Depiction of Old Age in Greeting Cards Essay Example for Free

Depiction of Old Age in Greeting Cards Essay The stereotyping of adults is intimately etched in the culture of America and is reinforced by television and newspapers. Pop culture portrays children and old people together as though they have personality characteristics in common. In greeting cards, old people are given the personalities, dress, physical problems, playthings, and activities of children. Popular culture portrays children and old people together as though they have personality characteristics in common. The aspect most commonly depicted in greeting cards is the notion of second childhood. Pop culture portrays old people and kids in the same manner and implies similar characteristics. Greeting cards usually depict the senile in kids apparel. Obviously, the association of old people with children degrades their social status and steals the gray power movement of adults that has an effect on political and social upheavals. The medias effort, especially greeting card companies, must be assessed in order shrug off the degrading portrayal of old age (Schoeni, 2005). Old-age disability rates among all major socioeconomic and demographic groups declined over the past two decades, but the magnitude of the fall was larger for those who have Higher income, has more years of education, is married, and is younger. As a result, Disparities in disability have increased. The causes of these developments are unknown, While the potential ramifications for social and personal well-being is substantial. People ages 65 and older, minority and socio-economically disadvantaged populations are much more likely than other groups to experience disability and the physical, cognitive, and sensory limitations that underlie it ( Schoeni, 2005). Psychology of Aging The psychology of ageing encompasses a variety of approaches and experimental traditions which, while complementing the clinical sciences, nevertheless remain rooted in the psychology of human development. Two of these ‘experimental traditions’ provide the focus for this contribution: speed of performance and intellectual performance. Superficially representing the ‘physical’ and the ‘mental’, and closely related to the most enduring stereotypes of ageing, speed and intellectual performance are among the longest studied of all phenomena in experimental psychology. Understanding how these two aspects of functioning interrelate and change with normal ageing provides useful insights into psychological adaptation across the lifespan, and helps to identify opportunities for constructive intervention (Morgan, 2004). Finitude and its Various Effects Death is the one certainty all people face in their lives. Although the timing and nature of this death is uncertain, as people age their death becomes more imminent. What sense can be made of this at a societal and individual level? Within Western society, death engenders complex personal responses and as a result we find it hard to address the needs of people as they face dying and death. People hold different meanings for this transition, from life to death, and these different constructions shape the way in which the transition from life to death is perceived, managed and experienced by older people. This influences the process of dying, the priorities older people express, the places where they experience their dying and the planning they may wish to engage with around their own end of life ( Hurlock, 1980). With this in mind, the image of old people who are depicted in greeting cards are ridiculed in a way. These themes in greeting cards imply that old people are useless and not wise at all, and all of them are leaning towards the path of death and retirement. In an article in the magazine Psychology Today, it is explained the relation of greeting cards and old people: â€Å"If greeting cards are band-aids for broken relationships, then it may be time for their makers to find some better adhesives. The nations purveyors of social expression have no formal mechanism for tapping the national mood or figuring out the relationship needs of Americans. Industry giants Hallmark and Gibson admit that the greetings they proffer are not the result of a very scientific process. In fact, they rely more on a random blast of staffer intuition than on national surveys, focus groups, or mall interviews. † (Psychology Today, 1992) Greeting card companies hire all types of people from grandparents to young single parents, people who can relate to other people and can express their sentiments by sharing them through greeting cards. Companies refrain from hiring â€Å"psychology people†. Consumer requests and follow-up surveys indicated that people were looking for a way to support those freeing themselves of dependency. But Hallmark never consulted a staff psychologist. Thats because, like other card companies, it doesnt have one-even though its business is devoted to deciphering the American psyche (Psychology Today, 1992). Old Age in Different Psychological Perspectives Physical Grandparents depicted in greeting cards are usually presented as the normal senile and wrinkly individuals that they are. These people are in the verge of death and it is manifested physically. The Elderly is usually shown being hugged by kids as a sign of respect for their wisdom (Hurlock, 1980). Cognitive The cognitive skills and abilities of people who are in the stage of old age are in constant depletion due to the fact that their sensory system is hampered by the frequent use during their prime. Old people have a hard time catching up with the spontaneity of younger people (Hurlock, 1980). Psychological Perhaps that is because as older adults we can often look back on our lives with happiness and are content, feeling fulfilled with a deep sense that life has meaning and weve made a contribution to life, a feeling Erik Erikson calls integrity. Our strength h comes from a wisdom that the world is very large and we now have a detached concern for the whole of life, accepting death as the completion of life. A result of a triad of biological, psychological, and social factors that may be controlled, and thus the possibility of a decline in the prevalence of old age depression (Hurlock, 1980). Social The Disengagement theory suggests that withdrawal is a mutual process norm and societal expectations allow more reflection and freedom. People can become more reflective about their lives and can become less constrained by social roles. People become more discerning about relationships, which can help them adjust to increasing frequency of serious illness and death among their peers. Disengagement is not an automatic, universal process for all people in late adulthood. Meaning that the disengagement theory is subjective and does not apply to all old people ( Hurlock, 1980). Reference Morgan,K. (1992). Psychological aspects of ageing. Psychiatry. Volume 3. Issue 12. Pages 8-10 Hurlock,E. 1980. Developmental Stages in early childhood and adolescence. Developmental Psychology: A Lifespan Approach. Fifth Edition. New York. Schoeni,R. (2005). Socio-Economic and Demographic Disparities in Trends in Old-Age Disability. Trends Working Paper Series. Psychology Today Staff. (1992. ) Sending your very best. Psychology today. 1992.

Differential Literature :: Reading Literature Writing Authors Essays

Differential Literature The health and well-being of literature in America is something that many Americans spend a lot of time thinking, worrying, and theorizing about, a fact that can be told by the new reading promotional campaigns that roll out at seemingly regular intervals (Read!, Reading is Fundamental, Read and Rise, etc.) It is (at least partially) because of the passions aroused by this topic that when the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) released a report entitled Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America (RAR), many people voiced their opinions on the quality of the research methods used to gather the data, the accuracy of the data, and the soundness of the conclusions which were drawn from them. From nearly the day of its release up to today, people are speaking (and writing) their mind about the report’s worth. The report, which used the data from the literature portion of the census beaureau’s 2002, Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, came to many conclusions, all of which revolved around one of their determinations: Americans are reading what it calls literature less than they used to. The data that they used also suggested that the rate of this decrease is accelerating. RAR also finds this decline in the literature readership to be true for all racial, gender, and age groups, although it is slightly more pronounced in some than others – most notably men are reading less than women, reading with minorities is decreasing faster than with Caucasian, and the young faster than the middle aged. Really, though, their main worry comes from a link that has been drawn from the data collected in other studies. This conclusion is that readers of literature are more socially active, engaged, and assumedly productive. There are many conceivable reactions to the NEA’s report. To some people, reading can fairly accurately be described as their religion (Early Modern European Studies Major, 2004) and they may want to add additional information to the report. Many people want to point out the possible flaws and inaccuracies of the text and, of course, there are others who just always need to add their two cents into the pile. Whatever their reasons for their responses, the commentaries that have been written give a surprisingly diverse number of arguments for and against the validity of the report.

Media as the main branch of society that sway Gender Essay

In the current era, media had been greatly influencing the society. Through the variety of information and mediums the industry could utilize, seemingly media could create numerous impact in the lives of many people. In the movie Bodyguard which was publicized in 1992 provides one of the most distinct examples which could be highlighted to see the power of the media. In terms of gender topics, media had been the main industry that has the authority to proclaim what should or should not be for various genders in the society. The movie Bodyguard starred the most popular actors during the early 90s such as Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. Both of these actors have their own image which the masses view of them. Therefore, there is an immediate connotation when it comes to the characters they portray. Kevin Costner is known to be a very good actor who had been acknowledged in many award giving bodies. Whitney Houston on the other hand is a very popular singer who is idolized by many. In the movie, Houston sort of, portrayed herself while Costner captured the role of a masculine, â€Å"only-doing-his-job† body guard who is very much protective of Whitney for the reason that she has a stalker. Houston on the other hand is a famous singer who was being harassed by a stalker. Thus seeing the main personalities, the characters does portray a very â€Å"in-the-box† nuance of what a male and a female should be. Just like in fairytales, the woman must be saved by a man in order for her to get through the evil witches who were often abusing the helpless lead character. In conclusion, media and the concept of media go together. The perspective of the media of what should or should not be is immediately absorbed by the society. Moreover, the movie Bodyguard supports the concept of the typical male and female responsibilities which is practiced by the society. Thus, the media supports this type of perspective of gender which strictly assumes that men are strong and protective while women are vulnerable and weak. References Costner, K. , Kasdan, L. & Wilson, J. (Producers). Jackson, M. (Director). (1992). Bodyguard. [Motion Picture]. United States: Warner Brothers.

The Eradication of Workplace Sexual Harassment in Canada

Workplace Sexual Harassment in Canada Abstract The current social and economic concerns in the world have focused more on the achievement of equality between men and women at the various levels of engagements. However, this dream has been delayed long enough thanks to the vices that are still tied in the social fabric of a majority of societies across the globe. One principal goal in the recent years revolves on the eradication of workplace sexual harassment. This act affects both men and women, but it is more pronounced in the latter gender. The focus of this study is majorly on workplace sexual harassment that women in Canada have had to contend with for many years. This study will define the existence of workplace sexual harassment and some of the contributing factors. In addition, the study will cover some of the organizations that have thrown their weight against the vice and the strategies employed to address the issue. 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