Origins, Development And History Of Classical Sonata Genre Essay

Origins, Development And History Of Classical Sonata Genre - Essay Example This genre of music has experienced contributions made by some of the best musicians that have ever existed. These musicians are said to be the founding fathers of the music that we experience in the 21st century. The first contributor of sonata is believed to be Arcangelo Corelli who developed two forms of Sonata including the ones that were deemed as suitable to be played within church area and the second form was considered appropriate to be used in courts in which a dance usually followed a particular prologue and these musical displays were made following the similar key (Bbc.co.uk 1). The sonata that was played in churches usually comprised of playing of one or two violins which usually started at a slower tone. After the slow tone, the tone used to be increased a bit and towards the end the pitch of the tone used to be quite lively to match the tunes of dance. In the beginning the pitch of the tones was not quite clearly to differentiate between different tones but with the us e of violin the tones became quite clear. On the other hand the sonata that was considered as appropriate for the church used to be completely based on dance based tunes. Later on a mix of both kinds of sonatas used to be experienced. Major percentage of the sonatas was contributed by Sebastian Bach but his focus was less on this form of music as compared to the others (Geck 585).

Analisys of demand and supply affecting Shell Oil Coursework

Analisys of demand and supply affecting Shell Oil - Coursework Example The effects of changes in the price and availability of gods and services, which serve as complements to oil have had a great impact on the demand for Shell’s products. A good is as a complement when a rise in its price results to a negative shift in the demand curve for the good of interest. The rise in the maintenance costs has placed tremendous pressure on the demand for oil and affecting the price for the company’s products. The price fall in shares for other industries that heavily rely on oil has had a great impact on demand for oil. The reduced profitability and price wars among companies such as Tesco, J Sainsbury, and Marks Spenser reduces the demand for Shell’s products. Increase in price of engineering tools used in processing and extraction of oil have had a negative impact on the demand for oil (Mason, 2011). Shell can increase the price for its products and services to cover higher overhead costs. A substitute good or service is as a substitute when an increase in its price results into a positive shift in the demand for good or service of interest (Cherunilam, 2007). The increase in the availability of alternative fuel sources such as solar energy has a negative impact on the demand for oil. ... The demand for Shell’s products is price sensitive (elastic) since a reduction in the price for Shell petrol will automatically result into an increase in demand. In the case of Shell’s products and services, the percentage change in demand is greater than the change in price. The effects of 2008 economic crisis have had negative impacts on the available income to most people in the UK and the rest of the world. This results into decreased availability of disposable income thereby lowering the demand for products and services (Kotler, 2006). An increase in the level of income can result in increased demand for Shell’s products as people start spending more on luxuries such as travelling longer distances using private cars. This will result into increased demand for fuel. Changes in the company’s operations can have remarkable impacts on the supply curve. The increase in cost of oil extraction due to the effects of economic recession is likely to lead to a shift in Shell’s supply curve. The cost of the refinery is a vital factor that causes a shift in the supply curve. The high cost of production has resulted into less supply and consequently fewer profits (Tanne & Raymond, 2010). The increase in the number of the company’s own retail outlets is playing a major role in increasing the company’s global presence. This results into positive shift in the supply curve. Market failures and imperfections An externality is an impact resulting because of an economic activity that affects unrelated third parties (Maidment, 2002). An example of an externality is the recent Shell’s oil spill in Niger Delta, which affected the surrounding environment and affected the health and economic life of the nearby residents. An externality can

The Bildungsroman in Victorian Novels Essay Example for Free

The Bildungsroman in Victorian Novels Essay The Bildungsroman Genre. The narrative mode Dickens has adopted aligns his novel with the Bildungsroman  genre of literature. The term  Bildungsroman  is a German word meaning novel of formation or education novel. A  Bildungsroman  novel frequently puts an emphasis on the moral and psychological development of its protagonist. Morality is an important theme in  Great Expectations, one of the episodes of  Great Expectations  which illustrates the conventions of the  Bildungsroman form is the storys opening which immediately establishes the protagonists orphaned status with the young Pip contemplating the graves of his dead parents. The figure of the orphan illustrates Dickenss innovative engagement with the  Bildungsroman  genre, as Pip could be viewed as a blank slate, or tabula rasa, in that his mind isnt informed by any external psychological influence from his parents. Instead his shrewish older sister and her husband, the kindly and unassuming blacksmith Joe Gargery, are raising him. Initially Pip is content with his humble surroundings, although his class-consciousness receives a rude awakening on his first visit to Satis House. Here he encounters Miss Havisham and her ward Estella, the latter of whom takes delight in continually reminding the protagonist of his lowly status. When Estella remarks on Pips coarse hands and thick boots, and his habit of calling knaves Jacks when they are playing cards together, she is expressing her contempt of his background. Even though Pip is hurt by her taunts, he still becomes infatuated with Estella, and it is this attraction which triggers his own animosity towards his origins. Sometime after Pip has come of age and has been working in the forge with Joe, the lawyer Jaggers informs him of an anonymous benefactor who wishes to make the protagonist a gentleman. Incorrectly Pip assumes this benefactor to be Miss Havisham, and starts to entertain the belief that the old spinster intends him for Estella. This episode heralds a great advance in the protagonists own snobbery and delusion, as he sets off for London, putting his origins in the Kent marshlands behind him. While Pip is enjoying the leisurely life of a gentleman in the capital, he receives a letter from his old acquaintance Biddy, stating that Joe has come up to London and would like to visit him. Pips disdain for the blacksmith is revealed in his reservations concerning such a prospect: If I could have kept him away by paying money, I certainly would have paid money . When the protagonist returns to his hometown for his sisters funeral, his snobbery is further evinced on his insistence at staying in the Blue Boar inn in town, as opposed to the forge with Joe. His actions are evidence of the  Bildungsroman  narratives preoccupation with moral and psychological development. Pips final exchange of wealth and status for friendship and humility indicate how he has matured as a protagonist. On the other hand, the novel by Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D’urbervilles, has not made any case for the novel’s being a Bildungsroman. Tess has been called a â€Å"fundamentally changeless† ballad heroine; her story has been referred to as â€Å"mythological† a â€Å"personification of rural Wessex† a representation of the agricultural community in its moment of ruin†. However, categorising and allegorizing Tess’s story, it is possible to lose sight of the novel’s unrelenting focus on Tess the individual as she attempts to make something of her life. Holding that the novel â€Å"develops a single theme, the life-history of one person, and sends this uninterrupted forward†. Thomas Hardy, in his time plan for the novel, graphically stressed the centrality of Tess’s experience as he carefully noted the dates of the novel’s events in relation to Tess’s age. What Tess attempts to do during the brief portion of her life dramatized by Hardy makes her story one of coming of age, in other words, the novel ought to be viewed as a Bildungsroman.

The State Of Male Privilege In Contemporary Society Sociology Essay

The State Of Male Privilege In Contemporary Society Sociology Essay The state of male privilege within society is greatly debated. Both past and present day academics, have considered the extent of its presence and effects within society in relation to spatial and geographical dimensions. Over time, a vast selection of literature claiming that male privilege heavily affects womens power and opportunity for equality between the sexes has accumulated. This literature is a reaction to issues such as women consistently taking lower wages in the workforce and being repressed by the family unit, cultures, religion, politics and society as a whole. This has resulted in limitations for women due to stereotypical gender roles reinforced in both work and home spaces. However, the increased empowerment of women must be noted through the last century, for example, when women won the right to vote. The last decade witnessed Farrells (1993) works on The Myth of Male Power which has cast a rather different light on the alleged privileges of man. Leaving one to ques tion whether, in fact, it is to women that freedom and privilege belongs; Goldin and Katz (2006) discuss this phenomenon in The reversal of the college gender gap. Are men perhaps, as Farrell (1993) suggests, perhaps the subordinated sex? For the purposes of this essay, male privilege will be defined as the notion that the male population of society is granted rights and statuses based strictly on the grounds of their gender, thus women are denied equal liberties. Patriarchy, as a concept strongly associated with male privilege is defined as a system of social structures and practices, through which men dominate, oppress and exploit women, according to The Dictionary of Human Geography (Gregory et al. 2009). Cosslett et al (1996) highlight the theme of patriarchy is evident within theological structures. They also refer to a verse from the book of Timothy in the New Testament which clearly suggests that women are subordinate to men. Let a women learn in silence with all submissiveness. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, bit the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet woman will be saved through bearing children, if she continues in faith and love and holiness, with modesty. (1 Timothy 2.11-15) 1 Timothy 2.11-15 suggests that women are the cause of sin and deception. Eve, as the representation of the female form was deliberately disobedient when provided with the opportunity to exercise her own authority. Christianity interprets this foundational allegory in order to offer an explanation for the sexual hierarchy existing within society. According to Therborn (2004), the world of patriarchy remained part of society throughout the 1900s. The law of the father remained a substantial part of understanding society during the 1900s. The role of the father was to rule over the children continuing into adult life, until they were married. It was generally perceived that men were super-ordinate to their wives, thus men had generational authority. So much so, that despite a general expectation that men should keep a mistress in Latin Europe and America, divorce was incredibly difficult and a uniquely male privilege in China and Muslim countries (Therborn, 2004). Female freedom was incredibly restricted, entirely controlled by their male authority, whether it be by their father or husband. Movement in public spaces for women was physically restrained almost everywhere, however, restrictions varied to a great extent. In North-America and North-western Europe, sexually ambiguous spaces including the streets after dark, restauran ts, theatres and other places of entertainment were usually off-limits to women unless being escorted (Therborn, 2004). However, Therborn (2004) noted that more extreme measures were taken to restrain womens movement elsewhere, for example, in an area of land between the Gangetic plains of the redundant Mughal Empire to the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Women of the upper conservative classes rarely left their female quarters, let alone their home; it was expected that they should only set foot outside their home for events such as their marriage, their fathers death and at their own burial. On the few occasions when they did leave their home, they were wrapped up and veiled. Therborn (2004) discusses not only the restrictions that were placed on womens movement through space but physical restraints places on their body by men. Women in China endured great suffering; forced to conform to the male concept of beauty their feet were broken and bound up as a tribute to their male authority. Jackson (1990) suggests that some homosexual men may have suffered oppression under patriarchy (such as compulsory heterosexuality), as well as the inherent exploitation of women. Brittan (1989, p.4) considers that masculinity or patriarchy assumes that heterosexuality is normal, it accepts without question the sexual division of labour, and sanctions the political and dominant role of men in the public and private spheres. Essentially certain forms of masculinity are privileged, subordinating other forms. Thus, homosexuality is treated as secondary to heterosexuality, just as women are to men. The continued oppression and abuse of women through time and place inspired the sentiments of Mary Wollstonecraft two centuries ago, who wrote, I [only] wish women to have powerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦over themselves, as highlighted by Finch (1996). As the second wave of feminism began to gain strength in Britain in the 1960s, views of the family changed, as feminists argued the family was a fundamental cause of womens oppression (Finch, 1996). Finch (1996) questions whether or not the family represents restriction of opportunities, thus positioning women as subordinates to men within the family unit. He suggests that the gender relations characteristic of the dominant family form are key to understanding a womans place within society. However, Finch (1996) argues that in recent years the family form has altered. Therborn (2004) suggests that the early twentieth century saw de-patriarchalization occurring at an incredible rate. No other social institution through time has been forced to retre at and loosen its hold as much. The retreat of patriarchy from society has been aided by legal enforcement; for example, when women (all over the age of 21) won the right to vote in 1928 as well as the UN declaration of human rights 1948, which stated: Men and Women of full age, without any limitations due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage, and its dissolution Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses So the family form has changed and continues to change; as the first wave of feminism spurred on de-patriarchalization in the early twentieth century followed by the second wave come the 1960s, womens rights within marriage and the family were increasing. A womans ability to succeed in the eyes of Mary Wollstonecraft has to go against the grain of social life (Finch, 1996, p.20), in combination with favourable circumstances allowing a woman to gain financial independence. However, Finch (1996) recognises that this remains a difficult task even at the end of the twentieth century. Callen and Wren (1994) report a sharp rise on the hourly wages that Irish women received relative to their male counterparts during the 1970s, after the introduction of the equal pay legislation and anti-discrimination legislation. Over the past few decades the male-female wage gap has seemingly shrunk by about half. This narrowing was particularly dramatic in the 1980s but since has levelled out and remained more stable (Doms and Lewis, 2007). However, it remains that women only earn approximately 70% of the amount their male colleagues earn for the same jobs. This is evidence that men seem to have privileges which women lack. Simon and Landis (1989) suggest that the wage gap between men and women cannot narrow to equality until both genders have equal employment. Conversely, most of the figures quoted for the male-female wage gap are for production workers in the manufacturing industry, but this group of workers amounts to just 1 in 3 of all employees and less than 1 in 5 of all fe male employees (Callen and Wren, 1994). Thus, it is debateable as to whether this sub-group of the economy can provide an accurate representation of the male-female wage gap. It is also important to note that women are more highly concentrated in the younger age groups within the workforce; 70% women: 52% men were aged 35 or below. This is usually attributed to many women, especially married women, tending to leave the labour market during the years of child-bearing and child-rearing (Callen and Wren, 1994). This can affect the wage gap because generally wage gaps for groups of a similar age, or possessing similar labour market experience are smaller. The wage gap is often around just 7% for those under the age of 35. Despite increasing numbers of women returning to work after having children, many still feel that child-care and other family responsibilities are the main reason that they did not seek out paid work. The presence of a pre-school child (age 0-4) makes it much less likely that a woman will return to work (Callen and Wren, 1994). This effect is not at all mirrored in the case of men. McDowell (1997) suggests that this is due to the binaries that exist in society; the workplace is a male dominated space while the home is a female dominated space. However, Hochschild (2003) notes a staggering increase in mothers returning to work in America with children aged 3 and under, from 34% in 1975, to 61% in 2000. 90% of women that do return to the workforce have found that they still are expected to be responsible for finding and organising childcare. Whilst this increase in the number of mothers that are working outside the home may suggest that women are gaining power over themselves, it may a lso be attributed to a change from Fordist notions of a family wage. Rather, womens work has absorbed the deindustrialisation of America and the decline in mens wages (Hochschild, 2003). In fact, Pratt (2002) predicts that by 2025 women in the UK will possess 60% of the nations wealth, and by 2020 just 47% of the UKs millionaires will be men. Garai and Scheinfield (1968) suggest that the majority of studies report that men advance further in the workforce, whilst women are left behind with the expectation to get married and have children because boys have a clearer concept of their future occupational roles, are more realistic in their vocational planning, and less frequently engaged in unrealistic fantasies and pipedreams about future happiness than girls. Is the privilege and success of men within the workforce due to a lack of aspiration and focus on employment from women? Or is it as Spencer and Podmore (1987) have suggested, that womens careers are unplanned due to an indecisive nature as well as suffering from breaks for child-rearing? This began to change as in the 1960s and 1970s, young womens expectations for their futures were changing, and no longer did they expect to follow in their mothers footsteps. By 1980, levels of male and female graduates had reached parity, but womens greater increase rate did not slow; in 2003, there were 1.35 for every one male 4-year college graduates, and 1.30 for every one male undergraduate (Goldin and Katz, 2006). Thus the 21st century witnessed a reversal in the college gender gap. This effect is not purely a phenomenon of the USA; it is now occurring in nearly all OECD countries. In the three surveys conducted to assess the college gender gap, Goldin and Katz (2006) reported that girls achieved consistently higher grades than boys did throughout high school. In the Wisconsin data of high school seniors graduating in 1957, the high school rank of the median girls was 21 percentile points above the median boy. This difference whilst less extreme still remained with a 16 percent ile point difference in 1992 graduated in the NELS data (Goldin and Katz, 2006). Therefore, demonstrating that girls have an academic privilege over boys. Evidence that the college gender gap and the male-female wage gap is narrowing perhaps lead to Farrell (1993) to question whether male power is a myth, further exploring the idea that men are not the privileged gender. Farrell (1993) considers the many ways in which women are argued to be subordinate to their male counterparts; feeling of powerless through fears of pregnancy, ageing, rape, date rape, and being physically overpowered, less exposure to team sports and its blend of competitiveness and cooperation that is so helpful to career preparation, greater parental pressure to marry and interrupt career for children without regard for her wishes, to name but a few. The conclusion to these experiences of women across the globe is that women have the problem, men are the problem (Farrell, 1993, p.27-28). However, Farrell (1993) then puts a different spin on the concept of gender privilege, claiming that men have a different experience. When a man tries to keep up with payments by working overtime and is told he is insensitive, or tries to handle the stress by drinking and is told he is a drunkard, he does not feel powerful, but powerless. When he fears a cry for help will be met with stop whiningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ he skips past attempting suicide as a cry for help and just commits suicide. Thus menà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦increasingly become the suicide sex. (Farrell, 1993, p27-28) Farrell (1993) suggests that when we look at life expectancy, we acknowledge that blacks dying six years sooner than whites reflects the powerlessness of blacks in American society. Yet a man dying on average seven years sooner than a woman is rarely considered a reflection of powerlessness. If the seven year gap is biological, why was it just a one year gap in 1920? If life expectancy is one of the best indictors of power, then suicide is one of the best indicators of powerlessness, Power is the ability to control ones life. Death tends to reduce control (Farrell, 1993, p27-28). Until boys and girls reach the age of 9 rates of suicide are equal, but from the age of 10, as a boy grows older he is far more likely to commit suicide than a girl of the same age. Between the ages of 20-24, a male is 6 times more inclined to commit suicide than a female. By the age of 85, the suicide rate for men has increased to 1350% higher than for women of the same age. This suggests perhaps that men h ave a less privileged life, for feeling more stressed with work may cause an inclination toward suicide. It is easy to ignore the influence and power that a woman possesses, which a mother can have over her children including both sons and daughters. But it is the mother who is able to make their childs everyday life heaven or hell through discipline, whether that be making their bedtime earlier, taking away desserts, or grounding the child if they do not obey (Farrell, 1993). Few men are able to say they hold this kind of influence or power. Despite the old saying that man is master of the house, many men feel they were visitors in their wives castle. A wife may feel that a mans home is his castle, but from a husbands perspective, his wifes home is his mortgage. In the past, the prohibition against divorce gave a woman security in her workplace (the home), knowing they would be supported. However, no man could say he had a similar security in his workplace; his source of income could fire him, whilst her source of income could not fire her. Even today, now that divorce is a legal option, if a man quits his job, he does not receive unemployment pay. Yet, if she initiates divorce, she is able to take a half share of their possessions. Perhaps then, women possess greater privileges than men? It has been a long held assumption that women spend a greater amount of time on housework and childcare than men spend working, concluding that women work two jobs, men work one (Farrell, 1993, p.37). However, a study by the University of Michigan (1991) found the average man worked 61 hours per week, while the average woman works 56 hours a week. A nationwide study in 1975 found similarly that husbands did 53% of the total work, including childcare, housework, work outside the home, commuting and gardening, while wives did only 47%. A mans freedom or lack of it has been compared to that of a slave; a slave is expected to give up their seat for a woman, or to help her put on her coat like a slave would for their master (Farrell, 1993). Men as opposed to women are expected to do societys most hazardous jobs, like ones slave would have been given (Farrell, 1993).The difference simply being societys rules and expectations of men, such as that of politeness, whilst slaves act out of subservience. A man may feel through expectation that in a sense he is being discriminated against, but there is evidence that women also experience this. Black congressman Shirley Chisholms statement that she faced far more discrimination as a woman than as a black was widely quoted (Farrell, 1993). Although, perhaps the greatest discrimination that American men experience of all, purely because of their gender, is the expectation that men and only men should be conscribed into combat in the case of war. Farrell (1993) explores the idea of the pro-choice woman and the no-choice man, arguing that registering all our 18-year old sons for the draft in the event of war is as sexist as registering all our 18-year old daughters for child-rearing in the event that the country requires more children. Is it fair that an 18-year boy can be barred from all federal employment from the US Post Office to the FBI, as well as facing a $250,000 fine and five years in prison if he refuses to register for the draft? Farrell (1993) suggests that in essence he is subject to being killed purely for not killing; for whilst in prison he will be subject to homosexual rape and thus AIDS because of his reputation for not wanting to fight. Is this fair, while a female who does not register is able to atte nd a state school or a private school with federal aid, get married, have children, or be single and work. In other words, a woman who does not sign up for the draft is free to live life as she pleases, while a man has an obligation to die (Farrell, 1993, p.130). To conclude, the understanding of male privilege has changed greatly over the last century. There are a great many examples over time and place which suggest that women have suffered under the dominance of man, but, it is by no means a universally accepted concept. Farrell (1993) has persistently argued that men find they are subordinates to women and children. Many of the issues around gender discrimination in the workplace in terms of employment and wages, have found improvements in favour of women, to the extent that Pratt (2002) suggests that in the UK women will possess more wealth than men by 2025. However, male privilege remains prominent in other aspects of society, only time will tell whether this will remain or will gradually fade. It is difficult to say how near or far society is from gender equality due to the vast disputes as to the state of male privilege that exists today.

Life with Vision Loss Due to MS :: Vision Eyesight Multiple Sclerosis Essays

Life with Vision Loss Due to MS Joyce Bohen recently wrote a book about her experience with multiple sclerosis. She told about her battle with multiple sclerosis and one of her major symptoms, optic neuritis. In this book, she told each individual to imagine life from one day being able to see bright colors and distinct pictures to only realize that as each day goes by the world is beginning to look darker and darker until you can see nothing but black. Not only did she experience blindness but also came the intense pain. After seeing a neurologist many times and continuously being treated with steroids to help her vision return, she finally gave up her battle and began to accept the idea that she would never be able to see again. The goal of her book was to help those with low vision accept the idea that life will never be the same and that there are strategic ways to get around this disability. One of the coping mechanisms she suggested was to outline doorways, steps, and wall switches with high contrast or textu red tape. This story of one woman's dedication and perseverance to get through her disability should give researchers all the persuasion needed to continue on discovering permanent treatments or even preventive methods for optic neuritis (Cohen, Dinerstein, & Katz, 2001). Another woman's determination went beyond coping mechanisms. After being touched by her brother's battle with multiple sclerosis Silvia Lawry created the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Her goal was to begin research that could help end the suffering of all those individuals who were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Her dream is to try to help discover a cure for symptoms such as optic neuritis (Scott, 2001). Multiple sclerosis can be defined as an inflammatory, autoimmune, and demyelinating complex disease of the central nervous system (Kidd, 2001). More common in women than men, the disease can strike at an early age, "especially when reproduction is a major consideration" (Sadovnick, Guimond, & Dwosh, 2001 p374). It is known to be the most common cause of "neurological disabilities in young adults" (Kidd, 2001 p540). The most common type of multiple sclerosis is the relapse remitting which later turns into secondarily progressing. This means that the patient will no longer go into relapse but rather begins progressing farther into the disease. There is a disability scale called Kurtzke's Extended Disability Status Scale that determines the status and progression of the disability. Life with Vision Loss Due to MS :: Vision Eyesight Multiple Sclerosis Essays Life with Vision Loss Due to MS Joyce Bohen recently wrote a book about her experience with multiple sclerosis. She told about her battle with multiple sclerosis and one of her major symptoms, optic neuritis. In this book, she told each individual to imagine life from one day being able to see bright colors and distinct pictures to only realize that as each day goes by the world is beginning to look darker and darker until you can see nothing but black. Not only did she experience blindness but also came the intense pain. After seeing a neurologist many times and continuously being treated with steroids to help her vision return, she finally gave up her battle and began to accept the idea that she would never be able to see again. The goal of her book was to help those with low vision accept the idea that life will never be the same and that there are strategic ways to get around this disability. One of the coping mechanisms she suggested was to outline doorways, steps, and wall switches with high contrast or textu red tape. This story of one woman's dedication and perseverance to get through her disability should give researchers all the persuasion needed to continue on discovering permanent treatments or even preventive methods for optic neuritis (Cohen, Dinerstein, & Katz, 2001). Another woman's determination went beyond coping mechanisms. After being touched by her brother's battle with multiple sclerosis Silvia Lawry created the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Her goal was to begin research that could help end the suffering of all those individuals who were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Her dream is to try to help discover a cure for symptoms such as optic neuritis (Scott, 2001). Multiple sclerosis can be defined as an inflammatory, autoimmune, and demyelinating complex disease of the central nervous system (Kidd, 2001). More common in women than men, the disease can strike at an early age, "especially when reproduction is a major consideration" (Sadovnick, Guimond, & Dwosh, 2001 p374). It is known to be the most common cause of "neurological disabilities in young adults" (Kidd, 2001 p540). The most common type of multiple sclerosis is the relapse remitting which later turns into secondarily progressing. This means that the patient will no longer go into relapse but rather begins progressing farther into the disease. There is a disability scale called Kurtzke's Extended Disability Status Scale that determines the status and progression of the disability.

Critical Analysis of Drugs Essay

Drugs and alcohol use has been a common and consistent problem in the United States for quite a long time. From the prohibition era in the 1920’s to the common drug use seen in the 1970’s, we have always seen a problem that needs to be addressed. An array of scholars, from all the disciplines, have each experimented and researched this topic in their own unique ways. The natural sciences take a purely scientific approach by hypothesizing and using the scientific method to research and made evaluative claims based on experiment and observation as shown in the article â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students†. Social Science is similar because it also uses hypotheses and the scientific method to observe and evaluate experiments, but at the same time uses theory critique and discussion methods as seen in the article â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking†. The Humanities take a very difference approach to experiments and research than the natural or social sciences. The Humanities utilize analysis and interpretation in their approach and provide very subjective results to their studies as seen in, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students†. All of these techniques give us a better understand of the subject as a whole by exposing us to all the different views of a single topic. See more: how to write a critical analysis outline Drugs and alcohol use, particularly in college students, in a continuously rising issue in our current society and is gaining more notice in recent years because of the rise in college student awareness. It is a pressing issue that affects people’s health, lifestyle, and general well being and needs to be treated with attention and an open mind to help resolve its current issues. Part I. From the scholarly point of view, drug and alcohol use in the college setting is covered by all the disciplines with different attention on certain aspects by each respective discipline. A social science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking,† by Dr. Morgen delves into college students drinking habits, and why they act as they do. The articles purpose is to show the relationship between how students perceive their drinking and how bad it actually is. Dr. Morgen focuses on identifying the problem and evaluating it. This isn’t far off from the approach the Natural Science article, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† by Dr.Moore and Dr. Werch. Their focus is to compare exercise habits among self identified drinkers and to come up with scientific explanations for their habits. Like Dr. Morgen, the study included asking questions about the students drinking habits and perceptions of their actions. But, unlike Dr. Morgen there is a more objective approach to the results and less room for interpretation. The Humanities article compares more with the Social Science article and contrasts with the Natural Science take on the subject. The article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† focuses strictly on discussion and results to questions they presented to the women in their study. When comparing the Humanities article to the other two, you can see a difference in the materials covered and analyzed. The Humanities support its findings through their discussion and thoughts on the results, while the two science articles find support from empirical data. When looking at all three sources it is easy to realize how complex and broad drugs and alcohol are among the three disciplines. When we view the Natural Science article is it clear that the use of scientific sources are more prevalent than in the Humanities article. The Humanities utilize primary sources, where the Social Sciences use a mixture of methods found in both the Humanities and the Natural Sciences. All of these scholarly discussions demonstrate the complexity of the subject, while also exposing it from many different angles. Each article seems to approach the topic of drugs and alcohol by exhibiting several different opportunities for argument. Given that all three articles deal with three different disciplines it’s no surprise that each article comes to its respective conclusion by different rhetorical means. â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students,† by Moore and Werch, works to indentify factors in college students drinking and exercise habits and link them together. Moore and Werch rely on logos to convey their results, given that the article is in the Natural Sciences it uses facts, statistics, and experiments to argue its results. This differs greatly from, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† by VonDras et al. because VonDras et al. make up the framework of their approach and argument by using credibility and reliable sources (ethos). The Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† by Dr. Morgen, is a combination of both approaches. The use of logical reasoning and experiments yield to logos, but at the same time the exploitation of reliable sources and trustworthiness demonstrate ethos as its rhetorical choice. The point of view of the three articles is first person because the authors are directly explaining the experiments methods, process, and discussion to the reader. Throughout the three sources there is a certain ethos connection because of the experimenters relying on honest input from their subjects in each experiment. Overall, all three articles state the importance of the positions they take, and relate their topics to some degree. All have in common a kind of moderation in how they appeal to an audience rhetorically. Each source uniquely represents its particular discipline through textual evidence, and its take on the subject at hand. The Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† by VonDras et al. represents humanities perfectly because of its strong use of interpretation and analysis. This approach differs greatly from the â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† article, which uses more observation and the scientific method, which is very representative of the Natural Sciences. Once again incorporating some of both of the disciplines to represent its take is the Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking†. There is clear use of scientific method and experiment, but you can also see interpretation and analysis in the conclusion discussion which talks about the students drinking habits and perceived benefits from consuming alcohol. The Natural Science article strays from its disciplines approach at times and seems to come across as a Social Science article. Its uses analysis and observation along with its hypothesis. The Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† is most typical to its specific discipline. It exemplifies traditional Social Science approaches to the experiment and discussion more wholly than the Natural Science and Humanities articles represent their topic. The least typical to its discipline is the Natural Science article, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students†. Though, as stated, it does use scientific approaches which represent the Natural Sciences, it also incorporates some Social Science attributes in its structure. This is dissimilar to the Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† because as previously stated, VonDras et al. stuck to the proper methods in their research and represented the Humanities in a proper fashion. Taken as a whole, these three scholarly sources predominantly stick to their discipline and properly represent their respective disciplines. Part II. The importance of drug and alcohol use in the college setting has never been more important and relevant than it is now. Drug and alcohol use at the college level can have many detrimental effects on the future of our society. We, the college students in America, are the future of this country, and if we cannot be responsible enough to drink not in excess then how can we be trusted to continue to run this country smoothly. The three sources used from the three different disciplines all touch on important ideas related to the topic at hand. As stated in the Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† by Dr. Morgen, most of the college students that claim they have their drinking habits in control and receive lots of benefits from drinking fall into the DSM-IV-TR category for alcoholism. This is a relevant issue because it shows that college students who think they are responsible for their actions could easily have a disease and not even know it. We must strive to fix or at least help the issue that is in front of us by going straight to the matter. In the Natural Science article, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† it states college students who exercise more are more likely to drink heavily. That seems highly counterproductive, but from the student’s point of view, they feel that if they work out and exercise they can drink as a reward for their efforts. This is a skewed way to look at it and should also be addressed. We don’t need to promote no drinking because that will simply not work, but we can push to inform people of the health risks and harm they do to their bodies by drinking heavily on a regular basis. This is a very relevant take on the subject because it alerts the reader of the things they found and provides unbiased, correct information on the topic of drinking amongst college students. The Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students† approaches the subject from a different angle but still covers useful and relevant material to use and discuss. Its main idea is talking about how religion and spirituality effect their views and habits of drinking. The study found that religious affiliation and aspects of spiritual well being are moderators of behavior that lead to alcohol prevention. The level of awareness of the issue of alcohol use of all three scholarly sources seems to be very high. They all selected their topic of research to find definitive results about the use of alcohol and its effects on the people who abuse it. There seems to be a suitable amount of attention given, which is good because it seems that a large group of people are unaware of the negative aspects on their lifestyle and health of heavy drinking and drug use. We should be focused strongly on the issue more than the discipline we are reading it from. All the disciplines have unique approaches to their discussions but they still head towards the same issue that we should be focused on. All three of the sources seem to stay focused and never stray from alcohol use as their main topic. The Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking† seems to be most relevant because of its practical explanations. It includes input and thoughts from the Natural Sciences and the Humanities, and that’s what makes it a Social Science article. The practicality of its subject, why students drink, is easy to understand, but at the same time is very in-depth. We learn so much from it such as, why people drink, how much they drink, their perceived benefits from consumption, and the effects of all those things added up. As stated earlier, this issue is very important in our society at this moment. College should be fun, but at the same time we must learn to be responsible and focus on what we are in college to do. That is learn and get an education so that we can later because the leaders and innovators that push this country to greatness. Only so much can be done, but the first step to changing anything is raising awareness on college campuses. Overall, drug and alcohol abuse is portrayed in all the disciplines with each one having an important input on the matter as a whole. It is a pressing issue that affects people’s health, lifestyle, and general well being and needs to be treated with attention and an open mind to help resolve its current issues. We cannot stray from this pressing issue in the near future and must continue to research and experiment so that we may better understand drug and alcohol use from all different points of view. As stated in the Social Science article, â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking†, students who perceive their consumption as normal have in reality worse habits than the average person. We have to strive to expose this issue and correct it as best we can in the future. From the Humanities article, â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students†, we can conclude that religious affiliation and sense of spiritual well-being seem to have a positive effect on drinking habits. Simply put, morals seem to have an effect on if a person abuses alcohol or drugs. Also, as found in the Natural Science source, â€Å"Relationship between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students† people seem to be negatively reinforcing themselves because it was found that people how exercise more reported consuming more alcohol than the average person. That finding is a sad thing because it is so counterproductive to the body. From the sources as a whole you can easily find the connection that this is a pertinent issue today and will continue to be in the future. Its importance cannot be stressed enough but even with that, people will continue to not listen and use substances more than is considered responsible. We will see the consequences of this in the coming years, and determine if the issue really is as big as it seems, or if people finally grow up when they get out of college and realize they can’t have such destructive behaviors and continue to contribute to society in a positive way. In conclusion, we cannon stray from this issue, but we must continue to research it and learn from it to help fix and explain it to coming generations. Moore, Michele Johnson, and Chudley Werch. â€Å"Relationship Between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students. † Journal of American College Health Vol. 56. No. 6 (2008): 686-690. Morgen, Keith, and Lauren Gunneson. â€Å"Decisional Balance and Collegiate Drinking. † Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education (2008): 18-36. VonDras, D. , R. Schmitt, and D. Marx. â€Å"Associations Between Aspects of Spiritual Well-Being, Alcohol Use, and Related Social-Cognitions in Female College Students. † Journal of Religion & Health Vol. 46 (2007): 500-515.

Blackfish Essay Essay

Who does not love to see dolphins and whales flipping and doing tricks? Although the animals look happy and unharmed, there is a dark truth behind the captive marine life in amusement parks and zoos. Yes, attending zoos and marine life amusement parks are a part of childhood; but recently researchers have discovered just how cruel the environment is for the marine life in captivity. After studies of comparing the quality of life of marine animals in the wild and in captivity, there are multiple examples shown in Blackfish, PETA, and the Animal Welfare Institute that show that animals prosper and live longer in their natural habitats. Due to the cruelty endured by the captivated Orcas, all the SeaWorld parks should be shut down and the Orca whales should be set free to prevent further demise to their species. In 2013, one documentary changed the world for animals in captivity forever. Blackfish, premiered in the Sundance Film Festival and was immediately picked up by Magnolia Pictures and CNN Films. Director Gabriela Copwerthwaite and her team spent years investigating and creating one of the most controversial and inspiring documentaries the United States has seen. Over the past year, Blackfish has made over two million dollars at the box office, making it one of the most popular documentaries of our time. Not only does Blackfish inspire people to reconsider going to Sea World, it generates people to try to make a change for the animals in captivity. Blackfish is a documentary that centers on the life of the killer whale Tilikum, most famous for his large structure and his collapsed dorsal fin. The documentary begins explaining the attack of three different whale trainers while employed by Sea World. Ironically enough, Sea World was not the only common thread among these deaths. All of these victims also shared the same cause of death: Tilikum, the â€Å"killer whale†. Tilikum was captured off the coast of Ireland in 1983 as a baby whale. Blackfish describes in detail the three deaths and the true reason behind the anger behind Tilikum’s attacks. The attacks were provoked by the mistreatment of the whales. Tilikum and the other whales were held in small floating cages that  were just as big as their own dimensions. Orca whales are used to being in the wild and having miles of ocean to roam, so when SeaWorld captures these whales and does not give them the right living environment, it is shown that they attack. While in the Sea World captivity, the Orca whales lifespan is almost half the size of a free Orca whale lifespan. Tilikum is still held in captivity by Sea World, only moving when he has to during shows. Many activists and former Sea World Employees have formed movements and have appeared on the news to try to get Sea World to free these whales. There are multiple differences between whales in captivity and whales in the wild. There are countless recorded injuries inflicted on instructors by orcas, but killer whales in the wild have no record of ever hurting a human being. SeaWorld would give tours and tell their audience that the life span of whales in the wild was 25-30 years and that whales in captivity live longer, because of the veterinarian care they receive. According to Howard Garret, an expert on killer whales, orcas in the wild have lived to be over 100 years old. SeaWorld tells their audience that 25% all orca whales in the world have a collapsed dorsal fin, which is due to gravity, dehydration, illness and injury. In reality, only 1% of orca whales in the wild have a collapsed dorsal fin and 100% of all captive whales have a collapsed dorsal fin. The reason why there are so many attacks in SeaWorld is directly related to the treatment and the territory that they are put in. SeaWorld claims that the whales that sh ow together are all from the same family, but in actuality, they are taken from all different parts of the world. Since these orca whales are being hoarded together, the living environment causes aggression between the whales. This aggression is usually taken out on the fellow whales, but sometimes it is taken out on the SeaWorld trainers. There are three separate occasions where the same whale, Tilikum, has attacked trainers and killed two. As a result of the attacks and killings, the SeaWorld trainers are no longer allowed in the water with the orcas during the live shows. Tilikum is now isolated in a small pool for the rest of his days, living in captivity, occasionally coming out at the end of the show to make a splash. Blackfish is a prime example of how animal captivity is not a proper way of life for marine animals. Much like Gabriela Copwerthwaite, PETA, or People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, have exerted many efforts towards captivity cruelty and ending the brutality though articles and movements. After Blackfish was released in 2013, many people across American and the world took a stand against the animal cruelty. PETA just recently came out with an article regarding the marine life in captivity. The article centered around the cruelty and wrongness of removing wild animals from their natural habitat and communities, keeping dolphins in captivity to live their lives as fascinations at theme parks and resort hotels, where they are forced to perform in front of crowds of people. Oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau compared the maintenance of orcas in tanks to â€Å"a person being blindfolded in a jail cell.† †¨Trainers force marine mammals to learn tricks, often by refusing food and torturing animals who do not perform. A trainer at Hersheypark quit because she saw â€Å"a lot of frustrated animals that would die from ulcers.† The article says, â€Å"A marine-mammal behavioral biologist in Seattle says that captive dolphins demonstrate a variety of stress-related behavior such as self-inflicted trauma, induced vomiting, and aggressiveness. Some captive dolphins have reportedly taken their own lives by hitting their heads against the sides of pools or by refusing to come up for air† (PETA). In the wild, there has been no report of a whale or dolphin killing itself because of its habitat. Hersheypark, like SeaWorld, claims that their marine life prospers in captivity due to their loving staff and outstanding veterinarians. Although Hersheypark, SeaWorld, and other marine amusement parks claim that their living conditions for their animals are acceptable, it is proven that the animals are more harmed in captivity. PETA is making strides towards ending animal captivity with articles informing people about the issue and pleading people not to attend zoos and other marine amusement parks. In the article, PETA points out that there is poor government regulation over the zoos and parks, which should be changed. In England, there was so much boycotting against parks that they were forced to close all of them. There are multiple countries that are closing all parks due to boycotting, which PETA is trying to achieve. The root of the problem starts with the capturing of animals in the wild, called whaling. The Animal Welfare Institute defines and describes the  process of whaling in different countries. AWI explains the confinement of marine life in aquariums, zoos, and amusement parks. The mistreatment of animals in captivity started in the early 1860s when P.T. Barnum funded a project, which captured of two beluga whales and brought them back to New York City for display in an aquarium. From then on, whaling and captivity of whales and dolphins have taken off and become a very big thing across the world. The popularity of captive animals has reached an all time high because of the money that the industry brings. AWI also has an article outlining the Dispelling the Arguments of Captivity Proponents, which are common lies that parks and zoos say to the public AWI prove them to be wrong. Some of them include, â€Å"Our animals love to entertain and are always smiling, Captivity is necessary for breeding/conservation programs, Our captive animals teach people about conservation, Our captive animals are ambassadors for their species, educating the public about their wild cousins, We couldn’t do our conservation work without the money we receive from our customers, Our captive animals are protected from the horrors of nature, Our captive animals have been saved from a brutal death.† AWI went through each of the points and proved how they were wrong. AWI takes a stand against captivity and has been trying to get the parks, zoos, and aquariums that mistreat their captive animals to close. Many people today believe that SeaWorld and other parks should be shut down and are taking a stand to close them. SeaWorld of Hurt is the largest organization that was created to take SeaWorld down, which was started by PETA. They work with many celebrities and lawmakers to try to get SeaWorld to release their animals and shut down their parks. The media attention that this issue is receiving recently has hit an all time high because of the boycotting and organizations that have popped up across the country. Many countries like Israel, India, England, and Egypt have banned the parks and closed them down due to the boycotting, which America should do. California is also working on a bill to free the captive orcas at SeaWorld San Diego, which Florida, the southern SeaWorld park, should start to work on as well. The bill would stop SeaWorld from breeding the orca whales and block the import of orca semen from other states. In doing this, it would stop the growing of the parks and the ex pansion of the SeaWorld brand. Furthermore,  the documentary Blackfish exploits SeaWorld for separating a young Orca from it’s mother vey early on because he was not performing the way that SeaWorld wanted him to. The audience’s heartstrings are tugged as they watch the mother project a horrific cry for over 24 hours that was unknown to experienced whale trainers and Orca experts. It provides a visual example of the animal cruelty that SeaWorld inflicts upon these harmless creatures, and they do not care because they are reaping large financial benefits through these shows. Although there are laws against whaling and people are beginning to take a stand through boycotts and shutting down SeaWorld parks in other parts of the world, it is not enough to protect the Orca whales. The orca species is continuously being put at a high risk as they are stuck in tanks that are too small and being starved and punish if they do not perform in a certain manner. Orca whales do not fight with each other in the ocean, where they belong causing large lacerations and the tanks to become filthy with blood. In order to properly protect this docile from harm and each other, all of the whales need to be put back in their rightful habitats. SeaWorld has provided many generations with memorable entertainment, but it would be within the best interest of the public and the Orca whales if there were still Orcas around for future generations to come. PITA and other organizations have made admirable progress, but if extensive changes are not made soon, animal cruelty will continue to occur. Works Cited Blackfish. Dir. Gabriela Copwerthwaite. 2013. Netflix. â€Å"Confinement of Marine Life.† Animal Welfare Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. . â€Å"Aquariums and Marine Parks.† PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014. . Martinez, Michael, Stella Chan, Vivian Kuo, and Tory Dunnan Gregg Canes Contributed from Santa Monica. â€Å"California Bill Would Ban Orca Shows at SeaWorld.† CNN. Cable News Network, 07 Mar. 2014. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. . â€Å"Dispelling the Arguments of Captivity Proponents.† Animal Welfare Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. . â€Å"SeaWorld Of Hurt: Where Happiness Tanks.† SeaWorld of Hurt Home Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2014. .