Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Essay Example for Free

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Essay SARS is a highly contagious ailment, whose indications closely resemble those of influenza. Some of the symptoms of SARS are chills, headaches, muscle pains, sore throat and high fever. As the disease continues, there is an onset of pneumonia, which can prove to be fatal. In this context, the World Health Organization had estimated that fifteen percent of the cases of SARS infection proved to be fatal. This disease has defied all attempts at a cure; moreover, there is no vaccine for this disease. The SARS virus underwent a mutation, which enabled to cross the species barrier from animals to people. SARS is a respiratory illness and the symptoms of this illness are fever when the virus infects the human body. Normally the temperature of the human body of an infected person would be in excess of 100. 40F. The infected person develops chills and symptoms like headache, discomfort and body pains. In addition, there could be mild symptoms of respiratory distress in the beginning. Within two to seven days the patient develops a dry and nonproductive cough. The nonproductive cough would result in insufficient supply of oxygen to the blood. Some patients could even require the administering of clinical ventilation. SARS is a contagious disease and it spreads through the droplets that issue forth from a person who is coughing or sneezing into the air, if that person has been infected by the SARS virus. The primary manner of transmission of the virus is through the air or from objects that are contaminated with the virus (TARGET SARS Target II SARS/CoV 3CL-PRO). In 2003, an outbreak occurred of a previously unrecognized illness – termed SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. It was caused by infection with a newly identified coronavirus, SARS-COV. Infection produced an illness with Pneumonia as the main disease; however, some patients developed other complications like the loss of appetite, diarrhea and bleeding in the abdomen or stomach. Many of those who developed this disease were health-care workers and the infection rate among them was very high (SARS. Blacks Medical Dictionary, 41st Edition. CredoReference ). Extraordinary and exceptional isolation procedures had to be necessarily adopted because the Epidemic threatened to spread all over the world from its origin in Hong Kong. Some of the measures adopted, in order to reduce the risk of the spread of this infection was the concentration of patients in individual hospitals, which were converted into isolation units. Visitors were not allowed into such hospitals. Staff and other patients who had been exposed to persons suffering from this disease were segregated in such special units. Further, routine care for in patients in the hospital was discontinued and screening of likely contacts was conducted. In addition, a number of restrictions were imposed on travel. Due to this strategy, which had been performed in coordination with the World Health Organization, the SARS pandemic was finally controlled (SARS. Blacks Medical Dictionary, 41st Edition. CredoReference ). The virus genome on careful analysis revealed that this virus was a recombinant of virus relating to bird bronchitis and a virus relating to mouse hepatitis. It takes between two to ten days for the symptoms caused by the SARS virus to become noticeable after the infection takes place. With the increasing age of the patients there is a corresponding increase in mortality rate and proves to be fatal in approximately half of the patients whose age is above sixty years of age (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). In the month of November 2002, the first incidence of SARS infection was discovered. This was in a place that was close to Foshan in the Guangdong province of southern China. However, this disease caught the attention of the people in the month of February 2003, when it spread globally due to air travel by infected persons. In the month of February 2003, Carlo Urbani, who worked for the World Health Organization in Bangkok, was asked to go to Hanoi in Vietnam, in order to treat an industrialist, from the US, who showed symptoms of an unknown disease. In this manner, Carlo Urbani became the first person to identify this disease as a new disease (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). Several scientists, especially those from Canada, were successful in establishing that this new SARS virus belonged to the family of the coronavirus. This disease spreads to other persons, if the victim is located very close to an infected person who spreads this disease by coughing. Further, this disease spreads to people who enter a place in which infected people have deposited exhaled droplets of phlegm or other fluids in their body. Moreover, infection with this disease occurs if contact is made with door handles and similar objects that have contaminated droplets on their surface. Furthermore, it is possible to get infected with this disease if a person enters an enclosed place like a lift in which contaminated droplets are present. Eight thousand victims of SARS were identified by the end of is outbreak in the year 2003. Out of these SARS victims, seven hundred lost their life. The maximum damage due to this virus took place in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. In Toronto, Canada there were one hundred and forty cases of such infection and twenty five of such infected persons died. In Singapore, there were around three hundred instances of this infection and out of these thirty persons lost their life (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). In the year 2003 scientists were successful in discovering the gene that made the human body prone to infection by the SARS virus. While studying the human leukocyte antigen or HLA proteins, they realized that the variation in a gene that produces the HLA-B*4601 protein was common in the South China population. This was the area of origin of the SARS virus and people with this gene variation displayed a reaction to the SARS virus that was greater in severity in comparison to those who did not have this particular gene variation. Moreover, SARS infections are very rare in people who do not possess this HLA-B*4601 gene variation. Most of the people who belong to Taiwan and Europe do not have this gene variation (SARS. The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas CredoReference). At the time of the rapid spread of SARS, the World Health Organization sent out a global alert in which it asked the people to mask their face in public places, to avoid air travel, to thoroughly check airplane passengers for increase in body temperature and to quarantine infected persons. A number of scientists are engaged in developing a vaccine for this disease. However, this disease was controlled by the beginning of the year 2005 and does not exist anywhere in the world, except in the laboratories (SARS. The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia CredoReference). SARS has defied all attempts at a cure and there is no specific vaccine for it. This has restricted the treatment to reducing the severity of the symptoms shown by the patient and treating any side effects of this infection (SARS in full severe acute respiratory syndrome. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia CredoReference ). It is now common knowledge that in the year 2003, in Guangdong province of China, the first occurrence of this severe atypical pneumonia was observed. The epidemic was suspected to be associated with a new virus and subsequently, researchers isolated an avian influenza A (H5N1) virus from a patient in Hong Kong. Researchers focused on members of the Paramyxoviridae family since some particles were detected by the process of electron microscopy of respiratory samples from patients in Hong Kong and Frankfurt (Peiris, Chu and Cheng). Subsequent investigations revealed that the human metapneumovirus or hMPV existed in SARS patients. Researchers in China had detected the Chlamydia organism in patients who had died due to atypical pneumonia during the outbreak of SARS in Guangdong. However, these organisms were not present in patients outside China. In the month of March 2003, researchers in the United States, Hong Kong and Germany found traces of a previously unknown coronavirus in SARS patients. This discovery was in different ways and some of these methods included isolation on cell culture, demonstration by electron microscopy, demonstration of specific genomic sequence by polymerase chain reaction or PSR and by the use of microarray techniques and the indirect immunofluorescent antibody tests (Peiris, Chu and Cheng). In this context, the World Health Organization announced on the 16th of April, 2003, that the coronavirus had not been discovered in humans and animals till that date and that it was a new virus, which was the cause of SARS. Before announcing the discovery of this new virus, thirteen laboratories in ten countries tested this new coronavirus in accordance with the postulates of Koch, which is essential to prove that this new virus causes SARS. This virus causes interstitial pneumonia that shows symptoms that are similar to SARS, and the virus was isolated from the nose and throat of infected monkeys. The corona viruses belong to the family of Coronaviridae. This family consists of very large, positive – sense single – stranded RNA viruses, which replicate themselves in the cytoplasm of the animal host cells (Siddell, Wege and Meulen). The gene factors of corona viruses range in length from 27 to 32 kb, and are the largest of the RNA viruses. The diameter of the virions ranges vary from 100 to 140 nanometers. Most of the viral particles bear the distinct appearance of surface projections and these spikes extend to twenty nanometers from their base. In animals, corona viruses cause extremely virulent respiratory, enteric and neurological diseases. They also cause hepatitis, respiratory diseases that are temporarily prevalent and widespread in animals and gastroenteritis having short incubation periods between two to seven days. The symptoms revealed in SARS are the same (Holmes). Corona viruses are species – specific and when they attack immunocompetent hosts, their infection extracts neutralizing antibodies and cell – mediated immune responses, which in turn kill the infected cells (Holmes). Most of the corona viruses cause terminal diseases in animals such as feline infectious peritonitis virus or FIPV, hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis or HEV of swine and some strains of avian infectious bronchitis virus or IBV and mouse hepatitis virus or MHV. They replicate themselves in the liver, lungs, kidneys, gut, spleen, brain, spinal cord and other tissues (Holmes). Human corona viruses HCoVs were found to cause minor diseases. They are found in group 1 known as HCoV – 229E and group 2 known as HCoV – O43, and they cause minor respiratory problems (Makela). Sometimes they cause severe infections of the lower respiratory tract in children and adults and a condition termed as necrotizing enterocolitis in newborn babies. They can survive on normal environmental surfaces for three hours and they are transmitted among humans by droplets, hand contamination, fomites and small particle aerosols (Ijaz). The Coronaviruses produce Coronavirus Main Protease protein or 3CL – PRO. This protein helps the virus to replicate itself and thereby spread the infection. In order to stop the infection, it is essential to bring about a disabling of the protein from working and this would consequently, contain the virus production and the attendant infection. Therefore, researchers had concentrated on producing a drug that would hinder the functioning of the 3CL PRO protein. With the achievement of this breakthrough, pharmaceutical companies started to prepare drugs that would hinder the functions of the 3CL – PRO protein, which is responsible for the multiplication of the virus and the resultant SARS infection. Ritonavir and Indinavir are the major ingredients of the anti – HIV drugs. The Coronavirus Main Proteinase is the principal drug that is used in the treatment of SARS (TARGET SARS Target II SARS/CoV 3CL-PRO). The HIV virus and other viruses that cause influenza on infecting people have been described as wily because of their characteristic of mutating rapidly. This trait helps them to obtain immunity from antiviral drugs or from the human immune system. However, the SARS virus has not been undergoing mutation. Clinical examinations of the genome sequences of fourteen isolates from patients in Singapore, Toronto, China and Hong Kong did not establish any mutations of the original sequence and it can be concluded that the SARS virus is invariant. However, this notion that SARS virus does not mutate or fails to mutate cannot be taken for granted since the virus did not face significant resistance from human hosts (Knight). Coronaviruses are not so active in the replication of their genetic material and as a result they make one error for every ten thousand nucleotides that they replicate. This is similar to what the HIV virus does. Coronaviruses have a significant characteristic that helps them to reject mutations as and when they occur. These viruses have an enzyme that enables them to replicate their genetic material and spreads among several copies of the viral genome instead of being restricted to a single template of the genome. The result of this is that each genome is copied from multiple templates. This procedure reduces the chances of mutations in the populations of the coronavirus (Knight). The enzyme that brings about the copying of the virus functions in such a manner that instead of using just one template genome it accesses several such templates and this results in a drastic reduction in the possibility that any particular mutation will dominate in a viral population. Moreover, such haphazard template access can entail an inaccurate access by the enzyme (Knight). The consequence of such access by the enzyme would be the deletion of some portion of an essential gene, which could produce results that would be drastic, particularly, if the mutation affects the protein spikes that are bound to the surface of the viruses’ cellular victims. In 1984, there was an outbreak of a new ailment on European farms that were rearing pigs. It was determined to be a mutant of the coronavirus, in which the altered spike protein had effected changes in respect of the type of cells that could be invaded by the virus. Although, this mutant did not prove to be fatal, all the same it has spread globally and made the diagnosis of gut disease more difficult (Knight). It is assumed that genetic deletion was responsible for the SARS virus to find a new target, namely, the human body, from its previous animal hosts. In that case the mutation could be of a totally different type due to the fact that the spike protein has remained unaltered. While comparing with the viral strains present in the animals sold in the Chinese markets, it became evident that the SARS virus does not have twenty nine nucleotides in the gene for a protein whose function could not be determined. This protein was found to be appended to the inside of the protective layer of the virus (Knight). The WHO spearheaded the battle against SARS and was extremely successful in uniting the global community in combating this menace. Dr Carlo Urbani became a martyr in the battle against SARS. This disease demonstrated that there are several dangers that could surface when least expected to do with terrifying results (SARS: how a global epidemic was stopped). Within a short period of seven months, around eight thousand people were infected by this disease in twenty nine countries. 1755 persons were infected in Hong Kong and of these 299 succumbed to the disease. This disease had a serious psychological effect on its victims and it was established that such effects persisted for long periods after the disease had been cured. Several studies conducted a month after patients had been discharged revealed that thirteen to thirty two percent of them were suffering from moderate to severe anxiety and that eighteen to twenty six percent had moderate to severe depression. Another four percent were found to be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD (Lee). The spread of SARS had a number of economic, political and sociological ramifications, due to extreme demands made on the countries, in which this disease was prevalent, by the WHO. Some of these demands were related to a curtailment if not the rescission of economic activities like trade, tourism, and investment. Despite SARS occurring mainly in Asia, its effects were experienced in almost every major market across the world. This epidemic brought about a tremendous increase in medical expenditure and travel. In addition consumer confidence and investment reached their nadir (Political Influences on the Response to SARS and Economic Impacts of the Disease).

The Concept Of Evidence Based Practice Social Work Essay

The Concept Of Evidence Based Practice Social Work Essay Introduction This essay aims to identify and critically appraise evidence of whether social intervention improve outcome for depression in British Pakistani women. I will analyse whether social intervention can lead to improve mental wellbeing, empowerment and individual growth. I will analyse the value emphasis of therapeutic social support in mental health. The context of social work practice in mental health is complex, therefore social work intervention has to have an ethical and value based framework. I will assess the theoretical basis for standardise practice. The statutory changes in Britain to consider the fundamental values position incorporated in recent policies and legislation will be examined. Define the concept of evidence based practice Evidence based practice (EBP) according to Sackett (1997) citied in Gray et al (2009: 119) connotes a process of improving professional judgement through the conscientious and judicious integration and synthesis of well-researched empirical evidence to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of intervention in enhancing service users outcomes and how this can be integrated into practice context to improve service delivery and professional accountability (Department of Health Service and Public Safety, 2012) (Gray, Plath, Webb, 2009) (Sheppard, 2004) (Corby, 2006). It gives a framework for analysing the situation and generating a number of possible options (Thompson N., 2000, p. 35). (Mathews Crawford, 2011) suggested that practitioners must think critically and reflect on research evidence for credibility, completeness and transferability to inform professional judgement as this an implication for policy makers, professionals, communities and service users. The impetus for EBP within social work is underpinned on the centrality on service users best interest to guide practice that is culturally sensitive and of significance to service users within the dynamic context of practice, legislation and social policy (Bolton, 2002). EBP therefore necessitates social workers reflexivity of how values, theoretical assumptions, policies, past experiences and the context in which practice takes place combine with service users perspective, preferences, and culture to guide and inform practice (Munro, 2002:10). This is to account for the multifaceted personal, cultural and social dimensions of service users (Webber Nathan, 2010) Select an aspect of social work What interest me in this topic is the gap which exist in providing culturally sensitive support to black and ethnic minority group with depression. The evidence available suggest that individual with mental health distress including depression are the most marginalised and excluded groups in society (Stepney Ford, 2001). Additionally, the prevalence of depression in black and minority ethnic (BME) and in particular women from Pakistani background in Britain, underlines the importance of supporting statutory and voluntary initiatives directed towards meeting their needs (Husain, Creed, Tomenson, 1997) (Gater, et al., 2009). (Miranda, et al., 2003) noted the gap in evidence based for social intervention. Drawing on their practice experiences and appropriate evidence Within the context of community voluntary mental health services, their diverse types of evidence that informs practice and policy and social workers have an ethical obligation in the choice of theories and model of working. In my practice, a systems approach is emphasised in understanding the interplay and multiplicity of service users context. Psychodynamic approach is concerned with how perceptions of needs, stigma and stereotypical assumptions motivate human behaviour including help seeking, disclosure of sensitive information. Past experiences are seen as central in the problems individual experience and used in understanding the dynamics of the helping relationship. Social learning theory suggests behaviours are influenced by service users socio-cultural context. For example help seeking behaviour is influenced and reinforced by stigma and service delivery Therefore cognitive- behavioural therapy is emphasised by understanding the role perceptions in help seeking. Therefore through interaction, modelling service users perception is influenced. Conflict theory is invaluable in understanding cultural conflicts, stigma and oppression, power imbalance. As noted in Saleeby (1996) the strength perspective is intrinsic to social work values of service users involvement, and respecting individual as having strengths The feminist perspective takes into account the role of gender and the historical lack of power experienced by women. Collaborative relationship is emphasised between the social worker and service user through equality and empowerment. Through empirical observation using randomised controlled trial, Gater, et al (2010) investigated the effective of Social intervention for British Pakistani women with depression. It sought to explain the cause and effect, to predict and control reality, and to create unambiguous objective truth that can be proven or disproved to inform the effectiveness of intervention and policies implementation. Qualitative data used to understand individuals social reality within their socio- cultural context which questions cultural assumptions, discrimination and oppression and the implication and significance in implementation. This can be used to conceptualise service users perspective regarding intervention and polices implications, their needs and perceptions about current polices and interventions. The problem solving model focuses on understanding service users in their context and working in partnership. In a cross sectional study, prevalence of depression amongst women of Pakistani origin was twice as high compare to white European women (Gater, et al., 2009). (Campbell McLean, 2002) suggested that social capital resources is embedded in within social networks and improve recovery. An alternative explanatory framework for the prevalence of depression in Pakistani women in mental health statistics has been the social constructive perspective. This perspective encompasses help seeking behaviour. There are some evidenced based interventions that have been proven to help people recovery from depression. The randomized control trial study by (Harris, Brown, Robinson, Befriending as an intervention for chronic depression among women in an inner city: Randomised control trail, 1999) found that befriending schemes are beneficial in improving recovery. This is to counter the criticisms of institutional racism and cultural assumptions in the delivery of mental health services to black and ethnic minority groups (Gould, 2010). Phillip Rack (1982) cited in (Gould, 2010): 40 proposed a Culturally attuned approach that used insight This intervention is central to social work values of respecting and valuing uniqueness and diversity and recognising and building strengths. Social intervention involves aspects of partnership and include and emphasis on the impact of environmental pressures on individuals and therefore can be invaluable in anti-discriminatory work with service users in offering empowerment and dealing with structural oppression (Ahmad B. , 1990, p. 51). He also noted the importance of importance of qualitative research in exploring these issues (Ahmad W. , 1995). This social intervention included specific target groups. It uses an approach that included education and/or direct contact with people who are depressed. Social intervention provides social workers with a structural appreciation of the nature of social problems (Gould, 2010, p. 60) (Harris, 2010) social support and depression Reconnection of hope through therapeutic encounter Psychosocial and cognitive therapies have now been included in clinical practice guidelines. However, there remain considerable problems with black and ethnic minority accessing these services. Research has shown a consistent relationship between mental illness and indicators of social disadvantages (Fryers, Melzer, Jenkins, 2003). Thus, development of strategies to support help seeking and treatment is needed. (Mathews Crawford, 2011) (Orme Shemmings, 2010) (Smith, 2004) (Gask, Aseem, Waquas, Waheed, 2011) qualitative thematic analysis (social isolation) family conflict, social cultural factors, psychosocial factors Identify what can be learned from the evidence In Gater,et al (2010) Social intervention for British Pakistani women with depression: randomised controlled trial, Participants social functioning and depression were signi ¬Ã‚ cantly improved. Given the prevalence of depression (Gater, et al., 2009) in this group and the under-representation amongst people able to access supportive services, this presents an important development. In relation to improving participants engagement qualitative studies have found the debilitating effect of stigma as a signi ¬Ã‚ cant barrier for accessing support (Livingston Boyd, 2010) (Mak, Poon, Pun, Cheung, 2007). Stigma is understood as the interplay of individuals social identity and socio-cultural dynamics in which individuals with mental health are discriminated against and socially excluded due to stereotypical assumption (Lam, 2008). This  ¬Ã‚ nding is consistent with the evidence regarding social support interventions in (Harris, A stress-vunerability model of mental health disorder: implications for practice, 2010). However, there is a gap of how stigma associated with mental illness can be reduced. The study was of high research quality, which indicates a reduced risk of biasness and confounding. A major limitation of this study is heterogeneity amongst the sample, that only 123 participants and increase in social functioning is limited to only 3 months. Therefore, the medium to long-term effects of social intervention within this group remain largely unknown. Another research gap is the absence of a dynamic medication adherence related studies aimed at this group, which have been identi ¬Ã‚ ed as important for achieving adherence and better outcome for depression (Miranda, et al., 2003). Addressing the resistance from family members around issue of confidentiality and stigma amongst this population may be best accomplished through culturally appropriate communication strategies that facilities warm and empathy and social capital. In contrast, the research suggests that social intervention although it improves depression in the short run will not achieve meaningful improvements in the long run without antidepressant. (Department of Health, 2007) emphasises partnership working, respect for diversity, strengths and aspirations and service users centred. Its focus on effectiveness, accountability and personal development are congruent with the principles of evidence based practice. (Slade, 2009) noted that personal recovery is a challenging and contested concept within the domain of empirical evidence. The multi facet level of mental illness is evident in the definition of mental health, the impact of treatment and the social consequences. However, (Resnick, Fontana, Lehman, RA, 2005) highlighted that empowerment, hope and optimism, knowledge and life satisfaction outcome that are central to the recovery model allows the prevalence of recovery to be investigated empirically. (Gould, 2010) As stated in (Gater, et al., 2009), an epidemiology of depression that accounts for social support and social difficulties is critical. Social context of depression Nonetheless, depression is associated with important negative consequences, such as social exclusion, low self-esteem. Social exclusion according to (Hills, LeGrand, Piachaud, 2004)should be conceptualise in the context of the personal, cultural and structural dimension and highlighted lack of social interaction as a form of social exclusion. Attuned to cultural beliefs and norms Social and inclusive practice have been developed and reinforced by the Capabilities for Inclusive Practice (Department of Health , 2007) report: working in partnership, respecting diversity. Assessment requires service users participation and access to information to make informed choice. This model of assessment has to be cultural sensitive and proactive in nature. Psychosocial assessment Although social support is frequently referred to as beneficial in relation to depression, there has been little attempt to specify what this means and to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to reduce isolation. (Tew, 2004) Partnership working is crucial in adopting a social model of intervention. Culturally sensitive practice. (Gater, Waheed, Husain, Tomenson, Aseem, Creed, 2010) (Webber W. , 2011) Research indicates that (Oakley, Strange, Toroyan, Wiggins, Roberts, Stephenson, 2003) Mental health is practice within a context of multi-disciplinary collaboration to integrate the bio-psychosocial model of practice. The implementation of EBP within this context has to account for the theoretical assumptions that underpin this area of practice. This involves training and supervision. Research by (Huxley, et al., 2005) indicated stress of workers as accounting for their lack of implementing EBP. noted that another reason for EBP not been implemented is due to stereotypical assumptions that black and ethnic minorities prefer informal support than support from professional. One barrier to effective assessment and intervention for depression epidemiology Another barrier is the reluctance of ethnic minority group to share their emotional symptoms due to family pressure and perceive stigma. To overcome these barriers, social intervention that accounts for social capital is crucial. EBP therefore requires practice that is needs not resources leads if services are to be provided that are of sound professional judgement. Perceptions about depression and stigma have been empirically supported in experimental, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies to worsen depression and affect interpersonal outcome and social support (Thomsen, 2006). Analysis and reflective process of data collection, the transparencies about the relational nature of the research, and the ways which service users perspective are constructed through a respectful partnership and reflexivity of how our values, theoretical assumptions, policies, past experiences and the context in which practice takes place. Trust and openness in research relationship a reciprocal process right- based analytical approach (Department of Health, 2008) ethical and critical engage that with respectful uncertainties that reflect on the process of engagement and analysis Mutual and sincere collaboration, over time respectful uncertainties Using multiple data sources to account for publication biasness and multiple perspectives and ways of knowing Acknowledgement of complexities of realities Use of reflexivity focus on contexts of and relationships between researcher and researched as shaping the creation of knowledge. Ethical consideration in knowledge (Gask, Aseem, Waquas, Waheed, 2011) understanding how symptoms are expressed and perceive. Understanding emotional expressiveness within cultural context. Conclusion In conclusion, social intervention has highlighted strategies that have demonstrated some success for improving help seeking. Given the complexities and multi facet dimension of individual experiences and the context in which needs occurs, it is imperative that the uniqueness of individual is taken into account within the paradigm of culturally competent practice (Dalrymple and Burke, 2006). In addition, Social Work practice draws on theoretical knowledge from social sciences, which are usually Eurocentric, it is essential, that Social Work practice integrate knowledge from best evidence for it to meet it ethical obligation to counter oppressive and discriminatory practice (Thompson N. , 2003) (Webber W. , 2011). (Thompson N. 2003)

An Inside Look at Shark Finning Essay -- detrimental practices, environ

Every summer, when parents take off work and kids are out of school, families plan a summer vacation. 42% of those vacations take place on sandy beaches underneath the summer sun. Americans splash in the waves, sip refreshing drinks under their oversized umbrellas, build sandcastles, and revel in a beach tan that will hopefully last them all summer. While eating seafood and enjoying the beach can be viewed as the ultimate summer vacation, humans impact our oceans more than we think, and it’s much more catastrophic than spending our summer vacations at our favorite beaches. There are currently over 440 species of sharks in our Earth’s oceans, but despite roaming our ocean’s waters for millions of years, sharks are constantly at risk of extinction. It is estimated that one hundred million sharks are killed by humans each year. To put it into perspective, that’s 11,417 sharks killed every hour. Meanwhile, only 12 humans were killed worldwide by sharks in 2011. The culprit behind the extremely high rate of shark deaths is the practice of shark finning. â€Å"Shark finning is the practice of slicing off the shark’s fins while the shark is still alive and throwing the rest of its body back into the ocean where it can take days to die, which must be an agonizing death.† The shark fins are used in an Asian delicacy known as â€Å"shark fin soup.† In many Asian countries, it is a sign of wealth and prosperity and is often served and banquets and weddings to impress the guests. Just one bowl of shark fin soup can cost u p to $100. Because of the high demand for shark fin soup, fishermen and middlemen alike have been finning sharks any chance they get. Although the shark fins are used in shark fin soup, they are also sold frozen, canned or dried. The... ...cean Bycatch Campaign. N.p., 31 Oct. 2002. Web. 10 May 2014. "Mercury Contamination in Fish : Mercury and Its Effects." NRDC. Natural Resource Defense Council, n.d. Web. 8 May 2014. Mosbergen, Dominique. "How Many Sharks Are Killed Per Hour? This Graphic Will Shock You (INFOGRAPHIC)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. Orchant, Rebecca. "Threatened Species Used In Shark Fin Soup Across U.S." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 10 Aug. 2012. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. "Sea Shepherd Conservation Society." Sea Shepherd. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. . "Stop Killing Our Sharks!" Shark Angels. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. . "What You Need to Know about Mercury in Fish and Shellfish." US EPA. United States Environmental Protection Agency, 18 June 2011. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.

Nudity: Art or Pornography :: Essays Papers

Nudity: Art or Pornography People often end up on the opposite sides of the argument concerning the fine line between art and pornography. Artists sometimes include nude depictions or descriptions of the human form in their work. The artists and many other liberals and citizens of the art world argue that it is important for artists to feel the freedom to express themselves in any way that they wish. The problem with this liberty is that many people find the nude body offensive and believe that these images should not be considered art but pornography instead. This is a valid and important dilemma, but as Dennis Barrie describes art in a speech that was published in Art Journal, â€Å"†¦sometimes art is not beautiful, and sometimes it’s challenging, and sometimes it’s even offensive, and yet it can be art, even if it’s all those things† (Barrie 30). Artists should always be allowed to express themselves fully and not fear public reprimand despite the risk they may run of offending people who cannot appreciate their work. The United States has always prided itself on being a free country that values its first amendment. Many people agree that the most important right in the United States constitution is a citizen’s right to freely express him or herself. The problem in this situation is that people also value living in a country without fear of being offended. Our laws are created to protect one’s self as well as others. So, it is important to attempt to meet everyone’s needs as much as is possible in a free society. Dennis Barrie, director of Contemporary Arts Center of Cincinnati, was indicted and eventually acquitted for the exhibition of photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe, depicting nudity and human bondage. In 1991 Barrie spoke of the events surrounding the situation at the seventy-ninth annual convocation of the College Art Association in a speech called â€Å"The Scene of the Crime†. When Barrie described the day that the police entered the museum to remove the photographs he makes an important point, â€Å"More than anything, that image—that image of policeman in uniforms pushing patrons out of a museum because of what is on the walls—is the image that’s going to haunt me for the rest of my life. Because that isn’t our country, or it shouldn’t be our country† (Barrie 30).

Anne Frank. Essay example -- essays research papers

Anne Frank The diary of a young girl Anne was a 13 years Jewish girl that lived in Neatherlands in the time world war 2 was taking place; with a bad temper, it helped work with what she wanted. That’s why she didn’t get on well with her sister, her mother, and everybody else. The only different one was her dad, he understood what was happening to her, ( puberty), and helped her with everything she wanted. On her birthday she received a diary, Anne named it Kitty, and Kitty was her best friend ever since. From the first day she had it, she would write all the thoughts, feelings and wishes she had. Her parents were sales people, that thought, that in Neatherlands they might be safe from the nazis. Her life changed, when in July of 1942, the nazis came there searching for jewish people. So the Frank’s took a hard decision: hide from the nazis, living in the house secret room. They were shearing this room with the Van Daan family, close friends to their family. Since that day a different life started, a life they didn’t imagined, and didn’t know what road would take. Living in the secret room wasn’t easy; hiding scared every day and night, and running always with a threatening life. Worse, living with the Van Daan ´s, a family Anne didn’t like, with their little naughty daughter. Anyway, they were protected by people that gave them food and took good care of them. The Van Daan ´s were becoming more and more impolite every day that passed, cause the pressure ...

Structural Functionalist

A society is a complex unit, made up of interrelated parts. All these parts form the structure of the society and each sub unit has to perform its given task. Social structures are stressed and placed at the center of analysis and social functions are deduced from these structures. This perspective looks at how the various parts of the society come together and perform their individual tasks interdependently and interrelated to promote social stability and order and in turn the smooth functioning of the society. Structural functionalism is a framework for building theory that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. This approach looks at society through a macro-level orientation, which is a broad focus on the social structures that shape society as a whole, and believes that society has evolved like organisms. This approach looks at both social structure and social functions. Functionalism addresses society as a whole in terms of the function of its constituent elements; namely norms, customs, traditions, and institutions. As a structural theory, Functionalism sees social structure or the organisation of society as more important than individual. Functionalism is a top down theory. Individuals are born into society and become products of all the social influences around them as they are socialised by various institutions such as the family, education, media and religion. Functionalism sees society as a system; a set of interconnected parts which together form a whole. There is a relationship between all these parts and agents of socialisation and together they all contribute to the maintenance of society as a whole. Structural functionalism concentrates on the positive and negative functions of social structures. Societal functionalism is a particular type of structural functionalism that aims to explain the role of social structures and institutions in society, the relationship between these structures, and the manner in which these structures constrain the actions of individuals. According to structural functionalists, individuals have little to no control over the ways in which particular structures operate. Indeed, structural functionalists understand individuals in terms of social positions. It is not individuals who are ranked, but positions that are ranked according to the degree to which they contribute to the survival of society. High-ranking positions offer high rewards that make them worth an individual’s time and effort to occupy. The structural functionalist perspective also takes into account the concept of value consensus. Functionalists believe that society is held together by this consensus, or cohesion, in which members of the society agree upon, and work together to achieve, what is best for society as a whole. They share the same ideas, beliefs and morals which bind them together. Functionalists believe that without such collective shared values and beliefs, achieving social order is impossible and social order is crucial for the well-being of society. They believe that value consensus forms the basic integrating principle in society. And if members of society have shared values they therefore also have similar identities, this helps cooperation and avoids conflict. Value consensus also ensures that people have shared: – Goals, Roles and Norms. Any social system has four basic functional prerequisites: * adaptation * goal attainment * integration and * Pattern maintenance. The function of any part of the social system is understood as its contribution to meeting the functional prerequisites. Adaptation refers to the relationship between the system and its environment. In order to survive, social systems must have some degree of control over their environment. Food and shelter must be provided to meet the physical needs of members. The economy is the institution primarily concerned with this function. Goal attainment refers to the need for all societies to set goals towards which social activity is directed. Procedures for establishing goals and deciding on priorities between goals are institutionalized in the form of political systems. Governments not only set goals but also allocate resources to achieve them. Even in a so-called free enterprise system, the economy is regulated and directed by laws passed by governments. Integration refers primarily to the ‘adjustment of conflict’. It is concerned with the coordination and mutual adjustment of the parts of the social ystem. Legal norms define and standardize relations between individuals and between institutions, and so reduce the potential for conflict. When conflict does arise, it is settled by the judicial system and does not therefore lead to the disintegration of the social system. Pattern maintenance refers to the ‘maintenance of the basic pattern of values, institutionalized in the society’. Insti tutions that perform this function include the family, the educational system and religion. No theory has been there without any criticism. The structural functionalist perspective also has been criticized on the grounds that it neglects the negative functions of an event such as divorce. The perspective justifies the status quo and complacency on the part of society's members. Functionalism does not encourage people to take an active role in changing their social environment, even when such change may benefit them. Functionalism sees active social change as undesirable because the various parts of society will compensate naturally for any problems that may arise.

located in Rosemount

The farm is located in Rosemount. Linstead, St Catherine. The distance from the farmer’s house to his farm is 200ft and about half mile from the town of Linstead. The size of the farm The size of the Rosemount farm is eight hectares which includes 6 sections of plots used to plant various crops. This is the usual size of small farms in the Caribbean because small farms size usually range from zero to ten hectares. Markets Britain and other European countries have traditionally been the main export markets for Caribbean agriculture. Due to increased competition, the Caricom market has become more important for regional agriculture.In Jamaica, small scale farmers mainly market their crops in the following ways: Directly to supermarkets such as: Shoppers Fair, and Hi-Lo. Higglers that come mainly from around the St Catherine area, includes Spanish town and Linstead. Directly to hotels some of which include: Altamont Court Hotel, Terra Nova All Suit Hotel, The Liguanea Club and Th e Spanish Court Hotel. Selling at monthly farmers market which is coordinated by Rural Agriculture Development Authority (R. A. D. A). To manufacturing companies like Grace Kennedy Ltd Directly to consumersThe produce from Rosemount farm is marketed in the following ways: Directly to higglers and export to the Caricom of Antigua and Barbuda The Caricom market has proven to very profitable for the Rosemount farmer and therefore allows him to adequately take care of his family, workers and will enable him to use some of the profits for future expansion of his farm. Labour Rosemount farm employs four female workers to assist with farming activities. No family member is employed to the farm. Additional labour is required on the farm to assist with the following farming activities.