American Literature Essay Example for Free

American Literature Essay Works of art reflect the influences of the period, during which artists have created them. Any form of art exposes the trends prevailing in the period of time when the art was created. Paintings belonging to varied periods differ from each other, as the artists follow a style that is reminiscent of the period they lived in. Two such paintings which reflect the periods in which they were painted are Kindred Spirits by American Asher Durand and The Gross Clinic by American Thomas Eakins. The painting Kindred Spirits, painted in 1849 reflects Romanticism whereas the painting The Gross Clinic reflects Realism. In this paper we will analyze these two paintings and focus on the differences in ideas and attitudes expressed through the paintings. Differences The painting Kindred Spirits reflects the period of Romanticism during which the emphasis was placed on the depiction of feral nature in paintings. In this painting, Asher Durand has captured a rich and vibrant natural landscape. Although the painting depicts Thomas Cole and William Cullen Bryant, the natural landscape is more prominent in the painting. The natural features like Catskill Mountains, the Fawns Leap and the Kaaterskill Falls are incorporated in the landscape. Durand has removed himself from the painting and decided to include Cole whom he wanted to honor through his painting. But the one of the major characteristics of Durand’s landscape paintings is visible in this painting also and that is depiction of harmonious nature. â€Å"Durand’s landscapes almost always move toward harmony, and he located his own vision of landscape solidly within the aesthetic category of the beautiful, as this term was understood in the nineteenth century. † (PecK). The minute details of nature are highlighted by Durand. The depiction of a real landscape points out that Durand wished to bring forth a realist image of the nature rather than an idealized one where an imaginary landscape is depicted in a painting. The aesthetic beauty of nature is revered and admired by Durand. The painting The Gross Clinic presents a view which differs vastly from Romanticism. Being a realist painting, The Gross Clinic depicts a surgical theater where a surgery is being carried. A real event of surgery is depicted on the canvas, in spite of the fact that the scene was horrific. Through this painting, Eakins presents the reality of life in an audacious manner. The realist attitude of Eakins towards life is portrayed through his painting. The conditions in which a surgery was performed during the nineteenth century are presented in the painting. The painting Kindred Spirits provides a beautiful view of nature which is pleasant and soothing whereas the painting The Gross Clinic disturbs the mind of the looker. Eakins was more interested in the events that occurred in real life and he insisted on capturing those events in a realistic way. His painting The Gross Clinic is one such painting that focuses on a real event which is painful and disturbing but necessary to understand the life of that period. The atmosphere in a surgical theater, the naked human body and a distressed woman provide a grim but real picture of life. The display of nudity which prevailed in late Nineteenth Century is included in this painting in form of the naked human body upon which surgery is being performed. The pleasing beauty of nature, which is represented in the painting Kindred Spirits, contrasts with the horrifying depiction of a surgery in The Gross Clinic. Works Cited Peck, Daniel. Unlikely Kindred Spirits: A New Vision of Landscape in the Works of Henry David Thoreau and Asher B. Durand. American Literary History. 17:4(2005) 687-713. http://alh. oxfordjournals. org/cgi/content/ful

The Equal Rights Amendment

The Equal Rights Amendment Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on the account of sex. (Eracampaign.com) The truth about the Equal Rights Amendment is that technically, under the constitution, women do not have the same rights as men do. Equality: the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity, degree, value, rank, or ability. (dictionary.com) Every citizen in the United States, is striving to be equal as every other American, but the truth is the United States Constitution does not state that men and women have equal rights. The Equal Rights Amendment was proposed in 1923. Fifteen states choose not to ratify the amendment, these states include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. The mission of the Equal Rights Amendment is to confirm, and ratify an amendment that states, men and women have the same equal rights as one another. Alice Paul was the citizen who introduced the Equal Rights Amendment, and strived to show a greater message in her journey. Her message had become so widely popular, that it was more commonly referred as the Alice Paul Amendment then the Equal Rights Amendment. (equalrightsamendment.org) We are a national, non-partisan, single-issue, grassroots organization. Our mission is to build solidarity among Americans for ratifying and promulgating the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution. (4era.org) The previous quotation is from a well known organization called 4era. The main purpose of this organization is to educated citizens of the need to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, so that both men and women are considered as equals. The view point of 4era is that they are trying to promote a true progression of a realistic democracy, and improve the United States society as a whole. This organization has conducted many different petitions and poles, to show what American citizens think about the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Another organization that has become widely popular is NOW, which has a similar mission that they are trying to receive. Some of the founders of NOW were Gene Boyer (1925-2003), Kathryn Clarenbach (1920-1994), and Inez Casiano (1926). In 1967 (NOW) ledges to fight until the ratification of ERA is put into place. (womenhistory.about.com) A majority of 4era reasoning for ratifying the constitution come from the many poles and petitions that they provide for United States citizens to take. In July 2001, 4era a survey was conducted for the Era Campaign Network in order to see a clear view of the American population. This survey involved 1,002 adults, comprising 500 men and 502 women- 18 years of age or older, living in private households in the continental United States. 4era conducts their surveys with the most advanced methods and technologies that are available to them. 95% of men agreed that men and women should have equal rights. 97% of women agreed that men and women should have equal rights. As far as you know, does the constitution make it clear that men and women citizens are suppose to have equal rights? 72% said yes. 18% said no. 10% said that they did not know. In your opinion, should the constitution make it clear that female and male citizens are supposed to have equal rights? 88% said yes. 9% said no. 3% said that they didnt know. This survey ended up showing that a majority of American citizens think that it is important that it is put into the constitution that men and women have equal rights. (eracampaign.net) There are several reasons why many organizations are for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Firstly, it would provide a constitutional and legal reason for both men, and women to have equal opportunities. This would end discrimination in the workplace, and any other institution that may be discriminate because of sex. In There would be no question of discrimination against either sex, because there rights would officially be protected in the U.S. Constitution. There are also several organizations that are against the ratification the amendment, including an organization called the Campaign Committee against the Equal Rights Amendment, though it later was disbanded in Feb.1939, for lack of money to keep the organization going. (now.org) Secondly, the Equal Rights Amendment would help clarify the status of sex discrimination for the courts. (equalrightsamendment.org) From then on, sex would be a determining factor for suspect classification, just as other factors are including different races. Men and women would have to be treated the same when it would come to such matters. Both sexes would receive the same equal treatment, when dealing with criminal facilities, and the treatment that they receive in these facilities while serving time. Lastly, in many American citizens opinions it would send a strong message to the entire United States of America. The fact is that there is no specific part of the amendment where is states that men and women are constitutionally allowed to have the same rights. In many peoples opinions, if the ratification doesnt happen soon the discrimination of women will become even harsher. The message that it would be sending is- the constitution has zero tolerance for sex discrimination under the law. The ERA is suspected to be very helpful. (equalrightsamendment.org) The Equal Rights Amendment will be very beneficial towards women, but it will also help other people, including males. For example, males that work in a workplace with more women typically do not get the salary that the females receive; if this amendment is past it will change this. Though not as severe, there is some discrimination against men in the US. There have been some cases in the past were American women have a child overseas. Under the constitution, that child will automatically become an American citizen. It is not the same for men, if a child is both from an American man, but not an American women, the child would not be American. If the Equal Rights Amendment is past it will change this, so these situations would no longer cause problems. (4era.org) There are many myths involving after the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The first myth is that ERA will mean that women will have to be drafted along with men. This statement is incorrect. The truth is Congress already has the power to do so, even if this amendment is not passed. Women can still be drafted if they were needed to serve for their country. Article 1, section 8 of the constitution gives Congress the power to raise armies but does not specify gender or age limitations. (4era.org) The second myth that is commonly heard is the Era will allow same sex marriages across the United States. This is also untrue. Though in the ERA it states that men and women are guaranteed the same rights, but it does not state anything about marriage. When it states sex in the constitution it is only referring to gender, this also has the same stating in the 19th Amendment. The 19th Amendment also gives women the right to vote. Same-sex marriage is not covered in the ERA, and will not change after the ratification of the ERA. (4era.org) The third myth is that this amendment will not have any purpose because the rights of women are already protected under the 14th amendment. The 14th amendment states, No state shall make, nor enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; now deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.(eracampaign.net). In actuality, there is no part of the amendment that says women are guaranteed the same rights as men are. The main purpose of passing the 14th amendment was to guarantee that African Americans were given the same rights, though African American women are not guaranteed under this amendment, as well as any other females. Though the 14th amendment has helped women a lot in the past, will different cases of discrimination, it is not a sure thing. There are many important people that have put the problem of womens rights into perspective. Betty Friedan led the National Organization for Women to its active support of the Equal Rights Amendment. Alice Paul was the main reason for ERA; she introduced the entire concept to the Congress in 1923. Alice Paul died on July 9th, 1977 at the age of 92. Gloria Steinem was both a feminist and journalist. She was the key figure in the womens rights movement from 1969. She also founded Ms. Magazine. She was often attacked by radicalisms, because she was believed to only promote benefits for women of the middle class. She was a very outspoken advocate for the ERA, and helped found the Nationals Women Political Caucus. She once quoted this, I have met brave women who are exploring the outer edge of human possibility, with no history to guide them, and with courage to make them vulnerable that I find moving beyond words. (womenshistory.about.com) There has been some controversy over the ERA, because some people are worried that it will have a negative effect on society. Though there have been similar problems in the past that have been resolved the same way. During the Civil War Act helped many people, including African Americans. Racism was a very huge issue, but after the Act was passed racism was no longer a factor and was no longer tolerated in the United States. The Equal Rights Amendment is very similar to the Civil War Acts. Just like the Civil War Acts eliminated the issue of racism, the Equal Rights Amendment will eliminate the issue of sex discrimination. (equalrightsamendment.org) In many citizens opinions, the time for the ratification has past and that there is no longer a chance that it will get ratified. Though, with the election of Barack Obama (2008 president) , many other people think that this is the perfect time for ratification. During an awards ceremony, a representative from the National Womens Political Caucus on July 14, 2009, that she wished to pursue trying to get the amendment ratified even further. During the assemble she announced, If we can get it to the floor, it can pass. This representative said that she was going to present the ideas to Congress on July 21, 2009. Though for different reasons, she was never able to present her ideas to Congress. (womenissues.about.com) There are been many recent events that have involved the ERA discussion, up-to-date members are still voting to expand the constitutional amendment strategy that would end any discrimination based on the qualities of sex, race, sexual orientation, marital status, ethnicity, national origin, color, or indigence. Members also call for further study of age, and the troubles that classes that are involved with the struggles of trying to get constitutional equality between all Americans. In my opinion I think that ratifying the amendment would solve a lot of discrimination problems that are faced every day in America. The National Constitutional Equality Amendment (CEA) Committee continues to look over the amendment. This organization produces much different information that is available to all of the public, so they can be educated on the topic. (now.org) Equality is a quality that cannot just be given to a person. It must be earned and achieved, by hard work, and determination. Though the ratification has been rejected in the past, many people feel the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment is needed, so that not only women no longer have to deal with discrimination, but every American have there our equality. Future events will shape what will happen with the Equal Rights Amendment, and the ratification of such amendment, but for now, the true is, under the Constitution of the United States of America women to not have equal rights such as men do. Work Cited Page Harper, Douglas. Equality. Houghton Mifflin Company, Web. 3 May 2010. . Lowen, Linda. What is the Equal Rights Amendment or ERA?. The New York Times Company., 20 July 2009. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. . Unknown. Chronology of the Equal Rights Amendment, 1923-1996. National Organization for Women, Web. 19 Apr. 2010. . Unknown. ERA Campaign Network . ERA Campaign Network, 30 June 2009 . Web. 20 Apr. 2010. . Unknown . Equal Rights Amendment . Alice Paul Institute, Web. 19 Apr. 2010. . Unknown . The Equal Rights Amendment . N.p. , 18 Apr. 2010. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. . Unknown Womens History. Equal Rights Amendment . The New York Times Company., Web. 19 Apr. 2010.

Electronic Surveillance: Who Is Watching You? Essay -- Privacy vs Elec

When one walks out the front door into the world, how aware and conscious are they of how often they are watched, tracked, and monitored? Through surveillance, everywhere one goes they are having their lives watched and invaded by prying eyes. Most people believe society needs electronic surveillance and that it is there to protect them. Others believe society does not need surveillance and worry about their privacy being invaded. Many argue about different issues relating to the costly use of surveillance. Electronic surveillance has a broad range of purposes dealing with past, present, and future events. There needs to be a balance between the benefits that surveillance employs in society and the misuse of surveillance that encroaches on the privacy of all. Although some are good and some are not, there are several purposes and reasons why society uses electronic surveillance. One main purpose of surveillance, and one of the most common, is for the utilization of promoting safety. People in our society want to feel safe from crime and danger in the world around them. Authorities and law officials use the common means of video surveillance to capture those involved with illegal activity. For example, in the article "Protecting Public Anonymity," the authors state how law officials use video surveillance from a mall to monitor shoppers and to discover if there are any "wanted persons." They also screen malls, or highly populated areas, to "track all persons with previous police records or all persons who have specific genetic, behavioral, religious, or cultural profiles that suggest they are more likely to engage in unlawful activities" (Granger, Morgan and Elaine Newton). This creates problems because it is likely that everyon... ...hipps, Jennie L. and Leslie Ryan. "Traffic Cameras Bringing Eyeballs to Station Sites." Electronic Media. 19 (2000): 16. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Community College Library Media Center. 4 Mar. 2008. Smithsimon, Molly. "Private lives, public spaces: the surveillance state." Dissent 50.1 (Wntr 2003): 43(49). General OneFile. Gale. Community College. 15 Feb. 2008 . Someone's Watching [videorecording]. NY Times/Discovery Times Channel Production. Discovery, [2005]. Surveillance Tech. [video recording]. [United States]: A&E Home Video, 2004 "Watching as you shop." Economist 385.8558(Dec 2007): 28-29. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Community College Library Media Center. 15 Mar. 2008. "Wireless Eyes Watch for Crime." Communications News 44.9(2007):22-24. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Community College Library Media Center. 4 Mar. 2008.

Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, King of the Franks :: Medieval Europe European History

Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, King of the Franks Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, King of the Franks (742-814), was a strong leader who unified Western Europe through military power and the blessing of the Church. His belief in the need for education among the Frankish people was to bring about religious, political, and educational reforms that would change the history of Europe. Charlemagne was born in 742 at Aachen, the son of Pepin(or Pippin) the Short and grandson of Charles Martel. His grandfather, Charles, had begun the process of unifying western Europe, in the belief that all people should be Christian. Charlemagne's father, Pepin, continued this process throughout his rule and passed his beliefs on to Charlemagne. All three, in addition to the political unification, believed that the church should be reformed and reorganized under the Pope, which helped their rise to power as the Carolingian Dynasty. (Holmes 74) Upon Pepin's death in 768, Charlemagne and his brother, Carloman, each inherited half of the Frankish kingdom. Pepin, in the Merovingian tradition of the time, split his kingdom between his two sons. Three years later Carloman died and Charlemagne took control of the entire kingdom. He inherited great wealth and a powerful army, built by his father and grandfather. Charlemagne used the army and his own skillful planning to more than double the size of the Frankish Kingdom. (Halsall 15) The world of Charlemagne was a heathen one, with many warring tribes or kingdoms. Many of these tribes were conquered by Charlemagne, among them the Aquitanians, the Lombards, the Saxons, the Bretons, the Bavarians, the Huns, and the Danes. The longest of these battles was against the Saxons, lasting thirty-three years. Charlemagne actually defeated them many times, but due to their faithlessness and their propensity to return to their pagan lifestyle, the Saxons lost many lives in the prolonged battles with the Franks. With each conquest the Frankish kingdom grew, and with growth came additional power and responsibility for Charlemagne. In each area of Europe that was taken over by Charlemagne, he removed the leaders if they would not convert to Christianity and appointed new ones, usually someone with high position in the Church. Those people who refused to convert or be baptized in the church were put to death. (Holmes 75) The Church played a vital role in the kingdom of Charlemagne. It gave a sense of stability to Charlemagne's rule, and he in turn provided stability in the Church. The people conquered by Charlemagne, after being converted to Christianity, were taught through the Bible a unified code of right and wrong. It was necessary for the Church to play a role in this education of the people,

A Slice Of Life :: essays research papers

A Slice of Life Thump!Thump! There was a loud noise at the door, "Alright hold on, I'm coming." Tim yelled. Tim was in his early twenties, he had a blue mowhawk, always dressed shabby, and addicted to heroin. Tim walked to the door and opened it, "Yes." he said sarcastically. The man at the door asked if Gwen was home, "Are you Gwen's new boyfriend" Tim asked him. "Yes I am, my name is Tony" he replied. "Nice to meet you" Tim said. "No, Gwen is not here right now. I think she is still trying to get the job at that bar on 6th street" Tim replied. "Oh, well tell her that I came by and just to give me a call, OK?" Tony said. "One problem" Tim said. "Oh, and what's that?" Tony replied. "Didn't Gwen tell you?" Tim said "we don't have a phone, or a T.V or any other appliances, we are gutterpunks. Why do you think we live in this shed?" "Well I guess I will just come back later" Tony said with a strange look on his face. "Tim! Wakeup! " Gwen yelled. "Huh?" Tim replied. "Wakeup!," she yelled back. "Oh, OK" Tim yelled back. "That boy, Tony came by, looking for you, he thought we had a phone." Tim said chuckling. "You didn't tell him that we don't have a phone or the other stuff did you?!" Gwen yelled. "Um, well kinda yeah, why?" Tim questioned. " Why?" she yelled and stormed off. Gwen was the type of girl who didn't care what people thought of her, but she didn't like it when people would find out that she was poor. She had blonde hair, and was very thin. She wore sequined pants, and these funny looking shirts most of the time, unless she went out. "Gwen?, Mike, and Shirley are home. Look I'm sorry I told Tony." Tim said. "Send Shirley in." Gwen yelled back. "Shirley, Gwen wants you." Tim said. " I'll be right in" she yelled back. Shirley was an Irish girl whose parents had both died, and she was sent to America to live with her aunt, she ran away and met Mike. Shirley had red hair, and was also a weird dresser, she had a job at a library filing books. The pay was bad but she would accept anything, that would keep them alive. "I'm outside Gwen, come on out and we will talk." Shirley yelled into the shed. "What's wrong with her?" Mike asked. "Tim told her new boyfreind we were poor," Shirley replied.

Foreign studies: Chinatown Essay

Extreme traffic congestion and crowding cerate an aggressive atmosphere (cp. fig. 7.2.1.8). Thus, experienced atmosphere carriers like colourful shops, Chinese pharmacies, exotic market places (cp. appendix A fig. 21, 22), the picturesque Binondo Church (cp. appendix A fig. 23) come not fully into one’s own due to the disorganized surroundings. Numerous untidy areas with visible garbage, filthy canals, fetid sewers and dilapidated heritage buildings are discouraging and leave a lasting memory of neglect and insufficient cleanliness (cp. fig. 7.2.1.8 and appendix A fig. 24). Prevailing monotonous (dark) grey colouration is perceived as oppressive. The activity spectrum refers mainly to education or shopping with guided tours or through self-exploration. Stimuli are mainly audio-visual, olfactory (spices) and food tasting The district is perceived as complex, with numerous confusing pathways. The orientation is difficult due to missing signage, brochures and absent references to landmarks. Inner district attractions (e.g. market places, temple) are not signposted and difficult to find while on self-exploration. Main attraction elements like Binondo Church, authentic Chinese historic shop-houses, exotic Chinese pharmacies, authentic restaurants, hidden spiritual places are not tourism oriented accentuated and staged for visitors. Unbearable crowding supports a feeling of insecurity. The district offers numerous catering facilities and shops but public restrooms are unavailable. Interconnectivity to adjacent sites (Escolta, Rizal Park, Intramuros) is conveniently within walking distance. The plan was to build a huge bargain shopping place that would dwarf all the popular thrift, wholesale haunts in the neighborhood. Three years hence, and what rose on one whole block on Reina Regente Street in the heart of Binondo has indeed eclipsed every structure in its vicinity. But it wasn’t the discount behemoth originally planned that opened last February, but a posh, multilevel mall that this side of town had never seen before. â€Å"We took a risk,† said Kevin Tan, first vice president and Commercial Division head of Megaworld Corp., the developer of Lucky Chinatown shopping mall. â€Å"Chinatown is a known bargain area, but midway we felt that we ought to do something different, one that’s never before seen in this area.† The five-level Lucky Chinatown, interconnected by bridge walkways to Megaworld’s twin-tower residential condo, Cityplace, has a supermarket, four cinemas, a food court, an appliance center, a kids’ zone, a fashion zone, and a host of dining, service and retail shops previously seen only in upscale malls in Makati. Tan’s father, real estate tycoon and Megaworld CEO Andrew Tan, always wanted to build something special for the Binondo of his childhood, according to Teresa Pesigan-Valentino, Megaworld’s AVP for marketing and business development. The 3-hectare location of Lucky Chinatown is considered a heritage site where two public high schools, Rajah Sulayman and Josà © Abad Santos, used to be. (When Megaworld acquired the property from the Manila city government in 2008, the developer relocated and built new structures for the two schools, also in Manila.)

Emotionally Focused Therapy Essay

To love and be loved in return is essential for an individual’s happiness. In accordance with many other aspects of life, marital status as been linked to influencing ones life in a positive way; making it happier (Stack, Eshleman, 527). The problem with this is that not all marriages stay healthy and good. With divorce rates raging from 40%-50% in the United States, there ends up being a gap in the happiness of many (Marriage and Divorce, 1). One path that some pairs choose is couples therapy. Unfortunately, generalized couples therapy can be tricky in the way that there is not enough empirical data and it proves difficult for a therapist to know what to do, when to do it, or how to do it properly. As Greenman and Johnson point out, â€Å"Research done in the past 30 years would suggest that between 25%-30% of couples who receive therapy do not demonstrate significant improvement and that there are substantial rates of relapse (close to 40%) among those who do† (Greenman, Johnson, 46). This being said, they continue on to talk about an exception to this rule. It is an experiential-humanistic, systemic intervention that has plenty of empirical support and linked evidence between client outcome and the therapy process. This intervention is called Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT). To introduce this type of therapy is it important to know about Attachment Theory. This theory was developed in great part by a British psychiatrist named John Bowlby in the 1950’s (Peterson, 258). This theory has since been studied vigorously using the Strange Situation technique, which measures infant-parent attachment. It will observe infants reactions to their mothers leaving, and also to their return. What has been found is that children at a very young age develop one of three possible attachment styles. The first of the possibilities is to become securely attached. This is the case for around 70% of children (Peterson, 258). When the mother leaves the room, the infants will become upset, but upon her return the infant will reach out in  some positive way including smiling, touching, or speaking to the mother. The second outcome is known as Avoidant (about 20%) (Peterson, 258). In this case, the child will not become upset when the mother leaves, or will the child show enthusiasm when the mother returns. The third possibility is called Ambivalent (about 20%) (Peterson, 258). These children will cry when their mother leaves, and will not be comforted when she returns. In some cases, the child will actually punish the mother for leaving in the first place. These different outcomes have been linked directly to how a mother interacts with her infant. If the mother is affectionate and caring, the children will often develop secure attachments. On the other hand, if the mother is rejecting and judgmental, this could result in the child being ambivalent or avoidant (Peterson, 258). The importance of Attachment Theory is the fact that data shows these attachments, developed in infancy, can stay with an individual throughout the rest of their lives. Avoidant and ambivalent children often grow up to be less sociable than securely attached children. Once these children grow into adulthood, their attachment stops being to their parents or caregivers and are replaced by romantic partners (Peterson, 50). It is common that someone who grew up being avoidant or ambivalent may find it hard to express their basic emotional needs to another individual. It is also common that marital problems can come down to a lack of positive communication. Being critical, defensive or stonewalling, which is often the case with people unable to express themselves, can absolutely effect a marriage negatively (Stack, Eshleman, 528). If a married couple find they are struggling through their marriage, it could be possible that one or both of them were not securely attached in infancy. This is where Emotionally-Focused Therapy can aid significantly to a couple. With around 40% of children growing up either avoidant or ambivalently attached, it is not surprising that divorce rates are as high as they are (Peterson, 260). In addition, with standard couples therapy not being as successful as one would hope, Emotionally-Focused Therapy is a refreshing, and supported way to get the help many couples may need. Peterson defines EFT as, â€Å"An approach for troubled couples based on attachment theory that  directly teaches a more-flexible approach to the expression and satisfaction of needs† (Peterson, 272). The goal of this technique is to be able to send and receive accurate affective messages with their partner which helps each of them achieve the comfort and connection they desire. This therapy is separated into 3 stages, with different sets of therapeutic goals for each. The first stage of EFT is called Cycle De-Escalation (Greenman, Johnson, 47) . This is where the couple can identify the main difficulties in their marriage and begin to understand their problem-cycle. This can often include loneliness, dejection or the fear that that can be associated with not being close and connected to their spouse. This is often when attachment styles are most notable. The second stage involves two main ideas being, Withdrawer Re-engagement and Blamer Softening (Greenman, Johnson, 47). This is a very important stage because it involves restructuring the way the couple interact with each other. The therapist will use many different methods including reflections, enactments, and empathetic restatements to guide the conversation. It is also important in this stage that the individuals turn to one another and portray their true affect. The therapist will help to teach them to control their body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice when speaking to each other. After stage two, the couple should be able to provide and ask for comfort from their partner, coming from a place of vulnerability (Greenman, Johnson, 47). In the third stage the therapist will act as a facilitator. The couple will be redirected and asked about major longstanding conflicts they had. They can then incorporate their new way of interacting with each other into their problem cycle, successfully minimizing it (Greenman, Johnson, 48). This form of therapy is important in showing individuals, who may not have ever expressed themselves thoroughly, that it is okay to recognize their need for emotional closeness. It is also important that they are aware of their avoidance toward speaking vulnerably. Once individuals can obtain a safe haven in their relationship and participate in problem solving effectively, most couples have reported a significantly higher satisfaction with themselves and in their marriage (Greenman, Johnson, 50). When learning about Attachment Theory, some may find themselves in the avoidant or ambivalent categories. This can be daunting, due to the fact that these attachments stay with us throughout our lives. It is discouraging to look into the future and assume you will still not be able to express yourself to your loved ones, and all of this because we did not become securely attached in infancy? This hardly seems fair. Emotionally-Focused Therapy gives an opportunity to those, who perhaps have never been in a secure relationship, to express themselves securely. It allows them the opportunity to build on their relationships in a healthy, productive way. Also allowing them the weight lifting feeling of being vulnerable, heard, and responded to with positivity. Work Cited: Greenman, P., & Johnson, S. (2013). Process Research on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples: Linking Theory to Practice. Family Process, 52, 46-61. Retrieved November 29, 2014, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.dml.regis.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=552d7eaa-fd7a-47e1-85e2-1e0eeb60ec88@sessionmgr115&vid=3&hid=110 Marriage and Divorce. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2014, from http://www.apa.org/topics/divorce/ Peterson, C. (2006). A primer in positive psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Stack, S., & Eshleman, R. (1998). Marital Status and Happiness: A 17-Nation Study. Journal of Marriage and Family, 60(2), 527-538. (Stack, Eshleman, 527)