Individual Happiness Contributes to the Harmonious Society Essay Example for Free

Individual Happiness Contributes to the Harmonious Society Essay If you have a chance to choose a life, what will you choose? The rich but unhappy life or the ordinary life with lifelong happiness? Most people will choose the latter, because it is the essence of the life. The pursuit of individual happiness is being acknowledged as a world right. People often assume that happiness is an individual thing, but the meaning of happiness shifts across the life course. Therefore, happiness contributes to the harmonious society because it has a positive impact on social life and commercial development. First of all, individual happiness makes a contribution in enhancing social relationships. Individual happiness can invisibly influence the social behavior. If a person feels happy, that will result in positive behavior. Generally speaking, happiness will affect his character and his subjective well-being. Apparently, a happy person will be kind to the people around his social circle. According to Dixon (2011), â€Å"The happiness participants felt about their past generosity, the more likely they were in the present to choose to spend on someone else instead of themselves†. People are willing to share happy feelings; they will be kind spending on others. Individual happiness creates a virtuous cycle between happiness and kindness. Likewise, in the case of people being more kind, the relationship of friends and family will be strengthened. On the other hand, â€Å"happiness is as essential as food if a child is to develop into normal manhood or womanhood: the purpose of bringing-up in all its phases should be to make the child as happy as possible. † (Stearns, 2012) parents have a special bond with their children. A negligible emotional change may have a significant impact on children’s growth. Children will grow up healthily and comfortably in a relaxed and happy environment. Vice versa, parents will become happier when they witness the growth of their children without any trouble. Hence, individual happiness makes a â€Å"positive feedback loop† (Dixon, 2012) that sets an important bond between people. It enhances the relationship and it is beneficial for everyone of each side in the small social circle. Secondly, individual happiness improves the social working atmosphere in the commercial area. More and more businessmen are trying to add the element of happiness into their goods. As Stearns stated, â€Å"Harvey Ball, created in 1963 the yellow smiley face, which took off even in the wake of the Kennedy assassination and whose annual licensing revenues exceeded $50 million within the decade. † Admittedly, Life and work are tough for workers in modern society. In addition, businessmen used happy gimmick in their goods, is actually helping people go out of the dull life due to busy work. Their idea finally made it, because individual happiness is contagious and easily accepted. Thereby, individual happiness has a huge commercial potential compared to ordinary sales systems. Correspondingly, people generally lack the happiness because they are under enormous pressure. The gimmick of happiness will set up a â€Å"positive feedback loop† that benefit to both sellers and customers. Moreover, individual happiness can contribute to a relax work atmosphere. According to Stearns (2012), happiness inspired new workplace standards that instructed white-collar employees and sales people in the centrality of cheerfulness†. Working for a optimistic boss or a serious boss? Most people will choose the former one. No one can tolerate the tough words and face of the boss day by day. Conversely, employees find it easier to accept a happy employer who can mobilize the enthusiasm of the staff. Emotion of employers plays an increasing important role in the work place. Hence, individual happiness can enhance the performance of the company. When employees working in a workplace that is full of happiness, they will be cheered up, the internal thought will drive them to enjoy their work and greatly improve the work efficiency. Individual happiness thereby is beneficial to the commercial development. Some public opinion suggested that the society needs to be more serious, so individual happiness will distract the people’s major goals. This statement is obviously not logical because it is a historical trend that individual happiness accounted for a large proportion of life. It builds a positive circle that promotes the development of society. Serious emotion does work some occasions, but in the whole environment, it will make people become rigid and less creative. To conclude, individual happiness not only enriches the relationship between people, but also brings more benefit in the business process. Truly, the happiness plays a neglected role in some cultures. They are still trying to hiding their people’s feeling. However, dull and serious words have far less influence than many smiling faces around you. Individual happiness gives people the latter feeling; those smiling faces can affect other’s lives in the broader society. All in all, the spreading of individual happiness will lead to a tremendous improvement that will enable more people to live in a harmonious society.

A High School Students Opinion of Poetry :: Education Poetry Poems Essays

A High School Student's Opinion of Poetry Students’ opinions of poetry are very important to consider when planning how to cover poetry in the classroom. In this article, Jon C. Mladic and Douglas R. Pietrzak surveyed a high school creative writing class in Normal, IL (grades 10-12) about their opinions of poetry. They created an extensive survey concerning the students’ opinions and experiences with poetry as well their preferences for instruction. They also interview the teacher of the creative writing class in order to gather her opinions. Mladic and Pietrzak found that surveying students in creative writing classes can be very useful for any class. Students stated that it was especially dificult to write on command and that the environment of the school was not particularly conducive to writing. Students that were inclined to write on their own often cited writing as a means of self-exploration and they felt as if the environment of the school was not fitting for this purpose. In this article, Mladic and Pietrzak discuss a list of possible adjustments that could be made to the classroom to help the students feel more comfortable expressing themselves through writing, but insist that a writing classroom should be individually adapted to the unique members and interests of each classroom. Poetry as a means of self-expression has a wide-range of possible uses outside the English classroom as well that can be very beneficial for students’ personal and social development. Introduction This study is concerned with students’ opinions and knowledge of poetry so that the teacher can best adjust the classroom atmosphere to encourage student writing and creative exploration. Poetry as a topic for high school students is full of misconceptions and stereotypes. Therefore, since high school students tend to have little exposure to poetry – especially writing it – it is very important for the teacher to be sensitive and understand the dynamics of the classroom so that they are able to inspire students to feel comfortable with poetry. Poetry can be a very powerful tool of self-expression and self-exploration for students. Research Questions Essentially we have one research question: What opinions do high schools students have when approaching poetry? This question, however, led to a number of other questions. How can the classroom be adjusted to best fit your approaches towards writing? What topics do you write about in poetry? What is students’ prior knowledge of poetry?

black beauty and the american standards of beauty Essay

Beauty is generally defined as the quality or combination of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit. While this definition supports the commonly-held belief that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, American standards of beauty have not had many variations over the past few decades. Since the beginning of American history, there have been three ideal archetypal symbols of womanhood that have to do with physical beauty: light skin, a slim body, and straight hair.[1] While there has been some dynamicity, it was very slight and has rarely ever encompassed physical characteristics more commonly attributed to women of color, such as a dark complexion, a voluptuous figure, and thick, kinky hair. The prevalence of the Eurocentric American standard of beauty among young African-Americans has led to self-esteem issues and controversy, but despite the detrimental aspects, it has been a unifying force in the African-American co mmunity. The European standard of beauty, which has always been integrated into American culture, was formed long before African-Americans were introduced into the western hemisphere as slaves. It was used in comparison to African-Americans as a method of stripping black women of their femininity and justifying their inferiority. In historical advertisements and visual performances, physical attributes associated with black people—such as bigger lips, darker skin, and, for women, a larger figure—were exaggerated in order to emphasize how different blacks were from white people, and assert control over them in almost every aspect of life, especially how there were perceived by other races and their own self-perception.[2] As slaves, blacks did not have tools for self-adornment and, while black women could wear different hairstyles to express themselves, they often dressed in what was necessary for hard labor, which did not leave much room for femininity. The article, â€Å"Beauty Culture,† by Tiffany M. Gill, tells of the creation of the black beauty culture industry, post-slavery, as a means of defining beauty in their own lives.[3] This industry, however, was wrought with controversy because of the two categories of products available, those which enhanced the natural physical traits of black women and those that seemingly attempted to conform to white beauty standards. The black beauty culture industry was faced with the task of battling stereotypes that suggested that blacks were innately ugly and that their physical attributes were the reason for their low political, social, and economic status. The importance of the black beauty culture industry is proven by the fact that, during the Great Depression, the industry did not face the same economic downturn as many other black businesses, and women were willing to barter food and other necessities in order to get their hair styled.[4] As the public presentation of black wome n increased, so did hair chemicals that allowed them to mimic the hairstyles of white women, and a well-groomed African-American woman became synonymous with straightened hair, which contradicted the political identities of black women. The Black Power Movement boasted the belief that â€Å"Black is beautiful!† which was revolutionary in its appraisal of black culture, politics, and even style. This created a strong sense of racial pride in the African-American community and unity, especially as beauty colleges became key institutions in the black community. Hairdressers and salon owners were some of the most politically active people in black communities, and their places of business were a safe haven from the humiliations of Jim Crow.[5] By accepting the physical differences between blacks and other ethnicities, the African-American community was able to assert more control over their own definition of beauty and improve their personal lives. Black women no longer had to conform to Eurocentric beauty standards and could stand together to show that they were just as attractive and feminine. This huge part of leisure culture also offered women alternatives to jobs as domestic servants or agricultural laborers . Yet, despite the Black Power aesthetic being popularized over sixty years ago, the overall American standards of beauty still do not accommodate women with darker skin and textured hair. The fact that American beauty standards still hold true to the ideal woman being light, thin, and straight-haired, is evidenced by a simple Google image search of â€Å"beautiful women.† Of the top 100 results, only two are African-American women. Black women, despite an increase in black pride and acceptance of natural features in their own community, are still being judged according to and oppressed by Eurocentric beauty standards. According to a survey analysis done by Dia Sekayi, 72.8 percent of black women attending various historically black colleges throughout the United States, expressed discomfort with the way beauty for black women is defined by the media and society’s expectations of them.[6] Forty-six percent wish they had smaller bodies and thirty-two percent are displeased with their natural hair texture.[7] The use of chemicals and weaves to make black hair resemble the hair of white women and skin lightening lotions show that many black women are not ple ased by their appearance. It’s obvious that beauty has intangible elements, such as confidence and likability, but even these things can be affected by one’s physical appearance. When young girls do not feel as if their beauty is being validated, concern for their appearance impacts their quality of life long-term. Scholarly literature supports the notion that that meeting or not meeting the ideal standard of beauty might impact the quality of girls’ experiences at school, both on a social and an academic level.[8] This issue is important because without a less stringent view of American beauty, black women will continue to be judged by a standard of beauty, even if they choose not to embrace it, that is nearly impossible for most to meet. Black women are currently resisting the dominant aesthetic standard and embracing their own cultural ideas of beauty but in many instances are pushed to hide their true selves. Women who have chosen to wear their hair unstraightened or braided have encountered discrimination in their workplace, despite kinky hair and braids being key hairstyles in black communities across the globe.[9] While there may be a growing acceptance of natural hairstyles in many places of business, there are some Americans who don’t understand that multiple standards of physical beauty must coexist, and if they do not, people who don’t conform to the standard will suffer. It is important for young black girls to feel comfortable in their own skin and grow up knowing tha t they can be their own special brand of beautiful and that there are people who look like them in the media, whether they are dark or light, slim or curvaceous. Battling against aesthetic hegemony is not easy for black women living in the United States, and oftentimes dissonance and frustration is felt because of society’s views on beauty and the impracticalness of American beauty in regards to women of all colors, shapes, and sizes. However, a lessening of assimilation into white culture is being seen and African-Americans are taking Eurocentric beauty trends and turning them into something more. Black women use their African roots and their own sense of artistry to create unique styles that reflect a black culture and the beauty and femininity that they were once disparaged of.    Bibliography Sekayi, Die. â€Å"Aesthetic Resistance to Commercial Influences: The Impact of the Eurocentric Beauty Standard on Black College Women.† The Journal of Negro Education 72, no. 4 (Autumn 2003): 467-477. http://www.jstor.org/ stable/3211197. (Accessed November 2, 2015) Gill, Tiffany M. â€Å"Beauty Culture.† Black Women in America, Second Edition, edited by Ed. Darlene Clark Hine. Oxford African American Studies Center, (2008): 1. http://www.oxfordaasc.com.proxy.library.vanderbilt.edu/article/opr/t0003/e0023 (accessed November 3, 2015).    [1] Dia Dekayi. â€Å"Aesthetic Resistance to Commercial Influences: The Impact of the Eurocentric Beauty Standard on Black College Women.† The Journal of Negro Education 72, no. 4 (Autumn 2003): 469. [2] Tiffany M. Gill. â€Å"Beauty Culture.†Ã‚   Black Women in America, Second Edition, edited by Ed. Darlene Clark Hine. Oxford African American Studies Center. (2008): 1 [3] Tiffany M. Gill. â€Å"Beauty Culture.†Ã‚   Black Women in America, Second Edition, edited by Ed. Darlene Clark Hine. Oxford African American Studies Center. (2008): 1 [4] Tiffany M. Gill. â€Å"Beauty Culture.†Ã‚   Black Women in America, Second Edition, edited by Ed. Darlene Clark Hine. Oxford African American Studies Center. (2008): 1 [5] Tiffany M. Gill. â€Å"Beauty Culture.†Ã‚   Black Women in America, Second Edition, edited by Ed. Darlene Clark Hine. Oxford African American Studies Center. (2008): 1 [6] Dia Dekayi. â€Å"Aesthetic Resistance to Commercial Influences: The Impact of the Eurocentric Beauty Standard on Black College Women.† The Journal of Negro Education 72, no. 4 (Autumn 2003): 474. [7] Dia Dekayi. â€Å"Aesthetic Resistance to Commercial Influences: The Impact of the Eurocentric Beauty Standard on Black College Women.† The Journal of Negro Education 72, no. 4 (Autumn 2003): 474. [8] Dia Dekayi. â€Å"Aesthetic Resistance to Commercial Influences: The Impact of the Eurocentric Beauty Standard on Black College Women.† The Journal of Negro Education 72, no. 4 (Autumn 2003): 468. [9] Tiffany M. Gill. â€Å"Beauty Culture.†Ã‚   Black Women in America, Second Edition, edited by Ed. Darlene Clark Hine. Oxford African American Studies Center. (2008): 1

My Second Grade Class Atp.s 45 - 881 Words

Many classrooms today are comprised of different children with different learning styles. Each class is unique and different in their own way. All classrooms have students that come from different communities, families, cultures, and traditions. P.S. 45 is a title one school which means that the majority of the students live in a household of low income families. In this classroom, approximately 90% of the students attending reside in low-income neighborhoods. While the label of title one indicates that the state is providing the resources for students to thrive, it can also indicate that there is a lot of pressure placed on the students to do well. My third grade class at P.S 45 is an ICT class where half of the students are low-functioning and half of the students are general education. My classroom contains 29 children, 15 boys and 14 girls of mixed heritages. The majority of my students are Hispanic and African American; however, there are a few students who are Caucasian and Asian, too. The class consists of many students who have an impulsive tendency of constantly getting out of their seats. When this happens, it breaks the focus of other students and disrupts the lesson. Most students come ready to learn, but some of the students lack focus due to insufficient sleep and nutrition. Some students are more skilled than others; however, most of the class is struggling academically. My class requires special and differentiated instruction. Twelve students in this class