The Tempest, Frankenstein And Medicine Walk - 1863 Words

Paternalism in The Tempest, Frankenstein and Medicine Walk Studies in behavioral genetics show that that genetics interact with the environment and influence psychological characteristics (Russell). Therefore individuals are not solely a product of their genes or their environment, they interact to form the whole person. Within The Tempest, Frankenstein, and Medicine Walk it is shown that the quality of a paternal relationship is a dominating aspect of an individuals environment and therefore it has the power to shape the individual. A paternal relationship is defined as a relationship between a dependent or offspring and the individual they depend on. For example this could mean the father figure could be biological or just an individual that offers the dependant support. In these texts different paternal relationships arise varying from an absent father to a present supportive fathers to a father that wishes to destroy his creation. With these examples of paternal relationships it is shown that they have a lasting impact on the dependant. One of the different relationships that arise within these texts is that of the absent father figure. Examples of an absent father are present in Frankenstein and also in the Medicine Walk. In Frankenstein Victor was the absent father figure from the moment his creation came to life (Shelley 84). Through the creatures development he did not know what a real human relationship was like, because he had never experienced it for himself. His

Orangutans Essay Example For Students

Orangutans Essay Tim SandersonAnth 111In Malay orang means person and utan is defined as forest. ThusOrangutan literally means Person of the Forest.Orangutans are found in thetropical forests of Sumatra and Borneo. They are the most arboreal of the greatapes and move amongst the safety of the trees from one feeding site to the next. They are so well adapted to arboreal life that they cannot place their feet onthe ground, instead they walk on the outside of their curved foot. There is a scattered population of orangutan in Indonesian Borneo,Malaysia Borneo and northern Sumatra. The different habitats have isolated theorangutan reproductively and geographically from one another creating a degreeof difference or two subspecies. There are several different characteristicsbetween the two subspecies of orangutans and it has recently been suggested thatthey may be a separate species. The Borneo male has relatively large cheekpads, a tremendous laryngeal sac and a square shaped face. The Sumatran malehas small pads and laryngeal sac, a ginger coloured moustache, a pronouncedbeard, and a diamond shaped face. Individuals can also be distinguishedchromosomally, biochemically, and by their cranial characteristics. There is a great deal of individual variety in the orangutan. Eachorang-utan had a distinct personality and in dealing with such highlyintelligent animals in captivity, the keepers knowledge of the individual wasprobably more important than the knowledge of the overall behaviour patterns (Markham, 1980). Orangutan males, however, appear to be totally intolerant ofone another, especially the Borneo males who are even aggressive towards femalesand infants. Male orangutans participation in social groups is limited tosexual consortship with females. However, the Sumatran males tend to stay withfemales for a longer period of time usually until the birth of the infant. They may stay longer with their partner because of the presence of largepredators absent in the Borneo habitat. The orangutan has a menstrual cycle of29-30 days, menstruation lasting 3-4 days. The Gestation period lasts slightlyless than nine months. Offspring pass through three stages, infancy (0-4),juvenile (4-7), and adolescents (7-10). Mother young relationship lasts for along time, the young usually stay with their mother until they are mature. Female Orangutans are not sexually mature or fully grown until the age of twelveand will not have their first offspring until they are at least fourteen. Malesbecome sexually mature and fully grown at the age of fifteen. The cheek flangesof the male easily recognize the differences between adults and semi-adults. Theflanges in the Boreal male curve out ward from the face and develop around theage of eight and are not completely grown until the age of fifteen. Sumatraflange development begins at the age of ten and is not complete until the earlytwenties. The flange in the Sumatra orangutan lie flat against the face andgive a wide facial appearance especially in the mid facial region. The lifeexpectancy of orangutans in the wild is not known, but captive orangutans havebeen known to live up to fifty years. Orangutans are sexually dimorphic. Males are approximately twice thesize of females and weigh about 220 lbs. and reach a height of five feet. It isbelieved that the males larger size may be an adaptation for mating becausethere is strong competition among males for females. The pendulous laryngealsac, when inflated, increases the tone of the animals voice, producing longcalls.In both subspecies (Borneo and Sumatran) calling acts as a spacingmechanism between the males and also advertise the location of the highestranking male to the mature females. (Rijksen,1978). The long call of the Borneomale is long and drawn out where as the Sumatran is much shorter and has afaster tempo. The difference may be attributed to the larger throat pouch theBorneo has. The reason for the different calls is unclear. They may be relatedto the terrain each subspecies inhabits. The faster call of the Sumatran may bemore effective in the rugged, mountainous terrain. The longer call of theBorneo may be due to the wide distribution of this race. .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c , .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c .postImageUrl , .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c , .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c:hover , .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c:visited , .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c:active { border:0!important; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c:active , .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud80c6724e3994d242cc95a5f6237270c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Scream EssayA large portion of an orangutans day is spent looking for and consumingfood. Their diet primarily consists of fruit but they also eat leaves, bark,flowers, insects, and birds eggs. One of their preferred foods is the fruit offof the durian tree, it is supposed to taste like sweet garlic. After they havefinished eating and bedtime comes around the orangutans build themselves a newnest forty to fifty feet up in a tree made of boughs. Like the other great apes (chimpanzees and gorillas), orangutans arehighly intelligent. Tests have indicated that their intelligence is relativelysimilar. Wild orangutans use their intelligence to solve problems usuallyrelated to arboreal living and food gathering. In captivity, however, they havebeen trained to perform tricks and to use sign language. They have also madetools to throw at humans, get food, and gain leverage. Today, the total number of orangutans ranges between 20-27,000. Theyare now endangered primarily because their habitat continues to be destroyed andthe practice of killing the mother in order to capture a baby for animal trade. Even though they are protected by international laws, it is difficult to enforcethem. Orangutans are inhabit the forests on the islands Sumatra and Borneo. Through evolution and reproductive and geological isolation two sub species haveemerged (Borneo and Sumatra). They generally live alone with the exception ofthe long term relationship between a female and her young. When orangutans domeet one another they are very tolerant and aggression is rare, unless twomature males meet each other. Males maintain their distance from on anotherwith long calls, these also advertise their location to adult females. Orangutans are generally fruit eaters, because fruit is abundant in the foreststhey inhabit. They lead a very solitary life.The population continues todecline because of habitat loss, and fewer than 30,000 orangutans are thought toremain in the wild. Category: Science

African Media Structures and Content

African Media Structures and Content Free Online Research Papers A liberal pluralist approach to understanding African media structures and their content Understanding African media structures and their content can be very complex especially taking into consideration the fact that the continent has embraced democracy. This is mainly so because the media in Africa has mainly two extremes functions. On the one hand the media play a â€Å"watchdog† role and on the other it play public relation service to the government. Given these two extremes of media structures it is evident that not any media approach can help one to understand media structures within such a context. However it is also a fact that given the democratization of the African continent, the media must inform citizens on matters of public policy by presenting and debating alternatives. Hence the liberal pluralist approach appears to be the best approach in understanding African media structures because it looks into the media as a ‘watchdog’ that may uncover and publicize political corruption, other abuses of power, and inept policies. However it is also crucial that the problems of the media in Africa, such as the crisis of power, the crisis of ownership and the crisis of resources are acknowledged. It is pivotal that a liberal pluralist approach that is only interested in ending state ownership and control of the media without considering alternatives be avoided. By and large what is important is that a liberal pluralist approach reminds journalists and state leaders that they are accountable to the nation. Introduction Understanding media structures from an African perspective is tantamount to recognizing political developments over the last decade of the 20th century throughout the African continent. Historically most if not all countries in the African continent used to be colonies of western and European countries. However the last years of the 20th century, most African countries witnessed a rise in the democratization of their governments. This resulted in the phasing out of one party states and dictatorship. Most if not all countries started calling for free and elected democratic governments throughout the African continent. It is imperative to mention from the onset that the media are among the forces that have shaped and continued to define the establishment of democracy in Africa. It is also crucial to point out that in spite of the significant role of the media in the development and consolidation of democratic governance in Africa, there have been several influences where states misused or completely did not respect the role of the media in society. As a result it become difficult if not impossible to assess and understand how media influences politics of the day. It therefore becomes critical to evaluate the importance of media structures in the wake of African democracies. The theoretical approach that can make this evaluation resourceful is the liberal pluralist because of its â€Å"watchdog† focus and interest in upholding and protecting individual freedom in the face of government indoctrination. As a result of the above discussion this essay will endeavour to find out why a liberal pluralist approach to media appear the most insightful theory to understanding African media structures and their content. To achieve this goal this essay will first try to assess the role of the media in the democratization of Africa. In the same token the essay will also rewind a little bit by looking at the rationale behind the liberal pluralist approach. But it will be unfair to discuss African media structures without putting the entire media structures challenges into context. Hence the essay will try to discuss everything from the perspective of the three major crises of the media in Africa as identified by Paul A. V. Ansah (Ronning, 1994:02-11). Media and African democracy The demise of one party regimes and development of multi party systems and democracy in Africa resulted in a demand for more democratic structures (Ronning, 1994: 02). There are many theories and definitions of democracy and the process of democratization. With the emphasis on the role of the media in democracy, Winseck in Fourie and Oosthuisen (2003) characterized democracy as the historical process of eliminating totalitarianism in the state, civil society and in economic practices. It is clear that through the media and access to information and the formation of a strong public opinion about the values of democracy, the media play a crucial role in the democratic process (2003:417). Fourie and Oosthuisen argue that apart from the adoption of democratic, political and legal frameworks, democracy also means and involves the processes that allow the procedures of achieving the democratic goals of society to be opened up to citizen participation through [the media] (ibid). It is also critical at this stage to point out that to live in a democracy and to live democratically, means that the adoption of rules and laws of a society are shaped through the media that are open to all. Fourie contends that it is not enough to say that [a country] have a democratic constitution, a democratically elected government, democratically institutions and so forth, what is further needed is to continuously debate all those issues in the interest of the public and in the interest of the well-being of society through the means of the media (2003:419). Hence the demand for freedom of expression and the need for independent and critical media become imperative in Africa (Ronning, 1994:02). It will be an understatement if not a mistake to take it for granted that the media have a democratic role to play in Africa as a result of the dawn of democracy in the continent. A liberal pluralist approach which looks at whether the media fulfill the role of promoting a free exchange of ideas and opinions of informing the citizens in such a way that they are able to form opinions in a climate of independence must be taken if one is to understand the media structures. It is crucial to acknowledge that in most African countries the state used to control the media in all respects. Hence the role of the media in this continent is still mainly dominated by public service ideology. Thus the problematic role of the market in relation to the media has been underplayed, and consequently too little attention has been paid to a discussion of the media in relation to citizen’s rights (Ronning, 1994: 03). As a result of this development there are two main variations on the role of the media in an African context. The two are clearly defined by Ronning (1994) who see on the one hand, African critiques of the existing media who felt that strong state control only can be met by introducing market forces, and on the other hand government who see their influence of the media threatened and fear that they will loose control over the flow of information have had a tendency to regard all forms of independent media be they commercial or alternatively as mouthpieces for a political opposition. Considering some African governments’ perspectives on the role of the media it is very significant that one takes a liberal pluralist approach because it endeavours to closely observe and monitor the government activities. This is also important taking into task that the new democracies in most African countries need to be nurtured and preserved. To this effect McNair (1995) argues that the [media] should be free from government control and government influence, and there must be a free market for ideas and information. In other words, liberal pluralist approach shed some light on the exact relationship between the state and the media focusing on the implication of that relationship to rights of individuals. Hence the media becomes the ‘watchdog’ or â€Å"the fourth estate through which the governing elites could be pressurized and reminded of their dependency on majority opinion† (Bennet, 1982:40-41). It is crucial at this stage to point the root or the origin of most if not all of Africa’s two main conflicting views and perspectives about the role of the media in society. One of the reasons that most African countries are wary of the media is the legacy left by their former colonizers. Most of the media structures during colonialism was used not in the interest and advantage of African countries. Hence the new regimes today feel that the media must play a developmental role. It is a general norm that most if not all African states â€Å"advocate the positive use of the media to promote national development, autonomy and cultural identity† (Fourie, 2003:247). But this kind of theory is very much open to manipulation and abuse and can end up being used to the disadvantage of the media and democracy at large. Development theory is open to abuse and manipulation because certain liberties of the media should be made subordinate to the achievement of national development and economic development (Fourie, 2003:274). Some of the factors that makes development theory open to manipulation and abuse as discussed by McQuail in Fourie (2003) are that the state should be able to restrict the media if economic interests and development needs of the society are at stake, and that to protect development objectives, the state has the right to intervene by restricting and censoring the media. Hence in the latter factor state subsidies and direct control are therefore justifiable. Obviously these kinds of thinking pose several major problems for the media structure to operate as required in a democratic manner. To understand why the watchdog role of the media is relevant and necessary one also need to acknowledge the challenges the media face in the African continent. The problems were clearly captured b y Paul A. V. Ansah who â€Å"pinpointed three major crises of the media in Africa; namely the crisis of power, the crisis of ownership and the crisis of resources† (Ronning, 1994: 3-19). The crisis of power According to Ronning (1994) the crisis of power has two sides. One is related to weakness of the African states and the other is related to weakness of the media themselves. Ronning argues that weak states are particularly suspicious of the media as this are seen as tools of sowing of dissident and as a result the states tried to control the media with the help of a â€Å"variety of techniques ranging from outright censorship and oppression to more subtle means which often combine ownership with a system of economic awards to those in the media who tow the line, and reprisals against those who do not† (1994: 04). This perspective is also shared by Tetty (2001) who argues that a lot of governments in the African continent continue to impose judicial and extra judicial barriers on journalists and media houses in a manner which defeats the professed goals of democratic governance and the purpose behind constitutional provisions of a free press and freedom of expression. However the new democratic media are very sharp and resilient in reporting any incident of authoritarian abuse visited on pro-democracy activities. Hence the media have been very active in exposing activities within the state that would otherwise have been unknown to the citizenry (Tettey, 2001: 10). Tetty argues that it is through this kind of information that the populace is able to measure the pronouncements of politicians against their deeds, and hence make informed judgements about the political future of those individuals. In this regard the media can be seen to play a development role because the likelihood of exposure is also instrumental in, at least making government officials more circumspect in their activities. Moreover the media also impose a certain measure of accountability on the part of government officials that they did not have to worry about in the past (Tetty, 2001:10). In these processes of democratization, the media play a central role by mediating between views and opinions. Ronning contends that this way of using the media contrasts with the manner often â€Å"employed in societies with weak states, where the media are linked directly to the state apparatus, and where they are often used for promoting various forms of personality cults of the head of state and other prominent politicians (1994: 04). Ronning also argues that the weakness of the African media in all aspects make itself vulnerable to be used in such undemocratic ways by the state. Obviously the fact that the media reach a small proportion of the population can be an advantage to the media. In other words government can let the media to broadcast or report unnoticed and unchecked if they know that they only reach a small number of audience. But that same advantage can be turned upside down by the state depending on the influence of target audience of the media. For instance, if the media target intellectuals the state can monitor its content. On the other hand the major disadvantage is that the state is the major news source. As a result the media have to rely on the state for the supply of news content. Hence if a news media is viewed in a negative light the supply of news comes with hidden strings attached. It is from this background that Tetty contends that in most African democracies, â€Å"the parameters of freedom of expression and of the press continue to be determined by how well the contents of the particular print or electronic medium portray power brokers in a positive or, at least neutral light (2001:12). Practically this means that in the case where the state wishes are not fulfilled the media will be victimized. The state can starve the media concerned of news and advertising revenue by not placing government advertisements. Tetty argues that these acts of state intimidation continues to be the case even though there are legal provisions for dealing with cases of unsubstantiated or libelous reporting (2001:12). He maintains that it is ironic that several years after independence, a lot of African countries continue to retain colonial laws, which were used to intimidate anti-colonial activists, including some of the current leaders of these countries. Tetty contends, â€Å"These anachronistic laws have stayed on the books because they now serve the political purpose of the post-colonial ruling elite. They have been employed under the guise of the rule of law and state security to undermine press freedom and freedom expression, as well as to intimidate journalists† (2001:15). Moreover the professional media organizations are also weak in terms of underdeveloped infrastructures and distribution systems. In most cases journalist received poor training that result often in them becoming extended public relations officers for government officials. These facts have a negative impact on how journalists report their news. In many instances they will just go with what the government officials give them because they do not have enough resources to do further research and investigations of their own. Ronning contends that in such trying circumstances the media has little ability to present their case in times of crises as there are few parallel media outlets, and they cannot count on support from other media in the country, which would be the case in societies with a fully developed media structure (1994:04). As indicated earlier in this essay, weakness in terms of financial viability makes most of the private media not to be really independent. As a result they tend to push particular, not always objective, political agendas as more powerful partners dominate them. Tetty argues that in a free democratic society, the media’s credibility tends to be called into question, when they present themselves as â€Å"disinterested surveyors of the political scene but when in reality their views and claims are tainted by narrow ethnic or political trappings, quite at variance with the interest of the nation which they tout as their motivational and call to service† (2001:22). Tetty further contends that in the worst scenarios the manner in which some of these media present their views has stretched the bounds of adversarial politics to the point where animosity appears to define the relationship between the state and journalists (ibid.). According to Tetty (2001) such circumstances led the citizen to begin to wonder whether the media are engaged in a campaign of vilification that would open up political opportunities for them when the current regime is replaced. It is obviously clear that once the citizen start to have such a negative perception about the media its credibility is at stake. It is also clear that much of the public is alienated by the extreme negativity which characterizes some of the contents from the media as acknowledged by The independent, a private Ghanaian newspaper (Tetty, 2001:22). Crisis of media ownership In the middle of who and how the media must report is the crisis of media ownership. According to Ronning (1994) the African crisis of ownership has three aspects. One is that the media in Africa to a large degree, in some way or other, are owned or economically controlled by the state. The result of this arrangement is much often that the media will be the mouthpiece of the government. The second is that international conglomerates often partly control the independent media with corporate interests in the national and regional economies. It is mainly from this side where the media try to play the â€Å"watchdog† role over the government. But in the worst case is when the media take a pure pessimistic negative stance. The last aspect of media ownership is concerned with the so-called alternative media. Alternative media are often owned by small trusts, which again are controlled by a small group of allies and friends or are totally dependent on one person’s dedication (Ronning, 1994:04). Ronning contends that alternative media are faced both with being economically weak due both to low penetration in that they cater for special interests, have little access to advertising and lack proper distribution system (ibid.). Practically, in South Africa we have the Mail Guardian, which is a good example of this kind of ownership. Originally this newspaper, which had some foreign backing, catered for sophisticated readers that were mainly composed of intellectuals and academics. Hence the newspaper used to have great support of advertising revenue that comes from tertiary institutions. As such it used to play a very independent and active â€Å"watchdog† role over the government activities. However after the newspaper experienced financial problems and eventually bought by Trevor Ncube the paper has to change its content drastically for it to survive the government relations. As a result the aggressive and investigative approach towards the government that the newspaper used to take has been softened in favour of advertisement revenues from the government. According to Ronning (1994) solutions to the crises of power and ownership have in a number of instances been sought through the establishment of various organs which represent a form of compromise between direct state control or ownership and private ownership such as press councils and media trusts. Ronning argues that the Zimbabwe Mass media Trust which controls among others, the majority of shares in the country’s largest newspaper group, the national news agency, the regional newspaper project and the country’s largest chain of bookstores is one of the most elaborate structures of this nature (1994: 04). Last year (April 2003), the South African government successfully launched a media structure to this effect through the Presidential Press Corps. In summary â€Å"the Presidential Press Corps was born out of engagements between the South African National Editors Forum and the government during 2001. It [was] recognized that while, as in any democracy, there is a necessary tension between the government and the media, this need not be characterized by animosity as all sides are working towards the same goal of building a vibrant democracy that faces up to the challenge of reversing poverty and underdevelopment. It [was] agreed that the countrys most senior political writers should form into a corps which would, in a systematic way, be able to access information and gain a greater understanding of the work of government†(http//www.gcis.gov.za) Ronning warns that structures such as this point to dangers inherent in a situation where â€Å"the dividing line between government interests and [journalists] independence are unclear and often carry with them a large degree of self-censorship† (1994:05). This fact can be cleary understood if one looks into the Code of Conduct of the Presidential Press Corps (PPC) especially conducts ‘b’ and ‘d’: a. Normal adherence to journalistic principles and ethics b. Observance of on/off record, embargo agreements c. Protocol in briefing room (cell phone interruption, rowdiness, etc) d. Broadly accepted protocols and standards of behaviour in relation to state functions. (Source: http//www.gcis.gov.za) To make matters worse, in addition to the above, government reserves the right to adopt its own sanctions against any PPC member who is deemed by his/her peers to have violated the Code of Conduct. The crisis of resources According to Ronning (1994) the crisis of resources pertains to all levels of the media. It includes the experience and education of media personnel in Africa. It is a general and accepted fact that most of Africa’s media personnel levels of experience and education are generally low by international standards. Ronning argues that poor levels of experience and education are more problematic when it comes to electronic media. This is ironic considering the fact that radio is the most used and viable medium in Africa. The shortage of material resources is obviously one of the major disadvantages, which hamper the development of the media and also make the media vulnerable to political and economic pressure. For instance economical and technological disadvantages prevent most African countries to have as many community radio and television stations as they would like. Conclusion It is a fact that African politics and government structures can be very difficult to understand especially after the continent embraced democracy. The same can be said when it comes to understanding media structures and their content. This is mainly so because the essay has showed that the media in a democratic Africa has mainly two extremes functions. On the one hand the media play a â€Å"watchdog† role and on the other it play public relations service to the government. Given these two extremes of media structures it is evident that not any media approach can help one to understand media structures within such a context. However it is also a fact that given the democratization of the Africa continent, the media must inform citizens on matters of public policy by presenting and debating alternatives. Hence the liberal pluralist approach appears to be the best approach in understanding African media structures because it looks into the media as a ‘watchdog’ that may uncover and publicise political corruption, other abuses of power, and inept policies. However it is also crucial that the problems of the media in Africa, such as the crisis of power, the crisis of ownership and the crisis of resources are acknowledged. A liberal pluralist approach that is only interested in ending state ownership and control of the media without considering alternatives will not shed valuable light. This has been experienced when certain media were freed from state control only to be swallowed by international interests. Hence Africa media becomes the dumping zones for old and often inferior western content. By and large what is important is that a liberal pluralist approach reminds journalists and state leaders that they are accountable to the nation. Research Papers on African Media Structures and ContentBringing Democracy to AfricaRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XQuebec and Canada19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in Capital

Parkinsons Disease1 essays

Parkinsons Disease1 essays Diseases are sometimes extremely devastating and cruel. Some diseases move very rapidly while others are slow and painful. Treatments are sometimes useful yet other times nothing can stop the silent beasts that lurk in the body. Parkinsons disease is a slow moving disease that slowly corrupts the brain. Parkinsons disease (PD) is a chronic motor disorder that causes tremors, rigidity, slowed body movements, unstable posture and abnormal gait. This happens when neurons, nerve cells, in a part or the brain called the substantial nigra gradually die. These cells normally produce dopamine, a chemical that helps relay messages between areas of the brain that control body movement. The death of the cells leads to abnormal low levels of dopamine, and causes difficulty in controlling muscle tension and muscle movement both at rest and during periods of activity. PD as of now affects about 500,000 Americans, with about 50,000 new cases diagnosed each year. It is generally a disease that affects people of late or middle age at about age 60 however about 5 percent of patients have early-onset PD and are younger than 40 years old when symptoms begin. PD is slightly more common in men then women. So far scientists have not determined the reason why some people develop PD and others do not. Some experts blame a process called oxidation. During oxidation unstable molecules that are produced in the brain as a result of its normal chemical reactions which ultimately damage the brain. Another theory suggests that the effects of toxic affects of drugs may cause PD. Additional evidence suggests that PD may be related to environmental toxins especially because some claim that they have found rates of PD that are higher in rural areas where farming is intense and residents drink well water. So far PD has not been linked to genetic abnormality. PD usually begins as a slight tremor of a h ...

PRESENTATION and PRESENTATION REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PRESENTATION and PRESENTATION REPORT - Essay Example onsideration because of its deep-rooted influence in the nation and among its people, which determines not only the personal lives of Chinese, but their business practices as well. Insofar as international staffing is concerned, this implies a great divergence in values between the home and host countries, especially in terms of language and business practices. However, on the other hand, certain cultural values also demands particular personal characteristics from potential managers. An example is the Confucian concept of filial piety, hierarchy and respect for age, which requires managers to be at least over forty in order to gain the respect of Chinese staff and local business partners. The second is China’s competitive labour market. With the surge of foreign firms expanding operations in China during the last decade, the demand for qualified local managers has increased, exceeding supply. Thus, foreign firms looking into hiring host-country nationals must compete with other companies to get the cream of the crop. For companies venturing in China for the first time, attracting qualified local managers will therefore be difficult, while retaining them will be an even greater challenge. Last is the growing number of Western-educated Chinese nationals. Labelled as â€Å"hot commodities† because of their language and cultural attributes and knowledge of Western business practices, they seem to embody the best mix of competency and culture. Given these realities, the company must therefore adopt a polycentric approach to international staffing in China such that host-country nationals must be recruited to manage the subsidiaries in their own country while parent-country nationals occupy positions at corporate headquarters due to their sensitivity to local conditions. In this respect, the following requirements must be kept in mind: Last, because of the need for managers who are both culturally-sensitive to China’s business environment and knowledgeable in

How Social and Psychological Factors Influence a Specific Aspect of Coursework

How Social and Psychological Factors Influence a Specific Aspect of Health - Coursework Example This paper illustrates that smoking has been argued to cause health complications which in turn causes serious sociological implications. Sundmacher argues that in the European Union alone, smoking causes over half a million deaths annually. Smoking poses a threat to the health of pregnant women. Although women smokers are likely to quit smoking during pregnancy, the majority go back to in less than one year after giving birth. Elsewhere, evidence gathered from a case-controlled study suggest that smoking could be protective against Alzheimer's disease. Broe continues to argue that smoking has no net gain in the aspect of cognitive functioning. Such an assertion can be because there exist evidence linking smoking as a risk factor for the development of vascular dementia. In addition, smoking has been associated with a prevalence of lower weight. Reduced tobacco usage is undeniably an important public health goal. The reason behind this is, smoking has been strongly related to health complications and premature mortality. On the other hand, smoking cessation has been linked to weight gain. Reduced prevalence of smoking cases has been suggested as one the risk factor associated with obesity. A rational model of addiction developed by Becker and Murphy offers insights on why people engage in potentially addictive behaviors of smoking. Gender is the first social element of choice that affects the health. Gender can be expressed as the social distinctions between men and women. Although they tend to get sick more than men, women have been argued to live on average five years longer compared to men. They are reported to have more non-fatal chronic illness and more acute illness. Women have higher rates of depression, and this exposes them to use more depression medication. Compares to men, women are more likely to develop high blood pressure and kidney complications.

Role of Women in Society Essay Example for Free

Role of Women in Society Essay A woman in today’s society is somewhat equal to a man’s, or any other person for that matter. Things back before the 1500’s were very strict for women, women basically had no rights. Women had no right to vote, no freedom of speech, women did not work back in the 1500’s they were stay at home mom’s, and took care of their households, and wifely duties. In the ancient times women had their places, and what their roles were supposed to be. It was very important for a woman to know what her role in life is, and how to handle herself. In many countries, the women had very similarities, and a few differences. Women in Greece, Egypt, Rome, and Israel had a lot of the same struggles and hardships. The women of today are still playing roles as mothers, wives, and child bearers. During the Ancient times otherwise known as Ancient Civilization women were sometimes misunderstood because of the different roles they played. In the global perspective, many cultures are similar, and some have contrast. Women in the countries of Greece, Egypt, Rome, and Israel are a few places that women’s cultures are mentioned and foretold. What were their roles? Who were they? Where did the live? How were they treated? Were they treated fairly, or did they have equal rights like some of the societies do today? And how did their role affect others? Although women did not have freedom back in the 1500’s, some societies still practice the same roles today, as back then. Knowing how they lived their lives shows that some traditional things they did back before the 1500’s are roles that women are still practicing today. â€Å"Throughout most of history women generally have had fewer legal rights and career opportunities than men. Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women’s most significant professions. In the 20th century, however, women in most nations won the right to vote and increased their educational and job opportunities. Perhaps most important they fought for and to a large degree accomplished a reevaluation of traditional view of their roles in society. †(Women History in America, 1994 p. 1) Women were considered weaker than men, unable to perform work that requires muscular or intellectual development. In most preindustrial societies, the domestic chores were for the women, leaving the heavier labor like hunting and plowing to men. They ignore the fact that caring for children, and doing tasks as milking cows, and washing laundry also required heavy labor. Maternity and child bearing were a natural role that a woman performed; this led to stereotyping that women belonged in the home. Tradition has it that a middle class girl in Western Culture tender to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Cooking, cleaning, and caring for the children were something that was expected when she grew up. The reason for this was as they were growing up their own expectations had been declined because neither their family nor teachers expected them to prepare for a future other than to get married and bear children. â€Å"Throughout history, most societies have held women in an inferior status compared to that of men. Thus situation was often justified as being the natural result of biological differences between the sexes. In many societies, for example people believed women to be naturally more emotional and less decisive than men. Women were also held to be less intelligent and less creative by nature. But research shows that women and men have the same range of emotional, intellectual, and creative characteristics. Many sociologists and anthropologists maintain that various cultures have taught girls to behave according to negative stereotypes (images) of femininity, thus keeping alive the idea that women are naturally inferior. †(Giele, J. Z. 2012) In ancient societies, most women’s lives were centered on their households. In Greek, in a city/state called Athens from 500 to 300 B. C. women raised their children as well as did spinning, weaving, and cooking. The wealthy women did some of the work themselves, although they also supervised the slaves in the tasks. Athenian women seldom left their homes. Every society had a different way of viewing the world; to view one age, through the eyes of another can often lead to misunderstanding. Ancient and modern societies are different in lots of ways but there are four roles that have had impact on the societies. Jobs- The majority of people in the ancient world made their way of living through agriculture. Farming requires ownership, and access to the land, agriculture back then was a necessity for a family business. Jobs for women were limited to work as household servants. Marriage- Marriage was considered the normal state in the ancient world, though Athenian men put it off until age thirty, most everyone else married soon after puberty. A woman that was single might find a job in a temple, or as a household servant. Family- Access to land for farming purposes the dominant occupation was only allowed through the family. Individual and society- Certain cultures enforce the traditions on all the members of their culture. Women in Ancient Israel- In ancient Israel the man was the head of the household and women were considered helpmate, and considered to help out their husband to benefit each other, they wanted to eventually be partnership. As in most of the Ancient World marriage was considered an ideal state. Parent’s arranged the marriage with trying to find a suitable match from the same tribe, and neighboring village. Strict rules prohibited a man from marrying his sister, mother, daughter, or any other ways that he would be tied to his wife in more than just marriage. The bride’s family gave their daughter to the groom’s family, although the bride moved to her husband’s home she still was in close ties with her birth family. Considering that a married couple was an economic partnership if the man became bankrupt and could not afford and pay off his debts then his wife would be sold to slavery as well as him. A wife’s first duty was to give birth and preferably to a son to continue her husband’s name and to take his place in line. Families that were well off it was common for the wife to have her own personal slave. If the wife could not have a child she could give the slave to her husband. If the wife’s husband died without having a son, than the brother of the man or the closest male family member would marry the widow, that way she could still have a chance to have a son and the child would be closely enough related to her dead husband and the child could care his name. Polygyny was accepted in Israel. Women In Ancient Rome- In Rome a young women that married early left her childhood home and the authority of her father, and entered the home of her husband as well as his authority and power. â€Å"In law her status was not very different from that of her husband’s daughter. (Women in the Ancient World Rome, 2012 p. 1) Other than the lower classes women were not allowed to work although they did not want to anyway. They thought of work to be done by the slaves, and the low class people who did not know any better. Women were very demanding in Ancient Rome and getting more freedom. The status of a women in the ancient world are very difficult, and more so in Rome where theory and practice were so far apart. The Roman men placed their marriage, home and the family very high value and this was a difference in society on how women were treated. Most of Athenian men seem to think their wives were best as an inconvenience. In Rome women were never allowed to hold public office or work in the government. Women were not even allowed to make any suggestions though by the beginning of the empire many men were asking their wives for advice, and it was all right to do so provided it was in private, and the husband did not make too much of a deal of it. Although the women had a life outside the home, the respectable women were not supposed to be wandering around alone outside. Women in Ancient Greece- in Greece women were known as largely inferior creatures that were more intelligent than children. Women in Greece had no political rights, she also did not have the civic rights to take part in the communities religious and economic institutions. His wife and children were supposed to do as he said and perform their household duties. â€Å"In reality a Greek wife (or mother or other female relative if the head of the household was not married) actually ran the household on a day-to-day basis. With few exceptions, women spent most of their time in the home, the exact opposite of their menfolk. (Nardo, 2004) In Hellenistic time some of the Greek women were not afraid to stand up to their fathers, and other male authorities. Many Hellenistic women experienced small but significant gains in their rights; most were still excluded from political life however. Greek women in the larger kingdom were allowed to grant and receive loans (Nardo, 2004) Women in Ancient Egypt- in Egypt women are treated better than any other major society of the ancient world. Egyptian women were very fortunate for a few reasons; one Egyptian woman would become Pharaoh under very special circumstances. This being that they were totally equal to men; they could loan and borrow money, sign contracts as well as initiate divorce, and appear in court as a witness. They were also equally responsible for anything that accompanied these rights. Two, love and emotional support they considered important parts of marriage. The Kings especially the ones in the New Kingdom had many wives, although only one carried the title as King’s Great Wife and carried on as Queen. Many Egyptians of both sexes had more than one spouse. The most common title of the house for non-royal women was known as the mistress of the house. As in some of the other societies the men were known as being the head of the household. Egyptian women were responsible for their nurturing of the young children, but they could also work at a trade, own and operate a business, inherit property, and come out well in divorce proceedings. (Jones, 2010) Females were allowed to be religious leaders in the priesthood, though they were not equal to men. Women had been trained in medicine and other highly skilled jobs. In ancient Egypt women were allowed to buy jewelry, and other fine goods, some women that worked even became rich. The status of a woman in ancient Egypt was so important that a women was entitled to the crown that was passed through the royal women and not the men â€Å"When the Greeks conquered Egypt in 332 B. C. E. , Egyptian women was allowed more rights and privileges than Greek women, who were forced to live under the less equal Greek system. † (Tyldesley, 2012) Women were sometimes misunderstood, and while there were similarities, and differences in the societies the majority of the societies had a lot of the same similarities where women were to be homemakers, bear children, obeyed her husband. In some of the societies women had little or no rights which included political and religious. Women did not have much freedom, and they were to be seen and not spoken. There are lots of aspects to a woman of an ancient society not discussed here some which center on her ability to see the chance for use of power and utilize it to her fullest capabilities, although the medieval women were very similar to women of today, watching out for her families best interest and working to voice her opinion in society.