Health care system Essays - Health, Evaluation, Health Informatics

Health care system Name Institutional affiliation Date The standards that are found in health care if positive gives a difference in the quality of our lives. It does not matter whether those are our relatives or we are the patients (Swayne, et al 2012). Given that there are financial constraints, nurses are now jack of all trades and most managements are now forced to place resources where there is great need. There needs to be qualitative measures so that quality results are produced when we consider the best health care for the country (Swayne, et al 2012). The review of the plan was done at Sentara CarePlex Hospital in Hamton , Viginia . The review showed that the response of the medical personnel greatly needs improvement (Smith- Bindman , et al 2012). The other area is the patient's need of help. The survey showed that about 65% of patients at Sentara Careplex hospital gave a report that they are always receiving help immediately after asking for it. From this it is clear that 35% of the patients reported that they did not receive help the moment they asked for it (Smith- Bindman , et al 2012). The satisfaction of the customer in this case can be related to the quality of the outcome given that customers gage the quality they receive on what they expect rather than the service that is provided ( Grandia , 2014). In several cases when a patient is asking for help they are always expecting that the care provider should have an ability and willingness to help in a timely manner. There are cases where a patient just asks for water or just a minimal thing and there are cases where medical emergencies arise and the patient an immediate lifesaving care. Several problems arising from lack of prompt care are problems arising from lack of prompt care and develop over time like the infection of the bladder, bed sores and dehydration ( Grandia , 2014). The system used for analysis is this case is the evaluation method. This method was selected because it gives the appropriate information that answer the questions of the stakeholders but not because they are easy, popular or familiar ( Grandia , 2014). The method used has implications for what counts as evidence, it also gives a clue on how the evidence will be gathered and thee claims to be made. Given that every method has its own limitations and biases. We choose this method for analysis because they are more robust ( Grandia , 2014). The criteria used in analysis here is gathering credible evidence. The raw material for a good evaluation is gathering credible evidence. The information that is gathered should be seen by the stakeholders to be credible ( Carayon , et al 2014). The system involves thinking broadly about what is counted as evidence. The decision made here is situational because they depend on the question that has been posed and the motive behind the question. There are questions that a stakeholders' standards for credibility can sometimes demand having the results of the randomized experiment ( Carayon , et al 2014). There will also be a set of well-done observations like the interactions between the staffs and the community residents or the patients. This has a very high credibility. The difference here is found on the type of information that the stakeholders are looking for and the situation that the information has been gathered ( Carayon , et al 2014). There are situations that are necessary in consulting the evaluation specialists. In this survey the local people offer deepest insights. The ones involved in the evaluation should try to collect information that they convey as credible ( Masic , 2016). Credible evidence helps in strengthening the evaluation results and the recommendations that follow them though all the data collected have some limitations but is possible in improving the overall evaluation credibility. Through encouraging the participation of the stakeholders has enhanced perceived credibility ( Masic , 2016). Implementation of the plan The implementation of the plan will involve four basic steps in implementing this plan. The first step will involve planning. This will involve developing a plan that are

Cougar Hunting essays

Cougar Hunting essays In Washington state voters banning the use of hounds for cougar hunting in 1996. Cougars, also known as mountain lions or pumas, are native to Washington State. About 2,500 live in this state, double the populations of the early 1980s, and their numbers are growing, in the last years since this law has been pass. Cougars are the reason the deer population is going down; the average cougar kills about 65 deer a year. The following stats are a picture to show what is happening and will keep happening until we pass the hound hunting law. There have been 10 fatal cougar attacks on people recorded since 1980, but five of those were in the past 10 years. In Colorado, cougars have attacked three hikers in the last year, including killing a 10-year-old hiker in July 1997 at Rocky Mountain National Park. Non-lethal attacks are also on the rise for instance, a 6-year-old boy non-fatally attacked on July 31, 1998, in Montana. In California, a ban on all sport hunting of cougars helped double their numbers since 1972 to an estimated 5,000 animals. Even after cougars killed two California hikers, voters rejected a 1996 proposal to reinstate hunting. Hunters note that an average of 100 "problem" cougars are killed each year in California, about twice the number killed annually by hunters before the 1972 ban. Many hunters and some game officials believe cougars are becoming bolder and less scared of man in the absence of hunting. As Washington expands to the woods and outer city limits the cougars are being forced from there home and are becoming dangerously close to our family and friends. If they are not controlled they will dominate the prey and people around them. The use of hounds would be a great aid in the regaining of the cougar population in Washington and the rest of the USA. The cougar population will go back to normal when hounds are legal to use again. T ...

The Economic Impact of Race and Gender in Relationship to differences Essay

The Economic Impact of Race and Gender in Relationship to differences Occupations - Essay Example According to the 2007 census, the blacks appeared to have invested significantly in businesses. The census marked a rise of 60.5% to close to 1.9 million black managed businesses. This shows that blacks are innovative. They do not wait for opportunities to come their way they go for the opportunity. The black business areas of concern included: health care and social assistance; repair department; maintenance department; and personal and laundry service sectors. Their involvements confirm that the black’s level of education is low. Despite the later fact, the population creates an income of 27.4 % from trade, retail and social assistance sector in the same year. The blacks prefer the residence around New York City constituting close to 8.1 % of the nation’s black owned business. The blacks’ least settled in Detroit, with 1.7% business of the total black owned businesses. Blacks also tend to be aggressive as evident a prominent figure like; in the field of service comprising, Oprah Winfrey who is a billionaire in the television industry, Kobe Bryant, who earns close to $27, 849 in the sporting industry, and the President Barrack Obama, topping the political scene. The black population tends to be distributed evenly though in small percentages to almost all sectors of the economy. The highest field of attendance is education, health care and social assistance with 291% of the total population; whilst least participative in the Agriculture forestry, hunting and mining industry comprising 0.6 % by 5ythe years 2011 (Glauber, 15). The population of the whites/ Caucasian in the market tends to be divided by gender; that is men and women in different disciplines. The male population in the management field appears as 34.8% and appears least in number, in the field of service comprising, up to 13.6%. The rest of the field occupied by

LEADERSHIP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

LEADERSHIP - Essay Example stitutions and hospitals to recruit nurses, who have efficient leadership skills that would be beneficial to provide good quality health care to the patients (The Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, 2015). Possessing a powerful and effective leadership skill is very essential for the nurses, especially who are in the top most positions. The role of a nurse is to provide care to the patients and provide medicines to the patients as being prescribed by the doctor. Sometimes, in the absence of doctor or registered practitioner, the nurses are required to take decisions regarding the medicines to be provided to the patient in case of emergency. It is very essential for a nurse to be a good decision maker that is an important element of leadership skill, which would help to take important decisions in emergency situations (Cherie & Gebrekidan, 2005). Therefore, a nurse should possess effective leadership skills as well as styles that would help in leading, controlling, organizin g and planning their activities, which would serve beneficial in delivering effective healthcare services to the patients (National Academy of Sciences, 2011; CNA, 2010). From my past experience in a well-known healthcare organization, helped me to understand how the quality of nursing is being influenced by the leadership styles and skills possessed by the nurses. I was being appointed as a trainee in the healthcare centre from where I gained practical experience regarding the leadership qualities possessed by the nursing professionals working in the healthcare centre. The leadership skills possessed by the head nurse of the organization inspired me the most. She was prominent and experienced in every aspect of decision making that are required for providing good quality healthcare in the organization. Moreover, she was highly cooperative with the team members and the junior nurses and supported them to carry out their activities in an effective manner. She always tried to make sure

Low Cost Strategies of QuickFlight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Low Cost Strategies of QuickFlight - Essay Example QuickFlight has no formal HR department and any room for staff development and training; this is something that the organization should look into, considering the increase in size will need an integration of forces. The expertise from Gone can help the organization streamline a strategic HR policy, including the personnel from QuickFlight as well to ensure proper representation of all stakeholders. To solve this problem, the organization should practice effective communication strategies in the company. In times of change management, effective communication plays a vital role in the success of the changing processes. Proper information dissemination to all stakeholders, equal intake for solutions from them would help the policy makers to gain knowledge from the valuable expertise of the Human Capital. In order to capitalize on the diverse features of both the organizations, the human resource should be encouraged to work in teams and work their way out of problems. Job rotation is an other management development that helps to train employees and provide them with exposure to the entire organization. All these activities will introduce a high sense of commitment in the employees towards the newly formed organization and will help fill the gap between the two cultures (Raymond, 2000). Â  With the addition of call center labor in the organization, the company should embark on formal training procedures to train the employees to boost their sales through call center bookings. Training and development in this area are bound to help the employees boost the sales; also, recognition for the hard work that they put in is important. Clearly, compensation that is being awarded can work as an incentive, along with recognition. Therefore, to reduce turnover and boost sales, the company should introduce a basic pay for all, adding performance-based rewards, depending on the sales that the personnel makes.

Relationship Between Mental Illness and Crime

Relationship Between Mental Illness and Crime The Circle of Crime Broadsheets and tabloids along with other forms of media continue to sensationalise the association between mental illness and crime with 46% of press coverage dedicated to crime, harm to others and self-harm which is concerning (Hudson, 2013). However, this can be detrimental to the psychological wellbeing of individuals who suffer from mental illness leading to victimisation and recidivism due to ineffective management of offenders with mental illness. This essay will critically discuss the current thinking in relation to the link between mental illness and crime. In particular, the transition of childhood abuse or violence to a crime being committed as a result of mental health problems. This essay will also attempt to demonstrate the impact incarceration which continues a pattern of offending due to unresolved mental health issues and the never ending cycle persists. Vinkers, Beurs, Barendregt, Rinne and Hoek (2011) investigated the relationship between mental illness and different types of crime. The study included 21,424 pre-trial forensic reports from the Netherland between 2000 and 2006. The crime which was found to have the strongest relationship with mental illness was arson which was then followed by assaults, homicide attempts and then threats. The crime which was found to have the weakest relationship (with diminished or absent accountability) with mental illness was sexual and property crimes. If there is a clear relationship between a mental illness and a crime which has been committed then accountability is considered to be diminished in Dutch courts (Vinkers et al., 2011). There are five degrees of responsibility in relation to crime the first being complete responsibility which is when a crime is committed by a person who is fully in their right mind, there is an absence of mental disorder or if the disorder is unrelated to the comm itted crime. This is then followed by slightly diminished, diminished, severely diminished and total absence of responsibility. To be absolved from guilt completely a severe mental disorder (usually of a psychotic nature) is necessary. An important strength of the research conducted by Vinkers et al. (2011) is that they directly studied the relationship between mental disorders and different types of crime. It is essential to understand why a relationship exits and not only that there is a relationship. When a person has an underlying mental health disorder and they commit a crime this does not necessarily mean the mental disorder caused them to commit the crime. For example if an individual who is addicted to drugs shoplifts this may be attributed to poverty and not related to them having a mental illness such as schizophrenia. Having established a link between mental illness and crime this essay will now consider the relationship between childhood violence or abuse and mental illness. Nikulina, Widom and Czaja (2011) investigated the effect that childhood neglect and childhood poverty (family and neighbourhood) had on the likelihood of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), academic achievement and crime in young adulthood. The results suggest that both childhood neglect and childhood family poverty predicted PTSD and arrest as an adult. The study also found that children who suffered from neglect and were poor were more likely to be delinquent and participate in criminal behaviour than children who were not poor and were not neglected. It was also suggested by Nikulina et al. (2011) that children who grow up in a poorer household (or neighbourhood) have a predisposition to trauma which makes them more likely have difficulties in later life. They concluded that n eglect and poverty were positively correlated with long term criminal, academic and mental health outcomes. The findings from Nikulina et al. (2011) indicate that adverse conditions and unstable living environments (including poverty) increase the chance that a person will develop PTSD symptoms. A persons surroundings are important in determining their risk for mental health and psychosocial outcomes. In addition to this Grisso (2007) suggest an association between youth delinquency and mental illness. In this study youths aged 9 and 10, 11 and 13 were interviewed and tested at three points in time. During at least one of these assessment points approximately one third of the youths met the criteria for one or more mental illnesses and the same amount of the total sample were arrested when they reached young adulthood. The results suggest that having a mental illness in adolescence is likely to have played a role in the subsequent offending as an adult. It is also suggested that suf fering from a mental illness between the ages of 9 and 16 poses a much greater risk of offending as a young adult. Effective community based intervention during adolescence is recommended by Grisso (2007) to reduce delinquency. A major problem which faces law enforcement is the high number of individuals with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system (Cuellar, McReynolds Wasserman, 2006). This creates complications both socially and politically. One way of combating this issue would be to use a specialised program such as mental health courts, which are relatively new. There are approximately 200 mental health courts in the United States with D’Emic (2014) becoming the first mental health court judge in New York State in March 2002. Mental health courts are an alternative to incarceration courts. The aim of these courts is to improve the psychiatric stability of offenders and also to improve public safety by connecting offenders with mental health treatment. Cuellar et al. (2006) suggest that for certain types of individuals, it is more appropriate to use problem-solving methods rather than punishment. They do this by working with other mental health agencies, families and housing providers to name a few. The aim of these courts is to support offenders who are suffering with a mental illness to live a constructive life which is free of crime in the community (D’Emic, 2014). One of the first cases to be brought to this court was a young man in his early 20s who had been arrested for two street robberies (D’Emic, 2014). While in jail he began to act bizarrely and he was subsequently taken to hospital to be observed. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The agreement was that if he engaged with treatment the indictment against him would be dismissed. He succeeded and went on to obtain a master’s degree and remained in therapy and continued to take medication which was prescribed for his mental illness. The treatment which was overseen by the mental health court ensured the continued safety of the public by effectively managing this young man’s mental health. If the only option for this young man was to be handed a prison sentence this could have resulted in him being released into the community with a serious, untreated mental illness. The aim of using this method is to reduce recidivism and also reduce the severity of crimes committed by offenders who suffer from mental illness which in turn would reduce the societal cost of crime (Cuellar et al., 2006). The concern for policymakers in the reduction of crime is to place more emphasis on rehabilitation and treatment of offenders with mental illnesses as opposed to prosecution and harsher punishment. Offenders with mental illness would find it more beneficial to engage with more appropriate and less expensive supervised care in the community than being embroiled in the criminal justice system (DeQuendre, 2002). If appropriate services were provided to sufferers of mental illness then they would not end up being arrested, in jail or facing charges in court (Cuellar et al., 2006). A finding from Cuellar et al (2006) is that more than half of youths who had a mental illness wer e re-arrested. Over a one year period it was reported that there were 63 fewer arrests per 100 youths who had voluntarily enrolled on the diversion programme. This is an opportunity for youths to avoid the formal court intervention and engage with appropriate developmental and treatment needs. Female prisoners have been identified as particularly vulnerable by MacDonald (2013) and more likely to suffer from higher levels of emotional distress than male prisoners. MacDonald (2013) examined 6 countries which were part of the EU DAPHNE Strong project. The purpose of this project was to increase the knowledge and understanding of professionals who work with women in prison who had been subject to childhood, intimate partner or other forms of physical and or sexual violence. The findings of the DAPHNE project were that 70-80% of the female prison population in Scotland had mental health problems, 50% of the prisoners had a history of sexual abuse and at least 50% of the women were presently in an abusive relationship (MacDonald, 2013). The findings were similar in England and Wales with 50% experiencing domestic violence. In Finland it is suggested that approximately three out of four female prisoners have been a victim of physical, psychological or sexual violence. Germany als o reports a victim violence rate of 70%. It was found in Scotland and Finland that women who had a history of violence and abuse were not routinely identified. Effective screening of mental health problems and also other health concerns is fundamental to the services which can be provided. It is imperative that gender-specific guidelines are set for managing female prisoners as they often have more complex health problems than male prisoners (World Health Organisation, 2009). The areas which require particular attention are mental illness, substance abuse issues, reproductive health and physical and sexual abuse. It has been reported that the mental health care which is currently provided is inadequate. This is due to lack of funding and also a lack of trained staff. The overuse of medication is also highlighted. A major concern in prisons is amount of prisoners who suffer from mental illnesses such as psychosis (3.7% of males and 4% of females), major depression (10% males and 12% females) and antisocial personality disorder (45%) as this increase the likelihood of suicide (MacDonald, 2013). It is suggested that the treatment of mental illnesses including self-harm should be managed in the community where they originated. The problems which women face require specific treatment plans which are currently not provided by The Prison Service and unlikely to be without the appropriate resources being dedicated. The United Kingdom appears to be efficient in providing information. In women’s prisons in Scotland, England and Wales there are posters, brochures and leaflets however this method of delivery can be problematic for prisoners who have writing and reading difficulties. The need for a range of services to be provided to prisoners is advocated by Prison staff. These include a named member of staff who has responsibility for violence and abuse who prisoners can be referred to, informing the prisoners of the chaplaincy service and encouraging the prisoner s to use informal and therapeutic approaches to deal with their issues such as writing down their feelings or using art therapy. An important mechanism in supporting prisoners is to empower them to believe they can overcome their difficulties and live a happier healthier life. MacDonald (2013) infers that the criminal justice system appear unwilling to provide alternatives to custodial sentences. Cuts in public spending have further implicated the capacity for the prison service to offer any staff training. The availability of services is widely inconsistent within countries and also within the EU (MacDonald, 2013). Visher and Bakken (2014) examined the mental health status of women who were leaving prison and how their mental health shaped their re-entry outcomes. Problems that the women face over a year after leaving included poorer health, difficulty securing a home, trouble gaining employment and more involvement in criminal behaviour. Women who enter prison are more likely to report excessive history of physical sexual and emotional abuse which puts them at high risk of mental illness (Visher Bakken, 2014). There is also a strong link between childhood abuse and mental illness, in particular depression, PTSD, panic and eating disorders. Women inmates are reported to have higher rates of mental illness (73%) than males (55%). A large study was carried out looking at 357 women from six states that were released from prison. Of these women 44% reported a diagnosis of depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, PTSD and schizophrenia (Visher Bakken, 2014). Out of these women over half of them felt that they still required treatment for their mental illness a quarter of them believed that they need â€Å"a lot† of treatment. An important finding was that the need for this treatment pre-ceded the imprisonment. Women who suffer from mental illness are likely to face problems at every stage of the criminal justice process from the moment they are arrested, to being imprisoned and then finally when they are released and subsequently reintegrated back into the community. Reports indicate that history of women’s lives play a role in their criminal involvement such as personal abuse, mental illness and substance abuse, homelessness, poverty and also being involved in troubled relationships. Due to these difficulties women often find it difficult to re-establish their lives when they leave prison. The difficulties they have are getting a job, finding a place to live, earning enough money to support them, and also building relationships with t heir family which may have been broken due to being in prison. To avoid recidivism it is essential that women with mental health problems are provided with treatment during and after imprisonment. However prisons due not have the resources to provide this treatment and only those in the most secure facilities receive any support. Visher and Bakken (2014) conducted a longitudinal study called Returning Home; Understanding the Challenges of Prisoner Re-entry which examined the lives of prisoners before, during and a year after leaving prison. A simple effective method that could be employed is a checklist for problems which might require follow up care or management. If any mental health issues are identified then women should be referred on to a community case manager in order to receive the appropriate services for their needs. Recidivism is an important issue which needs attention as eventually the majority of imprisoned offenders will return to society (Gontkovsky McClellan, 2000). Rehabilitation is particularly important especially with regards to inmates who have mental illness. Some of these inmates have a pre-existing mental illness whereas others develop an illness due to issues such as fear of violence and restricted freedom (Gontkovsky McClellan, 2000). Due to inadequate staffing, evaluations of offenders with psychological issues are often brief and unreliable which results in ineffective treatment. In theory the key to successful rehabilitation is providing individually tailored treatment programs however, this is rarely implemented. Resources should not be wasted on individuals who are unwilling to put the effort in but should be reserved for individuals who are motivated for change. To avoid recidivism women need the opportunity to deal with any trauma they have suffered and they need support to learn more effective ways of dealing with their problems to take control of their own lives. In Germany counselling and conversation during the night are provided to prisoners. The suggestions for improving the current practise for women in prison is using prison as a last resort for women who do not pose a risk to society. Also all policies which are developed must recognise the gender specific needs of women and finally mental illnesses which arise from substance abuse and PTSD should be specifically addressed (MacDonald, 2013).One of the objectives of this project was to develop a resource pack for prisons and other criminal justice related authorities to provide examples of good practice and to highlight programmes which already exist for women survivors of violence and abuse. A second objective of the project was to develop a training programme for the staff that ca rries out work with female prisoners who have experienced violence to help them understand the problems which these women face. In conclusion this essay has established the link between mental health and crime with regards to past life experience and in particular to females. The difficulties which individuals with mental illness face who commit crime have also been addressed. Effectively managing mental illness would benefit both the individual and also wider society. A broader understanding in the criminal justice system of mental illness would also be beneficial. For individuals who pose a risk to either themselves or to others there is often no alternative to a custodial sentence. However, for the individuals who do not pose a risk to themselves or to others perhaps developing and implementing other strategies than custodial sentences would reduce the ever revolving prison door. This would also take the pressure off of the prison service to provide treatment which they are not equipped to provide. If issues are identified in childhood early intervention may also reduce the number of individuals with menta l illness who find themselves entrapped in the ever revolving door of prison. Rather than condemn individuals with mental illness who commit crime it may be more constructive to identify the reason which caused them to offend in the first place. In some cases mental illness will play a role in the offending behaviour however in some cases other factors may have cause the offending. It is of utmost importance to clarify the factor which led to the offending behaviour in order to deal with the situation effectively and reduce further offending.

George W. Norris :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On July 11, 1861 in York Township Ohio Mary Norris gave birth too a boy and named him George William Norris. When George was three his father died. After his father died his mother had to take care of eleven kids.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When George was twenty he graduated with a bacheolrs degree and earned a law degree. He passed the bar exam to earn a law degree. Later, he tought some school. He did all of these events from age twenty through twenty-two.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Georgemoved to Beatrice in 1885 annd opened a law office. He lived in Beatrice for a few months. Later, he moved to Beaver City where he met Pluma Lashely his first wife. Pluma’s father died onne year after the wedding. His wife gave birth to thhree daughters and died while trying to give birth to the fourth an unborn boy in 1901. George would eventually remarry on July eighth. The girls name was Ellie Leonard who almost died while giving birth to twins. Nnorris and Ellie went a childless life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George William Norris had a bright career. George was in congress from 1913-1943 thirty years. He was the chairman of the ncpac which stands for: National Citizen Political Action Committee. George was also the father of the TVA which stands for Tennessee Valley Authority. He was a U.S. senator for Nebraska. He was the author of the twentyth amendment. The twentyth amendment is the rights for the underprivileged and tireless advocate of goverment reform.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George William Norris died on September second 1944 at the age of eighty-three. He died while still in political action. George W. Norris :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On July 11, 1861 in York Township Ohio Mary Norris gave birth too a boy and named him George William Norris. When George was three his father died. After his father died his mother had to take care of eleven kids.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When George was twenty he graduated with a bacheolrs degree and earned a law degree. He passed the bar exam to earn a law degree. Later, he tought some school. He did all of these events from age twenty through twenty-two.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Georgemoved to Beatrice in 1885 annd opened a law office. He lived in Beatrice for a few months. Later, he moved to Beaver City where he met Pluma Lashely his first wife. Pluma’s father died onne year after the wedding. His wife gave birth to thhree daughters and died while trying to give birth to the fourth an unborn boy in 1901. George would eventually remarry on July eighth. The girls name was Ellie Leonard who almost died while giving birth to twins. Nnorris and Ellie went a childless life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George William Norris had a bright career. George was in congress from 1913-1943 thirty years. He was the chairman of the ncpac which stands for: National Citizen Political Action Committee. George was also the father of the TVA which stands for Tennessee Valley Authority. He was a U.S. senator for Nebraska. He was the author of the twentyth amendment. The twentyth amendment is the rights for the underprivileged and tireless advocate of goverment reform.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  George William Norris died on September second 1944 at the age of eighty-three. He died while still in political action.

A Scanner Darkly

Ashlyn Phillips Mr. Flanigan/ Dystopian Literature Period 2 December 4, 2012 Who Are You? As young children we begin to develop a personality, one that is based off of the people we are surrounded with. When identifying who we are as people, physical appearance is less important in comparison to our spirits and mindsets. The body serves only as a shuttle for our spirits and minds, without these two assets our bodies would simply only be empty shells. In Philip K.Dick’s A Scanner Darkly, the protagonist, Bob Arctor, has fallen victim to a highly addictive drug called Substance D, which has the side effect of splitting the personality in one’s mind. In dealing with the abuse of this drug, Arctor begins to lose himself and forgets what really makes him who he is. Our souls, character and appearance determine who we are as people, without these three attributes it would be very difficult to differentiate between one human from the next.The brain begins to develop in the fir st trimester of pregnancy, even as fetuses we are able to think and begin to develop our personalities inside the womb. As we enter the world and begin living, our surrounding environments control the outcomes of our minds, bodies and spirits. If you are born into a wealthy family, it is more than likely that you will live a wealthy lifestyle; if you are born into a poor family, it is more than likely that you will live a poor lifestyle.In society, we are first identified by how much money we have, then by how we look and at last we begin to learn more about each other to identify who our characters are through how we wish to portray ourselves. Our personalities begin to develop when we are first able to open our eyes, smile and really when we begin to communicate with each other. From there we begin to learn what we like to do in life; whether it be dancing, singing, painting, playing sports, etc.These attributes are major when identifying a person. Our spirits begin to develop at an early age and although they can be slightly altered as life goes on, we never really change entirely. One can be judged by their physical appearance and be separated from one person to the next simply based on that, however, if asked who Bob Marley is as a person, the answer would be far more detailed than if only asked what he looks like. Personality and character traits are really the basis of determining who we are as people.If a set of identical twins were put in the same room together and a group of people were asked to differentiate between Sarah and Mary, they would only be able to based on appearance. The more in depth question would be, how can you tell who Sarah is and who Mary is? In answering this question many key attributes are discussed such as, Sarah may be more energetic, loud, creative, talkative, religious and athletic than Mary, allowing for their friends to automatically know who is who when confronted by either twin.Personality always gives the answer. If th e personality changes or begins to morph into two different sides, determining who someone is becomes a very difficult task. In A Scanner Darkly, Fred goes undercover as a drug addict in order to solve a major case but in doing so, he himself becomes addicted to the drug and his personality begins to split into two different people, Fred and Bob; Fred being the undercover cop and Bob being the addict.As Fred’s life morphs into Bob’s, he begins to lose himself entirely and the world as he knew it before completely changes into something different than he thought. â€Å"He will sink into a needle-and-a-spoon existence, or bounce off the walls in a psychiatric hospital or, worst of all, a federal clinic†¦And all this will occur deliberately, someone figured out what he was doing and then got him this way. The worst way of all: with the stuff they sell that he was after them for selling. (86) His personality can no longer be analyzed because he thinks as two entirely different people as if he has two separate brains in one head. Clearly this is an issue due to the fact that we are recognized by our personalities. If two personalities are competing against one another inside of one mind, there is no way to really know who that person is. Fred loses himself in Bob’s world and the drug becomes more important than anything else, as it usually does inside the mind of a drug addict.Without the soul, the body is like a light bulb without electricity. The soul gives the body meaning and purpose, without it there would only be boys and girls, not unique individuals with their own characteristics. The soul carries along every memory, experience, encounter, and detail of each person in the world. A wise soul will think beyond their years, a young soul will stay a teenager at heart forever and an evil soul will end up in the dark side of life and all of these souls grow through life experiences and will only be influenced by these experiences.The so ul in one person does not change entirely through life experiences it can only change slightly by being influenced by those around us. In determining who we are as people, the soul is the key ingredient and it should be the first thing that is analyzed from one human being to the next. More often than not, looks do not matter, it is what lies within ourselves that determines who we are as individuals.

Free Essays on Aristotle Vs. Plato

Introduction The Chinese revolution of 1949 was one of the most momentous events of this century. The old order, dominated by warlords, police terror and the rivalries of Western and Japanese imperialists, was overthrown by a millions-strong peasant army. For a quarter of the human race, the way seemed open to eradicate the roots of poverty, misery and famine, and build a better society. â€Å"The Chinese people have stood up†, declared Mao Zedong at the official founding of People’s China – and millions around the world believed him. The impact of the Chinese experience was to be even stronger in the political explosion of the late 1960s. As students and workers across the industrialised world moved into battle against their ruling classes, many socialists looked to China for inspiration. Mao’s opposition to both American and Russian imperialism, and his declared support for national liberation movements, seemed to put him on their side of the barricades. And the Cultural Revolution seemed proof that a socialist society could save itself from bureaucracy through a constant process of struggle. Few socialists today look to China for inspiration. The illusions of â€Å"Maoism† have been shattered by Mao’s successors, who have systematically ditched everything that was distinctive about Mao’s strategy for economic development. â€Å"Self-reliance† has gone, to be replaced by â€Å"market socialism†. The Cultural Revolution is now – rightly – described as a major disaster. And China’s new rulers have admitted that the economy can only be modernised by its integration into the world economy. China has become part of the world system it once seemed to want to overthrow. Yet at bottom Mao and his successors shared the same aim – to build a powerful economy which could compete with the rest of the world. The needs and aspirations of Chinese workers and peasants have always been subordinated to that aim. The â€Å"socialist... Free Essays on Aristotle Vs. Plato Free Essays on Aristotle Vs. Plato Introduction The Chinese revolution of 1949 was one of the most momentous events of this century. The old order, dominated by warlords, police terror and the rivalries of Western and Japanese imperialists, was overthrown by a millions-strong peasant army. For a quarter of the human race, the way seemed open to eradicate the roots of poverty, misery and famine, and build a better society. â€Å"The Chinese people have stood up†, declared Mao Zedong at the official founding of People’s China – and millions around the world believed him. The impact of the Chinese experience was to be even stronger in the political explosion of the late 1960s. As students and workers across the industrialised world moved into battle against their ruling classes, many socialists looked to China for inspiration. Mao’s opposition to both American and Russian imperialism, and his declared support for national liberation movements, seemed to put him on their side of the barricades. And the Cultural Revolution seemed proof that a socialist society could save itself from bureaucracy through a constant process of struggle. Few socialists today look to China for inspiration. The illusions of â€Å"Maoism† have been shattered by Mao’s successors, who have systematically ditched everything that was distinctive about Mao’s strategy for economic development. â€Å"Self-reliance† has gone, to be replaced by â€Å"market socialism†. The Cultural Revolution is now – rightly – described as a major disaster. And China’s new rulers have admitted that the economy can only be modernised by its integration into the world economy. China has become part of the world system it once seemed to want to overthrow. Yet at bottom Mao and his successors shared the same aim – to build a powerful economy which could compete with the rest of the world. The needs and aspirations of Chinese workers and peasants have always been subordinated to that aim. The â€Å"socialist...

A Moral Issue Of Murder essays

A Moral Issue Of Murder essays Capital punishment is an issue that has long been debated amongst Americans. We have been questioning the morality of an Eye For an Eye way of thinking. Many say that serious crimes deserve serious punishments such as death, where others view death to be an unjust punishment for any crime. Each side seems to be equal in its volume of supporters. There are also many who ride the fence on the issue, unconvinced of either side. I, however, am writing to illustrate the immoral view of capital punishment. This document does not presume to have the right answer to the question, for to assume that would be arrogant. No, this essay is merely a tool to be used in weighing this very important issue. When the unspeakable happens and a human life, or lives, is taken by another, for reasons other than self defense or accidental, revenge and fury are so often the first emotions to surface. It is often thought that restitution will ease the pain of loss. To accomplish the feat to revenge wounded hearts, many turn, quite ironically, to murder. That is after all what capital punishment entails, murder. However justified, to intentionally end a life is to murder. At first glimpse, to take a life for a life taken seems with just cause and the right of society. It appears to be the only one fair solution. But is it okay for society to kill a killer? Is the right truly given to humans to deal out judgment and death? Should it be our decision who shall live and die? Or does only one truly posses the gift to decide? These questions make up the backbone of this controversy and need to be answered. I find it odd when Ernest Haag states, I see no evidence for society somehow not having the right to execute murderers. It has always done so. Traditional laws and Scriptures have always supported the death penalty(640). When the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States ...

Intro Communication Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro Communication - Term Paper Example Language plays a considerable role in creating meanings of words. In every language, there are different sets of words and the rules for constructing sentences. Those rules also play their role in creating meanings of the sentences. For example, English-speaking people cannot understand the meanings of the words, which belong to some other language, such as, French language or Spanish language. They need to find the meanings of those words in their own language in order to understand those words. There is a very strong relationship between meanings and language. A person can understand the meanings of only those words, which belong either to his/her mother language or to a language to which the person is familiar. For effective communication to take place, the role of understandable language is very important. A person needs to have complete understanding of the language, which is to be used for communication. When scholars refer to language use as polysemous, they are actually referring to the use of those words, which have different meanings in different languages. Every language has its own set of vocabulary and standards, which play an important role in distinguishing the meanings of the words used in one language from their meanings in other languages. Understanding of polysemy is very important for effective communication to take place in real life situations (Alberts, Nakayama, and Martin). The reason is that there exist many words in almost every language, which have more than one meaning. So in order to know the real meaning of what the other person is speaking, the ability to distinguish between different meanings of the same words is very important. Some words have same spellings but produce different meanings. For example, an English word ‘bat’ has two meanings, which include a stick used to play cricket and an animal. Similarly, the word ‘pupil’ also has two

Professionalism and Time Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Professionalism and Time Management - Essay Example Professionalism is the practice of engaging an activity, business or an occupation with utmost competency required in the practice. Professionalism ensures that an individual provides quality and efficiency in the outcome of his or her job (Clark & Kasar, 2009). It exhibits the qualities or characteristics of a professional person. Without professionalism, one can never attend to his or her tasks with the required integrity and ethics. (Clark & Kasar, 2009). Various factors contribute to improper time management. Some could be genuinely inevitable while outright laziness and improper planning define other reasons. Because I am regularly late for my lab sessions, it is vital to come up with effective time management skills to curb this problem (Clark & Kasar, 2009). Having a personal or self-reflection about the problem, and seeking necessary knowledge of the nature of the problem and prospective solutions is a major step to undertake toward establishing a solution.My problem is often caused by work and long distance to the laboratories. In this case scenario, I will have to come up with a timetable that would administer all my daily undertakings. It must be obeyed unless of an inevitable emergency that is more indispensable. Having mentioned that, I would rationalize my schedule and start my daily tasks earlier that normally in order to account for the long distance that for a long time has hindered me from punctuality. (Clark & Kasar, 2009).