A brief history of cosmetics Essay

Through the ages, cosmetics have been in used to transform appearances. It started with the Ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks (Avoncosmeticsnug 2007). In Ancient Egypt, exterior appearance is closely attached to spirituality (Mellor 2008). Looking good is not for vanity but for the gods. During those times, Ancient Egyptians used black kohl to color their eyes. It is a concoction made up of burnt almonds, oxidized copper, a couple of different-colored copper ores, lead, ash, and ochre. Kohl is applied using a stick and Ancient Egyptians applied it in an almond shape onto their eyes (Mellor 2008). For the lips and cheeks, a blend of red clay and water were applied, while henna was used on the fingernails (Narada 2008). This tradition behind cosmetics started to fade when the Greeks arrived and used cosmetics for aesthetic purposes (Mellor 2008). The use of cosmetics was widely accepted and it was a thriving commerce around the Mediterranean at that time (Narada 2008). Later on during the time of the Romans, perfumes were widely used in baths, fountains and also weapons (Boyd 2008). Romans also apply kohl just as Egyptians did (Narada 2008). As the nineteenth century ushered in, whitening mixture was applied on the face to be able to achieve a fairer complexion. During those times, whiter skin meant a good social status since darker skin is associated with the working class (Mellor 2008). This cosmetic was composed of carbonate, hydroxide, and lead oxide. But due to lead poisoning that caused muscle paralysis or death, lead oxide was replaced by zinc oxide which is still being used until today (Boyd 2008). Eventually by the 20th century, safer cosmetics were made available as doctors started to work with cosmetics companies to avoid problems like lead poisoning (Modes in Makeup 2008). The industry got a boost when cinema became popular and the masses tried to imitate actresses on the big screen. Helena Rubinstein and Max Factor both made their mark during this time as they developed an assortment of cosmetic products like mascara, colored powder, and pancake make-up (Boyd 2008). The new century also brought in a new trend – the tan complexion. Tan was now the symbol of affluent individuals who did not need to work but instead simply went outside and engaged in recreation. The bronze look was the look to go for (Modes in Makeup 2008). The industry continued to grow during the 50’s and the 60’s. Cosmetics companies advertise a great deal in televisions where the focus was on the lips and eyes. Natural products as well have grown in popularity. These are products with botanical components. By the 70’s, the concern for the environment was widespread and harmful ingredients were then banned for manufacturing (Boyd 2008). Many players now are part of this booming business. The industry will continue to grow as cosmetics continue to be an integral part especially of women lives. 2. 3 Branding Kotler (2003) defines a brand as any mark or label that is attached to a product that means something for people or something that people can be associated with. For example, coffee is a product and Starbucks is a brand that means high quality coffee and is usually associated with yuppies. In other words, a brand produces a certain image, feeling, emotion, personality, or even a set of values in a person’s mind by just hearing or seeing the brand’s name. For example, Coca-Cola connotes enjoying the moment of having a cool drink with friends or family, FedEx implies fast and safe delivery service, Porsche is expensive but luxurious cars, New York City is the city that never sleeps, and The Body Shop promotes the beauty of each individual while protecting the planet (Kotler 2003). Kotler (2003) further explains that building a brand involves an intricate and interdependent system of devices such as advertisements, public and media networking, financial support for events or issues, and many more. But the most important device is the customer service provided by the brand’s employees. Friendly and helpful shop employees may determine whether clients will come back or not. Everything about the company, its plans, processes, services, and final merchandise must revolve around the brand it is promoting. This is how valuable a brand should be for a company. On the other hand, to be able to say that a company truly has an effective brand depends on the level of loyalty and influence the brand has on consumers in general and on its clientele in particular (Kotler 2003). Specifically, branding is a marketing strategy of a business to make its product stand out among competitors. It uses tools like distinctive product names, symbols, slogans and other images (Principles of Marketing 2008). It not only helps in distinguishing a product but also safeguards the consumer from other products that seem to be the same (Hislop 2001). An example of a product with good branding is Nike’s sports apparels and shoes. The brand is strongly associated with sports and the checkmark sign and the slogan just do it sets it apart from other sports brands. Aside from familiarity branding also invokes emotional responses – Lexus with the feeling of luxury – or cultural responses – Pepsi with the youth (Hislop 2001). It was about 15 years ago when the concept of branding entered the business world. However, until now, the word is still being confused with marketing and advertising. The process of branding should be the first step followed by advertising under the big umbrella of marketing. Research shows that companies that do not establish a brand identity first before advertising only see themselves lose money (Klein 2008). Branding is not all about raising awareness to the product. It is about getting the consumers perceive the product as the sole answer to their troubles or needs (Lake 2003). The logo or slogan is not the brand of the company instead it is the character of the company. The brand is what the company symbolizes in the customer’s mind (Klein 2008). It is a summation of all the opinions and encounters of the customer with the product or service (Lake 2003). It is imperative for a company to establish a lasting brand if it intends to survive in the very competitive world of business.

Applications of Integral Calculus

To find the moment of inertia, you find the area under, and also between the curve(s). An application in which integration is key to reaching the target value is a PAID Controller. The purpose of a PAID Controller is to determine the error between what is measured and what is expected. The â€Å"l† or integration part of the controller is the collected past errors. The actual integral is the total of the instantaneous error over time. All parts of the error are included, meaning duration and amount. Integral mathematics has much to do with the duration and amount of something.One major example Is population analysis. Population analysis Is a form of Integral math that Is applied for biology. The births In the present year rely on many things from previous years, most obviously the amount of births In the previous year. All things affect the population of the proceeding years. Since all variables intertwine with one another, they can be put into once common integral equation. T wo major variables in the equation would be the rates of fertility and survivorship. The average temperature for weather also uses integration.For example, the weatherman would note the average temperature for his time last year to show how much weather has fluctuated. How did he get an average temperature? He found it using integration. The weatherman would make a graph of the weather of math from this time last year, and create an integral to find the exact average value. He could then wait until he has collected enough information for this season this year and fled the average temperate of this season through Integration. With these two average values, he could compare the two for changes.When cars were first created, not much about them was efficient whatsoever. They may have delivered the driver from point A to point B more quickly than before cars, but like most new inventions, cars were greatly flawed. To fix these errors, manufacturers began crash testing for safety, which i nvolves physics. Using integration, a crash test analyst can first find average results for crashes with safety products as well as results without safety products. Then, with the separate averages he can compare the results to verify that the specific safety products are realistic to install into vehicles.Specifically, the severity index, which was aimed towards being able to determine the risk of an injury to the head, is calculated by using an integral. Severity Index is the Integral from zero to T of EDT. In the severity index integral, T represents the duration of the deceleration during the crash test and (a(t)) Is the deceleration at time (t). Though the Severity Index was a good calculation, something better was discovered. The Head Injury Criterion Is based on the average value of acceleration over the most important part of the deceleration.The new and Improved Integral Tutorial Tort ten nana Injury criterion represents ten maximum alee over the critical time period for th e integral expression. This method is much more realistic and is used to test things such as the safety of an airbag and even prove that stables do in-fact save lives. Integration is also used for finding displacement from velocity, and velocity from acceleration. Unlike a lot of other applications, in this situation you would use the indefinite integral for displacement and velocity. An integral is used to define these two things because integration is the opposite of differentiation.Consequently, to find displacement you would use the indefinite integral of velocity (v) EDT. Likewise, you would determine velocity by using the indefinite integral of acceleration (a) EDT. Integrals are also involved in biology. One integral is the Coulomb Field approximation. With this approximation, one calculates the Borne radius. Although it is acceptable, the Coulomb Field approximation is known to overestimate the Borne radii. Other methods of the Coulomb Field approximation have been demonstra ted by adding and subtracting certain areas of the equation. Using integration you can also find the average off moving sequence of numbers.This is commonly done with stocks. The numbers that â€Å"move† in the stock integral would be the day and the price. Along with integration being involved in the stock business, it is also involved in consumer surplus and producer surplus. Producer's surplus is the surplus money that the producer obtains from charging less than the selling price. Consumer's surplus is the difference between what consumers are willing to pay and what they do actually end up spending. Similar to the integrals dealing with extra money in consumerism and production, you can use integration to find the three different values of a continuous income stream.

Assignment Exploring the Issues Related to the Management

Assignment exploring the issues related to the management of change within clinical practice In this essay I aim firstly to attempt to identify a change in practise I would wish to make and secondly, link this to the theory of change management and leadership management. The vision I would like to implement would be for the Worcester Royal Hospital psychiatric wards to have access to on site gym facilities, and for the psychiatrists to prescribe exercise to all inpatients. Currently exercise is not used widely as an intervention in psychiatric nursing. The Labour government acknowledged that the physical health needs of people with mental health problems had been neglected and that this group need support to access appropriate healthcare and health promotion services (Department of Health, 2009). Over the last ten years there has been progress made regarding the use of exercise in mental health services. In 2004 a research team asked GPs if they would consider prescribing exercise instead of antidepressants for low mood. Only 5% said they would. In a recent follow-up survey in June 2011, the proportion of those willing to prescribe it had risen to 22 %, reflecting a clear shift in attitudes and beliefs (Baker 2001) . However, I personally do not feel this is a large enough rise. From my experience in working in psychiatric wards at this hospital I have observed that exercise is much underused. For example there are no gym facilities and no exercise groups at all. I propose that all psychiatric inpatients should have access to and encouragement to attend physical exercise facilities. This is despite a large body of evidenced based research that has proven exercise can be an intervention to prevent and alleviate mental illnesses. For example, one study of the effects of physical exercise on depression concluded that after sixteen weeks exercise was just as effective as SSRI’s but without any of the side effects. Physical exercise also had the benefit of improving physical health and improving self-esteem through socialising (Craft et al 1997). In order to do this I will need to use change management theory and leadership theory. Change management  is a structured approach to shifting or transitioning  individuals,  teams, and  organizations  from a current state to a desired future state. It is an organizational process aimed at helping employees to accept and embrace changes in their current business environment In order to implement my change there would be a number of things I would need to consider. Firstly, I would need to consider how my change will be implemented. Ackerman (1997) has distinguished between three types of change: developmental, transitional and transformational. I would need to decide which strategy of change would best suit my vision. I feel it would be best to attempt to carry out a planned transitional change. This is an implementation of a known new state; involving the management of the interim transition state over a controlled period of time. My interim transition stage would be the process of building gym and exercise facilities while training staff capable to work in both psychiatric and exercise fields. This stage would also involve negotiating and finding a way around the administrative, health and safety and policy barriers which I estimate would be the biggest difficulty. My known new state would be encouraging psychiatrists to prescribe exercise and encouraging the service users to make use of the exercise facilities during their time as inpatients. I would define my change as episodic rather than continuous. Episodic can be defined as ‘infrequent, discontinuous and intentional’ (Weick and Quinn 1999). Sometimes termed ‘radical’ or ‘second order’ change, episodic change often involves replacement of one strategy or programme with another. However, once my intervention of exercise has been established I plan to make continuous change to it so as to make incremental improvements to ensure it is as an effective intervention as possible. Another, reason why I plan to use Ackmann’s transitional strategy as a basis for my change is because it has its foundations in the work of Lewin who conceptualised change as a three-stage process which I will explore later (Lewin 1951). When planning a change in the NHS such as this it is necessary to look at change theory models. These will be very relevant when implementing my change. The majority of contemporary research originates from the work of social psychologist Kurt Lewin in the mid-twentieth century. Lewin identifies three stages through which change must proceed before any planned change will become embedded in an organisation or system of working. These are unfreezing, movement and refreezing. I will base my change upon this model. Unfreezing is when I as a change agent proposes a plan for change to the team or organisation. During this stage I will attempt to win over team members who are not keen on my change, I will aim to resolve any anxieties or concerns regarding the change. Cummings and McLennan (2005) claim that an essential leadership role is to understand the different perspectives of individuals and stakeholders and to ‘align the changes to be meaningful for them’. During this stage I will attempt to access the relative merits of the forces for against change such as extent of the proposed change, nature and depth of motivation of stakeholders, and the environment in which change will occur. It is necessary for the driving forces for change to exceed the opposing forces for change, this is essential for change to be successful. As part of this stage it is considered necessary to conduct a force field analysis which I include in my appendices. In summary, I had several large forces for change. One being that exercise in alleviating the symptoms of mental health is supported by a large amount of evidence based research. Another large force for change is that people in mental health services suffer far worse physical health problems than members of the general population. I believe that my planned change or intervention will improve the physical health of this group. In my opinion the biggest force for change is that in times where health care cost demands are outpacing any rise in healthcare budgets, exercise is an intervention that can reduce the demands on the budget. After researching the topic I have concluded that the biggest force against this change would be the set up costs in terms of building facilities and training staff. Provision of physical activity also requires trained and qualified personnel; there is no data on availability, skills and training of staff with competence as exercise specialists and the expertise to treat people with a multitude of mental and physical problems as well as the skills to work in psychiatric settings. (Jones et al 2004). Another force against change would be navigating around administrative and policy rules. In the present culture of our society, procedures including health and safety, liability, manual handling and risk assessments may not allow ‘hospitals’ and ‘on site exercise facilities’ to be compatible. However, despite these concerns I believe I would be able to build up a good degree of teamwork within my team as I believe those I would be leading would be enthusiastic and motivated to make this change a reality. I will also conduct a SWOT analysis as part of this stage. This involves thinking about an organisation’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and using the result to identify priorities for action (Ansoff, 1965). SWOT analysis is a ubiquitous feature of business strategy texts and courses. In a survey of 113 UK companies, Glaister and Falshaw (1999) found that SWOT was one of the most widely used strategic planning tools in current use across a range of sectors. The basic theory of using a SWOT analysis is because it helps an organisation to think about the reasons why they may need a change. I have included a SWOT analysis in my appendices. As part of this initial ‘unfreezing’ stage I will need to be able to gain support of the workforce to make my change successfully, I will need to gain and maintain this support through a mixture of good communication, good interpersonal skills and developing a sense of achievement. Scholtes, (1998) in his trust, respect and affection model identifies trust as arising out of the feeling that leaders or managers both care for their staff and are capable of doing the job. At this unfreezing stage it will my job as leader to help those team members who are not keen on the change to resolve their anxieties or concerns so that they become committed team members. Senge in ‘The Fifth Discipline’ (1990) talks of the difference between commitment, enrolment and compliance, suggesting that while it is more pleasant (and reassuring) to have considerable commitment, it is not necessary for everyone to be as fully signed-up as this. There exist a number of positions along a continuum, along which players may position themselves in response to proposed action and change. These are, in reducing order; commitment, enrolment, genuine compliance, formal compliance, grudging compliance, non-compliance and apathy. Senge suggests analysing what level of support is required from each of the players and directing energy to achieve that, rather than at trying to persuade everybody to ‘commit’ The second stage is movement; this is movement towards accepting the change. At this point I will need to formulate a plan of action and implementation. I would use a Gantt chart to effectively communicate my change management plan. A  Gantt chart  is a type of  bar chart  that illustrates a  project schedule. Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a  project (Gantt 1910). Terminal elements and summary elements comprise the  work breakdown structure  of the project. I would also set up a small project or reference group to help manage the project with me. I will aim to include everybody whom would be affected by the change in the planning. I will set goals and objectives and set target dates and timelines. I will also be available to support others and offer encouragement throughout the change process. I believe that the multidisciplinary team work and layers of management, already established in the NHS will be an important lever to help implement and embed the change. Throughout this process, I will be constantly evaluating the changes and making modifications if necessary. The third and final stage is refreezing. This stage involves supporting others so that the change is sustainable and remains in place to achieve improved outcomes. My role as leader will be to help the continued integration of the change into practice to ensure refreezing-that is, the change becoming part of normal practice; if this does not occur the previous behaviours will occur. There are a wide range of different theories of motivation in business management. These are of importance because the style of management theory adopted could potentially make the process of change a smoother transition. The core models are McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y model, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model, Herzberg’s Motivation – Hygiene theory, Taylor’s scientific model and Mayo’s Human Relation model (Maslow 1970): (Herzberg 1966); (Taylor 1911); (Mayo 1933). Attempting change management under one of the more autocratic management models such as Taylor’s or McGregor’s Theory X model would have very different consequences when compared to Mayo’s or McGregor’s Theory Y model. Under Taylor’s model the workforce may resist change. This is because in such a work environment theory managers will make all of the decisions and simply give orders to the employees below them. In this working environment change would not be a smooth transition as there would be a barrier between management and workers, change occurs smoothly when the workforce work together to lead change. These models would not create motivation amongst the workforce. Alternatively, change may be more successful in an organisation culture based upon Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow 1970). Maslow put forward a theory that there are five levels of human needs which employees need to have fulfilled at work. All of the needs are structured into a hierarchy, and only once a lower level of need has been fully met, would a worker be motivated by the opportunity of having the next need up in the hierarchy satisfied. A business should therefore offer different incentives to workers in order to help them fulfill each need in turn and progress up the hierarchy. Therefore to implement my change and to e successful at doing so this model suggests I should delegate responsibility to employees to ensure they achieve self actualisation in the workplace. This could potentially ensure a smooth transition of change. However, there are problems with looking at management models when implementing changes. Every workplace, particularly the NHS is very complex and has a range of different management styles within each workforce. To state that management should use Maslow’s hierarchy of change to ensure a smooth transition of change is too simplistic. Although in theory it appears to be a solution, in reality there are lots of faults of this model in the workplace place. The theory makes crude assumptions that simply don’t apply to everyone. Most importantly Maslow states people attend to basic needs first and progressively deal with more complex matters until they reach  a point he calls self-actualisation at the top of the  hierarchy’s  pyramid. However in reality not everybody gets that far. This criticism is especially relevant in the practice I wish to change. In the NHS it is widespread knowledge that there are a large number of managerial positions, but to implement my change once exercise facilities are available I would need the support of the nurses and support staff to actualise my change. My point being that not everybody involved in my change would be able to reach self actualisation in their particular job or role. Another criticism of Maslow’s theory which equally applies to all of the theories is that Maslow’s idea belongs to a time and place. Maslow was American and he first suggested the  hierarchy  in the 1940s. It’s highly specific to America’s individualist culture where middle-class people worry about their personal needs rather than any collective needs. This may not be so relevant in a less right ring country with public health care and with a workforce with such diverse ethnicities and cultural heritage as is in the United Kingdom. However, despite the criticisms that are directed at theories of motivation it will be important for me as a leader to have the knowledge regarding how to motivate my workforce. When thinking about how I as a manager would go about implementing this change I feel it is important to consider what type of leader I would be. Leadership will be very important if I am to be able to work with conflicting views to build up trust in the change proposal’s worth and the value of putting effort into my proposed change. House (2004) describes leadership as the ability to motivate and enable other people to achieve the goals of the organisation they work for. There are many different theories of leadership styles, the two main ones being transactional and transformational leadership. Transactional leadership is leadership at its most basic. The followers do what the leader asks of them in return for a reward. The role of the leader in this model is to state what needs to be done and who will do it and then allow them to get the job done, hence it focuses on getting a task done rather than on the person undertaking a task. In nursing this approach was traditionally used in previous years when task allocation was the role of the ward manager when patient care was perhaps less holistic than it is today. When implementing my change I aim to be a transformational leader. This will involve being able to share and communicate my vision of change effectively to others. Transformational leadership theory suggests there needs to be a relationship of trust between the leader and the follower. Bass (1985) suggested four essential components of effective transformational leadership. First, leaders must provide intellectual stimulation, challenging the way things are and encouraging creativity among the team. Second, they must demonstrate individualised consideration and by using good communication skills make followers feel able to share ideas and gain direct recognition for their unique contributions. Third, they need to demonstrate inspirational motivation which enables followers to experience the same passion and motivation as the leader to meet the team goals. Fourth, they need to have idealised influence; that is, they must act as a role model who followers wish to emulate whole taking on the values of the leader. As a leader I will also need to possess emotional intelligence. This refers to the ability of the leader or manager to understand the role that their emotions play in their decision making and the ability to recognise the emotions of the individuals within the team and how this affects the work they do (Goleman, 1996). Goleman’s emotional intelligence framework comprises five elements: self-awareness, motivation, self-regulation, empathy and social skills. Possessing emotional intelligence will be important if I am to be able to work with conflicting views to build up trust in my change proposal’s worth and the value of putting effort into my proposed change. As a leader I will also need to be assertive. This is as opposed to being submissive or aggressive. Assertiveness can be defined as ‘expressing opinions or desires strongly and with confidence so that people take notice’. (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary). Ruiz, M. (2004) The Voice of Knowledge argued that there were four factors involved in being assertive. These were to be impeccable with your word, not to take anything personally, not to make assumptions and for a person always to do their best. In conclusion in order to make my change successful there are many things I will need to do. Firstly, I will need to use theories of motivation to ensure I am able to motivate my workforce so that teamwork will be successful. I will then need to use Levin’s change theory model to ensure that I can gain support from my colleagues and to accurately plan my change. During my freezing, movement and refreezing stages there are lots of qualities I will need to display as a leader. I have identified I would consider it must appropriate to be a transformational leader as identified by Bass (1985). As a leader it would also be vital for me to display emotional intelligence and to be assertive. What I have learned from this module is that the business management theory behind making and implementing a change can be as important as the actual subject of change itself.

Mina O'Reilly at Logan Airport's TSA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mina O'Reilly at Logan Airport's TSA - Essay Example The supervisor under whose jurisdiction the TSO was appointed was Mina O’Reilly. Mina O’Reilly has a very good track record and it is because of her supervision, that Logan airport was declared as the airport of the year. Ludo Sanchez was also a hard-working efficient TSO who not only took his responsibilities seriously but also delivered them with dedication. He had a magical effect on the checkpoint. He was also offered promotion which he denied as he wanted to work as a frontline employee. So Mina O’Reilly had strong faith in his dutifulness and had no doubt in his dedication towards his work. However, the recent security breach has questioned the past notion of Mina O’Reilly for Ludo Sanchez. The security breach took place when Ludo Sanchez made a phone call to his daughter and was telling her to complete her homework on time. The call lasted for just a few minutes, but within this few minutes a man carrying a blue hand bag passed the exit lane to the sterile terminal area without security check. Flights got delayed as the blue bag the man was carrying needed to be identified and checked, so that there is no fear of explosives or hazardous elements on plan. All these delays and confusion occurred just because one security breach for which Ludo Sanchez was responsible. Mina O’Reilly is now the responsible person to take measures against this security breach. Mina O’Reilly Steps against Security Breach of Ludo Sanchez Mina O’Reilly received the detailed feedback from Lead Transportation Security Officer (LTSO). She was the one to decide what next steps to be taken against Ludo Sanchez. Though she had the power to terminate Sanchez immediately for his negligence, but she did not wanted to do it because Sanchez had a very good past performance record, and he was a very dedicated employee of the company. O’Reilly had several options in front of her to deal with the situation, but she had to choose one among them. She can assign Sanchez’s duty to a position which requires lower security, such as the exit lane, but ironically that was the position the security breach took place, when Sanchez was distracted. The second option would be to give him a verbal warning and developing a specific performance development plan for him to improve his performance and attentiveness. Third, option would be to send him for retraining and counseling. These were the probable options that O’Reilly can refer to for deciding her ultimate steps in Sanchez’s case. O’Reilly should be combining the options that she has decided; this means that she should give a verbal warning to Sanchez for his negligence. He should be sent for retraining and counseling, so that the protocols would be explained to him ones more and counseling would stop him from getting discouraged or de-motivated through the mistake that happened because of his negligence (Buchler, 2011, p. 231-233). Model of Employ ment The model of employment of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) signifies the organizational structure of the agency. In TSA the TSO’s position was the entry level position who worked as screening units. The annual salaries of these TSOs are $25,000 to $35,000. There were approximately 760 TSOs. They are responsible for travel document checking, checking luggage through X-ray machine, metal detectors, monitoring the exit lane, tracking explosive devices, etc. For each or these duties LTSO is assigned. There are about 148 LTSO. They handle a team of TSOs. Then

Hormonal Therapy after Menopause Medications Research Paper

Hormonal Therapy after Menopause Medications - Research Paper Example Synthetic estrogen and progesterone (or sometimes just the estrogen) are administered in small doses in order to relieve or alleviate symptoms, especially hot flushes (Pathy et al., 2012). However, sufficient medical history is needed before administering HT to menopausal women. A complete physical exam, pap smear, mammography, examination of hormonal levels, cholesterol levels, vitamin D levels and bone density scans, as well as the presence or absence of sexually-transmitted diseases are measured before giving it out to those who suffer from menopausal symptoms (Hawkins, Roberto-Nichols, & Stanley-Haney, 2012). Symptoms of menopause include loss of elasticity of the vagina and the decrease in blood circulation as well as fatty tissue which results in dryness and itchiness, pain around the urethra, hot flushes and night sweats, as well as decrease in bone density that leads to osteoporosis for some women (Hawkins et al., 2012). Other observed symptoms include dementia and cognitive impairment among older women, as well as cardiovascular diseases due to the loss of elasticity of the blood vessels due to the decrease in the release of estrogen and progesterone in the bloodstream (Pathy et al., 2012). Another likely symptom of menopause is depression, which is also due to the low estrogen levels that circulate in the blood. Alongside HT, anti-depressant drugs are also administered routinely to women by physicians not only to women who naturally entered menopause but also to women who had a hysterectomy, or â€Å"surgical menopause† (Stoppard, 2000). For this report, a study by Zanardi, Rossini, Magri, Malaguti, Colombo and Smeraldi in 2006 about assessing the response to anti-depressants of post-menopausal women undergoing HT as well as those who are not, as well as the possible effects and influence of these anti-depressants to the hormonal levels of these women. Background of the Study The study by Zanardi et al. (2006) aims to evaluate the response of p ost-menopausal women to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) and documenting the interactions of SSRI’s with sexual hormones in women undergoing and not undergoing HT. Due to few documentations of post-menopausal women under risk of undergoing depressive episodes, the scant amount of studies concerning the influence of HT in reaction to anti-depressants which end up in ambiguous and bias results, few or incomplete basal assessment of hormonal levels before HT, as well as a lack of studies with a considerable sample size, this study was conceptualized in order to find out if the use of HT would be able to improve the effects of SSRI’s in post-menopausal women. Also, proving the synergistic action between anti-depressants and hormonal therapy could give hope for women who suffer menopause and depression, as well as their healthcare providers in managing their symptoms. This study is also significant especially to people who specialize in geriatrics, in order for them to be able to assess as well as address the needs of their female patients undergoing menopause, depression or both. Methods of the Study Roughly 200 patients of the Research Center for Mood Disorders in San Raffaele Hospital, Milan were chosen for this study. Women above 40 years of age, has amenorrhea for least 12 months and were suffering from a major depressive episode were chosen for this study. Those who were excluded were women who had a history of drug or alcohol abuse, anorexia, other

Critical review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Critical review - Essay Example ..9 Limitations of Stress Management skills†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.11 Skill Assessment and Monitoring†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..12 Sustainability and Skill Maintenance†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.12 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.12 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...14 Critical Review on Stress Management Executive summary This study gives a critical review and analysis of stress management skills. It is majorly based on the main importance of the skill and their manifestation and impact in real life situation in the day-to-day life experience. It also reflects on a scrutiny of the difficulties and factors that impact on the skill negatively. Availability of sufficient research materials, the analysis will provide information that is reliable and educative in its manner of application. One, at the end of reading this report, should be able to appreciate stress management skills in a wider perspective ranging from the specific skills effectiveness in their application. This should also be relatively counterchecked with other skills learnt in the management course. Analysis of stress management skills as per this study should be able to inform the reader on the ap plicability of the technique. The reader, at the end of the reading, will be able to make necessary step in his or her daily undertaking to ensure that the right precaution and application of the skill is made to curb the problem. The kills as analyzed in the report should equip the reader with relevant causes of stress that are recurrent and hence ways of curbing them formulated. In management generally the report will point out clearly on the need to manage stress as it affect organizations negatively at all levels where it is manifested. The skills analyzed in the report, therefore, will help the reader to make improvement in how he or she carries out the management. Introduction Stress management skills are applicable widely. This report gives a clear outlook of the skills and their relevance. By thorough checking of the issues, the disadvantages should be noted so that the analysis of skills is effectively done to cover the required scope. These skills vary in their application perspective or context. The management of stress â€Å"per se† involves procedural approach that requires a plan of action. A combination of findings from various research work on the same is critical in coming up with a workable solution to stress in an organization. With this written document, the reader will be entitled to development of various skills in managing stress. However, the modification and advancement of the document can be done to make improvement on the report through reading and referring from various related sources. In so doing, the reader will appreciate the scope and coverage of this report with its concordance to applicability in

Bacteria Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bacteria - Essay Example Once there they physically change. They become smaller in size and lose their flagella and begin to give off a natural glow. There are a number of interesting aspects to this particular bacterium, which includes, symbiotic living, a special relationship with certain species of cephalopods, animals that can actually glow in the dark, and preserving nature’s polluted waters. Again this bacterium is often found inside and one fish and certain species of cephalopods, like octopus and squid (OBrien). However, they are not harmful once inside of another species, in fact, the relationship is actually quite beneficial for both species. The Vibrio fischeri rely on the fish for a protective environment and the bacteria create a very special reaction that is incredibly beneficial to the aquatic species. There are five genes then when active and through the process of oxidation takes place in the system of certain species it causes the host animal to literally glow in the dark (Maiden). Despite how unusual and strange that may sound it is absolutely true. In truth 90% of most fish and sea life carry some amount of these bacteria in their systems or on their bodies, however, some creatures glow brighter than others (Widder).However, it is these bacteria that have been attributed to instances when processing of fish products have on occasion resulted in slightly glowing fish sticks (Maiden).However, one species in particular is the prime example of this phenomena the bobtail-squid, native to the waters of Hawaii, have colonies of these bacteria living on their undersides. Because the squid possesses an organ, called the light organ, which is a unique structure similar to the make-up of an eye, possessing both an iris and a lens, yet it allows the squid to produce a glowing light. To predators looking up at the squid it appears to be

Managing, Evaluating and Developing Human Resources Case Study

Managing, Evaluating and Developing Human Resources - Case Study Example However, owing to rising stiff competition the company has had to rethink its strategies. The senior manager, Sam Mulgrew, faced challenges integrating performance management into achieving the strategic direction of the company as his area of expertise is accountancy. Performance management came into focus as an aspect of Human Resources in the 1990s and can be said as being responsible for rating, rewarding, monitoring, developing and planning of employees in order to ensure their efficient and effective performance (Armstrong &Baron 2005). Because performance management process is a broad domain that encompasses various levels along with functions within an organization, performance management is a process that calls for managers to look into its individual components and integrate them into the strategic goals of the organization accordingly. Its individual components essentially bring out the fact that performance management is associated with improvement; this implies that one must undertake an assessment and receive feedback to identify which areas need improvement and how this improvement would occur (Grote 2005). Nonetheless, the process is much wider than merely carrying out an assessment and receiving feedback, as there are other steps including the manager tasked with performance management having an understanding of the organizational context. This means that even before the manager begins carrying out an assessment of how employees are performing and receiving feedback from managers, he must understand the organizations’ strategic objectives as well as its core values. Once the manager has grasped these contextual factors, he begins by finding out if the right employees have been brought on to the organization (Cardy &Leonard 2011). Sam Mulgrew has been tasked with lifting the performance management standards at Money4U to make it more meaningful and

Appellate brief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Appellate brief - Essay Example Unfortunately, the trial court on February 14, 2009, denied accepting the suggestion. The trial court established that’ â€Å"Under the circumstances, for all intents and purposes the suitcase was abandoned. The defendant did not express a possessory interest in the suitcase at anytime after he learned its location. Having been abandoned, the defendant had no expectation of privacy in it or in its contents† (Tr. At 40-41) (Congress 551). On March 6, 2009, Mr. Stewart engaged himself in a conditional guilty plea, determined to achieve his right to appeal by suppressing the judgment that was done against him (Doc. At 22) (Congress 551). The defendant was sentenced to 60 months imprisonment, followed up by 3 year period supervised release, on April 27, 2009. This is an appeal of the federal grand jury’s judgment that was entered on April 29, 2009. Summary of Arguments This is not the first time a case of this form was appearing before the Court. The court case invol ving United States and Arango, 912 F.2d 441 (10th Cir. 1990), ruled that anybody who has the legal right to the ownership of a personal property has the legal rights to prevent other people from searching it. Other ruling in a similar case between the United States and Jones, 707 F.2d 1169, (10th Cir. 1983), ruled that in situations such as this of United States Vs Steward, no prior or related appeals are made (Congress 552). This case, therefore presents a question of first order: Whether Mr. Stewart should be allowed to engage in an appeal system, or whether the Law Court should consider this case like one which does not require prior or related appeals. Discussion The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 set that a 5- and 10-year mandatory-minimum penalty will be issued to any subject found possessing drugs with the purpose of distributing depending on the nature and weights of the substances (Congress 539). Stewart was imprisoned for possessing 100 grams of heroine with objective of dist ributing. The court had earlier handled such two cases and gave rulings which are can help in understanding the case between United States Vs Stewart. The defendant is in a legitimate position as an American citizen, to defend his rights to appeal, so as to keep away other people from inspecting his property. But this condition is not easy to determine, because the process the defendant went through was such a complicated one that required more time and consideration. The trial Court was legally right to deny Mr. Stewart an opportunity to engage in an appeal that was intended to dismiss the charges against him. According to the former judgment, any person who has legal ownership of a property through existing proofs such as documents are the ones who are entitled to request for apple if their assets are illegally inspected without their consents (Congress 539). It should also be noted that the property that can be protected should not be illegal, property like bags carrying heroine, cocaine, bang, guns and other illegal property can be inspected by security officers even if the owner denies accepting inspection. Mr. Stewart, defendant, only claimed that the suitcase was his without providing any evidence. This left a question for proving whether the luggage was legitimately his. Because he was the only person who claimed the ownership of the property, the security had no otherwise but charges him accountable as the owner of the bag. The Airport security

Unethical Drug Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry Research Paper

Unethical Drug Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry - Research Paper Example ned the motives of Big Pharma as they market drugs without adequate regard to the effects that such marketing practices have on the patients and consumers. In their pathological pursuit of profits, drug companies have indeed thrown caution to the winds and have sacrificed ethics at the altar of profits. This paper examines the unethical drug marketing strategies used by Big Pharma by analyzing them from the perspective of utilitarianism and deontology. The emphasis in this paper is on finding out if the drug marketing strategies are justified according to the philosophical theories discussed and whether they satisfy the minimum requirements for ethical behavior. Note that there is no special emphasis on whether these strategies are completely overboard. Instead, the analysis is around whether they meet the basic criterion for ethical behavior and good conduct. The five tactics used by drug companies to market their products can be categorized according to the potential for harm that they cause to patients. This categorization would yield that the following is the order (from the least harmful to the most harmful): physicians targeted promotion, DTCDA, unethical recruitment of physicians, researchers’ conflicts of interests, and data manipulation in clinical trials (Chiu, 2005). Considering the fact that the intended beneficiaries of these strategies who are the patients stand to suffer the most because of these tactics, it is worth asking whether the drug companies have the interests of the shareholders alone in mind when they resort to these practices. The fact that they favor the interests of the few (shareholders) at the expense of the many (the patients) clearly indicates that their marketing strategies are not conscionable from either a utilitarian or deontological point of view. This would be discussed in detail in the succee ding paragraphs. Suffice to say that drug companies are indeed crossing the line as far as ethics and unethical behavior is concerned

Significance of Objects in the Dolls House Essay Example for Free

Significance of Objects in the Dolls House Essay Macaroons: nora ! Nora! Please don’t leave me and go†¦ why did she leave me half eaten? what is going to happen of me now!! Torvald detests me, he was always against Nora eating me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦why did it have to be me? Dress: everybody adored and praised Nora when she wore me†¦ but alas! What was the use of all my beauty and finery when in the end she left me all alone. Why was I given so much importance if she was to choose her ordinary clothes over me at the end? Letter: exactly! Were we just ornaments to adorn the surroundings? Christmas tree: hmm†¦ now even im wondering if my purpose in the house was of mere decoration. Even in this festive season will I be left alone in this bedraggled state to wither away in few days? Lamp: yes! Yes! Were we just used to enhance the beauty of this household? I thought I heard some voices but I didn’t know it would be all of you. If you all are thinking that you’ll have no role in the play let me tell you my views on why you objects of the doll’s house were of prime importance in giving a deeper meaning behind the actions of the characters. I am going to do this presentation based on the Henrik Ibsen’s The Doll’s House. As per the lines of the story, the playwright has emphasized greatly on the many objects that surround the characters in the play. I am going to elaborate on the symbolism of the significance of the objects mentioned in the play. The objects denote various emotions but mostly, Ibsen uses objects to indicate Noras depression caused by her unmerited marriage; ironically, the objectification of Nora by her husband and her victimization in society. he writer allows the readers the freedom to interpret the household objects subjectively which challenges the reader to question the extent to which the household objects relate to the theme of marriage. Initially, Ibsen places immense significance on different objects in the household, and stresses the directions for the setting of the stage. Ibsen makes his stage sets come alive and take part in the action. Just as Nora evolves from the mini-Nora of act one to the super-Nora of act three, similarly the set of the play goes through a drastic evolution, from light to darkness, from paradise to prison until, by the end of the play, it has been ethically demolished. One could imagine the doll house set, when Nora slams the door, collapsing like a house of cards, to the collective gasp of relief from the audience. Looking at the set we see, that Ibsen makes use of a triad, a room . two doors in the rear wall, the door on the left leads to Torvald’s study, and is opened and closed only when he chooses. It represents the sanctum sanctorum of male dominance and decision-making authority and security and his invisible presence behind that door is felt god like. Whenever he emerges from this door, it is always on his own terms, to direct and control events. The door to the right in the rear wall leads to the outside world. Only damaged people come through this door: Christine, Rank, Krogstad, all of whom have been variously hurt by the world outside. So this door represents the menacing reality of the outside world, its power to hurt but also, its power to force- to force one to grow up, to stop being a doll. There is another door, which leads to the nursery and bedroom. This is the world of sexual fantasy, of Nora performing childish roles of squirrel, lark and others to keep Torvald infatuated with her innocence. Here, one can clearly see that Ibsen draws a visible line between the kinds of objects he chooses. As the tones of the play become more serious, the settings become bolder and so do the shades of Nora’s personality. On the surface level, the play does not show these nuances but it is only when the reader delves deeper does he understand the immense symbolism of it all. Nora however is hardly innocent. This can be seen when Nora lies about the packet of macaroons twice, once to Helmer and the second time to Dr Rank. The macaroons denote Noras dishonesty and deception, which also alludes to her act of committing objectionable, underhanded deeds. Nora resorts to lying about eating the macaroons because she feels she is at fault for disobeying her husband. This small incident also shows the strains in their marital relationship. Also the macaroons show us the first glimpse of Nora’s desire for independence. To an extent the Christmas tree with which the play begins is a representation of Nora’s character. Just like the tree is an object of decoration possessed by somebody in order to beautify a place similarly Nora was the prized possession of Helmer. She was no less than a mere object, a show piece meant to be admired and praised. It is interesting to note that Nora orders the nurse, Hide the Christmas Tree carefully, Helen. Be sure the children do not see it till this evening, when it is dressed†, she similarly tells Torvald, Yes, nobody is to have a chance to of admiring me n my dress until tomorrow†. These lines show the similarity between Nora and the Christmas tree. Both are not revealed until each look perfect. In addition, as the play proceeds it becomes obvious that the tree and Nora are one in the same. When the second act opens the Christmas tree is described to be, stripped of its ornaments and with burnt-down candle-ends on its disheveled branches. This corresponds to Nora’s condition at that point in the play. Like the tree Nora too was in a disheveled state of mind. She was anxious and confused. â€Å"Corrupt me children†¦poison my home? It’s not true! It could never be true! And â€Å"somebody’s coming! No, it’s nobody. † Support my claim that Nora’s psychological state was in comparison to the Christmas tree similar. Also the tousled state of the tree could be symbolic of the disintegration of Nora’s web of lies. The pretty, innocent, childlike ways, in which Nora used to mask her fraudulence, her deceit would soon be uncovered in front of Helmer and the ugly truth would emerge. he fancy dress that Nora would wear for the fancy dress completion in many ways symbolizes the character she plays in her marriage to Helmer. The torn and messed up condition of her fancy dress is parallel to her disgruntled condition. Also her marriage is on the rocks and her thoughts are all aligned on how she could prevent Helmer from knowing the truth because she knows very well that Helmer will never accept what she had done. Thus the torn condition of the dress could be symbolic of the flawed condition of their marriage. Also it is interesting to note that Nora says that Torvald dislikes seeing dressmaking, suggesting that Torvald enjoys the false character that Nora has adopted. â€Å"oh only if I could rip them up into a thousand pieces. † exclaims Nora, on seeing the condition of the dress. This is another sign showing Nora’s desire for independence-Independence from the clutches of her husband and from the norms and conditions of the society. Also the dress highlights another point. Mrs linde who unlike Nora who thinks just like the dress her marriage is beyond repair,is more mature suggests the repairing of the dress which is symbolic of the fact that later in the play it is Mrs Linde who decides that Torvald should learn of Nora’s secrets and that it would be beneficial for their marriage. Also at the end of act 3 when Nora removes her fancy dress and changes into her casuals and she says â€Å"yes torvald ive changed† this change she meant was not of merely her clothes but also a change in her personality. The removal of her dress mplies the unmasking of her pretense and coming face to face with her husband as a human being for the first time. Changing of the dress is also significant of Nora’s desire for freedom from the web of lies that she had been spinning and from the captivity of her husband. It is another sign showing her desire for freedom from the doll’s house and to live her life on her own terms. The letter from Krogstad in the letter box forms the crux of the play. Nora’s emotional developments and transformations, her anxiety, her marriage all revolves around the letter box and the letter. The letter from krogstad is symbolic of Nora’s concealment and deception. It brings to light her secrecy and lies that she hides from her husband and also uncovers her disguise of the childish ideal wife. Thus leading her to finally slam the door and becoming a rebel of sorts. Also the letter symbolizes revelation in a way that only after reading the letter it is that Torvald realizes and understands the desires of his wife. It is only after reading the letter that he comes out of his imaginative ideal world and faces the harsh reality of the situation. Thus the letter was an eye opener for Torvald, it showed him where his marriage stands. â€Å"helene, bring the lamp in please† said Nora when Dr rank confessed his love for her. Thus when the lamp is brought the room gets lit up. This light is symbolic of Nora’s state of awareness. Earlier Nora tries to lure and manupilate Dr Rank but when he confesses his love for her she goes into a state of shock and that’s when the rays of light seep into the room displaying Nora’s state of awareness. Also the lamp could signify spiritual redemption. This is because darkness is associated with evil and immoral activities. And Dr rank confessed his love for his best friend’s wife which is an immoral act. thus the streak of light which the lamp bought in, also bought with it a sense of righteousness. That is when Nora exclaims â€Å"Dr. Rank! Don’t you feel ashamed of yourself, now the lamp’s been bought in? † Therefore, using multiple objects of the play, the playwright makes it clear that he doesn’t want the things used in his play to merely be objects but he symbolically makes these inanimate things spring to life as he denotes so much importance to them.

Evaluation of the commercialization Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of the commercialization Essay This paper discusses and evaluates both the negative and positive aspects and raised controversial issues regarding Bt-Corn, a transgenic maize developed through genetic engineering and biotechnology methods, and will finally conclude that the commercialization of Bt-Corn breeds for the past 14 years have been both economically advantageous and beneficial for the environment. The purpose of this paper is to further educate and inform the general audience regarding issues relating with genetically modified organisms and will try to disprove negative speculation and ambiguity with statistical data and experimental evidence. Introduction Recent development and advances in the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering has enabled scientists today to improve crop varieties through alteration of their most fundamental building blocks, their DNA. These alterations of the genetic material allow scientists and researchers to develop ‘new species’ and breeds of organisms which posses certain altered favored traits, which would not otherwise naturally exist in the organism. (Peairs, 2007) However, there is much ambiguity and controversies surrounding the whole field of genetic engineering of organisms and their commercialization. Bt-corn, a breed of transgenic maize whose genetic material has been altered to include the ability to produce a certain toxin that has specific insecticidal property against pests, has been commercialized now for several years in the US and also in several other countries such as Canada, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Honduras, South Africa and the Philippines. (Wu, 2006) The prefix ‘Bt’ from Bt-Corn originates from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a species of soil bacterium that produces the insecticidal crystal protein or delta endotoxins, toxins that kill crop pests. Genetic engineering has allowed scientists to take the single gene that controls the production of the delta endotoxins from Bt, create a modified version of it and synthesize it with the DNA of selected corn species using recombinant DNA technology. This new set of ‘genetic code’ allows the plant to produce the delta endotoxins by itself; hence it is able to repel crop pests by itself. This newly acquired attribute is like a miracle for farmers, not just corn farmers since the insecticidal attribute of ‘Bt’ has also been implemented in several other crops such as Bt-potatoes and Bt-sweet corn. However, there have been several issues raised against the commercialization of Bt-corn in recent years due to investigations, which reveals how Bt-corn pollen proves to be lethal to other species of organisms that are not considered as pests. (Peairs, 2007) This paper will discuss, evaluate and finally demonstrate how the commercialization of Bt-Corn breeds is overall both economically efficient and beneficial for the environment through the following points: * Origins of Bt and Bt-Corn * Mode of action of Bt toxins Economical and environmental advantages of Bt-Corn * FDA regulations on genetically modified organisms * Controversies and issues raised * Evaluation Origins of Bt and Bt-Corn As previously stated above, Bt-Corn is a breed of transgenic maize whose genetic material have been altered and combined with the insecticidal crystal protein-producing trait of the common naturally occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis. Shigetane Ishiwata, a Japanese biologist, was the first to discover Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in 1901. However, it was not until Ernst Berliner rediscovered it in 1911 in Thuringia, Germany, that the bacterium was named Bacillus thuringiensis. In 1938 a French company started commercially producing the combination of the bacterium and its toxin crystals as a pesticide, calling it Sporeine, and in the 1950’s American organic farmers started using Bt on their crops as a way to control pest. (Aroian) As research methods improved (1960’s) and new Bt species were found producing thousands of other specific toxic proteins, more and more farmers started to use Bt. However, it was not until advancements in genetics and genetic engineering in the 1990’s that researchers were able to detect and isolate the specific genes that trigger production of the toxins and transfer it into certain species of crops, such as Bt-Corn. The first Bt crop that was registered with the USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency), which allowed for its commercialization, is the Bt-Corn. (Aroian) In 2004, Bt-Corn comprises more than ? of the total acres of cornfields in the United States itself. Wu, 2006) According to Clive James, the chair of the ISAAA (International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications), today (2002) the total Bt-Corn fields in the world approximates to 25 million acres. (James, 2002) Mode of actions of Bt toxins Bacillus thuringiensis produces certain proteins, categorized as crystal proteins, which are very specific, well known for its ability to target and inhibit specific metabolic processes of certain speci es of organisms, mainly insects. Investigations have revealed that most of these insecticidal crystal proteins, when activated (when they come into contact with their specific host), attaches itself to the epithelium cells of the gut of the insects and causes the generation of pores in the cell membranes. These pores in the membranes of the epithelium cells, outermost cells that line the surfaces of structures, such as the gut, of organisms, disrupts the osmotic balance of the cells, causing them to swell and lyse. (Hofte, 1989) In simpler terms, basically these proteins (toxins) cause imbalance of water absorption (osmotic imbalance) in the cells of the ‘organs’ of specific insects, which causes these cells to swell and break (lyse). They are also very specific and selective on the species of insects they are able to affect, making Bt toxins potent in eradicating pests while being relatively harmless towards other organisms. There is substantial evidence that the toxins (insecticidal crystal proteins) are not harmful to human health nor are they detrimental for the health of vertebrates (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, bony fish and sharks). According to Peairs, these toxins are considered to be very selective and very safe for humans and non-targeted organisms when compared to the most conventional and common pesticides used nowadays since they only attack certain groups of insects. (Peairs, 2007) Economical and environmental advantages of Bt-Corn It has been several years now, more than a decade, since the commercialization of Bt-Corn breeds and now more than ever, we are able to see statistical data and actual evidence that overall, using Bt-Corn is both economically efficient and beneficial for the environment. Economic advantages of Bt-Corn According to a study by Brookes, there have been substantial net economic benefits at the farms, totaling up to $5 billion in 2005 and $27 billion during the first decade (1996-2005) of the commercialization of genetically engineered crops. For the genetically engineered maize species, including Bt-Corn and other forms of genetically modified corn, boosted farm incomes by over $3. 1 billion since 1996. In the United States alone genetically modified maize crop income benefits accumulates to a little under $2. 3 billion, which is about 88% of the world GM maize crop income. (Brookes, 2006) The main reason for its economic advantage is its ability to produce higher yields of the same, or even better, quality of produce compared to ‘organic’ corn because two reasons. The first reason is that since pests are not lured to the crop, they unhindered and are able to flourish and produce more yields. The second reason is that the ability to self-pro duce insecticidal toxins allows farmers to cut down costs to maintain the crop since they do not have to purchase massive amounts of pesticide. This also means that less time will be spent on crop walking and the application of pesticides and herbicides, less usage of energy associated with less spraying, savings in costs of machinery and machinery usage (from less spraying and reduced harvest times) and also the unseen benefits in the health and safety of farm workers that is caused by handling pesticides. (Brookes, 2006) Environmental advantages of Bt-Corn The usage of Bt-Corn allows farmers to stop the usage of environmentally hazardous chemicals, may it be pesticides or herbicides. Overall between the years 1996 and 2005, GM crops have caused the net reduction in the environmental impact on the cropping area by 15. 3% while the total volume of active ingredient usage has also been reduced by 7%. Specifically in the GM maize sector there have been a net reduction in the environmental impact on the cropping area by 4. 6% through the reduction of pesticide usage and another net decrease in 4% in the environmental impact through the usage of more environmentally benign herbicides. Brookes, 2006) There has also been a decrease in greenhouse gasses emission; excess greenhouse gasses emission is a factor contributing to global warming. Brookes states in his article, that the two main reasons for the decrease in green house gasses emission is due to two factors. The first being reduced fuel usage from the less frequent need of using pesticides and herbicides applications (machinery used for spraying). From 1996 to 2005, it is estimated that there has been a reduction i n carbon dioxide emission of 4,613 million kg, calculated from the reduced fuel usage of 1,679 liters. In comparison, the permanent carbon dioxide savings from reduced fuel usage from 1996 to 2005 by planting GM crops is equivalent to the removal of 2. 05 million cars from the road for one year, assuming that a car does an average of 15,000 km per year, producing 2,250 kg of CO2 per year based on the fact that an average family car produces 150 grams of CO2 every km. (Brookes, 2006) FDA regulations on genetically modified organisms With the development in genetic engineering and biotechnology there is urgency and a need to both control and oversee products and methods used, especially relating with food products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are the three main supervisors of genetically modified foods. The FDA, the official government agency in charge of regulating food, drug and cosmetic laws and ensuring safety of food (other than meat), food additives, medicines, medical devices, veterinary drugs, cosmetics and genetically modified food products, plays the major role in the actual ‘screening’ of products that are available for the public. The FDA categorizes genetically modified food products under the ‘GRAS’ list; the GRAS list comprise of products that are ‘generally recognized as safe’, which demands the manufacturers to be responsible for the safety of their own products, allowing them to place products into the market without pre-approval of the FDA because whole foods are GRAS. Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed or unrefined such as unprocessed meat, poultry and fish, fruits and vegetables, and non-homogenized milk (basically unprocessed milk; straight from the animal). The manufacturer bears responsibility for ensuring the product is not adulterated or misbranded. However if there is proof that the product is adulterated, or detrimental to human health (animal health for animal products), then the products may be taken back from the market and the manufacturer may be prosecuted. (Gertsberg, 2009) Controversies and issues raised The development and continuation of research in the whole issue regarding genetic engineering of any organisms itself raises much issues. However, most of the issues raised within the field of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are issues regarding perspective and ethics, since there is much fear and ambiguity that most people feel when they think and speak about this issue. Controversies with genetic engineering There are not enough, if there are any, substantial, academic, plain physical experimental proof that genetically modified organisms are hazardous to both the health of humans and the environment. The main issues raised regarding GMOs are that there is a risk there new allergens will arise from the ‘unknown’ effects of combining different DNA sequences with each other, increased toxicity levels in organisms do to a faster metabolism, the possibility of unwanted/unintended gene transfer between different species, loss of biodiversity and basically unknown possible effects on different organisms related. (Turner, 2007) There are also several other ethical issues raised, such as the monopoly of world food production by several ompanies, problems with intellectual property and non-mandatory labeling, which is the case in the United States. Non-mandatory labeling violates the rights of consumers to choose between ‘organic foods’ and genetically engineered foods. Monarch butterfly issue and Bt-Corn Several years ago, an issue was raised regarding how non-pest (non-targeted) species of organisms, the Monarch butterfly species in this case, were affected by t he delta endotoxins contained in the pollen of a certain species of Bt-Corn. The issue revolves around how Monarch butterflies population was in danger of being killed through the poisoning by the Bt toxins. Monarch butterflies would migrate and lay their eggs on areas near the Bt-Corn fields. Their larvae feed on milkweed plants, a species of plants that grow in same regions as the Bt-Corn. However, Bt-Corn pollen would scatter throughout the area and lay on these leaves. Several investigations revealed some mortality in Monarch butterfly caterpillars that consume these pollen-covered milkweed leaves. (Peairs, 2007) Following the recent controversy, a number of private parties assembled and conducted workshops and investigations regarding this issue sponsored by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States. Scientists and researchers were assembled from U. S. and Canadian universities, ARS members and several other environmental organizations, in a joint effort to prove whether the issue has a scientific basis. (Hellmich, 2008) Laboratory experiments done with pure Crystal toxins (Bt toxins) mixed with artificial diets revealed that a certain type of Cry toxin, Cry1Ab, was harmful to Monarch caterpillars but other types of the Cry toxins were not toxic to them. Field studies done along with lab experiments conclude that there were not any adverse effects observed on the Monarch caterpillars who fed on milkweed leaves dusted with natural levels of the commonly found Bt-Corn pollen species. All but the single Cry toxin proved to be safe. The results of this experiment caused for the termination of the production of Bt-Corn species 176, which expressed high amounts of Cry1Ab toxins. (Hellmich, 2008) Several other studies were conducted to compare between the mortality of Monarch caterpillars in agricultural and non-agricultural habitats, where there aren’t any Bt-Corn species in the area. Results from this experiment show no significant differences in mortality rates of the caterpillars. (Hellmich, 2008) Another study conducted compared the mortality rates of Monarch caterpillars exposed to Bt-Corn species and ‘organic’ corn species with the commonly used pesticide, cyhalothrin. Experimentations revealed how, â€Å"†¦nearly all monarch larvae on milkweed plants inside the field were killed. † Hence Bt-Corn is safer than traditional commercial insecticides and pesticides. (Hellmich, 2008) The final risk assessment brought forth by Hellmich regarding the Monarch population and Bt-Corn is that the risks are negligible since exposure of the Monarch caterpillars to Bt-Corn pollen is low. Furthermore, the current commercially available Bt-Corn species and hybrids revealed low toxicity. Hellmich concludes that, â€Å"The bottom line from these studies is that all commercial Bt corn hybrids have negligible effects on populations of monarch butterflies, especially when compared with traditional insecticides. † (Hellmich, 2008) Evaluation In conclusion, through research and investigations conducted by researchers across the world, we can see how the commercialization of Bt-Corn for past 14 years have significantly benefitted both society and the environment through the ability of farmers to cut down costs, usage of energy, fuel and CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, increase in yields and decrease in the use of harmful chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides. We also see that most of the issues raised surrounding the issue of Bt-Corn and genetically engineered organisms are mostly just a matter of perspective and preferences. Lack of education and an open perspective regarding genetically modified organisms is the main hindrance towards improvements in the current agricultural field.

mental disorder; DSM-IV

mental disorder; DSM-IV DSM-IV DSM-IV is a classification of mental disorders that was developed for use in clinical, educational, and research settings. What the DSM attempts to do is have specific criteria for specific disorders, but at the same time, not have the manual be used in a cookbook fashion. Meaning that the specific diagnostic criteria in the DSM are meant to serve as guidelines concurrently with clinical judgment. As we all know, each disorder included in the DSM has a set of diagnostic criteria that signify what symptoms must be present in order to meet the criteria for a diagnosis. Conversely, there are some disorders where there are symptoms that must not be present in order for an individual to be eligible for the diagnosis. A strong point of this particular set-up of the DSM manual makes finding the disorder and its diagnostic criteria easier because of its conciseness. The use of the DSM diagnostic criteria to diagnose has been shown to increase diagnostic reliability. As noted above, the DSM-IV is a manual that helps outline mental disorders. A major strength is that healthcare professionals such as physicians, psychologist, psychiatrists, and others combined their resources and knowledge to create a universal manual (Well in the US anyways). Also, the DSM is used for appropriate coding for billing and insurance purposes which, for most psychologists, is imperative in order to receive reimbursement for treatment. DSM IV allows researchers anywhere to gather together a group of patients who meet the described criteria for the disorder, try different treatments, and compare the results. The diagnosis is universal. Thus, a given percentage of patients with social phobia might be helped by placebo, and if a greater number will be helped by paroxetine, or gabapentin, or cognitive behavioral therapy, or whatever the treatment in the research design might be, then these treatments can be designated effective if statistical significance is reached.  "Evidence based treatment† appeals to the FDA and, more importantly, seemingly appeals to common sense. Empirical data is usually far more valuable than theories and controversy that cannot be backed up by a test of the facts. In recent years â€Å"evidence based medicine† has become a rallying cause. Pressures are exerted for it to become the standard of care. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States. It is intended to be applicable in a wide array of contexts and used by clinicians and researchers of many different orientations (e.g., biological, psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, family/systems). DSM-IV has been designed for use across settings, inpatient, outpatient, partial hospital, consultation-liaison, clinic, private practice, and primary care, and with community populations and by psychiatrists, psychologists, soc ial workers, nurses, occupational and rehabilitation therapists, counselors, and other health and mental health professionals. It is also a necessary tool for collecting and communicating accurate public health statistics. The DSM consists of three major components: the diagnostic classification, the diagnostic criteria sets, and the descriptive text. They have again missed the opportunity to note that although terms such as neurosis, hysteria and neurasthenia are not disorders in the DSM system, they are widely used throughout the rest of the world; none of these three terms is given an entry in the general index to the volume. This is a particularly unfortunate omission with regard to neurasthenia, since it means that the claim about taking notice of recent research cannot be taken very seriously. ? One of the weaknesses of the DSM system has always been the frequently available option of including the social effects of disorders in the criteria by which the same disorders are identified. The DSM-IV is a categorical classification system. The categories are prototypes, and a patient with a close approximation to the prototype is said to have that disorder. DSM-IV states, â€Å"there is no assumption each category of mental disorder is a completely discrete entity with absolute boundaries† but isolated, low-grade and noncriterion (unlisted for a given disorder) symptoms are not given importance.[18] Qualifiers are sometimes used, for example mild, moderate or severe forms of a disorder. For nearly half the disorders, symptoms must be sufficient to cause â€Å"clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, although DSM-IV-TR removed the distress criterion from tic disorders and several of the paraphilias. Each category of disorder has a numeric code taken from the ICD coding system, used for health service (including insurance) administrative purposes. Despite caveats in the introduction to the DSM, it has long been argued that its system of classification makes unjustified categorical distinctions between disorders, and uses arbitrary cut-offs between normal and abnormal. A 2009 psychiatric review noted that attempts to demonstrate natural boundaries between related DSM syndromes, or between a common DSM syndrome and normality, have failed.[4] Some argue that rather than a categorical approach, a fully dimensional, spectrum or complaint-oriented approach would better reflect the evidence.[38][39][40][41] In addition, it is argued that the current approach based on exceeding a threshold of symptoms does not adequately take into account the context in which a person is living, and to what extent there is internal disorder of an individual versus a psychological response to adverse situations.[42][43] The DSM does include a step (Axis IV) for outlining Psychosocial and environmental factors contributing to the disorder once someone is diagnosed with that particular disorder. Because an individuals degree of impairment is often not correlated with symptom counts, and can stem from various individual and social factors, the DSMs standard of distress or disability can often produce false positives.[44] On the other hand, individuals who dont meet symptom counts may nevertheless experience comparable distress or disability in their life. Despite doubts about arbitrary cut-offs, yes/no decisions often need to be made (e.g. whether a person will be provided a treatment) and the rest of medicine is committed to categories, so it is thought unlikely that any formal national or international classification will adopt a fully dimensional format.[4] Reference

Essay --

A year and three months ago, I was at football practice. I was on the defensive line. I tripped up the running back, but the running back landed on my left ankle. The result was a fracture on my left tibia. I played on my injury for two weeks. At that moment, I was not able to play football for the rest of the year. During this summer, I injured my back. I began to accumulate information about how to treat my injuries. While I was researching, the words physical therapy popped up. I clicked on them, and the article discussed what a physical therapist does. When I was halfway down the article, it stated that a physical therapist helps people with injuries like mine. After researching, I decided to be a physical therapist. Before fully deciding to do physical therapy, I arranged an interview a year and two months later with an actual physical therapist named Tess Vaughn. She began to discuss her view of being a physical therapist. She gave the general requirements, the advantages and the disadvantages of a physical therapist, and the salary. Although the salary of a physical therapist is abundant, the disadvantages of physical therapy outweigh the advantages. One of the general requirements is good time-management(Vaughn). Then she introduced different examples with this. She schedules her appointments based upon what she needs to be done throughout the day. Depending upon when she wants time with her family, she may choose to do her paperwork in the afternoon between each appointment. This involves the same thing with her appointments. Therefore, if people are not good at time managing, they should not go into physical therapy, which is really time consuming(Vaughn). Probably the biggest requirement for physical therapists is p... ...Vaughn). The third disadvantage is paperwork(Vaughn). According to Tess Vaughn, there is a plethora of paper work. Before going into physical therapy, think about having tons of paperwork on a desk. The fourth disadvantage is the amount of schooling. If one does not see himself doing seven to eight years of college, do not choose physical therapy as a career(Vaughn). Therefore, the decision is decided based on a student wanting eight years of college, tons of paperwork, and the liability. If he has the patience and dedication, he is capable of being a physical therapist. Once I learned about eight years of college and tons of paperwork, my decision changed. With others it can be different. I think the best part about physical therapy is helping people getting back on their feet, but I think the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Others might think differently.

I Learned it From the Movies :: essays papers

I Learned it From the Movies When the majority of people are asked who or what influenced them most people would likely name one person or one event. Not me. I say the movies. Ever since I was old enough to watch them I have been absorbing the information the movies provided. I was enthralled with the way Clark Gable didn’t give a damn or how Audrey Hepburn knew about the rain on the plains of Spain. The lessons the movies taught me are unforgettable and can be used forever. A big part of the movies were the actors themselves. They each had a certain charisma, a certain flare that made them each special. They all had there own personalities and I learned something from each of them. From Marilyn Monroe, I inherited her glamour, from James Dean, I adopted his poise and his confidence, and from Katherine Hepburn displayed dignity. Those are just a few of the examples, but my point is that I took things I learned from all of my favorite actors and threw them into a blender and swallowed the product. All of these actors were unique by themselves, but they were even better in the movies. The movies had messages and lessons in them that buried themselves in my mind and will stay there for a lifetime. The movies taught me things that no one else ever could. They prepared me for the future. They equipped me with the skills of honesty and perseverance. For example in the film â€Å"Gone With the Wind† Scarlet never gave up. Even when she had nothing she kept going. Lalu displayed great courage in the movie â€Å"1,000 Pieces of Gold.† From watching those films and others I mastered the skill of facing my fears and the joy of helping others, like in â€Å" To Kill a Mockingbird† Atticus stood up for an innocent man when no one else would. The movies also provided me with a window to the outside world. Traveling around the world is what the movies did best. They were filmed in everyplace possible. They journeyed from the wilds of Africa to the tame streets of Oklahoma. Not only did I get to hear about the places I wanted to go visit, but now I

The American Banking System from 1800-1810 Essay -- Banks Finances Mon

The American Banking System from 1800-1810 Looking back to the outset of the 19th century, it is impossible to say that any real banking system had really been developed in the US. This is to say that, though there were roughly 120 private commercial banks that had been chartered by new state governments, the so-called system was scarcely organized. It was ad hoc in nature and directly linked to the merchant banking practices of the pre-independence period. The years preceding the turn of the century were important because they brought a central banking authority onto the scene. In 1789 the new federal government established a position for the Secretary of the Treasury. As we know, the first to hold this prestigious title was Alexander Hamilton. He accomplished a great deal in the 11 years leading up to the year 1800. Most notably his actions were largely responsible for the creation of the First Bank of the United States, which was given a charter in 1791. This thrust towards central banking was only to last 20 years, howeve r. Up for review in 1811, the bank’s charter was not renewed. This paper will argue that the failure to renew the First Bank of the United State’s charter was a direct result of the strong ideological differences between state centered and federalist politics. Many were very skeptical about a strong centralized banking system, while others believed that the only way to create unity in the country was through a highly focused central banking system. Despite the relative efficiency of the First Bank of the United States, and despite the fact that it is widely considered to be a success by economic historians, the general suspicion of banking led to its demise. In other words, this paper will argue that the 1800-1810 period was one of exhaustive tension between centralists and de-centralists. This had important and lasting effects on the banking system, the most obvious being that, in the following century, state banks proliferated to the point where they were chartered with abandon. As John K. Galbraith noted, â€Å"every location large e nough to have a church, a tavern, or a blacksmith shop was deemed a suitable place for setting up a bank. These banks issued notes, and other, more surprising enterprises, imitating the banks, did likewise. Even barbers and bartenders competed with banks in this respect† (Flaherty, 1997: http://odur.let... ...institution, and based on the bitter conflicts between Madison and Hamilton over state vs. federal power, the bank itself became politicized. As state-led forces increased their popularity, it is wholly unsurprising that the First Bank of the US was one of the first things to go. References DeCarolis, Lisa Marie. The Precipice of Power (accessed 12-12-99) Del Mar, Alexander. â€Å"History Of Monetary Systems: Chapter XVII: Bank Suspension Since The Era Of Private Coinage† History of the World, 01-01-1992 Foner, Eric., Garraty, John A (eds) â€Å"Banking† The Reader’s Companion to American History, Houghton Mifflin: New York, 1991., pg. 191 Flaherty, Edward. 1997. A Brief History of Banking in the United States (accessed 12-12-99) â€Å"James Madison Debates the Constitutionality of a National Bank† (accessed 12-12-99)

Sociology Paper on Society

Sociology Final Exam Paper Sociology Paper on Society â€Å"Human beings are fascinated with the world in which they live, and they aspire to develop ways to explain their experiences. People appear to have always felt this fascination-along with the intense desire to unravel the world’s mysteries-for people in ancient times also attempted to explain their worlds†(Henslin 8). Sociology is about understanding how people act as a society and how we, as people, treat our fellow human beings.The symbolic interactionist perspective, also known as symbolic interactionism, directs sociologists to consider the symbols and details of everyday life, figuring out what these symbols mean, and how people interact with each other. Although symbolic interactionism traces its origins to Max Weber's assertion that individuals act according to their interpretation of the meaning of their world, the American philosopher George H. Mead introduced this perspective to American sociology in t he 1920s.According to the symbolic interactionist perspective, people attach meanings to symbols, and then they act according to their subjective interpretation of these symbols. Verbal conversations, in which spoken words serve as the main symbols, make this subjective interpretation especially evident. The words have a certain meaning for the â€Å"sender,† and, during effective communication, they hopefully have the same meaning for the â€Å"receiver†. Words are not static things and they require intention and interpretation.Conversation is an interaction of symbols between individuals who constantly interpret the world around them. Of course, anything can serve as a symbol as long as it refers to something beyond itself. Think of applying symbolic interactionism to the American institution of marriage, the symbols may include wedding bands, vows of life-long commitment, a white bridal dress, a wedding cake, a Church ceremony, and flowers. American society attaches general meanings to these symbols, but people also maintain their own perceptions of what these and other symbols mean.For example, one of the spouses may see their circular wedding rings as symbolizing never ending love, while the other may see them as a just a financial expense. Bad communication can result from differences in the perception of the same events and symbols. Critics claim that symbolic interactionism neglects the macro level of social interpretation, which is the big picture. In other words, symbolic interactionists may miss the larger issues of society by focusing too closely on the size of the diamond in the wedding ring rather than the quality of the marriage.The perspective also receives criticism for slighting the influence of social norms and institutions on individual interactions. According to the functionalist perspective, also called functionalism, each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society's functioning as a whole. The government , or state, provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running. That is, the family is dependent upon the school to help children grow up to have good jobs so that they can raise and support their own families.In the process, the children become law-abiding, taxpaying citizens, who in turn support the state. On the other hand, Functionalists believe that society is held together by social consensus, or cohesion, in which members of the society agree upon, and work together to achieve, what is best for society as a whole. Emile Durkheim suggested that social consensus takes one of two forms, one being Mechanical Solidarity, which is a form of social cohesion that arises when people in a society maintain similar values and beliefs and engage in similar types of work.Mechanical solidarity most commonly occurs in traditional, simple societies such as those in which everyone herds cattle or farms. The Amish societ y exemplifies mechanical solidarity. In contrast, the other being Organic solidarity, which is a form of social cohesion that arises when the people in a society are interdependent, but hold to varying values and beliefs and engage in varying types of work. Organic solidarity most commonly occurs in industrialized, more immense societies such as those in large American cities like New York City.The functionalist perspective achieved its greatest popularity among American sociologists in the 1940s and 1950s. While European functionalists originally focused on explaining the inner workings of social order, American functionalists focused on discovering the functions of human behavior. Among these American functionalist sociologists is Robert Merton, who divides human functions into two types, manifest functions are intentional and obvious. The manifest function of attending a church or synagogue, for instance, is to worship as part of a religious community.With common sense, manifest functions become easily apparent. A sociological approach in functionalism is the consideration of the relationship between the functions of smaller parts and the functions of the whole. Functionalism has received criticism for neglecting the negative functions of an event such as divorce. Critics of this perspective also claim that the perspective justifies the status quo and complacency on the part of society's members. Functionalism does not encourage people to take an active role in changing their social environment, even when such change may benefit them.Instead, functionalism sees active social change as undesirable because the various parts of society will compensate naturally for any problems that may arise. The conflict perspective, which originated primarily out of Karl Marx's writings on class struggles, presents society in a different light than the functionalist and symbolic interactionist perspectives. While these latter perspectives focus on the positive aspects of so ciety that contribute to its stability, the conflict perspective focuses on the negative, conflicted, and ever-changing nature of society.Unlike functionalists who defend the status quo, avoid social change, and believe people cooperate to effect social order, conflict theorists challenge the status quo, encourage social change, and believe rich and powerful people have more control of society than the poor and the weak. Conflict theorists, for example, feel that society should have a more equal balance to it, meaning if the rich have more money than less fortunate people, they should share the wealth. American sociologists in the 1940s and 1950s generally ignored the conflict perspective in favor of the functionalist.They also expanded Marx's idea that the key conflict in society was strictly economic. Today, conflict theorists find social conflict between any groups in which the potential for inequality exists, such as racial, gender, religious, political, and economic. Conflict t heorists note that unequal groups usually have conflicting values and agendas, causing them to compete against one another. This constant competition between groups forms the notion of how our society as a whole is constantly changing.Men, especially in today’s society, are seen as the more important and intelligent gender while woman are seen as the warm, caring, and responsible gender. â€Å"As examination of the work women did before beginning car sales show that most had traditional women’s careers, such as teaching, waitressing, social work, retail sales, and secretarial jobs. These occupations primarily involved service to others and paid low wages†(Henslin 205). This is especially true in the United States, in which many states have low wages for women and higher wages for men.Men tend to have a job that requires strength and knowledge, whereas women are classified as either the stay at home, nurturing mother, or the waitress or secretary like how Helene Lawson discussed in, Down to Earth Sociology. The supposed fundamental differences between sexes have historically been used as an argument against equal rights, notably in the opposition to women's suffrage. More recently Neuro-scientific researchers have claimed that essential differences between the male and female brain have been uncovered, evidenced by neuro-imaging that suggests differing brain structures.The differences are how women and men tend to act, and how they act differently in society, therefore society views them differently and discriminates. However, the research is not as clear as it may first appear, no participant of a study can be isolated from the affects of socialization. The widely held belief that male and female brains function in different ways is based upon the conclusions of a small minority of studies, conclusions usually dismissed. Sociologists have relied upon the notion of a universal, innate, human nature, a nature that includes gender divisions, in society.Our society is patriarchal, our institutions, our traditions, our everyday lives, are filled with examples of men in positions of authority over women. You are born and take your father’s surname. You marry, and tradition holds that a father gives away his daughter to become the wife of a man whose name she shall adopt. Until very recently, it is the man in a relationship who holds financial control, and the woman who takes the responsibility for the home and the children.When a woman goes out to work she earns, on average, usually less than her male counterpart, is less likely to receive a promotion, and is likely to receive a smaller pension. If a woman is a wife and/or mother, she will also, on average, continue to take responsibility for the home and the family in addition to her paid employment. The decisions made on our behalf by representatives in unions, councils, and governments that are made predominantly by men. Despite the now higher proportion of femal e law graduates to their male counterparts, our legal system remains dominated by men.Equality differences can even be seen at birth, where male babies are described as being smart and strong, and the female babies are often given pink clothing, and referred to as cute, warm. To when they grow up, being a female baby, beauty is important, â€Å"Its sad but true that grade school teachers tend to judge their pupils largely on the basis of their looks†(Henslin 344). These associations, implicit in our society, have deep implications when it comes to gender equality.Research has demonstrated that when equally qualified men and women apply for identical jobs, the gender associations of the vacancy is a key factor in determining who will be successful, women therefore are at a disadvantage in many areas of employment from the outset, as the attributes of a successful worker are typically seen as masculine, while a woman may be perfectly suited to the role in question, her talents are far less likely to be recognized than they would be in a man.Feminism, which is the idea of equality between men and women, has become more prevalent because of the fact that women are being treated more as sex symbols than people in advertisements and in society in general, in the U. S. Feminism is a misconception, when thought of as women are better then men so they should have more rights, it is mainly just equality. The feminist’s just want to have, â€Å"equal rights within the current political and social structure†(Tuana 1).Feminists had movements dating back to the sixties, that were against inequality between genders, â€Å"The National Organization for Women forms in 1966, petitioning to stop sex segregation of want ads and one year later to request federally funded childcare centers†(Tuana 1). Women and men function as human beings in the U. S and in society in general and should be treated as equals, not discriminated because of one’s sex. Social stratification in American Society is not clearly defined or determined, nevertheless social scientists has developed a socio-economic stratification of the American society.Americans believe in a three-class society, the rich, poor and the middle class and most Americans consider themselves as middle class. In reality American society is more diverse and there is an extensive difference among people. The basic determinants that make social class are wealth, education, income and occupation. Some sociologists have divided the American society in six distinct categories including: rich or the upper class, upper middle class, lower middle class, lower class and poor and under class.It is believed that the people who belong to the same social class share similar social positions, similar ways of thinking and life styles, others oppose this idea and believe that we cannot generalize characteristic of the people to one another. Social class creates a hierarchy for the people of e ach class, as a way of identifying which level each person falls in. One of the indications of the social class in America is income in terms of either individual or household and is one of the most important indicators of social class. Most students from working-class homes who are striving to better their situations in life become discouraged at the many obstacles in their paths†(Henslin 383). Families who have two income earners are in a better position for their children to succeed in school. Per capita income, which means the amount of money allocated to each individual member, is also another important determinant in social stratification. It can be said the families who have fewer members are in a better position.Another indication in social stratification is education in which there is a relation with the occupation and income. Higher education means that one needs money and to pay tuition, so it is clear that most of the time the families who are better off can afford a better education for their children, they can pay for better schools and private schools, colleges and universities. As the result there is connection between money and education for a higher chance to succeed.One of the most prominent features of social class is culture, people of the same social class tend to have similar ways of behavior even though this behavior and culture is not something fixed. There is diversity inside the same social group as well. One of the important terms in American culture and literature is the concept of Social Status. Another important characteristic of American social class is achieved status rather than the described statues, it means that regardless of his or her original statues, one can become rich and successful and climb the social ladder.But in reality this idealistic view cannot be completely true, many people of color are still suffering the racial prejudices and as a result they cannot have the proper education and a good occupation whi ch is perhaps the most important class component. These people have lower income and the cycle will continue to the later generations. Despite the existing injustice and inequalities, America is considered land of opportunity. Thought this belief is exaggerated, Americans have improved their economic situation with their hard working and persistence. Despite what sociologists call a â€Å"deficit of cultural capital,† through determined hard work, native ability, and perseverance some members of the working class manage to attain social mobility†(Henslin 383). The different social classes can define one’s income, occupation, and the kind of friends one would make, usually these classes do not mix socially, the upper classes will not mingle with lower middle classes and middle classes tend not to associate with low/poor classes.From the sociological perspectives, regarding symbolic interactionism, functionalism, and conflict theory, to feminism and gender equality , to social stratification, these similar aspects of sociology define how we as humans perceive each other and how society is structured into different classes and how gender plays a important role in society. Sociology has different perspectives from each sociologist, ranging from Max Weber to Durkheim to Frazier to Karl Marx. Society works on a basis of how each member of it chooses to act, and how the certain classes interact with each other and form us, as human beings. Similar essay: Our Changing Society