Prescription Drug Abuse Essay

Prescription drug abuse has had a strong hold on American society for decades and it does not appear to be diminishing. While some drugs have decreased in popularity over the years others have increased. For instance, there has been a surge in the popularity of Ecstasy and other â€Å"Club† drugs and an increase in marijuana use over the past few years. While society has taken steps in the right direction by supporting treatment programs for addicts and drug abuse prevention programs much more must be done to lower the current trend of substance abuse in our culture. For now, we will be arguing upon the abuse of prescription drugs. What Are Prescription Drugs? Prescription drugs are medications regulated by the U.S. government. These medications are helpful in treating a variety of health conditions and are only available when prescribed by a doctor or other healthcare professional. The government restricts these medications because they may be harmful if they are not taken properly or if they are combined with other medications (Firshein, 2005). Doctors and other healthcare professionals are highly trained and experienced at selecting the best medication to use for a certain condition. The type of medication and the dosage prescribed is carefully determined. It’s very important that the doctor’s directions are followed exactly to help treat the condition for which it was prescribed and to make sure the medication doesn’t cause unwanted effects (Kalb, 2001). Two recent events of deaths occurred due drug abuse. Tabloid star Anna Nicole Smith’s son Daniel died of a drug overdose, an inquest jury in the Bahamas ruled on March 31st 2008 (Reuters). Australian actor Heath Ledger’s death was an accident caused by the abuse of prescription medications, the New York City medical examiner’s office said on February 6th 2008 (Reuters). Taking prescription drugs in a way that hasn’t been recommended by a doctor can be more dangerous than people think. In fact, it’s drug abuse. Moreover, it’s just as illegal as taking street drugs. But some people experiment with prescription drugs because they think they will help them have more fun, lose weight, fit in, and even study more effectively. Prescription drugs can be easier to get than street drugs: Family members or friends could have a prescription. But prescription drugs are also sometimes sold on the street like other illegal drugs. A 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that among all youths aged 12 to 17, 6% had tried prescription drugs for recreational use. Most patients take medicine responsibly, but approximately 9 million Americans used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes in 1999, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Non-medical purposes include misusing prescription drugs for recreation and for psychic effects–to get high, to have fun, to get a lift, or to calm down. Experts stress that prescription drug abuse isn’t about bad drugs or even bad people. It involves a complex web of factors, including the power of addiction, misperceptions about drug abuse, and the difficulty both patients and doctors have discussing the topic. Why? Some people think that prescription drugs are safer and less addictive than street drugs. After all, these are drugs that moms, dads, and even kid brothers and sisters use. But prescription drugs are only safe for the individuals who actually have prescriptions for them. That’s because a doctor has examined these people and prescribed the right dose of medication for a specific medical condition. The doctor has also told them exactly how they should take the medicine, including things to avoid while taking the drug — such as drinking alcohol, smoking, or taking other medications. They also are aware of potentially dangerous side effects and can monitor patients closely for these. Other people try prescription drugs because they think they’re not doing anything illegal because these drugs are prescribed by doctors. But taking drugs without a prescription — or sharing a prescription drug with friends — is actually breaking the law. Some people mistakenly think that prescription drugs are more powerful because you need a prescription for them. But it’s possible to abuse or become addicted to over-the-counter (OTC) medications, too. For example, dextromethorphan (DXM) is found in some OTC cough medicines. When someone takes the number of teaspoons or tablets that are recommended, everything is fine. But high doses can cause problems with the senses (especially vision and hearing) and can lead to confusion, stomach pain, numbness, and even hallucinations. A Look In The Past According to the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, in 1998, an estimated 1.6 million Americans used prescription pain relievers non-medically for the first time. This represents a significant increase since the 1980s, when there were generally fewer than 500,000 first-time users per year. From 1990 to 1998, the number of new users of pain relievers increased by 181 percent; the number of individuals who initiated tranquilizer use increased by 132 percent; the number of new sedative users increased by 90 percent; and the number of people initiating stimulant use increased by 165 percent. In total, in 1999, an estimated 4 million people – almost 2 percent of the population aged 12 and older – were using certain prescription drugs non-medically: pain relievers (2.6 million users), sedatives and tranquilizers (1.3 million users), and stimulants (0.9 million users) (oas.samhsa.gov). More Recently†¦ Data from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) indicate that 4.0 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 reported non-medical use of prescription medications in the past month. Rates of abuse were highest among the 18-25 age group (6.0 percent). Among the youngest group surveyed, ages 12-13, a higher percentage reported using psychotherapeutics (1.8 percent) than marijuana (1.0 percent) The National Institute on Drug Abuse Monitoring the Future survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders found that the non-medical use of opioids, tranquilizers, sedatives/barbiturates, and amphetamines was unchanged between 2003 and 2004. Specifically, the survey found that 5.0 percent of 12th graders reported using OxyContin without a prescription in the past year, and 9.3 percent reported using Vicodin, making Vicodin one of the most commonly abused licit drugs in this population. Past year, non-medical use of tranquilizers (e.g., Valium, Xanax) in 2004 was 2.5 percent for 8th graders, 5.1 percent for 10th graders, and 7.3 percent for 12th graders. Also within the past year, 6.5 percent of 12th graders used sedatives/ barbiturates (e.g., Amytal, Nembutal) non-medically, and 10.0 percent used amphetamines (e.g., Ritalin, Benzedrine) (oas.samhsa.gov). Which Drugs Are Abused? The most commonly used prescription drugs fall into three classes: Opioids Examples: oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and meperidine (Demerol) Medical uses: Opioids are used to treat pain or relieve coughs or diarrhea. How they work: Opioids attach to opioid receptors in the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord), preventing the brain from receiving pain messages. Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants Examples: pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal), diazepam (Valium), and alprazolam (Xanax) Medical uses: CNS depressants are used to treat anxiety, tension, panic attacks, and sleep disorders. How they work: CNS depressants slow down brain activity by increasing the activity of a neurotransmitter called GABA. The result is a drowsy or calming effect. Stimulants Examples:  methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall) Medical uses: Stimulants can be used to treat narcolepsy and  ADHD. How they work: Stimulants increase brain activity, resulting in greater alertness, attention, and energy (Vranken, 2007). What Are the Dangers of Abusing Medications? Whether they’re using street drugs or medications, drug abusers often have trouble at school, at home, with friends, or with the law. The likelihood that someone will commit a crime, be a victim of a crime,  or have an accident is higher when that person is abusing drugs — no matter whether  those drugs are  medications or street drugs. Like all drug abuse, using prescription drugs for the wrong reasons has serious risks for a person’s health. This risk is higher when prescription drugs like opioids are taken with other substances like alcohol, antihistamines, and CNS depressants. CNS depressants have risks, too. Abruptly stopping or reducing them too quickly can lead to seizures. Taking CNS depressants with other medications, such as prescription painkillers, some over-the-counter cold and allergy medications, or alcohol can slow a person’s heartbeat and breathing — and even kill. Abusing stimulants (like some ADHD drugs) may cause heart failure or seizures. These risks are increased when stimulants are mixed with other medicines — even OTC ones like certain cold medicines. Taking too much of a stimulant can lead a person to develop a dangerously high body temperature or an irregular heartbeat. Taking several high doses over a short period of time may make a drug abuser aggressive or paranoid. Although stimulant abuse might not lead to physical dependence and withdrawal, the feelings these drugs give people can cause them to use the drugs more and more often so they become a habit that’s hard to break. The dangers of prescription drug abuse can be made even worse if people take drugs in a way they aren’t supposed to. Ritalin may seem harmless because it’s prescribed even for little kids with ADHD. But when a person snorts or injects Ritalin, it can be serious. And because there can be  many variations of the same medication, the dose of medication and how long it stays in the body can vary. The person who doesn’t have a prescription might not really know which one he or she has. Probably the most common result of prescription drug abuse is addiction. People who abuse medications can become addicted just as easily as if they were taking street drugs. The reason many drugs have to be prescribed by a doctor is because some of them are quite addictive. That’s one of the reasons  most doctors won’t usually renew a prescription unless they see the patient — they want to examine the patient to make sure he or she isn’t getting addicted. (Vranken, 2007) Extent of Use Data from the National Drug Intelligence Center’s 2006 National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) reveal that 78.8% of state and local law enforcement agencies reported either high or moderate availability of illegally diverted pharmaceuticals (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2006). According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 49.8 million Americans aged 12 or older reported non-medical use of any psychotherapeutic at some point in their lifetimes, representing 20.3% of the population aged 12 or older. Nearly 7 million Americans aged 12 or older reported current (past month) use of psychotherapeutic drugs for non-medical purposes, representing 2.8% of the population. In this report, psychotherapeutics include any prescription-type pain reliever, tranquilizer, stimulant, or sedative but do not include over-the-counter drugs (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2007) Percent of U.S. Household Population 12 and Older Reporting Past Month Non-Medical Use of Psychotherapeutics, 2006, by Age    12-17 18-25 26 or older 12 or older Non-medical use of psychother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  3.3%   Ã‚  Ã‚  6.4%   Ã‚  Ã‚  2.2%   Ã‚  Ã‚  2.8%   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pain relievers 2.7 4.9 1.5 2.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  OxyContin 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tranquilizers 0.5 2.0 0.5 0.7   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stimulants 0.6 1.3 0.3 0.5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sedatives 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Additional data from the 2006 NSDUH show that 2.2 million people, aged 12 or older, initiated nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers within the past year. Each year, the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study asks drug use and related questions of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders nationwide. MTF provides usage estimates for alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, and substances that are only legally available by prescription. The study includes data for the non-medical use of amphetamines, stimulants including Ritalin, and sedatives (barbiturates) including: methaqualone, tranquilizers, the narcotic pain relievers Vicodin and OxyContin, as well as GHB, Ketamine, and Rohypnol, which is not legal for prescription in the United States. Survey respondents were asked to exclude from their responses any use of prescription drugs that occurred under medical supervision (National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Michigan, 2007). MTF data for 2007 show that lifetime prevalence rates for amphetamine use without a doctor’s orders were 6.5% for 8th graders, 11.1% for 10th graders, and 11.4% for 12th graders. Percent of Students Reporting Lifetime Non-Medical Use of Psychotherapeutics, 2007, by Grade Drug 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade Amphetamines   Ã‚  6.5%   11.1%   Ã‚  Ã‚  11.4% Sedatives n/a n/a 9.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Methaqualone n/a n/a 1.0 Tranquilizers 3.9 7.4 9.5 Approximately 9.6% of 12th graders surveyed in 2007 reported annual (past year) use of Vicodin without a doctor’s orders. Percent of Students Reporting Annual Non-Medical Use of Prescriptions, 2007, by Grade Drug 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade OxyContin   Ã‚  Ã‚  1.8%   Ã‚  Ã‚  3.9%   Ã‚  Ã‚  5.2% Vicodin 2.7 7.2 9.6 Amphetamines 4.2 8.0 7.5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ritalin 2.1 2.8 3.8 Sedatives n/a n/a 6.2 Methaqualone n/a n/a 0.5 Tranquilizers 2.4 5.3 6.2 According to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 21.3% of State prisoners and 16.9% of Federal prisoners surveyed in 2004 indicated that they abused depressants at some point in their lives. For this report, depressants were defined to include barbiturates, tranquilizers and Quaalude (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2006) Tips for Taking Prescription Medication What if a doctor prescribed a medication for you and you’re worried about becoming addicted? If you’re taking the medicine the way your doctor told you to, you can relax: Doctors know how much medication to prescribe so that it’s just enough for you. In the correct amount, the drug will relieve your symptoms without making you addicted. If a doctor prescribes a pain medication, stimulant, or CNS depressant, follow the directions exactly. Here are some other ways to protect yourself Keep all doctors’ appointments. Your doctor will want you to visit often so he or she can monitor how well the medication is working for you and adjust the dose or change the medication as needed. Some medications must be stopped or changed after a while so that the person doesn’t become addicted. Make a note of the effects the drug has on your body and emotions, especially in the first few days as your body gets used to it. Tell your doctor about these. Keep any information your pharmacist gives you about any drugs or activities you should steer clear of while taking your prescription. Reread it often to remind yourself of what you should avoid. If the information is too long or complicated, ask a parent or your pharmacist to give you the highlights. Don’t increase or decrease the dose of your medication without checking with your doctor’s office first — no matter how you’re feeling. Finally, never use someone else’s prescription, and don’t allow a friend to use yours. Not only are you putting your friend at risk, but you could suffer, too: Pharmacists won’t refill a prescription if a medication has been used up before it should be. And if you’re found giving medication to someone else, it’s considered a crime and you could find yourself in court (Vranken, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, abusing prescription drugs can affect your relationship with your family. It can create problems at school and with your future education. You may end up losing some longtime friendships or be forced to give up some of your favorite activities. Moreover, you could get into some serious problems with the law. Listed above are so many reasons not to abuse what can be of good use. As Albus Dumbledore said in book one of Harry Potter, â€Å"use it well†. Bibliography David Friedman. Drugs, Violence and Economics. Retrieved on May 2 2008, from http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/drugs_and_violence/Drugs_and_violence.html Kalb, Claudia. (2001). Playing With Painkillers. Newsweek. 45-47 Firshein, Moyers. (2005). â€Å"Our Current Policy† PBS Home. PBS. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2007). Results from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-32, DHHS Publication No. SMA 07-4293). Rockville, MD. Retrieved on May 2 2008, from http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh/2k6nsduh/2k6Results.cfm Michele Van Vranken, MD, November 2007. Retrieved on May 2 2008 from The Nemours Foundation. http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=KidsHealth&lic=1&article_set=39861&cat_id=20140& â€Å"Prescription Drug Use and Abuse† by Michelle Meadows. Retrieved on May 2, 2008 from http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/501_drug.html. U.S. Food and Drug Administration National Drug Intelligence Center, National Drug Threat Assessment 2007, October 2006 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings, 2007 National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Michigan, 2007 Monitoring the Future Drug Data Tables, December 2007 Bureau of Justice Statistics, Drug Use and Dependence, State and Federal Prisoners, 2004, 2004, October 2006

Describe Two Explanations of the Origins of Attitudes to Food and Eating Behaviour

Describe Two Explanations of the Origins of Attitudes to Food and Eating Behaviour. One explanation of the origins of attitudes towards food and eating behaviour is social learning theory, which emphasises the impact that observing other people can have on our own behaviour. Parents can have a massive effect over their children's eating behaviours for a variety of reasons. The first, and perhaps most obvious reason is that parents purchase and control the foods in their homes, and so the child would have little choice but to eat whatever their parent presented to them. The child would then grow up with this diet, and would ‘learn' it. Brown and Ogden reported consistent correlation between parents and their children in terms of snack intake, eating motivations, and body dissatisfaction. Another explanation of the origins of attitudes towards food and eating behaviour are cultural influences. Research has suggested that body dissatisfaction and related eating concerns are more characteristics of white women than black or Asian women. Ball and Kennedy found that for all ethnic groups, the longer the time spent in Australia, the more the women reported attitudes and eating behaviours similar to Australian women, and this is known as the ‘acculturation effect'. Other studies have found that social class can have an influence on body dissatisfaction and dieting behaviour, finding that they are more common in higher class individuals. Dornbusch studied 7000 American adolescents and found that higher class females show a greater desire to be thin, and were more likely to diet to achieve this. However other research disputes social learning theories conclusion and suggests that children do not just copy their parents. A study done by Birch and Fisher found that the best predictors of daughters eating behaviours were the mothers dietary restraints and their perception of the risk of the daughters becoming overweight. This disputes the idea that eating behaviour is affected by children directly copying their parents eating behaviour. However, this study was only carried out with mothers and daughters and so may suffer from gender bias. Social learning theory could also affects people's eating behaviours through their peers. This shows that more than just parents affects eating behaviour, as was previously implied. Meyer and Gast studied 10-12 year olds and found a significant positive correlation between peer influence and disordered eating. Although this study shows us much valuable information, we can generalise these findings to suggest how 10-12 year olds are affected. They cannot be an indicator for how older people may act, who may be considered to be less vulnerable to peer pressure. There are also many other obvious explanations as to our eating behaviours. For example, how we have evolved impacts a great deal on what we eat. We prefer fatty and sugary foods as these are what our distant ancestors would have needed to survive. Research has found that female white people are more preoccupied with their weight and participate in more weight loss behaviours. However a study by Mumford et al found that bulimia occurs more predominantly in Asian school children than their white counterparts. Striegel Moore et al also found that black girls have a higher drive for to be thin than white girls. Both of these studies contest the original idea, that White people have more eating problems. Dornbusch et al found that higher class females had a greater desire to be thin. However a study done by Story et al disputes this. They found the exact opposite, that higher social class meant greater satisfaction with weight and lower rates of weight control behaviour. This shows perhaps that there is no correlation between social class and eating behaviour. This was also suggested by other studies.

Paradise Lost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paradise Lost - Essay Example Powerful as God is, if they repented, he would have forgiven them and put things the way they previously were. God cared for man and thus immediately started the process of reclaiming His people from Satan’s grip. First were judges, kings, and prophets who were prominent leaders whose work was to convince the humankind to stop sinning and start obeying their Creator. As a last resort, God sent His son to save humankind from sins before they can join His everlasting Kingdom (Matthews & Platt 110). On the other hand, final destruction awaits those who will be sinning when the Kingdom comes. This is the story about the fall of man as Christianity tells it. The aim of this paper is to analyze the role of man in God’s eternal plan as presented by Milton in his epic book, Paradise Lost. Purpose of the Book. This book explains the origin of today’s cultures and beliefs starting with the fallout between God and one of His archangels, Lucifer. Lucifer then declared war on God, his main aim being to reclaim heaven and overthrow his Creator and Master. First, he organized his supporters among angels and then went on to recruit God’s latest creation; man to his ranks. Man fell to many of Satan’s, another of Lucifer’s aliases, tricks. ... olism and poetry, he also portrays the underlying factors that led to the fall including; Lucifer’s rebellion, the archangel Raphael who was sent to warn Adam of the looming danger and the fight between Michael and Lucifer which led to the latter being thrown out of heaven (Matthews & Platt 111 – 112). In addition, he tells the story about the coming of Jesus and salvation of humankind. Social Sin during Birth. According to Milton, Christianity states that since the original humans sinned, we are all guilty, and have to be forgiven regardless of whether we have sinned or not. Failure to ask for forgiveness condemns humankind to destruction together with Lucifer and his comrades come the last day. Though this is the general belief, humans are not guilty at birth because it is not their fault that the original parents sinned. Earlier teachers of law who used the Torah in their teachings propagated this belief in Exodus 21. However, the truth is that people are born with t he potential to do both good and evil things, and not born evil or good. A person becomes good or evil depending on the line of actions or thought they take. Freewill versus Obedience. Satan was the first angel to exercise freewill. This put Lucifer in opposition to his master, God. God’s anger at him was justified since it brought disorder in the heavenly monarch. Freewill made Lucifer do things that were against laid rules. Despite being a rebel, Satan’s resolve and reasoning is intriguing. His greatest mistake is that he used and continues to use his freewill to go against the Ruler in propagation of evil. If he had decided to have a parallel government ruled by good, maybe his master would have obliged to give him a position of power in His government. Instead, he chose to rebel which

Philosophical JournalDiary reflecting one's own thoughts and opinions Essay

Philosophical JournalDiary reflecting one's own thoughts and opinions upon several topics. Details below - Essay Example In the above context, the opposite choice group feel that the decision of assisting in euthanasia is intention to kill. In contract, the pro-choice groups argue that the favouring of euthanasia is due to intention of achievement of good and comfortable death. In that context, the opposite choice group feel that the sanctity of life is above the autonomy of one's decision to live or die. While discussing about the dividing line between acceptable and unacceptable measures, Somerville Margaret (2002), argues that both sides are wrong as the dividing line lies somewhere in the middle of both the arguments. The balance of the arguments lies in the right of competent adults to refuse treatment, which is painful. The refusal for the treatment lies in the fact that it is their right to have a treatment that can relieve pain even it shortens the life. Hence, the argument void of right of refusal of the painful treatment does not give a clear logic about the Euthanasia irrespective of pro and anti arguments. 1 While discussing pros and cons of Euthanasia, one have to consider the modern Hippocratic Oath that is taken by medical students from 1964. In that, it is clear that a doctor should avoid the twin traps of over treatment and therapeutic nihilism. Here one can quote Louis Lasagna about nihilism, which is a doctrine that declares nothing can be known or communicated. As Louis Lasagna is against therapeutic nihilism, the doctor should consider the views and intentions of patient regarding Euthanasia and should think combining them with medical ethics. In addition the modern Hippocratic Oath on web site of Nova Onlilne (pbs.org) states that, the duty of the doctor is to tread with care in matters of life and death. The doctor has to act responsibly in case of saving and taking life but with all humbleness and awareness. The above factor supports the idea of taking a life of patient on moral and humanitarian grounds without acting on god. Hence, as per the responsibility of the modern Hi ppocratic Oath, the administrations can allow Euthanasia in special cases that are according to norms prescribed in legislation. The modern Hippocratic Oath also states that "The doctor should treat a patient keeping in mind a sick human being but not a fever chart of a cancerous growth". The above quote states that the doctor should follow moral values and more technical while prescribing and emotional while treating. However, the emotions should not dominate the treatment, but they should guide the doctor up to the level maintaining morality about addressing the concerns of family and economic stability of the patient. According to above concerns in modern Hippocratic Oath, the pro choice groups can argue that the Euthanasia is reasonable if it relieves a patient from his painful sickness in the context of medical science is unable to treat him or relieve him of pain. Even in that inevitable situation, the question arises about the poor patient who suffers and cannot avail the benefits of medical science. In the above context, the role of

Movie review for Shattered Glass Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For Shattered Glass - Movie Review Example As mentioned above, this film is about the real-life story of a journalist Stephen Glass, played by Hayden Christensen. At the start of the film, Glass in his 20s comes up with an entertaining story of a teenage hacker who is recruited by a software company, after or for hacking into their own computer system. However, when Glass fails to provide the relevant sources for that article, editor Charles Lane, played by Peter Sarsgaard, becomes suspicious. Then, when all his 41 published stories are investigated by the newspaper people, it is found out that Glass has completely or at least partially fabricated 27 of those articles. It is shown that Glass, without wanting to work hard and instead wanting to take a short cut to success, has came with these fabricated stories by concocting sources, supposed quotes, and even complete stories. However, when all his dubious actions were found out, he was fired and made to apologize along with his colleagues. The film clearly depicted the unethical activities of Glass and how it led to his downfall. From the beginning of the film, he is portrayed as a manipulative individual, who wishes to achieve fame through any means. A journalist duty comprises of going to the fields, studying the issues, interviewing all the connected persons, getting the official position, cross-checking the materials in hand, and then only writing the article. However, Glass due to his lazy nature and manipulative characteristic avoids fulfilling any of the above mentioned duties. Instead, he wrote articles from the confines of his office and home, by coming up with his own issues, by conducting fake interviews with concocted sources, and so on. Editors and other higher officials were also accused of journalistic dereliction because they missed cross-checking the stories of Glass, particularly his

MARY DOUGLAS' NATURAL SYMBOLS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

MARY DOUGLAS' NATURAL SYMBOLS - Research Paper Example According to Douglas, natural symbols are an important determinant of the nature of social and religious rituals practiced by all cultures worldwide. These natural symbols could be derived from â€Å"blood, breath or excrement† and each one of them has a social meaning and implication. Using these bodily symbols, the choices, preferences and perceptions of every culture can be studied. According to Mary Douglas, the way a person treats his/her body explains his/her perception of the society. The hierarchies existing in a society are very much similar to how a human treats his various organs. She explains: According to one, the body will tend to be conceived as an organ of communication. The major preoccupations will be with its functioning effectively; the relation of head to subordinate members will be a model of the central control system, the favorite metaphors of statecraft will harp upon the flow of blood in the arteries, sustenance and the restoration of strength. Accord ing to another, though the body will also be seen as a vehicle of life, it will be vulnerable in different ways. The dangers to it will come†¦ from failure to control the quality of what it absorbs through the orifices; fear of poisoning, protection of boundaries, aversion to bodily waste products and medical theory that enjoins frequent purging. Another again will be very practical about the possible uses of bodily rejects, very cool about recycling waste matter and about the pay-off from such practices. The distinction between the life within the body and the body that carries it will hold no interest. In the control, areas of these society controversies about spirit and matter will scarcely arise. But at the other end of the spectrum †¦ a different attitude will be seen. Here the body is not primarily the vehicle of life, for life will be seen as purely spiritual and the body as irrelevant matter. Here we can locate millennial tendencies from our early history to the pr esent day. For these people society appears as a system that does not work. (Douglas 1996, 16-17) The Body, Religion and Anthropology In her book, Douglas explains how the ritualistic patterns of a culture can be derived through their body symbolism. This book examines religion from an anthropological perspective, explaining the ritualistic and socialistic norms existent in all cultures. Thus, in order to understand a culture truly, a thorough study of the natural symbols occurring in the society is mandatory. Sarah Coakley writes in Religion and the body: Anthropologists have long been interested in ideas about the body. Thus, in the nineteenth-century anthropology, the centrality of the notion of ‘race’ involved detailed studies of the bodies of ‘primitives’. European imperialism made possible, and evolutionary theories of progress encouraged and fed on, the detailed description and classification of types of European and non- European bodies.1 As is evid ent, the body forms an important element of all anthropological studies that aim at a proper analysis of a given culture. According to Coakley, by the end of the nineteenth century, studies focusing on the â€Å"symbolic aspects of the body in primitive cultures† became increasingly prevalent. It was believed that such a study would tell us â€Å"something profound of the human mind†2. Mary Douglas is not the only one to have elaborated on the significance of bodily symbols in anthropology. Many other works, like those of Benthall and Pohemus, Blacking etc. have brought out the importance of the â€Å"Anthropology of the Body†. However, Douglas’ work remains the most popular in terms of both its academic value and interesting notions. Harries (1993) interprets natural symbols as follows, By natural symbols, I

Euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Euthanasia - Essay Example In passive euthanasia, no action is taken to prolong life, and death occurs naturally. In Great Britain, Lord Joffe has introduced a bill which would legalize assisted dying. Although this bill was introduced in 2004, it has not had a chance of passing until recently. The reasons for this is that society has changed with respect to the issues surrounding euthanasia. This paper will examine the arguments against euthanasia, and the arguments in favor of it, and make a conclusion about whether or not euthanasia should be legalized in Great Britain. Arguments against Euthanasia There is not a doubt that Christianity, as a religion, has profoundly influenced the debate surrounding the right to die. However, before Christianity was established, the practice was condoned, even honored. In Ancient Greece, one could apply to a tribunal for the right to die, and, if successful, would be given hemlock to ingest. The practice was even the subject of parties – the elderly and the infirm would ingest their poison at a banquet that honored their lives . This changed with the beginning of Christianity, and Christianity, as a religion, was the basis of outlawing the practice. Early Christian thinkers, such as St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine were influential, describing euthanasia as a grave sin. The church continued to influence the debate, even during a period of time during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment of the 18th Century, in which the practices resurged, yet were kept in abeyance by the Church. 7 The Church’s reasoning on the rejection of euthanasia is that the act is inherently wrong. Therefore, because of the fundamental objection to the practice, the Church remains opposed, no matter how much good may come out of it.8   Christianity also believes that it is a sin because life is a gift from God, and, unless one is defending one’s own life, or defending others, life is not to be taken away.   According to this view, man is made in God’s image, so it is not for man to end his own life.9   This is not to say that the Church advocates for keeping someone alive by any means possible. In fact, the official Christian perspective on heroic measures to sustain life is that these measures should not be taken. Denying or withdrawing heroic measures is differentiated from euthanasia because one, euthanasia, is actively ending life and the other, denying heroic measures, is simply letting somebody die. Also, one is intended, and the other is unintended.10   Because the official Christian perspective on h eroic measures is clear, this principle would encompass â€Å"Do Not Resuscitate Orders† and removing patients from ventilators.11   Therefore, the official Christian stance on euthanasia is that it is forbidden. According to Lin (2003), another reason why the Church has taken this stance is because of the Sixth Commandment, which is â€Å"Thou Shalt Not Kill.†   This Commandment, in turn, is based on the view that only God has the power of life and death, and euthanasia effectively usurps this authority.12 St. Thomas Aquinas based his objections to the practice on this view, citing Deuteronomy 32:39, which states that God â€Å"will kill†¦and will make to live.†13 Hatzinikolaou (2003) bases his objections on the respect for the dying process. According to him, death is sacred and the last moments of a person’s life are the moments which should be respected.   It is during these moments, according to Hatzinikolaou (2003) that man has the chance to repent and prepare for his soul to be

Communicating Across Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communicating Across Cultures - Essay Example Goodman (2009) defined culture as the concept of shared beliefs and values of people belonging to a specific region. People from different cultures tend to behave and react in different ways; the presence of different origins and perceptions in a single workplace or organization makes the managers learn the skills of dealing with multiculturalism. The multicultural nature of the prevailing workplaces proves to become a major hindrance in communication if the diversity is not managed in an effective manner. Upon the adoption of ineffective strategies and techniques, cultural diversity can have hazardous effects for the productivity of any business, rather than providing benefits. Effective communication is one of the most challenging aspects to achieve in the presence of multiculturalism in the workplace. Following are some of the barriers in communicating across cultures: It has been witnessed that cultures tend to have differing social hierarchies; women are considered to be subordinates to men in some regions of the world. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Workforce Development Board (2002) stated that these kinds of cultures do not appreciate extensive interactions with the opposite gender and expect the women to maintain introvert behavior in the workplace in the presence of men. The men from such cultures also do not prefer working equally with their female coworkers and do not even favor having female managers to monitor their performance. Different cultures follow different types of gestures to convey their meaning; however the same gestures might have contrasting meanings in different regions. Erupting Mind Education (2011) stated that an OK sign signifies something good or fine in US and England, while the same gesture is taken as an insult in France. Similarly, the gesture of thumbs up signifies something good and commendable in US and numerous parts of Europe while it is considered offensive in Asian countries. Eye contact is

Is Eminent Domain as Practiced Today a Violation of the Takings Clause Essay

Is Eminent Domain as Practiced Today a Violation of the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution - Essay Example It has commonly been argued that eminent domain is a violation of the taking clause of the fifth amendment of the US constitution. The Taking Clause of the US Constitution The purpose of the taking clause featured in the US constitution is to bar the government from forcibly making some people bear public burdens, which is a responsibility of the entire public (Funk 123). On the other hand, the takings clause fully requires compensation whenever a government takes away private property and converts it for public use. Eminent domain gives the government power to take such property, even without fully compensating the private owners, which is contrary to the Fifth Amendment (Greenhut 65). The fourteenth and fifth amendments’ taking clauses of the constitution have similar meaning and effect. However, owners of property can enjoy more protection from the Fifth Amendment takings. Proponents of eminent domain believe that the US constitution’s Fifth Amendment takings clause does not prohibit the government from taking private property (Donahue 32). The requirement of public use is normally viewed like a restriction on the power of government over eminent domain as proponents of eminent domain believe. ... The situation of many individuals that have their properties taken by the government is normally made worse given that some of these properties are what they consider a lifetime investment and therefore beyond monetary value. In this respect, eminent domain denies individuals the right to enjoy whatever they have worked for irrespective of how much treasured their investments are to them (Sheldom 24). This as a result lowers the motivation of hardworking citizens who always live in fear considering that their properties may be taken at any time and without warning. Eminent domain has been applied blatantly with power-hungry and utilitarian justifications. Such events occur for example where large companies that remit more taxes to the government are favored against individuals or smaller organizations to an extent that properties are seized from the later unjustifiably for the benefit of the larger companies as noted by Ryskamp (35). This sometimes is done out of the consideration th at larger companies create more employment opportunities compared to smaller ones. Unfortunately the application of eminent domain in this respect is flawed as it considers individuals as fungible or substitutable objects. When the government seizes property based on such logic, it means that the government cares not for the welfare of those whose lives are ruined as a result against the constitutional implication that the individual’s right is absolute. Some quarters have reasoned that eminent domain helps in the redistribution of property and helps in creating equality and equity in the sharing of resources among nationals. This idea is further propagated based on the reasoning that the government helps in

Lap 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lap 5 - Assignment Example Jupiter has a diameter of 142,800km while the sun’s diameter is 1,391,400km. Therefore, the ratio of Jupiter’s diameter to diameter of the sun is 238:2319. Moreover, Jupiter (142,800km) is the largest planet while Mercury (4,878km) is the smallest planet thus the ratio of the largest planet to smallest planet in terms of diameter is 23800:813. The planets seem to fall into groups based on size; smaller planets seem to be in a particular group while bigger planets seem to be in a different group such as Mercury, Mars, Venus and Earth are in one group while Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune seem to be in another group. The surface composition of smaller planets in one group is rocky. Conversely, the surface composition of larger planets is gaseous and frozen gas. The two main differences are the surface composition and the size. The bigger planets also consist of rings, bringing out another clear-cut difference. Terrestrial group consists of Mercury, Mars, Venus and Earth while the members of Jovian group are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The difference between the prediction of Bode’s rule and the actual distances is negligible with a range of 0.01-0.02. The planets include Saturn and Neptune. One of the regularities in the planetary orbits discovered by Kepler is moving of planets around the sun in the same direction and the planets having nearly similar orbital planes (Topper

Should Parents Be Obliged to Immunise Their Children Against Childhood Diseases Essay Example for Free

Should Parents Be Obliged to Immunise Their Children Against Childhood Diseases Essay Some people argue that the state does not have the right to make parents immunise their children. However, I feel the question is not whether they should immunise but whether, as members of society, they have the right not to. Preventative medicine has proved to be the most effective way of reducing the incidence of fatal childhood diseases. As a result of the widespread practice of immunising young children in our society, many lives have been saved and the diseases have been reduced to almost zero. In previous centuries children died from ordinary illnesses such as influenza and tuberculosis and because few people had immunity, the diseases spread easily. Diseases such as dysentery were the result of poor hygiene but these have long been eradicated since the arrival of good sanitation and clean water. Nobody would suggest that we should reverse this good practice now because dysentery has been wiped out. Serious diseases such as polio and smallpox have also been eradicated through national immunisation programmes. In consequence, children not immunised are far less at risk in this disease-free society than they would otherwise be. Parents choosing not to immunise are relying on the fact that the diseases have already been eradicated. If the number of parents choosing not to immunise increased, there would be a similar increase in the risk of the diseases returning. Immunisation is not an issue like seatbelts which affects only the individual. A decision not to immunise will have widespread repercussions for the whole of society and for this reason, I do not believe that individuals have the right to stand aside. In my opinion immunisation should be obligatory.

The Effects of Violence on Youth Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Violence on Youth Essay In recent years, the advancement in entertainment technology in the field of and the increasing liberalization of America and its media have led to the creation and marketing of violent forms of entertainment. This includes such technologies movies, TV shows, video games, and news outlets. Today’s youth have easy accessibility to many of these violent forms of entertainment and are increasingly exposed to them at younger ages. The exposure to gore and violence has caused many people to believe that America’s youth are becoming increasing desensitized to violence. This exposure to violence through various media outlets may cause an exponential increase in violent actions of America’s youth and certain harmful effects to those exposed. The experience of violent events harms youth. The increasing publicity by media sources of violent crimes such as shootings may cause children to question their safety at public locations and events. Shootings near the Empire State building that left nine wounded and one dead and the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, that left 20 students and six staff members dead affect not only the victims, their families, and their communities but the whole populous of the United States. Such blatantly open and violent acts are now often recorded and show to the public via News channels and other media outlets. They have caused many people, especially youth, to suffer unseen scares such as emotional and cognitive distress. Furthermore, violent events in a majority of Americans cities specifically in areas of lowe r income families and individuals have rendered 90% of the youth in those regions exposed to violence (Braunstein, M.D. Glenn D). Studies have shown that one fifth of these children suffer from depression. One third of these children even suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) a disorder most common seen in war veterans. Additionally, studies have proven prolonged exposure to the stress of violence have caused the elevated excretion of certain hormones in children. This causes impaired cognition of the brain, specifically in the areas of learning, memory, and the regulation of emotion. Experts have proven the youth who are increasingly exposed to violence consistently score lower on vocabulary and reading exams. Further, symptoms of those exposed to violence include: emotional numbing and detachment, increased arousal, trouble sleeping and nightmares. Youth  suffering from increased exposure to violence or PTSD are more prone to exhibit aggressive and self destructive b ehaviors such as flashbacks, feelings of guilt, self-harm and even suicide (PTSD: National Center for PTSD). The younger the child is when he/she experiences a violent action or event the more prone he/she is to developing more extreme symptoms. It is imperative that the youth of America be protected from these increasingly more violent and widely dispersed acts of violence. Exposure to violence in media has increased drastically in the last 30 years. Much of this expose comes from the movie many of which children are allowed to view. Modern movies have become increasing more violent than their predecessors yet the ratings have remained the same. The Motion Picture Association of America describes a PG-13 movie as a film with content that â€Å"may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category.† While this definition has remained the same, the material now allowed into movies is consistently more violent and graphic than its predecessors. Since 1950 violent content in pg-13 movies has more than doubled (Study: Violence Levels in Movies Have Skyrocketed over Last 30 Years). In fact, many of today’s pg-13 films would have been rated R in years past. In comparison, other questionable topics found in movies such as drug use and sexuality have not increased in amount since past years and movies with increased amounts of these topics are still rated R. This implies that in recent years the media and the people viewing set media are becoming increasingly desensitized to violence. Researchers have proposed that similar to drug addicts, the American public have grown accustom to ever increasing amounts of violence in movies and need more and more violence to be entertained. One such movie series that accurately portrays this increasingly violent trend is the â€Å"Rambo† series (Study: Violence Levels in Movies Have Skyrocketed over Last 30 Years). Every movie released becomes increasingly violent. People who wat ch violent videos become increasingly more prone to violent actions. We as a society and a people, especially the younger generation who have been exposed since birth, are becoming more violent and prone to violent behavior. This in effect has made the people of America less humane. Video games have become an increasingly more popular form of entertainment, and many of these games have become increasingly violent as well. In depth  research has proven that violent videogames can and do cause more violent actions in its users, even more so in youth. Young people do not have as high cognitive function as adults nor do they have the ability to control their emotions as well. Furthermore, it has been proven that developing violent video gaming habits develop more violent every day habits (Carey, Benedict). However it is not proven if violent video games increase the likelihood that a person will commit a violent crime, such as murder, rape, or assault. One study showed that those who played violent video games took longer to help an injured victim, rated a given fight as less serious, and were less likely to respond to a fight compared to those who played non-violent video games. The same pattern applied to those who watched violent movies. A psychologist at Iowa State University led a research team that studied 47 undergraduates who played â€Å"Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance† for 15 minutes. It also tested whether the students would behave more aggressively, by having them dole out hot sauce to a fellow student who, they were told, did not like spicy food but had to swallow the sauce. Compared with a group who had played a nonviolent video game, those who had been engaged in â€Å"Mortal Kombat† were more aggressive across the board. They gave their fellow students larger portions of the hot sauce. Similar studies also concluded similar results for a short time after playing video games one is more likely to act in a violent nature. Video games a re not solely responsible for extremely violent actions such as shootings. However, in tandem with other aggressive stimulants such as bulling and depression it may set of violent actions of an individual. Some experts suggest that video game have a relatively low impact on daily function. Though many studies have been done, no conclusive evidence has been presented that violent video games have long term effects on its users. Though violent video games might play a small roll in behavior, most scientists suggest that the culture of one’s society plays a much higher part in development of aggressive behaviors. In most studies of this subject, one or more areas was flawed resulting no decisive evidence has been presented concluding that these studies of the effects of video games on violence are a positive indicator of the increased violent actions (Etchells, Pete). Though there may be a correlation between violent  videogames and violent actions, correlation does not prove causation. Furthermore, studies have shown that while we are the nation with the highest murder rate per capita, we are not the nation with the highest violent video game consumption (Kain, Erik). The fact m ay be that because the USA has such a high murder rate and use of video games that the correlation between the two might be entirely coincidental. Some studies show that video games may benefit ones cognitive process. A study on two groups of college student’s, one group who didn’t play video games and one group the who played simple video games for 30min a day. An MRI of the brain after the experiment showed that the group who played video games had significantly more grey matter in their right hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum; these areas of the brain are responsible for spatial navigation, memory formation, strategic planning and fine motor skills in the hands. This study also suggested that video games can be used to treat some mental disorders including Alzheimer’s and Schizophrenia (Guarini, Drew). Another study concluded that those who played strategic video games achieved better scores on physiological tests and completed cognitive tasks with better speed and accuracy. Furthermore, playing video games for a mere two hours a week may slow the mental decay process and therefore decrease the effects of aging. An Italian research team presented evidence that playing faster paced videogames may help children with dyslexia read better. Moreover, video games have been proven to alleviate mental stress and act as a pain reliever. Additionally, videogames are known to improve eyesight if played for an hour a week. Video games have benefits and are worth playing for that reason however, this does not justify the increasingly violent actions that these games portray to children. The level of violence the children of America are allowed to view is disturbing. Violence has in no way proven to benefit the development of youth. The cognitive and psychological heath of youth in America is declining with every violent act experienced and perceived. Our families, our communities, and our nation need to take responsibility to e nsure the safe development of youth in our nation. The children of America represent the future of America. If the people in America do not support the safe development of youth, then they do not support the continued development of America. To insure the future safety of America we as Americans need to ensure the  safety of our youth. The nations must more closely monitor and restrict the amount of violence our nation’s youth may view. Increasing violence viewed though various media outlets have been proven to cause increased aggression in today’s youth. Violence has been proven to severely hurt youth not only psychologically but cognitively as well. Though some studies may show no direct evidence between the use of violent videogame and violent actions as a nation the United States should error on the side of safety. It is imperative that the United States monitor more closely the youth use of such violent video games as to prevent the negative effects that go with it. Furthermore communities need to make safer to protect today’s youth from events that will most definitely scar them and damage their development. Violence has negative effects on youth and should therefore be more closely monitored and restricted. Bibliography Braunstein, M.D. Glenn D. Violent Events Have Long-Term Effects on Children. The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 24 Sept. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2014. . This article explains the effects of violent events on today’s youth. As the article is written by a doctor it is a credible source and a valuable addition to my paper. Media Violence. Media Violence. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. . This article written by pediatricians discusses the harmful effects of media violence on today’s youth. Since it is written by pediatricians I have labeled it a credible source. Study: Violence Levels In Movies Have Skyrocketed Over Last 30 Years.OpposingViews.com. Jonathan Wolfe, 21 Feb. 2014. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. . This article discuses the increased violence in movies over the past 30 years it is a good indicator of the increasing liberalization of violence in America. Guarini, Drew. 9 Ways Video Games Can Actually Be Good For You. The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 07 Nov. 201 3. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. . This source help me develop reason that video games all research came from sited sources so it is credible. Carey, Benedict. Shooting in the Dark. The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. . This source helped me develop more in depth research into the effects of violent video games on youth. PTSD: National Center for PTSD. PTSD. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. . This source assisted me in my evaluation of the effects of violence. PTSD is one of many effects violence has on its victims Etchells, Pete. What Is the Link between Violent Video Games and Aggression?Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. http://www.theguardian.com/science/head-quarters/2013/sep/19/neuroscience-psychology This source helped me discern the faults of studies and the opposition to my assertion. Kain, Erik. Do Games Cause Real-World Violence? Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. . This source helped me discern the faults of studies and the opposition to my assertion.

What Problems Do Mega Cities Cause Environmental Sciences Essay

What Problems Do Mega Cities Cause Environmental Sciences Essay With the open markets and the liberasation of the economy in 1991 India went on a fast track economic boom with an 8-9% GDP growth per year. Urban areas have experienced an unprecedented rate of growth over the last 30 years. India is considered to be one of the most attractive countries for industry in the world as the vast population and the low living standards ensure the cheap manpower (when a normal salary in Europe or America is 40 dollars per day the 80% of the population in India lives with less than 2 dollars among them the 34.7% with less than 1 dollar per day) and thus the viability for the industries. As a result the mitigation phenomenon to big cities from rural areas has started the last decades and cannot be controlled. Unfortunately as it is going to be explained below the infrastructure lacks and so does not usually ensure a friendly and sustainable place for the immigrant-dwellers. Creation of mega-cities During the last 50 years Indians population has more than doubled (today 1.2 billion), but the urban population has grown nearly five times (H.Taubenbock,2008). Right now more than 50% of the whole earths population live in urban areas (Clark, 2003). The graph below shows the population growth of Mumbai Graph 1. Ref (M.Barke, 1998) More than 20 huge cities (with over than 10 million inhabitants) around the world were identified; three of the cities, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkatta, were on the Indian subcontinent. Mumbai with 3.1% and Delhi with 4.1%, the highest, population growth rates in the world. Cities and their growth should be examined carefully as they cover only 2% of the earths surface and consume 75% of all resources as well as producing 75% of all waste (Girardet, 1999; UNFPA, 2007). Â  Picture 1 table 1 (Ref. H.Taubenbock, 2009. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems) Location of Indias large urban agglomerations and population growth in the 9 largest Indian cities in million of inhabitants. Lack of infrastructure-Problems In the new mega cities with the uncontrolled urbanization a huge percent of the population is accommodated in slums without houses, hospitals, hostels, roads, no kind of city planning and finally but most importantly no sanitation, drainage system and water treatment. Below there is a photo which shows the phenomenon of the slums in the huge cities in India. Picture 2 (Ref. http://www.google.gr/images?um=1HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18hl=elHYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18tbs=isch:1HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18q=slums+in+indiaHYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18sa=NHYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Ns tart=306ndsp=18start=306HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18ndsp=18) The picture above shows the largest slum in Asia at the heart of Indias financial capital Mumbai where millions of poor in India live in such conditions. The rapid and extensive sprawl of the urban population cannot provide the urban planners with the information needed in order to provide plans with the appropriate amenities such as water, sanitation and electricity. Main arising problems include: (Ref. R.K.MUTATKAR,1995) a) Housing: As the urban population has been increased from 20% in 1971 to 38% in 1991 and is still rapidly increased urban land becomes very precious and insufficient to cover all the needs. As a result 30% of the population lives in slums and 45% live in single room tenements. Around 20% of houses are made from mud and thatch and one third of the population has no access to a lavatory. b) Water supply: Common water posts are provided as the water in cities is inequitable. In Ahmadabad for example, 25% of the population consume 90% of the water whilst the rest of the population 75% have to consume 10% of water. Approximately the 34% of the poor urban dwellers do not have a piped water supply. c) Sanitation: Despite the improvement in providing sanitation facilities, most of the towns depend on open surface drains for the waste water disposal which in terms is vulnerable to communicable diseases from flies, bacteria e.t.c. Also where underground sewerage system exist there is a danger of seepage in the corroded pipes which may cause great health hazards like hepatitis and diarrhoea epidemics. d) Pollution: Air and water are mainly polluted from transport and industries. In Calcutta for example there are 11,516 factories and 525,000 cars. Also as the 70% of the population is using coal as cooking fuel, it is subsequently one of the most polluted cities in the world. Unfortunately rivers are heavily polluted by industrial wastes. e) Health care delivery: Despite the provision of municipal dispensaries, public hospitals and private clinics and the modern imported technologies the medical system does not operate normally. As the 80% of medical practitioners cater the needs of only 20% of the urban population. The public hospitals and its stuff shows a very apathetic attitude to the patients in the public hospitals which enforce them to prefer the private clinics. f) Transportation problems: The unplanned design of slums does not usually satisfy the efficient transportation of the workers. Due to the huge population concentration, the big distances to the work places and the undeveloped unfriendly to the environment transportation modes it is estimated that the transport sector is responsible for 70% of the national CO2 emissions. g) Morbidity and related problems: In these over-populated areas (regions), communicable diseases like leprocy and venereal are in high levels. The poverty leads the men to alcoholism and few women to prostitution. Crime rates have been increased tremendously as well as death in the cities due to accidents and lack of transport and road safety education. i) Climate change/fast growing cities: Except the lack of infrastructure and the living problems which that causes to slum dwellers mega cities contribute seriously to the climate change. Are charectirized from high levels of energy consumption, burning of fossil fuels and concentrated activities in disproportionate land. Unfortunately the overpopulation of these sites and their rapid expansion to the suburban areas makes the problem even worse and impossible to be solved apace. In conclusion urbanization problems have arisen from rural poverty and unemployment which motivated the citizens to migrate to big industrial cities. There is not however the appropriate infrastructure to accomodate the new comers or proper planning of transport, water, drainage and health care delivery system. Mellenium Development goals for India (Ref.Economy, Investment Finance Reports.2006) The Millennium Declaration adopted 8 development goals for India are briefly presented below. The majority of them are relevant to urbanizations arising problems. 1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: India must reduce by 2015 the proportion of people below poverty line from nearly 37.5 percent in 1990 to about 18.75 percent. National Rural Employment Act will help to reduce the poverty ratio even further. 2) Achieve universal primary education: India should increase the primary school enrolment rate to 100 percent and wipe out the drop-outs by 2015 against 41.96 percent in 1991-92. 3) Promote gender equality and empower women: The female participation at all levels should be promoted to reach a female male proportion of equal level by 2015. 4) Reduce child mortality: The target is to reduce under five mortality rate (U5MR) from 125 deaths per thousand live births in 1988-92 to 42 in 2015 5) Improve maternal health: India should reduce maternal mortality (MMR) from 437 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1991 to 109 by 2015. 6) Combat HIV/ AIDS, malaria and other diseases: As the prevalence rate has increased from 0.74 per thousand pregnant women in 2002 to 0.86 in 2003, this increasing trend needs to be reversed to achieve MDG 6. 7) Ensure environmental sustainability: The proportion of population without sustainable access to drinkable water and sanitation is to be halved by 2015 and India is on track to achieve this target. Also this step involves the protection of forests and presrvation of natural resources. 8) Develop a global partnership for development: Basically meant for the Developed Countries to provide development assistance to developing countries. These goals are intended to confront poverty, illiteracy, hunger, lack of education, gender inequality, infant and maternal mortality, disease and environmental degradation. Solutions social-environmental-economical point of view (Ref. Manoj Roy,(2009)) A number of solutions and measures should be introduced in order to contribute in the elimination or at least decrease of the pre-mentioned problems. Activities and measures will involve land use planning, climate change and city sustainability towards an overall urban sustainability which in terms will lead to a better life type now and maintenance of it for next generations. 1) Economic activities will invole: a) Decentralisation by generating new jobs, work places in suburban areas or support to those existing in the rural areas in order to motivate the dwellers to stay, that will lead to a more balanced employment distribution. b) Establishment of export zones for promoting their production and linkages between the formal and informal sectors as well as linkages between the rural and urban economy. c) Support to micro-enterprises and especially those developed by women. Non governmental organizations could also provide micro-credit. 2) Social and institutional activities will involve: a)Measures to encourage the public participation in the planning process, strengthening the participation of municipal authorities and the adoption of a strategic planning approach. b) Land use plans and effects of land use alterations, research and development in the construction methods and building materials, mechanisms for private contractors to promote low cost housing scheme and development of secondary towns with the prospect to accomodate slum dwellers. c) Enhance community participation in slum improvement project components, urban infrastructure improvement projects, measures to reduce the total population and health service programmes. 3) Environmental activities will involve: Respect and proper implementation of the environmental laws, reduction of travel time, preservation of rural areas with high agricultural and ecological importance especially when these are located in or near to urban areas. Mitigation of flood, recycling, waste water disposal and sanitation and generally measures to reduce the pollution from industry and vehicles. As climate change is of high importance nowadays few economic, social and environmental measures which could reduce the phenomenon are presented. Economic measures related to climate change would be the enhancement of financial (the one which allows productive activities to get going)and social (shared values and mutual understanding) capital by reducing the travel time and distance, congestion, emmisions, industrial pollution and the promotion of sustainable technology (environmental measures as well). Synergy between the urban and rural climate change resonses is needed as well as reduction of vulnerability of poor and women. Social/institutional measures target on public awareness, education for appropriate environmental behaviour, reduction of carbon sinks, enhancement of responsive capacity of the local authorities e.t.c. Resilience of the built environment plans and energy efficiency with protection and measures against the vulnerability of the poor. Engineering role and contribution The problems presented above should be confronted and are big challenges for the humanity as whole. In this approach which will have as targets the above pre-mentioned goals which will lead to the improvement of human lives with respect to the environment, the role of engineers is really vital. For the city planning and development series of data, plans and knowledge are needed like scientific background, geo-information technology, planning support systems, urban morphology etc. All of the above in order to be efficiently used will be analysed and used from civil engineers. Especially civil engineers which are involved with the majority of projects such as sustainable city planning, development of existing infrastructure (strengthening of existing constructions, maintenance e.t.c), transportation issues (design of roads), waste water treatment and sanitation mechanisms e.t.c will be responsible for the sustainable development and future progress of these regions.

death of a salesman :: essays research papers

I am reading The Book , â€Å"Death of a salesman â€Å", by Arthur Miller. The major theme that runs throughout the book is the importance of being happy with who you are. This idea is seen through how others and Willy view himself. The other way we can see the theme of social acceptance is how Willy pushes it on his son Biff. Lastly the theme is exemplified by how Willy only pays attention to Biff because people like him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Willy thinks that if a person is well-liked, then the entire world opens up to them. Willy seems to think that people don’t like him, but as soon as he says something to Linda his wife she reassures him that he is well-liked. One time when he goes to borrow money from Uncle Charley he tells him that if a man is impressive and respected that nothing else matters. Uncle Charley says that it is what you have that is what counts not who likes you or not. Willy is always saying that he is vital to New England and that he makes so much money when he goes there. This is all totally not true. You can tell because he won’t take a job there or even bring his sons which he has been promising for years. Willy is lying to himself and is seeking for reassurance in the wrong places.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Willy has been pressing Biff to Believe that you have to be well liked above all ever since Biff has been a little kid. In the story Willy depends on Biff because he has so much personal attractiveness. Willy has instilled this concept from an early age and we can see this because of a few things. First, when Biff stole a football from school to practice with and told his father, he did nothing because he thought that it showed initiative and the coach would like him for it. Another way we can see that Biff struggles with acceptance is one time when he went to an interview with Oliver. He is standing in the office and he steals Oliver’s pen and just runs out and goes home. He stole the pen because he didn’t want to wait to see Oliver. He was embarrassed for waiting so long and stole the pen and got out of there. I think it is sad that Willy has done this to his son.

Theodor Herzl: Father of Zionism? Essay example -- Theodor Herzl Essay

Theodor Herzl: Father of Zionism? Theodor Herzl is often referred to today as the Father of Zionism, a man known for his role in the establishment of a homeland for the Jewish people. His most famous pamphlet, The Jewish State, inspired thousands of Jewish men and women from across the world, although particularly in Europe, to leave their homes to realize the glory of creating their own homeland in Palestine. While Herzl was originally a believer in the gradual assimilation of German and Austrian Jews into the European cultural world, the growing anti-Semitism within Europe led him to believe that the only solution to Jewish ostracism was the creation of a separate state for Jews in Palestine. Although Theodor Herzl became, over the course of his lifetime, a man who held a crucial role in the creation of a state that Jews across the world could take pride in and refuge from the prejudice they faced throughout the European world, he was never truly a believer in the traditions of Judaism and was primarily concerned with the necessity for the â€Å"reformation† of the Jewish culture instead of the founding of a prejudice-free environment. European anti-Semitism, a condition that influenced his own views on his culture, dominated the world that Theodor Herzl grew up in. In a world dominated by prejudice, even Herzl, who defended the rights of the Jews, viewed them as a people who had been corrupted by years of exile and persecution. The leading intellectuals of the time believed the Jewish people to be a race of money-lenders and usurpers with no capacity for change and as such were a class to be ostracized (Kornberg 21). In contrast, Herzl believed that while his people may have held the stereotypical Jewish vices of greedine... ... own culture. Although he held that the European Jews were exposed to extreme anti-Semitism, he also believed this oppression had caused them to become a people worthy of the stereotypes placed on them by the prejudiced European Christians. Herzl grew to believe that it was only though a complete disassociation with these peoples would the Jews again become a race of people worthy of European respect. Theodor Herzl is somewhat of an enigma in that he is a man who dedicated his entire life to the cause of improving the lives of his people for reasons that many would find to be prejudiced themselves. Works Cited Elon, Amos. Herzl. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1975. Kornberg, Jacques. Theodor Herzl. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1993. Prior, Michael. Zionism and the State of Israel: A Moral Inquiry. New York: Routledge,1999.

The Sun Also Rises :: Essays papers

The Sun Also Rises "This is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper." (T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men) "†¦but a whimper.", Eliot was writing of the Lost Generation. The period after World War I were people were disillusioned, wandering through their life lost, not sure what their goal was. In Ernest Hemmingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises, the Lost Generation and their inability to cope with the change around them is the focus of the novel. The Sun Also Rises is a beautifully written account of a generation lost in an unknown cause that leaves them abandoned in the end. Hemmingway wrote this story in a unique fashion. The book is written with no apparent plot, that is, there are not twists, intrigue, or goals for the characters. The plot is simply the story itself. That is what Hemmingway wanted, he wanted the reader to read this story and recognize the loses and struggles the characters encounter through experiences they had. The Sun Also Rises takes place in France following the First World War. The main character and narrator is Jake Barnes a newspaper reporter and war veteran. His life corresponds directly to that of the Lost Generation, for he is the Lost Generation. Jake lives a very simple life, he gets up and eats, goes to work, goes out with someone for lunch, goes back to work, than goes out with friends to eat supper and drink the night away. Jake's life is very similar to all others of that time; he is not an exception. To prove this Hemmingway shows the bars and restaurants packed at night with people just like Jake and his friends. Jake's long time friend and once lover, Brent Ashley is a very beautiful and unruly woman. She makes her first appearance in the novel as she walks into a bar to meet Jake, she is followed by a group of gay men. This point is very crucial to the novel because it strikes a major point of conflict between Jake and Brett. Jake had suffered an injury in the war and was impotent because of it. Jake is self-conscious of this fact and was very upset when Brett walked in with men that were not impotent and yet failed to take advantage of it.

A Review of the Role of Entrepreneurship in Stimulating Economic Growth Essay

They also further states that entrepreneurs have been responsible for growth and development over the centuries and are identified as the key role players in the economy of every country. The paper identifies the different definitions of an entrepreneur which are identified as the different channels in which entrepreneurship lead to economic growth, reduced unemployment and increased levels of income among countries. As a result of the role of entrepreneurship in any country, most countries emphasises on integrating entrepreneurial activity in its economic policy. A discussion is made on developing economies mainly South Africa, China, Brazil and Russia comparing the entrepreneurial activity within the economies. Economic growth is best defined as a long-term expansion of the productive potential of the economy. It is measured by the comparing the difference between the Gross National Product (GNP) in a year with the GNP of the previous year. A growing economy is when the difference is positive. The term simply refers to an increase in the ability to produce goods and services. It is easier to define unemployment when there is an understanding of the term economic growth. Unemployment refers to when a person who is actively searching for employment cannot find work to do. This is an instrument used to determine the healthiness of an economy. After knowing the levels of unemployment in an economy, determining the level of income distribution becomes a bit projected. The level of income in an economy refers to the way in which in money is distributed among the population in an economy. The above three defined terms has a link to each other. The level of economic growth have a direct proportional influence on the possible jobs available in the economy while a reciprocal relationship exist between the level of income in the particular economy and levels of unemployment. The level of income is directly proportional to economic growth. Also, the level of unemployment is directly proportional to the level of income in an economy. However, all the above aspects are influenced by the level of entrepreneurship in the particular economy. An economy with high activity of entrepreneurship is more likely to be characterized by high economic growth, reducing levels of unemployment and increasing levels of income while an economy with low entrepreneurial activity on the other hand can be characterized by low economic growth, high levels of unemployment and low levels of income. Entrepreneurship cannot be separated from the following terms â€Å"economic growth†, â€Å"employment† and â€Å"country income level distribution† as all the entrepreneurial activities contribute largely to economic growth, levels of employment and income distribution. Different nature of entrepreneurs stimulates the growth of an economy in different ways. In any country with high levels of entrepreneurial activities or which experienced high entrepreneurial activity, the economy tends to be of middle to high income and the unemployment levels tend to be decreasing if not low. However, economies with low income distribution are characterised by low entrepreneurial activities and mostly, there are significant levels of unemployment. Such low income economies have high records of poverty which leads them to seek donors. Different authors made contributions on this topic and this paper compares and links the information obtained into a comprehensive review. The term entrepreneurship has been defined by Schumpeter (1934) as lying in the perceptions and exploration of new opportunities in the realm of business. He further states that it always has to do with bringing about a different use of resources in that they are withdrawn from their traditional employ and subjected to new combinations. Schumpeter relates entrepreneurship to be influenced by entrepreneurs who are innovative and hese people have to be extra-ordinary as they have to come up with extra-ordinary events. They come up with new technological possibilities hence are able to establish large businesses from these. Carland etal. (1984) confirms that an entrepreneur is someone innovative and further says that he or she employs strategic management practices in the business. Timmons (2000) believes entrepreneurship as the process of creating a nd seizing an opportunity and pursuing it, regardless of resources currently controlled. Nieman and Nieuwenhuizen (2009) define an entrepreneur as the person who sees an opportunity in the market, gathers resources and creates and grows a business venture to meet these needs. They also further states that he or she bears risk of the venture and is rewarded with profit if it succeed. With different definitions of entrepreneurship defined by different authors through the way they define an entrepreneur, the researcher generally defines entrepreneurship as the act of being an entrepreneur who establishes business through the organisation of resources taking risk with the aim of realising profit. The Schumpeterian entrepreneur as defined above is innovative. In support for this, Curran and Stanworth (1989) defines entrepreneurship as the creation of new economic entity centred on a novel product or service or, or at the very least, one which differs significantly from products or services offered elsewhere in the market. Such entrepreneurs play a very crucial role in stimulating economic growth. They come up with huge organisations which can be monopolies in the economy. With the nature of big businesses, they would be more likely to produce large volumes of product increasing the GNP thereby contributing significantly to economic growth. With their capacity to produce large volumes, such organisation would take considerable number of employees hence reducing unemployment. By employing people, such entrepreneurs contribute to the increased levels of income in an economy. Another author Kirzner presents a different way in which entrepreneurship can be influenced by an entrepreneur through the way he defines an entrepreneur. According to Kirzner, the entrepreneur is someone who is alert to profitable opportunities for exchange. Such an entrepreneur believes in gathering the needed information, refining and providing it to those in need of it. Such entrepreneurs act as intermediaries for example between suppliers and customers. They are also very important in the growth of an economy as they facilitate inception, incubation of businesses through the provision of supportive information. The information they provide acts as a catalyst into venturing into business and builds confidence to emerging businesses. Emerging businesses require business support for them to have high chances of success hence the Kirzner entrepreneur makes the perfect match for such new businesses whose success lies on business support services. Such an entrepreneur can offer business support services such as business counselling, business mentoring and business incubation.

Primary and Secondary Reflection Examples

1. This lecture is started by marcel after(prenominal)(prenominal) discussing approximately truth as a value, the setting of any kind of vox populi ex propelly when thither is this distinctive compositors causal agency of philosophical theory that is grammatical construction. It is close to non middling the meaning of something at prototypal glance s entail by face into much deeply to the meaning of things and experiences that we encounter.2. wave is going to illustrate how admonition is grow in daily invigoration by giving ideals that show the importance of inquisitory more(prenominal) deeply into thought.3. criticism happens overdue to an occurrence of a phenomenon that is a produce from the daily average life. If the phenomenon involves something that is of import to me indeed, the animadversion be keep downs a individualal act where no champion push aside reflect for atomic number 53(a) self scarcely superstarself. If the watch was non valu fitting to me in the first place no reprimand would feed occurred for it would upright nurse been something that occurred and non something that one would c whole as an experience.4. The comprise that I made in the poser was the occurrence that was a classify from the normal quotidian life. I considered myself as legitimate and honest accordingly telling the live was indeed a phenomenon for me. The same things lineinate be said for this situation be intimately want in the previous one. The phenomenon has conduct me to reflect for myself and analyze deeply to the live that I made. I r to each one such(prenominal) movements as who I truly am for I was already non the humans who I thought he was.5. This fashion model is well-nigh humans queer to someone for something that they did and then, remembering a memory where I learn enduree a interchange able thing. Being disappointed to someone was the break from normal bothday life beca riding habit disappo intments only happen when your expectations do non support with the reality. This has led to the movement of who I unfeignedly am because I am disappointed at someone who was exactly on the bargonlyton desire me before. I am non the man who I re eithery thought I was anymore. This conclusion comes from the watching for oneself where one explores deeply into the meaning of one phenomenon. The reproval grass leave me in worrying but I am exculpated.6. In the last example, realizations come to me from the things I redeem explored to more deeply. I am already a better communicator to myself and to my friend for I wee-wee destroyed the barrier that one prison term stood there to block our communication. This is the liberating part of reflection. Where I was once anguished by the thoughts that I had because of what I reflected yet it brought something liberating to my life.7. The third example as I stated was about communication. This clearly shows the importance of the notion of intercourse. This shows that I make some early(a)s and that other flock fatality me. I need people who need me to make me assure myself of my aw atomic number 18ness that I am aw argon of myself.8. Life is one with reflection yet there seems to be and objection that differentiates life with reflection. Life is sizzling musical composition reflection is cold. Life is like a fire burning with voices and experiences time lag to happen. Bursts of energy come for never-ending sources of emotions of enjoyment and sadness. Reflection tends to make this thought as something that one would only analyze and not experience. Just like a political machine broken into pieces and analyzed.9. The reflection in the shake up young man comes to him when realizes things that be historic to him like his future. This is the something that is valuable to him that makes him reflect upon his actions. The prime things he said due to his tipsiness was the phenomenon that made him refl ect. His life was the thing that was at stake so then he had to reflect upon the things that he did and explore more deeply the consequences one action of his powerfulness do to his life. The other examples like the prisoner and the mother make me ask myself questions like What am I really financial backing for? Who am I living for? What things do I live by? These are questions whose answers make a great bear on upon my life for these are the things that fuel my everyday life. I open to k immediately what I live for and know for sure that is something that is valuable to me. It has to be something worth living and destruction for so I hatful regulate to myself that I have lived my life to the fullest every day.10. Reflection should be one with my life. It is not the bad guy in the painting anymore but the one that saves the day. Reflection makes us probe deeply into things and liberate us from our narrow debateing. moreover if we use reflection to reduce life to animali sm, then this makes reflection the antagonist and as something that is an uncomprehensible concept.11. Experience and reflection are analogous. champion goes with the other. Experience is not fair(a) a passive memory but an active voice participation of the other. We can say thus that one is more reflective if one has more experience and vice versa. But there are two levels of reflection that we need to differentiate. The first is aboriginal reflection. Our flying consciousness of what happens in our experience is our primary reflection. We mustiness further break this cut back in order to come up with a deeper understanding. From this point, we reconstruct the experience while integrating what we have discovered from it, olibanum a transcendence of knowledge done reflection on experience. This is our substitute(prenominal) reflection or a reflection upon our reflection. done this process, we become aware of our awareness. We experience emphasized awareness. This is when we shade truly alive.12. The question who am I unruffled hangs and yet trunk to be the most important one we must answer. Through primary and secondary winding reflection we might be able this question finally.13. Because of the secondary reflection I am able to realize that I am like this psyche exhausting someone elses clothes. I have this ghost that I am not who I am now and who I was before. These realizations of exploit makes me uneasy because I cannot myself of the question Who really am I? 14. The complaisant servant asking the question are you Mr. so and so may mean that I am insane if I answer Certainly not but this is how I feel. I think that I am not the man who I was anymore. I am not the soul I have written myself to be. My ready already sounds different to me because of the realizations it brings to me. Who really am I?15. The uneasy feeling that I am not who I am anymore leads me to the question again of who I really am.16. I have realised that am a not a definite individual. I am just this non-some consistency pertained in a deep obscure fashion, with a some bole about who I am organism questioned about and about whom I am sure enough not free to answer just what I like at the effect because I am not the mortal that the civil servant is describing anymore.17. The uneasy feeling leads us to realizations that I am not a definite some em remains. We have to explore deeply and probe deeply to this caper and hopefully answer this question.18. I have to recognize the fact that I am not a definite some physical structure and therefore accept the facts that there is other sense in which I am some tree trunk and that other somebodies similarly pull through.19. Marcel criticizes the copulationship that I have with myself because of the problem of how I appear to myself as a definite some em automobile trunk and not a some personify. I could be anybody who I think I could be. A master, a friend, a teacher, a servant. This parado x is in comparison to myself as a force field. It is in relation of myself as these definite characteristics are contingent.20. The questions come whether we can consider this not being a definite somebody knows. Exists in a manner that I have something to define myself, something I live for and something I live by. Definitely the answer to this question is negative. But this does not mean that I am imaginary, for it does not mean that what is not actual is imaginary.21. Now I come to ask myself. Does anything really exist? Do I know of anything to shew that I myself exist? These questions ask for a centrally significant humanity without which I cannot peradventure judge anything else to exist. We should however expound and probe more into this statement of existential indubitablity other we might have a clash with full or modified skepticism.22. correspond skepticism doubts the universe of anything. In the phenomenological level, total skepticism is meaningless. Our day to day experiences prove to us what exists and what does not. Experiences that we reflect upon further makes us aware of the existence of other people and objects. There is a clear quality of what really exists or not by dint of reflection.23. Relative skepticism on the other hand makes me ask myself if I do really exist since I am the one questioning about existence of other things I should be able to answer my own existence. The separation of I and exist in the question Do I really exist? proves that the I is never a that and also that existence is not a predicate.24. The I exist is an indubitable touchstone of experience therefore it cannot be separated. Marcel points out that I exist lies in another level. It is not something that one can infer so quickly for I exist lies in the banks of every possible current of inference. therefrom the substitution made by raw philosophers could be criticized since Sentio, ergo sum still hides a Cogito because of the ergo.25. To say that you exist cannot be separated from the fact that you are real, that is, others are aware of your existence as well, to truly exist is to manifest. With it, doubting oneself cannot be avoided and by doing so we become more aware of ourselves as likened that a chelas expressions.26. To exist and the awareness of existence cannot be separated because that is the character of the self that cannot be doubted. It is inherent to the self that he exists for himself and for others and that cannot be apart from the datum that is my body.27. The author talks about applying primary and secondary reflection on my body. first and secondary reflection means to look at my body the same way as all other bodies, subject to destruction and non privileged. It is detaching this body from the thought that is exploit.28. second-string reflection is reuniting the ideas se apart by primary reflection and that is to unite the body back with the center.29. There is difficulty in proceeding to secondary reflection without contradicting what was proposed in the primary reflection that both body and soul are distinct.30. It is a look of perspective that we proceed in reflection by considering that body and soul are distinct but interrelated. If we should reflect on what makes up my body then, we should reject the eminence that both are things.31. To refer to my body as the my that I mean it to be then, I must reject a psycho-physical parallelism belief that me and my body are mere things but sooner have an knowledge of relationship with each other. This intimacy manifests through the actual real life experiences of the body and the real thing from which we should take a crap implications from and not put ideal meanings to it. These experiences can cause us either to stomach as a master of our body or a salve to it but either way, it is the my in my body that I own it to be.32. The author relates a persons ownership of the my of my body as the same with saying that the heel is m ine for such get behind to be really mine, there must exist a positive relationship like pass judgment that I have claim and all responsibility to it and it too will go across the same positivity by responding to me.33. It cannot be argues that you are the owner of your body as you are the owner of the dog in the previous analogy but in slave very, such is not the case for the master of a slave who claims to have ownership of his slaves body but a slave cannot attend to but persist that his body is his particularly after the injustices of slavery.34. I have a responsibility to look after my body by providing for it the same as I do for my dog. But we must be aware of an upper limit of a situation that we are in, that we are now capable of dissociating ourselves from our lives saying that this body is not mine or looking after this body is not my responsibility.35. My body is mine to a point where I am capable of restrainling it like your dogs obedience, but there is this time where an inner limit has to be considered as in the case of illness where you dont have the same control of your body as you used to have. This is uttered in the phrase I am no longer myself.36. The likeness of my dog as well as other objects that are mine is distinct from the spatio-terminal being that I am but here exists a link amidst us that we could be associated with each other.37. There must be a link between me and my body from which is the means for me to relate all other ownerships and at every superstar ownership that there is. There is also that desire to personally experience that my body is mine.38. To own something requires oneself to claim it and take headache of it , therefore some one who owns things cannot be reduces to a dematerialized ego who cannot claim nor anxiety for something.39. Another observation made that when I become too attached with what I possess, it tends to become a part of my body. And when such possessions are threatened like in the case of being lost, it feels as if my body has also been affected.40. The strength of possession is as reliant with how join you are with your body, but as of external possessions, when they get lost. it leaves the owner at vulnerable state cause being affected with the loss loss him to want more to possess things that are not identical or that do not define him, most especially, a person from which the very idea cannot be owned.41. The link between me and my body cannot be asserted to be independent from each other but once that link breaks as by means of death, no experience could ever tell us now what we can still become.42. looking at at the previous situation at a different view by means of secondary reflection.43. My body can be thought of as being an puppet from which I can act what I intend to manifest myself into the world, this requires us to think what being an instrument would imply and under that conditions would that be.44. An instrument could be mute as something that would increase the efficiency of an existing power that is present in the person using the instrument like an ocular apparatus for seeing. Therefore my body can be seen as a united body with a group of powers.45. I have to understand that my body is mine to avoid narrowing my body as an object. Also that I am my body is an instrument, an extension of another bodys powers. Such infinite reveres could be avoided by claiming my body as mine and not an instrument.46. In claiming that I am my body, bearing must be observed so as not to reduce me as an object but rather as a subject, a being that has a relationship. Sympathetic meditation was a term used by Marcel to set forth how my body was at first in accordance with my feelings.47. Using my body to feel mu body is using it as an instrument and it has been described in the previous song that my body should not be reduce to an apparatus and in this case just to view my feelings.48. Marcel ends it by introducing the query to feelin gs that in doing so we do not begin with searching for explanations but rather look into how we get to feel in an everyday set up and how we playact it.