Business: Public Relations and Press Release

The website is http://www.jpmorganchase.com/corporate/About-JPMC/about-us.htm. The sender is JPMorgan Chase’s public relations and communications department. Looking at the variety and richness of messages heralding the successes and profitability of the bank, it is obvious that the message is intended for a variety of stakeholders like investors, potential investors, shareholders, customers and potential customers, employees and even its competitors. Analyze the integrated business communication.Integrated business communication is defined as â€Å"†¦the process of planning, executing and evaluating unified messages that create stakeholder relationships and build brand recognition.† (Stuart, Sarow, and Stuart, 2007,p.14) The press release section uses information from public relations, management, organizational changes, marketing and incorporate these into a series of dynamic message that paints a picture of the company as a whole making it possible for stake hol ders to form a comprehensively positive image of the company. For example, if one looks at the press release of April 25th of 2013, one realizes it heralds through its title â€Å"Chase Ranks #1 in Mobile Banking Functionality† a technological milestone that not only places the company ahead of its competitors, but also entices prospective customers who might see this as a plus.In this particular press release,  many stakeholders are targeted at the same time. In another press release dated April 17th 2013 titled â€Å"100.000 Jobs mission Announces 64,628 U. S Veterans hired Through First Quarter2013†, the company uses public relations technique to announce its position as an outstanding responsible corporate citizen through offering employment to a target under-privileged group. This particular release serves also as a public relationship announcement to prospective veterans that employment is done on the spot. This is an image building and publicity stunt that als o targets a wide variety of stakeholders. Assess the media richness of the section.To achieve its communication strategy, the company uses both audio and video presentations, emails, news feeds, downloadable data and links to other pertinent information that may be important sources of enrichment to its readers or stakeholders. Of particular interest is its use of webcasts and live feeds or reproduced information that can be viewed live or at the stakeholders’ convenience by way of archived presentations. Describe how the message is framed.Framing according to Robert Entman is â€Å"selecting, and highlighting some facets of events or issues, and making connections among them so as to promote a particular interpretation, evaluation and /or solution†, (Stuart, Sarow, and Stuart, 2007,p.18). This is exemplified in the very setup of the website and the various breakdown of the message into sections, topics, dates in a coherent and easily accessible way through internet ac cess and other communication tools. For example, the topics are arranged beginning with investor relations, financial information, CIO reports, annual report and proxy, shareholder presentations, corporate responsibility to feedback link in frequently asked questions. A cursory look at the table of contents shows that there is a deliberate attempt at presenting a unified message about the company to its stakeholders that paints a bright light, vision and growth with special attention to the shareholders.Identify opinion leaders.Opinion leaders that are targeted by the communication are shareholders, prospective employees, employees, customers, prospective customers, government regulators, generally known as stakeholders. Make recommendations  for improving word choice.The choice of words while technically appropriate to its audience, may be confusing to the rank and file customer and investor who may not understand the use of technical words. This is seen in the earnings reports, and other communiquà ©s in the website. I would also recommend that concrete words be used to avoid ambiguity. A more simple but concise language devoid of ambiguity, double meaning laden with cramped up facts and data is recommended considering the targeted audience and general public to whom the message is addressed.

Pragmatism and teachers role Essay

Pragmatism is an American philosophy from the early 20th century. According to Pragmatism, the truth or meaning of an idea or a proposition lies in its observable practical consequences rather than anything metaphysical. It can be summarized by the phrase â€Å"whatever works, is likely true.† Because reality changes, â€Å"whatever works† will also change — thus, truth must also be changeable and no one can claim to possess any final or ultimate truth. C.S. Peirce on Pragmatism: C.S. Peirce, who coined the term Pragmatism, saw it as more a technique to help us find solutions than a philosophy or solution to problems. Peirce used it as a means for developing linguistic and conceptual clarity (and thereby facilitate communication) with intellectual problems. He wrote: â€Å"Consider what effects, which might conceivably have practical bearings, we conceive the object of our conception to have. Then our conception of these effects is the whole of our conception of the object.† William James on Pragmatism: William James is the most famous philosopher of Pragmatism and he’s the one who made Pragmatism itself famous. For James, Pragmatism was about value and morality: the purpose of philosophy was to understand what had value to us and why. James argued that ideas and beliefs have value to us only when they work. James wrote on Pragmatism: â€Å"Ideas become true just so far as they help us to get into satisfactory relations with other parts of our experience.† John Dewey on Pragmatism: In a philosophy he called Instrumentalism, John Dewey attempted to combine both Perice’s and James’ philosophies of Pragmatism. It was thus both about logical concepts as well as ethical analysis. Instrumentalism describes Dewey’s ideas the conditions under which reasoning and inquiry occurs. On the one hand it should be controlled by logical constraints; on the other hand it is directed at producing goods and valued satisfactions. What is the Role of a Teacher According to Pragmatism? According to pragmatism teacher is a friend, guide and philosopher to the child. He must educate the child in social environment so that he may attain social efficiency. There must be positive relationship between teacher and taught. His behavior towards children must be sympathetic. His attitude should be democratic and child must have academic freedom. His function is to suggest problems to his pupils and to stimulate them to find for themselves solutions which will work. His emphasis is not on the knowledge as arranged and systematized in the text-books. He wants the children to do one experiment or to have a particular experience. ‘Doing’ is more important than knowing. Like Socrates the Pragmatist teacher wants â€Å"his pupils to think and act for them, to do rather than to know, to originate rather than to repeat.† Pragmatism and School John Dewey maintains that school is a ‘Miniature Society’ here a child gets real experiences to act and behave according to his interests, aptitudes and capacities. Pragmatists regard school as a social institution where the child gains real experiences of actual life which develop in him social sense and a sense of duty towards society and the nation. Group games, working in laboratories and studying in libraries with others are the various activities and experiences which inculcate in children social qualities, social attitudes together with a spirit of mutual help and cooperative activities. In this way, according to Pragmatism the school is not a centre of education alone but it is also a community centre of various activities and experiences. Contribution of Pragmatism in Education Aims It lays more stress on social and vocational efficiency. Teacher It gives important place to teacher. Student It stresses on child-centered education. Teaching Method New teaching methods are the contribution of pragmatism. Curriculum It lays more stress on experience and learning by doing. Evaluation of Pragmatism Opposition of Pre-determined Ideas Pragmatism opposes pre-determined ideals and values. They are man-made and change according to the changes in circumstances, time and place. Opposition of Eternal Truth Pragmatism does not have any faith in eternal truth. Pragmatists believe that if the result of an activity is satisfactory then it is true otherwise not. No Fix System of Education. Pragmatism provides academic freedom to every institution which leads them nowhere. Pragmatism gives no fixed ideal to education. Such an education is bound to be fruitless. Emphasis on Material and Negation of Spiritual Values There is no room for spiritual values in pragmatism. It gives more Weight age to material values. Without spiritual values, we cannot achieve happiness, contentment and peace of mind and can go astray. Laxity in Discipline Pragmatism allows full freedom to the child who is not proper at the school stage and it leads to serious chaos and confusion. Condemnation of Formal Education Pragmatism advocates that all knowledge should be acquired through direct personal experiences. But knowledge is so vast and the span of life so short, that it is quite impossible to receive all knowledge through direct experiences. Hence acquiring all knowledge needs personal experiences and formal education both. Negation of the Past Pragmatism gives undue importance to the present. It ignores both past and future. The study of past is important to understand the present. Also there is need to link the present with future. Pragmatism is a Method Only. Pragmatism is not a philosophy of life but only a method of education, growth and development. In the words of William James â€Å"There is absolutely nothing new in the pragmatic method. It is just empirical attitude. It has no dogmas and no doctrines save its methods.† Pragmatism believes in Pluralism which is not proper. Merits of Pragmatism Project Method Project method is a gift of pragmatism. Through this method child attains knowledge by solving his practical problems. He performs the problematic acts in natural conditions. This method lays emphasis on learning through experiences. Importance of Child Opposing bookish knowledge and formal education, pragmatism lays great stress upon the development of child’s individuality by his own efforts. This makes education child- centre. Emphasis on Activity The principle of learning by doing is the main contribution of pragmatism. Children are active by nature. It emphasizes on the activity of the child. It prepares the child for future life in a very effective manner. Revolutionized the Process of Education This philosophy has infused life and zest in contribution. The concepts of ‘New Education’, ‘Progressive Education’ and Activity-centre curriculum which have changed the education outlook are the contribution of pragmatism. Social and Democratic Education Pragmatism infuses in a child a spirit of freedom, initiative, equality and also a sense of responsibility in relation to rights and duties of a citizen. This develops in the child love for democratic values and social efficiency which bring harmonious adjustment and development of personality. Progressive Attitude Pragmatism emphasizes the qualities of freedom initiative expression, experiences congenial, environment, purposeful creativity and development of human values for the welfare of whole mankind. In the words of Rusk â€Å"It is merely a stage in the development of a new Idealism that will do full justice to reality, reconcile the practical and spiritual values and result in a culture which is the flower of efficiency.† Pragmatism is an attitude and a way of living which, opposing the old doctrines of Idealism and Naturalism inspires the individual to look ahead and creates new values for an unknown future so that he leads a better, happier and a richer life.

Android’s operating system review

Android’s operating system review Android’s operating system is extremely safe and really hard for malicious users to get into other peoples phones and corrupt them without the user granting them permission but this wasn’t always the case. As the Linux kernel can be accessed directly this means developers have to use advanced software and hardware to ensure integrity of applications, data and the network is kept also confidentiality. Main security features incorporated by Android to protect the phone or tablet is the Google Play app this where users download majority their applications from. Google play now has a license verification and Google Play Protect which scans apps when you download them from the app store. Android also have an app and a website to locate if a device is stolen/lost. It also has a feature that when you download from a website for example and the device can’t verify the application certificate it has a pop up that users have to untick to allow installation from an unknown source. Also the device if enabled can go through periodic scans that will inform a user of potentially harmful apps. This is shown in the diagram. Androids basic security features presented is a pin, password and pattern or in some of the newer devices can be unlocked via the users face. One service that Android phones offer is device encryption. This involves scrabbling the data on the device and only when the device is presented with the correct key could you access the data for example a password or pin. If a user doesn’t enter the correct pass after a certain amount of tries users are sometimes able to set an erase all option. Android uses dm-crypt to encrypt the data. This encrypts data all the way down to the root file system thus working at the kernel level and has a 128 bit algorithm. It allows the whole disk to be encrypted. However once this encryption key is set there is no option to change it without a hard reset of the device and losing all of the data. Newer Android versions have incorporated fast encryption meaning you are prompted to enter your key in at start up, this leads to a slightly long time to get the device started. On the application level Android has introduced sandbox security and permission. Sandbox is an old concept and originated from the UNIX operating system which would split file permissions from processes. This means once the application is up and running unless granted permission by the user the application stays in its parameters and run on a virtual machine. This ensures one app doesn’t have access to another app. It sort of works like a sand toy i.e. once sand is in the toy unless the child allows the sand to come out the sand will never leave the sand boxes walls. This is seen when users first download their app from the Play Store or once downloaded the go to the applications settings and can edit it from there. For example simple applications like a photo editing application shouldn’t be accessing your phone but however it may need to access your storage such as photos or videos, it may also ask for permission to access your camera. With Android there isn’t a specific way an app has to enforce its security. Due to the apps being â€Å"sandboxed† at OS memory corruption doesn’t occur, this also means the native code at the Linux kernel is just as secure as the code operating on the â€Å"virtual machine†. Authentication is being able to identify the user or users and allowing them access to the system. Android uses â€Å"user-authentication-gated cryptographic keys†. On initial start-up authenticator tokens are available to receive information from the user. Users on Android must use a pin/pattern or password. This then generates a 64bit User SID. This works as the â€Å"key to the lock†. This 64Bit code is paired with the users’ password/pin or pattern. When users want to change this they must provide the original password thus giving the original 64bit user SID. If they don’t provide the exact key all the information hidden by the key is lost and this is what is known as an â€Å"untrusted enrol†.

Internet Censorship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Internet Censorship - Essay Example However, other promoters of internet freedom has openly opposed internet censorship stating that curtailment of access to some information runs counter to provisions of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States (Qazi), specifically regarding freedom of speech. Initially, one is firmly opposed to internet censorship as an avid promoter of freedom of personal expression and speech. However, the recent online video of Jin Lin, a university student in Montreal, being murdered made one awefully disgusted that someone can use the internet as a stage to fuel selfish interests and the desire for attention. One thereby discovered that there are websites that specialize in showing viideos of people being killed, tortured or committing suicide. Uncensored sites allow sex offenders and cyber stalkers closer contact to children; these also allow children to research how to hurt themselves or other; and, being exposed to inappropriate online content could have long term negative impact on children. In this regard, the essay aims to contend that internet censorship should be enforced. Government policies and regulations are designed to ensure protection from Internet users from piracy (through Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)), Protect IP Act (PIPA), and illegal electronic activities through the recently proposed Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA). Some groups aver that SOPA, PIPA and CISPA present arguments that curtain freedom and therefore considered bad. One supports the objectives of these legisltations since these are mainly trying to protect people from losing mone and from being abused. However, despite these regulations, the Internet continues to become a tool for crime, terrorist activities and source of inappropriate materials. The Internet has been the source of pornographic materials which can be easily accessed by children; therefore it should be appropriately censored. The Top Ten Reviews website featured â€Å"Internet Porno graphy Statistics† which revealed that as much as â€Å"90 percent of children ages 8-16 have viewed pornography online† (par. 1). The tabular illustration below provides significant statistics on childen internet pornography, as cited from the Top Ten Reviews: Children Internet Pornography Statistics Average age of first Internet exposure to pornography 11 years old Largest consumer of Internet pornography 35 - 49 age group 15-17 year olds having multiple hard-core exposures 80% 8-16 year olds having viewed porn online 90% (most while doing homework) 7-17 year olds who would freely give out home address 29% 7-17 year olds who would freely give out email address 14% Children's character names linked to thousands of porn links 26 (Including Pokemon & Action \ Man) Source: Top Ten Reviews This information was corroborated by statistics gathered and published by the Enough is Enough, a website funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention that exposed staggerring information on children being intentionally or unintenionally exposed to pornographic, violent and obscene websites and have

Being Polycultural Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Being Polycultural - Essay Example He discusses his own problems as a child who comes from such lineage. He also brings a new point of view regarding various cultures and impact of each on the other. With the help of Robin Kelly’s article, we are going to analyse and discuss, acceptance of children of mixed parentage in the western society and how Kelly’s concept of being polycultural has helped him in his struggle for acceptance. Today we talk about child psychology and not to hurt the young, vulnerable hearts of kids and young children. But whenever we talk about somebody’s lineage and parentage do we realise that the discussion can leave a permanent scar on the mind of the kid? Upbringing of these children in the society: It becomes a challenge for the parents to keep these prejudices at bay when they bring up their children in as neutral environment as possible. However the tragedy starts when the children grow and start realising that they are someone different from the people around. The dif ference is only the colour of the skin they carry but they are constantly made uncomfortable in their own skin. Robin Kelly has described his life as a normal American teenager. In Harlem in the late 1960s and 1970s, Nehru suits were as popular—and as â€Å"black†Ã¢â‚¬â€as dashikis, and martial arts films placed Bruce Lee among a pantheon of black heroes that included Walt Frazier of the New York Knicks and Richard Rountree who played John Shaft in blaxploitation cinema. How do we understand the zoot suit—or the conk—without the pachuco culture of Mexican American youth, or low riders in black communities without Chicanos? How can we discuss black visual artist in the interwar years without reference to the Mexican muralist, or the radical graphics tradition dating back to the late nineteenth century, or the Latin American artists influenced by surrealism? (Kelly page 2). In this paragraph he does not wish to describe himself as any person who stands out because of his colour. By quoting common references of every person’s childhood he establishes his connection with them very strongly. He even uses terms and phrases which are used by everyone else. Does that indicate his desire to connect with everyone around him? To be accepted as a normal person who probably thinks the same or is brought up with same ideologies as any other person in America? Robin Kelly has also described the suffering of his younger brother because of the question regarding his mixed culture. Perhaps the most sensitive and protected in the family, his younger brother might have been hugely affected by requiring constant approval and acceptance from his friends. Finally his brother gave up his struggle and chose to settle down in a completely different culture and to the other side of the world. This is sort of voluntary resigning from the situation. Even if he might have gone for his personal benefit, he might have thought of it better to move rather th an have a questioning look on the faces of the people around him. This might be the most difficult decision he has made in his life. Robin Kelly’s sister got her name changed because of the same question, â€Å"What are you†. She tried to solve this problem her way by changing her name. Everyone in the family was terribly affected by the question and every one of them tried to find out his or her own way of dealing with it. How difficult it might be for the parents to create a neutral and believable situation for a healthy and normal upbringing! Refusing the acceptance and denying the existence: Examples like Robin Kelly are abundant in western society. There are so many authors who have written about mixed parentage and the reaction of the society, mostly adverse to them. Like in book ‘Life on the colour Line’

Folklore Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Folklore - Assignment Example It also analyses the reason behind the preference of the phrase ‘intangible human heritage’ as opposed to ‘folklore’ by UNESCO in the 2003 Convention. Folklore is a term generally used with reference to traditional human beliefs, superstition, tales, and human practices that have spread or conveyed in a casual manner (informal) – usually orally or through the word of mouth. The term is also relevant when referring to the comparative and comprehensive study of tradition knowledge and human culture, which people also refer to as folkloristic. Folklore encompasses such a wide area of activities carried out by people that it is impossible to categorize it comprehensively. The following is a representative and not an exhaustive list of the genres of folklore. Folktale is usually a fairy tale or narrative among the different forms of traditional oral arts. Folktales have many characteristics that include their oral narration style, their passing on from generation to generation. Their characteristics are reliant on the time and place where a person tells them. The themes of a folktale are usually general and timeless. Often concerned with the common human being; and function to make valid certain aspects of culture. This form of art has a cultural identity, because they possess values and traits of the culture that they originate. There is often exaggeration in the characters of a folktale; they may be either human or animals. They always have a realistic setting. People often used folktales to either entertain or teach a lesson. This was especially true for the African heritage and other cultural communities. The main significance of a myth is to explain the reality of any natural phenomena. They have moral teachings and divine explanations concerning religious practices. The gods or goddesses are usually the focus of most myths. Many regard a myth as

Sles Orienttion nd Production Orienttion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Sles Orienttion nd Production Orienttion - Essay Example MÐ °jor concern wÐ °s with mÐ °nufÐ °cturing—not mÐ °rketing. Ð ccording to Ð ° compÐ °ny executive, compÐ °ny philosophy in the erÐ ° of mÐ °nufÐ °cturing dominÐ °nce might be stÐ °ted Ð °s follows: "We Ð °re professionÐ °l flour millers. Blessed with Ð ° supply of the finest North Ð mericÐ °n wheÐ °t, plenty of wÐ °ter power, Ð °nd excellent milling mÐ °chinery, we produce flour of the highest quÐ °lity. Our bÐ °sic function is to mill high-quÐ °lity flour, Ð °nd of course (Ð °nd Ð °lmost incidentÐ °lly), we must hire sÐ °lesmen to sell it, just Ð °s we hire Ð °ccountÐ °nts to keep our books." The second erÐ ° wÐ °s one of sÐ °les orientÐ °tion. In the 1930s, competition hÐ °d become more significÐ °nt Ð °nd the problems of reÐ °ching the mÐ °rket hÐ °d grown much more complex. CompÐ °ny officiÐ °ls becÐ °me somewhÐ °t Ð °wÐ °re of consumer wÐ °nts Ð °nd needs, Ð °nd formed Ð ° commerciÐ °l reseÐ °rch depÐ °rtment to develop fÐ °cts Ð °bout mÐ °rkets. More Ð °ttention wÐ °s given to strengthening the distributing orgÐ °nizÐ °tion, consisting of wholesÐ °le Ð °nd retÐ °il grocers. CompÐ °ny philosophy in this erÐ ° is described Ð °s follows: "We Ð °re Ð ° flour milling compÐ °ny, mÐ °nufÐ °cturing Ð ° number of products for the consumer mÐ °rket. We must hÐ °ve Ð ° first-rÐ °te sÐ °les orgÐ °nizÐ °tion which cÐ °n dispose of Ð °ll the products we cÐ °n mÐ °ke Ð °t Ð ° fÐ °vorÐ °ble price. We must bÐ °ck up this sÐ °les force with consumer Ð °dvertising Ð °nd mÐ °rket intelligence. We wÐ °nt our sÐ °lesmen Ð ° nd our deÐ °lers to hÐ °ve Ð °ll the tools they need for moving the output of our plÐ °nts to the consumer." Ð  third erÐ ° of mÐ °rketing orientÐ °tion did not begin until the eÐ °rly 1950s.  

Curbing the Costs of College Textbooks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Curbing the Costs of College Textbooks - Essay Example The federal government has even involved itself in the issue by passing a recent law that forces publishers to tell professors how much-required texts will cost their students, and colleges must inform students during class registration what books they will need to purchase for each course. The best and most fair solution for everyone when it comes to textbook pricing is to move away from physical printed and bound books to electronic and downloadable texts. Publishers have every right to make money, but students should have the ability to save themselves money wherever possible while working towards their diplomas. Problems with the current system Students today spend a lot of time and effort when it comes to buying textbooks. Once their class booklists are in hand, the students have a few options as to where to buy their books. There’s the school bookstore, which will usually carry new and used copies of required books, and will buy back some books from previous purchases. S tudents may also look for their books online, at sites like Amazon.com or eFollet.com, which often offer a larger selection of used copies than the campus bookstore and often at a lower price (Bernard B5). Yet there are a lot of roadblocks when it comes to finding a cheaper, used copy of a textbook. According to a national survey conducted by the Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG) of required college texts, the books are revised and issued as new editions â€Å"every three to four years regardless of changes to the subject† (Allen 6). Why is this a problem? Because the older editions are then considered outdated and are made unavailable to students by the publisher. The older editions cannot be traded in for cash or credit at the student bookstore or sold online at Amazon.com or eFollet.com. Students enrolling in classes where the new editions are required must buy the books new since used copies are not available. Students also complain that many times they are only requ ired by their professors to read a couple of chapters in a single textbook – despite having to purchase the entire book (Allen 7). In the 1980s through the early 1990s, it was a fairly common practice for professors to offer â€Å"course packets,† which were photocopied chapters from several different textbooks and were made available to students for only the cost of the photocopies. These packets were widely considered by publishers to be a blatant violation of copyright law, leading to a lawsuit against a Kinkos in Ohio who was handling the photocopying order for Ohio State University. The publishers won the suit and course packets began disappearing not only from OSU but from colleges everywhere. (O'Shaughnessy 1-2) In 2010, the federal government passed a law as part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requiring that book publishers tell professors up-front, in all marketing materials, how much the book will cost the student. The idea behind this provisi on of HEOA was described as â€Å"an effort to get professors to be aware of what their choices were really costing their students† (Smith A5).  

Drugs addiction and musicians Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Drugs addiction and musicians - Research Paper Example Drug addiction among musicians of specific genres of music seems to be higher compared to some other genres of music. A recent study by the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health found out that illegal drug use in rap music has increased by six times since 1979. It is the fear of many parents and public health officials that the trajectory in rap music poses serious threat to the society particularly among the youth. Pop and rap music is very appealing to majority of young individuals, most of whom are looking up to rap, jazz and pop artists as their role models (Yang para3). This paper delves into drug addiction and musicians, particularly addressing the reasons as to why drug addiction is so omnipresent in musical circles. Drugs have often been associated with music scenes, and celebrated musicians such as Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, and Keith Richards, have been addicted to drugs at one time or another. The close relationship between drug addiction and musicians is well reflected in a short fiction by James Baldwin â€Å"Sonny’s Blue†. In this story, an African American schoolteacher disagrees with his younger brother â€Å"Sonny† about his ambition of becoming a musician. Soon after Sonny is arrested for heroin use and sent to rehab. After a short while, he watches Sonny performing at a Jazz club and he feels deeply connected and enlightened with Sonny’s blues (Baldwin 21). However, what is apparent from the story is that Sonny is suffering from drug addiction and he is a musician. He displays characteristics of a drug addict such as being introspective and quiet person with tendency of withdrawing inside himself. He is also wild and behaves in a manner that is not expected of him. Nonetheless, he has passion for jazz music and he goes ahead to become a successful musician (Baldwin 42). Sonny is in a community of many other musicians who are addicted to drugs. Considering the positive and negative effe cts of drug addiction on musicians, it is critical to examine the various aspects related to these two issues. There is no doubt that drug addiction is very common in musical circles. In fact, there are numerous evidences of famous musicians who have battled alcoholism and drug addiction for better part of their music career and some have even succumbed to drug addiction. Famous politicians such as Bob Marley, Britney Spears, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, and Michael Jackson among others battled with drug addiction. So, why are drugs so omnipresent in musical circles? Many musicians use drugs largely because drugs including alcohol are extremely prevalent in the music industry (The Music of Orrin Hatch para3). Every music events, big and small, have people using harder drugs; music industry is considered a â€Å"party industry† and it is somewhat expected apart from entertainment, there should be upbeat emotions during performance. In many case s, drugs are used in the musical circles to enhance entertainment, as well as in enhancing emotions. It is for this reason that drug use has become part of music culture where famous music stars and even fans have made it a mainstay. It now appears awkward to many musicians mainly in pop, rap, and jazz music industry not to use drugs

Causes and Effects of Water Pollution in Lake Huron Essay

Causes and Effects of Water Pollution in Lake Huron - Essay Example Its drainage region is large in comparison to other Great Lakes since it covers parts of Ontario and Michigan lakes. Its waters are useful to several people who bound it especially the farmers. However, the Lake has been facing some water pollution challenges that make its waters disastrous. The ultimate aim of this context is to examine the sources that lead to pollution of Lake Huron and the Great lakes. It then looks at the effects of this pollution and winds up by providing recommendations on what can be done to save Lake Huron (Buchsbaum, 2009). Causes of Water Pollution on Lake Huron Several pollutants caused by human activities around the region have affected Lake Huron. Some of the most common pollutants are as mentioned below. Chemical Contamination Lake Huron is fed by contaminants, which initiate from several sources among them being spills, municipal discharges, industrial discharges, landfills, agricultural runoff and storm sewers (Krantz & Kifferstein, 2010). These cont aminants get into Lake Huron through several trails including atmospheric deposition, direct liberation and river discharge. In comparison to Lakes Ontario, Michigan and Erie, pollutant concentrations are comparatively low in Lake Huron. However, public health consultative exists concerning utilization of trout and all Areas of Concern (AOCs). Atmospheric Deposition Besides, its massive surface area, like the other Great Lakes, has made it susceptible to atmospheric deposition of pollutants. It has a large surface area and comparatively few regional pollutant point sources (Mahler, Metre & Callender, 2006). Loading to Lake Huron from water basis are stumpy of all the Great Lakes, but air basis are highest. Bio-accumulative Substances From the late 1970s to around 1990s, the concentrations of bio-accumulative matters like DDT, PCBs, dioxins, dieldrin, and furans turned down considerably in Lake Huron lake trout. Nevertheless, whereas the concentrations of DDT have persistently deteri orated, PCB concentrations have not fallen off considerably since the mid-1980s. DDE inclinations in Lake Huron herring gull eggs display a marked reduction in concentration since 1970s. According to other inclinations, concentrations decreased considerably in the late 1970s but continued to be comparatively stable (Mahler, Metre & Callender, 2006). Continuing basis of pollutants is mainly from sediments polluted by historic liberation, airborne deposition industrial and municipal librations and land runoff. Initially, there were six main Great Lakes regions of considerable environmental pollution or Areas of Concern (AOCs) on Lake Huron. The St. Mary River is named as an Area of Concern since it contains pollutants from municipal discharges and non point source contamination sources (Buchsbaum, 2009). Management of industrial point sources is developing, and pollution consignments are being minimized. The St. Clair River is named as an AOC because of the contamination difficulties on the eastern side of the river. Severn Sound and Spanish are the two other Canadian Areas of Concern that are reacting positively to the remedial activities and displaying recovery (Mahler, Metre & Callender, 2006). The only Area of Concern exclusively in Michigan, Saginaw Bay or river, is modeled as an AOC mainly because of polluted deposits and non point contamination sou

Social Media Essay Example for Free

Social Media Essay Social Media Discuss the four components of a legally astute social media marketing manager who utilizes social media outlets for consumer transactions and how each component can mitigate the risk involved in doing business in cyberspace. The four characteristics of a legally astute manager are: an acceptance of how important the law is to the success of the organization, a proactive attitude toward legal issues and regulations, the ability to use informed judgment when faced with decisions involving legal implications, and having the knowledge of specific laws, regulations, tools and resources. Social media marketing manager should be well educated about these four components. Today, more and more companies are using the social media for marketing purposes. Moreover, you might fall far behind, if you don’t. So, it’s important to be well informed about legal aspects of social media, since it’s a new way for building relationships with the customers. List and analyze methods of alternative dispute resolution and determine which would be most effective in resolving genuine disputes that arise with consumers who may make purchases from businesses that provide links via social media. Cortes, P. (n/d) talks about online dispute resolutions: ODR in the consumer context refers to the use of ICT tools and methods (usually alternative to the court system) employed by businesses and consumers (B2C) to settle conflicts that arise out of economic transactions between the parties, particularly in e-commerce. It is often distinguished from other fields where ODR is used, such as in the commercial field (B2B), in the public sphere to resolve government and citizen (G2C) disputes, and in the  resolution of disputes related to intellectual property. A consumer transaction (B2C), akin to a consumer dispute, will be one where an individual, acting on a personal capacity, buys goods or services for his or her personal use. Conversely, a business is an individual or an entity that acts on a professional capacity selling goods or services as part of their profession. In a B2C dispute, the aggrieved party is frequently the consumer as they normally pay in advance for their purchased goods and services. Consequently, the consumer is the weaker party in a dispute where the business has the payment and the experience of dealing with similar disputes. Consumers will often get more involved in the dispute, taking it more personal, and thus requiring a more transformative solution, while the business is mostly interested in resolving the dispute as fast and inexpensively as possible. In certain cases, businesses will be keen in resolving the dispute in order to maintain their reputation. This is relevant when, as it happens in eBay, the buyer leaves feedback after a transaction. When ODR is effectively used in this way, it has an added value for the parties; it increases the consumers’ trust in those online sellers that provide ODR services. Greater trust means that reliable sellers would boost their trade and consumers will be protected from the potential abuse by the dominant party in the transaction. ODR services may be employed to ensure that consumers’ rights are respected by the online vendor, hence enhancing consumers’ confidence in the online transaction.1 As a result, ODR would ultimately enhance the business’s ability to sell while at the same time protecting the consumer’s ability to participate safely in e-commerce. E-commerce is thought to be one of the areas where ODR will flourish as it seems logical for parties that enter into disputes online to use the same medium, the Internet, to resolve their disputes. The resolution of small value disputes that inevitably arise out of millions of transactions taking place every day between parties located far from each other require the use of cost-efficient methods of dispute resolution. Examples of ODR providers that resolve high volume of consumer disputes are eBay and PayPal, which act as third neutral parties encouraging first business and consumers to reach amicable agreements through automated negotiation, and when parties cannot reach consensual agreements, they adjudicate the disputes. Since consumer transactions on social media can occur across state lines, determine how the  federal government can bet control these transactions. Selis; Ramasastry; Kim; Smith (n/d) have noted that the Web have provided tremendous opportunities for both businesses and customers. Businesses can reach lots of customers across the globe in much easier and faster ways. Customers can complete their transactions a lot faster too. They can also find anything they want. However, online transactions also create possibilities for online crime too. Below are some laws that were created by the government for online transaction regulations: The United States does not have a comprehensive privacy statute that governs the collection and use of personally identifiable information, either online or through traditional business practices. There are, however, a number of sector-specific laws that govern the collection and use of data. 1. COPPA Currently, no federal statutes require the placement of privacy policies on Internet web sites other than the Children’s Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA). COPPA is applicable only to web sites collecting information from children who are younger than 13 years old.53 The law became effective on April 1, 2000. The Act requires Internet operators, including ISPs and web site operators, to: (1) Provide parents with conspicuous notice of what information is collected, how the information will be used, and the websiteÕs disclosure practices; (2) Obtain prior, verifiable parental consent for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information from children (there are limited exceptions); (3) Provide parents the opportunity to view and prevent the further use of personal information that has been collected on the website; (4) Limit collection of personal information for a childÕs online participation in a game, prize offer, or other activity to information that is reasonably necessary for that activity; and (5) Establish and maintain reasonable procedures to protect the confidentiality, security, and integrity of the personal information that is collected. 2. Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act (GLBA) The GLBA was signed into law on November 12, 1999 by President Clinton. Title V of the GLBA governs the collection, use, and dissemination of non-public consumer financial information by financial institutions. Gramm-Leach-Bliley requires financial institutions to: (1) Provide clear and conspicuous notice to consumers of their privacy policy upon establishing the customer relationship and at least annually thereafter; (2) Give consumers the opportunity to Ã’opt outÓ of having their non-public personal information disclosed to nonaffiliated third parties; and (3) Provide a reasonable method for consumers to Ã’opt outÓ of such disclosures to nonaffiliated third parties. 3. Other Statutes, Regulations, and Directives Containing Provisions Protecting Privacy of Consumer Information Include: a. Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 (47 USC  ¤521 et seq.,  ¤611) This Act addresses concerns about the ability of interactive cable systems to track cable consumer viewing or buying habits. It prohibits the collection of personally identifiable information without the consumer’s prior consent except as needed to render service provided by the operator or to prevent interception. b. Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Ac t of 1994 (47 USC  ¤Ã‚ ¤1001-1- 10;  ¤1021; 18 USC  ¤2522) This Act establishes protection for cordless telephone conversations and establishes a warrant requirement for government access to e-mail addresses. c. Driver Privacy Protection Act of 1994, and as amended in 1999 This law protects state motor vehicle records and restricts their dissemination to only authorized parties and in many instances only for specified purposes. The 1999 amendments tie state compliance to the appropriation of federal transportation funds for states. d. Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (18 USC  ¤1367,  ¤ 2232,  ¤2510 et seq.,  ¤2701 et seq.,  ¤3117,  ¤3121 et seq.) This Act protects all forms of electronic transmissions, including video, text, audio and data from unauthorized interception.  e. Electronic Fund Transfer Act (15 USC  ¤ 1693) The Act requires financial institutions to include in an initial account disclosure the circumstances under which it will disclose information to third parties. f. Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 USC  ¤1681 et seq.) This Act regulates the disclosure of personal information by consumer credit reporting services. It requires such services to adopt reasonable procedures  to ensure the accuracy of personal information contained in their credit reports. It also provides a process for consumers to review and correct inaccurate information on a credit report. Credit report information can be shared with affiliates when a consumer is told the information may be shared and is given the opportunity to opt out from information sharing with affiliates. The FCRA does not restrict the amount or type of information to be released to third party inquirers when the reporting agency has reason to believe it will be used for credit, employment or insurance evaluations or other Ã’legitimate business needsÓ affecting the individual consumer. It prohibits those who are no credit reporting agencies from disseminating or redistributing credit information. The law does not explicitly address the sharing of transactional, empirical information. This silence has been interpreted by the Office of the Comptroller to mean that the information can be shared freely with third parties. g. Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 USC  ¤1232g) This Act protects the accuracy and confidentiality of student records. h. Federal Trade Commission Act (15 USC  ¤41 et seq.) This Act, which creates the Federal Trade Commission (Ã’FTCÓ) establishes among other things consumer fair business practices and gives the FTC jurisdiction and authority to address unfair, deceptive or misleading business practices. Examine the three branches of government and discuss which can effectuate the most significant impact on regulating significant impact on regulating consumer transactions via social media outlets. The government has three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.  · Executive: Ruled by the president. The president transfers out federal laws and endorses new ones, leads national defense and foreign policy, and performs ceremonial duties. Authorities include guiding government, commanding the Armed Forces, dealing with international powers, acting as chief law enforcement officer, and rejecting laws.  · Legislative: Ruled by Congress, which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. The main task of these two bodies is to make the laws. Its powers include passing laws, creating spending bills (House), impeaching officials (Senate), and approving treaties (Senate).  · Judicial Ruled by the Supreme Court. Its authorities include understanding the Constitution, revising laws, and determining cases involving states rights. Explain the agency relationship that exists on social media sites between the social media provider and businesses that utilize the site for advertising. Almost all organizations are trying to use social media in order to reach potential customers. However, it’s not so easy as it sounds. A company should have a certain strategy in order to promote itself on social media. Manage My Socials (2013) explains the social media agency: The social media agency actually works for building new bonds and making the existing bonds stronger among the company and its customers or followers. Once the company becomes famous and people get to know about its existence and start trusting it, half of the work of marketing department is done. Therefore, a few starting years are very crucial for any organization from marketing point of view. Once the company becomes renowned by the general public it becomes easier to make them follow. The area of a social media management encompasses the social media as well as building the online public relationship between the company and its customers stronger and more trustworthy. In addition with the marketing department, the social media agency collaborates with the search, planning, development and customer services departments to fulfill the need and demands of the customers and earning their trust. This also brings about healthy exchange of information within the complete organization of the company. Marketing and communication within the company and outside the company becomes more effective with the involvement of these social media managers. Thus, the overall productivity and efficiency of the other departments is enhanced and the business also flourishes. The scope of a social media agency has increased many folds these days in the modern business strategies. Some organizations seek the services of these managers for specific duration of time while others hire them permanently. Both approaches are equally beneficial for the business  and you should assess which one of them is more suitable for your business. There are some specialized social media management agencies which provide professional and specialized managers to work on a specific project for a specific duration of time.

Association Football and B Essay Example for Free

Association Football and B Essay Introduction Soccer is the worlds most popular sport. It is the national sport of most European and Latin-American countries, and of many other nations. Millions of people in more than 140 countries play soccer. The World Cup is held every four years. Soccer is one of the most famous international sports. Soccer is known world wide and is played in the Olympics. In a soccer game there are two teams of 11 players who try to score a point by kicking a ball into the opponents net. Soccer is played on a rectangular field with a net on each short side of the field. All players must hit the ball with their feet or body and only the goalie is allowed to touch the ball with his/her hands. There are many things you can do to condition yourself to play. Soccer the way we play it came from England in the 1800s. Soccer was not that popular until the mid-1900s. Today soccer is very popular and it is one of the nations fastest-growing sports. There are many exercises and drills you can do to improve how you play soccer. There is also many physical conditioning that players can do. Soccer can help you stay fit and healthy. Many people can play soccer and benefit from it. Soccer is very fun and a great recreational sport. History of the Activity Games similar to soccer were played in China as early as 400 BC. In about 200 AD the Romans played a game in which two teams tried to score by advancing a ball across a line on the field. The Romans passed the ball to one another but they never kicked it. London children in about 1100 played a form of soccer in the streets. During the 1800s the people of England played a game similar to soccer. Many rules changed and each person interpreted the rules differently. In 1848 a group of school representatives met at Trinity College in Cambridge and drew up the first of soccer rules. In 1863 English soccer clubs founded the Football Association. By the late 1800s soccer began to spread to the rest of the world. The Canadian Soccer Association was established in 1912 while the United States Soccer Federation was set up in 1913. The first World Cup Championship was in Montevideo, Uruguay. Since then it has been played every four years except during WWII. During the 1970s soccer grew to be a very popular spectator sport as well as participant sport. A soccer game begins with a kickoff in the center of the field. A coin is flipped to decide which team will kickoff. The other team kicks off at the start of the second half when the teams switch sides or nets. After a team scores the other team gets to kickoff to begin again. The kickoff takes place in the middle of the field. When the ball is kicked it must travel the circumference of the ball and touch another player before the kicker can touch the ball again. After the ball is in play it remains in play unless it crosses a goal line or a touch line. All players attempt to stop the ball from coming in their zone while at the same time trying to score a goal. A player may kick the ball into the net with any part of the body except the hands and arms. If the ball goes out of bounds the play is restarted with a corner kick, a goal kick, or a throw-in. The referee decides what type to use. If the ball crosses the goal line and the defensive team touched it last then there is a corner kick by the offense. If the offense touches the ball last and crosses the goal line then it is a goal kick. A throw in happens when the ball crosses the touch line. When it crosses the touch line the team that did not touch it last throws the ball in bounds. The ball is thrown over their head with two hands. Fouls are called when a player does not obey the rules and acts unsportsman-like. When a foul is called the opposite team receives either a penalty kick, a direct free kick or and indirect free kick. Physical Conditioning There are many exercises that people can do to improve in soccer. Exercises that strengthen your legs and improve flexibility are ideal. Physical conditioning is important if you plan on being good at soccer. Here are five exercises that are ideal for soccer: Running: running helps to improve cardiovascular fitness. In soccer there is lots of running for the ball so endurance and a speed is a must. Leg Stretches: using weights can help strengthen the legs. Using weights makes you kick harder and makes the ball travel farther, as a result you become a better player. Leg Machines: exercising all muscles in the leg makes you kick harder and prevents injury when you are diving all over for the ball. The strong muscles help prevent injuries. Stretching: stretching allows you to be more flexible. Sometimes soccer players need to kick the ball in the most awkward positions. Flexibly helps the player to kick the ball in those positions more effectively. Weight Training: all around weight training makes a soccer player even better. A stronger body helps prevent injury and improve all around performance. Practice Drills help the soccer player be more skillful and a better player. There are many drills that can be done. Drills like dribbling to head butting are often used. Some of these drills include: Practicing kicking the ball is a very important and often done drill. To practice the player will kick the ball into the net. Often there is a goalie that they try to score on. Kicking is the most important skill in soccer. Practicing will make your kick stronger and more controllable. Passing is also a very important skill. One drill that can be done is to run side by side with another player and pass the ball back and forth. This skill will improve your passing and receiving skills. Passing is also vital in the game of soccer. Heading is one of the only ways to legally hit the ball when it high in the air. With another player heading can be practiced. One player throws the ball high over top of the other player. The player then will jump up and hit the ball with his forehead and try to control the ball. Heading is very hard and often lots of practice is required. Control of the ball is also very important. By setting up pylons in any order and distance and weaving through them in a pattern like formation can improve your control of the ball. Trying to go quick can also improve your speed of running while dribbling a ball. One on one practice improves both your dribbling and tackling. With two players one is given the ball and must keep the ball away from the other player. While one player is improving his faking and dribbling the other is practicing his defense and tackling. When this drill is done often it can improve your offense as well as defense. Soccer can be done in many age groups. Children often play the sport in school as early as elementary school. Many adults also play the sport. Seniors rarely play soccer because of the easiness it is for them to get injured. Soccer is often very demanding. Soccer for many kids can be very fun. Most children dont think of soccer as work and often enjoy playing soccer. Adults also sometimes find soccer fun and even some adults have careers in the area as a professional soccer player. Soccer is very valuable in obtaining life long fitness. Soccer can be a very demanding sport. Soccer can improve your cardiovascular fitness as well as strength and flexibility. All the physical conditioning and practice drills are very important in keeping fit. Soccer players are able to be healthy and strong because of the physical involvement.

What is the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Women?

What is the Impact of HIV/AIDS on Women? ABSTRACT This dissertation will outline the major issues surrounding HIV/AIDS infection as it relates to women, with specific reference to women in Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom (UK). It will explore the reasons why women are increasingly at greater risk of infection than males. Underpinned by a feminist analysis of womens oppression, it will include a discussion of how biological, social, sexual, economic and cultural inequalities contribute to womens vulnerability. It will also look at the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and how these factors can influence them to seek services. The differences in what is deemed â€Å"social work† in terms of both definition and practice as well as the differences in the health systems and the healthcare workers involved in delivering services in both countries will also be explored. INTRODUCTION AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a disease that makes it difficult for the body to fight off infectious diseases. The human immunodeficiency virus known as HIV causes AIDS by infecting and damaging part of the bodys defences its lymphocytes against infection. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell in the bodys immune system and are supposed to fight off invading germs. People may be infected (HIV positive) for many years before full AIDS develops, and they may be unaware of their status. HIV can only be passed on if infected blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk gets inside another persons body. HIV and AIDS can be treated, but there are no vaccines or cures for them (WHO, 2003). HIV/AIDS PREVALENCE IN WOMEN IN ZIMBABWE AND THE UK Increasingly, â€Å"the face of HIV/AIDS is a womans face† (UNAIDS, 2004). AIDS is now the leading cause of death in Sub-Saharan Africa and the fourth-highest cause of death globally (UNAIDS, 2002). AIDS is a profound human tragedy and has been referred to as the â€Å"worlds most deadly undeclared war† (Richardson, 1987). Women and girls are especially vulnerable to HIV infection due to a host of biological, social, cultural and economic factors, including womens entrenched social and economic inequality within sexual relationships and marriage. HIV/AIDS continue their devastating spread, affecting the lives of 16,000 people each day, with women, babies and young people being increasingly affected. The number of people living with HIV/AIDS has now reached almost 40 million globally (UNAIDS and WHO, 2006), and of these an estimated two-thirds live in Sub-Saharan Africa, Zimbabwe included. Zimbabwe is experiencing one of the harshest AIDS epidemics in the world. The HIV prevalence rate in Zimbabwe is among the highest in the world, although recent evidence suggests that prevalence may be starting to decline. In Zimbabwe 1.8 million adults and children are living with HIV/AIDS, with 24.6% of adults infected: women represent 58% of those infected among the 20- to 49-year-old age range. (Consortium on AIDS and International Development, 2006) In a country with such a tense political and social climate, it has been difficult to respond to the crisis. President Robert Mugabe and his government have been widely criticised by the international community, and Zimbabwe has become increasingly isolated, both politically and economically. The country has had to confront a number of severe crises in the past few years, including an unprecedented rise in inflation (in January 2008 it reached 100,000%), a severe cholera epidemic, high rates of unemployment, political violence, and a near-total collapse of the health system (AIDS and HIV Information, 2009). In Britain, HIV prevalence is relatively low and currently stands at 0.2% of the population. Statistics show that at the end of 2008 there were an estimated 88,300 people living with HIV, of whom over a quarter (22,400, or 27%) were unaware of their infection. This compares to the 77,000 people estimated to be living with HIV in 2007, of whom 28% were estimated to be unaware of their HIV infection. Of all diagnoses to the end of 2008, 45% resulted from sex between men and 42% from heterosexual sex, with black Africans representing 35% of newly diagnosed infections (HPA, 2009). According to the Health Protection Agency (2009), there has also been a dramatic increase in the number of women diagnosed with HIV. In the years up to and including 1992, females accounted for 12% of HIV diagnoses, but in 2008 that was 37%. Therefore, as HIV/AIDS is a global pandemic, the eradication of this health issue represents one of humanitys greatest challenges one that requires co-operation and comprehensive collaboration between scientific disciplines, governments, social institutions, the media, social work and healthcare professionals, and the general public (IFSW, 2009). Social workers, by virtue of their training, their commitment to human rights, and the fact that they are uniquely placed within a wide variety of health and welfare settings, can play a very effective role in the global effort to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic (IFSW, 2009). 1. CHAPTER 1 1.1 OVERVIEW OF GENDER AND VULNERABILITY TO HIV/AIDS While women are battling for equal rights throughout the international community, the existing power imbalance between men and women renders women particularly vulnerable to contracting HIV. Womens subordinate position places them at a considerable disadvantage with respect to their fundamental human right to control their own sexuality, and to access prevention, care, treatment, and support services and information. This subordination of women is mainly caused by the socially-constructed relations between men and women or, in other words, the patriarchal structure which is oppressive to women. (Walby, 1990, cited in Richardson, 2000) defines patriarchy as the â€Å"system of social structures and practices that men use to dominate, oppress and exploit women†, thus giving them greater opportunities to access services compared to females. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) and many governments are implementing educational programmes to teach women about protecting th eir health, traditional and cultural practices continue to perpetuate discrimination against women, in turn forcing women into high-risk situations. Unless proactive human-rights policies are enacted to empower, educate, and protect women with regard to their sexual autonomy, HIV/AIDS will continue to spread at an alarming rate and will have a devastating impact on all aspects of society. Even though the root of womens vulnerability lies in the imbalance in power between men and women, biological and sexual practices have an important role to play and mean that HIV transmission is unfortunately more efficient in women than in men. 1.2 WOMENS BIOLOGICAL VULNERABILITY TO HIV/AIDS Women are more biologically vulnerable to HIV than men; research has shown that women are at greater risk than men of contracting HIV both from an individual act of intercourse and from each sexual partnership. This â€Å"biological sexism† applies not only to HIV but to most other sexually transmitted diseases (Hatcher, et al, 1989). A woman has a 50 per cent chance of acquiring gonorrhoea from an infected male partner while a man has a 25 per cent chance if he has sex with an infected woman (Doyal et al., 1994). This is because the vaginal tissue absorbs fluids more easily, including the sperm, which has a higher concentration of the HIV virus than female vaginal secretions and may remain in the vagina for hours following intercourse, thus increasing womens vulnerability to infection. Not only are women more vulnerable to STIs than men, but â€Å"untreated genital infections, especially genital ulcer disease, syphilis and genital herpes, all predispose to HIV infection† (Doyal, 1994). While STDs are not necessarily gender specific, it is likely that women with STDs will remain undiagnosed and untreated for longer, increasing their risk of infection (Finnegan, et al, 1993). This is largely because women tend to remain symptomless for longer than men (Doyal, 1994). Even though much is known about the transmission of HIV to women through unprotected sex with men, less is known about the manifestations, progression, treatment and care of HIV/AIDS in women. Due to the lack of research we can at best speculate on the reasons for this. One reason may be the failure of medical professionals to pick up on possible symptoms which are often present in women: â€Å"existing diagnostic guidelines pay little attention to symptoms such as thrush, herpes, menstrual problems and cervical cell abnormalities that seem to characterise the early stages of the disease process in many women. Indeed a significant number are diagnosed only during pregnancy or when their child is found to be HIV positive†. (Doyal, 1994, p13) Therefore, if researchers persist in ignoring the biological differences, then the realities of the risks of infection and the disease progression in women will remain unacknowledged. As a consequence of this, women will continue to be diagnosed later than men, which ultimately leads to an earlier death. (Gorst, 2001,) Further research into biological differences and the effects of HIV on womens bodies is urgently needed. 1.3 TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS Traditional and customary practices play a part in the vulnerability of women to HIV infection. Practices such as early marriage and the payment of lobola in marriages make women and girls more vulnerable to HIV infection. Marriages among black women in Zimbabwe include bride wealth â€Å"lobola† if the couple is to be socially approved. Bride wealth is increasingly becoming big business in Zimbabwe, with some parents charging as much as US$2,500 plus five or more cattle for an educated girl. (IRIN NEWS, 2009) The insistence on bride wealth as the basis of validating a marriage makes female sexuality a commodity and reduces women to sexual objects, with limited rights and privileges compared to their husbands, who pay in order to marry them, thus leaving them without a say in their relationship. Patriarchal attitudes are also found in Christianity and these have strengthened the traditional customs that men use to control womens sexuality. (Human Rights Monitor, 2001) For example, Eves alleged creation from Adams rib has made women occupy a subordinate position in the Church as well as in the family. Women are therefore viewed merely as second-class citizens who were created as an afterthought. This is to say that if God had seen it fit for Adam to stay alone, then Eve would never have been created and hence women would not exist in this world. Such patriarchal attitudes have seen women being forced to be submissive to males. To make matters worse, once Eve was created she wreaked havoc by giving in to the Devils temptation and pulling Adam into sin. This portrayal of women as the weaker sex has made men treat women as people who have to be kept under constant supervision. St Pauls letter to the Colossians is one example of the letters which Zimbabwean men quote as a justifi cation of their control over women. The woman is expected â€Å"to submit to her husband† (Colossians 3:18) whilst the husband has to love his wife (Colossians 3:19). Therefore, because of these beliefs, women will remain passive and powerless in relation to sexual health, making them more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. 1.4 CONFLICT AND CIVIL UNREST Migration or displacement as a result of civil strife, natural disasters, drought, famine and political oppression has a greater impact on womens vulnerability to HIV infection compared to men. About 75 per cent of all refugees and displaced people are women and children. The political and economic crisis in many African and Asian countries has caused many women to come to the UK in search of safer lives and employment (Freedman, 2003). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2003) states that female immigrant workers are more vulnerable to sexual barter as they try to negotiate for necessary documentation, employment and housing, which further increases their risk of HIV/AIDS infection. In addition, because of the lack of legal documentation these women will experience limited options, receive low status, receive low pay and are often isolated in their work, including marriage, domestic, factory and sex work. These situations place women in vulnerable and powerless positions, with little ability to refuse or negotiate safe sex, thereby increasing their risk to HIV/AIDS. Despite the risks associated with the migration process it is important to recognise the right to ‘freedom of movement and travel irrespective of HIV status (ICW 12 Statement and the Barcelona Bill of Rights, 2002). This was a focal point during the Barcelona HIV/AIDS conference in 2002, because the Spanish authorities denied visas to numerous people from the South many of whom were open about their HIV status. Some countries do have discriminatory policies regarding travel of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) and others are instituting stricter controls. For example, Canada has recently introduced the need for an HIV test for people emigrating to Canada and Australia. Whilst they say it will not affect the final decision it is not clear why they need the information (Tallis, 2002). 1.5 POVERTY AND INEQUALITY Women and men experience poverty differently because of gender inequality: The causes and outcomes of poverty are heavily engendered and yet traditional conceptualisations consistently fail to delineate povertys gender dimensions resulting in policies and programmes which fail to improve the lives of poor women and their families (Beneria and Bisnath, 1998). Despite worldwide attention to existing inequalities and the way these violate a socially-just society, there is no society in the world in which women are treated as equals with men (Doyal, 2001). Major inequalities between men and women still exist in many places from opportunities in education and employment to choices in relationships. Gender and social inequalities make women more vulnerable to HIV infection, especially in societies which afford women a lower status than men. Worldwide, women and girls are disproportionately impacted by poverty, representing 70 per cent of the 1.2 billion people who live in poverty worldwide (Amnesty International, 2005), a phenomenon commonly referred to as the â€Å"feminisation of poverty†. Worldwide, women receive an average of 30-40 per cent less pay than men for the same work (Card et al, 2007). This economic inequality may influence womens ability to control the timing and safety of sexual intercourse. Specifically, economic dependence on men, especially those who are not educated and do not have good jobs, forces women to remain silent about HIV risk issues and to stay with partners who refuse to engage in safe-sex practices. Poverty also leads to greater HIV risk among women by leading them to barter sex for economic gain or survival (Weiss et al, 1996). Commercial sex work is the most well-known way for women to exchange sex for money, food, shelter or other necessities. Most of this sex will be unsafe as women will be at risk of losing economic support from men by insisting on safer sex. Where substance abuse is a factor, the means for obtaining clean needles may be traded for other essentials. Trading or sharing needles is a way to reduce drug-addiction costs. Risk behaviours and disease potential are predictable under such compromised circumstances (Albertyn, 2000, cited in Card, 2007). Educational inequality also contributes to a womans HIV risk directly, by making information on HIV/AIDS less accessible to her, and indirectly, by increasing her economic dependence on a male partner. In particular, studies show that more-educated women are more likely to know how to prevent HIV transmission, delay sexual activity, use healthcare services, and take other steps to prevent the spread of HIV (UNIFEM, 2004). Because many cultures value ignorance about sex as a feature of femininity, many young women are prevented by husbands, fathers, or other family members from obtaining information about HIV/AIDS. Others decline to seek such information out of fear for their reputations. Lack of education about the causes, prevention, and treatment of HIV/AIDS will increase these womens vulnerability to infection. Legal systems and cultural norms in many countries reinforce gender inequality by giving men control over productive resources such as land, through marriage laws that subordinate wives to their husbands and inheritance customs that make males the principal beneficiaries of family property (Baylies, 2000). For example, Zimbabwe has a dual legal system, recognising both common and customary law in marriage. This creates inequalities for many women upon divorce or their husbands death. Women in customary marriages, especially those who are not educated and who live in rural areas, make up approximately 80% of marriages in Zimbabwe, and are not entitled to the same rights as those married under common law; this means that they are often barred from inheriting property and land, or getting custody of their children, thus making them more vulnerable to male dominance and increasing their risk of getting infected with STIs (Womankind, 2002). 1.6 CONCLUSION Power inequalities at social, economic, biological, political and cultural levels mean that women continue to be increasingly more at risk from HIV infection. It is therefore critical that social workers and other healthcare professionals make sure that HIV/AIDS prevention and care programmes address the most immediate perceived barriers to accessing HIV/AIDS prevention and care services. Measures could include vocational training, employment, micro-finance programmes, legal support, safe housing and childcare services. Such measures would empower these women to have options and to take voluntary and informed decisions regarding the adoption of safer practices to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS (UNODC, 2006). There is also the need for a female-controlled form of protection which women can use to protect themselves, for example microbicides, which women can use without the consent or even the knowledge of their partner, thus enabling them to protect themselves if they are forced to engage in unprotected sex. 2. CHAPTER 2 2.1 HIGH-RISK GROUPS OF WOMEN Although there is a vast literature on HIV/AIDS, relatively little has been written about how HIV/AIDS affects women, and what constitutes a high-risk group. In part, this reflects the way AIDS was initially perceived in the West as a â€Å"mens disease†, so much so that until a few years ago a common response to the topic of women and AIDS was â€Å"Do women get AIDS?†, the assumption being that women were at little or no risk (Doyal, et al, 1994). This has never been true of Africa, where the appallingly pervasive epidemic has always been a heterosexual disease and where 55 per cent of those who have been infected were women. In recent years it has become increasingly clear that women can both become infected with HIV and transmit the virus. A study conducted by AWARE (Association for Womens AIDS Research and Education) in America found that women who inject and share needles, have sexual contact with or are artificially inseminated by a man, lesbians, sex workers and those from an ethnic minority, especially black women, were at increased risk of HIV infection (Richardson, 1987). The study also found that most people in these groups are underrepresented in prevention or treatment interventions, and often suffer social stigma, isolation, poverty and marginalisation, which place them at higher risk. Therefore, in this chapter I am going to discuss how some of these groups are vulnerable to infection, and what can be done to prevent and treat infection in these vulnerable groups without inadvertently increasing their stigmatisation. 2.2 PROSTITUTES There is a substantial body of research on the correlation between HIV/AIDS infection and female prostitution. Studies worldwide have revealed cause-and-effect relationships between AIDS and prostitution in a number of areas, including the use of alcohol and/or psychoactive drugs, and have revealed variance in the rate and circumstance of infection from one country to another (OLeary et al, 1996). For example, researchers have found the high rate of AIDS in Africa to be largely a reflection of exposure through sexual activity only, while in the US and Europe, transmission of the AIDS virus is more likely to come from prostitutes or customers who are also IV drug users. Many writers have pointed out that real social concern about HIV infection did not materialise until its potential â€Å"spread to heterosexuals† was recognised. What is less often pointed out is that concern for the â€Å"spread to heterosexuals† has mostly been manifest in concern for the spread to heterosexual men, not heterosexual women (Flowers, 1998). The expressed fear is that HIV will spread from women to men, allegedly through prostitution. In the press and the international scientific literature on AIDS, often the light cast upon Women in Prostitution (WIP) has been a harsh one. WIP have been identified as a â€Å"risk group†, a â€Å"reservoir of infection†, and a â€Å"bridge† for the HIV epidemic. Such technical, epidemiological language has depicted WIP as vectors of HIV infection (Scharf and Toole, 1992). Rather than presenting WIP as links in broader networks of heterosexual HIV transmission, women categorised as prostitutes have bee n described as â€Å"infecting† their unborn infants, their clients and indirectly their clients other female sexual partners, as though HIV originated among WIP (Scharf and Toole, 1992). Like posters from WWI and WWII which aimed to warn armed servicemen in Europe of the danger of contracting gonorrhoea and syphilis (Brandt, 1985, cited in Flowers et al, 1998), some AIDS-prevention posters have caricatured WIP as evil sirens ready to entice men to their deaths (New African, 1987, cited in Larson, 1988). Interestingly, there is evidence that some HIV-positive men may be inclined to claim that their infection came from a female prostitute, in order to cover up its real origins: sex with a man, or IV drug use. 2.3 PROSTITUTION IN ZIMBABWE There are many reasons why women engage in prostitution in Zimbabwe. Studies show that poverty and deviance are the main causes. Other studies have shown that many women engage themselves in prostitution by their own choice and see it as a career path whilst others might be forced into it (Chudakov, 1995). In Zimbabwe prostitution is illegal, and many women and young girls, especially orphans who engage in prostitution, are driven to it by poverty and economic dislocation, which is being caused by the current economic and political crisis the country is experiencing. According to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the hunger and disease-ridden conditions in much of Zimbabwe have forced many children into prostitution in order to feed themselves (UNICEF, 2008). Save the Children, a non-governmental organisation working to create positive changes for disadvantaged children in the country, estimate that girls as young as 12 are now selling their bodies for even the most meagr e of meals, such as biscuits and chips. They also state that the issue is further complicated by the growing presence of child traffickers in the region, looking for young girls to abduct and take to South Africa for the use of potential clients at the 2010 World Cup (Mediaglobal, 2009). Combating child prostitution and trafficking is complicated, but prioritising the alleviation of poverty with particular emphasis on fighting poverty from a childs perspective; prioritising education for all, with emphasis on improving access for girls; and provision of information to victims and survivors of child prostitution and/or trafficking, including information about available counselling and legislative services would be helpful (WHO, 2003). 2.4 PROSTITUTION IN THE UK Prostitution in the UK is different from that in Zimbabwe. The laws around prostitution in England and Wales are far from straight-forward. The act of prostitution is not in itself illegal but a string of laws criminalises activities around it. Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, it is an offence to cause or incite prostitution or control it for personal gain. The 1956 Sexual Offences Act bans running a brothel and its against the law to loiter or solicit sex on the street. Kerb-crawling is also banned, providing it can be shown that the individual was causing a persistent annoyance (BBC NEWS, 2008). Though actual s are scarce, it has been estimated that at least 2 million women are selling sexual favours in Britain. The bulk of these are brothel prostitutes working in parlours, saunas or private health clubs. According to The First Post published on 18/08/08, prostitution was viewed as â€Å"the new profession†. The article stated that prostitution in Britain is booming, and that thousands of young women have chosen prostitution for independence and financial security. The key factor which has led to a huge rise in this kind of prostitution is the influx of girls from Poland and other Eastern European countries which acceded to the EU in 2000. A strong relationship also exists between UK prostitutes and substance abuse, which drives many into the sex business. Intravenous-drug-using prostitutes are particularly prominent in Scottish cities such as Glasgow (OLeary et al, 1996). According to researchers, 70 per cent of the citys streetwalkers are IV drug addicts, injecting heroin, temazepam and tengesic. In Edinburgh, which has the highest rate of HIV-seropositive IV drug addicts of all cities in Britain, a significant number of those addicts testing HIV positive have been identified as prostitutes. Even though sex workers can transmit HIV/AIDS, blaming them encourages stigma and discrimination against all women. It allows the men who infect sex workers and their own wives to deny that they are infecting others. Wives too can infect their husbands, who can in turn infect sex workers. It is therefore important to note that sex workers and their clients are not serving as a â€Å"bridge† for HIV transmission into the rest of the population. 2.4 LESBIANS Can women transmit the disease to other women through sexual activity? The answer to this question is crucial for a community that knows that HIV is within it even though the question might be difficult to answer as there is â€Å"very little† information on this subject (Richardson, 1987). Lesbians were seen as least likely to be infected, as there was an understanding of HIV as a disease which existed in specific groups of people, for example gay males and intravenous-drug users. Because of these biased attitudes toward people, rather than risk behaviours, no data was systematically gathered. This understanding prevented the healthcare system from defining sexual risk behaviours: it stressed people, not sexual behaviours. It has therefore been noted that most lesbians have been in â€Å"risk situations† or engaged in what would be considered as â€Å"risky behaviour† at some stage. Some lesbians inject drugs and may share needles. Also, a significant number of lesbians have had sex with men before coming out, and many will have had unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse Some may still have sex with men for reproductive purposes (Gorna, 1996). Some may be prostitutes who, for economic reasons or through pressure from a pimp, may have had unprotected sex with clients (Richardson, 1989). According to records from a London sexual health clinic for lesbians, 35 per cent of the lesbians who attended had had sex with a man in the previous six months (Gorna, 1996). As Gorna puts it, this emphasises the fact that â€Å"activity is not always consistent with identity†. In other words, â€Å"we are put at risk by what we do, not by how we define ourselves or who we are† (Bury, 1994, p32). Although the risk of HIV infection from sex between women is very small, it is important for lesbians to look at what they do, how they do it and with whom they do it, just like everyone else, as, â€Å"Low risk isnt no risk† (Richardson, D, 2004). However, they may find it difficult to access services and, if they become ill, they may experience special problems, given that the healthcare system is designed for and administered by a predominantly heterosexual population. There may be a lack of recognition of their relationships, which could lead to isolation and depression. For example in Zimbabwe homosexuality is illegal and punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years. The President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, views lesbians and gays as â€Å"sexual perverts† who are â€Å"lower than dogs and pigs† (BBC NEWS, 1998). In 1995 he ordered the Zimbabwe International Book Fair to ban an exhibit by the civil-rights group Gays and Lesbians in Zimbabwe (GALZ). He follo wed this ban with warnings that homosexuals should leave the country â€Å"voluntarily† or face â€Å"dire consequences†. Soon afterwards Mugabe urged the public to track down and arrest lesbians and gays. Since these incitements, homosexuals have been fire-bombed, arrested, interrogated and threatened with death (Tatchell, 2001). This makes it difficult for lesbians in Zimbabwe to access information and other services, thus increasing their vulnerability to HIV infection. 2.5 ELDERLY WOMEN The number of older people (older than 50 years) with HIV/AIDS is growing fast. Older adults are infected through the same high-risk behaviours as young adults, though they may be unaware that they are at risk of HIV/AIDS. However, when assessing the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic upon the worlds population, older people are often overlooked. HIV-prevention measures rarely target the older generation, despite the fact that many older people are sexually active and therefore still at risk of being exposed to HIV. The older population is steadily growing larger with the maturing of the â€Å"baby-boomer† generation as well as the availability of antiretroviral drugs which extend peoples life expectancy. Social norms about divorce, sex, and dating are changing, and drugs such as Viagra are facilitating a more active sex life for older adults (NAHOF, 2007, cited in Lundy et al, 2009). Heterosexual women aged 50 and older are most in need of the HIV-prevention message. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS, 2006) estimates that around 2.8 million adults aged 50 years and over are living with HIV, representing 7 per cent of all cases. In the UK, the Health Protection Agency reported that almost 4,000 HIV-infected people who were accessing care in 2006 were aged 55 years or over. Data on this subject from low-income countries like Zimbabwe is fairly patchy. This is because HIV/AIDS surveillance is commonly conducted in antenatal clinics, as many people have little other direct contact with medical services. Data from antenatal clinics does not provide information about people who are above child-bearing age, thus making it difficult for healthcare and service providers to make policies that will impact on the elderly who are infected. Firstly, it has been noted that elderly women can be exposed to HIV via non-consensual sexual contact or rape. Research has shown that some criminals appear to target older women for sexual crimes because they appear to be, and often are, vulnerable to attack (Muram et al, 1992). Elderly women in institutional settings such as nursing homes may also be at greater risk. Some estimates suggest that up to 15 per cent of elderly nursing-home residents have been victims of either sexual or physical abuse, thus increasing their vulnerability to HIV infection (Collins, 2002). Exposure to blood tainted with HIV may also occur when an older woman provides care to adult children who may be suffering from AIDS (Levine-Perkell, 1996). Allers (1990) revealed that more than one-third of all adults who contract A

Essay --

This is the retake part of English article assignment. The requirements of this part are to write opinion about two articles related to Macro Economics and two articles related to Law, as well as a personal comment about Saunders’s Research methods book students had to read for Methodology, evaluating its educational value, as well as pointing out its weak and strong points. The students should mediate whether they like the article or not, if it’s related to lectures in the class or contradicts it, also if it illustrates something. The article chosen should not be older than 6 months and the students have to write their own comment about the article based on their knowledge built during their studying of the courses. 2. Macro Economics articles A. Comment on article 1 Globalization became an important aspect in the international economic relations. I chose this article and liked it because it discusses one of the important issues that international economic relation face, which is globalization. In my opinion it’s not only a problem, but it could be useful to certain countries, yet it could destroy the fair competition in some countries. To me, if there was no barrier or limitation for the globalization, people might stop buying the local product, which means the gross domestic production will decrease leaving the country in an economic loss. Because of globalization, most of the countries in the world will no longer concentrate on the local markets. Their focus became on regional or even world markets. It also changed the way they produced domestic goods. Just because a country might have the resources and ability to produce a particular commodity no longer means that they will produ... ...heart which gives no space for creativity. In my opinion as a student I think that the books we study should be interesting and leave a space of creativity for the student because we have many lectures and we need to study a lot of book and it is very hard for most of us to study all the books by heart, that is why the study books should be written in way that allows all the students to read it and understand the content to be able to write the idea in their own way and not just copy pasted text from the book. As a conclusion I see that the book has a rich content for those who want to be specialized as market researchers because of its intensive information but I think it would be better if we could learn the research methods in more general ways that we understand and can help us in our future jobs not just theoretical details we forget after finishing the exam.

Aids Epidemic :: Free AIDS Essays

HIV/Aids Epidemic HIV/AIDs is a huge epidemic still plaguing society today. The lack of knowledge and technical advances has caused an increasing number of cases. It has made its way around the world since the 1940s, causing countries to join together in the fight against AIDs. With all the campaigning that has been done the numbers of cases continue to rise. Countries have separated the disease into three patterns to make it easier to distinguish the effects that AIDs has on different regions of the world. As well as what subtypes sprout from what areas. HIV/AIDs can be spread in many different ways. The future is still uncertain for the victims whom lives have been dramatically changed by this deadly disease. It started back in 1940 when the virus jump from an animal to a human, it came from either a monkey or chimpanzee. A man who is unknown, still today, went to a hospital in Leopoldville, Africa which is now know as Kinshasa. The unknown man gave blood in a clinic for a study on blood diseases. It was then frozen in a test tube and forgotten about. Nearly a quarter of a century later, around the mid 1980s, scientist took a look at the blood again due to the growing AIDs epidemic. They discovered the man had the HIV virus which causes AIDs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  AIDs has several different subtypes of the virus, all which can be traced to the Leopoldville man. The variety of types makes it hard to find a cure for the disease since it is constantly changing and mutating it’s self. The president of the United States and the prime minister of France announced in 1987 that they were going to join together to fight against the issue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The virus has been divided up into three patterns. Pattern 1 is the type of AIDs in North America, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In these parts of the world AIDs is spread mostly by homosexual intercourse and found in homosexual and bisexual men most often. The number of cases has drastically dropped from blood transfusion due to routine screenings. The sharing of needles by intravenous drug abusers seems to be becoming a huge problem in helping to spread the disease faster. Since homosexual and bisexual men seem to be at a greater risk for the virus, the ratio of men to women is 20:1 in the pattern 1 countries.

Decriminalization and Legalizing Marijuana in America Essay -- Illicit

Marijuana prohibition in the American criminal laws is quite exceptional. There are no other laws that are both enforced so widely and severely across the country, but yet considered unnecessary by such an overwhelming portion of the country’s populace. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, â€Å"Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States.† The advocacy group National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws claims that marijuana is the third-most popular recreational drug in America, behind only alcohol and tobacco. In the early 1900’s, marijuana was viewed by prohibitionists to be the worst narcotic known to man and the effects of use created insanity, murder, and death. And without any public debate, scientific inquiries, or political objection the Marijuana Tax Act was signed by then President Roosevelt in 1937. But after numerous years of research, scientists have proven repeatedly that marijuana is not the same as the harsher drugs such as heroin and cocaine and should not be classified as a dangerous, evil, killer narcotic. The Institute of Medicine and other bodies of research have concluded that there is no evidence supporting marijuana is a â€Å"gate-way† drug, certainly no more than either tobacco or alcohol is. Although, some people use marijuana in excess, most who smoke marijuana never become dependent. No one has ever died from an overdose of marijuana, unlike alcohol, and marijuana has not been associated with violent behavior either. People who have used marijuana describe the effects of the drug to be calming, enhancing their creativeness, increasing their appetite and making them sleepy. Dr. Daniele Piomelli at the University of California, Irvine is at the forefront ... ... the use and possession of marijuana has been ever-increasing over the past several years, rising to over 50% today – that is an all time record high. If the current trend continues, the pressure will definitely encourage the nation’s laws into compliance with the people’s desires. Works Cited (1) Drum, Kevin. â€Å"The Patriot’s Guide to Legalization.† Mother Jones Vol. 34, No. 4 31 Jul 2009: pg. 49. SIRS issues Researcher. Web. 27 Oct 2011. (2) Nadleman and Piper. â€Å"Should the U.S. Decriminalize Marijuana?† The Washington Times. Sunday read. 26 April 2009. LexisNexis News. Researcher. Web 27 Oct 2011 (3) Newport, Frank. â€Å"Record –High 50% of Americans Favor Legalizing Marijuana Use.† Princeton, NJ. 17 Oct 2011: pg. 1-3. Gallup. Researcher. Web. 27 Oct 2011 (4) NGC. â€Å"Drugged: High on Marijuana.† Documentary 2011 Vesta, Solomon. â€Å"Grass.† Documentary 1999.

How successful is The Crucible as an allegory? Essay

In my coursework I will be discussing how successful the crucible is as an allegory. An allegory is defined as a story, poem, character in a story, or picture with a hidden connotation. The Crucible is a story set in Salem in the 1692 witch hunts. The play is based on the fear, suspicion, hysteria and paranoia which the people of Salem felt during the witch hunts. This is almost identical to what happened in America in the 1950s. Communism was at its all time peak and America was scared of Communism taking over their country, as it already had in Russia. The Americans panicked and they went fanatical with Hysteria. Everyone was accusing everyone. Almost everyone who was accused of being a communist was sentenced with a heavy punishment, usually a life sentence. No one felt safe; people were being accused for no good reason. This outbreak in paranoia is much like McCarthyism. McCarthyism was the situation in America during the 1950s. This could be why The Crucible is such an effective play. Salem was a very small religious town. It feared the unknown and anything that they found hard to explain. The community was very small and enclosed, scared of the world which was beyond theirs. This may be why the outbreak of paranoia occurred. Everyone seemed to know each other too well because in their society no-one seemed to mind their own business: The Salem folk believed that the virgin forest was the Devil’s last preserve, his home base and the citadel of his final stand. This shows how Salem was enclosed by the woods and therefore alone. The woods represent the fear surrounding Salem and it helps to show the danger from a different perspective. The most obvious allegory in the play is the link between 1950s America and McCarthyism. There are close similarities between Communism and witchcraft, in particularly how society was corrupted because of them. !692 in Salem and America during the 1950s are so alike in many ways. Miller based The Crucible directly on the situation in America. Both accusations of Communism and witch – craft tore apart the communities which they broke lose in. This is because they are the unexplained and you cannot prove that someone is a really a Communist or a witch. The reason people believed in witch craft was because there was so much which was still unexplained around the year 1692. They could not think up answers for things which were happening so they blamed everything on witchcraft. When Betty became sick, people started to talk and wander what was wrong with her. Suspicion over came Salem. When no one could explain what it was that was wrong with her, they realised that people holding a grudge could seek revenge by accusing others of being possessed or of being a witch. There were so many innocent people accused of practising witchcraft that it seemed the only way to get away with the accusation was to own up to being a witch, even though they weren’t. Sometimes the accusations went far. On page 47 of the crucible Reverend Hale and Parris begin to whip Tituba until she would own up to making contact with the devil, even though they have no solid evidence. This shows just how far they went through hysteria and suspicion of people practising witchcraft. A running theme throughout the play is people accusing each other and following others who establish themselves as a group leader, who to control the others. At the end of act one on pages 49 -50 you can see the link between McCarthyism and the Salem witch hunts. Here you can see how everyone is accusing everyone of being a witch. This is similar to the situation in America during the fear of the outbreak of Communism. Abigail: I saw Goody Hawkins with the Devil! Betty: I saw Goody Bibber with the Devil! Abigail: I saw Goody Booth with the Devil! The way that Abigail and Betty speak here makes the scene seem very dark and it really reflects what was happening in America during the outbreak of McCarthyism. People were accusing everyone and hysteria has broken lose. The way that the same phrase is repeated and said by different people a number of times is effective and helps to show that Salem is not the same and paranoia is setting in. Abigail is also shown as the leader of the girls and they all do as she tells them to. This is one of the first times this is clearly shown in the play. Miller uses many writing techniques in the play. He uses effective ways of showing hysteria and paranoia and the way he links McCarthyism is very well done. Miller introduces many characters into his stories, this makes it easier for him to show the effects of McCarthyism, it is easier for him to show how literally every one is accused at some point. During the play almost every character is accused and when you are accused it is hard to clear your name: Danforth: Mary Warren, how came you to this turnabout? Has Mr Proctor threatened you for this deposition?