Gansz V. Alton Haunted House Essay Example for Free

Gansz V. Alton Haunted House Essay The case of Gansz V. Alton Haunted House originated when a girl tripped while running from an individual with a loud motor driven chainsaw at a haunted house in Alton, Illinois on October 29, 2011 (Faces of Lawsuit Abuse, 2013). The girl’s father, Terry Gansz, claims the haunted house tour included a section where patrons were directed through a passage leading to a ramp with an entry to the rear of the haunted bus. American Legion is being blamed for the design of the haunted house making it difficult for patrons to exit the attraction (Madison Record, 2013). Arguing that the plaintiff voluntarily assumed the risks of the haunted house, the defendants claim they are not at fault and should not be liable for any injuries claimed (Madison Record, 2013). Issue: Has negligence been demonstrated? Rule According to Cheeseman (2013), negligence is a A doctrine that says a person is liable for harm that is the foreseeable consequence of his or her actions (p.91). The elements of negligence include: Duty of Care Breach of Duty Harm Legal Causation The case of Gansz versus Alton Haunted House exemplifies the foundation of the fault principle. Terry Gansz the father of a young girl who was injured when she tripped over a ramp at the Haunted House alleges that there was failure to ensure the safety of the patrons who visited the haunted house.  Alton Haunted House had a duty to exercise reasonable care for those who would visit the haunted house. The unforeseen danger of the participants were not averted and the injuries suffered by the young girl is the fault of Alton Haunted House. Alton Haunted House believes the young girls harm was the result of her own negligence. It was not the duty of the young girl to research beforehand the possible dangers of the haunted house. Analysis In our analysis of the case team D recognized that there were flaws in the defendant’s case. The defendants had a responsibility, a duty in fact, to ensure the safety of the patrons. There should be a limit as to how far actors should be allowed to come to patrons. Also nowhere in the case did it state that a sign was posted stating enter at your own risk or anything of that nature. So team D concluded that the defendant must be held liable for their action because there were no clear policies in place for employees with regards to chasing patrons. . Duty of care is listed as Duty of care is defined as the obligation people owe each other that is, the duty not to cause any unreasonable harm or risk of harm (Cheeseman, 2013, p. 91). We believe that is was there duty to ensure safety. Conclusion Learning Team D reviewed the case of Gansz v. Alton Haunted House using the IRAC method. Based on the issue, rule, and analysis conducted, the team’s conclusion is that Alton Haunted House is liable for negligence because they breached their duty of care. This breach resulted in foreseeable injuries to the plaintiff. In this case, patrons did assume a level of risk by entering into the house; however, Alton Haunted House still had a responsibility to ensure their employees were properly trained and supervised prior to interacting with patrons in order to minimize the risk of injury. This case provides an excellent example of the liabilities business owners may encounter. Therefore, in any business managerial setting it is imperative that owners carefully consider how their actions or lack of actions could lead to a lawsuit. References Faces of Lawsuit Abuse. (2013). Girl chased at haunted house sues Alton. Retrieved from http://www.facesoflawsuitabuse.org/2012/10/girl-chased-at-haunted-house-with-chainsaw-sues-alton-american-legion/ Madison Record. (2013). Bellville attorney to represent Alton in haunted house lawsuit. Retrieved from http://madisonrecord.com/issues/366-personal-injury/249477-belleville-attorney-to-represent-alton-in-haunted-house-lawsuit Madison Record. (2013). November trial vacated in girls suit against Alton haunted house. Retrieved from http://madisonrecord.com/issues/366-personal-injury/259790-november-trial-vacated-in-girls-suit-against-alton-haunted-house-cmc-set-eve-of-halloween

HIV/AIDS And Stigma | Essay

HIV/AIDS And Stigma | Essay HIV/AIDS is one of the challenges to human life and dignity. It affects all levels of society and has a massive impact on global economic and social development, (Rowden, 2009). Studies have been conducted on its impact on human life and how it could be controlled. This review was conducted by exploring literature from a variety of sources for published articles on HIV/AIDS and its stigma. Literature from research covering a period of 8 years from 2002-2010 was extracted from Assia, PubMed, Sage, British Medical Journal, Cochrane and Absco-host, and reviewed for the study, objectives, methodology and key findings. Relevant books, journals, documents and reports from organisations such as UNAIDS, and the World Bank were also reviewed. Both qualitative and quantitative data was used to present the information. Despite facing a lot of criticism on its top-down approach, the biomedical model remains the dominant concept in health and illness. Its credibility lies on its scientific methods and expert knowledge used to diagnose or understand illness and treatment. This model views the body as a machine composed of different parts working together for it to function. If one part is not functioning properly, the aim is to find what is wrong with it through diagnosis and fix it by prescribing medicine, (Taylor Hawley 2010:12). Focus is therefore restricted to the physical illness of an individuals body and the scientific understanding of disease, making the approach heavily based on pharmacology. While pharmacology is beneficial in the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, it is criticised for promoting the privilege of the biomedical model, further enhancing undermining of alternative approaches to health and healing. The biomedical approach may be inappropriate to some communities and create fe elings of helplessness and vulnerability therefore affecting the success of the intervention. (Global Health Watch, 2008, Farmer, 1999). Lay concepts of health and illness are diverse and complex than those of the medical model. They focus on peoples experiences of health and illness in relation to their overall life experiences and are embedded within local social and cultural structures. Unlike in the biomedical approach, indigenous approaches seek to heal the whole person by linking the illness with the persons social and economic background, (Taylor, 2003). However critics of this model argue that lay concepts are difficult to evidence and research hence they remain marginalised and scarcely recognised as legitimate knowledge, (Taylor Hawley, 2010:13). On the contrary, Taylor, (2003) argues that lay perspective is crucial knowledge for public health as it identifies roots of illnesses for possible long term prevention and treatment for the larger population as compare to individually focused interventions. Influence of power systems such as the dominance of the medical model hinder progress on preventions and treatment of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and stigma as they govern relationships between health structures and lay people. Goffman, (1990), and Parker and Aggleton, (2003),s theories of stigma in helping us to understand how stigma is constructed and its influence in peoples lives view stigma and discrimination as functional systems which maintain boundaries between those in power and those without. Through such power, social inequalities are developed leading to creation of social norms. These formulate stigma by governing interactions between people and reinforce power structures that serve to maintain control of the powerless, (Farmer, 2005). Both theories have been widely used in HIV related stigma to highlight how prejudice, negative attitudes, abuse and maltreatment directed towards PLWHA have hindered the progress of prevention and treatment. Research highlights that stigma and discrimination in health care settings deriving from social power imbalances contribute a great deal in keeping people away from accessing HIV/AIDS treatment and care. Patients felt greatly affected by health workers feeling uncomfortable with them and treating them in an inferior manner. In Tanzania, some discriminatory and stigmatised practices such as gossiping about patients HIVs status, neglect, verbal abuse, testing and disclosing HIVs status without consent were noted, (D.C Synergy, 2005). Similarly in India, health workers were disclosing patients HIV status to their families without patients consent, (Mahedra et, al, 2007). Harassment, avoiding and isolation of HIV-positive patients and testing without counselling are common features of stigmatisation in most studies. Some health workers wore protective clothing even if there was no physical contact during interactions. Fear of being identified as infected with HIV also influenced people t o prolong testing for HIV and only accessed services when their illness was at an advanced stage, (Bond and Aggleton, 2002; Kinsler et al, 2007; Varga et al 2006; Kalichman and Simbayi, 2003). In Zambia, HIV-positive health workers were hiding their HIV status from their colleagues in fear of being stigmatised, (Dieleman et al, 2007). While most of the literature on HIV/AIDS and access to health services is negative, there is evidence of the value of supportive and de-stigmatising HIV services in some parts of the globe. Brazil has been hailed as a model by PLWHA. They reported supportive inclusive structural systems that create healthy environments that promote active participation of different groups in society and the government, (Caltado, 2008). In South Africa where most people believe in traditional healing, Aids Activism has made a positive significance in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment by translating and mediating the biomedical approach within local ideological frameworks which are easily understood and acted on by the locals, (Colvin, Robins, 2010). Literature reveals that collaboration between lay perspectives and biomedical approach is essential for successful control of HIV/AIDS and stigma. There is no cure for AIDS but Anti-retrovirals (ARVs) can prolong life by lowering levels of HIV in the body therefore delaying the process between HIV and AIDS, (Robin, 2009). Although ARVs are now readily available in most countries, numbers of newly infected people are rising. According to the World Bank, 60 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Access to treatment has increased dramatically but for every 100 people on treatment, 250 become newly infected, (World Bank, 2010). As such, pressure is now rising on the effectiveness of only relying on the biomedical approach for treatment and care of HIV/AIDS. While lay perspectives are considered effective, this cannot be confirmed as true with HIV/AIDS care. In South Africa, despite people heavily relying on traditional healing approaches, HIV prevalence continued to rise. Significance towards effective control of the epidemic has been noted with the increase in accessibility of ARVs, (Colvin, 2009). In the UNAIDS Report On The Global AIDS Epidemic 2010, in 7 countries, five of them in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, HIV incidences increased by more than 25% between 2001 and 2009. Sub Saharan Africa, although still remaining the most highly affected by the epidemic, figures either stabilised or showed signs of decline owing to positive behaviour due to increased services that are embedded in local culture. The report affirms that stigma and discrimination, lack of access to services and bad laws can make the epidemic worse, (UNAIDS, 2010). Due to the challenges presented by HIV/AIDS to global public health, Baum. (2008:241) calls for collective participation of all sectors in the fight against this deadly disease. She asserts that community level mobilisation where there is partnership between lay people and structures is the effective way of combating HIV/AIDS and stigma. This is further supported by Farmer, (1999:90), who does not condone the dominance of the biomedical perspective in health and healing. He believes that lay people have a significant role in the process of health improvements and emphasises on the importance understanding lay peoples experiences as essential knowledge for successful interventions. He holds that health care services should be accessible to PLWHA without fear of being stigmatised. Educating health care professionals about the impact of stigma on patients and policies that encourage inclusion of PLWHA in decisions that affect their lives are some of the key factors of effectively tackli ng the epidemic. Parker and Aggleton, (2003) also claim collective participation between lay people and health structures as key to successful anti-stigma services. Relationships between health structures and PLWHA could also be improved by engaging lay people through advocacy. The Greater Involvement of PLWHA, (GIPA) principle emphasises the need for involvement of PLWHA at all levels in combating HIV/AIDS because they understand their situation better. Therefore their voices could be heard well if their needs were presented by people in the same situation, (UNAIDS, 2007). In the Zambia study, professionals living with HIV/AIDS are in a better position to advocate for people accessing services. Baum, (2008:550) affirms that advocacy involving public health practitioners is an effective way of influencing structural barriers in public health. Literature has highlighted the contested nature of concepts of health and healing underpinning access to services providing treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and its stigma. The biomedical approach conceptualises health and illness through science and expertise with focus on the individual. Lay concepts view health and healing as embedded within local social and cultural structures and therefore seek to address public health for a wider population. Literature suggests that neither approach in isolation is effective in prevention and care for HIV/AIDS. Arguments have centred on the importance of collaboration of the models. Therefore there is need for intervention programmes to develop holistic approaches that are underpinned by the two models but it is also important to understanding each of the concepts in its own right.

Is International Adoption Justified In The Usa Social Work Essay

Is International Adoption Justified In The Usa Social Work Essay The reason I chose this subject was mainly because International adoption has played a major role in the news during the last few years. On the one hand, there are thousands of orphan children worldwide, mainly in poor countries. On the other hand, there is an increasing demand for adoption in the U.S. and many people turn to international adoption because the supply of national children for adoption is lower than demand. In order to draw a conclusion I have made an extensively research. In particular, I made a thorough analysis for the current situation in the country, the types of adoption that exist and also some celebrities views and acts, since it is believed that celebrities have contributed to the popularity of international adoptions. Moreover, I have described the adoption system in the U.S.A., the main reasons people tend to adopt and why they turn to international adoption. Furthermore, I examined the consequences (positive and negative) of international adoption for the child, for the adoptive parents, for the birth parents and for the society in general. In the end I concluded that international adoption should be justified under certain circumstances. More specifically, I believe that it is better for a child to be adopted from a family in its own country. If this is not possible, someone should turn to international adoption, instead of leaving the child in an inadequate orphanage, where social care is non-existent. Of course, he/she should not overlook the negative impacts of international adoption and the implications it may have on the child, the original parents and the country of birth. Adoption is the act of establishing a person as parent to one who is not in fact or in law his child  [1]  . Adoption is so widely recognized that it can be characterized as an almost worldwide institution with historical roots traceable to antiquity.  [2]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nowadays, adoption can be either open or closed. Open adoption is a process in which the birthparents and the adoptive parents meet and exchange identifying information. The birthparents relinquish legal and basic childrearing rights to the adoptive parents. Both sets of parents retain the right to continuing contact and access to knowledge on behalf of the child  [3]  . On the contrary, closed adoption, the traditional closed system in adoption, seals all identifying information and bans any contact between children and their biological families.  [4]  However, during the last decades more and more countries have acknowledged the legal right of the adoptee to search for his/her original roots. There are also two types of adoption: national and international or intercountry adoption. National adoption is a type of adoption in which an individual or couple adopts a child born in the same country. On the contrary, international adoption, is a type of adoption in which an individual or couple adopts a child from a different country through permanent legal means, and brings that child to the home country permanently. Through international adoption, the  legal transfer of parental rights from birth parent(s) to another parent(s) takes place. United States citizens started adopting war orphan children from other countries mainly after World War II. Recently, the number of families that adopt children from countries other than their own has increased considerably  [5]  . In U.S., in particular, families have adopted on average approximately 20,000 children from foreign nations each year  [6]  . And, not long ago, factors such as poverty and social changes resulted in the adoption of children from Latin America, the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and China.  [7]   Nowadays, international adoption has become a common practice and in some countries accounts for the majority of cases. International adoption can be conducted through both public and private agencies in each country. However, each country has passed different laws as regards international adoptions. In order to  ensure that intercountry adoptions are in the best interests of children, The Hague Conference on Private International Law developed the Convention of May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. This is known as the Hague Adoption Convention and it is an international treaty among over 75 nations around the world, including the United States  [8]  . Its aim is  to prevent the abduction, sale of, or traffic in children; it enables  intercountry adoption under certain circumstances and, recognises intercountry adoption as a means of offering the advantage of a permanent home to a child when a suitable family has not been found in the childs country of origin  [9]  . The aim of this study is to show whether international adoption in the United States is justified, examining the consequences on three levels: for the child, for the family, and for society in general. MAIN REASONS FOR INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION International adoption is gaining ground in our day and time. Couples and individuals tend to look for children to adopt from developing countries, such as China, Thailand, India and may more. There are a plurality of reasons that urge American people to resort to this course of action and are related to the changes effected to the social structure of society at large, the status of women, the financial situation and the changes effected in the mentality of the population. The social structure of the society and especially demographics in the United States has changed significantly. According to recent statistics  [10]  , the percentage of households headed by single parents is at about 9%, up from 5% in 1970. Out of 12.9 million one-parent families in 2006, 10.4 million were single-mother families and 2.5 million were single-father families. Some other highlights are as follows: Average household size in 2006 was 2.57 people, down from 3.14 in 1970. Slightly more than one in four households (26%) consisted of a person living alone in 2006, up from 17% in 1970. In 2006, 33% of males and 26% of females 15 and older had never married, compared to a respective 28% and 22% in 1970. In addition, contemporary society in the US faces fertility problems. According to recent data  [11]  , the level of childlessness among women 40 to 44 years old in June 2006 (20%) is twice as high as 30 years ago (10%). Moreover, 45% of the women in the principal childbearing ages of 15 to 44 years were childless. Financial pressures and the changes in the traditional stereotypical perceptions about the role of women in the society, force American people to consider marriage at a later age in their lives (40-44), after having established their careers and secured a steady income. In particular, women at this age or older do not want to risk a pregnancy, which may put the mothers life at risk or bear children with physical and/or mental diseases. This was not the case in previous decades, in which American people were very conservative with regards to accepting young, unmarried mothers in the society. The norm called for a well-built family around the patriarchal symbol, with the woman playing the role of the child-raising parent. Back then, unmarried women who got pregnant had no option other than having an illegal abortion to avoid the consequences of ostracism from the rest of the societal members. For those women who wanted to keep the child they were bearing, adoption away from home was the only choice once the child was born. Changes in social norms nowadays have made it possible for unmarried women in the United States and abroad to give birth to their children without the fear of facing all sorts of different sanctions, be it moral or psychological. This significant turn on behalf of the American society to higher tolerance levels has made possible the acceptance of unmarried mothers. Even more so, in the case of young girls giving birth, their parents are willing to adopt the new-born and thus support both psychologically and practically their young daughter. Tolerance to abortion has also been heightened and although illegal in many states, abortion is a safe resort -with the advancements in medicine- for many women who want to terminate their pregnancy at an early stage. This limits the number of children available for adoption nationally in the U.S. Added to the above is the fact that women who have a career feel that the nine months of pregnancy could interfere with their job, therefore, adoption would be a better option for them. They may not even want to take that much time out of work to have a baby. This trend is further supported by the fact that in the last decades women have become more financially independent and educated; hence, they are more capable of making ends meet and stand on their feet to run their own households, without having to get married. Still, they want to have the privilege of raising a child and reap the benefits of parenthood. Because a married couple has much higher chances of being allowed to adopt a child, unmarried women resort to international adoption, to overcome their handicap against married couples. In other cases, people who know that they carry a serious genetic disease may not want to give birth to a child, to avoid the risk of passing the disease to their offspring. Still, some families choose to adopt believing that they will be saving a child, offering a loving and supportive family. This is mainly the reason why some people prefer international adoption to national adoption, believing they offer service to the developing world. They usually choose children from developing countries, where the standard of living is very low and they mainly prefer children with no families or relatives, who live in orphanage. International adoption has received widespread media coverage lately, due to the recent adoption of foreign children by several high-profile celebrities. Nowadays, there are many cases of famous people who choose to adopt. Generally, famous people have the same reasons for adopting children that people who are not famous have. Adopting children may be one way for them to feel like they are helping the world out  [12]  . Moreover, famous people often have both financial resources and influence, so, in contrast to an ordinary family, adoption process is much easier for them  [13]  . There are many examples of celebrities who have adopted several children from abroad  [14]  , such as Sharon Stone, Meg Ryan (from China), Mia Farrow (from Vietnam and Korea), Madonna/Guy Ritchie (from Malawi) and Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt (from Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam). However, in contrast to what has been discussed above, there are some negative aspects of adoption, mainly international adoption. A negative reason for adoption is when people choose to adopt in order to deduct an amount from their tax liability. In the US both those who adopt internationally and domestically can take advantage of the Adoption Tax Credit  [15]  . The Adoption Tax Credit is a valuable benefit for adopting families since they may take a tax credit for qualifying expenses paid to adopt an eligible child (including a child with special needs). Such expenses include reasonable and necessary adoption fees, court costs, attorney fees, travelling expenses (including amounts spent for meals and lodging while away from home), and other expenses directly related to and for which the principal purpose is the legal adoption of an eligible child  [16]  . Another negative issue is when adoption becomes so crucial to a celebrity only to get fame, power and admiration. In such cases, international adoption becomes a trend that may result in a negative impact that could last a childs lifetime. Also, a negative aspect of international adoption relates to a tendency of the rich and famous to bypass the law. Celebrities sometimes are bending the rules and pushing the boundaries to bring babies to their own countries. They do not always respect the laws of the third countries and do not follow the procedures as ordinary people usually do. Two cases of famous people that have been discussed a lot are the cases of Madonna and Angelina Jolie. Angelina Jolie acts as a very good example. She has adopted following the proper procedures, she has shown great sensitivity and interest in such issues and has been Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency. On the other hand, Madonna has not followed all the proper procedures according to the Malawian Law, and there have been legal disputes over whether her adoption was totally legal or not  [17]  . Her practice was condemned by many humanitarian organisations and agencies that deal with international adoptions (ISS Headquarters in Geneva expressed their disapproval for the way the procedure was carried out). In short, the discussion in this part of the essay has focused on the rationale behind international adoption. Evidently, there is a trend towards international adoption, which is attributed to the increasing demand for adoption in the U.S. It appears that many people turn to international adoption because the supply of national children for adoption is lower than demand  [18]  . Also, the rising number of single mothers in America as well as in the rest of the western world has turned international adoption into an attractive alternative to national adoption, with its legal complexities and the preference for married couples. INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION IN THE U.S. IS IT JUSTIFIED? Adoption, either national or international, came into effect so that children can live in a loving and healthy environment. In addition, through adoption, individuals as well as childless couples who wish to raise a child can enjoy parenthood. Adoption involves three parties, the child (adoptee), the family (adoptive parents) and the home country of the child (birth parents). It is evident that adoption alters traditional family structure and functioning. In other words, positive and negative aspects of international adoption emerge for each one of these parties. Positive aspects For the adoptee As I stated previously, United States citizens started adopting orphan children from other countries in substantial numbers after World War II. Moreover, over the last twenty years, many children have been adopted from poor countries all over the world. So there are numerous positive aspects for the orphan and poor children worldwide. Research shows that children do best when raised in a supportive, caring family  [19]  . The most important is that international adoption provides a permanent family for the orphan children worldwide. Also, nowadays, many high society individuals are adopting children from underdeveloped nations. This, besides a good home to live, provides the children with a secure future. Living with a rich family, children can have not only a decent living, but also good educational opportunities that they would never have had in their birth country. In addition, most children who need new homes are older than five, sick, disabled, or somehow traumatised. So they have more opportunities for a better life if adopted by a prosperous and caring family. Statistical data derived from parents, teachers and children themselves show that the vast majority of the adopted children demonstrate satisfactory adjustment  [20]  . More specifically, adopted children felt strongly attached to their adoptive families. This can be explained, in part, by the fact that the American society is highly multi-cultural, reducing thus the time for adjustment of a new member originating from a foreign country. Evidently, adjustment is even easier for an adopted international child at the age of five, which is quite malleable and open to stimuli from a different culture. For the adoptive parents Most adults, when they get married plan to have children. Few of these individuals expect ahead of time that there will be difficulties in conceiving a child. Yet, approximately, one in six couples in the U.S. will experience a fertility problem  [21]  . When this happens, most couples seek a medical solution. Nearly 50% of them will be eventually able to have a child biologically  [22]  . The remaining couples must decide whether to remain childless or to seek parenthood through adoption. There are thousands of children without a family all over the world and people who wish to adopt have a better chance of obtaining a child internationally. Thus they are able to give a permanent home and a nurturing environment for an orphan child. This is definitely a positive scenario and, according to statistical data derived from interviews, adoptive parents expressed considerable satisfaction in their roles  [23]  . For the birth parents The biological parents are forced to give away their children, usually because they are very poor, and they cannot provide a stable home and the necessary basics for living. Giving their child for adoption makes them happy that their child gets a family, and a secure future in a loving and healthy environment. Even though the process of separation from their children is painful, they realise that this is a far better solution than not being able to provide their children with a safe, healthy and promising future. On occasions when the mother is very young and has little or no experience to raise a child, adoption is also a better option than entrusting the fate of a newborn to an inexperienced mother, who may be living in the slums of an impoverished nation. For the society of the birth parents International adoption brings significant financial resources into poor countries, putting them in a better economic condition. Still, societies are deprived of their younger members in cases where the adoptee goes to another country. Celebrities like Madonna and Angelina Jolie have provided significant financial resources to poor countries. In addition, celebrity adoptions, through the publicity that they have, play a major role in increasing peoples awareness as regards poverty all over the world. Negative aspects For the adoptee International adoption often, but not always, involves trans-racial placement. Opponents of trans-racial adoption suggest that placement of children outside their own racial group will undermine the development of positive racial identity, ultimately leading to cultural genocide  [24]  . The childs removal from its birth country would mean the loss of the childs original language and culture. According to research, adopted children may experience the loss of birth parents and extended birth family; loss of status; loss of ethnic, racial, and genealogical connections, loss of feelings of stability in the adoptive family, and loss of identity  [25]  . For some children, adoption is associated with feelings of confusion, sadness, anger, embarrassment, and shame. When children begin to understand the meaning and implications of adoption, around five to seven years of age, emergence of sensitivity to adoption related stigma and loss occurs. Some children appraise being adopted in negative ways and have great adjustment problems. In reality, the younger the children the more sensitive they are to adoption issues. For the adoptive parents Among the many tasks experienced by parents are those associated with coping with infertility and the transition to adoptive parenthood, discussing adoption with their child, creating a family environment that supports the childs exploration of adoption issues, helping their child cope with loss, supporting a positive self-image and identity in their child in relation to adoption and, in some cases, as the adoptee moves into adolescence and adulthood, supporting their childs plans to search for birth family. Although not necessarily a negative implication of adoption, it is a great challenge for the adoptive parents, especially when they have adopted a child from abroad. For this child, the pursuit of answers to questions about his/her origins, cultural differences, ethnic background and the like is a long journey that many a times has an unclear destination. The decision to adopt a child is not an easy choice. Profound stress, typically associated with infertility, often results in both short-term and long-term psychological problems, including heightened feelings of anxiety, guilt, shame, anger, and depression; diminished self-esteem and marital difficulties  [26]  . For the birth parents The child is genetically connected with the birthparents and this connection is lost with adoption. As a result, birthparents suffer from a loss of their role as parents, which makes them feel irresponsible and incapable of bringing up their child. Sometimes birthparents are under great pressure and are enforced to give their child to adoption against their will. Sometimes they worry about the future of their child, and they wonder if they will ever see it again. They may feel anger with themselves, with the society, even with the adoptive parents. And the most important issue is that they will have to deal with this for the rest of their lives. From what has been covered in the preceding paragraphs it is concluded that adoption can change significantly the life of all parties involved. Adoption is therefore justified and should be made with the best interests of the child. Likewise, international adoption should be an option only when and if there is no viable alternative in the childs country of origin  [27]  . It should be also mentioned that Unicef believes that international adoption should be considered as a last resort, for children who cannot find a permanent home in their country  [28]  . CONCLUSION Through my study I can understand that international adoption constitutes a great part of the total adoption and has caused public reaction, both positive and negative. I agree with adoption critics, which focus on the issue of exploitation since adoption often involves the transfer of children from less to more privileged people, or from black to white families  [29]  . However, I would like to make it clear that international adoption does not always cause injustice. It should be taken under consideration that there are many orphan children in poor countries or families that are not in a good situation to raise a child. In the case of international adoption, I believe that all alternative solutions for orphan children in poor countries should be considered. These children have no home and family and they are suffering neglected in various institutions. Keeping orphan children in inadequate institutions rather than giving them good permanent homes, does not mean that they will be happier. If a family in their country could offer them home, love and affection, I am convinced this solution would be preferred. If not, international adoption clearly represents an extraordinarily positive option for them. Otherwise, homeless children around the world will probably live or die in inadequate institutions or on the streets. In my opinion the U.S. is a suitable new home for internationally adopted children since a large part of the population who want to adopt a child are well-off and can offer a good and caring family. Since the number of national children for adoption is less than the demand for adoptions, international adoption is the next best alternative  [30]  . To this end, international adoption in the U.S. is justified. Yet, we should not overlook the negative impact of international adoption discussed in the previous section and the implications it may have on the child, the original parents and the country of birth. Ideally, it would be better to provide a home in the country of birth but this is not always possible if the child was born in a very poor country, where social care and infrastructure to support local adoption are non-existent. Banning international adoption will not solve the problems of homelessness in poor countries. Being anti-foreign without a reason is not reasonable. As far as international adoption works well under the existing adoption laws and serves childrens interests, it should be justified and facilitated. The destructive earthquake in Haiti left almost 300,000 people dead and thousands of children without a family. I am of the opinion that for many of these children, international adoption could be a justifiable solution and a unique opportunity for the U.S. to prove that its citizens can make good use of it for the sake of the children and their future.

Entamoeba histolytica Essays -- Essays Papers

Entamoeba histolytica General Description Entamoeba histolytica is an ameba that feeds on cells in the human colon. It is the cause of amebic dysentery (bloody diarrhea) as well as colonic ulcerations. The infection is also referred to as amebiasis. If the organisms spread throughout the body via the bloodstream they may cause abscesses in the liver or, less frequently, other organs. Morphology The organism has two forms. The cyst is round and 10-20 micrometers in diameter, and contains four nuclei when mature. It is resistant to desiccation and stomach acid, and can survive long enough in the environment to be spread to other humans. When the cyst reaches the large intestine, it excysts and the four nuclei present in the cyst become four separate amebae, each of which undergoes binary fission immediately; thus the ingestion of a single cyst leads to 8 trophozoites. The trophozoite, 10-60 micrometers in diameter, is the active form of the organism and it is in this form that the damage is done to the body. In 1994 the CDC recorded 2,983 cases of amebiasis in the United States. Transmission E. histolytica is spread by the fecal-oral route. This is achieved through food or water contaminated with cysts, oral-anal sexual contact, or occasionally directly in childcare centers or institutions for the developmentally challenged. The disease is found far more frequently in people from developing countries or travelers to such areas than in developed countries. Virulence Damage is caused by the lysis of epithelial cells, due in part to the insertion of pore-forming proteins into the membrane of the cell. Neutrophils and non-activated macrophages may also be killed and ingested by the organism, limiting the ability... ...that brings about a mucosal immune response could be effective. However, the lack of projected profit limits the interest of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Sanitation and hygiene are effective controls but often cannot be applied in many poor nations. Until a vaccine is created and distributed, Entamoeba histolytica will remain an important disease in mortality rates, especially among children in developing countries. References pharmacy school info on metronidazole and other treatments of amebiasis http://rxweb.nlu.edu/pharmacy/414/antiprotozoals.htm CDC MMWR from march 08 1985 http://www.cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00000498.htm General info http://gsbs.utmb.edu/microbook/ch079.htm World Health Org cost-effectiveness study on treatment of asymptomatic carriers with metronidazole http://www.who.int/dap-icium/posters/4p1_text.html

Their Eyes Were Watching God Essay -- Essays Papers

Their Eyes Were Watching God An Analysis So many people in modern society have lost their voices. Laryngitis is not the cause of this sad situation-- they silence themselves, and have been doing so for decades. For many, not having a voice is acceptable socially and internally, because it frees them from the responsibility of having to maintain opinions. For Janie Crawford, it was not: she finds her voice among those lost within the pages of Zora Neale Hurston’s famed novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. This dynamic character’s natural intelligence, talent for speaking, and uncommon insights made her the perfect candidate to develop into the outspoken, individual woman she has wanted to be all along. As the novel begins, Janie walks into her former hometown quietly and bravely. She is not the same woman who left; she is not afraid of judgment or envy. Full of â€Å"self-revelation†, she begins telling her tale to her best friend, Phoeby, by looking back at her former self with the kind of wistfulness everyone expresses when they remember a time of childlike naà ¯vetà ©. She tries to express her wonderment and innocence by describing a blossoming peach tree that she loved, and in doing so also reveals her blossoming sexuality. To deter Janie from any trouble she might find herself in, she was made to marry an older man named Logan Killicks at the age of 16. In her naà ¯vetà ©, she expected to feel love eventually for this man. Instead, however, his love for her fades and she beco...

The Internet Piracy

The Pirate Bay -Case Study 1. How does The Pirate Bay business make money? What is its business model? – The Pirate business makes their money by advertising using the â€Å"advertising revenue† as a business model. It’s a website works as a forum to advertise and receives fees from the advertiser. The more browsers the website has, the higher rates of the websites will charge and that’s what lead them to increase their revenue. 2. How do new â€Å"cloud-based† media sites and services make money? What is their business model? * It works through subscription fees by using the â€Å"subscription revenue† as business model.By this the website provides all content or services to their users to exchange for a subscription fee. The users will pay a fee based on what kind of service they want and for how long. 3. Is the record industry justified in attempting to shut down P2P file-sharing sites that make it possible to download copyrighted media? W hy or why not? * Yes it is, since there are millions of dollars spent by record labels to produce albums and not to include the artist’s time and effort into creating music’s and movies for the audience.In my opinion, CD’s, DVD’s can be bit pricy during such difficult economic times, but it will not give people the right to steal. 4. Why might consumers prefer to pay for music from cloud-based sites rather than simply download music from P2P sites? * Because, they get benefits if having instant access of high quality track and videos without the hassle of P2P software download. The consumers don’t have to wait for hours for downloads or clutter their hard drives with file.

How to Multitask? Essay

Sometimes I wish I could clone myself and be present in several places at the same time! † says Vedika. Don’t we wish all we could do that ? Living in this busy world, we never seem to have enough time to get everything done. The best way to get our tasks done is to learn how to organize our time. Women are the best example of multitasking. They need to take care of so many things at once; their children, houses, husbands, and sometimes careers! (Catherine Bush,2001) Although women are born with this skill that doesn’t mean it’s not an attainable skill. The most successful business men are those who learned the art of multitasking. So much work needs to get done, so little time to do it. After all as they say in the business world â€Å"time is money! † Doctors are also are a great example. As a doctor you have a big number of patients to look after, not to mention the multiple surgeries that you have to perform each day, which means you have to focus on getting each task done in its own time. In order to master the art of multitasking, we can always follow a few simple steps in order to get our lives much more organized & accomplishing more. If you want to be a professional multitasked; you have to take in a consideration writing down your to do list, prioritizing, having a timeline, sticking to your time line and finishing   tasks on time. A to do list is the most common way to organizing your tasks. Write down the things you need to get done for the day in the evening before, spend 10-15 minutes writing down your list. There fore, the first thing you should start your day with is deciding what would you do depending on how busy your day os going to be. Now a days, Technology has become much more aware of the important of To Do Lists so we can find such pocket organizers, programs in computers, online websites, and mobile phones as well. Having a to do list will make your day more organized, much clear of what to do. Moreover, it will make you feel less stressed, then you will be much more capable of accomplishing your tasks. After writing down a to do list prioritizing would be your second step. To know when to switch tasks, you must distinguish between the tasks you must perform and those you can afford to blow off. Prioritize your list in order depending on the tasks must be done first. Rank them as daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly categories (Catherine Bush, 2001). Then, you have to decide what tasks need to be done first according to the level of importance and the amount of time you have to get it done. Keep in mind that you have to carry on with your schedule under any circumstances (Sanjay). Timeline would be your redline, so you should prepare yourself to be always on time. First, set a time line for each task so you won’t waste your time. Secondly, you must decide the amount of time you can spend on each task so that you will have enough time to finish them all (Triana Mukherjee,2004). Some tasks un expectedly take more time thus affecting your whole plan. It’s alright, the more you practice this, the better you will be in your time judgment After setting your timelines you have to stick to it. Always, stick to your time line, and finish each task before starting the next one. Doing this will be a good exercise on time management. E. g: when having to work on a project for school, set on estimate for the time required for the preparations step, research step, and writing step. You will be able to finish on time if you stick to your time line . Multitasking at your current level leads to other levels and that is a natural progression. The ‘challenge’ factor keeps you going. You can do other things and do them well† Observes Sanjay, The amount of tasks needed to be accomplished each day depends on a lot of factors; the amount of time you can afford to spend, the quality you want your work to be, your limitations, strength and ambitions.