...4/11/13 Forever 21 - Research Papers - Nirvana3624368 Login Join The Research Paper Factory Join Search Browse Saved Papers Search over 95,000 Essays Forever 21 In: Forever 21 Forever 21: Dealing with America’s fear of aging and death Abstract This paper is about confronting America’s fear of the issues of aging and death. Over the years, American culture has grown uncomfortable with matters of growing old and death. The basis of this thinking is rooted in the mind and influenced by society. There is an ever increasing desire that’s rampant across our nation to remain young. This can be seen in the media, marketing for different products from makeup to apparel. Americans want to remain young for as long as they possibly can. In 1984, the band Alphaville came out with the song “Forever Young” to express America’s heart cry. However, aging and death is a part of life and a direct result of the fall of man. Aging and death were not the original condition of humanity, rather punishment that resulted from rebellion against God’s commandment. This paper examines why there is aging and death, America’s response to it, and a solution to rightly mature in the process. Since long ago America’s heart cry has been to stay young forever. In 1984, the band Alphaville came out with the song “Forever Young” to communicate the nation’s desire. In cities across the country and around every turn, materialism is vocalizing the longing for youth everlasting. This constant...
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...Running head: DEATH AND AGING: FEARING THE PROCESS 1 Death and Aging: Fearing the Process Aimmie Jenkins Liberty University DEATH AND AGING: FEARING THE PROCESS 2 Abstract The purpose of this study is to outline the fears, if any, that people have in regards to death and aging. Through theoretical research, aspects are explored to determine if people fear death or just the manner in which they will die, and if people fear aging or the effects of aging. Does the lack of faith in a higher power correlate with the fear of dying? Do people fear dying, the manner of death, or the unknown? Does one fear wrinkles, declining agility, and memory loss, or aging itself? Steps will be outlined for those that may fear death, to calm and educate them on death and aging. DEATH AND AGING: FEARING THE PROCESS 3 It is often said that as a culture, America has Gerascophobia, or the fear of aging. Fear that causes so much anxiety, which motivates some to seek anti-aging surgery and procedures. America is so consumed with looking young. In fact, in 2012, America spent over 11 Billion dollars on plastic surgery, alone. Wanting to look young is nothing new. The search for some magical ‘Fountain of Youth’ has been going on for centuries. Men...
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...Dealing with America’s Fear of Aging and Death Margaret Kimble Developmental Psychology 210 Liberty University Abstract Mankind has tried to cheat aging and death by freezing their remains, cosmetic surgery or marrying outside their generation hoping to stay young. However, these attempts are futile and Americans cannot hold back the clock or trick death. The clock is ticking and when it stops I will die and so will you no one knows when. Although there is a great deal of research on aging and death, no one has discovered how to halt the inevitable. It is a scientific and biblical fact that human beings will age and die. All life ends in death. This paper will cover some of the issues regarding, fear of death, and fear of aging. It will also explore if Americans fear death and aging because we have no control over it or we don’t understand it. Fear of aging can be attributed the fear of our health failing; losing our memory, independence and the energy for living our lives to the fullest (Berger, 2001). Fear of death can be attributed to not being able to speak to someone who is still experiencing it. Many fear growing older because of the onslaught of mental deterioration such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease; which are attributed to old age. (Philipchalk, 1994). Fear of aging and death is caused by America’s negative concept; it is the natural progression of life. In Strongman’s research he found that a dominant aspect of aging is death (Strongman, 2006)...
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...Fear of Aging and Dying in America Hollis Phelps Liberty Developmental Psychology PSYCH 210 Dr. Shaw July 21, 2014 Fear of Aging and Dying in America Abstract The fear of aging and death is nothing new. Anthropologists, philosophers, sociologists, and psychologists are in agreement that since the beginning of mankind’s history, fear is the universal response to death. In America, the reaction is far greater striking chords of terror so horrific and becoming innately ingrained in the fabric of society to affect most every segment. This paper will look at this fear and determine the affects it has had on present day America’s behaviors toward and beliefs about the aging population and correlate it to the society’s fear of death. Everyone has heard the expression that “time flies by like the blink of an eye.” Humans have been attempting for centuries to make sense of and accept the concept of time. The great Albert Einstein, the most prolific physicist of the 20th century, in his Theory of Relativity proved that time was relative. In other words, time and it’s accepted concept of constant, continual progression at a fixed rate was incorrect or not an absolute. Einstein convinced himself and many others that the past, present, and future were only an illusion (Schwartz, 2003). However, to the majority of the world’s population, time is not a theory. It is something that propels us into old age and beyond. The subject of time has inspired many artists to attempt stopping...
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...Forever 21: Dealing with America’s fear of aging and death Abstract This paper is about confronting America’s fear of the issues of aging and death. Over the years, American culture has grown uncomfortable with matters of growing old and death. The basis of this thinking is rooted in the mind and influenced by society. There is an ever increasing desire that’s rampant across our nation to remain young. This can be seen in the media, marketing for different products from makeup to apparel. Americans want to remain young for as long as they possibly can. In 1984, the band Alphaville came out with the song “Forever Young” to express America’s heart cry. However, aging and death is a part of life and a direct result of the fall of man. Aging and death were not the original condition of humanity, rather punishment that resulted from rebellion against God’s commandment. This paper examines why there is aging and death, America’s response to it, and a solution to rightly mature in the process. Since long ago America’s heart cry has been to stay young forever. In 1984, the band Alphaville came out with the song “Forever Young” to communicate the nation’s desire. In cities across the country and around every turn, materialism is vocalizing the longing for youth everlasting. This constant struggle with “wants” versus “reality” has left individuals searching for ways to cope. In addition, the lifespan of human beings was not always an average of eighty years. One thing to take into...
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...Late Adulthood and Death PSY/280 June 30, 2014 "Late adulthood is a time of reflection, enjoying friends, family, and grandchildren, and maintaining health in preparation for the final years of the lifespan. Although genetics play a significant role in the quality of life during these final years, individuals who modify destructive lifestyles and embark on healthier options will experience an improvement in their health and sense of wellbeing (Berger, 2008). During this stage of adulthood, older adults remain socially active and independent rather than subjecting themselves to isolation and withdrawal (Berger, 2008). As more aging adults continue to live healthy, socially active lives and maintain important family roles, it is important to refrain from stereotypical thought and the negativity of ageism, which can contribute to their premature decline. With technology and high quality medical care, aging adults continue to be a valuable resource for younger generations. Healthy habits and daily routines are essential for promoting health and wellness into late adulthood. Smoking, excessive drinking, lack of exercise, and overeating cost many individuals their ability to maintain an active and independent lifestyle as they age (Berger, 2008). Exercise and a healthy...
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...Aging and Death 1 . Running head: AGING, DEATH AND DYING Aging, Death, Dying, Aging and a Meaningful Life ________________________________________ Aging and Death 2 Introduction This analytical paper will examine the topics of death, aging and a meaningful life based on the novel Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. By exploring these topics, we will be exploring the life lessons Albom received from his dying college professor Morrie Schwartz. Albom shares the life lessons his professor passed down to him on death, fear, family and having a meaningful life. By disclosing these he topics, one can appreciate Albom’s thoughtfulness to share his story in discovering life through the death of his professor Morrie. Aging Aging is the process of growing older and includes changes in both biology and psychology. Biology refers to the way the body functions. Psychology describes how the mind functions. How people age has to do with genetics, environment, and lifestyle over a lifetime. The process of aging is complex, and may derive from a variety of different mechanisms and exist for a variety of different reasons. (Health-cares.net). As Morris grown old and was unable to wipe himself during his final days, he says to Albom, “I began to enjoy my dependency. Now I enjoy when they turn me over on my side and rub cream on my behind so I don’t get sores. Or when they wipe my brow, or they message my...
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...Morrie. I would keep death, aging, marriage, family, society, and forgiveness on my list for Morrie. I think death, and aging are things that I would have a hard time with because nobody likes to think about death, but getting older is also something most people try to avoid. I want to know what it’s like to know you are going to die soon. I also want to how to accept, and face aging because it seems like it is something we all fear. That brings up my next question for him, why do we fear aging? Marriage and family is the next area I would ask Morrie about. Morrie always talks about how important marriage is, but I want to know why he feels so strongly about this, and maybe some advice on how to have a long, happy marriage like his. Our society has drastically changed from Morrie’s generation where family was everything. Now it seems like family gets pushed to the side due to all of our busy lives. I would want Morrie to give his thoughts on why our society has moved in this direction, and how we let this happen. My final topics for Morrie are society, and forgiveness. Morrie doesn’t buy into our society, and I think it would be good to learn why because it seems like everyone else does. Why do we give in to society would be another question on my list. Morrie seems to be very forgiving, and what I want from Morrie is to learn him art of forgiving, but most importantly how to not hold grudges. Overall my list is just a shortened up version of Mitch’s. Fear, and how to have a meaningful...
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...Late Adulthood and Death Paper Late Adulthood and Death The final years of an individual's lifespan mark the time for reflection of one's life while also spending time with family, including grandchildren, and maintaining physical and mental health throughout the entire stage of late adulthood. Quality of life in late adulthood is determined by genetics, the modification of destructive lifestyles and behaviors, and selecting healthier options not only throughout the earlier stages of development but especially in this stage for improvements to health and having an overall sense of well-being (Berger, 2009). Remaining socially active and independent for as long as possible instead of succumbing to isolating is key during this stage of adulthood (Berger, 2009). In the stage of late adulthood living socially active, healthy, and physically active lives while maintaining important family roles is very important , which illiminates some stressor of aging that may be brought on by negative and stereotypical thoughts of ageism which will assist in their premature decline. High quality medical care assisted by technology can provide aging adults comfort knowing they are helping to protect and safeguard younger generations as science learns from the older generations. Ageism and Stereotypes In late adulthood, there are a lot of stereotypes and misunderstandings of older adults (Emotional and Social Development in Late Adulthood, n.d.). Ageism and perceptions against someone’s...
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...Running Head: LATE ADULTHOOD & DEATH Late Adulthood and Death Paper Late Adulthood and Death The final years of an individual's lifespan mark the time for reflection of one's life while also spending time with family, including grandchildren, and maintaining physical and mental health throughout the entire stage of late adulthood. Quality of life in late adulthood is determined by genetics, the modification of destructive lifestyles and behaviors, and selecting healthier options not only throughout the earlier stages of development but especially in this stage for improvements to health and having an overall sense of well-being (Berger, 2008). Remaining socially active and independent for as long as possible instead of succumbing to isolating is key during this stage of adulthood (Berger, 2008). The more adults in this stage of aging that live socially active, healthy, and physically active lives while maintaining important family roles the more individuals will be refraining from the negative and stereotypical thoughts of ageism which will assist in their premature decline. High quality medical care assisted by technology can provide aging adults comfort knowing they are helping to protect and safeguard younger generations as science learns from the older generations. Ageism and Stereotypes In late adulthood, there are many stereotypes and unfavorable understandings of older adults (Emotional and Social Development in Late Adulthood, n.d.). Ageism...
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...David Eagleman, in his book Sum: 40 Tales from the Afterlives, says: “There are three deaths. This first is when the body ceases to function. The second is when the body is consigned to the grave. The third is that moment, sometime in the future, when your name is spoken for the last time.” In social psychology, terror management theory proposes a basic psychological conflict, believed to be unique to human beings, that results from having a desire to live but realizing that death is inevitable. This fear of mortality and annihilation creates such a profound, subconscious anxiety that affects humans’ behaviours and decisions throughout our lives. In order to manage this terror of death people turn to things which they feel will provide their life with meaning and...
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...In this era, due to the improve social, economic and health status of the populations, there is an increase of aging population all over the world. Aging is an inevitable part of our human life that starts from conception to death. We move from one stage to another without even being aware of the changes. We gain knowledge, skills, and memories; sometimes we lose them but not always because of aging. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the aging concept, I selected my father to be my interview subject because he had lived a very rich life. I took part of it and saw him aging over the years. But never asked him before how he felt about aging. My father is approaching his eighty-one birthday in April. My dad is the youngest of five sisters and four brothers, who all grew up in a small village in Algeria. He went through the French colonization and was traumatized by it. He lost two of his brothers at a young age during the war. When I sked my father about his thought about aging he smiled at me, and he said “Life is just like a movie and we are the actors, when the movie will end you are forgotten, but if you performed well you’ll be remembered”. He told me that he was not scared of dying, because this is the natural process. Instead, sickness, fear of pain, disability, and becoming a dependent person is more scaring him then death does. Additionally he doesn’t want to be there if something would happen to us (his children). My father did not know his age exactly, he told...
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...End of Life Population Health Framework University of Massachusetts Medical School Fall, 2011 Articles 1. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Support/end-of-life-care 2. http://www.loisgreenlearningcommunity.org/ < Compare and Contrast: The National Cancer Institute’s End of Life Care Questions and Answers on their website are written more the for caregiver or patient and describe what end of life care refers to. It’s formally written and describes each step or phase of care from initial diagnoses of end of life approaching or withdrawal of life saving measures such as chemotherapy to knowing when the patient has passed. It describes ways to take care of a patient at the end of life and when to call for professional help. It’s mainly geared toward the caregiver and really addresses all issues in providing care no matter how minor. The priority here is the well being and education of the non-professional care taker and the patient. The Lois Green Learning Community is an online resource for health professionals and a community to share experiences and also take care of yourself by doing so. It’s a place to blog or unwind about an experience, there are many resources listed for certification for palliative care and how to treat patients. It’s written with a very open and warm way and it’s a safe place to share your experiences, not formal and official like the NCI website. Communities like this are very important for health professionals to have a place...
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...Late Adulthood and Death Danielle Tate Psy 280 Debra Julian February 22, 2015 Examine ageism/stereotype When you consider ageism, you think about people being labeled as other's sees fit. It's just another term to judge or deny people of their humanity. When you think about people in their late adulthood what comes to mind? Some may think about gray hair, saggy skin, dentures, and a wheelchair. So my question is why? According to (Palmore, 2005, p. 90) “Ageism is a social disease, much like racism and sexism” in that it considers people as part of a category and not as individuals, creating “needless fear, waste, illness, and misery.” The more people grow and develop, they will learn that aging must go on. Promoting health and wellness As you age, the rate of your heart slows down, making the blood vessels in the arteries stiffen that cause the heart to work harder to pump blood. There are many ways to promote heart health. You can start by making physical activity a daily routine. When your body is in motion, it prevents high blood pressure, so blood vessels want to stiffen. Eating a balanced meal and getting the proper amount of rest are also important. To mitigate the adverse effects of aging, stay socially and mentally active to prevent memory loss. According to Alzheimer’s Association 2015, eighty-one percent of people age seventy-five in older declines in memory. Doing things to challenge your mind like playing Sudoku or chest are ways for older individuals...
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...Death Anxiety Psychology / 600 November 17, 2014 Dr. Michael Welsh Death Anxiety Anxiety is an emotional disorder that occurs when an individual feels worried, stressed, and discomfort within a situation that is out of his or her control. Individuals believe that death anxiety and the fear of dying are alike. But, they are different in many ways. Death anxiety is a severe fear of death or the process of death. Death anxiety can be the fear that your loved ones may not manage without you. Death anxiety causes stressful situations, unpredictable life circumstances, and life-threatening illnesses. The fear of dying is when you believe death is frightening or painful. The fear of dying is the fear of the unknown and not knowing how or when death will happen. According to Yalom, "death anxiety is a dread that is formed early in life at a time prior to the development of precise conceptual formation, a dread that is terrible and inchoate and exists outside of language and image". In researching death anxiety, age, gender, and cultural variables are some aspects that impact the way we all deal with the anxiety of death (Yalom, 1980). What is Death Anxiety? Death is a power human concern, conceptualized as a powerful motivating force. Provoking and challenging human inevitability of death, and the anxiety associated with the awareness of death. Death anxiety is a term used to analyze the concept generated by death awareness. An abnormal fear of dying in which a person...
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