Benefits of School Uniforms

There are many sides to the debate about school uniforms, but the debate against mandatory school uniforms comes more from the libertarians and groups from the old school guard. The problem with the old school group and civil libertarians reflect an age when school violence and bullying were not as prevalent in the school system as they are today. School age children are consistently being accosted and bullied for designer clothing and gang violence is at an all-time high in many school districts, but, the addition of a mandatory school policy can decrease national and state figures relative to school violence.It is time for children and young adults to be able to attend school and learn without fear of intimidation. By implementing a policy of mandatory school uniforms, less time is spent on social awkwardness where many students who simply cannot afford to wear the latest fashion design and can stop worrying about the gangs around the school who look at what colors of what a studen t wears to initiate bullying practices.First, there is a need to actually define why school administrators and educators are looking to enforcing mandatory school uniforms and the reason why President Clinton, in 1996, during his State of the Union address endorsed uniforms in American schools. In order to do accomplish this, it is important to look at what issues school administrators and educators feel are the impeders of learning and scholarly advancement. Oftentimes students who are continually focused on fashion and attaining the latest â€Å"look† tend to spend far less time in a positive learning situation.â€Å"Distraction leads to poor learning environments† (PSParents) Many advocates of a mandatory school uniform policy point to the increasing instances of violence within the school system and much of that is tied into the student’s appearance itself. There are instances where children are â€Å"inflicting bodily harm on one another because of the nam e brand on a jacket or a pair of jeans; and, in larger cities where gang involvement is prevalent, children are killed because they chose the wrong color to wear to school.The issue is not about civil liberties or freedom of expression but about improving the deteriorating state of the educational environment within our public school system nationwide† (PSParents). Many experts are of the opinion that students that attend schools wearing uniforms actually have higher academic scores. It is also believed that school uniforms can look to improving student attendance and focus intently on studies without worrying about whether they can or their parents can purchase for them the same â€Å"new† style of clothing.The old phrase of â€Å"keeping up with the Jones’† can attest to what many young students where they simply want what their friends are wearing. Many school administrators are of the opinion that students who wear school uniforms behave in a far more appropriate manner within the school atmosphere as uniforms lend to engaging students in appropriate behavior by reducing violence within the system.The most plausible reason for this is that with standardized dress there is less places to hide weapons in where in the fashion standard of students, especially in high school, weapons can be hidden in pockets in waist bands of pants that have shirts laid overtop and in baseball caps. It is this author’s opinion that with less opportunity to hide weapons in clothing and headgear of what student’s are currently wearing can hide weapons that are carried into the school and, if there are no metal detectors present, leaves an undeniable avenue for violent propensities.What has been considered one of the more conscionable reasons for the policy to implemented within the school system is the social preying that occur with many indigent students. Many students come from impoverished family units and if they are unable to afford t he latest trends and this is one of the ways that students look to in an attempt at self-expression and definition. This is a huge factor in a child’s psychological development and if there is a removal of this one barrier that students continually come up against, there is a marked improvement in both academic and social situations.This is really tied into the social outcome factor as when there is only one type of dress needed for school, i. e. uniform, there is a higher instance of affordability amongst families that are simply unable to afford expensive, trendy clothing. The government has also taken an independent and unbiased approach to addressing this issue and it is compelling their overall interpretation of the current school system and it’s tie-in to student safety.The government believes that the â€Å"adoption of school uniform policies can promote school safety, improve discipline, and enhance the learning environment. The potential benefits of school un iforms include: †¢ decreasing violence and theft — even life-threatening situations — among students over designer clothing or expensive sneakers; †¢ helping prevent gang members from wearing gang colors and insignia at school; †¢ instilling students with discipline; †¢ helping parents and students resist peer pressure;†¢ helping students concentrate on their school work; and †¢ helping school officials recognize intruders who come to the school (Government) There are currently many communities that have decided to adopt school uniform policies, which include: California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia; and, many large school systems include: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle and St.Louis have school in either a voluntary or mandatory uniform policy in effect. There are many school boards in larg e and small cities that have adopted school uniform policies which include: Long Beach, California Uniforms are mandatory in all elementary and middle schools. Each school in the district determines the uniform its students will wear. There is an opt-out of the program with parental consent. Currently the size of the program, implemented in 1994, includes 58,500 elementary and middle school students.Support for disadvantaged students: Each school must develop an assistance plan for families that cannot afford to buy uniforms. In most cases, graduating students either donate or sell used uniforms to needy families. Results: District officials found that in the year following implementation of the school uniform policy, overall school crime decreased 36 percent, fights decreased 51 percent, sex offenses decreased 74 percent, weapons offenses decreased 50 percent, assault and battery offenses decreased 34 percent, and vandalism decreased 18 percent.Less than one percent of the students have elected to opt out of the uniform policy. Dick Van Der Laan of the Long Beach Unified School District explained, â€Å"We can't attribute the improvement exclusively to school uniforms, but we think it's more than coincidental. † According to Long Beach Police Chief William Ellis, â€Å"Schools have fewer reasons to call the police. There's less conflict among students. Students concentrate more on education, not on whose wearing $100 shoes or gang attire. † Richmond, VirginiaThis voluntary uniform policy at Maymont Elementary School for the Arts and Humanities was implemented in 1994 with approximately 262 elementary school students enrolled. Support for disadvantaged students: Responding to parent concerns about the cost of uniforms, the school sought community financial support for the uniform program. Largely as a result of financial donations from businesses and other community leaders, the percentage of students wearing uniforms rose from 30 percent in 1994 -95, the first year of the program, to 85 percent during the current year.Results: Maymont principal Sylvia Richardson identifies many benefits of the uniform program, including improved behavior, an increase in attendance rates and higher student achievement. In the examples shown above, both mandatory and voluntary uniform policies have proven there is a correlation between violent behavior and school uniform policies and there are many variations of the mandatory school uniform policy which can be initiated between the school, the parent and the student. Carl A.Cohn writes that within the Long Beach school system, upon instituting a mandatory school uniform policy over two years prior, â€Å"much of the public school educational establishment reacted skeptically. The school board was told by permissive parents, civil liberties interest groups, timid legislators, and a biased news media that they would not let it happen. The school board initiated this program over 1 ? years ago with a 99 percent compliance rate in the program and a substantial decrease in school crime† (Cohn). ConclusionEither being in favor or not in favor of mandatory school uniforms is a moot point as it is generally those who simply don’t like to have their children conform to a mandatory policy or not, and, not for concrete and convincing reasons that wearing a school uniform decreases their children’s aptitude for learning, decreases their social status, or, even decreases their child’s freedom of expression. Albeit some students, especially those in the higher grade levels often rebel by girls pulling their skirts up above the regulated skirt length, this, is in no way a reflection on safety in school.One piece of evidence that is hard to refute is that studies have found â€Å"that due to increased prevalence of school violence, one in five public school students feels less eager to go to school every day, one in seven feels less inclined to pay attentio n to learning in school, and one in 10 stays home from school or cuts class. In unsafe school environments, teachers cannot teach to their maximum potential, and students cannot learn to their full capability† (Everett and Price).Paliokas and Rist note that â€Å"for many individuals, the appeal of mandatory school uniforms is based on conventional wisdom and an intuitive belief that increased structure results in improved child behavior. Nevertheless, there is not much empirical data to support a cause-and-effect relationship between school uniforms and violence†. Simply put, there are other variables which may, in fact, be a direct or indirect contributor to declines in levels of violence with or without school uniform policies.Paliokas and Rist â€Å"posed several questions that must first be answered before declines in school violence can be specifically attributed to the implementation of school uniform programs: a) was the implementation of the uniform policy onl y one aspect of a comprehensive safety plan that included heightened security and stricter rules? b) were local community-policing programs implemented at the same time? c) was the trend of violence in the school at its peak and ready to decline? d) was there an analysis of the trends of violence within that specific school or school district?e) were the decreases in school violence attributed to the Hawthorne Effect in which short-term attention to and visibility of a problem caused the decline? and, finally f) was parental involvement a crucial factor in the reduction of violence? † (Paliokis and Rist). A large problem with the debate over school uniform policies and putting the emphasis on if implementing said policy was, in fact, in direct relation to curbing school violence is that although many school districts were privy to reduction in violence related to students, could there in fact be mitigating factors relative to the reduction.There is a need to look to finding em pirical evidence in support of a mandatory uniform policy through the gathering of a variety of independent studies including: 1) Investigate parent, teacher, and student perceptions regarding school uniforms and violence prevention. 2) Trend analyses to determine whether any decline in violence represents true change or predictable change in trend within the school and/or school district. 3) Must be statistically control for possible intervening variables associated with violence reduction to determine cause-and-effect relationships between school uniforms and violence reduction.4) Compare the prevalence of violence in schools mandating uniforms with schools mandating dress codes. 5) Obtain data from both experimental groups (those required to wear uniforms) and control groups (those not required to wear uniforms). 6) Examination of how schools mandating uniforms address the issue of providing school uniforms to low-income families. 7) Focus on identifying the means to adequately e valuate the effect of mandatory uniform programs on the prevalence of school violence (Paliokas and Rist)Works Cited Paliokas KL, Rist RC. Do They Reduce Violence — Or Just Make Us Feel Better? Online. http://www. edweek. org/we/vol-15/28rist. h15. April 3, 1996. Cohn CA. Mandatory school uniforms: Long Beach's pioneering experience finds safety and economic benefits. School Admin. 1996; 53(2):22-25. King, K. A. Should school uniforms be mandated in elementary school? 1998. Online http://danenet. wicip. org/ncs/forumuniformseval. htm PSParents. net. Pros of Mandatory School Uniforms.Online at http://psparents. net/ in_support. htm United States Government. School Uniforms: Where They Are and Why They Work? Online http://www. ed. gov/updates/uniforms. html American Psychological Association. Violence and Youth: Psychology's Response, Volume 1: Summary Report of the American Psychological Association Commission on Violence and Youth. Washington, DC: American Psychological Assoc iation; 1993:42. Callahan CM, Rivara FP. Urban high school youth and handguns. JAMA. 1992;267:3038-3032.

Effects of Poverty on Children

Name: Shem Blake Course: Child-Adolescent Development Lecturer: Mrs. Kennedy Date: February 19, 2013 Discuss how poverty affects the psychosocial, cognitive, moral and physical development of the adolescent The term poverty is usually used to simply refer to a lack of money, but living in a state of financial instability is both physically and emotionally damaging.While an adolescent who grows up in a middle class suburb is taught that he or she can go to college, marry, have a rewarding career, and make a meaningful contribution to the world at large, a child born into poverty must struggle to simply make it to adulthood. The long term effects of poverty are why this is a social issue that deserves public attention. Poverty is one of the most devastating preventable phenomena working against the healthy development of an adolescent whom are at a very crucial stage in their growth and development.During this developmental process they are going through, adolescents need an enhancing and stimulating environment to support their growth but if these adolescents are situated in poverty stricken environment their growth will be affected because through poverty they are deprived from needs and wants which is essential in their development and this alters their process of development as the effects of poverty may wrap, twist or arrest the process as the adolescents undergo psychosocial, cognitive, moral and physical development.Therefore, its far-reaching effect can be devastating to the development of adolescents. Poverty has a major negative impact on adolescent’s psychosocial development. According to studies by V. C. McLoyd, â€Å"persistent exposure to poverty has a directly negative effect on a child’s health†. The more obvious explanation for the reasoning of this are that lifestyle and living conditions for those who live in poverty affect a child negatively. Environmental deprivation is usually what we consider when we think about poverty , but it is not the only factor.Stressors such as unsafe or life-threatening living conditions and violence play a part. Among these is deprivation of other essential necessities that are needed, such as food, medicine and a safe home. Deprivation of any of these things, especially in infancy or early childhood has a marked effect on psychosocial development. As McLoyd points out, children who live in poverty are exposed to more extreme living situations than those who are not living under similar circumstances.These conditions may have a more pronounced effect or influence on them. During adolescent there is a large degree of psychological growth as children make adjustments in their personality due to the rapid development. They face ongoing conflict and difficulty adapting to the sudden upsurge of sexual and aggressive drive. These changes cause unrest and confusion in the adolescents’ inner selves and the way they perceive the world. During this maturation they establish their own beliefs, values and what they want to accomplish out of life.At this stage their also separating emotionally from parents while still being reliant on them but as they have to struggle with the challenges of poverty, instead of having a healthy psychosocial development they are at greater risk of behavioral and emotional problems  because they do not think of things the way they should instead they get a perverted mind especially against persons who are living in a better condition from them causing them to not think normally.Some behavioral problems may include impulsiveness, difficulty getting along with peers, aggression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder because they are in an environment which places a lot of limitations on them. Also, because of their poor status often times they are living in unsafe neighborhoods which exposes children to violence which can cause a number of psychosocial difficulties. Violence exposure can also p redict future violent behavior in youth which places them at greater risk of injury and mortality and entry into the juvenile justice system.There are different forms of poverty. When a child has been born into poverty, then poverty is seen as a fact of life which may or may not be something that can be changed. Hard work for survival is an expectation of life. The â€Å"rules† that apply differently to people who live in poverty are understood but adherence to the rules can be â€Å"conditional† when survival or basic needs are not being met. Hence, at this stage, where they are transitioning from concrete operational thinking to formal logical abstract) thinking including development in reasoning and judgment. So even though their thinking becomes multidimensional and they are better to contemplate situations their decision making remains susceptible to emotions due to their social environment restricts cognitive stimulation resulting in a lower motivation to learn b ecause the adolescents mind is always somewhere else, they have a short attention span because their mind is always thinking about food, and cognitive developmental delays because of poor nutrition.However, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the brain of a teenager continues to develop all the way into adulthood. The amygdala, the section of the brain that controls instincts, develops first. The frontal cortex, which is responsible for reasoning and determines how we act, develops later and continues to develop into adulthood. Because of this, a teenager is guided less by the frontal cortex and may not have a full understanding of moral behavior.So while the development of the cognitive skills is being delayed because of poor nutrition, the development of the moral skills are more severely delayed because they take a longer time to develop because the poverty stricken environment does not stimulates and enriches the development of this growth becau se their judgment are not mainly on what’s right or wrong but, what’s right or wrong for their survival. In their environment they are exposed to the temptations of drug, alcohol and sex from an early point in life but because this has been a norm in their upbringing they fall to the same temptations.Everyone knows that it is troubling having to deal with poverty, moreover, it is more troubling for adolescents because they are already going through challenges of their own adapting to a new mind and body, plus dealing with their life situations may bring them to a breaking point. Often times, their moral development is not based on what is right or wrong but the right or wrong ways of getting what they need or want, resulting in situations like gang violence, teenage prostitution and stealing causing deaths and even sexually transmitted diseases.Their moral development is affected because they still think in an abstract way and can be more impulsive than an adult. At th is stage their impulsiveness can prevent them from making decisions based on moral responsibility and they will believe no consequences will emerge from their actions. Not only does a poor nutrition and other social factors affects the adolescent in their psychsocial, moral and cognitive development but its most visible impact is on the physical development of the adolescent.Through this time they are going through a rapid change of the body but their development is slowed down because their body lacks the right nutrients that enhance their growth. They do not eat right and are ignorant to the concept of living a healthy lifestyle so in their development, if they are not underweight; they are overweight because their diet consists of a lot of carbohydrate, a small amount of protein and a deficit in other nutrients. Soobader and Leclere (2000) has also examined the impact of poverty on the physical health status of the adolescents.According to these authors, poverty can impact the ab ility of the family to receive and maintain health insurance. This specific issue can impact the overall health of the adolescence because health care is expensive and if the adolescent is fallen ill, if the ailment is not considered serious, then they will have to stay home and use home remedies only going to the doctor if it gets life threating and this is a very serious issue because the ailment could already be causing internal damage.In low-income families, acquiring proper medical care remains a pervasive issue that has clear ramifications for the health outcomes of the child. Although Soobader and Leclere do argue that the issues facing adolescence is quite complex overall, the inability to access proper healthcare and insurance has a notable impact on the outcomes for adolescence living in poverty. â€Å"The probability of a child being uninsured was associated with higher levels of income inequality at the county level and higher levels of poverty at the neighborhood level .Therefore, the deteriorating physical environment and the lack of social services compounds individual disadvantage† (p. 230). When poverty is a lifelong proposition for adolescents, it does not mean that an adolescence will develop into a lesser form of a human being when they reach adulthood. In fact, honor, values, beliefs, community structure can produce well form individuals under conditions most of us would consider horrific. But the lack of food, medical care, and other horrific social conditions may cause lifelong psychosocial, cognitive, moral and physical impairments for the adolescents.Without a solid community or family structure, the overall lack of basic subsistence will cause preventable and inexcusable deaths that can give an adolescent a warped view of the value of life. Referencing Books. Mueller, M. , & Patton, M. (1995). Working with poor families, lessons learned from practice. Marriage andFamily Review, 21 (1/2), 65-90. Center for Adolescent Health and L aw (1999, December). Adolescents in public health insurance programs, Chase-Lansdale, P. L. , and Brooks-Gunn, J. , eds. Escape from poverty: What makes a difference for children? New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995

A Study On Communicative Teaching Education Essay

That is an of import inquiry because the reply is that really we communicate all the clip in several ways in order to show our thoughts. We have different ways to pass on harmonizing to facts as age, civilization, instruction, etc. For illustration, when we are babes we merely cry but even when we do n't talk we are showing something. Finally, when we learn to pass on utilizing our mark linguistic communication we do it of course because we are involved in a context that uses this linguistic communication so we get used to talk it in a short clip non by larning grammatical regulations but, as Nunan expresses we learn a linguistic communication â€Å" as a dynamic resource for the creative activity of intending†¦ we need to separate between cognizing assorted grammatical regulations and being able to utilize the regulations efficaciously and suitably when pass oning † . ( 1989 ) When we want to larn a new linguistic communication different from the mark one there are many methods or attacks that we can utilize, all of them for the same intent: Communicate. The communicative instruction attack arises from the dissatisfaction of many pedagogues that are non happy with the audio-lingual method because grammar is difficult to larn and pupils get bored in category because they do n't happen the existent public-service corporation of the new linguistic communication. Since the pupils were larning how to construct a perfect sentence they did n't hold the opportunity to pattern existent communicating. This method focuses more on the purpose of communicate and less in the perfect manner to talk because the pupils have to happen one manner or another to show what they want to state. This attack uses activities that simulate existent life state of affairss and encourages the pupil to pattern the new linguistic communication speech production it and happening the manner to give significance to their words without the necessity of a perfect grammar. In these activities the pupils can work in braces or groups where they can happen feedback from their schoolmates so they feel less afraid because they find themselves in a friendly context. These activities are more interesting for the pupils because they can utilize their ain thoughts and they do n't hold to interpret or reiterate words to larn, so they keep motivated. They can take the manner to show their thoughts based on the individual who is listening to them and besides on the context that they are working in. Besides this method is good for the instructor because there is more flexibleness to do activities that seem more like a game giving pupils a relaxed and merriment environment where they can happen replies from their couples. Besides, the appraisal of the pupils is based in measure up the ability to pass on in a right manner. A communicative schoolroom is really noisy because the pupils have to be involved in activities where they can talk and listen to their schoolmates. Besides, they can work stand up and they can be traveling so the category is non deadening. Therefore, they gain assurance and they feel comfy talking the new linguistic communication. The pupils have the duty of their ain acquisition and the instructor acts more like a usher and an perceiver. The communicative method is based on several rules. One of the most used list of rules is David Nunan ‘s ( 1991 ) which describes that:It puts accent in the communicating in the foreign linguistic communication across the interaction.It introduces existent texts in the state of affairs of acquisition.It offers chances to the students to believe about the acquisition procedure and non merely about the linguistic communication.It gives importance to the pupils ‘ personal experiences as elements that they contribute to the acquisition of the schoolroom.It tries to associate the linguistic communication learned in the schoolroom with activities realized out of it.Therefore, the pupils are larning like in the existent life from their experiences and besides from the experiences and feedback from their schoolmates. Besides, they are larning to utilize the linguistic communication in simulations of day-to-day state of affairss, so they are acquiring accomplishments to public pre sentation in a societal and cultural existent context utilizing a normal linguistic communication non a perfect one like the one used in books. The pupils besides learn to hold coherency when they are talking to do their sentences apprehensible and meaningful. In this sort of schoolroom the pupils work in braces or groups so they can be able to better their interaction whit other people imitating a existent state of affairs holding an interaction that allows them to negociate an discuss uncertainties. Is of import the uninterrupted usage of the mark linguistic communication, here is where the instructor acts as a proctor oversing that the pupils do n't talk in their native linguistic communication in order to hold a existent pattern during the activities. The pupils does n't hold to act in a specific manner, when a error happens the pupils are non punished, alternatively of that the instructor raters to honor the eloquence and good pronunciation. Besides, in some activities the pupi ls are free to take what to state and they besides can take the easiest manner to state it. Thus the pupil can develop schemes to larn and measure by themselves. Another of import point is that the pupils have the opportunity to show their feelings and emotions so they feel comfy in category because they feel they are doing an of import part for the acquisition procedure. This method uses an effort to animate the existent communicating but is non precisely the same. It ‘s of import that the pupils use what they learn in schoolroom when they are out of it. In other methods the chief purpose of acquisition is translate words and sentences and larn a perfect grammar that sometimes is sort of useless in existent life, is better to larn how to believe in the new linguistic communication so the pupils do n't hold to interpret before speak, losing clip and eloquence. At the terminal, the significance is what matters the most. In other words what is of import is the content of the sentence, non the manner to state it. The chief technique in this method is to do activities that promote communicating between spouses. It ‘s of import to hold a desire of communicating doing inquiries and giving replies to advance duologue holding a ground or a subject to speak about. The instructor can put the subject or give the pupils freedom to take it, therefore the pupils have a communicative intent. Sometimes activities in the communicative schoolroom can look unreal because pupils are merely conceive ofing state of affairss and besides because the instructor is largely of the clip following to them which non occurs in existent state of affairss. To avoid this disadvantage, the instructor can seek to utilize more existent stuff like magazines, books, games, etc. I think that this method can be used in a learner-centered schoolroom where the most of import individual is the pupil and all the activities are focused to better the public presentation of the scholar acquiring near to existent life state of affairss. In my personal experience as pupil I have had the opportunity to experiment communicative activities and I truly like them because small by small I ‘m less afraid to talk and to do errors because if I ‘m incorrect normally I have feedback from my schoolmates or from my instructor. Besides this method makes me experience more interested in the new linguistic communication, English in this instance because I like to utilize it non merely in the schoolroom but in my existent life. I would wish to utilize this method in my categories to do them more merriment and interesting and besides to make a friendly environment with my pupils. Mentions:Wikipedia ( 2009 ) Metodo Comunicativo [ Website ] Available from: & A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //es.wikipedia.org/wiki/M % C3 % A9todo_comunicativo & gt ; [ December 2009 ] Nunan, David. ( 1991 ) . Planing undertakings for the communicative schoolroom. Cambridge Language Teaching Library [ Online Book ] Available from: & A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //books.google.com.mx/books? id=NSlMZp9XkHoC & A ; dq=david+nunan % 2Bcommunicative+teaching & A ; lr= & A ; source=gbs_navlinks_s & gt ; [ December 2009 ] Harmer, Jeremy ( 1991 ) The pattern of English Language Teaching. Longman.Longman Printing New York. Hedge, Tricia ( 2000 ) Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Oxford University Press Library [ Online Book ] Available from: & A ; lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //books.google.com.mx/books? id=VG8NuoGgKJYC & A ; dq=hedge+tricia & A ; lr= & gt ; [ December 2009 ]

Scioally desirable merits goods Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Scioally desirable merits goods - Coursework Example Discussion Merits goods are some of the products that are considered socially beneficial and in most cases, they tend to be under produced or consumed via the mechanism of the market; for instance, education, garbage collection, welfare services, and healthcare. These are the products and services, which the government of United Kingdom believes that citizens will under-consume, and goods that government ought to subsidize, provide free consumption or use to ensure that their consumption is not mainly dependent on the capacity to pay for them. Demerit goods are dangerous to the society and they include goods like illegal drugs such as alcohol, cigarettes, and other hard drugs, (Fiorito and Kollintzas, 2002, p.56). In demerits goods case, the market failure is prevalent as these products are over-consumed and are allowed to free market. Therefore, the government of United Kingdom should intervene and control overconsumption of demerit goods. For example, in drug cases, the government imposes increased regulations and taxes over their consumption. This implies increased prices to discourage people from consumption of such drugs. Since a number of demerit goods are damaging – socially undesirable – the government of United Kingdom imposes complete restrictions, which have been effective in avoiding their trade as well as consumption. Compared to public good, merit goods are offered via the market, however, not in adequate quantities to increased social welfare, therefore, the government and private sectors can provide both merit goods like education. Economists agree that merit goods are products that are essential to people and private sectors can also provide them, though differently. For instance, if merit goods are solely provided through private sectors, then the consumption rate tends to be low and thus the government has to intervene to correct such market challenge – failure. Studies indicate that merit goods such as education can be o ffered by free market but has various limitations if privately provided, (Throsby, 2005, p.78). Some of the challenges are that citizens may not have adequate amount of resources to purchase the merit good – education. Poor people would not afford to attend expensive education institutions, as they believe nothing will happen and if anything happens, they cannot afford to pay. Consequently, this results to inequitable income distribution as only the wealth will be highly literate and therefore, can earn increased income in the future. Therefore, if government provides the merit goods it benefits both the rich and poor people. For instance, equitable education - human capital investment – for all will enhance the growth of economy and general well-being for all. In addition, if private institutions offer education, some people will joint independent or private schools and if the government does not chip in and provide government or public schools, many families and peop le may not afford education either. This is because they may not afford the cost of education in private schools and this would increase the level of under-consumption of the merit goods, (Sherman, 2007, p.23). Consequently, there would be high crime rate and low productivity from majority of illiterate people who could not afford education in private sectors and this cause challenges for the labor market. Therefore, the role of the United Kingdom government in this concern is to regulate the affordability of

The Understanding of the Artistic Works from Cultural Viewpoint Term Paper

The Understanding of the Artistic Works from Cultural Viewpoint - Term Paper Example The ideal of social anthropology will further delve into the reason why artwork was created in a specific way and the relationship it has to society.   For instance, if a type of material was used over another, there may be an inference to what this means socially and the ability to make the material with ease of use for the artistic expressions.   These various elements make a difference in the art and the perception from anthropology.   The interpretations don’t consider the aesthetics but instead looks at the social relationship which these hold (Gell, 40).   The definition of art from the anthropological point of view is not only examined with the social and cultural aspects by most.   There is also an understanding that the artistic work is able to raise questions and reflect on a specific culture and what the meaning is behind the works that are displayed.   The basic discipline is one which is first examined by the ideology of a human activity which is constructed by various societies.   This is followed by the social sciences which are able to define the experience, which is specific to the study of anthropology.   While art is one which is constructed of experience, this is based on interpretations, relationships to the pieces, knowledge of the piece and the defining elements.   This is also dependent on the spectator and what acting agents are parts of the piece.   The approach of anthropology is one which is only dependent on defining the material culture of the art.   This doesn’t provide room for interpreta tion of the aesthetics, specifically because this is defined by experience, cultural awareness and various levels of knowledge.   Anthropology then becomes limited only to the cultural ideologies, as opposed to the aesthetics of other levels which may reflect the philosophies of art (Pinney, Thomas, 118).  Ã‚   The interpretation of anthropology through art as a limitation is one which also questions the use of aesthetics and how this is left out of the viewpoint of anthropologists.   A question which arises when looking at aesthetics is based on the cultural value which is applied and whether this provides a thorough examination of an artwork.  

The future direction of e-health. What are the strenghts and weakness Research Paper

The future direction of e-health. What are the strenghts and weakness of utilizing the internet to manage and dissminate health information - Research Paper Example As such, allowing patients to self-monitor their health data using the internet has various advantages and disadvantages. This paper will address e-health in relation to these contradicting effects. In addition, the paper will discuss the responsibility of the United States on e-health and medical technology from a Christian point of view. E-health information involves the conversion of medical records to electronic records, online medical information for healthcare providers, online medical information for the public, online evaluation and accreditation of public health care websites, online clinical computing systems, and online privacy issues (Natesan, 2005). Although all patients’ information should enjoy confidentiality, it is quite challenging to maintain the confidentiality of this information when it is accessible online. As such, e-health negates the privacy of any patient. Hackers can even access this information and use it against the patients and their family. Investigators can equally access patients and their family’s information without their authority. This information can work against them in a court of law. Moreover, e-health leads to a more competitive environment, thus reducing profits to health care providers, and this leads to health care inflation and puts the going concern of heal th care organizations at risk (Harrison & Lee, 2006). Nevertheless, e-health has numerous benefits. Actually, it avails relevant information to researchers who subsequently use it to understand and develop new treatments methods. The access to this information improves the quality of healthcare for patients and equally accelerates the process of receiving quality healthcare. In addition, it revolutionizes the delivery of medicine and healthcare to patients. Financially, e-health reduces treatment costs and reduces administrative costs, as everything is computerized. Furthermore, e-health will enhance

What extent can we speak of a uniform impact of the cold war on Essay

What extent can we speak of a uniform impact of the cold war on western europe in the period from 1950 to 1980 - Essay Example The discussion here will focus on Western Europe, more specifically Britain, Spain, and Italy. After WWII, Europe was divided by Western Europe, allies of the United States, and Eastern Europe, which was controlled by puppet Russian communist regimes. The United States wanted an independent Western Europe. However, the United States only wanted an independent Europe, if the countries were capitalist. Whereas the Western Europe countries did not like having Russia control half of Europe, with America influencing the other half, they accepted it to the alternative. Brogi (2001, 76) quotes John Gaddis following statement: the hard reality was that Britain, France, and their smaller neighbors preferred the known risks of influence to the imponderables of a unified third force that could conceivably fall under German or even Russian control. Thus for the avoidance of a third world war, Western Europe tolerated the United States influence. â€Å"Indeed the Europeans proved incapable of overcoming their ancient rivalries, but were able to adapt and even promote dependence on the United States† (Borgi, 2001, 76). By depending on the United States, Britain, Spain, and Italy could transfer the responsibility of protecting their nations from Russia to the United States. The United States became the protector of Britain, Spain, and Italy during the Cold War. When before the Cold War, these countries were more dependent on European and self preservation against Russia and Germany. Great Britain and the United States have been allies before and since both world wars. However, the United States, during the Cold War, proved to Great Britain where the true power lay. For example, when the Suez Canal crisis arose, Great Britain and France wanted to resolve the issue militarily (Fraser, 2002, 74). The United States did not want to provoke the Russian backed Egyptian president, Nassar for fear of another world war. To stop France and

Interim Report ( for me ) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Interim Report ( for me ) - Assignment Example If you are still uncertain about the answer to any question please speak to your Dissertation Supervisor/Supervisor, Faculty Research Ethics Panel (FREP) Chair or the Departmental Research Ethics Panel (DREP) Chair. The risks participants, colleagues or the researchers may be exposed to have been considered and appropriate steps to reduce any risks identified taken (risk assessment(s) must be completed if applicable, available at: http://rm.anglia.ac.uk/extlogin.asp) or the equivalent for Associate Colleges. On this project I will be looking for the things which technology made them more easier for us. Like communicating, treating, traveling, etc. Also I will focus on the side effects of technology and the disadvantages of using it. I also will cover more parts about age of people who impacts of technology more than the others. What is technology ? how did it impact on our society? Did it make us more isolated and disconnected from each other? How did it change our life when we communicate, treat and travel? Are there any side effects on using technology? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Require the co-operation of a gatekeeper for initial access to the human participants (e.g. pupils/students, self-help groups, nursing home residents, business, charity, museum, government department, international agency)? By sending this form from My Anglia e-mail account I confirm that I will undertake this project as detailed above. I understand that I must abide by the terms of this approval and that I may not substantially amend the project without further

Pre-Attack Techniques Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pre-Attack Techniques - Coursework Example Unnecessary software and daemons should be deactivated and disabled given that they are most vulnerable for attack. Constant patching to system application and software should be done in order to eliminate the gaps and security holes that exist. Installation of new updates and new versions of existing application will ensure heighten and improved security. Constant updates ensure that al the patches are fixed thus eliminating system vulnerabilities (Scambray, 2009). Both hardware and software application forms of firewall such Symantec-Axents Firewall/VPN 100 Appliance and Zone Alarm can be installed in an organization’s system and network. Firewall installation discriminate against access request from unknown and unauthorized sources that may be of potential threat to computer systems and network. Network security assessment is done in order to see and expose the vulnerability that exists within a network and a system. Port scanning an organizations network will reveal the exposed services. Running a vulnerability scanner against an organization’s servers ensures that all the vulnerabilities are exposed and necessary actions taken to eliminate them in order to secure servers. Most of these pre-attack techniques and method for preventing hack attack against an organization are controllable from an organizations perspective. It is up to an organization to put up measures and install the necessary application in order to ensure the security of its systems and information including the network.

Cultural Diversity in the Media Essay Example for Free

Cultural Diversity in the Media Essay The term drugs refer to anything, which is not prepared by organisms and is generally considered that drugs are not part of food we eat. Although drugs also refer to Medical ailments (pills, syrups, capsules etc) but here we are discussing recreational drugs which are: LSD, Shrooms, Alcohol, Caffeine, Catnip, Salvia, Cocaine, Crack, DXM, Ecstasy, Ephedrine, Heroin, Inhalants, GHB, Tobacco, Cannabis, Methamphetamine, Milk (artificially prepared), Peyote, Nutmeg, Oxycontin, Ketamine, Whiteboard Markers and so on. Drugs have its uses and abuses. But mostly, its uses are almost negligible when one starts introspection of the conditions of society caused by the abuses of Drugs. Societies are damaging because of evils of the alarming increase in the intake of drugs all over the world, which is followed by the increase in crime and decrease in national income. It has been surveyed that people portray abnormal, illegal and ruthless behaviors after intake of drugs. Alcohols being widely available in societies of west provide easy hand in the provision of drugs. In America alone, every third child is said to be tainted by the drugs. All teens see some type of drug use or abuse in school or in the media. â€Å"The nineteenth-century explosion of drug use had gotten out of hand. Wiliam Halsted invented nerve-block anesthesia with cocaine (1885) but developed such a craving for the drug that his friends had to put him aboard a schooner for several months so he could kick the habit. He did, but became addicted to morphine from the ships supplies. It was long a closely guarded secret at Johns Hopkins University that one of the institutions founders was a junkie. Halsteds student, James Leonard Corning, invented spinal anesthesia with cocaine. Every family has a vicious drunkard dad or uncle on the loose; mournful mamas swigged patent medicines by the gallon; kids raised on heroin cough syrup graduated to coca-filled soft drinks. † Increasing display of drugs as element of â€Å"Being cool†, â€Å"Easy money†, â€Å"Failure in love†, â€Å"Family problems†, â€Å"Peer Pressures† and â€Å"Complexes†, in movies is grasping the attraction of teens and young adults. â€Å"An estimated 66. 5 million Americans 12 years or older reported current use of a tobacco product in 2001. This number represents 29. 5 percent of the population. Youth cigarette use in 2001 was slightly below the rate for 2000, continuing a downward trend since 1999. † Rates of youth cigarette use were 14. 9 percent in 1999, 13. 4 percent in 2000, and 13. 0 percent in 2001. The annual number of new daily smokers age 12 to 17 decreased from 1. 1 million in 1997 to 747,000 in 2000. This translates into a reduction from 3,000 to 2,000 in the number of new youth smokers per day. † Some of the most important movies to display drugs as an inspiration for live life, business and culture are given with their detail account of criticism and background. 1. The Blow The Blow was released in 2001 was based on a true story. The story of George Jung, the man who established the American cocaine market in the 1970s. It was directed by Ted Demme. The screenplay is by Nick Cassavetes and David McKenna. It is story of young man of middle class family struggling for a better place in society, which unfortunately do not turn out be very fruitful for the fate of the family. George then moved to California, where he starts his own business in which he finds both success and imprisonment. In prison, he meets a cellmate who introduces him into a partnership to the lucrative new market in cocaine. When George Jung released from jail he quickly becomes instrumental in establishing the exploding US market for cocaine in which he claimed that he handled about 85% of the supply in the 1970s. Although it was a movie that could be presented as a masterpiece for the awareness of the society, the movie missed its attempt. The death of the hero was tragic but his appearance in the movie appealed the young generation to a great extent. â€Å"Blow outlines the lifestyle of a mega-rich smuggler — the border crossings, the ruthless negotiations, the sudden betrayals, the wild characters, the run-ins with the justice system, the inherent problems in dealing with massive amounts of cash, the temptations — and, ultimately, the tragedy of blowing all of your dreams for greed. † 2. Trainspotting This Academy Award nominated movies was produced in 1996. Denny boyle directed it. This movie was based on a novel â€Å"Trainspotting† by Irvine Welsh. The screenplay was adapted from Welshs novel by John Hodge. This movie begins with the narration by Renton, who is a rent boy, he tell others that they should choose to live traditional family life. After his narration he tells that his train of thoughts ends with â€Å"who needs reason when you’ve got heroin? † all of his friend were addicted to drugs. The movie rotates all about dirty drugs business and its dealings. The movies most critical part is when Renton leaves drug addiction he feels no purpose of life. He then also deals in selling the heroin. Later Renton realizes that his friends are no his friends at all and leave them for a better life. â€Å"Its release sparked controversy in some countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, as to whether it promoted drug use or not. U. S. Senator, Bob Dole, decried its moral depravity and glorification of drug use during the 1996 U. S. presidential campaign, although he admitted that he had not actually seen the film. † 3. The basket ball diaries This movie was produced in 1995 and was directed by Scott Kalvert. It was written by Brian Goluboff. The movie is an autobiographical account of poet and rock musician Jim Carroll. The running time of movie was 105 minutes. As a member of an outwardly invincible high school basketball squad, Jims life centers around the basketball court and the court becomes an allegory for the world in his mind. It was biggest dream of Jim to become Star of basketball. He was Catholic high school student but later become drug addict due to bad company. Jim and his friends roam the streets of New York City as trivial thieves and revolts. Soon school expelled the Jim for he took drugs before game. Later Jim faces more trouble when his family throws him. This movie is a critical for most of its scene describing, â€Å"A youth (a mere school boy of age 13) is enjoying the drugs† and hence portrayed that it is not very offensive of a young boy or girl to take drugs in that age specially. â€Å"This movie contained incredibly dark and vulgar guided imagery which could quite possibly lead the impressionable into moral and value modification, poor coping skills, and dangerous decision-making. † 4. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas The movie Fear and Loating in Las Vegas was released on May 22, 1998. It was directed by Terry Gilliam. This film was based on Hunter S. Thompsons 1971 novel Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. Journalist Raoul Duke and attorney Dr. Gonzo travel from Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1971 to cover a motorcycle race for a sports magazine and enjoy a haphazardly planned vacation. Fueled by the massive amount of drugs they purchased with an advance from a magazine to cover a sporting event in Vegas; they set out in the Red Shark. Wreak havoc upon the citizens of Las Vegas. Encountering police, reporters, gamblers, racers, and hitchhikers; they search for some indefinable thing know only as the American Dream and find fear, loathing and hilarious adventures into the dementia of the modern American West. The movie is filled with violence and drugs series. It effected the audience to en extent that even an incident got attached to it. During shooting Gilliam was approached by a group of young men, one of which complimented him on the film in general, but said that his favorite scene was the andrenichrome scene. He said that he had used the drug and that Gilliam had captured the effects perfectly. Gilliam didnt have the heart to tell the kid that it was made up, and went along with his story. 5. Dazed and confused Dazed and confused is a 1993 American film written and directed by Richard Linklater. The movie tells the stories of the last day of school in May 1976 in a Texas suburb. As the movie begins, the last day of school at a high school is beginning. The last day at Robert E. Lee High School proceeds with regular classes but the soon-to-be-senior class (Class of 1977) is more interested in getting ready for the annual hazing of the incoming freshman class, which will take place after school. The hazing is depicted as a ritualized event that has the support of the town, in the movie. Randall Pink Floyd was a football player who moves with simplistic grace among groups of greasers, nerds, stoners, and athletes alike. The coaches introduced a new policy for the upcoming 1976-77 school year in which athletes have to sign a written pledge that they will not use alcohol or illegal drugs. Pink refuses to sign the pledge sheet. The coach berates Randall Floyd for hanging out with that other crowd (referring to his stoner friends) and Floyd takes offense to it. â€Å"The movie conspicuously shows the much more relaxed attitudes toward both teenage alcohol consumption and driving with open beer containers at the time; Kramer can easily buy beer as the lawful Texas drinking age at the time was 18 and even that was lightly enforced. † References 1. http://www. thc-ministry. net/history-of-drugs. html 2. http://www. getsomeblow. com/index2. html 3. http://parentingteens. about. com/cs/drugsofabuse/a/druguse10_2. htm 4. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Trainspotting_(film) 5. ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP) by Thomas A. Carder http://www. capalert. com/capreports/basketballdiaries/basketballdiaries. htm 6. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Fear_and_Loathing_in_Las_Vegas_%28film%29 7. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Dazed_and_Confused_(film)

How Important Are Fossil Fuels To Society Environmental Sciences Essay

How Important Are Fossil Fuels To Society Environmental Sciences Essay Thirst for knowledge is humans natural behaviour which has led to various inventions and discoveries. Humans need energy for doing all types of work. Without generating energy, all the luxuries of everyday life will come to an end. Fossil fuels, a remarkable discovery by humans have simplified our lives. However, the rate at which these resources are being depleted are threatening to run out soon. Fossil fuel usage began on a large scale with the introduction of industrial revolution in 1800s.Nowadays, a lot of alternative energy options are available, like wind , hydro , and sun energy. But ironically, majority of our energy is derived from non-renewable energy sources, which are commonly called fossil fuels. Like every other invention or discovery influence society, same applies to fossil fuels as well. In order to know how fossil fuels affect our society, one needs to examine it. Without fossil fuels, there wouldnt be any means of transportation, and the world and the economy would come to standstill. We need energy to heat houses, and energy is needed for agriculture and industries. Without fossil fuels, there would be no energy, no heat, and the cost on running on the alternatives would be a lot higher than what we have on fossils. Fossil fuels are comprised of hydrogen and carbon bonds. Coal, oil and natural gas, are the three kinds of fossil fuels used for delivering energy. With the increasing population, the demand for energy also increases, which increases the pressure on the environment. Another major variable, that threatens and pressurizes the energy sector to move into nuclear, solar and other environmentally friendly energy sources, is due to the fear of climate change. Coal, oil and natural gas supplies are forecasted to peak as the reserves are running out. Coal is a form of solid fossil fuel which is formed by decay of land vegetation. It is plenteous as compared to oil and natural gas. Forecasters predict every now and then, that the coal usage will increase as oil supplies becomes less. Present supply of coal might last about 200 years or more. Developing countries such as India and China, cant meet the expense of using natural gas or oil, and therefore depend on coal for delivering energy. According to IEAs world energy outlook forecast (2006), 85% of the increase in coal demand is likely to come from China. Coal consumption is predicted to increase by 1.4% yearly until 2030, with about two-thirds of the demands in India and China. According to the statistical survey done (2007), The coal consumption in 2006 was 3 billion tonnes. China, India, South Africa and Germany claimed to be the largest consumers of coal. The natural gas exploration is getting cheaper and big industries are switching to natural gas instead of coal which has other side problems, besides environmentally unfriendly. Oil is a liquid fossil fuel, formed from the remainders of marine micro-organisms deposited on the sea floor. Millions of years after, the deposits eventually end up in sediments and rock, in which oil is confined. Oil consists of a lot of organic compounds, which are altered into usable products by refining process. Oil is not found in all the places on earth, and there have been wars on oil supplies. Gulf war which happened in 1991, is a well-known example of this. The local production of oil has lowered since 1960.In 1970s the oil production has plunged reaching a peak point of 9.6 million barrel per day(Mbbl/d). Since then, oil demand has increased significantly such that industries supply less than half of all its oil that we consume. However there had been a radically change in consumption from 1960 to 1970 (from about 10 Mbbl/d to about 17 Mbbl/d) as shown in the figure. Moving to suburb and driving for miles caused an increase in consumption which was a turning point in American societys lifestyle. Nevertheless, during 1970s, demand levelled off and then declined suddenly as oil prices increased to over a dollar per gallon from $0.25. Since 1980s, oil demand has grown progressively as prices stabilized while inflation continued to grow. Currently we sit at 19.6 million barrel per day in U.S. which is about 25% of the worldwide consumption of 77 Million barrels per day. Natural gas is a gaseous form of fossil fuel which is versatile, available in plenty and relatively cleaner as compared to the oil and coal. Like oil, it is also formed from the remainders of marine micro-organisms. Natural gas is made up of methane, and is highly compressible, and is drilled to bring it on the earths crust. More coal was used until 1999, than natural gas. It has surpassed coal now in developed countries. However, humans are frightened that natural gas supply will eventually run out, like oil and coal. Predictions say that this might take place at the end or the middle of the 21st century. Unlike oil supplies, Natural gas reserves are distributed more uniformly around the planet. Energy produced by combustion of fossil fuels is converted to heat and electricity in power plants. On combustion, carbon and hydrogen reacts with oxygen to yield carbondioxide and water with heat. Electricity is produced by transforming this heat into electrical energy in a generator. Although, building a power plant needs a lot of money, the efficiency it delivers to convert fuel into energy is very high, and is worth the money spent to build it. The demand of electricity varies throughout the year, and provisions should be made to meet the demand in peak load. When the demand surpasses the capacity of power plants to generate electricity, momentary blackouts are experienced. In 2001, California experienced shortage of electricity, drawing attention to the crude oil and natural gas shortage. In the past, fossil fuels were present in abundance and were easy to obtain and deliver. The present trend of using these energy resources by mankind is one of the important issues questioning its long term sustainability. We have created a horrible situation for ourselves, by denying the fact that these resources will not be running low, and trying to run away from the reality rather than facing it. People are afraid of the consequences of what may happen if the fossil fuels actually run out. Fossil fuel combustion contributes to a lot of environmental issues that are also high on political agenda these days. Examples of these issues include emission of greenhouse gases, acid rain, air and water pollution, and ozone at ground level. These environmental concerns are caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which produces impurities like nitrogen, sulphur, and organic volatile compounds. These bi-products influence people and our atmosphere in many harmful ways. Like a glass in a greenh ouse, these pollutants build a barrier and prevent the excess heat from earth to escape. The temperature of the earth increases with the increase in this barrier, resulting in global warming. Global warming has become a serious issue, which could threaten our existence. Have people ever thought that why Antartica experienced the warmest years in all of history? Have people thought of rising sea level, which resulted due to melting of ice? The intensifying sea level could lead in floods and hurricane. If these changes are not enough to alert humans, the effect on agriculture around the world might be frightening. Production of maple is decreased by 10% because of warmer and shorter winters. A study comparing the yields of six main staple crops was done at the Lawrence Livermore National Labs and Stanford university. Study showed that for every one degree rise in temperature, there will be a decline of about 3% to 5% in the yield of those crops. Those six crops is responsible for abou t 55% of non-meat calories consumed by people, and about 70% of the animals feed all over the world. Acid rain is caused by the emission of sulphur and nitrogen, by burning fossil fuels. Acid rain is a combination of dry and wet deposition from the sky which contains higher amounts of nitric acid and sulphuric acid than normal. It makes the lakes and streams acidic, which leads to destruction of trees at higher altitude and soils. Acid rains also contribute to the decay of buildings and sculptures, decreases the visibility and have harmful effects on publics health. Acid rain not only cause damages where it falls, but it affects all over the planet, since lakes and streams transport the water throughout earths crust and finally to the ocean. The plants and animals that are dependent on this water to survive are affected and may decease if the chemicals in the water are present in extreme excess. Another problem resulting from fossil fuel usage is Air pollution, resulting in smog. Apart from human sickness, smog also affects the crops, by seeping through the leaves protective layers and destroying the essential cell membranes. This makes the crops weaker and decreases its yield. Combustion of fossil fuels produces nitrogen and other organic gases that form ozone. Ozone is formed near the surface of the earth causing air pollution. According to the CESI report (2006), Ground level ozone has affected the health of Canadians including respiratory problems, cardiovascular diseases, premature deaths and over 6000 hospitalizations. All above discussed issues are caused by the emission of impurities that are present in the structures of fossil fuel .Presently, combustion of oil accounts for about 30% of carbondioxide in the environment. The maximum emission of pollutants is caused by the burning of coal. Natural gas consists of methane structure, due to which it doesnt emit as much carbondioxide as compared to oil and coal. The question arises, that looking at these consequences, why are we still using fossil fuels to such large scale? The answer is simple; because fossil fuels are comparatively cheaper than using alternatives we know so far. People have made their lives so much dependable on fuels, that if these run out, the human civilization will come to an end too. Also, digging fossil fuels from earth surface is dangerous, as digging of mines and wells could result in change of surroundings and may fetch immense quantity of salt water to the earths surface, which can result in damaging the ecosystem in clos e proximity with no appropriate treatment and sequestration. There are procedures to follow to minimize the hazards, but it is hard to completely eradicate them. However, regulations are not enough, we should continue researching new technologies for fossil fuels and renewable sources both, to add increasing conservation measures. Few environmentalists predict that because of insufficiency, fuel prices will increase exponentially in the coming century. We cannot completely stop using fossil fuels, but we must make some changes in our consumption pattern by avoiding oil products and favouring available alternatives for our sustainability.

Effect of Absent Fathers on Child Development

Effect of Absent Fathers on Child Development The Effects on Children of Absent Fathers and Divorced Fathers The family image has had a tremendous change from the way it was in the past and the way it is today. There are several sources that talk about the different situations within the relationships of the mother and father and the effects that the relationships have on their children. In Children of Gay Fathers, authors Robert Barret, and Bryan Robinson talk about the effects on children’s behavior whenever there is a homosexual man parenting while raising his children or child. They also talk about how hard it is for homosexual men to come out with their child or children and the reaction of others surrounding their children. The Ballad of a Single Mother Lynn Olcott tells her story about the struggle as a single mother without the father of her children in the picture (446). In Absent Fathers: Why Don’t We Ever Talk About the Unmarried Men? written by Rebecca Blank, she talks about the unmarried fathers and why they are absent and the impacts that they have on their child ren or households. The main issue that these authors argue about is the father figures in children’s lives can affect the children in a positive or negative way depending on what is going on. The one thing that all the essays share in common is the financial difficulty that happens when the two parents split up, the mother or father. In Absent Fathers: Why Don’t We Ever Talk About the Unmarried Men?, Blank talks about the financial trouble that single women go through either because the father is: in jail, abandoned the mother, or the mother has gotten a divorce and child support is not being giving to support the children. Blank states that when fathers leave that there is a financial burden put on the mother to take care of her children (440). â€Å"The rise in single parenting has not simply led to an increase in the number of children who physically live with and are primarily raised by their mothers. It has also meant massive financial desertion of these children by their fathers. This is a major reason as to why the women who raise children on their own are so likely to be poor.† said Blank (442). Blanks states that many women with low skill working op portunities statistically have children with men that are in the same situation as them and therefore both parents cannot provide for the child like they should financially (443). Similarly, Olcott talks about the financial problems she went through without a father for her children present in her story, â€Å"The Ballad of a Single Mother†. Olcott also mentions how when she was working that money was also an issue and how she was being underpaid like other mothers that were single and had to care for their children by themselves with no financial support (446). She had to work a lot in order to take care of her child so she had very little time to take care of her child most of the days. She even picked up another bill which was a daycare bill in order to make sure her child was kept in order to work the full time job to provide for her child. Olcott and Blank have stated that there will be a problem in the near future with the absent fathers and single parenting and they don’t see it being figured out. Olcott wishes that she could spend more time with her children and have less financial problems and she says that she does not believe that her daughters or their daughters will not be able to stay home and nurture their own children without having a child as well. Olcott believes that there isn’t going to be a day where single mothers could just easily give up their jobs to take care of their kids like in the past (447). Blank thinks that it may be impossible to tell men to get a job to support their families in today’s society. â€Å"Though their behavior may not be excusable, ordering them to get a job and/or pay more in child support may not be as easily accomplished as in years past† says Blank (444). There are several differences in these essays as well. Blanks talks about the lack of information single mothers fail to report about the fathers. Most women know who the fathers are but just fail to acknowledge who they are when the baby is born on the birth certificate. She asserts that the actions of absent fathers are inexcusable (Blank 444). In contrast Olcott spoke of her financial hardships not out of self-pity or sorrow, but as if she is proud to have overcome the struggles of not having the support of her children’s father (447).The parents of children who have divorced or never been married can have a negative impact with the parents and children. In Children of Gay Fathers, Barret believes that when parents go through divorces and the father’s sexuality changes that the child might become stressed because of knowing their father’s sexuality. He also says that the people that surround the child, friends, might distant themselves from the child or act di fferent around the child because of the friends finding out that the father is gay may also put stress on the child causing them to distant themselves away from the father. Barret also states that divorce itself puts stress on children (410). In Absent Fathers: Why Don’t We Ever Talk About the Unmarried Men? Blank agrees that the absence of a father in the household puts stress on the single mother and child, and many times the child has no relationship with their father. â€Å"For every single mother there is a father who is not living with his children† says Blank (440). In The Ballad of a Single Mother Olcott tells about the trials and tribulations that her and her children had to go through without their father being in their lives. She also admitted that she had missed out on some events in her children’s life because she worked full time. While working a full time job she was not able to share in these special times with her children, damaging their emotio nal relationships. One of her stories is about her son giving up soccer because her funds began to get tight and she couldn’t afford for her son to continue to play soccer. She continues to tell how a group of men who managed the league helping him to continue playing in the league by paying the fees. She kind of relates these men to being that father figure that her son never had and shows that if the father was present that she wouldn’t have to worry about an issue like this one. The way American families are today is totally different from within the past. It seems that having an absent father is the new norm. In many families, you see many single mothers raise their children on their own and struggle to make ends meet most of the time. Most of the time women have to have government assistance in order to provide for their children. There are several sources that talk about the different situations within the relationships of the mother and father and the effects that the relationships have on their children. In the three essays I chose, the authors share a common ground. They really speak on the positive and negative effects that absent fathers can have on not only the child but also the family as a whole. The mother struggles and the child stresses because of divorce or because of the sexuality of the father and fear of what society might think about the child and parent. Some people say that a father being absent is inexcusable and feel sorry for the wome n to have to go through what they do or did and you have some women who are actually glad that they went through the struggle and overcame it at the same time like Lynn Olcott mentions in her story about being a single mother. You also have some authors that agree with each other saying that they don’t think that single parenting women will be able to give up their jobs all the way and nurture a child at the same time without struggling to do so. What are your thoughts on single mothers and absent fathers or single fathers parenting? Works Cited Barret, Robert, and Bryan E. Robinson. â€Å"Children of Gay Fathers.† Writing in the Disciplines: A Reader and Rhetoric for Academic Writers. 7th ed. Eds. Mary Lynch Kennedy and William J. Kennedy. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2012. 409-414. Print. Blank, Rebecca M. â€Å"Absent Fathers:Why Don’t We Ever Talk About the Unmarried Men?† Writing in the Disciplines: A Reader and Rhetoric for Academic Writers. 7th ed. Eds. Mary Lynch Kennedy and William J. Kennedy. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2012. 439-444. Print. Olcott, Lynn. â€Å"The Ballad of a Single Mother.† Writing in the Disciplines: A Reader and Rhetoric for Academic Writers. 7th ed. Eds. Mary Lynch Kennedy and William J. Kennedy. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2012. 446-447. Print.

Consciousness and Intentionality of Action Essay -- Philosophy Philoso

Consciousness and Intentionality of Action ABSTRACT: One much discussed issue in contemporary philosophy is the relation between consciousness and intentionality. Philosophers debate whether consciousness and intentionality are somehow ‘connected’; whether we have reason to be more optimistic about an ‘objective,’ ‘scientific’ or ‘third person’ ‘account’ of intentionality than about an analogous account of consciousness. This paper is intended as a limited contribution to that debate. I shall be concerned only with the intentionality of action. Not everything which is true of intentionality of action is true of intentionality of other phenomena, such as beliefs. I shall discuss the question, ‘What is the intentionality of action?’ More specifically, I shall discuss one partial answer to this question: that a necessary condition of an agent performing a certain intentional action is that the agent is conscious of performing that action. This answer i s fairly unpopular in contemporary philosophy. In this paper, I shall try to say something about the ground for the rather wide-spread philosophical resistance to the answer, and I shall also outline the kind of considerations that I think are required to judge whether a wedge can or cannot be driven between consciousness and intentionality of action. One much discussed issue in contemporary philosophy is the relation between consciousness and intentionality. Philosophers debate whether consciousness and intentionality are somehow "connected" (see Searle, chap. 7); whether the one or the other is the "theoretically fundamental" one (see Dennett); and whether we have reason to be more optimistic about an "objective" or "scientific," or "third-person" "account" of intentionality ... ...6) The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory, Oxford UP. Dennett, Daniel C. (1994) "Dennett, Daniel C" in A Companion to the Philosophy of Mind, Samuel Guttenplan, ed., Oxford, Blackwell. Dreyfus, Hubert L. (1991) Being-in-the-World: A Commentary on Heidegger's Being and Time, Division I, Cambridge, Mass., MIT Press. Kripke, Saul A. (1982) Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language, Cambridge, Mass., Harvard UP. Lycan, William G. (1996) Consciousness and Experience, Cambridge, Mass., MIT Press. McGinn, Colin (1996) The Character of Mind: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind, 2nd ed., Oxford UP. McGinn, Colin (1991) The Problem of Consciousness, Oxford, Blackwell. Searle, John R. (1992) The Rediscovery of the Mind, Cambridge, Mass., MIT Press. Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1958) Philosophical Investigations, 2nd ed, Oxford, Blackwell.

Global Unification through Handheld Technology Essay -- Technologies E

Global Unification through Handheld Technology "Handheld technology: is it the greatest invention since sliced bread?" (Lewis 1). Whether or not these technologies will be remembered as one of the greatest inventions of all time is yet to be determined, but handheld technologies are definitely changing the way people access and work with information. Handheld technologies were first created to help make some of life's current tasks simpler and faster to complete. Two of the main handheld technologies are the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Personal Data Assistant (PDA). The first thought that spring to one's mind when GPS is mentioned is usually that it is a fast and easy way to find where one is located. Similarly, the first thought with respect to PDA is usually that it is a good way to organize one's appointments and personal information. Those functions are just the beginning, though. There are several other functions that these technologies have begun to serve, some of which may lead to complicated ethical dilemmas. As was mentioned above, GPS is generally thought of as a device to help one locate one's position. It is found in many cars and is almost becoming a standard feature. It is a handy device if one ever gets lost or needs directions to an unknown location. This functionality is great, but is not what it was invented to do. According to Peter H. Dana, Department of Geography, University of Colorado at Boulder, GPS is a satellite navigation system "funded by and controlled by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). While there are many thousands of civil users of GPS world-wide, the system was designed for and is operated by the U.S. military" (1). It is used by the military to pinpoint the position of ... ...ilian Software Development." [Online]. http://www.iamsam.com/papers/afcea_1999/afcea_ethics_submission.html North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. (1997). "Critical Issue: Ensuring Equitable Use of Education Technology." [Online]. http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te400.htm Santa Clara County Library. "Internet Access." (February 2002). [Online]. http://www.santaclaracountylib.org/aconsent.html Savino, Lenny. "Ex-Decoder Faces Charge in Espionage Case: FBI Says Military Man Sold Secret Data, Images." San Jose Mercury News. 25 August 2001: 1A. "Teaching and Learning with Palm Handhelds." (2002). [Online]. http://www.palm.com/education/palmED/ Wong, Nicole C. "Digital Cameras Eliminate Some Leg Work for Parking Police." San Jose Mercury News. 7 January 2002. *Animated images taken from http://www.animationfactory.com

Girl Child Essay

The International Day of the Girl Child initiative began as a project of Plan International, a non-governmental organization that operates worldwide. The idea for an international day of observance and celebration grew out of Plan International’s Because I Am a Girl campaign, which raises awareness of the importance of nurturing girls globally and in developing countries in particular. Plan International representatives in Canada approached the Canadian federal government to seek support for the initiative.[1] A coalition of supporters raised awareness of the initiative internationally. International Day of the Girl Child was formally proposed as a resolution by Canada in the United Nations General Assembly. Rona Ambrose, Canada’s Minister for the Status of Women, sponsored the resolution; a delegation of women and girls made presentations in support of the initiative at the 55th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly voted to pass a resolution adopting October 11, 2012 as the inaugural International Day of the Girl Child.[2] The resolution states that the Day of the Girl recognizes The empowerment of and investment in girls, which are critical for economic growth, the achievement of all Millennium Development Goals, including the eradication of poverty and extreme poverty, as well as the meaningful participation of girls in decisions that affect them, are key in breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full and effective enjoyment of their human rights, and recognizing also that empowering girls requires their active participation in decision-making processes and the active support and engagement of their parents, legal guardians, families and care providers, as well as boys and men and the wider community

Harivansh Rai Bachan Essay

Harivanshrai Srivastav (November 27, 1907 – January 18, 2003) was a Hindi poet. He born in an ordinary Kayasth family in a small town near Allahabad. He was called â€Å"bachchan† at home, which means â€Å"child.† He received his formal schooling in a municipal school and attended Kayasth Paathshaalas to learn Urdu, which was the family tradition so as to help getting jobs in court. He completed his later education both at the Allahabad University and Banaras Hindu University. Since he gave up his university education to participate in the great upsurge of nationalism that began in 1930. Realizing that this was not the path he wanted to follow, he went back to university. However from 1941 to 1952 he taught in the English Department at the Allahabad University and after that he spent the next two years at Cambridge University doing his doctoral thesis on W.B. Yeats. It was then, that he used ‘Bachchan’ as his last name instead of Srivasta. Harivanshrai’s thesis got him his PhD at Cambridge. He however is the second Indian to get his doctorate in English literature from Cambridge. After returning to India he again took to teaching and also served at All India Radio, Allahabad. In 1955, Harivanshrai shifted to Delhi to join the External Affairs Ministry as an officer on Special duty and during the period of 10 years that he served he was also associated with the evolution of Hindi as the official language. He also enriched Hindi through his translations of major writings. As a poet is famous for his poem Madhushala (a bar selling alcoholic drinks). Besides Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, he will also be remembered for his Hindi translations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Othello and also the Bhagvad Gita. However in Nov 1984 he wrote his last poem ‘Ek November1984’ on Indira Gandhi’s assassination. He got married to Shyama his first wife in 1926. She was just 14 yrs old. But she died 10 yrs later after suffering from a long spell of TB. Shortly after her death Harivanshrai married Teji Suri in 1942. The birth of his two sons Amitabh and Ajitabh changed the course of his life as his days of hardship ended when both his sons did extremely well in their careers – Amitabh became a superstar and a multi billionaire and Ajitab turned out to be a successful business magnate in England. Harivanshrai was nominated to the Indian Rajya Sabha in 1966 and received the Sahitya Akademi award three years later. In 1976 he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan for his immense contribution to Hindi literature. He was also honoured with the Saraswati Samman, the Sovietland Nehru Award and the Lotus Award of the Afro-Asian writers’ conference, for his unique contribution to the world of letters. But if ever asked to introduce himself, he had a simple introduction: Mitti ka tan, masti ka man, kshan-bhar jivan — mera parichay. (A body of clay, a mind full of play, a moment’s life – that is me.). Dr. Harivanshrai Bachchan’ passed away on January 18, 2003, Dr Bachchan was 94 years old and had been suffering from serious respiratory ailments.

Patient Education Plan for an Epilepsy Case of a Hispanic Family Unit Essay

Patient education is best when viewed as a personal way of conducting interpersonal communication between two people: the teacher and the learner. The learning process follows a method that should be apt per case and per person, centering more on the side of the learner and the attached circumstances, context, and environment. For clinical teaching that is bound by dynamic interrelationships and interactions, successful teaching and learning requires understanding three things: the learner, the learner, and the learner. It is best to come up with a patient education plan that would suit the specific case for a successful processing of the teaching and learning methods. Main Body The case In a given case wherein a Hispanic family, having low social economic and education status, and one that speaks only the Spanish language, acquires an epilepsy case on one of the parents’ male child (about 10 years old), extensive teaching is primarily needed to educate the parents and the patient on how to take care of an epileptic person. With the obvious lack of knowledge on the child’s disease, it is very obvious that they need to learn what the illness is all about, how it affects the child, how it would affect the family, and what they can do to lighten the effects of the said illness. The strategy should be dependent on the given case†¦ taking note of the basic challenges, such as the family’s lack of knowledge on the disease, their rigidity in terms of language, culture, and education, as well as the state of the child being male of Hispanic culture. The basic goal should be for the parents (and the patient) to understand essentially what the illness is all about, or what they should do during the attacks. The strategy The patient education plan is composed of five basic steps that should be processed effectively: first is the assessment stage; second is the planning stage; third is the implementation stage; fourth is the checking stage; fifth and final is the evaluation stage. For the assessment stage, we calculate the communication level of the learners. Significant issues have something to do with the ability to read and write, to understand and to be mindful of the said event. It would also be good to measure the level of willingness or the readiness to learn, the overall acceptance, and the basic attitude that they have. These are detrimental in designing the strategy that should match the specific context and case. Most probably the case would reveal a not-very-willing attitude, lack of motivation and acceptance, and an approach that centers on privacy and confidentiality. They would most probably choose to tackle the issue in a more private and personal way, with a need to leave their faith and ego intact by revealing that their case is not very life-threatening or very severe. For the planning stage, we design the things that they would need to know, as based on the assessment of needs that was conducted on the learners. It is definite that the general information on epilepsy should be included in patient education. Yet, before focusing on the basic facts about the illness, there first has to be some lectures centered on the following issues: first, the need for willingness by explaining how the child badly needs their support; second, the readiness to learn by revealing the things that they can do in order to help the child; third, the overall acceptance by explaining the general facts about epilepsy; finally, a motivated outlook by revealing to them that people are willing to help them and their child in battling over the disease. Reflecting over the case, it would be harder to give lectures on Hispanic people without learning how to communicate with them effectively. It would be best to find a nurse or medical employee, who is Spanish-speaking, who has a heart to help people, and who speaks effectively so as to motivate the learners more easily. For the implementation stage, the information can be sent by means of lecture, handouts, discussion, or demonstration. However, because the issue includes methods of treating the child during convulsion attacks (e. g. , putting spoon in the mouth, holding or speaking calmly to the child), it would be best to use methods that are conducted in face-to-face education and training. It would be best to instigate the use of lectures, discussions, and demonstrations. It is important, however, to choose a speaker who would be able to convey the basic ideas effectively. It is not important whether the lecture finishes in a day, a week or a month. What is more important is that the learners are able to grasp their mission concerning the child, and that there is nothing new or unusual about their having a sick child. It would also be best to include only the parents during the lecture period because the general biological pattern of the illness might frighten the child. The child can be included, however, during the discussion period, when the subject is being tackled more lightly; and during the demonstration period, when the focus shifts to practical methods used in handling the child. The checking stage can be conducted weekly during meetings with the physician. It is important that the parents and the child develop a personal bond with both the physician and the nurse for best treatment of the case. As for the evaluation stage, this is done only temporarily after the processing of patient education. In truth, however, patient education should go on until the time that the patient is already cured of his or her illness. Conclusion To deal with patients is to deal in a personal way. Given the specific case, this would probably mean having to find ways that would financially help the family in dealing with the challenges. The lack of knowledge and education mean longer and more meticulous methods in implementing the strategy. Being of Hispanic culture, male children are being regarded as the very hope, future, and foundation of the family. In using targeted individualized patient information, we come up with a strategy that is more effective, suitable, and appropriate.

Form for Summarizing and Evaluating Research Articles Essay

In terms of the social functioning of drug users, Kandel referred to numerous studies that have examined the effect of drug use on social functioning in adolescents and young adults. The author was interested in further examining this topic as it pertains to these individuals’ transitioning into adulthood. Previous studies cited by the author have addressed this topic from the standpoint of how marijuana use affects the age of marriage, but no previous study has looked at child-bearing practices. The author hypothesized that the delinquent behavior found in adolescent drug-users will similarly be found in drug-using parents. In terms of parenting style, Kandel cited studies on three widely-recognized parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive) and studies that examine child-bearing practices of drug users with data collected from clinical settings. The author questioned whether this data will be replicated by studies with general population samples. Evaluation: The literature review of the social functioning of drug users is thorough, and the research questions and hypotheses (both of which are clearly stated) are clearly justified by the literature review. Additionally, the section of literature review devoted to studies of parenting style and drug use is valuable as it cites studies that are more closely related to my own research interests. I question the author’s use of a three-tiered description of parenting style as a four-tiered model (authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful) is more commonly used. Methods: Kandel collected the data from 1,277 people (ages 28-29) she has been following since 1971 (and thus she has amassed considerable information on the history of their drug use). Data was obtained from two-hour long personal interviews with the subjects. Questions were asked about parenting style in relation to the oldest child in their care and about the history of use of 12 different drug classes. Questions about children’s behavior and parenting issues were taken from previously issued questionnaires and not designed specifically for this study. Many of the questions about drug use were also taken from previously issued studies. Evaluation: The large sample size and the large body of information about the subjects’ drug use lend credibility to the study. The results of the study, however, might be skewed as the only people interviewed were the parents. As the parents have a history of drug use, and abuse, I would not implicitly trust all of their responses about parenting style and the behavior of their children. It would have been helpful if, for instance, teachers were interviewed about the behavior of the children implicated in the study. It would also have been appreciated if the author had discussed why the pre-existing questionnaires were chosen. Were these particular questionnaires ones with a proven track-record of statistically reliable results? Are they the most-widely used in the field? Are there any shortcomings of these questionnaires? Results: The study found that the strongest associations between childrearing patterns and child behavior are between parent discipline and child aggression and between parental closeness and child attachment to the parent. The data is broken down by gender of parent, and different results were found for maternal and paternal parenting styles for many of the child behavior patterns. Then, Kandel looked at the data to see patterns between drug involvement and marital/parenting status. Drug users (both current and former) are more likely to be single with no children. Next, she examined the relationship between drug involvement and parenting style and found â€Å"very few statistically significant relationships† (p. 189). Finally, she looked for associations between drug use and the children’s behavior, finding that maternal drug use is strongly associated with problems controlling children. Evaluation: Though the tables displaying the statistical analysis of the results provide the number of respondents who fall into the categories being discussed, the text itself contains none of these numbers. For instance, nowhere in the text does the author give the number of drug using mothers. From one of the tables, I found this number to be 166 (a very small sample given the number of participants in the study). Discussion and Conclusions: Kandel was quick to note the limitations of this study and the need for further research to fill these limitations. She also positioned this study and its findings within the framework of previous studies and remarked on the larger implications of her study. Evaluation: The implications of this study can be tied directly to my own research project. Kandel notes that â€Å"conduct problems in childhood and early adolescence are among the most important precursors of adolescent drug involvement† (p. 192). Overall Assessment of Quality: This is, in general, an average article. The conclusions came directly from the results, the methodology met the demands of the research question, and the research question grew out of the literature review. However, I have some concerns about the discussion of parenting style (only three types of parenting are considered), the unquestioned use of pre-existing questionnaires, and the lack of acknowledgment of ethical issues. Complete Reference: Adalbjarnardottir, S. & Hafsteinsson, L. G. (2001). Adolescents’ Perceived Parenting Styles and their Substance Use: Concurrent and Longitudinal Analyses. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 11 (4), 401-423. Abstract: The concise abstract provides details on the study, the participants, the questions that were asked, the variables, and the findings. This abstract indicates that this article is essential to my research. Evaluation: The abstract is absolutely extraordinary in the amount of detail that is provided in so few words. Introduction: This study developed from previous research in which it was suggested, but not proven, that interpersonal processes (such as parental and peer factors) are effective predictors of substance use. Evaluation: The introduction’s assertion for the necessity of this research is convincing. Literature Review: The authors presented a detailed review of the literature on the following topics: family socialization and tobacco and alcohol consumption, parenting style, and the discrimination of licit and illicit drugs in studies of this nature. They noted an important oversight in previous research: most studies of adolescent substance abuse have focused on single dimensions of parenting style (some studies focus on support, some on control, etc. ). In order to correct this lapse, the authors used Lamborn’s four-fold typology of parenting style. The distinction between licit and illicit drugs is germane to this study as cultural perceptions of licit and illicit drug use are omnipresent in Icelandic culture. The three hypotheses of this study are very clearly expressed: â€Å"adolescents from authoritative families would report lower levels of licit drug use,† â€Å"adolescents from neglectful families would report higher levels of licit drug use,† and â€Å"adolescents from neglectful families would report higher use of illicit drugs† (pp. 405-406). Evaluation: The authors clearly point out areas in which previous research is valuable and areas in which it can be improved upon. Their analyses of prior studies provide clear justification for their own study. The clear development of the research questions and hypotheses from the literature review is reflected in the organization of the article: the introduction and literature review are combined into one section. Methods: An initial sample of 1,293 14-year old students (all native Icelanders, all Lutheran, and all speaking Icelandic as a first language) participated in the study at base-line. 928 of these students participated in a follow-up session three years later. Of these students, 347 could be classified into one of the four family types. These 347 students form the nucleus of the study. The authors chose these 347 students in order to compare the results of the concurrent and longitudinal analyses. Because the authors wanted to ensure that neglectful families were represented in their study, they used passive consent procedures (as opposed to active consent). The students filled in the self-report questionnaire during school hours. The questions asked about cigarette smoking, alcohol use, illicit drug use, parental and peer substance use, socioeconomic status, and parenting styles. The authors used logistic regression analyses to determine whether parenting style (as perceived at age 14) presented a significant risk factor for substance use at the time of the baseline screening as well as three years later. The following variables were considered: gender, socioeconomic status (later considered insignificant), smoking at age 14, drinking at age 14, smoking of parents, drinking of parents, smoking of peers, drinking of peers, parenting style, daily smoking at 17, heavy drinking at 17, and illicit substance abuse. Evaluation: The discussion of methodology is thorough, and the study is well-designed to answer the research questions. The authors gave examples of the types of questions that were asked as well as the choices of answers. The variables are clearly described and defined, and the description of the measurement processes is clear. The authors were quick to answer any potential ethical questions that might arise: they noted that the students were not paid for the study, and they provided a rationale for their use of passive consent procedures. One concern I have is that the authors only considered hashish and amphetamines in their questions about illicit drug use; they did not consider other types of illicit drugs or misuse of prescription medications. Results: The authors used both descriptive data analysis as well as inferential data analysis. In their attrition analysis, the authors found that students who perceived their parents as neglectful were more likely to drop out of the study. The authors cautioned that this might have somewhat skewed the results of their study. The authors found that parenting styles, gender, and peer smoking were indicators of smoking at age 14. Smoking at 14 and parental smoking were the sole indicators of daily smoking at 17. Parenting style and peer drinking were predictive of drinking at 14. Parenting style, peer drinking, and drinking at 14 were associated with heavy drinking at 17. Parenting style, smoking at 14/17, drinking at 14/17, and gender were associated with illicit drug use. Evaluation: The descriptive analysis clearly summarizes the participants and variables. The statistical analyses are appropriate to the research questions and hypotheses. However, as the authors noted, there is a lack of data about 17-year old students with neglectful parents. Discussion and Conclusions: The authors detected a general relation, as expected, between parenting styles and adolescent substance use. Their results support previous research which had suggested that adolescents with authoritative parents were less likely to use substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. In some respects, the results of this study differ from previous European and American studies, a fact which led the authors to question the extent to which cultural differences affect adolescent drug use. The authors were careful to note and discuss three limitations of their study: the self-report measures, the method used to assess parenting style, and the attrition rate. Evaluation: One weakness of the discussion section is that the authors do not identify many ways in which this study opens the door to future research. Overall Assessment of Quality: This is a high-quality article that directly bears on the subject of my own research project. The primary strength of this article lies in how well-organized the study was, from the original research questions to the conclusions. The authors noted the limitations, and potential weaknesses, of the study, but their accounting for these factors is satisfactory. My primary concern with the study is that the authors did not draw enough distinction between the types of illicit drug use. This is an area that I will consider in my own study.