Addiction Essay 4 Essays

Addiction Essay 4 Essays Addiction Essay 4 Essay Addiction Essay 4 Essay INTRODUCTION Addiction is a chronic disorder proposed to be precipitated by a combination of genetic, biological/pharmacological and social factors. Addiction is a compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its consequences (Webster, 2003). Addiction is often characterized by a craving for more of the drug or behavior, increased physiological tolerance to exposure, and withdrawal symptoms in the absence of the stimulus (NIDA, 2008). The purpose of this paper is to review a recently published book that focuses on family involvement in addiction. The book selected for this project was, â€Å"The Science of Addiction: From Neurobiology to Treatment† by Dr. Carlton (Carl) K. Erickson. Dr. Erickson is a research scientist studying the effects of alcohol on the brain for over 30 years. He received his Ph. D. degree in pharmacology from Purdue University in 1965 and taught and preformed research at The University of Kansas and The University of Texas since 1969. He presently is the Pfizer Centennial Professor of Pharmacology and Director of the Addiction Science Research and Education Center in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Erickson is a published professional with over 150 scientific articles and co-authored multiple books on addiction and drug abuse. As a neuroscientist, he believes that addictions are neurochemical disorders. Although, in 1988 the United States Supreme Court declared alcoholism to be willful misconduct (Gerde, 2005), Dr. Erickson bases his belief on decades of comprehensive genetic and neurobiological research that provided evidence that addiction is a disease of the brain with genetic connection. He believes if the addiction is diagnosed early it can be treated successfully. Dr. Erickson is more than qualified to speak on the subject of addiction and any subtopics related to addition. Dr. Ericksons book is written to a general audience and easy to understand. The book provides a clear and detailed overview of current neurobiological information and treatment programs for addiction based solely on science and provides a brief description of genetics. According to Dr. Erickson there have been possible causative genes identified. He emphasizes in his book that any treatment approach cannot rely on pharmacological solutions alone and that treatment must be individualized, but does not go into great detail. Although, he does refer to group, individual and family counseling his main focus is pharmaceutical treatment. The first chapter of the book clarifies the terminology used throughout the book. The next 7 chapters provide a crash course in the basics of the brain, the anatomy and neurobiology of addiction, genetics and pharmacology. Chapter 8 lists various treatment programs offered for the most widespread addictions to include several types of counseling methods and pharmaceutical treatments. Dr. Erickson focuses on addiction as a disease process and dismisses most psychological aspects of the addicted person, claiming the addicted person is not responsible for their condition. Dr. Ericksons simply ignores other research and evidence that support a psychological bases for addiction. Although there has been no clear-cut cause identified for addiction, research has identified numerous factors as potential causes. Potential cause are everything from genetic, physiological, biochemical, social and prenatal factors to emotional conflicts, personality traits, learned behavior and stress. His treatment modalities focus on pharmacological treatments disregarding the psychological piece of prevention and treatment not to mention free will and moral responsibility. Scientific research supports addiction as a disease and also supports the idea that there are psychological factors present as potential causative factors as well as plays a significant role in prevention and treatment, (SAMSHA, 2004). According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) family does influence prevention and treatment. One of the individual factors related to successful prevention and treatment include motivation to change drug-using behavior and the degree of support from family and friends is crucial. It is important for the families to be part of treatment. They need to be referred to support groups designed to helping them understand their role is intertwined in the addiction. These groups will provide education about the disease in general and how they will assist in treatment. Although, Dr. Erickson has valid scientific research on the topic of addiction and his research is accepted in the medical community his treatment modalities lacks the whole person concept. NIDA agrees addiction is a disease of the brain because addiction changes the brain’s structure and how the brain works. NIDA explains, the initial decision to indulge in addictive behavior is voluntary, but over time the individual’s ability to exert self control is seriously impaired. Dr. Erickson’s book implies the primary and only contributing factor to addictive behavior is genetic. This is in contrast to NIDA research. NIDA expresses that there are many factors contributing to an individual susceptibility in displaying addictive behavior range from physical make up to environmental influences. According to NIDA only about 40% of the total contributing factors are possibly genetic the rest is psychological, environmental and by choice. The influence of the home environment is in most cases a significant influence. Parents or older family members who abuse alcohol or drugs can increase an individual’s risk of developing their own addictive behaviors. NIDA does support the ideas that addiction is a treatable disease. With the discoveries in science and research there have been many advances in addictive treatment. Like other chronic diseases, addiction can be managed successfully. Research shows that combining medications with behavioral therapy is the best way to ensure success for most patients. NIDA and Dr. Erickson agree that treatment approaches must be tailored to address each individual, but differ on the appropriate care plan. Behavioral treatments are recognized by the medical community as an essential part of addiction treatment. Behavioral treatment assists in modifying an individual attitudes and behaviors related to their addiction and increasing their skills to handle stressful circumstances and environmental cues that may trigger intense craving and enhance the effectiveness of medications (SAMSHA, 2004). Getting an addicted person to stop is just one part of the treatment and recovery process. Addiction has disrupted how they function in their family lives, at work and in the community. Because addiction can affect so many aspects of an individuals life, treatment must address the needs of the entire individual to be successful. Treatment need to meet the individual’s medical, psychological, social, vocational, religious and legal needs (Capuzzi Stauffer, 2008). This is why the best programs incorporate a variety of services into their treatment program. Successful treatment programs across the U. S. include cognitive behavioral, group and family therapies as well as motivational incentives. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps individuals recognize, avoid, and cope with the situations in which they are most likely to fall into addictive behaviors. Motivational incentives use positive reinforcement such as providing rewards or rivileges for appropriate behaviors such as for attending and participating in counseling sessions, or for taking medications as prescribed. Group therapy helps individual face their addiction realistically and come to terms with its harmful consequences, and boost their motivation. Family therapy uses the family strength to assist the individual to find resources to continue in treatment (NIDA, 2008). Dr. Erickson is definitely a qualified professional in the field of addiction and has the credentials in his field of study. He is an accepted expert and member of the medical community. Although, Dr. Erickson’s book â€Å"The Science of Addiction: From Neurobiology to Treatment† has valid research and support from the medical community it has areas in conflict with the medical community as a whole in the area of contributing factors for addiction and treatment modalities. His research on the contributing factors for addiction is validated by the medical and research communities, but is lacking in the complete picture of addiction including other contributing factors such as environment, psychological factors and treatment modalities other then pharmacological treatment. He does make some mention of counseling and therapy, but focuses mostly on pharmacological treatments and therapies. Dr. Erickson’s book did not add to or detract from the text used for this course. The information in Dr. Erickson’s book was straight forward and easy to follow, but could be misleading or misinterpreted simply by not including all factors related to the cause of addiction and treatment. His book was consistent with most other addiction research, but did not follow the line when it came to the whole person concept in causes and treatment. This could possibly be due to the fact that Dr. Erickson has a degree in pharmacology and is a Professor of Pharmacology. His views may be biased as a result of his profession. Although, Dr. Erickson has some differing views his research is valid and does provide useful information to base addiction research, prevention and treatment. Although, this book did not directly focus on family involvement in addition it did focus on the genetic link to addiction which is part of the theory linking family to the root of addictive behaviors. REFERENCES Capuzzi, D. Stauffer, M. (2008). Foundations of Addictions Counseling. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ Erickson, C. (2007). The Science of Addiction: From Neurobiology to Treatment. W. W. Norton Company, Inc: New York, NY Gerde, L. (2005). Addiction : Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven: San Diego Ca Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003). Merriam-Webster: Springfield, MA NIDA (2008). The Science of Drug Abuse Addiction. Retrieved 10 August 2008, from drugabuse. gov// SAMSHA (October 4, 2004). Addiction Treatment Should Include Family Therapy Practical Guidelines for Counselors. Retrieved 15 August 2008, from www. samhsa. gov/

How to Write a Formal Essay †Get your Sophistication on! BestEssay.education

How to Write a Formal Essay – Get your Sophistication on! How to Write a Formal Essay – Get your Sophistication on! Much of the essay and paper writing that you do in school is formal. And you are writing formal essays all the time without realizing it – you just may not be getting the grades you should, because you don’t fully understand the nature of these types of essays, as opposed to other types. Here you will find all that you need to know about formal essay writing. First, to Define Formal Essay Writing The formal essay is, above all, objective and impersonal. It is a piece of writing that explains, that informs, that compares and contrasts, and that may also attempt to persuade. These type of essays are contrasted with such pieces as a narrative (telling a story) or a personal statement essay that a student might write for college or graduate school admissions. Think of the difference between using the pronoun â€Å"I† and the pronoun â€Å"he† or â€Å"one.† That is perhaps the simplest method of differentiating between formal and informal essays. The other difference between formal writing and informal writing is usually that formal types are based upon factual evidence and data, while informal types are based upon emotion, stories, and un-supported beliefs/views. The Formal Essay Format A formal essay must be at least five paragraphs long and consist of an introduction, at least 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion. This probably sounds familiar to you; however, remember, that a personal statement essay also has the same format. Again, the difference is being personal or impersonal and objective. The Introduction: Obviously, this is the opening paragraph of your essay. It begins with some type of highly engaging sentence – a startling statistic, a quotation from a related famous expert on the topic, or a question that piques interest. The introduction must also state the topic and the thesis. Any formal essay must have a thesis statement, which provides the point you are trying to make. The thesis is usually the final sentence of the introduction. The Body: These are the paragraphs that will provide the information, evidence, etc. to prove your thesis statement. There may be any number, but there must be at least 3, and each must begin with a topic sentence. The Conclusion: Wrap up your points to demonstrate that your thesis is valid. Writing a Formal Essay of Various Types The structure and format for a formal will always be the same, no matter what type of essay you are writing. Here are some examples of formal essay topics based upon purpose/type: Expository: Explain the life cycle of a virus once it enters the human body. Definition: Define justice as it relates to our current court system in the U.S. Analysis: Analyze the poem, â€Å"The Raven† by Edgar Allen Poe Comparison/Contrast: Contrast the health care systems in the U.S. and Germany. Process: Explain the process by which ocean water is de-salinized Persuade: Convince an audience that prison privatization is a bad idea Contrast these topics with the following topics that are personal and informal. Describe a significant event in your life that impacted your belief system. Recall a time when you met with failure. Describe how and why you think you failed. What did you learn? Learning how to write a formal essay is not difficult – you already know the format. The key is to keep it objective – just the facts!

Explain how oxygen and carbon dioxide are transported by the blood Assignment

Explain how oxygen and carbon dioxide are transported by the blood - Assignment Example The process of oxygen transportation by the blood involves transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the cells that need the oxygen for physiological and biological processes. The major factor in the oxygen transfer is the concentration gradient between blood and the two cites. The respiratory system inhales blood that is reach in oxygen and induces oxygen concentration gradient between the lung and the blood system. Oxygen then diffuses into the blood system for transportation through the system’s network that reaches all body cells. Many non-physical factors however facilitate the process that would otherwise be too slow to meet the need for oxygen. Physical transfer in which oxygen dissolves in the blood’s plasma only transport a limited amount of oxygen in the body, while the major transportation is aided by haemoglobin. Further, the level of oxygen that is transported through the chemical is a factor of â€Å"concentration of haemoglobin in the blood,† proportion of haemoglobin that is bound to oxygen and the chemical’s affinity to oxygen. The level of diffused oxygen into the blood is further a non-linear factor of oxygen concentration with a reducing gradient as oxygen concentration increases up to an optimal level at which the diffusion rate stabilizes. Oxygenated blood is then transported through the circulatory system whose extensive network connects to all body cells and organs. The cells have low oxygen concentration and this facilitates the transfer of oxygen into cells across cell membranes. Dissociation of oxygen from blood’s haemoglobin is however also influenced by factors such as presence of carbon monoxide, concentration of hydrogen ions, and temperature among other biological conditions such as anaemia (Porth 2010; Tortora and Derrickson 2009). The blood also transports carbon dioxide from cells to the lungs. The transfer occurs in three forms in which carbon dioxide diffuses from cells into

Are American cultural myths just that--Myths Research Paper

Are American cultural myths just that--Myths - Research Paper Example This myth can be traced back to the origin of America. However, in today’s scenario, how much this myth still holds true today will be considered in this paper. America originated to provide opportunities to its entrants; however, it has not fulfilled its promise to its full extent. This fact cannot be denied that America accommodated all who entered its territories but the resident will see progress and success is not wholly true. Franklin Benjamin, in his article, â€Å"America as the Land of Opportunity† (1751), explains that America was a new land, which had space for many entrants and offered people with their bright futures. The land was very accommodative and the level of people’s profession increased with their struggle in the profession as Franklin Benjamin (1751) informs that America was a place, â€Å"where no Man continues long a Laborer for others, but gets a Plantation of his own, no Man continues long a Journeyman to a Trade but goes among those n ew Settlers, and set up for himself† and so on. Every person who entered the new land had an opportunity to see himself and his family prosperous and successful. American dream is an interrelated term with the myth of America as a land of opportunity. ... There was chance for one’s family to receive better educational, health and other facilities. The American dream allowed the new settlers to enjoy their lives the way they liked. They were given all the opportunities to lead a happy life with all the facilities that they required. There were no restrictions for the new settlers in terms of exercising their religious practices, promoting their cultures and making use of their own languages due to which, America is a multicultural country today where we can find people from diverse cultures all over the world (Cullen 126). This provides the original definition of America as a land of opportunity. Eighteenth century saw the early settlers in America while with the passage of time, people from different nations came for settling purposes to America (Brueggmann 51). These people also showed interest towards transforming their luck. They had high rated ideas about their future success and development. America as a new land offered i ts dwellers with all the chances that it could provide. However, when people assembled in America to a large extent, they faced the same deprivations as others faced in their own countries. Pete Davis (2009) explains about America’s being a land of opportunity as an image that is incorrectly built as he informs that other nations provide better facilities to their residents in terms of mobility as compared to America. People are not able to transform their status altogether because of economic problems that shift from one generation to other. According to Pete Davis (2009), â€Å"if you're born poor in America, you're likely to remain poor† because

The Importance of English Language in India Essay Example for Free

The Importance of English Language in India Essay These regional languages differ from each other so much that it is not possible to communicate with people of other regions without a common language. Further, India is trying to maintain a good foreign policy. For all this, there is need of a common language i. e. , English. It is this language which is understood almost all over the region in addition to national language of Hindi, all schools and colleges teach English and mostly have it as a medium of instruction. 4 In today’s world, we have to get knowledge of advanced technologies and all kinds of branches of Science. There is an urgent need of such a common language which can be understood by youth all over India and the language in which all data and information is available. It is English only which can be rightly selected as the language to be studied by all of us from the very primary level. This language is a store house of social and political knowledge. Hence, study of English language is of great importance for a developing country like India. 190 English is a language having 300an international status and can provide the best medium to interact with outside world. In all international seminars or summits, all speeches or course material is in English. If India is to utilize these opportunities, and expand its universal view point, then English is the only language which should be learnt by all of us. 251 Further, a nation can remain intact only when its leaders can understand the people living in different regions and can communicate with them in effective and cordial manner. All leaders cannot understand more than ten to fifteen languages of various regions, however, they can easily understand the common language English. This language is important to inspire unity not only at the national level but at the international level. 317 Today, USA and other countries have made tremendous progress in the field of science and technology. In space technology, we are no match to them. The world is making progress in these fields at a terrific speed. To increase and encourage more research work in Science and Technology, we have to study all these subjects in detail. And for this the importance of English cannot be denied. 383 Every nation must develop and encourage its own language. However, in India we have diversity in languages and it is not possible for many years ahead to have a common language like Hindi. Under such circumstances, we cannot wait for long; otherwise we will be left far behind. As such, till such time one language is developed, we must learn and teach English from the beginning itself. Some subject like Science, Mathematics and technology books must be taught in English only. We now know that we have not been able to prosper like other countries of the world due to keeping ourselves away from English. It is this language which can uplift us not only within our own country but throughout the world. 506

Investigating Alcoholic Fermentation and the Affects of Yeast on Dough :: essays research papers

Biology Lab Report Investigating Alcoholic Fermentation and the Affects of Yeast on Dough Aim: The aim was simply to investigate whether or not yeast had any affect on causing dough to rise when baked and to experiment with alcoholic fermentation eg. to see if it gave off carbon dioxide. Introduction: Following a few weeks of fermentation theory, groups of three to four were assigned and told to conduct a series of experiments involving the affects of fermentation. My group consisted of myself, Won Jin, Brendan and Sun-Ho and we chose to investigate alcoholic fermentation and the affects of yeast on dough, more specifically to see if yeast caused the dough to rise in anyway. We followed the instructions in our biology textbook on page 129. Hypothesis: According to what I’ve learned, I would expect that the yeast does indeed cause the dough to rise due to the carbon dioxide gas given off by the yeast. For our alcoholic investigation, I can safely assume that carbon dioxide will be given off as the formula for anaerobically respiration in alcoholic fermentation for turning glucose into alcohol is [ Glucose -> Alcohol + Carbon Dioxide + Energy ] so obviously Carbon Dioxide is a part of this. Also I assume that the fermentation will give off heat and the sugar will probably be turned into alcohol. Materials:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ca. 100 g flour   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Water   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yeast   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  10 per cent solution Glucose   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Liquid Paraffin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Four Test Tubes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lime Water (Used as an indicator) Practical: Our first experiment was to see if yeast impacted dough in anyway and to do this we brought in supplies such as flour and yeast. We followed the instructions and made three groups of dough. For each group we added 50 g of flour and added a little bit of water while mixing it. Due to my lack of â€Å"kitchen skills† I had to throw away my first two attempts, as they had gotten too sticky. But like they say, third time’s the charm and we finally made suitable dough. We mixed warm water and yeast together in a bowl and added about 10 g of sugar, which is necessary for the dough to expand. We split the dough into two smaller mounds and added the yeast solution with only one of them to see the difference of dough with yeast and dough without yeast subjected to the same conditions to analyse the difference. We placed both mounds of dough on top of a windowsill where we would leave it for an hour.

Anomie: Sociology and People

Anomie describes a lack of social norms; â€Å"normlessness†. It describes the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and their community, if under unruly scenarios possibly resulting in fragmentation of social identity and rejection of self-regulatory values. It was popularized by French sociologist Emile Durkheim in his influential book Suicide (1897). Durkheim borrowed the word from French philosopher Jean-Marie Guyau. Durkheim never uses the term normlessness; rather, he describes anomie as â€Å"a rule that is a lack of rule†, â€Å"derangement†, and â€Å"an insatiable will†.For Durkheim, anomie arises more generally from a mismatch between personal or group standards and wider social standards, or from the lack of a social ethic, which produces moral deregulation and an absence of legitimate aspirations. This is a nurtured condition: Anomie in common parlance is thought to mean something like â€Å"at loose ends†. The Oxford English Dictionary lists a range of definitions, beginning with a disregard of divine law, through the 19th and 20th century sociological terms meaning an absence of accepted social standards or values.Most sociologists associate the term with Durkheim, who used the concept to speak of the ways in which an individual's actions are matched, or integrated, with a system of social norms and practices †¦ Durkheim also formally posited anomie as a mismatch, not simply as the absence of norms. Thus, a society with too much rigidity and little individual discretion could also produce a kind of anomie, a mismatch between individual circumstances and larger social mores. Thus, fatalistic suicide arises when a person is too rule-governed, when there is †¦ no free horizon of expectation. Durkheim attempts to explain the function of the division of labor, and makes the observation that it creates social cohesion. The industrial revolution, of course, produced great tension and turmoil, and Du rkheim recognized this. He resolved the contradiction by developing the notion of anomie. Anomie is usually translated as normlessness, but it best understood as insufficient normative regulation. During periods of rapid social change, individuals sometimes experience alienation from group goals and values. They lose sight of their shared interests based on mutual dependence. In this condition, they are less constrained by group norms.Normative values become generalized, rather than personally embraced. The Sociological Imagination (1959), which is considered Mills' most influential book on the sociology profession, describes a mindset for studying sociology — the sociological imagination — that stresses being able to connect individual experiences and societal relationships. Mills asserts that a critical task for social scientists is to â€Å"translate private troubles into public issues,† which is something that it is very difficult for ordinary citizens to do . Sociologists, then, rightly connect their autobiographical, personal challenges to social institutions.Social scientists should then connect those institutions to social structure(s) and locate them within a historical narrative. The three components that form the sociological imagination are: History: how a society came to be and how it is changing and how history is being made in it Biography: the nature of â€Å"human nature† in a society; what kinds of people inhabit a particular society Social Structure: how the various institutional orders in a society operate, which ones are dominant, how they are held together, how they might be changing, etc. The Promise Of Sociology C.Wright Mills  · Men now days often feel that their lives are a series of traps. They feel in their worlds they can’t overcome their troubles. According to Mills this is correct.  · You cannot understand the life of an individual or the history of society without understanding both.  · Pe ople do not see how the changes in history affect them. The do not see how the ups and downs they experience in their lives are affected by their society.  · People do not see the connection that exists between the patterns in their lives and the course of history. People need a quality of mind to use information to develop reason to make connections between what is going on in the world and what is happening to themselves. He calls this the Sociological Imagination.  · Sociological Imagination allows us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society. That is both its task and its promise. This is the purpose of classical social analysts.  · The most important distinction is between the issues and the troubles. Issues- have to do with matters that transcend these local environments of the individual and the range of his inner life.  · Troubles- occur within the character of the individual and within his range of his immediate relations with o thers. It has to do with his self and with those areas of social life in which he is directly and personally aware.  · The sociological imagination is supposed to help man to understand that what is happening to themselves is a result of intersections of history and biography within their society.Class consciousness is a term used in social sciences and political theory, particularly Marxism, to refer to the beliefs that a person holds regarding one's social class or economic rank in society, the structure of their class, and their class interests. Defining a person's social class can be a determinant for his awareness of it. Marxists define classes on the basis of their relation to the means of production – especially on whether they own capital. Non-Marxist social scientists distinguish various social strata on the basis of income, occupation, or status.Early in the nineteenth century, the labels â€Å"working classes† and â€Å"middle classes† were already coming into common usage. â€Å"The old hereditary aristocracy, reinforced by the new gentry who owed their success to commerce, industry, and the professions, evolved into an â€Å"upper class†. Its consciousness was formed in part by public schools (in the British sense) and Universities. The upper class tenaciously maintained control over the political system, depriving not only the working classes but the middle classes of a voice in the political process. Solidarity is the integration, and degree and type of integration, shown by a society or group with people and their neighbors. It refers to the ties in a society that bind people to one another. The term is generally employed in sociology and the other social sciences. What forms the basis of solidarity varies between societies. In simple societies it may be mainly based around kinship and shared values. In more complex societies there are various theories as to what contributes to a sense of social solidarity.Accordi ng to Emile Durkheim, the types of social solidarity correlate with types of society. Durkheim introduced the terms â€Å"mechanical† and â€Å"organic solidarity† as part of his theory of the development of societies in The Division of Labor in Society (1893). In a society exhibiting mechanical solidarity, its cohesion and integration comes from the homogeneity of individuals—people feel connected through similar work, educational and religious training, and lifestyle. Mechanical solidarity normally operates in â€Å"traditional† and small scale societies. In simpler societies (e. g. tribal), solidarity is usually based on kinship ties of familial networks. Organic solidarity comes from the interdependence that arises from specialization of work and the complementarities between people—a development which occurs in â€Å"modern† and â€Å"industrial† societies. Definition: it is social cohesion based upon the dependence individuals h ave on each other in more advanced societies. Although individuals perform different tasks and often have different values and interest, the order and very solidarity of society depends on their reliance on each other to perform their specified tasks.Organic here is referring to the interdependence of the component parts. Thus, social solidarity is maintained in more complex societies through the interdependence of its component parts (e. g. , farmers produce the food to feed the factory workers who produce the tractors that allow the farmer to produce the food) mechanical and organic solidarity, in the theory of the French social scientist Emile Durkheim (1858–1917), the social cohesiveness of small, undifferentiated societies (mechanical) and of societies differentiated by a relatively complex division of labour (organic).Mechanical solidarity is the social integration of members of a society who have common values and beliefs. These common values and beliefs constitute a à ¢â‚¬Å"collective conscience† that works internally in individual members to cause them to cooperate. Because, in Durkheim’s view, the forces causing members of society to cooperate were much like the internal energies causing the molecules to cohere in a solid, he drew upon the terminology of physical science in coining the term mechanical solidarity.In contrast to mechanical solidarity, organic solidarity is social integration that arises out of the need of individuals for one another’s services. In a society characterized by organic solidarity, there is relatively greater division of labour, with individuals functioning much like the interdependent but differentiated organs of a living body. Society relies less on imposing uniform rules on everyone and more on regulating the relations between different groups and persons, often through the greater use of contracts and laws. Durkheim dentified two major types of social integration, mechanical and organic. The fo rmer refers to integration that is based on shared beliefs and sentiments, while the latter refers to integration that results from specialization and interdependence. These types reflect different ways that societies organized themselves. Where there is little differentiation in the kinds of labor that individuals engage in, integration based on common beliefs is to be found; in societies where work is highly differentiated, solidarity is the consequence of mutual dependence.The distinction reveals Durkheim's thinking about how modern societies differ from earlier ones, and consequently, how solidarity changes as a society becomes more complex. Societies of mechanical solidarity tend to be relatively small and organized around kinship affiliations. Social relations are regulated by the shared system of beliefs, what Durkheim called the common conscience. Violations of social norms were taken as a direct threat to the shared identity, and so, reactions to deviance tended to emphasiz e punishment. As a society becomes larger, division of labor increases.A complex organization of labor is necessary, in larger societies, for the production of material life (as Marx suggested). Because people begin to specialize, the basis for the collective conscience is diminished. Solidarity based on the common belief system is no longer possible. Complexity does not lead to disintegration, Durkheim argued, but rather, to social solidarity based on interdependence. Since people are no longer producing all the things that they need, they must interact. Integration results from a recognition that each needs the other. Societies of organic solidarity are arranged around economic and political organizations.Their legal systems regulate behavior based on principles of exchange and restitution, rather than punishment. Manifest and latent functions are social scientific concepts of sociology by Robert K. Merton. Merton appeared interested in sharpening the conceptual tools to be employ ed in a functional analysis. Manifest functions and dysfunctions are conscious and deliberate, the latent ones the unconscious and unintended. While functions are intended (manifest) or unintended (latent), and have a positive effect on society, dysfunctions are unintended or unrecognized (latent) and have a negative effect on society.Manifest functions are the consequences that people observe or expect. It is explicitly stated and understood by the participants in the relevant action. The manifest function of a rain dance, used as an example by Merton in his 1967 Social Theory and Social Structure, is to produce rain, and this outcome is intended and desired by people participating in the ritual. Latent functions are those that are neither recognized nor intended. A latent function of a behavior is not explicitly stated, recognized, or intended by the people involved. Thus, they are identified observers.In the example of rain ceremony, the latent function reinforces the group ident ity by providing a regular opportunity for the members of a group to meet and engage in a common activity. Ideal type (German: Idealtypus), also known as pure type, is a typological term most closely associated with antipositivist sociologist Max Weber (1864–1920). For Weber, the conduct of social science depends upon the construction of hypothetical concepts in the abstract. The â€Å"ideal type† is therefore a subjective element in social theory and research; one of many subjective elements which necessarily distinguish sociology from natural science.An ideal type is formed from characteristics and elements of the given phenomena, but it is not meant to correspond to all of the characteristics of any one particular case. It is not meant to refer to perfect things, moral ideals nor to statistical averages but rather to stress certain elements common to most cases of the given phenomena. It is also important to pay attention that in using the word â€Å"ideal† M ax Weber refers to the world of ideas (German: Gedankenbilder â€Å"thoughtful pictures†) and not to perfection; these â€Å"ideal types† are idea-constructs that help put the chaos of social reality in order.Weber himself wrote: â€Å"An ideal type is formed by the one-sided accentuation of one or more points of view and by the synthesis of a great many diffuse, discrete, more or less present and occasionally absent concrete individual phenomena, which are arranged according to those onesidedly emphasized viewpoints into a unified analytical construct†¦ † It is a useful tool for comparative sociology in analyzing social or economic phenomena, having advantages over a very general, abstract idea and a specific historical example.It can be used to analyze both a general, suprahistorical phenomenon (like capitalism) or historically unique occurrences (like Weber's own Protestant Ethics analysis). Weber's three kinds of ideal types are distinguished by their l evels of abstraction. First are the ideal types rooted in historical particularities, such as the â€Å"western city,† â€Å"the Protestant Ethic,† or â€Å"modern capitalism,† which refer to phenomena that appear only in specific historical periods and in particular cultural areas.A second kind involves abstract elements of social reality–such concepts as â€Å"bureaucracy† or â€Å"feudalism†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthat may be found in a variety of historical and cultural contexts. Finally, there is a third kind of ideal type, which Raymond Aron calls â€Å"rationalizing reconstructions of a particular kind of behavior. † According to Weber, all propositions in economic theory, for example, fall into this category. They all refer to the ways in which men would behave were they actuated by purely economic motives, were they purely economic men. Verstehen (German pronunciation: [f te ]), in the context of German philosophy and social sciences in gene ral, has been used since the late 19th century – in English as in German – with the particular sense of the â€Å"interpretive or participatory† examination of social phenomena. The term is closely associated with the work of the German sociologist, Max Weber, whose antipositivism established an alternative to prior sociological positivism and economic determinism, rooted in the analysis of social action. In anthropology, Verstehen has come to mean a systematic interpretive process in which an outside observer of a culture attempts to relate to it and understand others.Verstehen is now seen as a concept and a method central to a rejection of positivistic social science (although Weber appeared to think that the two could be united). Verstehen refers to understanding the meaning of action from the actor's point of view. It is entering into the shoes of the other, and adopting this research stance requires treating the actor as a subject, rather than an object of your observations. It also implies that unlike objects in the natural world human actors are not simply the product of the pulls and pushes of external forces.Individuals are seen to create the world by organizing their own understanding of it and giving it meaning. To do research on actors without taking into account the meanings they attribute to their actions or environment is to treat them like objects. Interpretative Sociology (verstehende Soziologie) is the study of society that concentrates on the meanings people associate to their social world. Interpretative society strives to show that reality is constructed by people themselves in their daily lives. There is also a tendency in modern English not to follow the German-language practice of capitalizing nouns.Verstehen roughly translates to â€Å"meaningful understanding† or putting yourself in the shoes of others to see things from their perspective. Interpretive sociology differs from scientific (or positivist) socio logy in three ways: Interpretive sociology deals with the meaning attached to behavior, unlike scientific sociology which focuses on action. Interpretive sociology sees reality as being constructed by people, unlike scientific sociology which sees an objective reality â€Å"out there†. Interpretive sociology relies on qualitative data, unlike scientific sociology which tends to make use of quantitative data.Functional Integration This refers to the interdependence among parts of a social system. Just as the human body is made up of interrelated parts each of which plays a role in maintaining the whole, so social systems are composed of interconnected parts that both support and depend on one another. Each part has contributions to make if the sum is to work well. These contributions are its functions – that is, functions are the effects that some social groups, event, or institution has within a system of relationships to other phenomena.Functionally integrated systems can also produce dysfunctions, or side-effects that are not good for the system. Pollution is a dysfunctional consequence of our industrial system. Social Systems can also disintegrate. Like the old Soviet Union. Functional integration refers to the integration of values with systems of action and it therefore involves priorities and allocations of diverse value component among proper occasion and relationshipsAs an institution changes, the others react to that change and compensate for it, thereby changing themselves in the process. But all the parts remain integrated into the single unit.Rational choice theory argues that social systems are organized in ways that structure the alternatives and consequences facing individuals so that they behave rationally. This allows them to best serve their self-interest within the constraints and resources that go with social systems and their status in them. Rational choice theory is the view that people behave as they do because they believe that performing their chosen actions has more benefits than costs. That is, people make rational choices based on their goals, and those choices govern their behavior. Some sociologists use rational choice theory to explain social change.According to them, social change occurs because individuals have made rational choices. For example, suppose many people begin to conserve more energy, lowering thermostats and driving less. An explanation for this social change is that individual people have decided that conserving energy will help them achieve their goals (for example, save money and live more healthfully) and cause little inconvenience. Critics argue people do not always act on the basis of cost-benefit analyses. Culture This is the language, norms, values, beliefs, knowledge, and symbols that make up a way of life.It is the understanding of how to act that people share with one another in any stable, self-reproducing group. Participation in a culture makes possible a meaningful understanding of one's own actions and those of others. Without culture it would be hard to communicate. When one culture is particularly distinct and set apart from the rest it is called a subculture. Individuals may participate in more than one subculture. No one is ever cultureless, however, for sharing in some culture or combination of cultures is an essential part of what we think of as humans.Norms are the agreed-upon expectations and rules by which a culture guides the behavior of its members in any given situation. Of course, norms vary widely across cultural groups. Folkways, sometimes known as â€Å"conventions† or â€Å"customs,† are standards of behavior that are socially approved but not morally significant. Mores are norms of morality. Breaking mores will offend most people of a culture. Finally, laws are a formal body of rules enacted by the state and backed by the power of the state. Social norms  are group-held beliefs about how members should behav e in a given context.Sociologists  describe norms as laws that govern society’s behaviors. Folkways are often referred to as â€Å"customs. † They are standards of behavior that are socially approved but not morally significant. They are norms for everyday behavior that people follow for the sake of tradition or convenience. Breaking a folkway does not usually have serious consequences. Mores are strict norms that control moral and ethical behavior. Mores are norms based on definitions of right and wrong. Unlike folkways, mores are morally significant. People feel strongly about them and violating them typically results in disapproval.A law is a norm that is written down and enforced by an official law enforcement agency. A culture's values are its ideas about what is good, right, fair, and just. Sociologists disagree, however, on how to conceptualize values. Conflict theory focuses on how values differ between groups within a culture, while functionalism focuses on the shared values within a culture. For example, American sociologist Robert K. Merton suggested that the most important values in American society are wealth, success, power, and prestige, but that everyone does not have an equal opportunity to attain these values.Functional sociologist Talcott Parsons noted that Americans share the common value of the â€Å"American work ethic,† which encourages hard work. Other sociologists have proposed a common core of American values, including accomplishment, material success, problem-solving, reliance on science and technology, democracy, patriotism, charity, freedom, equality and justice, individualism, responsibility, and accountability. A culture, though, may harbor conflicting values. For instance, the value of material success may conflict with the value of charity. Or the value of equality may conflict with the value of individualism.Such contradictions may exist due to an inconsistency between people's actions and their profess ed values, which explains why sociologists must carefully distinguish between what people do and what they say. Joan Jacobs Brumberg is a social historian and academic. She lectures and writes about the experiences of adolescents through history until the present day. In the subject area of Gender Studies, she has written about boys and violence, and girls and body image. Brumberg says that adolescence and childhood have been made more difficult for women due to the much earlier age of menarche than in the past.The average age at menstruation has dropped from 16 in 1890, to 12 while psychological development, she believes, has not accelerated. Also, consumer culture has added to people's insecurities about their bodies. It is now normal and fashionable for girls to dress in a sexualized way. Jean Kilbourne, Ed. D. (born January 4, 1943) is a feminist author, speaker, and filmmaker who is internationally recognized for her work on the image of women in advertising and her critical st udies of alcohol and tobacco advertising.She is also credited with introducing the idea of educating about media literacy as a way to prevent problems she viewed as originating from mass media advertising campaigns. These include the concepts of the tyranny of the beauty ideal, the connection between the objectification of women and violence, the themes of liberation and weight control exploited in tobacco advertising aimed at women, the targeting of alcoholics by the alcohol industry, addiction as a love affair, and many others.Hyperreality is generally defined as a condition in which what is real and what is fiction are blended together so that there is no clear distinction between where one ends and the other begins. It is a postmodern philosophy that deals in part with semiotics, or the study of the signs that surround people in everyday life and what they actually mean. Hyperreality is a way of characterizing what our consciousness defines as â€Å"real† in a world where a multitude of media can radically shape and filter an original event or experience.Hyperreality is exploited in advertising for almost everything, using a pseudo-world to enable people to be the characters they wish to be. Advertising sells the public through strong, desirable images, and many consumers buy into the brand's point of view and products. If the consumer wants to be seen as a sex icon, he or she should buy the most expensive jeans as worn or designed by his or her favorite celebrity. Although the clothing itself has limited actual value, they symbolize a state of being that some consumers want.Every time a person enters a large shopping area with a certain theme, he or she may be entering a hyperreal world. Theme parks such as Disneyworld or the casinos in Las Vegas are hyperrealities in which a person can get lost for as long as his or her money lasts. There is no reality in these places, only a construct that is designed to represent reality, allowing the person to exist temporarily in a world outside of what is real. Sociobiology is a field of scientific study which is based on the assumption that social behavior has resulted from evolution and attempts to explain and examine social behavior within that context.Often considered a branch of biology and sociology, it also draws from ethology, anthropology, evolution, zoology, archaeology, population genetics, and other disciplines. Within the study of human societies, sociobiology is very closely allied to the fields of Darwinian anthropology, human behavioral ecology and evolutionary psychology. Sociobiology investigates social behaviors, such as mating patterns, territorial fights, pack hunting, and the hive society of social insects.It argues that just as selection pressure led to animals evolving useful ways of interacting with the natural environment, it led to the genetic evolution of advantageous social behavior. The Human Animal: A Personal View of the Human Species is a BBC nature docu mentary series written and presented by Desmond Morris. Morris describes it as â€Å"A study of human behavior from a zoological perspective. † He travels the world, filming the diverse customs and habits of various regions while suggesting common roots. Stephanie Coontz studies the history of American families, marriage, and changes in gender roles.Her book The Way We Never Were argues against several common myths about families of the past, including the idea that the 1950s family was traditional or the notion that families used to rely solely on their own resources. Granville Stanley Hall was a pioneering American psychologist and educator. His interests focused on childhood development and evolutionary theory. Hall's major books were Adolescence: Its Psychology and Its Relations to Physiology, Anthropology, Sociology, Sex, Crime and Religion (1904) and Aspects of Child Life and Education (1921).His book Adolescence, was based on the results of the Child Study Movement. Ha ll described his system of psychology, which he called â€Å"genetic psychology. † His ideas were influenced by Charles Darwin. In the book, Hall described the evolutionary benefits of development from the womb to adolescence. The book itself is divided into six sections: biological and anthropological standpoint, medical standpoint, health and its tests, nubility of educated women, fecundity of educated women and education. Hall hoped that this book would become a guide for teachers and social workers in the education system.He was instrumental in the development of educational psychology, and attempted to determine the effect adolescence has on education. Hall believed that the pre-adolescent child develops to its best when it is not forced to follow constraints, but rather to go through the stages of evolution freely. He believed that before a child turned six or seven, the child should be able to experience how one lived in the simian stage. In this stage, the child would be able to express his animal spirits. The child is growing rapidly at this stage and the energy levels are high.The child is unable to use reasoning, show sensitiveness towards religion, or social discernment. By age eight, the child should be at stage two. This, Hall believed, is the stage where formal learning should begin. This is when the brain is at full size and weight. It is considered normal to be cruel and rude to others at this stage for the reasoning skills are still not developed. The child should not have to deal with moralizing conflicts or ideas, his is not yet ready at this stage. The child's physical health is most important now. In the stage of the dolescent, the child now has a rebirth into a sexed life. Hall argued that at this point, there should no longer be coeducation. Both sexes can't optimally learn and get everything out of the lessons in the presence the opposite sex. And, this is when true education can begin. The child is ready to deal with moral issu es, kindness, love, and service for others. Reasoning powers are beginning, but are still not strong. Hall argued that the high school should be a place similar to a â€Å"people's college† so that it could be more of an ending for those who would not be continuing their education to the next level.Coming of Age in Samoa is a book by American anthropologist Margaret Mead based upon her research and study of youth on the island of Ta'u in the Samoa Islands which primarily focused on adolescent girls. Mead was 23 years old when she carried out her field work in Samoa. First published in 1928, the book launched Mead as a pioneering researcher and the most famous anthropologist in the world. Since its first publication, Coming of Age in Samoa was the most widely read book in the field of anthropology, until Napoleon Chagnon's â€Å"Yanomamo: The Fierce People† took the lead in sales.The book has sparked years of ongoing and intense debate and controversy on questions perta ining to society, culture and science. It is a key text in the nature vs. nurture debate as well as issues relating to family, adolescence, gender, social norms and attitudes. Courtesy, modesty, good manners, conformity to definite ethical standards are universal, but what constitutes courtesy, modesty, very good manners, and definite ethical standards is not universal. It is instructive to know that standards differ in the most unexpected ways.Mead's findings suggested that the community ignores both boys and girls until they are about 15 or 16. Before then, children have no social standing within the community. Mead also found that marriage is regarded as a social and economic arrangement where wealth, rank, and job skills of the husband and wife are taken into consideration. Erik Erikson was a German-born American developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst known for his theory on psychosocial development of human beings. Erikson was a Neo-Freudian. He has been described as an à ¢â‚¬Å"ego psychologist† studying the stages of development, spanning the entire ifespan. Each of Erikson's stages of psychosocial development is marked by a conflict for which successful resolution will result in a favourable outcome, and by an important event that this conflict resolves itself around. The Erikson life-stage virtues, in order of the eight stages in which they may be acquired, are: Basic trust vs. basic mistrust – This stage covers the period of infancy. 0-1 year of age. – Whether or not the baby develops basic trust or basic mistrust is not merely a matter of nurture. It is multi-faceted and has strong social components.It depends on the quality of the maternal relationship. The mother carries out and reflects their inner perceptions of trustworthiness, a sense of personal meaning, etc. on the child. If successful in this, the baby develops a sense of trust, which â€Å"forms the basis in the child for a sense of identityâ€Å". Autonomy vs. Sh ame – Covers early childhood – Introduces the concept of autonomy vs. shame and doubt. During this stage the child is trying to master toilet training. Purpose – Initiative vs. Guilt – Preschool / 3–6 years – Does the child have the ability to or do things on their own, such as dress him or herself?If â€Å"guilty† about making his or her own choices, the child will not function well. Erikson has a positive outlook on this stage, saying that most guilt is quickly compensated by a sense of accomplishment. Competence – Industry vs. Inferiority – School-age / 6-11. Child comparing self-worth to others (such as in a classroom environment). Child can recognize major disparities in personal abilities relative to other children. Erikson places some emphasis on the teacher, who should ensure that children do not feel inferior. Fidelity – Identity vs.Role Confusion – Adolescent / 12 years till 20. Questioning of sel f. Who am I, how do I fit in? Where am I going in life? Erikson believes, that if the parents allow the child to explore, they will conclude their own identity. However, if the parents continually push him/her to conform to their views, the teen will face identity confusion. Intimacy vs. isolation – This is the first stage of adult development. This development usually happens during young adulthood, which is between the ages of 20 to 24. Dating, marriage, family and friendships are important during the stage in their life.By successfully forming loving relationships with other people, individuals are able to experience love and intimacy. Those who fail to form lasting relationships may feel isolated and alone. Generativity vs. stagnation is the second stage of adulthood and happens between the ages of 25-64. During this time people are normally settled in their life and know what is important to them. A person is either making progress in their career or treading lightly in their career and unsure if this is what they want to do for the rest of their working lives.Also during this time, a person is enjoying raising their children and participating in activities, that gives them a sense of purpose. If a person is not comfortable with the way their life is progressing, they're usually regretful about the decisions and feel a sense of uselessness. Ego integrity vs. despair. This stage affects the age group of 65 and on. During this time you have reached the last chapter in your life and retirement is approaching or has already taken place. Many people, who have achieved what was important to them, look back on their lives and feel great accomplishment and a sense of integrity.Conversely, those who had a difficult time during middle adulthood may look back and feel a sense of despair. Thomas Hine- The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager. A history of the American adolescent experience, and why it must change. Persistence of vision is the phenomenon of t he eye by which an afterimage is thought to persist for approximately one twenty-fifth of a second on the retina. The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device. The Kinetoscope was designed for films to be viewed by one individual at a time through a peephole viewer window at the top of the device.The Kinetoscope was not a movie projector but introduced the basic approach that would become the standard for all cinematic projection before the advent of video, by creating the illusion of movement by conveying a strip of perforated film bearing sequential images over a light source with a high-speed shutter. The Lumieres held their first private screening of projected motion pictures in 1895. Their first public screening of films at which admission was charged was held on December 28, 1895, at Salon Indien du Grand Cafe in Paris.This history-making presentation featured ten short films, including their first film, Sortie des Usines Lumiere a Lyon (Workers Leaving the Lum iere Factory). Each film is 17 meters long, which, when hand cranked through a projector, runs approximately 50 seconds. The Nickelodeon was the first type of indoor exhibition space dedicated to showing projected motion pictures. Usually set up in converted storefronts, these small, simple theaters charged five cents for admission and flourished from about 1905 to 1915. A movie palace is a erm used to refer to the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opened every year between 1925 and 1930. There are three building types in particular which can be subsumed under the label movie palace. First, the classical style movie palace, with its eclectic and luxurious period-revival architecture; second, the atmospheric theatre which has an auditorium ceiling that resembles an open sky as its defining feature and finally, the Art Deco theaters that became popular in the 1930s.

90s Fashion Trends: ‘Less Is More’

As we reflect on fashion history, there is not always a distinctive shift from one decade to the next. When transitioning from the 80s to the 90s, this was not the case, as there was an evident changeover from conspicuous consumer to ‘less is more. ’ When hearing this phrase and applying it to fashion, I think it can be viewed in two ways. The more literal interpretation can be restated as it is preferred to have either a more minimalistic and simple outfit, or that it is en vogue to wear skimpier clothing.Both of these descriptions can be seen in 90s fashion. Minimalism was a widely accepted trend of the 90s, as shoulder pads and off-the-shoulder sweaters became outdated and were replaced with cleaner lines and sleeker silhouettes. The excessive glamour of the 80s faded away, and jewelry became either non-existent or chic in its fineness and barely there quality. The only attribution to 1980s excess glamour was the bedazzling and embellishments to clothing or iridescent glitter shimmer on sheer and tulle fabrics and added to skin make up and hair spray.Designers such as Helmut Lang popularized this minimalistic trend by incorporating Japanese avant-garde aesthetics. Lang’s designs conveyed his view on how modern men and women want to dress. His clothes were without affectation and embodied an understanding that perfect cut, comfort, and ease of movement constitutes great fashion luxuries. Common examples of his key pieces slim mannish-shaped trousers for women, and sharply cut suiting that has a more androgynous shape. The minimalistic trend of the 90s was evident from head to toe and was even embraced by celebrities of the decade.Pop stars that had once worn frilly miniskirts adorned with suspenders, full faces of makeup and plentiful accessories were now embracing new, more simplistic styles. Calvin Klein’s infamous ‘Clueless’ mini dress, worn by Alicia Silverstone in the legendary film is a perfect example of the slin ky, body-con trend that became ubiquitous in the 90s. Hairstyles also reflected a ‘less is more’ vibe, and women styled their hair in a sleek manner like Jennifer Aniston, or short and funkier no-fuss style as channeled by Meg Ryan.I also think that ‘less is more’ can be applied to 90s fashion with respect to an attitude Americans felt at the time. During this 90s, people wanted easy clothing that was matched to their everyday lives and reflected an increasingly aggressive urban society. Business rules for dressing relaxed, and many people lost interest in fashion as necessary. This was a major change from 80s fashion where it what commonplace for yuppies to broadcast their wealth in expensive clothing. â€Å"1990's Fashion History – The Mood of the Millennium. † Fashion Era. N. p. , n. d. Web. 25 Apr 2011. . Sharma, Tanya. â€Å"1990's Women's Fashion . † love to know. N. p. , n. d. Web. 25 Apr 2011. . â€Å"clueless mini dress. † google. com. Web. 25 Apr 2011. . â€Å"The '90s Minimalist . † MSN Lifestyle. Web. 25 Apr 2011. .

10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals

10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals 10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals 10 Rules for Writing Numbers and Numerals By Michael How do you express numbers in your writing? When do you use figures (digits) and when do you write out the number in words (letters)? That is, when do you write 9 and when do you write nine? 1. Number versus numeral. First things first, what is the difference between a number and a numeral? A number is an abstract concept while a numeral is a symbol used to express that number. Three, 3 and III are all symbols used to express the same number (or the concept of threeness). One could say that the difference between a number and its numerals is like the difference between a person and her name. 2. Spell small numbers out. The small numbers, such as whole numbers smaller than ten, should be spelled out. Thats one rule you can count on. If you dont spell numbers out it will look like youre sending an instant message, and you want to be more formal than that in your writing. 3. No other standard rule: Experts dont always agree on other rules. Some experts say that any one-word number should be written out. Two-word numbers should be expressed in figures. That is, they say you should write out twelve or twenty. But not 24. 4. Using the comma. In English, the comma is used as a thousands separator (and the period as a decimal separator), to make large numbers easier to read. So write the size of Alaska as 571,951 square miles instead of 571951 square miles. In Continental Europe the opposite is true, periods are used to separate large numbers and the comma is used for decimals. Finally, the International Systems of Units (SI) recommends that a space should be used to separate groups of three digits, and both the comma and the period should be used only to denote decimals, like $13 200,50 (the comma part is a mess I know). 5. Dont start a sentence with a numeral. Make it Fourscore and seven years ago, not 4 score and 7 years ago. That means you might have to rewrite some sentences: Fans bought 400,000 copies the first day instead of 400,000 copies were sold the first day. 6. Centuries and decades should be spelled out. Use the Eighties or nineteenth century. 7. Percentages and recipes. With everyday writing and recipes you can use digits, like 4% of the children or Add 2 cups of brown rice. In formal writing, however, you should spell the percentage out like 12 percent of the players (or twelve percent of the players, depending on your preference as explained in point three). 8. If the number is rounded or estimated, spell it out. Rounded numbers over a million are written as a numeral plus a word. Use About 400 million people speak Spanish natively, instead of About 400,000,000 people speak Spanish natively. If youre using the exact number, youd write it out, of course. 9. Two numbers next to each other. It can be confusing if you write 7 13-year-olds, so write one of them as a numeral, like seven 13-year-olds. Pick the number that has the fewest letters. 10. Ordinal numbers and consistency. Dont say He was my 1st true love, but rather He was my first true love. Be consistent within the same sentence. If my teacher has 23 beginning students, she also has 18 advanced students, not eighteen advanced students. Video Recap Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†50 Nautical Terms in General UseEnglish Grammar 101: Sentences, Clauses and Phrases

3 Ways to Avoid Confusing Your Readers

3 Ways to Avoid Confusing Your Readers 3 Ways to Avoid Confusing Your Readers 3 Ways to Avoid Confusing Your Readers By Mark Nichol Word choice, insertion or omission of punctuation, and syntax (arrangement of words and phrases) all affect comprehension. In each of the following sentences, one of these components of sentence construction is the source of ambiguity or confusion. Discussion of each example follows, along with a revision. 1. Our organization has sponsored AIDS/HIV walks across the country. Across is often used as a synonym for throughout, but here, it prompts the unfortunate misapprehension that the walks are transcontinental in scope. In this case, throughout is a better choice: â€Å"Our organization has sponsored AIDS/HIV walks throughout the country.† Take-away: Remain vigilant about ambiguous wording. 2. These results are not surprising because cyber risks have evolved into a moving target. This sentence, as written, suggests that the reader, after learning from the second half of the sentence what is not the reason the results are surprising, will read in a subsequent sentence the reason they are. But â€Å"cyber risks have evolved into a moving target† is the reason the results are not surprising, which is made clear simply by applying a brief pause to the sentence in the form of a comma preceding the explanation, which renders the explanation a subordinate clause set off from the premise of the sentence (â€Å"The results are not surprising†): â€Å"These results are not surprising, because cyber risks have evolved into a moving target.† Better yet, begin the sentence with the explanation, still in the form of a subordinate clause: â€Å"Because cyber risks have evolved into a moving target, these results are not surprising.† Take-away: When a negative statement is followed by an explanation, separate the explanation, a subordinate clause, from the main clause. (A positive statement generally needs no such punctuation, though exceptions exist.) 3. By taking a risk-based approach, such changes can be tailored to fit the company’s specific risk posture. All too often, writers mistakenly craft sentences in which subordinate clauses placed as introductory phrases are assumed to pertain to the subject of the main clauses when the two elements are only tangentially related. Here, changes are mistakenly said to take a risk-based approach, but an unnamed actor must be persuaded to do so. In most cases, simply revise the subject so that it logically follows the subordinate clause: â€Å"By taking a risk-based approach, one can tailor such changes to fit the company’s specific risk posture.† Take-away: Be alert to dangling participles. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?50 Latin Phrases You Should Know20 Classic Novels You Can Read in One Sitting

Social Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Problem - Essay Example During the latest news reports appear to point out that Odessa has slightly controlled its fervor for football moreover has commenced to re-evaluate its main concern. The volume's advantage lies within the reality that, even as it features the excesses which occur inside Odessa because of the city's fascination through the Permian Panthers, the booklovers appreciates the authentic fervor the township, the coaches, as well as the team participants have intended for the sport. Although it is terrible to read regarding the city's disgust of Hispanics along with African Americans also its nearly complete derision for anything which interferes with football, Bissinger did well in moving us to root for the squad and interpret with bated breathing the narration of the team's victory on the sports ground. Midland has been pretty much the dead contrary of Odessa. Odessa has been considered as a working rank, affluent in boom together with dirt-poor into bust, filled with shotgun abodes and combating mean.

Understanding the International Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Understanding the International Economy - Essay Example The essay "Understanding the International Economy" represents an overview of the book â€Å"Globalization in Question† by Pole Hirst in the context of the international economy. It was brought forth in the book that it is an often-used word, globalization, used in social science to explain, describe and refer to a broad range of international, business, management and other disciplines. At the heart of their argument is the recent spread of interlinked economic ties between countries as heightened by a loosening of border restrictions as well as the Internet that has brought accessibility in terms of product availability and knowledge to consumers that did not exist in the early 1990s for the public at large. The increased sales and offering of services across national boundaries has intensified activity in the banking arena in terms of business to business transactions brought forth by the flow of funds in importation, export, direct sales and other exchanges that have called for increased banking interaction to finance these types of activities. As a result of heightened banking activities and risk the increased financial flows between countries from all quarters has seen the International Bank for Settlements out of Geneva, Switzerland make adaptations to the Basel Accords via Basel II that has set forth new capital adequacy standards for European as well as large banks in the United States and Asia. The implications of the foregoing are found in the central word of the subject of this study ‘economics’.