Theories of the Formation of Romantic Relationships Essay Example for Free

Theories of the Formation of Romantic Relationships Essay The sociobiological explanation is an evolutionary theory perceiving relationship formation as a form of ‘survival efficiency’, with a difference between genders. Davis (1990) performed a content analysis of personal advertisements, finding that men look for health and attractiveness, while offering wealth and resources. Females look for resources and status, while offering beauty and youth, supporting the idea of evolutionary-based gender differences in relationship formation. However, although relevant to the EEA (Environment of Evolutionary Adaptiveness), the model doesn’t suit modern environment. Many women now have resources of their own and do not need to rely on the resources of men. This casts doubts on the suitability of this explanation in modern days as its applicability, has over the years gradually decreased. The sociobiological explanation is reductionist, seeing relationship as a means of reproduction, therefore disregarding other reasons for being in romantic relationships, like companionship. It can be argued that theories of relationship formation are deterministic, as relationships are seen as having a lack of free will – that is, determined by factors beyond personal control. For example, the rewards and needs satisfaction theory sees relationship formation an unconscious process based on learned associations. The reinforcement and needs satisfaction explanation is a behaviourist explanation, perceiving conditioning as an explanation for relationship formation. People may directly reward us (operant conditioning) by meeting our psychological needs for friendship, love and sex. Their provision of such needs is reinforcing, and therefore we like them more and want to be around them. As a result we are more likely to form a relationship. Also, people may be indirectly rewarded (classical conditioning), where they become associated with the pleasant circumstances and so again the likeliness for forming a relationship increases. Argyle (1994) outlined several motivational systems underpinning social behaviour, and explained how forming relationships satisfies social needs on several levels. * Biological needs, like collective eating. * Dependency, being comforted * Affiliation, a sense of belonging * Dominance, making decisions for others * Sex, flirting * Aggression, letting off steam * Self-esteem, being respected by others Many non-western cultures feature relationships without regard for receiving rewards or prioritising selfish needs. Therefore the rewards –needs satisfaction theory cannot account for cultural differences and thus can be seen as culturally biased. The rewards –needs satisfaction theory of relationship formation cannot account for gender differences. Women often focus more on the needs of others, and males and females tend to find different things rewarding, suggesting that the explanation is gender biased.

Napster :: essays research papers

(1) English 11 Words: 1302 12/ 20/ 00 Napster : Right or Wrong ? "As an artist, there are so many ways that we can be taken advantage of. To have yet one more way to stip an artist of making an honest living is just to much. That's why I sued." ( Levy, 51 ) - Andre Young ( Dr. Dre) Rapper/Producer There are many ways that an artist can be stripped of making an honest living, Napster, one of the many 'Mp3' services online, is the latest. An Mp3 ( short for ISO-MPEG Audio Layer 3 ) is a digital compression of a music or video file so it's easier to send to one another over the internet ( Levy, 51 ). Napster is an online music source where you can search for a song and download it absolutely free, with just one click from your fingertips. The Napster program, created by 19 year-old college drop out Shawn Fanning, is the fastest growing site in history. It recently passed the 25 million mark in less than a year since it was released (Greenfeld, 62 ). His program allows you to download copyright music, and that's why he is being sued by a number of corporations. Napster is being sued by RIAA ( the Recording Industry Association of America ), record companies ( BMG, the holder of lables like: Arista, Bad Boy, RCA, LaFace ), and artists ( Rock band Metallica and Rapper/Producer Dr.Dre). "I'm down for a parallel business even if it's parasitic. Napster is the new radio. It's the most exciting thing since rap, disco and the Beatles." said rapper Chuck D, and it did it is ( Levy, 51 ). Napster is like a radio. You can listen to music and preview it for free. Some artists are actually for Napster like Chuck D. , Neil Young, and rock group Limp Bizkit, who headlined a free tour sponsored by Napster along with Cypress Hill. Napster is like a new radio. It's been said that people use Napster because they feel so (2) ripped off that compact disc prices are so high. They would rather just download the whole album online, then burn it on to a cd spending only three dollars for a burned cd instead of the seventeen dollars spent for buying the actual album. The generalized public that use Napster are young ( teenagers and college

Abduction Is a Short Story by Shelagh Delaney

Abduction is a short story by Shelagh Delaney, it is a story about misunderstanding the concept of love. However it is also a story about, misunderstanding or not looking for the needs of the ones we love. Abduction is the title, and it refers to the way, that Ann abducts her sixteen year old younger brother from their parents, and brings him to london. Ann is a woman who always new, what she wanted: â€Å"She couldn't get out of Manchester quick enough. Although she'd been born and brought up there it had never been good enough. There was only one place worth living.London. † (p. 1, ll. 24) Ann moved and never looked back, except from the one time, where she came to take her younger brother to live with her in London. There can be many reasons why Ann felt the need to take him away from his home, but all in all she has a very strong need to look after someone, and control their life. Considering the fact, that she is working at a children's hospital, may give the impression, that she would want to have kids on her own, but that is not the case. Already when she was a young woman, she was sterilized.It is a bit of a mystery, because while she loved kids, she did not want any of her own. For her it was more easy to become a mother to her younger brother. Therefore she spoiled him with money, and never gave him have a life of his own. When he gets a girlfriend, who also become pregnant, Ann tells them to get an abortion, and they do what she says. Ann's younger brother's girlfriend points out to him, that there is something wrong between the two siblings: â€Å"She's more like a possessive mother than a sister,† She told him. â€Å"Are you sure you're not really her baby? † (pp, 4. ll, 81).This is said because Ann's behavior is more appropriate for a mother than a sister, because as his sister, she should not take the mothers part in the upbringing. As mentioned before Ann spoils her brother with money. She gives him, what she believes he wan ts, and he is too week to tell her, that what she is doing is wrong. When he graduates from college, (where he had studied media, which he actually despised, but did for his sister sake), Ann provide him with a job, which of course leads to Ann giving him a lot of new and expensive close, he never wanted. After that day, he immediately changed to his belongings from his birth house.Ann's brother married Marianne, the girl who got an abortion, she gets pregnant again, and this time, they keep the child. After Marianne has given birth to their child, Ann transfers her own sense to the child, and spoils it with money, even though the parents tell her to stop. After some years Ann's brother start to drink, and become an alcoholic. Marianne tries to help him, but she decides to divorce him. He moves back to Ann, and they are back were they were before the marriage. This is very satisfying for Ann, because now she can control her brother, the way she like.Again she can spoil him with mone y, and give him the things, she think he wants. He says that he does not want her to spend the money, but she answer him back that it is only money, and that is what they are for. The money she gives him, is her way of expressing her love to the brother. She never think that maybe he wants something totally different, he wants feelings, wants someone to tell him that he exist for a reason. His alcoholism is according to Ann not existing, her brother can simply not have an alcohol problem. It is easy to see, that this is her brothers way of going against his sister.He has the need to do something against his sister, and make her realize, that she can not make him, something he is not. She can not make him wear clothes, he dislike, she can't change him, no matter how big an amount of money she gives him. His life is a mess, he is in a deep alcoholism, even though he loves his child and ex-wife. â€Å"He'd wanted to run away then, run back home to his mother and father. Was it possibl e to start all over again? † (pp, 4. ll, 119) Ann is very controlling, she wants him to stay week, so she drags him back into alcoholism, she thinks that she has all the right answers.That her mother and father was in no condition to raise a child, that she could do it better herself, but all she ever did was doing it the wrong way. Money can not replace true feelings, it can not replace the love between to humans, money can never make a person happy, and it did not make her brother happy, it killed him. Both the picture by Edward Munch, and the text by D. H. Lawrence is about women controlling their men. In the painting, a woman encloses a man with her hair, he is in her power. She has the power to control him. The man in he picture has a very sad look in his eyes, as if he nows that he does not have the power to get out of her grip. In the text a man is describing how his girlfriend is very possessive and wants to control him. â€Å"She had such a lust for possession, a gre ed of self-importance in love†(pp. 6, ll. 7). This painting and the text are both very similar to the themes in the short story. They both surrounds the topic of women being dominant, and wanting to control the men, just like Ann's needs to control her younger brother. Fiction and non-fiction is two very different ways of writing.In fiction you can write anything that comes to you mind, there are no specific rules that inquirer you to do something certain. A fiction story can be very unrealistic, but also very realistic. When looking at the short story Abduction, it is quickly discovered that it is a fiction story. To start with it has a third person narrator. In fiction a narrator can write down the characters thoughts, and him or her, can be very subjective: â€Å"The first time he left his sister's house for the office he felt like a fool togged up in a black cashmere and silk shirts†(pp. 3, ll. 8). Non-fiction on the other hand is submitted rules, in non-fiction you have to stay as objective as possible. Personal thoughts are not to prefer, the writer is telling the story as it happened, him or her is passing on valuable information, and that information has to be unbiased. â€Å"Alfred Adler observed that there was an innate â€Å"drive for power an superiority† that was evidenced in sibling rivalry†(pp. 8, ll. 1) Alfred is observing something, and these observations can be used to conclude something. That would not have been the case, if the text had been fiction.

Americ Culture Overload How Does One Define American...

Kelly Aragones Dr. Leslie Burnett ENG 101 Essay 1 17 September 2014 America: Culture Overload How does one define American culture? Is it the freedom and equality? The mixed religions and races? Is it a compilation of all cultures of the world? All of these qualities do define American culture. Although the nation’s forefathers established the cultural roots of the United States of America, its culture has changed over time. American culture is something unique and highly dynamic. The American culture developed as a result of immigrant settlers from all points of the world bringing in their own culture to this nation. The diversity, both culturally and ethnically, comprise the nation, but at what point does all this diversity become a problem? America’s cultural identity of freedom, equality, and diversity could soon be modified to the extreme by a massive influx of new immigrants who could become the majority of the nation. America, known for its cultural diversity, is on the verge of losing its cultural identity due to lack of restrictions with rega rds to immigration, the nation’s accommodating mentality towards immigrants and their culture, and racial stereotype inclination among people in the country. Lack of restrictions in the immigration system create problems for the nation’s cultural identity and will eventually lead to minorities becoming the majority, thereby reshaping American culture. Ishmael Reed shares, â€Å"I heard it announced on the radio that