Medical anthropology -how political economy relates to the issue of Research Paper

Medical anthropology -how political economy relates to the issue of social suffering - Research Paper Example e an aspect that is influenced and affected by numerous interplays of social control issues, ranging from politics, economy, culture, and many more (Brown and Barrett 28). Of particular interest to this study is political economy as well as how it relates to the issue of social suffering. Numerous anthropological theories exist that postulate the relationship between health and interrelated human social environment. Therefore, this paper is arranged in two parts, which are theoretical development of medical anthropology and how political economy relates to the issue of social suffering. The objective of the paper is to clearly outline how social suffering within the perspective of anthropology can be linked to political economy of society. Numerous studies have been undertaken to investigate what causes human health problems in different societies. As a result, different but related frameworks have been developed over a period, that link human health problem to different aspects of ecology, social, cultural, economy, and many more. Donald Joralemon clearly shows how people understand social suffering brought about by presence of diseases and illness using different anthropological perspectives (307). The author develops and explains three types of anthropological perspective that can be used to explain social suffering that human undergo such as disease. The three perspectives include ecological/evolutionary perspective, political/economic perspective, and interpretive perspective (Ember and Ember 307). It becomes possible for one to explain the presence and persistence of social suffering humans go through in any given society. Of interest to this study is the political/economic perspective, which postulates that soc iety is made up of social classes that exhibit differences in terms of resource accessibility, and this particular situation leads to differential occurrence and recurrence of diseases and illness in the society (Ember and Ember 307). The influence of

The quality of risk management in the Civil Engineering Assignment

The quality of risk management in the Civil Engineering - Assignment Example The paper tells that to any engineer, a statement of â€Å"risk† in correlation with a hazard represents the combination of the probability that a hazard will occur and the resulting consequences of that hazard. The possible consequences could range from traumatic injury or death, the cost of rebuilding a structure, the loss of revenue from suspension of economic activity, In addition to environmental damage, and further dangers. To be specific, a hazard can be defined as a set of conditions with the potential to cause adverse or undesirable events. In any case, the safety issue has to be addressed either by the soundness and safety of the design, or by directed measures taken in advance to minimize dangers. Facility construction and civil engineering by necessity involves a wide range of risks. International projects — defined in this case as those where the owner and/or contractor originate from a country other than that of where the project is situated — usual ly require a wider range of issues than purely domestic efforts. There is no doubt that venturing beyond one’s typical business jurisdiction produces many unknowns. Factors concerning owner investment decisions involving international capital facilities can be highly complex and may differ in crucial ways from region to region and between various projects. Contractors are faced with similar challenges when they begin working outside of their country of residency. International projects differ from purely domestic operations in areas such as legal regulations, construction systems/equipment, available technology, and management strategies. The success of a particular venture, and in some cases the viability of the entire organization, can depend upon an understanding of the risks correlating with these projects. International projects that fail in these implicit challenges in terms of scale, budget, and scheduling can result in a variety of undesirable impacts with severe econ omic, social, and political consequences. There is little doubt that construction projects of many eventual purposes going through a process of systematic review for the purpose of risk assessment and managed decision-making will benefit over those that do not. Viewed collectively, construction in a global sense is an essential worldwide industry which by itself accounts for approximately US$3.4 trillion, which constitutes nearly 10% of gross domestic product globally. (Bon, 2000) This sum is distributed among local, regional, or national enterprises, yet an increasing percentage of industry players conduct operations on an international level (Bon 2001). Most recently, the United States has been the largest construction market. With estimates reaching over $800 billion USD—projects completed outside of the domestic market. Construction in a general sense has a history of even greater capital investment in the portfolios of American owners, as well as the work performed by Am erican contractors. The development and operations of multinational corporations serves as a major contributor to the creation of an international market for construction in a way not possible in previous centuries. (United Nations 2001). Most industry experts propose that international business opportunities will continue to attract American foreign investment, while the international construction market will draw U.S. contractors. American Owners are vigorous in searching out international opportunities for new markets or to streamline cost effectiveness in present manufacturing operations. The globalization of the international construction markets allows for considerable profit for contractors to expand into additional foreign markets (Hann and Diekmann 2002). With the expansion of profit potential comes in added need for safety. The effort to minimize safety hazards is not only an issue of public concern, but as the market expands construction hazards pose an increasing threat to the budgetary constraints of many firms. With greater investment also comes greater potential for losses if

Comparing tajfels social identity theory and scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice Essay Example for Free

Comparing tajfels social identity theory and scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice Essay The issue of comparing and contrasting Tajfel’s theory of social identity and the scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice is a very controversial issue subject to debate .The theories are like one and the same thing though they are different as show be noted as the debate goes on.The main difference is that scapegoating mainly touches on the rivals of in-group against out-group while social identity theory bases on the individual rivalry against individual and both have got a negative prejudice effect. Barbara (1997) reiterates that prejudice by definition is an attitude usually negative toward a member of some other group solely on prejudice the membership in that group . Feldman explains prejudice in the sense that when two groups want to achieve the same goal but both groups cannot get hostility is due to happen .For example increased competition of various groups in times of economic crisis may be one of the factors leading to prejudice .Tajfel (1971) believes that the scapegoating theory is not adequate in explaining prejudice and he also uses a social identity theory . However Tajfel et al (1971) argue that competition is not sufficient for inter-groups conflict and hostility .Tajfel does not deny the importance of competition between groups as explanation for the origins of prejudice but argues that mere perception of the existence of another group can itself produce discrimination .Tajfel et al goes on to say that before any discrimination occur ,people must be categorized as members of in-groups or out-groups but more significantly the very act of of categorization by itself produces conflict and discrimination leading to negative prejudice . Therefore from the above analysis one can be tempted to say that the origins of prejudice in both social identity theory and scapegoating theory arise from the same nature to a greater extent as noted in the argument in question though they might be some differences but to a lesser extent. Moreover, scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice asserts that people or groups seeks to displace their anger on the weaker people or groups .When the weaker group sees that its being dehumanized or being regarded as inferior scapegoating has entered in the danger zone which will eventually lead to the aggression of the out-group. However Tajfel’s social identity theory suggest that individuals strive for self image and social identity that is influenced by the value categorized by a group an individual belongs .Therefore from the aforementioned analysis one might be tempted to conclude that the spirit of pride within one group and an individual’s ego perpetuated by a group an individual belongs may leads to prejudice as expulsed in the argument above. In addition , basing on the scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice ,pain and frustration only often evoke hostility for example the native Africans were allocated land in reserves which was very infertile and this led to the First Chimurenga war when the natives fought the whites blaming them for drought and other misfortunes that they were facing as a result of their presence .In contrast to the above theory, Myers(2008) elucidates that the social identity theory in explaining prejudice suggest that individuals in a group come to develop a sense of their identity that is anchored within in-group . Therefore .from the information above one might tempted to clear that both of the two theories asserts that as a result of aggression by scapegoating and in-group development development as supported by Tajfel(1971) elaborates the concept of prejudice though they vary to a lesser extent as exhibited in the argument in question. More so, Healey (2006) pontificates that the scapegoating theory targets for the displaced aggression vary, for example failure by the government of Zimbabwe to run the economy that led to hyper-inflationary epoch many Zimbabweans blamed the sanctions for the economic turmoil and the Europeans as the oppressors but were there to blame for economic crisis in actual sense and this poses a question to many people . Moreover, in the early 1980s people vented their anger to the witchcraft tradition and leading to the masquerading of tsikamutandas to uproot witches in societies and people who were presumed to be witches were humiliated or forced to drink a concoction and if the witch belongs to in-group and another one from out-group  favoritism was bound to happen leading to someone being unfairly treated due to favoritism .The South Africans felt the shortage of employment in their country is because of Zimbabweans saying that they are taking all jobs thus leading to xenophobia attacks on Zimbabweans and in that essence it evokes prejudice between the in-group and out-group. On the other side of the coin ,Faney (2004) alludes that the social identity theory furnishes favoritism among in-groups and out-groups. The theory asserts that as groups are formed ,they come to develop a culture of patriotism towards themselves and to discriminate against out-groups .therefore , from the aforesaid assertions one might be tempted to alludes that prejudice arise from favoritism and displaced aggression as exposed in both theories above . Furthermore , Tajfel (1971) suggests that resource allocation is done unequally ,in particular they will favor their own group at the expense of out-group .This suggest that the tendency in-favor of in-group may be especially powerful if the in-group feels to be minority .In addition the scapegoating theory in explaining prejudice propounds that for instance in Zimbabwe ,opposition to immigration since 1990 has gone up and down following the hijacking unemployment rate . Moreover ,the scapegoating theory and social identity theory explain the concept of prejudice in a different dimension as noted above in the argument in question though some very small similarities were noted but since the explanations outwit the similarities one might be tempted to conclude that both theories in explaining prejudice they differ immensely . To add more flesh to the bones , the social identity theory presumes that as people hear the views of a group they are bound to change their own views to suite of the in-group and one school of thought believes that similarities within groups will ultimately lend itself to polarization among groups .Members of the in-group will try to make themselves look unique from out-group as they endeavor this uniqueness to prove a spirit of social identity . For example if l am a soccer fan and we are discussing the play of the play of an opposing team , l might advocate for my team that plays much better than the opposing team .However the scapegoating theory reiterates that the strongest anti-black prejudice has occurred among whites who stay  much closer to blacks on the socio-economic hierarchy . For instance the whites who protested for the industrial conciliation act enactment are the whites who were feeling threatened by the black society and those white who were on top of the socio-economic hierarchy felt no intimidation by blacks .there, as thus discussed above one might possibly say that it is clear from the aforesaid argument that scapegoating and social identity theory can explain prejudice from various angles as expulsed in the argument in question . Moreover , Tajfel (1971) asserts that the personal identity deteriorates and social identity become focal in the sense that people have a feeling of themselves individually and as part of the group they belong and in doing so their group identity comes to the central core of their prejudice and they ceases to pay more attention on the individual characteristics of out-group .Furthermore , scapegoating pontificates that the clash of interest may result in prejudice and anyone who is not satisfied with himself is always ready for a revenge .For example Floyd May-weather might always feel that he can outclass Pacquino despite losing to him and every time is ready for a revenge match so as to claim his status as a champion . Therefore , from the above analysis one might be tempted to conclude scapegoating and social identity theory are somehow different though clearly explaining the concept of prejudice as noted in the aforesaid assertions . In summation ,It does not need a rocket scientist to discover that competition to prestige, social recognition ,water, land ,jobs and some other resources may precipitates aggression which will eventually turn into prejudice in both theories scapegoating and social individual theory .However , it is an abortion of factual evidence to sidestep the differences such as displaced aggression , feelings of in-group and out-groups , favoritism among in-groups and out-groups and just to mention but a few were addressed as differences of social identity and scapegoating theory as exhibited in the argument in question in explaining the concept of prejudice. ` Tatenda Nyoka is a student at Great Zimbabwe Zimbabwe University and can be contacted on [emailprotected]

Fashions Of The 1950s Era Cultural Studies Essay

Fashions Of The 1950s Era Cultural Studies Essay The 1950s were a fascinating time in the United States that left an impressive mark on our society. Fashion during this unforgettable time was extremely imaginative and expressive, and overtime evolved into iconic images that are repeatedly replicated in fashion today. The now famous styles are historical icons in our culture that are recognized by the majority of Americans. The fashion of the 1950s is very memorable to our society because it was, rebellious, captivating, and unique. The 1950s are often thought of as a time with conservative families who had well-behaved children that listened to their parents rules, and lived in cookie cutter suburban communities. While for many this was true, there was also a great deal of teenage rebellion that came out of this era. As the 1950s opened, Americas adolescents were basically a conservative, unrebellious lot.  [1]  At the very start of the 1950s teens idolized the same older generation figures as their parents, so factors for a rebellion were simply not there. However, in the early part of the decade younger idols arose and new cultural factors began the start of a teenage rebellion and, By the late fifties Americas teenagers had acquired a distinct subculture of their own. They had their own money, music, movies, television shows, idols, clothing, and slang.  [2]  They had found their own fashions and they centered on casual dress, instead of the upright fashion of older generations. This rebellion was ea sily expressed through exciting new fashions that had never been seen before. These styles became a vital aspect to the 1950s era that are now recognized and imitated in the fashion world today. The fresh clothing ideas for teenage girls included, rolled-up jeans, full dresses with crinolines, skirts paired with sweaters, casual blouses, blazers, tube dresses, sack dresses, two-piece bathing suits, and brown and white saddle shoes. High school boys were regularly seen in sport shirts, denim jeans with rolled-up cuffs, baggy pegged pants, pleated rouge trousers with a white side stripe, V-neck sweaters, slacks with back buckles, button-down striped shirts, blazers, and loafers.  [3]  Favorite color pallets and designs incorporated into these styles were polka dots, dramatic bright colors, and pale pastel colors.  [4]  One of the up-and-coming teen idols was Rebel without a Cause, James Dean, whose iconic look consisted of a white tee shirt and sport jacket.  [5]  This rol e model led to the same age group of boys showing their own rebellion through a tough attitude, black leather jackets, jeans, and tee shirts with rolled sleeves to hold cigarette packs. This highly rebellious crowd became known as Greasers, a very recognizable subculture. To continue, style in the 1950s was captivating for many Americans of the time. While the style of the rebellious teens is sometimes the spotlight of Fifties fashion, older generations also embraced new fashion ideas. Americans in the 1950s were caught up in many popular fads. Perhaps to take their minds off the looming threats to Americas Securityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [6]  In 1950 popular fashion designer Christian Dior created designs for his concept of the New Look, and it quickly became the epitome of fashion for women at the time. His model emphasized an hourglass shape (still popular today), skintight tailoring, narrow waist, and a full flared skirt. Along with this latest fashion ideal, it was also popular for Fifties women to wear fashion staples such as, stiletto heels, bright red lipstick, hats, and gloves. In the 1950s it was common for women to be housewives, but many were also working outside the home, Although womens roles were changing, the most popular fashions of the 1950s emphasized womens femininity and sexuality.  [7]  Overall, for women a look of professional feminism was portrayed, but with young girls a more fun look was trendy. The most memorable of these looks was that of the bobby soxers, consisting of two-tone saddle shoes, ankle socks, white shirts, soft sweaters, neck scarves, and poodle skirts. Poodle skirts are a staple of the 1950s that were frequently worn to Sock Hops and were, full circular skirts decorated with felt patches of well-coiffed French poodles and were the fashion rage for teen girls.  [8]  A sense of style was even welcomed by young children because of the popularity of Western television shows; therefore, children would often mimic the look of their favorite cowboy.  [9]  Even male fashion began to take a more attractive and less stiff turn, clothing such as smart suits, sports jackets, and trousers with permenant creases.  [10]  In conclusion, the 1950s appealing fashion gave women a look of sophi sticated feminism, gave men a look of relaxed professionalism, and gave younger generations a look of carefree fun. Finally, it is easy to observe that the clothing styles and fashions of the generations were unique to the time, but conformity was also an accepted idea at the time as well. Even the most self-expressive group desired to fit it, Teenagers were also very conformist: They were very concerned about what their friends thought of their dress, behavior, and ideas, and they tried very hard to be part of the group and not be labeled an oddball or individualist.  [11]  It could be surmised that the reason for this need to be the same through fashion may have stemmed from the emerging suburban lifestyle in the United States, which was all about conformity through appearance. Therefore, fashion during the 1950s was most often not about being an individual with your own personal style, it was based off of being apart of a universal style. The fashions were so highly received that they could be seen on almost everyone of the decade. For example, powerful businessmen of the time sported the i nfamous gray flannel suits, which were paired with narrow brimmed hats.  [12]  As a result of televisions invading homes, and movie theaters growing, admiration of stars like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, added to the aspiration to achieve a trendy look of glamorous sophistication and elegance.  [13]  Of course, there were exceptions to the conformity ideal, and these groups were known as The Beatniks. These were citizens who detested conformity and separated themselves from the popular fashions by wearing black turtleneck sweaters, blue jeans, and sandals for men and black leotards and short skirts for women. Ironically, the style that they developed to protest being the same became a conformity in itself.  [14]  To sum up, even though 1950s fashion could be vastly conformist, the styles themselves were definitely unique and something that the country had never experienced, but quickly loved and would continue to adore for generations to come. In conclusion, the fashion of the 1950s was filled with blends of trendy, relaxed, fun, elegant, and sophisticated styles. The original fashions of this beloved decade are still treasured in society today, and these fashions are often still imitated in various styles in the fashion world. Because 1950s fashion was rebellious, captivating, and unique, it has evolved into a memorable part of history that will always have an element of current fashions for years to come. The Fifties style sums up everything that is flattering, does not appear to be a contrived fashion statement, and shows classic good style.  [15]  

History and Story Telling in Graham Swifts Waterland Essay -- Waterla

History and Story Telling in Graham Swift's Waterland Waterland uses history, theory, and fictional biography to address the question of history. The blurring of boundaries between history, story, and theory questions the construction of those boundaries as well as the closure and linear nature of traditional narrative. If Waterland has a beginning, it is far in the geologic past, at a time when the continents began their slow journey to the positions they now occupy; however, the novel itself does not begin at this beginning. Waterland moves forward and backward through geologic, historic, and biographic time. By denying the linearity and absolute authority of historical narrative, Swift leaves room for rupture and revision, for stories and nostalgia. The historical and biographical accounts provide a context for the philosophy and theory that the narrator interjects throughout the novel; the philosophy and theory facilitate the leaps in time between geologic, historic, and biographic past. Swift's mingling of (what appears to be) a "r eal" geologic history of the fens and the fictional accounts of the Crick and Atkinson families blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction, turning history into fiction and placing fiction within a "real" historical account. (footnote 1) Waterland, as a novel, makes the same proposal that Tom Crick makes to his class: to discover and reveal the purpose of history by telling a story. The study of semiotics shows that language is the primary mediator in the construction of reality. All systems of signification are dependent on language, and the development of subject position is determined through the act of speaking. (footnote 2) In a discussion of language functions, Fredric Jameson d... ... Tom Crick are purely fictional; however, the possibility remains that they may be fictionalized biographical incidents based on events that occurred to or are known by the author, Graham Swift. This further complicates the blurring of boundaries between fiction and "reality." footnote 2 See the work of Jacques Lacan and Emile Benveniste. footnote 3 I am not limiting Tom Crick's subject position to only three possibilities; I only offer these as three possibilities from a multiplicity. footnote 4 I am fascinated by the idea of Sarah Atkinson's stories and have been telling myself her possible stories. Were her mysterious "appearances" Sarah's stories come to life because she could not "tell" them? Did she find another way to articulate her stories? Did she hear the stories others told and (re)tell them, inserting herself into the narrative?

Carbohydrates :: essays research papers

Carbohydrates For my health project I did carbohydrates. They are the bodies energy source. Carbohydrates supply the body with the energy it needs to function. They are found almost exclusively in plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, peas, and beans. Milk and milk products are the only foods derived from animals that contain a significant amount of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are divided into two groups, simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, sometimes called simple sugars, include fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (table sugar), and lactose (milk sugar), as well as several other sugars. Fruits are one of the richest natural sources of simple carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are also made up of sugars, but the sugar molecules are strung together to form longer, more complex chains. Complex carbohydrates include fiber and starches. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates include vegetables, whole grains, peas, pasta, potatoes and beans. Carbohydrates are the main source of glucose, which is a major fuel for all of the body's cells and the only source of energy for the brain and red cells. Except for fiber, which cannot be digested, both simple and complex carbohydrates are converted into glucose. The glucose is then either used directly to provide energy for the body, or stored in the liver for future use. When a person consumes more calories than the body is using, a portion of the carbohydrates consumed may also be stored in the body as fat. When choosing carbohydrate-rich foods for your diet, always select unrefined foods such as fruits, vegetables, peas, beans, and whole-grain products, as opposed to refined, processed foods such as soft drinks, desserts, candy, and sugar. Refined foods offer few, if any, of the vitamins and minerals that are important to your health. In addition, if eaten in excess, especially over a period of many years, the large amounts of simple carbohydrates found in refined foods can lead to a number of disorders, including diabetes and hypoglycemia (low sugar). Yet another problem is that foods high in refined simple sugars often are also high in fats, which should be limited in a healthy diet. Carbohydrates are the best fuel for athletes because they take less oxygen to burn than protein or fat. You'll be able to exercise harder, both during training and competition, when you eat enough carbohydrates. Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 calories. A high carbohydrate diet allows you to train harder by rebuilding your carbohydrate stores and decreasing your recovery time.

MAR project team Essay

Strength Integrated Health consists a number of hospitals. Has an internal technology department – MIS. Has a large number of staff MAR project team is well rounded with technology. The institutions of Integrated Health are well known by the people in Tempe, Arizona. A non-profit organization, which means all the earned money minus the salary and daily operational costs of the institution, can be used for development. Weaknesses Utilizes manual processing of information. Low investment on automation. Chief Information Officer doesn’t have technical background. Some Directors doesn’t support automation and would rather have the traditional process. A large number of staff doesn’t agree with the change. Due to manual filings, specialists reported that patients endorsed to them doesn’t have files 30% of the time. Doesn’t have a change management process. MIS Staff are underestimated and their relevance is not clear to the whole organization Opportunities Lower of costs by investing on computerizing MAR. Can attract partnerships with insurance companies as they are becoming a trend. By investing in computerized MAR, less information would be missing or incorrect If medical tests would not be repeated unnecessarily, then operational costs can be lessen. Computer management of patient medication profiles offers the opportunity to enhance communication between pharmacists and nurses decrease medication errors and delays in delivery of therapy. enhance medication delivery accuracy and timeliness Threats If the computerized MAR is not implemented, insurance companies would not want to partner with Integrated Health. Increasing incorrect medical profiles of patients. If the computerized MAR is implemented, There will be dependence on its automation in the future and when it fails, operations will stop. Cost for further upgrades to fix bugs and improve services will be considered.