Monday, December 30, 2019

Why Tall Presidential Candidates Tend to Win

During one of the Republican presidential debates before the 2016 election, the web search company Google tracked what terms Internet users were searching for while watching on TV. The results were surprising. The top search wasnt ISIS. It wasnt Barack Obamas last day. It wasnt tax plans. It was: How tall is Jeb Bush? The search analytics unearthed a curious fascination among the voting public: Americans, it turns out, are fascinated with how tall the presidential candidates are. And they tend to vote for the tallest candidates, according to historic election results and research into voter behavior. So, do the tallest presidential candidates always win? Taller Presidential Candidates Get More Votes   Taller presidential candidates have fared better through history. They havent always won, but they were victorious in a majority of elections and  the popular vote about two-thirds of the time, according to  Gregg R. Murray, a  Texas Tech University political scientist. Murrays analysis concluded that the taller of  the two major-party candidates from  1789 to 2012 won 58% of presidential  elections and received the majority of the popular vote  in 67% of those elections. The notable exceptions to the rule include Democrat Barack Obama, who at 6 feet, 1 inch tall won the 2012 presidential election against Republican Mitt Romney, who was an inch taller. In 2000, George W. Bush won the election but lost the popular vote to a taller Al Gore.   Why Voters Favor Tall Presidential Candidates Taller leaders are seen as stronger leaders, researchers say. And height has been particularly important in wartime. Consider  Woodrow Wilson at 5 feet, 11 inches, and Franklin D. Roosevelt at 6 feet, 2 inches.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"In particular, during times of threat, we have a preference for physically formidable leaders,† Murray told ​​The Wall Street Journal in 2015. In the research paper  Tall claims? Sense and Nonsense About the Importance of Height of US Presidents, published in Leadership Quarterly, the authors concluded:   The advantage of taller candidates is potentially explained by perceptions associated with height: taller presidents are rated by experts as greater, and having more leadership and communication skills. We conclude that height is an important characteristic in choosing and evaluating political leaders.Height is associated with some of the same perceptions and outcomes as is strength. For example, individuals with taller stature are perceived as better leaders and attain higher status within a wide variety of modern political and organizational contexts. Height of the 2016 Presidential Candidates Heres how tall the 2016 presidential aspirants were, according to various published reports. Hint: No, Bush wasnt the tallest. And a note: the tallest president in history was Abraham Lincoln, who stood 6 feet, 4 inches, just a hair taller than Lyndon B. Johnson. Republican George Pataki: 6 feet, 5 inches (quit the race)Republican Jeb Bush: 6 feet, 3 inches (quit the race)Republican Donald Trump:  6 feet, 3 inchesRepublican Rick Santorum:  6 feet, 3 inches (quit the race)Democrat Martin OMalley: 6 feet, 1 inch (quit the race)Republican Ben Carson: 5 feet, 11 inchesRepublican Chris Christie:  5 feet, 11 inches (quit the race)Republican Mike Huckabee:  5 feet, 11 inches (quit the race)Republican Bobby Jindal:  5 feet, 10 inches (quit the race)Republican Marco Rubio:  5 feet, 10 inchesRepublican Ted Cruz:  5 feet, 10 inchesRepublican John Kasich:  5 feet, 9 inchesRepublican Rand Paul:  5 feet, 9 inchesDemocrat Bernie Sanders:  5 feet, 8 inchesDemocrat Hillary Clinton:  5 feet, 7 inchesRepublican Carly Fiorina:  5 feet, 6 inches (quit the race)

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Substance Abuse And Drug Addiction - 814 Words

Substance abuse and drug addiction affects people from all walks of life. Drugs are available to those who want to consume them. Even though there vast amounts of literature and other informative and preventive data, people still choose to abuse drugs. Unfortunately, most of them become addicts and find it very difficult to escape their addiction for the reason that underlying issues may be causing them to seek and use drugs. There exists a number of special populations that are identified and may use drugs to cope certain stress factors in their life. Drug addicts may be dependent on their specific drug of choice due to many reasons. Some may be beyond their control. Other reasons may include personal and/or family issues. None the less, there are many contributing factors that may compel and individual to seek a healing process in drugs. Busch, Weiss Najavits (2005) state, â€Å" individuals that have been diagnosed with mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia may also be drug users.† Although some of the individuals who meet this special population may be severely mentally ill, there are certain treatments that may offer a hope for overcoming addiction. Furthermore, Busch, Weiss Najavits (2005) indicate, â€Å"psychosocial treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy and psychopharmacological treatments may be helping factors in helping the drug user overcome addiction. Another special population group that falls intoShow MoreRelatedDrug Addiction And Substance Abuse1808 Words   |  8 Pageshas taken over their life? Addiction includes biological, psychological, and behavioral factors. It is very dangerous emotionally, psychologically, and physically. 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Friday, December 13, 2019

Does Therapeutic Touch Reduce Pain Free Essays

ABSTRACT: With at least 1.5 million American and 298,000 British patients in theUK diagnosed with cancer, (noted as a leading cause of death), each year, as well as other debilitating diseases, the need for symptom and pain management has become increasingly important. This has been recognised, particularly by nurses within the oncology field. We will write a custom essay sample on Does Therapeutic Touch Reduce Pain? or any similar topic only for you Order Now It has been suggested that alternative, or complementary therapies, such as therapeutic touch, may have the potential to offer health practitioners different means to conventional pharmacologic approaches for the purposes of pain reduction. By analysing some of the latest work in the field, the evidence for whether there is role for therapeutic touch in relieving pain will be evaluated. 1. Introduction Therapeutic touch (TT) is a form of â€Å"energy healing† which was first developed in the 1970s and gained much of its popularity within the American nursing community. The therapy was originally introduced by Dora Kunz (a contemporary healer) and Delores Krieger (Ph.D., R.N.,), a theosophist and nurse, as an alternative to surgical intervention for the purpose of pain relief. There is no scientific basis to TT and thus this practice has been criticised by many sceptics. For the approximately 1.5 million American and 298,000 British patients diagnosed with cancer in the US and UK respectively each year however (PD Sasieni et al., unpublished observations, 2011), TT may offer a viable means of pain reduction and an alternative to more traditional therapy modalities (Jackson, et al., 2008). TT has been heralded as useful in the treatment of such health problems as chronic pain, cancer, multiple sclerosis, thyroid problems and headaches. TT is supported byRogers’ theory of holistic nursing (Rodgers, 1970). This practice has been supported by many health professionals, particularly within the United States (U.S.) and United Kingdom (U.K.). Therapeutic touch relies on the hands as a means of assisting healing (Lafreniere, et al., 1999) and was first introduced by eastern medical practitioners (Kelly, et al., 2004). Nursing is particularly suited to the administration of TT (and other therapeutic techniques) as this branch of health balances treatment of the whole body (termed holistic treatment) against treatment of the disease itself. TT practitioners claim the technique works by adjusting the particularly energy field of the human patient in order to stimulate healing, reduce pain and aid relaxation. TT is based on the concept that humans are â€Å"complex energy fields† continually interconnecting other individual energy fields and those of the surrounding environment. This field is believed to extend from the skins’ surface. With each human at the centre of an energy field, illness is believed, according to the principles of TT, to induce disruption and an imbalance’ in a patients’ energy field, equating to their illness (Hutchinson, et al., 1999). Conversely. a medically healthy person would be considered ‘balanced’ (Jackson, et al., 2008). Practitioners view TT as a means of reparation to the patients’ energy field (Gottlieb, 1995; Krieger, 1979). The following sections will summarise some of the main uses of TT in practice today and present a case for whether TT may be a useful complement to modern pain reduction techniques. 2.1 Therapeutic Touch and Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease that is often seen in older patients and is a prominent cause of disability. Currently, more than 21 million Americans and 8 million British patients and an estimation of 3 in 4 individuals over the age of 75 years are afflicted. OA impairs physical and psychological functions, is chronic in nature and has no established cure (American Pain Society, 2002). Currently prescribed treatments often incur a risk of toxicity, and OA is expensive to treat (CDC, 2006). Thus, alternative effective analgesic treatments, including TT, are being sought. In 1998, a study by Gordon and colleagues looked at 25 patients with knee-bound OA over 4 weeks. Three trials were given; either TT, a control, or mock therapeutic touch (MTT). For pain reduction, such tested parameters as outdoor work, interference and life control, were shown to be higher with TT in relieving OA associated pain, compared with either the control or MTT groups (Gordon, et al., 1998). This promising trial indicated that TT might be effective at considerably reducing pain and improving the patients’ use of the affected areas. 2.2 Therapeutic touch and progressive muscle relaxation Another study pioneered by Peck (1998) involved either the use of TT, or progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) to reduce OA-associated pain in elder patients. The TT and PMR groups both reported improved limb use and overall pain and discomfort reduction. In the trial by Peck (1998), TT specifically improved the use of the patients’ hands whilst walking. A greater overall function of the affected area was seen for the TT group. TT and PMR groups were both shown to improve either hand function or mobility, respectively. 2.3 Further OA of the knee trial using TT 2.3.1 Trial outline A third study by Smith, et al. (2010) looked at three parameters; value of life, functionality of the limb and the effects of TT on pain, in patients coping with OA of the knee. The nature of the study was single-blinded and patients were assigned either a treatment group, (wherein patients could receive two TT therapies twice a week for two months) or sorted into a control group, wherein the patients’ normal treatments were used. Grouping was assigned at random. The three parameters were measured in patients at time 0, 8 weeks and 12 weeks, using the Knee Society Score (KSS),Western Ontarioand McMaster Universities Index (WOMAX) and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Short Form (SF36). 2.3.2 Trial results Although pain is considered to be subjective, it may be defined as an â€Å"unpleasant sensory and emotional experience† (Smith, et al., 2010). On this basis, a noteworthy difference in pain was found between time 0 and 8 weeks, as measured by SF36 (p = 0.009), for limb functionality. The WOMAC scoring additionally revealed statistical differences between 0 weeks and 8 weeks (p = 0.006) and again from 8 weeks to 12 weeks (p = 0.001) in the same parameter. Measurements by the KSS scale revealed pain reduction between weeks 8 to 12, in the treatment comparative with the control group. 2.3.3 Trial conclusion The study by Smith, et al. (2010) indicates the potential for TT, when administered twice a week for 8 weeks for the reduction of OA-associated knee stiffness and pain. However, results from the KSS revealed that patients did not report an effect by TT on knee stability or joint locomotion. There are limitations, however, when calculating the effectiveness of OA related treatments. During the trials, some participants may be liable to discontinue treatment (e.g. Peck (1998)). Furthermore, parameters including environmental humidity, which lie beyond experimental control may introduce experimental bias and thus reduce the reliability of some TT trials. This was the case with the study by Peck (1998), wherein warmer weather alone reduced OA-associated pain. 3. Conclusion The above trials have shown that there is potential for TT in improving knee function in patients suffering from OA (Peck, 1998). TT has been shown to reduce OA-associated symptoms, as well as reducing discomfort and pain associated with cancer and median nerve function (Baird, 2001). Overall, particularly with treatment of chronic illnesses such as cancer, a combination of holistic medicine such as TT and PMR with proven effective conventional medicine is likely to be the most effective means of improving a patients’ condition. These studies reinforce the potential for TT as a useful therapeutic technique. However, further research is necessary to examine more fully the effect of TT on other affected somatic regions, as well as its long-term application as a combined therapy for cancer patients. 4. Bibliography American Pain Society, 2002. Guideline for the management of pain in osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and juvenile chronic arthritis. [online] Glenview, IL. (Published 2002) Available at: www.ampainsoc.org/pub/pdf/arthguide.pdf[Accessed 19 February 2011]. Baird, C.L., 2001. First?line Treatment for Osteoarthritis: Part 2: Nonpharmacologic Interventions and Evaluation. Orthopaedic Nursing, 20(6), pp.13-20. CDC, 2006. Prevalence of doctor-diagnosed arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation—United States, 2003–2005, MMWR, [online] Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5540a2.htm[Accessed 18 February 2011]. Gordon, A., Merenstein., J.H., D’Amico, F., Judgens, D. 1998. The effects of therapeutic touch on patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. The Journal of Family Practice, 14(4), pp.1-7. Gottlieb, B. ed., 1995. New choices in natural healing. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press. Hutchinson, C., D’Alessio, B., Forward, J., Newshan, G., 1999. Body-mind-spirit: Healing touch: An energetic approach. American Journal of Nursing, 99(4), pp. 43-48. Jackson, E., Megan, K., McNeil, P., Meyer, E., Schlegel, L., Eaton, M. 2008. Does therapeutic touch help reduce pain and anxiety in patients with cancerClinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 12(1), pp. 113-120. Lafreniere, K.D., Mutus, B., Cameron, S., Tannous, M., Giannotti, M., Abu-Zahra, H., Laukkanen, E. 1999. Effects of Therapeutic Touch on Biochemical and Mood Indicators in Women. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 5(4), pp. 367-370. Kelly, A.E., Sullivan, P., Fawcett, J., Samarel, N., 2004. Therapeutic Touch, Quiet Time and Dialogue: Perceptions of Women with Breast Cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum, 31(3), pp. 625-631. Krieger, D., 1979. Therapeutic Touch: how to use your hands to help or to heal.New York: Prentice Hall. Peck, S.D.E., 1998. The efficacy of therapeutic touch for improving functional ability in elders with degenerative arthritis. Nursing Science Quarterly, 11(3), pp.123-32. Rodgers, M.E., 1970. Introduction to the theoretical basis of nursing;Philadelphia: F.A. Davis. Smith, A.A., Smith, Kimmel, S., Milz, S., 2010. Effects of Therapeutic Touch on Pain, Function and Well Being in Persons with Osteo-Arthritis of the Knee: A Pilot Study, The Internet Journal of Advanced Nursing Practice, [online] Available at: http://www.ispub.com/journal/the_internet_journal_of_advanced_nursing_practice/volume_10_number_2_11/article/effects-of-therapeutic-touch-on-pain-function-and-well-being-in-persons-with-osteo-arthritis-of-the-knee-a-pilot-study.html [Accessed 17 February 2011]. How to cite Does Therapeutic Touch Reduce Pain?, Essay examples Does Therapeutic Touch reduce pain Free Essays Abstract Pain has a significant negative impact on those who experience it and is not always eased by analgesia. Complementary therapies such as Therapeutic Touch may provide an alternative solution for pain relief. While there have not been many studies into Therapeutic Touch, there is some evidence that it may reduce pain. We will write a custom essay sample on Does Therapeutic Touch reduce pain? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Recent review articles that assessed Therapeutic Touch as a form of pain relief are discussed here. Pain is a common symptom, which is estimated to affect nearly one in five adults in Europe (Fricker, 2003). There are many causes of pain, which can be acute such as following an injury or chronic as is the case in arthritis. Pain not only is a physical symptom, but can affect people’s psychological well being and can have a negative impact on quality of life, not to mention the economic consequences due to lost working days (Ventegodt Merrick, 2005). However, even though the original source may appear to have resolved, pain can linger and does not always respond to conventional medical treatments (Ventegodt Merrick, 2005). For these reasons it is important to explore other therapies as a means of providing pain relief. One such therapy is Therapeutic Touch. Therapeutic Touch is where a therapist consciously uses their hands over a patient’s skin to help balance their energy fields (Rosa et al., 1998). It is based on the theory that there is a two-way flow of energy between any person and their environment and for good health the flows need to be in equilibrium. Tense feelings that can develop from a person’s emotional state can cause tension to build up in muscles, bones, joints and connective tissue, which can act as a blockage to the flow of energy and manifest itself as pain (Ventegodt Merrick, 2005). Therapeutic Touch aims to provide a cure, not through working on individual tissues in the body, but through the person as a whole, enhancing their overall wellbeing (Ventegodt Merrick, 2005). While some hospitals in North America are already using Therapeutic Touch as part of their treatment programmes (So et al., 2008), the use of this complementary approach has not been widely studied. Embracing the concept of evidence based medicine, where therapies need to have demonstrated that they do indeed provide benefit and do not result in any harm, it is important that the effectiveness and safety of Therapeutic Touch is assessed. A Cochrane Review in 2008 assessed 16 studies (either randomised controlled trials or clinical controlled trials) of Therapeutic Touch in relation to pain relief. It found that although a positive result was not seen in all studies, when considered as a whole there was a significant reduction in pain through this therapy, with one study highlighting that Therapeutic Touch may reduce the need for a patient to take analgesia (So et al., 2008). However, this review did highlight the need for further high quality studies in this area, particularly those involving children, as these were not well represented. It also emphasised that although Therapeutic Touch appears a safe therapy, it is still important that studies document any adverse effects. Similar findings to the Cochrane Review were described by a literature review published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing (Monroe, 2009). While only five studies were deemed rigorous enough to be included, the results from four of them showed a significant positive impact of Therapeutic Touch on pain relief, particularly in the management of pain in osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal pain and burns. However, again, further studies were recommended as necessary, including inclusion of a wider range of participants and investigating the effects of treatment frequency, duration and benefit for different types of pain. Little is known about the true mode of action of Therapeutic Touch, so this is another important avenue for further study. Despite not fully consistent results and calls for continued research, interestingly the author recommends that Therapeutic Touch currently be offered as a mode of pain relief, as it is considered to be a safe treatment. Some studies of Therapeutic Touch and pain relief have also explored its benefit on emotional aspects such as depression and anxiety (Lin Taylor, 1998; Marta et al., 2010; McCormack, 2009). While the results of studies have been mixed, some have shown a significant positive impact (Lin Taylor, 1998; Marta et al., 2010), which might be evidence to link the mechanism of Therapeutic Touch for pain relief to its ability to improve emotional wellbeing. A Cochrane Review from 2009 investigating the benefit of Therapeutic Touch on anxiety was not able to conclude anything, as there have not been any well-designed studies for inclusion in an analysis, indicating the need for high quality research in this area (Robinson et al., 2007). One area of Therapeutic Touch studies that has come under criticism is the placebo controls used (Rosa et al., 1998). Unusually the emphasis in Therapeutic Touch is that its efficacy is reliant on the intent of the therapist, so the argument is that the result is less likely to be influenced by the belief of the participant. So traditional placebo controls where the subject is not aware whether or not they are receiving the actual treatment would be inadequate without also the provision of treatment by a sham touch practitioner – they imitate the treatment provided by the true touch therapists but do not alter their state of consciousness (So et al., 2008). While studies which have indicated positive results in relation to pain relief have often been with elderly participants (Lin Taylor, 1998; Marta et al., 2010; McCormack, 2009), this may bring into question whether the benefits may be seen across other age groups. However, as we now live in a time where the demographics are changing towards an ageing population, with people living longer the incidence of chronic disease increases and with many of these pain can be a factor; finding a treatment which may benefit older adults is particularly important (Marta et al., 2010). So in answer to the question posed, there is some indication that Therapeutic Touch aids pain relief, at least in certain patient groups. However, further research will be required before firm conclusions can be drawn and before Therapeutic Touch becomes a mainstream therapy. References: Fricker, J. (2003) Pain in Europe [PDF] Available at: http://www.britishpainsociety.org/Pain%20in%20Europ%20survey%20report.pdf – accessed on 29th April 2012. Lin, Y.S. Taylor, A.G. (1998) Effects of therapeutic touch in reducing pain and anxiety in an elderly population. Integrative Medicine, 1 (4), 155-62. Marta, I.E. et al. (2010) The effectiveness of therapeutic touch on pain, depression and sleep in patients with chronic pain: clinical trial. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP, 44 (4), 1100-6. McCormack, G.L. (2009) Using non-contact therapeutic touch to manage post-surgical pain in the elderly. Occupational Therapy International, 16 (1), 44-56. Monroe, C.M. (2009) The effects of therapeutic touch on pain. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 27 (2), 85-92. Robinson, J. et al. (2007) Therapeutic touch for anxiety disorders. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 18 (3), CD006240. Rosa, L. et al. (1998) A close look at therapeutic touch. Journal of the American Medical Association, 279 (13), 1005-10. So, P.S. et al. (2008) Touch therapies for pain relief in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 8 (4), CD006535. Ventegodt, S. Merrick, J. (2005) Clinical holistic medicine: chronic pain in the locomotor system. The Scientific World Journal, 5, 165-72. How to cite Does Therapeutic Touch reduce pain?, Essay examples Does Therapeutic Touch Reduce Pain Free Essays Abstract Many dismiss Complementary and Alternative Medicines such as Therapeutic Touch due to a lack of physiological data accrued from trials (NCCAM, 2000). Therapeutic Touch is considered by those in the field to provide multidimensional effects, not only physiologically, but in thought, feeling, and also spiritually (Leskowitz, 2011). Conventional Controlled Clinical Trials and Randomised Controlled Trials do not consider these additional dimensions, and consequently the results from Therapeutic Touch trials may be severely limited (Fonnebo et al, 2007). We will write a custom essay sample on Does Therapeutic Touch Reduce Pain? or any similar topic only for you Order Now If, however, trials conducted on a multidimensional level were to be considered, the evidence collated would suggest that Therapeutic Touch does reduce pain. Further research into trial methodologies may be required to further support this evidence. Introduction Within the approach of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Therapeutic Touch falls into the domain of energy or biofield therapies. Therapeutic Touch is a technique by which a practitioner’s hands are used to rebalance the energy field of a patient with the objective of encouraging healing (NCCAM, 2000). Widely practised by many professionals in the health care sector including nurses, occupational therapists, and physical therapists, Therapeutic Touch has been used to induce relaxation, as well as to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain (Winstead-Fry Good, 2009). Conditions and illnesses in which Therapeutic Touch has been used to promote the previous outcomes include: Fibromyalgia Syndrome (Dennison, 2004); chronic pain (Marta et al (2010), Lin (1998); arthritis (Peck (1998), Gordon et al (1998)); cancer (Giasson Bouchard (1998), Aghabati et al (2010), Kelly et al (2004)); Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (Blankfield et al, 2001); post surgical pain (Frank et al (2007), McCormack (2 009)). The success of these applications with regard to pain will be looked at in detail below. Therapeutic Touch and Pain Complementary and Alternative Medicine, of which Therapeutic Touch is included, is widely dismissed, due to its subjective nature and unconventionally scientific foundations (NCCAM, 2000). Trials such as those by Frank et al (2007) and Blankfield et al (2001) provide support for these claims as it was found that there was no measured decrease in pain felt by those participants receiving Therapeutic Touch therapy, and that Therapeutic Touch may be dismissed as placebo. Contrary to this dismissal, (Fonnebo et al, 2007)argues that the conventional approach to achieving acknowledgement in new areas of medical science through controlled randomised trials, generally using a placebo as a control, is not suitable for generating evidence in this area of medicine. In this instance, practises are often simplified causing limitations in data available for collection and analysis, thus restricting any attainable conclusions. Further to the case of (Fonnebo et al, 2007), Leskowitz (2011) argues that Complementary and Alternative Medicine not only promote physiological benefits, but can provide additional benefits in the form of emotions, thoughts, and also spiritually, all of which are dismissed in conventional medical trials. If trials incorporating these additional dimensions were, however, to be regarded as clear evidence for the case of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and hence Therapeutic Touch, a significant amount of data may be accrued, as shown below. The following reputable electronic databases were searched to gather information including: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, JStor, Science Direct, and others. Examples of Randomised Controlled Trials, or Controlled Clinical Trials were used to evaluate the effect of Therapeutic Touch on pain. Further to this, trials using pain measurement tools and methods recognised and used in conventional medicine were similarly taken into consideration: visual analogue scales, numerical rating scales, verbal rating scales, McGill Pain Questionnaire, Brief Pain Inventory (Caraceni et al, 2002). In 2010, Aghabati et al conducted a trial, consisting of 90 cancer patients, to evaluate the effects of Therapeutic Touch on pain. The results of this trial saw a significant reduction in pain of those participants receiving Therapeutic Touch in comparison to those participants in the control group who received customary care. In an equally sized trial of 90 patients experiencing post-surgical pain, McCormack (2009) found that Therapeutic Touch decreased pain in participants more so than in those not receiving Therapeutic Touch. Two further trials of similar size also concluded a distinctly greater reduction in pain when compared to those in the control group not receiving Therapeutic Touch (Lin (1998), Turner et al 1998). Similarly, in smaller trials, significant improvements were felt as a result of Therapeutic Touch therapy (Dennison (2004), Marta et al (2010), Gordon et al (1998). In addition to these trials displaying positive reductions in pain as a result of Therapeutic Touch, it can be argued that trials which consider pain on a broader plain may also be considered when evaluating the effects of Therapeutic Touch; for example trials measuring subjective feelings and thoughts associated with a reduction in pain, such as anxiety, tension, well-being, calmness, relaxation, and mood. Trials by Lafreniere et al (1999), Peck (1998), Giasson Bouchard (1998), and Kelly et al (2004) using multidimensional measurements concluded that that Therapeutic Touch had a marked improvement in these feelings. Conclusion The scientific design and consequential limitations of conventional randomised clinical trials have resulted in the dismissal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine such as Therapeutic Touch as an effective treatment in the reduction of pain. However, if other dimensions (emotional, philosophical, and spiritual) were to be taken in to consideration then much more evidence, as the trials above illustrate, could validate the claim that Therapeutic Touch is effective in reducing pain. Therefore, considering the evidence gathered it is concluded that on a multidimensional level, there is sufficient evidence here to suggest that Therapeutic Touch can reduce pain, and that provision in clinical trials is required to further substantiate, or negate these claims. References Aghabati, N. Mohammadi, E. Pour Esmaiel, Z. (2010) The effect of therapeutic touch on pain and fatigue of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine [online] 7(3):375-81. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18955319 [date accessed 15.05.12] Blankfield, R.P. Sulzmann, C. Fradley, L.G. Tapolyai, A.A. Zyzanski, S.J. (2001) Therapeutic touch in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice [online] 14(5):335-342. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clcentral/articles/015/CN-00374015/frame.html [date accessed 15.05.12] Caraceni, A. Cherny, N. Fainsinger, R. Kaasa, S. Poulain, P. Radbruch, L. De Conno, F. (2002) Pain Measurement Tools and Methods in Clinical Research in Palliative Care: Recommendations of an Expert Working Group of the European Association of Palliative Care. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management [online] 23(3):239-255 Available from: http://www.masterpaliativos.com/ArchivosFTP/BackupXII/course_files/Taller_Dolor_Octubre_2010/Documentacion_complementaria/Pain_measurement_EAPC.pdf [date accessed 15.05.12] Dennison, B. (2004) Touch the pain away: new research on therapeutic touch and persons with fibromyalgia syndrome. Holistic Nursing Practise [online] 18(3):142-51 Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15222602 [date accessed 15.05.12] Fonnebo, V. Grimsgaard, S. Walach, H. Ritenbaugh, C. Norheim, A.J. MacPherson, H. Lewith, G. Launs, L. Koithan, M. Falkenberg, T. Boon, H. Aickin, M. (2007) Researching complementary and alternative treatments – the gatekeepers are not at home. BMC Medical Research Methodology [online]. 7(7) 239-255 Available from: http://www.masterpaliativos.com/ArchivosFTP/BackupXII/course_files/Taller_Dolor_Octubre_2010/Documentacion_complementaria/Pain_measurement_EAPC.pdf [date accessed 15.05.12] Frank, L.S. Frank, J.L. March, D. Makari-Judson, G. Barham, R.B. Mertens, W.C. (2007) Does therapeutic touch ease the discomfort or distress of patients undergoing stereotactic core breast biopsyA randomized clinical trial. Pain medicine [online] 8(5): 419-424 Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clcentral/articles/928/CN-00610928/frame.html [date accessed 15.05.12] Giasson, M. Bouchard, L. (1998) Effect of therapeutic touch on the well-being of persons with terminal cancer. Journal Holistic Nursing [online] 16(3):383-398. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9849260 [date accessed 15.05.12] Gordon, A. Merenstein J.H. D’Amico, F. Hudgens, D. (1998) The effects of therapeutic touch on patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. The Journal of family practice [online] 47(4):271-277. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clcentral/articles/099/CN-00156099/frame.html [date accessed 15.05.12] Kelly, A.E. Sullivan, P. Fawcett, J. Samarel, N. (2004) Therapeutic touch, quiet time, and dialogue: perceptions of women with breast cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum[online] 31(3):625-31 Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15146228 [date accessed 15.05.12] Lafreniere, K.D. Mutus, B. Cameron, S. Tannous, M. Giannotti, M. Abu-Zahra, H. Laukkanen, E. (1999) Effects of therapeutic touch on biochemical and mood indicators in women. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. [online] 5(4):367-370 Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10471017 [date accessed 15.05.12] Leskowitz (2011) Energy-based therapies in neurology: the example of Therapeutic Touch. Energy Medicine East and West [online] 283-288 Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780702035715000226 [date accessed 15.07.12] Lin, Y. (1998) Effects of therapeutic touch in reducing pain and anxiety in an elderly population. Integrative Medicine. [online] 1(4):155-162 Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clcentral/articles/491/CN-00292491/frame.html [date accessed 15.05.12] Marta, I.E. Baldan, S.S. Berton, A.F. Pavam, M. da Silva, M.J. (2010) The effectiveness of therapeutic touch on pain, depression and sleep in patients with chronic pain: clinical trial. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S P [online] 44(4):1100-1106. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clcentral/articles/880/CN-00778880/frame.html [date accessed 15.07.12] McCormack, G.L. (2009) Using non-contact therapeutic touch to manage post-surgical pain in the elderly. Occupational therapy international [online] 16(1): 44-56 Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clcentral/articles/322/CN-00688322/frame.html [date accessed 15.05.12] NCCAM (2000) Expanding Horizons of Healthcare Five-Year Strategic Plan 2001-2005. [online] US Department of Health and Human Services. Available from: http://nccam.nih.gov/sites/nccam.nih.gov/files/about/plans/fiveyear/fiveyear.pdf [date accessed 15.07.12] Peck, S.D (1998) The efficacy of therapeutic touch for improving functional ability in elders with degenerative arthritis. Nursing science quarterly [online] 11(3): 123-132. Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clcentral/articles/392/CN-00266392/frame.html [date accessed 15.05.12] Turner, J.G. Clark, A.J. Gauthier, D.K. Williams, M. (1998) The effect of therapeutic touch on pain and anxiety in burn patients. Journal of advanced nursing [online] 20(1): 10-20 Available from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clcentral/articles/884/CN-00685884/frame.html [date accessed 15.05.12] Winstead-Fry, P. Good, R. (2009) Therapeutic Touch in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia Syndrome — A Practitioner’s Guide to Treatment [online] 279-288. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780443069369000123 [date accessed 15.07.12] How to cite Does Therapeutic Touch Reduce Pain?, Essay examples

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Raleigh Rosse Case Study free essay sample

Considering that luxury retailers unusually discounted prices and could also access the same luxury goods brands, RR used the costumer’s experience and his relationship with the company as a competitive differentiator. Since the main goal of the company was to satisfy its consumers providing better services, we can identify the RR pivotal strategic positions, i. e. those which have the potential to lead to high incremental results for the strategy and value of the company1, as the sales associates, that are the employees who worked on the sales floor, who therefore have more contact with costumers. In order to gain competitive advantage and achieve its goals, RR store managers were in charge of hiring, training, and continually motivating these sales employees. Since the key factor of advantage was costumer relationship, RR afforded to offer to their sales association a salary substantially higher than the one offered by their competitors. The salary could also increase due to an employee performance improvement. The sales associates’ performance was measured by weekly sales, and the performance of store managers was based on eleven measures including weekly store revenues and customer satisfaction. So, we can conclude that the company adapted different metrics to different employees. During this period we can also refer that the career prospects for the ordinary employees were not very optimist, since we face a family company in which the promotion opportunities were very limited to family members. The fact that the career prospects were not very appellative could be an important characteristic to not attract and retain potential talents. In the early 1990’s the CEO Brian Rosse recognized that RR required a more formal Human Resource policy to result in more scalable measures. Due to this problem, he and the HR Director (his cousin), developed and implemented the â€Å"RR Ownership Culture†. The main objective of this program was to make sure that the new employees’ values were aligned with the company’s values, i. e. committed employees to serve in the best way the RR costumers by creating a more entrepreneurial and accountable environment. It is interesting that in the last case we studied, the GE’s CEO Jack Welch implemented, as well, a matrix in which not only the performance was valued, but also the commitment with the company’s values. In GE the matrix was well established, what will not happen in this case. Moreover, one of the main aspects of the â€Å"Ownership Culture† program was to maintain the policy of filling the upper level position by intrafirm inflow2, i. e. promoting employees within the company. However, due to the expansion strategy, RR now promotes opportunities to non-family members. The company also changed the sales associates hiring profile, basing it on biographical data3, by requiring recent college graduates with a strong work ethic. It is also important to refer that for sales associates positions, the company continued with its interfirm inflow4 policy, i. . allocate employees in these positions that did not work previously in the company. Another policy implemented by this model was the higher economic rewards for top sales associates. The company only motivates its employees by giving economic benefits, which could not be the best way to do it. The last two initiatives and policies implemented reinforced the empowerment of store managers, giving them the authority to manage their stores the way they want, including their sales associates. As we will discuss further these policies will lead to several problems within RR. In order to establish the â€Å"Ownership Culture†, Brian Rosse also invented and developed a performance appraisal for which he gave the name of Sales-Per-Hour (SPH). We can define performance appraisal as the process through which an organization gets information on how well an employee is doing his job5. This new system homogenized the metric of measure for sales associates and store managers. In our opinion, this was a negative strategy since different levels of employees have different means to contribute to the company’s value, therefore different types of employees demand different metrics of performance measure6. Collings, D. Mellahi, K. (2009). Strategic talent management: A review and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 19 (4): 304-313 2 Madsen, T. , Mosakowsi, E. , Zaheer, S. (2003). Knowledge Retention and Personnel Mobility: The Nondisruptive Effects of Inflows of Experience. Organization Science, 14 (2): 173-191 3 Noe, R. , Hollenbeck, J. , Gerhart, B. Wright, P. (2008). Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage. McGraw-Hill. 4 Madsen, T. , Mosakowsi, E. , Zaheer, S. (2003). Knowledge Retention and Personnel Mobility: The Nondisruptive Effects of Inflows of Experience. Organization Science, 14 (2): 173-191 5 Noe, R. , Hollenbeck, J. , Gerhart, B. Wright, P. (2008). Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage. McGraw-Hill. 6 Deanne N. den Hartog, Paul Boselie and Jaap Paauwe (2004). Performance Management: A Model and Research Agenda. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 2004, 53 (4), 556-569 1 Group 2 Human Resources Management The target SPH was based on each employee hourly wage and department, thus, each employee had different targets. However, according to Management by Objectives (MBO) programs, the company should involve the staff in setting the goals for which the workers are evaluated7, which does not happen in this case. Therefore the company could not establish realistic and achievable targets. To better understand the quality of the SPH program, we did an analysis based on the connections of a MBO that we learned in the article Performance Appraisal, Performance Management and Improving Individual Performance: A Motivational Framework. In the first connection, which is action-to-result, we can detect several problems. The sales associates seek for more sales, but at the same time they must provide all the customer service that RR demand. So during the period that associates are doing customer service, they are accumulating more hours and none sale to their SPH. This could lead to a quicker and worst customer service in return to more sales. Another problem in this connection was the empowerment that store managers had for reallocate and schedule the time periods for each sales associate, which gave no power or flexibility to the sales associates. In order to maximize this link, the company should provide feedback to its employees. Store managers would monthly provide a publicly review of the sales associates’ SPH performance versus its target. Under these circumstances RR did provide feedback but in our opinion not in the best way, because it should be provided individually and not publicly. The second connection is results-to-evaluation, where the company should provide a clear definition of the job and the relevant results that would be evaluated. This is exactly what did not occurred in RR, in which employees complained for not having a straight distinction between â€Å"selling time† and â€Å"non-selling time†, to calculate the SPH. We can also refer that the SPH targets could not be under the control of the employees because it was the store managers who chose the work schedule of sales associates. Therefore a sales associate who works on peak hours will probably sell more than one who works on off-peak hours. This could lead to the problem of self-fulfillment prophecy, i. . if a store manager believes that one associate is good he will put him working on peak hours and consequently this employee will sell really well and be considered an excellent associate. The third connection is evaluation-tooutcome, which in this case was constant over time in result of the fact that RR used always the SPH. The last connection is outcome-to-need satisfaction, in which we can enhance the fact that sometimes the outcome wa s not consistent with an employee current need state. This could lead to a sale associate perceiving his allocation as unfair and then resulting in the following problem8 that combine the first connection as well: â€Å"†¦if participants do not perceived the system to be fair, the feedback to be accurate, or the sources to be credible then they are more likely to ignore and not use the feedback they receive† (Levy and Williams, 2004, p. 897). In result of our analysis we could conclude that the SPH model is not efficient and fair, so as expected the model brings several problems to RR. The work environment was really cumbersome, with frequent sales contest between associates, leading associates to steal credits from each other. However, since the customers are satisfied, the company does not care about this intense work environment. The model also incentives employees to manipulate the system by logging in only in the best hours, and by working extra hours that would not be recorded. This last problem ended up in two investigations, which resulted in two lawsuits against the company as well. Another important aspect of RR is that during the years, the company was only concerned with its customers and did not pay any kind of attention to employees’ issues and complaints. Therefore the RR’s human resource policy resulted in rewarding the â€Å"smarter† employees and not the more committed, which led, as we saw in the last years, to a decrease of the company’s performance. Thus, we can conclude that the employees’ evaluations and outputs are not placed in the correct way so that employees will not focus their efforts in ways that will lead to the desired level of performance improvement 9. In sum, the group concluded that the Human Resources strategy was not aligned with the company overall strategy and the performance management was not aligned with the company goals. Therefore RR should listen to Bill Schwartz and change the company’s Ownership Culture, by developing a Performance management in order to ensure that employees’ activities and outputs are congruent with the company’s goals10. 7 Angelo S. DeNisi and Robert D. Pritchard (2006). Performance Appraisal, Performance Management and Improving Individual Performance: A Motivational Framework.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Monica - The Boy Is Mine free essay sample

Back to follow-up her number one quadruple platinum debut, Miss Thang, is Miss Thang herself, the teen queen of pop/soul: Monica. The new disc, The Boy is Mine, features the smash duet with Brandy that was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 list for 13 weeks, (also entitled The Boy is Mine). You all know Monica from platinum or gold hits such as Dont Take it Personal, Like This and Like That, Before you walk out my life, Why I love you so much and the classic five million seller, For You I Will. The single-packed new disc, The Boy is Mine, boasts the production of Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, David Foster, Darryl Simmons and Rodney Jerkins, with songs written by the incomprable Diane Warren, Missy Elliot and Monica herself. The second single from the album, which is potentially the most distinctive and controversial, is The First Night, a slinky soul jam which deals with her decision as a respectable young lady to hold out on intimate affairs. We will write a custom essay sample on Monica The Boy Is Mine or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (Get it?) It has also already climbed to the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100. This new album really sets her apart from her teen counterparts (Brandy, Aaliyah and newcomer Mya) since its different. She is not afraid to confront issues such as unprotected sex, pregnancy, drugs and life in general. Teens, as well as adults, will enjoy this album because its spicy and has something for everyone. My personal favorite is Keep it to myself, which deals with not knowing how to tell a friend that your feelings for him have changed. For all you ballad/pop lovers there are two remakes: Misty Blue and the Richard Marx classic Right Here Waiting, where she does a fantastic job. She squeezes love juice out of them and makes them believable, which is what love songs are all about. The song features the group 112. There is also the Diane Warren-penned song Inside and Street Symphony, which features the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. For partygoers, there is Cross the Room and Gone be fine which features the group OutKast performing superb rap verses. For all of you who have not bought the album yet, I suggest you do. This is not your average teenage girl, bubble gum album. This is a woman speaking who has a lot to say. The album came out in July and its already a platinum-seller, so hurry up and buy it. Overall, I give this album an A with honors.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Coldwar essays

Coldwar essays The conflict in ideologies between capitalism and communism resulted in one of the greatest conflicts of the twentieth century. The belief that freedom and democracy would die under communist rule caused the United States to start a conflict that would last for decades. The decisions made by the United States in W.W.II caused tensions to rise between the U. S. and the Soviet Union. Fear of Communism in capitalist nations, caused the United states government to use propaganda to raise Cold War anxieties. Furthermore, the American media influenced the attitudes of Americans, making a hatred of communism spread though the nation. Thus, the United States caused the conflict known as the Cold War, through its political policy and propaganda. The political relations going on in Europe during and directly after World War II had an enormous effect on laying the foundation for the Cold War. War time conferences such as Yalta and Terhran harshened the relationship between the communists and th e capitalists. At the end of W.W.II American policy towards the Soviets changed drastically. The change in president in 1945 caused relations with Russia to worsen. Furthermore, other political contributions to the Cold War entailed the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan. The division of Europe between the west and east drew physical borders which outlined that the war of misinformation that had began. Also treaties of the post war world further separated the two super powers of the world for the decades to follow. The waging of hot wars through other countries also strengthened Cold War hatred.(1) The first of the cold war tensions arose out of W.W.II conferences between the Soviet Union, America and, Great Britain. Tehran, the first major conference which lead America to start the Cold War, included all three of these nations. At this conference the reshaping of post-war Europe was discussed (2) Later in February of 1945, the big three met again at Y...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Westernization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Westernization - Essay Example The internet facilitates sharing resources and has brought about excellent technology that have brought about an immense change in the entire way that different societies live. All countries in the world are faced with an immense number of challenges, and with the advent of the internet they are all able to face their problems because all individuals strive for a better tomorrow which can be brought about with the help of the internet since it helps a great deal in helping people carry out most of their activities. Westernization is the process by which a person, group of individuals or a country is able to advance its thought process in various fields and matters, and try and bring about growth and progression within its economy. In the recent past, all this has been easier with the help of the internet. However, there still are a large number of underdeveloped and third world countries which do not fall under the category of westernized nations. The internet however has brought abo ut a vast number of changes in such areas too as is discussed within the scope of this paper. (Bruce, Richard) A number of western nations had first adopted the use of the internet into their daily framework, however, today, this has spread apart and become a global phenomenon and is helping more and more developing and third world countries to grow and nurture themselves into becoming ready for a powerful future. There are a number of different aspects that every country needs to look into the matters of; they range from culture and politics to business and science and technology. These form the main outlook of what every country needs in order to be at par with each other and the internet has helped in bringing these aspects closer and has made them stronger as well. Internet has been a huge revelation for non-westernised countries to promote their culture. Intermingling of these aspects has been tremendous. Internet has been influential on bringing non westernized countries toget her. It has been a great medium of communication and marketing. Let us take two non-westernized countries for reference. The countries chosen are India and China. Indian culture has been heavily influenced by the coming of the Internet in the country. More and more people are getting glued to the internet every day, and it’s a growing phenomenon in the country. The rock culture has come up leaps and bounds in the country after the evolution of the internet. This has culminated into a faster way of communication between the audience and the bands themselves, thus helping them serve their crowd in a better way. As far as the diversity in the country is concerned, it is pertinent to note that people from different parts of the country have intermingled with each other through the means of internet, which has thus promoted unity in the country on the aspect of cultural diversity. Islam and Hinduism are the two most important religions in the country. Internet has allowed people f rom different religions to learn something new about the other religion in a very effective manner. It is such a huge portal of information that knowledge is never limited. Even though in India politics is fought outside on the roads, it is of no surprise that Internet has made a foray into this stream as well. The number of educated people in India has increased, and this has amounted to more people having the understanding to use the technology. Not only this, but the per capita income in India also increased and which has thus allowed more and more people gaining access to internet, apart from the fact that the expense of obtaining and maintaining the connection has reduced. The Government is aware of such developments happening in the country and has therefore

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

NO NEED Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

NO NEED - Essay Example The learner should dig deep into learning new vocabularies and finding the relevant instances where they should be applied. Knowing the right meaning of the word and applying it appropriately will demonstrate ‘language maturity’ and high competence of the learner. Learning meanings of several vocabularies will broaden the learners reading comprehension skills as they can understand the message carried in the vocabulary with ease. Consequently, Practice through speaking the language more makes the learner improve on their reading and writing. Just like writing, speaking is an active process that enables the learner to gain experience with the language and assist them remember more about what they spoke while writing. Learning the second language does not come with much ease as one’s native language and mastering it needs one to put a lot of efforts. To improve on it, constant research should be done in which the learner extracts different vocabularies and find ways to use them. Sentence structure and rules governing the formation and use of sentences should be regularly considered. If these are done, reading and writing in second language will be

Monday, November 18, 2019

Art Apprecition IP Week Two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art Apprecition IP Week Two - Essay Example The art include famous tombs of emperors and Egyptian drawings (Robins, 2008). Appendix A shows the Sphinx of Senwosret III. The period was between 1878 B.C. to 1841 B.C. The artifact shows that the statue contains the half body of beast. The other part of the beast is the head of a human being. B. The Smithsonian Institution Freer Gallery and Sackler Gallery Ancient Art Sackler Gallery Ancient Art. The Smithsonian Institution Freer Gallery and Sackler Gallery Ancient Art Sackler Gallery Ancient Art contains art artifacts from the Ancient period. The time period includes famour art pieces like the huge Sphinx. The museum’s artifacts, including Appendix B, include collections from several countries. One of the prominent sections of the museum is dedicated to ancient Egyptian Art. The art pieces represent items coming from the time of the Pharaohs. The above sculptural design is typical of Ancient Egyptian Art sculpture (Schatz, 2009). C. The Louvre Museum. The Louvre, France, Museum also includes Ancient Egyptian art artifacts. The museum contains statues and other artifacts that represent the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs. Form of the Artwork. The two art forms have different forms. The hieroglyphic drawing (Appendix C) is two dimensional while the tomb of Pharaoh Perneb is three dimensional. The Ancient Egyptian art form is two dimensional. The pictures of the ancient Egyptian period include simple lines to show the shape of a human being or an animal. However, the Ancient Egyptian sculptures are three dimensional. An example of three dimensional art is the Sphinx statue (Springer, 2010). Additionally, the Appendix D picture shows the tomb of Perneb. It was constructed during 2381-2323 B.C. The tomb is made of stone and other cement-like materials. The tomb symbolizes there is an afterlife. Further, the materials used are plain paper. In the making of the pyramids and the Sphinx, stones were used in the making of the pyramids. Coarse mud

Friday, November 15, 2019

Same Sex Relationship And Society Sociology Essay

Same Sex Relationship And Society Sociology Essay The issue of same sex marriage has been a hotly contended debate in the last few years and in recent times. One of a major national issue; to consider whether these types of relationship are appropriate for the society as a whole and in the long run- will it influence new generations to follow something which was once wrong in society and sinful in many religions and will it create instability in the traditional family structure. First, it will focus on the general points of view of religions that have similar sayings of relationships regarding sexual activity and the law. It will discuss and take different stands and approaches to several reasons to justify my opinion on a society as a whole. It will determine how it can be a major impact in the future, what conservatives say about this, and whether this will disturb the structure of having a perfect family and how the new generation will or can be influenced in future. Overall, almost everyone agrees that homosexuality is immoral. And practically in all cultures, the family is considered the basic societal unit. And allowing same-sex relationships disturbs the structure of traditional families, since they are the ones making the society. Marriage between one man and one woman is critical to maintaining social stability. Society as a whole pays a high price when marriage is devalued. You see divorce: you see single-parenting: you see a rise in out-of-wedlock pregnancies, Shari Rendall, director of legislation and policy for Concerned Women for America. In the United States, marriage has had constantly shifting roles in the lives of its citizens and residents. Heterosexual marriage has been the norm in the Eastern and the Western traditions for millennia, but recent political ideology have allowed same-sex relationships in various states and cities of America. Same-sex relationships are unification between two people of the same sexual characteristics. For example, a female figure is attracted to another female figure, while, on the other hand, a male figure is attracted to the other male figure. In this case, none of the gender is liked by the opposite gender of a male or female. And both of the same genders develop profound and emotional feelings for each other. Clearly, there are two types of gender that has been created, but how to use these genders and how to act upon them has completely changed as the world has become more modernized. People are becoming more advanced in their daily fashions and are getting less fearful of their actions as many are pulling away from religious beliefs and practices. Standing on a mountain surrounded by very less nature, as I see the world from my binoculars, people that are befriending abnormal behaviors have covered their eyes from woolen clothings, making their lives hard to breath from ease. Many proudly cheer and celebrate the changes they are bringing into the society, believing that it will better their lives. They, however, are unfortunate to capture the meaningful and magnificent life they can have without having to change the laws of perfect and sacred performances of marriage. Such people cannot get much further, and if they do, their celebrations are as tiny as the lens of the binoculars I am seeing the distance from, circulated by black paint from which the beauty of life is uncolorful and hard to imagine. As William C. Duncan states, Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a women. Neither this constitution, nor the constitution of any state shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incident thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a women, (2009, p. ). Regardless of what laws have constituted marriage as, the law of nature and various religions has forbidden same-sex relationships to be practiced as a normal conduct. One may change and redefine the meaning of what marriage is, but the true meaning, which have been followed for centuries by various religions and different ethnic groups of people cannot impel out the original concept of practice from its roots. Moreover, bringing changes to what marriage is or what it should be practiced as causes the society to be unstable and ignore behaviors that are immoral today and for future generations. Taking into account for future generations, since the planet earth is on the rise of adopting behaviors consisting freedom, how should people decide to hold their limits. If todays generation goes out of control, what should the later world or centuries be out looked as? It is hard to imagine that irregular behaviors are being welcomed more in society, and destroying the concept of sacred institution and peace. The more questions people will increase, the less the answers will be found. And if answers are not given, people stubbornly upset the societal structure and go astray. It is simple to adjust and accept matters that bring ease to our lives, rather to bring what is unusual for us human beings to watch and accept. Therefore, I strongly believe that same-sex relationships are not appropriate for citizens and residents of the United States because they create instability in the traditional family structure (heterosexual) and they negatively influence future generations. America is a free society which limits the role of government in the lives of our citizens. In this country, people are free to choose how they live their lives. In our free society, decisions about a fundamental social institution as marriage should be made by the people, (Duncan, 2009, P. ). I agree that people have the right to live their lives one wishes to lives as, but I also believe that people should stay in limits of certain things and be conscious of their behaviors. Just as a person would try to be away from doing things that can cause them physical or mental injuries, then how can such people (homosexual) be unconscious that adopting a gay or a lesbian lifestyle does not injure the society as a whole. Yes it may not cause physical damage, but I believe that, in future, it can bring such a disaster that people (heterosexuals) will be suffering from depression and tensions as they will see the new generations following the existing fashion of certain lifestyles and an increase in such behaviors. Once abnormal behaviors are in effect, who will then determine what is appropriate or not appropriate and what is acceptable or not acceptable in a society. Will people become more ignorant or is it the religion that has no or very less impact on peoples life. Who and what should be blamed of? Why these behaviors cannot be controlled before it disturbs the traditional family structure and the structure of having a right and guided society. As for Ginsberg et al (2009), The idea that all Americans are entitled to equal treatment is today a widely accepted principle. More controversial, however, is the matter of how that principle ought to apply to homosexual. Most Americans embrace a live-and-let-live philosophy regarding homosexuality; at the same time, however, Americans are uneasy with some highly publicized efforts to extend civil rights for gays. Central to this debate has been the question of whether government should sanction gay marriage (p. 68). The government giving so much freedom is the reason to why many people are taking actions to seek different rights, whether it is normal or an abnormal behavior. This is not to say that we should be deprived of our rights. Instead we just to limit the freedom and stay in limited rights. One reason why same-sex relationships disturb the traditional family structure is because the original and the so real purpose of marriage are to procreate. Since homosexuals are unable to procreate they should not be allowed to marry. Similarly, homosexuals are not fit to be parents even if they adopt and take a role of both, a mother and a father. Only a traditional heterosexual household is the best in which to raise children. In a homosexual relationship, at times, gender roles either do not exist or are unclear. And it is important for children to differentiate between a mother and father in nature and as expressively. Boys and girls have needs that can only be met by the opposite gender, and once understanding different figures, they will also come to know the different roles a man is suppose to play in society and in house and the different roles a women can play in society and in house. Because homosexual relationships are so unstable they cannot provide children with the security they need and the two different gender loves they deserve (Mckinon, 2007, p.2). On the other hand, if two same genders are legally married and given permission for certain obligations and the right for adopting a child, then what partner should be considered a father or a mother. How will the determination be considered- who takes a role of a mother and a father? I do not understand how any women can show a masculine love to a child when she does not hold masculine traits and powers. As Ava Mckinon states, another reason to why same-sex relationships should be objected because opponents of same-sex marriage seem to be concerned about the long tradition of marriage being between a man and a woman. Many opponents of same-sex marriage say that they are not against benefits for same-sex couples but believe the institution of marriage should be reserved for one man and one woman. Otherwise, they argue, it could lead to all sorts of other undesirable marriages such as polygamy, incest, and bestiality. Many religious organizations fear that the legalization will lead to rampant immoral behavior, (2007, p.2). Moreover, gay and lesbian marriage should not be allowed because it can influence future generations. If more children are being accepted by same sex partners, these children will lack knowledge of stabled families and will take these behaviors normal and acceptable. And if this continues to happen, what will be the norm of the society. Children raised by gay or lesbian parents will adapt such fashions too and become part of homosexuality. On the other hand, there are many questions that will rise when looked at the future of our kids. One is that, what will be taught to students in public schools in regards of marriage. Is the definition of marriage completely and continuously going to change? In a recent case of the state of Massachusetts, parents of young elementary school students objected to books meant to teach children to respect marriages and families involving same sex couples, Duncan, 2009, p. ). In account on reading this case, this shows that opponents of same-sex marriag e will be compelled to keep their kids home and keep them away from worldly and further knowledge. In this case, parents will be willing to give their children home education and build a stronger impact of religion on them. These problems can me a major loss to businesses and many governmental institutes. The businesses that provide public schools and organization with books and gives support with other kinds of educational material will need people to buy from them. And if people are giving home education and buying very limited books, it will be a disaster for businesses and difficult to run. And more institutes will be empty and with less people. This will cut down teachers, faculties and much more. Once thought about everything, questions will never end and there will always be a blockage for such actions to be performed. In order to have same-sex marriages in effect, every division in the society has to be looked upon very deeply. And moreover, this will be a radical change to the society. In a final thought, I agree accordingly to Duncan that, marriage promotes the integration of men and women: by treating both as essential to societys most basic and foundation unit, it rejects the idea that men and women, mothers and fathers, are fungible, (2009, P. ). For centuries, in religion, in law and in many cultures, marriage has always been practiced between a man and a woman. And same-sex marriage is just plain disgusting. Therefore, same sex relationships should not be courage to be part of a normal ongoing society. No one here wants to make their lives hell and disturb the tranquility that exists today. It may not be as perfect but at least it does not create instability in the traditional family and become an influence on the coming generations. Since that the world is becoming more advanced and highly fashionable, any laws passed from now will affect many of us. And decisions must be carefully examined before putting it in effect. Overall, my opinion is as strong as it was before, and I strongly oppose same sex relationships to be part of a regular norm in the society. I cannot also agree that the meaning of a marriage can be redefined at any time because this is a union between only a man and a woman. The whole concept of being in a marriage bond is to procreate, and so the same sex couples does not have the powers or the abilities to require all duties of a marital bond and procreate unless a third party of the opposite sex is involved. Marriage is a sacred institute, practiced in many cultures and religions all over the world. And changing its definition is undoable and forever to remain as followed. Sam-sex relationships cannot be given the permission or the name of marriage as union because they are very far from touching the roots of a marriage and fulfill its duties. A same-sex may adopt, but again that adopted child has come from heterosexual couples who have the ability to such power. In addition, mar riage is not the right term for same-sex relationships and they cannot be given same rights as heterosexual couples because they are not, in any sense similar to each other.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Video Games Are More Useful Than You Think Essay -- Argumentative Vide

In today’s world of video games, there are wonderful pictures, surround sound effects, and realistic graphics which encourage players to keep playing. It means when they play an action game or war game, it will have shooting shots, bloody splashes, decapitated scenes, or fighting movements. Unfortunately some people call these games causes negative effects in players. They say that violent video games cause players to become killers or terrorists. A research study on video game violence concluded, â€Å"There is no evidence to show proof of the relationship between computer game violence and violence in children above the age of 8.† (Stuart, 2014) Moreover, millions of people play violent video games and never commit crimes. Actually video games have been established for long time ago – more than 20 years before the violent video games became a mainstream industry around the world. Vidoe games provide player with numerous benefits. More than hundred reasons that make video games violent are good for people who really love to play an action video game. Video games create benefits for players both directly and indirectly ways. First of all, the clear advantage of video games is a video game introduces children to computers and the internet technology because nowadays most games are involved with the internet. (Farrales) Then the video games avoid drugs and uninvolved with gangsters. Because when children or teenagers begin to play games inside the home rather than being on the streets and join the gangsters, or use any drugs. Moreover, the players are training for cooperation skills between making their brain move fast to moving their hands, and having sharp eyes for catch up. Consequently, the players increase their potential of co... ...ResearchPaper.htm#effects ) Nadeau, Brandon. â€Å"Video Games Make Society Less Violent.† American Now. The Daily Campus., The University of Connecticut. October 21, 2012 Stuart, Keith. "Video games are not making us more violent, study shows" Guardian News and Media Limited, Monday 10 November 2014. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/10/video-games-violent-study-finds Kalning, Kristin. â€Å"Does game violence make teens aggressive?† Dec. 8, 2012 (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16099971/) Pratt, Bill. â€Å"The Advantages of Video Games.† April 25, 2013 (http://www.articlesbase.com/web-hosting-articles/the-advantages-of-video-games-395921.html) Taylor, Laurie N. â€Å"Positive Features of Video Games.† Handbook of Children, Culture, and Violence. Eds. Nancy E. Dowd, Dorothy G. Singer, and Robin Fretwell Wilson. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2006.