Sports And International Laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Sports And International Laws - Essay Example Sport has coexisted with the existence of man. From the very simple to advanced levels sports are played by individual of almost every age. A formal definition from Dictionary.com quotes sport as, â€Å"An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others.† More than just a leisure activity, over the years, sport has evolved as a means of progress and development. The international face of this physical activity becomes a source of development and coordination among different factions and nations. The present face of sport has evolved such that teams have been founded at both local and international levels and have developed and matured into the game of sport being acclaimed internationally. The international awareness of sport has bought many meanings to the game. The professional issues associated with both domestic and international sport have taken many turns over the years. It is across these levels of modification that the globalization of sports has evolved. Moreover, the issues of marketplace in an era of global prominence have also been looked upon. Professional and amateur sports, both, are affected by a number of controversial issues. The examples of these issues could be the abundant use of performance enhancing drugs, the migration of athletes and coaches, the impact of sports on the environment, the production of sportswear and sport as a potential market for the workforce of the developing countries. (Tahibault, 2009) The commercialization of sports in the society is also one of the global effects of sports in the it. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: The historical perspective of the field of sports dates back to the 14th century when the game of croquet was played. Moving on to the French and then noticeably to the English sport then evolved into a field just as significant as any other in the corporate sector. The official history of the Olympic Games however dates back to the 776 B.C. The Greek calendar was itself based on the Olympiad which was to be held every four years. Though scholars agree that these were not the very firs t games but they unanimously affirm that they were substantial games that took place between city states such as those of Elis and Pisa. The founding of the Olympic games has been traced back to King Iphitos of the Eleans. This realm of ancient Olympics continued over 1170 years. Then after a gap these games were again revived in the in the 19th century. This was done by French Baron

Seven Virtues Essay Example for Free

Seven Virtues Essay As long as there has been recognized sin in recorded history, there has been the virtuous equivalent by which good people live their lives. Before Christianity, there were the Pagan virtues, and when Christianity came into dominance in Scandinavia, it adopted these virtues and added several spiritual virtues of its own. Each virtue can be seen as a reflection of societal thought. The virtues tell how the ideal person lives their life, and this idea of the virtuous person is often reflected in literature. In fact, ever since the philosophical writings of Aristotle and the Greeks, there have been tales of characters who embody these virtues. The protagonist of Authun and the Bear exemplifies these seven virtues, and this technique can be seen in modern literature as well, particularly in the 1986 novel, Forrest Gump, by Winston Broom. The virtuous character used must be first defined as morally pure. This chastity sets about them an aura of childhood innocence in many representations. The seven heavenly virtues were first displayed in their current form in the epic poem, Psychomachia, around year 400 (Prudentius). They were the counterparts to the well-known seven deadly sins and chastity is perhaps the broadest of them all. It stresses the importance of honesty and purity of the soul in all walks of life. This was meant to be portrayed to society through the story of Authun and the Bear, as Authun lives a completely pure life in terms of morality. He is open and honest with all those he encounters throughout the story, even those who might otherwise be his enemies. When facing the rival king of Denmark, he maintains that he means to give his bear to Denmark’s king (Jones). By expressing this virtue in a traditional tale which was most likely passed on for years before being written down, it appealed to many people on a very personal scale. Authun may not have always lived the pure life he does in the current form because the story was written down after the shift away from shamanistic principles, when Christianity stressed the virtues. Ever since Christianity took hold as the dominant religion in Western society, there have been tales focusing on characters who represent the virtuous life. Forrest Gump is a modern example that distinctly outlines the idea of a pure character. He only has one love, is open and honest in all his dealings, and carries about a childhood innocence throughout the text. The effect of tales such as Authun and the Bear and Forrest Gump has made an undeniable mark on society; it has led to the reverence of a chaste life in all aspects of the word. In order to live a life of purity, one must also live by the virtue of temperance. Authun shows balance in many aspects of his life. Although he leaves on a journey for himself, he ensures that his mother is provided for before doing so (Jones). In Scandinavia, this can be seen as a shift away from the gluttonous pillaging of the Vikings. It was meant to impress upon the citizens that a life lived by moderation can be just as successful and fulfilling as an immoral life of greed. The vices were being brought to the light and this continued with many pieces of literature exposing them. Georg Stiernhielm, in Hercules, condemns gluttony through his personification of the vice in Ruus . This trend is prevalent all the way through to the 20th Century where in Broom contrasts the virtues Forrest with the greed of others in Forrest Gump. Forrest finds balance in his life by not overindulging in any one activity, but living a life of variety and virtue. _____________________ A clear offspring of the temperate life, is the participation in charity. For a society where it was once thought that the rich had the right to supplement themselves and let the poor remain poor, this was a monumental shift in social thought. This principle is displayed by Authun in his gift of the bear to the king of a foreign land, but more important is the reaction of the king. Kind Svein returns Authuns gift with marvelous treasure which Authun humbly accepts. The king also finds Authun a poor and sick man, but scorns those who scoff at him saying, â€Å"He has provided better for his soul than any of you† (Jones). With this new idea of Christian charity impregnated in traditional folk tales, Scandinavian society was able to move in a direction where assistance of the less fortunate was commended. This attribute of Authun and the Bear was especially standout for a time when kings meant to project images of power and might. Snorri Sturluson did not include the tale of Authun in his original book of King’s sagas, possibly meaning that the tale was created years later to suit Christian ideals. Either way, charity has been impressed on world culture as a virtuous characteristic, and has been noticeably prevalent in literature. While the virtuous character must be concerned with providing for others, he or she must also have intrinsic motivation to accomplish the tasks at hand. This is where the person of virtue must come to embody diligence. This virtue is set to combat the vice of sloth, which can be devastating to a productive society. By showing the success and happiness of a zealous man in Authun, the impression is that one can reach similar achievements by applying this motivation to their own life. This idea has been around many years as a necessary trait of citizens. In Plato’s Republic, the citizens are raised to work diligently at their tasks so that the entire city can prosper. Christianity saw the rewards of this work ethic and therefore preached that the virtuous life requires it. Forrest Gump continues this trend into the 20th Century by following the successful life of a man who excels at all tasks because of his persistence. Intelligence is not stressed in the virtues and neither Authun nor Forrest shows any signs of great intellect. Christianity did not need its followers to become extremely educated, because that was not deemed important for an ideal society. John Ruskin, a writer and critic of art, architecture and society in the 19th Century said, â€Å"Nearly all the evils in the Church have arisen from bishops desiring power more than light. They want authority, not outlook. † By teaching people to be diligent and hardworking rather than speculative and questioning, the Church gained power and authority through citizens who did not question its corruption at the time. Authun and the Bear was written prior to the Modern Breakthrough, where writers began questioning authority and tradition.

EndoPredict and Mammaprint Risk Classification

EndoPredict and Mammaprint Risk Classification Comparison of risk classification between EndoPredict and Mammaprint in ER-positive/HER2-negative primary invasive breast cancer. Alberto Pelez-Garcia, Laura Yebenes, Alberto Berjon, Antonia Angulo, Pilar Zamora, Jose Ignacio Snchez-Mendez, Enrique Espinosa, Andres Redondo, Victoria Heredia, Marta Mendiola, Jaime Feliu, David Hardisson Corresponding Author: David Hardisson, MD, PhD; Department of Pathology; Hospital Universitario La Paz, IdiPAZ; Paseo de la Castellana, 261; 28046 Madrid, Spain. ABSTRACT Purpose To compare the prognostic performance of the EndoPredict assay with the MammaPrint scores obtained for the same cancer samples on 40 estrogen-receptor positive/HER2-negative breast carcinomas. Methods Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded invasive breast carcinoma tissues that were previously analyzed with MammaPrint as part of routine care of the patients, andwere classified as high-risk (20 patients) and low-risk (20 patients), were selected to be analyzed by the EndoPredict assay, a second generation gene expression test that combines expression of 8 genes (EP score) with two clinicopathological factors (tumor size and nodal status, EPclin score). Results The EP score classified 15 patients as low-risk and 25 patients as high-risk. EPclin re-classified 5 of the 25 EP high-risk patients into low-risk, resulting in a total of 20 high-risk and 20 low-risk tumors. EP score and MammaPrint score were significantly correlated (p=0.008). Twelve of 20 samples classified as low-risk by MammaPrint were also low-risk by EP score (60%). 17 of 20 MammaPrint high-risk tumors were also high-risk by EP score. The overall concordance between EP score and MammaPrint was 72.5%.   EPclin score also correlated with MammaPrint results (p=0.004). Discrepancies between both tests occurred in 10 cases: 5 MammaPrint low-risk patients were classified as EPclin high-risk and 5 high-risk MammaPrint were classified as low-risk by EPClin (overall concordance 75%). Conclusions This study demonstrates a moderate concordance between MammaPrint and EndoPredict. Differences in results could be explained by the inclusion of different gene sets in each platform, and the inclusion of clinical parameters, such as tumor size and nodal status, in the EndoPredict test. Keywords:  Breast cancer prognosis; gene expression signatures; EndoPredict; MammaPrint INTRODUCTION Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer death among women in developed countries. Approximately 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 40,290 deaths are expected among US women in 2015 [1]. Currently, the decision on adjuvant treatment for breast cancer patients is based on risk assessment using clinicopathological criteria, such as patient age, menopausal status, axillary lymph node status, tumor size, tumor grade, estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PgR) expression, HER2 status, and Ki67 score. However, decision making in adjuvant treatment of women with ER-positive/HER2-negative early breast cancer remains a difficult task. Routinely, all of these patients will receive adjuvant hormonal treatment. However, a substantial proportion of these patients are also treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, although a significant part of these will not achieve a further reduction of their risk of recurrence [2].Therefore, a major challenge for clinical oncologists is to identify those patients who will not benefit for adjuvant chemotherapy, and those who are more likely to develop recurrence, so that the most appropriate therapeutic regime can be administered [2, 3]. In recent years, molecular characterization of breast cancer has contributed to broaden our understanding of breast cancer as a heterogeneous disease, and led to the development of a variety of prognostic and predictive gene signatures [4]. Morever, these assays may also be useful in recurrence prediction and treatment decision making [5]. One of the most widely used tests is the MammaPrint (MP) assay (Agendia Laboratories, Amsterdam, The Netherlands), which is a prognostic score performed by a central laboratory that was cleared by the FDA in 2007. MP was initially limited by its requirement for fresh tissue, but it is now validated for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue [6]. MP measures the expression of 70 genes using a microarray platform, and reports a binary risk classification (low-risk or high-risk) for recurrence without adjuvant chemotherapy. This information is intended to spare patients at low-risk of recurrence from receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, with its attendant morbidity. It is not intended to predict the response, per se, to chemotherapy; rather, it helps to select patients who are likely to benefit from chemotherapy from a prognostic point of view [7]. More recently developed, the EndoPredict assay (EP) (Sividon Diagnostics GmbH, Cologne, Germany), is a diagnostic test based on gene expression data in combination with clinicopathological risk parameters to assess the risk of distant metastasis in patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative primary breast cancer if treated with adjuvant endocrine therapy alone [8]. This test measures the expression of eight cancer-related genes of interest (BIRC5, UBE2C, DHCR7, RBBP8, IL6ST, AZGP1, MGP and STC2) and three reference genes (CALM2, OAZ1 and RPL37A) to calculate a molecular risk score (EP score). The molecular risk score is then combined with the nodal status and tumor size resulting in a molecular-clinicopathological hybrid score (EPclin score) with improved prognostic power. Using a p redefined cutoff value, patients are stratified into low- or high-risk of distant recurrence. The test can be carried out on routinely processed and archived FFPE tissue, and is designed to be performed decentrally [9, 10]. EP was validated in three randomized endocrine phase III trials with patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative node negative and node positive breast carcinomas [5, 8]. The EP provided additional prognostic information to conventional risk factors such as grading, quantitative ER, or Ki67 and outperformed risk classification by clinical guidelines. Moreover, it could be demonstrated that EP is prognostic for early and late metastasis [5, 11].The EPclin score was also directly compared to purely clinical risk classifications (like St. Gallen, German S3, and NCCN) and found to be superior to these classifiers [11]. The objective of this study was to compare the concordance of EndoPredict results in 40 ER-positive/HER2-negative breast carcinomas which were previously tested with MammaPrint and categorized as low-risk (20 patients) or high-risk (20 patients). We further evaluate TargetPrint (Agendia Laboratories), a commercially available mRNA-based gene expression test that quantitatively determines gene expression levels of ER, PgR, and HER2. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients and tumor samples This study involved 40 patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative early-stage breast carcinoma. All patients underwent surgery between March 2012 and December 2015 at the University Hospital La Paz, Madrid, Spain. Data on age and tumor characteristics were collected for all patients. The surgical specimens were fixed in 10% buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin. Four- µm thick sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin for histological diagnosis. Sections (10 µm) with at least 40% of tumor cellularity were selected for the study. Immunohistochemistry for ER/PR/HER2 and Ki67 and Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) for HER2 All cases were reviewed by two breast pathologist (DH and LY) to assess tumor grade (using the Nottingham histological three-tier grading system), tumor size, nodal status, ER, PgR, HER-2, and Ki67 expression. The expression of ERÃŽ ± (clone EP1; Dako, Glostrup, Denmark, prediluted), PgR (clone PgR1294; Dako, prediluted), and Ki67 (clone MIB1; Dako, prediluted) were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) during routine pathologic examination. ER and PgR status was determined based on the percentage of positive nuclei in the invasive neoplastic compartment of the tissue. Tumors were classified as ER- or PgR-positive when ≠¥1% invasive tumor cells showed definite nuclear staining, regardless of staining intensity. Ki67 was evaluated as the percentage of positively stained nuclear cancer cells (regardless of staining intensity). HER2 expression was evaluated with the HercepTest kit (Dako) and scored as 0, 1+, 2+, or 3+, according to the FDA scoring system. Tumors scored as 2+ wer e re-tested with FISH using the HER2 IQFISH PharmDx kit (Dako). Mammaprint Test The MammaPrint test was performed on representative paraffin blocks at the centralized Agendia Laboratories (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) blinded for clinical and histological data as part of routine care of the patients included in this study. Additionally to MammaPrint, TargetPrint assay, an additional test that is an alternative measurement of ER, PgR, and HER2 to IHC/FISH assessment, was also performed. EndoPredict Test The same tumor tissue block used for MammaPrint testing in each case was used for EP test. RNA extraction was performed as previously described [9]. Total RNA was extracted from one 10- µm whole formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue section using a silica-coated magnetic bead-based method with Tissue Preparation Reagents (Sividon Diagnostics). Expression of eight genes-of-interest (AZGP1, BIRC5, DHCR7, IL6ST, MGP, RBBP8, STC2, UBE2C), three normalization genes (CALM2, OAZ1, RPL37A) as well as the amount of residual genomic DNA (HBB) were assessed by the EP assay (Sividon Diagnostics). Gene expression was assessed by one-step RT-qPCR using the SuperScript III PLATINUM One-Step Quantitative RT-PCR System with ROX (Invitrogen, Karlsruhe, Germany) according to manufacturers instructions in a VERSANT ® kPCR Molecular System (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Erlangen, Germany). EP and EPclin scores were determined as published earlier [8, 9] using the EndoPredict Report Generator sof tware which is available online (www1.endopredict.com). The predefined cut-offs for diagnostic decisions were applied to stratify patients into low- or high-risk groups: EP low-risk (

Reproduction :: essays research papers

THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM The ability to reproduce is one of the unifying characteristics of all living things. Sexual reproduction produces offspring that are genetically different from their parents. Asexual reproduction produces offspring genetically identical to their parent. Asexual Reproduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fission, budding, fragmentation, and the formation of rhizomes and stolons are some of the mechanisms that allow organisms to reproduce asexually. The hydra produces buds; starfish can regenerate an entire body from a fragment of the original body. Asexual reproduction allows an organism to rapidly produce many offspring without the time and resources committed to courtship, finding a mate, and mating. The lack of genetic variability in asexually reproducing populations can be detrimental when environmental conditions change quickly. Sexual Reproduction In sexual reproduction new individuals are produced by the fusion of haploid gametes to form a diploid zygote. Sperm are male gametes, ova are female gametes. Meiosis produces cells that are genetically distinct from each other; fertilization is the fusion of two such distinctive cells that produces a unique new combination of alleles, thus increasing variation on which natural selection can operate. Rotifers will reproduce asexually when conditions are favorable by having females produce eggs by mitosis. When conditions deteriorate, rotifers will reproduce sexually and encase their zygotes inside a resistant shell. Once conditions improve, these eggs hatch into diploid individuals. Rotifers thus use sexual reproduction as way to survive a deteriorating environment. Sexual reproduction offers the benefit of generating genetic variation among offspring, which enhances the chances of the population's survival. Costs of this process include the need for two individuals to mate, courtship rituals, as well as a number of basic mechanisms described later. Human Reproduction and Development Human reproduction employs internal fertilization, and depends on the integrated action of hormones, the nervous system, and the reproductive system. Gonads are sex organs that produce gametes. Male gonads are the testes, which produce sperm and male sex hormones. Female gonads are the ovaries, which produce eggs and female sex hormones. The Male Reproductive System Testes are suspended outside the abdominal cavity by the scrotum, a pouch of skin that keeps the testes close or far from the body at an optimal temperature for sperm development. Seminiferous tubules are inside each testis, and are where sperm are produced by meiosis. About 250 meters (850 feet) of tubules are packed into each testis. Spermatocytes inside the tubules divide by meiosis to produce spermatids that in turn develop into mature sperm.

Langston Hughes Biography :: essays research papers

Langston Hughes was born at the turn of the century. Hughes spent a rootless childhood moving from place to place with his mother who was separated from his father. During one year in high school, Hughes spent time with his father in Mexico, a light-skinned man who found an escape from racism in ranching. It was in that very high school that Hughes wrote his first poem after being elected â€Å"class poet† by his fellow classmates. His father was James Nathaniel Hughes, a man who studied law but was unable to take the examination for the bar because he was black. His mother was Carrie Hughes, a woman who studied at the University of Kansas, in an ongoing struggle to earn a living outside of domestic labor. With aid from his father, Hughes attended Columbia University, but soon became disgusted with university life and immersed himself in his first love—the poetry, jazz and blues of Harlem. Hughes supported himself in odd jobs like being a nightclub doorman while he traveled to places like West Africa, Italy, and Paris. During this time, Hughes wrote poems that earned him a scholarship to Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. His first published poem was also one of his most famous, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", which was published in The Brownie’s Book. Some of the poems by Hughes provide political protests or social criticism, while others depict poverty, prejudice, and hopelessness in the life of an African American in Harlem. Later, his poems, short plays, essays, and short stories appeared in the NAACP publication Crisis Magazine; they were also showcased in Opportunity Magazine as well as other publications. One of Hughes' finest essays appeared in print in 1926, entitled "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain.† His grandmother, Mary Sampson Patterson Leary Langston, was very prominent in the African American community of Lawrence, Kansas.

Shakespeares Macbeth - The Transformation of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

The Transformation of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth      Ã‚   In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, the characters  Macbeth and Lady Macbeth decide, in a great fit of ambition, to kill King Duncan.   Later in the play we see the same two characters undergo a transformation in their personalities after murdering the King.   Macbeth begins the play as a noble soldier and gradually changes into an ambitious and murdering tyrant.   Lady Macbeth begins as a strong, ambitious woman who dominates her husband and gradually changes into a weak and guilt-ridden woman.   This essay will explore the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth before and after the murder of King Duncan. Macbeth begins the play as a noble and trustworthy soldier, with a placid and honest personality.   Unfortunately he is told three prophecies by three witches and it is these prophecies that gradually change Macbeth into a greedy, untrustworthy, ambitious tyrant.   Similarly, like Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is also overruled by her ambitious nature and not only encourages her husband to kill the king, but plans it herself.   Lady Macbeth begins as an ambitious, overpowering and domineering woman, particularly towards her husband.   Though as time passes we see Macbeth become domineering and unbearably ambitious, while Lady Macbeth becomes the lesser of the two and her guilt becomes too much to bear, hence leading her to death.   Macbeth is obviously gullible as he believes the witches after a while and relies on their prophecies constantly.   This changes not only his life, but also Lady Macbeth's life and the lives of those living in Scotland at the time.  Ã‚   However Macb eth and Lady Macbeth believe that the witches are good luck, this proving to be quite the opposite. ... ...on Shakespeare s Tragedies . A Course  Ã‚  Ã‚   of Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature. London: AMS Press, Inc., 1965.  Ã‚   Shakespeare, William.   Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul  Ã‚   Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Steevens, George. Shakespeare, The Critical Heritage. Vol. 6. London:  Ã‚   Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981.  Ã‚   T.W. Shakespeare, the Critical Heritage. Vol. 5. London: Routledge & Kegan  Ã‚   Paul, 1979.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wills, Gary. Witches & Jesuits. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.      Epstein, Norrie, The Friendly Shakepeare, New York, Viking Publishing, 1993. Harbage, Alfred, Macbeth, Middlesex England, Penguin Publishing, 1956. Magill, Masterplots- Volume 6, New Jersey, Salem Press, 1949. Staunten, Howard, The Complet Illustrated Shakespeare, New York, Park Lane Publishing, 1979.   

Thoughts on Love Dating and Marriage

There are many different thoughts about dating, love and marriage. I had the pleasure of interviewing six co-workers from different lifestyle regarding their views on these matters. I will compare their thoughts with the theories of love and attachment. The social science theories that help us understand the components and processes of love include attachment theory, Reiss’s wheel theory of love, Sternberg’s triangular theory of love, Lee’s research on the styles of loving, and exchange theories. Many people perceive marriage as an important occasion in their lives, while others take marriage for granted and not that serious. Do people just hate each other after a while? What happens when the vows are in place, do people get too relax into their real selves? Or is it just unrealistic today? Dan a Gay Caucasian 43 yr. old male feels that marriage is fading away. He doesn’t know if people understand what they are entering into, rather it is love or lust. Dan feels that these idealistic dreams often sweep people off of their feet and then in a few years or less – Reality Hits – Ouch! Marriage is no longer a bringing together of a family, business or wealth. † It is actually based on this strange concept called love and with the concept of family to some people. Families are not the stable, strong and the dominant group that is shaping the young. â€Å"Families are unstable and weak however bonds are weaker. † As far as Gay marriages goes Dan fee ls that it should be legal and that it should not be called or treated and different than a marriage. Even though the church doesn’t rule the populace anymore Dan feels that marriage should be a legal coupling and not a religious coupling. Then he yelled â€Å"WHY DON’T PEOPLE STOP SAYING MARRIAGE IS SOME SACRED INSTITUTION THAT CANNOT BE DARKENED BY THE EVIL GAYS. WITH THE DIVORCE RATE THAT WE HAVE, the agreement that marriage is some sacred institution just rings hollow. Dan feels that an arranged marriage seems to last longer than marriage of choice and that people seem to grow to love each other that are put together by religion or family. However he will never support the mandating of an arranged marriage. Dan was heartbroken over premarital sex due to people not being responsible and protecting themselves. It saddened him to think about the many unwanted babies and the quantity of single mothers that we have in the economy today. These children and mothers are really being robbed of the American Dream. Dan believes that some people can find love on the internet the same way that his mom found her soul mate there. He believes that everyone should be happy. Next I interviewed three Caucasian women, Marcie a29yr old woman divorced once and remarried again with one child by the second marriage. Nikki, divorce twice and she is single mother of two with one child that diagnosed as being autistic. Then there is Kaitlyn a 22yr old white bisexual lady. Even though these women came from different beliefs and lifestyles their opinions on these issues were pretty much the same. They believe that choosing a lover, a husband and a partner is based on one’s personality and the way that they were raised. All three believes that people should live together before getting married. Nikki and Marcie do not believe in open marriages and feels that an open marriage allows each other to cheat and be with someone else. Kaitlyn on the other hand feel that an individual can love more than one person. She is all for open marriages. It’s funny, but all three women have found their recent husband or lover on the internet. They seem to be happy and would recommend internet dating to their friends. Marcie and Kaitlyn believe in premarital sex while Nikki is still deep-rooted by some of her family beliefs which are not to have sex until married. As you can see love is beyond constraints in these women lives. Last but not least there is Craig and Shon. Craig is a 52yr old Caucasian male and Shon is a 40year old African American. Both men were married and are now divorce with children in their twenties. Soon these men will be moving in with their girlfriend of three years. Even though open marriages are not for them, Craig believes in â€Å"What floats your boat. † While Shon showed a little jealously about the situation. He feels that people should not play with emotions because when he is with someone he is with that person. In these men lives, they believe that marriage is the act of a physical union. They have free choice over arranged marriages even if cultural differences play a role in certain marriages. They support two people who have a bond to be able to have their marriage recognized by the state and church. In their eyes Gay marriages is a civil rights movement and have no complaints about a person who wants to stay single. It’s your choice and whatever floats your boat. Just live life and be happy. Even though I have not talked about the theories one on one in this report one can see that all theories applied to every person that was interviewed. However I will explain each theory the way that our text clarified it. Attachment theory proposes that our primary motivation in life is to be connected with other people because this is the only true security we will ever have. The Attachment theory comes in three different styles. * Secure style: I find it easy to get close to others and am comfortable depending on them and having them depends on me. I don’t often worry about being abandoned or about someone get-ting too close to me. * Avoidant style: I am somewhat uncomfortable being close to others; I find it difficult to trust them completely and to depend on them. I am nervous when anyone gets too close and when lovers want me to be more intimate than I feel comfortable being. Anxious/ ambivalent style: Others are reluctant to get as close as I would like. I often worry that my partner doesn’t really love me or won’t want to stay with me. I want to merge completely with another person, and this desire sometimes scares people away. Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love According to Sternberg, the mix of intimacy, passion, and commitment can vary from one relation-ship to another. Relationships thus range from nonlove, in which all three components are absent, to consummate love, in which all the elements are present. Intimacy encompasses feelings of closeness, connectedness, and bonding. * Passion leads to romance, physical attraction, and sexual consummation. * Decision/ commitment have a short- and a long-term dimension. In the short term, partners make a decision to love each other; in the long term, they make a commitment to maintain that love over time. Lee’s Styles of Loving According to Lee, there are six basic styles of loving: Eros, mania, ludus, storge, agape, and pragma, all of which overlap and may vary in intensity * Eros means love of beauty. Because it is also characterized by powerful physical attraction, eros epitomizes â€Å"love at first sight. † This is the kind of love, often described in romance novels, in which the lovers experience palpitations, light-headedness, and intense emotional desire. Erotic lovers want to know everything about each other— what she or he dreamed about last night and what happened on the way to work today. They often like to wear matching T- shirts and matching colors, to order the same foods when dining out, and to be identified with each other as totally as possible. MANIA Characterized by obsessiveness, jealousy, possessiveness, and intense dependency, mania may be expressed as anxiety, sleeplessness, and loss of appetite, headaches, and even suicide because of real or imagined rejection by the desired person. Manic lovers are consumed by thoughts of their beloved and have an insatiable need for attention and signs of affection. Mania is often associated with low self- es teem and a poor self- concept. As a result, manic people typically are not attractive to individuals who have a strong self- concept and high self- esteem. LUDUS is carefree and casual love that is considered â€Å"fun and games. † Ludic lovers often have several partners at one time and are not possessive or jealous, primarily because they don’t want their lovers to become dependent on them. Ludic lovers have sex for fun, not emotional rapport. In their sexual encounters, they are typically self- centered and may be exploitative because they do not want commitment, which they consider â€Å"scary. † * STORGE is a slow-burning, peaceful, and affectionate love that comes with the passage of time and the enjoyment of shared activities. Storgic relationships lack the ecstatic highs and lows that characterize some other styles. Sociologist Ira Reiss and his associates proposed a â€Å"wheel theory† of love that generated much research for several decades. Reiss described four stages of love: rapport, self- revelation, mutual dependency, and personality need fulfillment. In the first stage, partners establish rapport based on cultural backgrounds with similar upbringing, social class, religion, and educational level. Without this rapport, according to Reiss, would- be lovers do not have enough in common to establish an initial interest. In the second stage, self- revelation brings the couple closer together. Because each person feels more at ease in the relationship, she or he is more likely to discuss hopes, desires, fears, and ambitions and to engage in sexual activities. In the third stage, as the couple becomes more intimate, the partners’ mutual dependency in-creases: They exchange ideas, jokes, and sexual desires. In the fourth and final stage, the couple experiences personality need fulfillment. The partners confide in each other, make mutual decisions, support each other’s ambitions, and bolster each other’s self- confidence. Like spokes on a wheel, these stages can turn many times that is, they can be repeated. For example, partners build some rapport, and then reveal bits of them, then build more rapport, then begin to exchange ideas, and so on. The spokes may keep turning to produce a deep and lasting relationship. Or, during a fleeting romance, the wheel may stop after a few turns. Information taken from Marriages & Families: Changes, Choices, and Constraints, Seventh Edition by Nijole V. Benokraitis My personal interviews with Nikki, Dan, Craig, Shon, Marcie and Kaitlyn.