Article Review - 1471 Words

â€Å"Physicians themselves are notoriously bad at estimating prognosis in patients with cancer, and overly optimistic estimates can influence patients’ chemotherapy decisions†(Obermyer, 2017, p. 3). As such, it is imperative that an accurate means of predicting patients’ risks and outcomes with regards to chemotherapy be found and used in clinical application. The three articles studied in this review use very different methods of predicting patient outcomes, and prove more accurate than the current â€Å"predictions... from randomized trials of individual chemotherapies, or SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results) estimates†(Obermyer, 2017, p. 18). Regardless of their apparent successes, there is room for improvement in all three†¦show more content†¦The Harvard team also generalized cancer into only 6 sub-categories: colorectal, non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, breast and prostate cancer. It would be interesting to see if the accuracy of the machine learning algorithm would increase with increased specificity of diagnosis of cancer. Overall, this study had an extraordinarily large data set (7000+) and their analyses of the data is well planned. That said, more in-depth categorization of cancers and further data with regards to overall patient health during and before diagnosis, prior to treatment, would prove immensely informative and helpful. The second article, â€Å"A framework to translate preclinical findings to the clinic†, created a â€Å"computational framework to implement phase i trials (virtual/imaginary yet informed clinical trials) using an experimentally calibrated mathematical model of melanoma combination therapy†(Kim, 2015, p. 2). In other words, they developed one program to generate virtual heterogeneous patients (similar to what would be used in clinical trials) whom they would then subject to chemotherapy under different living conditions according to their mathematical model and optimal treatment strategy. The study’s ultimate goal being to develop the most effective treatment of cancer for each individual patient. As the patient body was entirely virtual aside from in-vitro experimentation, they were ableShow MoreRelatedSample Article Review1246 Words   |  5 Pagese Article review : Sample 1 Source Bell, R.L. Lederman. (2003). Understandings of the nature of science and decision making on science and technology based issues. Science Education, vol.87, no.3, p.352-77, viewed 15 March 2005, EBSCOhost database Academic Search Premier, item: AN9578033 Introduction This review critically reviews the article ‘Understandings of the nature of science and decision making on science and technology based issues’ by Randy L. Bell and Norman G. Lederman which appearedRead MoreArticle Review : Our Undemocratic Constitution1202 Words   |  5 PagesBicameralism and Constitutional Article V are two of the main factors Levinson believes contribute to this difficulty. Bicameralism means it takes two legislative houses instead of one to approve any legislation. Levinson feels â€Å"Whatever the undoubted attractions of bicameralism, it always makes it harder to pass legislation (35).† He believes having two houses that do basically the same things just slows down the process of actually making a change to the constitution. Article V however, is another partRead MoreWhat Does It Take A Good Review Of An Original Scientific Article ( 6 Points )? Essay882 Words   |  4 Pagesto Dr. Hoppin, what does it take to do a good review of an origi nal scientific article (6 points)? Dr. Hoppin discussed four main responsibilities in guiding reviewer in the reviewing process of scientific paper. When reviewing a scientific article, the role of reviewers is to shear their experience, knowledge, time and provide constructive criticisms and suggestions. The reviewer has to be motivated by providing suggestions for improving the article to be more educational, informative and usefulRead MoreArticle Review1045 Words   |  5 Pagesremaining childless until age 35 years? Results from an Australian birth cohort study. (Steele et.al, 2014) Article review. The study described in the article attempts to demonstrate that precarious employment conditions force women to procrastinate first childbirth till age 35. Below here there are the short summary of this article and its evaluation, focused on the choice of variables, the article structure and the study results. The base for the study was the same as in the Life Journeys of YoungRead MoreArticle Review734 Words   |  3 Pages The peer-reviewed article I analyzed was â€Å"Conducting a Functional-Based Intervention I a School Setting to Reduce Inappropriate Behaviour of a Child with Autism†. The focus of this article is â€Å"to assess the utility and feasibility of using three functional behavior assessment procedures in conjunction with the Behaviour Capture program when identifying the function of problem behavior in a school and to inform development of a function based intervention.† (Camacho, Anderson, Moore, FurlongerRead MoreA Review Of The Article Review1332 Words   |  6 Pagesenvironmental voices is clear in the article published titled Critics Challenge Emissions Target (Wingrove 2015, May 16). The first person referenced is the Environmental minister, followed by a business professor at the University of Alberta, subsequently a green peace campaigner, and final ly an oil sands program director for Pembina Institute who called the oil sands the largest growing source of emissions in Canada. Given the top down orientation of news articles, prominence is repeatedly awardedRead MoreArticle Review On The 1365 Words   |  6 PagesOur Father Who Is In Heaven By J Stark | Submitted On January 13, 2016 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Expert Author J Stark Is this simply a prayer recited by many, under varying circumstances or mightRead MoreArticle Review1052 Words   |  5 PagesIn the article, â€Å"Organized Greek Games†, the author, William J. Baker’s goal was to educate on the difference between Olympic Games as they are today, compared to Olympic Games as they used to be in ancient Greece. In this article, William Baker also described to us, the relationship between the ancient Olympic Games, and Greek religion, what some of the Greek philosophers thought of the Olympic Games, and the role of athletics in general, in ancient Greek Society. William Baker’s article, â€Å"OrganizedRead MoreArticle Review1507 Words   |  7 PagesFirst educational researchers realize that scientific methods of research do not adequately measure what is happening in the classroom. Secondly, new technologies have led to new classroom activities that necessitate new methods of analysis. This article suggests that if current tr ends continue, descriptive research methodology will grow in popularity and use.Read MoreArticle Review783 Words   |  4 PagesMindByte #3 Matteo Rocco Lawrence Caprio I want you to read the following article,† How statistical deception created the appearance that statins are safe and effective in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease†, David m. Diamond and Uffe Ravnskov; Expert Rev. Clin. Pharmacol. Early inline, 1-10 (2015) a) On the first page, Hill’s criteria for causality is referenced. I now want you to research the term; â€Å"(Bradford) Hill’s criteria for causality† and list six of the possible

My Favorite Creative Element Is Imagery - 1178 Words

Writers are undoubtedly the connoisseurs of the linguistic world. The amazing thing about the written word is that it has no conviction; every literate human being has the same tools at their disposal and yet no two writers ever have the same flavor. I was fortunate enough to have recognized this at a young age. I immersed myself in all aspects of the written word: lyrics, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, etc. What has always excited me as a writer is my appreciation for the power that words can have on people. From Stephen King to Stephen Biko, every great writer that I have come across has further entrenched me in my passion for writing. My favorite creative element is imagery, thus my aspirations to write for film and television. Working†¦show more content†¦He was a clean-shaven man with short brown hair and he wore a gray suit. Gregory scampered over from the wall of monitors to greet him.† (Marks 2) When I approach any piece of writing, I synthesize a movie in my hea d as I write. If I am writing a speech I picture myself at a podium reading, that is just how my brain works. My aim in any work is to create a relevant and vivid image that readers can latch onto. I felt that throughout the piece Wallace had an innate ability to put the reader in the moment. Throughout my readings I always find myself right with the narrative. My favorite/least favorite passage was the following: (the only reason it is both is because the imagery gave me sympathy pains) â€Å"The worst scalds seemed to be the right arm and shoulder, the chest and stomach s red was fading to pink under the cold water and his feet s soft soles weren t blistered that the Daddy could see, but the toddler still made little fists and screamed except now merely on reflex from fear the Daddy would know he thought possible later, small face distended and thready veins standing out at the temples and the Daddy kept saying he was here he was here, adrenaline ebbing and an anger at the Mommy for allowing this thing to happen just starting to gather in wisps at his mind s extreme rear still hours from expression.† (Wallace 1) It is evident that Wallace has taken the time to choose his words and that

To Whom It May Concern free essay sample

Re: Ms. Rama Devi Yechuri It gives me great pleasure to write a letter of recommendation for Ms. Rama Devi Yechuri for a teaching position at your institution. Ms. Yechuri has proven to be a very dedicated worker and will be an asset to whichever organization she is employed. Ms.Yechuri has been serving as a Science lecturer at this college from September 1998 to the present. She teaches from grades 9 through 12. As a member of staff she has demonstrated particular interest in and a passion for the teaching of the science subjects. No doubt her enthusiasm will go a far way in inspiring students’ interest in the subject matter as well. Among the duties that Ms. Yechuri fulfilled while on staff were preparing, administering and grading tests and assignments that evaluate students’ progress. She was also able to successfully adapt teaching methods and instructional materials to meet student’s varying needs and interests. We will write a custom essay sample on To Whom It May Concern or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Her approach to her students was indeed sympathetic and humanitarian and thus guaranteed positive results. Both students and their parents alike speak commendably of Ms. Yechuri and how she was able to positively motivate students to succeed. As a teacher she was able to communicate effectively with students and their parents and work in concert with these stakeholders to address the educational concerns of students. Without a doubt her character and conduct are of high order. She has a cheerful disposition and her relationship with staff and colleagues has been cordial. I therefore do not hesitate in endorsing her as an excellent candidate to be appointed as a science teacher in your district. I expect that your community would benefit considerably from her teaching skills. Please feel free to call me if I can be of further assistance. I wish her success in all her future endeavors. Sincerely, Principal Name and College Seal J.M.J (Jesus Mary Junior) COLLEGE FOR WOMEN Nagarjuna University Tenali, Andhra Pradesh State INDIA-521201

Problem Solving Process and Methods

Problem solving Problem solving is a process that is mentally inclined and forms part of a bigger problem solving process that incorporates finding the problem and shaping it to required solutions. Problem solving methods are techniques or skills used to solve life problems. They refer to an individual’s ability to reason both inductively and deductively, as well as be able to apply logic, which can help that individual to infer the problems, analyze and think critically, among others.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Problem Solving Process and Methods specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Methods used The problem is an analysis of the operations of a small sporting goods retail shop. Several approaches we used in problem solving include use of interviews, SWOT analysis and PEST analysis, brainstorming, research in books and journals and review of industry publications. Interviews In solving the problem, we us ed interviews as one method. This involved engaging several store managers in a conversation, which involved asking them questions concerning the types of sporting products they stock. The outcome of the interviews were able to give us data about each store’s product price range, products they carry, services and their targeting customers, their positioning tactics and how they differentiate themselves among others. SWOT analysis Using this method, we were able to evaluate the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in sporting goods retail shop. SWOT analysis lays emphasis on the business entity as a single unit. The data from interviews were used in summarizing similarities and or differences, advantages and or disadvantages among the stores and competitiveness over one another. PEST analysis Using this analysis, we were able to analyze the macro-environmental framework of the sporting retail shop. PEST analysis measures the business market potential in line with ext ernal factors. This was possible since this analysis bases its focus on political, economic, social and technical views of the analysis. We used the internet for identifying external environment such as local trends, social, economic, political; technological that may affect the small sporting retail store. Observation The other method we used in problem solving is observation. Using this method, we did a study on several sporting retail shops regarding their web appearance, designs and did comparison among the stores. This method enabled us to identify missing contents or links that would further enhance the business’s visibility and its competitive nature. Brainstorming This process involves the input of a group’s creativity whereby the group tries to find solutions to problems by getting idea from each member of the group. Through this process, we were able to engage the input of the instructor when we encountered problems. Through this process, we were able to crea te a range of new ideas and easily solve the problems and it helped in motivating the group members since everyone had his/her input taken into consideration.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Research in books and journals Using this method of problem solving, we were able to learn how the industry’s financial statement looks like, such as, revenue, profit margin, return on asset, inventory turnover, and asset turn over, advantage and Interest burden. This we did by using library database, which includes books and journals. When analyzing the financial statement of the sporting goods retail shop, we used marketing, accounting and finance books. Review of industry publications Using this method in problem solving, we were able to gather information of the sporting retail shop concerning its market share. Particularly, we used the publication of national sporting busine ss for collecting the general data and overview of the sporting retail shop industry in the market. This report on Problem Solving Process and Methods was written and submitted by user Brinley Russell to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Social Justice In Education Essays (616 words) - Raewyn Connell

Social Justice In Education Social Justice in Education ?Social Justice in Education? by R. W. Connell discusses the role of education in society and the implications that social justice issues have on education. Connell begins by establishing that education and social justice can be examined separately yet they are inescapably linked through the social medium of their implementation. ?Education concerns schools, colleges and universities, whose business is to pass knowledge on to the next generation. Social justice is about income, employment, pensions or physical assets like housing.?(Connell, 1993) Three points validating the equal importance of social justice and the education system to people of all delineations are: 1.) in Western society public schools are key forums of social interaction and comprise some of the largest social institutions 2.) educational institutions are highly economic bodies and have become ?major public assets? (Connell, 1993) 3.) teaching becomes a vehicle by which society is ultimately determined and has a g reat influence over society's morality. Connell describes the meaning of justice in education as being ?a question of fairness in distribution? equality.?(Connell, 1993) ?Justice cannot be achieved by distributing the same? standard good to? all social classes.?(Connell, 1993) By stating this, Connell summarizes that in the attempt to achieve equality, unequal means must be employed. The implications for teaching presented by Connell's article are immense. The concept of equality in education and the equality of access to education are matters that are determined by the social constructs of the society in which we live. The notion of equality in education means that educators must approach all material and subject matter with a premise of unbiased predetermination. Music, math, science, fine arts, English, Japanese, history, etc? must all be considered on a par. Our current educational system does not treat all subjects as equal in our public education system. The stereotypical reading, writing and arithmetic (primary subjects) take precedence over the fine arts and like subjects (secondary subjects). Social justice criteria as presented in this article, establish that economic variables are a means of determination for favouritism within the educational institution. Where the primary subjects receive ensured funding, the secondary subjects receive funding when d eemed viable. This creates inequality at the very base of the institution itself. The result is degradation to all facets of the educational system. ?The moral quality of education is inevitably affected by the moral character of educational institutions. If the school system is dealing unjustly? The quality of education for all? is degraded.? (Connell, 1993) I sometimes wonder why administrators and educators, the facilitators of education, cannot realize the reasons behind the success and failures of our education system. I have often heard educators and scholars refer to the greatness of the Renaissance and Romantic eras in world history and their frustrations due to the loss of the benefits of those times. The secondary subjects during those times of grandeur were not secondary, but they were primary and equal subjects to all others; therefore, the benefits of equalization of subjects importance is essential in achieving those past benefits as well as a highly developed society. Connell presents an intriguing argument and concludes with several ideas. ?Individual equality is the condition, not the goal, of a just social order.?(Connell, 1993) Education which favours is a ?corrupt education? (Connell, 1993) and ?social justice is? fundamental to what good education is about.? (Connell, 1993) Finally Connell states that good means different things to different people and ?justice cannot be achieved by distributing the same? standard good to? all social classes.? (Connell, 1993) Bibliography Connell, R. W. ?Social Justice in Education?. In Schools and Social Justice. (Toronto: Our Schools/Our Selves Education Foundation, 1993) pp. 11-19. Education

Atomic Bomb Use essays

Atomic Bomb Use essays In 1945, the world was changed forever by the first use of the atomic bomb against civilians. This may have been the single most defining event in the twentieth century. Now, the world really could be potentially destroyed, and one false move by government officials could mean the end. This new brand of warfare was first used by the United States against the Japanese in an effort to end the war between the two nations. Yet was the use of this bomb really necessary? This question alone raises several other questions, and this essay will deal with a few specific ones, using Gar Alperovitzs novel The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb as a source. First, why did the United States drop the atomic bomb on the residents of two Japanese cities? According to proponents of the bomb, the reason was to end the war against the Japanese. However, Japan was already in deep trouble as it was. The country was running out of agricultural and industrial power by 1945, and its leaders were starting to accept the reality that they would not be able to win the war. On page 334, Aplerovitz notes that Henry H. Arnold stated in his memoirs that it always appeared to us, atomic bomb or no atomic bomb, the Japanese were already on the verge of collapse. One exception to Japanese surrender was that they wanted to keep their form of government, but the fact that the United States was not clear on the terms of surrender delayed the whole process. All these factors seem to show that Japan would probably have surrendered without the use of the bomb. In fact, several advisors to Truman have said that a mere demonstration of the bomb would probably have done the trick. L. Louis Strauss, the soon to be president of the Atomic Energy Commission, proposed that, the weapon should be demonstrated over some area accessible to the Japanese observers, where its effects would be dramatic (Alperovitz, pg. 332). Yet Truman still decid...

THE ECHR AS A LIVING INSTRUMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

THE ECHR AS A LIVING INSTRUMENT - Essay Example One of the powerful interpretive tools used by the EctHR has been the conceptualization of the ECHR as a living instrument. It is settled case law that the ECHR is â€Å"a living instrument which must be interpreted in light of present-day conditions.† A critique of judicial activism may criticize the use of the living instrument rule as an impermissible intrusion of the Strasbourg Court into the policy-making domain. This paper analyses this proposition and the development of the living instrument rule in light of Strasbourg jurisprudence in respect of two articles of the ECHR, article 3 and article 8. Article 3 of the ECHR states that no one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The original Court began the articulation of the living instrument methodology in the well-known case of Tyrer v. United Kingdom when it was required to determine the compatibility of judicial corporeal punishment with article 3 prohibition on cruel and degrading punishment. The Government of the Isle of Man argued that judicial corporal punishment was acceptable to the inhabitants of the island. However, the Court held that: â€Å"... the Convention is a living instrument which, as the Commission rightly stressed, must be interpreted in the light of present-day conditions. In the case now before it the Court cannot but be influenced by the developments and commonly accepted standards in the penal policy of the member States of the Council of Europe in this field.

Discuss Hirst and Thompsons view that globalization, as conceived by Essay

Discuss Hirst and Thompsons view that globalization, as conceived by the more extreme globalizers, is largely a myth - Essay Example The first reason is that globalisation is not a new, unprecedented phenomenon. It has been going on for over 2,500 years,3 being greatly instrumental in helping ancient Greek, Roman, Chinese and Middle Eastern civilisations bring together large areas.4 Silks from Asia were sold in the Roman Empire under the rule of Julius Caesar. The Middle Ages period witnessed Europeans buying pepper grown in Asia. Portugal ousted the Ottomans to establish control over the Indian Ocean in the 16th century, with its powerful caravels and carracks guaranteeing spice trade. The same scenario is repeated today, only this time it is the mighty fleet of U.S Navy carriers that is safeguarding the oil trade.5 The Dutch East India Company is credited with transforming globalisation into a remarkable business development in the 17th century. Dubbed as the world’s first Multinational Company {MNC} it pioneered the allotment of shares {a crucial driver for globalisation} as a method of dividing risk and facilitating joint ownership. During the 19th century, the liberalisation that took place {dubbed as the ‘First Era of Globalisation’} saw the speedy growth of trade and investment first between the European imperialist nations and their colonies, and later between the former and the United States.6 The second reason is the existence of Regional Blocks. Contrary to the concept of globalisation that involves the manufacture and distribution of goods and services of similar characteristics and quality on a global basis, nearly all trade involving big companies currently occurs within these blocks. Prominent traders find it more logical and profitable to concentrate on national and regional levels.7 Research has established that business enterprises tend to conduct operations in one of 3 Regional Blocks – North America, the EU and Japan.8 Within each Regional Block, trade activities are largely carried out by the Multinational Companies (MNCs)

Compare and contrast Blake and Wordsworths view of London Essay Example for Free

Compare and contrast Blake and Wordsworths view of London Essay The poets Blake and Wordsworth both wrote poems about Englands capital city, London. The poets themselves each came from different backgrounds which may have influenced their view of London. Wordsworth was born and brought up in the Lake District and spent the majority of his life there, which may have led him to concentrate on the natural features of London. In contrast Blake was more aware of the industry and poverty of the capital City. He had lived all his life in London, receiving little formal schooling and even witnessing the death of his brother from consumption. Wordsworths poem Composed upon Westminster Bridge presents a calm and relaxed view looking across the water and the city. He writes about what he sees and views London as a majestic royal palace. Wordsworth reflects upon his subject with deep felt emotion, seeing it as a spiritual place of peace. Dull would be the soul who could pass by, a sight so touching in its majesty. He describes a special morning when the city seems to be asleep and is in awe of the tranquillity never saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!. Wordsworth is therefore commenting on the natural beauty that he sees rather than the daily life behind this scene. In contrast Blakes poem is entitled London. Talking directly about the city itself it is the account of a person walking down the street saying what he sees. He is more concerned with the people who make up the City. Instead of seeing beauty he sees pain in the emotions of the people he meets. In every cry of every man. Blake concentrates on the oppression and poverty of the city. He blames the Church and authorities for their lack of attention and care for the people of London. Every blackening Church appals. The tone of the poem shows a lack of awareness; some safe inside while pain goes on outside, and the hapless soldiers sigh runs in blood down Palace walls. In keeping with this pessimistic view, Blakes poem is structured in a methodical and measured tone. It is written to a steady beat in four stanzas. This has the feel of a walking pace as he wanders around the city viewing its misery. Blake uses repetition to emphasise his point in every cry, in every voice. It is a formal bleak approach giving the bare facts as he sees them. Wordsworths poem is altogether more flamboyant. As a romantic poet he writes this poem in the form of a sonnet. This style is mainly used in love poetry. This structure emphasises the way Wordsworth concentrates on the physical aspects Wordsworth views around him. One line flows into another in an informal way. It is descriptive and reflective but does not attempt to look beyond the outward appearance all bright and glittering in the smokeless air. Wordsworth as a rich man, the son of a lawyer, views London on face value. He looks down upon the city from his lofty position unaware of the poverty below. His tone is full of grandeur earth has not anything to show more fair. He feels moved in his spirit and in harmony with his environment. Wordsworths tone is full of wonder, focusing on the magnificent buildings and seeing the city itself as a living being full of emotion. Blake expresses his feelings of frustration and sadness. He describes chartered streets and chartered Thames, which emphasises how everything has been taken over and oppressed. He comes from a lower middle class background; the son of a hosier and the tone of this poem expresses his awareness of the poverty around him marks of weakness, marks of woes. This sadness turns to aggression as the poem proceeds, criticising the Church and even the corruption of marriage. And blights with plagues the marriage hearse. There is a hopelessness and desperation expressed within this poem. Blake refers to mind-forged manacles, the metaphorical chains in which the peoples minds are held. This is typical of the negative images used throughout. The one beat rhythm and child-like tone emphasises the steady march towards an inescapable fate. This language underlines the lack of control which people have, their lives grinding out a pre-set pattern. Everything is owned each chartered street. Even the Church is blackening, sinful, cruel, with a lack of purity and care. The oxymoron marriage hearse shows the conflict within society the hypocrisy of marriage whilst poverty encourages prostitution to flourish the youthful harlots curse. The words are stark and shocking, exaggerating the problem to gain our attention blasts the new-born infants tear. The language used by Wordsworth is full of splendour never did the sun more beautifully steep. He paints pictures with his words, using the images of the shining sun, the gliding river the beauty of the morning. He extends a simile of the city by personifying it as clothed in sleep. The city now doth like a garment where the beauty of the morning, silent, bare. Wordsworth creates a feeling of awe and wonder at the beauty of creation. He uses the metaphor of the city like a mighty heart lying still. The sounds evoked by Wordsworth poem are very peaceful and calm the river glideth, the morning silent. In contrast Blake uses sharp sounds which are onomatopoeic in nature blasts, curse, cry. He uses a strong heavy rhythm emotive of the oppression felt with repetitive force and mark in every face I meet, marks of weakness, marks of woe. The tone of Wordsworths poem is soft and lilting a sight so touching, a calm so deep. This is set against the harsh cry of Blakes London. The approach used by these two writers promotes a different response from the reader. Wordsworths flowery imagery encourages a warm view of London. He is optimistic in his approach, concentrating as he does upon the immediate sights and sounds of a peaceful morning scene. Blake however conjures up a feeling of misery for the plight of the people of London locked in a prison of poverty which he blames on the establishment who have no care for their situation. Blake concentrates on social injustice, perhaps borne out of his own upbringing, whilst Wordsworth seems unaware of anything but the natural beauty of the environment and not its inhabitants. Two seemingly different views of one city seen from varying perspectives.

Advocacy in Social Work

Advocacy in Social Work Advocacy, Rights and Partnership This reflective report contains my experience and understanding of advocacy and explains the types of advocacy and its methods and models, I will explain the theories and relate it to my practice and finally discuss the strengths and weakness of my area of practice and discuss the conflicts of interest implication up on the service user. DEFINITION OF ADVOCACY Advocacy is defined as a key concept in social work practice. It is defined as exerting influence on behalf of organisations and groups within legal power and political structure. Advocacy involves either an individual or group, or their representatives, pressing their case with influential others, about situations which either affect them directly or, and more usually, try to prevent proposed changes, which will leave them worse off .(Pardeck, 1996). Gates (1994) cites four variations of advocacy: legal advocacy, the representation of the user in a formal context, for instance a health-review tribunal; self-advocacy, where the individual or a group of individuals speak up for themselves, a form of empowerment; collective or class advocacy, the large organisations who speak for the interests and rights of a category of people; and citizen advocacy, the representation of the users interests by a competent advocate (eg a Social worker). Advocacy is a concept embraced by social work and advocating for clients is vital for the social work profession. The primary goals of advocacy are achieving social justice and people empowerment. In achieving these goals, a proactive, responsive and participatory approach is necessary (Pardeck, 1996). My role as an advocate during my placement was to speak on behalf of my clients and to empower them to advocate on their own behalf, whenever their rights have been denied; for example in accessing state benefits or demanding repair work from local Housing departments. The advocacy role, from a social context, includes the redistribution of power and recourse to an individual or group, guarding their rights and preserving their values, conserving their best interests and overcoming the sense of powerlessness (Pardeck, 1996. pg 151). RESOURCES AVAILABLE WITHIN PLACEMENT My second year practice placement was with a charity organisation, in the London Borough of Newham called RAMP (Refugee And Migrant Project). RAMP is one of The Renewal Programme projects and is registered with the Home Office Office of Immigration Services Commission. RAMP works to enable refugees and migrants (including asylum seeker) to realise their potentials and facilitate their integration into society. The focus of the organisation is to provide advice and advocacy and support on welfare benefits, housing and education and NASS National Asylum Support Services. RELATING THEORY TO ADVOCACY When I began working with migrants, refugees or asylum seekers, I took a very holistic and Person Centred Approach that allowed me to work in partnership and give them the opportunity to go through their own problems and find their own solutions to them. Carl Rogers was the founder of Person-Centred therapy. As a psychologist in the 1950s and 60s he studied the process of counselling and came to the conclusion that a number of basic principles were required in order for there to be a positive relationship and outcome between the client and the therapist. These are also known as core conditions: . Unconditional positive regard that involves the therapist being non-judgmental and accepting the client and their experiences. . Congruence, which means that the therapist displays their true thoughts and feelings during the session. . Empathy, where the therapist shows understanding towards the clients experiences without oppressing them. When engaging with my clients, I demonstrated unconditional positive regard by not judging them as individuals or for the needs they had; I wanted to find out what it is that they wanted/needed. I was congruent in that I acknowledged the fact that I was a student and I was also learning myself, and therefore I may not be able to answer all questions immediately. Finally, I showed empathy by acknowledging similarities that I may have with them such as coming from a minority ethnic community. As well as the core conditions, I used the Exchange Model of communication to engage in my meetings with my clients. Smale and Tuson (1998) point out that the exchange model believes that the client has an equally valid perception of their problems and that they themselves can contribute to finding the solutions. This also facilitates partnership between the worker and the client. The exchange model was effective because English was the second language for all my clients therefore enabled me to ask them simple, open-ended questions that were free from professional jargon, compared to Procedural model that has pre-set questions to conform to the requirements of the agency. I used two main theories to look at situations during my practice placement: Systems theory and Muslows Hierarchy of Needs. Systems theory originates from Bertalanffys (1971) biological theory that all things are part of a system: sub-systems that make up super-systems (in Payne, 1997). The theory is also known as ecological perspective; family theory and networks theory depending on what context it is used. Systems theory allows you to look at the whole picture and not just one aspect of a particular case. The concept of circular causality is also significant in this theory and it suggests that: if something happens in one part, it affects the other. I therefore did not analyse clients situations in isolation, I looked at their surroundings and their systems to understand their situations better. Pincus and Minahan (1973) describe 3 systems in which people depend on (in Payne, 1997 p.141): Societal systems (housing, social security and schools) For some of my clients, their housing department was part of their societal systems that they may have been experiencing problems with. On top of this, some of their main informal systems their families may be missing from them (i.e. still in their own countries). This had a detrimental effect on their self-confidence and achievement as it left gaps in the systems that are supporting them. Maslows hierarchy of needs highlights that the family is a very important factor in meeting basic needs for example, security. By being estranged from their families, clients are already at a weak point and according to systems theory; this also affects their formal and societal systems. As a social worker, in order to promote and enable my clients and to empower them, it was important that I was able to maintain as many systems around them as possible. This was important for their confidence and future development. When carrying out my work with asylum seekers, refugees and migrants I was very much open and holistic in the way that I looked at the multiple forms of discrimination and oppression that this client group may face. For example I did not only focus on the obvious forms of oppression. Such as race, religion and gender, I also looked at underlying issues such as relationships with partners and domestic abuse. I ensured that I did not ignore the oppression and discrimination that they may face within their own communities. Other theories, models and methods which I used included Crisis Intervention, Task-Centred work, Loss Bereavement amongst others. I found that being able to study, understand and relate these to my practice guided me immensely in my practice. They provided me with the knowledgebase, which I could use to eclectically and effectively in order to work with the many different situations that I worked with. THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SU Adams (1998 p314) sees advocacy as a form of empowerment which, involves representing a persons interests in circumstances where they are not able to do so themselves. It strives to promote social inclusion by empowering marginalised people and therefore, has a direct relationship to anti-oppressive practice in social work. The ethical principles underlying advocacy reinforce working in partnership with users and carers, a key concept in social work practice and community care. Furthermore, the skills required for successful advocacy reflect core skills of social work practice (Bateman, 2000p17). Professionals get involved in peoples lives most of the times to help, but then oppress them by making decisions for them. Oppression is: Inhuman/degrading treatment of individuals/groups; hardship And injustice brought about by the dominance of one group over another; the negative and demeaning exercise of power. Oppression often involves disregarding the rights of an individual/ group and is thus the denial of citizenship (Thompson 1997 p31). In a situation where the Social worker made a decisions without consulting him, his needs and interests were not considered. As Adams (1998p301) affirms remedies to problems encountered lie primarily with experts and thus undermines self determination and authenticity. Most professionals take it upon themselves to make decisions for people as they assume that they cannot make choices for themselves, yet the Mental Capacity Act 2007 argues that almost all including the most severely disabled are capable of making choices and expressing their views and preferences. Therefore it is the Social workers role to challenge the abuse of power for suppression and for excluding people from decisions which affect them as stated by Stanford (accessed 5/01/2009) in the code of ethics. People requiring access to services should not feel that they are beggars, their welfare needs should be met as a right and dignity and respect should be maintained all the times. STRENGTHSÂ  AND WEAKNESSES OF ADVOCACY To assist service users, advocacy may be appropriate to protect the rights of the service user. An advocate will inform an individual of their options, and talk with other services on their behalf, if required to. The role of an advocate is to allow the service user to make their own self-determinations by ensuring they have all the relevant information, whilst at the same time not imposing their own views on the situation (Coulshed and Orme 1998). Difficulties with advocacy arise if the advocate tries to impose their own opinion on the service user, who may be vulnerable, and open to suggestion. The lack of statutory advocacy means that most services are provided by those who have already experienced similar situations, and who may have a biased view or are not trained to deal with difficult situations (Adams et.al. 2002) Anti oppressive practice (AOP): Looking at the structure of oppression developed by Thompson (1993) called the PCS model. I can illustrate how oppression is occurring, because this model is used to develop our understanding of discrimination and the oppression that arises from it. (Thompson,1998:12). It operates at three very separate levels, which are inter-related. These levels being personal, cultural and structural (the term PCS model). (Thompson,1998:12). Oppression itself is a powerful force. On a personal level it can lead to demoralisation and lack of self-esteem, while at a structural level it can lead to denial of rights. (Dalrymple and Burke,1995:57) This statement proves to be true because at the personal level, because the majority of the community that come to our organisation are feeling oppressed by themselves because of not being able to access facilities and not receiving the advice in maintaining their health, hygiene and environment. At the cultural level oppression is coming from other communities because they feel that they are superior to them, due to the fact that they are more familiar with the services and maybe able to speak English, therefore demoralising the community . At the structural level, institutions such as schools, hospitals, social security offices, advice centres the list is endless do not provide a facility whereby individuals from the community can access them, whereby denying them their rights. As an advocate it was my duty to challenge what the service users where feeling and going through, whereby I would empower them to access necessary services and direct them to attend relevant courses in order to tackle there problems and emotional feelings. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST WHICH MAY ARISE IN ADVOCACY The most common conflict of interest that I was faced with whilst advocating was the language barriers between service users and advocacy staff , In reflection throughout the advocacy I noticed the significant difference that language plays throughout society. It made me realise that not having the language skills can be very oppressive to a person and can leave them marginalized from the rest of society. Communication is a skill in itself and it is central to the role of social work (Thompson, 2000). Communication can come in many different forms; this can include verbal, non-verbal, listening and writing skills. Conclusion In conclusion to the finding throughout research and practice, it shows a huge importance in working in partnership with service users and other professional, good partnership helps social workers and other professional to delivery an effective service. Social workers are helping to promote change; even though they are working within statutory agencies their role can have a huge influence from advocacy.

Race Relations Essay

Humanity has been enduring an ongoing battle for centuries: the strained relations among the races. Despite efforts to put the past behind, signs remain at nearly every juncture that there still exists a strong sense of racial dissension. While many Caucasians do not see the problem being as severe as it is represented, African-Americans angrily reply that the lighter skinned race has not had to endure such prejudice and, therefore, cannot begin to identify with the situation. Frank Newport, vice president of the Gallup Poll Organization, says Caucasian Americans do not interpret racism as a big problem, therefore, they do not see a need for â€Å"government intervention† (Anonymous, 1997; 04A). Similarly, Asians, Hispanics and other United States minorities believe they often receive unfair treatment because of their race. However, President Clinton and several organizations — including the National Multicultural Institute, whose main focus is to â€Å"sort out the jumble of expectations and fears that swirl around the initiative’s struggle to reconcile ethnicity and difference with the notion of one American nation† (Green, 1998; PG) — are pushing hard to mend racial tension with a comprehensive program that is designed to bring all races together. Will it work? Or will minorities look upon the effort as nothing more than a Band-Aid covering a much larger issue? To some extent, concepts such as affirmative action have their place in society, yet they will do nothing to alter an individual’s perception of one race or another. In the past, children’s racial viewpoints have routinely been shaped by their parents’ perceptions. This is precisely how racial prejudice is passed down from generation to generation. However, today’s teens appear to be breaking free of the antiquated procession by voicing their own opinions about race relations. While racial hate crimes continue to run rampant, the newer generation tends to believe there is less interracial tension than do their parents (Farley, 1997). What has instigated this considerably lax attitude among the younger generation is not quite clear; yet a TIME/CNN poll has discovered that the adolescent population is far more forgiving of racial prejudices than their adult counterparts. Of twelve hundred, eighty-two adults and six hundred one teenagers aged twelve to seventeen; the younger sect demonstrated a considerable amount of racial tolerance toward one another when compared with the older respondents (Farley, 1997). If given the opportunity, children and young adults will not adopt negative views of other races if they are not placed in such an environment that encourages such thought. However, with the deep-seated hatred that has been bred into so many generations, it has become difficult for some of those prejudice intentions not to trickle down the family line. Yet the TIME/CNN poll was instrumental in establishing that a good number of adolescence of all races have successfully â€Å"moved beyond their parents’ views of race† (Farley, 1997; 88+). To the kids with such an open mind, race is no more important to them in either a social or personal level; yet it is not to be overlooked that these same respondents were still able to recognize the fact that racism was one of America’s biggest problems today. Even so, over one-third said the problem — though it exists — is insignificant (Farley, 1997; 88+). As it relates to their own lives, eighty-nine percent of the African-American adolescents who responded said the problem was small or did not exist at all. Amazingly, the Caucasian respondents – both young and old — considered racism a more â€Å"dominant issue† (Farley, 1997; 88+) than did the African-American adolescent respondents. What does that say about the varying impressions of race relations? Depending upon which race is viewing the issue, it appears the seriousness of the problem could be considerably damaging or an insignificant obstacle. Still, optimism is high that the younger generation deems race relations as being in good standing. This may be a â€Å"sign of hope† (Farley, 1997; 88+) or nothing more than â€Å"youthful naivete† (88+); regardless, it demonstrates a long awaited shift in the social climate relating to race relations and its consequences. Sociologist Joe R. Feagin says the answer may lie with both options. His interpretation of the lack of adolescent racism is that reality has not fully set in for those who have not yet experienced the real world. â€Å"You have to be out looking for jobs and housing to know how much discrimination is out there† (Farley, 1997; 88+). Feagin contends that those who have a better grasp of racial reality are those who are over the age of nineteen. Reasoning behind this is that comparatively few African-American teenage respondents said they had been victimized by discrimination; contrarily, half of the African-American adults admitted they had (Farley, 1997). Experts are concerned that adolescents are being too gullible when it comes to realizing the truth of the matter. Others contend that perhaps they are willfully setting a precedence for others to follow that will ultimately initiate a genuine improvement in race relations. It is not as though contemporary teenagers do not have knowledge of history and its negative treatment of minority races; rather, it appears they have more faith in their own future than their parents did before them. Additionally, today’s youth are trying to move away from the typical â€Å"scapegoating† (Farley, 1997; 88+) that has become so commonplace in society. Suspicions arise with poll results, however, in that they do not always reflect the truth; many people are more apt to give â€Å"socially acceptable† (Farley, 1997; 88+) answers rather than what is truly in their hearts. Yet this is not likely to be the contention of teenagers who, for the most part, speak more freely and true to form than adults. A believer in this concept is sociologist Howard Pinderhuges, author of Race in the Hood: Conflict and Violence Among Urban Youth, who firmly contends that teenagers are genuine. â€Å"Teenagers are a mirror of our souls. They speak plainly about things that adults would like to hide. Political correctness isn’t an issue to them. You’re more likely to get what they think unfiltered† (Farley, 1997; 88+). Still, through all this optimism, there exists an invisible boundary line that, even though race relations seem to be improving, keeps the races separated. Seventeen-year-old Danny, one of the TIME/CNN respondents, commented that his friends consisted more of African-Americans than Caucasians. This, in and of itself, was not as enlightening as was his admission of the fact that â€Å"we just talk in school† (Farley, 1997; 88+), not allowing the relationship to progress into one’s personal territory. It was a normal occurrence for none of Danny’s African-American friends to visit him at home or for him to go to theirs; the lines of separation were clearly drawn. Experts consider this to be accountable in large part to the amount of violence that takes place in the â€Å"crime-plagued housing projects† (Farley, 1997; 88+) where many of his friends live. The situation is far from unusual. Even among African-American youths, the interpretation of neighborhood safety has its variations. According to the TIME/CNN poll, forty percent of African-American teenagers claim to have known someone in their age group who has been killed, whereas just fifteen percent of Caucasian teenagers said they had experienced the same. Interestingly, African-American youths believe they are treated unfairly by enforcement officers, while one-third believe they are â€Å"at risk† (Farley, 1997; 88+) of receiving unfair treatment. Just one of five Caucasian youths feels the same. John Hope Franklin, head of President Clinton’s race relations task force, claims genuine racial betterment will not arrive until â€Å"you have improvement in the home conditions of kids of all kinds† (Farley, 1997; 88+). An intriguing informal study gives an indication of how racial difference runs deep within an individual’s psyche. Psychologist and author Beverly Tatum, who recently wrote Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? , routinely poses the following question to psychology students: â€Å"I am _______. † What is most interesting about the answers she receives is the fact that Caucasian students fill in the blank with an adjective describing their personalities or characters, whereas students of other races are more apt to finish the sentence identifying their ethnicity. According to Tatum, such racial recognition is born out of adolescent peer pressure, â€Å"societal influences and self-reflection† (Farley, 1997; 88+). Polls are regularly put to use to determine the public climate on race relations. A recent USA TODAY survey of more than two thousand college freshmen from around the country reported that forty-five percent perceived race relations as having a positive stance within society; in all, two percent thought relations between African-Americans and Caucasians were excellent (Kohen, 1998; PG). A poll in The Independent, a British publication, noted that one-third of the Caucasians believed one should marry only within one’s race (Forna, 1998; 1, 2). Granted, views of younger generations may be quite a bit more diverse than those of the older sect, but those younger views are what will ultimately shape the future of the country. Being on campus allows people the opportunity to intermingle more frequently with those of other races, which may give them the false impression that the rest of the world is as friendly with one another as they are at school. Unlike out in the real world, campus life encourages the fraternization of racial groups, attempting to overthrow the narrow- mindedness often found on the streets of reality. Noel Barrion, Asian American Student Union president, observes this difference each and everyday he looks to see who is sitting next to one another in the school cafeteria. â€Å"Racial discrimination is out there. People just aren’t aware† (Kohen, 1998; PG). Barrion says the AASU works hard to bridge the gap that separates the races as they exist on campus. Naima Stevenson, Black Student Union President, says the solution to â€Å"combating racial discrimination† (Kohen, 1998; PG) is to keep the lines of communication as wide open as possible in order to â€Å"confront the complexity and richness of in the United States† (Delgado, 1997; 39A). Because of this forward moving attitude, the relationship between the two campus racial organizations is in good standing. Says Barrion: â€Å"The vehicle between us becoming friends is the desire to be involved† (Kohen, 1998; PG). Both Stevenson and Barrion admit to the difficulty of establishing just how much race relations have changed for the worse or better during their short stay at college, but they both have reason to remain positive that future change will be for the better. For Stevenson, looking back after several years to find a marked improvement in campus race relations would be ideal. They both believe that if relations continue in the manner they currently are, this would not be such an unexpected occurrence (Kohen, 1998; PG). However, it is not uncommon to find just the opposite opinion from other students. The USA TODAY poll revealed that far more African-Americans sense the negativity with regard to race relations than does any other race. Yet despite actions in place to bridge the racial gap, those like Barrion and Stevenson believe far more can be done than the efforts currently available on American college campuses. While the opportunity is there for expansion, there is just â€Å"not enough diversity on campus† (Kohen, 1998; PG). â€Å"It looks like it will still be the same problem going into the new millennium. There’s plenty of opportunity to meet someone of another culture or that you would have never known about before† (Kohen, 1998; PG). President Clinton has set his sights on bridging the racial gap in an effort to improve the country’s â€Å"deteriorating race relations† (McFeatters, 1997; 68). By using his clout as Chief Executive and standing behind the affirmative action policy, Clinton hopes to turn around some of the prejudice that continues to spread across the land. A speech he gave at the Million Man March in Texas in 1995 effectively forecasted America’s situation as one where an inordinate number of people â€Å"fear deep down inside that they’ll never quite be able to see each other as more than enemy faces, all of whom carry a sliver of bigotry in their hearts† (McFeatters, 1997; 68). Clinton contends that America must clean its house of racism; that â€Å"a house divided against itself cannot stand† (McFeatters, 1997; 68). While these words ring true, it is not clear as to what the President intends to do in the long run to curb racism in the United States. One thing he does propose is a more fair system of dispersing wage earnings among African-Americans, of who only one-fourth make upwards of thirty-five thousand dollars a year compared to one-half of all Caucasian Americans (McFeatters, 1997; 68). Speaking on the topic of integration, President Clinton agreed with Franklin who proposed the only way to clear the cloudy air of racism was to encourage â€Å"open and honest dialogue† (McFeatters, 1997; 68) among the races; that it was, indeed, the â€Å"critical first step† (68) in the direction of genuine racial integration. Other critics say it is time to â€Å"end the reliance on racism as an explanatory concept† (Wortham, 1996; 253) for all racial problems and â€Å"move beyond the black-white paradigm† (Gold, 1998; B-2) when the topic turns to race relations. â€Å"When we say true integration, we mean the opportunity of every American to develop to the fullest extent of his capacity. We mean that every individual regardless then of regardless of religion, regardless of ethnicity, every American has an opportunity, should have an opportunity to move forward as rapidly as his talents, his or her talents, and as rapidly as the opportunities open† (Page et al, 1998; PG). BIBLIOGRAPHY Introduction to Psychology; Inner Reality, Outer Reality in Diversity, Jennifer Iljas ISBN: 0-7575-2864-3 Anonymous (1997, June). Poll finds pessimism on status and future of U. S. race relations// Perceptions are black and white. Star Tribune, pp. 04A. Delgado, Richard; Perea, Juan F. (1997, November). Racism goes beyond black and white. Rocky Mountain News, pp. 39A. Farley, Christopher John (1997, November). Society: Kids and race: A new poll shows teenagers, black and white, have moved beyond their parents’ views of race. TIME, pp. 88+. Forna, Aminatta (1998, August). Bridge over troubled water. Independent on Sunday, pp. 1, 2. Gold, Matea (1998, February). L. A. shares its experiences with race relations panel; Diversity: Video points out what the city has learned and seeks to widen presidential advisory group’s discussion beyond black-white issues. Los Angeles Times, pp. B-2. Green, Sharon (1998, May). Washington, DC, President’s initiative on race: Progress. Talk of the Nation (NPR), pp. PG. Kohen, Rochelle (1998, February). USA Today survey reveals poor perception of race relations. University Wire, pp. PG. McFeatters, Ann (1997; May). Clinton hopes to close racial divide. Rocky Mountain News, pp. 68A. Page, Clarence; Hansen, Liane (1998, June). Race Initiative. Weekend Sunday (NPR),pp. PG. Wortham, Anne (1996, January). Distorting the Dilemma. The World & I, vol. 11, pp. 253.

Torture: Morality and Terrorist

In the article â€Å"The Truth about Torture†, Charles Krauthammer considers the ticking time bomb problem and argues that torture is sometimes not only morally permissible, but morally necessary. Krauthammer uses the example of terrorists in his example, what if we captured a terrorist with knowledge of an attack and the knowledge of future attacks; do we torture him for his information? Or simply just have him locked up? (Krauthammer 2). Utilitarian considerations are sufficient to justify using cruel actions against terrorists to extract confessions.Even though is cruel to torture one to extract information, it is our duty as citizens to maintain the happiness as a whole and do what is necessary to save lives. Utilitarianism is a consequential normative moral theory, which state the moral value of an action is determined by the most happiness or utility it creates (Mill 461). If we use this definition to analyze the case, then yes it is sufficient to use cruel actions such as waterboarding and sodium pentathol injections on terrorists to extract information.Waterboarding is a terrifying and deeply shocking torture technique in which the prisoner has his face exposed to water in a way that gives the feeling of drowning (Krauthammer 3). Sodium pentathol injection is a sedative drug; its purpose is to disinhibit the higher brain centres to make someone more likely to share their information (Krauthammer 3). In parts of Asia, torture is embedded in the criminal justice system (Wong 1). So there is no concern as to why torture can’t be used in the example of the terrorist. By torturing the terrorist, we are able to extract information from him, thus doing what is morally right and save lives.Maintaining and creating happiness among the whole is more important just the happiness of a person. If that is the case then wouldn’t torturing the terrorist be the right thing to do? Torturing him would make the world a more peaceful place and also lett ing terrorists know that we are not scared of them and we’ll do whatever it takes to spoil their well-thought-out plans. Utilitarianism allows for violations of justice. This is one of those violations because we’re torturing for the good of humankind and fighting off evil at the same time.Some might argue torturing someone is morally wrong, even though is for a good cause. The example of waterboarding and sodium pentathol injection is cruel and non-humane. This is because both these examples violate basic human rights. Injecting sodium pentathol into another human is usually against their own will, let alone extracting information from them without their consent. Utilitarianism holds that actions tend to help promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce unhappiness (Mill 462). In this case, wouldn’t we create unhappiness for the terrorist because he is suffering?Saving lives is one thing, but there must be better ways of extracting information than to tortu re another human. With regards to torture on the terrorist, is important to note that utilitarian maintain that each person’s happiness is to be weighted equally and that happiness is pleasure and the absence of pain (Mill 469). Torturing then would be the right thing to do because happiness out-weight unhappiness. More people will be upset and devastated if a terrorist attack did happen and we choose not to torture the terrorist to extract information. If the terrorist attack did not go as planned, so what?The terrorist wouldn’t be devastated and be sad as much as we would have to deal with the death of innocent people. The terrorist will probably just think of a better plan and hope it’ll execute to perfection the next time. Is necessary to be cruel and torture a terrorist to get information, but on one condition, if happiness out-weight unhappiness. This is the case when we know lives can be saved by means of torture. Torture is cruel, with examples such as i njections of sodium pentathol and waterboarding, but sometimes is needed to help do what’s best for humankind.Bibliography -Wong Kai-shing. â€Å"The Problem of Torture in China's Criminal Justice System† http://www. hrsolidarity. net/mainfile. php/2005vol15no05/2451/ – Krauthammer, Charles. â€Å"The Truth about Torture† http://www. weeklystandard. com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/006/400rhqav. asp? page=3 -Mill, John Stuart. Utilitarianism. In Introduction to Philosophy: Classical and Contemporary Readings, Fifth Edition. Eds JohnPerry, Michael Bratman and John Martin Fischer. New York, NY: Oxford University press, 2010. Pp. 457-476.

United States History Essays - Monopoly, Market Structure

United States History Essays - Monopoly, Market Structure United States History "From 1790 to the 1870?s, state and national governments intervened in the American economy mainly to aid private economic interests and promote economic growth. Between 1890 and 1929, however, government intervention was designed primarily to curb and regulate private economic activity in the public interest." Assess the validity of this statement, discussing for each of these periods at least TWO major areas of public economic policy. The statement is essentially true, in the time of 1790 to 1870?s private business was at its peak, government and state did little to control or usually was in favor of big business. Laissez-faire was the common policy towards regulations and business dealings in general. However form 1890 and 1929 the attitudes changed, more people were concerned with the well being or the people, concerned with the ever growing power of big businesses; government and state started to regulate them in the very ways that the previous time period. I. 1790-1870 a. regulation 1. many businesses were free to do as they pleased i. Carnegie Steel ii. RR 2. monopolies were established i. multimillion dollar industries were formed a. Standard Oil b. Carnegie Steel ii. little done to regulate these "big businesses" a. not until Sherman Anti-trust Act was there an attempt made to regulate monopolies 1. even that didn?t have teeth 3. with the monopolies prices can be fixed, nothing was done to stop this until the late 1800?s 4. laissez-faire policies were favored at the time b. business in general 1. conducted in the way the top 1% saw fit i. Andrew Carnegie ii. John D. Rockefeller iii. J.P. Morgan 2. big business prospered while the small business owners were left to the mercy of the big guys 3. economy was based on the few people that had all the money i. this resulted in many poor, few rich ii. yet again government/state didn?t do a thing till after the late 1800?s 4. strikes and unions illegal at the time II. 1890 - 1929 a. regulation 1. Acts begin to show their teeth i. Sherman Anti-Trust Act ii. Interstate Commerce Act 2. Monopolies started to be broken up i. "Trust Busters" a. Teddy Roosevelt b. Woodrow Wilson ii. regulation of business more strict 3. People start to realize the evils of a laissez-faire economy i. no one but big business would profit 4. old styles of thing are soon taken over by a new thinking i. all people are important ii. economy which was mainly directed towards the few wealth was now being directed towards the majority, not the minority b. business in General 1. unions legal i. AFL 2. per capita income rose from $450 to $567 3. even presidents view changed with the election of Roosevelt i. " President was steward of the people" ii. Hepburn Act a. regulated RR b. moved to rid laissez-faire 4. Corrupt business tactics reformed i. Pure Food and Drug Act a. to control the unscrupulous tactics of the big businesses and to help the conditions of life. 5. important people are more concerned with the poverty of the country i. presidents a. Taft b. Wilson ii. some rich iii. writers 6. policies changed towards rich being all important to a more conscious moralistic view of the people being important In conclusion I believe that the economic policies during 1790 to 1870 were in fact set up to aid private interests of the few wealthy in the U.S. because of the ever prevalent growing wealth in individuals such as Rockefeller and Carnegie. Monopolies and securities grew without restraint in this time period. Things fundamental to the peoples needs were neglected, such as unions and price regulations Whereas in the 1890 to 1929 policies and views were shifted to a more central focus on the public interests and monopolies were starting to be toppled by "trust busters" and laws and regulations set against them such as the Sherman Anti-trust act and the Interstate Commerce Act which were first made effective with president Roosevelt.

Josephine Baker, Dancer, Singer, Activist, and Spy

Josephine Baker, Dancer, Singer, Activist, and Spy Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald; June 3, 1906–April 12, 1975) was an American-born singer,  dancer, and civil rights activist who overwhelmed Parisian audiences in the 1920s to become one of the most popular entertainers in France. She spent her youth in poverty in the U.S. before learning to dance and finding success on Broadway, then moving to France. When racism soured her return to the U.S., she took up the cause of civil rights. Fast Facts: Josephine Baker Known For: Singer,  dancer, civil rights activistKnown As: â€Å"Black Venus,† â€Å"Black Pearl†Born: June 3, 1906 in St. Louis, MissouriParents: Carrie McDonald, Eddie CarsonDied: April 12, 1975 in Paris, FranceAwards and Honors: Croix de Guerre,  Legion of HonourSpouses: Jo Bouillon,  Jean Lion,  William Baker,  Willie WellsChildren: 12 (adopted)Notable Quote: Beautiful? Its all a question of luck. I was born with good legs. As for the rest...beautiful, no. Amusing, yes. Early Life Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine McDonald on June 3, 1906, in St. Louis, Missouri. Bakers mother Carrie McDonald had hoped to be a music hall dancer but made her living doing laundry. Her father Eddie Carso, was a drummer for  vaudeville  shows. Baker left school at age 8 to work for a white woman as a maid. At the age of 10, she returned to school. She witnessed the East St. Louis  race riot of 1917 before running away when she was 13. After watching the dancers in a local vaudeville house and honing her skills in clubs and street performances, she toured the United States with the Jones Family Band and the Dixie Steppers, performing comedic skits. Getting Started At 16, Baker began dancing in a touring show based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where her grandmother lived. By this time, she had already been married twice: to Willie Wells in 1919 and to Will Baker, from whom she took her last name, in 1921. In August 1922, Baker joined the chorus line of the touring show  Shuffle Along in Boston, Massachusetts before moving to New York City to perform with the  Chocolate Dandies  at the Cotton Club and with the floor show at the Plantation Club in Harlem. Audiences loved her clowning, mugging, improvising comic style, foreshadowing her style as an entertainer. Paris In 1925 Baker moved to Paris, France, more than doubling her New York salary to $250 a week to dance at the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre des Champs Elysà ©es in La Revue Nà ¨gre  with other African-American dancers and musicians, including jazz star Sidney Bechet. Her performance style, referred to as Le Jazz Hot and Danse Sauvage, took her to international fame riding the wave of French intoxication for American jazz and exotic nudity. She sometimes performed wearing just a feather skirt. She became one of the most popular music-hall entertainers in France, achieving star billing at the  Folies-Bergà ¨re dancing seminude in a G-string ornamented with bananas. She quickly became the favorite of artists and intellectuals such as painter  Pablo Picasso, poet E.E. Cummings,  playwright  Jean Cocteau, and writer  Ernest Hemingway. Baker became one of the best-known entertainers in France and all of Europe, her exotic, sensual act reinforcing the creative forces coming out of the Harlem Renaissance in America. She sang professionally for the first time in 1930 and made her screen debut four years later, appearing in several films before  World War II  curtailed her movie career. Return to the US In 1936, Baker returned to the United States to perform in the  Ziegfield Follies, hoping to establish herself in her home country, but she was met with hostility and racism and quickly went back to France. She married French industrialist Jean Lion and obtained citizenship from the country that had embraced her. During the war, Baker worked with the Red Cross and gathered intelligence for the French Resistance during the German occupation of France, smuggling messages hidden in her sheet music and her underwear. She also entertained troops in Africa and the Middle East. The French government later honored her with the  Croix de Guerre  and the  Legion of Honour. Baker and her fourth husband, Joseph †Jo† Bouillon, bought an estate she named Les Milandes in Castelnaud-Fayrac, in southwestern France. She moved her family there from St. Louis and, after the war, adopted 12 children from around the world, making her home a world village and a showplace for brotherhood. She returned to the stage in the 1950s to finance this project. Civil Rights Baker was in the U.S. in 1951 when she was refused service at the famous Stork Club in New York City. Actress Grace Kelly, who was at the club that evening, was disgusted by the racist snub and walked out arm in arm with Baker in a show of support, the start of a friendship that would last until Baker’s death. Baker responded to the event by crusading for racial equality, refusing to entertain in clubs or theaters that werent integrated and breaking the color barrier at many establishments. The media battle that followed almost triggered revocation of her visa by the State Department. In 1963, she spoke at the March on Washington at the side of Martin Luther King Jr. Bakers world village fell apart in the 1950s. She and Bouillon divorced, and in 1969 she was evicted from her chateau, which was sold at auction to pay debts. Kelly, by then princess Grace of Monaco, gave her a villa. In 1973 Baker became romantically involved with American Robert Brady and began her stage comeback. Death In 1975, Bakers Carnegie Hall comeback performance was a success. In April she performed at the Bobino Theater in Paris, the first of a planned series of appearances celebrating the 50th anniversary of her Paris debut. But two days after that performance, on April 12, 1975, she died of a stroke at 68 in Paris. Legacy On the day of her funeral, over 20,000 people lined the streets of Paris to witness the procession. The French government honored her with a 21-gun salute, making her the first American woman to be buried in France with military honors. Baker had remained a bigger success abroad than in her home country. Racism tainted her return visits until her Carnegie Hall performance, but she had a profound influence worldwide as an African-American woman who had overcome a childhood of deprivation to become a dancer, singer, actress, civil rights activist, and even a spy. Sources Josephine Baker Biography: Singer, Civil Rights Activist, Dancer. Biography.com.Josephine Baker: French Entertainer. Encyclopedia Britannica.Josephine Baker Biography. Notablebiographies.com.Dancer, Singer, Activist, Spy: The Legacy of  Josephine Baker. Anothermag.com.Josephine Baker: The Black Venus. Filmstarfacts.com

Health and Wellness Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health and Wellness Program - Research Paper Example occur or influenced within an organization while external factors are those occurring outside the organization and organization does not have any control or influence over them (Lindahl, 2011). One of the key factors that are critical in determining the performance of employees and ultimately the organization’s overall performance is health and wellness. According to Ingham and Norris (2007), the more the employee stays healthy and fit all year round, the higher the likelihood of improved organizational performance. Therefore, to ensure that organizations benefit from the employees’ good health and fitness, most organizations have embraced health and wellness programs. However, it should be noted that quite a significant number of organizations have not embraced this crucial program Lofton (2007). Also, it should be noted that even though some organizations have embraced these programs, they have not implemented the programs effectively thereby not reaping the full benefits of the programs Lindahl (2011). Health and wellness of employee is considered as one of the most important factor in determining organizational performance because it is internal and exter nal impact within an organization; employees need to be healthy and well within and outside the organization so as to enhance their productivity as well as to enable the organization respond to external challenges facing the organization Ingham and Norris (2007). In order to understand this organizational behaviour topic, this paper will address the following aspects of health and wellness: health and wellness programs and organizational culture; health and wellness programs in the work environment; assessment of health and wellness programs; effective health and wellness programs; and design and implementation of health and wellness programs. Health and wellness programs should recognize that building a supportive organizational culture is important Lofton (2007). The programs should seek to ensure

Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Systems - Essay Example (Wikipedia, n.d., para.1) A typical manufacturing organization is a system, because it has a structure. Usually an organization consists of parts, which also consist of parts. These parts of the organization are called subsystems. Equipment consists of lathes, production lines, computers, printers, scanners, coffee-machine and so on. Each piece of the equipment in its turn is a complex mechanism that consists of parts, so it also is a system. Buildings in a typical manufacturing organization consist of workshops, floors, windows and elevators, so they are systems also. Every room inside every building can be broken by parts also, so it also is a system. An organizational workflow is also a system, because it consists of such parts as time and financial indicators and appointed resources. Moreover, each workflow has one more division: by inception phase, elaboration phase, construction phase and transition phase. (Kroll and Kruchten, 2003, p.8) So the workflow as a system can be described in two dimensions. An open system can be influenced by events outside of the declared boundaries of a system. A closed system is self-contained: outside events can have no influence upon the system.

Iran Nuclear Deal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Iran Nuclear Deal - Essay Example In as much as the Iran nuclear deal has raised a lot of debates on the implications of the deal on international platform, it is evident that the deal is a great milestone achieved regarding international relations and diplomacy. America and the international community have for many decades put measures including international sanctions and freezing of the Iranian assets as a means of averting the Iranian intention of making nuclear weapons, but only with immense level of failure. It is thus obvious that the Iran nuclear deal framework is a diplomatic way of solving the nuclear issue (Bremmer, 2015). With the agreement towards the Iran nuclear deal, the deal would help in the reduction of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. This is an important step since uranium is one of the major nuclear elements required in the manufacture of an atomic bomb. A reduction in the stockpile of uranium is thus a peaceful means of ensuring Iran does not manufacture the bombs. Additionally, the deal through the limit of the nuclear facilities in Iran would increase the time required for Iran to process a nuclear bomb from two to three months to at least one year. The increase in duration is very crucial as it gives the international community time to monitor Iranian nuclear activities ensuring Iran does not manufacture a nuclear weapon. Being that Iran agreed to international monitoring of its nuclear activities with robust level of transparency, it would be difficult for the country to use its nuclear stockpile for military purposes;

Moscow Dynamo Football Essay Example for Free

Moscow Dynamo Football Essay Many people would argue that sport helps bring people together and helps overcome divisions of race, nationality, class and religion. The Soviets drew upon this ideal in 1984 when they called the Moscow games, the friendship games. As well as bringing people together, sport can just as easily raise political consciousness and force people apart. The collective passion for Barcelona F.C is interlocked with politics, as is the connection between sport and nationalism in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Supporting this view, George Orwell comments on the visit of the Moscow Dynamo Football team to Britain in 1945, sport is an unfailing cause of ill-will andif such a visit has had any affect on Anglo-Soviet relations, it could only be to make them slightly worse than before. (Atyeo, 1979, P.372) Governments have been known to use major sporting events to try and divert the attention of the masses away from certain political and social problems that country might be encountering as well as trying to improve their national image. For example, in the nine months leading up to the Moscow Olympics, drunks, hooligans and dissidents were rounded up and headed out of Moscow to try to prevent any sort of dissent, which could mar their public relations. Certain groups use the prominence of sport, which has been increased in recent years thanks to sport becoming a global television spectacle, to make a political point. In most cases, the choice of sport to make the political point is arbitrary, as it is the prominence of the sport in the public eye which is the critical factor. The 1972 Munich Olympics saw the killing of 10 Israeli athletes by eight armed Palestinian gunman, and the 1968 Mexico Olympics saw a protest by the student movement about the cost of hosting the games, which was a huge financial burden on the poor country, result in the army opening fire on the demonstration, killing 260 and injuring 1,000. Although politics does not only cite sport when dissidents intervene. There are a number of groups and individuals that have used sport and its prominent position in the public eye to raise political consciousness about what may be happening in that country. For example, the 2003 cricket world cup saw the wearing of a black armband by two of Zimbabwes players in protest against the Mugabe regime. The two players, Henry Olonga, the first black man to play for his country, and Andy Flower, in most cricket fans opinion, Zimbabwes greatest ever player, were almost universally praised for their dignified statement about the human rights abuses in their homeland. Ian Chappell, former captain of Australias cricket team and one of the many who applaud Flower and Olonga for their brave stance commented that; you realise when you go through life that there are occasions when you have a louder voice. If theres something youre moved about, thats the time to speak out for those who do not have a louder voice. The World Cup also saw the boycott by England of their opening match in the competition against Zimbabwe, for which they first cited moral, political and security concerns, then changed it to concerns about player safety as the reason for boycotting the game. A decision they might have latter regretted as the points gained for winning that match would have taken them into the super-six stage of the competition and maybe further. Theyre many people who believe that England made the right decision in boycotting this match, but there are also people who did not. David Coltart, who believes that politics has no place in sport, puts forward some arguments for going ahead with the match. He comments, paradoxically, holding the matches in Zimbabwe opens up a tiny piece of democratic space for those fighting tyranny. He also notes if no further matches take place (in Zimbabwe), there will be no further reason for the regime to behave better. Kate Hoey, writing for Sky Sports online, who disagreed with Coltart, argues that the match shouldnt have been played because the message that will be sent out worldwide is that Zimbabwe is a normal functioning country, which is patently untrue. She feels sport and politics must unite against the Mugabe regime and thus the England team needed to pull out of the match to raise worldwide awareness about the human rights abuses dictator Mugabe is undergoing. This view coincides with Ian Chappells view about the need to speak out for those without a louder voice. It is not only the players who sometimes feel the need to tackle political issues, the broad fact is that sports bodies on occasion have to confront inter-state political issues. (Allison, 1983, P.33) This was no more evident when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) excluded South Africa from the Olympic movement, not because of governmental pressure, but because the social and economic system in South Africa does not allow sport to be practiced there in accordance with the IOCs own rules as laid down in the Olympic Charter. The Welsh Hockey associations decision to not send a team to Argentina in 1985 because of the ill feeling that could still have been left over after the Falklands War is another example of a sporting body taking into account political situations before making a decision. There are so many examples of sport being influenced by politics over the years and so much theoretical evidence linking the two to say sport can remain uninfluenced by politics and politicians. Whether or not sport should remain uninfluenced by politics is of much wider debate. Events in Zimbabwe have highlighted many peoples opinions that sport and everyone involved in it has a responsibility to make sure important political issues such as the Mugabe regime are not ignored and that something is done to try and resolve them. But whatever view you may have on whether it is right for sport to get involved with politics, it becomes apparent that sport and politics cannot be mutually isolated (Allison. 1983, P.29) however much the sports enthusiast would wish them to be. Bibliography Books  Allison,L. The Politics of Sport, (Manchester University Press, 1983)  Whannel, G. Blowing the Whistle: The Politics of Sport, (Pluto, 1986)  Houlihan, B. The Government and Politics of Sport, ( Routledge, 1991)  Lapchick, R, E. The Politics and Race of International Sport, (Greenwood Press, 1975)  Voy, R. Drugs, Sport and Politics, (Leisure Press, 1991)  Atyeo, D. Blood, Guts and Violence, (Paddington Press, 1979)

The Effect of Pride and Prejudice on Darcy and Elizabeths Relationship

The Effect of Pride and Prejudice on Darcy and Elizabeth's Relationship The novel 'Pride and Prejudice' was written in 1796. It was written by a writer who's name was Jane Austin. The book was first published in 1813, and has consistently been Jane's most popular novel. The original version of the novel was written in 1796, and was called 'First Impressions'. In the story there is a family called 'The Bennett's'. This is one of the main families in the book. The whole novel is almost based around this family. In this family there is, Mr & Mrs Bennett, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Lydia, and Kitty. There are five daughters. Mrs Bennett is very determined to get her daughters married to someone with a lot of money. An entail is to limit the inheritance of property or estate to a specified succession of heirs. A good marriage is very important for everyone. This is because the person you get married to is the person that you are going to spend the rest of your life with. In the time that Austen wrote her novel, marriage was for life. There was no way out of a marriage. Divorce was not a common occurrence as it is today. A good marriage is important because you and your partner are together "to have and to hold, in sickness and in health" There are many effects of pride on the relationship of Darcy and Elizabeth. In chapter 33, Darcy says, "It distressed her a little," this evidence, tell us that Darcy thinks that she likes another man called Colonel Fitzwilliam. He believes that she will marry to have financial security because Colonel Fitzwilliam is rich. However, Elizabeth knows that she will marry for love and not for money. So Darcy is shown to be prejudiced against Elizabeth, because she is of low... ...rcy, and Elizabeth's relationship. I think that both characters have each other to blame for the inconveniences they caused each other. They are both proud of their own social status and they both do not which to be judged. However they both are prejudiced towards each other in many senses. Darcy is prejudice towards Elizabeth because he believes that she should be flattered that he has proposed to Elizabeth, being of a lower class than he is. On the other hand, Elizabeth is prejudiced towards Darcy, because she judges him on first impressions and on what she hears about him. I think that this pride and this prejudice that both characters poses, only causes them to be distant from each other for a longer period of time and that they should have been a happy couple form the start. This could have been done if they did not let their pride come in the way.

How Pop Culture Affects Teens Essay

Popular culture is all around us and it influences many teens across the world. Teenagers are affected by pop culture in almost every aspect of life whether it is music, media, celebrities, fashion, and even literature. These kinds of things have become top priority for teenagers of today’s world. They have surrounded themselves by it and have grown to love, even worship pop culture. Our main objective is to raise awareness to the significance of popular culture in comparison to the cultures of the world. â€Å"Popular Culture is the new Babylon, into which so much art and intellect now flow, it is our Imperial Theater, Supreme Temple of the Western Eye. We live in the age of idols. The pagan past, never dead, flames again in our mystic hierarchies of stardom.† Parental angst about teenagers’ musical preferences is as old as popular culture itself. Ever since Elvis first swiveled his hips for 1950s TV audiences, consensus has zigzagged sharply on how strongly music impacts its teen listeners. Critics see desensitization toward violence as one major consequence of long-term exposure to music with antisocial themes, while defenders of popular culture simply view it as one more signpost in the era of teen rebellion. Popular culture’s influence on teens? It is a known concept that younger teens can be easily influenced. There are several studies that have been done that show the fact that the younger the age, the more likely the person is to follow a crowd. Peer pressure plays a huge role in this also, but the fact is that during the early teen years, one is more likely to pick a role model based on who is considered popular by a majority. The thing is, that may not always be the best thing. This is why there have been several efforts made to regulate the content in popular culture that is reachable to younger children. This includes putting warning labels on CDs, having ratings on television shows, and requiring ID in order to view certain movies. Even though parents and political figures have made several efforts, it may not be enough. Who is really to blame? Is it right to blame the celebrities whose sole purpose is to entertain us? In my opinion, popular culture has had an influence on teens. And depending on the day it is, the influence may not be a good one. Even though I do not feel music or movies should be to blame for the troubles that teenagers have gotten into, there are some teens who feel the need to follow whatever trends that are shown in popular culture, whether it is positive or negative. It is the responsibility of the public figures who are involved in these forms of entertainment to try and be a positive influence. But the one thing that we all must keep in mind is that celebrities are people too and are bound to make mistakes. Teenagers are the group most strongly influenced by popular culture (more commonly called pop culture). What exactly is popular culture? According to Wikipedia English: â€Å"Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred through an informal consensus within the mainstream of any given society.† Thesaurus.com refers to pop culture as a â€Å"modern way of living.† Effects on teens Not only are teens strongly influenced by pop culture but it affects them on many levels. It affects them cognitively (how they think), emotionally (how they feel) and behaviorally (what they do). The last decade has seen exponential growth in the media – with the advent of the internet, mass media has almost been overtaken by social media. The teens have latched onto social media with intensity and this has had both negative and positive effects. Conclusion The relationship between teens, pop culture and the media (mass and social) is deeply symbiotic – and here to stay. The teens of today have grown up with mobile phones and internet access, information always at their finger-tips. Popular culture continues to affect teens in both positive and negative ways. On the other hand, teens also affect pop culture. The sophisticated teen of today is the creator and innovator of the future. Today I am going to talk about the topic: è ¯ Ã© ¢Ëœ Firstly, I’ll present the causes of pop culture. Next, I’ll give the consequences of this trend. Finally,I’ll sum up the conclusion in the short sentences.

How To Prevent Teen Pregnancy Essay

How to prevent teen pregnancy has been a question for many years now. Statistics have been running wild trying to keep up with the teenage generation. Many people have their opinions on the subject (teen pregnancy), because teens seem to be getting pregnant all so fast these days. People fail to realize that having a baby is supposed to be a sort of privilege. Many people take having a baby as a joke. Getting pregnant and having a child involves many pros/cons. For example having a child can be harder on some people than it is on others. When having a baby there are a lot of things to worry about, for the most important part financial problems seem to be the most talked about of teen pregnancy’s. In the prevention of teen pregnancy there are many things that are helpful. For example Abstinence is a for sure factor of not getting pregnant. There are also other helpful ways to help prevent teen pregnancy, such as sex education and birth control. All of these things are essential in the helpful prevention of teen pregnancy. Abstinence is when you give up something you desire or of pleasure to you. Abstaining from sexual activities is a great way to prevent teen pregnancy, and the risk of getting a disease. In the past years less sex and more condoms use has meant lower rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. Abstinence is not a crime, as most teenagers and their peers seem to think. Most teens have sex because of their peers being sexually active. The percentage of sexually active males declined from 57.4 percent to 48.8 percent, essentially erasing the gender gap. In high school students alone the rate for being sexually active went from being 66.7 percent to 60.9 percent in the years of 1991-1997. Abstinence is very important, but the peers your child hangs around are just as important. † The Nurture Assumption † says that peer groups matter a lot more than parents influencing how kids turn out, because you can pass your genes, but not your values. CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth stated that teens are having less sex. CDC’s also stated that more teenagers surveyed that their closest friends were involved in some sort of sex education class, and they were not sexually active. Abstaining from sex and learning more about sex are good ways to assure your knowledge and decrease teen pregnancy. Sex education is the study of the characteristics of being a male or a  female. Such characteristics make up a person’s sexuality. Traditionally children have received information about sexuality from their parents, church, friends, their doctors, and many other people. Many young teens learn about their bodies first. They learn their body part and why they are essential for the body to keep going each day. Many people believe that sex ed. being taught in schools assures children of correct and complete information about sexuality. How sex education is taught varies greatly from on program to another, whether in school or any other program. Sex education starts in kindergarten and continues through high school. From kindergarten through 4th grade, sex ed. teaches children about their bodies and attempts to promote a whole some attitude toward the self-development process. During these years teachers attempt to correct any false ideas children may have learned about sex. In the grades 5th through 6th teachers try to prepare students for puberty. For example, the children learn about nocturnal emissions, menstruation and changes that will take place in their bodies, they also learn and study reproduction. From grades 7th through 9th most young adults interest in sex increases, so they learn more about responsibility, and boy/girl dating. In high school, students learn more about the social and psychological aspects of sexuality. Many other subject come up at this time in a teenagers life, such as marriage, abortion, homosexuality, birth control, and many other topics. Through the teenage years there are a lot of things to be learned and taught, but the most focused on is birth control as stated by John J. Burt, Ph. D., Dean, College of Health and Human Performance. Sex education is of much importance to the teenage generation. Birth control is the control of birth or of childbearing by deliberate measures to control or prevent conception, contraception. An understanding of birth control requires some knowledge of human reproduction. About every four weeks, an egg is released by one of the two ovaries in a woman’s body. The egg then passes through a fallopian tube, and if not fertilized while in the fallopian tube, it eventually disintegrates in the uterus. The egg then passes out of the body during a women menstruation. Sexually, coming from a man millions of sperm are released into the woman’s vagina. If an egg is there sperm traveling through a woman’s fallopian tube will fertilize it  fertilized by the sperm. At this point a human being develops and nine months later a child is born. Most birth control methods are made to prevent contraceptives. The most effective contraceptive method is surgical sterilization. This is when surgery is performed so it will block the spermducts in men or the fallopian tubes in women. There are also many other kinds of contraceptive methods; they involve hormone drugs in order to prevent pregnancy. In many developing nations hormone drugs are injected into the body. These injections must be given every 90 days in order to be effective. Some of the more popular birth controls today are the pill, condoms, Norplant, and the shot. All of these forms of birth control are used to prevent teen pregnancy. Studies show that those methods are becoming effective, because the teenage pregnancy rate has dropped by 11%. Birth control is important to teenagers, and they should be used if a teen should become sexually active. Parents should remember to teach their children about birth control always, just in case a teen should become curious and decide to have sex. In conclusion teen pregnancy has hard an effect on society, in many ways. Most teen pregnancies were not planned. CDS’s says about 65% of teen pregnancy’s were not even discussed with their sexual partners. All of the other percentage of teen pregnancy’s were not planned either, but it had been discussed with the teen’s sexual partner at some point in time. Most teens began having sex without knowing the consequences. Teenagers need to take responsibility and remember to keep safe, because there are various ways to prevent teen pregnancy, for example abstinence, sex education, and various types of birth control.