The Stranger, Albert Camus | Themes of Existentialism

The Stranger, Albert Camus | Themes of Existentialism Existentialism is often defined as a philosophical movement or tendency, emphasizing individual existence, freedom and choice. As a result of the diversity of positions associated with this term it is impossible to define precisely. As is evident through the root of the word, exist, there is a stress on definite individual existence and freedom of choice. Certain aspects of existentialism are witnessed in The Stranger. Existentialists attempt to direct our attention to ourselves as individuals. They force us to think about our relation to such topics as the existence and nature of God, what it is to be Christian, the nature of values, and the fact of ones own death. Man is the only known being, according to the philosophers, that defines itself merely through the act of living. In other words, first you exist, and then the individual emerges as life decisions are made. Many existentialists believe the greatest victory of the individual is to realize the absurdity of life and to accept it. Existentialism is liberating for those of us who do not rely on fate, God, or chance to guide us through the path of life. One aspect that is questionable is our ability to continuously reinvent ourselves through our actions. While this is possible, the majorities of people stick to old ways of doing things, or follow others blindly. Despite encompassing a staggering range of philosophical, religious, and political ideologies, the underlying concepts of existentialism are simple. Mankind has free will. Life is a series of choices. Few decisions are without any negative consequences. Some things are irrational or absurd, without explanation. If one makes a decision, he or she must follow through. The decisions you make are whom you are, so decide accordingly. In The Stranger Meursault embodies all of the six existential themes. The first existential theme is freedo m. Freedom means that whatever happened prior to now do not influence what your next choice in life will be, we are free to make any choice we want. Meursault displays Freedom by just doing as he wishes to do. In part one of the novel Maman dies so he attends the funeral, nothing out of the ordinary. While attending his mothers funeral, Meursault decides to smoke cigarettes, drink a cup of coffee, and he fails to show emotion. This just shows how Meursault is displaying his free will; he does not let the influence of his mother dying effect what he wants to do. The second and the third themes Meursault displays together. These themes are existence which is the awareness of our choices, and passion which are psychological feelings that we understand before thinking kicks in. Meursault displays both of these themes at the end of the novel. Meursault wants his life to be here and now, he is not concerned with the hereafter. Meursault wants the remembrance of his life. Through this thinking Meursault displays Existence and Passion. The fourth theme is contingency. It basically says that life is unpredictable, prone to chance happenin gs, also to the unexpected. Meursault displays this theme at the very end of part one of the novel. Meursault is so content with walking back down to the spring unaware that he is going to end up destroying his happiness by shooting the Arab. This is a very unpredictable event because Meursault is just so happy and content with the sun shining on him, then all of a sudden something unexpected happens and his happiness is gone. I knew that I had shattered the harmony of the day, the exceptional silence of a beach where Id been happy. The fifth theme is individuality. An individual is a single unique member of a collectivity. Meursault lives out his individuality. The strongest display of individuality is at the very end of the novel when Meursault wants a large crowd of people to witness his death, and he also wants them to greet him with cries, but those of hate. I had only wished that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate. By being hated Meursault retains his individuality. If Meursault goes out there begging for forgiveness he would just become a member of a collectivity. The final theme is reflection. It refers to the capacity to bring that which we are unaware of into awareness. Meursault leads a pre-reflective life. He goes through his daily events and is so absorbed in each moment that he never reflects on them. Meursault does this until he looks at a reflection of himself for the first time in prison. Meursault looking at himself shows his transition from pre-reflective to reflective. He begins to become aware of what he was unaware of. The main theme in The Stranger is that life is absurd. Reason is incapable of explaining human nature. Meursaults absurd beliefs are that life is meaningless and without purpose. The meaninglessness implies absence of any obvious meaning to our life. This cannot be explained, because no one can explain someone elses sense of meaning or meaninglessness towards life . Camus The Stranger presents the character of Meursault who, after killing an Arab, is sentenced to death. This conflict portrays the stark contrast between the morals of society and Meursaults evident lack of them; he is condemned to death, less for the Arabs murder, than for refusing to conform to societys standards. The discussion of Meursaults responsibility takes place at the end of the novel. Meursaults execution symbolically brings forth emotion, as Meursault confronts his nothingness and the impossibility of justifying the immoral choices he has made, he realizes the pure contingency of his life, and that he has voided, in essence, his own existence by failing to accept the risk and responsibility that the personal freedom of an existentialist reality entails. Meursault never really takes responsibility for his actions, all Meursault does is wish that his life could go back to the way it used to be. Meursault is an anomaly in society; he cannot relate directly to others bec ause he does not live as they do. He cannot abide by the same moral confines as the rest of the world because he does not grasp them; he is largely indifferent to events occurring around him. Meursaults entire being is unemotional. He derives a certain level of pleasure from eating and drinking, smoking cigarettes, sitting on his balcony. Yet all these things are tactile; Meursault derives physical satisfaction from them, but there is no emotion attached. This is in direct contrast to society, whose strict guidelines focusing on right and wrong depend on an individuals sense of these concepts. Meursault is perfectly capable of analyzing the situation, but not of responding to it as society wishes him to. Life or death, and anything in between, makes no difference to him. Meursault sees the outcome as inevitable. He cannot perceive any right or wrong in killing the Arab. The action in itself was not out of deep hatred for the man but, as he reveals at the trial, because of the sun. The sun at the beach, similar to the sun at his mothers funeral, was beating down on him. The sun represents Meursault emotions, which he cannot deal with. Likewise, he cannot deal with the intense heat, the light reflected off the Arabs knife which seems to stab at him. Meursaults senses are being overwhelmed, and the only way to handle the situation is to end it so he fires the gun. The death of the Arab in itself is not crucial to Meursaults fate. Meursaults true undoing comes from his lack of emotion. At the beginning of the novel, Meursault sits at his mothers funeral, quietly analyzing det ails of the scene. The onlookers present do not understand him; in fact, they are afraid of him. The prosecutor says, I look into a mans face and all I see is a monster. What Meursault has realized, by the end of the book, is that any meaning he finds in life he must create. Meursault is the absurdist, explaining the philosophy of existentialism: Mans isolation among an indifferent universe. There is no inherent meaning in life its entire value lies in living itself. Meursault feels he has been happy, and longs to live. When he must die, he wants a crowd to greet him with cries of hate; they are screaming because they want life and the world to have meaning; they need this because that is what their entire existence is built upon. As the magistrate asked of Meursault, Do you want my life to be meaningless? Meursault understands how estranged the individual truly is from society. Until the conclusion, he was a stranger to himself as well as to the rest of the world. In the end, he o pens himself to the gentle indifference of the world, and finding it so much like myself, he feels he has been happy, and is again. Society finds this unacceptable, and by refusing to conform to its face-value standards, Meursault must die. Albert Camus believed that to be a true existentialist you had to remove yourself from society as much as possible since a belief in the foundation of government was to conform. Conforming to society norms is considered bad, it doesnt allow the individual to progress and reach his own decisions Camus realized, however, that restricting himself from all social conformity was impossible. Camus depicts a man with very little emotion. Once in a while he shows a bit of heart, but for the most part, he gives a robotic appearance. The character expresses no feeling about anything except that light is a sign of evil or annoyance, while the dark becomes a place of calm and seriousness. In society, the common idea is that light is good and evil grows in the darkest of places, but in Albert Camus novel, evil is good and the light is bad. In The Stranger, Albert Camus uses Mersault and his experiences to convey the philosophy that man is full of anxiety and despair with no meaning in his life ex cept for simple existence. The concept of existentialism is reflected through Mersaults experiences with his mothers death, his relationship with Marie, the killing of the Arab, and his own trial and execution. Camus uses the death of Mersaults mother to convey his existentialistic philosophy. He seems more concerned about the time of death, and not the fact that he just lost a loved one. It also conveys the existentialist idea that reason is powerless to the idea with the depths of human life. Furthermore, Mersault shows no compassion at his mothers funeral either. He does not cry or behave the way that society expects him to. This leaves the impression that Mersault is insensitive, or that he did not love his mother. As an existentialist, he accepts life as it is without seeking deeper meaning. Mersaults murder of the Arab is another example of existentialism. The absurdity of the murder is what makes it a good portrayal of the concept of existentialism. This part of the novel sho ws how Mersault is not only a stranger to his experiences in life, but also to nature. For the first time, the sun and his sensual pleasures begin to act against him, and cause him to lose control. Most of Mersaults actions have no true conscious motives. Mersault shoots the Arab because of his physical discomfort with his surroundings, but in any case he consciously makes the decision to shoot the Arab. When he is taken into police custody and is asked if he would need an attorney, he is genuinely confused. It is simple to him: he murdered a man and is now ready to face the consequences. The second half of the book begins after Meursault is put in jail and is awaiting his trial. Rather than being on trial for the crime, he is on trial for his values, like the lack of grievance of his mothers death. Meursault is found guilty and he is convicted and sentenced because of his lack of moral feeling. While awaiting his execution, he thinks about how his life has no meaning besides just living and how death does not scare him. He realizes that life is meaningless and the world is irrational. This suddenly makes him happy and he accepts his death. There are numerous meanings to the title, The Stranger, one is that if you live a life different than what society accepts, then you are a stranger; an outcast, and will be punished by the rest of society. In other words, the title means that Meursault is a stranger to society. Nothing discussed in the trial had anything to do with the murder. It was all about the way he acted and how different he was. This was used to prove that p eople who are different are judged by their character over their actions. Also, most of the society was Christian in the book and held Christian values. They believed in an afterlife and a heaven while Meursault did not, since he was an atheist. Since society does not understand him, they cannot know him and therefore hes a stranger. Another meaning of the title is that he is also a stranger to himself. He did not make any personal connections to the things he has done, only indifferent observations. He seemed unaffected by his mothers death, the killing of the Arab, and his trial. Being a stranger to himself leads to the final meaning, which is a stranger to life. At the end of the novel Meursault is able to understand the meaning of life. He was able to do so because he was approaching death, which is an existentialist principle; death is the one certainty of life. Before, when his mother died or when he killed the Arab, he did not have any feelings. When he thought about his own life and that he was about to die, he accepted it. He realizes that one can truly enjoy their lives when they approach and accept death. The understanding of this allowed Meursault to be at peace with himself. Albert Camuss philosophy in the novel can be related to the philosophy of existentialism, which stresses that the individual is solely responsible for the choices they make, there is no predetermination and there is no supreme being who decides morality. This philosophy is extended with the philosophy of the absurd, which states that human beings live an essential isolation in a meaningless and irrational world and people being able to accept that everything cannot be controlled in your environment, which is how Meursault live his life. In existentialism, you believe that there are some things that cannot be rationally explained and just happen out of your control. The Stranger was an unusually good book, which made me think. A majority of the book made me feel like the rest o f society, which was not accepting Meursaults behavior. However, the ending changed all of that and further analyzing gave me the real reasons for his actions. When I started reading the book for the first time I jumped in right away and didnt want to close it because I never read anything like it. I had to go back a few times to re-read it to understand it better and every time I re-read it, I got a different message. Meursault was an interesting character to read about. His ideas and beliefs seem wrong but are very right. I was able to understand what Albert Camus was trying to say with his philosophy. In fact, I have never heard of existentialism or absurd philosophy until I researched the author to see what he wanted to tell us. Meursault is able to accept the fact that everyone dies and realizing this allows you to live a better life. He lives a life that he controls and accepts all his actions that he does. I cant say that I understand everything about him, like how he uses Marie for sexual reasons even if she tells him her love and commitment to him. Nonetheless, this character had the most interesting conflicts that kept me reading. I do feel, however, that the second part dragged on and got a bit dull. The first half of the book was filled with action and there were no direct reasons given for certain actions. In the second half, it is mainly of his self-realization about society and life, which I feel, could have been approached another way by the author, like being shortened. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thinking after reading a book or even coming to his or her own realization like Meursault. Work Cited Andrew Irvine, Basic Themes of existentialism, http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/courses/wphil/lectures/wphil_theme20.htm Crowell, Steven, Existentialism, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2010/entries/existentialism/ Existentialism Philosophy: Discussion of Existentialist Quotes, Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Philosophy-Existentialism.htm/ New World Encyclopedia, Existentialism http://HYPERLINK http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Existentialism/www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/HYPERLINK http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Existentialism/Existentialism/ Solomon, Robert C. Wyatt, C. S. (1999). Existentialists: a primer to existentialism http://www.tameri.com/csw/exist/exist.html

“Finding Nemo” Introduction to Film Essay

‘Finding Nemo’ (2003) was written and directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich. This is a computer animated movie that takes you into the breathtaking underwater world of Australia’s: Great Barrier Reef. That is an amazing story between a bond for a parent and child. In the movie the father fish Marlin a clown fish voiced by Albert Brooks loses his wife Coral and 499 of their 500 children to a hungry barracuda fish. Marlin then becomes an over protected father to his one short fin remaining son also a clown fish Nemo that is voiced by Alexander Gould. However, Nemo gets annoyed by his father’s over protected ways and rebels and swims past the drop-off of the coral reef to touch a boat. Although Nemo touches the boat Nemo gets swept up by a scuba diver dentist from Sydney Australia on his way back to his father Marlin. In this animated movie the directors then goes to tell an amazing story of adventure, determination and the love of a father while Marlin takes on the big bad sea to find his son all while his son takes on an adventure of his own to find his father. There is no wonder why this was an Oscar winning movie and even ten years later this is still amazing families everywhere. As a mother of a five year old ‘Finding Nemo’ came out before my son was born but that has not stopped my son from watching it over and over again. This is one classic movie that Pixar decided to re –release this movie in 3D in 2012 nine years after it was released originally. In Marlin’s adventures to find Nemo he encounters Dory voiced by Ellen DeGeneres which is a regal blue tang fish that suffers from short term memory loss. Marlin and Dory then grow a great friendship as they battle all the unknowns of the barring sea. They friend both scary and nice creatures such as: sharks, whales, jelly fish, sea turtles, pelicans and much more all in their pursuit to find Nemo. All the while Nemo finds himself in a dentist office fish tank. Nemo just as egger to get back to his dad Marlin, Nemo befriends the other fish in the tank to help him try to escape. They come up with different ideas both good and bad to help Nemo try to get to his dad. After both Marlin and Nemo go through all the trials and tribulations of trying to find one another the movie then ends by Nemo’s last attempt to play dead to be taken out of the fish bowl to be flushed down the toilet which enters a pipe that lands him in the ocean once and for all and where he gets reunited with his dad and new friend Dory. At the end of the movie it shows Nemo’s dad Marlin and Dory dropping Nemo back off to school to go out and learn yet this time both Marlin and Nemo are much more relaxed and ok with Nemo starting school. Where the director then shows that the dad is finally letting Nemo be a kid and give him some independents. He shows that Nemo is finally understands his dad’s worries from the beginning. This movie is a one of a kind and will always be part of my family as well as others. This is the one movie my son always wants to watch when he is sick and makes him feel better and he loves every moment of it. Pixar has stated that all ch aracters are signed up to star in Finding Nemo 2 and will be released in 2016. ‘Finding Nemo’s ‘â€Å"director /writer Andrew Stanton’s riveting story, filled with good humor, wrenching emotions, charming characters and a gently place message about the bond between parents and children.† (Salt Lake Tribune). I think the director nailed this one on the nose. This movie to parents is a tear jerker and to a child they see how much parents will go thought to save them from anything good and bad. This movie is such like a cartoon for kids but at the same time this is a computer animated movie that both kids and adults love this movie. The director put just enough adult humor in the movie that kids loves it just as much as the adult. ‘Finding Nemo’ to me as well as many other is such an epic movie to see and feel what each characters feels at that moment. The music and pictures flows with the movie and is just brilliant. The colors of the movie are vibrant and show the breath taking version of the ocean. The characters that are in the movie where once scary such as sharks but the vision of the director shows there is a good and a bad side to these once vicious creatures. As one cite explains ‘Finding Nemo’ is perfect it â€Å"will forever be a Disney-Pixar favorite. It’s hard to resist its brilliant storytelling, clever dialogue and unique characters.† (Veneziani). In conclusion, most people think that â€Å"Animated films are often dismissed as children’s entertainment† (Goodkootz & Jacobs). This film once consider great for all ages. ‘Finding Nemo’ once was and still is ten years later a figment in many homes as well as children location such as hospitals, dentist offices and schools. This is a great film for kids to learn the great meaning of parents. People have come up with great line such as Abraham Lincoln with saying â€Å"this too shall pass.† However, Dory in the movie said it better with â€Å"just keep swimming.† References Johnson, C. (2010, July 26). We Love Pixar: What I Learned From ‘Finding Nemo’. Breitbart. Retrieved from http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2010/07/26/We-Love-Pixar–What-I-Learned-From-Finding-Nemo Means, S. P. (2012, September 12). Movie Review: â€Å"Finding Nemo’ still a great fish story. Salt Lake Tribune [Salt Lake], p. 1. Veneziani, L. (2012, September 14). ‘Finding Nemo 3D’ Review: Pixar Gem Still Astounds With or Without Glasses. Breitbart. Retrieved from http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2012/09/13/Finding-Nemo-3D-Review-Pixar-s-Classic-Still-Looks-Amazing Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From Watching to Seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Important Solutions to Veterans Day Essay Topics in Easy to Follow Step by Step Detail

Important Solutions to Veterans Day Essay Topics in Easy to Follow Step by Step Detail The Basics of Veterans Day Essay Topics When preparing for holidays like Thanksgiving, you can get other fun foods, like gourds and pumpkins for decoration. One of the absolute most essential things at Halloween is the costumes. Whether you're celebrating religious or non-religious holidays, there are lots of ways which you can prepare for these distinctive days on the calendar. In the united states, Veterans Day celebration is mostly related to parades, church services, and several different functions. Finding Veterans Day Essay Topics on the Web We've soared to turned into one of the strongest countries on earth. There's no any country on the planet which does not have any flag. They've sacrificed their life simply to save their nation. They've cared so deeply about our lives, freedoms, and the liberty of the country they were eager to die for all of us. Conflicted areas on earth have zero right to have the flag. Disputes between students may also be serious. Disputes between countries can cause war. Veterans are those persons who have served as a way to honor and safeguard their nation. Veterans Day is meant to honor the sacrifices they have made to help retain the liberty of American citizens something that lots of us take for granted. It is one of the most important celebrations for the people of America. It is one of the most important celebrations that we celebrate every year. Things You Should Know About Veterans Day Essay Topics Ronald Reagan Some people today live a whole lifetime and wonder if they've ever made a difference on the planet, but the Marines don't have that issue. They might think about why they have to honor veterans, even if they have never seen a war. In earlier times only men were permitted to serve in the military. John F. Kennedy (JFK) A young man who doesn't have what is necessary to carry out military service is unlikely to have what it requires to generate a living. Programs make time to construct, and it's simple to wonder if they're worth the investment. Then have students color the remainder of the flag. Parents and kids, for example, have very different viewpoints. Getting the Best Veterans Day Essay Topics Usually, car deals are typical on national holidays and they serve as opportunities to save bucks and purchase your dream car at the very same moment. Therefore, an automobile allowance will act as a good way to set your money towards the most suitable vehicle. If you would like to obtain a brand-new vehicle, you can elect for 2019 Kia Optima. Utilize Automobile Grant If you just happen to be a Veteran or a Servicemen who's still on active duty, you're going to be qualified for a one-time automobile grant. Some folks live a whole lifetime and wonder if they've ever made a difference in the Earth, but the Marines don't have that issue. They would thin k that the vets were heroes while others would think that they're only regular people who just went to war. The bulk of individuals are very thankful and appreciative of veterans, as everyone should be. As a woman, you've risked more than most individuals could ever know or realize. A veteran's glory isn't appreciated by most of the American individuals, since they do not understand all of the heartache and pain that accompanies the job. They served till the previous breath. We've learned from lots of people and things. The only thing we are able to do is to provide honour and a few of our precious time to celebrate a unique day for honouring them. You are able to also writing long length essays with the assistance of this example given here. RePEc working paper series specializing in the work industry. You may also go with the instant writing assistance from professionals in the shape of emergency essay writing help. As soon as you save an individual variant of the template, just add, eliminate, or alter any info for this document, and you're going to get the new job. It's not possible to set a price on that. Timing buying your next car will help save you a good deal of work spent in negotiation and also, a substantial number of dollars. You should go 1 step ahead and take advantage of the auto deals in the marketplace. As you enjoy your holidays, it's also a wonderful time to explore new offerings and deals on several automobiles.

Census Offers Statistics on Older Americans

On July 1, 2004, 12 percent of all Americans were 65 years of age and over. By 2050, people 65 and over will comprise an impressive 21 percent of the U.S. population, reports the U.S. Census Bureau. Every year since May 1963, Older Americans Month has been honored with a presidential proclamation. Last year, President George W.  Bush said, â€Å"Older Americans help others to understand the past, and they teach timeless lessons of courage, endurance and love. Through their legacy of patriotism, service, and responsibility, Americas seniors also unite families and communities and serve as role models for younger generations.† In observance of Older Americans Month 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau has compiled some revealing statistics about Americas aging population. Population 36.3 million -- The number of people 65 and over in the U.S. on July 1, 2004. This age group accounts for 12 percent of the total U.S. population. Between 2003 and 2004, 351,000 people moved into this age group.86.7 million -- Projected number of people 65 and over in the year 2050. People in this age group would comprise 21 percent of Americas total population at that time.147% -- Projected percentage increase in the 65-and-over population between 2000 and 2050. By comparison, the population as a whole would have increased by only 49 percent over the same period. Jobs 4.6 million -- Number of people age 65 and over who are still employed. This amounts to 13 percent of all people in this age group. Education 77%- Proportion of people ages 65 to 69 who graduated from high school. Seventy-three percent of people ages 70 to 74 and 68 percent of those 75 and over are also high school graduates.20% -- Percentage of the population ages 65 to 69 who have a bachelors degree or higher education. Among people ages 70 to 74, 19 percent have achieved this level of education; for those 75 and over, 15 percent are college graduates.73,000 -- Number of people 65 and over enrolled in college in October 2002.The Census Bureau has also reported that a college degree greatly increases a persons lifetime earnings, with persons holding masters degrees typically earning $1.3 million over their lifetimes than those with high school diplomas only. On a yearly basis, a college degree typically at least doubles a persons average annual earnings.   Income and Wealth $108,885-- Median net worth in 2000 of households with householders 65 and over. In contrast, householders under the age of 35 had a median household net worth of $7,240.$23,787 -- Median 2003 income of households with householders 65 and over, statistically unchanged, in real terms, from the previous year.10.2% -- Poverty rate for people 65 and over in 2003. Voting Patterns 65% -- Percentage of registered voters ages 65 to 74 who voted in the 2002 Congressional election. Seventy-two percent of people ages 65 to 74 voted in the 2000 presidential election. This age group had the highest rate of voter participation in both the 2000 and 2002 elections. Service to Our Nation 9.7 million -- Estimated number of people age 65 and over who are military veterans. [Source: U.S. Census Bureau]

Moral Development And Gender Related Reasoning Styles Essay

Moral Development Gender-Related Reasoning Styles Lawrence Kohlberg (who was Director of Harvard s Center of Moral Development), was a child development expert of his time, and considered himself a philosopher of morality. His work on stages of moral development proved indispensable (though not without its critiques), and continues to serve as a fundamental study on our motivation and reasoning, in relation to ethics and morality. Kohlberg s studies are an adaption of earlier principles from a theory conceived by a Swiss developmental psychologist and philosopher (Jean Piaget). There are three main stages of moral developmental as described by Kohlberg, which I will discuss, and also critiques on Kohlberg s work, which include the lack of evidence as it pertains to gender-related differences in moral development and moral reasoning styles. To begin the dissection of Kohlberg s studies, one must begin with defining and understanding Kohlberg s stages. 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The world has and entirely new definitions Free Essays

The world of today is converted into a small sphere were distances have been abridged; connectivity around the globe is possible at the blink of an eye. The world has and entirely new definitions in respect to interdependence of social, technological, cultural, political and economics. A man of today is equipped with the power of that evolved slowly through the passage of time and eventually termed as â€Å"globalization†. We will write a custom essay sample on The world has and entirely new definitions or any similar topic only for you Order Now Before examining its effect and the impacts it has on the world we need to identify what actually is termed as globalization. The Encyclopedia Britannica says that globalization is the â€Å"process by which the experience of everyday life †¦ is becoming standardized around the world.† While some scholars and observers of globalization stress convergence of patterns of production and consumption and a resulting homogenization of culture, others stress that globalization has the potential to take many diverse forms. In economics, globalization is the convergence of prices, products, wages, rates of interest and profits towards developed country norms. Globalization of the economy depends on the role of human migration, international trade, movement of capital, and integration of financial markets. The International Monetary Fund notes the growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide through increasing volume and variety of cross-border transactions, free international capital flows, and more rapid and widespread diffusion of technology. Theodore Levitt is usually credited with globalization’s first use in an economic context. In wider aspects the world in now getting closer and closer into a small village, where there is an increased economic independence. Information technology has been the stepping stone for the this rapid change, telecommunication has set up unconceivable lines of communication which eventually has set up the fast moving trend of progress. Factors of globalization that is unrelated or without technological change in general or information technology in particular does not seem to have a progressive trend, that is the major block of upward movement in the world economy is primarily because of the advancement in information technology. Perhaps the most important of these factors is the more liberal approach to international trade and foreign investment that has been adopted in many countries, developed as well as developing. As noted above from the science and technology point of view policy in developing countries, it is useful to abstract from all these other influences on globalization and focus instead on the respects in which globalization can be described as technological phenomenon. Until just a few years ago, very few people could have imagined that IT would have such an enormous influence on the societies and economies of countries all over the world. Among other things, IT, and particularly the emergence of the Internet with its openness and global reach, is having a drastic influence on methods of business and communication. The IT revolution is taking place all over the world and Japan is no exception. According to provisional calculations by the Economic Planning Agency, the advancing IT revolution will boost Japan’s real GDP by 6% over the next five years, an average of more than 1% a year. Although Japan’s aging population with lower birthrate is inevitable, IT is expected to offset the negative impact of the expected decrease in population, according to the same provisional calculations. Globalization has stepped up the economy of the world; developing countries have had a rising uphill trend in its economies. How to cite The world has and entirely new definitions, Papers

Cbt Case Study free essay sample

Case Study Identifying Information For the purposes of the case study the client will be called Jane. Jane is a 22 year old single white British female who lives with her parents in a house outside the city. She is heterosexual and has had a boyfriend for seven years. She feels unable to discuss her issues with her boyfriend. Her parents both have mental health issues and Jane does not feel able to talk to her mother about her problems. She has an older brother she has a good relationship who lives with his girlfriend, a four hour drive away. Jane is educated to degree level, having studied Criminology and is currently working part-time for her father managing his client accounts for a business he runs from home. A typical day involves organising all receipts and creating spreadsheets for each client’s accounts. Jane states she would like to get a full time job and be normal like her friends. Jane has a small circle of friends from university who she states have all gone onto full time employment. Jane also has a puppy she spends time looking after and taking for regular walks. Assessment Jane was referred following a health check at her GP surgery. She had been prescribed Citalopram 20mg by her GP for anxiety symptoms and panic attacks she had been having for two years. Jane has no previous contact with mental health services. Jane’s father had a diagnosis of Bi-Polar Disorder, her brother has Depression and her boyfriend has a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which he is continuing treatment for. Jane’s anxiety/panic has increased over the past two years. She had read about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on the Internet and was willing to see if it was help ease her anxiety symptoms. Jane stated that the problem started due to family issues in 2007. Her brother and father were estranged due to a financial disagreement and this resulted in Jane’s brother leaving the country with his girlfriend, causing Jane to become very distressed. Also during this time she was taking her final exams at University, Jane states this was when she experienced her first panic attack. She had spent the evening before her brother left the country, drinking alcohol with friends, she remembers feeling ‘hung-over’ the next day. While travelling in the car to the airport, with her brother and his girlfriend, Jane states she started to feel unwell, she found it difficult to breathe, felt hot, trapped and felt like she was going to faint. Jane stated she felt â€Å"embarrassed† and â€Å"stupid† and had since experienced other panic attacks and increased anxiety, anticipating panic attacks in social situations. Jane had reduced where she went to, finding herself unable to go anywhere she may have to meet new people. Her last panic attack happened when Jane visited her GP for a health check and fainted during the appointment, Jane has blood phobia and she stated she had not eaten since the day before and was extremely anxious about the any medical interventions. Jane believes it was a panic attack that caused her to faint. The GP prescribed her 20mg of Citalopram, a few weeks prior to her initial assessment with the therapist. When Jane and the therapist met for the initial session Jane described herself as feeling inadequate and as if she was trapped in a cycle of panic. Although Jane felt unhappy she had no suicidal ideation and she presented no risk to others. Jane stated she had become more anxious and that she had panic attacks at least twice a week. Prior to and during therapy, Jane was assessed using various measures. These enabled the therapist to formulate a hypothesis regarding the severity of the problem, also acting as a baseline, enabling the therapist and Jane to monitor progress throughout treatment. (Wells, 1997). The measures utilised in the initial assessment were a daily panic diary, Wells (1997) and a diary of obsessive- compulsive rituals, Wells (1997) a self rating scale completed by the client Jane. Other measures used were, The Panic Rating Scale (PRS) Wells (1997), the Social Phobia Scale, Wells (1997), used by the therapist to clarify which specific disorder was the main problem for Jane. Having collated information from the initial measures, a problem list was created so the therapist and Jane could decide what to focus on first. This list was based on Jane’s account of the worst problems which were given priority over those problems which were less distressing. Problem List 1. Anxiety/Panic attacks 2. Obsessive hand washing. 3. My relationship with my family. 4. Not having a full time job. 5. My relationship with my boyfriend Having collaboratively decided on the problem list, the therapist helped Jane reframe the problems into goals. As the problem list highlighted what was wrong, changing them into goals enabled Jane to approach her problems in a more focused way (Wells, 1997), the therapist discussed goals with Jane and she decided what she wanted to get from therapy. It was important for the therapist to ensure that any goals were realistic and achievable in the timeframe and this was conveyed to Jane (Padesky amp; Greenberger, 1995). Jane wanted to reduce her anxiety and expressed these goals:- 1. To understand why I have panic attacks. 2. To have an anxiety free day. 3. To reduce the amount of time worrying . To reduce obsessive hand washing at home. Case Formulation Jane stated that for about a year she had been repeating certain behaviours, which she believed prevented her from having panic attacks. This involved Jane washing her hands and any surrounding objects at least twice. Jane had a fear of consuming alcohol/drugs/caffeine/artificial sweeteners, she stated she had had her first panic attack the day after drinking alcohol and had read that all these substances could increase her anxiety. Jane had not drunk alcohol for 18 months as she felt this caused her anxiety and made her nable to control the panic attacks. Jane stated she feared that if any of these substances got on her hands and then into her mouth she would have a panic attack and faint. These beliefs increased Jane’s anxiety when Jane was exposed to any environment where these substances were present. This unfortunately was most of the time, Jane stated that every time she saw any of these substances consumed or even placed near her, she became anxious and had to wash her hands and any surrounding items which she may come into contact with again. These safety behaviours maintained the cycle of panic, Jane would always continue the routines that she believed prevented a panic attack. The worst case scenario for Jane was â€Å"the panic would never stop and I will go mad, causing my boyfriend to leave me†. Jane felt this would make everyone realise what she already knew, that she was worthless. Her last panic attack happened when Jane had visited her GP; this caused Jane feelings of shame. â€Å"There’s all these people achieving, doing great things and I can’t do the most basic things† The therapist used the Cognitive Model of Panic (Clark, 1986), initially developing the three key elements of the model to help socialise Jane to the thoughts, feelings and behaviour cycle (see diagram below) Cognitive Model of Panic Bodily sensations Emotional response Thought about sensation Clark (1986) Using a panic diary and a diary of obsessive-compulsive rituals, Jane was asked to keep a record of situations during the week where she felt anxious, and this was discussed in the next session. Jane stated she had not had any panic during the week, when discussing previous panic attacks during the session, Jane became anxious and the therapist used this incident to develop the following formulation. Heart beating fast/increase in body temperature Fear/dread I feel hot, I can’t control it Clark (1986) Jane stated she felt like she was sweating, she had difficulty breathing; felt faint, had feelings of not being here and felt like she was going crazy. All these symptoms suggested that Jane was experiencing a panic attack and Jane met the criteria for Panic Disorder, defined in the DSM IV and states that â€Å"panic attacks be recurrent and unexpected, at least one of the attacks be followed by at least one month of persistent concern about having additional attacks, worry about the implications or consequence of the attack, or a significant change in behaviour related to the attacks† (APA, 1994). During the sessions the therapist continued to socialise Jane to the model of panic (Clark, 1986); together Jane and the therapist looked at what kept the cycle going. The therapist continued to use the model formulation, with the addition of Jane’s catastrophic interpretation of bodily symptoms, to illustrate the connection between negative thoughts, emotion, physical symptoms. Social situation I will be unable to stay here Everyone will notice I am not coping I’m going to faint Sweating/breathing fast/dizzy Clark’s (1986) Cognitive Model of Panic. Progress of Treatment The therapist hypothesised that Jane’s symptoms continued due to Jane not understanding the physiological effects of anxiety. The results were a misinterpretation of what would happen to her while being anxious, and this maintained the panic cycle. Although Jane tried to avoid any anxiety by using safety behaviours, she eventually increased the anxiety she experienced. Session 1 After the initial assessment sessions, the therapist and Jane agreed to 8 sessions, with a review after 6 sessions. Jane and the therapist discussed that there may only be a small amount of progress or change during the sessions due to the complexity of Jane’s diagnosis and agreed to focus on understanding the cycle of panic (Clark, 1986) From the information gained from the formulation process, the therapist tried psycho education. The therapist was attempting to illicit a shift in Jane’s belief about what, how and why these symptoms were happening. The therapist discussed with Jane what she knew about anxiety and from this the therapist discovered that Jane was unsure of what anxiety was and the effects on the body. For the first few appointments the therapist knew it could be beneficial to concentrate on relaying information about anxiety, (Clark et al, 1989) focusing on Jane’s specific beliefs anxiety, the therapist wanted to try to reduce the problem by helping Jane recognise the connection between her symptoms. As Jane believed, â€Å"she was going mad†, the therapist was trying to help Jane understand the CBT model of anxiety and to alter Jane’s misunderstanding of the symptoms. The therapist and Jane discussed Jane’s belief that she would faint if she panicked, Jane had fixed beliefs about why she fainted. The therapist attempted to enable Jane to describe how her anxiety affected her during a ‘usual panic’. Instead Jane began to describe symptoms of social anxiety, this suggested to the therapist that the main problems could be a combination of /social phobia and obsessive behaviours; the following dialogue may help to illustrate this. T. When you begin to become anxious, what goes through your head? J. I need a backup plan; I need to know how to get out of there. Especially if it’s in an office, or a small room. T. What would happen if you did not get out? J. I would panic, and then pass out T. What would the reasons be for you to pass out? J. Because I was panicking. T. Have you passed out before when you have panicked? J. I have felt like it. T. So what sensations do you have when you’re panicking? J. The feeling rises up, I feel hot and I can’t see straight. I get red flashes in front of my eyes, like a warning. My vision goes hazy. I think everyone is looking at me. T. Do you think other people can see this? J. Yes. T. What do you think they see? J. That I’m struggling and I cannot cope or, I try to get out of the situation by pretending I feel ill before they notice. T. What would they notice, what would be different about you? J. I stick out like a beacon, I’m sweating, loads of sweat and my face is bright red. T. How red would your face be, as red as that â€Å"No Smoking† sign on the wall? J. Yes! I’m dripping with sweat and my eyes are really staring, feels like they stick out like in a cartoon, it’s ridiculous. T. How long before you would leave the situation? J. Sometimes the feeling goes, like I can control it. But I could not leave. There would be a stigma and then I could not go back, the anxiety would increase in that environment or somewhere similar. The therapist persisted with this example and tried to use guided discovery to help Jane get a more balanced view of the situation. (Padesky and Greenberger, 1995) T. So you would not go back? J. I would if I felt safe, like with my boyfriend or I could leave whenever I wanted to. It’s the last straw if I have to go. It makes it even harder. T. You say that sometimes it goes away. What’s different about then and times when you have to leave? J. It’s like I just know I have to leave. T. What do you think may happen if you stay with the feelings? J. That I will pass out. T. hat would that mean if you passed out? J. It would be the ultimate. It would mean that I could not cope with the situation. T. If you could not cope what would that mean? J. I can’t function, I can’t do anything. I‘m just no use. T. How much do you believe that? Can you rate it out of 100%? J. Now. About 60% if I did faint it would be about 100% T. Have you ever fainted due t o the sensations you have described to me? J. No. I have fainted because I’m squeamish. I don’t like blood. Or having any kind of tests at the GP. T. So do I understand you? You have never fainted due to the panic sensations? J. No. I’ve felt like it. T. So you’ve never passed out due to the symptoms? What do you make that? J. I don’t know, that would mean that what I believe is stupid. It’s hard to get my head around it. Session 2-3 The therapist used a social phobia/panic rating scale measures to ascertain the main problem; this was increasingly difficult as throughout each session the patient expanded on her symptoms. The therapist managed to understand that the patient avoided most social situations due to her beliefs about certain substances; this caused the obsessive hand-washing. This then had an impact on Jane’s ability to go anywhere in case she could not wash herself or objects around her. Jane also believed fainting from blood phobia had the same physical effects as panic, and she would faint if she panicked. It was complicated and the therapist attempted to draw out a formulation. I SEE A PERSON DRINKING ALCOHOL IT’S GOING TO GET ON MY HANDS AND INTO MY MOUTH I FEEL SICK, I’M GOING TO FAINT I FEEL DREAD, I FEEL ANXIOUS, SWEATING I MUST WASH MY HANDS TO STOP THE PANIC GETTING WORSE. Session 4 The formulation shows the extent of Jane’s panic and how her safety behaviours were impacting on all aspects of her life. The therapist attempted again to use information about the causes of anxiety and its effects on the body. The therapist explained what happens when you faint due to blood phobia, this was an attempt to supply Jane with counter evidence for her catastrophic interpretations of her panic. The therapist also used evidence to contrast the effects on the body when fainting and when panicking. After two sessions, the therapist continued to provide and attempted to relay the facts about the nature of anxiety/panic/fainting with the inclusion of behavioural experiments. Educational procedures are a valid part of overall cognitive restructuring strategies, incorporated with questioning evidence for misinterpretations and behavioural experiments (Wells, 1997) The therapist asked Jane to explain to the therapist the function/effects of adrenalin, to see if Jane was beginning to understand and if there had been any shift in her beliefs about panic. The following dialogue may help to illustrate the difficulties the therapist encountered; T. Over the last few sessions, we have been discussing anxiety and the function of adrenalin. Do you understand the physical changes we have looked at? Does it make sense to you? J. Yes. Something has clicked inside my head. I feel less insane now, I understand more about what’s going on. It makes things a little bit easier, but it takes time for it to sink in. T. Do you think you could explain to me what you understand about anxiety/adrenalin? J. As I interpret it is, I like to think of it as, â€Å"I’m not anxious it’s just my adrenalin, It’s just the effects of adrenalin effecting my body† but it’s hard to get from there, to accepting the adrenalin is not going to harm me. I know logically it’s not. But it’s still hard. T. That’s great you’re beginning to question what you have believed and are thinking there may be other explanations for your symptoms. J. Yes. But I still think it’s to do with luck. I have good or bad luck each day and that predicts whether I have a panic or not. I think I’ll be unlucky soon. Session 5-6 The therapist continued to try use behavioural experiments during the sessions to provide further evidence to try to alter Jane’s beliefs about anxiety. The therapist agreed with Jane that they would imitate all the symptoms of panic. Making the room hot, exercising to increase heart rate and body temperature, hyperventilation (ten minutes) Focusing on breathing/swallowing. This continued for most of session 5. As neither the therapist nor Jane fainted, they discussed this and Jane stated it was different in the session than when she with other people. Jane also stated she felt safe and trusted the therapist, she did not believe she could be strong enough to try the experiments alone, as it was â€Å"too scary† The therapist asked Jane to draw a picture of how she felt and put them on the diagram of a person, this then was used to compare with anxiety symptoms, while talking through them with the therapist. The therapist and Jane created a survey about fainting and Jane took this away as homework to gain further evidence. The survey included 6 different questions about fainting e. g. What people knew about fainting/how they would feel about seeing someone faint, etc. Treatment Outcome The treatment with Jane continues. The next session will be the 6th and there will be a review of progress and any improvements. There has been no improvement in measures as noted yet. The therapist intends to use a panic rating scale (PRS) Wells, (1997) during the next session. The therapist will continue to see Jane for two more sessions, lo oking at what Jane has found helpful/unhelpful. Discussion Overall the therapist found the therapy unsuccessful. Although Jane stated she found it helpful, it was difficult for the therapist to see the progress due to the many layers of complexity of Jane’s diagnosis. The therapist has grown more confident in the CBT process and understands that as a trainee, the therapist tried to incorporate all the new skills within each session. The therapist was disappointed that they were unable to guide Jane through the therapy process with a better result. The therapist would have like to have been able to fully establish an understanding of Jane’s complex symptoms earlier on in the therapy. The therapist believes that Jane’s symptoms were very complex and the therapist may have been more successful with a client with a less complicated diagnosis. The therapist would then be able to gain more information via the appropriate measures to enable the formulations in a concise manner. This has been a huge learning curve for the therapist and has encouraged them to seek out continuing CBT supervision within the therapist’s workplace. This is essential to continue the development of the therapist’s skills. The therapist feels that although this has not had the outcome that the therapist would have wanted, it has been a positive experience for Jane. There appeared to be a successful therapeutic relationship, Jane appeared comfortable and able to communicate what her problems were to the therapist from the beginning of therapy. The therapist hopes this will encourage Jane to engage with further CBT therapy in the future and the therapist over the final session hopes to be able to support Jane in creating a therapy blueprint, reviewing what Jane has found helpful. Certificate in CBT September – December 2009 CBT Case Study Panic/Social Phobia/OCD WORD COUNT 3,400 References APA (1994). Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised, 4th edn. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Padesky, C. A amp; Greenberger, D. (1995). Clinicians Guide to Mind Over Mood. New York: Guilford Padesky, C. A amp; Greenberger, D. (1995). Mind Over Mood. New York: Guilford Wells, A (1997). Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety Disorders. Chichester, UK: Wiley