Impeding Medicare Problems

Introduction Medicare has two sources of funding as Academy of Actuaries (1996 p. 6) explains. The first and the major source is the allocation from the federal budget while the rest of funding is derived from deductions from social security funds and its premiums. Recently, Medicare has not been receiving sufficient funding from the above sources. Consequently, this program has encountered financial and other operational problems that have left its budget in huge deficit.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impeding Medicare Problems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There seems to be minimal action to take by responsible organizations in mitigating the impacts of these problems, leaving the future of this program at stake. This paper addresses some of these problems and the impact they have to the beneficiaries of Medicare program. In addition, it provides and suggests solutions that could be put in place to arrest the situation affecting Medicare program. Medicare problems Owing to the impeding problems, the Medicare program is not going to be sustainable in the near future unless significant measures are taken. To start with, the current funding of beneficiaries by this program does not take into consideration the diversity existing within the senior citizens population. As McKenzie and colleagues (2008, p 445) explains, it allocates Medicare benefits equally to the senior citizens who are 65 years and above. As such, this plan fails to consider that there are differences in health care needs for the senior citizens aged 80 from those who are 65 year of age. To be more specific, there is likelihood for a person aged 80 years to experience health problems more than a younger person aged 65. As a result, this plan is unfair not to the recipients alone but even to the doctors who offer these medical services. According to McKenzie et al (2008, p 445), as the number of senior citizens who are re tiring increases, the health care costs have been rising rapidly. Similarly, Medicare liabilities have been escalating with time. At the same time the funding of the health care benefits from the employers is decreasing with even some abandoning it. It is possible that people are going to lose as it becomes more and more expensive. According to the 1995 trustee report, (as cited in American Academy of Actuaries, 1996 p. 6), â€Å"in the 35 years (from 1995), the Medicare program income will be sufficient to pay only 47% of the program’s cost and only 35 % of its costs over the last 25 years of that period if the current trend persists.† It is possible to sustain the Medicare program services intact through the support of the federal budget. But as McKenzie, J. F et al (2008, p 445) explains, the federal budget is already experiencing crises with the existing liabilities of this program and there is no likelihood of such choice in the near future.Advertising Lookin g for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As the rate of healthcare spending increase, policy makers and third party payers will be forced to evaluate new cost-control solutions. As American Academy of Actuaries, (1996, p. 13) explains, legislators are already considering to effect cost cutting measures in future such as reduction of the number of people receiving benefits, reduction of the costs to the government and reduction of costs per beneficiary. Of course, this will have a great negative impact on the traditional delivery of health care. According to Mechanic (2006, p. 19), the supplementary Medicare insurance program does not have a separate payroll tax. Rather, it is financed through contributions from general revenues of the federal budget and direct premiums from the participants of this program. Thus, the funding of this program is determined every year. This translates into inadequacies in finan cing this program. In the next 10 years, the expenditure for this program is expected to triple. This will have a big impact on the federal budget Solution Media coverage can help to bring awareness and tress more about the problems facing this program to people. Through the media can we can be able to solve these problems by clearly bringing out the causes of the existing problems in this program to the American society. Of course, Medicare program benefits and is expected to benefit a great number of American citizens. Therefore, increased sensitization of this matter to the people is likely to easily elicit reaction from a bigger section of the society. This will help to push the government to play its relegated role in setting up policies that focuses on supporting Medicare program. Viable strategies by the government to strengthen this program will give assurance health safety future for all Americans now and in future, (Mechanic, D., 2006, p 19). Suggestions One of the options to address the problems facing Medicare is to increase age of eligibility, (American Academy of Actuaries, 1996 p. 6). Currently, the retirement age of Americans is 65. The normal retirement age for social security funds is scheduled to increase to age of 67. The main purpose of establishment of Medicare program was to provide benefits to individuals after retirement. It will thus be advisable to increase the eligible age for Medicare benefits to be consistent with the normal age of retirement. Though a significant number of those who retire early may not be covered by health insurance, this will help to eliminate a significant amount of already existing deficit. However, if the age of retirement and also age of eligibility for Medicare benefits increase to say 70 years, this would help to eliminate much of the existing Medicare deficit if not all. The second option to deal with the problems facing Medicare benefits is to eliminate some coverage services. Currently, Medicare is lim ited to deal with services that are necessary for the treatment of illnesses or injury, (American Academy of Actuaries, 1996, p. 6).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impeding Medicare Problems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More But, some of the services involved could be considered unnecessary for the treatment of injuries or diseases. hospital insurance for health care agencies and nursing homes as well as the supplementary medical insurance payments meant for durable medical equipments can be terminated and help to solve at least two-fifths of the existing Medicare deficit. Another suggestion is to increase share of costs for the beneficiaries. This means that the beneficiaries’ can be increased as much as to help eliminate the existing deficit. As American Academy of Actuaries (1996, p. 6) explains, this can be achieved through increment of coinsurance and deductibles. If the increased sharing of costs is not covered by insurance, it means that there will be likelihood of reduced utilization. However, the savings form the utilization would be relatively small and affect supplementary medical insurance more. Financial problem facing Medicare may be mitigated by increasing recoveries from other insurance. Currently, Medicare is seen as a minor player to other forms of health insurance veteran administration benefits, workers’ compensation and employer-sponsored insurance. Stricter focus of Medicare as a secondary player by the present law compared to the others may help to reduce Medicare costs (American Academy of Actuaries, 1996 p. 6). Another suggestion is to growth of overall payments or to reduce the rates of repayment to the providers. Efforts by policy the government to constrain reimbursements have proved inadequate for restoring Medicare solvency (American Academy of Actuaries, 1996, p. 6). To achieve this objective, major reductions in the growth of Medicare payments would be required that could disrupt the providers severely. For example, a 1% growth in hospital reimbursement for each of the next 10 years will help to maintain solvency over 10 years. Such a change will be more effective if it is consistent the overall health reimbursement policy and also the practices of other players. Conclusion Medicare is and will remain being a popular program among the citizens. But the problems facing this program will be there both in the short and in the long-run if not addressed adequately and quickly. As the senior citizens retiring increases, costs associated with Medicare will continue to rise. Eventually, this will have a dire effect to the recipients and to the government. This explains why this program requires immediate action to its income and outlays into balance.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The public can help a lot in achievement of this end. Of course, this will require increased sensitization about what is happening to this program. The media can help a lot to reach to the public and stress this information to them. Still, to deal with financial problem affecting Medicare, there are various different options that can be employed. It is therefore the duty of the government to evaluate the many available options, put them into practice and save this program. Reference List American Academy of Actuaries. (1996). Solutions to Medicare financial problems: public policy monograph. Washington, D. C.: American Academy of Actuaries publications. Retrieved from https://www.actuary.org/sites/default/files/pdf/socialsecurity/socsec_m.pdf McKenzie, J. F., Pinger, R. R., Kotecki, J., E. (2008). Problems with Medicare and Medicaid: An introduction to community health. London: Jones Bartlett Learning Mechanic, D. (2006). The need for change and the forces against it, The truth ab out health care: why reform is not working in America. Piscataway: Rutgers University Press. This essay on Impeding Medicare Problems was written and submitted by user EdwardForrester to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

440 Different Topics for Essays and Speeches

440 Different Topics for Essays and Speeches If getting started is the hardest part of the writing process, close behind it (and closely related to it) may be the challenge of finding a ​good topic to write about. Of course, sometimes an instructor will solve that problem for you by assigning a topic. But at other times youll have the opportunity to choose a topic on your own. And you really should think of it as an opportunity- a chance to write about something you care about and know well. So relax. Dont worry if a great topic doesnt immediately spring to mind. Be ready to play with a number of ideas until you settle on one that truly interests you. To help get you thinking, weve prepared some writing suggestions- more than 400 of them, in fact. But they are only suggestions. Along with some freewriting and brainstorming (and maybe a good long walk), they should inspire you to come up with plenty of fresh ideas of your own. 440 Topics You Could Write About Weve organized the suggested topics into 11 broad categories, loosely based on some of the common ways of developing paragraphs and essays. But dont feel limited by these categories. Youll find that many of the topics can be adapted to suit almost any kind of writing assignment. Now follow the links to find more than 400 topic suggestions and see where they take you. Describing People, Places, and Things: 40 Writing Topics:Â  Descriptive writing calls for close attention to details- details of sight and sound, sometimes even of smell, touch, and taste. Weve come up with 40 topic suggestions for a descriptive paragraph or essay. It shouldnt take you long to discover at least 40 more on your own.Narrating Events: 50 Writing Topics:Â  Another word for narration is storytelling- though often the stories we tell actually happened. Narratives can serve to illustrate an idea, report an experience, explain a problem, argue a point, or simply entertain our readers. Here are 50 ideas for a narrative paragraph or essay. But dont feel that you have to tell one of our stories- not when you have so many of your own tales to tell.Explaining a Process Step by Step: 50 Writing Topics:Â  Process analysis means explaining how something is done or how to do something- one step after another. These 50 topics should start you thinking. But again, dont let our ideas get in the way of yours. Comparing and Contrasting: 40 Writing Topics:Â  Think about the last time you had to make a decision: right there is a topic for comparison and contrast. And right here youll find 40 more ideas that might be explored in a composition developed by comparison and contrast.Drawing Analogies: 30 Writing Topics:Â  A good analogy can help your readers understand a complicated subject or view a common experience in a new way. To discover original analogies that can be explored in paragraphs and essays, apply the as if attitude to any one of these 30 topics.Classifying and Dividing: 50 Writing Topics:Â  Are you ready to get organized? If so, youll probably be applying the principle of classification- perhaps to one of our 50 topics or to a brand new topic of your own.Examining Causes and Effects: 50 Writing Topics:Â  We cant tell you exactly what causes global warming, but maybe you can tell us. If not, these 50 other topic suggestions should start you thinking about why? and so what?Dev eloping Extended Definitions: 60 Writing Topics:Â  Abstract and controversial ideas can often be clarified through extended definitions. The 60 concepts listed here can be defined in various ways and from different points of view. Arguing and Persuading: 40 Writing Topics:Â  These 40 statements may be either defended or attacked in an argument essay. But you dont have to depend on our suggestions: lets see what issues really matter to you.Composing a Persuasive Essay or Speech: 30 Writing Topics:Â  Any one of these 30 issues may serve as the basis for a persuasive essay or speech.

How you can enrich our diverse and inclusive community Essay

How you can enrich our diverse and inclusive community - Essay Example Therefore, it aims to give the best service students and employees can possibly experience so that in a mutual, though usually unspoken understanding, everyone would do his best to do what is expected. As a student, I understand that I am expected to do my responsibilities not only for myself but for the school and community as well. In order to support the vision of the school, I commit myself to an understanding of diversity and being respectful of the rights of everyone I engage with, whether students, professors or staff members. I understand that every person has his/her abilities and capabilities and that I am able to learn from them in different manners so, I want to enter the school with great expectation that each minute I spend with the people here, would add to my knowledge and wisdom. Being a part of the vision, I think I can also be a source of information with my life experiences that brought me to a deeper understanding about life and my motivations of becoming an integral part of the school. Understanding that students and employees come from various races, I can contribute to an inclusive community by respecting other races and creating a welcoming atmosphere for them in my presence. I can do my best to work hard in order to eliminate any discriminative words or actions rather have other people help me be molded to my highest potentials, with the diversity of culture, abilities and capabilities other races possess. I think I can also make a commitment to leadership which means I do not have to be in a recognized position in order to do my obligations as a concerned citizen but that I can contribute to leadership by having the initiative to do what is right. As the school is committed to excellence, I will also do my best not only to acquire knowledge and experience in the school but to join in the commitment of the school and aim to use all my potentials in the attainment of the said goal. I can commit myself not only to the highest

The Dark Ages and Some of the Challenges Paople Faced during the Essay

The Dark Ages and Some of the Challenges Paople Faced during the Period - Essay Example Famine came about because of the breakdown of societal order which the Romans had maintained. The system of trade and tribute had been regulated by the Romans, and the network had been maintained across vast distances to ensure that the Empire could move troops around at will, and sustain mobile armies in the case of any rebellions or invasions. When these networks faltered, communities became more isolated, and the consequences of bad harvests were more severe, since no help was at hand. Plagues arrived from the East and spread through the region, but there were few people who had the knowledge and the wealth that would have enabled them to heal the sick or avoid infection. Aside from these physical threats from famine and disease, there was also an increase in violent conflict between rival tribes. In the absence of a single overlord, such as the Romans had been, the smaller tribes jostled for position, and engaged in many skirmishes and boundary disputes in an effort to gain contr ol of wealth and resources. This made life very dangerous for ordinary people, since many were slaves, or bound by oath to the service of a chieftain, and they were obliged to take up arms if commanded to do so. The strict Roman laws gave way to the more fragmented social order of competing tribes. Many leaders were cruel, and there was considerable injustice and chaos. Another factor which presented a huge challenge in the Dark Ages was that of religion. Under Roman rule, Christians and pagans had co-existed, and as time went on, more and more of the Empire adopted Christianity. In the Dark Ages, however, Islam emerged from the East and advanced across North Africa, heading up through Spain and into Gaul, bringing bitter religious warfare to the continent. Religious persecution increased, and minorities were often robbed and killed in the name of religion. Christianity brought some advantages, in so far as the monasteries served as educational institutions and places where the poor and the sick could hope for some relief. Once again, however, this benefited the wealthy who sent their children there to be educated, but it meant servitude and exploitation for the poorest members of society, who had to labor in the fields or work as lowly tradesmen to provide the raw materials that were needed to sustain monastic communities. The lack of an effective legal system meant that disputes were solved by violence, and when coupled with the devastating effects of plagues, and poor nutrition, the consequences for population size were very serious. In this period infant mortality was very high, life expectancy was short, and huge numbers of citizens were wiped out due to infection. It would have been very hard for a poor family to bring up children to healthy adulthood. Depopulation meant that communities could no longer find enough workers to take in the harvest, and maintain basic infrastructure. Skills were lost, and architectural masterpieces just crumbled out of negl ect, or were looted to enable poor people to build their own rustic dwellings. In many ways it seemed that civilization was taking a backwards step, and the former glories of Europe were

Brain Aneurysms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Brain Aneurysms - Essay Example Without proper treatment, patients with ruptured aneurysms have limited functional survival. It has been estimated that only 18 percent are functional survivors at 10 years and 8 percent are disabled, the rest die (Vinas and Wilner, 2008). Thus, it can be said that aneurysms of brain have potential to cause death, debility and deformity. The risk factors can be inherited or acquired (Vega et al, 2002). The disease can occur as familial clustering with no other hereditary disease in the family. The cause for this is not yet known. Research has shown that the incidence of brain aneurysms is about 8-9 percent in those with more than one relative suffering from either an aneurysm or subarachnoid hemorrhage (Vega et al, 2002). Also, there are reports that siblings of affected individuals have higher chances of developing subarachnoid hemorrhage due to aneurysms. Thus it can be said that aneurysm has generic and hereditary links. It has been proposed that certain hereditary connective tissue disorders are associated with the development of aneurysms because of weakening of the vascular walls (Vinas and Wilner, 2008). Some research has shown that 10- 15 percent of patients with autosomal dominant condition polycystic kidney disease develop intracranial aneurysms (Vega et al, 2002). However another connective tissue disorde r Marfans syndrome which was incriminated in the development of brain aneurysms is no longer found to be associated with aneurysms (Vega et al, 2002). Other conditions which have been reported to be associated with brain aneurysms are fibromuscular dysplasia, coarctation of aorta and pheochromocytoma. It has been thought that the elevated blood pressure in these conditions is the cause for the development of aneurysms. Other inherited risk factors which have been incriminated in the development of aneurysms include alpha-glucosidase deficiency, Noonans syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Klineflters syndrome, alpha-1

Health Promotion Proposal Reducing Obesity Health And Social Care Essay

Health Promotion Proposal Reducing Obesity Health And Social Care Essay The increase in obesity has been identified as a major public health threat. It has been predicated by the Government Office for Science Foresight that without taking action nearly 60% of the UK population will be obese by 2050, which would have serious financial consequences for the NHS and the economy.1 The causes are complex and related to behavioural, social and environmental factors therefore to tackle obesity a range of agencies and communities need to work together to: Change the obesogenic nature of the local environment. Develop opportunities to make healthy choices easier. Help those already obese or at high risk of becoming obese. This strategy provides a framework for local action and seeks to: Provide an understanding of the extent of the problem in the local population and sets goals. Provide leadership by bringing together a multi agency group. Choose interventions that evidence has shown to be effective. Enable monitoring and evaluation. Build up local capacity via training. There is a focus on childhood overweight and obesity in line with government recommendations. This two year evidence based strategy will require funding, the costs and resources required are provided in the action plan. 2.0 The organisation 2.1 The geographical area and population To make up the target population for this strategy, 90% of Prestons population and 15% of South Ribble were chosen, this is a population of approximately 150,000. Prestons health profile3 shows there are inequalities with nearly 40% of the residents living in the most deprived quintile. The percentage of children classified as obese is similar to the England average. South Ribbles health profile4 shows less than 5% of residents living in the most deprived quintile, child poverty and deprivation rates are low, the percentage of children classified as obese is better than the England average. Preston has a Black Minority Ethnic (BME) population of 15.5% which is greater than the England average, the largest majority being Asian (Indian the majority) or Asian British.3 South Ribble has a BME population of less than 5%.4 To ensure the population had a range of social classes, age groups and ethnic groups, two of the most deprived wards of Preston (Ribbleton [GL] and Fishwick [GB]) total population 12,720 were replaced with 3 less deprived wards of South Ribble (Broad Oak [GC], Kingsfold [GL] and Middleforth [GU]) total population 12,430, see Figure 1. This ensured the target population for the purpose of this strategy was approx 150000 with mixed class, age and ethnicity. The geographical area for the purposes of this strategy is called Preston Ribble Council. Figure 1: Wards of Preston (A) and South Ribble (B) 5 (A) (B) KEY: Source: http://www.lancashire.gov.uk 2.2 Health Improvement As part of Preston Ribble Council, the Health Improvement Team delivers a range of services and health campaigns designed to improve the health and wellbeing of the population of Preston Ribble. The health improvement team includes public health consultants and practitioners who work with the NHS, other organisations, the voluntary sector and local business to provide education and training services to empower residents of Preston Ribble to make healthy lifestyle choices. Health improvement and tackling inequalities is an integral part of Preston Ribble Councils Culture. All policies that support health improvement are evidence based. Partnership working is a necessity to deliver the health improvement agenda. 3.0 Obesity strategy development Obesity is a multi-faceted problem and therefore requires a multi-agency solution. A multi-agency Obesity Strategy Group was set up with key partners from the Local Authority, NHS and the voluntary sector to develop this strategy. The group was lead by the Health Improvement teams consultant in public health. It sets out how partners and communities will work together to reduce obesity by taking into account the specific needs of the local population. This strategy will link in with other strategic plans to ensure tackling obesity is high on the political agenda of Preston Ribble Council. 4.0 Background 4.1 Defining overweight and obesity Overweight and obesity are terms used to describe excess body fatness which can lead to adverse effects on health and wellbeing.2 Overweight and obesity occurs when energy intake from food and drink is greater than energy expenditure i.e. what is used by the body. The causes however are more complex and related to behavioural, social and environmental factors.2 The calculation of BMI body mass index (BMI=weight/(height)2) > 30 kg/m2.is a widely accepted definition obesity. The World Health Organisation produced a classification of overweight adults based on BMI, see Table 1. Table 1 Classification of overweight adults.6 Classification BMI (Kg/m2) Risk of co-morbidities Underweight Clinical problems increased) Normal weight 18.5 24.9 Average Overweight > 25 Pre-obese 25 29.9 Increased Obese class I 30.0 34.9 Moderate Obese class II 35.0 39.9 Severe Obese class II > 40.0 Very severe Source: Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO Consultation. Geneva. World Health Organisation, 2000 (WHO Technical Report Series, No 894) Guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence now recommends the use of waist circumference in conjunction with BMI as the method of measuring overweight and obesity and determining health risks.7 Because a childs BMI varies with age and sex, the BMI score for children is related to the UK 1990 BMI growth reference charts.8 4.2 Obesity and Health Life expectancy is reduced in obesity cases by an average of three years, and in severe obesity cases (BMI >40) life expectancy is reduced by eight to ten years.9 It has been estimated that the cost to the UK economy from overweight and obesity was  £15.8 billion per year in 2007,  £4.2 billion of which were costs to the NHS.9 Childhood obesity Short term risks mostly include emotional and psychological affects associated with being overweight through being teased by peers, resulting in low self esteem and depression. There are longer term consequences as obese children are more likely to become obese adults, there are however some obesity related conditions such as type 2 diabetes which have increased in overweight children.9 Adult obesity Evidence has shown that adult obesity is associated with a range of health problems including those related to; the musculoskeletal system because of the extra strain on joints; circulatory system e.g. coronary heart disease and stroke; metabolic and endocrine system e.g. type 2 diabetes; cancers such as breast and colon; reproductive problems; gastrointestinal and liver disease and psychological and social problems.9 5.0 The scale of the problem in the UK Within the last 25 years, the prevalence of obesity in the UK has more than doubled.1 The latest Health Survey for England (HSE) in 2009 showed that the proportion of obese men increased from 13% in 1993 to 22% in 2009 and from 16% of women in 1993 to 24% in 2009 i.e. more women are obese than men, there were however more overweight men (44%) than women (33%).10 The 2007 Foresight Report predicted that if no action were taken, by 2025 47% of men and 36% of women will be obese and Britain could be a mainly obese society by 2050, adding  £5.5 billion annual cost to the NHS.1 The rise in obesity among 2-10 year olds from 1 in 10 in 1995 to 1 in 7 in 2008 appears to be flattening out.10 There are however, still 1 in 5 children that are overweight or obese by the age of 3 years.11 Rates of obesity are higher among some Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and also in lower socioeconomic groups.12 The latest Health Survey for England in 2009 also showed the link between obesity and deprivation, women in the lower income quintiles had a higher BMI and greater prevalence of obesity than those women in higher income quintiles, there was no apparent pattern in men,10 see Figure 2. Figure 2 Age-standardised prevalence of overweight and obesity by equivalised household income and sex.10 6.0 The scale of the problem in Preston Ribble Council. Using the NICE costing tool13 the selected population obesity and overweight prevalence and numbers were calculated, see Appendix 1. The extent of the problem is summarised in Figure 3. There are an estimated 4511 children and young people who are classified as obese (BMI over 30), and a further 4580 who are classified as overweight (BMI between 25 and 30). There are an estimated 31993 adults who are classified as obese and a further 51821 who are classified as overweight. 22.9% of adult females and 26.8% adult males are obese. Figure 3 the extent of the problem in Preston Ribble Obese Overweight Normal weight Adults BMI > 40 n=2105* BMI 30-39 n=29888* BMI 25-30 n=51821* Children Young people BMI >40 n=69* BMI 30-39 n=4442* BMI 25-30 n=4580* *NICE costing tool The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) introduced in 2005 aims to monitor the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children in Reception Year and Year 6. The table below presents the results for the local authorities of Preston and South Ribble compared to the North West and national averages. Table 2 Local prevalence of overweight and obesity among children for the Local Authorities of Preston and S.Ribble and for England 2009/10 and 2008/09 14 Reception Year 6 Overweight Obese Overweight Obese 2008/09 Preston 10.9 8.5 13.1 17.3 S.Ribble 11.5 6.8 15.6 16.3 NW 13.5 9.6 14.1 18.9 England 13.2 9.6 14.3 18.3 2009/10 Preston 12.5 9.1 12.9 17.0 S.Ribble 15.3 8.5 14.0 18.0 NW 13.7 9.9 14.8 19.3 England 13.3 9.8 14.6 18.7 Source: http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/obesity The table above shows an increase from 2008/09 to 2009/10 in Reception Year in the numbers of overweight and obese children in both Preston and S.Ribble. In Year 6 there was just an increase in obese children in S.Ribble. The targeted population for this strategy is Preston Ribble, as the population is 90% Preston and 15% South Ribble these increases are clearly a concern. A report by Intelligence for Healthy Lancashire (Joint Strategic Needs Assessment) on childhood obesity in Lancashire showed that measurements of year 6 pupils from the 08/09 NCMP dataset highlighted that across Lancashire there could be found extremes of weight (underweight and obese) in the most deprived areas and there was a link between higher levels of overweight and lower levels of deprivation.15 6.1 The local cost of obesity Using the NICE costing tool for the target population of Preston Ribble, the estimated savings from implementing NICE guidance is approximately  £43,000 savings on prescriptions and  £127,000 in GP contacts, see appendix 1. That is the current local cost to the NHS of not implementing NICE guidance for tackling obesity is approximately  £170,000. There would be however additional costs with disease associated with overweight and obesity plus costs on the economy from days off work due to obesity and associated diseases and conditions. 7.0 National Drivers and Guidance Reducing obesity is a national priority for government as highlighted in the recently published white paper Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Our Strategy for public health in England.16 In January 2008, the government published the national obesity strategy Healthy Weight Healthy Lives.17 It highlighted the need for a long term approach and set out a new Public Service Agreement target for England: Our ambition is to be the first major nation to reverse the rising tide of obesity and overweight in the population by ensuring that everyone is able to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Our initial focus will be on children: by 2020, we aim to reduce the proportion of overweight and obese children to 2000 levels.17 In 2006 Nice Guidance on Obesity was issued, this set out guidance on prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children in England and Wales.7 In addition to the NHS the guidance was also aimed at non-NHS settings for example, local authorities, schools early years and workplaces and sets out recommendations aimed at these various settings. It was also highlighted that obesity cannot simply be addressed through behavioural change at individual level; population based interventions are needed to change the obesogenic environment of modern industrialised nations.7 The Foresight Report, Tackling Obesity: Future Choices (2007) highlighted that obesity is determined by a complex multifaceted system of determinants and that in the 20th century the pace if technological revolution outstrips human evolution which has left an obesogenic environment.1 To tackle the complexities of obesity the report advocated using a multi agency or whole system approach. The report concluded that Preventing obesity requires changes in the environment and organisational behaviour, as well as changes in group, family and individual behaviour.1 8.0 Effective interventions Research highlighted in the Foresight report1 found that the top five policy responses which they assessed as having the greatest average impact on obesity levels were: â‚ ¬Ã‚  increasing walkability/cyclability of the built environment targeting health interventions for those at increased risk controlling the availability of/exposure to obesogenic foods and drinks increasing the responsibility of organisations for the health of their employees â‚ ¬Ã‚  early life interventions at birth or in infancy. 1 9.0 The Local Approach Healthy weight, healthy lives: a cross government strategy for England17 and the accompanying Healthy weight, healthy lives: a toolkit for developing local strategies2 have been utilized to develop this strategy for Preston Ribble. It supports the governments recommended approach of focusing on five key themes: Children: Healthy growth and healthy weight. The stages of pre-conception, breast feeding, infant nutrition through to early years can shape outcomes and choices made in adulthood.18 Promoting healthier food choices. Supporting the governments recommendation for promotion of a healthy, balanced diet. Building physical activity into our lives. Supporting the governments recommendation of promoting active living throughout the life course. Creating incentives for better health. Promoting action for maintaining a healthy weight in the workplace through promotion of healthy eating choices and more opportunities for physical activity within the workplace. Personalised support for overweight and obese individuals. Providing clinical care pathways to assess and manage overweight and obesity through effective weight management services. A life course approach has been used to assess the various stages of peoples lives where evidence has shown targeting interventions can be successful in preventing or treating overweight and obesity. This strategy uses universal population preventative approaches in addition to targeted interventions for those already obese or at high risk of developing. As evidence suggests peoples lives are shaped from very early years11,18 this strategy focuses on childrens health. To help people overcome barriers to maintaining a healthier lifestyle and changing their behaviour, this strategy takes a combined approach as recommended in the Foresight Report1 that is using types of interventions that focus on the determinants of behaviour such as the environment and education, the second type of intervention focuses on the behaviour itself in those at risk.1 The strategy uses all 5 different approaches to health promotion, i.e. medical, behaviour change, education, empowerment and social change to tackle both the determinants and the behaviour itself. 10.0 The Obesity Strategy Aim and Objectives The overall aim of the strategy is to reduce obesity levels in the local population of Preston Ribble. The strategy has three strategic themes with objectives: Change the obesogenic nature of the local environment. Develop opportunities to make healthy choices easier. Help those already obese or at high risk of becoming obese. 10.1 Change the obesogenic nature of the local environment Objectives: Influence public policy Influence businesses to become healthy workplaces Work with communities to make active lifestyles easier As planning and transportation policy development can have huge effects on opportunities for activity within the local built environment, it is important that health issues such as obesity are considered in policy decisions, Health Impact Assessment (HIA) should form part of policy development. As part of this strategys action plan HIA training will be rolled out to planning and transportation teams within the council. . Foresight report1 found that one of the five policy responses which they assessed as having the greatest average impact on obesity was increasing the walkability/cyclability of the built environment. The report highlighted that residents of highly walkable neighbourhoods are more active and have slightly lower body weights than their counterparts in less walkable neighbourhoods, it was also highlighted how perceptions of social nuisances may increase the risks of obesity.1 Therefore key actions of this plan include interaction between Environmental Health, Housing, Police and communities to tackle social nuisances, set up community action teams and working with communities to empower and reassure residents. Community food growing initiatives have been recognised as providing benefits to help tackle obesity, they can offer physical activity, increase food knowledge and give a better appreciation of food that helps them make healthier food choices, in addition they help create cohesive communities and social inclusion thereby reducing health inequality.19 Because of the potential health gain this strategy aims to set up several community horticultural projects targeting the most deprived areas likely to have high risk individuals. The influence of the workplace on health of employees is well recognised and the Foresight report1 found increasing the responsibility of organisations for the health of their employees was one of the five policy responses which had the greatest impact on obesity. As part of this strategy the importance of this has been recognised and therefore a newly created health wellbeing workplace officer will be recruited to promote and facilitate the development of healthy active workplaces promoting the national Workwell campaign20 a health and wellbeing workplace award scheme will be launched. 10.2 Develop opportunities to make healthy choices easier. Objectives: Enable young children to eat a healthy diet Enable adults and families to eat a healthy varied diet The stages of pre-conception, breast feeding, infant nutrition through to early years can shape outcomes and choices made in adulthood.18 In Tackling obesity through the healthy child programme, a framework for action evidence is presented which strengthens the argument for focusing interventions in the very early years, it is highlighted that epidemiological studies have shown once obesity is established in a child it can continue into adulthood.11 The Foresight report1 found that one of the five policy responses which they assessed as having the greatest average impact on obesity was early life interventions at birth or in infancy. Therefore this strategy focuses on early years as they have been identified as critical opportunities for interventions in the life course, see figure 4. Figure 4 Critical opportunities for intervention in the life course of an individual 1 Source: Government Office for Science (2007) Tackling Obesity: Future Choices, Foresight Report. http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/bispartners/foresight/docs/obesity/17.pdf Breastfeeding can provide protection against obesity and related health problems in later life22 and that by breastfeeding mothers are more likely to return to their pre-pregnancy weight.23 It has been recommended by the WHO and the Department of Health that breastfeeding should be encouraged for the first 6 months of life.24 This strategy includes actions to increase uptake of breastfeeding. Both parents and childcare providers have a role in ensuring children have healthy balanced diets. This strategy includes actions to help ensure healthy eating at childcare premises. A healthy eating award scheme for childcare will be launched to encourage and provide recognition to childcare providers. NICE guidance recommends a whole school approach to tackling overweight and obesity.7 Healthy weight healthy lives highlights the importance of schools in ensuring opportunities are provided for children to develop healthy eating habits. This strategy therefore supports Healthy Schools25 and also increasing the take-up of school meals. National qualitative research commissioned by the Department of Health for the change 4 life campaign included segmentation of the population into 6 clusters, it was identified that 3 cluster types that were more at risk of obesity, Clusters 1 and 2 also had low income, these clusters each require specific key messages.26 See Figure 5. People on low incomes (Cluster 1 and 2 ) will be targeted as the Food Standards Agency low income and diet survey highlighted they had poorer diets due to several factors including a lack of cooking skills and knowledge.27 Figure 5 Department of Health Segmentation analysis 26 Taking an educational approach to promote healthy food choices in the home this strategy will implement a package of workshops designed for these high risk clusters to provide knowledge, practical skills and confidence to prepare healthy affordable food. As BME communities have also been identified as high risk of obesity, they will also be targeted for healthy eating workshops. As suggested in Healthy Weight Healthy Lives a toolkit for developing local strategies 2 to effectively engage BME communities, interventions will be culturally appropriate and group workshops will include sharing ideas how to make traditional meals healthy. The availability of affordable fresh food in deprived areas will also be address by this strategy, by introducing initiatives such as fruit and vegetable box schemes and food co-operatives which will promote local sustainable suppliers. 10.3 Help those already obese or at high risk of becoming obese Objectives: Identify early those at high risk of overweight or obesity and direct towards appropriate intervention Ensure provision of and equal access to weight management services for those who want to loose weight. As the numbers of obese individuals is forecast to rise1 it is paramount that services are in place to meet their needs and help individuals reduce and maintain a healthy weight. For those individuals already burdened with obesity or are at high risk of becoming, comprehensive care pathways for both adults and children will be developed using NICE guidance7,28 to ensure they are evidenced based. It was recommended in Healthy Weight Healthy Lives a toolkit for developing local strategies that more weight management services should be commissioned.2 Counterweight is an evidence based weight management programme that has been shown to be highly cost effective.29 This strategy will therefore utilize this cost effective service to ensure weight management services are available for those who want to loose weight. Weight management schemes designed specifically for children will also be assed and introduced on securing funding e.g. MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it).30 The full Obesity Strategy Action Plan is shown in Table 4. 11.0 Monitoring and evaluation The implementation and monitoring of this strategy will be overseen by the Obesity Strategy Group for Preston Ribble. To measure success of the overall aim of reducing obesity levels in the population, overarching strategy indicators are shown in Table 3. Table 3 Overarching strategy indicators. Indicator Source Timing 1 % children in Reception who are obese NCMP Annually Feb 2 % children in Reception who are overweight or obese NCMP Annually Feb 3 % children in Yr 6 who are obese NCMP Annually Feb 4 % children in Yr 6 who are overweight or obese NCMP Annually Feb 5 Prevalence of BMI > or equal to 30 in adults over age of 16 in previous 15 months in GP registers QoF Annually The Obesity Strategy Action Plan shown in Table 4 includes an evaluation framework. For each action, the outcome and performance measure is indicated. The highlighted lead will be responsible for ensuring the specified outcomes and performance indicators are measured and reported back to the Strategic Obesity Group at the specified time. Table 4 Obesity Strategy Action Plan Strategic Theme 1: Change the obesogenic nature of the local environment Objectives and key actions Approach to health promotion indicated: (medical / behaviour change / educational / empowerment / social change) Timescale Resources Lead responsibility and partners Performance Measure / Outcome (Social Change) Objective: Influence public policy Ensure HIA part of policy development Roll out HIA training to planning and transportation teams within the council. Within 6 months IMPACT 5 day HIA training course for team leaders ( £700 pp) In house HIA awareness 1 day course delivered by trained HIA champions. Council Training providers All team leaders completed 5 day HIA course 1 day in house HIA awareness training attended by 90% of officers Increase availability of active transport Planning and transportation to map existing cycling and walking routes around the district and undertake a gap analysis of opportunities for more routes. Within 6 months Planning Officer time Planning Parks and Leisure Transport Existing cycling walking routes mapped. Results of gap analysis reported. Restrict access to unhealthy food. Work with planning to restrict permission of fast food outlets within 500 metres of schools Ongoing Planning Officer time Planning PCT Health Promotion No applications granted after 1 year. Improve walkability of neighbourhoods. Improve timely interaction between Environmental Health, Housing, Police to tackle social nuisances. Monitor community satisfaction via questionnaires / community meetings every year. Ongoing Procedural development time by all partners. Environmental Health Housing Department Housing Associations Police Community Groups Community group and resident feedback of significant improvement. Establish new food growing sites to improve the health and well being of residents. Identify land available for food growing projects. Within 6 months Planning Officer time Planning Sustain Land Owners 4 new growing sites to be established. Objective: Influence businesses to become healthy workplaces Organise an area forum and develop website for representatives of local businesses to raise awareness in employers of production benefits in promoting healthy lifestyles. Promote business in the community workwell campaign, case studies of good practice. Within 6 months Health and wellbeing workplace officer (in Environmental Health)  £30K Environmental Health, PCT Health Promotion, Occupational Health, IT Existing Area Business and Commerce Forums Forum website developed. Influence roll-out of workplace policies to tackle obesity via newly appointed health and wellbeing workplace officer employed to promote and facilitate the development of healthy active workplaces. 1 2 years Health and wellbeing workplace officer Environmental Health, PCT Health Promotion, Occupational Health, Existing Area Business and Commerce Forums Feedback from forum of increase in healthy policies. (website survey monkey at 1 and 2 years) Critically assess workplace practices in NHS and the Local Authority and introduce policies that encourage physical activity and healthy eating. Promote implementation of NICE Guidance 43. 1 2 years Health and wellbeing workplace officer Environmental Health PCT Health Promotion, Human Resources teams, Occupational Health, Catering services All NHS and LA workplaces assessed after 2 years. Launch a workplace health and wellbeing award scheme to encourage employers to recognise the influence that they can have on their employees health. 6 12 months Health and wellbeing workplace officer time, LA communications team Environmental Health, Council Comms, PCT Health Promotion, Occupational Health, Existing Area Business and Commerce Forums Award scheme launched after 12 months. (Empowerment) Objective: Work with communities to make active lifestyles easier Work with communities to identify perceived needs for cycling and walking routes. 6 12 months Planning Officer time Planning Parks Leisure Community Groups Health walk Leaders

Michael Collins’

Between the white knuckle intensity, the bombastic array of explosions, the sinister factionalism and the multitude of conspiratorial machinations, director Neil Jordan’s Michael Collins comes off like political history re-imagined in the vein of the gangster film. As an ambitious attempt to chronicle the life and times of one of the most important figures in Ireland’s violent struggles for independence from the British Empire, it is intelligently well-made. But it is also problematic, because it makes an obscure political struggle even more obscure by trivializing it in the way that much of historical cinema has trivialized history: emphasizing the emotional highs and lows of its protagonists at the expense of the events it uses as its foundation. Considering that Michael Collins’ epochal content is fundamentally tied to present day conflicts, namely the seemingly endless one in Northern Ireland, this is rather troubling. Collins is credited with inventing guerilla warfare, and bringing world attention to the Irish cause by forcing the English to cede authority in certain parts of his native soil and initiating a movement for an independent Irish republic. Having seen many historical dramas before, I immediately assumed that Jordan was going to spend the entire length of the film demonstrating Collins’ greatness. I was pleasantly surprised to see that while Jordan does question some of Collins’ character attributes and decisions, he fashions a historical account that somehow absolves Collins of the present state of Ireland. Jordan presents Collins, played with hearty vigor by Academy Award nominee Liam Neeson, glowing from the residual acclaim of Schindler’s List, as a patriot whose dedication to the annihilation of British rule in Ireland was compromised by the people around him. The film opens with a terrible bombardment by the English upon Irish freedom fighters, which establishes the unforgiving demand of obedience that the English crown maintained without any pretense of subtlety. Some years later, one of them named Collins is released from jail, whereupon he proceeds to give impassioned speeches as the self-dubbed Minister of Mayhem. Collins argues that the disastrous defeat in 1916 proves that a straightforward battle against the occupying British presence is an invitation to defeat. He proposes that they plant bombs to deliver unobstructed carnage to those who would oppose Irish independence. The film plays this up as an action of last resort in which Collins and his men have been forced to use violence because of the unyielding nature of the anti-independents. Yet despite to airing this sentiment frequently to his best friend/confidant/rival Harry Boland (as played by Aidan Quinn), Collins has no qualms about using the intelligence offered by a sympathetic copper played by the downtrodden hangdog face of The Crying Game’s Stephen Rea. The escalating acts of violence put the British in the uncomfortable position of acceding to negotiations, and former Republic president Eamon de Valera, as portrayed with vague menace by versatile character actor Alan Rickman, delegates Collins as a representative on his behalf. Collins recognizes his own shortcomings as a politico: the best he could negotiate was self-governance for South Ireland with allegiance to the Crown still in place. It is this halfway point of reconciliation between Ireland and the Crown that Collins argues is the best attainable agreement of the time. De Valera proceeds to disassociate himself from Collins, while Collins has a falling out with Boland, and the upset leads to civil war. Eventually, Collins dies at the hands of an assassin, which Jordan implies to have been approved by De Valera. Jordan’s Collins ultimately comes off as a violent underdog who repackages himself as a liaison between his countrymen and the occupying forces, trading in the downtrodden charisma of a scruffy brown coat with the sharp glamour of a well pressed uniform, not unlike a German officer who approves of Hitler because of the blessings in his life under Nazism. This isn’t to say that Collins was some kind of fascist, but that his frequently celebrated talents for political expedience still fall short under the lens of critical examination. After all, his agitator’s approach to moving the Irish cause forward still hasn’t brought peace today. In the meantime, conventional history writes De Valera off as a duplicitous sell out, and Jordan doesn’t attempt to challenge that view, choosing instead to portray Collins as a heroic patriot. This strikes me as strange, since Collins is the man who initiated violence and then insisted that violence must stop, leaving us with a rather ambiguous and maybe ambivalent definition of what heroism and patriotism is.       Michael Collins This oft-quoted statement is a testament as to how diverse a society’s perception of historical figures can be. Different world leaders, especially revolutionaries are often portrayed in different respects, according to the ideological prism one uses to analyze the life of the world’s greatest men and women. Mao Zedong, for example, will always be remembered by the majority of the Chinese population who lived through the years prior to the 1949 Chinese revolution as the leader of a people’s movement that liberated Chinese society from a semi-feudal and semi-colonial system ruled by bourgeois compradors and big landowners under the auspices of foreign imperialism. He is also remembered by some sections of Chinese society as a ruthless dictator who insisted on an experimental utopian social system that led to the deaths of millions of his people due to hunger and famine. In contemporary history, on the other hand, Arab nationalists and anti-imperialists view the legacy of Saddam Hussein as a triumph of the repudiation of American intrusion into Arab soil, while American conservatives view his reign of terror as one of the most dastardly regimes the world has seen in the last fifty years. Nonetheless, it is this historical ambivalence that the life of Michael Collins as an Irish revolutionary shall be analyzed in this paper, especially on questions as to whether he can be considered a villain or a patriot. Michael Collins was an Irish revolutionary who fervently sought the independence of Ireland from the â€Å"illegal occupation† of England, and led one of the bloodiest armed struggles against the British Empire. Collins came to the fore during the Easter Rising, which was one of the first attempts for centuries of British rule that militant Irish republicans sought to win Irish independence by force of arms. It must be understood that the armed struggle which was started during the Easter Rising and continued on even by the Irish Republican Army until recent past was a reaction to the timid parliamentary politics that was being espoused by the Irish Parliamentary Party of John Redmond. This party was seen by many militant republicans led by Michael Collins as a capitulating force and utterly incapable of leading the Irish people in the path to independence. As such, the Easter Rising was hatched and implemented by throngs of Irish revolutionaries which sought to grab the reins of political power from the British in the lightning fashion of an urban insurrection by seizing buildings in Dublin and cordon-off the city to surmount a violent counter-attack from British security forces, notwithstanding guerilla attacks at British soldiers – a tactic that was mastered by Collins through his flying columns. As expected, the British forces soon after counter-attacked and they were decisively able to quell the rebellion in a week, with the leading members and cadres of the Irish republican movement arrested and even executed by the British.   This foolish tactic of political violence was premised on the theory that the bloodletting of the leaders and members of the republican movement would soon after inspire the struggle of a thousand-fold more people. While this tactic of violence had a definite shock-value both to the British Empire and the Irish public, it was very costly to the Irish republican cause because it lost much of its respected leaders, especially John Connolly, the head of the Irish armed socialist movement that inspired much of the forces to wage armed struggle against the British Empire. In all of these, and even to the events leading to the signing of the Peace treaty between the Ireland and England, Michael Collins can be considered a patriot as he knew at what historic moment the necessity of armed struggle beckons, alongside his other comrades in the Irish republican movement. By supporting the armed struggle, no matter how ill-advised their insurrectionary tactic was, Collins recognized that Irish political power and national sovereignty can never be attained by simply waging a peaceful parliamentary struggle against the British crown, as the Empire will never hand over sovereignty of rich Irish lands on a silver platter. Instead, it must be forcibly taken through violent means. Nonetheless, it is only in Collins’ role prior to the peace treaty that he can be considered a patriot as he capitulated to the might of the British Empire when he acceded to the treaty and abruptly ended hostilities between the warring nations. Many in the radical sections of the Irish Republican Army saw the signing of the treaty and Collin’s support for it as a betrayal of the Irish revolution, especially to the Irish martyrs who only wanted to witness an Ireland that had its people as its sovereign and not the English throne. For this, Collins was assassinated during the Irish Civil War, dying in the same violent manner as the armed struggle he valiantly espoused in the years after the Easter Rising. On the other hand, it can somehow be said that Collins model of political violence is comparable to the theory of armed struggle by Che Guevara, particularly his foco theory. Che Guevara believed that a single guerilla force, no matter how small, carrying out armed revolution in any country is capable of spreading like wildfire and inspiring the masses to join the revolution. Both of them believed in the necessity of guerilla warfare as the most effective tool at systematically reducing the strength of the enemy, especially an enemy with almost unlimited military resources fighting against a revolutionary movement with meager resources. It must also be said that both revolutionary leaders repudiated the grabbing of political power through an urban insurrection as it opened revolutionary movement and its supporters to the heavy weight of a counter-attack by enemy forces which might be utter detrimental to the revolutionary cause. In all of these, though, it must be reiterated that despite the faults and failures of Michael Collins, especially when he capitulated to British forces instead of seeing the Irish revolution to its fruition, his life as an Irish patriot and hero can never be discounted. He lived at a concrete historical moment which challenged him and many other Irishmen to stand up against a mighty empire and determine their own destiny as a people. Works Cited: Castaneda, J. (1998). Comandante: The life and death of Chà © Guevara. Vintage Publishing. Fox, R.M. (1943). The History of the Irish Citizen Army. Dublin: James Duffy &   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Co. Hopkinson, M. Green Against Green, the Irish Civil War, pp.83-87 Kostick, Conor & Collins. (2000). The Easter Rising. Dublin: O'Brien Press Townshend, C. (2005). Easter 1916: the Irish rebellion. London: Allen Lane.

There is no simple or single entity which we can call aggression

There is no simple or single entity which we can call aggression† aggression a term simultaneously shared & perceived with violence in general views. However, the two terms are diverse in their respective aspects, even though integral to each other. Violence may be the result of aggression in many cases.Aggression cannot be explained as a simple psychological or emotional state. It is a complex state of mind that might be the result of many things. A number of researches have been conducted in this field to study the human nature & thus prepare an explanation regarding such human behaviors.The definition of aggression as stated by Buss is, â€Å"a response that delivers noxious stimuli to another organism.† [Critical Social Psychology: An Introduction] There are various misunderstandings regarding aggression, even in these modern times, the exact reason is not known, however tests & researches are constantly going on to find the answers as to how & why aggression is trig gered & why it differs person to person.The book Critical Social Psychology mentions two types of aggression:Affective aggression, comprising of strong emotional states & often resulting in injuring someone. Instrumental aggression is usually followed by or accelerated in order to attain some desires. Mostly the feeling is conjured by the stress & problems an individual counters in his or her life. Often the social issues in our society disrupts an otherwise normal life of a person, being accepted in the society is considered to be very important & people tend to do things just to fit in with the others.This example is widely present in adolescents; a student gets emotionally & psychologically disturbed if he or she is not being accepted among their school mates, this feeling arouses desperation which provokes them to perform activities due to peer pressure. Extreme anxiety may lead to aggression which might induce an individual to get violent in order to get prominent or to take re venge.  Young people today watch movies & TV programs that are centered on violence like wrestling. It is common conjecture that media is responsible for the increased percentage of aggression in humans. The comics, cartoons, various TV shows designed for children are full of violence & may elicit aggression in young minds.Not only fiction but real life today depicts hostility, deferentially covered by the modern news channels. This perception mentioned in [The Media: An Introduction] also confer various effects like the tendency of children to imitate what they observe, not having the knowledge to decide between wrong & right. Bandura's experiment declared that 88% children imitate the violence they witness on TV.It is also derived that aggression might be learned as well as controlled, by examining the experiment, with young children exposed to adult hostility towards an object & later rewarded or punished for their activities, it was noted that the children tend to indulge in t he behavior for which they witnessed the adults to be rewarded for.The same intense emotion is eminent in adults for example while watching a sports program, the audience tend to get hyper active while supporting their favorite team; like on 11 October 97, the final qualifying football match between England & Italy which ended in a tie; conversely the newspaper & the TV channels highlighted the crowd hostility that took place during the match instead of the result, followed by contemplation concerning the issue. [Sociology, 1998]Not every mind is alike hence the same message is perceived in different ways by different minds. While one person may realize that the violence being shown is negative & should be avoided, another might get inspired from it. Social norms & conflicts affect individuals drastically; the wars around the world & other issues might induce negative mind-set in people hence resulting in aggression.There are many misconceptions regarding aggression, since it is a c omplex condition & cannot be summed up easily, hence it is vital to consider the social & physiological conditions of each individual to come up with a proper explanation. Violence & aggression are interrelated & maybe used as a means of internal sub control [Social Psychology: Conflicts & Continuities] especially when today our society is divided among different races & religions.Every individual considers him to be the righteous one & reacts strongly when verbally or physically challenged. In various cultures, aggression is employed either individually or in group to produce or stop social change in a society. In order to understand the reasons behind this atrocity, it is important to learn what aggression really is, only then we would truly understand the causes & the various possibilities. [From Animosity to Atrocity]The world which we live in today is labeled as a modern world, nevertheless, the irrationality of the violence & riots in cultures. Even today one finds the news of children tortured physically & mentally by parents or teachers & questions his mind whether we are living in the 21st century.The human mind is a difficult chapter to study; psychologists come up with various explanations regarding the aggressive nature of mankind but fail to answer the new questions that arise as a result of that theory. A normal individual today is faced to so much violent behavior that he initially gets used to it & then ignores it.Nobody can answer what goes on in a murderers mind when he or she kills some one, or targets someone with brutal physical or verbal conduct. Researches by previous psychologists were usually based on a number of false assumptions like the works of Freud, Lorenz & Wilson which was later rejected, claimed that aggression was a natural instinct in humans like animals.The fact was also rejected that aggression occurred as a result of biological reasons. However it is accepted that the extreme feeling might evolve due to historical, social or cultural circumstances. [Critical Social Psychology: An Introduction]

Differences between the swedish and english school systems Essays

Differences between the swedish and english school systems Essays Differences between the swedish and english school systems Essay Differences between the swedish and english school systems Essay Differences between the Swedish and English school systems BY see Comparison Swedish and Great Britain school system The school system Sweden has, is classified very low according to a global survey which includes 40 countries. As the Great British school system is increasing in rank, the Swedish one is decreasing in rank. Why is that? In this analysis, I am going to explain why, by mostly looking at the salary systems in each country. Swedish school system. The preschool (normally 1-5 years old) in Sweden addresses up to 5 years old children. The preschool is not mandatory, but it is a great way for the parents to earn how much time they have to spend on their childrens homework and also to get a picture about how easy or hard their child can learn. The later preschool (normally 6 years old) is voluntary I Sweden. Every child in Sweden shall be offered a place in a preschool class. Primary school is mandatory for all children between 7 and 16 years old. It has the numbers, class 1-9. The school start is flexible in that way that your age can vary between 6-8. After Primary school, you are not required to go to Secondary school. You can choose to quit school when youve finished the elementary school, but you will be asked to go o the secondary school, two to four years, it is called the Gymnasium. When you finish secondary school you can choose to go to university. The average salary for a teacher is around 30. 000 SEEK per month. The Swedish school system is ranked number 21/40. The best 3 universities in Sweden are ranked number 42, 82, and 106 Great British school system Primary education in Great Britain starts at age 5 and continues until age 1 1, comprising key stages one and two under the I-J educational system. From age 11 to 16, students will enter secondary school Primary and secondary education is mandatory in Great Britain; after age 16, education is optional. Once a student finishes secondary education they have the option to extend into further education to take their A-Levels etc. Great British students planning to go to college or university must complete further education. Most international students will enter directly into the Great British higher education system, after completing their home country equivalent to the Great British further education. The entry requirements, each level of education in Great Britain has varying requirements which must be satisfied in order to gain entry at that level http:// www. Educational. Net/salaries UK. HTML Sub. SE/Pages/Classifiers. Asps? Id=259066 http://blob. VT. SE/Oldenburg/2012/11 /27/sevens-kilometers-21 a-I-overlade/ Education. Gob. UK/get-into-teaching/salary. Asps 20. 000 SEEK / month, experienced teachers, 46700 SEEK / month. Great British school system is ranked number 6/40. The three best universities are ranked number, 2, 3 and 8 Comparison Both the Swedish and the British school systems consists of five levels, with different names. The big difference is that in Great Britain, it is mandatory to go t o school from he age five until you turn 16. That is a eleven years of education. Compared to Sweden where its mandatory to go to school from the age of 7 to 16. That is a total of 9 years of education. One could ask; -is that enough? -Well, if you start by looking at facts, the Swedish school system is ranked number 21 in the world, while the British school system is ranked number 6. So, there must be something that Great Britains are doing to achieve a better school ranking, but what might that be? I think that the two years longer you attend in school in regards to the British system has a huge impact on your score as well as on the performance. However, I believe there is more to it, why the Great British schools are better than the Swedish ones. I think it has do to with the effectiveness as well as the strictness of the schools. Another other theory is that the Swedish teachers are to UN-motivated because of the relatively lower salary system. The salary for teachers in Sweden depends on which level you teach. If you teach in the secondary school, you would get a better salary than a teacher in the preschool. But how much profit could you take by teaching in secondary school instead of reechoes? If you are a Swedish teacher your salary would change Just a little (approximately 9%) depending on what education you have and in which subject you teach in, but regardless of how good you perform(at least not noticeable). In the I-J, the teacher salary system is divided into 9 different levels, Mainly to 133. It is a 80% difference between the salary you get at Main 1 and U 3. New teachers often start at the bottom of the salary levels, also known as the MI . Each year, teachers on the main salary scale move to the next point of the scale, as long as they perform good results. Depending on how they perform as a teacher they could even advance by two steps in the pay scale. Http://www. Educational. Net/salaries_UK. HTML Conclusion When I look back at my comparison I believe that the Great British school system is stronger, where you have a better chance of achieving good scores. Thats because the teachers gets more motivated when they know that they can rank up as a teacher as well as getting a better pay. It becomes more like a competition Who is the best teacher? . But I dont think that all the teachers are doing their work to take profit, for all the days off they get as a teacher. There are different people who work for different reasons as you can see. But why take away the chance to earn more money for those who work for money? If you combine a strong salary system like the Great British one, with a great school system like both Sweden and Great Britain has, you get more people interested in becoming a teacher because you meet everyones wills. Either way, I think you deserve a better pay if you do a better Job than the rest of the teachers. I think this is one of the main reasons why the Great British school system is better ranked than the Swedish one.

Free Essays on Enlightenment Influence

Today’s society owes its schools of thought to the Age of Reason. That is right, the Enlightenment. Enlightenment itself means the realization of ultimate universal truth. This great thought movement originated in the 18th Century in Europe by questioning the traditions of society. Even though some aspects of the Enlightenment were shown in previous generations, it shows in the Age of Reason of how all of its aspects came together to create new technologies. This new idea questioned all directions in which society governed itself. It created an uproar in religion, politics, science, and aesthetics. This movement started by a group of thinkers who figured out that the best way to determine the universal truth was through the ideas of individual human nature. This group, known as the philosophes, revolutionized humankind and set the stage for generations to come. This Enlightenment gave to modern society all of its riches and thoughts and therefore is responsible for t he way society has evolved from the 18th Century to the 21st Century. The Enlightenment, the alternative medium, gave light to dark minds and put the world where it stands today. It was the late 17th Century, in France where the philosophes began to question the age old traditions and myths of man. The biggest of the philosophes was Voltaire. Voltaire was the only one who could combine the schools of thought and to make it understandable in accordance to human nature. Voltaire combined the ideas of the new sciences and philosophies and convinced society of the idea that people should believe only the ideas received from the senses. He claimed that people should not believe everything they hear. The best knowledge was to acquire it for oneself and become one’s own individual. Voltaire was seen as a reformer because of his concrete thoughts. He felt that society needed a freer press, religious toleration, and above all, an efficient government. Vol... Free Essays on Enlightenment Influence Free Essays on Enlightenment Influence Today’s society owes its schools of thought to the Age of Reason. That is right, the Enlightenment. Enlightenment itself means the realization of ultimate universal truth. This great thought movement originated in the 18th Century in Europe by questioning the traditions of society. Even though some aspects of the Enlightenment were shown in previous generations, it shows in the Age of Reason of how all of its aspects came together to create new technologies. This new idea questioned all directions in which society governed itself. It created an uproar in religion, politics, science, and aesthetics. This movement started by a group of thinkers who figured out that the best way to determine the universal truth was through the ideas of individual human nature. This group, known as the philosophes, revolutionized humankind and set the stage for generations to come. This Enlightenment gave to modern society all of its riches and thoughts and therefore is responsible for t he way society has evolved from the 18th Century to the 21st Century. The Enlightenment, the alternative medium, gave light to dark minds and put the world where it stands today. It was the late 17th Century, in France where the philosophes began to question the age old traditions and myths of man. The biggest of the philosophes was Voltaire. Voltaire was the only one who could combine the schools of thought and to make it understandable in accordance to human nature. Voltaire combined the ideas of the new sciences and philosophies and convinced society of the idea that people should believe only the ideas received from the senses. He claimed that people should not believe everything they hear. The best knowledge was to acquire it for oneself and become one’s own individual. Voltaire was seen as a reformer because of his concrete thoughts. He felt that society needed a freer press, religious toleration, and above all, an efficient government. Vol...

Discussion for online Business Ethics class - Week 3 Essay

Discussion for online Business Ethics class - Week 3 - Essay Example e equal on social and economic grounds, even then there will remain a perceptual dissatisfaction due to human’s nature to look beyond what he is today and thus strive for more, than what others have. Thus social democratic societies cannot achieve happiness. However, Kelly believes that happiness comes from exercising freedom. He calls the corporation of today as the government of the propertied class, a concept similar to plutocracy and timocracy where privileged class dictates the terms and thus few is the number of happy people. Therefore in order to bring happiness amongst the society, it is necessary to bring happiness amongst masses which can be brought by ending the rule of the elite, and the introducing the measures that shall also use the growth of other stakeholder’s such as employees to indicate the growth of the corporations. Kelly has distinguished a corporation from its stockholders. The role of corporation is not to maximize profits only but to also address the issues of the corporate stakeholders that also include employees, customers, suppliers, creditors etc. Thus instead of focusing on the shareholders only which it does by perceiving each and everything from his eye only, it shall also focus on the well being of its other stakeholders too by increasing wages and funding healthy environment for instance. While Novak’s perception is optimistic about corporations, Kelly views it pessimistically. Novak believes that corporations have been wrongly blamed to have ignored morality and promoted only that, which has been useful to them but he agrees that corporations do have the elements of aristocracy. On the other hand Kelly believes that the corporations have wrongly assumed the role of exercising the desires of the elite, it has to do more than maximizing the profits of its shareholders. Therefore, instead of competing on the wealth of the shareholders, the corporations need to compete on wider basis such as raising the standards of the

What was the role of Ptolemy I under Alexander the Great How important Essay

What was the role of Ptolemy I under Alexander the Great How important was Ptolemy to Alexander - Essay Example When Philip was murdered by a faction of aristocrats in 336 B.C.E., Ptolemy went back to the court and backed up Alexander’s rights as heir to the throne (Yardley 1984, 64) As a result, according to Bingen and Bagnal (2007), Alexander employed Ptolemy as his custodian, protector, and friend. Ptolemy escorted Alexander on his battles in 336 B.C.E. in the Danube, and in Corinth and Thebes. Ptolemy strongly supported the fledgling king in his military campaigns (Bingen & Bagnal 2007). Ptolemy persuaded and helped Alexander’s conquest of Asia Minor, Syria, and Persia. These campaigns were carried out to liberate the Greeks from Darius III’s Persian Empire (p. 16). Ptolemy supported Alexander’s nonviolent invasion of Egypt and the building of the Alexandria city, and perhaps escorted Alexander to Zeus’s temple in Siwa. Ptolemy immediately saw the huge importance of Egypt, and a wholehearted concern for the country thrived within him. Ptolemy afterwards escorted the young king to northern Mesopotamia for the ultimate clash with Darius’s armed forces in 331 B.C.E. (Green 1990, 131). Ptolemy played a major role in the crusades of Alexander in India and Afghanistan. When the great king passed away Ptolemy seized control over a large portion of all the territories that Alexander had invaded, becoming overseer of Egypt. Ptolemy’s major objective all over his almost four decades in power was to erect a strong reign, the Ptolemaic dynasty (Green 1990, 291). This dynasty reigned throughout Egypt for three centuries and was the leader of all the empires which were indebted to the invasions of Alexander the Great. Ptolemy buil t his main city at Alexandria where he also constructed a museum and began bringing together written works for a grand library, which eventually became the hub for scientific study and the world’s greatest compilation of Roman and Greek papyri (Ellis 1994,