Discrimination Against Homosexuals in the Military Essay

Since 1993 more than 14,500 service members were fired under the law of †Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† (sldn. org). In 1950, President Harry S. signed the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which set up the discharge rules for homosexual service members. People wanting to serve their country were being discriminated and discharged because of their sexuality. Then in 1982, Ronald Reagan proposed a defense directive that states â€Å"Homosexuality is incompatible with military service† and people who engaged in homosexual acts or stated that they were homosexual or bisexual were discharged. In 1992, Bill Clinton, as a presidential candidate, promised to lift the ban. Finally in 1993, when Bill Clinton was elected president, he proposed a compromise that he named â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell†. This law issued a defense directive that military applicants should not be able to be asked about their sexual orientation (Washington Post). Homosexuals being discriminated in the military have grabbed the attention of people all around the world. The question on whether or not homosexuals should have the right to serve in the military was a hotly debated topic in politics for the past few years. Even after the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, will our society be ready to accept others? The research started with searching â€Å"Homosexuals in the military†. Then â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell† and personal stories of gays in the military was found. Unfortunately, no books could be found on this topic, but articles from top newspapers became a valid choice. Documentaries and podcasts were also looked at. Good sources were easy to find because the topic was so controversial in the US, so the news articles came in handy. The repeal of â€Å"Don’t Ask Don’t Tell† was all over US news websites, and news clips from YouTube were found. Last fall, a pentagon study was released that said a majority of the US forces, more than 70%, said that serving with homosexuals would have no negative effect on them. Forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan had a different response. 58% of combat marines said that they would prefer not to serve with homosexuals. Since the repeal in late September, the effect has been positive on quite a lot of people. The main people who are opposed to the repeal are the military chaplains. The majority of the 3,000 active chaplains are conservative Christians. A retired chaplain, named Brigadier General Douglas Lee, is one of the 66 retired chaplains that wrote a letter to President Obama, urging him to not go through with the repeal. In a video showing the effects (positive and negative) of the repeal, shows Brigadier General Douglas Lee talking about â€Å"Don’t ask, Don’t Tell†. He says, â€Å"Homosexuality is one of a multitude of sins. Chaplains help people wrestle with the sins that bisect them and their lives. The problem with this repeal is that this particular sin is being legitimized as being normal and okay†. The problem with the non acceptance of the chaplains is that many and most conservative Christians believe that homosexuality, like all of the other sins in the bible, is a lifestyle choice (Pbs. org). According to another Pentagon Study, thirty-five other countries allow homosexuals to serve openly with no negative effect (Sldn.  org). Consider two men, both wanting to serve their country, one is gay and one is straight. They get all of the same test scores, and pass, yet only the straight guy is let in, not because of anything else other than his sexuality. If the same circumstances had happened, instead with a man and a woman, it would be sexist. If one was white and the other was black, it would be racist. All of the victims of these situations would have protection under the law and could sue, except for the homosexual. The homosexual has no legal protection from the government (Library in a book: Gay Rights). The repeal could be the first step to changing this. September 20th 2011, Obama stated, â€Å"As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members. And today, as Commander in Chief, I want those who were discharged under this law to know that your country deeply values your service†(UStoday. com). Military bases around the US have been holding sessions for service members to educate them on the repeal of â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell†. They say, â€Å"You are not expected to change your religious or moral beliefs, however you are obligated to treat all others with dignity and respect† (Pbs. org). It seems as though that our society has been coping positively since the repeal. There are always going to be some people who will not stray from their views, but the percentages are going up and more and more people are willing to except homosexuals serving freely in the US.

How Does Wal Mart Motivate Their Employees

Wal Mart motivates their employees with health and financial benefits. Some of these include health, dental and life insurance, and an eyewear program. Employees also receive a 401(k) plan, have the opportunity to purchase stock, receive a discount card and can receive special discounts on travel and entertainment.My work at Walmart is about savings, but my benefits are about security. I'm Making Better Possible. Melissa, Pharmacy TechOur Benefits team works hard to offer associates comprehensive and affordable benefits to help you stay healthy. When you become an associate, you can take advantage of a variety of great benefits for you and your family, including: Health & Well-Being BenefitsConsumer-directed health plans, including Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA) plans and a high deductible plan with a Health Savings Account (HSA). Highlights include: 100 percent coverage for eligible in-network preventive care $4 co-pay on eligible generic drugs at Walmart or Sam’s Club p harmacies Free access to nurse care managers and health care advisors HMO plans (available in certain areas)Vision plan Dental plan Resources For Living ® – a free confidential counseling and health information service Company-paid life insurance Accidental death & dismemberment insurance (AD&D) Critical illness insurance Short- and long-term disability insurance Business Travel Accident Insurance Illness Protection (Sick Time) Financial BenefitsMatching contributions to your 401(k) up to 6% of your salary Associate Stock Purchase Plan with a company match Associate Discount Card for Walmart and Home Office associates and Sam’s Club Home Office associates, spouses and dependents Sam’s Club associates receive a complimentary membership Exclusive discounts on everything from brand new cars and wireless services to travel when associates visit our online Associate Discount Center – more than 375 discounts available

Explain the differences in similarities between french regional Essay

Explain the differences in similarities between french regional geography and the development of cultural landscape geography under the influence of carl sauer - Essay Example His argument that ‘human cultural action’ that shapes the visible features of earth’s surface through culture remains unquestioned. He said, culture provokes action, responses and adaptation by humans. â€Å"Culture is the agent, the natural area is the medium, the cultural landscape is the result. Under the influence of a given culture, itself changing through time, the landscape undergoes development, passing through phases, and probably reaching ultimately the end of its cycle of development. With the introduction of a different – that is an alien – culture, a rejuvenation of the cultural landscape sets in, or a new landscape is superimposed on remnants of an older one,† Sauer (1925), The Morphology of Landscape.† University of California Publications. French regional geography was the effect of external forces taking place in other spheres of France. As Sauer argued, French regional geography, like any other part of the world, showed every sign, every scar and mark of history and culture on it. The static growth of the rural areas during the long rule of monarchy, the chaos and the horrifying bloodshed during French Revolution, impact of Napoleonic wars and aftermath, success over the vast oceans, usurping new colonies and competing to retain them, struggling for supremacy amongst other European powers, wars faced by France, the various political, cultural, military, historical and economic upheavals of the country are etched on the French landscape over centuries. Sauer says (Northern Mists) that France lost most of her ports and her north and southwest regions were ravaged during the war of hundred years. Napoleon’s wars had left bitter memories in both France and Britain. The country’s culture altered after Frenc h revolution, and so did the French landscape. Newly attained colonies had left far reaching impacts on European nations. Use of

Debt and Taxes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Debt and Taxes - Essay Example The study recommends that there be further research on the best ways of finding a balance between the two. Debt and Tax Introduction With increased concerns on the fluctuation of the world’s economy, governments have been on focus on the way they have handled these shifts. Borrowing and taxation have been largely used by various governments through fiscal policy to offset the imbalances that have been created by constant economic downfalls. Most governments have historically relied on domestic taxes for the facilitation of various expenditures. However, with pressure that arises from budget deficits, it is usually common to hear of governments borrowing to make up for the deficits in their expenditure plans. In addition, for an individual borrower, it is usually a general principle that the amount loaned out is considered to be part of income and therefore subjected to taxation. Consequently, it has been generally concluded by many researchers that taxation is the best way to ensure that firms utilize debt in their capital structure. Such is the complex relationship between debt and tax that there are various dynamics towards the two concepts as illustrated in economics. In view of the mentioned relationship between tax and debt, this paper will explore the various issues that come up as a result of the close examination of the two concepts. The economic implications, justifications of fiscal measures with relation to the two and other arguments on the relationship between the two concepts will be discussed. This will be done through use of available literature on the two issues. As a result, the paper will finally make conclusions with regards to the relationship and implications of taxation and debt policies by governments. In addition, the paper will identify and recommend the areas on the two concepts that will need further research. To begin, it is important to understand the significance and meaning of the two terms with respect to the underlying d iscussions. Taxes are the main fiscal policy instruments largely employed by federal governments to ensure that there are balances on earnings in particular areas of the economy as well as have a resource pool for the financing of public expenditure for the benefit of the citizens. Taxation is therefore a tool used by treasury to ensure that citizens and firms operating in the economy contribute to a larger pool where the government can draw funds for its smooth functioning as well as provide basic amenities and services like healthcare, education and security to all citizens (Simpson 4). There are various categories of taxes with respect to various economies. The United States’ economy, for instance, has three basic categories of taxation. Simpson (6) enlists them as progressive tax, regressive tax and proportional tax. On the other hand, debt is as a result of borrowing by the government, firms or an individual. Usually, the most debts attract interests which are paid on to p of the money borrowed for a specified period of time. As a result, taxation is connected with debt because the interest payable is classified as income and is therefore subjected to taxation. Taxation is used by government for fiscal policy measures that may be aimed at regulating the economy. For instance, in cases where there is a slow economic growth, governments may reduce taxation to some sectors to encourage borrowing and expenditure which therefore translates to growth.

Important Values in an Organization Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Important Values in an Organization - Assignment Example It also gears to respect the dignity of fellow employees and all citizens (FPDW, 2012). Another core value is striving for excellence in every activity by the department. The department values team effort and professionalism in providing effective safety services. Another value is the provision of customer service at a high level always. The department strives to work with the community and other departments so as to provide a high level of service to businesses, residents and visitors. The final core value is that the department seeks a high level of moral and ethical conduct in its services (FPDW, 2012). The mission of Bristol CT Police department is to serve and protect the community with professionalism and integrity by enforcing federal, state and local laws in addition to encouraging community involvement in its day to day activity (BPDW, 2012). There are several core values embraced by the department. They include quality of service. The department strives to provide a high level of excellence and improve its services. Another value is respect. The department treats everyone with respect in every interaction. Teamwork is another value. The department sustains an environment where there is respect for the individual opinion while still allowing consensus in arriving at a common goal. Creativity is another value embraced by the department. The department encourages risk-taking so as to try out new approaches and ideas which might help improve service delivery. Accountability is another value in which the department takes ownership in everything they do. Leadership is another value embraced by the department. The department seeks to inspire the community to achieve its goals by leading by example (BPDW, 2012). The above values are important in guiding and shaping an organization. Respect leads to positive esteem feeling for persons in and out of the organization. Respect is of fundamental importance to people within an organization such as police departments.  

Sickle Cell Trait Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sickle Cell Trait - Research Paper Example Clark has been declared unfit for the game because of a blood disorder called sickle cell trait. Sickle cell trait is a sub-type of sickle cell anemia in which the person has one normal gene and the other abnormal sickle cell gene. Thus, although he does not manifest with the serious blood disorder symptoms but his previous medical history points out that he is at risk of developing serious organ complications. The coach Mike Tomlin explained that Clark had experienced spleen and gall bladder problems in the 2007 game and eventually had to end his game. He had suffered from a serious sickle cell crisis because of the hypoxic conditions caused by the demanding game. Thus they have decided in light of the data to limit him from the upcoming game (Moisse 2012). Dr. Jasmine Zain describing the condition stated that sickle cell trait individuals live a normal life and are sometimes not even aware of their hematological pathology. However, under circumstances of severe hypoxia like high-al titude or strenuous exercises, the hemoglobin forms crystals in the red blood cells and they lose their functional and structural capacity. This leads to sluggish blood flow and blockage of blood vessels. The final outcome is loss of function of organs, stroke, intense joint pain or even cardiac problems. For professional athletes oxygen demand is crucial during the exercise. On the other hand, people with full-blown sickle cell anemia, both the genes are abnormal and they do not have normal hemoglobin at all. This type is associated with serious symptoms and complications and is sometimes also fatal. With new advancements in therapeutic strategies, the life expectancy of sickle cell disease has increased up to 40, 50 and even 60. With these treatment methods, the concentrations of abnormal hemoglobin levels in the blood can be reduced to manage the blood disorder. The permanent cure for sickle cell disease is only bone marrow transplant from preferably a healthy sibling (Moisse 201 2). Clark has stated in the article that sitting back in the benches during the game is indeed discouraging and he hopes that things would get better so that he gets a chance to be a part of the team again (Moisse 2012). Sickle cell trait is a blood disorder which might be neglected or ignored because of its less obvious clinical presentation. But, sickle cell trait individuals have to take certain precautionary measures in order to avoid the associated complications as mentioned earlier. They have to avoid extreme exercise regimens or visiting high altitude areas as this would ultimately increase their blood’s oxygen demand. Although, they are safe from the major signs and symptoms which are associated with sickle cell disease, sickle cell trait individuals still have to face some restrictions and limitations in their everyday life. If we reflect in our everyday life and sickle cell trait implications, outdoor sports and exercise are significantly affected. Children, who are interested in sports which require strenuous physical activity like cricket, soccer, rugby, basketball, tennis and other such games, will have to restrict themselves because of their condition. Some children might show more severe symptoms in reaction to hypoxia as compared to others. However, every sickle cell trait individual is at risk of organ-failure complications and sickle cell crisis in response

OP-ED columnist Joe Nicera Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

OP-ED columnist Joe Nicera - Research Paper Example Pamela Cantor’s research which was based on high poverty schools. Throughout his article, Nocera adopts an informative and discursive tone in order to enlighten his readers about the gravity of the consequences the effects of poverty have on the educational system as well as to motivate them to deal with this issue. According to an article, high poverty schools take up about 40% of schools in cities but their average scores are very low compared to other schools. (Christine Armario, 2010). The article opens with the mention of Dr. Pamela Cantor’s speech, titled â€Å"Innovative Designs for persistently Low-Performing Schools†. It then moves on to talk about how Dr. Cantor has studied the effects of poverty on education. Nocera informs his audience that â€Å"chaos reigned† in schools where there was a high poverty level. The teachers were not equipped to bring order to chaos and the â€Å"most disruptive children dominated the schools†. These school s are normally populated by levels of racial minorities. (Mike Green, 2011). Needless to say, these schools were functioning as schools should be. Nocera explains the findings of Dr. Cantor’s research in order to build a base for the discussion about how to tackle and eliminate these effects in the longer run. He goes on to describe how the â€Å"Turnaround for Children† came about as Dr. ... Poverty figures have become more serious since September 2011, when it was quoted by the NY Times that about one out of five people in New York could be categorized as poor. (Sam Roberts, 2011). Approximately half of America’s children live in high poverty districts according to a census done in 2011. (Lisa Lambert, 2011). A map that depicting changes in poverty in the United States shows that poverty in America is becoming a rising trend; where once in 2010 only 15.1% Americans were living below the line, today, two years later, that number is much higher. (Andy Hull, Nick McClellan and Troy Schneider, 2012). Turnaround plays an important part in this issue because it is working to â€Å"bridge an important divide† by facing the issues high-poverty schools face â€Å"head-on† instead of beating around the bush with them. Nocera then shifts to a brief discussion of how this project operates and how it creates a â€Å"positive, disciplined culture† by motiv ating the students about how they can excel in school and education in general. He goes on to clarify that even though this project is of extreme importance; it is still in its experimental stages and is â€Å"relatively small†. Results of Turnaround’s efforts in various schools have shown that the schools that they had worked on were on average â€Å"calmer, safer, indeed, happier places† however, they should work more on improving academic environment if they want to achieve better results from this venture. Nocera moves towards the closing of his article by mentioning again, Dr. Cantor’s speech mentioned first in the very beginning of his article. He explains how her speech talked

Development of the professional role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Development of the professional role - Essay Example I have selected this episode of practice, individualized care, because it is the section I took most of my time learning and had a vast experienced and involvement with other practitioners. I will use Gibbs Reflective Cycle to discuss this episode, my experiences, my actions, and lessons learned during the practice. Through the use of Gibbs Reflective Model, I will address clinical decision making, management, leadership and teamwork, delegation and supervision of others, quality assurance, and continuing professional development. I will address the above mentioned themes in relation to Gibbs Reflective Cycle of how I have developed in these areas during my training to date. I will also use Gibbs Reflective Cycle to demonstrate my fitness to practice and reflect on my personal and professional development, and the skills needed to be utilized in order to enhance my practice. The Gibbs Reflective Model is a six step cycle structured method which enables the students to explore their feelings and thoughts and encourages an action plan and analysis with the aim of challenging practice and improving knowledge (Brown 2007). The aim of this reflection will focus on individualized care for a patient of a man, who I will not mention the name in order to protect his anonymity. The reflection will equally examine my feelings and thoughts, evaluations, and critical appraisal of the care given to the patient in line with the National Health Service. While on placement in Emergency and Accident Department, I was assigned a patient under individualized care, to record his follow-up vital signs and document my findings on a chart. I was supposed to observe any deterioration and report and discharge or recommend referrals where possible as a health professional in charge of ensuring safe and effective discharge of patients from the hospital to their homes. This reflection is aligned with the policies established by the 2010 Quality Health Framework. The

Business Ethic (Case study) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Ethic (Case study) - Essay Example The term ethics loosely refers to a distinction that is made between something that is morally good from bad in the way individuals behave. On the other hand, business ethics refers to the values, principles and standards that operate within an organisation and these attempt to make a distinction between business practice that is morally good from bad (Rossouw 2004). From this assertion, it can be noted that the concept of business ethics mainly derives from the value system that is used by a particular organisation in its operations towards the attainment of its set goals. Thus, DesJardins (2006) defines values as â€Å"essential and enduring tenets that help define the company and are not to be compromised for financial gain or short term expediency,† (p. 5). In view of the above definition of ethics, it can however, be noted that at times there is no universal agreement on what constitutes something that is good or bad. Thus, certain incidences arise at times in business wh ere some people are no longer certain whether some actions should be considered as right or wrong (Hiti, 1999). People may look at the same thing but some may view it as morally bad while others will have a different view. This constitutes an ethical dilemma in business when people have conflicting views over a particular issue. In as far as business is concerned, it can be noted that the main objective is to gain profits and at times the issue of ethics is compromised for financial gains. Against this background, the ethical dilemma facing Gerald Smarten, CEO of Kaspa Financial Services is making a decision whether or not to offer assistance through providing the lobby and cafeteria of their building as temporary shelter for the victims of the fatal subway bombing as requested by the police department which is disputed by Ben and others. Ben the general counsel could not imagine the first floor of the Kaspa Tower being transformed into a shelter of bleeding victims and bodies of th e dead citing that the facilities will suffer bad damages and create a bad image to the investors who may pull out their money as there would be chances that they may link the firm to the terrorist attack. The dilemma here is whether they can be humane by offering the requested shelter against the need to safeguard the business interests of the firm with regards to the long term relations with the investors. Of notable concern is that the bombing has taken place very close to their office building and 23 of their employees are missing which entails that they may also have been caught up in the attack. Legally they may say no, but morally, they also ought to show a humane face by offering assistance during an unprecedented crisis. 2. The utilitarian, virtue, deontological and libertarian ethics perspectives will be used in this section to compare and contrast the dilemma(s) that have been identified in the given case study. According to the utilitarian theory, â€Å"the choice that yields the greatest benefit to the majority of people is ethically correct compared to the choice that only benefit the organisation as well as its financial gains,† (Rainbow, 2002). This ethical perspective actually encourages people to work towards the outcomes that will give an advantage to the majority o

Wreiter choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wreiter choice - Essay Example it is proposed that all history students should first be asked to read this book before starting on their course as it provides a world of perspectives to history without having to dumb down the historically accepted facts and information of humanity and the earth existence (Christian). This is what makes the book, especially unique in the development of summary for the Invitation to Insight (HU 114) And Reading for Life (UH 113) courses. In the invitation to the insight, I have learned to put into application deductive thinking from the study of the book. I can regularly apply my knowledge in such areas as; religion, science, literature and art to simulate the various viewpoints cultured from the book yet applicable in my academic course with great respect to context. In the Reading for life course, there is the absolute relationship between the book and the course where the book presents a worldview that encompasses the variety that is life and a wealth of knowledge across the ages in human history that is second to none. The significant role played by this book, of the two courses, is significantly important yet second to none. Its applications are limitless both to academia and to the acquisition of knowledge for its

Individual human identity Essay Example for Free

Individual human identity Essay It also means that importance of social class decreasing, but instead of class the role of status increased rapidly. For instance to show status people buy expensive cars and exclusive clothes. Differences in social classes could influence personal identity, because identity related to social groups to which the identity belongs, for example nationality, culture, ethnicity, sexuality, gender and class. First of all identity is a sense of self that develops as the child differentiates from parents and family and take a place in society (Jary and Jary, 1991:p665). Identity also formed through some combinations of individual choice and structured group membership (for example in Arab countries Muslim women can`t drive the car). In additional, people could express their aspects of identity in a different way. For example clothing, which clothes choose to wear to show gender, post modernism or class; language, which words to use when people speak with fiends to show class, educational background and gender. It is goes without saying that even though class no longer exists, but we could easily identify person`s class, status and possessions from their clothing and way of behaving. The principle of the identity is closely linked to the idea of culture. As I have already mentioned identities could also be formed through the cultures to which people belong to. Culture is the language, beliefs, values and norms, customs, dress, diet, roles, knowledge and skills which make up the way of life of an individual society (Ralph Linton, 1945). For example norms and diet, in the UK at 17 o`clock most people have their couple of tea. Culture includes teaching and learning such process like socialization. We gain our identity through socialisation. Socialisation is the process by which we, as individuals, become members of our society or culture. We are also active participants in this process we decide what to accept or reject. Process of learning culture or socialization includes family, school, peer, media and religion. For example: family, your parents give you name, first beliefs and tastes; school, teaches person rules and gives knowledge; religion, teach people to appreciate some values; peers, teach person how to socialize; media, gives people ideas about gender, status and class. Modern sociologists also think that being of a different class may involve differences in culture, economic circumstances, educational status, dietary preferences, housing conditions, property ownership and power. For example, differences in culture, people who are from middle and upper middle class in free time visit museums and theatres, whereas working class visits pubs. One of the important factors in peoples culture and identity is social mobility, the ability to move from one class to another. For example, moving from the working to the middle class. Nowadays class, gender, sex, race and kinship have less influence on human identity. It is becoming more important human`s talent, knowledge, ambition and hard working abilities for achieving a good position in the class system. World sociology has changed greatly, beginning of the XXI centuries gave to the UK a lot of new. New national socio economic classifying statistics (NS SEC), which replaced Registrar Generals classification. New sociologists have another view on dividing society into social classes. For instance class has been defined consisted of eight major classes. The first four is middle class, which include higher managerial and professional occupations, lower, intermediate occupations, small employers and own account workers. The other four is manual workers, including lower supervisory and technical, semi routine occupations, routine occupations and never worked people. A big and new tendency had happened in modern Britain: the number of manual workers declines year by year. If for example in 1911 a percentage of manual workers was about 81%, in the year 2000 this percentage twice declined and become about 40% of total workforce. This become possible first of all because of developing new technologies: technique makes most manual work. Secondly because of changing of economical situation such as increasing life standards and education system. Traditionally social classes have been the main concept for understanding society, its behaviour or social conflicts, and predict the main movements of social behavior. Today`s sociologists in developed countries see classes like a historical phenomenon. The same view on social classes has Pakulski and Waters. They thought that class is no longer important factor in a human identity. According to Pakulski, we could pick out four main features such as cultuaralism, fragmentation, autonomization and resignification. For instance autonomization, which means that today`s people are not told what to do, they do what makes sense to them. For example, British working class is less likely to vote for the British Labour Party than it once was. To sum up, in this essay we discussed the different aspects of inequalities; we have seen that the UK is one of the most unequal societies. Inequalities of wealth, which means that one tenth of the UK population owns more than seventy percent of total wealth. Inequalities of income are significant, but welfare policy of the government such as taxation does have a huge effect in reducing the incomes between rich and poor. Finally, because of the government policy and developing new technologies, class has lost its power in the collective sense, however class would still remain fundamental to culture and human.

Alternate Energy Sources: An Analysis

Alternate Energy Sources: An Analysis Due to the predicted shortage of fossil fuels and other non-renewable energy sources, research is now looking at alternatives. These alternatives are known as renewable energy. Renewable energy effectively uses natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat, which can be naturally replenished. If the use of renewable energy isnt explored for future use, we may be living without appliances we take for granted today. For example, imagine a winter without a heater and a summer without air-conditioning, and day-to-day life without televisions, cars, washing machines, even lights. The earth could get to a stage where it was so severely scarred from people trying to find more energy sources, that the damage is irreversible. With the current consumption rate of non-renewable energy, this scenario may very well be the state of the planet in future years. Hence, this paper will explore the use of the alternate energy source, solar power for present and future use. The advantages and disadvantages of the energy source will be discussed, in relation to its technological, economical, viability factors. In doing so, the paper will attempt to prove that not only is solar energy as an alternate energy source better for the environment, but also verify that it is better for our economy in the long run. Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 4 1.1 Overview of Solar Energy 4 1.2 Everyday Usage 6 2.0 Technological Viability 6 2.1 Efficiency 8 3.0 Environmental Sustainability 8 4.0 Economical 9 5.0 Conclusion 10 References 11 1.0 Introduction In todays climate of growing energy needs and increasing environmental concern, alternatives to the use of non-renewable and polluting fossil fuels have to be investigated. We have only really been looking at the possibility of solar power seriously for the past fifty years, and fossil run machines and power plants have been researched for the past century. In the journal article, Photovoltaics A Path to Sustainable Futures, Joshua M. Pierce states that since 1957, electricity demand in the US has increased by over 450% while the US population has increased by only 50%, which illustrates how the demand for electricity has grown.It has been estimated that we only have 50 to 70 years left of all fossil fuels at the current consumption rate. This is a scary figure, considering that as soon as 2050 there could be no more food to feed the industrialized machine. Something will have to change, its obvious, and renewable energy is the most logical answer . Green Peace India defines Renewable Energy as a sustainable energy source that comes from the natural environment that is perennial. Clean Renewable Energy are those, which do not contribute to any sort of emission harmful to lives such as radiation, carbon, or involve extractive processes, or which would cause large scale displacement of people or destruction of land and forest covers. (Green Peace India, 2009). In other words, renewable energy can be taken continuously from the natural environment and does not affect the normal activities in the biosphere. One such renewable energy source being considered for future use is solar energy. Photovoltaics, photo meaning light and voltaic meaning electricity, is one of the fastest growing solar energy technologies. Photovoltaic devices, or solar cells, use semiconductor material to directly convert sunlight into electricity. Overview Solar Energy Solar cells, primarily made of silicon, absorb sunlight which contains photons, the energy by-products of the nuclear reaction in the sun. The photons release electrons that are captured in the form of an electric current which is used as electricity. This is also known as the photoelectric effect. Solar energy is the oldest type of energy found on earth, as it is as old as the sun. Every second the world receives 95.8 trillion watts of power, (Pearce, 2002). That is well beyond the amount of power used in one day. It is unknown when humans began using solar energy to improve their lifestyles. As far as we know, people have always used the sun for growth, vision and warmth. Some of the first ancient cultures to use solar energy as heating were those from the deserts, and dry areas. (Goswami, 1997) It was however recorded that countries such as Egypt, Libya and Algeria would build thick walls of mud to protect them from their harsh climate. For example, during the hot days the wall would absorb the suns energy, leaving the huts cool, and during the night when temperature were much colder, the walls when emit the days heat inside. (Goswami, 1997) Throughout history people have experimented with the many uses of the suns power. In the 17th century, scientists in Europe began rediscovering the sun. When a French scientist proved that the suns rays could melt copper and fuse pieces of iron if concentrated and focused through a glass prism, people began to see the usable power of the sun. In the 1690s an Italian scientist invented a solar furnace that was so hot it could shatter a diamond, one of the hardest substances on earth (Goswami, 1997) Using the sun to produce energy was explore in greater lengths in the 19th century. During this time, an engineer named Frank Shuman, made a breakthrough. He built a plant that used black troughs covered in glass with a few inches of water. This was exposed to the sun, the water would become very hot, causing it to circulate and power an electric generator. He was able to find financial backers and built the worlds first solar electric power plant in Egypt. However, the Eastern Sun Power Company went out of business even though it was using free fuel. It didnt produce enough electricity for the area that it used, 14,000 sq. ft of sun-collecting land. (Pearce, 2002) In 1954 Bell Laboratories invented the first photovoltaic (or solar) cell, made from the semi-conductor silicon, and other elements. It was the first way to convert sunlight directly into electricity. These solar cells were chosen as the power source for the satellites in the 1960s, because they can be small and light, and dont need heavy batteries or other types of generating electricity. After NASA and other major researchers backed solar energy, the technology greatly improved. The first major use of solar cells, other than in satellite, were various emergency units and in remote areas where power lines couldnt be reached. (Energy Matters Pty Ltd). In these situations, it was more expensive to run power lines than to purchase the costly solar equipment. For example, in the high mountains of Papua New Guinea, where there is too much jungle for easy access, there are necessary telephone lines run by solar power and only visited for routine check-ups. 1.2 Everyday Usage Numerous devices for collecting solar energy and converting it into electricity have been developed throughout the years, and solar energy is now being used in a variety of ways. As well as supplying energy to residential homes and companies, they are popularly used in agriculture where they supply the power to pump water, prevent ice from forming on ponds where livestock drink, heating barns to keep animals from freezing, and temporary lighting. They are also used to operate electric dams in areas that cannot be supplied by power lines. Solar powered objects have started to appear quite commonly in many consumer items such as watches, radios, calculators, rechargeable batteries, flashlights, etc. The main attraction in these items is that you dont have to replace the batteries, which saves money in the long run. (International Solar Energy, 2006) 2.0 Technological Viability The time in which solar energy is available, is also the time we least need it least daytime. One disadvantage of solar power, according to International Solar Energy is its consistency and reliability. Solar-powered devices rely on the steady delivery photon to keep the electricity generating process going, as discussed previously. When the sun falls below the horizon at night, photons stop striking the solar panels and the power drops instantly. However, the improvement in technological advancement over the last few years, have seen the construction of a solution. As the suns energy cannot be stored for use another time, we need to convert the suns energy into an energy that can be stored. Due to this nature of solar energy, two components are required to have a functional solar energy generator. These two components are a collector and a storage unit. The collector collects the radiation that falls on it and converts a fraction of it to other forms of energy (either electricity and heat or heat alone). Solar collectors use reflective materials such as mirrors or lenses to concentrate the suns energy to provide heat energy which is then converted into electricity. This can be done in three ways. The first method is a trough systems which use curved mirrors to concentrate the suns heat onto a tube which contains a fluid, usually oil. The hot oil then boils water to produce steam which is used to generate electricity. Alternatively, mirrors in the shape of a dish can be also used to concentrate the suns heat onto a receiver. The latter transfers the solar energy to a heat engine, converting the heat into mechanical energy which drives a generator to produce electricity. This method is called the dish/engine system. A third method of concentrating the suns energy is through the use of power towers which provide a centralized power supply with the ability to store energy. These systems use a large array of mirrors, called heliostats. These heliostats concentrate the heat onto a receiver on top of the towers. The receiver contains a fluid that once heated can be used to produce steam which then turns a turbine to produce electricity.(Markvart Castaà ±er, 2003) The storage unit is required because of the non-constant nature of solar energy; at certain times only a very small amount of radiation will be received. At night or during heavy cloud cover, for example, the amount of energy produced by the collector will be quite small. The storage unit can hold the excess energy produced during the periods of maximum productivity, and release it when the productivity drops. One possible method of storing solar energy is by heating water that can be insulated. The water is heated by passing it through hollow panels. Black-coated steel plates are used because dark colours absorb heat more efficiently. However this method only supplies enough energy for activities such as washing and bathing. The solar panels generate low grade heat, that is, they generate low temperatures for the amount of heat needed in a day. Apparently, according to International Solar Energy Pty Ltd, in order to generate high Grade heat, intense enough to convert water into high-pressure steam which can then be used to turn electric generators there must be another method. The concentrated beams of sunlight are Collected in a device called a solar furnace, which acts on the same principles as a large magnifying glass. The solar furnace takes the sunlight from a large area and by the use of lenses and mirrors can focus the light into a very small area It was found that, a backup power supply is usually normally added, too, for the situations when the amount of energy required is greater than both what is being produced and what is stored in the container. An issue raised by International Solar Energy Pty Ltd, was that only regions with lots of sunlight are suitable for solar power generation. But this concern is currently being worked on as scientists have just recently invented a plastic solar cell that can convert solar energy to electrical energy even on a cloudy day. This plastic device, containing the first solar cells able to harness the suns invisible rays. Also, the researchers are holding this futuristic view that plastic solar panels could be laid across deserts to provide the entire planet with enough clean energy. Another solution to the issue of the inconsistent light is being researched right now by Arthur D. Little Inc. The suns rays are not constant on earth due to weather, location, and season. To avoid this scientists have envisioned huge solar powered space stations that would orbit the earth, capable of sustaining themselves for decades. (Committee on Aeronautical and Space Science, 2005). They would generate electricity by a vast array of mirrors on solar cells, and then the energy would be converted to micro-waves that could be beamed to earth and then distributed. These stations are estimated to be about 10 miles long, and some 23,000 miles above the earth. As far fetched as this seems, its actually theoretically possible, and may one day be our source of power. One flaw in the plan however, is that there is actually quite a lot of space debris floating around at high velocities. If this debris collided with the solar panels, as it invariably would, they would be damaged. How much, and at what price is still to be figured (Goswami, 1997) Another idea is the solar farm. It would be ideally located in desert regions where it is sunny almost every day. The farms would actually harvest sunshine, using flat plate collectors to absorb immense amounts of heat, which would in turn heat water. The heated water would turn giant turbines, and produce electricity. 3.0 Efficiency Solar cells, contain no moving parts, and have a working life of 20 30 years. According to Convincing the Home Builder to Build Solar Homes-Evaluation of the Passive Solar Workshop for Builders by S. Klein, they are reliable because they operate for a long time with practically no maintenance . Most of the photovoltaic cells on the market today operate at an efficiency of less than 15% ;that is, of all the radiation that falls upon them, less than 15% of it is converted to electricity. The maximum theoretical efficiency for a photovoltaic cell is only 32.3%, but at this efficiency, solar electricity is very economical. Most of our other forms of electricity generation are at a lower efficiency than this. Unfortunately, reality still lags behind theory and a 15% efficiency is not usually considered economical by most power companies, even if it is fine for toys and pocket calculators. Hope for bulk solar electricity should not be abandoned, however, for recent scientific advances have created a solar cell with an efficiency of 28.2% efficiency in the laboratory. This type of cell has not been field tested. If it maintains its efficiency in the uncontrolled environment of the outside world, and if it does not have a tendency to break down, it will be economical for power comp anies to build solar power facilities after all. 4.0 Environmental Sustainability It is estimated that the sunlight that falls on the surface of the earth in the time period of two weeks is equivalent in energy to all the energy stored in all the oil and natural gas and coal and other fuels that exist on, or under the earth (Markvart Castaà ±er, 2003) Solar power has two big advantages over fossil fuels. The first is in the fact that it is renewable; it is never going to run out. The second is its effect on the environment. According to Solar Heating Systems: Analysis and Design with the Sun-Pulse Method by Gordon F. Tully, solar cell systems do not harm the environment, as do conventional methods of power generation. The sun is an infinite source of energy and since its use for powering homes causes no damage to the environment. We should use the clean and silent energy source it to its maximum potential. As the primary element of construction of solar panels, silicon, is the second most common element on the planet. Therefore, there is very little environmental disturbance caused by the creation of solar panels. (Markvart Castaà ±er, 2003) While the burning of fossil fuels introduces many harmful pollutants into the atmosphere and contributes to environmental problems like global warming and acid rain, solar energy is completely non-polluting. While many acres of land must be destroyed to feed a fossil fuel energy plant its required fuel, the only land that must be destroyed for a solar energy plant is the land that it stands on. However, solar energy only causes environmental disruption if it is centralized and produced on a gigantic scale. At this scale, the production of solar energy would have some unpredictable negative environmental effects. If all the solar collectors were placed in one or just a few areas, they would probably have large effects on the local environment, and possibly have large effects on the world environment. Everything from changes in local rain conditions to another ice age has been predicted as a result of producing solar energy on this scale. The problem lies in the change of temperature and humidity near a solar panel; if the energy producing panels are kept non-centralized, they should not create the same local, mass temperature change that could have such bad effects on the environment. (Tully, 1981) In due course, solar power will reduce the emissions associated with power generation. Consistent with, Solar Heating Systems: Analysis and Design with the Sun-Pulse Method by Gordon F. Tully, with 1 million solar energy roofs are in place, could reduce carbon emissions equal to the annual emission from 850,000 cars. 5.0 Economical For many. fossil fuels are too available and cheap for the investment in solar energy to be worthwhile. Ironically, although the suns energy is free, the curse of solar power is that the techniques are always too expensive. (Green Peace, 2006) One major concern with solar power is cost-effectiveness. The silicone used for production , is one of the most readily available elements on earth. Nevertheless, the kind of grade silicon needed for solar cells is very expensive. It is grown in tall cylinders, and then cut in thin segments. The cutting process is wasteful and expensive (Pearce, 2002). A new product is polycrystalline silicon, which is grown in thin sheets and cut in squares. In Peter Lorenz, Dickon Pinner, and Thomas Seitz article The economics of solar power it states that Although polycrystalline is not as efficient as natural silicon, its significantly cheaper, and lowering the cost is one of the most important things in making solar energy practical. The initial cost of installing a solar power system is preventing current installation for these devices . The Australian Governments, and many others across the world had recognize this and are offering annual rebates and tax incentives to customers who install the systems in their homes. Consumers with solar power systems in their homes will save about 50-60% on their utility bills, (Energy Matters Pty Ltd). These savings will exceed the original cost of a system in about 10-12 years. After the initial cost is covered, the customer is still saving thousands of dollars in utilities compared to electricity and gas usage. As we burn more fossil fuels, the costs of electricity and gas would be subject to increase over the years. With solar powered home, monthly bills would stay about the same no matter how expensive electricity and gas become. The financial savings of solar-powered homes is an extra benefit for consumers who know that their homes are helping to preserve our environment. The great thing about solar power is that once youve paid for the system you dont have to worry about rising utility costs. Youre basically buying all your electricity at once. However, the cost is still a main factor to be considered. Arrays of rooftop solar panels capable of generating one kilowatt of electricity cost at least $7,500 even with the solar panels now costing about one-third of what they did a decade ago. (Lorenz, Pinner, Seitz, 2008) Still, the average household requires two to four times that much power, meaning that it would take about a $30,000 system to save about $15 per month for each kilowatt of power generated. It would take about 20 years until enough electricity would be generated to make up for the investment. (Energy Matters Pty Ltd). Despite the great cost of solar energy systems, people are still investing in them because of their obvious benefit to the environment and because once you have it installed, the energy is free. As technology improves, solar energy will become more economically feasible because the price of solar panels will go down. 6.0 Conclusion The number of advantages associated with using solar power for the future, greatly out way the disadvantages. Many of the issues explored throughout this paper are currently being research or have already solved, some of which show great promise for the future. Despite being currently still quite expensive, and showing negative effects to the environment if implemented in a large centralised scale, there is no doubt that solar energy will continue to grow and slowly replace the fossil-fuelled world around it .Besides the upcoming scarcity of fossil fuels, their highly pollutive nature makes solar energy a much healthier and wiser decision. The fear of exhausting all our resources has also spurred further development of alternative fuels, and created a greater interest in overcoming those disadvantages of solar power that remain. Technology changes rapidly, and the number of disadvantages of solar power that seemed virtually impossible only a few years ago are now relatively minor inconveniences. Hopefully, with continued this research, we will be in a place one day where we can directly rely on the sun for all our energy needs, and never have to use pollutant non renewable resources again. With an energy source like solar power, thats environmentally safe, capable of producing the raw power to satisfy the entire planets energy needs, we would be incredibly foolish not to use it.

Control The Incidence Of Different Diseases And Conditions Health Essay

Control The Incidence Of Different Diseases And Conditions Health Essay The relevant authorities responsible for maintaining public health such as local authorities, health trusts, government institutions, voluntary organizations etc are required to measure, monitor and control the incidence of different diseases and conditions which occur in a community. In epidemiology, incidence is a measure of a persons likelihood or risk of developing some new disease within a specified time period and is best expressed as a rate or a probability. Incidence is also a mathematical quantity that describes the occurrence of a disease Y in a population. It is the proportion of persons in the population, who newly develop the disease Y within a given time period (t): The measure of incidence is stated below: Incidence in population P  Ã‚  =  Ã‚  Ã‚   # who develop the disease Y in population p in a time t   # in population p The practice of disease monitoring is a complex subject and the method implemented in order to carry out this practice varies slightly according the nature of the disease and the extent of the geographical area in which the disease is to be monitored. Surveillance and monitoring are crucial to provide countries with the information needed about development of policies and programs for non-communicable diseases, and to support the assessment of these initiatives and monitor progress. The capacity to undertake surveillance for these purposes varies greatly around the world and was judged inadequate in many low-income and middle-income countries. Some disease monitoring programs are planned to occur in phases over an approximate period to allow for the collection, processing and assimilation of all of the sample material and its association with other recorded parameters.  Ã‚  Once results have been obtained and analyzed, the findings of the study will be published and will be made av ailable to all of the health and social care authorities and professionals of the area studied. The results of the disease monitoring projects and knowledge gained from the study will be  very helpful  with regards to future treatment protocols, therefore improving the health care in addition to aiding the understanding of the disease  thereby ultimately assisting in its prevention. The reports and findings arrived at while conducting the research is as follows: Preliminary outbreak assessments Qualitative risk assessments A surveillance framework, including a minimum set of indicators covering exposures and outcomes, is essential for policy development and assessment and for monitoring of trends in disease. Data must be collected, analyzed and used in a regular and systematic way. The interval between the episodes of data collection may vary depending on the measurements involved and the infrastructure available to conduct surveys. Surveillance involves commitment to data collection on an ongoing repeated basis, as well as the use of the data for public health policy. Four considerations guide the choice of risk factors for inclusion in surveillance activities: The significance of the risk factor for public health in terms of the nature and severity of the morbidity, disability and mortality of the NCDs associated with these risk factors. The cost of collecting valid data on a repeated basis; The availability and strength of the evidence that intervening on the factor will reduce non communicable diseases in the community. The ability to measure the risk factor burden uniformly in different settings to ensure comparability and to measure changes over time. The next most important aspect in maintaining public health after disease monitoring is conducted (and if a disease appears to be rampant) is the process of disease control. Control of a disease is the reduction in its incidence, prevalence, mortality and morbidity and elimination of a particular disease in a geographical area may be achieved as a result of intervention programs such as individual protection by the use of vaccines etc. Public Health applies a wide variety of tools for the prevention and control of infectious disease and their transmission by following a range of activities including the filtration and disinfection of community drinking water to environmental vector control, immunization programs etc. Another important program implemented by health and social care authorities in an effort to control the spread of disease is by organizing programs to promote self- protection, case findings and effective treatment of infections to stop their spread to other people (eg: HIV, Tuberculosis, malaria etc). Most importantly planning measures need to be in place. Health promotion is one of the most essential instruments of infectious disease control. It promotes community support of preventive measures. Means of controlling communicable diseases is mentioned below: Epidemiological monitoring Immunization Environmental measures Laboratory research and confirmation Immunization programs Epidemiology of Malaria in South Africa Incidence Rates- In 2006,  South Africa  reported 12,098 cases of  malaria  (incidence rate  25.9 per 100000 person-years) including 87 deaths.   Geographical Distribution- South Africa Vulnerable Groups- Young Children Non- Immune Pregnant Women Semi- Immune Pregnant Women People with HIV/AIDS International travelers from non-endemic areas Immigrants from endemic areas and their children Causes- Malaria is caused by  Plasmodium  parasites. The parasites are spread to people through the bites of infected  Anopheles  mosquitoes, called malaria vectors, which bite mainly between dusk and dawn. The intensity of transmission depends on factors related to the parasite, the vector, the human host, and the environment. Spread- The parasites that cause  malaria  are transmitted by a species of insects which are known as the female Anopheles mosquitoes. These parasites multiply within the red blood cells. Malaria spreads when the amount of this particular type of mosquito multiplies. Controls- Vector control is the primary public health intervention for reducing malaria transmission at the community level. It is the only intervention that can reduce malaria transmission from very high levels to close to zero. In high transmission areas, it can reduce child mortality rates and the prevalence of severe anemia. For individuals personal protection against mosquito bites represents the first line of defense for malaria prevention. Two forms of vector control are as follows: Insecticide treated mosquito nets Indoor spraying with residual insecticides South African Department of Health Malaria case statistics Provincial distribution of notified malaria cases, South Africa, 2000 Notified malaria cases by age group, South Africa, 2000-2002 Epidemiology of Cardio Vascular Disease in South Africa Incidence Rates- 165.3 and 101.2 per 100,000 South Africans of Indian descent and 5.3 per 100,000 among black African people. Geographical Distribution- South Africa Vulnerable Groups- Smokers, drinkers, drug addicts and drug abusers, obese and inactive individuals and individuals with high cholesterol who consume unhealthy food. Causes- Any disease that affects the normal functioning of blood vessels, arteries, veins and the heart are categorized under  cardiovascular diseases. They are also called as  heart diseases. The most common causes are smoking, alcohol and drugs, unhealthy diet and an inactive sedentary lifestyle. Control- Being active and eating the right foods will go a long way in preventing or controlling heat diseases. If you already have coronary heart disease it is never too late to adopt a healthy dietary change and a more balanced lifestyle. The only means of controlling this non communicable disease is by promoting and educating the public on transforming their unhealthy lifestyles into a healthier one. There are different approaches and strategies used in order to control the incidence of disease in a community. These approaches are surveillance, screening, immunization, education, legislation, improving social welfare and environmental controls. All these different approaches serve their purpose of being efficient tools for controlling the onset and spread of disease but they have to be used in combination with one another in order to be effective. For example, in the case of malaria epidemic in South Africa, an effective strategy to control the spread must begin with an immunization program directed at the vulnerable groups in the region. At the same time, environmental controls need to put in place in order to ensure that there is not a place left for the mosquitoes to breed freely. Thereafter disease surveillances and screenings must be carried out in order to track the patterns and identify the trends in order to develop more efficient prevention strategies. Government legisla ture too will help in this regard, if governments decide to grant more aid to local health institutions and authorities, it will be able to offer better facilities to the ill and infected and treat more patients whilst at the time, possessing more resources in order to vaccinate a broader range or people and provide them with the necessary insecticides. The personal health of the health and social care workers plays a paramount role in any community in the world. These professionals work at hospitals, nursing and personal  care  facilities, individual and family services etc and there main area of focus in on treating and caring for the ill. It is due to this reason that they need to be in a strong physical and mental state in order for these individuals to give their best to the people who are ill, as the sick need extra care and a lot of energy is required to fulfill their needs. Sick people have weak immunity systems and because these individuals work with the ill and injured on a day to day basis, it is very important that they too are very healthy so that they wont pass on any diseases to those people who can contract it very easily and make their condition worse. In order for the health professionals to be passionate about health and promoting health, they have to be in their best state of physical and mental health in ord er to make an impact. The collection of epidemiological data is very important as it helps to curb future epidemiological conditions. Epidemiology recognizes and measures the happenings of events in populations. Therefore modern epidemiology is able to become a science of prediction. It works by developing different models of the incidence of events, so when conditions occur that fit the developed models, events can be predicted and prevented. The practicing epidemiologist, therefore, attempts to describe the natural history of disease by determining why the disease originates and how it spreads in populations, therefore the practice of epidemiology is important because the concepts of epidemiology science is concerned with the circumstances under which people get sick and attempts to alter these circumstances so as to protect individuals from future illness. In addition to that, the inclusion of multiple data sources in the decision making process enables decision makers to make strong and valid decision s on matters pertaining to the countries health sector based on the findings presented in the epidemiological date. (Surveillance data along with social, demographic, geographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics must all be included in the decision making process to paint a three dimensional picture of the epidemic). There are many priorities and approaches in the provision of health and social care services in the prevention, treatment, remedial care and palliative care for people with a disease or illness. The priorities of the health and social care professionals in this regard is to fulfill the needs of the patients while in their care and provide them with the necessary treatment required to nurse them back to good health. Disease prevention is the top priority in fighting diseases through immunization, good hygiene and following disease protocols when an epidemic suddenly emerges. The priorities in the treatment of disease are to first identify the illness and then assign the required treatment. The treatment approach will vary depending on the illness or injury but usually involves medicinal drugs and bed rest. If condition is serious, surgical procedures must be performed. However, the required treatment must be identified accurately and a top priority is to ensure the patient is comforta ble while in hospital taking treatment. The current lifestyle choices of the people will affect the future needs of Health and Social Care provision with regards to diet, exercise, substance use, work culture, relaxation etc. This is because in this day and age, many people eat unhealthy and dont exercise regularly. Also food contains lots of chemicals and artificial preservatives which is detrimental to the health. Work culture is also incredibly stressful and all these factors together can be detrimental to ones health in the long run. Therefore, in the future it will become necessary for the relevant authorities to anticipate the increase in non communicable diseases and develop new technologies and strategies in order to tackle them effectively. The responsibilities of the health and social care professionals of a region are numerous in the preservation of public health and wellbeing. Their role is imperative in any community. It is these individuals who are faced with the task of ensuring that the needs of the ill and injured are met. It is not an easy task.   Health care providers who have experience working on the front line are often placed in the unique position of educating, training, and preparing the environment for change in addition to influencing national health care policy. In addition to treating the sick, health care professionals are also faced with the task of educating the general public; training interns, work with key stakeholders on issues of advocacy, capacity development, and implementation of health policies at country level and their work to help achieve the goals of the government. It is important to promote a healthy lifestyle among a community and this could contribute positively to the prevention of many communicable and non- communicable diseases. This is due to the reason that many of the non communicable diseases prevalent today are due to lack of exercise, improper eating and abusing drugs and alcohol. These factors alone, contribute significantly to contracting chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension etc. Therefore, by just making simple changes to ones lifestyle, one can avoid and prevent oneself from developing these diseases. In the case of communicable diseases, these too can be avoided by promoting healthy lifestyles because if one eats right and exercises regularly, one will develop a strong immunity that will protect against contracting various communicable diseases. Prevention is better than cure is a well heard of term. Undoubtedly, with regards to some medical conditions and diseases in our community, prevention is indeed better than cure. This is because in this day and age falling ill is very costly in countries that dont provide its citizens with free healthcare. Falling sick takes a toll on ones finances and can be very time consuming with hospitalization and repeated visits to the doctors. Also, an individual will have to be on continuous medication depending on the illness and this too will be costly and inconvenient. For example, if a person develops diabetes he will have to take insulin injections on a regular basis which will be very inconvenient. Also it may hinder ones ability of going to work and if the primary bread winner of a family falls sick, it can be very detrimental to the entire family. Also, the patient and his family will have to undergo a lot of hardship and it will effect their mental state of wellbeing. By simply eati ng right and exercising regularly, while staying away from intoxicants will enable a person to prevent from developing many chronic diseases. Also, he will feel healthier and happier and his immune system will be strong so his chances of developing communicable illnesses are also low.

Grapes of Wrath :: essays papers

Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath: The Purpose of the Interchapters Initially, I found the interchapters to be annoying, interruptions to the story. It was only when I realized the point in having the interchapters that I understood that not only did they not interrupt the story, but they added to it tremendously. The interchapters provide indirect comments or general situations which suggest something about the personal tragedies of the main characters. These comments and situations help give the reader an understanding of what the characters are going through by either showing metaphorically their present or future triumphs and struggles or explaining the history of the period that they lived in. Chapter three is an interchapter. It describes a concrete highway that a land turtle struggled to cross. The turtle was finally almost there when it was hit by a truck and its shell was chipped and it was thrown on its back. The turtle had to struggle even hard but it did get going again. This chapter represented the continual struggle of that the Joads would have to face throughout the entire story. Throughout the novel the Joads meet many hardships. They are forced to leave their home, lose family members such as the grandparents and Noah, work for low wages, and suffer from hunger floods and cruel prejudices in California. But, just as the turtle refused to be swayed from his purpose so will the Joads. Chapter five is an interchapter that discusses a tractors hired by banks or a corporations that would come to the land and plow through it, destroying everything in its path. The chapter is an abstract conflict between the tenant farmer and the banks and shows the pain of a tenant farmer upon leaving the land that was settled by their grandfather. The tenant farmer was so upset that he threatened to shoot the driver . Another chapter describes a tenant farmer who has to leave and is cheated into paying to much for a car. Chapter nine describes the generalized families who must sell their sentimental goods at absurdly low prices. These chapters present the situations which the Joads come across very soon. The Joads have to leave their land and sell all their things.

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - The Fate

The Fate of Oedipus in Oedipus the King    In "Oedipus the King" there comes a point in the play where Oedipus learns something that plays an important role throughout the play.  Ã‚   He learns from a   oracle that he will eventually kill his own Father and sleep with his own mother.   As one could imagine this is a shock to Oedipus, and he does not believe the oracle.   However, he cannot prevent any of this from happening because it is his fate.   Oedipus is a victim of circumstances beyond his control, his life had already been planned by the Greek Gods.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the whole play there are references made to many of the ancient Greek Gods, for example, Apollo, Zeus, Dionysis, and Artemis are discussed quite often.   In ancient Greece the people believed that if anything happened one of the god's had a reason for it.   Each god was related to one specific thing like Poseidon being the god of the sea.   They thought that if there was a tidal wave or a hurricane it was because Poseidon was angry at them.   This is the basis for my assumption that Oedipus had no control over his fate.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First of all, when Oedipus is just a baby his father, King Laius of Thebes, is told in an oracle that his own son will kill him.   So, with the agreement of his wife, Jocasta, the baby's feet are pinioned, and it's given to a slave who is supposed to leave it to die on Mt. Cithaeron. However, the slave feels sorry for the baby, and gives it to a fellow shepherd from Corinth. The shepherd from Corinth presented the baby to the childless King of Corinth, who is Polybus, and he brings him up as his own. He gives him the name Oedipus, whi... ...d emotions of all the characters in the play.   While doing so Oedipus could in no way control his own fate.   The god's mislead him, and did not allow him to keep from his destiny.   Oedipus was indeed a victim.   A victim of circumstances beyond his control, and it just goes to show that it is impossible for someone to escape their own fate.    Works cited and Consulted: Murray, Robert D. Jr. "Sophocles' Moral Themes." In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997. "Sophocles" In Literature of the Western World, edited by Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1984. Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi   

Malcolm X Essay example -- Civil Rights Movement

Malcolm X The fifties and sixties were a crazy time to live; riots were happening, many Civil Rights Movement leaders were speaking in the streets, and student sit-ins were held. Many radical activists were preaching their thoughts on racism and things needed for equality. Some people felt it necessary to turn the other cheek to violence while others claimed it to be a right to defend themselves. The major figures in the Civil Rights Movement had their own opinions on how to equalize society. Martin Luther King, Jr. felt that a peaceful movement was the best route to freedom. I discovered after much research that famous African American figures tended to side with Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad on the best approach. Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and James Baldwin fall under this category. They did not by any means agree completely, but had many views in common with the Islam thinkers. Malcolm X was not a pro-violence leader, but encouraged it when necessary for self-defense and protecting loved ones as Jenkins reported, â€Å"Malcolm X encouraged blacks to take a stand against their white oppressors if they were physically threatened,† (Jenkins 267). This was Malcolm’s motto when asked how blacks should fight the â€Å"white man†. James Baldwin does not share this idea even though he does admire many of Malcolm X†s thoughts. Malcolm and Baldwin strongly believe that history is an important part of knowledge and is necessary to live a prosperous life. I am going to explain more about the Malcolm X that many admire and respect. While he was a child he received the best grades in an all white school and was even class president once. His aspiration was to be a lawyer, but his favorite teacher had told him that he could not keep dreaming unrea... ...ill existed. One can only put up with so much before he starts to develop hate right back. I do not endorse this thinking, but can understand where Malcolm is coming from when he admits this. Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1995. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 296-347 Baldwin, James. â€Å"White Man’s Guilt.† 1995. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 722-727 Clark, Michael. â€Å"Rise in Racial Extremism Worries Harlem Leaders.† New York Times 25 Jan. 1960:1. Jenkins, Robert. The Malcolm X Encyclopedia. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2002 Malcolm X. â€Å"Black Man’s History† speech. Abdul, Alkalimat, ed., Maclolm X: A Research Site (launched May 19,1999 : University of Toledo and Twenty- first Century Books). http://www.brothermalcolm.net. Malcolm X Essay example -- Civil Rights Movement Malcolm X The fifties and sixties were a crazy time to live; riots were happening, many Civil Rights Movement leaders were speaking in the streets, and student sit-ins were held. Many radical activists were preaching their thoughts on racism and things needed for equality. Some people felt it necessary to turn the other cheek to violence while others claimed it to be a right to defend themselves. The major figures in the Civil Rights Movement had their own opinions on how to equalize society. Martin Luther King, Jr. felt that a peaceful movement was the best route to freedom. I discovered after much research that famous African American figures tended to side with Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad on the best approach. Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and James Baldwin fall under this category. They did not by any means agree completely, but had many views in common with the Islam thinkers. Malcolm X was not a pro-violence leader, but encouraged it when necessary for self-defense and protecting loved ones as Jenkins reported, â€Å"Malcolm X encouraged blacks to take a stand against their white oppressors if they were physically threatened,† (Jenkins 267). This was Malcolm’s motto when asked how blacks should fight the â€Å"white man†. James Baldwin does not share this idea even though he does admire many of Malcolm X†s thoughts. Malcolm and Baldwin strongly believe that history is an important part of knowledge and is necessary to live a prosperous life. I am going to explain more about the Malcolm X that many admire and respect. While he was a child he received the best grades in an all white school and was even class president once. His aspiration was to be a lawyer, but his favorite teacher had told him that he could not keep dreaming unrea... ...ill existed. One can only put up with so much before he starts to develop hate right back. I do not endorse this thinking, but can understand where Malcolm is coming from when he admits this. Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Down at the Cross.† 1995. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 296-347 Baldwin, James. â€Å"White Man’s Guilt.† 1995. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 722-727 Clark, Michael. â€Å"Rise in Racial Extremism Worries Harlem Leaders.† New York Times 25 Jan. 1960:1. Jenkins, Robert. The Malcolm X Encyclopedia. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2002 Malcolm X. â€Å"Black Man’s History† speech. Abdul, Alkalimat, ed., Maclolm X: A Research Site (launched May 19,1999 : University of Toledo and Twenty- first Century Books). http://www.brothermalcolm.net.

What Are the Problems Faced by Indian Educational System

What Is The Biggest Problem Facing Our Educational System Today? Education is a vast and broad subject, and has been a topic open to discussion for many centuries. In the broadest sense of the term, education is any experience or exposure to an act that will have a formative and learned effect on a person's character and mind. Modern education tends to mean the process by which a society will teach and pass on its broad knowledge, skill and values, from one generation to another.Education itself can fall into many categories, ranging from those that many will be aware of such as schools, colleges and universities, through to adult education and indigenous education. Educational systems are always likely to be affected by a number of economic factors. Monetary wise, funding and budgeting for education has always been a factor that faces governments worldwide.Education is essential for economic growth, theorist have found that a higher rate of teaching and education in society has a po sitive affect on the growth of a nation. Other problems that may face an educational system include the differentiation between students who attend public and private schools. Those who can afford private school are often seen to be given the best education possible, while children from a less privileged background are forced to attend public schools, which by default may not have as good a quality of teaching.Though in many examples this is not the case, the long standing stereotype still rings true in modern society, as those from a wealthier family often seem to progress further and quicker up the job ladder. Alternatively, other factors facing educational systems include a decrease in funding, larger class sizes, reduction in teaching staff and safety in schools

Origins of Sexism

How is it that the word defined as the attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of sexual roles somehow became synonymous with en discriminating against women? 1 When did this term adopt a negative connotation? The dictionary continues to describe the noun as discrimination or devaluation based on a person's sex. 2 The definition implies that the discrimination applies to both sexes, not that one is the victim of the other. However, it is clear: women are perceived as the inferior sex in our society, and apparently always have been.Yet, although sexism is a relatively modern word, the idea was created by power-hungry men and spread by biblical writers. In the way that a table is unstable if just one leg is fractionally horror, the way patriarchy and matriarchy are understood affects how sexism is viewed. If you were to reference a dictionary in search of definitions, you would find almost mirror images- only, in a matriarchy it is the mother who is head of the clan, not the father. However, Cynthia Leer, author of The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory has a different take on this.She says, â€Å"Matriarchy should be understood instead as the [mastery] of the Mother's way,† or as, â€Å"a realm where female thing are valued and where power is exerted in non-possessive, non-controlling and organic ways that are ruinous with nature. â€Å"3 Matriarchy has gotten a bad reputation through the years for being a term open to interpretation due to its many meanings. The pure purpose of the word, in its simplest form, is to describe a time in which men were not the dominant sex. Another phrase greatly misunderstood is gender roles.First, please disregard memories of your first grade teacher using the word ‘gender' instead of ‘sex' in order to keep laughter under control. Second, the two words are utterly different – apples and oranges. Gender is a not a biological characteristic; it is not the label to explain which reproductive or gans a person may have. Instead, gender is a social characteristic that a society attaches to a biological sex to explain the expectations of behavioral norms and cultural significance. In today's colloquial language, ‘gender roles' and ‘sexism' seem to be interchangeable. In actuality, gender roles serve as a mask for the greater travesty Of our time: sexism. The argument goes something like this: â€Å"Sexism has always existed! Women never hunted, because they were women and they were always confined to their homes. † For the sake of argument, let's pretend this is an curate statement. Even then, if women everywhere were confined to doing only ‘feminine† tasks and chores, the whole argument is still completely backwards – sexism has not always existed.In fact, it is quite ignorant to believe that very early societies would have been able to arrive at the mentality that one sex is superior to the other when every person was valuable to the cla n – they all relied on each other to survive. There is no reason to believe that a matriarchal society ever existed, that an entire clan was ruled by a woman. But similar to chimpanzee communities that we study today, it is very probable many hominids (two-footed primates) lived in a maternity; essentially, women were central to the society. Families were formed around the mother figure – the only known piece to the puzzle of childbearing in prehistory. When children were born, they were automatically accepted into their mothers clan, named after her, and no sense of illegitimacy lingered. 6 The mothers in prehistoric time were inclined to share provisions with their children and family members, and in time began feeding the entire clan – solidifying the idea that women Were important to the arrival of a civilization.Females sustained the clan by gathering fruits, vegetables and grains – males gathered as well, but only enough to feed themselves and possi bly a close male relative. Both sexes hunted small game and male-female groups hunted together with nets and spears. It is widely accepted, though, that only men hunted large game. When horticulture became prevalent, (some time later- around 10,000 BCC) it is said to be the work of women. 7 Aside from gathering food, providing about eighty percent of the nutrition received in a clan, women took on jobs that have advanced onto a stereotype that lingers in contemporary societies.Because early societies had yet to discover the link between sex and pregnancy, and because fatherhood was not a recognized position, men did not take on the responsibility of rearing children. Until relatively recently in the spectrum of humanity, every child demanded two to three years of their mother's time to breastfeed, and many women had multiple children within this age group at one given time. Regarding the aforementioned idea that every able body was necessary to the success of a developing clan, wome n could not afford to be del during childbearing years. It was in order to maintain society that women had to be carefully tasked with chores. The main concern was that every chore was â€Å"compatible with simultaneous child watching. † Specifically women were given, assignments that did not require severe concentration, were easily interruptible, and most importantly, did not put children in danger, in a way that hunting would. 9 This is how women fell into step with chores such as preparing daily food and spinning, weaving, and sewing clothes.It takes several hours of spinning yarn to create enough to weave in n hour, so women spun while they watched children and young girls spun while they tended to livestock. 1 0 With menstruation and pregnancy constantly present in these civilizations, and with game meat only sporadically appearing meat was very valuable to the women, who were always on the verge of anemia. 1 1 The anemia created another barrier between women and huntin g in addition to the already-present complications of hunting during pregnancy or with children. Their bodies were too physically weak.Also, female bodily fluids are more potent to an animal; therefore the women would be more easily sensed by their prey, making it almost counterproductive for a female to go on a hunt. 12 Some may argue that it still is indeed the femaleness of a woman that prevents her from a hunt. It IS not her designation as a woman that keeps her from participating in â€Å"male† activities, it is the fact that a woman's body has different functions, abilities, and limits than a man's. In a functional society every person plays a specific role and no role is more important than another; every single role is required for the society to thrive. Asking a man to breastfeed so that a woman could attempt to cut down a tree was – and still IS – irrational. ) It is to sexist for communities to fall into a way of life that allows every individual to c ontribute to their fullest potential, thus creating a highly productive and efficient society. There was a time when the femaleness of a woman was not seen as a disadvantage by men, but rather it was revered and honored. Forty thousand years ago, before words could be written down, prehistoric peoples represented concerns, rituals, sacrifices, and more with cave art and carvings.It comes as no surprise that many of the oldest carved figurines found show admiration for a woman's body: her fertility and ability to produce and feed hillier. 13 These figurines, called Venues, typically depict women who are â€Å"fat, healthy, with giant breasts†. 14 It might seem strange to a present-day woman how carving women as fat could possibly be flattering, let alone venerating. But a thin figure, something many women strive for today, would have been very troubling: her children would have gone hungry. We also kick to old preserved cave paintings for ideas of what culture was like before writing.In a remote part of central India, paintings of South Briar tribes from 8000 BCC to 2500 BCC were found on rock shelters. Like many others, they epic animals, hunting, dancing, and symbolic designs. 1 5 In these specific paintings, there are more women drawn, and they are more detailed than the stick figure men. The women are painted as strong and capable women – hunting and taking care of children all the while. To keep the traditions alive, South Briar women still partake in ritual hunting. 16 Sir Leonard Woolly called Cretan art the most inspired in the ancient world. 6 Paintings always show priestesses in the foreground with men behind them. Women in Crete were portrayed as merchants, farmers, chariot drivers, and hunters. Wall paintings show the women performing religious rituals. It does not appear that Crete was an equal society -? in a painted scene Of female dancers, the males and females have segregated seats, but the women had better accommodations. 17 Seve ral tombs that belonged to women were filled with riches such as jewelry, gold, and precious stones. In comparison, no male grave has been found with equal value.The Cretan world seems to have been able to develop and advance as a female-centered community without abandoning peace and pleasure-18 There is some scholarly inquiry as to whether there were female-centered clans in the Neolithic ere as well. There are very few images of males from this time period and the few that have been uncovered show men in situations inferior to women. 19 This leads to the theory women in Neolithic times held a higher status than women of later generations. The corpses found in Neolithic graves were buried with shells and paint arranged in a way to resemble female reproductive organs. 0 It is believed these art works indicate worship or glorification of the females in their clans. Fertility seems to be the basis of their worship and it often reinstated into prayer for healthy crops and animals. Doe s this mean goddess worship appeared in Neolithic culture, or did they only worship females? Was their worship equivalent to women having social power and dominance? As many myths rarely offer facts, they cannot be used to set history' in stone; however, they do shed light On what might have been happening during the time periods in which they were created.Several myths show warring between men and women in which the men always take over power from the defeated females. 21 These motifs appear in Central and Western Desert Australian Aborigine, Panda of New Guiana, Sumerian, and Greek mythology . 22 â€Å"Social charter† myths appear to justify why men took over female ruling, suggesting women committed some sort of sin or were naturally weak. If men had always existed as the controlling power, myths of former female powers would not exist. If men had always restrained women, their dominance would seem natural and it would be unnecessary for them to write explanations.Powerful women in mythologies are astoundingly universal . 23 patriarchy was an avalanche started by one meager realization: men had a role in procreation. Suddenly, their female-driven jealousy was uprooted. By giving the children their fathers' clan name instead of their mothers', the men had proof of â€Å"ownership†. With offspring essentially attached to the men of the clan, labor was also controlled by the men-24 Anthropologists insist that when large game hunting began during the Stone Age, men felt that hunting was their natural function in society. 5 With this new sense of identity came power- their dangerous work gave them status. It also created a sort of club or community between the male members of a tribe or clan . 26 Hunting required great teamwork, cooperation, ND lack of competition- these men had to work together. Most likely, men felt legitimated by their â€Å"exclusiveness† and their â€Å"us-versus-them pride† . 27 Of course, women hunted small gam e, but more in a means of ‘opportunistic kills'. Indeed, many ritualistic tools used during hunts were forbidden for women to see. 8 So when horticulture, a practice mainly performed by women, became popular around 5000 BCC, and large game began to disappear in populated civilizations, men had to jump on the band wagon and begin farming as well. 29 With men farming – a very isolated activity in imprison to hunting – they felt they lost everything fundamentally male. Young boys were not being taught the solidarity that came with hunting, so the men of the clan developed a new idea of group puberty rites. 30 These ceremonies did not occur before a horticultural society was established.The men began reinforcing gender roles in their society by teaching their sons what it took to be a â€Å"man†, something they felt should have been natural. Marilyn French, author of From Eve to Dawn: a History of Women in the World, explains, â€Å"Male solidarity was and re mains a manipulation against women. The first political movement, it arose, like all solidarity movements, to counter a sense of powerlessness and oppression,† that had dissipated with the loss of a hunter-gatherer society. 31 The main push of these puberty rites was to abnegate their mothers which led the oppression of women, including emotions they associate with them.Soon boys were taught disdain towards ‘feminine' emotions like love, compassion, and softness. Feelings were replaced with a hard, cool attitude and submission to elder males. 32 Thus, a form a sexism that still exists today (and many people ignore) was created: en are not to show â€Å"feminine† qualities. Dominance over children created another form of sexism. Now that males were aware of their part in procreation, they had to assure that the children their mates produced were theirs. In order to do this, they had to keep women under strict surveillance.Many women were captives from other village s, raped so as to be claimed as a mate, and given no rights; they were virtually slaves. 33 To bolster men's paternity roles, rules and laws were created that only applied to women. Females were the first criminals – adultery suddenly became a crime. Even Hough men always had the right to infanticide, women were not allowed to abort their children. Paternalism groups were founded on this domination. At this point, females were considered an object of the male's possession. Contrary to matrilineal, potentiality required force, and brutality towards women was often encouraged in their society. S When dominance started to shift towards the males, clans left their matriarchal marriages and began existing in parasitical marriages – women were no longer surrounded by male kin (stronger than she) and lost their protection. In a patriarchal marriage, the omen were taken and forced to live with their husbands' families who very likely did not speak the same language. 36 In some patriarchal communities women were allowed to leave. However, due to the fact that children were property of men, the women had no right to take children with them, and many stayed. 37 Without women protesting, patriarchy was born.Another vessel for both patriarchy and the idea of sexism was religion. Even in the beginning Of the Old Testament, the Bible provides very different roles for men and women. When God punishes Adam and Eve in Genesis, he describes Adam (man) as the breadwinner, and Eve (woman) as someone who needed a tight leash . 38 This tight leash takes the form of her husband and uterus. Women were limited by this elemental plot for centuries after – both Judaism and Christianity enforce further constraints on women. In Leviticus, it claims that everything a woman touches while she is â€Å"unclean† from menstruation is impure. 9 Taken out of context, this can be seen as a terrible sexist act, but there are also conditions in which a man is unclean. Even so, women cannot control what makes them unclean while men can. The biblical impurity of a woman outlasts her menstruation, even during childbirth-40 The women were secluded from the group for two weeks while they were impure and usually stayed with other women in â€Å"menstrual huts†. When they were allowed to grace the sanctuary and men again, they fulfilled their marital duties (the two weeks in which they saw their husbands they were most likely to conceive). 1 When a woman gave birth she had to seclude herself for seven days as if she were menstruating. Fifth baby was a male, she could return to the group on the eighth day for the baby's circumcision and tribal ironies before completing her thirty-three days of blood purifying. If the baby was a female, there Was no ceremony to welcome her arrival and her mother was required to purify for sixty-six days. 42 Consider this: if a woman is in constant impurity, constantly forbidden from the sanctuary, how often could a Heb rew wife appear in public?A scarce rabbi or community leader does not make for a good one – how would she be able to fulfill the responsibilities? In addition to underlining the uncleanness of a women, the Old Testament shows violent themes against women. In Deuteron 22:13 t shows that if a bride's virginity is challenged by the groom, the whole community plays a part in verifying the speculation through the custom of bloody sheets. If their suspicion is true (or they agree she did not bleed enough) the male population is permitted to stone her to death.Later in Deuteron, there are examples of rape and abuse with only small monetary penalties. 43 Even though religion is not to blame for men first seeking control over women, it plays a large role in the spread of sexual discrimination because many people looked to these ancient scriptures as a guide for their lives. It is believed by some biblical scholars that Yeah was originally conceived as androgynous. 44 He is characteriz ed by the word ‘compassion', which in the Hebrew language is rooted in the word ‘womb'. He is described as â€Å"giving birth† to Israel, â€Å"suckling' and watching over his children. 5 But as the Bible transitions into the book of Numbers, Yeah is not only male but patriarchal. In Numbers 12, God punishes only Miriam and not her brothers for the same act- the story teaches that women shall not challenge men. 46 Some argue that it is difficult to accuse the Bible of sexism hen several other verses describe such different ideas. For example, Galatians 3:38 adequately removes all justification for discrimination Of any kind by saying, â€Å"There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. Pay close attention to the wording: there is no longer male and female. Moreover, religion is described as a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects. 47 The Bi ble (and the religion that follows it) is a text assembled by men and was prone to their social biases of the time period. Sexism very well did exist in the Hebrew Bible and it is impossible to erase history. It is not universally accepted that fertility held more weight and value in society before the Bible was written.Cynthia Leer, shares her view on the idea of matrilineal societies and goddess worship (something that dissipated long before the Bible): Prior to the Neolithic revolution, we have every reason to believe that prehistoric peoples, like contemporary hunting and gathering peoples, were more interested in restricting their fertility than enhancing it. Contraception, abortion, and infanticide are all practiced in uniting and gathering groups, and in horticulture societies as well, with infanticide rates ranging from 1 5 to 50 percent.Skeletal evidence suggests that childbirth was dangerous for mothers and children alike. Infant mortality rates were high at Actual ¶y;k, for example, and women there and elsewhere died very young by our standards (on average in their late twenties, earlier than men) in part because of high maternal mortality. It seems unlikely under these conditions that pregnancy and childbirth we invariably regarded as miraculous and welcomed as the gift of a munificent goddess. 48 Leer also geared the Venus figurines and points out the biggest dispute with establishing them as worship of fertility.The figures rarely show signs of pregnancy, lactation, or childbirth. 49 If Paleolithic artists were concerned in depicting pregnancy and fertility there are many ways to have done that – but these figures lack evidence of childbearing and most are simply voluptuous. They could show the clan's concern regarding hunger, which explains why they have fuller shapes – communities valued healthy and full bodies. 50 However, if you were to drop the notion that Venus figures represented omen and their fertility and ability to repr oduce, why are there only women figures?The complication with pinpointing the origins of sexism is the underlying question: which came first? Gender or sexism? Returning to overburdened language, it is because gender exists that sexism exists. Gender allows men to dominate women – it provides a biological excuse. Unfortunately many feminist matriarchies suggest that women are women because we hold secondary status to men. The designation ‘Woven† is neither a gender, nor a biological sex, but a category that people are placed into.This category seems to form the parameters in which women have experiences, yet women are only the byproduct of the category existence (in the same way my mother insists I had a bad time because my attitude was terrible to begin with, and not that my attitude was terrible because I had a bad time). 65 So long as this omnipresent category exists, sexism will exist. The femaleness of a woman is defined by Leer as the experience of being per ceived to be a woman and being treated as women are treated. This extends to any specific way women were treated in different cultures whether good or bad. The only femaleness that can be attached to any woman of any time period in any place of the world is this: ‘woman'. It is hard to speak for the men and women from a time before they themselves could speak, but don't believe it was ever intended for footmen in the kitchen† to be a derogatory term. The mentality that one biological sex is of higher-rank than another is derived from the simple fact that certain bodies are more able for specific tasks. Intended or not, men felt oppressed. This sparked a very deliberate and violent revolution. Men stole control and power long before rating was established and history was preserved.Indeed it was history; looking back to biblical times, the pictures that stories paint of their communities and culture show male-dominance. With the spread of Christianity, the secret of a more peaceful and equal past was locked up and it became widely accepted that the husbands and fathers should be the head of the household. Christianity and the men in the Bible certainly did not initiate all of the suffering and abuse against women that appears today – but they did Set the precedent that has seemed to excuse men for centuries. Bibliography Advisor, J. M. , Olga Softer, and Jake Page.