Defining Social work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Defining Social work - Essay Example They have to know how the law works and are fully up to speed with the social welfare system."(Department of Health) It is quite impossible for an individual social worker to be able to relate to every single person who comes into their practice. It is important however that they understand that their idea of what life is about is different than what other people may think. This is the basis of understanding a practice that is multi-faceted and includes a variety of different pieces. Although there is a lot of literature on the subject of discrimination it doesnt always help the social worker understand what they need to do in many situations. Some of the components that are needed include: 1. An understanding of other cultures - the greatest understanding is that one culture is not the same as another. People from within a culture can also differ in their attitudes and thoughts and ways of being human. 4. Treatment of all clients fairly regardless of race or ethnicity -- a good practice treats all clients fairly. Human nature does not allow all people to be treated exactly the same so what social workers can expect is that it will be within the framework of fairness. Social workers must work within this framework if they are to establish rapport with a client. If they do not approach a client in help they will have a poor result for the client. Clients are in a state of upheaval when they are working closely to get their needs met and life becomes extremely stressful if they do not have someone who they can relate to in a positive way. According to Ely and Denny (1987) discrimination goes along with what people experience who are disadvantaged. When an individual comes from poverty and lacks education and some of the opportunities that mainstream people have will automatically be placed in a position of discrimination. Because of this it creates problems for both the social worker and the individual.

Feminist Movement in the 1960's Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Feminist Movement in the 1960's - Research Paper Example The first wave was less radical and dealt with issues such as women’s voting rights and gender equality. The second however broadened the spectrum and agitated for issues such as sexual liberation, workplace inequalities and legal inequalities. One of the factors that propelled this movement was feminist publications. In Betty Friedman’s book; The Feminine Mystique, she put’s forward among other things, that woman should not be relegated to the home as it is a waste of her potential (Helium: Understanding the 60s' women's liberation, par 4 Sept. 2008). It was a bestseller world over and influenced many feminists after its publication in 1965. Women attempted to empower themselves through the law through steps in the legal arena one such being the 1963 bill by Esther Saperstein introduced into state legislature meant to create a Commission on the Status of Women in conjunction with relevant national legislation. . (Encyclopedia of Chicago: Feminist movements 2004) .They also formed feminist movements. It is in these period movements such as that the women’s liberation movement, which argued that women suffered both personal and political oppression in a male-dominated society and Chicago women’s liberation movements (1965) were formed (Encyclopedia of Chicago: Feminist movements, 2004). ... Feminists also agitated for freedom in sexual reproduction; they demanded access to abortion services, rape clinics and family planning services. They even went as far as to; through a movement named â€Å"Jane† to provide abortions in Illinois despite its being illegal there. Several landmark legislations for the feminist movement were passed at this time. Such included the Equal Pay Act of 1963 which disallowed sex based discrimination between men and women working under similar conditions. (Helium: Understanding the 60s' women's liberation, par 7 Sept. 2008) The civil rights amendment of 1964 also guarded against discrimination based on gender, race color or creed. This however did not always guarantee that the discrimination would stop and even while they were in place Betty Friedman in 1966 formed now an organization that interrogated the discriminative practices in work place. This showed that despite changing the laws, it would take a lot more to change the minds of peo ple (Helium: understanding the 60s' women's liberation, par 7 Sept. 2008). During the Miss America pageant in 1968, a group of feminists protested the move and claimed that through such pageants, they were being viewed as sex objects. They demonstrated and in what were popularly known as bra burnings; they removed their bras and called for a bra ban. Such action did raise criticism in some quarters where it was said that their actions to fight the view as sex objects made them the same thing. This however is just an opinion. Through these actions, women were showing the world that they could not and would not be ignored and they were willing to do whatever needed doing to get on equal footing with men and

Immigration In The United States Of America History Essay

Immigration In The United States Of America History Essay During its first hundred years, the United States had a laissez-faire policy toward immigration-no limits. Federal, state, and local governments, private employers, shipping companies and railroads, and churches promoted immigration to the United States. For example, subsidizing railroad construction led to the recruitment of immigrant workers by private railroad companies. High tariffs kept out European manufactured goods and thus created a demand for more workers in American factories. The federal government relied on immigrants to staff the army-immigrants were about a third of the regular soldiers in the 1840s, and an even higher proportion of many state militias. The Door-Ajar era approach began in 1870s. There were popular movements to restrict the immigration of particular groups perceived as threatening. Congress barred the entry of convicts and prostitutes in 1875, and the Immigration Act of 1882 for the first time prohibited immigration from a particular country- China-at the behest of urban workers in California who felt threatened by unfair competition. ( ) Immigration from China was illegal for most of the next 60 yearsEven though a weak economy and increasing immigration led to restrictions on immigration, foreign policy considerations delayed the implementation of these restrictions. The Door-Ajar policy started to gain momentum after 1890. Restrictions and attempts to impose restrictions were the product of a fluctuating economy. But the major reason for the growing opposition to immigration was its composition. Whereas the majority of the old immigrant came from Western Europe, most of the new immigrants came from Eastern and Sout hern Europe. The German, British and the other Western Europe immigrants who were Protestant overall, were replaces by Russians, Polish and Italian immigrants, the majority of whom were Greek-Orthodox, Catholic or Jewish. One of the most important aspects of this era was the attempt to block immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe. Most of the efforts were totally unsuccessful. The shift to the more restrictive Pet-door era started in 1917, when, after numerous attempts, Congress finally passed the literacy test bill and in addition to the literacy test, the immigration act of 1917 added excludable classes, raised the head tax, and introduced the power to deport aliens convicted of certain offenses. A couple of years later, Congress imposed the first quantitative restrictions on immigration, limiting arrivals to 3 percent of the foreign-born persons of each nationality present in the United States in 1910. The base year was soon pushed back to 1890, before most third-wave immigrants had arrived, when northern and western Europeans made up a larger proportion of the population. Restrictions on permanent immigration reached a peak during and after World War I. However, wars also generate support for temporary migration. World War I created a demand for additional manpower because part of the labor force was drafted, another part was employed in war industries. World War II, like World War I had an impact on immigration policy. First, the war increased conformity and anti-immigration sentiment, leading to some restrictions on freedom of expression, potential immigrants and foreign-born citizens. Secondly, the wartime need for manpower generated the recruitment of migrant workers. But the most important development during World War II was the growing influence of foreign policy considerations which led to the liberalization of U.S immigration policy. In the 1960s, the civil rights movement highlighted government discrimination against nonwhites, which influenced in a negative way U.S. immigration policy. President John Kennedy proposed eliminating the national origins system in the early 1960s. In 1965, Congress moved to eliminate racial and ethnic discrimination in American immigration policy. It managed to do that offering priority to immigrants with relatives in the United States who petitioned for their admission inside the country. Migrants from Asia were treated like other foreigners seeking to immigrate and, for the first time, quantitative restrictions were placed on immigration from the Western Hemisphere. Until the 1980s, U.S. immigration law could be described as a complex system that is in a continue change looking to reach the needs of each generation in particular. The accelerating pace of global change affected migration patterns all over the world, and that is why US Congress responded with three major changes in immigration laws between 1980 and 1990. The first change was in the definition of refugees. The 1951 UN Refugee Convention defined a refugee as a person outside his or her country of citizenship and unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of persecution due to the persons race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion(). During the Cold War, the United States defined refugees as persons fleeing communist dictatorship or political violence in the Middle East. But, the United States adopted the UN definition with the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980(). The number of refugees resettled is determined each year by the president in consultation with Congress. The second major policy change aimed to reduce illegal immigration. During the 1960s, the Border Patrol apprehended 1.6 million foreigners; during the 1970s, apprehensions rose five-fold to 8.3 million. After studying the effects of illegal immigration commissions concluded that illegal migrants adversely affected unskilled American workers and undermined the rule of law. They urged the government to continue the effort to reduce migration in United States. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) recorded a historic deal between those who wanted to prevent more illegal migration and those who wanted to legalize the status of illegal foreigners who already are on United States territory. The most important upgrades that The Immigration Reform and Control Act brought are as it follows. Required employers to attest to their employees immigration status, and granted amnesty to certain illegal immigrants who entered the United States before January 1, 1982 and had resided there continuously. Also it made it illegal to knowingly hire or recruit illegal immigrants (immigrants who do not possess lawful work authorization).Last, it granted a path towards legalization to certain agricultural seasonal workers and immigrants who had been continuously and illegally present in the United States since January 1, 1982. Immigration remained a high-profile political issue in the early 1990s. People were less tolerant of unauthorized immigrants, who were usually in low-skilled jobs. California Governor Pete Wilson won re-election in 1994 in part by endorsing Proposition 187, an initiative that would have excluded illegal migrants from state-funded services, including public schools. Concern about immigration, terrorism, and welfare contributed to three major laws in 1996: The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (ATEDPA), the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA). The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act (EBSVERA) of 2002 required universities to keep better track of the foreign students they enrolled and heightened scrutiny of visa applicants from countries deemed sponsors of terrorism. Foreigners needing visas to enter the United States must be interviewed by consu lar officers abroad, and applications from most Middle Eastern countries are sent to Washington, D.C., to be checked against government databases to detect terrorists. The REAL ID Act of 2005 prohibits federal agencies from accepting drivers licenses issued by the 10 states that granted them to unauthorized foreigners. Perhaps the most important change after Sept. 11 was the creation of a new cabinet agency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Immigration and Naturalization Service was moved from the U.S. Department of Justice to DHS and divided into three different agencies. One focused on border enforcement and inspecting persons arriving in the United States, one oversaw enforcement of immigration laws, and the third handled applications for immigration benefits. In Britain most immigration has been permanent. British immigration control policy has been influenced during time by different elements like the volume of dissimilar immigration, foreign policy considerations, external threats and wars. From its beginnings until the early twentieth century, Britain had a liberal immigration policy. Great Britain regulated immigration only twice in this period. First regulation was the 1872-1873 Alien Act. It was phrased as a temporary measure and also it was renewed at intervals until 1926. The second restriction on immigration arrived in 1848. Political instability in Europe generated a flow of political refugees, whose presence in England brought several disturbances. A good example is the 1792 case when the external threat represented by those refugees led to the approval of the Aliens Removal Act. This Act gave to the Home Secretary and the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland the power to deport any foreigner against whom written allegations had been mad e. Britain kept a liberal immigration policy until the early twentieth century. This policy was facilitated by the limited immigration into Britain, by the similarity between most of the immigrants and the local population and by foreign policy considerations(Smith1981). In 1905 Parliament passed the Aliens Immigration Act. One of the reasons was the unprecedented influx of Jewish immigrants. The 1905 Aliens Immigration act was administrated in a very liberal fashion by the liberal government that came into power the following year. Nevertheless, the act stayed on the books and its significance lay in the breach with the principle of the previous eighty years that Britain should be freely open to immigration from overseas. (Rees 1979). World War I produced the next restriction on immigration to Britain. In August that year, The House of Commons passed the Aliens Restriction Act. The 1914 legislation which was much tougher than the 1905 Act, gave the Home Secretary powers to prohibit the entry of immigrants and to deport them. It was the first time when aliens had to register with the police. The main object of 1914 act, as presented by the Home secretary was to secure the detention and removal of spies. It was renewed after the war by the Aliens Restriction Act of 1919. Even though during the 1920s and 1930s economic depression most of the countries restricted immigration, Britain avoided that to happen and more than that even emphasized its commitment to free migration within the Commonwealth. The direction of migration changed once Britain entered World War II and faced a shortage in manpower. After World War II the UK government faced an unprecedented situation. Britain was no longer seen as a top world power, and the concept of Commonwealth started to replace the notion of Empire. Immigration started to be seen by politicians as a opportunity to bring back the country to its previous international status. Humanitarian solidarity of 1939-45 and sponsored immigration of the 1945-62 were perceived a bit different. In order to obtain a clear conclusion it is advised to evaluate chronologically UK government response to colored immigration. Doing this the shifts in policy over time during that specific period will be very clear underlined. The relationship between immigrants and the state remain pretty much the same even though there were changes of administration and policy. A very interesting experience for the British government was the Post-war immigration issues. No doubt that traditionally until the late 1970s the UK had been considered by many a country of net immigrat ion. Anyway due to economic reasons immigration was actively supported as a matter of policy by the UK government starting with 1945. Two years later an independent economic survey was commissioned by the government. The results brought out that the general opinion was that, a useful contribution can be made by foreign labor. Also the survey revealed that the increasing of working population is does not have to be a temporary measure. The newly conceived National Health Service, London Transport and British Rail brought workers from the newly opened recruitment centers in West Indies to the UK but the numbers recruited in these ventures were relatively small to begin with, so they established a nucleus of ethnicity in certain areas. The foreign labor recommended in the 1947 government survey was not only for colored immigrants. A white core policy was instead in the minds of the authorities. In the next years following the war European immigrants were preferred to colored and the Government authorities ware scared of the workers solidarity and how it may affect the relationship with Westminster. After thirty years the records showed all the measures that were taken to block their entry in the UK. One good example is the delaying of issuing the passport so that the colored people could not work legally in the UK and the list continues. In the next year 1948, in The British Nationality Act it began the conceptual separation between British and Commonwealth citizenship and the UK immigration law was begging to rise. Therefore in the next years the visa restrictions for the coloured were taken out and an influx of blacks and Asians, approximately 14000 per annum came in the UK but , in 1962 most towns across the UK remained predominantly white only. In exception in the Wales a small numbers of coloured came and these people were found only in the docks of the capital. The government authorities did not respond properly to the increased number of immigrations and the media elevated the issue to an underserved status of national importance. The individual partisan policy issues clearly played a big role in the timing and manner of the execution of immigration legislation. For example in 1959 the elections were won by the Conservatives for the third time and as the traditional centre-right party of the UK it was no surprise that they should oversee the passing of the most stringent law against coloured immigrants, the 1962 Commonwealth Immigrants Act. It was clear that the law could be seen as a new government policy of moving the economic market to Europe at the beginning of the 1960, which necessitated a symbolic move away from the Commonwealth. David Childs said that Macmillan had a great success in convincing his colleagues of the need of this new road.In other order it was a fact that immigration legislation was motivated by external geo-strateg ic issues and not by the issues of numbers, facts and figures of arrivals into the country. Besides that, the British government acknowledged that its definition of nationality as it was written in the 1948 acct was old-fashioned. This was a good opportunity te begin the second phase of post-war legislation starting with the landmark 1962 Commonwealth act. This act enforced much more tight guidelines regarding entry to to UK. Racial undertones were clearly present as the Act was centred upon immigrants from the New Commonwealth and did not concern immigration from the Old Commonwealth or Ireland.( ). Obviously the British state was keen to legally underline the difference between being British and being a subject of the Empire. This action took place in order to protect what it perceived as a delicate domestic balance. As Jack Watson concludes; It was one thing to control immigration unlimited population growth would add to Britains social problems but the fierce criticism of the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, both at home and abroad, centred on the argument that it was di rected against immigration from the New Commonwealth and not against immigration in general. Yet in spite of the arrival of the concept of quotas into the political discourse regarding immigration the numbers of immigrants did not supported a huge change after 1962. Therefore, although the UK government responded to public opinion, a strong sense of ethnic superiority and political expediency, the reality of the matter remained that immigration, post 1945, was an economic and not a nationalistic issue. After the 1997 election UK immigration policy started a new chapter. The White Paper in 1998 showed a different and modern way of handling immigration and asylum . The paper claimed that Britain has lots of advantages from legal immigration. The new strategic way of thinking has been implemented on several different levels . The liberalizing aspects were completely non politic. It was underlined the need for skilled force, the decisive proof coming from various pieces of research . The refugee restrictions favoured by New Labour in its first item of legislation the Asylum and Immigration Act 1999 which involved abolition of cash benefits for asylum seekers and a strict policy of dispersal required a public mood of deep antipathy towards this group of people to allow it to be carried through. The consequences of depriving people of the possibility of any degree of self-determination in respect of their life in the UK, and off pushing them even further out of the mainstream of ordinary life, could easily be predicted. It would result in human rights violations (particularly in relation to the right to family life), economic hardship because of grossly inadequate levels of support though the voucher scheme, and an increase in racist attacks against a group of people so widely proclaimed as being unworthy of better treatment. The refugee support networks across the country soon came alive with accounts of how exactly these outcomes were coming about, right up to the point of serious acts of violence and even the murder of at least one asylum seeker. But no sooner was the evidence of these disastrous consequences accumulating, than a reaction to the reaction emerged amongst groups who developed sympathies with the asylum seekers. Faith groups lobbied ministers over the evidence of increasing financial hardship and the obvious suffering of refugee children. Teachers, and even police chiefs, went on record to complain against the deterioration of civil relations between ethnic groups in the school playground and the wider community. The British Medical Association expressed grave concern over the declining health of refugee communities, and the trades union movement, led by transport union leader Bill Morris, staged a revolt against the voucher scheme. Clearly, asylum seekers had their supporters and defende rs, and these tended to be most vocal in the social groups which the Labour government counted upon as their key supporters. In the early 1990, Britain stood out as a country that has reduced immigration to a unavoidable core of family reunification and asylum seekers, numbering no more than 50000 in one year. Since than, both policy an policy outcomes have reversed sharply. The labour government increased the number of work permits issued, promised to reform the Immigration act of 1971 in order to encourage primary immigration, an reevalueted citizenship through the proposed incorporation of citizenship of classes, language texts and naturalization ceremonies. The Labour party started to rethink its core strategy in the 4th semester of 2001 due to a cabinet change. The new Home Secretary from that time, David Blunkett can be considered the initiator of the strategy. In the same time with the new way of Labourss thinking, a change to a more pugnacious style of engagement with public opinion could be noted.( ).The September 11, a date that changed United Sates approach, was almost as important for UK and in the winter of 2002, a second White Paper appeared, this time punctuating the very complex issue of security. Surprisingly though, not the immigrants that were on their way coming to UK were the concern, but those who had finished their migration process recently an who believed of themselves as totally settled in Britain. The controverter problem of the naturalisation of long-settled immigrant communities came onto centre stage as Home Secretary Blunkett sought to open up a new debate about the extent to which these groups had assimilated the distinctive values of UK society. The background to this issue was provided by the summer riots in several northern English towns in 2001. Experts commenting on these developments opened up discussion about the absence of social cohesion revealed by these developments. The principle complaint of one of the most influential of these commentators Lord Herman Ousley was that poverty and lack of resources had prevented civic and other public authorities from addressing the grave problem of racial division, which was a prominent feature of these northern cities. In the White Paper, concerns of this nature were not so subtly transformed into criticism of immigrant communities themselves, for failing to take robust action to ensure their integration into mainstream society. Blunkett was also prepared to do more than had been done during Straws tutelage at the Home Office to force public discussion of economic migration. A whole chapter of the White Paper discussed the issue of working in the UK. The mood here was that government policy was allowing British employers to lead the world in vigorous competition for the brightest and the best amongst the global workforce. The reforms to the work permit scheme of the previous 18 months were set out in detail, and the substantial increase in the volume of people entering in these categories became the badge of success. In the competition to ensure that British business had all the resources it needed to come out on top, the Labour government would not accept second place. The White Paper thus framed the whole question of economic migration as being essentially a matter of business strategy, rather than anything to do with the rights of workers in increasingly globalised labour markets. Indeed, the White Paper wandered into the terrain of considering the clear demand for less skilled workers, and concluded that this would be dealt with by opening up channels for temporary, seasonal migration schemes, which have in practice been associated with the often ruthless exploitation of young foreign students. It is clear from the approach set out in the White Paper that those workers admitted to met local shortages in the informally-skilled sectors of tourism and hospitality industries, construction and agriculture, will not acquire such rights as family reunification, equality of treatment, or long-term settlement in the UK.

Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - The Problem with Huck Finn :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

The Problem with Huck Finn A person is a product of his or her society and environment. A person grows up learning skills and traits from the people around him. These traits influence and affect the person unconsciously for the rest of his life. For instance if a person grows up with an abusive father chances are he will grow up to be abusive to people around him. But what we learn may not necessarily be right (like what is mentioned above), but the person doesn't know that. What would happen to a person who spent this whole life living a certain way and then came to the conclusion that something different was actually correct. This would totally rock his world. Huck Finn has this exact problem. Huck was brought up in a world where slavery was normal. Heck even the local priest said the Bible said it was okay. What greater authority to have than Gods. But Huck is faced with a challenging decision. As he becomes more and more of a friend to a runaway slave and helps him in escape his entire moral standards are challenged. But this leaves him with an invaluable lesson. Huck meets Jim as they both are running away from their lives, for different reasons. Huck and Jim head down the Mississippi. But Jim is a runaway slave and Huck is faced with a decision to help or turn Jim in. Huck comes very close to turning Jim in as he struggles to determine what is correct and what is not correct. Huck throughout the story struggles within him to find out for himself what is right and wrong. He sees Jim's compassionate nature and Good-Will and realizes the institution that is slavery is not moral and is in fact the opposite. Huck even in one triumphant moment comes over his doubts about the morality of slavery. Huck stats "Alright then I'll go to hell". Huck in this one simple statement defines his opinion. No matter what the consequence of his actions, if it be Hell, or jail or whatever, he will not betray Jim. Huck in his struggle inside of himself comes to realize the right thing to do and in doing so becomes a man.

How I Think and Learn

Throughout my college years I have found what my best ways of thinking and learning are. I have tried many different methods to make sure I get the best out of learning. Now that I know what helps me concentrate I stick to that method when studying. Thinking is a complex part of me that I have difficulties in, especially when I have to make a decision. Thinking and learning are a process that has no ending, and frequently can be modified to ones potential. To learn what I am being taught, I have to rewrite and review my notes.I have difficult time memorizing my notes, so the more I review them the easier it is for me to remember the content. Also, to learn in class I have to sit in the front of class to focus on what is being taught. When it comes to study time, I like to be alone to be able to think and process what I am learning. I don’t like to have distractions at this time so, this helps me concentrate and forget about any other issues I may have. I believe that I need to improve my persona so that I can become a successful and great nurse one day. I want to improve my technical skill, according to Alfaro, this it to focus on more important things.Sometimes I dedicate more time to socializing with friends and I don’t dedicate enough assignments, which is more important. In the past, while I was taking a science course, I would spend more time going out with my friends rather than studying for upcoming quizzes or exams. I know that if I focus more on important things I will be a better student that will lead to a great nursing career. Another, skill I want to improve on is my interpersonal skill. I have a difficulty communicating with others, especially if they are older people than me.I have difficulty expressing myself to others and giving any feedback. I would like to improve this skill because I want to prepare myself to working with a large number of people, like at a hospital. I know that being part of a health care team means that worki ng as a team is important. I will work on this skill by socializing more with my fellow co workers and other people when the time is appropriate. The last skill I think is important for me to improve is my intellectual skill as well. I think that my confidence in decision making is not very high.I usually don’t go with my gut feeling. For instance, when I take a test and I’m unsure about an answer, if I have an intuition about an answer I always doubt myself and end up choosing the wrong answer. I think this skill will help me as a nurse in the future because the life of patients will rely on me, and I have to make the best decision to keep them healthy. I plan to work on this skill by trusting myself and working on myself esteem. Throughout the years that I have dedicated in college to better my education and prepare for a better future I have learned many new things about myself.I’ve found out what my styles in learning are, and what helps me learn and stay fo cus. I have been able to critically think about different situations that will impact my life and have been able to make wise decisions about my life. I am happy that there is great opportunity for improvement in myself. I am looking forward into putting to use what I have learned and happy that I’ve been thought the difference between a thinker and a critical thinker. Alfaro-Lefevre, R. (2009). Critical thinking and clinical judgement (4th ed). Philadelphia: WB Saunders

Population Trends and Problems of Public Health Essay

The scope and emphasis of a public health program are necessarily influenced by the changing characteristics of the population it serves. The rate of population growth affects long-range planning of community health and medical facilities. Alterations in age composition, internal migration of racial or industrial groups, changes in population density and urban-rural movement require current adaptation of the health program to solve the new problems thus created. Among the various characteristics of recent population trends, aging of the population is one of the most fundamental in its bearing on national health. The social and economic effects of an aging population have long been recognized. Dr. Louis I. Dublin appraised the problem of old age in some detail in 1926, when the provision of economic security for the aged was the dominant theme of contemporary discussion. 1 The passage of the Social Security Act in 1935 represented the fruits of the efforts of this early period. Adjustment of national policy with respect to the health problems associated with aging of the population has been slower in development. Under the terms of the Social Security Act, a limited expansion of activities designed to promote the health of older adults—control of cancer and pneumonia, and industrial hygiene services—has been made This paper was presented at the Eighteenth Annual Conference of the Milbank Memorial Fund, April 2–3, 1940. The Milbank Quarterly, Vol. 83, No. 4, 2005 (pp. 569–608) c 2005 Milbank Memorial Fund. Published by Blackwell Publishing. Reprinted from The Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, Vol. 18, No. 4, 1940 (pp. 359–92). Style and usage are unchanged. possible in the cooperating States. However, the Act makes no provision for the solution of such fundamental problems as invalidity insurance and medical care of the aged. During the past five years, the health aspects of old age have received increasing attention in the discussions of public health administrators. It therefore seems appropriate to resurvey this general problem, and to consider, in particular, the nature of future trends in mortality, morbidity, and the receipt of medical care which may be expected solely as a result of changing age structure of the population. The Effect on the Death Rate The effect of a declining proportion of children and an increasing proportion of â€Å"elders† on the future trend of the death rate may be readily predicated from the characteristics of age variation in mortality, which are generally familiar. The period of infancy is characterized by a large proportion of fatally terminating illnesses. Following the high mortality of the first year, the death rate declines rapidly in the succeeding years of early childhood, and the rate among children 5 to 14 years of age is lower than in any period of life. The age curve of mortality remains at a relatively low level in youth and the young adult ages. During the period of middle age, a marked upward trend in the death rate becomes apparent, and the increase thereafter is progressive. The sharp downward trend in the death rate following infancy and the rapid rise which occurs during middle and old age are the most pronounced characteristics of age variation in mortality. The mortality rate in infancy and early childhood has shown a marked reduction in the present century, while the rate at the advanced ages has remained practically unchanged. Thus, the death rate at the older ages has shown an increasing relative excess over the rate in the early years of life. Furthermore, aging of the population has increased the number of older persons exposed to the chance of death. Deaths of persons 45 years of age and over constituted over two-thirds of all deaths in this country in 1935; in the Registration States of 1900, the proportion was approximately two-fifths. It thus results that the diseases which at present are the leading causes of death in the population of all ages are largely those characteristic of middle and old age. Diseases of the heart, cerebral hemorrhage, nephritis, cancer, and diabetes accounted for 65 per cent of the deaths among persons 45 years of age and over, and for 44 per cent of the total deaths

Destruction of the Environment essays

Destruction of the Environment essays Imagine a world in which people would not see trees and a blue sky when they go outside. Imagine stepping out of a house and not being able to walk a few feet without getting winded because of the amount of polution in the air. This might become a reality if our society as a whole does not start to think about the reprocutions of our actions. The irrevocable desicions that we make today will ultimately be the arbiter of what the world will be like in the future. The environment is a very fragile thing and if we do not take care of it, future generations will not be able to enjoy it. There are many ways in which we can begin to better our environment. One of which is to recycle. One does not have to be an erudite peron to know the numerous advantages of recycling. By recycling daily material in our lives, we will perpetuate a lifetime of useful material without using Earth's transient resources. If our waste is not recycled, then it is sent to landfills, where the harmful substances are left to permeate into the soil. The simple task of recycling is a very powerful way for renewing our supply of natural resources and helping the environment. Another way in which we can improve the environment is to conserve energy. The energy that is used to power our lights and televisions is provided by large power plants that can sometimes inadvertantly harm our environment. If we retrench the amount of energy that we use at home, than we are able to reduce the chance of harming our fragile ecosystem. With the flick of the switch when the light is not needed, there will be a salutary effect on the environment, even if it is just a nominal amount. Our gossamer world is not something that society should take for granted. If we choose to take care of our environment now, the world might become a much better place. If we choose to not take the important precautions, our world might become a desolate ...

Free Essays on The Red Badge Of Courage

The Red Badge of Courage It is a story that realistically depicts the American Civil War through the eyes of Henry Fleming, an ordinary farm boy who decides to become a soldier. Henry, who is fighting for the Union, is very determined to become a hero, and the story depicts Henry’s voyage from being a young coward, to a brave man. The novel opens with a description of the fields at dawn, "As the landscape changed from brown to green, the army awakened, and began to tremble with eagerness at the noise of rumors" (43). It set in the south during the 19th century Civil War, and is the classic trip from innocence to experience. A river, amber-tinted in the shadow of its banks, flowed at the army’s feet, and at night it flowed in blackness and ". . . one could see across the red, eyelike gleam of the hostile camp-fires set in the low brows of the distant hills" (43). The setting is appropriate because it creates a image of a tense and suffering battlefield. Anything can happen to anyone and anyone can become anything. It is a place where a person could become a hero or another died body on a bloodshed field. The solders awake eager and a heated debate between the soldiers erupts. One boy had heard a rumor that the regiment would be moving on to fight a battle the next day. Some of the soldiers agree with this boy, while others think that their regiment will never partake in a real battle. While watching this argument, Henry, the protagonist, decides that he would rather go lay down and think rather then take part in the heated argument between the soldiers. Henry, a simple farm boy, is rather excited when he hears the rumor that they will be fighting soon. It had always been a dream of his to fight in a war, and become a hero, and now his dream was coming true. Henry begins to think about what life was like before he entered the army, and remembers the stories of war he has heard from old veterans. This flashback is very effective... Free Essays on The Red Badge Of Courage Free Essays on The Red Badge Of Courage The Red Badge of Courage It is a story that realistically depicts the American Civil War through the eyes of Henry Fleming, an ordinary farm boy who decides to become a soldier. Henry, who is fighting for the Union, is very determined to become a hero, and the story depicts Henry’s voyage from being a young coward, to a brave man. The novel opens with a description of the fields at dawn, "As the landscape changed from brown to green, the army awakened, and began to tremble with eagerness at the noise of rumors" (43). It set in the south during the 19th century Civil War, and is the classic trip from innocence to experience. A river, amber-tinted in the shadow of its banks, flowed at the army’s feet, and at night it flowed in blackness and ". . . one could see across the red, eyelike gleam of the hostile camp-fires set in the low brows of the distant hills" (43). The setting is appropriate because it creates a image of a tense and suffering battlefield. Anything can happen to anyone and anyone can become anything. It is a place where a person could become a hero or another died body on a bloodshed field. The solders awake eager and a heated debate between the soldiers erupts. One boy had heard a rumor that the regiment would be moving on to fight a battle the next day. Some of the soldiers agree with this boy, while others think that their regiment will never partake in a real battle. While watching this argument, Henry, the protagonist, decides that he would rather go lay down and think rather then take part in the heated argument between the soldiers. Henry, a simple farm boy, is rather excited when he hears the rumor that they will be fighting soon. It had always been a dream of his to fight in a war, and become a hero, and now his dream was coming true. Henry begins to think about what life was like before he entered the army, and remembers the stories of war he has heard from old veterans. This flashback is very effective...

Essay about Bosnia

Essay about Bosnia Essay about Bosnia Essay about Bosnia: Topic Ideas If you need essay about Bosnia, you will find this article useful. We are online 24/7 to help you with writing any essay on any topic and within any deadline. If you are looking for help with writing college essay online or need professional custom writing service, do not hesitate to place an order at our site and get your paper written by professional and experienced essay writers! Here are some tips you may find useful for writing your essay about Bosnia. Introduction is the place to present your topic, formulate the purpose of writing, and state the scope of research Discussion section of your essay about Bosnia may include the historical roots of enmity of the Bosnian people. Analyze origin of crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina. You can describe disintegration of Socialist Federal Republic Yugoslavia. You may show in your essay about Bosnia the first stage of peacemaking (August, 1991 - 1993): Z. Kutilero's plan. S. Vznsa's plan, D. Ouena's plan, etc. Give the reasons of failure of the first stage of peace-making initiates. Consider the second stage of peace-making process - the so-called plan of Contact group. Take into account the Dayton peace agreement: substantive provisions, agreement estimation, etc. Writing essay about Bosnia, review a role of the USA and NATO in the course of conflict settlement. You may need a guide to essay writing:. Essay about Bosnia: Sources of Data The sources which can be used in your essay about Bosnia can be classified as follows: - Official documents of the international organizations, such as the United Nations Organization, the International Tribunal across the former Yugoslavia; - Diplomatic documents, the internal political certificates including the departmental documentation, parliamentary reports, correspondence of officials; - Materials of statistical and auxiliary character; Essay about Bosnia: Custom Writing If you have neither time nor desire to write essay about Bosnia, you have an opportunity to take advantage of our custom college essay help. Our essay writers are experienced; our prices are affordable; and our services are 100% legit. We pay peculiar attention to the smallest details of your instruction and double-check essay about Bosnia for plagiarism. When you buy essay about Bosnia writing service at our site, you can be sure to get a custom written essay which meets all instruction points, is originally and properly referenced! You may also read great article on how to write favorite season essays and review academic tips on persuasive essay writing. Interesting posts: Custom Beowulf Essay Composition Essay Autobiographical Essays Synthesis Writing Steps How to Write a Book Report

Discuss weather or not aggression is learnt with reference to research Essay

Discuss weather or not aggression is learnt with reference to research - Essay Example Additional elements of aggression include that the target of the aggression must feel intimidated by the aggressive action and feel that deliberate harm is intended by the person exhibiting aggressive behaviour (Anderson, 2002). The two key elements to note here are harm and intension. The perpetrator must intend to harm the victim. This can easily be understood by an example. If a boy comes snatches my younger brother’s pencil box, pushes him and starts running away, my brother would get furious. As a result if my brother chases the boy who ran with his pencil box, catches him and then slaps him that would be an example of aggressive behaviour. If on the other hand, my brother is playing soccer and unintentionally bumps into a player due to inertia that would not characterize as aggression. The reason is that the intention to harm was missing (Kinsella, 2004). Aggression and Violence: It is also important to establish the difference between aggression and violence. Where aggr ession means the intention to harm someone, violence refers to the intention of harming someone to an extreme level. Depending on the motive, aggression can further be divided into hostile or instrumental (Anderson, 2002). Different researchers and psychologists have done a lot of work on aggression and its causality. For the purpose of this paper, I will cite facts from a few of the works and answer the question as to whether aggression is learnt of innate. In the words of Sally Gadsdon, â€Å"If aggression is innate then all cultures should be equally aggressive, but this is obviously not the case.† I partially agree with this statement, since it is true that in our daily lives we meet hundreds of people belonging to the same culture, yet not equally aggressive. This does suggest something about aggression as an inherited trait. However tracking the roots of aggression is not as simple as it may seem. Is Aggression Learnt? From the point of view of the Social Learning Theor y, aggression is learnt from interactions with one’s social surroundings. It basically yields aggression as a product of the observation of a person’s environment; therefore it states that aggression is learnt. The Scripts Theory incorporates the element of the media into the social Learning Theory and states that aggression is learnt through the content which we observe on the mass media. The Social Interactions Theory further extends the concept of learned aggression to the idea of extrinsic motivation provided for aggressive acts, which breed aggression. For example, when new assassins join mafia gangs they are offered very generous monetary rewards which motivate them towards killing somebody. Therefore, in a way their aggression is motivated by the monetary value which they will get as a reward for their aggression (Anderson, 2002). All these theories build on the Frustration- Aggression hypothesis, which states that aggression is an outcome of frustration and fru stration is felt owing to our surroundings. Maslow did not approve the idea of simple frustration leading to aggressio

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

Wikileaks - Essay Example The organizational operations are designed to protect journalists, activists and whistleblowers. The term wikileaks is a combination of two terms â€Å"wiki† and â€Å"Leaks† each of which is defined separately. According to Jennings, a wiki is a server program that permits users to work together in making up the content of a website. With it, any user who is using a web browser from their own computer can edit the site including other user’s contributions (4). It uses a collaboration of many users. The contributors can view the page any time conveniently before and after changes have been made to it. According to Jennings, the term wiki comes from Hawaiian language meaning fast. From the English dictionary, the word leak is defined as permitting to escape or to flaw. The leak part of the word describes what the organization does (Times Taffn.p). Wikileaks is an organization which gathers information that governments and institutions do not want released and posts it on the internet where everyone can read it. It is a system for untraceable mass document le aking. The founding and registration of wikileaks.org domain name was done on 4th October 2006 and was launched under the sunshine press organization. The founder of wikileaks was Julian Assange who was an Australian internet activist. The wikileaks site however states that it was â€Å"founded by Chinese dissidents, journalists, mathematicians and startup company technologists from the US, Taiwan, Europe, Australia and South Africa†. It was not until 2007 when Julian Assange was referred to as the â€Å"founder† of wikileaks. The advisory board consisted of Assange, Phillip Adams,Wang Dan, CJ Hinke, Ben Laurie, TashiNamgyalKhamsitsag, Xiao Qiang, Chico Whitaker and Wang Youcai. It started publishing leaked documents in 2007 which were significant and became leading front page news items. Since it was launched and started working, wikileaks has endured and

Nicotine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nicotine - Essay Example Nicotine levels might rise in formulated products up to 34 ÃŽ ¼g/kg (Andersson, Wennstrà ¶m & Gry, 2003, p. 9). In commercial cigarette tobacco, nicotine is present in around 1.5% by weight of the product and it constitutes for 95% of total alkaloid content (Hukkanen, Jacob, & Benowitz, 2005, p. 79). This organic compound is alkaloid in nature and consists of a  pyridine cycle and a pyrrolidine cycle. This bicyclic chemical has an asymmetric carbon and so display enantiomeric behaviour. Nicotine is naturally found in S enantiomeric form in nature which is levorotatory (Hukkanen, Jacob, & Benowitz, 2005, p. 80). Nicotine’s IUPAC nomenclature is 3-(1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl) pyridine (Pubchem). Chemical formula is C5H4NC4H7NCH3 and Empirical formula of nicotine is C10H14N2. Its CAS number is 54-11-5 and molecular weight is 162.23156 [g/mol]. Nicotine is a hygroscopic, colourless to pale yellow oily base which have acrid burning bitter taste. Nicotine is also sensitive to air or light and on exposure changes its color to brown. Therefore it should be protected from light and air. It has relatively high vapour pressure and has ability to form salts with almost any acid, and double salts with many metals and acids. It is stored at room temperature not more than 30 °C. The pKa-values of nicotine are: pKa1 6.16, and pKa2 10,96. Nicotine is highly soluble in alcohol, chloroform, ether, kerosene and oils, and is miscible with water below 60 °C. The mixture of nicotine and water occupies less volume than water alone (Andersson, Wennstrà ¶m & Gry, 2003, p. 13). Initial isolation of nicotine from tobacco plant was done by German chemists Posselt & Reimann in 1828, who referred it as a poison (Henningfield & Zeller, 2006, p. 286). Its bicyclic chemical structure is fixed in 1895 by Pinner. Chemical structure of nicotine is shown in Figure 1 (pubchem). Chemical sythesis of nicotine was done in 1904 and structure is confirmed (Andersson,

Is oral sucrose an effective method of pain relief for pre-term Literature review

Is oral sucrose an effective method of pain relief for pre-term neonates - Literature review Example Preterm neonates undergo several diagnostic procedures in the clinics and hospital, from vitamin K injection during the first hours after being delivered up to heel pricks for blood sampling to detect metabolic aberrations few days after being discharged. Some preterm neonates also undergo necessary resuscitation and ventilation to sustain and support life of premature vital organs. These situations warrant the administration of drugs and behavioral interventions like opioid analgesics, local and general anesthetics, sedative/ hypnotics, NSAIDS, and sucrose (Anand et al 2006, p. 11). While there are several researches performed to validate the efficiency of these agents in neonates, the issue on safety on the preterm neonates remains an active area of debate. In this review, research articles from journals in scholarly databases such as Cochrane databases and PubMed were evaluated and compared based on their relevant evidence on the practice of using oral sucrose in preterm neonates. Only the studies that utilized a randomized controlled trial designs were selected. The design and number of participants utilized in the studies will be considered and discussed in this paper. Moreover, the research articles are classified and covered under specific procedure often undergone by neonates. The Challenge of Pain Assessment New developments in the neurobiological, embryological, and developmental studies established that even the primitive forms of human life respond to noxious stimuli through a combination of distinct behaviors and physiological activity (Anand et al 2006, p. 9). Like adults, unnecessary pain and suffering of the fetus and the neonate need to be prevented to avoid short- term and long- term consequences (Haidon and Cunliffe 2010, p. 123). As with every situation, assessments always precede interventions even in the management of pain. In the actual clinic setting, the pain felt by the neonates are often overlooked as a normal pattern of their behavio r. For instance, neonates undergoing procedures in the clinics and hospitals like bladder catheterization, needle sticks, surgery, mechanical ventilation, and even the administration of intravenous antibiotics are expected to cry due to discomfort and pain. Because of the ubiquitous nature of pain in preterm neonates, clinicians may fail to address the suffering in minor procedures and fail to perform necessary actions (Porter, Wolf, and Miller 1999, p. 1). Failure to acknowledge the importance of alleviating pain in the preterm and term neonates can result to serious consequences in their neurologic maturation. Therefore, more sensitive assessment tools are needed to detect the level of pain in the neonates and to validate the intervention researches in pain relief. Currently, specific tools consider multidimensional features associated with pain like cry behavior, grimace, quality of sucking, and physiological outcomes (Vani, Nimbalkar, and Thakre 2009, p. 200). Neonates may show different spectra of crying depending on each situation (Belliene et al. 2004, p. 142). Unlike adults, pain assessment of preterm neonates rely on these signs rather that an actual description and quality of pain (Lawrence et al. 1993). Although several researches were conducted to minimize the unnecessary pain, the assessment of pain in preterm

Local Government Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Local Government - Research Paper Example Both the City and the Council view that the devolution of decision-making process would make the councilors to perform at their most effective level. The devolution would help the councilors to promote high-quality customer-focused local services, and through the commission, they ensure that resources are adequate and available to local authorities.The devolution of authority established as part of government reform causes the bureaucracy system of traditional paternal governance to become entrepreneurial governance or a mercantilist government and it is plaguing the country even the countries all over the world. Traditionally, as local government and local leader, the city performs the mandate of the national government and delivers public goods and services to the citizens. However, the devolution requires the transfer of the national responsibility directly to the councils. Councilors lead, coordinate, manage, direct the people, and guide them toward a higher standard of living (S chwarz 1983). Strategic planning, that is usually done at the national level is now their routine. The citizens also have easy access to their representatives and equal access to the goods and services even have direct access to participate in the public policy process.As a mercantilist government, the citizens are still the customers and the clients are the minority groups or the stakeholders, who, after the reform, have better access to the City officials through the councils.

The literature of exile and imaginary homelands in salmon rushdie, Essay

The literature of exile and imaginary homelands in salmon rushdie, bharati mukherjee, and v. s. naipaul - Essay Example es. Salman Rushdie, Bharati Mukherjee, and V.S. Naipaul can all, in different ways, be considered writers in exile. They have all traveled across the sea, all have come to a new, "foreign" land, and each one interacts with the English language as both "a home" for words and an alien tongue. In addition, within these three writers' works, we can see the operations of exile, how the thesethbiographical and linguistic exile of these writers come to be processed and represented, reflected and distorted, and the effect that the concept of exile (that resounds throughout their works) has on the literary and historical contexts that are their new "homes." These novelist's treat exile not simply as a condition of the post-colonial world, but as a central means to understand the self. Rather than labeling them proponents of any post-colonial literature, therefore, we should perhaps call these three novelists the most important artists of a new genre: a literature of exile. Salman Rushdie is an... d Mumbai) on 19 June 1947-the year of Indian independence and the year that acquires so much importance in his most critically acclaimed novel, Midnight's Children (1981). However, while still a child, he moved to England and was schooled at two of the pillars of the British establishment: Rugby and Cambridge. Consequently, his homeland was necessarily doubled, between the Indian subcontinent (where he later lived again, in Pakistan, with his family) and the British Isles to which he returned a second time to work in an advertising agency before beginning his career as a novelist. It is precisely this double identity that informs a great deal of Rushdie's literature-from his first novel, Grimus (1975), to his most recent non-fiction and travel-writing works, such as Step Across the Line: Collected Nonfiction 1992-2002 (2002) and "The East is Blue" (2004). He is able to write about both the culture of his parents and his newly adopted culture from the position of a partial outsider to both, and is able to understand both sides of a sometimes (often violently) opposed set of cultural constructions. This is not to say that Rushdie's writing career has been one in which he feigns a transcendental stance, a distanced style, that sets him above both cultures as an objective and unbiased third party. The case is quite the reverse. His writing is very much "at ground level": it locates itself within the heady back and forth of cultural interchange. Like a geneticist he splices (and inextricably interweaves) a double helix from the quite separate societies of which he has been a part. Rushdie crosses English literary references with Quoranic exegesis and mixes Indian folklore with modern American slang. It is precisely within this interweaving that is born the exciting

Local Government Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Local Government - Research Paper Example Both the City and the Council view that the devolution of decision-making process would make the councilors to perform at their most effective level. The devolution would help the councilors to promote high-quality customer-focused local services, and through the commission, they ensure that resources are adequate and available to local authorities.The devolution of authority established as part of government reform causes the bureaucracy system of traditional paternal governance to become entrepreneurial governance or a mercantilist government and it is plaguing the country even the countries all over the world. Traditionally, as local government and local leader, the city performs the mandate of the national government and delivers public goods and services to the citizens. However, the devolution requires the transfer of the national responsibility directly to the councils. Councilors lead, coordinate, manage, direct the people, and guide them toward a higher standard of living (S chwarz 1983). Strategic planning, that is usually done at the national level is now their routine. The citizens also have easy access to their representatives and equal access to the goods and services even have direct access to participate in the public policy process.As a mercantilist government, the citizens are still the customers and the clients are the minority groups or the stakeholders, who, after the reform, have better access to the City officials through the councils.

Experiments in Art and Technology Essay Example for Free

Experiments in Art and Technology Essay The new interface I will define is one in which the artist makes active use of the inventiveness and skills of an engineer to achieve his purpose. The artist could not complete his intentions without the help of an engineer. The artist incorporates the work of the engineer in the painting or the sculpture or the performance. what a perfect synergy! Introduction ‘Experiments in Art and technology’ (E. A. T. ) is an aged non profit making and tax exempted organization instituted as far back as 1966 by renounced engineers and artists. The engineers included the persons of Billy Kluver and Fred Waldhauer, while the artists, the persons of Robert Rauschenberg and Robert Whitman. Experiments in Art and Technology was pioneered from the experience of a popular work titled – ‘9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering’. The notable event was of the 69th ‘Regiment Armory in new York City, United State of America† (October 1966). About 40 engineers and 10 popular artists symbiotically worked together to put up an engineered and equally artistic performances. With the works of E. A. T. , artists and engineers’ relationships have received huge boost, thereby stimulating the willingness and participation of industries in artistic events. Companies’ cooperation through sponsorship is one of the achievements of E. A. T. There was fast expression of interest in the group over the space of time. Three years after the inauguration of Experiments in Art and Technology, the organization recorded over 4,200 memberships of diversified artists and engineers all around the United States of America, South America, Japan, Canada and every other interested industry all over the world. Through the process towards achieving the aim of E. A. T. , there was a local program within the group named the Technical Services Program. This program enhanced the effective collaboration of artists working hand-in-hand with engineers on a specific assignment/project. This was made possible by a deliberate effort at pinning suitable artists with appropriate engineers for synergic results. The program also assisted the collaborators in reaching out to industries and corporate-business communities in meeting the needs to accomplish outstanding project. Furthermore, E. A. T. commissioned inter-field projects and events which were anchored by artists involving the use of new technological woks. Some of the projects included the earlier mentioned ‘9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering† in 1966’, ‘Some More Beginning in 1968’ – the later happened to mark the start of ‘exhibition of art and technology. The exhibition was held at a museum in Brooklyn. Included in the list of the project was the â€Å"artist-engineer collaborations to design and program the Pepsi Pavilion at Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan. † Picture showing First meeting of E. A. T. in November 1966 The Story of Experiments in Art and Technology When Andy Warhol was trying to create floating light bulbs, he asked Billy Kluver for his kind assistance. Kluver, who was an engineer working at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey, rejected the plea but instead promised to offer him a wrapper usually use to wrap sandwiches, the material is silvery. Warhol fashioned the material into a rectangular object called Mylar today. Injecting Helium into this Mylar created a floating funhouse mirrors in 1966. This example of collaboration between artists and scientists was a motivation to forming Experiments in Art and Technology (E. A. T. ). The artist-engineer collaboration in E. A. T. was formalized at the event of â€Å"9 Evenings; Theatre and Engineering†, (Oct. 1966, in New York). The program exposed audience to â€Å"state-of-the-art performances and music† from about 50 artists and engineers. Technology electrified things in an appreciable ways, e. g. â€Å"Dancers tripped light switches by moving their legs past photo-cells, and a tennis game was amplified through microphones in the rackets. The compliment received was overwhelming reflecting the need for engineers in artistic works. E. A. T. was then established in November, and by the early 70s it had already absorbed networks of over 6,000 members. â€Å"Throughout the lifespan of E. A. T. , affiliated groups produced over 500 artworks; most common was the body-oriented performance or supercharged minimalist sculpture. One of the most memorable projects commissioned was the Pepsi Pavilion of Expo 1970 Osaka. There, over 60 artists and engineers contributed to the interactive exhibits inside the futuristic dome† The Pepsi Pavilion at Expo 70 Osaka with Fujiko Nakayas mist shroud Aims and objectives of E. A. T. The non profit making organization was vibrant primarily within the two decades of its institution in 1966 by Billy Kluver, Fred waldhauer, Robert Rauschenberg and Robert Whitman. It was carved out of the need to ‘mobilize the ingredients of arts, industry and science around collective projects, calling the participation from different disciplines. E. A. T. also aimed at encouraging the technical harmony towards the realization of new means of expressing arts using modern technological equipment such as computer-made images, sounds, video, (audiovisual), manufacturing materials and robotics. To start with, ‘Experiments in Art and Technology’ brought artists and engineers together to enlighten the participants in order to accustom them with â€Å"tele-writing and satellite transmission using telecommunication technology†. In addition, E. A. T. aimed at giving the developing countries around an ease of Communication Bridge through certain project assignments. In pursuance of these goals, E. A. T. began opening annexes in the US, Canada and Japan. Other Projects Projects realized at the advent of interdisciplinary included: The Anand Project of 1969, this project aided educational television whereby public spaces were linked together to facilitate interactions irrespective of the distance apart. Through this, different countries all around the world can exchange disturbing questions even about a common uncertainty. For example, â€Å"Anand Dairy Cooperative in Baroda (India); Telex: QA (1971), which linked public spaces in New York (U. S. ), Ahmadabad (India), Tokyo (Japan) and Stockholm (Sweden) by telex† Still among the projects is the ‘Children and Communication in 1972’this particular project piloted the enabling of children within the suburb of New York City, to exchange conversation with telex, telephone and fax machine. Also, in El Salvador is a project to fashion out methods for storing culture and tradition in the region (1973). Collection of E. A. T. ’s Published Documents Detailing the activities of Experiments in Art and Technology in 1980; over 400 documents were stored in archive ranging from information bulletins, exhibition catalogues, periodicals, photocopies of press clippings, proposals, lectures, announcements newsletters reprints of major articles, among others. The archive was deposited at major libraries in New York, Moscow of Russia, Washington in U. S., Paris in France et cetera. The archive was aimed at monument the reflection of E. A. T. ’s wide geographical tentacle with technical and artistic diversity. Technical Service Program (1966-1973) Technical service program (TSP), founded as a subgroup in mid 60s, permits specialist in art and engineering to collaborate with the aim of meeting the artist’s technological needs without interruption in the team projected design and developmental stages. Highly technical projects were accomplished with this partnership. This collaboration was publicized when E. A. T. group came up with EAT News that announced projects at different stages of completion. Still, was the periodic public forum held on upcoming technologies such as ‘lasers and holography. ’ The TSP came to an end in 1973 Technical Information (1966) This program provided consulting services for artists. The service provisions included ‘technical libraries’ for artists in New York and telephone assistance line operated by engineers from E. A. T. offices. The library collection features documented activities of EAT from ‘60s to ‘80s. More on â€Å"9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering† (1966-2005) These were series of events that catapulted performances of artists and engineers working in unison as an E. A. T. group. The performances broke down inter-relationship barrier. It went does: Billy kluver and Robert Rauschenberg requested the working relation of 30-man engineer at Bell Laboratories, seeking their involvement in an inter-disciplinary project where avant-garde theatre, dance and new technologies were blended together. The artists involved were John Cage, Lucinda Childs, Oyvind Fahlstrom, Alex Hay, Deborah Hay, Steve Paxton, Yvonne Rainer, Robert Rauschenberg, David Tudor and Robert Whitman. These artists were paired with engineers to produce technical components on the podium used by the participants. It was indeed a break through adventure in the field of Art and technology. Billy Kluver, farther of ‘Experiments in Art and technology’ Reference http://www. fondation-langlois. org/html/e/page. php? NumPage=306 The Man Who Made a Match of Technology and Art

Sensory Systems in Animals

Sensory Systems in Animals All animals have some kind of nervous system that can receive and interpret information about its internal and external environment. Sensory organs provide a means for communication from the external environment to the internal. Sensory receptors contain receptor cells that are specialised to respond to specialised stimuli. These sensory organs may be found all over the body or in localised areas. Afferent neurons carry the sensory information from the periphery toward and into the central nervous system while the efferent neurons carry information away from the central nervous system. Sensations arising when signals initiated in sensory receptors are transmitted in certain parts of the brain, producing signals in certain parts of the brain. (Hickman, Roberts, Keen, 2009) Stimulus types possess features that can be distinguished from one another. In the body of an animal the sensory receptor cells are usually modified. For example, certain receptors detect pressure, heat, chemicals, light and even pain. The stimulus for light detection and chemical detection is different and in addition, the same type of stimulus may possess different features. This can be seen, in for example the detection of blue and red light, both being perceived as a stimulus of light. In the first part of this practical the sensory structures of a number of invertebrate organisms were studied and compared to each other. Mainly chemoreception, photoreception and mechanoreception were studied. Chemicals in the animals surrounding is detected by a number of chemoreceptors. Chemoreceptors may be divided into two main categories; olfactory (smell), which respond to airborne molecules and gustatory (taste), responding to dissolved molecules. Mechanoreceptors are made up of undifferentiated nerve endings found in connective tissue on the periphery of the animal such as the skin. More complex accessory structures have accessory structures that transfer mechanical energy to the receptive membrane. These mechanoreceptors are also able to filter the mechanical energy and they may also include the muscle stretch receptors Photoreception consists of transducing photons of light into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the nervous system and photoreceptive organs such as the eyes. These sensory structures in different animals have taken many different shapes and sizes that have been adapted to the particular environment best for them. Although quite different all the sensory structure of particular receptor has the same function of collecting information from the environment and responding in the best way possible to enhance its survival. Apparatus Light Microscope cardboard Stereomicroscope 1g-5g, 10 g, 20 g, 50, 100 g weights Pencil x3 500 mL water bath Pointed forceps heater/Bunsen to heat water Stop watch thermometer X3 5 c coins Method Refer to attached sheet Precautions The plastomounts were placed under a stereomicroscope for better viewing of small body features The same pair of forceps was used to apply the stimulus since different instruments could result in different outcomes. As much as possible the coin was placed in the sample place for all subjects since different area may have a different amount of receptors. The temperature in the water baths was measured before the experiment was conducted. This was done so that the initial temperature of the water for all the subjects would be the same. Thus the results would be more comparable. Sources of Error Due to the clothing worn the experiment of tactile response using the forceps had to be carried out over the clothing. This thus formed an extra layer that could decrease the response of the nerve. Not all the sensory structures of the organisms may have been identified. The experiments on each subject were only carried out once. More accurate results would have been obtained if carried out at least 3 times Results Part A Refer to attached diagrams Thermoreception For all 3 subjects the cold water was almost painful, while the water at 45 degrees was soothing. On placing the hand in the water at room temperature the right hand felt the water warm while the left hand (previously in the warm water) felt the water cold. Discussion Part A: Invertebrates These sensory structures in different animals have taken many different shapes and sizes that have been adapted to the particular environment best for them. These mainly have evolved from simple to more complex sensory organs that enhance the ability of the animal in collecting information from the environment and responding in the best way possible to enhance its survival. The Cnidarian Hydra, has relatively simple sensory cells scattered all over the body among the other epidermal cells, especially the mouth and tentacles. It is of utmost importance for sensory structures to be located all over the body due to the fact that the animal is radially symmetrical and can detect stimuli from all direction, including the detection of predators. The free end of every sensory cell bears a flagellum, which is the sensory receptor for chemical and tactile stimuli. The other end branches into fine processes, which synapse with nerve cells. On the surface of the animal is a modified cilia called a Cnidocil, that when simulated by any mechanical stimulation releases a nematocyst that is toxic to the predator. (Barnes Cawlow, 2002) These sense organs then lead into a diffuse nerve network, forming two interconnected nerve nets. It is of utmost importance for sensory structures to be located all over the body due to the fact that the animal is radially symmetrical and can detect stimuli from all direction, including the detection of predators. (Hickman, Roberts, Keen, 2009) From the radially symmetrical Cnidarian one can move on to the bilaterally symmetrical Platyhelminthes that is represented here by the Planaria. Here the nervous system is organised into two longitudinal nerve chords that end in the anterior of the animal. This forms an anterior head and cephalisation is introduced. (Hickman, Roberts, Keen, 2009) The Planaria, unlike the Hydra are seen to have an eye spot and auricles. The auricles are lobe like and are found on the sides of the head. The auricles act as a means of chemoreception while the eye spot serves as photoreceptor detecting light. Like the Hydra, it may also contain a statocyst for equilibrium and rheoreceptors for sensing water currents. Cephalisation allowed the animal to develop a bilaterally symmetrical shape. The animal moved forward and can detect changes in the environment with the part of the body with the most sensory organs, its anterior region. (Leineschh, 2007) The Pulmonate gastropod, belonging to the class Gastropoda is seen to further develop its sensory in the anterior of the body. In the anterior of the body the animal is seen to have paired eyes that function as photoreceptors, even though they are not capable of forming an image. Also the labial  and  cephalic tentacles  are mechanoreceptors, sensitive to tactile stimuli, and are probably also chemoreceptive.  Ã‚  Ã‚  (Hickman, Roberts, Keen, 2009) The general body surface is also sensitive to chemical and mechanical stimuli.  Ã‚  The gastropod also has a structure that acts as both a mechanical and chemoreceptor. This is seen to be the osphradium  which is located in the inhalant respiratory water current where it monitors water on the way to the gill. A common structure with the previously studied animals is the statocyst which functions as a detector of gravity. (Hickman, Roberts, Keen, 2009) The next three species studied all belong to the phylum Arthropoda, but are found in different classes. The first to be studied was the Tarantula found in the class Arachnida (order Aranea). This animal has hair like receptors called sensory setae that function as mechanoreceptors all over the body of the animal. Also, in addition they have small, extremely sensitive tactile hairs called trichobothria that are sensitive to even airborne vibrations, including sound frequencies. Chemoreception is associated with fine hairs surrounding the mouth, on the pedipalps. (Hickman, Roberts, Keen, 2009) The tarantula also has 8 simple eyes that are made up of a lens, optical rods, and a retina. Even though most only can detect movement like the previously studied animals, some are able to form images. Since the spider is more accustomed to capturing prey within webs, vision is relatively unimportant and thus in most remain simple. (Underwood, 2009) Another member of the phylum Arthropoda is the scorpion, classified in the class Scorpionida. Although they are equipped with venom for defence the scorpion is still seen to be the prey of many other animals, thus they require specialised sensory structures for detection of danger. This animal is seen to possess a unique sensory structure know as a pectine. This is used primarily in detecting vibrations which are used for capturing prey. (Gaoge Smith , 2000) This is seen to be the primary chemosensory organs of scorpions. The pectines are found in the ventral medial part of body and are seen to be paired appendages that brush the substrate as the scorpion walks. Comb-like organ consists of a supportive spine and an array of teeth. Each tooth supports hundreds of setaform sensilla called pegs. The neuronal cell layer within the teeth is seen to be further divided into inner and outer sub-larninae, comprised of chemosensory and mechanosensory neurons. (Melville, 2000) Similar to the arachnids described previously, the scorpion has sensory hairs called setae that function as tactile and chemosensory hairs. These sensory hairs are also found on the pedipalps of the animal to sense air-borne vibrations. Also, thicker setae are found all over the body to detect direct touch. In contrast to the spiders the scorpions possess six pairs of eyes as part of their photoreceptor structure. The last arthropod group to be described is the centipede, classified into the sub-phylum Myiapoda and order Centipedes. These animals are seen to possess one pair of antennae instead of the usual two paid found in other arthropods. The antennae are sensory appendages found in the head of the animal that are sensitive to airborne chemicals and also possibly humidity. Similar to the planaria, Centipedes also bears a pair of simple eyes made up of ocelli. (Barnes Cawlow, 2002) Part B: Sensory function in Mammals Mechanoreception Somatosensory system has a large number of receptrors which vary in location and type. Receptors are located in the superfial skin, dermal, epidermal and depper in dermis, and in subcutaneous tissue. Meissners corpusles are located in the dermal papillae, Merkels receptors in the dermal papillae, and bare nerve endings. Subcuateous receptors, beneath both the previously mentiones layers, possess pacinian and Rufflin corpusles. Pacinian may be both cutaneous and subcutaneous. (Wang , 2007) The Pacinian corpusles are present in the skin, muscles, mesentery, tendons, and joints of mammals that are rapidly adapting. Each Pacinian corpuscle contains a region of receptor membrane that is sensitive to mechanical stimuli and that is surrounded by concentric lamellae of connective tissue structures (Anonymous, 2007) Pressure on the corpuscle transmits mechanically through the layers to the sensitive membrane of the receptor neuron. The receptor membrane normally responds with a brief, transient depolarization at both the onset and the offset of the deformation. The mechanical properties of the intact corpuscle, which preferentially pass rapid changes in pressure, confer on the receptor neuron its normally phasic response. (Randall, Berggren, French, 1997) This behaviour explains why the sensation of the coin was lost after a few seconds. The added coin did not produce enough mechanical force to excite the Pacinian corpustle once again, thus it was not felt. The time taken for the coin to stop being felt varied from person to person. This could be due to the different amount of tissue between the skin and the nerve. The thicker the less the coin is felt and the quicker is sensation is lost. A mechanoreceptors  receptive field  is the area within which a stimulus can excite the cell. If the skin is touched in two separate points within a single receptive field, the subject will be unable to feel the two separate points. If the two points touched span more than a single receptive field then both will be felt. The size of mechanoreceptors receptive fields in a given area determines the degree to which detailed stimuli can be resolved: the smaller and more densely clustered the receptive fields, the higher the resolution. For this reason, the density of the Merkel nerve endings and Meissners corpuscles determine the sensitivity of the particular area. (Wang , 2007) From the results obtained the fingertip is seen to be the most sensitive and thus will have a high density of Merkel nerve endings and Meissners corpuscles. On the other hand the fore arm is seen to be one of the least sensitive and thus will have a small density of the nerves Besides physical contact detected by mechanoreceptors, more complex accessory structures are able to transfer mechanical energy to the receptive membrane. These most complex accessory structure associate with mechanoreceptive cells is the vertebrate middle and inner ear. Hair cells are found in all vertebrate animals including humans, and are extremely sensitive mechanoreceptors. They are responsible for transducing mechanical stimuli to electrical signals. They are found in several locations. For example, in vertebrate fish and amphibians, an external set of receptors are called the lateral line system. This system is based on series of hair cells that detect motion in the surrounding water and when stimulated produces an action potential as in the mammalian ear. This lateral line is, however, not present in mammals. (Hickman, Roberts, Keen, 2009) The ears of vertebrates perform two sensory functions. The organs of equilibrium perform like the statocysts in invertebrates that allow the animal to detect its position with respect to gravity. The organ of hearing provides formation about vibrational stimuli in the environment, thus detecting sound. (Hickman, Roberts, Keen, 2009) Sound waves enter the external ear of a vertebrate aided by the pinna and the tragus. The entire external structure has a function similar to that of a funnel, amplifying and then concentrating sound waves. Vibrations from sound waves cause changes in air pressure, which travel from the external ear, down the auditory canal, and then move the eardrum. The ear converts energy of sound into nerve impulses. The vibration of the eardrum causes the fluid of the cochlea to move. The basilar membrane containing the floor of the cochlea, and the scala media, containing the organ of corti is where these vibrations undergo the conversion to neuronal impulses. The organ of corti contains sensory hair cells, and the waves of fluid in the cochlea press the hair cells against an overhanging tectorial membrane, and then pull them away. These hair cells are just across synapses from sensory neurons, and this action provides a stimulus that opens sodium channels in the sensory cell membranes. This provides for an action potential in the environment of high potassium concentrations that the endolymph has. Auditory nerves located in a spiral ganglion carry the action potential to the brain. (Randall, Berggren, French, 1997) Invertebrates, such as the insects have ears located on their thoracic legs and are associated with respiratory passages, called the trachea. The ear tympanum has an analogous function to the tympanic membrane of the mammalian ear. Similar to a mammal, sound waves stimulate the membrane to vibrate, but in the insect, this directly activates nerve impulses. (Barnes Cawlow, 2002) Some insects also have a related tracheal system that directs information on air pressure changes, inside the insect, to the eardrum. If the right tympanum is stimulated, it will send the signal through the tracheae to the left tympanum. The delay in stimulus between the left and the right ear helps the insect locate the direction from which the sound came. Webers law states that the ratio of the difference threshold to the value of stimulus is constant. According to this relationship, doubling the value of the stimulus will cause a doubling of the difference in the threshold. As seen in the results the just noticeable difference or intensity difference for the 50 g and 100 g was seen to be constant for all the subjects. Chemoreception Vertebrates, including humans detect chemicals using general receptors and two types of specialized receptors, gustatory and olfactory. Many aquatic vertebrates have generalized chemical receptors scattered over their body surface. Vertebrates usually accomplish chemoreception by moving chemically rich air or water into a canal or sac that contains the chemical receptors. Mammals together with other vertebrate have taste receptor cells located in taste buds which are supported by basal cells. Chemoreception is much different in invertebrates than in vertebrates. For example, planarians find food by following chemical gradients in their surroundings. Their simple chemoreceptors are found in pits on their bodies, over which they move water with cilia. Insects have chemoreceptors in their body surface, mouthparts, antennae, forelegs, and, in some cases, the ovipositor. Moths, for example, smell with thousands of sensory hairs on their antennae. (Barnes Cawlow, 2002) Photoreception In vertebrates such as humans, the surface of the eyeball is made up of the sclera, a white connective tissue, and under that a thin pigmented layer called the choroid. The sclera contains the cornea which is transparent, and is where light initially enters the eye, and the choroid contains the iris which contracts and expands to regulate the amount of light entering the hole in its centre, known as the pupil. The rear internal surface of the eye is the retina, which contains the actual photoreception cells. In the retina, there are two types of receptor cells, rods and cones. Rods and cones contain visual pigments made up of light absorbing retinal molecules. (Randall, Berggren, French, 1997) Compound eyes of arthropods are image forming eyes composed of many optic units called ommatidia. These are able to detect a very small fraction of the spectrum of light that the eye as a whole is exposed to; like the rods and cones of the vertebrate eye. In compound eyes, the photoreception cells are called retinular cells, and they surround a single eccentric cell. Because the receptive field of each unit in a compound eye is relatively large, compound eyes have lower visual acuity than vertebrates. (Randall, Berggren, French, 1997) Thermoreception Temperature is an important environmental variable, and many organisms acquire sensory information about temperature from the action of specialized nerve endings known as thermoreceptors, in the skin. Both the external skin and upper surface of the tongue of mammals contain warmth and cold receptors. the warmth receptors detect an increase in temperature in the environment by increasing the firing rate transient. On the contrary cold receptors increase its firing rate transient when a cool environment is detected. (Randall, Berggren, French, 1997) These receptors are quite sensitive. Their firing rate is seen to increase the more the temperature of the external environment varies from the internal body temperature of about 37 OC. when the temperature becomes sufficiently different the patter changes for both types of receptors and the frequency of the action potential is seen to drop. The response of the thermoreceptors consists of a large transient change in firing rate, followed by a longer-lasting, steady-state phase. Other sensory structures that are not present in humans also exist. For example, snakes have thermoreceptors that are able to detect emitted heat energy. This is advantageous for them to detect warm-blooded prey. Also fish are able to use very low frequency electrical signals to communicate in murky water, thus they are able to locate each other. (Hickman, Roberts, Keen, 2009) Conclusion From this experiment it was concluded that different organisms have different sensory structures adapted to their unique modes of life. One could also not that as animals become more complex, their sensory structures are also seen to be more developed. This can be seen from the evolution of the simple eye spot in planaria to the complex eye found in humans. Not only are humans seen to be able to detect movement but also colour. However, one may also note that humans do not always possess the most advanced sensory structures. This can be seen in for example, the ability of reptile snakes to detect infrared radiation. This being absent in humans.

Marxian Theory versus Weberian Theory Essay example -- Politics Politi

Marxian Theory versus Weberian Theory Karl Marx and Max Weber both offer valid approaches to social class in modern capitalist society, though there are very different from each other. The capitalist society is a type of society in which the private ownership of the ‘means of production’ is the dominant form of providing the things needed to survive. What distinguishes capitalism from other types of society is the emphasis on the rights of property and the individual owner’s right to employ capital, as she or he thinks fit. Karl Marx’s approach was, at first, the most convincing theory of social class. However the Neo-Marxists (the later generation Marxists) have developed the same ideas but in different ways. So today there is no single Marxian viewpoint. Marx believed that economic processes are of great importance in society, such as the harnessing of natural resources, producing goods, developing new technologies and establishing a division of labour in the workforce. These are important because in order for these things to happen, people in society have to come together. Therefore they enter into social class relationships. Social classes came about when society developed a more specialised division of labour and introduced private property. Marx argued that under capitalism there are two major classes: 1. The Bourgeoisie (capitalists) 2. The Proletariat (the workers) These two classes are defined by their relationships to productive resources, such as land, factories, machinery, raw materials etc. these are known as ‘means of production’. The Bourgeoisie is the owner of the ‘means of production’. Therefore they have a much higher and more powerful economic position in society. Workers can only live by... ...gist suggest that the main difference is that the Marxians view class relationships as grounded in exploitation and domination within means of production while Weberians see classes coming from positions in the market. Marxians believe that social class is based on the means of production, but Weberians think that power and status matter more. Marxians have 2 main classes and Weberians have a much more complicated class system. So, in conclusion the Marxians believe social class in modern society is based on ownership of means of production and the two-class model. Weberians think that social class in modern society depends on the positions in the market place, which has many more classes. Both Marxian and Weberian theories are very good and I think they are theoretically correct to a certain extent. However no one will know for sure who has the best theory.

Alcohol and Alcoholism Essay -- Drinking Binge Alcoholic Effects Essay

Alcohol and Alcoholism Alcohol is a drug, but unlike the other drugs, marijuana, cocaine, heroine, and probably all the others for some reason this is socially accepted and is legal. Alcohol is bad for you and does have long term affects associated with it. Such as the long addiction to it, effects on the body, and the social interaction effects. Alcohol, and alcoholism is common in America, but drinking is more common around kids. Social drinking a term kids and drinkers have come accustom to, social drinking is defined by one standard drink per hour, and no more than 3 per day, but some people just socialize around people that drink as heavily as they do and confuse that for social drinking. Addiction to alcohol can be acquired easily if not careful, binge drinking and family history are all keys in the identification of addiction. Family history could be linked to alcoholism by finding out if your family had problems in the past with alcohol, and it is determined by studies that genes have effects on alcohol. Alcohol is a drug, but legal unlike the other drugs on the street, in my opinion drugs are all harmful to the body, and can have serious problems to you in the long run. Alcohol can effect the body in multiple ways. The tranquilizing effects of being drunk, acts like a stimulate, but is a depressant, and causes the brain to lower self control, and impairs vision, other senses and effects bodily coordination. This tranquilizing e... Alcohol and Alcoholism Essay -- Drinking Binge Alcoholic Effects Essay Alcohol and Alcoholism Alcohol is a drug, but unlike the other drugs, marijuana, cocaine, heroine, and probably all the others for some reason this is socially accepted and is legal. Alcohol is bad for you and does have long term affects associated with it. Such as the long addiction to it, effects on the body, and the social interaction effects. Alcohol, and alcoholism is common in America, but drinking is more common around kids. Social drinking a term kids and drinkers have come accustom to, social drinking is defined by one standard drink per hour, and no more than 3 per day, but some people just socialize around people that drink as heavily as they do and confuse that for social drinking. Addiction to alcohol can be acquired easily if not careful, binge drinking and family history are all keys in the identification of addiction. Family history could be linked to alcoholism by finding out if your family had problems in the past with alcohol, and it is determined by studies that genes have effects on alcohol. Alcohol is a drug, but legal unlike the other drugs on the street, in my opinion drugs are all harmful to the body, and can have serious problems to you in the long run. Alcohol can effect the body in multiple ways. The tranquilizing effects of being drunk, acts like a stimulate, but is a depressant, and causes the brain to lower self control, and impairs vision, other senses and effects bodily coordination. This tranquilizing e...