Chinese History Essay Example for Free

Chinese History Essay The Tang dynasty came into existence after the collapsed of emperor Yangdi’s imperialist reign which unified China, and his death in the hands of his own trusted aid in 618 A. D. From the rubbles of rebellion and war against the emperor, a powerful General named Li Yuan; Duke of Tang and chief officer of Taiyuan City, emerged as the man of the hour. General Yuan joined the rebellion against the emperor and reestablished order and the authority of the central government when the smoke of rebellion had cleared. He became the founder of the Tang dynasty and reign as Tang Gaozu. Li Shimin (Tang Gaozong) on the other hand is the second son of General Li Yuan. Being thoroughly trained in martial skills and was very much acquainted of the administrative procedures he has acquired primarily from his exposure when his father was the principal commander of the Sue dynasty, appointed to command the army facing the Sue remaining forces, at the age of only nineteen. David Graff described his military skills as â€Å"one case where the use of the word genius does not seem at all inappropriate† Li Shimin was highly successful in his career as a military general and his military strategy according to Graff â€Å"is worth noting. † Before he became emperor in 626, he has displayed contrasting behavior with regard to his strategy, which was extremely cautious, and when he is in combat in which he always places himself â€Å"at the head of the final, decisive cavalry charge†¦. † How Well the Respective Career of the first two Tang Emperors fit to the Chinese Proverbs on Empire Building and Governance and Model to this Proverb. The proverb maybe fits rightfully to the first two Tang emperors in terms of the way they acquired the empire and how they built it to become the most prosperous and most powerful country in the world during this time. It was during the reign of these two emperors that China experienced its glorious period as their economy, culture, politics and military might attained an unequaled superiority level. Tang Gaozu seized the imperial power after a bloody rebellion that took the life of emperor Yang that mark the end of Sue dynasty, while it heralded the coming of a new dynasty under the able military leadership of Li Yuan. The reign of Tang Gaozu as the first emperor of the Tang dynasty spent its reign mostly in subduing the remaining forces loyal to Emperor Yang in different provinces and cities of the whole country. All throughout his reign he was facing major problems relating to the threat of war by the Eastern Turks and the Tibetans who posed serious challenges to China’s security, and major invasion was a constant possibility. Until his last moment in power however, Tang Gaozu’s hold in China was not sufficiently secure to risk committing the forces to war against the Turks, thus, his reign can be characterized as more on military maneuvering in order to survived the different challenges the empire were facing. The Emperor then being the chief of the military forces assigned his sons and relatives to command forces numbering thousands, and all throughout his reign, the empire did not perform political and economic activities; it was purely military that characterized this particular reign. That means, Emperor Tang Gaozu ‘conquer the empire on horseback’ but it was his son Li Shimin who ‘built the empire from horse back. ’ Tang Gaozu spent his reign in conquering the whole empire that was broken into many independent forces loyal to the former emperor. This situation has indeed proved to be difficult as the empire was unable to wage war against the Turks and the Tibetans. According to Warren Cohen, â€Å"Gaozu had little choice but to buy peace;† however, what Tang Gaozu had failed to accomplished, his son did. Tang Gaozong also known to most Chinese historians as Tang Taizong, came into power in 627. His ascendancy to the throne was not at all smooth and easy, rather marked by his murderous scheme in connivance with some of the high-ranking military officials particularly those in-charge of the palace gates. Xueshi Guo noted that Li Shimin found himself at a â€Å"disadvantage in challenging his brothers,† to be heir to throne. After getting support from some powerful military generals, he staged a military coup against his brothers in 626 after which he killed both his brothers. According Guo, bare two months after the successful coup, â€Å"Gaozu was forced to to appoint Li Shimin as his successor and two months later he handed over his power completely to Li Shimen. † Taizong Ascended to the throne in 627, which marked a new era for the Chinese society. Having warned by the officials who recalled the disastrous consequence of Sui Imperialism, they urged the new emperor to concentrate on domestic affairs. Warren Cohen noted that Taizong or Gaozong listened to their advice and implements a more diplomatic policy in relation to the Turks. Because of this diplomatic policies, Cohen Pointed out â€Å"in due course China was prosperous again, its people well fed and responsive to his rule. † Taizong was indeed a great leader but he was moderate in his expansion policies compared to his father who. Taizong had more time to economic activities that bolstered China’s growing prosperity, he re opened trade routes, and the eliminations of tolls once exacted by those who had previously controlled passage across central Asia. Cohen further noted, â€Å"Student of Tang history will note the peaceful expansion of China’s contacts with rest of the world during Taizong’s days on the throne and China’s power and wealth attracted people from all over Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. † Based on these historical accounts, the implication of the Chinese proverbs rightly fits these first two Tang emperors. They were both powerful military ruler. Li Yuan curved out the empire on ‘horseback’, that is; through rebellion and war, and reestablishing the empire through conquering every forces that challenges the new power, while Tang Gaozong or Tang Taizong, the successor, strengthened the empire and brings more prosperity, stability and peace through a more enlightened civil and military administration. They may have some difficulty to be model of this Chinese proverb, for some reason. Both had acquired imperial power through violent means. Li Yuan had staged a rebellion against the emperor Yang and had perhaps connived with some palace officials to murder the emperor. Tang Gaozong on the other hand, conspired with some powerful military generals and orchestrated a coup against his own brothers and killing them and forcing his own father to hand over to him imperial throne. Nevertheless, on the ground of their accomplishment, they can fit to be model of this proverb. Gaozu was able to curve out a new empire that has more regard to its citizens, unlike with its predecessor who was ruthless and oppressive. An empire that was willing to take on new economic challenges that brought stability, peace and prosperity to its citizens. These two Tang emperors must be credited in their efforts that has brought enormous prosperity, and respect to Chinese people all over Asia, and to the world and if making them heroes will be a compensation of their achievements for the Chinese society, then they were very much deserving of such compensation. They deserved to be model of the proverb.

My Interest in Optometry :: Career in Optometry

The sense of sight is very complex, yet fascinating. Optometrists have the amazing opportunity to further explore this sense and help patients feel their mere existence to be nothing less than a miracle. The onset of illnesses of the body also manifest in the eyes and can be diagnosed through changes that occur within them. Upon screening for changes in the eyes, diseases such as Alzheimer’s and diabetes can be diagnosed. Given that I already have a background in vision care, I ultimately find no other rewarding career for myself than one that serves patients to see and appreciate the simple pleasures around them. I treasure my experiences because I learn how to be more attentive. It is important for one to be skillfully unique; which can be achieved by holding the capacity to mold from personal experiences as well as consider opinions of others. I believe a person’s identity is refined by strong values that stem from education, religion, and culture. My background in vision care and volunteer experience demonstrates my appreciation and interest in optometry. I have always been drawn towards the health care field and had opportunities to be exposed to a range of optometric work. I have graduated from the Vision Care Technology Program at City College. The course work offered by the program has helped me come to the conclusion that optometry is the professional field I wish to pursue. It gave insight into both the medical and business aspects of the optical world. I wanted to surpass my vision care knowledge and excel by becoming an optometrist. As I rotated at the on-sight clinic in college, I worked with patients alongside optometrists and learned how to function optometric equipment. I wanted an optometrist’s perspective about the profession so I spoke to my professors. One professor was a young optometrist who had just graduated from optometry school. I was impressed at her flexible timings because she taught and also p racticed. Teaching is also something I will look into in the near future. After graduating with honors in Ophthalmic Dispensing, I transferred to State University. I am currently in the B.S/M.S program and will complete my Master’s in Biology by May 2016. The B.S/ M.S program requires taking graduate courses along with undergraduate courses, a challenge I have taken head on. Being a full-time student and taking the maximum amount of credits can be overwhelming at times but not once has it discouraged me.

Social Phobia

Social Anxiety Disorder: Social Phobia The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines social anxiety disorder as a marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur (DSM). Exposure to these situations provokes an immediate anxiety response such as a panic attack (DSM). In order to be diagnosed, fear or avoidance of these situations must interfere significantly with the person’s normal routines, occupational or academic functioning, social activities or relationships, or a person must experience marked distress about having the phobia (DSM). In 400 B. C. , Hippocrates described a young man that displayed the symptoms of a social anxiety disorder. â€Å"He dare not come in company for fear he should be misused, disgraced, overshoot himself in gesture or speeches, or be sick; he thinks every man observes him† (Burton 2009). Throughout the 20th century, psychiatrists described extremely shy patients as having social phobia and social neurosis. British psychiatrists Isaac Marks and Michael Gelder proposed that social phobias be considered a distinct category separate from other simple phobias (Hope, Heimberg, Juster, & Turk 2005). In 1980, the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders introduced social phobia as an official psychiatric diagnosis. Social phobia was described as a fear of performance situations, but did not include fears of informal situations such as casual conversations or social situations. Patients with broad fears were likely to be diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder, which could not be diagnosed in conjunction with social phobia (Weiner, Freedheim, Freedheim, Reynolds, Miller, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, & Nelson 2003). In 1985, psychiatrist Michael Liebowitz and psychologist Richard Heimberg initiated a call to action for research on social phobia (Weiner, Freedheim, Freedheim, Reynolds, Miller, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, & Nelson 2003). Due to the lack of research on social anxiety disorder, the disorder came to be known by many as the â€Å"neglected anxiety disorder† (Weiner, Freedheim, Freedheim, Reynolds, Miller, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, & Nelson 2003). In 1987, the DSM-III-R introduces changes in some of the diagnostic criteria. To diagnosis social anxiety disorder the symptoms must cause â€Å"interference or marked distress† rather than simply â€Å"significant distress. † It also became possible to diagnose social phobia and avoidant personality disorder in the same patient (Weiner, Freedheim, Freedheim, Reynolds, Miller, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, & Nelson 2003). In 1994, the DSM-IV was released, and the disorder was defined as a â€Å"marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or possible scrutiny by others† (Weiner, Freedheim, Freedheim, Reynolds, Miller, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, & Nelson 2003). The etiology of social anxiety disorder is largely attributed to genetics, and environmental factors. Family studies of individuals with social anxiety disorder show a higher incidence of the disorder than that found in the general population, and a twin study found a concordance rate of 15. % in dizygotes and a 24. 4% concordance in monozygotes (Kedler, Neale, Kessler, Heath & Eaves 1992. ). Of course, there is very little evidence that the genetic factors attributed to social anxiety disorder extend beyond the link between environmental factors since there is very little evidence of neurobiological factors. Other than the fact that se lective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective treatments for social anxiety disorder, there is little evidence to implicate dysfunction of the serotonergic system (Jefferson 2001. . The lack of empirical data identifying neurobiological factors in causing the onset of social anxiety disorder is best stated in a quote by Dr. Murray B. Stein, a Professor of Psychiatry and Family & Preventive Medicine at the University of California San Diego, â€Å"It is clear that we have a long way to go before we can speak with authority about the ‘neurobiology of social phobia’† (Stein 1998. ) Therefore, environmental factors remain the most referred to etiological agent in the onset of social anxiety disorder. Parenting traits such as over control, lack of warmth or rejection, and overprotection are known to be associated with the etiology of social anxiety disorder (Brooks, & Schmidt 2008). Some individuals with social anxiety disorder associate its onset with a specific social event or interaction that was particularly embarrassing or humiliating. Such a circumstance could be considered an adverse conditioning stimulus (Jefferson 2001). There is further evidence that poor results from quality of life assessments can be attributed to social anxiety disorder. Individuals with major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder have substantially poorer quality of life than community comparison cohorts. In many cases, the quality-of-life impairments associated with these anxiety disorders are equal to or greater than those seen with other chronic medical disorders (Rapaport, Clary, Fayyad, & Endicott 2005). Social anxiety disorder is a common disorder. The lifetime prevalence of SAD is somewhere between 7% and 13% in Western countries (Furmark 2002). Furthermore, epidemiological studies have demonstrated that social anxiety disorder is the most widespread of all the anxiety disorders, and the third most common psychiatric disorder after major depression and alcohol abuse (Brooks, & Schmidt 2008). Therapy and medication are the most common treatments for social anxiety disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most utilized form of psychotherapy, and has been found to be successful in seventy-five percent of patients (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). This type of therapy focuses on reminding the patient that it is their own thoughts, not other people or situations, that determine how they behave or react (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). In therapy, the patient is taught how to recognize and change the negative thoughts they have about themselves (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). Exposure therapy is also a common form of treatment for social anxiety disorder. In this type of therapy, the patient is gradually exposed to situations that they fear most (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). Exposure therapy enables the patient to learn coping techniques, and develop the courage to face them (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). The patient is also exposed to role-playing with emphasis on developing the skills to cope with different social situations in a â€Å"safe† environment (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). There are several medications used to treat social anxiety disorder. These medications are typically serotonin reuptake inhibitors including Paxil, Zoloft, and Prozac (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). A serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) drug such as Venlafaxine may also be used as a first-line therapy for social anxiety disorder (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). Typically, the patient begins with a low dosage, and is gradually increased to a full dosage, to minimize side effects (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). It may take up to three months of treatment before the patient begins to have noticeable improvement of symptoms (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). Social anxiety disorder remains a largely misunderstood, and under researched, disorder. Momentum through increased clinical research, in depth understanding through treatment, and stricter guidelines for proper diagnosis are positive indications that Psychology has recognized the debilitating effects of social anxiety disorder on patients. In time, clinicians will be better prepared to treat patients suffering from this disorder, and will improve the lives of patients. References Brooks, C. A. , & Schmidt, L. A. (2008). Social anxiety disorder: a review of environmental risk factors. Neuropsychiatr Disease and Treatment, 4(1), Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. ih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515922/ Burton, Robert. (2009). The Anatomy of melancholy. Charlottesville, VA: The University of Virginia. Furmark T. (2002). Social phobia: overview of community surveys, Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 105, Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/11939957 Hope, Debra, Heimberg, Richard, Juster, Harlan, & Turk, Cynthia. (2005). Managing social anxiety. New York, NY: Oxf ord Univ Pr. Jefferson, J. W. (2001). Physicians postgraduate press, inc.. Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 3(1), Retrieved from http://www. cbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC181152/ Kedler, K. S. , Neale, M. C. , Kessler, R. C. , Heath, A. C. , and Eaves, L. J. (1992) The genetic epidemiology of phobias in women: the interrelationship of agoraphobia, social phobia, situational phobia, and simple phobia. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry. Rapaport, M. H. , Clary, C, Fayyad, R, & Endicott, J. (2005). Quality-of-life impairment in depressive and anxiety disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(6), Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/9861470 Social anxiety disorder (social phobia). (2009). Mayoclinic. com. Retrieved (2010, April 25), Retrieved from http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/social-anxiety-disorder/DS00595/DSECTION=treatments%2Dand%2Ddrugs Stein, M. B. (1998). Neurobiological perspectives on social phobia: from affiliation to zoology. Biological Psychiatry, 44(12), Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/9861470 Weiner, Irving, Freedheim, Donald, Freedheim, Donald, Reynolds, William, Miller, Gloria, Gallagher, Michela, Nelson, Randy, Gallagher, Michela, Nelson, Randy, Gallagher, Michela, & Nelson, Randy. (2003). Handbook of psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

The Slavery Of African Americans - 860 Words

When you’re in an environment and everything around you is disorderly, clearly low funded, under law blockade, and the neighborhoods are infested with drugs and weaponry; then you’re at war. African people have been at war with society, and in spite of the fact that their weapons has slightly been adjusted over the years, it still remains the same endless war we’ve been facing since the settling of African people in the Americas. African people could never fully integrate with the shared heritage and experience within the African identity. Wars have been going on for times on end, from Emmitt Till to the Rosewood Massacre. In an unrelenting war, tactics such as black rationalization, cultural justification, mass propaganda, and or indoctrination brought among us from this war. As to improving a solution to this war, Marcus Garvey proposed, â€Å"The Negro will have to build his own government, industry, art, science, literature, and culture, before the world wil l stop to consider him.† In continuance, one Negro has to compel his own way of life, not to become an anarchist in society but for him not to be an outcast in societies’ standard social system. As W. E. B DuBois and Marcus Garvey were both forms of pan-Africanism, it was the differences in beliefs and their methods on hand that would impact the effects of the future. Garvey makes considerable presentation in raising recognition and consciousness of the African struggles. On the other hand, DuBois’s pan-Africanism,Show MoreRelatedSlavery : The African American Slavery2189 Words   |  9 PagesAPUSH - Steiker Period 6 Slavery 1775 - 1830 â€Å"Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves, † said George Gordon Byron. Though slavery has never had a universal definition, one might describe it as the dependent labour by one person performed to another who is not of his or her family. It was thought to have come about after a dramatic labour shortage in particular areas or countries. In America, slavery has always been a highly debatedRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans942 Words   |  4 Pagespeople I met asked me that we Africans sold other Africans into slavery and why? I will tell them well I was not born when it happened, I only learn about slavery in school not even my parents told me so I cannot provide you with genuine reason behind slavery but I do understand this that it may have some economic benefits attached to it and that is a fact, the world back then was like survival of the fittest, slavery was rampant all over the world and not only black Africans were enslaved, many ethnicitiesRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans1208 Words   |  5 PagesBack when there was Slavery it was unfair to some people, at least to the African Americans. By unfair I mean the whites, like most of us would torture the Africans. Some of the things the owners did was made the slaves work in fields without pay and they had no control over their own self, their owner did. But, if they were not doing, that the owners would do something bad like whip them with a whip with metal on the end. Also, it even was effected in sports because back then it was just whitesRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans1207 Words   |  5 Pagestime where slavery was legal in America was a dark time that all wish was expunged from the nation’s history. Ever since the end of WWII came around and Japanese and victims of the Holocaust started to receive reparations for the ordeals then endeavored. This launched a proposal that the descendants of the enslaved people in the United States would be given some type of compensation. The form of compensation varies from individual monetary payments to land-based payment. Although the American enslavementRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans975 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the early developments of America, multiple states instituted the practice of owning African-Americans and using them as slaves. Surprisingly, this form of slavery was not only present in the Southern states, but also in the Northern too. Plantation owners from all over found their use in owning slaves, and were even shown taking advantage of the practice. By having ownership of slaves, it often contributed in farming production on plantations and also became useful when it came to votingRead MoreSlavery And The African Americans1071 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscussing slavery with other individuals. Throughout the years I have been a victim of my own ignorance for believing that Slavery undoubtedly ended in 1865. I can honestly admit that I was wrong. After having watched the documentary â€Å"Slavery by Another Name† I gained new insight into the history of slavery and the struggles that African Americans suffered during that time. I learned that slavery did not end after the 13th Amendment was passed. After the Amendment was passed African Americans were victimsRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans2011 Words   |  9 Pagespeople to turn to another source which could supply them with slaves. In result, African American slaves were brought to the U.S to facilitate life and work together with the European workforce. These African Americans came from a multitude of places including Africa and the Caribbean. From this day forth the lives of all African Americans changed, having an everlasting effect on their lives. After this, African Americans were viewed as slaves and it was the norm back then, which was a harsh, cruelRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans1695 Words   |  7 Pagesthe enslavement of African America ns, to the mistreatment of Native Americans on the Trail of Tears, and the subtle and sometimes overt discrimination oppressing American women today, there has been a long and continuing history of discrimination and unfair action against our fellow citizens. It would be deceitful for us to think that our nation has lived up to the ideals of the words â€Å"all men are created equal† since the day the Constitution was written by the Founders. Slavery comes in many formsRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans2857 Words   |  12 Pages A black African-American that was one of the many few who was born free in Wilmington, North Carolina went by the name of David Walker. Walker’s father whom died before his birth was a slave but his mother was a free woman. In the state’s laws Walker inherited his mother’s liberated status although, being free did not keep him from witnessing slavery. Walker traveled throughout his time in his younger days in the South, noticing the injustices of the slave system that the whites had going on. EvenRead MoreThe Slavery Of African Americans1844 Words   |  8 PagesMost African Americans were forcibly migrated from their countries to the United States to be used for the labor in fields and even do home chores for their owners. Many African American men, women and even children were either stolen from their families or sold by their own people to traders who would bring them back to the United States and sold them to white plantation owners. An African American who was bought by white owner was called a slave. The word slaves means â€Å"a person who is a legal property