Environmental Pollution Essay Example for Free

Environmental Pollution Essay Environmental pollution is one of the biggest problems the world faces today. It is an issue that troubles us economically, physically and everyday of our lives. The contamination of the environment is also being linked to some of the diseases that are around currently. Yet, most people do not know about this problem. This shows that environmental pollution is becoming an increasingly worse problem that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible, not only for the good of the environment but also for the people that live in it. Many factors are present for why environmental pollution has become such a large issue in the world. However, if the people of the world were to address the issue it would definitely help both the environment and its people. There are many activities that can be done by both the common citizen to the governments of the world, which could severally improve the worlds environmental problem. On the other hand, if the current way the worlds environmental problem is being handled continues, catastrophic consequences can follow for the future population. Over the years, environmental pollution has become more of a problem for a number of reasons. Due to the great increase in the worlds population, which is at 6.1 billion, energy use, and the number of vehicles on roads make air pollution a greater threat than ever  (Pollution, Environmental). Because of this, air pollution kills eight thousand people a year due to respiratory related problems  (Air Pollution Kills). Also, 40% of the worlds deaths are being attributed to environmental factors  (Segelken). With such a number of people dying a year due to air pollution one can see how much the environmental pollution is affecting us. This dilemma is only made worse due to the current means of disposing nuclear waste. Until 1993, Russia would resort to the dumping of its high and low level radioactive waste by dumping it into the Arctic seas and any other low-level waste into the Seas of Japan  (Nitze). Radiation from nuclear waste is known to cause a series of reactions in body tissue that results in damage to the bodies cells  (Daley). This can cause disease, such as cancer, injury, or death. The effects on the human body make the situation even worse for the people of the world. But, an even more common threat is the use of incinerators and landfills, for the reducing and disposal of waste. Using incinerators to reduce the volume of trash not only causes air pollution but also produces  toxic ash that must be disposed of in specially made landfills. Landfills themselves can pollute groundwater after heavy rain, which would then be drunk by the surrounding population.

Humanism and Marxist Theory in Geography

Humanism and Marxist Theory in Geography Humanism and Marxist Theory in Geography; how it differs from Positivism. Philosophical ways of knowing cannot be avoided when research is being conducted in geography. Philosophy is used as a way communication between what we know and how we know it. It helps put into context and justify answers regarding research questions; therefore it is used widely throughout geography (Aitken and Valentine, 2006). Up until the 1950s, geography was in actual fact detailed in nature, as it examined patterns and processes, usually on a regional bias, when trying to understand specific places (Aitken and valentine, 2006). However after the 1950s, numerous geographers such as Schaefer started â€Å"to argue that geographical research needed to become more scientific in nature† (Schaefer, 1953). It was then that Comte (1798-1857) formed the theory of positivism (Kitchin and Tate, 2013). Unwin (1992) noted that Comte used the â€Å"term ‘positive’ to refer to the actual, the certain, the exact, the useful and the relative rather than the imaginary, the undecided, the imprecise, the vain and the absolute† (Unwin, 1992). In Comte’s positivism he stated that the formulation of theories should be experimented by and proven using certain methods that provide â€Å"society with knowledge so that speculation could be avoided† (Kitchin and Tate, 2013). In Geography, positivism was implemented so that the principles of science could be applied to geographic understanding (Aitken and Valentine, 2006). â€Å"The positivist approach requires experience to be verified rather than just simply presented as fact† (Johnston, 1986a) and there are various versions of positivism. Positivism can be separated into two methods of thought: logical positivism regarding verification and critical rationalism which regards falsification (Kitchin and Tate, 2013). â€Å"Logical positivism was first developed by the Vienna Circle in the 1920s and 1930s† (Holt-Jensen, 1988) but Schaefer supported the development of a logical positivist approach within geography. Critical rationalism was developed by Karl Popper as a different method than logical positivism. Popper disputed that the validity of a law did not relay upon how many times it was examined or proven, but instead relies on whether it can be falsified (Kitchin and Tate, 2013). Popperà ¢â‚¬â„¢s approach of critical rationalism was highly criticised (Sayer, 1992) and therefore many human geographers have not adopted his theory (Gregory, 1986b). Within geography positivism is closely connected with quantitative methodologies which came about in the late 1950s after geography was involved in a quantitative uprising; as geographers wanted to â€Å"replace description with explanation, individual understanding with general laws, and interpretation with prediction† (Unwin, 1992). Consequently, in the 1970s the implementation of positivism came under attack with new modes of explanation being established as a reaction to positivisms growing use in geography. However, quantitative methodologies are not just used by positivists and the use of these methods does not ensure a piece of research positivistic in nature. It is in fact the implementation of the hidden fundamentals of impartiality and explicit logic (Kitchin and Tate, 2013). Humanistic geography was one of two key 1970s rational developments that formed out of a discontent with positivism (Aitken and Valentine, 2006). â€Å"The second was regarding social purpose and politics that took its most coherent form in Marxism† (Harvey, 1973). Humanistic geography illustrates the significance of individuals’ experiences, beliefs and attitudes when constructing opinions that we make and in our engagement with the world. The importance within humanistic geography has regarded â€Å"exposing meaning, values and interpretations in order to incorporate a more complex understanding of human reality into geography† (Aitken and Valentine, 2006). Humanism believes that humanity acquires a common excellence, and that this excellence is evident in human individuals, human interests, and human works. â€Å"Humanism elaborates this dogma of human dignity in four important ways: metaphysical humanism, topical humanism, methodological humanism, and philanthropic humanism† (Smith, 2009). The particular focal point in humanistic geography is the topic of conflict between other methods that require â€Å"emphasizing how individuals’ choices are forced by social structures such as Marx’s capitalism, and with this have attempted to tease out the complex relationship between agencies and structure† (Aitken and Valentine, 2006). Humanists presuppose that humans are intricate beings that do not essentially act in ways that are easy to represent. Therefore in relation to geographical research, humanistic geographers â€Å"proposed the adoption of geographical enquiry that was sensitive to capturing the complex lives of people through in-depth, qualitative studies† (Aitken and Valentine, 2006). Though methodological humanist is typically antipositivist, coincidentally in this sense the word humanist may very often be strongly linked to positivism and science when conducting geographical research (Smith, 2009). This is because many humanists state to be unbiased and impartial, with their research having no social position, a lot like positivists (Kitchin and Tate, 2013). Therefore positivism and scientific views were seen as the logical part of humanistic evaluations that purely provide qualitative data in which quantitative classification can be built (Aitken and Valentine, 2006). Humanists stated that the experimental scientist may be able to explain the objective world, and even human consciousness (Smith, 2009). On the other hand the positivist tries to â€Å"objectively study conditions using empirical measures; whereas humanists place more emphasis on subjective experiences, values and opinions and this is where conflict began (Kitchin and Tate, 2013)† therefore humanists believe that it is only them, using the humanistic tools of understanding, explanation and critical analysis, can expect to ‘understand’ the impartial world and human consciousness as they appear (Smith, 2009). Also according to the new humanistic geographers, positivist geographers dehumanized individuals by stating that they were passive agents of social, psychological, and economic forces. These forces, according to positivists, caused individuals to act in expected ways, and a growing and logical society seeks to control individual manners indirectly, through modulation of these forces. â€Å"As well as this it was argued that positivism not acknowledge people’s beliefs, values, opinions, feelings and so on, in shaping everyday geographies† (Aitken and Valentine, 2006).Therefore, against this view a different image was raised by humanistic geographers, which involved individuals deliberately acting on the base of reason that they considered where in the â€Å"light of their own intentions, interests, and values† (Smith, 2009). All in all, humanistic geographers insist that humans are free, decision-making beings, â€Å"in part because this fit more closely to the first-person perspective of the humanities, but also because it gave them reason to hope that people could choose to change† (Smith, 2009) and in this sense humanism is very much linked to Marxism in geography. Marxists approaches within geography arose at roughly the same time as humanistic approaches, and likewise was a reaction in opposition to the growth of positivism within geography. â€Å"Humanistic approaches criticized positivism because of its disregard of human agency, whereas Marxists argued that it failed to recognise the effects of social, economic and political structures in creating spatial patterns† (Cloke et al., 1991; Kitchin and Tate, 2013). Further, Marxism suggested that positivism limited examination to how things really seemed to be, rather than allowing for how they might be under different social circumstances and how it did not take into account of processes of originality and independence among individuals (Cloke et al., 1991). The Marxist geographers’ purpose was to bring some of the opinions and examination of Marxism into geographical thought. Marxism itself existed as theory since its development by Karl Marx in the 19th century (Johnston et al., 2000) but until the 1970s it had not been significant in geography (Cloke et al., 1991). Marxist geography talks in terms of ‘modes of production’ such as feudalism, capitalism and socialism. Marxism largely targets the capitalist mode of production and recognizes the need for a constant flow of capital with profit as its main purpose. â€Å"In order to do this Marxists suggest that we need to consider how conditions might be under difficult social conditions to highlight how society operates (Kitchin and Tate, 2013)† and also that there must be a constant growth of the value of products produced in order for this flow of capital to be maintained and thus lead to ‘economic growth’. Marxist geography was also interested in how under different social circumstances geographies alter and wanted to have an involvement towards these changes and thus did not just suggest the cause of geographical patterns that lay within capitalist socio-economic systems. â€Å"Marxist geography was therefore not just about understanding the world but also about changing it† (Harvey, 1985b). Undeniably change is significant to the Marxist theory and Marxist geography now assumes that conditions continuously change rather than assuming economic conditions remain constant when decisions are made (Holloway et al., 2003). As seen throughout this essay, positivism has been widely criticized for a number of reasons, and therefore led to the development of humanism and Marxism. However these two have also had certain criticisms. For instance, Marxism was criticized for the ethnocentric nature, for the passive role administered to its individuals, for its obsession with class and industry and its abandonment of environmental issues. Whereas critics found humanism to be a â€Å"diffuse target, that emphasized the relatively neglected tie of geography to the humanities and the ideals of liberal education† (Entrikin, 2001). Even with these criticisms for some geographers the only way to tackle issues in positivism is to turn to radical theories such as Marxism and due to the fact that this generation seems to be more interested in â€Å"esthetics, human values, and ‘lifestyle’ than with social ‘laws’ that a humanistic approach may prove more congenial to the coming generatio n† (Smith, 2009). Despite the criticism towards the positivist reasoning, implicit positivism is still used strongly within human geography (Aitken and Valentine, 2006).

Inherited and Environmental Influences on Development

Inherited and Environmental Influences on Development The environmental and inherited influences on development, also known as, nature and nurture both play key roles in the shaping of developmental processes. Nature refers to inherited or biological traits such as, abilities and capacities that are genetically passed down by ones parents. On the other hand, nurture refers to environmental influences that play a role in shaping our behaviors, such as methods of childrearing and other products of society. Differences in lateralization of the brain between males and females may be ascribed to both genetic differences in the corpus callosum, which is larger in women, and environmental factors; girls usually receive more extensive verbal encouragement than boys do. Both nature and nurture are theorized to be attributing factors that influence and shape development. Developmental Psychologists place strong emphasis on the belief that both nature and nurture are leading causes that influence and shape human behavior and development by either biological factors: nature, or environmental factors: nurture. 1. What are some inherited influences on development? 2. What are some environmental influences on development? 3. What role does socialization play as an environmental influence on development? Psychologists and developmental experts have been able to attribute the behaviors of an individual to particular influences on development that can be separated into two categories: inherited and environmental influences on development. What are some inherited influences on development? It is widely speculated that factors of inherited influence are more important than the environmental factors that affect a childs growth and development. Obviously we know that inherited biological factors do play a great role in shaping human development, this is a widely acknowledged fact. While this is true, one must still not disregard the significance of environmental influences in the early stages of growth and development. Many studies emphasizing the significance of inherited influences are, however, impossible to disregard or ignore. For example, it is almost universally accepted that a child faces biological risks in their mental and physical development when the mother smokes cigarettes during pregnancy. However, many would argue that you cannot directly attribute negative social behaviors to the mother smoking tobacco during pregnancy. According to research presented at the Behavior Genetics Association, there is uncertainty about why there are links between maternal smo king during pregnancy and offspring antisocial behavior. This uncertainty creates room for the argument that environmental influences can be attributed as the factor responsible for these negative behavioral developments. However, many scholars still argue that recent research and data indicates that findings differ for offspring antisocial behavior where the association with prenatal smoking appears to be entirely explained by inherited pathways that are not attributable to maternal antisocial behavior. This argument is strengthened by data presented at the Behavior Genetics Association in 2007, below is a graph of the findings. The research showed an increased rate of antisocial behaviors amongst the offspring of parents who smoked during pregnancy. (Rice, 2007) (PNAS, 2007) What are some environmental influences on development? The environmental impacts on ones behavior can often determine factors that will shape future behaviors. During critical and sensitive periods development can be greatly affected. Critical periods occur when the existence of certain types of environmental stimuli become necessary for development to continue conventionally. It is theorized that development during the critical period is easily influenced, specifically in the area of personality and social development. On the other hand, during sensitive periods the organism becomes particularly vulnerable to certain types of stimuli in their environment. Unlike critical periods, the absence of stimuli in a sensitive period does not always result in immutable consequences. What role does socialization play as an environmental influence on development? Societal influences are believed to play a large role on the environmental impacts of development. The way we have been socialized or conditioned is a response to environmental stimuli. For instance, gender is something socially constructed and society places expectations on individuals according to their gender, which will determine the roles they will later fulfill in society. A publication from U.C. Santa Cruz states the following of gender acquisition and the societal influences that are perpetuated around them. Gender stereotypes in infants are perpetuated by societys expectations and perceptions. Societal influences, preconceived notions and expectations enforce already existing gender stereotypesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In the study of forty-eight children, their mothers, and 16 college students, gender based stereotypes influenced interaction with infants which in turn socialized the infants to conform to their respective gender role. Ratings of the female infants centered on their small size and beauty. Male infants are judged usually according to their ability and intelligence. While evidence of gender stereotyping in infant ratings are becoming less dominant after adolescence, sex stereotyping in adults behavior towards infants has changed little. Obviously, society shapes the gender stereotypes that both children and adults hold. (Rivera, 1996) Research by psychologists over the last several decades has increasingly pointed to hereditary factors being more important, especially for basic personality traits such as emotional tone.   However, the acquisition of values, beliefs, and expectations seem to be due more to socialization and unique experiences, especially during childhood. (Oneil, 2006) Most psychologists and developmental specialists agree upon the fact that influences from both inherited and environmental elements are equally important to the construction of growth and development. However, certain behaviors and growth patterns are believed to result from greater attributes of environmental and inherited influences. Theoretical Perspectives Examining the Development of Children With (ADHD) Trends have shown that the amount of children in the United States diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, additionally known as (ADHD) over time has steadily increased among young children and adolescent youth. The exponential surge in diagnosis of ADHD has increased the amount of prescription drugs used to treat individuals. Issues surrounding these developments pose a multitude of questions that include: 1. How are applications of the theoretical perspectives of development examined to help understand disorders such as ADHD? 2. What are the associated risk factors of medications used to treat ADHD in children? The increasingly steady number of children being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the U.S has resulted in an array of developmental obstacles; the actual number of children diagnosed with ADHD remains unknown, as does the amount of those children that are being treated with prescription medications. How are Applications of the theoretical perspectives of development examined to help understand disorders such as ADHD? Theoretical perspectives that lifespan Developmentalists examine as they identify the different patterns of growth, change, and behavioral stability that take place in the duration of the entire lifespan help bring further understanding to behaviors and the possibly of treating undesired behaviors. Among these theoretical perspectives include, learning, language, cognitive, social, moral, and personality development. All of these perspectives can be applied to assist the understanding of behaviors including the behaviors of children with ADHD. A commonly used behavioral method for the treatment of ADHD is the approach of cognitive behavioral therapy. A definition for cognitive behavioral therapy has been provided by, the Mayo Clinic. With cognitive behavioral therapy, you work with a mental health counselor (psychotherapist) in a structured way, attending a limited number of sessions. By helping you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking, cognitive behavioral therapy allows you to view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way (Mayo Clinic Staff). What are the associated risk factors of medications used to treat ADHD in children? An in depth analysis addressing the associated risks of prescription medications used to treat ADHD in children must be taken into strong consideration before any decisions are made to place that child on such medications. The most commonly prescribed drugs to both children and adults for the treatment of ADHD are stimulants. A publication from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded the following of children undergoing treatment for ADHD: NSCH does not assess use of ADHD treatments other than medicationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦thus, the number of children with reported ADHD diagnoses who received other types of treatments is not known. Studies indicate that the use of stimulants, prescribed to treat ADHD can lead to harmful side-affects. Not to mention the risk of becoming reliant upon, or even addicted to prescription stimulants. (Kennedy, 2005) Distinctions Separating Self-Concept and Self-Esteem The image that an individual perceives him or herself as is believed to greatly influence the social and cognitive development of that individual. The establishment of self-concept and self-esteem are two greatly influential aspects of a childs development. Environmental and inherited influences are theorized to have affect on the development of self-concept. Promotion of social development by parents or caregivers may substantially increase the likelihood of a child developing a positive self-esteem depending on variables such as nature and nurture of the situation. 1. What differences separate self-concept from self-esteem? 2. What are the theoretical perspectives on self-concept and self-esteem? 3. How can caregivers facilitate childrens development in these areas? The development of the self in early and middle childhood encompasses the growth of independent ideas and goals, which veer from expectations of the primary role models, the process where developments of social comparisons are made reflects ones self-concept, however, self-esteem refers to the way an individual perceives themselves through self evaluation; both are vital to social development and can be positively or negatively influenced by caregivers. What differences separate self-concept from self-esteem? The term self-concept refers to the perception regarding what one is like as an individual, and that individuals identity. The self-concept allows individuals to identify with specific characteristics of the self that allow them to differ from other individuals. For instance, a response to a question exemplifying ones individual strengths reflects ones self-concept, or identity. The development of self-concept is primarily used to reflect strengths perceived by an individual about his or her self that are used to provide meaning to their actions and purpose in life. In children, self-concepts may not be accurate; an individuals self-concept changes throughout life, this is dependant upon changes in a cultures views regarding others outside of their own, changes involving state institutions, and products of other societal and environmental influences. According to research found by William W. Purkry, author of: An Overview of Self-Concept Theory for Counselors. Highlights: An ERIC/CAP S Digest: Self-concept is learned. As far as we know, no one is born with a self-concept. It gradually emerges in the early months of life and is shaped and reshaped through repeated perceived experiences, particularly with significant others. (Purkey, 1988) The term self-esteem refers to an individuals overall and distinct positive and negative self-evaluation. Many important developments on an individuals self-esteem transpire during middle childhood. Throughout this phase, children experience the maturation of Internal standards. Which is often times the reason that children progressively compare themselves to others. For the majority of children, self-esteem increases as the transition from early childhood to middle childhood takes place. Feelings of inadequacy that relate to an individuals capacity to do most things takes place when that individuals self-esteem is negative. What are the theoretical perspectives on self-concept and self-esteem? There are a multitude of theoretical perspectives that give possible explanation to functions of self-concept and self-esteem. The Educational Resources Information center (ERIC) provides a publication of An Overview of Self-Concept Theory for Counselors, which identifies some of the influential theorists that have contributed to theories of self-concept. By far the most influential and eloquent voice in self-concept theory was that of Carl Rogers (1947) who introduced an entire system of helping built around the importance of the self. In Rogers view, the self is the central ingredient in human personality and personal adjustment. Rogers described the self as a social product, developing out of interpersonal relationships and striving for consistency. He maintained that there is a basic human need for positive regard both from others and from oneself. He also believed that in every person there is a tendency towards self-actualization and development so long as this is permitted and encouraged by an inviting environment. (p. 2) Some of the other theoretical perspectives of self-concept and self-esteem in development include: Piagets stages of cognitive development, Erik Eriksons psychosocial development, Carl Rogers conception of self, Vygotskys approach to cognitive development, Lawrence Kohlbergs development of social learning and moral reasoning, and Abraham Maslows theories on personality. Humanistic psychologist, Carl Rogers theorized that the self was divided into two parts, the real self and the ideal self. An article written by Herb Stevenson for Natural Passages, states the flowing of the ideal self vs. the real self. The ideal self is some fantasy that we carry around as a measure of what we might be if the fairy god mother ever shows up. Often, this is a picture of life, our life, that we have changed very little since childhood. By taking the time to really examine the depth of the ideal self, we see indirectly how we have judged or dismissed whom we are. The real self is a comparison to that ideal self. It is a description of who am I, really, right now. By comparing the ideal with the real, we begin to see the gaps in perception we have created, the judgments we have made about ourselves, and the gaps that could be preventing us from fully living our lives in the moment as the person that we truly are. (para. 3) The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill defines the concept of representational mapping as the following: Representational mapping can be described as the self-descriptions that are logical connections among components that can be made primarily concrete, overly positive, and all or nothing. They contain concrete and abstract components, more realistic (but still always positive: above average effect) shades of grey (Steps in self development). How can caregivers facilitate childrens development in these areas? The importance of promoting the development of a healthy self-esteem in children is an environmental influence on behavior that is greatly affected by parenting techniques. Parents and caregivers can facilitate childrens development in the areas of self-concept and self-esteem through childrearing styles. The most effective way to do so is through the implementation of authoritative childrearing techniques. Authoritative parents have the perfect balance of emotional support, warm and loving qualities; yet, they set clear boundaries for behavior. Certain techniques of parenting have proven to result in negative effects on a childs self-esteem. For instance, Authoritarian parents are extremely controlling and there word is the law, there is no toleration for expression of disagreement. Authoritarian parents enforce strict methods of discipline and punishment that negatively reinforce behaviors of that child, which is likely to result in an increase of the unwanted behaviors occurring a gain under the same circumstances. The use of positive and negative reinforcers when applied properly has been a proven method of modifying behaviors. The U.K. site Kids Behaviour provides useful information on how to properly apply positive and negative reinforcement to promote desired behavioral responses (Morrisey, 2008). Applying the childrearing approaches of reinforcement to daily activities can facilitate the development of both a positive self-esteem and self-concept. In the 2009 publication, Anderson, Hughes, and Fuemmeler addressed some of the specific issues that surround parental attitudes and child activity. The objective of this study examined the parental attitudes on children based on the particular types and levels of intensity in physical activity that children engaged in, which could give explanation to the gender differences associated with these activities, in addition to the evaluation of physical engagement serving as a mechanism to shorten time spent engaged in sedentary behaviors. A design of a community sample with participants, which included, 681 parents and 433 children of the mean age of 9.9 years conveyed the importance of activities such as moderate to vigorous intensity levels in the areas of team an individual activities including, sports, physical activity and household chores. (p. 428) As Anderson et al. (2009) conducted their evaluations separate structural models were used to determine factors that differed between boys and girls in relation to parental attitudes and physical activity. Separate structural models (LISREL 8.7) for girls and boys tested whether parental attitudes were related to child TV and computer via child attitudes, sport team participation, and physical activity, controlling for demographic factors. Main Outcome Measures: Child 7-day physical activity, sport teams, weekly TV, computer. Results: Parent- child attitude congruence was more prevalent among boys, and attitudes varied by ethnicity, parent education, and number of children. Positive parent- child attitudes for vigorous team sports were related to increased team participation and physical activity, as well as reduced TV and computer in boys and girls. Value of moderate intensity household chores, such as cleaning house and doing laundry, was related to decreased team participation and increased TV in boys. Only organized team sports, not general physical activity, was related to reduced TV and computer. Conclusion: Results support parents role in socializing childrens achievement task v alues, affecting child activity by transferring specific attitudes. Value of vigorous intensity sports provided the most benefits to activity and reduction of sedentary behavior, while valuing household chores had unexpected negative effects. (p. 428) Sexual Behaviors of Adolescents and the Associated Risks The adolescent years are characterized by the development of ones personal sense of identity. During this phase a transition from middle childhood to early adulthood takes place. In these years, young adults entering puberty explore an array of sexual behaviors that will play a role in shaping their sexual identities. With the exploration of such sexual behaviors follows the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy. 1. What associated risks are involved with sexual behaviors in adolescents? 2. What are the statistics of sexually transmitted diseases among teens? 3. What are the statistics of pregnancies among teens? As middle-childhood transitions into the adolescent years an array of physical, cognitive and social changes take place, these are main contributors to the sexual behaviors explored individuals in their adolescent years, however, there are associated risks with connected with these sexual behaviors that include, contraction of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy. What associated risks are involved with sexual behaviors in adolescents? The exploration of newly discovered sexual desires among adolescents come with repercussions. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), also known as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are common among teens. Another primary concern that surrounds the engagement of sexual activity in teens is the possibility of becoming pregnant. Precautionary measures to ensure safety when acting upon sexual urges and needs must be taken into consideration before any sexual contact is to occur. The enforcement of sex-ed in many public schools throughout the U.S decreases the chances of individuals acting upon sexual desires without first examining the risks, and increases likeliness of the use of condoms and other contraceptives. What are the statistics of sexually transmitted diseases among U.S. teens? One of the largest concerns surrounding the sexual voyages of adolescents is the threat of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Prepared by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, The Executive Summary, part of the Workshop Summary: Scientific Evidence on Condom Effectiveness for Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention states that: Recently, a number of Federal agencies sponsored a workshop to answer the following question: What is the scientific evidence on the effectiveness of latex male condom-use to prevent STD transmission during vaginal intercourse? This workshop was attended by 180 persons, and the data from numerous peer-reviewed published studies were discussed. Following the workshop, a panel of 28 experts worked to develop this report. (p. 1) In the United States, more than 65 million individuals are living with an STD, the majority of which are incurable viral infections. Approximately 15 million new sexually transmitted infections occur annually in the U.S. In the United States, approximately 493,000 individuals have died from AIDS, and 800,000-900,000 peopleare living with HIV disease. (p. 1) AIDS (ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME) is one of the primary causes of death among youth. AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease that is induced by the HIV virus. There is no known cure for the disease. A basic list of facts regarding the contraction of the HIV virus was provided by, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. HIV can be passed from person to person if someone with HIV infection has sex with or shares drug injection needles with another person. It also can be passed from a mother to her baby when she is pregnant, when she delivers the baby, or if she breast-feeds her baby. HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is found in blood, semen, vaginal fluids and breast milk. HIV is spread most often by having sex without using a condom, or by sharing needles. People can be infected with HIV without knowing it. An HIV test is the only way to know for sure. There are treatments that help people with HIV stay healthier, but there is still no cure. Choosing not to have sex and never sharing needles are good ways to protect yourself. Practicing safer sex means always using a new condom with a water-based lubricant. You cannot get HIV from shaking hands, water fountains, bathrooms or eating utensils. (Alto, 2010) In 2009, 46% of high school students had ever had sexual intercourse, and 14% of high school students had had four or more sex partners during their life.1 In 2009, 34% of currently sexually active high school students did not use a condom during last sexual intercourse.1 In 2002, 11% of males and females aged 15-19 had engaged in anal sex with someone of the opposite sex; 3% of males aged 15-19 had had anal sex with a male.2 In 2002, 55% of males and 54% of females aged 15-19 had engaged in oral sex with someone of the opposite sex.2 In 2006, an estimated 5,259 young people aged 13-24 in the 33 states reporting to CDC were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, representing about 14% of the persons diagnosed that year.3 Each year, there are approximately 19 million new STD infections, and almost half of them are among youth aged 15 to 24.4 In 2002, 12% of all pregnancies, or 757,000, occurred among adolescents aged 15-19.5 (Rowe, 2010) What are the pregnancies statistics among U.S. teens? An epidemic surrounding teenage pregnancy has emerged in America; every day in the U.S. a high volume of adolescents give birth. The statistics of teen pregnancy seem to appear much lower in other industrialized nations. Teens in the U.S. are likely to use birth control. The narrow-mindedness that surrounds the practice of premarital sex in the U.S. can be rooted to a lack of sex education. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, teen pregnancy among girls between the ages of 15-19 have shown trends that have decreased by 37 percent between 1988 and 2005. However, the teen pregnancy rate between 2005 and 2006 increased 3 percent. Proper sex education has proven to be one of the most effective measures of reducing the risks among youth of contracting STDs and teenage pregnancy. Promoting proper awareness through sex education provides individuals with the information needed to practice the measures of safe sex (Henshaw, 2010). Life Expectancy Calculations According to the calculations provided by MSNs life expectancy calculator, my approximate life expectancy is 86 years of age. The positive and negative factors of my lifestyle were examined. (Msn, 2011) 1. What lifestyle modifications can be made to increase my longevity? 2. Who are the youngest and oldest people you have known, and what lifestyle choices attributed to their longevity? A variety of important developmental components of physical and mental health are main attributers to the longevity of ones lifespan, some of these factors depend on levels of stress, personality type, engagement in physical activity, in addition to, a variety of behavioral and genetic predispositions that are theorized to influence the human lifespan. What lifestyle modifications can be made to increase my longevity? Stress has a large impact on health factors that include, personality type. Type A personalities are believed to be more prone to the disposition of heart disease. Listed below are some of the personality traits of type A and type B personalities, provided by the website changingminds.org, which provides further information in regard to these associated health issues. The Type A personality generally lives at a higher stress level. This is driven by They enjoy achievement of goals, with greater enjoyment in achieving of more difficult goals. They are thus constantly working hard to achieve these. They find it difficult to stop, even when they have achieved goals. They feel the pressure of time, constantly working flat out. They are highly competitive and will, if necessary create competition. They hate failure and will work hard to avoid it. They are generally pretty fit and often well-educated (a result of their anxiety). The Type B personality generally lives at a lower stress level and are typically: They work steadily, enjoying achievements but not becoming stressed when they are not achieved. When faced with competition, they do not mind losing and either enjoy the game or back down. They may be creative and enjoy exploring ideas and concepts. They are often reflective, thinking about the outer and inner worlds (Type A and type B). Unfortunately I carry more characteristics of the type A personality, which predisposes me to such health complications later in life that are associated with type A personalities. Although, I cannot change my entire personality, there are, however, certain behavioral modification techniques I can apply to everyday life to reduce specific stressors. I carry certain tendencies that border obsessive-compulsive behaviors, which is a common characteristic of type A personalities. These obsessive behaviors are stressors that can be controlled through behavior modification techniques, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Who are the youngest and oldest people you have known, and what lifestyle choices attributed to their longevity? The longest living individual I have known personally would have to be my great-grandmother on my fathers side who lived to the age of 87, which is close to the approximation of my life according to the lifespan calculator. She was always a physically active individual that enjoyed the simplicities in life. Her laidback attitude leads me to say that she had a type B personality. The youngest person in my life that has died was caused by something that could have been prevented. I was a small child at the time, but twenty-eight year old Mark, my fathers closest friend suffered from an addiction to heroin that engulfed his entire existence. His addiction caused him to contract the HIV virus, which soon after turned into full-blown AIDS that facilitated the slow deterioration leading to his death less than two years after contracting the virus. It is unknown whether he contracted the virus through sharing of needles, or having unprotected sex. Thee use of hard narcotics such as heroin would have eventually lead to death if measures were not taken to control the addiction. However, the lifestyles often associated with drug addicts follow a set of lifestyle influences put forth by peers. Addicts often associated with addicts and share things like needles and engage in unprotected sex, which is an unfortunate cause of death affecting many individuals that suffer f rom such disorders as drug addiction.

The Jobs of the National Riffle Association Essay example -- National

The Jobs of the NRA Today the National Rifle Association is the largest association that protects your second amendment rights. The NRA was created in 1871 for one primary reason. However what most people don’t know is that its intention has changed very much overtime. There have been many different presidents and spokespersons of the NRA over time, which has always been ready to defend your gun rights at all costs. Furthermore the basis of the NRA has changed with a growing and always changing government. The location of where the NRA is based primarily out of has changed much over time as well. Going into detail the NRA will be thoroughly explained giving knowledge of the history as well as there purpose through out the years to come. Two Union veterans Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate created the National Rifle Association in 1871(1). The Primary reason they created it was to help soldiers with their marksmanship, because Col. Church and Gen. Wingate noticed that their troops had a major lack in their accuracy. Starting in 1873 the NRA would begin holding annual competitions at their range Creedmoor. Their purpose again started to expand quickly with the promotion of shooting in America’s youth. The NRA pushed for colleges and universities to start rifle clubs. Still today there are over a million youth involved in shooting competitions. In 1934 the NRA formed the Legislative Affairs Division that was in place to notify people of legislative facts about their second amendment rights. This only informed members of issues however if they wanted to do something about the issues in government they would have to take out action on their own. After time passed the NRA realized they would have to st ep up their game an... ...rvised. The NRA funds classes for firearm safety and conducts simnars around the United States and Canada insuring safety of women. The NRA is Americas longest stand civil rights organization. In the book Gun Crusaders by Scott Melzer he says â€Å"They Fear losing their guns, and they fear losing their freedoms.†(pg.1) This is what the NRA fights for, to keep your rights and freedoms from the government. Works Cited "A Brief History of NRA." A Brief History of NRA. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 April 2014. Melzer, Scott. Gun Crusaders: The NRA's Culture War. New York: New York UP, 2009. Print. "NRA | History." NRA | History. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 April 2014. "The NRA Speaks: 14 Quotes from Wayne LaPierre a Week after Sandy Hook tragedy." Gun Control Now USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 April 2014. "NRA|Contact Us." NRA|Contact Us. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 April 2014.

Love in Relationships :: Love

Unknown source of Passage 1 and 2 Love relationships are similar to a seesaw, as the seesaw tips according to the persons sitting on the two sides, a love relationship can also lean according to the mentality of the couple in the said relationship. Passage 1 and Passage 2 both depict situations with love relationships that have varying passions, intensity, and dilemmas. Passage 1 and Passage 2 establish a controlling idea that love?s various obstacles and hindrances can occur by the individuals in the relationship or by outside forces affecting the relationships. Passage 1 introduces the idea that the crisis of death can occur during a relationship. Passage 1 describes the relationship between two lovers. When the woman in the relationship dies the man is left to mourn over the death of his lover. This death profoundly affects the man and his ability to live without his love. This is evident when the speaker, in stanza 5, states the hyperbole ?And neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea, Can ever dissever my soul from the soul Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.? These thoughts and feelings of mourning due to the death of the woman thus create the obstruction that may transpire in a relationship. As to solving this dilemma the man in the relationship decides to lie side by side next to his deceased lover. Passage 2 incorporates the idea of an obstacle during a relationship, however not in the form of death. Passage 2 describes a situation where a woman asks a man, presumably her father, to tell her about times when she was a child. In the story a couple is described to be in love and wanting to be together. One obstacle the couple faces is, having to survive in the lower floor of a dentist?s office with a young child, who is the woman listening to this story. This is only a minor problem the couple has to face, and in addition, this problem is faced by the couple together not by one or the other. The major problem comes up when their baby seems to be sick and the husband decides to go hunting early in the morning. The wife is upset at the husband and questions his role in the relationship. This shows the obstacle in this relationship.

Capital One Financial Corp: Setting and Shaping Strategy Essay

Strategy Capital One Financial Corp’s strategy is to develop and market products and services to satisfy the demands of a competitive and ever-changing marketplace by utilizing information technology for mass customization which will deliver the right product to the right customer at the right time and at the right price. Such a strategy requires the employment of talented people and a flexible culture promoting innovation to help identify, develop and market products and services. Capital One’s information-based strategy, or IBS, serves as the strategy to improve operations in every aspect of the company. IBS technology enables Capital One to provide more valuable products, thereby creating a positional advantage over its competitors. However, by focusing on the IBS capability as its sole competitive advantage, Capital One neglects any positional advantages, such as its brand, that might become more valuable than the potential advantage IBS might yield elsewhere. Analysis Capital One makes it a point to hire the top talent from top schools. Even though this is an important initiative to obtain quality assets, it is just as important to organize such assets in a way that achieves competitive advantage. Capital One has done a good job aligning its organizational structure with its strategy. Its functional structure enables Capital One to facilitate technical excellence within each function and still achieve cross-functional sharing of information or knowledge due to its loose coupling of departments. By aligning the internal organizational structure with the talented resources they become a source of competitive advantage. Capital One created a culture that rewarded data and fact-based decision making which flattened its hierarchy and promoted innovation. Employees were empowered to test and learn through all aspects of the organization. Performance reviews were conducted by peers and bosses, providing constant feedback. Compensation was heavily weighted on cash bonuses and long-term incentives; further aligning employee behaviors with the long-term goals of the company. Departments were encouraged to work closely with each other, which promoted information sharing. This loose coupling benefited Capital One’s explorative initiatives in finding completely novel ways of doing things, rather than doing the same things better than the competition. Capital One’s IBS capabilities aligned with its internal functions enabled it to differentiate its credit card product offering from the existing competitors. In so doing, it attracted the lowest risk applicants creating a completely new super-prime market segment. Due to the explosive success of the credit card divisions, it would be very easy to support the Summit Acceptance Corporation initiative. The IBS capability was easily applied to the credit sector, and one would deduce that this competitive advantage would be successful in other credit-based markets. Even though Capital One was in a position to easily leverage its existing IBS capabilities into products not previously considered, it would be difficult to support the America One initiative. There was a lack of synergy with Capital One’s existing operations, and the telecommunication market was a drastically different industry. Alternatives Even though Capital One experienced rapid growth and success in the credit industry due to its superior IBS capabilities, it is clear that the company’s strategy is lacking exploitive competencies. Systems have become increasingly complex and duplicative which could impact Capital One’s ability to react to environmental changes quickly. The company’s explorative focus on growth and change has made it difficult for the finance division to forecast effectively. The company must continually develop and deepen its current IBS advantage if it is to meet the challenge of competition both locally and globally. They are great at exploring new opportunities but fall short from further exploiting those markets. They were able to get things done operationally, but were not able to add any additional value. Capital One needs to recognize that environments change and as they explore new opportunities, they may want to create new forms of competitive advantage. By focusing on the IBS capability as its sole competitive advantage, Capital One neglects any positional advantages, such as its brand, that might become more valuable than the potential advantage the capabilities might yield elsewhere.

James Baldwin: On What it’s Really Like Essay

In James Baldwin’s â€Å"A Stranger in the Village† and â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† our eyes are opened to the struggles of African Americans in the 1950’s. Baldwin writes about the struggles with identity, social acceptance, and racial discrimination. It is apparent that Baldwin has a very strong opinion behind the reasoning for these three struggles and he elaborates on each throughout these two stories. Through bringing these themes to life, he helps us to have a closer glimpse of what it was like to be like him. First and foremost, Baldwin’s writings deal with the overwhelming sense of identity, or the search for identity. In â€Å"A Stranger in the Village,† he states, â€Å"At the root of the American Negro problem is the necessity of the American white man to find a way of living with the Negro in order to be able to live with himself. † (pg. 1712) In this statement, Baldwin is commenting on the search for identity through the idea of what white people need to live with themselves. The black Americans can only find identity once the white man figures out how to live with them having one. He goes on to say, â€Å"†¦the white man’s motive was the protection of his identity; the black man was motivated by the need to establish an identity. † (pg. 1712) Because black Americans have had to endure so much struggle and decades of anonymity through the time fo slavery, at this point, they are starting from the ground up to find out who they are as a people and as a community. Even further, they must find out who they are as a people and as a community, and how that fits into the white society surrounding them. In â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† we read about more of a personal identity struggle, rather than a racial identity struggle as a pair of brother try to find out who they are and what the mean to each other. Sonny is a heroin addict who only feels complete when he is surrounded by music. His older brother, the narrator, a teacher, does not understand this, and constantly tries to get Sonny to figure out what it is he wants out of life. This is a common struggle between family members who live very opposite lives. As we watch the narrator struggle to help Sonny find his identity, he never really reveals his own, other than his identity being that of a caretaker for his brother. All along, even though he is seen as a complete mess with no direction, Sonny is the one who has a strong sense of identity. It isn’t until the end of the story, that the narrator can finally see his brother for who he really is. Sonny identifies with the music, and the lifestyle it exudes. He is comfortable in his own skin when he is surrounded by the music. â€Å"Sonny’s fingers filled the air with life. His life. † (pg. 1749) Secondly, Baldwin tackles the theme of social acceptance in both pieces. In â€Å"A Stranger in the Village,† Baldwin is living in Chartres, Switzerland, a small mountain town where he can be completely removed from the noise and chaos of Harlem or Paris, and he can just write. When he walks through the small town, he knows that he is the first and only black person most of these people have ever seen. However, he is greeted very differently that in America. As he walks down the street, â€Å"The children who shout ‘Neger! have no way of knowing the echoes this sound raises in me. † (pg. 1707) Such a word that comes with a supremely negative and threatening connotation in the U. S. is simply a word spoken by children who see a man different from themselves and are intrigued. Baldwin is seen as more of a side show act, or an exotic creature to the people of Chartres. They are fascinated by his difference from them, but do not seem to be threatened or disgusted. The biggest example of social acceptance from â€Å"A Stranger in the Village† would be the image of Baldwin playing with the local children on a nice day. To see a grown black man playing with small white children in the United States at this time would not be tolerated. In some parts of the country it would absolutely result in jail time, violence, or even death. In Chartres, the children play freely with Baldwin as their parents look on. It is both socially accepted and celebrated. It is amazing to see the difference in perspective through a difference of history. America’s past dictates its present. In â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the biggest theme of social acceptance comes with Sonny’s chosen lifestyle and profession. As he struggles with a heroin addiction, he also struggles to make a life for himself through his music. There is a stigma placed on artists that they are lazy, irresponsible people who don’t want to go out and get a â€Å"real job. † This is definitely a stigma placed on Sonny by not only society, but his brother as well. â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is a piece that teaches us to celebrate those who want to live creatively, and to recognize their importance in our society. Lastly, as with most of Baldwin’s pieces, we are forced to look at the theme of racial discrimination. In â€Å"A Stranger in the Village,† Baldwin speaks of rage. He says, â€Å"Rage can only with difficulty, and never entirely, be brought under the domination of the intelligence and is therefore not susceptible to any arguments whatever. † (pg. 1708) he says that the rage and resentment the black man has for the white man is something that can never completely go away, and that there are two ways to deal with it. â€Å"†¦either rob the white man of the jewel of his naivete, or else to make it cost him dear. † (pg. 1708) In Chartres, Baldwin is approached by children who want to see if the color on his skin will rub off. When they realize it doesn’t, they are fascinated by this person who is so different than them. At the very same time, in America, it is a well-known fact that the color of your skin will not rub off and that it will dictate every part of your life. In certain states it will tell you where you can eat, where you sit, who you can buy from, and where you can go to school. In â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the suffering that the narrator finally sees his brother going through as a struggling musician and addict, can be mirrored to the suffering of black people in America. He reads of Sonny’s arrest in the subway where Baldwin writes â€Å"I stared at it (the article of Sonny’s arrest) in the swinging lights of the subway car, and in the faces and bodies of the people, and in my own face, trapped in the darkness which roared outside. † (1728) This can be read literally, as it is very dark outside a running subway car, but also metaphorically, seeing the â€Å"darkness which roared outside† as the darkness and suffering black people would face on a daily basis, struggling to get through life in a white dominated society. In conclusion, Baldwin writes about real life experiences as well as fictional experiences that come to the same conclusions. His writings hold a mirror up to the society in which he lived in and gave insight to the troubles, and also the triumphs of the human race. He exposed 1950’s America for what it really was, and showed us 1950’s Europe, which had a very different opinion on people such as himself. He gives us perspective on the life he lead and the lives led be those surrounding him, ultimately giving us a greater understanding of our own history, white or black.