Non Traditional Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Non Traditional Health Care - Essay Example Conventional medicine does have limits due to restricted fields of specialization in medical science. For this reason, medical practice has turned to holistic approaches. In 1991, the U.S. Congress ordered the setting up of the Office of Alternative Medicine under the National Institutes of Health. This measure reflects the adoption of alternative medicine and health care, including iridology, reflexology, acupuncture, naturopathy, yoga, music therapy, etc. Non-Traditional Health Care in Arizona Much like other states of the nation, Arizona has a pluralistic culture. Its over five million population boasts of European, Asian, Mexican and Latin-American immigrants. It is also unique for its very large Indian population of more than 14 tribes in 20 reservations. It is therefore not surprising that the U.S. Government has recognized its responsibility to these peoples, including provision of health care in various forms. In 1955, the Public Health Service formed the Indian Health Servic e (IHS) in Tucson to serve the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona.

Short Answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Short Answers - Essay Example (Mulvey, 1989) The growing theory of the spectacle is old to be remarkably striking in old English, and making important classifications of the theory itself. This is attained powerfully by the changing scenerior of an inspirational moment, powerfully explored by the situationsits approach, known by its distinct approach to environmental challenges. The concept is derived from the growing list of the societal understanding of built intellectualism. The shocks that were historical identified explore remarkable moments, which are fascinating and are unique especially when important derivatives remarkably involving good moments and good political landscapes. Particular words are uniquely important and their meanings are hugely significant to the cultures that explore them. Writings as explained by various philosophers are based on changing linguistic trends, and which are meaningfully explored through generations and through periods of change. Denotative and connotative meaning provides various angle derivatives that are best known for semiotics or in other instances semiology. Semiotics is old linguistics that is defined in today’s language as the core concept within which concepts of language are established. The finger derivative in a signifier provides a lasting solution to word changes, making visual derivatives at various points. Denotative is defined by a signifier and which identify an obvious meaning of a specific sign. For example in accordance with a camouflaged statement, the obvious theory is to provide a conventionally agreeable statement that is also referred to as the first order signification. On the other hand, connotative meaning offers the socio-cultural as well as the personal associations relative to emotional, ideological levels of the given sign. The theories defining the visual culture are defined by

Domestic Violence Against Women Essay Example for Free

Domestic Violence Against Women Essay Various types of relationships exist between men and women. The status of women has endured a constant change; thus changing the way they are perceived by others in relationships. Despite numerous healthy relationships experienced, there are those which have negative consequences to those involved; one such relationship is that regarding domestic violence. The term domestic violence according to Walker and Gavin refers to â€Å"an intimate relationship between two adults in which one partner uses a pattern of assault and intimidating acts to assert power and control over the other partner† (Walker Gavin, 2011). Within the context of this paper, domestic violence will refer to violent relationships between men and women where it is the women who are victimized. The purpose of this paper is tri-fold: (1) to address the development of domestic violence; and (2) to examine various attitudes regarding domestic violence; and (3) to discuss ways in which society is dealing with the issue of domestic violence. Emergence and Development According to feminists, strong patriarchal values held within a society are linked with increased risk of harm towards women (Watto, 2009, p. 561). Patriarchy exists in most societies worldwide (Watto, 2009, p. 563). The term patriarchy refers to the father having full authority of his family (Romito, 2008, p. 30). Within society’s retaining this belief system, the wife and children are the father’s property (Romito, 2008, p. 146). Many findings have developed according to Totten. He found: 1) labor divided by sexual division to be normal; 2) men are to conquer women as sexual objects; 3) abusive behavior is a justified means for resolving conflict and 4) women should respect, obey and depend on men (Totten, 2003, p. ). Thus, one can conclude that family violence is linked to the ideology of patriarchy (Duffy Momirov, 1997, p. 123). As well, it is important to note that we live in a society which religion is prevalent, the church agrees with patriarchy (L. Walker, personal communication, October 3rd, 2011). Duffy Momiov (1997) state: Their histories are united in the longstanding moral obligation of men, as comma nded by the Church, to ensure that their wives and children behave themselves properly. Male violence may be legitimately employed to ensure such behavior. It is the patriarch’s Christian duty to â€Å"save their souls† (p. 123). Furthermore, considering society and the church agreed with the ideology of patriarchy, one can conclude that domestic violence was a private issue and was unheard or spoken of. The division of labor which has strong historical roots in society contributes to women being victimized. During the Industrial Revolution, men were seen as responsible for making the wage to support the family and the women was responsible for her role in the home as housekeeper and mother (Hutchings, 1992). Unfortunately, according to Hutchings (1992), a man may seek to have more power by abusing his wife if he feels as though he is lacking employment in his occupation. It is the male’s financial contributions into his home that gives him the opportunity to abuse his wife (Hutchings, 1992). Contributing Factors Leading to Domestic Violence as an Issue Domestic violence against women would never have become an issue if it wasn’t for the development of feminism (Duffy Momirov, 1997, p. 23). Feminism is divided into different waves. The two waves which had a connection to the development of an issue of violence against women were one and two. It was prior to the development of the second wave of feminism, that domestic violence against women was thought to be a private issue that did not warrant a concern from the public (Blanchfield, Margesson, Seelke, 2009, pg 1). The first wave occurred in Britain during the years of 1870-1930, it was concerned with women’s citizen rights and the right to vote; this wave lead to women gaining these rights (Charles, 2000, p. 22). Within this wave, women were concerned with being granted the vote (Crow Gotell, 2009, p. 9). The second wave of feminism emerged in North American and Western Europe during the 1960’s and focused on women’s liberation (Charles, 2000, p. 1). During this wave, the feminists came to believe that the state had the ability to demolish policies which affected women thus granting them certain rights (Charles, 2000, p. 5). Goals of the second wave were highlighted by Charles and deal with women raising domestic violence as an issue. He states: During the 1970s, the movement formulated seven demands. These were for equal pay; equal education and job opportunities; free contraception and abortion on demand; free 24-hour urseries; financial and legal independence; an end to all discrimination against lesbians and a woman’s right to define her own sexuality; freedom from intimidation by threat or use of violence or sexual coercion, regardless of marital status, and an end to all laws, assumptions and institutions which perpetuate male dominance and men’s aggression towards women (Charles, 2000, p. 1). Successes were gained from the development of feminism. Male privilege was partially removed with the success of the feminist movements (Crow Gotell, 2009, p. 59). Women’s opportunities increased in relation to jobs, benefits, education, independence and affluence (Crow Gotell, 2009, p. 173). Due to women’s gain of independence, they raised their expectations of men and were more unwilling to excuse unacceptable male behavior (Crow Gotell, 2009, p. 173). With the changing of expectations held by women, domestic assault and rape laws were changes and policies which banned harassment in the workplace were created and made common (Crow Gotell, 2009, p. 59). Addressing the Issue The 1960’s give rise to the battered women’s movement (Schneider, 1991). Prior to the development of women’s movement, battering of women was not recognized (Schneider, 1991). This movement viewed battering as a result of gender relations which reflected female subordination and male power (Schneider, 1991). This movement strived to decrease the silence surrounding the issue of abused women and decrease society’s tolerance of the acts (Crow Gotell, 2009, p. 170). Furthermore, this movement has provided public education to increase awareness, services to those involved and constructed legal remedies to address and stop the abuse (Schneider, 1991). Due to the increased awareness of abuse against women, the Government of Canada has made an effort to decrease the occurrence. During May of 1981, the London Police were the first Canadian police department to implement laying charges regarding spousal assault (Department of Justice, 2009). According to the Department of Justice (2009), In May 1982, the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Social Affairs tabled its report, Report on Violence in the Family—Wife Battering. In it, the committee noted that police training (at that time) generally instructed against the arrest of a batterer unless he was actually found hitting the victim or unless the victim had suffered injuries that were â€Å"severe enough to require a certain number of stitches. During July of 1982, the House of Commons suggested that Parliament push all police to lay charges for acts of wife beating considering they lay charges for other forms of assault (Department of Justice, 2009). It was also suggested in 1983 by the Federal Provincial Task Force on Justice for Victims of Crime that there be written guidelines developed to direct officers to treat wife assault as a crime and that the act of prosecution be made without the woman’s consent (Department of Justice, 2009). Guidelines were issued to Crown prosecutors and police as to how to deal with spousal abuse by 1986 from the Attorneys General and Solicitors General (Department of Justice, 2009). These guidelines required police to file charges if they had reasonable grounds to believe the women had been assaulted (Department of Justice, 2009). The Government of Canada has been making adjustments to current bills. Bill C-15 was reintroduced in March of 2001 with the proposal of increasing the sentence of criminal harassment to ten years from the previous five year sentence (Department of Justice, 2009). Bill C-79 had been amended in December of 1999, to facilitate victim’s participation as well as that of the witnesses during the process of criminal justice (Department of Justice, 2009). For example, before the accused can be released on bail, the safety of the victim must be taken into account (Department of Justice, 2009). Bill C-27 was reformed and enforced in May of 1997; it redefined the definition of criminal harassment (Department of Justice, 2009). During a sentencing of the accused, Bill C-27 also requires that the courts take breaching of court orders into consideration (Department of Justice, 2009). Bill C-41 which discusses sentencing was amended in 1996; thus allowing women to seek compensation for expenses accumulated from the needing to leave their house due to the abuse. (Department of Justice, 2009). Bill C-42 was reinforced during February of 1995; thus making it easier for victims to receive peace bonds. Individuals and the police are now able to request a peace bond on a victim’s behalf who is at risk of harm (Department of Justice, 2009). The penalty for violating a peace bond has been raised from half a year to two years (Department of Justice, 2009). The final bill reformed was Bill C-126 which created a new charge of criminal harassment known as anti-stalking (Department of Justice, 2009). Shelter programs have been a way of society trying to help women of domestic violence (Koss, White Kazdin, 2011, p. 185). These programs have advanced a lot since they were introduced. Early shelters were only able to offer temporary support in the form of beds (Koss, White Kazdin, 2011, p. 185). Fortunately, shelter programs have advanced to offer more immediate services to the victims. Today, many of the programs offer emergency shelter, support groups, crisis lines which are open 24/7, counseling services, programs for children and advocacy for the victims (Koss, White Kazdin, 2011, p. 185). Fortunately, shelters have educated victims on their rights and options, taught them about community resources, shown them additional safety strategies and given them hope for the future (Sullivan, O’Halloran Lyon, 2008). First response teams are in place to provide safety to victimized women. The team usually consists of social workers and/or trained advocates who assist police officers during or shortly after domestic violence arrests occur (Koss, White Kazdin, 2011, p. 185). These teams promote the message to abusers that legal consequences result from their harmful behavior and they also educate victims about resources and community services available (Koss, White Kazdin, 2011, p. 185). Discussion There are many ways in which society suffers from domestic violence against women. Family relationships suffer severely when women endure these unhealthy relationships (Duffy Momirov, 1997, p. 6). Family members are harmed as well (Duffy Momirov, 19997, p. 6); for example: observing violence can affect the observer in a physical, mental, and/or emotional manner. Victims of the violence may feel humiliated (Duffy Momirov, 1997, p. 6). One reason a victim may feel humiliated is that the abuser is a loved one for whom they trust (Duffy Momirov, 1997, p. 6). The humiliation is usually experienced not only by the victim but also the accused but this may occur at differing times (Duffy Momirov, 1997, p. ). The victim is likely to experience shame due to the belief that they are being attacked (Duffy Momirov, 1997, p. 6). Considering society doesn’t want to experience negative emotions, the victims and/or accusers may try to avoid the feeling of shame thus leading to the possibility of them becoming violent (Duffy Momirov, 1997, p. 6). The act of violence also affects those who witness it (Duffy Momirov, 1997, p. 6). Those who have witnessed violence and then engage in relationships with others are likely to realize that their relationships are tainted (Duffy Momirov, 1997, p. ). Due to these tainted relationships, institutions such as the police, the penal system, social services and the courts get involved with the issue to try and break the cycle (Duffy Momirov, 19997, p. 6). Individuals fail to intervene in conflicts of domestic violence due to existent stereotypes. Many people still feel as though the issue is still a private matter, should only be dealt and discussed within the family and this it is a minor offence (Berry, 2000, p. 23). Unfortunately, people also believe they are helpless and cannot stop it issue from occurring (Berry, 2000, p. 3). Many people still believe that the issue is rare, thus they may train them self to believe it isn’t really occurring (Berry, 2000, p. 22). It is believed by some that women are naturally passive and men are to be inherently aggressive, therefore abuse is inevitable and part of human nature (Berry, 2000, p. 23). Some believe that the women provoke the violence through getting angry at the man, nagging, or speaking their minds; thus leading to the women deserving to be beaten (Berry, 2000, p. 22). Furthermore others believe it is a problem due to increased poverty or stress, thus making it limited to those of a lower class (Berry, 2000, 23). Despite the negative consequences women face in these abusive relationships with men, some choose to not seek help. Many women may feel as though they are forced to stay in these relationships to avoid becoming a lone mother living a life of poverty (Crow Gotell, 2009, p. 85). One can understand why women may fear becoming victims of poverty because despite their wages increasing, they still earn far less than men (Crow Gotell, 20009, p. 5). Walikhanna (2009) has many thoughts of why women stay: 1) women may keep the issue silent for the sake of their children 2) education or training may be lacking thus they are dependent on the man 3) they may believe the abuse is part of their fate or a way of living (p. 72). The women may fear the man will seek revenge (Department of Justice, 2009). Victims may live in isolated communities or face communication, cultural or language barriers (Department of Justice, 2009). Furthermore, these are but few of the reasons the issue is still prevalent thus the authorities are unable to intervene. Sometimes strategies engaged prove to be ineffective. During the beginning of an abusive relationship, the women usually employ various strategies to diminish the violence (Denmark, Rabinowitz Sechzer, 2005, p. 398). They may call the police, seek the help of family members or the church, turn to their doctors or try to change their characteristics which the man criticizes (Denmark, Rabinowitz Sechzer, 2005, p. 396). Unfortunately, they men will find other ways to criticize the women, the police may only diffuse the present situation, family members and/or the church may advise the women to do everything in the relationship to salvage their families and doctors may respond to the women with sleeping pills, antidepressants and tranquilizers (Denmark, Rabinowitz Sechzer, 2005, p. 396). Future Outcome Despite all the changes society has implemented, more needs to be done to make this issue non-existent. Lots of cases in which the women are abused go unreported to police but fortunately the reported cases have increased (Department of Justice, 2009). Presently, the stigma once attached to women who admit to being victimized and seek help has declined (Berry, p. 22). Fortunately, as more stories make public awareness, their attitudes regarding the issue their attitudes are changing; they are becoming more aware of its detrimental effects as well as the negative consequences of not getting involved (Berry 1995). Community implemented programs attacking domestic violence has also seen amazing results (Berry, 1995, p. 27). The effectiveness of all future outreach programs depend on the communities attitudes (Sen, 1999, p. 37). It has been suggested that all money used to stop domestic violence has promoted the victim instead providing social solutions (Sen, 1999, p. 37). For Example: the accused are threatened with a jail sense instead of trying to change the man’s ideology which causes to seek power though the use of violence and intimidation (Sen, 1999, p. 37). Futhermore it has been thought that men who abuse women do not believe they are criminals; one study found that 80 percent of those accused has no previous contact with the law (Sen, 1999, p. 36). Unfortunately, recognizing an abuser is not easy (Walikhanna, 2009, p. 3), therefore one way of intervening in cases of domestic violence is being able to recognize the signs. Signs of a women being abused include: being anxious or afraid to please their man, doing everything he says, going along with what he does, women checking in with their partner often to report their actions, constant harassing telephone calls or the women discussing her partner as possessive, jealous or having a temper (Smith Segal, 2011). Signs of physical use include: having frequent accidental injuries, constant absences without explanations, and wearing clothing which hides marks (Smith Segal, 2011). Signs of isolation include: restrictions to see friends and family, limited access to credit cards, money or a vehicle and rarely being allowed in public without their partner. Furthermore, another type of abuse to observe for is psychological. Signs include: low self-esteem, depression, anxiousness, being suicidal and expression of drastic personality changes (Smith Segal, 2011). Despite various signs to observe to identify abuse, it is important to note that these are only signs, just because an individual is experiencing a sign does not mean she is a victim of abuse. These signs are only listed to better help society identify victims. Conclusion This paper discussed the changing of domestic violence from that of a private issue to becoming a public issue. Various attitudes, beliefs and interventions were also discussed. Feminists believe society’s emphasis on patriarchal values is linked to women being victimized by men (Watto, 2009, p. 561). Victimization of women is shown through the division of labour. The emergence of feminism lead to domestic violence of women becoming recognized as an issue (Duffy Momirov, 1997, p. 3). Feminism gained successes in relation to various issues. One of their great victory’s which had violence against women recognized as an issue arose from the battered women’s movement in the 1960’s (Schneider, 1991). Following increased awareness of the problem, the Government of Canada has implemented various interventions to try and rid the country of the problem. Not only are women victims in th is practice but so is society as a whole. Stereotypes are still present causing witnesses not to intervene. Some victims choose not to seek help despite the impact is has on them negatively. Unfortunately, there are victims who try to get help but are unsuccessful. Furthermore, despite all the progress made which deems this behavior unacceptable, it will continue to exist until more progress can be reached. In an effort to rid the future of the problem, emphasis needs to focus on society’s attitudes and beliefs as well as being able to recognize possible signs of abuse. Nevertheless, this will hopefully rid society of the issue and if not then hopefully make it one that is near non-existent.

Death Of The Author English Literature Essay

Death Of The Author English Literature Essay The word Author is broadly defined by the OED as, the person who originates or gives existence to anything, but does this mean that a text is produced solely by a single author? It is clear that the author of a text will have a defined idea of what they would like their text to achieve, but can we be sure that an author is capable of producing a text that is uninfluenced by external sources? In this essay I will examine the meaning of a text and distinguish whether it is produced solely by its author or if it is a complex collaboration of the author, text and the readers own subconscious understanding. New Criticism argued that authorial intent was irrelevant to understanding a piece of literature. In their essay The Intentional Fallacy, W.K. Wimsatt and Monroe Beardsley wrote that the design or intention of the author is neither available nor desirable as a standard for judging the success of a work of literary art  [1]  . They argued that an author could not be reconstructed from a piece of writing and that the only source of meaning came from the text itself, with any details of the authors desires or life being purely extraneous. Critics such as Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault have scrutinized the role of authorship to the meaning and interpretation of a text. In Barthes essay Death of the Author, he criticizes the method of reading and criticism that relies on aspects of the authors identity to distil meaning from the authors work. This death is directed at the author expressing an inner vision, not at the idea of writing. He is opposing a view of texts as expressing a distinct personality of the author and despises the idea that they consciously create masterpieces. Barthes states the idea that the explanation and meaning of a work does not have to be sought in the one who produced it, as if it were always in the end, through the more or less transparent allegory of the fiction, the voice of a single person, the author confiding in us  [2]  . The author can be disregarded when interpreting a text, because it is language which speaks, not the author; the words are rich enough themselves with all of th e traditions of language. The words and language of a text itself determine and expose meaning for Barthes, and not someone possessing legal responsibility for the process of its production. The author is merely a scriptor. The scriptor exists to produce but not to explain the work, the origin of meaning lies exclusively in language itself and its impressions on the reader. Barthes notes that the traditional critical approach to literature raises a problem of which we cannot detect precisely what the writer intended. Julia Kristeva invented the term intertextuality, suggesting that no text is free of other texts. Intertextuality leads to speculations about the idea of a text guaranteeing stability and identity. If a text is partly explained by a whole series of other texts, then its meaning clearly does not reside wholly inside it, but is also produced by its relation with other texts. Every reader may have a different understanding of the meaning of a text depending on the external texts they associate with it. Looking at William Shakespeares play intertextually, Romeo and Juliet prompts literary criticism as the play shares a relationship with other literary texts. Romeo and Juliets plot is based around more than one different source, making the audience question the originality of the play itself. Shakespeare based his play on an Italian tale, translated into verse as The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke in 1562. Romeo and Juliet is a dramatisation of Brookes translation, which Shakespeare has followed closely. We see this through Romeos dialogue as he says, Is she a Capulet? / O dear account! my life is my foes debt.  [3]  Shakespeare literally mirrors the plot of Brookes tale in his own So hath he learned her name, and knowth she is no geast, / Her father was a Capulet,  [4]  It is hard to claim that Shakespeare has ownership of this play along with the idea that this is not an original idea and the content of his play has come from influences around him. Shakespeare was also heavily influenced by Ovids Metamorphoses, taking inspiration from the tragic love story of Pyramus and Thisbe. In Ted Hughes translation, it is clear to see that Shakespeare has been influenced by Ovid, The parents of each forbade their child / To marry the other. That was that. / But prohibition feeds love, mirroring the exact same family feud and passion in Romeo and Juliet  [5]  , Deny thy father and refuse thy name; / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And Ill no longer be a Capulet (Act 2, Scene II; ll 34-36). There are rumoured to be so many sources behind one of Shakespeares most well-known masterpieces, this certainly begs the question of whether Shakespeare was original and if he gave meaning to his own work. It is appropriate to approach an Elizabethan play as a collaborative work, given the amount of people used to successfully create a play. A piece of drama is inevitably constructed by many hands, adding to the meaning of the play. Romeo and Juliet would not just be defined by William Shakespeare, but how the play was performed would have enormous effect on its meaning along with those involved in the making of it. Romeo and Juliet was arguably not written by Shakespeare, he took influences from many different texts, collaborating with many other writers. The writing behind Romeo and Juliet does not define the play, but it is the staging and performance that make the play what it is. Performance adds to the text in the sense of connecting to it gestures, symbols and staging, these all produce a definition not in the text itself. In a well-known quotation, Barthes draws an analogy between text and textiles, the text is a tissue of quotations drawn from the innumerable centres of cultur e (pp. 142-48) meaning that one persons work is never original. It is the reader/viewer that makes a piece of literature what it is, whether that is personal or not. It is difficult to judge whether a piece of literature successfully carries out what it means to attempt because we can never be certain of the writers intent in the first place. For example Robert Frosts The Silken Tent opened up to much debate about whether the poem was really symbolising a woman and questioned the possibility of its supporting central cedar pole (l. 5) actually representing a boat with language rich in relatable words, for example, guy ropes and compass. It should not be wrong to have a different opinion of a text, finding meaning in literature is all about your personal tastes and experiences allowing you to relate to texts. Literature is all about what you as a reader make of a text in your own personal way. There seems to be no guarantee in this process that the origins of the text, the conventions of the message and the readers opinion are identical in any way. A piece of literature depends on the words and contexts which surround it, but these contexts are not always significant when looking for meaning in a text. The language of textuality itself will present an argument that is potentially counter to the authors conscious intent. The meaning of a text is not produced solely by an author; it is a complex collaboration between author, text and reader. Shakespeare did not give Romeo and Juliet meaning, meaning was created through the text and performance of the play and by the viewer creating their own personal opinions about it. Shakespeare may have been the origin behind Romeo and Juliet but there are many different sources that could have been seen to be used, questioning the originality of the play. The essential meaning of a piece of literature depends on the impression it has made on the reader, the writers passions and tastes do not come into it. Meaning is a collaboration of all these different factors, it cannot be gathered purely from just the author because there may have been no authorial intent behind that text and literature is all about your own personal opinion and where you take that text in your mind. Barthes makes an important point saying, a texts unity lies not in its origins [] but in its d estination, (pp. 142-48) meaning that it all comes down to the reader and society, a piece of texts origins are unimportant. Word Count: 1560

Hostage Negotiation Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hostage and barricade incidents are amongst the most difficult, emotional, and sometimes potentially lethal situations that a negotiator can be involved in. Often, the hostage taker shows signs of mental illness, drug or alcohol intoxication, or personal disputes accompanied by a high level of emotion. (Feldmann) These contributing factors lead to impulsive and often unpredictable behavior on the part of the hostage taker. It is sometimes impossible for negotiators to anticipate possible outcomes and complications that could arise from these incidents. Negotiators use a wide variety of tools, information, and strategies to try and resolve whatever grievances and demands the perpetrator is exhibiting. The main focus on the part of the negotiator is to keep the hostage alive, then try to negotiate a surrender. There is a considerable risk to both the victims and law enforcement when dealing with a hostage situation. (Feldmann) This paper will ide ntify and distinguish several high risk factors that negotiators and law enforcement use to extinguish potentially lethal situations. The presence or absence of these factors can influence the outcome of a situation for the better or for the worst. Second, this paper will identify several motivations for hostage taking. Why and what would prompt an individual to take hostages? Several influential and background reasons will be examined. Finally, some successful and also failed negotiations will be explored, with possible reasons and explanations to what factors made them either a success or a failure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hostage negotiation is as much of an art as it is a science. The negotiator not only holds the lives of the victims in his hands, but the lives of law enforcement and the hostage taker as well. His persuasiveness and communication abilities have the power to protect and save lives. The Hostage Taker   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most common reasons for a hostage taking situation is desperation. The hostage taker feels desperate because of either what he has done or what he is doing. (DeFao) Taking a hostage is a split second decision usually made out of desperation. (DeFao) A person who is in the process of committing a crime, for instance a bank robber who has been surrounded or confron... ...he presence of high-risk factors, consider all other intelligence available, and combine this information with the assessments made by both the negotiation and tactical teams. This combined information will assist in differentiating between a genuine hostage situation, and a pseudo-hostage situation. The success or failure of the situation ultimately lies in the persuasive and communication abilities of the negotiator. Bibliography 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Feldmann, Theodore : Hostage Negotiation Research. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences: University of Louisvillle school of Medicine: Jan.15, 2001 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  WWW. hostagenegotiationtraining.com 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  American Journal of Forensic Psychiatry: Psychiatric consultation to police hostage negotiation teams: Volume 19, 1998, p.27-44 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  VanZandt, Clinton : Hostage/Barricade Situations: Special operations Unit Training Manual: FBI Academy 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  DeFao, Janine: Hostage crisis calls for an artists touch: Sacramento Bee: Sunday, March 5, 1995: 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  WWW. rcmp-learning.org/docs/ecdd1216.htm

Women, Sport and Film :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Women, Sport and Film Out of all the material we covered in this course, the ones that bear most directly on this question I think are the documentary about women in sports, and the movie "Girlfight". However, I felt that both of these films focussed on the issue from women's point of view. This is not to say that it isn't important or necessary to do so, but I started thinking about how men are also greatly affected by gender stereotyping. Being in a women's college, I feel like we focus a lot on the ways in which women are forced into certain roles, but we neglect to also look at how men are forced into certain roles. Last semester I watched the movie "Billy Elliot", about a young boy growing up in Newcastle, England, during the time of the miner's strike. I think the movie illustrates very well the costs and benefits of breaking gender stereotypes. Billy grows up in a mining family and his family consists of himself, his father, and his elder brother. He is surrounded only by male role models, and that too men who engage in manual labour. His father and his brother are both very "masculine" in the traditional sense of the word. The basic plot of the movie is that Billy wants to be a ballet dancer. His father wants him to learn boxing, but he sees a group of girls having ballet lessons at the same time and he starts taking ballet lessons on the sly. He turns out to be very talented, and his teacher wants him to apply to go to ballet school on a scholarship. The rest of the movie follows his progress and his struggle to be accepted by his family once he's been discovered. At first his father prohib its him from doing ballet, and calls him a "pouf", but Billy persists and is finally accepted by his family and community. I found it interesting that even though Billy is pre-pubescent, the mere fact that he wants to learn ballet induces people to question his sexuality even at such an early age. At an age when children aren't supposed to be sexual beings yet, Billy is under constant pressure to decide what his sexual orientation is, both by his family in that he has to defend himself, and by a friend of his in school who fits a certain stereotype of homosexuality and is romantically interested in him.

Computer Game Addiction Essay

ABSTRACT With the constant improvements in gaming technology, ranging from graphics to new types of controllers to faster processors, there is a growing problem of computer game addiction. In order to fully understand this problem, one must define addiction. According to the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, addiction is a psychological or a physical dependence on something. LITERATURE REVIEW In this paper, we will discuss the problem of computer game addiction, one of the most addictive games, and ways to prevent or stop addiction. Massively Multiplayer Online Role- Playing Games Game addiction really started turning into a problem with the advent of Massively Multiplayer Online Role- Playing Games, or MMORPGs. While regular games would keep you entertained until you beat it, MMORPGs have no ending, so there really is no reason to stop playing. MMORPGs immerse the player in the world and since there is no way to beat the game, the goal is character progression. Leveling up your character and obtaining better and better armor and weapons is usually the norm in most MMORPGs. Addiction Questionnaire Dr. Kimberly Young, known as â€Å"the world’s foremost Cyber-Psychologist,† created a set of eight questions to ask one’s self to test for online gaming addiction. 1) Do you need to play online games with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve the desired excitement? 2) Are you preoccupied with gaming (thinking about it when offline, anticipating your next online session)? 3) Have you lied to friends and family members to conceal extent of your online gaming? 4) Do you feel restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop online gaming? 5) Have you made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop online gaming? 6) Do you use gaming as a way of escaping from problems or relieve feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression? 7) Have you jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, or even risked your marriage because of your online gaming habit? 8) Have you jeopardized a job, educational, or career opportunity because of your online gaming habit? Answering yes to any of those questions could mean that you are addicted. One would think that video games are harmless, but once they start interfering with real life and even take precedence over it, then there is a real problem. Video game addiction has not received official recognition as a diagnosis in theDSM IV standard [8], but is still aconcern for many people. Problems with addiction One study done on the problems of addiction used a modified version of the formal definition of gambling addiction. 607 8th and 9th grade students where surveyed, and of these 15% where classified as addicted. Of the addicted students, approximately 80% where male. Less than 30% of non-addicted student reported having been in a fight in the past year, while almost 50% ofaddicted students reported the same. Addiction also correlated with reported arguments with friends, and with teachers. Just as many students classified as addicted reported having a B average as those classified as nonaddicted. However, there where 4 times as many F students classified as addictedas there where non-addicted, and far more non-addicted A students than addicted ones. Not surprisingly, students classified as addicted averaged almost 4 times as much playtime as nonaddicted ones [7]. These figures are somewhat worrying. World of Warcraft (WoW) The current king of MMORPGs is World of Warcraft. According to a press release on Blizzard’s World of Warcraft webpage, World of Warcraft’s subscriber base numbers more than 8.5 million, as of March 7, 2007, and it continues to grow every day. The expansion pack that was recently released sold nearly 2.4 million copies worldwide just on the first 24 hours [3]. It is often referred to as â€Å"World of Warcrack.† Dr. Maressa Orzak, a Harvard professor and founder of Computer Addiction Services at McLean Hospital in Newton, MA, estimates that as many as 40% of the people who play WoW are addicted. She believes that games like World of Warcraft are designed to keep people in the game and that they are inherently addictive [4]. There are dozens of websites just for the purpose of providing support for WoW addiction. The game has a feature where if you type â€Å"/played† into the chat interface, it displays how much time you have spent playing that particular character. Some people report that they’ve spent 200 to 300 days played in the game [5]. In 2004, Zhang Xiaoyi, a 13 year old Chinese boy, committed suicide by jumping off a building afterplaying World of Warcraft for 36 hours straight. He left a suicide note saying that he wanted to â€Å"join the heroes of the game he worshipped† [6]. Fig. 1: A large battle between the Alliance and the Horde Is it Addiction? According to Weimer-Hastings and Ng, many people who are excessive MMORPG users are not actually dependent on video games [8]. They propose that many of these people use video games not because they are addicted, but because it is the only comfortable social medium for them. This was found through a comparison ofMMORPG player and other video game players. The MMORPG players tended to spend far more time playing, but much of that time is spent socializing. Some MMORPG players who showed long hours of playtime didn’t actually show any of the signs of addiction [8]. This study shows that care must be taken with the definition of addiction. Conclusion Video game addiction is something we must come to terms with as a society. Whether it is decided to be a read full fledged addiction, or just a compulsive behavior, it can still cause trouble in people’s lives. The problem will not go away either, it will probably only get worse, as designers get a better understanding of what makes consumers want their games. On the other hand, the problem is not as bad as it sounds at first. For many people these games are a social outlet, not an addiction. Video games are an integral part of many people’s lives now, and they’re here to stay. Let’s learn to use them responsibly. References 1. Center for Addiction and Mental Health – What is Addiction? http://www.camh.net/About_Addiction_Mental_Health/Drug_and_Addiction_Information/Addiction_Information_Guide/addiction_what_is.html 2. Center for Internet Addiction Recovery – Are You an Obsessive Online Gamer? http://www.netaddiction.com/resources/online_trading.htm# 3. Blizzard Entertainment – PressRelease. http://www.blizzard.com/press/070307.shtml 4. Rob Wright – mmORPGs and Game Addiction. August 8, 2006. http://www.twitchguru.com/2006/08/08/ world_of_warcraft_players_addicted/ 5. WoW Detox – Ex-players’testimonials. http://www.wowdetox.com/ 6. Associated Press – Chinese‘Warcraft’ Game Distributor Sued Over Teen’s Suicide.May 12, 2006. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,195236,00.html 7. Hauge, Marny R. & Gentile, Douglas A. â€Å"Video Game Addiction Among Adolescents: Associations with Academic Performance and Aggression† http://www.psychology.iastate.edu/FACULTY/dgentile/SRCD%20Video%20Game%20Addiction.pdf 8. Wiemer-Hastings, Peter & NG, Brian D. â€Å"Addiction to the Internet and Online Gaming† Cyberpsychology & Behavior Vol8, Number 2 http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/cpb.2005.8.110