What Happens in the Sacraments Essay Example for Free

What Happens in the Sacraments Essay 1. What does the Church’s liturgy celebrate? The Church’s liturgy celebrates the Paschal Mystery of Christ. 2. Redemption is the action of Jesus Christ whereby he paid the price of his own Death on the cross to save us from sin and thus return us to new, eternal life in union with God. In the Eucharist we proclaim the mystery of our Redemption. 3. True or False? In the liturgy we remember and participate in the events that accomplished our Redemption. True 4. What is a central theme of the spiritual writing of Blessed Dom Columba Marmion, O.S.B.? Explain. A central theme in his writing is â€Å"divine adoption† 5. In the Eucharist Christ communicates the fruits of the Paschal Mystery. Through faith and our participation in the sacraments, every facet of our lives becomes intertwined with the life of Jesus as we grow in union with the Blessed Trinity. Pages 32 – 37 Christ Acts through the Sacraments 6. True or False? The Apostles were empowered to begin the mission to teach and baptize people of all nations on the Jewish Feast of the Ascension. FALSE The Apostles were empowered to begin the mission to teach and baptize people of all nations on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost. 7. The experience of Paraclete forever changed the Apostles as they became enlivened, rejuvenated, and filled with courage. They spoke openly to the â€Å"Jews from every nation† who had come to Jerusalem for the celebration. 8. The Holy Spirit continued to be present in the Apostles and they became â€Å"sacramental signs† of Christ. Through Apostolic succession they entrusted the power and authority of the Holy Spirit to their replacements. 9. True or False? The events of our Salvation occurred only once, but by the power of the Holy Spirit the liturgy makes these events present and real for us today. True 10. God the Father is the source of the blessing we receive from the liturgy. Our response involves recognizing God’s blessings in the story of creation, His covenants with the Chosen people and finally in the coming of Christ.

Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea Leadership Analysis

Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea Leadership Analysis This paper analyses the impact of poor leadership in Sierra Leone, and Equatorial Guinea. Africa is the world’s richest continent in terms of natural resource endowment. Africa contains 50% of the world deposit in Gold, 90% of cobalt, 65% of Manganese, 40% hydroelectric power, millions of acres of land, chromium, and diamonds (Rotberg, 34). However, despite the availability of these natural resources, the African continent is still lagging behind in terms of development. People are poor, and most governments depend on aid for purposes of meeting their budget deficits (Rotberg, 51). It is important to understand that Africa has millions of talented and skilled innovators, but due to poor leadership, states are unable to hold unto these talents and retain them for purposes of utilizing them. Some people blame the problems of Africa to imperialism, and colonialism. According to scholars, colonialism played a significant role in advancing the problems of Africa. For instance, Rotb erg (27) gives an example of Congo, whereby the Belgium’s left the country without preparing its leaders for independence. As a result of this, Congo is a country that is characterized by infighting, corruption, and struggle for leadership. However, these allegations are not true, as denoted by Rotberg (27). Shaw (274) denotes that countries such as India, the United States, and even South Africa were under colonialism. However, these countries have developed economies, and some such as United States is the most powerful and richest country in the world. On this basis, the problems of Africa are associated with its poor leadership style. This is witnessed in all of Africa, including Kenya, under President Moi, Uganda, under president Idi Amin, Sudan, under president Omar el Bashir, Nigeria, under successive military leaderships.. Equatorial Guinea is led by President Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo. This leader is the longest serving President in Africa, having taken power in August 1979, in a bloody coup, against his uncle Francisco Nguema. Equatorial Guinea is found in West Africa, and it is one of Africa’s largest producers of oil (Lewis, 28). In as much as Equatorial Guinea has one of the highest per capita income in the world, most citizens of this country are living poverty, they die of preventable diseases such as malaria, are unable to access basic services such as education, health care, clean drinking water. Equatorial Guinea has the highest child mortality rates who are under 5 years, in the world. This is because 20% of their children die before reaching the ages of five years. The remaining 80% of these children do not have an access of quality health care, and educational facilities. The problems of Equatorial Guinea are blamed on the leadership style of the President Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo (Lewis , 18). For example, President Teodorin Mbasogo is accused of practicing nepotism while employing senior members of his cabinet and state officials. For example, in the years 2013, President Obiang appointed his eldest son, Teodorin Obiang to a cabinet position, and as the second vice president of the state. This is for purposes of preparing his son as his successor, once the president leaves power. Teodorin Obiang is always accused of embezzling millions of dollars of state money, in order to fund his own lavish lifestyle (Solo-Trillo, 139). Teodorin Obiang has been a controversial figure in Equatorial Guinea, and attracting international criticism for spending more than ten million South African rands, on a South African trip that included champagne parties, property renovations, and buying of cars. Scholars believe that the personal fortune of Teodorin Nguema emanates from his corrupt activities connected with gas and oil exploration in Equatorial Guinea (Solo-Trillo, 140). Lewis (37) denotes that the foreign interests of Teodorin Nguema includes two luxurious houses in South Africa, which have a combined value of 50,000,000 South African rands, and house in California estimated to be worth 31,000,000 United States dollars, a home in Paris, and a music recording label. Mr. Teodorin Nguema also has a series of luxurios cars, and in 2008, he bought a sports car estimated at 1,100,000 million euros (Solo-Trillo, 138). Others include a Maserati model estimated at 700,000 euros, and a Bugatti Veyron model (Lewis, 33). However, in the year 2009, the government of France seized these cars, together with his other collections because of corruption claims, and in 2013, these cars were sold on an auction. The US government also seized properties belonging to the President and that of its sons, estimated to be valued at 70 million US dollars. In 2012, the United States issued a warrant of arrest against Teodorin Nguema on charges of corruption, and money laundering. The luxurious lifestyle of Teodorin Nguema did not reflect the salary that he was earning as a state minister (Solo-Trillo, 139). The cabinet of President Teodorin also receives billions of undisclosed oil revenues, which normally goes to finance their luxurious lifestyle. In a bid to prevent such kind of information from reaching the public, the government of President Teodorin Mbasogo constantly harasses the media, and foreign nationals seeking to report on the conditions of Equatorial Guinea (Solo-Trillo, 133). Despite these allegations and accusations against Teodirin Nguema, president Nguema government defended him against them, and even appointed him as the second vice president of Equatorial Guinea, and a possible successor of his father. Other family members holding positions in Guinea include, Gabriel Mbaga, who is another son of the president, and he is the minister in charge of energy and oil, and Candido Okomo who heads GEPetrol, the official oil company in Equatorial Guinea (Solo-Trillo, 131). It is important to understand that corruption plays a great role in undermining development within a given state. This is because the funds that could be channeled to development projects, are misused and stolen, as a result, there won’t be any money to fund the development projects in the country. It is important to denote that because of nepotism in government appointments, senior officials in the government of President Teodorin are not accountable for their activities (Solo-Trillo, 132). This is because they know that in case they do not deliver, or are engaged in corrupt activities, their patrons, who are high in the government circles, will protect them. Nepotism and corruption are not the only problem affecting Equatorial Guinea. Another major problem affecting this country is lack of a free press. Local journalists in Equatorial Guinea are unable to speak against major scandals and corrupt activities in the country (Solo-Trillo, 125). This is because the press and the media are heavily censored, and there is always a risk of reprisal in case the media highlights an issue that does not augur well with the government. It is further important to understand that the local media in Equatorial Guinea are always owned by people closer to the President, and on this basis, it is always difficult for them to criticize the policies that the President enacts. Scholar denotes that without free flow of information, it is very difficult for a state to achieve economic, political as well as social development. This is because with availability of information, public officials within a given state will be held accountable for their actions, as well as a free and an independent media will promote democracy (Solo-Trillo, 127). It is important to denote that democratic countries are characterized by economic growth and development. Furthermore, the judicial system of the country is not independent, as the President is considered as the Chief Magistrate. He oversees a body that is responsible for appointing and dismissing judges, and on this basis, the President cannot be held accountable for his actions (Solo-Trillo, 129). This promotes corruption and lack of accountability amongst senior government officials, and on this basis, Equatorial Guinea lacks behind in terms of development. Another country that has been faced with poor leadership system is Sierra Leone. After approximately 10 years of the civil war in Sierra Leone, the government and the people of Sierra Leone still face a wide variety of challenges, and this includes widespread poverty, weak governance, and systematic corruption (Shaw, 272). The anti-corruption institutions established in Sierra Leone do not have enough resources such as skilled workers to tackle the problems associated with corruption in Sierra Leone. With the peaceful elections of 2007, there are some positive developments in Sierra Leone in regard to fighting corruption and weak governance in the country. The new government established in 2007 has been able to strengthen the capabilities of the country’s anti-corruption commission, and its ability to prosecute high level corruption cases (Shaw, 279). The country also boosts of an independent media that is free from government regulation and censorship. The country also benefi ts from a good international image, with an increase in international investors within the country. However, it is important to denote that the road to political stability and economic development in Sierra Leone has not been easy. This is because since independence the political leadership in Sierra Leone was characterized by corruption, nepotism, a weak social society, electoral violence, and a collapse of the country’s education system (Shaw, 281). It is important to understand that Sierra Leone gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961. It is important to understand that during the first four years after independence, Sierra Leone under the leadership of Milton Margai was prosperous (Shaw, 276). This is because Milton Margai, the first prime minister saw leadership as a chance to serve the people, as opposed to following selfish interests. However, after his death in 1964, the new leadership of Sierra Leone, led by Albert Margai was undemocratic, corrupt, and they practiced nepotism. For example, in the 1967 elections of Sierra Leone, Albert Margai could not tolerate any person opposing his party. He used violence and threats to intimidate the opposition parties into submission (Bangura and Marda, 22). It is important to understand that due to corrupt related activities, there were riots in Sierra Leone, leading to the fall of Albert Margai. After the fall of Albert Margai, the army under Steven Sisaka carried out a coup, and installed Steven Sisaka as the new leader of Siera Leone. This was in April 1968. Sierra Leone was characterized by military coups that replaced one military leader, with another (Bangura and Marda, 41). It is important to denote that with the entry of Sisaka Steven, a military leader, Sierra Leone turned into a one party state, as opposed to the constitutional democracy it was, during the leadership of the Margais. The leadership of Sisaka Stevens saw the destruction of the parliament, and any other forms of accountability such as the judic iary and other governance institutions. The leadership style of Stevens was characterized by executions, torture, control of information, and corruption. In 1985, Major General Joseph Momoh took power from Sisaka Stevens, who opted to step down. Momoh led Sierra Leone for seven years, leading to widespread corruption, and a total collapse of the Sierra Leonean economy (Bangura and Marda, 49). Due to lack of accountability and poor leadership, the government was unable to pay the salaries of its civil workers, and important commodities like energy were very scarce in Sierra Leone. The education system also collapsed, with many youths roaming the streets of Free town idle. This also led to a brain drain, where professional of Sierra Leone fled to country, and went overseas in search of a good life. By 1991, this country was ranked as one of the poorest nations in the world, and an all out civil war broke out in Sierra Leone (Bangura and Marda, 36). On this basis, it is important to understand that due to poor leadership, Sie rra Leone the government of Sierra Leone was unable to provide services to its citizens, leading to the fall of the government under consideration. In conclusion, poor leadership is one of the main reasons as to why Sierra Leone experienced a bitter civil war, and Equatorial Guinea is lagging behind in economic, social and political development. It is important to understand that due to poor leadership, people in Sierra Leone became very poor, and they were unable to afford education and other basic needs such as food and clean water, as a result, they were lured by rebel movements to fight within its ranks. Sierra Leone learnt from this bitter civil war that took place between 1991, to the early years of 2000s. As a result, Sierra Leone is a practicing democratic country, having established good institutions of governance, for purposes of checking the executive government. On the other hand Equatorial Guinea still continues with this practice of poor governance, and this is mainly because its hasn’t experienced a change in hands in terms of governance. As a result, Equatorial Guinea is considered as one of the poor count ries of the world, with its people lacking the very basic needs. Works Cited: Bangura, Joseph J., and Marda Mustapha. Sierra Leone beyond the LomeÃÅ'  Peace Accord. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print. Lewis, Marvin A.. An introduction to the literature of Equatorial Guinea between colonialism and dictatorship. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2007. Print. Rotberg, Robert I.. Governance and leadership in Africa. Philadelphia: Mason Crest Publishers, 2007. Print. Shaw, Ibrahim Seaga. The politics of humanitarian intervention: a critical analogy of the British response to end the slave trade and the civil war in Sierra Leone. Journal of Global Ethics 6.3 (2010): 273-285. Print. Solo-Trillo, Eduardo. Equatorial Guinea: an Eternal Present. Journal of Conflictology 4.2 (2013): 124-159. Print.

Body Image in African American Women Essay -- Health Weight Essays

Body Image in African American Women Body image is an important facet in understanding the phenomenon of eating disorders. Body image concerns are important in the etiology and treatment of eating disorders and obesity (Smith, Thompson, Raczynski, and Hilner, 1997; Thompson, 1997). The construct of body image reflects the level of satisfaction one feels regarding his or her body. Body image is a multidimensional construct. It involves race, socioeconomic status, age, as well as, perceptual and attitudinal components. For this reason, research has been done to dispel the myth that all women have a negative body image. Rather, as has been shown, there are definite differences in the perception of body image and self-concept, especially across racial lines. The claims of most studies suggest that African-American women generally have a greater tolerance or acceptability for higher body weight. In addition, African-American women are also thought to place less importance on body size in the scheme of their overall body imag e, and there are more likely to be satisfied if they are at a higher body weight, and still regard themselves as attractive. Research not only confirms these statements, but also draws attention to other important, culturally- relevant factors, such as age in relation to other cultural forces such as, different attitudes and behaviors that shape the body images of African-American women. Finally, since research shows that body image is an important aspect in the etiology of eating disorders and obesity, its influence and the cultural forces and components behind it should be taken into account in treatment and for future research. According to Altabe’s (1996) study, there are differences in body image th... ...en’s desire to be thin. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 17, 191-5. 7. Smith, DE, Thompson, JK, Raczynski, JM, Hilner, JE. (1999). Body image among men and women in a biracial cohort: the CARDIA study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 25, 71-82. 8. Stevens, J., Kumanyika, SK, & Keil, JE. Attitudes toward body size and dieting: Differences between elderly black and white women. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 1322-5. 9. Striegel-Moore, RH., Schreiber, GB., Pike, KM., Wilfley, DE.,& Rodin J. (1995). Drive for thinness in black and white preadolescent girls. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 18, 59-69. 10. Williamson, L. (1998). Eating disorders and the cultural forces behind the drive for thinness: Are African-American women really protected. Social Work in Health Care, 28, 61-73. Body Image in African American Women Essay -- Health Weight Essays Body Image in African American Women Body image is an important facet in understanding the phenomenon of eating disorders. Body image concerns are important in the etiology and treatment of eating disorders and obesity (Smith, Thompson, Raczynski, and Hilner, 1997; Thompson, 1997). The construct of body image reflects the level of satisfaction one feels regarding his or her body. Body image is a multidimensional construct. It involves race, socioeconomic status, age, as well as, perceptual and attitudinal components. For this reason, research has been done to dispel the myth that all women have a negative body image. Rather, as has been shown, there are definite differences in the perception of body image and self-concept, especially across racial lines. The claims of most studies suggest that African-American women generally have a greater tolerance or acceptability for higher body weight. In addition, African-American women are also thought to place less importance on body size in the scheme of their overall body imag e, and there are more likely to be satisfied if they are at a higher body weight, and still regard themselves as attractive. Research not only confirms these statements, but also draws attention to other important, culturally- relevant factors, such as age in relation to other cultural forces such as, different attitudes and behaviors that shape the body images of African-American women. Finally, since research shows that body image is an important aspect in the etiology of eating disorders and obesity, its influence and the cultural forces and components behind it should be taken into account in treatment and for future research. According to Altabe’s (1996) study, there are differences in body image th... ...en’s desire to be thin. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 17, 191-5. 7. Smith, DE, Thompson, JK, Raczynski, JM, Hilner, JE. (1999). Body image among men and women in a biracial cohort: the CARDIA study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 25, 71-82. 8. Stevens, J., Kumanyika, SK, & Keil, JE. Attitudes toward body size and dieting: Differences between elderly black and white women. American Journal of Public Health, 84, 1322-5. 9. Striegel-Moore, RH., Schreiber, GB., Pike, KM., Wilfley, DE.,& Rodin J. (1995). Drive for thinness in black and white preadolescent girls. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 18, 59-69. 10. Williamson, L. (1998). Eating disorders and the cultural forces behind the drive for thinness: Are African-American women really protected. Social Work in Health Care, 28, 61-73.

Volkswagen Must Change Strategy and Logo to Repair Its Damaged Brand E

Brands have been around for at least 5000 years and to this day our societies have evolved a great deal in regards to this aspect. The reason why brands have become of a greater importance in today’s society is because of our increased want rather than need (what we need to stay alive such as food and shelter) for a new and customised product thus â€Å"moving from an economy of mass production to an economy of mass customisation†. (Neumeier, Morgan & Edgar, 2006) Nevertheless, brands have become an important part of our lives, in many cases being a reflection of who we are or what we would like to become. In this essay, the Volkswagen brand will be analysed in terms of its success and failure, as well as any potential changes, which could act beneficial towards it. In order to do this, a brief overview of the history and current organisation to this date will be looked into, accompanied by the understandings of Volkswagen’s communication campaigns, brand (designs), positions, and strategies. Overview of the Volkswagen Organisation The historical German brand Volkswagen (VW) dates back to the year 1904 when the idea of a â€Å"People’s Car† was first mentioned. In 1925, Belà ¡ Barà ©nyi submitted a life changing design of a potential Volkswagen design, which later became known as the â€Å"Beetle†. Already having a great deal of success in the automobile industry, the first real breakthrough of this idea came in 1934, when Adolf Hitler had adopted the idea of mass production and a â€Å"People’s Car†, built for the transportation of the wider population, which then became popular amongst the German people in the Third Reich. This sparked the first so-called brand equity, which encouraged the public to believe in the concept of a car for... ...ttp://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/. [Accessed 07 January 2014]. Volkswagen Logo History @ DasTank.com. 2014. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dastank.com/Volkswagen-Logo-History.htm. [Accessed 07 January 2014]. Corporate Identity: Volkswagen. 2014. [ONLINE] Available at: http://hansstol.totaldesign.nl/en/volkswagen.html. [Accessed 07 January 2014]. Volkswagen Logo - Design and History of Volkswagen Logo. 2014. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.famouslogos.us/volkswagen-logo/. [Accessed 07 January 2014]. Interbrand - Best Global Brands 2013 . 2014. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.interbrand.com/de/best-global-brands/2013/Best-Global-Brands-2013.aspx. [Accessed 08 January 2014]. Videos: The Play Belt - The Fun Theory. - YouTube. 2014. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AbQSE4ZKvk. [Accessed 07 January 2014].

The Pros and Cons of Ethnographic Reflexivity Essay -- Pro Con Essays

The Advantages and Limits of Ethnographic Reflexivity Awareness of writing choices generates an appreciation of the reflexivity of ethnographic research. Reflexivity involves the recognition that an account of reality does not simply mirror reality but rather creates or constitutes as real in the first place whatever it describes. Thus ‘the notion of reflexivity recognizes that texts do not simply and transparently report an independent order of reality. Rather, the texts themselves are implicated in the work of reality-construction (Emerson et. al., 1995:213). According to Robert M. Emerson and colleagues, reflexivity is a method in which the ethnographer is aware that his/her writing choices are shaped to acknowledge the ethnographers presence in the culture being studied. Thus, while writing and analyzing fieldnotes, the ethnographer-as-author grows increasingly aware of his role and responsibility in telling the story of the people being he/[she] studied; for in writing he/[she] re-presents their everyday world[1]. By taking the ethnographers presence in consideration, the ethnography becomes more than a mere piece of text. In the process of writing his/her analyzes of a culture, the ethnographer is constantly reminded that his work is to understand a realm of reality. In the following I will discuss the approach Dorinne K. Kondo and Renato Rosaldo use in writing their reflective ethnography. Dorinne K. Kondo in Dissolution and Reconstitution of Self: Implications for Anthropological Epistemology suggested that to understand the culture one studies the ethnographer should account his/her presence. In other words, the ethnographer should write about his/her experiences because it establishes the â€Å"I was there† author... ... argues that even though our mission is to understand the culture we our studying one cannot make final assumptions about a culture. One has to reflex on the fact that a culture is always changing and that our preparation of our discipline is not often the method one uses in fieldwork. As I reflect back to my own ethnographic research I found that even though I am Mexican-American and part of the Latino culture on campus my own community often challenged my interpretations. My interpretations were often critiqued by the male Latino culture, they felt that the meaning was much deeper and that I could not fully grasp the meaning because of my gender. Thus, I agree being reflective on ones ethnography can one fully add more meaning and understanding of a culture. [1] Emerson et. al. Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995: 213.

History of Mauritius

Mauritius was discovered by the Portuguese in 1507 and was later occupied by the Dutch, from 1598 up until 1710. In 1715, it came into the possession of the East India Company and in 1767, that of the King of France, who christened it ‘Ile de France'. Captured by the British in 1810 and then acknowledged by the Treaty of Paris in 1814, the British allowed the French settlers to use their language and their civil code. Many of the settlers remained and made up a group of Franco-Mauritian important property owners and businessmen. The sugar cane cultivations first developed with the African and Malagasy slaves. Following the abolition of slavery in 1835, the important landowners turned their attention to an influx of indentured Indian labourers, a large number of whom settled on the island. The island remained a British colony until its independence on 12th March 1968, under the presidency of Dr Seewoosagur Ramgoolam. The Dutch period~ The Dutch first arrived on the island in 1516, but was unable to colonise it as the slaves that had been brought over from Africa ran away into the mountains upon their arrival. They were the first fugitive slaves in Mauritius. In 1641, the Dutch developed the slave trade, with slaves from Madagascar, in the hope of securing a return on their installation in Mauritius. In spite of this, only a few Malagasy slaves were brought to Mauritius during the Dutch occupation. In 1598, a Dutch squadron landed on the island under the orders of the Admiral Wybrand Van Warwick. It was then that the island was named Mauritius, after the Prince Mauritius Van Nassau of Holland. Instead of expanding the colony, the Dutch contented themselves with devastating the fauna (which led to the extinction of the dodo) and the flora that caused the extinction of ebony wood. However, they introduced sugar cane and imported Java deer. They left the island along with their slaves in 1710, following severe droughts and devastation caused by the cyclones. The French colonisation~ Abandoned by the Dutch, Mauritius became a French colony when, in 1715, Guillaume Dufresne d'Arsel landed on its shores and named it â€Å"Ile de France. † The first pioneers arrived in 1721, when the island was administered by the East India Company (1722 to 1767). This Company was founded by Louis XIV and Colbert to compete with the other European countries. In the hope of earning money, he was granted a trade monopoly cross the Indian Ocean for 50 years. About a hundred slaves from Senegal and Guinea arrived in Ile de France at the beginning of the colonisation period, notably between 1721 and1735. Following the request of Colbert, the kingdom's state adviser, slavery was legalized on the 28th August 1670 in France. In the West Indies, slavery quickly ensured the economic prosperity of its regions. The famous black code was proclaimed in March 1685, under the order of Louis XIV. It was aimed to develop and ease the slavery system and specified the duties of the masters and the slaves. However, the black code, established in all of the West Indies and in French Guinea, was seldom respected by the owners. In 1723, the Mascarene Islands adopted the famous black code and the letters of patent of Louis XIV in the form of an edict. They were recorded in the town of Saint-Paul in Ile Bourbon (Reunion Island) on the 18th September 1724, by the supreme adviser. As of 1725, this led to the arrival of thousands of slaves, mainly from Madagascar and East Africa, to cultivate the coffee and spice plantations. This labour seemed necessary in order to allow the East India Company to pursue the economic expansion of the Indian Ocean.

Our Relationship with Others.. Essay

â€Å"Our relationships with others help define who we are† In trying to make sense of ourselves we often look to others and our relationships with them to help us. Our first relationships are with our family. Their influence is often vital to our self- definition. These relationships can give us a sense of who we are and where we have come from and it is often comforting to know we are part of something bigger. Often these relationships are positive, but they can also be negative. Being rejected by our family is not wanted but it can have a big impact on who we are and how we live our lives. It can test our strength of character. As we move through to adulthood and start to gain a greater insight into who we are, we often look to others outside the family and they too can have a lasting influence on us. The people we meet and the experiences we share with them are crucial to our development as individuals. We need to cross these relationships carefully as we balance our uniqueness with conforming to keep those around us happy. Our family strongly influence the sense of who we are and our behavior, family is a part of who we are. What we first connect with is our parents and our family. What our parents said and what they did will influence our behaviour. In the film Skin, Sandra’s father Abraham told Sandra ‘Never give up’ and he never gave up reclassifying Sandra to be white. All of these influence Sandra, even though she left him for nearly 30 years, Sandra still remembered and did as what he said. It made her try to connect with her mother even though she never get her mother write back and Petrus was angry about this, but she never gave up. In the end of the film when Sandra’s children question why she bothers to look for her white family, Sandra said ‘You never stop needing your parents, they are party of who you are.’ For me, my parents influenced me a lot. For example, my mum had always played sport as a young girl and teenager and even now she still plays, an d this has influenced me because I now play or have played every sport that she has, and she is now the coach of my netball team. Where we find happiness is where we belong. Sometimes we need to try to find where we really belong, where people accept us and care for us. In the film  Skin, Sandra was rejected by her father because of her falling in love with Petrus. When she was rejected by her family she felt sad and confused, but she felt she did not belong in the white group and that she will never accepted by the white people, she felt happy when she stayed with Petrus, she had asked Petus ‘how could you make me feel better’ what Petrus did is he just accepted her. When she was rejected by her family Sandra chose to live with Petrus and found out that she was belonging to black community. What Sandra did is try to find where she really did belong, where she will be treated equality and be accepted. When Petrus found out that Sandra keep in touch with her mother, he got angry with Sandra he suspected her loyalty, he rejected her, and Sandra had to take her two children and left Petrus, to try t o find other places where she will have her happiness and make her felt like she belonged. Our sense identity also is influenced by other people, what other people say to us, say about us and how they act around us will change our sense of identity. When we move through to adulthood and start to gain a greater insight into who we are, we usually change our sense of identity by some outside influence. In the film Skin, when Abraham tried to put Sandra into a white school, what happened to her in the school changes herself identity. Sandra did not even know she was coloured unstill she started school where she was the target of prejudice, racism and abuse because the staff and students questioned her status as ‘white ’. When Sandra lived in the boarding, one of a little girl said to Sandra ‘They said you are black.’ When Sandra had maths class the teacher hit her and said she was ‘disgusting’, etc. What happened to her let Sandra know that she is not white, she is coloured and she will never got in the white community. All of these chan ged Sandra, when we can see that even at nearly 30 years old Sandra still feels inadequate, when she talks with people and she’s afraid look at others eye to eye.