Binge Drinking (Final) Essays - HIVAIDS, Prevention Of HIVAIDS

Binge Drinking (Final) Drinking has become an increasing problem in our society. Many people now see drinking as a norm. Lisa McIntyre, author of The Practical Skeptic states that, For one thing, we know that norms vary across societies (152). So we also know that what is considered to be deviant varies across societies. How could members of our society see drinking as anything but a norm when everywhere one turns alcohol is being advertised? Whether it be on billboards, busses, in magazine ads, or television commercials, alcohol is everywhere and it seems as though everyone is drinking it. Gone are the times of prohibition, when alcohol was seen as evil. After doing quantitative research on drinking, including a literature review and studying survey data, we came to the conclusion that drinking is a serious problem in the United States. While both of us prefer not to drink, many of our peers do not share our same attitude. In fact, it appears as if drinking is now a measure of social acceptance among teenagers and college students. Looking at the subject of drinking from a conflict theorist point-of-view helped us to understand the issue. We discovered that every social class drinks, regardless of age, income, race, or sex. We wanted to see the effects of drinking in our society and which groups of people were more likely to participate in such activities. However, when we began to search for variables of drinking, we were discouraged to find that none existed in our provided databases. To call a concept a variable means, in the first place, that it is a thing of interest in a particular piece of research (McIntyre 50). While we were interested in using a variable of drinking in our research, the lack of one made us assume that many members of society do not view alcohol as a serious problem, or are in denial of its effects. Because of this, we had to use a variable of drug use, that being whether marijuana should be made legal or not, assuming that those who answered yes to the question, were current marijuana smokers. Though we do not view marijuana use as a problem, it was the only other mind-altering substance that we felt could be even mildly compared to alcohol. We do not feel that marijuana has a ny of the same social effects as alcohol, and is not a true problem among our society, but once again, it was the only variable we could measure. Make note that in all theories and hypothesis we tested, we actually were stating our views as though alcohol was the variable, not marijuana. We started our research by testing our theory that people who smoke marijuana were more likely to have unprotected sex, because marijuana alters the minds ability to think clearly. Often times, people who are high do not think about the risks of having unprotected sex, or even using a condom for that matter. We then developed the hypothesis that people who smoke marijuana are more likely to not use condoms during sexual intercourse. To tests these ideas, we operationalized the dependent variable of condom, which asks the question, The last time you had sex was a condom used? This includes vaginal, oral, or anal sex. We then used the independent variable of grass, which asks the question, Do you think the use of marijuana should be made legal or not? Here are the results: Table I: Whether a Person Feels That Marijuana Should be Made Legal or Not and Condom Usage The data showed that people who do not feel marijuana should be made legal are more likely to not use condoms during sex, therefore, rejecting our hypothesis and proving the exact opposite. This could be due to the fact that married people or couples in serious relationships often do not use condoms as a main form of birth control. However, the correlation was very weak, even though the probability was low. To see if our prediction about why that certain group of people were the most likely to not use condoms, we controlled for marital status. The results were basically the same except that, as we predicted, married people were more likely to not

Free Essays on Operation Wetback

â€Å"The attitude of Mexican Americans toward the institutions responsible for the administration of justice – the police, the courts, and related agencies – is distrustful, fearful, and hostile. Police departments, courts, and the law itself are viewed as Anglo institutions in which Mexican Americans have no stake and from which they do not expect fair treatment. The Commission found that the attitudes of Mexican Americans are based, at least in part, on the actual experience of injustice.† So stated the United States Commission on Civil Rights in its 1970 report, Mexican Americans and the Administration of Justice in the Southwest. Why do many Mexican Americans feel such distrust, fear, and hostility toward institutions of justice? Why do many Mexican Americans expect unfair treatment under the law? What have been the experiences of injustice which have created such attitudes on the part of Mexican Americans? Operation Wetback was a repatriation project of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service to eradicate illegal Mexican immigrants from the Southwest. What was most alarming about Operation Wetback was the initial deception by the INS. One year before the implementation of Operation Wetback, the INS had launched a â€Å"friendly† public-relations effort in the Spanish-speaking communities. Immigration officials contacted community organizations such as CSO, ANMA, and LULAC, among others, and tried to present themselves as having a new policy toward undocumented Mexicans that involved helping them to achieve legal status. The officials claimed that these undocumented Mexicans could begin the process of legalizing their status if they could show that they would not be a public charge – for example, by presenting letters from employers or potential employers. As a result, thousands of mexicanos went and registered with the INS and given a permiso, to stay and work in the US. Little did they know ... Free Essays on Operation Wetback Free Essays on Operation Wetback â€Å"The attitude of Mexican Americans toward the institutions responsible for the administration of justice – the police, the courts, and related agencies – is distrustful, fearful, and hostile. Police departments, courts, and the law itself are viewed as Anglo institutions in which Mexican Americans have no stake and from which they do not expect fair treatment. The Commission found that the attitudes of Mexican Americans are based, at least in part, on the actual experience of injustice.† So stated the United States Commission on Civil Rights in its 1970 report, Mexican Americans and the Administration of Justice in the Southwest. Why do many Mexican Americans feel such distrust, fear, and hostility toward institutions of justice? Why do many Mexican Americans expect unfair treatment under the law? What have been the experiences of injustice which have created such attitudes on the part of Mexican Americans? Operation Wetback was a repatriation project of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service to eradicate illegal Mexican immigrants from the Southwest. What was most alarming about Operation Wetback was the initial deception by the INS. One year before the implementation of Operation Wetback, the INS had launched a â€Å"friendly† public-relations effort in the Spanish-speaking communities. Immigration officials contacted community organizations such as CSO, ANMA, and LULAC, among others, and tried to present themselves as having a new policy toward undocumented Mexicans that involved helping them to achieve legal status. The officials claimed that these undocumented Mexicans could begin the process of legalizing their status if they could show that they would not be a public charge – for example, by presenting letters from employers or potential employers. As a result, thousands of mexicanos went and registered with the INS and given a permiso, to stay and work in the US. Little did they know ...

Theories of subjectivity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Theories of subjectivity - Essay Example Foucault rejected centuries-old assumptions concerning subjectivity. Rather than starting with the Enlightenment ideal of full self-knowledge and self-aware agency, Foucault shifts the critical focus onto â€Å"discourse,† a broad concept that he uses to refer to language and other forms of representation – indeed, all human mechanisms for the conveyance of meaning and value. (Hall 2004, p. 91) In an attempt to illustrate some analogies regarding Foucault’s concept of discourse, Tony Davies (1997) compared his notions with other theorists. According to him, discourse for Foucault is what the relations of productions are for Marx, the unconscious for Freud, the impersonal laws of language for Saussure, ideology for Althusser: the capillary structure of social cohesion and conformity. (p. 70) This paper is about Judith Butler’s response to Foucault’s theory of subjectivity. Particularly our discussion will revolve around the premise of gender identity, which is Butler’s own response to Foucault’s â€Å"body† as the main driver behind subjectivity. Butler used Foucault’s notions extensively, either as a basis for her own notions or to criticize its weak assumptions. Michel Foucault, is one with eminent philosophers such as Nietzsche and Freud in his insight that the body has a key role in determining subjectivity. For Foucault, a living body is a constellation of powerful and often conflicting urges and impulses that give rise to different forms of subjectivity according to the organism’s internal organization and the â€Å"disciplinary† effects of socially regulated practices and norms. (Atkins 2005, p. 3) Foucault regards the body as having a pivotal role in the structuring of our subjectivities, our perceptions and our understanding. And so, Foucault’s â€Å"subject† is neither entire autonomous nor enslaved, neither the originator of the discourses and practices

Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Reflection Paper - Essay Example Similar to workers, we, the students, also need to acquire at least minimal self-management skills in our academic activity as it helps a lot to adjust the process of knowledge acquisition for ourselves in a way that would show the most fruitful results. Setting right goals, developing a strategy of their achievement and reasonable and considered time management are inseparable parts of being successful academically, i.e. successful learner. However, successful learners are not those who simply know more that others, they are also students who have more efficient and effective learning strategies that help them access and use acquired knowledge, possess steady motivation and self-monitoring skills (Dembo & Seli). To my thinking, the most successful learners are those who organize and manage their academic activity and time so smoothly that they avoid stress and are never overwhelmed with exhausting homework, they take learning easy and at the same time manage ti achieve favorable res ults. What is also important, academic self-management should enable students to maintain balance between serious learning process and fun campus activity. Gaining control over the factors that might influence learning and academic performance – and there are plenty of them – the student will be able to eliminate unfavorable factors or at least reduce their impact to the very minimum. It is fully understandable that we all are so different and various factors may produce different impact on us and each of two students studying the same major may feel their effect to certain extent. What is extremely stressful for me, might be harmless for someone else. Thus, the primary task is to explore our psyche, inclinations and personal peculiarities in order to learn to regulate, monitor, evaluate and reinforce our life and academic performance in the most efficient way. Willing to

Social work and human services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social work and human services - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that child welfare is a social work component that demands genuine compassion and concern for children. In this regard, it can be regarded as a profession that requires passion and dedication to facilitate the attainment of set goals. As part of the coursework, the author acquired a deeper understanding of social work and human services and learned to apply theoretical and practical aspects of assimilating social work concepts. Social theory and practice have enabled me to develop a more holistic view of children, especially their psychology and needs. As a result, the author has an excellent grasp of children’s needs as well as how and why they can be met. Through his comprehension of social theory, the researcher has become inspired to use conceptual rationales to propagate social development by protecting perhaps the most valuable members of the society: children. Through discussions with current practitioners, the author has beco me well-versed in the practical demands of child welfare social work. For example, although he has always been relatively introverted, professionals in the field reliably informed me that the greatest satisfaction will come from getting out of his comfort zone and taking help to children. After interacting with current practitioners for a considerable period of time, the author learned and accepted that without traveling and actively seeking help for troubled, abused, or neglected children, his sphere of influence would be significantly reduced.

Changing role of women in the UAE

Changing role of women in the UAE Women have been and are playing a vital role in developing their families for a long time. During the times of pre-historic periods, women have played an important role as bread owners and hence they assumed a definite cultural role. Evidences say that in the periods of Hunter-gatherer, women used to collect food while men used to go hunting. During the recent history, the role of women has changed to a great extent. Due to the modern changes like the economic reforms, feminist movements and the demands for equal opportunities, women in many parts of the world have right of entry to careers apart from the role of traditional homemaker. In these modern days, women started to gain power equivalent to men which was not there in the past days. In spite of this, a few people could not recognize women as a power and as an agent, who brings change in the society, may be due to the traditional beliefs or due to the fear of loss of power and authority over women. Not only do men have a fear of women empowerment, but studies say that women at work places are less encouraging towards their gendered (women). Apart from this, in many parts of the world, including the developed countries, women are paid less when compared to their peers in the male gender. This critical role of women in every field they are in is due to the fact that t hey are capable of multi-tasking i.e. doing more than one job at a time with more care and accuracy which men can hardly do. Background/Context Many believe that nonexistence of gender socialization would not exist at all. The list of top ten worlds most powerful people would contain the name of at least a woman personality constantly through years. Many renowned awards were designed and were won by the women in UAE which indicates the growing awareness about womens role for the society. History says that the role of women have been of utmost importance in the society. As men used to go out doing their jobs in the fishing and pearling industries for months, women used to take care of the needs of family besides raising their children, which cannot be denied to be an easy task in the hot desert weather. But, due to difference in the work done and a few other aspects, women were rarely treated at par with men. (Wilson) Issue Nowadays, with the recognition of women as a key person in the development, this face has changed to completely opposite. Women are making a significant progress towards better participation in events at both national level and also at local levels. A most significant achievement was during the time of elections in 2007 in which 22% of the seats were occupied by women. Presently, nine women among them are the members of the body of 40-members. Also, half of this strength is appointed which gives UAE a far superior degree of representation of women in the legislature than any other nations in the Gulf. Pre-Arguments Women of the Emirates have performed a key role in the modernizations processes through their participation in the womens associations throughout the country. These associations have laid stones to train the women in vocational courses, welfare assistance, placements and also in health care sector. Women of the Emirates are found in significant number in the five detailed economic industries, some details; females make up 20% of the public segment. Women outstandingly hold positions in the Education sector and also in the government with 30% women playing key decision-making roles. Not just in the field of job market, but UAE women also seem to have entered the education sector with the fact that the total enrollment of the female students in the higher education has grown to 40%. Apart from the above discussed facts about women in UAE which portray a growing trend of female empowerment in different aspects, there are areas in which women lag behind men which are to be concentrated upon. The healthy trend observed in education doesnt seem to be visible in the participation of women in the economy which stands at a mere 7%. A study at the global level on entrepreneurs proved that the participation of female entrepreneurs in the economy of UAE is extremely low when compared to men and women in other countries; let it be a startup company or an established firm. The women in UAE comprise of only a mere 4% in the private sector and they are mostly in the private financial companies. The female established industries contain of only 16.2% of the total net GDP in the Non-oil sector. (Women in United Arab Emirates, 2010) If the number of unemployed women is compared to the number of unemployed men, women stand at a higher figure of 71% and men are at 29. Efforts should be done to improve these numbers in order to see complete development in every field. Women also are active in the military establishment. Specially trained women cops would provide security to the female VIPs and also take part in the military activities. Discussion GOVERNMENT INITIATIVESS TO IMPROVE WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: The government of United Arab Emirates has tried to improve the roles played by women in the recent past. This made the UAE a leader for rights of women in the Arabian Countries. Before the discovery of oil in 1960, there were a very less number of opportunities for women in the country outside their home and family. As per the constitution, equality for women on par with men is guaranteed including the areas like legal status, title claims and even in access to the education. The stepping stones for women empowerment were laid by the then President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahvans wife Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak. She was the founder of General Womens Union (GWU) which still stands as a powerful component of State and in participation in the various initiatives of the organization. (Salama, 2008) The leaders of Emirates have keenly tried to promote the complete participation of the women in society activities, aligned with the objectives of optimizing the human resources. Not only did the government take steps to improve the condition of women in the UAE but also, there were associations formed which work autonomously for the improvement of life of women. Not only operating in their circles, but the six existing women associations were joined together to expand their reach to the public more and more and to provide more services to women. The government has launched a new statute of law under which, new laws would be incorporated on issues related to protecting women and also to provide family guidance, divorce issues and compensation, etc. The UAE government has also signed agreements internationally to specific issues related to the women and children welfare. United Arab Emirates was the first country to establish a college for women army recruits among the Gulf countries. The Dubai Women and Children Shelter started by the government to protect women and children from domestic violence the face every day. Under this project, support and emotional care would be provided to the sufferers of abuse and crimes such as human trafficking. The government has launched many projects and awards for women to encourage them and make their role known to everyone. Example can be taken about the Intelaq project which aims at increasing the participation of women in the government departments. Because of these new initiatives, the government has offered women, the jobs that are reserved for men like the appointment of Fatima Saeed Obaid Al Awani as the countrys first female marriage registrar. (Salama, 2008) As a result of all the initiatives and projects, United Arab Emirates was ranked at 29th position among the 177 countries for Gender Empowerment Measures which is the best rating any country in the Arab World has received. Along with this, the Chairperson of the GWU, Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak was awarded with the Mohammad Medal, the highest honor given by the UN. (Women in the UAE, 2010) CHALLENGES WOMEN EMPOWERMENT FACES: Even after witnessing such a progress regarding the women empowerment and their participation in different activities related to development of the society, still they face discrimination and there are forces which try to stop this progress of women. The major rejection is from the male folks who cannot see women going ahead of them. Even as UAE has the highest number of women representation in the parliament, there are issues and challenges to be dealt with to completely eradicate the evil against women development. The government has taken appreciable steps and established applauding projects; progress of women is still facing problems in the private sector. The employment representation of women in the private sector is very less when compared to the strength of the male employees. Tradition and culture is another threat to the women development. The cultural and traditional factors impact every aspect related to the society. People with more traditional beliefs perceive that the development of women would trade-off the values and ethics being followed for many centuries and this would halt the progress of women. Women are meant to be good decision makers and can handle multiple tasks at a time where as men cannot. Women are known for their patience, strong analytical skills and dedication towards work which would bring them far ahead of the male employees. This fear of overpower and dominance by a female is a main cause why women cannot progress in the society. (Ioannidis) Harassment of women at the work place is another factor due to which the progress stops at the beginning that is women fear to enter into the male dominated world fearing harassment. Lack of funds and support is another reason why women entrepreneurs cannot do well in the market. Even after having a good idea and plan to start up the business, women can rarely progress in the market due to lack of available funds or due to lack of support from their colleagues. According to a recent research, the progress of a woman can be endangered by another woman if not by a male peer. Women employers rarely encourage their female subordinates to progress fearing dominance by their subordinates at some point and this clearly is another main obstruction to the women empowerment. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS: From the discussion above, it is clearly evidential that the women are progressing in the path of empowerment and also it is made clear that the government has recognized the role of women in improving the society and her family. Women are known for making decisions in the right way at times of stake. The UAE has also been seeing a great amount of progress in this area: The women literacy rate has gone up to 90% in 2007; Increased number of women enrolled for the higher education when compared to men (24% more than men); Every five students have three female children in higher education; Women are 66% consisted in the government sector jobs; Women entering into crucial areas like the military, air force and police are a few important achievements apart from many others made in the UAE towards women empowerment. This process of empowering women is a continuous and never ending path in which every step taken towards attaining women empowerment would certainly earn the country and the s ociety a lot. While the above discussion states that women empowerment is a necessary for development of any country, there are also few factors that bar the progress of women and hence that of the country. Those are to be dealt with utmost focus and attention. The government should try to launch more programs in order to encourage female participation in the arts, culture and other social activities. It is also beneficial if the government provides all kind of monetary or mental support needed for female entrepreneurs which would benefit in attaining more development. Women in UAE are into the fields of army, police and air-force which were perceived as only male oriented areas earlier. This shows that with proper amount of training and guidance, women can perform well even in shop-floor related jobs. Women can be provided coaching in work related issues and also they can be educated regarding the traditions and culture so that the culture which is being followed from centuries would not get affe cted and also there would be development. From all the discussion above, it can be concluded that women are key role players in the development of any economy and an economy which gives a considerable amount of importance to this would definitely see progress towards success and development of the society as a whole. Also, it can be said that with proper care and education methods, the traditions wouldnt get disturbed and so is the progress of a country.

A view from the bridge †Arthur Miller :: English Literature

A view from the bridge – How does Arthur Miller A view from the bridge – How does Arthur Miller prepare the audience for the dramatic events at the end of the play? Arthur Miller was born in New York City on the 17th of October 1915. The son of a small businessman, Miller worked in a warehouse after graduating from high school. When he saved enough money he attended the University of Michigan. During the Second World War Miller moved to New York where he began writing plays. A View from the bridge was written in 1955, it was partly based on the idea that his parents were both immigrants into the United States. When writing the play Miller was trying to create a real life story, concerning a tragedy of ordinary people. In the late 1940’s Miller became interested in the workers of New York’s Brooklyn Harbour, which was where he had previously worked. Writing this play allowed him to express his feelings towards poorly paid workers; most of whom were immigrants. The first character introduced in the play is Alfieri; he is a ‘big time lawyer’, who speaks a recognizable standard American English, unlike everybody else featured in the play. Alfieri is a very mysterious character; he is constantly appearing and disappearing into the shadows, or the ‘black of the night,’ which leaves an impact on the audience as they are curious to whom this person is and what his role is in the play. He basically recites the prologue and epilogue to the play and comments on the main action. The audience are constantly kept on their feet guessing as to what will happen to the relationship between Eddie Carbone and Catherine. Instantly they realize that throughout the play there will be a lot of conflict between these two characters. However they are not sure what all the arguments will result in. The most anticipating moment of the play is the final scene; Miller has prepared the audience for this ending throughout the play. Miller creates plenty of tension during this scene, because there are a number of endings that can be used, the audience is eager to find out which one will take place. Miller had prepared a number of endings but thought that the chosen ending would have the most effect. Another possible option to end the play was Eddie committing suicide, although this is very dramatic, it did not suit Eddie’s character. Miller describes Eddie as a strong-minded man, who is always willing to fight for what he wants. Therefore the chosen ending was much more effective as Eddie didn’t