the school year. Students who miss many days of school because of illnesses beyond their control often fall behind in their studies. Many literacy programs help these students excel in what otherwise would have been a deficiency in their learning. Opportunities abound to stamp out illiteracy at the federal, state, and local level. Are these enough? For those in need, maybe not. Most everyone’s needs are unique. National Family Literacy Program helps those families nationwide with literacy problems. In our own state of Florida, Governor Jeb Bush has set up the Governor’s Mentoring Initiative Program which has helped over 9,000 adults and children improve their reading programs.

The Baoule Tribe of West Africa

Queen Awura (Aura) Pokou governed one branch of the Akan’s mighty Ashanti kingdom, which traveled towards the southeast region of the Ivory Coast during the earlier part of the 18 century (qtd. in Laufer 42). Brought about by a conflict of leadership, wherein she turned down efforts to unite with the Ashanti confederacy in the present day Ghana, Pokou directed her tribe south towards the Komoe River banks. Once she asked the priest regarding the dangerous river crossing the tribe were about to embark on, the priest told her that if she offered a sacrifice, her group can successful cross the river.Pokou then offered her son to be sacrificed, crying out the words â€Å"Baouli—the child is dead† (qtd. in Laufer 42). From then on, Pokou’s descendants came to be known as the Baoules (Baule or Baol). The group successfully crossed the river and ended the savanna that rests on the opposite side. It was the start of a tribe which inhabited the central region situa ted between the Bandama and Komoe rivers. Ultimately, the Baoules absorbed many of the preexisting tribes of the region. As a result, they grew to be the most powerful and largest tribe of the Ivory Coast.Even if the Baoules lost a great deal of their political influence in the 19th century, they are still the largest tribe of the Ivory Coast to date (Steiner 90; Uwechue 66). The tribe moved westward from Ghana at the time the Asante assumed power some three hundred years ago. The story of how they escaped from such rule lives on in oral traditions. Pokou’s male descendant did not left the place she founded. He is regarded as the nominal king of the Baoule tribe (University of Iowa). The tribe is one of the ethnic groups of West Africa. The Baoules speak Twa (Yakan 227).Their language is a branch of the Kwa. The Kwa is a branch of the Niger-Congo family of African languages. Being an Akan group, the Baoules have tribal affiliations with several groups past the Ivory Coast, pa rticularly the Akan group of Ghana. The Senufo, Guro, Gan, Dida, Ari, Anyi, and Abbe (Abe) tribes are among the Baoules’ neighbors (Yakan 227). Fishing, animal husbandry, and agriculture serve as their principal economic activities (Yakan 227). A chief as well as a council of elders govern every village. Such rulers represent different lineages.Matrilineal lineages are observed in the Baoule culture (Lovejoy 175). A chief or king heads the Baoule tribe’s highly centralized system of government. The position of the chief of king is inherited (Colin 105). Several sub-chiefs manage the local inhabitants under the jurisdiction of the king. All of the chiefs greatly depend on their political advisors assisting them in the decision making process. As a principal mask association, the Goli group is responsible for the social order among the tribe (University of Iowa). Baoule art is presented in different mediums.Among them is figure and mask carving which is heavily influence d by the tribe’s Guro and Senufo neighbors. Other forms of media are wooden sculpture as well as brass and gold casting, resembling the tribes Asante heritage (Steiner 90). Similar to their fellow Africans, the Baoule tribe is famous for their wooden sculptures celebrating their conventional beliefs (Yakan 228). By tradition, the Baoules believe in a world of spirits. Likewise, they believe in the ancestor cult (Yakan 228). The hierarchy of nature gods and worship of their ancestors are incorporated in the religion they practice.Images of spirit spouses as well as nature spirits are normally sculpted. They regard Alouroua as their creator. However, their creator god is in no way physically represented ever since (University of Iowa). Works Cited â€Å"Baule Information. † 3 November 1998. University of Iowa. 7 March 2009 . Colin Legum. â€Å"Tribal Survival in the Modern African Political System. † The Passing of Tribal Man in Africa. Ed. Peter C. W. Gutkind. Le iden, The Netherlands: E. J. Brill, 1970, 102-112.Laufer, Guida. Women Rulers Throughout the Ages: An Illustrated Guide. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 1999. Lovejoy, Paul E. Transformation in slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Steiner, Christopher B. African Art in Transit. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Uwechue, Raph. Reflections on the Nigerian Civil War: Facing the Future. British Columbia: Trafford Publishing, 2004. Yakan, Muhammad Z. Almanac of African Peoples & Nations. Edison, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 1999.

Dating Younger Men Whats in It for You

Demi Moore, Madonna, Halle Berry, Mariah Carey, what do these names have in common aside from being famous? They have all dated significantly younger men. These women are always attending parties, events, red carpets, meeting millions of people, so what made them choose the young boy over so many attractive, interesting men around their age? They are â€Å"cougars† some people would say, a term referring to women dating younger man, that according to sex and relationships columnist and writer Valerie Gibson was originated in Vancouver, British Columbia, as â€Å"a put-down for older women who would go to bars and go home with whoever was left at the end of the night. † Twenty years ago this would have been looked at as strange and unusual, but it’s becoming more common every day. In 2003 a study by AARP revealed that 34 percent of all women over 40 in the survey were dating younger men, and 35 percent preferred it to dating older men. The most recent U. S. Census Bureau figures show that 12 percent of all marriages were between older women and younger men. What is all the craze about? What makes these young boys so appealing to older ladies? Some of the reasons why women enjoy dating younger men are the control they can exert over them, their sexual empathy, and the feeling of being younger. The first juicy little trait these women enjoy is having more control over their partner if he is younger than with a man at the same age. Older men are set in their ways of thinking, and because of past experiences, they have formed their character and personality and are not looking to change that. Young men are more willing to learn and being told what to do by their woman can give them a sense of stability and protection, which is also appealing for them. Some women have a motherly instinct that can be satisfied by dating someone younger, who they can take care of and at the same time tell them what to do. English writer Oliver James shares a thought in his article, â€Å"Why are so many older women into dating young men†: â€Å"They can use their wisdom to help their young men, while getting a lot back in return. Many young men also enjoy this feature of dating an older lady, which allows them to learn new things and be with a confident woman. (125) Furthermore, another important factor that these women are attracted to is the sensation of feeling young again. Dating a younger man can take them back to their college years and can even increase their ego and self image by realizing that they still attract the interest of a young man. This is the sensation these women experience while dating younger men; in the words of Dr. Jennifer Berman, urologist and expert in women’s sexual health, â€Å"feeling beautiful, feeling attractive, feeling young. Being appreciated as a woman for all that you are and all that you’ve learned and all that you’ve become. This fuels that high self esteem, making them even more attractive to their partner. Last but certainly not least, the compatibility under the sheets. Older women and younger men soon realize that they have something in common that makes the relationship so much better, their sex drive. Online column writer Chuck Ross, points out in his article, â€Å"The Sexual Peak Myth†, how â€Å"men hit their sexual peak at the age of 18 while women hit theirs at 30-35. † He further explains that â€Å"despite literally no scientific support for this theory, this has become â€Å"common knowledge† in our society. This makes complete sense, a women who is dating an older man, maybe in his 40’s or 50’s may have the same reading taste, enjoy listening to the same music and share their interest on visiting museums all over the world, but when it comes to the bedroom, they might be going in completely opposite directions. This issue is obviously non existent with young studs. Self proclaimed cougar and author of Hot Cougar Sex Llona Paris, shares her point of view: â€Å"Flirting with and bedding a hot younger guy can ignite a woman’s confidence. And attention from a beautiful older woman will stroke a man’s ego. A cougar knows what she wants, particularly in the bedroom. And because of her experience in the boudoir, she has a lot to share, which is interesting for younger men. † (78) Yvonne K. Fulright, a writer for Fox News website, on her article â€Å"Sink your teeth into the cougar†, reflects about how young men are aroused by their strong confidence, less inhibited personality and more mature sexuality than younger girls. This makes them look in control and secure about themselves, and they are not shy about sharing what the like in bed, and showing it to their young partners. This further analysis helps the reader understand even better, why young men are more than willing to experiment having a relationship with an older women. Its understandable why some women make this choice, being able to control their partner gives them a sense of security, the benefits of feeling forever young, and the excitement of a having a perfect match inside the bedroom. All this reasons can make a steady long lasting relationship between an older women and a younger man, contrary to what was believed years ago, a successful relationship doesn’t have to be composed of an older more experienced man and a younger wome

The American Indian Movement

The American Indian Movement existed more than 500 year ago without a name and was formalized as the American Indian Movement (AIM) on 1968, July 28th at Minnesota in Minneapolis. It grew from policy making movement to making programs and projects from its initial task as a movement that was meant to serve many Indian communities.Its success cannot be disputed and is attributed to the spiritual and elderly guidance in its operations. It was initially meant to renew the Indian religious practices and was further against the ruinous policies that existed in the America.It led protests that advocated for the indigenous American interests, implemented employment programs for the Native Americans in rural reserves and cities and advocated for cultural renewal in and outside America as well..Among those who co-founded it in 1968 included NeeGawNwayWeeDun, Herb Powless, Dennis Banks, Eddie Benton Banai, Leonard Peltier, Clyde Bellecourt, and Russell Means among others.The movement used tact ics that would publicize its needs; it further used the media and American press. It used forced seizure, peaceful sit- in and forceful takeovers. The AIM take-over and the occupations includes the:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1973, the wounded knee incident ( Pine ridge reservation)2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1973, the Custer county   courthouse3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1972, the bureau of Indian affairs that was located in Washington DC.The Pine Ridge incident of Wounded Knee was a widely assimilated idea because it demanded the reinstatement of about 300 treaties between the federal government and the Native American that had been broken.  This led to trials of several IAM members who were eventually acquitted. The AIM had held 11 hostages that resulted to a 71 days stand off between the federal agents and the Aim. The Wounded Knee, a tiny village was the site of the 1890 last great massacre of the Native Americans.The taking over of Indian affairs headquarters bureau in 1972 was supported by many Americans because the government had created a tribal council in 1934 that was against the development of the Native Americans.A gun battle between the FBI and the IAM members in 1975, July26th, which resulted to the killing of two FBI agents and Joseph Stuntz, this eventually led to conviction of one of the leader of AIM, Leonard Peltier, for the murder of the FBI agent.This conviction has been opposed by many human right activists in the world, a court of appeal judge, Gerald Heaney in his ruling said that though the Natives were guilty of the murder government had overreacted resulting to fatal shooting. This showed that the movement was a widely assimilated idea.The mid 1980s conflict in Nicaragua between the Sandinista government and the Miskito Indian where by these Indian opposed their relocation upon being supported by the AIM leads, more specifically Russell Means. This movement at that time was seen as a minority movement since even the white who supporte d it was against their opposition of relocation.AIM has been advocating for the for improved living conditions for the of the native Americans while founding institutions meant to serve their specific needs, some of these institutions include   Heart of the Earth School and American Indian Opportunities and Organizations among others.REFERENCESA Brief History of AIM, retrieved on 17th, October, 2007, available at www.aimovement.org/ggc/history.htmlAIM Grand Governing Council, retrieved on 17th, October, 2007, available at www.aimovement.org/ggc/index.htmlAmerican Indian Movement – AIM, retrieved on 17th, October, 2007, available at www.aimovement.org/Kenneth S. Stern (1994) Loud Hawk: The United States Versus the American Indian Movement, Net Library publishers, US