Paper # 3 – The Decision To Be Gay

To be a gay is a decision. For instance, according to Dr. Paulo Rodrigues, Psicologist of PUC/SP, there are many nature factors that lead our behavior and our choices regarding sexual preferences. He says that if a girl is raised in a home where the father figure is a menace, due to a violent behavior, for example, an alcholic father that spanks his wife and children when he is drunk,  there is almost a hundred percent of chance that this girl will deny the man figure as an attractive sexual element, at the same time that she will develop a different attraction to woman, and this can transform into a sexual attraction. Dr. Paulo has a lot of examples collected during his research that show lesbians that had serious problems with their father figures. The most interesting of them is a girl from the country side of São Paulo: she was thirteen years old, and her father was the principal of the city. Due to a mental desease, he had a kind of double personality so, when he was in home, he became extremely violent, without an appearent reason. In order to not jeopardize his career, his family decided to hide this, and the girl was raised with the two personalities of her father, and the consequence was that she completely denied the father figure, meaning the lost of sexual attraction to the male figure and the start of sexual interesting in girls. Dr. Paulo points out that this is one of the reasons that can lead or not to a lesbian behavior. According to him, the other consequences are that she could be keep interested in man but have difficulties to have a relashionship. Or simply live without a sexual attraction direction.

Paper # 1 – Introduction – Cyro

Hello, people.

Excepting Roberta, who has already studied with me here in Alumni, none of you know me yet. So let me introduce myself at first. I´m 40 years old and I’ve missed my classes last weeks because I’ve a job that sometimes consumes me more that I deserve: advertising.

I’ve inniciate in this area 20 years ago and I still don’t have a good reason for that choice, only that I was a young guy who wanted to be a writer, a journalist or a professional who would like to work with words. I think that the “ads” were the easiest way that time… so here I am, working hard in a advertisement agency.

This english course for me is not only a way to develop my professional skills, but mainly a way to expand some knowledgments beyond my profession. If it’s impossible to read as I used to do in the past, the contact with other language can be a good remedy for that.

At least, I have a wife (since January), and a son from my first marriage. He is 13 years old and loves Palmeiras as I do. (Sorry, Rick, but I still believe we’ll be the champions this year!!!).

Paper # 3 – The Influence of the Environment

Children who are raised in poor areas in America Latina are influenced by the environment that they live, tending to be more violent and commit more crimes due to the lack of opportunities. 

This event occurs basically because of the deficiency of the State to be present in such districts, investing and grating the minimum to them to live with dignity, such as, potable water, electricity, basic sanitation or even brick house. Also, there are a completely lack of education, culture, sports, healthy and social assistance. In general, the funds collected in America Latina from the taxes are consumed by corruptors or spending on other regions where the visibility to electors is higher.  The teenagers who live in these regions do not have any kind of perspective to reach higher steps in their careers and run away of the offers that comes from the criminal system. The mostly opportunities that reached them comes from the drug dealers and other criminals who are willing to recompense with nice paychecks in consideration to their workforce.

Marco Lopes, a resident of Paraisopólis, a huge slum in the middle of São Paulo City, was 17 years old when he decided to apply for several jobs without finishing the elementary school.  After 1 year waiting for a response, he realized that he was refused by those companies who received his resumé. Without any money for helping home and pay his own expenses, he accepted a job of a drug dealer to earn twice than a legal job which was offered by his best friend.

Therefore, the lack of governmental investment in poor areas affects directly the teenagers’ life that does not have opportunities in the market and frequently receive seducing offers from the criminal system. A huge investment in education, culture and sports could modify this scenario and give better life to those who wants to stay out of the illegal side.

Our genes

I believe that who we are is based in our genes. We can do many choices during our life, but I think our main characterists and behaviors come from the genes. Nowadays we are watching many transformations around the world. It is common to see a couple of man in the street and we need to accept their choice. It is clear that society are feeling more free to accept many differents kind of life, but, in fact, I think that it is happening because now we are aware that the genes can influence our personality.

I realy believe on that influence, because, although, nowadays it’s more normal to see gays on the street, I know that it is hard for them to show their position, to live their life. I have a gay friend that has told me that he knows that he born gay, because if he could choose  he would not choose to be gay. It is still difficult for him to face the society. He said that it is hard to live with another man and to introduce that man as his boyfriend in his family. Their parents haven’t accept his option.

Paper # 3 – Eduardo

Nature x nurture

I still believe enviroment is more important for a definition of a personality.

Beside the fact that science has been demonstrate how important genetic caracteristics are absolutly determinate to express a definition of human existence, I believe that DNA form the fisics caracteristics and some expecific abilities. For exemple, musicians in general have parents that probably were musicians too, or had the ability to develop some kind of special  music perception. An atleth receives a genetical information that makes the body able to a competition.

But when I think about emotions, personality, caracter I believe that the enviroment in wich one person had been rised up is much more important then the DNA.

The education that I received from my parents was much more important to define the person that I´m them my DNA caracheteristics. Even my natural impulse for a kind of agressive behavior in certain circunstances, is absolutly under control because of the education that I received.

Psicologists knows that the emotions can be controled, personalities can be formed, some aspects of caracter can be chanced depending on the kind of education that a person receive. Science is now showing something we didn´t know yet. We are suposed to have a natural way predeterminated by biological forces. And scientists are whowing how it happens. Probably a long time ago this caractheristics were in evidence in the human behaviour, but in the last 2000 years of ocidental culture, the enviroment, especialy by education, influences and changes this natural DNA way.