The Merchant Of Venice - Antonio Essays - Orientalism,

The Merchant Of Venice - Antonio Antonio is a wealthy merchant in the city of Venice. Although central to the play, Antonio is portrayed by Shakespeare as an 'outcast'. It seems that Antonio is chronically depressed and is not involved in the social atmosphere that is thriving in Venice. - "In sooth, I know not why I am so sad: It wearies me; you say it wearies you; But how I caught it. Found it, or came by it, What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn:"1 Along with Shylock, both men seem bitter and have difficulty in expressing their emotions. On many occasions friends, such as Salerio and Bassanio have questioned his sadness, trying to find an explanation for their great unhappiness with themselves and with the world. - Salerio: "But tell not me: I know Antonio Is sad to think upon his merchandise.2 Antonio: "Believe me, no: I thank my fortune for it, My ventures are not in one bottom trusted, Nor to one place; nor is my whole estate Upon the fortune of this present year: Therefore, my merchandise makes me not sad."3 Salanio: "Why, then are you in love."4 Antonio: "Fie, fie!"5 The mystery of Antonio's sadness remains, as he dismisses the prospect that his sadness is related to his ships or a lost love. Uninterested in the 'world' of suitors and marriage, Antonio is left without his lifelong companion, Bassanio after he travelled to Belmont to woo Portia. Early in the play another side of Antonio is revealed. Antonio is displayed as a hard cruel man, although a Christian, he displays hatred and contempt towards the Jewish race, usurers and especially towards Shylock. After kicking and spitting upon Shylock, Antonio shows no remorse or sympathy for the man he has abused. Antonio even goes to the point of saying that he would once more spit upon him and kick him like a stray dog. - "I am as like to call thee so again, To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too. If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not As to thy friends, for when did friendship take A breed for barren metal of his friend? But lend it rather to thine enemy; Who if he break, thou may'st with better face Exact the penalty."6 Many people would ask the question, why would someone in Shylock's position want to give anything to a person who has treated them as badly as Antonio? However, under the interest free bond that Shylock has created with Antonio lies a need for revenge so great that Shylock will do anything to take the life of Antonio. At the beginning of Act 3 the bad news of Antonio's ships, lost at sea is spreading around Venice. Jessica confirms that Shylock will be maintaining the bond that was created now that Antonio has no way of paying back the bond. - "When I was with him, I have heard him swear To tubal and to Chus, his countrymen, That he would rather have Antonio's flesh Than twenty times the value of the sum That he did owe him; and I know, my lord, If law, authority, and power deny not, It will go hard with poor Antonio."7 With the realisation that Antonio's death is imminent, Antonio, like someone with a terminal illness gives up all hope of survival. Most people would fight literally for their lives against Shylock, but Antonio had progressed beyond sadness and had lost his will to live. Antonio's immediate acceptance of Shylock's bizarre bond signals the secret 'death wish' that Antonio holds very close to his heart. Antonio's sudden wish to die, brought about through great sadness and loneliness is affecting Bassanio greatly, who takes responsibility for what has happened. - "Antonio, I am married to a wife Which is dear to me as life itself; But life itself, my wife, and all the world, Are not with me esteem'd above thy life: I would lose all, ay, sacrifice them all, Here to this devil, to deliver you"8 A moment of comedy is brought out after this speech through Portia (Bassanio's wife), posing as a Doctor of Laws. - "Your wife would give you little thanks of that, If she were by to hear you make the offer."9 During the courtroom scene Portia and Nerissa undertake their daring plan to save Antonio. As Shylock is preparing to cut

Macbeth Macbeth and Murder Duncan Essay

Macbeth Macbeth and Murder Duncan Essay Macbeth: Macbeth and Murder Duncan Essay There are many factors and people that are responsible for the bloodshed in the play Macbeth. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are held most accountable for this though. Throughout the play, Macbeth is manipulated by Lady Macbeth to perform villainous acts that he is not comfortable with. For example when Macbeth says he does not want to kill King Duncan, Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"And live a coward in thine own esteem, letting ‘I dare not’ wait upon ‘I would,’ like the poor cat i’ the adage† (1.7. 46-48). Lady Macbeth compares Macbeth to a cat that would eat fish but would not wet her feet. She implies that Macbeth is a coward who does not fight for what he wants and just expects his desires to come true without him taking risks. Soon after, Lady Macbeth questions Macbeth’s masculinity and tries to manipulate him using this: â€Å"What beast was’t then, that made you break this enterprise to me? When you durst do it, then you were a man; and to be more than what you were would be so much more the man† (1.7.52-56). Lady Macbeth compliments Macbeth’s earlier proposal of murdering King Duncan, saying that he was a brave man and that he would be even more brave and masculine if her were to execute his plan. This makes Macbeth feel as though he would not be masculine if he did not do this act. Lady Macbeth knows that questioning Macbeth’s masculinity is the greatest insult to him and best way to manipulate him into doing what she wants. Lastly, I believe that Macbeth is also held responsible for the bloodshed in the play. Not only does he murder Duncan on Lady

Cancer and biopsies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cancer and biopsies - Essay Example Basically, cancer has been a major killer disease on the entire planet and therefore, it is interesting to study and provide information in this area so as to enable various individuals and professional gain. This will also assist in coming up with a collective responsibility in fighting the disease all over the world. It is therefore, necessary to provide the scientific and medical information regarding its causes, how it is spread, prevention and the future vision concerning its approach. Background information on cancer Cancer is a category of diseases that is characterized by out of growth of the body cells. In this case, cancer is classified according to the type of cell it originated from or the one that was priory affected. Cancer damages the body particularly when the damaged body cells continuously divide uncontrollably to form lumps of tissue known as tumors (Phelan, 2009). These structures grow and hinder the functioning of various body systems such as digestive, nervous, circulatory systems by releasing hormones. Cancer that affects human body is grouped into five classes that is, carcinomas, sarcomas, lymphomas, leukemia and adenomas. Development of cancer Mostly cancer is the ultimate result of body cells that uncontrollably grow and do not die. This is different from normal cells in the body that follow an orderly path of growth, division and finally, death. The cells that emerge to cancer are those that come from a programmed cell thus when this process breaks down then it lead to cancer (Colditz and Hunter, 2000). Unlike regular cells; cancer cells do not encounter programmatic death but instead grow continuously out of control. This abnormal growth of cells results to a massive number of abnormal body cells. On the other hand, cells can undergo unusual enlargement in case there are damages or mutations caused to DNA. This can lead to the damaging of the genes involved in the cell division. The cell division process is enhanced by four key type s of gene: the ontogenesis that tells cells when to divide, the tumor suppressor genes that controls the cell when not to divide, suicide genes that manages or handles the apoptosis. Therefore, cancer results when a cell’s gene mutations hinders the cell from correcting DNA damage and unable to commit suicide (Phelan, 2009). Similarly, cancer is as a result of mutations that slow down tumor suppressor for gene function that causes the uncontrolled cell growth in the body. Cancer can also be caused by substances that contain carcinogens, carcinogens are substances that directly damage the DNA thus promoting or aiding cancer. Examples of carcinogens include: tobacco, asbestos, arsenic, and radiation such as gamma rays and x-rays, the sun and chemical compounds from the car exhaust fumes. When our bodies are exposed to these substances, free radicals are formed that obtain electrons from other molecules in the body. This free radicals damage cells and interfere with the normal f unctioning of the body cells. Consequently, genetic predisposition that is inherited from family members can also lead to cancer. There is high chance of an individual with certain natural genetic mutations or a fault on a particular gene that makes one have a high probability of developing cancer later in life (Tam, 2011). Moreover, there is an upsurge of possible mutations of the genes that causes cancer varies proportionally with age. This implies that as one grows old there are high chances that he or she can contact cancer. Conversely, several cancers have also been linked to

Cultural and social experiences - Body image Essay

Cultural and social experiences - Body image - Essay Example The essay "Cultural and social experiences - Body image" discovers the concept of body image in the fashion. Examining the importance of body image and how it relates to society creates a specific association with society, culture and the associations which are made among individuals who are searching for different ideologies about how to approach their personal identity. The concept of fashion and body image in society links together through the use of mass media and the associations as a part of the cultural order. This begins with fashion and dress becoming a way in which one operates with their body and how one shows their level of health. The concept of fashion becomes associated with society specifically because of the fashion system that is surrounding fashion and dress. These are interrelated to the ideas of body image through the structure of fashion and the importance of the body in defining how the body should look. When associating with fashion, there is also a specific l ink to one being a part of the right social order while defining identity, personality and a sense of attractiveness within society. The belief of attractiveness comes from the definition of what beauty means, specifically which correlates with the ideas of fashion and how these link to society. The definition of beauty and links to social order come from fashion and further with the beliefs that are created from fashion and dress. The ideology of human beliefs and values comes from not only the ideologies. that an individual has within the family or experience. The environment of culture and social order also creates different standards about what one believes and the self – image which they carry. The association is one which is created from the psychological beliefs that are a part of society and the way in which this builds and develops with needs for a culture to hold specific standards. The individual then creates the same beliefs based on the influences from society, s pecifically which come from industries, media and other components within society. The result is an understanding of attitudes and values that are surrounded around a consumer society and which create an understanding that fashion builds a sense of identity, value and belief in one’s role within society (Porter, 2000:15). The Body in Society and Psychology The structure and beliefs within society and culture are furthered with the way in which the body image becomes linked to psychological beliefs about the body. The concept of fashion is one which has a specific link to body image and what it means to be beautiful. The image begins with adornments, fashion statements and dress that define the latest trends in society that one will look the best in. This is followed with models that are required to have a thinner figure or which have to be fit at a certain level. This creates a sense of what it means to have the right body image and figure while discounting other images that are within society. The result is the concept of idealizing the different factors that are stressed in society and from the fashion that is a part of the main image. As this occurs, there is a sense of internalization that occurs with women and men with what it means to look beautiful and in the best fashions (Thompson, 2001: 91). There are a variety of examples that lead to the internationalization of what it means to be thin and the pressures which come from the models in fashion that all have the same look. Figure 1 shows a series of models that depict the ideology of remaining thin while

Forensic science paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Forensic science paper - Essay Example From this article, it is clear that different knowledge and expertise of professionals in different disciplines can be used collaboratively to bring valid results. In trauma identification, physical anthropologists and forensic pathologists have different knowledge and expertise, though slightly related. The forensic anthropologists are trained in investigating age, sex, ancestry, and living stature of remains. They can also perform postmortem trauma identification. In as much as they can interpret trauma, forensic anthropologists are not fully responsible for the whole process. They collaboratively work with the forensic pathologists. Forensic anthropologists have the expertise in soft tissue wound interpretation, investigating death, and cause of death analysis; therefore, their results are integrated with those of forensic pathologists for a final interpretation. Forensic pathologists are the most influential in the whole process since they are responsible for determining the results and validity of the results. They are also in charge of interpreting the medicolegal aspects of a case. This instance indicates that in collaborative work, one group may be the most influential depending on the nature of the study undertaken. However, this cannot undermine the other less influential group, since its contribution to the study still matters. The article also brings out the impact of cross-disciplinary collaboration on other disciplines. The collaboration between forensic anthropologists and forensic pathologists in trauma interpretation is useful in the discipline of law, as the findings help in resolving medicolegal and crime cases. In these cases, forensic anthropologists can examine skeletal anatomy and taphonomic processes of human remains to determine cause and manner of death. Forensic pathologists do final pathological examination, interpretations, and the conclusions, before presentation to the court. To further prove the

Link Between Social Class and Health Inequalities

Link Between Social Class and Health Inequalities The Relationship Between Social Class and Health Inequalities Introduction The birth of the NHS in 1948 was greeted with considerable optimism. It was believed that a fully comprehensive welfare state where people had their needs taken care of from the cradle to the grave would bridge the gap between the haves and the have nots. Governments were optimistic that increasing social equity would lead to a healthy and long living population, it was not envisaged that demands on the health system would increase rather than decrease. Those who founded the NHS believed that a lot of people were ill because they could not afford to pay for healthcare. This group had got bigger over the years and it was believed that once the backlog had been dealt with then there would be a reduction in the number of people who needed health care (Moore, 2002). However, instead of decreasing the number of people using the NHS continued to grow, this was partly because the idea of what constitutes good health changes over time. People demanded better and higher standards of healthcar e and medical advancements meant that conditions that people would have died from could now be cured. All of this cost money, more money than the founders of the health system had ever envisaged and therefore the health service lurched from one financial crisis to the next with its biggest shake up occurring in 1990. During the last twenty years there have been significant changes in healthcare policy making and in the way in which the NHS operates. Most of these changes have occurred because of politician’s concerns over the rising cost of public health. In the 1980s Margaret Thatcher’s Government introduced marketing and business strategies into the NHS to control expenditure on healthcare and to change the health service. The most important factor here was that of the internal market. Rather than health professionals and patients it was now purchasers and providers of healthcare. This created a two tier system that created inequalities between hospitals and between patients. It split the NHS into competing NHS Trust organisations and parts of the health service were privatised. In 1990 the Community Care Act came into force and many people who were previously institutionalised were released into the community. Most of this type of care is undertaken by social services in conjunction with the health service and with voluntary organisations. The Act placed extra burdens on families to care for ageing or disabled relatives (Walsh et al, 2000). Opponents of the system argued that marketisation would lead to greater inequalities in healthcare provision and the poorer sections of society would be even worse off. It is arguably the case that the people most affected by these changes have been those in the lower classes of society. At the start of the 1970s the mortality rate for working men in the lowest social class was twice as high as for those in the highest, but by the late 1990s the figure was three times higher. This was mainly due to a decrease in the mortality rate for the most well off members where between 1970 and 1990 the rate fell by 30% but only by 10% for members of the lower class (Walsh et al, 2000). The Conservative Government’s failure to address the recommendations of the report commissioned by them to investigate the relationship between social class and health inequalities has meant that class inequalities in the standard mortality rate and the rate of morbidity continue to be matters of substantial concern, and thus, areas for continuing research. Epidemology Epidemology is the study of health across populations rather than in the individual. It studies diseases and their spread, and how to control them. Within the study of health and illness social class is associated with physical risk factors including birth weight and obesity. It is also associated with economic factors and standards of housing and with the social and familial structure.There are detectable patterns of morbidity or illness associated with social class and death or mortality rate statistics also vary widely depending on a person’s class. Those who belong to the higher (capitalist) classes tend to live longer than those who are members of the working class. There is also a strong relationship between a person’s occupation and their life expectancy.[1] Standard Mortality Rates Browne and Bottrill (1999) have identified some of the major inequalities in health and they contend that unskilled manual workers are twice as likely to die before the age of 65 as are white collar workers in the highest class. Analysis for life expectancy differences across England and Wales from 1972-1999 found that there had been a noticeable growth in inequality in this area. During 1997-1999 males in professional occupations tended to live 7.4 years longer than males in unskilled manual occupations. The differences for women in the same period and with respect to the same categories had risen to 5.7 years from 5.3 years in the period 1972-76 There are also regional differences, males born in Glasgow between 1999 and 2001 have a life expectancy of 69 years whereas males born in North Dorset may expect to live until they are 79. Cause of death also varies by social class the major areas of health which showed such differences were, Ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease , respiratory diseases andlung cancer. Semi-skilled and unskilled workers were five and half times more likely to die of respiratory diseases between the period 1986-1999 than were managerial and professional workers. Patterns of limiting illness are also affected by social factors such as class. Forty three percent of all men were long term unemployed or had never worked and this group were five times more likely to suffer from limiting illnesses than were the nine percent that consisted of males in professional and managerial positions. During the twentieth century, as a result of improved living conditions and availability of healthcare, infant mortality had fallen substantially this is a useful indicator of the state of the nation’s health. Nevertheless differences do exist based on the economic status of fathers, birthweight, and mother’s country of birth. There was a 16% overall fall in infant mortality between 1994 and 2002 for babies whose fathers were in managerial and professional occupations, the mortality rate was highest among those babies who were registered by single mothers, for babies registered by both parents but whose fathers were in routine occupations, this fall was only 5%. The different rates within a thousand births across England and Wales are shown in figure 1 below. The figures for the standard mortality rate, although lower than previous periods in the twentieth century, tend to show a noticeable increase during the late nineteen nineties. Morbidity Rates Asthana et al (no date given)[3] undertook secondary analysis of the 1991-97 Health Survey for England found that there is a strong relationship between class and morbidity rates, although this is sometimes overshadowed by the effects of age The researchers also looked at other studies undertaken between 1984 and 2002 and again found a strong relationship between social class and self-reported morbidity. The study found that health inequalities by social class were not usually not the same for men as for women and concluded that there needed to be a separate class analysis by gender. The relationship between class and health inequalities therefore will vary by sex and will vary significantly by age. The study focussed on 16+ with respect to age and class was determined by the occupation of the head of the household. The study found that the impact of class differences was lower for the lower age groups, particularly those between 16 and 25.[4] For every one professional man who suffe rs and later die from coronary heart disease there are three unskilled workers who suffer the same. Manual workers make up 42% of the workforce but account for 72% of work related accidents. Obesity is a killer and twice the number (28%) of women in unskilled work compared to 14% of professional women were obese, and suffered from related symptoms.[5] Stomach cancer also varied with 2.2% of professionals suffering from this and 3% of manual workers, the figures were the same for cancer of the oesophagus. However deaths from cancer (of the alimentary system) varied widely. McCormak et al (1995) found that there was a strong positive relationship between social class and incidences of musculoskeletal disease such as osteoporosis. People of the lower social class were also at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Ismail et al, 1999).Littlejohns and Macdonald (1993) identified a strong link between social class and respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis, more unskilled workers tended to suffer in this way than did those from the professional classes. There is a strong relationship between class and angina between the 45-75 age group and this increases with age. The difference is less marked for women but tends to peak in the age band 45-54.[6] There is quite a significant class difference between women suffering from raised blood pressure, 17% of professional women reported this condition whereas in unskilled occupations 24% of women said they suffered from hypertension.[7] People from the higher social class may be healthier because they tend to use medical services more often and also because they are more likely to eat a healthy diet. Most studies tend to take the view that although reported morbidity appears to have increased across the population generally the relationship between morbidity and social class has tended to remain much the same for the last ten years. Strategies to Deal with Inequalities Between Social Groups There have been a number of strategies that the Government has introduced since 1998 to combat ill health. In 2005 the Government published a report entitled Tackling Health Inequalities in an attempt to deal with the inequalities evident between different social groups. The Public Service Agreement states that by 2010 the Government will publish a progress report on whether and in what ways the measures to tackle health inequalities have been successful. In 1998 the Government introduced Health Action Zones and twenty six of them were set up in 1999 in under-privileged areas, and where the health status of the population was particularly low. The notion behind the introduction of these zones was that tackling ill health and inequalities in health was not just a job for the NHS but should be tackled by different agencies such as social services, local housing departments and primary health trusts working together to combat inequalities and improve health. Health Action Zones work in two ways, firstly they try to reduce health inequalities by addressing the wider factors associated with ill health and secondly they attempt to improve the quality of health services and increase the access to them. There is, for example a strong link between asthma and cold, damp housing, one health action zone made improvements to heating systems, insulation and damp proofing in council and private homes where children had asthma. As a result of this th ere was a reduction of hospital admissions for children with asthma and they also had less time off school (Moore, 2002). The Government also introduced something called NHS Direct, a telephone based helpline which gives advice to people who are unsure what to do about a health problem. The line not only makes health advice more accessible but in the long run saves money on unnecessary doctor or hospital appointments. NHS walk in centres are located in shopping centres and supermarkets as well as by the side of AE Departments. They are staffed by nurses who give advice and treat minor health problems (Moore, 2002). In 2002 the Government set targets to reduce health outcome inequalities by 2010 with the standards of measurement being the infant mortality rate and the life expectancy rate overall. This standard was chosen because the long term trend in the gap in mortality between professional and manual workers evidenced the fact that it had increased by two and a half times since the period 1930-32. The latest figures on infant mortality and life expectancy show a continuing of widening inequality in t hose areas with the routine and manual work group being 19% higher than the total population in the period 2001-3. Certainly the Government are aware in this report that class inequalities are in health are a result of a number of inter-related factors including diet and housing. Government claim to have invested in the area of housing so that there are less people living in housing that is not suitable to positive health outcomes. They have also taken steps to ensure that vulnerable groups can afford to heat their homes properly in winter. In their 2005 Report the Government say that their efforts to reduce child poverty are showing signs of success and that this will also contribute to children from less well off families having better health. The report claims that the number of deaths from heart disease and strokes is falling, that health inequalities generally are being reduced, and that the gap between disadvantaged areas and the country as a whole has fallen by 22% over the last six years. The Government aims to develop its Healthy Schools Programme in the most deprived communities which are measured by the number of children in receipt of free school meals.[8] The introduction of Sure Start Centres and Healthy Living Centres provide pre-school education for nearly half a million children under four at over five hundred local centres and delivering health and social services to hard to reach groups. Government have increased their campaign to get people to give up smoking with massive advertising campaigns, smoki ng clinics and a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants comes into force in the summer of 2007. Community and school initiatives to back the five a day campaign for consumption of more fruit and vegetables shows that class five families are eating more than similar families in other areas. The report claims that all new policy proposals by government departments also have to take into account health impacts and also how that might have an effect on health inequalities. There are some indications to assume that the gap in health outcomes is beginning to narrow, teenage pregnancies are beginning to fall and there has been an increase in the take up of flue vaccine among vulnerable groups since 2002. Local exercise action plans have been set up in some disadvantaged areas to encourage people to take more exercise and Government have managed to provide intermediate care for more people. Government seem to be taking a much more integrated approach to the problem, an approach which rests on the findings of the Acheson Report. The Acheson Report The Acheson Report needs to be seen in its historical context. In 1978 the Tory Government commissioned the Black Report to investigate the health of the nation. The Report was published in 1980 its brief had been to examine the reasons behind inequalities in health between different groups of people so that policy could be tailored to meet health needs. The report found that there were significant and worrying differences in health outcomes between the social classes. Research has come up with a number of different explanations for the relationship between social class and health inequalities. These are: Artefact explanations The artefact explanation is based on the argument that the growing gap between the classes is the result of a misreading of the statistics and claims for any relationship between the two should be treated with suspicion. Social Selection explanations The social selection explanation is that people who are in poor health are more likely to be unemployed or in low paid work whereas those who are healthy are more likely to have better jobs and living conditions. Cultural explanations Cultural explanations identify consumption and lifestyle as the main causes of poor health. Thus the individual must take responsibility for the sake of their health. Certainly some government campaigns have planted the suggestion that a change in lifestyle can leader to better health and greater longevity (Walsh et al, 2000). Material explanations Materialist explanations regard the cause of health inequalities as the result of wider structures of power, poor working conditions, low pay and associated living standards such as bad diet and poor housing and lack of education. The Black Report concentrated heavily on materialist explanations of health inequality. It recommended that there was a need for a more effective anti-poverty strategy and for better education to combat such inequalities. Since that time there has been a considerable amount of subsequent research e.g. Macintyre (1997) that supported these recommendations, but Margaret Thatcher dismissed the findings on the basis that its recommendations were unworkable because of the amount of public expenditure that would be required to do this. The Conservative Government concentrated on cultural explanations and placed an emphasis on individual life style choices as being the result of inequalities in health. The Black Report was highly influential on later health research and its findings have been used extensively to measure inequalities. Almost twenty years later in 1997 the Labour Government commissioned a similar report, the Acheson Enquiry. The resultant Acheson Report, published in 1998, also recognised the wider factors that contributed to the relationship between class and inequalities in health. The Acheson Report reiterated the fact that materialist explanations of ill health recognise the wider context of material deprivation and inequalities can only be reduced by addressing its root causes. Thus the Report recommended that any attempt at policy making across government departments had to pay attention to any particular health impacts, particularly as they affected those who were disenfranchised, and to legislate in favour of the less well off. The Report argued that the Government take an approach that used what it called both ‘upstream’ and ‘downstreamâ⠂¬â„¢ approaches. Upstream work is characterised by initiatives such as Health Action Zones which attempts to improve health and reduce inequalities by working on the wider factors that contribute to poor health, such as insufficient income and poor standards of housing. There was a particular focus on the inequalities that faced young families and pensioners. There was a recommendation that an automatic Income Support top-up be paid to the poorest pensioners, i.e. those totally reliant on the state pension and who might not recognise their entitlement to further benefits. Such people are also at risk of what the report termed fuel poverty and they may feel unable to heat their homes properly. Government have now substantially increased winter fuel payments to all pensioners in an attempt to lessen inequality in this area. The Acheson Report recommended that there should be an increase in benefits for parents with young children, or a decent living wage for those in unskilled occupa tions, because bringing up a young child entailed more expense than when children got older. The Report also recommended that Government should address housing problems to ensure that people at the lower end of the social scale had decent living conditions. These recommendations were taken on board by the current government who have made inroads into addressing inadequate housing, have introduced a national minimum wage, and have restructured the tax and benefits system. Downstream work is connected with improvements in the NHS and easier access to health services, particularly in deprived areas. The Government has also made inroads in this are through the use of NHS Direct, Sure Start Centres, and Healthy Living Centres. There were recommendations that health inequalities should be monitored and should take account of those groups who were often ignored in policy making, those from ethnic groups and in particular women who for too long had been seen only in terms of their husbands class and occupation.[9] It was further recommended that Government improve conditions for pregnant mothers and for all women of child bearing age to reduce health inequalities and inequalities in infant mortality rates. Conclusion Medical researchers and social scientists investigate why people have poor health, what factors contribute to this and what might be necessary to improve people’s health. Social scientists in particular are interested in all aspects of social life and in the structures that govern society. They investigate why some people have better health than others, why we are a society of rich and poor stratified into classes, and what the wider social effects of the inequalities that result from stratification might be. This paper has looked at epidemiological evidence which indicates a strong and enduring relationship between class and health inequalities. It has found that when the aims of the welfare state for healthy nation and an end to inequity were not realised and Governments found the cost of providing healthcare for all was spiralling out of control. The answer has been, what some people describe as a gradual dismantling of the welfare state and of the health service. However, while such policies may have had adverse effects New Labour’s response to the recommendations of the Acheson Report offsets some of these effects and demonstrates an integrated attempt to reduce the inequalities in health outcomes that exist between social classes. Things are not yet on the decline but there is evidence to suggest that life expectancy and morbidity figures have remained much the same for the last ten years. With new policies coming into play, and Government promises to substantially reduce health inequalities by 2010 it might be said that there is some cause for optimism that the most worrying of these inequalities may, in the future, be satisfactorily addressed. References Acheson, D. 1998. Independent Inquiry into Inequalities in Health Report London, HMSO Asthana, S Gibson, A. Moon, G. Brigham, P and Dicker J (no date given accessed 18/3/06) The Demographic and Social Class Basis of Inequality in Self-Reported Morbidiity: An Exploration Using the Health Survey for England http://eprints.libr.port.ac.uk/archive/00000016/01/jechdiv3.pdf Black Report Inequalities in Health London, DOH 1980 Browne, K. and Bottrill, I. 1999. â€Å"Our unequal, unhealthy nation†, Sociology Review,9 Giddens, A. 2001 4th ed. Sociology, Cambridge, Polity Press. Ismail, A.A., Beeching, N.J., Gill, G.V. and Bellis, M.A. (1999) ‘Capture-recapture-adjusted prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes are related to social deprivation’,  QJM: Monthly Journal of the Association of Physicians, vol 92, no 12, pp 707-10. Littlejohns, P. and Macdonald, L.D. (1993) ‘The relationship between severe asthma  and social class’Respiratory Medicine, vol 87, pp 139-43. McCormick, A., Fleming, D. and Charlton, J. (1995) Morbidity statistics from general  practice: Fourth national study,1991-1992, London: HMSO. Macintyre, S. 1997. â€Å"The Black Report and beyond: What are the Issues?† Social Science and Medicine, 44 Moore, S. 2002 3rd ed. Social Welfare Alive Gloucestershire, Nelson Thornes Townsend, P. Davidson, N. and Whitehead, M. (eds) 1988 Inequalities in Health, the Black Report and the Health Divide Harmondsworth, Penguin Walsh, M. Stephens, P. and Moore, S. 2000 Social Policy and Welfare. Cheltenham, http://www.sochealth.co.uk/history/black.htm http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/fosi2004/SocialInequalities_summary.pdf accessed 18/3/06 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/fosi2004/Health.pdf ch. 6 p.4 accessed 18/3/06 http://eprints.libr.port.ac.uk/archive/00000016/01/jechdiv3.pdf accessed 19/3/06 http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:STDauFm9KtQJ:image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Society/documents/2002/11/20/TacklingHealthInequalities.pdf+class+inequalities+in+morbidityhl=engl=ukct=clnkcd=30 accessed 19/3/06 http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/doh/ih/part1b.htm accessed 19/3/06 http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/76/98/04117698.pdf p.6 accessed 19/3/06 Tackling Health Inequalities 2005 http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/doh/ih/part2a.htm part 2 no page number given accessed 19/3/06 1 [1] http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/fosi2004/SocialInequalities_summary.pdf [2] Source http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/fosi2004/Health.pdf ch. 6 p.4 [3] http://eprints.libr.port.ac.uk/archive/00000016/01/jechdiv3.pdf [4] Ibid p,8 [5] http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:STDauFm9KtQJ:image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Society/documents/2002/11/20/TacklingHealthInequalities.pdf+class+inequalities+in+morbidityhl=engl=ukct=clnkcd=30 [6] Ibid p,8 [7] http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/doh/ih/part1b.htm [8] http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/76/98/04117698.pdf p.6 accessed 19/3/06 [9] http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/doh/ih/part2a.htm part 2 no page number given accessed 19/3/06

Chinese Footbinding :: essays research papers fc

The ancient Chinese custom of footbinding caused severe life-long suffering for the Chinese women involved. When researching the subject of footbinding, one of the difficult things is finding factual knowledge written before the 20th century. Most of the historical data has been gathered from writings, drawings and photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries. Additionally, the research indicates that the historical documentation was mainly from missionary accounts and literature from various anti-footbinding societies. These groups had a bias because of their opposing viewpoints. The first documented reference to footbinding was from the Southern Tang Dynasty in Nanjing (Vento 1). Although the history of footbinding is very vague it lasted for at least one thousand years.Early text referred to the Han Dynasty as people who preferred that the women have small feet (Vento, 1). Vento also acknowledged the first documented reference to actual binding of the feet was from the Tang Dynasty in Nanjing (1). Before the Sung Dynasty Binding was only slightly constricting, allowing for free movement, they were also thought to have used footbinding to suppress women. The Yuan Dynasty introduced binding into the central and southern parts of China. It may have been emphasized to draw a clear cultural distinction between the Chinese and their large footed conquerors, the Mongols. Footbinding was most popular during the Ming Dynasty, if parents cared for their sons they would not go easy on their studies and if they cared for their daughters they would not go easy on their footbinding (Levy, 47-49). One recent study estimated that there are still one million women in China with bound feet. The last Chinese women, still living with bound feet in Hawaii, was in 1994 (Kam, D-6).There are many legends of how footbinding began, one such legend is Lady Yao, a dancer and concubine for Prince Li Yu, danced with such grace that the prince required her to bind her feet to resemble new moons all the time. Another, is that it began out of the sympathy for Empress Taki who had club feet (Aero, 112-113). Although it has not been proven how footbinding started, one of the biggest reasons the practice continued for over 1000 years was it's sexual appeal (Kam, D-1).Humans have shown they will do just about anything- good, evil, or in-between for sex. Footbinding is a very bold issue that many Chinese do not like to talk about.

Biases Against Other Cultures

Life places us in a complex web of relationships with other people. Like what Marilynn Brewer, at one point in her article, said of this natural phenomenon, our humanness arises out of these relationships in the course of social interaction. Moreover, our humanness must be sustained through social interaction, and fairly constantly so. Group boundaries are not physical barriers, but rather discontinuities in the flow of social interaction. To one degree or another, a group’s boundaries encapsulate people in a social membrane so that the focus and flow of their actions are internally contained. Some boundaries are based on territorial location, such as neighborhoods, communities, and nation-states. Others rest on social distinctions, such as ethnic group or religious, political, occupational, language, kin, and socio-economic class memberships. When applied to interpersonal and intercultural setting, this social interaction generally generates prejudicial relationships among the several groups. Primarily, I was having a sense that my cultural group is superior to members of the culturally different groups, a feeling that the culturally different groups members are by nature different and alien, a sense that we have a proprietary claim to privilege, power, and prestige, and even a fear and suspicion that members of the culturally different groups have design on our benefits. In this respect, prejudice frequently reflects a sense of group membership or position. Indeed, it is not only the groups to which we immediately belong that have a powerful influence upon us. Often the same holds true for groups to which we do not belong. Indeed, in daily conversation, I recognize the distinction between my cultural group and those of others’ in our use of the personal pronouns we and they. For instance, because my friend and I have been comrades for quite a long time, we tend to mutually agree on many things including our perceptions towards religious matters. This is apart from the fact that we are both Christians. We also believe that Muslims have bias against women. As we reviewed some ins and outs, we reckon how the Qur’an gave women protection than traditional Arab law but did not ever have equality with men. Whereas Muslim men could be family-oriented, it only differs with Christians in that they are such in every family they have among many others. They could be protective of their families as the Qur’an only permits polygamy when the man is responsible enough to fulfill his responsibilities. But my friend and I believe Muslims and Christians, men or women, are educated. A number of Muslim women, particularly in the upper classes, are well educated and become known as artists, writers, and supporters of the arts. Nonetheless, we believe they are still sexists from a spiritual point of view as the Qur’an states that â€Å"men have authority over women because Allah has made the one superior to the other.† This makes their sect patriarchal in nature as much as Christians’ is. Because of these biases, sometimes I tend to prevent outsiders from entering our group’s sphere, and they keep insiders within that sphere so they do not entertain rival possibilities for social interaction. At times we experience feelings of indifference, disgust, competition, and even outright conflict when we think about or have dealings with other cultural groups’ members. Such social differentiation may have these grounds for conflict between us and the other culturally different groups: moral superiority, perceived threat, common goals, common values and social comparison, and power politics. Conflict intensifies ethnocentric sentiments and may lead to inter-group strife. Since we would like to view ourselves as being members in good standing within a certain group, or we aspire to such membership, we take on the group’s norms and values. We cultivate its lifestyles, political attitudes, musical tastes, food preferences, sexual practices, and drug-using behaviors. We establish for ourselves a comparison point against which we judge and evaluate our physical attractiveness, intelligence, health, ranking, and standard of living. This makes my ethnocentric view quite negative rendering people to take on social units with which we compare ourselves to emphasize the differences between ourselves and others. For the most part, the attitudes people evolve toward out-groups tend to reflect their perceptions of the relationships they have with the groups. Where the relations between two groups are viewed as competitive, negative attitudes (like prejudice) will be generated toward the out-group. Still, whereas competition had heightened awareness of group boundaries, the pursuit of common goals led to a lessening of out-group hostilities and the lowering of intergroup barriers to cooperation. Upon making substantial research myself, I learned that to avoid direct conflict between my primary group and the other cultural groups, we are introduced to the concept of â€Å"concentric loyalties.† When our membership group does not match our reference group, we may experience feelings of relative deprivation or discontent associated with the gap between what we have and what we believe we should have. Feelings of relative deprivation often contribute to social alienation and provide fertile conditions for collective behavior and revolutionary social movements. The concentric loyalties then may also contain clues to processes of social change especially a perception change towards inter-group phenomenon. On a personal note, we can only manage the dynamics of the Christian-Muslim differences by employing effective learning strategies to resolve conflict among people whose cultural backgrounds and values differ. In the school setting, for instance, there could be training sessions and group discussions to understand the historical distrust affecting present-day interactions. If my friend and I have good neighbors among Muslims, others may not do as they could be misjudging others’ action based on their learned expectations. Reference Brewer, Marilynn. (1999). â€Å"The Psychology of Prejudice: Ingroup Love or Outgroup Hate?† Journal of Social Issue, Vol. 5, No. 3.

Bonnet Rouge

Phrygian Cap/Bonnet Rouge The Bonnet Rouge, also known as the Bonnet Phrygien / Phrygian Cap, was a red cap which began to be associated with the French Revolution in 1789. By 1791 it had become de rigueur for sans-culotte militants to wear one to show their loyalty and was widely used in propaganda. By 1792 it had been adopted by the government as an official symbol of the revolutionary state and has been resurrected at various moments of tension in French political history, right into the twentieth century. Design The Phrygian Cap has no brim and is soft and ‘limp’; it fits tightly around the head. Red versions became associated with the French Revolution. Sort of Origins In the early modern period of European history many works were written about life in ancient Rome and Greece, and in them appeared the Phrygian Cap. This was supposedly worn in the Anatolian region of Phrygian and developed into headwear of liberated slaves. Although the truth is confused and seems tenuous, the link between freedom from slavery and the Phrygian Cap was established in the early modern mind. Revolutionary Headwear Red Caps were soon used in France during moments of social unrest, and in 1675 there occurred a series of riots known to posterity as the Revolt of the Red Caps. What we don’t know is if the Liberty Cap was exported from these French tensions to the American Colonies, or whether it came back the other way, because red Liberty Caps were a part of American Revolutionary symbolism, from the Sons of Liberty to a seal of the US Senate. Either way, when a meeting of the Estates General in France in 1789 turned into one of the greatest revolutions in history the Phrygian Cap appeared.There are records showing the cap in use in 1789, but it really gained traction in 1790 and by 1791 was an essential symbol of the sans-culottes, whose legwear (after which they were named) and their headwear (the bonnet rouge) was a quasi-uniform showing the class and revolutionary fervor of working Parisians. The Goddess Liberty was shown wearing one, as was the symbol of the French nation Marianne, an d revolutionary soldiers wore them too. When Louis XVI was threatened in 1792 by a mob which broke into his residence they made him wear a cap, and when Louis was executed the cap only increased in importance, appearing pretty much everywhere that wanted to appear loyal. Revolutionary fervor (some might say madness) meant that by 1793 some politicians were made by law to wear one. Later Use However, after the Terror, the sans-culottes and the extremes of the revolution were out of favor with people who wanted a middle way, and the cap began to be replaced, partly to neuter opposition. This hasn’t stopped the Phrygian Cap reappearing: in the 1830 revolution and the rise of the July monarchy caps appeared, as they did during the revolution of 1848. The bonnet rouge remains an official symbol, used in France, and during recent times of tension in France, there have been news reports of Phrygian Caps appearing.

Four Presidential Election Candidate in 2000 Essays

Four Presidential Election Candidate in 2000 Essays Four Presidential Election Candidate in 2000 Paper Four Presidential Election Candidate in 2000 Paper Vice-President Al Gore is one of three Democrat candidates for the 2000 presidential election. His policies and views often reflect those of a liberal politician, but in fact, his policies are just a reflection of the changing Democratic policies. From his stance on abortion, to his beliefs on the death penalty, the traditional Democratic views are apparent. Gore led the fight in the Congress to stop the drug companies price gouging, and make generic drugs more available. As President, He plans to address issues like the Patients rights bill, that puts important medical descisions in the hands of the docotr, rather than the HMOs. He looks to protect Medicare, not abolish it, while adding prescription coverage to the program. Gore supports cutting tax rates, something also Clinton promised, but found very difficult to do. He doesn’t support the replacement of the current tax structure with a flat income tax, therefore eliminating the entire income tax sytem. He opposes the national sales tax, and supports the a marriage penalty relief on the marriage tax by raising the standard deduction. : In a debate that included the other two Democratic candidates, Gore discussed his opinion on gays in the military. He believes that gays should have the right to openly serve in the military, he supports full disclosure of gays, and that its a fundamental decency. He later commented that when appointng Joint Chiefs of the military, he wouldnt only choose those who supported his policy, but choose those who follow orders from the Commander-in-Chief, the President. Gore cosponsored a bill that would create federal funding for campaigns in exchange for limits on campaign spending, and he still support that idea today. He supported the McCain-Feingold bill that would limit campaign spending and control special-interest influence in elections. As for PAC contributions (non-United States contributors),he does not except and contributionst that go above what is required by law. He has and would support banning or limiting PAC contributions as part of a comprehensive campaign finance reform package. He supports a ban on soft money, as long as the Republican Party agrees as well. Bill Bradley, the suposed under-dog in the race, is also a Democratic candidate with views that could be confused with those of a Liberal. He said that he will stay in the race as long as possible, no matter what the primaries say. He seems to match Gore in many ways, including issues and camaign money. To battle our weak health care system, Bradley has proposes to many changes, and opportunities to provide for American society as a whole, no matter their coverage, age, health conditon, or financial status. He suggested allowing people to join the federal plan that covers members of Congress and federal employess if they arent happy with their current providers, subsidizing the poor, and partially subsidzing those with a middle income. He proposes personal income tax deductions for health care premiums, and guaranteed coverage for all children. Portable health care will be available, so one had a provider even after losing their job. He plans to protect Medicare, and include a prescription plan for seniors, along with a home-care system. His plan will cost $55-65 billion dollars a year, and he believes At a time of economic prosperity, no person should be forced to choose between the care they need, and the care they can afford. When it comes to taxes, Bradley plans to increase access to health insurance for all Americans by making health insurance premiums excludable from income, giving everyone a tax break similar to that provided to employers who provide insurance, work to simplify the tax code. He wants to eliminate all the loopholes that the wealthy slip through, that catch the middle class instead. Like Gore, Bradley supports the right of gays to serve in the military. He supports the dont ask, dont tell legislation in place already, and points out that There have been gays in the military as long as theres been a military. Theyve only had to hide Bradley does not support the use of soft money, and encourages the other candiates not to also. He proposed a plan that would restore trust in the Presidency. His plan included everything from free TV time for candidates, curbed issue ads, requiring of advocacy groups to diclose thir spending, to a study on the possibility to vote over the Internet. He believes a trust-worthy candidate should flash their ideas and aspirations, not the wieght of their wallets. John McCain, the first Republican to be discussed in this paper, is very different from the Democrats we have just profiled. He is conservative, like most Republicans, yet expresses an urge for change in America. McCain belives that it is necessary that the health care system is reformed to help uninsured Americans receive the access to quality health care they need. To do this he plans to make sure that all those who are eligible for pograms like Medicaid, are enrolled, work with all those invloved in the health care system (employers, providers, etc.) to increase the number and range of health care options, particulalry the poor and children, and reforming the entire systme to make it more affordable. McCain has proposed some drastic changes in the tax system. They include dramatically increasing the number of taxpayers eligible for the lowest 15% tax bracket, eliminating the obscene penalty that increases taxes for couples who get married, and providing tax incentives to promote family saving and investment. When it comes to the gays in the military issue, McCain says that he would make sure that a policy thats working, and is working, and should work, is continued. He believes that when people like General Colin Powell and other most respected men in America come up with a policy that does work it can have troubles with it, it may need some reviews or changes, fine tuning, and hell support such a thing. However, he will not change a policy thats working. Our military leaders are the ones whose advice we should rely on. McCain understands that soft money corrupts political ideals whether it comes from big business or from labor bosses and trial lawyers. The influence of money is corrupting candidates ability to address the problems that directly affect the lives of every American. Reform of the campaign financing laws is one the first changes McCain plans to address. He supports Legislative limits on campaign financing and the banning of soft-money donations. The fourth candidate, the second Republican, is Alan Keyes. He is a conservative Republican with his Christian values and morals, turning this election very much into a character debate. Keyes points out on his web site, that he does not support a federaly funded health program. He thinks the government should not protect us from the health care providers, but only make it easier to access it. He will make it his priority to fulfill his Constitutional role as chief executive so that the American regime of ordered liberty can flourish. Keyes suports the elimination of the income tax, and replacing it with a national sales tax. He believes it would rejuvenate independence and responsibility in our citizens. He also supports limits on both tax revenue and borrowing, to discourage the Federal government from future excessive spending. Keyes is very open on the discussion of gays in the military. He said at one debate that he does not support the Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy because the military is supposed to be a straight (no pun intnended) forward institution, where when asked, the soldier tells, get the truth, get honesty, get honor. So in order for honor to be received, then gays should be forward about their sexuality. If that means bad morale, bad discipline, then the government should stand against it because its bad for the military in general. He supports the ban on gays in the military completely. Keyes believes that when the government steps in with campaign finance reform it’s a total violation of our Constitutional rights. Keyes opposes Legislative limits on campaign financing, also opposes contributions from anyone but citizens with voting rights, he also opposes Banning soft-money donations.

The importance of information to organisations Essay

The importance of information to organisations - Essay Example e package designed to engage and entertain its customers such as the the Starbucks Entertainment division which is engaged in promoting and marketing of popular books, music and films. It’s outlets spread worldwide are equally popular in local as well as international markets. Owing to the ongoing environmental crisis and the heightened awareness of global warming, the company contributes its share by adopting environmental friendly measures. Starbucks was ranked at #17 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as one of the Top 25 Green Power Partners for the purchase of renewable energy2. The company strives to establish itself as a market leader by promoting business practices which would assist them in engendering social, environmental and economic assistance for communities where they operate. It centers its efforts in offering excellent work environment for its employees, making positive contribution to its communities, establishing long term and cordial working relations with the coffee farmers and taking stringent measures in reducing their environmental footprints4. Starbucks Entertainment comprises of a selection of finest quality music, books and films aimed at offering maximum ease and satisfaction to its customers and has several strategic alliances with some of the major players in the entertainment industry and has teamed with Apple iTunes which offers exclusive soundtracks which can be downloaded from the site. Strategic decisions involve the choice of alternatives which has the potential of having a significant impact on the company’s success in the long term. Tactical decisions on the other hand involve decision making in the day to day process that are required to reach the ultimate strategic goals of the organization. Operational decisions involve decision making in the routine decisions that affect the functioning of the organization such as planning, production sales, staffing, adjusting production rates, as well as controlling the

The legalization of marijuanna Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

The legalization of marijuanna - Essay Example in regard to the crime of drug use is that it is a self abusive crime, the only victim of the commission of this crime being the person using the drug. The illegal nature of drugs creates all of the victimization associated with drug use. More specifically, marijuana has properties that have the ability to naturally support different types of illnesses. Therefore, it is ethically irresponsible for society to continue to support the criminalization of drugs, especially in the case of marijuana. Through the lens of virtue ethics, one can examine an issue in regard to moral good and moral evil (Darwall, 2003, p. 53). One of the ways in which society has collectively determined that drugs should be criminalized is through the concept that they represent a moral evil. The social point of view is that anything that threatens the perception of safety and normalcy should be criminalized in order to provide perceived protection. The problem with this point of view is that it is blind to the realities of the effects of criminalization which are creating a far more moral evil than the self abuse of drug use represents. The moral evils that are created through criminalization is that it empowers people who have constructed evil intent, most often through greed, to create collaborative efforts that are outside of the control of the state. Virtue ethics is defined by perception. An example is given by Darwall (2003), in regard to two men who can provide another with the same service or advantage, the first man doing the service because he feels it is his moral responsibility and does it through a sense of altruism, where the second man does it because it fulfills an aspect of his own greed. The discussion is centered upon which man will have the greatest amount of sentiment, in this case gratitude, from the person who receives the service. It is the perceived motivation of the person providing the service that creates the level of gratitude as a response (p. 53). The fact is,