Abusive Women

                                                 Why is it okay for women to hit  men but not okay when men hit women?

                                          
                                                                                                   photo credit: Tim Psych via photopin cc

In a physically abusive relationship, we typically expect the male in the relationship to be the perpetrator and the female to be the victim. Why is it that we rarely hear of women abusing men? Maybe because it just doesn’t happen that often. Maybe it does happen and male victims don’t report it for fear of being antagonized because they were beat by a woman. Knowing that most men will not hit women even if the woman hits the man first, I believe that some women take advantage of this and most men will not make it public.

How many men are victims of physical abuse compared to women? I would expect there to be at least double the amount of women that were abused opposed to men. In fact, about, “28 percent of men in America will be struck by women in their lifetime,” states an article by Chris Norris. According to an online survey by Glamour, “29 percent of women surveyed said they'd been in an abusive relationship.” That is almost dead even and proves that it happens to men as much as it happens to women. I believe that these statistics are a bit deceiving, and that the percentage of physically abused men are higher than 28 percent. Men are more likely to keep quiet about the abuse they receive.

Rather than making it public and being made fun of men are more likely to tell a friend that their girlfriend or wife hit them. We hear of women being abused more because generally, men, being bigger and stronger, cause more damage when they hit. It’s widely known in our society that men shouldn’t put their hands on a female, period. For instance, no one would pay any mind to this youtube video if the Ohio bus driver didn’t hit the woman back, but the fact that he did is what brings attention to the viral video. No charges were filed. But the bus driver who had worked for the company over 20 years was suspended, even though the woman hit him first. Is that fair? It’s a double standard that needs to change.

So you caught your boyfriend red-handed with another woman. Will the first thing you do out of reflex is strike him across the face? No? You wouldn’t? You would just walk away and talk with him about it after you’ve cooled down. I highly doubt that. Quit trying to fool yourselves ladies. Granted, he may have deserved several backhands, but lets flip this situation. Say your boyfriend or husband caught you with another man, and his first reaction was to knock you across your face. I’m in complete agreement with Sadie Stein. It would be considered appalling. But it isn’t when a woman does it.

Along with society considering it okay when a woman hits a man, the media makes women hitting men comical. Chris Norris, a writer for Marie Claire says that pop culture uses pretty women hitting men as a staple for comedy. “Angelina Jolie smashing wine bottles over Brad Pitt's head in Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Cameron Diaz coldcocking Edward Burns in The Holiday were both played for laughs.” We witness it daily on popular television shows like Jersey Shore, and don’t think twice about it because that behavior is accepted as norm in our society.

Abuse period is not acceptable. If you are a victim it’s best to take act the first time it happens. Let someone know immediately, and females the next time you consider hitting a man, don’t. You can hurt a man more with words than with your fists.

From Beast to Beauty

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 I’m pretty sure we all know by now that women are very sensitive creatures and the smallest of things can make or break a woman. Females spend countless hours in the bathroom, gym, and mirror just so they can look up to par. Take telling a girl she is beautiful, that is all any woman wants to hear. Or you could reverse it and tell them they aren’t that cute and it will crush their spirit. Women put alot into their image for one reason or another. These are the things you have to worry about while dealing with women also, because what you say can be very effective if it is the wrong thing. The question I have is, “Why can’t women be satisfied with the way they naturally look?”

Women do these things because of the standards set by society. What the world wants, or thinks a woman should look like. Whether you know it or not being attractive can take you very far in life with many things from peers, to jobs, and even higher salaries. So you can only imagine the strain it puts on a woman when most women only want to be accept by the world for their looks. This imaginary standard that has women bent over backwards and trying their hardest to reach because they think that is what looks good in the eyes of the people. Either because they think that is how they should look or because that’s how someone thinks they should look. Some may think this is good, but there is a dark side.

Glamour Health and Diet magazine did an experiment and 97% of women are unhappy with their bodies. There are honestly women in the world that make it their life’s goal to look a certain way. Body image also has a lot to do with age and even ethnic background. What use to only be a problem with women in their late 20s early 30s is happening in the younger generations even more now. Young girls thinking they have to look a certain way so they start taking weight loss pills. Taking on these outrageous diets, not eating, and even using other tactics to lose weight or stay a certain size. There are even some women that resort to photoshop and other editing applications to make themselves look better for photography. Women look at the celebrities, TV, and magazines and decided what they want to look like, these uniform standards of beauty given by society. We even find already attractive females trying to make themselves look better because of something they saw or its a certain features they want and do not have. Some even go to the extremes of drugs and plastic surgery and that is all bad. Some women know when others are self-conscious and use it to their advantage. Sometimes women feed off others shortcomings for their own personal reasons, but not intentionally. When some women see other females with low self esteem it only makes them appreciate the way they look. The makeup companies are the ones who are taking advantage of the one’s who are concerned about their looks. Even the females that are not self-conscious find a way to make their appearance to the world better. The women that have it the worst are those who put on their makeup before leaving their bedroom just to walk into another room with nobody in it.

Theres nothing wrong with the way a female wants to look, she should just accept it before she tries to change it for anyone else. Females should appreciate the body they have and let the world know it. The body might not even be the problem maybe its past relationship or encounters that lead to this feeling of imperfection or being uncomfortable with they way their body looks. Most of the time women are just too hard on themselves in judging their own imagine and should take a second to realize their true beauty. Author Wood Barcalow says “love your body” and I totally agree with that statement. How can you expect someone else to accept you if you don’t accept yourself. Say no to those voice in your head that tell you that you aren’t beautiful just as you are and remind yourself of that daily. Also women should go off of their strengths. Take your best assets and show them off to the world. Let everyone see your natural beauty. Last thing I leave you with is, before you force yourself into looking a certain way try the simple and healthy method. Eat right and exercise, its something all women can do with effort. Always remember ladies your body is your temple and you should cherish and treat it as such.

More Money, More Problems

His Money Her Money

      Women receiving equal pay as men in the workforce has always been an ongoing issue in the United States. It started back in the middle aged days when women weren’t looked at in the same light as men. They weren’t even allowed to work the same jobs as men [and not some jobs at all] because most jobs were only fit for a MAN in society’s eyes. Now, times have progressed and women are capable of doing just as much as a man can do in any given job. The only problem regarding that is no matter how effective a woman’s performance is at work, her check will never amount to a man’s; who [most of the time] does the same exact job as she.
      Let’s take lawyers for example. Becoming a lawyer takes the same amount of dedication, time, passion, and years in college for both men and women. So you would think it would only be right for them to make the same amount of money when doing what they’ve longed to do right? Wrong! An article that gives research about Female Lawyers reveals that “the average compensation for the lawyers at a firm goes down as its proportion of women rises”, causing women in any position at the firm to get paid less than their male colleagues. The article also reviewed on how it was often argued that women earned less pay than men due to their personal needs at home such as tending to their kid(s) or just having to take care of their home in general. Which anyone should be able to automatically detect is not a true fact because no one should be paid by their job based off of what occurs in their outside life at their household.
      Governor Mitt Romney, Republican party candidate for president of the U.S., was asked a serious question about equal pay for men and women in the second of three presidential debates of 2012. But with him having the same mentality as some people in society he responded in a way that didn’t really please most people. He was asked if he supports equal pay for women. Romney answered the question, but answered it distinctly but indirectly. Kaili Joy Gray tried to persuade readers in her article about that presidential debate that Romney does not really care about creating equal pay for women but in place of that he would rather give them flexible work hours to shut them up about wanting to be paid more. If a man who is capable of becoming the next leader of our country can’t answer that often asked question without hesitating to say what we feel is right, then society has not changed as much as they try to make it seem it has. 
    
    
    
    
    
   

    
    
    
    
    
   

Why Do Doctors Think There Are More Males With Autism Than Females ?

Doctors and researcher have been trying to figure out why there are more males than females with autism. For years this has continued and there is still no real reason why males have autism more than females although there have been many studies trying to figure this out.. Doctors and researchers have it figure out but I do not think so. I think that they do not because there are more and more being diagnose every day. It is a lot like having cancer, they can treat it but in some cases there is no cure for it and live with for the rest of their lives with a label attached to them that you cannot take off once you have the label you have it follows you for the rest of your life.

Can it be that genetics play a role in why males are more prone to being diagnosed with autism. Researchers are working on a gene that may hold some of the answer. In a Time Health and Family article, “A Genetic Clue to Why “Autism Affects Boys More” it states that “There is a new found gene that is typically in males , now known as the autism risk gene.This gene CACNA1G is responsible for regulating the flow of calcium into and out of cells and sits with chromosome 17.” The CACNA1G gene I believe is a great breakthrough but there is more studying and research that needs to happen regarding this gene.

In previous years, researchers did not know who would have autism. It was a disorder that is still, not easily detectable. As time and research have advanced in the area of autism, they have narrowed it down to whether male or female will be more prone to having autism. Time has told us that there are more males with autism. A study stated in a Autism Speaks article “What Is Autism” it states hows that males have a greater chance to be diagnosed with autism than to that of females; “1 out of 54 males have autism and 1 out of 252 females live with some type of autism in the United States.” It amazed me that there were so many males that live with autism and so little females have autism this was not what I was expecting when I started writing this paper. http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism

After reading many articles, I have found that most talk about males that have autism and do not talked about females as much. I think that there needs to be more research on females because it seems like they are forgotten. There are females that have autism and some doctors dismiss it as that is an emotional female and in some cases that may be true but in my friends case they had to fight to get the diagnoses and she was over the the age of 7. They did not know what they were looking for, they knew that there was something wrong but they had to fight to get a diagnoses of autism for their child.

Autism seem to be a big problem with boys and not girls. I hope that there is a cure for autism in the future . I also hope that many children are not diagnose with autism.

Who Matures Faster? Males or Females?

Who Is Seen To Mature Faster? Males or Females?

I have always seen females as the ones that mature faster as opposed to their male counterparts.  What exactly is maturity, though? Maturity is typically defined as the developmental growth process that continues throughout life and often gives new or different perspective with either time or experience. Upon my research I found that there is no scientific way to tell for sure who matures faster because there is no objective way of measuring levels of maturity. My opinion is that maturity does not need scientific measuring, that the already well-known differences in the temperaments of men and women will stand to prove that females mature faster than males.
Maturity does come with time alone but also with experience and learning. Life has many lessons to teach, and part of gaining maturity is taking what you have learned from those lessons and applying it again in different situations so that that you may avoid making a  similar mistake or an entirely new one in the future. An article from “BlogSky.com” called “Do Women Mature Faster Than Men?” states, “Women in general, are better at this [taking lessons from experiences] because they have the natural tendency to want to fix things as soon as something goes awry.” The article goes on to say, “Women are known to be caretakers and this does not just mean, fawning all over a person who is sick in an effort to make them better, it also has to do with an innate want to problem solve.” That being said, it just makes more sense that women would mature faster due to our natural inclination to note lessons from experiences to allow for more clarity in the future. Men also at times see women as “nags.” “Dictionary.com” defines “nag” as “to annoy by persistent faultfinding, complaints, or demands.” As much as I may hate to admit it, yes, women do like to have things done a certain way. We may appear to be nagging but in fact we are re-applying prior experience to a new situation. The same article from “BlogSky.com” states that women “will also keep at it until everything is as near to perfection as possible.” This statement gives more proof the female need to answer to a higher authority.
The old saying “boys will be boys” is social commentary on the fact males in their younger years are granted more lenience in their behavior, mainly maturity level. I think that our society allowing this kind of behavior allows males to be immature longer. An article from “Washington Post.com”, “What Does ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ Really Mean?” asks what the saying “boys will be boys” implies. The reaction was almost always negative with comments like “ Boys are messy, immature and selfish; hormone-driven and insensitive; irresponsible and trouble-making; rebellious, rude, aggressive and disrespectful -- even violent, predatory and animal-like.” Boys will be boys is more of commentary on a social phenomenon than a saying. However, females are constantly being held to a higher standard with statements like, “act like a lady.” Being a “lady” also comes with a more adult way of looking at things, a more adult perspective, thus a more adult way of reacting to different social situations. Society  trains girl to be more mature. I believe that females are more mature than males due to our own natural behavior and social expectations.

Battle Of The Sexes

 
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Who is the better doctor for you?

In this day and age is it better to have a woman or a man as your doctor? It might just depend on what kind of doctor you’re needing, right? Not the case. Women do better things in the medical field that men can’t do as well as they can. Such as Ob-Gyn doctors, and pediatric nurses. Some people prefer a woman for their more nurturing side of life, but some also prefer a man to get the job done. In my opinion women doctors are better. Who does their job better?

Would you rather have a more understanding type of doctor? Women doctors talk to their patients and break stuff down to you exactly how you want to hear it.They encourage you to ask questions that you really want and need to know that you probably wouldn't ask a male doctor. The article by KJ Dell’ Antonia goes to say “according to Dr. Chin’s article, studies do show that females spend up to 10% more time with patients and they may be more encouraging or reassuring.” A woman's motherly instinct helps patients feel more comfortable with their doctor. Women are great listeners and are more understanding. Women have sympathy for people they don't know rather than acting nonchalant to others feelings.

You often see more women as nurses. LPN’s, and RN’s women have these positions down pack in the medical field. Although women get paid less than men, more patients lean more towards women. There will never be an equal opportunity in medicine for women in the world. As PAULINE W. CHEN, M.D. says in her article on “Do Women Make Better Doctors”, “It’s a matter of gender behaviors in the course of an encounter. Patients, as well as physicians, are bringing their specific backgrounds and experiences to that encounter; and we need to be aware of that.” Meaning patient's care about their emotional concern than who does the better work. In that case a women is more suitable for the subject.   

Besides not being able to hold their Whopper from Burger King, having smaller hands are beneficial to surgeons. Since women are typically smaller in size than men they have smaller hands. A womans’ hand is also more sensitive.  A higher level of sensitivity also allows for greater precision. Fingertip touch receptors cluster around sweat pores. The more touch receptors you have in your skin the more you feel. “Researchers at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, found greater sweat pore density in smaller fingers,” according to the article by BBC News. So instead of having a male surgeon, who is just going to make the hole bigger, maybe think about having a female surgeon instead to have less stitches ha-ha.

    In the end it truly matters what kind of doctor you need; Ob-Gyn, Pediatric, Dentist, or Surgeons. It doesn't matter what you need a man or women can help you. Women are generally accepted more as an Ob-Gyn doctor and or as a dentist. Men are accepted more as surgeons and pediatric doctors. As females usually pull towards a male doctor, and a male is attracted towards female doctors. Women can help you better than a man can, emotionally and physically. You should always pick what's comfortable for you.

Who Wears It Best?

Fashionable men and women

Through out history men and women's clothing changed drastically from plain solid colors to little girls’ bedazzled wonderland wardrobe of today. Before, there was no competition between the sexes on who looks better in a potato sack. The fashion industry is at its peak in big cities all over the world from New York, New York to Paris, France. With women being more in tact and more observing of the things not only themselves but the people surrounding them wear we feel as if they have a better sense of fashion than men.

With the times changing very rapidly and we, the people, technologically advancing clothing has changed so much that there seems to be no limit. Women's clothing can change the way their body looks by simply putting on a girdle or a body shaper underneath their garments. Men on the other hand can do the same but don't choose to do much altering to the way they look in fear they would look too feminine.

History always repeats itself and fashion does the same. Kids today like to bring back styles such as the hippie fashion with flowers, abstract patterns, and vibrant colors. Simple work out clothes for those who love the gym is also a style that can be worn to give off a certain appearance of someone that loves taking care of themselves. Women often like to match up certain colors and textures so that they can look stylish while doing a push-up or two. Most men on the other hand will make due with what they have and call it a day.

It is always hard to say who looks better in what they are wearing because it is all based on personality and the person’s opinion. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and wearing stylish clothing helps enhance how someone feels about themselves or just about life itself. People are afraid of what they don't understand , the Japanese women have many eccentric styles that many individuals don't understand but to them it is culture and is beautiful. Men usually seem to have a simple sense of style that can come off boring. But to others, the more simple the better. Not saying men don’t do their fair share of wearing very exciting clothing themselves, but women usually seem to out weigh them by a landslide . Women usually stay up to date with the new fashions more then men do because it interests them a lot more. Dark colors are boring and the new trends have been recently bright colors for example hot pink, turquoise, yellow and so on. Harpers Bazaar magazine states that trousers are the new trend. You may spot a female sporting a vibrant pair of pants to work that you might not see on an average day. This seems to be because as the years progress, so does our wardrobe.

Having fashion sense isn't something that everyone has but it seems women were born with it, even programmed into their DNA ,how to dress up and to choose what color matches with what. Men don't seem to have that same keen sense of fashion but all the same there will always be a woman around to show them what they should be wearing or how to “rock” the latest trending styles.

Who's the better Athlete?

Are Men or Women Better Athletes in the American Universities?

This question has  been asked throughout out the years and many people have their own opinions on it. When it comes to athletics, it really depends on the sport in which men and women play. University sports that include females, are completely different to that of the males, including softball, volleyball, and  tennis. I would say it all depends on the sports in question. After reading the facts and statistics on this subject, I can say that men are ultimately better athletes.

    It is true that men and women each have their own special abilities that they are typically better in. Overall, men however tend to be the better athletes. Males typically are more athletic, and women have more body fat because they have the ability to carry children. According to the article titled “Athletic Differences Between Men & Women”,  the average male is stronger than the average female.  Men also have a physiological advantage over women because their heart, lungs and legs tend to be larger. This helps to bring an advantage to men who can last longer with more stamina and physique during a set time period. It would also depend on the physical shape and the size of each individual athlete, which would determine who had the advantage. The article continues to state why the hearts of men help support their athletic ability better than that of a woman. Men’s larger hearts pump about sixteen percent more liters of blood per heartbeat. Most studies have given a clear advantage to men which demonstrates how they well exceed expectations comparatively so to women athletes. Males tend to be naturally athletic. Throughout history men were considered workers while females naturally took to the role of “caretaker and caregivers”, but the times have changed drastically.
    Physically, male athletes are naturally in better shape also, although a female athletes could train just as hard as males can, men naturally develop muscles while training less. A female would have to train even harder in order to be on the same level as a male with similar stature. To break things down even further, another article of the same title “Athletic Differences Between Men & Women” from “Ehow.com” states that men have 11% percent more red blood cells inside of their body. This helps in enabling their body to pump more oxygen to the muscles faster than to that pumped to a female. This is helpful because it increases their overall stamina. Some females are actually better than males in certain sports, which could debate that in favor of women with who is a better athlete,  but it becomes an entire new argument every time a new sport is being discussing.

I would say that men are better athletes than females due to the fact that a their bodies are naturally fit to be athletic. But if a female trained more than the average male, she could nearly match it. If women and men trained the same amount, the male would end up in better shape as the statistics have shown in the studies. Men will always be of dominance in athletics as years pass and new ages begin.

Where My Ladies At?

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What do we know about women’s sports?

In the world of sports we all know who won the National Championship, Super Bowl, and whose ranked number one in the BSC NCAA pole in men’s sports. Who can tell me who won the WNBA championship in the 2010-2011 season or who is hot in the women’s world of track? I bet there are very few people, because we rarely pay attention to those girls that are putting in work in whatever field of sports they are in. We tend to overlook the accomplishment of women in the world of sports because they aren’t as athletic as the men and can’t stun the crowd as the men do. Why are women so underrated in the world of sports?

There are often times when that one amazing female athlete comes along and amazes the world. We tend to give them some attention, but not for her being a good athlete. We look at those female athlete with such abilities as freaks of nature and wonder what are they doing to excel in that particular sport. We rarely acknowledge these girls for their natural raw talent and great sportsmanship. Take Baylor’s 6’8 junior center Brittney Griner. An amazing basketball player, but the world also sees her as a freak of nature and people have made statement such as “this girl has to be a man”. Just because she excels in a male sport doesn’t make her a man. Maybe she put countless hours in at the gym to become great, but we don’t think about that when we make these careless statements.

Even the rules in sports are against women. A female has to stay in college and play for a full 4 years oppose to a male only having to do a minimum of two years and they can go off to the league if that is the road they choose to take. Even in the game there are differences, a male may play rough and get patted on the back while a few will be charged with a call for unnecessary roughness and can even be thrown out of the game. In some sports it’s almost like the women play handicap. According to the NCAA rules the women play with smaller balls and have no set amount time to make it across the backcourt line; men’s basketball is different because the ball is bigger and they have a set time of ten seconds to make it across the backcourt line. Baseball is another sports where women aren’t given the same rule criteria as men. The women’s ball is bigger, lighter, and the infield are more dusty while the men’s is the total opposite. So with rules and standards like these I don’t think we give women a chance to prove themselves.

Another young lady to shock the world would be none other than 2012 Olympic star and  according to the L.A.Times a 2x gold medalist, Gabrielle Douglas. Although the world is just learning this girls name she was a world class athlete before the Olympics. Gabby has been, doing gymnastics since she was a small girl and became very good. According to CBS Sports “She is the first American gymnast ever to win both the team and individual all-around gold at the same Olympics.” Liz Clarke, author from The Washington Post states “She won the gold medal in the individual all-around, becoming the first African-American woman, as well as the first woman of color of any nationality, to win the event.” She trained in and out of season to become as good as she is and to compete on the Olympics level. She is the youngest person to win an Olympic goal and She is the first all-around champion to not medal in an individual event since women's gymnastics was added to the Olympics in 1952. Had this been a male of her age and talent the world would have exploded to see such feats of athleticism and talent.

We should never let the  gender of a person take away from their accomplishments. Whether male or female we should see them equal although they don't play on the same level. We as people should take the time to pay more attention to the women who go out and train hard, long, and with the determination of any male. Just because a girl is a girl doesn't mean she can't be great and should not be recognized for their accomplishments made. Women are a force to be reckoned with and I know I couple women that could give any man a run for his money in any sport!

Don't Chase Them Replace Them

What females do that men don’t like?

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           Ladies, if you want a man you have to know how to keep him. Doing little things that you think is okay irritates the hell out of guys. Ladies have you ever tried to get a guy by doing the most? Acting out? Well, truth be told men actually don’t like that. They see you as being “thirsty”. The definition of thirsty, according to “Urban Dictionary”, is “to crave attention”. Actually, the little things you think they like, they absolutely hate! What are the little things that we as women do to annoy men?

Starting with the makeup. I call it “M.A.C. Syndrome”. This means wearing too much makeup in my book. Men like to see what you look like naturally. They don’t want to wake up beside their girl the next morning and think, “DAMN, is that you?”, just to keep it real. They don’t want all that makeup on their pillows in the morning. Please learn how to apply it right and not cake it on, as if you were a clown in a circus.

No nagging and unnecessary questions! Honey, you are not their mother. When you do this it makes them not like you! No one likes to be nagged at 24/7. The questions, “Who were you with?” and “What were you doing?” gets old pretty quickly. Watch this youtube video and you’ll see what I mean. Hell, I don’t like being asked a hundred questions either. You’re like a cop interrogating someone.Stop it!

One thing that really drives them crazy is having low self esteem. If they think you were ugly in the first place they wouldn’t be with you, have you ever thought about that? When a woman asks the question,“Do I look fat?”, she gets mad with a yes or no answer. If he says no she thinks he’s telling a lie. If he says yes then she thinks he is being mean. Either way it’s a lose lose situation. You should just save your tears and not even ask them anything about your appearance. Learn how to control your emotions please.

           Guys hate hearing sob stories. They really don’t care about how you feel. All they want to do is stop you from crying so they can stop listening to the story they care nothing about! I asked a few guys myself and they said the really big thing they hate is being over dramatic. Let’s not lie we as females can be pretty dramatic, but every time you go somewhere you don’t have to start a scene when something doesn’t go your way. For example say you’re at Macy’s and you see these nice Jessica Simpson shoes that you love. They are a pair of black pumps. You ask the woman that works there to get the size you need. You say you need an eight in a half so she comes back and tells you they don’t have anymore in that size. There are two ways to solve this situation. A. Let it go and order the size you need online. B. Pitch a fit and cuss the woman out. If you choose option B then you’re a drama queen, no questions asked. That’s the shit men don’t like. That’s a good way to be replaced. Ladies lets stop doing these annoying things and woman up. I know it can be hard at times, but lets not be what men want and start being what men need.

Women Leading In Higher Education

Women leading In Higher Education

Education offers different options of benefits. Higher education minimizes poverty and unemployment. Research coming directly from our capitol in an article titled, From the White House: Women in America, states that women had an enormous enrollment in attendance than men in both undergraduate and graduate institutions from 1972 through 2008, inspite of age. The percentage of women ages 25-34 with at least a college degree increased by one-half. Looking at a more local approach, the Office of Institutional Research and assessment, Jacksonville State University, Dr. Alicia Simmons, Director, produced JSU at a Glance to show the numbers and percentages of the male and female graduates here at our own institution. Dr. Simmons listed the enrollment by gender for Fall 2012, and also, proved that women are leading in higher education here at Jacksonville State University.

Although we have to achieve receiving a high school diploma or earn a GED to enter into any college, according to Women In America, “higher percentages of women than men participate in adult education.” Today men and women are always at a standstill about who is smarter than the other. Between arguments over who can do it better or who said it right can always end up confusing. Men and women always seem to get lost in translation. So with today's data and statistics we can get a better understanding as of where each of the sexes stand and are possibly going. A more simple way to determine who is smarter would be to compare who performs better academically.

Unfortunately, over many years it has been a problem determining which gender actually perseveres more to receive a college degree, now with technology and research of today we are more than capable of showing who is winning the race. “Over the last 100 years, it has been researched that everyone in the developing world has been (and still is) gaining about three IQ points, but women have been known to gain them faster,”James Flynn stated in an ABC News article. “This is the result of modernity. In every country where women have an equal chance of modernity, women have caught men [in IQ testing].” From personal perspectives, we can see how women have been rising above throughout the years because of obtaining more rights and gaining more independence and confidence in what they do in their everyday life. On the other hand, men also have been steadily moving forward but, staying within the mold they have created for themselves in previous years which was: being the breadwinner, head of the household, and more than usually being hard headed.

In college, every year the freshmen class is always the largest. An article From the National Center for Education Statistics total that first-time freshmen enrollment in degree-granting institutions increased 48 percent from 1995 to 2009.

Between 2009 and 2020, first-time undergraduate freshman enrollment is projected to increase

• 11 percent overall;
• 6 percent for men; and
• 15 percent for women

Figure 23.
Actual and projected numbers for total first-time freshmen enrollment in all postsecondary degree-granting institutions, by sex: Fall 1995 through fall 2020

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Even though women have proven to be more than capable to enroll into school, it is still a tight race with men closely behind them. We salute and take our hats off to the men and women of America who are striving for higher education.

Forever and Ever

Is Sex the key to a lasting relationship?

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           The secrets to a fulfilling relationship or marriage is what couples have been asking and even praying to know for ages. The Romans prayed to Venus, the goddess of beauty and love, the Greeks, Aphrodite. Even today people seek advice on their relationships or attend couples therapy. One particular issue of failing relationships is physical intimacy. In a blog by Tara Parker-Pope, she examines what happens when sex leaves the marriage as her blog suggests. “Couples that have sex more often are generally happier than couples who don’t,” according to Denise A. Donnelly, an associate professor of sociology at Georgia State University. While sex is an important factor to some couples it’s not the sole reason on which relationships are based.

How important is sex to relationships and do men view sex differently than women? Studies show that men have a greater sex drive than women. Of course some men may have greater sexual drives than other men and the same is with women. According to the Department of Psychology at Case Western Reserve University, “Men have been shown to have more frequent and more intense sexual desires than women, as reflected in spontaneous thoughts about sex, frequency and variety of sexual fantasies, and desired frequency of intercourse.” Women are more into emotional intimacy than physical. Words affect women more than touch. An article in Family Life by Dennis and Barbara Rainey has an actual chart that shows the differences in the way men and women view sex. It’s a fact that divorces have been based on partners not being satisfied sexually. I know some males and maybe even a few females who would say, what else is there? The answer is almost limitless.

Opposites attract is only true with magnetism.The common saying “opposites attract” shouldn’t be used when finding a suitable companion. Some may argue that differences give basis to conversation and that these differences are why you’re interested in the person. Gena Kaufman, a writer for Glamour Magazine, says “what couples should be seeking is compatibility. Similar interests, world views, parenting styles, and goals in life can be the true keys to a lasting relationship.” Besides attractiveness, the keys that Gena Kaufman listed are as important if not more to a long fulfilling relationship.

Many people choose partners because they’ll be more financially secure. Money is another make or break issue with relationships. “Till debt do us part,” would be a more fitting vow than death. According to an article in The New York Times by Dan Hurley, “the average divorce rate in the United States is 40%. Of those 40%, 50% of the marriages that got divorced were couples that had less than a 4 year college degree.” Why do I bring that up you ask? It’s simple. People with a 4 year college degree earn 1 million more dollars than people without one. So it’s safe to say that if financial security matters to you look for a partner that has a college degree.

The point I’m trying to make is that your sexual desires and fantasies, however tempting they may be, are secondary to these other reasons. Using dating sites to find a mate is a growing trend in America. And this trend is growing for a reason. This sites ask specific questions about money, interests, and parenting styles. In fact, “17% of newlyweds met from online dating in 2010,” says an article in The Washington Post. It’s time to broaden the scope on what we look for in our spouse. It’s your choice.