Sylvia Plath’s Poetry Is Dark and Disturbing

From studying the unique poetry of Plath, I found it intense, deeply personal and somewhat disturbing as she wrote about the horrors of depression with ruthless honesty. Her poetry is personal in that she talks about a taboo subject that wasn't acknowledged during her lifetime and in a way it made her poems brilliantly intense. This can be seen most clearly in ‘Child’, ‘Elm’, ‘Poppies in July’ and also ‘Mirror’. ‘Elm’s’ tone is insanely intense, dark and plain miserable and this makes the reader feel immensely disturbed.It is clear from reading Plath’s work that she was in a dark hole, willing to escape. ‘Elm’ finished with the disturbing line â€Å"That kill, that kill, that kill†. We can see through her callous honesty and the unsettling atmosphere that she is tormented when she says â€Å"Till your head is a stone, your pillow a little turf†. Here, she is using an image of a g rave and this sense of mortality is extremely personal, many poets wouldn't write about such agitated thoughts. Her startling honesty is seen when she says â€Å"I am terrified by this dark thing†.Plath is afraid, she is desperate and she is reaching out to her readers, begging for help. Her use of words in ‘Elm’ is also interesting. â€Å"Faults† could be emotional and/or physical and this shows the psychological states explored throughout Sylvia Plath’s work. â€Å"Malignity† symbolizes evil and the intensity of how disturbed her life was. Another poem that describes the intense and disturbing life of Plath in a deeply disturbing and personal way is ‘Poppies in July’.This poem was written just after the break-up of the marriage to the love of her life Ted Hughes. In the unsettled atmosphere, it is evident that Plath is permeated with heartbreak and depression. Her anger is displayed through the disturbing use of the colour red, also symbolising danger. Poppies are usually a magnificent image of happiness and nature, but in Plath’s poem we can see through her dubious and appalling honesty that even the nice things in life are making her angry and upset, she can get no happiness from anything anymore. Colourless†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ I feel an intense sadness for Plath as I read this poem because what she is aching for is help a human hand. She is looking for escape, oblivion, relief or neutrality, she can see no life worth living anymore and this makes ‘Poppies in July’ even more disturbing. Plath’s eccentric, queer and haunting writing is also seen in ‘Child’. This poem is very personal and although it is primarily a happy poem about her child there is an intense underlying sadness and emptiness. This poem is not angry, just negative, heartbreaking and regretful. Should† (the full quote would be better here) implies she wishes she was able to give her children somethi ng better, she is disturbingly sorry for not being able to give them everything they want and need. In this personal poem it is evident she loves her child very much and this is what makes it even more haunting and disturbing because she is so unstable and in a state of self-destruction â€Å"Your eye is the one absolutely beautiful thing†. We saw such anguish and hopelessness at the end of ‘Child’ when she says â€Å"This dark ceiling without a star†.I personally found this heartbreaking as it is so obvious how much she loves her child, but she knows that she is nearing the end; she can’t see any light in her life even though as a reader it is obvious that the light could have been her children. Therefore, I found ‘Child’ a disturbing and intense poem to study. Another poem by Plath that I found to be personal on an intense and disturbing way was ‘Mirror’. It is clear as Plath looks into the mirror that she is unhappy, wat ching her age. A mirror never lies, but Plath cannot find solace in what she sees.She fears herself as she sees her past and youth before her. â€Å"In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman rises towards her day after day, like a terrible fish. † Plath also called candles and the moon, both symbols of love and light. â€Å"Liars†: they both cast a shadow. This disturbing, empty thought clearly shows her tormented mind and that love is futile. The final poem I am going to discuss that shows Plath’s emptiness is ‘Finisterre’. Again, it is unsettling, negative and quite violent and shows her tormented state.I found this poem quite haunting and it shows the disturbing and intense time Plath was going through. â€Å"Whitened by the faces of the drowned†. The sea is also associated with death by Plath. â€Å"Souls rolled in the doom-noise of the sea†. Here, she is disconnected from the world, she also shows her disgust to o rganised religion when she says the Holy statue is ignoring the prayers of the people at her feet. With her callous honesty we can see that Plath can’t even find hope or rest in a God, she is well and truly alone. In conclusion, I found the poetry of Sylvia Plath to be intense, disturbing and personal.I enjoyed her poetry as everybody has off days so her poems are easy to relate to in the sense that everyone feels empty and unknown sadness’s now and again. Knowing about her sad death really cements these feelings in the poems as we can see that unfortunately she gave up, she never found the hope or person she as looking for to save her from her tormented mind. Therefore, with her ruthless verity, it is obvious that Plath’s personal poems project her life in an intense and disturbing way because in the end, this magnificent, poignant poet could see nothing to live for.

The Conflicts Between Siblings

English 102 10/29/2012 The Conflicts between Siblings In the story â€Å"Sonny’s blues†, the Sonny’s brother is the narrator and main character; his name is never mentioned throughout the story. He and Sonny are the two brothers with a big difference of their ages. They don’t spend too much time with each other since they grow up. They have different world. The narrator is a high school algebra teacher and family man. Sunny is through his brother’s eyes, as a quiet, introspective person with a tendency to withdraw inside himself. Sonny is also described by the narrator as wild, but not crazy.He takes drugs which led him to jail. He wants to be a musician because of his passion for jazz. The narrator wishes his brother to have a regular and stable job as himself, but doesn’t work unsteadily as a musician. Sunny doesn’t finish school, so he is hard to find a job which is same as his brother’s thought. He doesn’t have too ma ny work choices like other black youths during the years. Sunny and his brother have different life styles. The narrator promises their mother to take care of Sunny, but he thinks he does not do it well. They have different philosophy and different understanding of career paths.After the narrator’s daughter dies, the narrator and Sunny talk to each other. The narrator finally understands of Sonny’s pursuit of music. In the story â€Å"Everyday use†, Dee is oldest daughter of â€Å"Mama† and sister to Maggie. She is a educated, worldly, and deeply determined girl; she gets everything what she wants. Maggie is the younger daughter who stays with Mama while Dee goes to school. She wants to stay with her mother because she is an unintelligent and unattractive girl. Dee wants to escape from the village, and she always dresses herself attractively.Dee is successfully to have better education and opportunity to see the world. Maggie gets stuck because of her shy character. Dee is an independent girl, and Maggie is a dependent girl. They have different understandings of the life. Dee feels embracing about Maggie and their mother by different attitudes to the world, physical appearance, and their education. The conflicts between two sisters are not solved in the story. In both of the stories, sibling rivalry, conflicts of their relation and burden responsibility of one to the other are the similarities, and solution to their conflicts is the difference.Sibling rivalry through out of both stories. In â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, the narrator wishes his brother have consistent life same as his. He thinks he is older than Sonny, so he has more life experiences. He should take care of his brother because Sonny has dealing with drugs. â€Å"That last conversation between Baldwin's narrator and his mother suggests that he should be his brother's keeper, but the narrator has failed miserably at that duty, which is apparent in the telling op ening sentence of â€Å"Sonny's Blues†: â€Å"I read about it [Sonny's arrest] in the paper, in the subway, on my way to work†.If the narrator had to rely on a newspaper report to become aware of Sonny's trouble, he could not have been keeping his promise to his mother to care for his younger brother. Sonny did not even bother to call his older brother after the arrest. † (THE BIBLICAL FOUNDATION OF JAMES BALDWIN'S â€Å"SONNY'S BLUES† Page6 by James Tackach) The narrator doesn’t know sonny is not a kid anymore. Sonny chooses to be a jazz musician is not an impulsive decision since he has grown up. Sonny wants to escape from the Harlem, so he is not the young man who messes up his own life.In the â€Å"Everyday Use†, the sibling rivalry still exists. Even though, Maggie is a compliant girl, Dee still wants to beat her from everywhere. She is a strong-minded girl and leads Maggie around by the nose. In their family, Dee represents educational, fashionable, self-confident person, but Maggie is a diffident, low-pitched, awkward girl. Maggie values the family quilts for their sentiment and usefulness. She learned how to quilt from her grandmother and aunt who made the quilts. Her mother has been saving the quilts for Maggie to use after she is married.The quilts are meant to be used and appreciated every day. Maggie hints that she sees the quilts as a reminder of her grandmother and aunt when she says, â€Å"I can’t remember them without the quilts†. The conflicts of brothers and sisters relationships are the major points in both of the stories. In the â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, Sonny always against his older brother, he gives up from the school, he takes drugs like other black youth around the neighborhood. When he decides to be a musician, his brother thinks he will be the same as their father who is a drunken corrupt man died when Sonny was fifteen years old.There is a big gap between two brothers. Sonny leaves their house, drops out of school, and joins the navy. They both get back from the war and live in New York for a while. They would see each other intermittently, and whenever they meet they would fight. Because of these fights, they do not talk to each other for a very long time. After the narrator talks about Gracie and her polio affliction, the narrator decided to write to Sonny. It seems that the narrator could better understand his brother now. In the â€Å"Everyday use†, Maggie and Dee have unique personalities. Dee values the family quilts.She thinks the quilts as priceless objects to own and display. Dee believes that she can appreciate the value of the quilts more than Maggie. Maggie is nervous about her sister’s visit. In fact, Dee's arrival makes Maggie so uncomfortable that she tries to flee to the safety of the house. When Maggie is unable to confront Dee about the quilts, she gives them to Dee because she used to never winning anything, or ha ving anything reserved for her sister. In both stories, the older siblings burden responsibility to the youngers. Sonny’s brother thinks he has responsibility because of the promise to her mother.He tries to talk to Sonny about the life style and career choices. He asks Sonny what he wants to do, and Sonny replies that he wants to be a jazz musician and play the piano. The narrator does not understand this dream and doesn’t think it is good enough for Sonny. They also try to figure out his living arrangement for the remainder of his high school career. The subject leads to an argument. Sonny calls his brother ignorant because the narrator doesn’t know who Charlie Parker is. Sonny argues that he does not want to finish high school or live at Isabel’s parents' house.However, they find a compromise. Isabel’s parents have a piano, which Sonny can play whenever he wants, provided he goes to school. Sonny agrees with the idea. He stays at Isabel’s house and goes to school sometimes. When he gets home, he constantly plays the piano. He goes to Greenwich Village, and hanging with his jazz friends who are most likely doing drugs. Once Isabel’s parents find this out, Sonny leaves their house, drops out of school, and joins the navy. The narrator objects to his brother to be a jazz musician because he loves his brother.He doesn’t want Sonny waste time to an unstable job and stay with druggies. Even though he misunderstands Sonny’s choice, he performs the responsibility by his thought exactly. Dee is a progressive model for her younger sister. She wants to increase the life quality of the family. â€Å"She washed us in a river of make-believe, burned us with a lot of knowledge we didn’t necessarily need to know. Pressed us to her with the serious way she read, to shove us away at just the moment, like dimwits, we seemed about to understand. †(page279) Dee tries to make the family better.She wants her mother and sister to have more education. She knows her younger sister’s personality. She tries to stimulate her sister, and led Maggie escape from the village to the city, but Maggie wants to stay. Dee is done the best she can in her knowledge. In contrast, the solutions of their conflicts are different. Sonny and his brother get closer at the end of the story. By playing jazz, Sonny is able to ease or relieve his suffering from the childhood. They go to the jazz club in Greenwich Village. He hears Sonny play the piano. It makes him understand that Sonny has the soul of the music.The narrator realizes how revered Sonny is there. The narrator sends a cup of scotch and milk up to the piano for Sonny, and they share a brief connecting moment. His brother finally understands that Sonny is able to turn his suffering into something worthwhile by playing the piano. Dee and Maggie are not lucky like the two brothers. Dee still keeps her own style and Maggie too. There is no sol ution for the conflicts of their sibling relationships. Maggie is content with her simple life, while Dee wants to have fine things. Maggie is nervous and intimidated by Dee, who is bold and selfish.Maggie values the emotion of the family quilts, while Dee wants to display them as a symbol of her heritage. The case is solved by their mother, but the contradictions between two sisters are still there. In the two stories, the conflicts of siblings are the most attractive events. The narrator and Sonny don’t have too much conversation because they have really different ages. When the narrator has a job, Sonny is still a kid. Sonny is not old enough to understand the things which his brother worries about. Since Sonny grows up, he knows what kind of job he wants.Unfortunately, his brother still thinks Sonny just wants to play but not to work. Finally, they solve the problems by the communication and understanding. The two sisters’ conflicts come from their opposite charact er. Dee looks forward to a rich life and gains attention from other people. She doesn’t want to stay at an old house without a real window. Maggie is afraid to leave her mother and where she used to live. She decides to be a house girl. In conclusion, the problems from siblings are because of the less understanding to each other. If they build up more connections and trust each other, those problems are easily to get rid of.

Emotional Attachments Essay

In Alistair MacLeod’s short story, â€Å"The Boat†, there are many examples of where human emotions are attached to places and/or objects; known as physicalization. The emotions these things show, also depend on the person they are being viewed by. There are examples of how one space can have two very different emotional attachments. These differences in opinion can cause tension in some relationships and are there with a constant reminder of the contrast between two people. A good representation of physicalization is the object that is in the title. The boat, is one of the most important possessions to this Nova Scotian family. It provides their livelihood and everything that the mother perceives to be important. For the mother in this story, the boat embodies what it means to be a fishing family. She â€Å"was of the sea as were all her people,† which is why all her brothers were fishermen and she wanted to be married to a fisherman (paragraph 15). In her eyes, there was no other way to respectfully earn a living and she believed that people who weren’t from around where she lived did not know what it was like to work hard. For her, the boat was who they were and held all her emotions of hope and accomplishment. This is different from the emotions that the boat held for the father. He fished for a living, to keep his wife happy, but he was never truly a fisherman. He did not enjoy fishing like the rest of his wife’s family did. His skin was not tough enough as â€Å"the salt water irritated his skin as it had for sixty years†¦and his arms, especially the left, broke out into the oozing saltwater boils†. (paragraph 60) The sun and wind took a toll on his body that the others did not experience. To him, the boat held emotions such as pain, despair and struggle. He would rather be inside, reading and learning, but was instead forced to fish. The differences in physicalization in this story are also represented in the opinions of the father’s room. For him, it was a place where he could finally relax after a long day of work. It was his escape from the world; somewhere he could enjoy his books and not worry about his mess. The room was home to his emotions of calm and comfort, and was somewhere he could really be himself. Even within this room he could not escape the sea as the only window in the room overlooked it. His room was a place where he connected with his precious children in an unconditional manner. Here they learned about their true father and they learned how to gain knowledge. The father’s room, while a source of aggravation for the mother, was a place of safety and comfort for the father. For his wife, his room was a constant battle. â€Å"She despised the room and all it stood for†. (paragraph 23) She had long ago stopped trying to clean it, and had started to simply ignore it. To her, all his reading was a waste of time, but she was able to ignore it until it started to influence their children. To her, the room was a challenge and represented some of the main differences between she and her husband. The use of physicalization, allowed the author to show the tension that is between the parents and in the whole family. Somewhere that makes one person feel comfort, is the same place that makes another person feel stress. Sometimes these contrasts in emotion can be ignored, but often they lead to issues. This is clearly not a perfect family, and challenges they face are made obvious by the difference in emotions for certain things between the parents.

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Literacy narrative in context - Essay Example In his narrative text, Baca recalls that â€Å"From the time I was seven; teachers had been punishing me for not knowing my lessons† (Baca, 3). Nevertheless, that limitation did not stop him from becoming a high caliber writer, despite Baca’s recollection that â€Å"Ashamed of not understanding and fearful of asking questions, I dropped out of school in the ninth grade† p4. Therefore, my essay, â€Å"Growing Up and How I Did It† can be written better, through the extensive application of personal experiences, explained into details to form a complete life narration that can then comprise a narrative. Jimmy Baca’s text presents the elaborate way through which personal experiences and the components of a person’s life can be transformed into an inspiring and motivational content, which then can be applied by others to gain insights on how to make accomplishments in life, even without having sufficient resources at an individual’s disposal (Baca, 4). However, it is the text, â€Å"A Rationale of Textual Criticism† by Tanselle, which introduces new insights on how constructive criticism can be applied to make a written work of literature better, through applying either the positive or the negative approach to improve a written piece of work (Tanselle 20). Therefore, through the application of positive criticism, my essay c an be improved into an interesting story, considering that my writing experiences are unique in the sense that I learnt writing early while still in the kindergarten, which is not a requirement for children in this class. Through positive criticism as discussed by Tanselle, the early writing desire can be a basis of developing a narrative that revolves around many other unique or extraordinary experiences and characteristics, which then can form a basis of a motivational and inspiring text, like the one developed through Jimmy Baca’s personal life experiences, but only when combined with further constructive imagination (Tanselle, 33).. Tanselle has reduced this whole concept by stating that â€Å"those most emphatic in holding that the meaning of literature emerges from a knowledge of its historical context†¦are in fact hindering their progress toward their goal† p34. Writers are destined to fail in developing some influential piece of written literature, â€Å" if they do not recognize that artifacts may be less reliable witnesses to the past than their own imaginative reconstructions† (Tanselle 34). Additionally, negative criticism can also be applied to improve my essay and develop it into a reasonable and inspiring narrative text, considering the much resources and opportunities I have at my disposal, yet there is nothing to show for it. Through placing the wasted opportunities into perspective, such as the time wasted during my childhood playing tag with my friends and the access to valuable resources that I have heard in the course of my school life for sharpening my writing skills, the experiences can be drawn to form a narrative that advises others against misusing or underutilizing the valuable resources at their disposal. This would then form an impressive narrative, which will change the notion that I do not have adequate writing skills, as portrayed in my essay, â€Å"Growing Up and How I Did It†. Tanselle rightly p uts it that â€Å"the act of reading or listening to receive a message from the past entails the effort to discover, through the text (or texts) one is presented with†, p18. This is an indication that through the application of sufficient effort towards discovering the content of the past, there is the

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Gps Location Tracker Essay This POT GPS receiver providing a solution that high position and speed accuracy performances as well as high sensitivity and tracking capabilities in urban conditions amp;provides standard NMEA0183 strings in raw mode for any microcontroller. The module provides current time, date, latitude, longitude, speed, altitude and travel direction / heading among other data, and can be used in a host of applications,including navigation, tracking systems, fleet management, mapping and robotics. This is a stand alone GPS Module and requires no external components except power supply decoupling capacitors. It is built with internal RTC Back up battery. It can be directly connected to Microcontrollers USART. The module is having option for connecting external active antenna if necessary. The GPS chipsets inside the module are designed by MediaTek Inc. ,which is the worlds leading digital media solution provider and largest fab-less IC company in Taiwan. The module can support up to 51 channels. The GPS solution enables small form factor devices. They deliver major advancements in GPS performances, accuracy,integration, computing power and flexibility. They are designed to simplify the embedded system integration process. Features TTL asynchronous  serial interface Data output Baud rate: 9600 bps (Default) Single 3. 3V DC supply @  55 mA (typical) Standard NMEA0183 output format Standard 8-pin header interface (. 100 spacing). Based on MediaTek Single Chip Architecture. Dimension: 26mm x 26mm x 11. 7mm Patch Antenna Size: 25mm x 25mm x 4mm Low Power Consumption: 55mA @ acquisition, 40mA @ tracking

History Vietnam Controlled Assessment Essay Example for Free

History Vietnam Controlled Assessment Essay P1 Para-starter: Use of Defoliation to win hearts and minds. Point 1: Causes birth defects  Evidence: â€Å"Agent Orange is fifty times more concentrated than normal agricultural herbicides; this extreme intensity completely destroyed all plants in the area. Agent Orange not only had devastating effects on agriculture but also on people and animals. The Vietnam Red Cross recorded over 4.8 million deaths and 400,000 children born with birth defects due to exposure to Agent Orange. (http://vietnamawbb.weebly.com/napalm-agent-orange.html) Explanation: So it affected South Vietnam negatively, caused them to hate US and feel sympathy for VC. Evidence 2: Point 2: Use of napalm strikes Evidence: â€Å"Fail grey smoke where they’d burnt off the rice fields, brilliant white smoke from phosphorus, and deep black smoke from napalm. They said that if you stood at the base of the column it would suck the air right out of your lungs.† (Sauvain, Philip: Vietnam) Explanation: Consequently shows how bad it is from American POV so would be worse for random civilian. Evidence 2: Para-ender: Overall, defoliation is bad because it makes civilians hate US. P2 Para-starter: Use of Search and Destroy to win hearts and minds Point 1: Ruthless aggression of Americans Evidence: â€Å"Frustrated and frightened American troops settled on searching villages and destroying those instead. In most cases these villages played no role in supporting the VC.†(Demarco, Neil: Vietnam) Explanation: Because of this Americans would kill innocents (Refer to My Lai Massacre and Zippo lighters) Evidence 2: Para-ender: As a result, brutality of US caused the civilains to hate the US P3 Para-Starter: In addition, use of Search and Destroy to counter VC Point 1: VC were well prepared Evidence: Such missions were ineffective because at the slightest hint of american activity the communist forces would slip away into the jungle.(Bircher, Rob and May-History controlled assessment) Explanation: Shows how well prepared VC were compared to americans Evidence 2: 60%of US casualties from the war came from traps and mines Explanation: Shows how vulnerable Americans were, demoralized American troops and failed to counter VC P4 Para-starter: Finally, Defoliation counters VC Point 1: Successful to an extent Evidence: It is estimated that approximately 77 million litres of this acid was sprayed over Vietnam (Rob Bircher and Steve May History Controlled Assessment) Evidence 2:Nearly 5.5 million acres of South Vietnamese forest and cropland(Gibson, Michael The war in Vietnam) Explanation: initial plan to uncover Ho Chi Minh trail, but not fully achieved. Para-ender: In Addition, they couldnt do more damage cause communists are supported by USSR and China.

Genetic basis for criminality and anti social behaviour

Genetic basis for criminality and anti social behaviour What are the implications for society? We are what we repeatedly do is a quote by one of the greatest revolutionary minds of all time, Aristotle. Though its millennia since he lived, his logic isnt too outdated, if you frequently donate to charity, then youre benevolent. If you repeatedly break the law, youre a criminal. The modern question is where these behaviours stem from; your genetics or your environment? There is an increasing amount of empirical evidence on the contribution of genetic factors to individual differences in criminal and antisocial behaviours (Turkheimer et al. 1995). A recent meta-analysis of over 400 studies suggests that about 41% of human behaviour is genetically influenced with greatest heritability for antisocial behaviour and smoking (Malouff et al. 2008). It is a topic relevant both in a scientific and a social context. Should the discovery of a genetic basis for antisocial behaviour change the way it is treated and viewed by society? Or lead to a change in its definition, if youre a criminal due to a genetic predisposition, is it different to part-taking in criminal behaviour without a found genetic component? It is necessary to begin by asking, what is criminal and antisocial behaviour? It isnt simply disobedience, some forms of disobedience are acts designed to change the law or common practice such as the suffragette movement (CIBA Foundation Symposium. 1996). Other acts break the law, but are entirely acceptable within subgroups of society such as the recreational taking of cannabis. Some behaviour also breaks the law purely because the offender is below a legally defined age such as with alcohol and sex. One definition of antisocial behaviour is behaviour that lacks consideration for others and that may cause damage to society, whether intentionally or through negligence (Berger, 2003). Criminality falls under this definition of antisocial behaviour. This definition will be adopted here but it must be noted that antisocial behaviour cannot be restricted to that which is disapproved in all societies. In accord with the opening quote, repetition is important. In Farringtons 1995 study o f males from inner-city London, 96% admitted to having committed one or more of ten common crimes such as theft, violence, vandalism. Yet, we dont view 96% of the human population as criminals. Over the past decades, there has been a paradigm shift in the way human behaviour is approached. The social learning model has been majorly replaced by a balanced view emphasising the importance of genetic and environmental factors on human behaviour. There is now a wealth of evidence supporting that both genetics and environmental factors play an important role in accounting for individual differences in antisocial and criminal behaviour. There are two basic approaches to researching behavioural genetics. The first is classical genetics designs; a traditional approach involving no DNA examination. It analyses individual differences in a given trait by examining patterns of resemblance among individuals who are related genetically, environmentally or both (Baker et al, 2006), by studying twins, nuclear families and adoptive families. Classical approaches broadly determine whether genes are important and estimate the extent of the genetic influence. The second method studies Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL), genes which exert small but significant influence on complex traits. A QTL approach is considered more molecular than the classical designs because it narrowly specifies DNA sequences that increase risk for antisocial behaviour. This molecular aspect is a much more recent and developing approach than the classical studies, however, it is an important technique and studies are emerging indicating specific gene associati ons. To date, the classical approach has provided the scientific community with abundant evidence for both genetic and environmental influences on antisocial and criminal behaviour. The studies vary in the type of antisocial behaviour (juvenile delinquency, aggression, adult criminal behaviour etc), the definition of antisocial behaviour and the way its measured (official and school records, behavioural ratings by parents or teachers, self-reporting). It has been studied across the human lifespan and males are more extensively studied than females. Due to the inconsistency between each study, reviews of these studies are important to draw well-informed conclusions. A review by Rhee and Waldman in 2002 looked at 51 distinct studies which focused on some aspect of antisocial behaviour. The results of the studies were combined to estimate the relative effect of genetic and environmental influences. There a significant effects of additive genetic influence (0.32), non-additive genetic influen ces (0.09), shared (0.19) and non-shared environment (0.43), which clearly demonstrates the effect of heredity and environment on antisocial behaviour. The review also found that non-additive genetic effects appear most strongly for criminality compared to other forms of antisocial behaviour, and that there was a strong and decreasing importance of shared environment factors from childhood to adulthood. Genetics seems to be more strongly correlated with criminality and antisocial behaviour in adulthood than in childhood or adolescence. A wide range of behaviours are considered antisocial, however, it may be beneficial, especially in a legal context, to study illegal, criminal behaviours. Several large scale twin studies have been conducted in various countries such as USA (Cadoret et al. 1995) and Denmark (Hutchings Mednicks. 1975). They found that there is higher agreement between monozygotic (MZ) twins, who are genetically identical, than dizygotic (DZ) twins, who on average share 50% of their genes, for property crimes such as theft and vandalism (Cloninger Gottesman. 2000). This indicates a genetic component which is further backed up by evidence that property crime convictions among adopted individuals significantly increased when the biological parent was convicted but showed little or no increase when adopted children were raised by adoptive parents with such convictions (Baker et al. 1989). In the case of committing violent crimes, there seems to be no increased risk when studied as a function of adoptive or biological parents. In contrast to the large genetic influence on adult criminality, childhood behaviours such as minor rule breaking, theft, truancy, vandalism, can apparently be explained by environmental factors. Small genetic influence was only found in theft and minor rule breaking (Baker et al. 2006). Antisocial behaviour and aggression play key roles in the diagnosis of three mental disorders. Antisocial personality disorder in adults often involves aggressive, impulsive, and irresponsible behaviour. Significant genetic influences have been consistently found in twin samples and adoption studies. Conduct disorder is a childhood behavioural problem indicated by aggression, destructive behaviours, theft, dishonesty and truancy. It is thought to be a severe and clinical form of antisocial behaviour. It is associated with negative outcomes such as drug abuse, depression and, as adults, antisocial personality disorder. Multiple studies have shown that children with conduct disorder have a largely increased risk of developing antisocial personality disorder as an adult (Loeber. 1991). A history of antisocial personality disorder in a parent is the strongest predictor of persistence of conduct disorder from childhood into adolescence (Lahey et al. 2000). Like in antisocial personality d isorder, significant genetic effects have been found in twin samples and adoption studies (Eaves et al. 1997). Recent studies have shown that conduct disorder is significantly heritable, with estimates ranging from 27% to 78% (Baker et al. 2006). It seems theres a wealth of evidence indicating a strong link between genetics and conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder. The third mental disorder is oppositional defiant disorder which is characterised by a repeated pattern of negative, aggressive and defiant behaviour in children. Twin studies have also investigated the heritability of oppositional defiant disorder. Several found significant genetic influences in oppositional defiant disorder symptoms, with heritability estimates ranging from 14% to 65% (Eaves et al. 1997). All these studies provide direct evidence for genetic influences on antisocial behaviour. However, there are numerous studies that provide indirect evidence by examining the genetics of traits that correlate with antisocial behaviour. Understanding the genetic influences on correlated traits can give us important information on the genetic mechanisms underlying antisocial behaviour. One of the most relevant traits is impulsivity. Individuals are differently susceptible to antisocial behaviour due to variation in traits such as impulsivity which are heritable according to data from large twin and adoption studies. Heritability estimates range from 20% to 72% (Coccaro et al. 1993). It is thought that genes modulate behaviours such as impulsivity, which can lead to other disorders such conduct disorders, antisocial personality disorder and ADHD. ADHD in childhood has been linked to antisocial behaviour in two ways. Research has shown that, children with ADHD are more likely than those w ithout it to show antisocial behaviour as an adult (Hetchman et al. 1984). It appears that children who have symptoms of ADHD have a more persistent form of conduct disorder. Other studies have shown that youths exhibiting both ADHD and antisocial behaviour manifest severe forms of antisocial behaviour such as extreme physical aggression. An adoption study has shown a high genetic component for attention problems which are a key diagnostic feature of ADHD (Van Den Oord et al. 1994) and heritability estimates range from 39% to 91% (Thapar et al. 1999). As shown, there is an abundance of classical genetic studies showing the importance of genetic predispositions as well as environmental factors. However, this research contributes little to the exact biological mechanisms underlying the genetic effects. They represent black boxes in our understanding of antisocial behaviour. Some recent approaches have been adopted to tackle this gap in our knowledge. One such approach is a measured risk factor which investigates traits and behaviours known to correlate with the risk of antisocial behaviour. Multivariate genetic models are used to explain sources of genetic covariance underlying the correlation between a trait and antisocial behaviour. This may be applied to the traits discussed earlier such as impulsivity, attention deficit but also to biological risk factors such as hormones, neurotransmitters etc. However, little research using this method has been done to date. (Little has been done using this method to date. ) A second approach is by using QTL designs which identifies specific genes as having associations with or functional significance in antisocial behaviour. It could be called a measured gene approach. Knowing the genes involved in behavioural disorders such as those discussed, including antisocial behaviour, brings with it a better understanding of the genetic mechanisms. Identifying particular genes associated with different disorders that regulate, say, neurotransmitter activity may allow adjustment of their levels by pharmacological methods. Genes associated with neurotransmitters have been identified for antisocial behaviour, in particular serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT). Low levels of serotonin have been shown to increase impulsivity and repress sensible behaviour, both of which are linked to antisocial behaviour (Moore et al. 2002). A serotonergic gene with a relationship to antisocial behaviour is the gene coding for the serotonin receptor. A variant polymorphism of this gene, Serotonic2A Receptor gene (HTR2A), was found to be associated with drug abuse, shoplifting, hostility, vandalism and rape (Comings. 2000). Another serotonergic gene associated with antisocial behaviour is the HTR1DA gene which is suspected to play a role in serotonin metabolism. The C variant of this gene was found to be significantly associated with antisocial personality disorder in adults and conduct disorder in children (Comings. 2000). In particular, studies on aggression, a form of antisocial behaviour, have made advances in this field. A detailed analysis of 24 studies of the genetics of aggression indicated that heritability accounts for around 50% of the variance (Rhee Waldman, 2002). It was also noted that heritability for aggression was more important in adulthood than childhood and was higher in males than in females. Studies have shown that the Y chromosome is important for aggression in males, through its role in male determination but also through other Y-linked loci. When the male determining gene (Sry) was deleted in mice, it was shown that aggression was independent of the Sry locus implying other genes on the X and Y chromosomes are involved (Gatewood et al. 2006). One candidate gene related to sexual differences is the gene coding for the androgen receptor (AR), two studies have found a significant link for males with shorter trinucleotide repeat motif with verbal aggression (Jonsson at al. 2001) or violent criminal activity such as murder and rape (Rajender et al. 2008). A wealth of research indicates the key role of serotonin in aggression. Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is an enzyme which oxidases biogenic amines such as serotonin (5-HT), noradrenalin and adrenalin. Null mutations in the MAOA locus which cause an imbalance in serotonin metabolism are correlated with aggression in humans (Brunner et al. 1993). Later studies have centred on detecting behavioural associations with VNTR variants in MAOA. Significant associations have been found between longer base pair alleles of the MAOA gene and behaviour disorders including ADHD, conduct disorder and substance abuse (Comings. 2000). Other genes thought to be involved in the association between aggression and serotonin include the genes coding for tryptophan hydroxylase enzyme, which catalyses the rate limiting step in serotonin production and the genes coding for the serotonin receptors. There are further strong genetic associations between stress and aggression with candidate genes including those codi ng for dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and adrenaline receptors. Genetic influences on behaviour are not simple to understand. Gene expression for antisocial behaviour frequently depends on a number of other factors such as the effects of other genes or environmental influences. Classical genetic studies indicate strong interactions between genes and environment. The conclusion from candidate gene studies is that there are few, if any loci with a large effect; it is becoming increasingly obvious that the impact of genes is multifactorial; including other genes and the environment (Craig Halton. 2009). Studies of antisocial behaviour now require a comprehensive view of biological and social risk factors as well as their interaction. The extent to which genetic influence varies as a function of environmental effects is known as a gene X environment (GxE) interaction. A significant GxE interaction has been found in all major adoption studies of criminal convictions, such that the genetic predispositions, indicated by biological-parent antisocial beh aviour, presents the greatest risk to the adopted offspring in the presence of adverse environmental conditions, indicated by adoptive-parent antisocial behaviour (Baker et al. 2006). Negative environmental factors due to being raised by antisocial parents may have the largest impact on individuals who are genetically predisposed towards antisocial behaviour (Cloninger Gottesman. 2000). GxE is also seen at the specific gene level. A deleterious MAOB gene linked to aggression in human and mice has been demonstrated to have the greatest influence on antisocial behaviour in individuals who have experienced severe mistreatment during childhood (Caspi et al. 2002). The discovery of GxE interactions in antisocial behaviour highlights the sheer complexity of the gene-behaviour relationship. Until the past decade, there was very little research done to investigate how different risk factors interact in predisposing individuals to antisocial behaviour. Recently, there is a renewed interest in biosocial interaction effects and a number of possible interactive processes for biological and social risk factors have been outlined in the Biosocial Model. It acknowledges that biological risk factors may directly result in antisocial behaviour independent of social risk factors and vice-versa; this is the assumption of the majority of research to date. The essence of the biosocial model is that biological and social risk factors interact to produce antisocial behaviour. It also states that protective factors can disrupt all three pathways; biological, social and biosocial. A key understanding in the model is that there are antisocial subtypes and risk factors give rise to both a general predisposition to antisocial behaviour and different antisocial subtypes with potentially diff erent etiological bases, such as psychopathy or violence. Going back to the original question, is there a genetic basis for criminality and antisocial behaviour? The answer would have to be yes; there is a genetic basis for criminality and antisocial behaviour, and for most human behaviours. The evidence of its existence is out there in overwhelming quantity and multiple forms. Taking the answer as yes, there is a magnitude of other things that must also be understood. Attempting to understand genetic involvement in any behaviour is complicated, no gene has a monopoly control over any behaviour and its workings can only be understood in the light of interaction with other genes, environmental influences and protective factors. Future genetic studies of human behaviour require a comprehensive view of the interaction of biological and social risk factors; the adoption of an interactive predisposition approach. In behavioural sciences, the three essential guidelines are probability, probability, and probability. this is an essential quote by a leading psychologist Sandra Scarr. This is the second point of understanding; no aspect of human behaviour is so black and white that the presence of a gene means the behaviour is inevitable. Genes work in a probabilistic manner. There are no genes for long legs, but all things being equal, having gene a will give you an increased likelihood of having longer legs. In all things being equal, the all things are the genetic environment; the influence of other genes, the social environment; shared and unshared influences, and the interaction of these things. When these are equal in two individuals, the possession of gene a in individual 1 makes it more probable that his legs are longer than the legs of individual 2 who possesses gene b. In the same way, just because an individual has a shorter trinucleotide repeat in their androgen receptor does not mean they deterministically will murder and rape; it just increases the probability of them doing so. This probabilistic view, as opposed to a deterministic view, of genetic influence is essential to the appropriate social understanding of genetic predisposition to antisocial behaviour and criminality. This paradigm shift in how human behaviour is viewed, away from a social learning model and towards an interactive predisposition, will be reflected in society. One implication of a genetically based disposition to antisocial behaviour is the possible absolution of an individuals responsibility for such behaviour. As much as the advances are huge advances in the field of genetics in relation to antisocial behaviour, the broader picture is not complete. In most cases, genetic predisposition alone is currently too little understood to be a tool in so serious a matter as criminal blame. It is evident that there is a large genetic influence on these behaviours but only a few genes have been pinpointed with confidence in their effects. A more complete understanding of environmental influences is also needed, if genetic predisposition can be used to free or reduce a person of guilt, then so can early environment which also predisposes an individual to antisocial behaviours. This gets into an area where influences may be harder to prove. Also, it has been highlighted that the relationship between genotype and phenotype for antisocial behaviour is not linear, there are other influences such epistasis; this must be researched more fully so it is clearly understood before appropriate changes in society and the legal system can come about. In the future, when genetic predisposition is more adequately understood behavioural genetics could potentially be used in almost every aspect of the criminal justice system. Genetic behavioural forensic profiling might be used in law enforcement to predict the defendants personality and behavioural traits. Behavioural genetic information could be presented at a bail hearing by the prosecutor advising no bail to be granted due to the genetic predisposition to impulsivity or violence. It may also be used to support an insanity defence or as an independent basis for acquittal or used at parole hearings, to deny parole or as a basis for release (Rothstein. 2005). However, it is possible, even with this lack of understanding, to apply genetic predisposition to the legal system in personality disorders. As discussed, individuals who repeatedly show antisocial behaviour have a genetic predisposition. Personality disorders are often characterized by a manifest of persistent antisocial behaviour. Should a personality disorder be permitted to nullify or reduce responsibility for a criminal act? The modern answer seems to be yes. Apart from genetic predisposition, the main reasoning is that personality disorders are highly similar to other disorders that remain eligible for consideration in an insanity defence and a rule excluding them from forming the basis of a not guilty defence is scientifically indefensible and jurisprudentially hazardous (Kinscherff. 2010). This argument is the groundwork for the foundation of a criminal responsibility defence. A verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity does not mean the individual returns to the community. They are usually committed to a state psychiatric facility for a time, often longer than they would have spent in prison and this must be applied to a not guilty plea on the grounds of a personality disorder. If a defendant successfully uses impairments arising from a personality disorder to nullify criminal responsibility then the defendant should be assumed dangerous and to protect public safety, they should be subjected to int ervention to achieve the goal of incapacitation, potentially with lifetime supervision. Further research is needed as currently there is no demonstrated effective intervention for some personality disorders, especially antisocial personality disorder. The alternate proposition is that a personality disorder should not nullify responsibility for a criminal act. This implies that there is some conceptual bright line distinguishing personality disorders and all other mental disorders in terms of genetic heritability, etiology, neuro-cognitive functioning or other relevant dimension; however, this implication is not supported by science (Kinscherff. 2010). Another implication of a genetically based disposition to antisocial and criminal behaviour is the treatment of these people in society. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, researchers believed that genes were fully responsible for criminal activity and that criminals could be identified by their physiological features. This information, combined with ideas of a eugenics movement led to acts of sterilisation to rid society of criminals, idiots, imbeciles, and rapists (Joseph, 2001). This belief induced a period of widespread inhumane treatment in Western Europe and many USA states. Genetic research into human behaviour was also misused to support Nazi claims of racial superiority, which directly affected millions in World War 2 (Rothstein. 1999). To prevent this, society must be educated in the probabilistic view of genetic influence, along with the importance of environmental factors and their interaction. This is where the media plays a crucial role; the genetics of human behaviour have always been popular with the public. However, the descriptions of scientific research in the popular media are not always controlled. There is an increasing number of reports advocating that violence, impulsivity, aggression and other behaviours are hard-wired rather than caused by many factors (Clark et al. 2000). Misunderstanding and over-estimation of the role of genes in human behaviour is of great concern. It is to be expected that individuals and institutions may act on these misconceptions. Many entities with financial interest in the behaviour of particular individuals might seek to use genetic information to predict behaviour; insurers might be liable for injuries caused by an impulsive or aggressive individual. Employers may be interested in a potential employees behavioural disposition. The wrongful use of behavioural genetics in employment could lead to the exclusion of individuals from important opportunities. Laws may be needed to prevent generi c discrimination in employment and to protect the confidentiality of genetic information. Behavioural genetic information is an ethical and societal issue; it brings to light individual and social ideas of equality of opportunity, discrimination and personal responsibility. A final implication is the great need to try and identify those individuals, especially children, who may become susceptible to certain disorders or personality traits that can lead into antisocial, delinquent, or criminal behavior, in confidence. Society needs to focus on the treatment and rehabilitation of those individuals in need. Certain educational, environment enrichment programs have been shown to have a lasting effect on children if given by a certain age (Raine et al. 2003). If more of these programs could be developed, society could help prevent the future antisocial or criminal behavior of children, minimizing genetic factors in the role of human behaviour. One misapplication of the need to identify predisposed individuals is in fetal screening. Is the utilization of genetic information to determine who should and should not be born a reversion to the negative eugenic practices of the early twentieth century (Paul. 1994)? Prospective parents might test embryos for a genet ic marker before implantation to avoid giving birth to a child with potential for criminality. The use of genetic information in order to select against potential humans with undesirable traits certainly smacks of eugenic motivations (Duster. 1990). Society needs a deep understanding of interactive predisposition before it is capable of correctly dealing with important ethical debates such as this one. In light of recent research, it is impossible to deny the role of genetics in behaviour. As the topic catches the medias eye more and more, the idea of behavioural genetic determinism becomes ever more popular and widespread, there is a potential for misuse and misunderstanding of behavioural genetic information. As its application in everyday life is likely to increase, this misunderstanding is a critical societal challenge which needs to be tackled immediately. Unless this concern is addressed, there is a risk that the legal and commercial applications of behavioural genetics will outpace the science to our detriment. It must be widely understood that having a genetic predisposition for criminal behavior does not determine the actions of an individual, but if they are exposed to the right environment, then their chances are greater for engaging in criminal or antisocial behavior. As much as there is a need for further genetic research, social science needs to research the effect of genetic explanations for behaviour on individuals and society.

Eliza as a Strong, Assertive Woman in Pygmalion Essay -- George Bernar

Eliza as a Strong, Assertive Woman in Pygmalion Bernard Shaw’s comedy Pygmalion presents the journey of an impoverished flower girl into London’s society of the early 20th century. Professor Higgins proposes a wager to his friend Colonel Pickering that he can take a common peddler and transform her into royalty. Eliza Doolittle is the pawn in the wager. But little does Higgins know the change will go far beyond his expectations: Eliza transforms from a defensive insecure girl to a fully confident,strong, and independent woman. When the audience first meets Eliza Doolittle she is a flower girl peddling at 11 PM in front of St. Paul’s Church. The audience’s first impression is one of sympathy because she is dressed in rags and pedestrians are unkind to her. Higgins calls Eliza "you squashed cabbage leaf, you disgrace to the noble architecture of these columns, you incarnate insult to the English language." (p. 21) The audience’s sympathy is intensified when we see Eliza’s wretched lodgings. These lodgings are much contrasted to those of Higgins in Wimploe S...

Holocaust :: essays research papers

This is a story of how a young boy and his family lived through the holocaust. It begins in a town called Transylvania. The young boy was Elizer Weisel, one of four children and the only son. Elie was very spiritual, in which he wanted to find a master in Sighet to instruct him in the Zohar (the cabbalistic books, the secrets of Jewish mysticism). Moshe the Beadle was a poor man of the town that lived humbly. He was the one that would begin teaching Elie the Zohar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But one day, Moshe the Beadle, was expelled from Signet by the Hungarian police. He and others were crammed into box cars on a train. Several months had passed when Moshe the Beadle was spotted sitting in a bench in town. He began to tell his story of the terror he encountered. They were taken to a Polish territory where the Gestapo was in charge. They climbed into trucks and were driven into a forest where they dug their own graves. Then the Gestapo began firing at the Jews and throwing babies in the air as flying targets. Moshe was shot in the leg and pretended to be dead. Moshe began to make the journey home telling the horror that he experienced. No one could believe such an unimaginable story. The people just simply thought that he had gone mad. He begged people to believe his story but no one would.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Elie’s family listened to the London radio every evening. It was at the end of 1942 life had returned to normal. Bu the spring of 1944 all the Jews of Sighet were convinced that Germany’s defeat was near and they were all safe from harm. They even doubted Hitler wanted to exterminate them. But one day, they heard that German troops had entered Hungarian territory which brought on some anxiety. Then they moved on to Budapest where the Jews there were living in fear and terror. The Jews of Signet convinced themselves that the Germans would not move any further. But three days later German army cars had appeared in the streets. The officers were put up in private homes even some Jewish homes. Their first impressions of the Germans were mostly reassuring. They were calm, likeable, polite and sympathetic. The synagogues were closed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The week of Passover they gathered at private houses to celebrate, but their hearts were not into it because of what was happening to their town.

Radhakrishnans Thought and Existentialism :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Radhakrishnan's Thought and Existentialism ABSTRACT: I attempt to show the similarities between the viewpoints of Radhakrishnan and the existentialist thinkers. The philosophy of Radhakrishnan is an attempt to reinterpret and reconstruct the Advaita Vedanta of Sankara in the light of scientific knowledge and techniques of modern time. Existentialism is an attitude and outlook that emphasizes human existence. For Radhakrishnan, the human is essentially subject, not object. The existentialists assert that the human is not an object to be known, but a subject. Both Radhakrishnan and the existentialists emphasize the immense potential and present day condition of humanity. Radhakrishnan acknowledges the reality of suffering and misery of worldly existence. The existentialists maintain that there are antinomies, contradictions and distress at the root of existence. Radhakrishnan is concerned with liberation as a state of freedom. Freedom is the central concept around which the existential enquiry revolves. Though Radhakrishnan has certain affinities with existentialism, he regards it as a stage in the human's pilgrimage through life. The philosophy of Radhakrishnan is an attempt to reinterpret and reconstruct the Advaita Vedanta of Sankara in the light of scientific knowledge and technique of modern time. The philosophy of Advaita follows the basic tenets of the Upanishadic philosophy. Radhakrishnan does not propound any system of philosophy. He is bound to tradition like his contemporaries. But, his philosophy is distinct from others by some of its peculiar features. It is based on his own experiences and reflections. Existentialism is an attitude and outlook that emphasizes human existence. 'Existence precedes essence'-this is the maxim of existentialism. Existentialism deals with the problems the individual has to face in life, with the ways how he faces them, with his feelings and emotions and above all, with his outlook on life and experience. It recognises freedom and responsibility of the individual man. Soren Kirkegaard is regarded as the father of 'Existentialism'. He starts discussion on it. It is further developed in the hands of subsequent thinkers like Karl Jaspers, Gabriel Marcel, Martin Heidegger and Jean Paul Sartre. It must be admitted that there are divergent interests and points of view within existentialism. There are certain affinities between the viewpoints of Rahdakrishnan and the existentialist thinkers. Indian thought, in general; investigates into the self. Radhakrishnan also maintains that "In India, 'Atmanam Viddhi,' know the self, sums up the law and the prophets." (1) We do hear in this 'Atmanam Viddhi' the voice of existentialism. The two great propositions of the Upanishads are ' Tattvamasi' (Thou art that) and 'Aham Brahmasmi' (I am Brahman).

Health Promotions and Disease Prevention Paper Essay

Elder Mistreatment Elder mistreatment is a widespread problem in our society that is often under-recognized by health care professionals. As a result of growing public outcry over the past 20 years, all states now have abuse laws that are specific to older adults; most states have mandated reporting by all health care professionals. The term â€Å"mistreatment† includes physical abuse and neglect, psychological abuse, financial exploitation and violation of rights. Poor health, physical or cognitive impairment, alcohol abuse and a history of domestic violence are some of the risk factors for elder mistreatment. Diagnosis of elder mistreatment depends on acquiring a detailed history from the patient and the caregiver. It also involves performing a comprehensive physical examination. Only through awareness, a healthy suspicion and the performing of certain procedures are physicians able to detect elder mistreatment. Once it is suspected, elder mistreatment should be reported to adult protective se rvices (HHS fact sheet, 2005). It is estimated that over 2 million older adults are mistreated each year in the United States. Elder mistreatment first gained attention as a medical and social problem about 20 years ago, when the term â€Å"granny battering† first appeared in a British medical journal. Since that time, elder mistreatment has become a matter of concern not only in the United States, but throughout the world. This heightened awareness has followed a growing awareness of child and spousal abuse. Nevertheless, because of differing definitions, poor detection and under-reporting, the extent of elder mistreatment is unknown. These same factors make the collection of data difficult and its accuracy questionable. Published studies estimate that the prevalence of elder mistreatment ranges from 1 to 5 percent (Healthy people, 2010). Most health care professionals are reluctant to address domestic violence. However, physicians are in an ideal position to detect and manage mistreatment, as they may be the only person outside the family/caregiver role who regularly sees the older adult. In addition, the  physician is the most likely person to order the testing, hospital admissions and support services that are sometimes needed to correct elder mistreatment. This paper will discuss the clinical, ethical and legal issues regarding elder mistreatment. The various forms of elder mistreatment are defined, including ways to identify patient and caregiver risk factors, and history and physical findings that suggest a diagnosis of elder mistreatment. Finally, a systematic approach to patient evaluation, documentation and reporting of suspected cases will be reviewed. Reasons elder abuse may be missed or not reported by health care professionals include unfavorable attitude toward older adults (ageism), little information in medical literature about elder mistreatment, reluctance to attribute signs of mistreatment (disbelief),isolation of victims (patient not seen often by physicians/health care providers), subtle presentation (i.e., poor hygiene or dehydration), reluctance/fear of confronting the offender, reluctance to report mistreatment that is only suspected, mistreated person requests that abuse not be reported (patient/physician privilege), lack of knowledge about proper reporting procedure, fear of jeopardizing relationship with hospital or nursing facility Types of elder abuse Physical Abuse- occurs when a person is touched in an inappropriate way, such as hitting, punching, kicking, slapping, and pushing. Physical abuse often leaves marks on the person’s body: bite marks, bruises, welts, and burn marks. Marks are often left on arms, wrists, face, neck, and abdomen area; Emotional/Psychological Abuse- occurs when a person is demeaning to another person. A person may treat the elder like a child or call them names. An elder may seem unusually depressed or may talk bad about themselves; Sexual abuse- among an elder occurs when sexual contact is made without consent. It also occurs when an elder is incapable of making such a decision, and is rape; Financial abuse- occurs when a person or persons take advantage of an elderly person financially. This includes stealing money, lying about how much the elder needs for certain care, or cashing the elder’s checks without permission; Neglect/Abandonment- occurs when the elder is not being properly cared for, such as not being fed, bathed, and properly medicated. This is also when the elder is being ignored. The care  giver refuses to give care to the individual (Physical abuse of the elderly, 2005). Elder Mistreatment: Definitions and Classifications In an effort to increase physicians’ awareness, facilitate accurate detection and promote further research, the American Medical Association published a position paper on elder mistreatment in 1987. This paper proposed a standard definition: â€Å"‘Abuse’ shall mean an act or omission which results in harm or threatened harm to the health or welfare of an elderly person. Abuse includes intentional infliction of physical or mental injury; sexual abuse; or withholding of necessary food, clothing, and medical care to meet the physical and mental needs of an elderly person by one having the care, custody or responsibility of an elderly person† (HHS fact sheet, 2005). Elder mistreatment may take many forms. Types of elder mistreatment are often classified as physical abuse and neglect, psychological abuse, financial exploitation and violation of rights. A major obstacle to prevention of and intervention for elder mistreatment is a lack of awareness on the part o f physicians and other health care professionals (LA4Seniors, 2005). Risk Factors and Prevention Cognitive impairment and the need for assistance with activities of daily living are important risk factors for elder mistreatment. Caregiver burnout and frustration can lead to elder mistreatment. Substance abuse by the caregiver or the patient, especially abuse of alcohol, significantly increases the risk of physical violence and neglect. Psychological and character pathology in the caregiver and patient are also major risk factors. Prevention of elder mistreatment is difficult and depends as much on the social support network as on the medical network. Preventing elder mistreatment involves identifying high-risk patients and caregivers, and attempting to address the underlying issues. Screening patients and caregivers before placement can be helpful, when it is feasible. Helping patients obtain county or state assistance can also help reduce some high-risk situations. Risk Factors for Elder Mistreatment Older age, lack of access to resources, low income, social isolation, minority status, low level of education, functional debility, substance  abuse by caregiver or by elderly person, psychological disorders and character pathology, previous history of family violence, caregiver burnout and frustration, and Cognitive impairment. History- Recognizing mistreatment is often difficult. The older adult may be unable to provide information because of cognitive impairment. The history is sometimes difficult to obtain from the victim, for fear of retaliation by the abuser. This retaliation can come in the form of physical punishment or threats of violence and abandonment. Older adults are often fearful of being placed in a nursing facility, and some may prefer to be abused in their own home rather than be moved to such a facility (LA4Seniors, 2005). The mistreated older adult often presents with somatic complaints. Physicians should ask older patients about rough handling, confinement and verbal or emotional abuse. Subtle or confusing complaints may actually be indicative of mistreatment. It is important to recognize that abuse and neglect are most often discovered during routine visits at the physician’s office or in the long term care facility. Generally, the patient should be interviewed without the caregiver(s) present. Cognitive impairment may limit the ability to obtain an accurate history. It is important to ask general questions about conditions in the home or nursing facility. The physician should try to obtain an accurate view of the patient’s daily life, including meals, medication, shopping and social outlets (HHS fact sheet, 2005). It is also important to ask the patient about the nature and quality of the relationship with the caregiver. It may be helpful to ask questions such as, â€Å"How do you and the caregiver get along?† and â€Å"Is the caregiver taking good care of you?† It is critical to assess the patient’s mental status for indicators of depression or alcohol and substance abuse. A discussion of the patientâ €™s financial situation may be appropriate. If issues of mistreatment are raised, the caregiver should be interviewed as well. The physician must be careful not to over interpret or to make suggestive comments, especially when the patient is cognitively impaired. Essential Features of the History in the Assessment of Mistreated Elders Medical problems/diagnoses, detailed description of home environment (adequacy of food, shelter, supplies), accurate description of events related to injury or trauma (instances of rough handling, confinement, verbal or emotional abuse), history of prior violence, description of prior injuries and events  surrounding them, description of berating, threats or emotional abuse, improper care of medical problems, untreated injuries, poor hygiene, prolonged period before presenting for medical attention, depression or other mental illness, extent of confusion or dementia, drug or alcohol abuse, quality/nature of relationships with caregivers. Physical Examination and Laboratory Tests The physical examination is often used as legal evidence of mistreatment. Laboratory and imaging studies should be performed to confirm any suspicious findings in the history and physical examination. The presence of dehydration and malnutrition can be established with simple laboratory tests such as a complete blood count and measurement of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, protein and albumin levels. Radiographic studies provide evidence of old and new fractures. Unfortunately, proving that a fracture was caused by abuse can be difficult (HHS fact sheet, 2005). Role of advance nurse and nursing intervention strategies- The nurses can play a vital role as a case finder, manager, advocate, educator, researcher and caregiver to physically abused elderly and family or caregiver in a given community. Inform the decision makers about the magnitude, trends and characteristics of violent deaths; and, evaluate and continue to improve by educating the patient and the care giver, and if is necessary reporting the abuser to the authorities. Nurses should involve the case managers and the social workers, document all the findings accurately and report the mistreatment case as soon as possible. Documentation Documentation of all findings may be entered as evidence in criminal trials or in guardianship hearings. Documentation must be complete, thorough and legible. Such circumstances dictate that there is a â€Å"chain of evidence.† This need mandates a careful collection of physical evidence, which is critical in cases of suspected sexual or physical abuse. Laboratory data and, when possible, photographs should be used for verification of written documentation. Management Management of elder mistreatment first involves discussing the situation with the patient, if feasible. The patient should be allowed to play a role  in the ultimate resolution, if he or she is able to do so. First, the competency of the patient should be determined. Local and state social services have different methods of addressing mistreatment. Social workers from hospitals, clinics or long term care facilities are valuable resources and should be able to assist with these services. Multidisciplinary teams can be very effective. These teams typically include geriatricians, social workers, case management nurses and representatives from legal, financial and adult protective services. Multidisciplinary teams are often more effective in problem-solving and provide a forum for discussion with participants involved in the older adult’s care. Senior advocacy volunteer groups are also helpful. A senior advocate can provide information to the abused person and enable access to resources from community programs and social services. Basic Features of the Physical Examination Head- Traumatic alopecia or other evidence of direct physical violence; poor oral hygiene; Skin- Hematomas, welts, bite marks, burns, decubitus ulcers; Musculoskeletal- fractures or signs of previous fractures; Neurological- cognitive impairment that is a risk factor for mistreatment and influences management decisions regarding competency; Genito rectal- poor hygiene, inguinal rash, impaction of feces; General- weight loss, dehydration, poor hygiene, unkempt appearance (LA4Seniors, 2005). Reporting All health care providers (physicians, nurses, social workers, etc.) and administrators are mandated by law to report suspected elder mistreatment. The laws differ from state to state; physicians should determine the specific requirements in their states. Any other person may also report suspected abuse and neglect. All reporters are immune from civil liability if they act in good faith and without malice. They are also protected from termination of employment. Health care providers can be found to be negligent if they fail to report the suspected mistreatment. Penalties can include fines, imprisonment or loss of licensure. Reports of suspected elder mistreatment should be given to the state or county division of adult protective services. In the absence of such services, the reporter should contact the county extension office or the state’s office of child and  family services. In addition, any Area Agency on Aging would be able to provide assistance in reporting suspected mistreatment. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (telephone: 800-799-SAFE) or the Older Women’s League (telephone: 800-825-3695) could also help. Contacting the police is always an option, especially in an urgent situation (HHS fact sheet, 2005). In the event that the older adult is a resident of a long term care facility, a separate mechanism often exists for investigating suspected mistreatment through the state agency that surveys these facilities. Identifying the appropriate avenue for investigation can be done through the available adult protective service agency or the state department of child and family services (Elder Abuse, 2005). Once suspected mistreatment has been reported, the responsible agency will assign a social worker to investigate the case. The social worker will provide an accurate description of the home or nursing-facility environment. After assessment, the social worker may provide insight into some possible solutions to the problem and information about available resources. Unlike cases of child abuse, if the older adult is competent to make decisions, he or she may refuse intervention. If the older adult is not competent to make decisions, a guardian can be appointed by the state. The guardian can then direct care as needed until the problem is satisfactorily resolved. Injury Prevention- In healthy people there is no precise data specific for elder abuse, but these are related data from that site. The target rate for physical assault by intimate partner is 3.3 physical assaults per 1,000, and the baseline is 4.4 physical assaults per 1,000. The target rate for annual rate of rape is 0.7 rapes or attempted rapes per 1,000 persons, and the base line is 0.8 rapes or attempted rapes per 1,000 (Health people, 2010). Objectives from Healthy People 2010 Reduce injuries, disabilities, and deaths due to injuries and violence, and educating the primary care givers about the signs and symptoms of abuse or mistreatment, and educating them about alternative coping mechanisms. Several themes become evident when examining reports on injury prevention and control, including acute care, treatment, and rehabilitation. First, injury comprises a group of complex problems involving many different sectors of society. No single force working alone can accomplish everything  needed to reduce the number of injuries. Improved outcomes require the combined efforts of many fields, including health, education, law, and safety sciences. Second, many of the factors that cause injuries are closely associated with violent and abusive behavior (Health people, 2010). Violence and Abuse Prevention Violence in the United States is pervasive and can change quality of life. Reports of children killing children in schools are shocking and cause parents to worry about the safety of their children at school, and if the problem is untreated the aggression later on will turn on the parents or older adults. Reports of gang violence make people fearful for their safety. Although suicide rates began decreasing in the mid-1990s, prior increases among youth aged 10 to 19 years and adults aged 65 years and older have raised concerns about the vulnerability of these population groups. Intimate partner violence and sexual assault threaten people in all walks of life (Elder Abuse, 2005). Violence claims the lives of many of the Nation’s young persons and threatens the health and well-being of many persons of all ages in the United States. On an average day in America, 53 people die from homicide, and a minimum of 18,000 persons survive interpersonal assaults, and as many as 3,000 persons attempt suicide (Elder Abuse, 2005). Elderly, females, and children continue to be targets of both physical and sexual assaults, which are frequently perpetrated by individuals they know. Examples of general issues that impede the public health response to progress in this area include the lack of comparable data sources, lack of standardized definitions and definitional issues, lack of resources to establish adequately consistent tracking systems, and lack of resources to fund promising prevention programs. Disparities Adults aged 65 years and older are at increased risk of death from fire because they are more vulnerable to smoke inhalation and burns and are less likely to recover. Sense impairment (such as blindness or hearing loss) may prevent older adults from noticing a fire, and mobility impairment may prevent them from escaping its consequences. Older adults also are less likely to have learned fire safety behavior and prevention information,  because they grew up at a time when little fire safety was taught in schools, and most current educational programs target children (Healthy people, 2010). Opportunities To reduce the number and severity of injuries, prevention activities must focus on the type of injury—drowning, fall, fire or burn, firearm, or motor vehicle. Understanding injuries allows for development and implementation of effective prevention interventions. Some interventions can reduce injuries from violence-related episodes. For instance, efforts to promote awareness in society can help reduce the risk of assault, intentional self-inflicted and elder neglect and abuse. Higher taxes on alcoholic beverages are associated with lower death rates for some categories of violent crime, including mistreatment, abuse, and rape (Healthy people, 2010). Healthy People Objectives This organization encourages the Individuals, groups, and other organizations to use this framework and integrate it into their current programs, events, publications, and meetings, schools, colleges, and civic organizations to undertake activities in order to further the health of all members of their community. It is a national initiative that aims to improve the health of all Americans and eliminate disparities in health. Reducing the prevalence and overall number of people who suffer from different variety of diseases, and increase concerns for the nation’s elderly, and to reduce the overall rate of elder abuse, prevent its associated health problems, and educating the care givers and enhancing their coping mechanisms and alternative modalities to deal with the related stress. Health care providers can encourage their patients to pursue healthier lifestyles and to participate in community-based programs. By following the national objectives, individuals and organizations c an build an agenda for community health improvement and can monitor results over time. Healthy People objectives have been specified by Congress as the measure for assessing the progress of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant, and the Preventive Health and Health  Services Block Grant. Healthy People objectives have been used in performance measurement activities (Healthy people, 2010). Many objectives focus on interventions designed to reduce or eliminate illness, disability, and premature death among individuals and communities, and to educate the care giver regarding recognizing elder abuse, and prevention modalities; others focus on broader issues, such as improving access to quality health care, strengthening public health services, and improving the availability and dissemination of health-related information. Each objective has a target for specific improvements to be achieved by the year 2010. Together, these objectives reflect the depth of scientific knowledge as well as the breadth of diversity in the Nation’s communities. More importantly, they are designed to help the Nation achieve Healthy People 2010’s two overarching goals and realize the vision of healthy people living in healthy communities (Healthy people, 2010). Interim Progress toward Year 2000 Objectives Numerous objectives addressed injury prevention in Healthy People 2010. Twenty-six objectives were specific for unintentional injuries, and 19 objectives were specific for violence prevention. By the end of the decade, targets had been met for 11 objectives. Unintentional injury objectives showing achievement were unintentional injury hospitalizations, residential fire deaths, nonfatal head injuries, spinal cord injuries, nonfatal homicide poisonings, and pedestrian deaths. Violence prevention objectives that met their targets were, suicide, weapon carrying by adolescents, conflict resolution in schools, and child death review systems. REFERENCES Elder Abuse and Neglect Statistics (2005). In search of solutions. Retrieved on 8/20/05 from http://www.apa.org/pi/aging/eldabuse.html Healthy people 2010(2005). Retrieved on 8/20/05 from http://www.healthypeople.gov LA4Seniors (2005). A public service website for seniors and their families. Retrieved on 8/20/05 from www.la4seniors.com/elder abuse.htm National center on elder abuse (2005). Retrieved on 8/20/05 from http://www.elderabusecenter.org HHS fact sheet (2005). US department of health and human services. Retrieved on 8/20/05 from www.hhs.gov/news/press/2000pres/20000503b.html Physical abuse of the elderly (2005). Physical abuse of the elderly: signs, descriptions, and what you can do about it. Retrieved on 8/21/05 from http://de.essortment.com/physicalabusee_rfjb.htm

Product Life Cycle of Nokia Essay

INTRODUCTION In the present context, managing has become one of the most important areas of human activity because of increasing role of large and complex organisations in the society. Because of their increasing role, the organisations have attracted the attention of both practitioners and academicians to find out the solutions for business problems. Concept Defining the term management precisely is not so simple because the term management is used in a variety of ways. Being a new discipline, it has drawn concepts and principles from a number of disciplines such as economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, statistics and so on. Each group of contributors has treated management differently. For example, economists have treated management as a factor of production; sociologists have treated it as a class or group of persons; practitioners have treated it as a process comprising different activities. DEFINITION â€Å"Management is the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups† — Koontz â€Å"Management is the art of knowing what you want to do and then seeing that it is done in the best and cheapest way† – F.W. Taylor â€Å"Management is the art of securing maximum results with minimum effort so as to secure maximum prosperity and happiness for both employer and employee and give the public the best possible service† — John Mee. â€Å"Management is the accomplishment of results through the efforts of other people† — Lawrence â€Å"Management is simply the process of decision making and control over the action of human beings for the expressed purpose of attaining predetermined goals† – Stanley V. â€Å"Management is a process involving planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling human efforts to achieve stated objectives in an organization.† From the above definitions, the following features are identified:1) Organised Activities: Management is a process of organized activities. Without organized activities, two groups of people cannot be involved in the performance of activities. Where a group of people are involved in working towards a common objective, management comes into existence. 2) Existence of objectives: The existence of objectives is a basic criterion of e very human organization because all organizations are deliberate and purposive creation and, therefore, they should have Introduction to Management some objectives. Without objectives, it becomes difficult to define the direction where organized group of activities would lead to. 3) Relationship among resources: Organised activities meant to achieve common goals are brought about to establish certain relationships about the available resources. Resources include money, machine, material, men and methods. All these resources are made available to those who manage the organization. Managers apply knowledge, experience, principles for getting the desired results. Thus, the essence of management is integration of various organisational resources. 4) Working with and through people: Management involves working with people and getting organisational objectives achieved through them. The idea of working through people is interpreted in terms of assigning and reassigning of activities to subordinates. 5) Decision Making: Management process involves decision making at various levels for getting things done through people. Decision making basically involves selecting the most appropriate alternative out of the several. If there is only one alternative, there is no question of decision making. Nature of Management: – The study and application of management techniques in managing the affairs of the organization have changed its nature over a period of time. The following points will describe the nature of management 1) Multidisciplinary: Management has been developed as a separate discipline, but it draws knowledge and concepts from various disciplines like psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, statistics, operations research etc.,. Management integrates the idea and concepts taken from these disciplines and presents newer concepts which can be put into practice for managing the organisations 2) Dynamic nature of Principles: Principle is a fundamental truth which esta blishes cause and effect relationships of a function. Based on integration and supported by practical evidences, management has framed certain principles. However, these principles are flexible in nature and change with the changes in the environment in which an organization exists. 3) Relative, Not absolute Principles: Management principles are relative, not absolute, and they should be applied according to the need of the organization. Each organization may be different from others. The difference may exist because of time, place, socio-cultural factors, etc.,. 4) Management: Science or Art: There is a controversy whether management is science or art. An art is personal skill of business affairs. Art is characterized by practical knowledge, personal creativity and skill. The more one practices an art, the more professional one becomes. Management can be considered as an art because it satisfies all these criterion of an art. A science is a systematized body of knowledge of facts. It can establish cause-and-effect relationships among various factors. It involves basic principles, which are capable of universal application. Management can be considered as science because it satisfies all these criterion of a science. Introduction to Management 5) Management as profession: Management has been regarded as a profession by many while many have suggested that it has not achieved the status of a profession. Profession refers to a vocation or a branch of advanced learning such as engineering or medicine. 6) Universality of management: Management is a universal phenomenon. However, management principles are not universally applicable but are to be modified according to the needs of the situation. Importance of Management Management has been important to the daily lives of people and to the organisations. The importance of management may be traces with the following. 1) Effective utilisation of Resources: Management tries to make effective utilisation of various resources. The resources are scarce in nature and to meet the demand of the society, their contribution should be more for the general interests of the society. Management not only decides in which particular alternative a particular resource should be used, but also takes actions to utilize it in that particular alternative in the best way. 2) Development of Resources: Management develops various resources. This is true with human as well as non-human factors. Most of the researchers for resource development are carried on in an organized way and management is involved in these organized activities. 3) It ensures continuity in the organization: Continuity is very important in the organisations. Where there are no proper guidelines for decision making continuity can not be guaranteed. It is quite natural that new people join while some others retire or leave the organization. It is only management that keeps the organization continuing. 4) Integrating various interest groups: In the organized efforts, there are various interest groups and they put pressure over other groups for maximum share in the combined output. For example, in case of a business organization, there are various pressure groups such as shareholders, employees, govt. etc. these interest groups have pressure on an organization. Management has to balance these pressures from various interest groups. 5) Stability in the society: Management provides stability in the society by changing and modifying the resources in accordance with the changing environment of the society. In the modern age, more emphasis is on new inventions for the betterment of human beings. These inventions make old systems and factors mostly obsolete and inefficient. Management provides integration between traditions and new inventions, and safeguards society from the unfavorable impact of these inventions so that continuity in social process is maintained. Functions of Management:To achieve the organisational objectives managers at all levels of organization should perform different functions. A function is a group of similar activities. Introduction to Management The list of management functions varies from author to author with the number of functions varying from three to eight. Writers Henry Fayol Luther Gullick R. Davis Management Functions Planning, Organizing, Commanding, Coordinating, Controlling POSDCORD- Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting, Directing Planning , Organising, Controlling Planning, Organising, Motivating, Coordinating, Controlling Planning, Organising, Staffing, Leading, Controlling Koontz Different authors presented different variations. By combining some of functions, these are broadly grouped into Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, and Controlling. 1) Planning: Planning is the conscious determination of future course of action. This involves why an action, what action, how to take action, and when to take action. Thus, planning includes determination of specific objectives, determining projects and programs, setting policies and strategies, setting rules and procedures and prepar ing budgets. 2) Organising: Organising is the process of dividing work into convenient tasks or duties, grouping of such duties in the form of positions, grouping of various positions into departments and sections, assigning duties to individual positions, and delegating authority to each positions so that the work is carried out as planned. It is viewed as a bridge connecting the conceptual idea developed in creating and planning to the specific means for accomplishment these ideas. 3) Staffing: Staffing involves manning the various positions created by the organizing process. It includes preparing inventory of personal available and identifying the sources of people, selecting people, training and developing them, fixing financial compensation, appraising them periodically etc. 4) Directing: when people are available in the organization, they must know what they are expected to do in the organization. Superior managers fulfill this requirement by communicating to subordinates about their expected behavior. Once subordinates are oriented, the superiors have continuous responsibility of guiding and leading them for better work performance and motivating them to work with zeal and enthusiasm. Thus, directing includes communicating, motivating and leading. 5) Controlling: Controlling involves identification of actual results, comparison of actual results with expected results as set by planning process, identification of deviations between the two, if any, and taking of corrective action so that actual results match with expected results. Introduction to Management TAYLOR & SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT The concept of scientific management was introduced by Frederick Winslow Taylor in USA in the beginning of 20th century. â€Å"Scientific management is concerned with knowing exactly what you want to do and then see in that they do it in the best and cheapest way† Since Taylor has put the emphasis on solving managerial problems in a scientific way, often, he is called as father of scientific management and his contributions as the principles of scientific management. Taylor carried experiments about how to increase the efficiency of people. On the basis of experiments, he published many papers and books and all his contributions were compiled in his book â€Å"scientific management†. His contributions are divided into two parts. Elements and tools of scientific management Principles of scientific management FEATURES / ELEMENTS AND TOOLS OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT 1) Separation of planning & doing: Taylor emphasized the separation of planning aspect from actual doing of the work. In other words planning should be left to the supervisor and the worker should concentrate only operational work. 2) Functional foremanship: Taylor introduced the concept of functional foremanship based on specialization of functions. In this system, eight persons are involved to direct the activities of workers. Out of these four persons are concerned with planning viz., route clerk, instruction card clerk, time and cost clerk and disciplinarian. The remaining four persons are concerned with doing aspect of the job, viz., speed boss, inspector, gang boss and maintenance foreman. It is against to the principle of unity of command.