The Wretched Of The Earth Essay Example For Students

The Wretched Of The Earth Essay Fanons book, The Wretched Of The Earth like Foucaults Discipline and Punish question the basic assumptions that underlie society. Both books writers come from vastly different perspectives and this shapes what both authors see as the technologies that keep the populace in line. Foucault coming out of the French intellectual class sees technologies as prisons, family, mental institutions, and other institutions and cultural traits of French society. In contrast Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) born in Martinique into a lower middle class family of mixed race ancestry and receiving a conventional colonial education sees the technologies of control as being the white colonists of the third world. Fanon at first was a assimilationist thinking colonists and colonized should try to build a future together. But quickly Fanons assimilationist illusions were destroyed by the gaze of metropolitan racism both in France and in the colonized world. He responded to the shattering of his neo-colonial identity, his white mask, with his first book, Black Skin, White Mask, written in 1952 at the age of twenty-seven and originally titled An Essay for the Disalienation of Blacks. We will write a custom essay on The Wretched Of The Earth specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Fanon defined the colonial relationship as one of the non recognition of the colonizeds humanity, his subjecthood, by the colonizer in order to justify his exploitation. Fanons next novel, The Wretched Of The Earth views the colonized world from the perspective of the colonized. Like Foucaults questioning of a disciplinary society Fanon questions the basic assumptions of colonialism. He questions whether violence is a tactic that should be employed to eliminate colonialism. He questions whether native intellectuals who have adopted western methods of thought and urge slow decolonization are in fact part of the same technology of control that the white world employs to exploit the colonized. He questions whether the colonized world should copy the west or developa whole new set of values and ideas. In all these questionings of basic assumptions of colonialism Fanon exposes the methods of control the white world uses to hold down the colonies. Fanon calls for a radical break with colonial culture, rejecting a hypocritical European humanism for a pure revolutionary consciousness. He exalts violence as a necessary pre-condition for this rupture. Fanon supported the most extreme wing of the FLN, even opposing a negotiated transition to power. His book though sees the relationship and methods of control in a simplistic light; he classifies whites, and native intellectuals who have adopted western values and tactics as enemies. He fails to see how these natives and even the white world are also victims who in what Foucault calls the stream of power and control are forced into their roles by a society which itself is forced into a role. Fanon also classifies many colonized people as mentally ill. In his last chapter he brings up countless cases of children, adults, and the elderly who have been driven mad by colonialism. In one instance he classifies two children who kill their white playmate with a knife as insane. In isolating these children classifying there disorders as insanity caused by colonialism he ironically is using the very thought systems and technologies that Foucault points out are symptomaticof the western disciplinary society. Fanons book filled with his anger at colonial oppression was influential to Black Panther members Newton and Seale. As students at Merrit College, in Oakland, they had organized a Soul Students Advisory Council, which was the first group to demand that what became known as African-American studies be included in the school curriculum. They parted ways with the council when their proposal to bring a drilled and armed squad of ghetto youths onto campus, in commemoration of Malcolm Xs birthday, the year after his assassination, was rejected. Seale and Newtons unwillingness to acquiesce to more moderate views was in large part influenced by Fanons ideas of a true revolutionary consciousness. .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .postImageUrl , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:hover , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:visited , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:active { border:0!important; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:active , .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua8e258b960add6694d10fe3a9ade89ef:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: photochemical smog Essay In retrospect Fanons efforts to expose the colonial society were successful in eliminating colonialism but not in eliminating the oppression takingplace in the colonized world. Today the oppression of French colonialism in Algeria has been replaced by the violence of thecivil war in Algeria, and the dictator of Algeria who has annulled popular elections, a the emergence of radical Islam which seeks to replace colonial repression with religious oppression. But this violence might be one of the lasting symptoms of Frances colonial brutality which scared the lives of Algerians and Algerian society; perverting peoples sense of right and wrong freedom a nd discipline.

Reframing the Abortion Issue

Reframing the Abortion Issue Free Online Research Papers Abstract One of the most volatile social issues facing our country today is abortion. There have been approximately 45 million abortions performed in the United States since the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. Nearly one billion pregnancies were terminated worldwide in the last fifty years. Abortion finds itself afloat on the murky waters of social, political, moral, and personal agendas all fighting for consideration. The institutional and non-institutional construct of abortion policy development has spawned numerous debates and growing division. This paper examines the social construction of this problem and its ability to drive creative framing techniques to support agenda-setting motives; specifically in redefining the abortion issue. Motive is always a question and reality is confined to situational and individual ecosystems that are sometimes miles apart in ideologies, moral tenets and belief systems. Perhaps this latest effort by the State of North Dakota will dash all hopes of gainin g mutual support for accurate problem identification and solution solidarity. The perpetual struggle between social work and social reform is like the ultimate game of tug-of-war being fought across a great abyss. The distance between the participants is miles and the cost of failure is considered certain death; and yet the battle rages. In certain ways, this tension is reflective of the perpetual battle between policy makers, practitioners and the general public. This tension does not negate mutual respect, but cohesion and potential synergy become casualties as individual purposes collide. As social workers we generally agree that we are in the field to improve the human condition, pursue social justice and work to eliminate inequality. But our field is so vast, so complex, that it becomes apparent that we must part company at some point in our journey. Practitioners become street-level bureaucrats and policy-makers become administrators; and then there is the politics that seems to forever impede the effort to move from problem identification to effective s olution development and implementation. Abramovitz ((Abramovitz, 1998) discusses the pressures between containment and change and how they have plagued social work since its inception and the accusation that the profession has been the â€Å"handmaiden of the status quo† (p.512). How can social work effectively advocate for social reform when these struggles exist? Is it possible to navigate the deep waters of social reform when social workers are so intimately connected to multiple, diverse individual causes? If there is no thread running from the microsystemic realities of the practitioners and the public they serve to the macrosystemic world of the policy-makers can genuine reform ever really be accomplished? Nelson (1984) did a superb job of asking a very important question, â€Å"Which issue, or issues should I choose (p. ix) (Nelson, 1984)?† In an attempt to better define and understand the breadth of these questions, the abortion issue is taken to task. There is little doubt that the move toward multiplicity and integrative perspectives in practice will enhance the field. Borden’s (2009) insight that there is scant discussion of integrating differing concepts, procedures and empirical data concerning the life of a given intervention is noteworthy. There is a dilemma on the administrative side that could benefit from the idea that supports taking multiplicity seriously. This dilemma is more precisely the lack of integration of fact and usable ideas from thinkers outside of our political, moral or religious base. Perhaps taking some of the insights Lipsky (1980) presented that brought to light the power-structure mere mortals hold at the street level can at least help us to better understand the tension that exists between the needs of the general population, the distribution of public goods and services, and the politics that holds it all together (Lipsky, 1980). Abortion is the shot heard around the modern world and there ap pears to be no middle ground on the issue. One of the criticisms of integration of therapeutic models is the idea that there are contrasting perspectives of reality (Messer Winokur, 1980) and nowhere is this more prevalent in the realm of social reform than it is in the abortion debate. Ignoring the fundamental reality that compromise and convolution lessen the impact of ground-floor policy initiatives as they make their way through the approval, funding and implementation mechanisms, ignores the fact that different worldviews create chaos. If the individual cannot be changed, can society still be changed? How does the social worker bridge individual differences to enhance societal reform initiatives? Taking a closer look at the complex issue of abortion may provide some valuable insight into bridging these gaps. There are three primary areas of focus and contention surrounding the abortion subject. First, there is the rights issue; second, the privacy consideration; and third, the volatile question about the presence of life viability. These three areas of contention yield further complications depending on worldviews, or conceptual realities. The complexities of the Supreme Court decision rendered in Roe vs. Wade severely complicated the political, social and moral landscapes by focusing more on medically approved autonomy than on the constitutionally based sexual equality issue. This invited a great deal of academic, legislative and public resistance to the ruling (Ginsburg, 1984), but was perhaps necessary to get the ruling – a classic example of reframing an issue to further the cause of legislative rhetoric and the approval process. This is of vital importance because what is seen in the aftermath of Roe vs. Wade is simply the clash of worldviews – the frontline of a perpe tual battle of individual opposing realities. Simply taking sides and charging into the arena of social reform will not solve the abortion issue. Likewise, cheapening our professional competence by total disregard and disgust of opposing worldviews would only highlight a professional hypocrisy. Social workers cannot devalue any individual beliefs, moral values, or religion simply because we do not agree. Doing so would only ignore the history of the profession and the ethical considerations and responsibility toward the individual. However, in the effort to heal and to promote wellness, empowerment and equality, we have a responsibility to find the common ground that will allow the productive discussion of volatile issues like abortion, capital punishment and assisted suicide. These issues must be re-framed. We have a professional and moral obligation to move in the direction of the practice sector and to look for the truth, the facts, and to boldly proclaim an initiative that is no t self-centered, self-based, or biased by our personal realities. To do so would only foster shortsightedness and ineffective persuasion. Abortion is correctly classified as a social problem, but how that problem is defined and what solutions are identified to address it are critical questions in understanding how the larger context, the ecological construct, can manipulate the process (Linders, 1998) of change. Claims-makers want to persuade, but their motives must be addressed. Simply making the claim that women have the right to terminate a pregnancy because their body is their own does not negate the viability of the argument that if life begins at any point prior to the abortion, the rights of the fetus are equal and therefore infringed upon. Likewise, simply disbelieving the possibility of motives embracing population control, eugenics, and welfare costs, does not negate their influence in policy direction and legislative decision-making. Dismissing the Christian worldview without dismissing the Muslim, Jewish, Hindi, or other worldviews embracing fetal life preservation is dishonest and duplicitous. Exercising the right to abort based on individual rights of ownership and privacy does not extend equal rights to the father who may share ownership of the fetus. Claims-makers work to convince others that a specific problem exists, that a particular solution is necessary, and that a certa in policy should be adopted that utilizes the proposed solution to correct the problem (Best, 1987). However, if the problem is inaccurately identified, the proposed solution and policies are useless; and even worse, potentially incendiary. Any attempt to remove ourselves from the role of subjects, or observers, and to pretend that our perceptions of the object, or problem are personally non-motivating does nothing but reinforce the dualism we must move beyond; especially if social workers are going to effectively bridge the gap between social problems and social reform. The complicated interactions we share with the individuals in their microsystemic realities are only one ingredient in the larger social construct, and this construct is filled with opposing worldviews and personal realities. If we take sides, we only add to an opposing argument. If we fail to act, we reinforce the status quo. However, if we desire social reform and change, something must change. The pro-life Evang elical Christian is never going to accept the worldview of the Agnostic pro-choice feminist; and vice versa; and why should they? Both realities and worldviews are just as valid in their own ecological sphere. Attempting to change mindsets for the sole purpose of propagating our own personal worldviews is not social reform; it is an attempt to get everyone to agree with our reality to the exclusion of their own. The critical thinking mandate demands a non-biased, selfless approach to healing. Dismissing the opposing viewpoint simply because it is not our own dismisses on average, fifty-percent of the potential input to effective problem-identification and solution-building; it castigates holistic synergism and grows strong negative emotions and sometimes hatred. Leaving ourselves behind we must pursue a reality that transcends the opposing worldviews and work, empirically, to find the thread that makes its way through both camps. Stephen Toulmin (1958) presented a basic structure for logical argument that has contributed greatly to the field of critical thinking and rhetoric as potent weapons in helping claims-makers persuade more effectively (Toulmin, 1958). Toulmin drew a distinction between the claim or conclusion that we are trying to justify, and the facts that we use to build our position (Best, 1987), but he also acknowledged the necessity to understand the â€Å"constellation of int erests and resources held by the various constituencies in the process, the way claims are articulated also affects whether they persuade and move the audiences to which they are addressed† (Best, 1987 p. 102). This process is the key to effective interventions on the practice side and it is welcomed in the move toward multiplicity, critical thinking, and pluralism. When Hacking says that some evil actions are public and discusses the constructing of the child abuse issue he definitively states that child abuse is the worst of private evils, he has the ear of an entire nation, if not the entire world (Hacking, 1991). Interestingly enough, if one were to rewrite his article switching the term â€Å"child abuse† with â€Å"abortion,† he would split his receptive audience in two while simultaneously making a great deal of enemies. If everyone believed that life began at conception perhaps abortion would be considered child abuse. But everyone does not share this bel ief and this causes two specific framing elements, or objectives to take form; and they are mutually opposing. The difference here is not that one term is more evil than the other; the difference is simply the amount of people who share your interpretation of the definition you are choosing to utilize. The practice side sees merit in numerous theoretical perspectives and strives to improve their scholarship through mastery of these theoretical frameworks so that their clinical skills can be more effective; they can become better healers. On the policy side there is tension between differing political camps, religious affiliation and morality. These typical tenets of separation contain the very worldviews and ecosystems we need to explore, accept as valid and embrace if we are to effectively reform society. There is a bridge to be built and maintained between the data we have and the claims we are making. What Toulmin called the warrant, the link between the data and the claim, is a third type of proposition that authorizes â€Å"the sort of step to which our particular argument commits us† (Toulmin, 1958. p.98). Can the abortion issue be restated in a way that will garner open ears and consideration from both sides of the debate? Historically, abortion was not condemned; during the classical period the ancient Greeks actually advocated abortion to regulate population and stabilize economic conditions. Much like today, clinical urgency and socio-political origin were the two predominant criteria employed in the abortion decision. Possibly the earliest recorded account of abortion use as a population control measure was a recommendation of Aristotle to ensure an ideal size of a city, but specifically in cases where couples already had †sufficient† children (Farr, 1980). Throughout the ages the three areas of constraint legal, religious, and medical were always present but in differing capacities. English law allowed a woman to have an abortion at will from 1307 to 1803 as long as the first movements of the fetus had not yet occurred (generally around 16 to 18 weeks); an abortion performed after the fetus started to move was considered a criminal offense though only a misdemeanor (David, 1992). How ever, beginning in 1803 with the reign of George III, the Lord Ellenborough’s Act made abortion before fetal movements could be felt, a felony, and any abortions after fetal movements could be felt, murder, punishable by death (David, 1992). During the remainder of the 19th and 20th centuries, abortion was very restrictive in most cultures. The legislative trends that began in the 1920’s were felt worldwide, were extremely complex, and resulted in numerous challenges to restrictive abortion laws and opened a divisive dialogue between opponents and proponents. Since the 1960’s there has been a tremendous movement toward lessening the restrictions placed on induced abortions worldwide, and specifically in the United States with the finding of the Supreme Court in the Roe vs. Wade decision. The legislative footprint surrounding the abortion issue is extremely diverse, and perpetual legislative manipulation wrought by the dynamic political processes associated with many newer abortion laws have attributed to a growing divide among supporters and non-supporters. The social revolution that has occurred over the past fifty years regarding abortion legislation has been enormous. As of today, Europe, which in 1954 had only three countries where abortion was not legally restricted (Sweden, Denmark and Iceland), has completely reversed their position (David, 1992). The multicultural expansion of the pro-abortion movement can likely be attributed to one of the following four interrelated causes according to David (1992): The general recognition of the threat to public health of legally restricted abortion; support for a woman’s right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy under safe conditions and an early stage of gestation; liberalization of legislation concerning the availability of modern contraceptives; and provision of equal access to all methods of fertility regulation for woman of all strata of society. These considerations were benchmark defenses for loosening many of the previously restrictive abortion laws. However, these very defenses are also the foundation for much opposition and though it is probably a safe assumption to say that abortions, at least in some sense, are here to stay, the bridge between opposing sides of the issues has yet to be built. Regardless of stance, both sides have to acknowledge certain, irrefutable facts. In the United States an estimated 44.6 million abortions were performed between 1973 and 2005, or slightly more than one in five pregnancies resulted in abortion (Jones, Zolna, Henshaw, Finer, 2008). And though the abortion rate in the United States has seen a decline in abortions since 1992, the latest numbers still reflect an annual rate in excess of 1.2 million abortions. One of the most common medical procedures undergone by women in the United States is abortion (Owings Kozak, 1998). The maternal death rate from induced abortions has declined from 4.1/100,000 to less than one percent per hundred-thousand over the past 35 years (Bartlett et al., 2004) but still remain disproportionately high for women receiving abortions after eight weeks of gestation. It may be assumed that the rise in use of medical abortions using Mifepristone may have lead to a decrease in abortion related deaths, however, rese arch shows that the mortality rates from medical abortions are statistically equal to the mortality rates of induced and spontaneous abortions, and therefore the reduction in the mortality rate cannot be directly attributed to a reduction in surgical abortions (Grimes, 2005). Furthermore, even with the addition of the medical abortion regime, abortion is still considered to be one of the safest medical procedures in contemporary practice in the United States (Grimes Creinin, 2004). David (1992) said that â€Å"Abortion is a social reality that can no more be legislated out of existence than the controversy surrounding it can be stilled. No matter how effective family planning services and practices become, there will always be a need for access to safe abortion services† (p.1). This quote came from an article written following the keynote address at a conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, USSR in October of 1990 titled, From Abortion to Contraception: Public Health Approaches to Reducing Unwanted Pregnancy and Abortion through Improved Family Planning Services. This brings us to our second irrefutable fact; there is a universal effort to stem the flow of unwanted pregnancies, and therefore abortions. Considering the fact that one of the most common medical procedures in the United States and Europe is abortion (David, 1992; Owings Kozak, 1998) and that most medical professionals do not advocate unnecessary medical procedures, especially surgical procedures, one must consider the cause. A global snapshot of total abortions, legal and illegal, worldwide in 1995 tallied an estimated 46 million abortions in one year; citing that 26 million were legal and 20 million were illegal, abortion accounted for the termination of 26% of all pregnancies worldwide in 1995 (Henshaw, Singh, Haas, 1999). Henshaw concluded that, â€Å"Both developed and developing countries can have low abortion rates. Most countries, however, have moderate to high abortion rates, reflecting lower prevalence and effectiveness of contraceptive use. Stringent legal restrictions do not guarantee a low abortion rate† (p.1). Again, the consensus is to look for better contraceptives, family practice services, and a global reduction of abortion practice. Looking at global rates of abortion over the past 25 years shows a staggering estimate of nearly 800 million abortions (David, 1992; Finer Henshaw, 2006; Henshaw et al., 1999; Jones et al., 2008; Sedgh, Henshaw, Singh, Ã…hman, Shah, 2007; Shain, 1986; Ventura, Abma, Mosher, Henshaw, 2006; Wilkinson et al., 2006). This number of aborted fetuses is equal to the entire United States and European Union populations combined. The third indisputable fact is that abortion is a world-wide concern on many different levels. To summarize, we have determined that there are to this point, three discernable facts surrounding the abortion issues: First, that in the United States alone there have been an estimated 46 million abortions since the passing of Roe vs. Wade; second, there is a universal effort to stem the flow of unwanted pregnancies, and therefore abortions; and third, that abortion is a world-wide problem. But what are we to do with the issues of women’s reproductive rights; the question of when life begins; the rights of the unborn; the moral obligation to personal responsibility; and the population questions? Fighting the abortion issue on these levels will never bring about cohesion and healing on both sides of the issues. The determinant of any perpetual social problem is the viability of the fight between two or more opposing sides. If both sides can acknowledge the claims of the opposition and demonstrate a willingness to find common ground the fighting can stop and progress can be m ade. However, when any of the negotiating parties are incapable of either accepting the opposition’s claims as valid, or unwilling to refocus their efforts on a larger, nobler cause, the problem will continue forever. What needs to be done in the case of the abortion issue is to begin to reframe it into a more palatable issue. We must shift lenses, share lenses and find a unified focal point. There is little doubt that abortion is a universal phenomenon, but attitudes toward abortion have been changing. In the years following the historic Roe vs. Wade decision over 80% of Americans approved of abortion in cases of rape, serious birth defects and health issues, and over 40% approved of abortion under most circumstances (Shain, 1986). The political debate has grown over the past twenty years as new methods are tested and employed that are medical alternatives to surgical abortions. Politically, an interesting correlation was found in a clinical trial of medical abortion using Mifepristone-Misoprostol demonstrated medical abortion choice as a political support consideration that increased with education level (Clark, Ellertson, Winikoff, 2000). Another claim states that women who disapprove of abortion tend to have achieved lower educational levels (Shain, 1986) Sociodemographically, there are numerous claims and accusations being made on both sides of the issue. Petchesky (1998) makes several claims regarding the increase in the abortion rates among adolescent teenagers stating that the increase should be viewed as positive, demonstrating that teenagers now have a choice whether to marry or not marry. She goes on to make the claim that abortion is a necessary good and that the rise in abortion rates indirectly indicates that women have gained power (R. Petchesky Judd, 1998; R. P. Petchesky, 1990a). Presently, the issues are broad and complex. What makes this social problem so important is its volatility, the propensity for fierce emotion, and the extent to which either side will go to enforce their views. The passing of House Bill 1572 by the sixty-first Legislative Assemble of North Dakota was a bold stroke at reframing the entire abortion issue from a reproductive rights campaign to a campaign for human rights; they simply defined human life (Davey, 2008; Johnson, 2007; Koch, 2008; Richardson Times, 2009): b.Human being means any organism, including the single-cell human embryo, irrespective of the method of reproduction, who possesses a genome specific for and consistent with an individual member of the human species. c. Human embryo means all human beings from the beginning of the embryonic period of their biological development through eight weeks, irrespective of age, health, function, physical dependency, or method of reproduction, whether in vivo or in vitro. d. Human fetus means all human beings from the beginning of the fetal period of their biological development, which begins at nine weeks gestation through birth, irrespective of age, health, function, physical dependency, or method of reproduction, whether in vivo or in vitro. e. Human genome means the total amount of nuclear and extra-nuclear DNA genetic material that constitutes an organism as an individual member of the human species, including the single-cell human embryo. f. Person or individual means the legal recognition of a human beings full status as a human person that applies to all human beings, irrespective of age, health, function, physical dependency, or method of reproduction, including their preborn offspring at every stage of their biological development. Simply by refocusing the issues, the State Legislature of North Dakota undermined the entire â€Å"rights† agenda simply by redefining and advocating for these very rights. It was a broad-stroke of political magic that will eventually see its way to the United States Supreme Court. It was masterfully done, considering the new â€Å"issue† of defining the beginning of human life, because this will be very dangerous political ground. Who will step up to the plate and actually proclaim when human life actually begins? North Dakota was the first to act on this human-life interpretation, and in this case, being first may prove to have been the greatest asset to claims-making and agenda-setting in our recent history. Perhaps, taking into consideration political self-survival, the abortion issues may finally be remanded back to State control. In any case, it will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next several years. Abortion cannot be globally defended as a stand-alone issue aside from some obvious serious medical issues such as rape, incest, or serious birth defects. In these cases, even in the United States following Roe vs. Wade, 80% of the people thought abortion was a viable consideration in these types of cases (Shain, 1986). However, when we activate mutually exclusive ideologies and begin to provide radical demonstrations of opposing moral, medical, and gender equality concerns we may find ourselves in the middle of political, social and religious minefields. Even bringing the issue of parental notification into the arena causes a watershed of debate and hostilities even though some research claims it to be effective in reducing abortion rates (Joyce, Kaestner, Colman, 2006). The downside of this type of front is that it drives division and rhetoric that fans the flames of strife rather than quells the heat and advocates for cooler heads and progress. Many times we become more radicals than advocates when we take sides at the exclusion of the rights and consideration of those who oppose us. Diversity is a wide, two-way street. And though there are times for fighting and self preservation, the first response should always be mutual recognition and support. There are many voices speaking in the fields of social reform, but anything less than perfection in navigating the treacherous waters of rhetoric, politics, and research will leave many facts unusable and distorted. Perhaps a warning can be found in the study looking at the disposition toward critical thinking when we find that â€Å"Entering college freshman students showed strengths in open-mindedness and inquisitiveness, [but] weaknesses in systematicity and opposition to truth-seeking† (Facione, Sanchez, Facione, Gainen, 1995). Truth-seeking is a selfless character trait and open-mindedness is not an indication of one’s ability to see, find, apprehend, embrace, or simply acknowledge fact, which is the gateway to many truths. Redefining the abortion issue is a key component to solving this volatile social problem. In finding middle ground we must side-step issues that some embrace as their holy grail, such as fetal right to life and women’s right to reproductive ownership. These are sizable, interesting and valid issues, but a closer look at their foundations leads to a skewed reality of the problem. Abortion is simply a means to terminating unwanted pregnancy. Even taking into consideration the number of abortions performed because of incest, rape, or because of vital health concerns of the mother, the numbers are statistically insignificant when compared to the total numbers of abortions performed world-wide on a yearly basis. Forming an argument incorrectly can produce some unwanted resistance as well as to reinvent, or even worse, shift problem focus. Even considering what some may consider positive attributes of pro-abortion legislation, such as higher college graduation rates among women (Ananat, Gruber, Levine, Staiger, 2006), are nullified by the voices condemning the practice because of the moral repercussions. New research might confirm that most people who have been educated about the decrease in maternal mortality in countries where abortion has been legalized would find that a positive outcome, but weighing that outcome within the framework of their personal moral beliefs would have little effect on their acceptance of legalized abortion as an advanced method of birth control. Looking at abortion and defining it differently would be to conclude that in the vast majority of instances it is simply an advanced method of terminating unwanted pregnancies. There are those who hear the women’s rights issues about privacy and right to reproductive sovereignty but would conclude that those rights are no different than those exercised by an obese person who cannot control their physical urges to get surgical or medical relief from their unwanted pounds. Some see the voices of women calling out for the right to abort as waving a white flag of surrender to sexual irresponsibility. When looking at the abortion issue from the moral perspective of most conservative groups they do not simply see the lives of nearly 45 million babies destroyed on a yearly basis, they see it as more than 5000 lives terminated against their will every hour, every day of the year. Regardless of the issue live-viability, the liberal cannot concede to anything less than would allow them to get their abortions on demand, and the right will equally resist the demand to concede to their beliefs. A careful look at the Roe vs. Wade case will show the complexities of the social, legal and political construct necessary to move this country to legalizing abortion (Ginsburg, 1984). The Annulla Linders study was a monumental progressive work toward understanding the social, political and moral dynamics that drive policy and decision-making on the institutional and non-institutional fronts (Linders, 1998; Linders, 2004): The question of social movement outcomes is obviously a pressing concern to movements themselves, and increasingly so to social movement scholars. The question is not only, or at least not simply, to what extent a particular movement succeeds in accomplishing its goals, but also what the larger social consequences are of movement activity-for movement constituents, for other movements, for the political process, and for the organization of social life more generally. Movements certainly do make a difference in contemporary democracies, but in order to understand exactly how and why movements matter, we need to reach beyond them and examine the larger social and historical context in which movements formulate their demands and press for change. In conclusion, if we want to understand what happens to movements and their goals in the long term, and why, the findings of this paper suggest that our explanations of social movement outcomes need to be sensitive to the dynamic interplay of protest, targets, institutions, and other environmental constraints in distinct historical locations. This approach not only bridges movement- and policy-oriented approaches to the study of movement out- comes, but also has implications for how we think about and conceptualize social movements. While the abortion challenge in the United States clearly looks like a social movement, comprised as it did a wide range of loosely connected national and local grass-roots organizations and groups, the Swedish challenge is more difficult to distinguish from institutional politics, or politics as usual. And yet, in both Sweden and the United States the efforts to liberalize the abortion law amounted to a major challenge of institutionally protected forms of privilege and an entrenched system of gender inequality. Thus, comparisons across different nations (or other con- texts) provide opportunities for extending our understanding of the origins and organization of social protest in such a way that both institutional and non-institutional politics get incorporated into the analysis of what Zald calls ideologically structured action (Linders, 2004). Restructuring a social problem to make it more palatable to opposing sides is a challenging venture but in the course of productive social change and reform advocacy without consideration of the global impact of choosing sides, it could be catastrophic. Refocusing, or realigning ourselves with a new problem identification agenda will further establish mutual acceptance of opposing ideologies with concessions, not compromise. Advocacy is different than social reform, and in some cases where it demands taking a position simply because we believe in it as opposed to because it the right thing to do, it can discourage open and honest communication and work against a cultural and national realignment. Abortion, in all its definitions is rarely described as something good. Most reiterations of the abortion term are negative, which constitutes support of its distastefulness in naked terms. There are physical (Bartlett et al., 2004; Grimes, 2005; Grimes et al., 2006), psychological (Coleman, Reardon, Rue, Cougle, 2002; Fergusson, John Horwood, Ridder, 2006; Najman, Morrison, Williams, Andersen, Keeping, 1991), social (Hansen, 1980; Linders, 1998), moral and personal (Correa Petchesky, 1994; Joyce et al., 2006; R. Petchesky Judd, 1998; R. P. Petchesky, 1990b) considerations to be navigated. As social work professionals we may find that we are short-selling the larger social reform agenda by grasping too tightly to any one of these multiple, interrelated issues surrounding the abortion problem. Advocating for any one position over another may inadvertently set us at odds with each other and lesson the greater hope and cause of simply working together to lessen the occurrences of unwanted pregnancies and thereby reducing the incidence of abortion without even addressing abortion. Working together to reduce unwanted pregnancies is a cause everyone can get behind, abortion will never be an issue that everyone can support. As social workers, our hope may be to open a few minds to the potential of solving one mutually-agreed upon problem – unwanted pregnancies – and inadvertently reducing the incidence of abortion without ever addressing the abortion issue, a global and irreconcilable social issue. Abortion is a symptom, it is a reciprocatory action taken only when a very specific set of circumstances comes into play. It is interesting to note that regardless of the dynamic banner we stand under gender equality, equal rights, woman’s rights, reproductive rights, right to life, right to choose, conservative, liberal or independent abortion and it’s very construct and purpose are forever static. Nonetheless there are numerous political, social and moral holes to fall into to distract us from the real problem of unwanted pregnancies. There are fewer and more hopeful solutions to reducing pregnancy on all sides of this social problem than there will ever be to calm the tumultuo us seas of numerous personal agendas. Finally, the fourth and probably most indisputable fact is that every abortion is at the very least a termination of a potential life. Considering that the world has aborted nearly one billion fetuses over the past fifty years, the potential of having destroyed millions of possible writers, artists, musicians, sculptors, mathematicians, teachers, and others is a sobering fact. In our practices we have collectively met millions of people, most in dire straits or going through hard times, but how many have actually said and believe that they wish that they were never born? Every human being alive today is alive only because their mother decided to give birth to them, regardless of circumstance. Every human being on the planet today, nearly seven billion of us, were nothing more than potential lives at one time. Let us, as social work professionals, advocate for the solution that benefits the entire world, one that will reduce the tension and side-shows that do nothing but increase the friction of this hotly debated issue and attack it at its cause; let us all work together to reduce unwanted pregnancies so that the issues of morality, gender and rights can all meet under the same global umbrella of care and concern for our fellow human beings across the globe. It is a winnable situation if we define the problem differently, frame it in a mutually acceptable manner and move towards agenda setting and advocate for the greatest good. References Abramovitz, M. (1998). Social work and social reform: An arena of struggle. Social Work, 43(6), 512-526. Ananat, E. O., Gruber, J., Levine, P. B., Staiger, D. (2006). Abortion and selection. NBER Working Paper, Bartlett, L. A., Berg, C. J., Shulman, H. B., Zane, S. B., Green, C. A., Whitehead, S., et al. (2004). Risk factors for legal induced abortion-related mortality in the united states. Acogjnl, 103(4), 729-737. Best, J. (1987). Rhetoric in claims-making: Constructing the missing children problem. Social Problems, 34(2), 101-121. Clark, S., Ellertson, C., Winikoff, B. (2000). Is medical abortion acceptable to all American women: The impact of sociodemographic characteristics on the acceptability of mifepristone-misoprostol abortion. JAMWA, 55(3), 177-182. Coleman, P. K., Reardon, D. C., Rue, V. M., Cougle, J. (2002). State-funded abortions versus deliveries: A comparison of outpatient mental health claims over 4 years. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 72(1), 141-152. Correa, S., Petchesky, R. (1994). Reproductive and sexual rights: A feminist perspective. Population Policies Reconsidered: Health, Empowerment, and Rights. Boston, MA; New York, NY: Harvard University Press; International Womens Health Coalition, , 107-122. Davey, M. (2008, April 26). S. Dakota to revisit restrictions on abortion. The New York Times. pp. 14. David, H. P. (1992). Abortion in europe, 1920-91: A public health perspective. Studies in Family Planning, 23(1), 1-22. Facione, P. A., Sanchez, C., Facione, N. C., Gainen, J. (1995). The disposition toward critical thinking. Journal of General Education, 44(1), 1-25. Farr, A. (1980). The Marquis de Sade and induced abortion. Journal of Medical Ethics, 6(1), 7- 10. Fergusson, D. M., John Horwood, L., Ridder, E. M. (2006). Abortion in young women and subsequent mental health. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(1), 16-24. Finer, L. B., Henshaw, S. K. (2006). Estimates of US abortion incidence, 2001–2003. Guttmacher Institute, Ginsburg, R. B. (1984). Some thoughts on autonomy and equality in relation to roe v. wade. North Carolina Law Review, 63, 375. Grimes, D. A. (2005). Risks of Mifepristone abortion in context. Contraception, 71(3), 161-161. Grimes, D. A., Benson, J., Singh, S., Romero, M., Ganatra, B., Okonofua, F. E., et al. (2006). Unsafe abortion: The preventable pandemic. The Lancet, 368(9550), 1908-1919. Grimes, D. A., Creinin, M. D. (2004). Induced abortion: An overview for internists. Annals of Internal Medicine, 140(8), 620-626. Hacking, I. (1991). The making and molding of child abuse. Critical Inquiry, , 253-288. Hansen, S. B. (1980). State implementation of supreme court decision: Abortion rates since roe v. wade. The Journal of Politics, 42(2), 372-395. Henshaw, S. K., Singh, S., Haas, T. (1999). The incidence of abortion worldwide. International family planning perspectives, 25, 30-38. Johnson, K. (2007, April 20). New state push to restrict abortions may follow ruling. The New York Times. pp. 18. Jones, R. K., Zolna, M. R. S., Henshaw, S. K., Finer, L. B. (2008). Abortion in the united states: Incidence and access to services, 2005. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 40(1), 6-16. Joyce, T., Kaestner, R., Colman, S. (2006). Changes in abortions and births and the texas parental notification law. New England Journal of Medicine, 354(10), 1031-1038. Koch, W. (2008, November 5). Voters decide on social, economic issues; measures in 36 states address marijuana, abortion , taxes. USA Today. pp. 18A. Linders, A. (1998). Abortion as a social problem: The construction of opposite solutions in Sweden and the United States. Social Problems, 45(4), 488-509. Linders, A. (2004). Victory and Beyond: A Historical Comparative Analysis of the Outcomes of the Abortion Movements in Sweden and the United States. Sociological Forum, , 19(3) 371-404. Lipsky, M. (1980). Street level bureaucrats. New York: Russell Sage, Messer, S. B., Winokur, M. (1980). Some limits to the integration of psychoanalytic and behavior therapy. The American Psychologist, 35(9), 818-827. Najman, J., Morrison, J., Williams, G., Andersen, M., Keeping, J. (1991). The mental health of women 6 months after they give birth to an unwanted baby: A longitudinal study. Social Science and Medicine, 32(3), 241-247. Nelson, B. J. (1984). Making an issue of child abuse: Political agenda setting for social problems University of Chicago Press. Owings, M., Kozak, L. (1998). Ambulatory and inpatient procedures in the united states, 1996. vital and health statistics. series 13. no 139. National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville (MD), , 99–1710. Petchesky, R., Judd, K. (1998). Negotiating reproductive rights: Womens perspectives across countries and cultures. Reproductive Health Matters, 6(11), 186-189. Petchesky, R. P. (1990a). Abortion and womans choice: The state, sexuality, and reproductive freedom Longman Series in Feminist Theory. Petchesky, R. P. (1990b). Abortion and womans choice: The state, sexuality, and reproductive freedom Longman Series in Feminist Theory. Richardson, V., Times, t. W. (2009, February 24). Bill calls human embryo person; pro-life groups will test tactic. The Washington Times. Sedgh, G., Henshaw, S., Singh, S., Ã…hman, E., Shah, I. H. (2007). Induced abortion: Estimated rates and trends worldwide. The Lancet, 370(9595), 1338-1345. Shain, R. N. (1986). A cross-cultural history of abortion. Clinics in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 13(1), 1-17. Toulmin, S. (1958). The uses of arguments. The Uses of Arguments, 40(63) Ventura, S. J., Abma, J. C., Mosher, W. D., Henshaw, S. (2006). Recent trends in teenage pregnancy in the united states, 1990–2002. Health E-Stats. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, Wilkinson, P., French, R., Kane, R., Lachowycz, K., Stephenson, J., Grundy, C., et al. (2006). Teenage conceptions, abortions, and births in England, 1994–2003, and the national teenage pregnancy strategy. The Lancet, 368(9550), 1879-1886. Research Papers on Reframing the Abortion IssueInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyTwilight of the UAWComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoPETSTEL analysis of IndiaMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresOpen Architechture a white paperRiordan Manufacturing Production Plan

Gender Roles and Identity in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gender Roles and Identity in Society - Essay Example In this regard, this essay will discuss selected gender stereo type and its relation with gender roles. Similarly, it will provide insights on how gender roles have its long term effects in society. Gender roles put emphasis on the distinctions between males and females. It is a cluster of behavioral norms related with males or females. Similarly, it appears to be that the differences in male and female's gender roles are often caused by society and other instinctive causes. In view of these circumstances, majority of the researchers acknowledged that the behavior of an individual is a result of socially imposed sets of rules and values as well as biological attributes which may be genetically or psychologically related. More often than not, the rearing up of children and other stimulus, emphasize a sense of gender in order to keep up with its biological sex. Gender roles can be traced as early as infancy. A baby starts to behave in a gender stereotyped way before it is one. (Tomboy or Sissy. BBC News. Child of Our Time Programme Guide Series 2 Part 2). Babies are treated differently from one another. This can be easily noticed in baby clothes, because boys are hardly ever dressed in pink, because the color pink is associated and considered as "feminine." From this, it can be assumed that even at an age at which an individual's behavior is indistinguishable; it is pointed out that a child's sex must not be mistaken. Stereotypical sex related behavior like men's contempt or a woman's sympathy (Plant, King and Smith: The influence of gender and social role on the interpretation of facial expressions) or a male's aggressiveness or a female's passivity can be drawn partly from roles which are instilled during childhood. In line with this, a study have found out that even at the tender age of a child, a child begins to make gendered choices of toys(Tomboy or Sissy. BBC News. Child of Our Time Programme Guide Series 2 Part 2). It can be observed that often times, males are told that "boys don't cry" and as such, boys tend to favor cars, trucks and guns for toys, which supports being adventurous. Girls on the other hand, prefer dolls, and playhouses which promotes their nurturing qualities and they were able to imitate female homemaking roles. Consequently, as children grow up, boys and girls, based on the foregoing discussions can be seen that the choices made by them as to what fields of study, empl oyment or career were influenced by it. By adolescence, an individual also learns and accept roles as well as to socialize with others. These are allowed by different institutions like the family, school, community, government and media among others. The aforementioned institutions make it clear what individual behavioral norms of the child are expected from him or her. During adolescent, sports activities are encouraged, and as such, it elicits various attitudes toward sports and its orientation. A study shows that there is a consistent and stable stereotype in society (Alley and Hicks: Peer attitudes towards adolescent participants in male- and female-oriented sports.) The study further asserts that "to be feminine is to be communal or expressive, while to be masculine is to be agentic, instrumental and competitive. Consequently, this leads to the common notion that

Why Illegal Immigration is Messing Up the United States Research Paper

Why Illegal Immigration is Messing Up the United States - Research Paper Example The country has in place very stringent laws governing the movement of persons through its borders. Those relocating to the country meet specified standards and certification by the authorities of the country to do so. However, there are those hell bent on resettling in the United States and would do anything to. They thus look for unwarranted means of getting into the country without verification from the legal systems. Among the most common ways of getting into the country are hiding in the ships and freight vehicles that transport goods through the countries borders. Some of the illegal immigrants get into the country legal for short visits only to refuse to leave back for their native countries. Such people affect the country negatively in a number of ways. A stable economy caters for all those within its borders. However, some immigrants have bad intent. These people are not welcome in the country and are always deported whenever apprehended. To avert deportation, they do not th erefore seek services from the state facilities, which is practically impossible. This makes them a bother to those around them (Haines 78). The country has a number of health guidelines to be met by immigrants. Those coming into the United States undergo a number of tests and are only accorded citizenship after satisfying the testing officers. This keeps the country safe from the outbreak of such communicable diseases as yellow fever, malaria, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus among many others. However, the proliferation of the illegal immigrants goes against theses standards and end up in the country with different contagious diseases. This strains the government’s resources in trying to contain the spread of some of the diseases that it had previously eradicated. As explained above, illegal immigrants are not welcome in the United States of America; they cannot ever find employment in any government and private organization since they do not have any identification documen ts. Among the immigration laws is the requirement of all immigrants to possess at least some level of formal education in their native countries. This regulation makes it easier for such people to get employment or further their education once in the country. However, the illegal immigrants flaunt all these rules thereby making it hard for them to secure employment once in the country. To get a source of livelihood, these immigrants engage in illicit trades such prostitution, drug peddling, and robbery. This leaves the country’s security in a fix since they cannot easily apprehend the culprits as they are not even in the country’s databases. Trade on drugs is a menace in the country accounting for the rise of crime in a mummer of cities. Drug barons use similar entry mechanisms used by illegal immigrants to get their drugs into the country. Furthermore, most of those used by the drug peddlers to foster their illegal trade are the illegal immigrants who are in most case s stranded and without jobs. They thus do anything to get a living; the most common of which is drug peddling. Drug is a menace in America. Addiction results in the incapacitation of American population who could have otherwise worked to earn descent livelihoods for their families. This negatively affects the economy of the country through loss of person-hours and capital as addicts are admitted into rehabilitation schools for the correctional therapies (Levy 132). Illegal entry of persons into the country leads to the rise of corruption which is a vice that affects the integrity of security personnel. Some of the illegal immigrants bribe their way into obtaining legitimate identification papers in the country. Some of these could be

Study on the Usability of Semiotics in Graphic Design

Study on the Usability of Semiotics in Graphic Design Keywords: Fine, flat, graphic design, semiotics, usability studies. Abstract. Currently, The current flat design has become a mainstream approach is widely used in web design, computer and mobile phone systems, interface design. In graphic design, graphic symbol design is increasingly being taken seriously and use minimalist design symbols often appear in print design plane, PPT presentations, public areas, identity-oriented system like. This paper discusses the design of graphical symbols flat in graphic design use need to make the audience cognitive ability, graphic symbols standardized principles, design principles angles for effective information design to achieve efficient information communication. Materialized mostly graphic image symbols, and mostly flat graphic indicator; flat screen symbol by the proposed development materialized symbol interface evolved. Materialized the graphical interface and the graphical interface is flat coexist and cannot replace each other. During the design, the designer should be based on the advantages and disadv antages of the two styles complement each other interfaces, common graphical interface design services. Introduction Today, the mobile Internet as an important sign towards the information society, information resources to meet the people of the richness, diversity and access mode flexibility, convenience and mobility needs. The emergence of mobile terminal makes access to information even more ways to enhance an absolutely important position, but also because of this, people on the phones features, quality and other requirements are also increasing. The main task of graphic design is to strengthen the exchange of information between people, is the performance of graphical symbols tool exchange required. The current flat design has become a mainstream approach is widely used in web design, computer and phone system interface, PPT, flat-screen print and in public areas such as identity-oriented system design. Simple graphical symbol accompanied by a short text message to pass different meaning, purpose is to allow people to quickly clear awareness and understanding. Graphic design appropriate symbol not only bring visual beauty, but also to replace the cumbersome expressed in words, to convey information at a glance. In recent years, flat style swept the field of digital interface, the smart phone in its interface design is also increasingly used to this style, as a smart phone interface main elements, carries the flattened icon indicating the function information important role in transmission, its operating efficiency has been much attention to design practitioners and the research community. Currently on academic research among flat design, the icon for the study of usability problems are more scarce, the vast majority of existing research dedicated to qualitative theoretical analysis, the lack of objective quantitative research as a reference, and thus the actual availability of flat icons lack of a clear conclusion and in this study, for the first time physiological data with a combination of psychological data on the availability of flat icons depth study. As a smart phone user interface in an integral part of the design of the phone icon in the experience economy driven began to play an increasingly important role, it carries with it the expression of specific functions and the important role of transmitting information. At the same time, the merits of icon design will directly affect the user experience and operational efficiency user interface design has become an important factor affecting the success or failure. Current research work related to academia flat design which is ongoing, this article from the perspective of design elements, the existing theoretical research supplement; At the same time, the existing research on the flat design and design of the actual use of materialized efficiency is no clear discussion of the results, a lot of literature has pointed flat icon simple, efficient features in the study, but the lack of evidence of objective evidence, so we are starting from a usability point of view, as experiments on fl at icons materialized icon comparative study, you can search for two types of icons efficiency more in-depth discussion, in order to provide an objective reference for the relevant academic research. Figure.1 Flat design The Proposed Methodology User interface virtualization.  With the rapid spread of smart mobile phones alternative to traditional phone and touch-screen technology, mobile phone interface, any original physical button has been gradually transformed into the software interface of the virtual keys. In the pursuit of handset design and integrated accounting wave, many Android phones also have physical buttons below the screens only designed to become a key form of induction, a trend that makes the most of the smart phone in addition to home and on key volume, lock screen button, theres no extra physical keys, the operation of mobile phone users by the majority of the screen is completed, and thus gradually evolved detail gesture commands. Figure.1 Schematic diagram of operating gestures flat design.Flat first refers to the modern enterprise management process, in response to the plight of the traditional hierarchical organizational structure faced adopted a management model. The core of the model is to reduce the layers of management and appropriate management of all levels of management to increase the amplitude, and eventually will be similar to the pyramid form of organization into a more flattened form to improve management efficiency. From a social development perspective, the idea of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹easing the situation well in all areas due to the rapid economic development brought about by organizational level redundancy, and therefore outside the field of business management, this concept also has good application value. As a new, more and more designers and design style used by the organization, not simply flat design with innovative visual style to win users eye, but through the extra ingredient abandoned in the design and the decorative elements of restraint, giving users a better experience. In the new digital era background, flat design choose a more suitable for the characteristics of the virtual interface design approach, rather than a continuation of the traditional design style, it is precisely because it has brought the rapid development of flat design in recent years. Materialized design.From the visual style, the materialized with the flat in stark contrast to the former by giving audiences do addition way, the use of shadows, highlights and a gradient effect on image icon to maximize close to the real object, with vivid three-dimensional effect to use bring a strong visual impact; while the latter is in the form of subtraction, to remove redundant decorative elements, and then extract the main part of the article, and present them in the form of simple graphs. Although the two images using a different design approach (the former and the latter is a flat style quasi-physical style), but both are based on the reality of the alarm image as a template to make too, that the only difference between them in the right sense of reality on more detailed characterization, but nature does not jump out of the old framework to create new timekeeping, this time with a flat quasi-physical difference can be understood as a decorative technique on. Thus, in the course of the study must be combined with the use of a specific object context in order to make a correct understanding of the two design styles. Figure.1 Flat and materialized style icons Flat icons in visual form.From the perspective of the visual form of icons, smart phone interface icons can be distinguished from the two dimensions of time and space. From the time dimension, the phone icon can be divided into static and dynamic state. Which as the name suggests is a static icon icon elements remain static icon, the class icon is currently widely used in mobile phones user interface which. And dynamic visual style icon over time is changing, distracting when used in smaller interface, and thus rarely appear among the mobile phone interface. From the spatial dimension, the phone icon can be divided into two-dimensional, three-dimensional and three-dimensional space of three forms. Wherein the two-dimensional icon with the latter two diametrically opposed in style, it avoids the shadows, highlights, and other three-dimensional simulation of the effect of the material in the design process, resulting in the visual style it showed a strong tendency to flatten. Further subdivided on the basis of the two-dimensional handset icons can also be divided into simple monochrome icon and complex multi-color icons. Body element.Flat icons in the main element is the means to play a major role in the transmission of information in the icon section. Size icons. Due to differences in the smart phone hardware specifications and product positioning on, resulting in the current characteristics of the phone screen size diversity, and to interface design workers brought unprecedented challenges. At the same time, the size of the icon has become a matter of design choice requires workers often face. Flat internal icon generated.Products due to human practical needs to be created, early product form most simple and plain, after the Arts and Crafts Movement   after the products components have been decorated to a new height, in the subsequent internationalism movement, designers again return to reason, he began to pursue the simple and efficient design form. From the design evolution trend is easy to see: With the development of society, design forms are also experiencing an iterative development process from simple to complex and then to mobile phone interface icons materialized birth, it helps people reduce cognitive burden and narrow the distance between the display unit to assume an important role, but with the widespread adoption of smart phones, this role is already overtaken by events. In this case the public needs to be more simple, modern, and can be accommodated in the limited screen design in the form of additional information, in such a social environment flat s tyle icons have emerged, and quickly swept through the design. It is the image of the symbol of traditional design approach materialized icons used, namely by imitating real objects textures, shadows, and other effects of gradual way to shorten the distance between the user interface and product awareness to reduce costs. But in recent years with the rapid development of diverse Internet products and mobile phone functions, making the product interface is also more and more filled with information, because the flattened icons using more indicators and symbols, therefore its use in the mobile phone interface which also makes the smaller screen to hold more information, to achieve the maximum interface features. Flat external design generates.The arrival of web2.0 era, breaking the room Internet information barriers between each other, so that the user between the site and realize the two-way exchange of information. With the rapid proliferation of computers, many Internet users to be in the bottom-media background to create vast amounts of information resources, and gradually cause the current information explosion situation. As the Internet and smart phone product interface is filled with more and more information on the loose interface classify and organize the content becomes very important at the striking simplicity of flat icons used to distinguish between different content identification function on It is particularly efficient. To visualize the icons instead of boring text, not only shrink the layout, improve the rate of plate interface, but also convenient for users to search. With the upgrading of digital products continues to accelerate, the mobile phone market have been the birth of many different sizes and resolution display, which gives materialized from the shadows of the past, icons, textures, gradients, and other three-dimensional effect constitutes brought new challenges diversity phone screen enables designers need to create a variety of sizes and resolutions icons to adapt to this trend, which makes materialized icon design becomes both cumbersome and time-consuming, not only increases the workload of the designer, but also improve the development costs. The flat design uses icons to detail the elements more restrained and more use of vector graphic design elements and symbols, can solve the problem of adaptation at different resolutions. Flattened icons designed to minimalism as the core, advocated the adoption of a simplified rendering of images to reduce the complexity of a graphical interface, while the use of bright colors to improve the clarity of the interface layout, enables the user to focus more on desired completed tasks. Therefore, the above analysis shows that, flat style icons can help users better perform tasks more functional interface, especially in the smaller screen smart phone interface which, it can well improve recognizable icon element , efficient and user-friendly operating in different environments. Conclusion We analyzed the availability of flat icons. First, we analyzed the characteristics of smart phones and equipment operation, carded product usability evaluation system, eye tracking technology related indicators. We introduced the flat design concept, and through existing mobile phone brands and APP interface icons investigation and analysis summarizes the status of the application icon flat, visual form, color and size body element, and generating flat icon analysis of the causes. In the latter part of the article, in conjunction former interim research results, based on the collection and self-painted the corresponding flat icon creative design eye search experiment, and post-test questionnaire and subjects interviews of flat icons availability of comprehensive evaluation. Most smart phone interface design will be used simultaneously to two types of flat icons, such a design approach not only ensures improved aesthetics user interface operational efficiency, but also to some extent, it is possible to attract the users . With the social environment and the changing needs of users, smart phone interface design has been in development and change them, from the original materialized style to todays prevailing flat style appearance of the style icon of the phone has undergone tremendous change, to among the mobile phone interface usability studies icons flat, one can explore the actual efficiency of the icon, subjective feelings and understanding of user satisfaction rating in the course of the icons, it also can be the basis of empirical research on future icon design work to provide a reference and reference. References 1. Lupton, Ellen, and Jennifer Cole Phillips. Graphic Design: The New Basics: Revised and Expanded. Chronicle Books, 2015. 2. Calori, Chris, and David Vanden-Eynden. Signage and wayfinding design: a complete guide to creating environmental graphic design systems. John Wiley Sons, 2015. 3. Krasner, Jon. Motion graphic design: applied history and aesthetics. Taylor Francis, 2013. 4. Ly, Tiffanie. CST 300L October 7, 2013 The Growth of Graphic Design and the Designer Graphic design is an art medium that communicates through combining specific elements to create the representation of a certain product or project. This art form is unknowingly. Growth (2013). 5. Wang, Qi, and Huifang Li. Analysis on Tactile Field in Current Graphic Vision Design. 3rd International Conference on Science and Social Research (ICSSR 2014). Atlantis Press, 2014.

Principles of Management (Wal-Mart)

The strengths of Wal-Mart are many. First, it is its sales volume. 200 million people visit 10,800 stores weekly worldwide. Its business model of increasing sales by lowering prices works very well for them. Wal-Mart deals directly with producers from local farmers to major product manufactures. This strategy allows them to secure the lowest prices possible for their customers. Wal-Mart’s supply chain is second to none. They are constantly exploring more efficient ways to transport products to customers in order to lower prices.Wal-Mart defiantly has one of the worlds most advanced global supply networks. Variety is key to Wal-Mart. If there is profit in selling a product, Wal-Mart does it. With four hundred and sixty six billion in sales for 2012, Wal-Mart is the world’s leading retailer and generates a huge cash flow. This allows them to expand internationally as well as geographically. The grocery section has grown to account for 51% of sales. Wal-Mart is now the big gest grocer in the country. The pharmacy has grown as well. With four dollar prescriptions, they have changed the prescription drug industry.Wal-Mart is the largest private employer in the world with 2. 2 million associates worldwide. Wal-Mart tends to promote from within. Not only does this strategy help retain knowledgeable associates and managers who know Wal-Mart from top to bottom. Even with such strong growth, Wal-Mart still delivers to stock holders. First quarter dividends for 2013 were one dollar and nine cents per share, returning more than 200 million dollars to shareholders. Wal-Mart is a key component in most mutual funds. Wal-Mart’s size allows it to buy in volumes that no one else can.In general, the higher the volume the lower the price per Unit. By sticking to Sam Walton’s original business model of lower prices to create higher sales volume, Wal-Mart is a world leader in sustainability and the biggest retailer in the world. W – Weaknesses: The weaknesses of Wal-Mart include negative press coverage, which is always a weakness in retail. With a company the size of Wal-Mart, small miscues are big news. Wal-Mart needs their customers to have a positive opinion of them so they will keep coming back. With overhead the size of Wal-Mart, customers must visit regularly.Wal-Mart operates on a low profit margin. When economic conditions are poor, sales go down and affect Wal-Mart quickly. Wal-Mart buys 40% of the products it sells from foreign sources. Government instability can disrupt, or even dissolve supply to stores. Wal-Mart cannot control how well governments maintain road and ports. Poor infrastructure maintenance slows delivery and can result in lower sales. Instability can also have negative effects on currency exchange rates. These weaknesses may not have slowed Wal-Mart’s growth to date, but they will not be going away.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ O – Opportunities Wal-Mart has many opportunities in the current economy a nd is in a great position within its industry being very committed to finding opportunities to market new products and finding new ways to market old products in new ways. Wal-Mart online is constantly updated to take advantage of the growing internet market. Wal-Mart has recognized the global growth opportunity and is aggressively expanding globally in twenty eight different countries. Wal-Mart sees opportunity in its employees. Wal-Mart is a leader in internal promotion.This ensures that Wal-Mart managers are stable and knowledgeable of Wal-Mart as a whole. It is not effective in poor economies. The weather is also a constant threat. Inclement weather can close manufacturing plants, roads and stores. Heavy snows in one part of the country can close transportation routes. Destructive storms such as a hurricane can close and even destroy plants and stores. Weather related expenses and sale loss are unpredictable and always a threat. Wal-Mart is the biggest retailer in the world, mak ing it chief target for all competition.Large, existing companies need to cut into Wal-Mart’s customer base in order to grow. Wal-Mart’s customers are also being courted by new companies, especially in the internet market place. Social pressure and negative comments is also emerging as an internet threat, and Wal-Mart will have to combat it. With volume the key to success, Wal-Mart must keep a constant visual on the threats to its customer base. Conclusion The outlook for Wal-Mart, based on an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is great. With 466 billion dollars in sales for 2012, Wal-Mart’s business model must work for them.

A Critical Regulatory Issue in Health Care Essay

Health care legal issues today are an uphill climb due to not having a full understanding of case laws and why we have them. One of the most controversial issues today is prescribed marijuana for the terminally ill. This has been a legal battle for years in the health care industry, especially for those who suffer from chronic illnesses such as cancer. Marijuana is an illegal drug that many physicians and patients believe it aids in relieving pain and side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, which is very debilitating for many patients and cause many more issues for the patient. The states of California and Oregon have investigated the medicinal uses of marijuana closely. The differences in states approval or disapproval can be seen clearly with these two states. California for example views marijuana as a â€Å"Schedule I drug, meaning it can be possed and used to aid in survival and pain reduction for terminally ill patients. Yet, Oregon can legally permit physicians to prescribe the drug under Schedule II and patients can use the drug to end their lives.† (George J. Annas, J.D., M.P.H. 2006) The real question is whether or not the U. S. Congress had authority constitutionally and the autonomy to make a decision, since this would fall under the Commerce Clause. U. S. Supreme Court ruled that the clause gave them the power, the right, and the ability to regulate marijuana grown at home for personal medically related uses as it had â€Å"to regulate the amount of wheat a farmer grew on his farm for personal consumption.† (George J. Annas, J. D., M.P.H. 2006) The fact of the matter is this, it could have been prescribed legally by a physician was irrelevant. This is a very slippery area for the health care industry and all those who prescribe medical marijuana are under the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) of 1970. The CSA set standards and regulations for controlled substances in one of a five schedules that is based on the potential for  dependence and abuse. Also it puts our legal system at a crossroad when considering; what is possession of an illegal drug and tho se who distribute or deal illegal drugs. This places the system in an area for a litany of legal battles which have included the health care system on what is considered legal and what is not legal. Of course this opens the can of worms on assisted suicides. The ruling of that would have to come from the U. S. Attorney General to determine whether prescribing drugs for suicide was not a â€Å"legitimate medical practice†, â€Å"As required by the CSA and writing such a prescription could therefore result in revocation of one’s registration certificate with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and federal criminal prosecution.† (George J.Annas, J.D., M.P.H. 2006) Supreme Court rulings in cases of assisted suicide are an issue because they try and keep a general consensus at state level. The state court officials who are part of the executive branch are responsible for administering specific statues and are allowed to interrupt the meanings of cases involving the CSA. Therefore, it is very important to learn and know the statues and laws of the state in which the individual resides since the laws vary from state to state. The question of what constitutes a legitimate medical practice is open to interpretation and can be argued that the CSA prohibits doctor assisted suicide with the use of controlled substances. The use of Schedule II drugs is not a â€Å"legitimate practice†, thus causing the ruling in the state of California but, not in Oregon. This decision was reached because states have the right under federalism basic principle to regulate the practice of medicine and it is a state-regulated activity. The U. S. Congress does not have authority to make it federally regulated under the CSA. However, 20 states in the U. S. allow medical marijuana usage for terminally ill patients. This number is expected to grow, although, 20 states ruled it legal for medical purposes; it is still illegal under Federal Law. The issue of assisted suicide controlled substance abuse and medical marijuana have some interesting outcomes because the laws of the land take a strong stance to decriminalize marijuana as some state have already; it will reduce the number of prisoners in the prison population. From a medical stand point the benefit of prescribing the drug far outweighs not prescribing it because of the fear physicians have about being prosecuted and having their medical licenses revoked. However, the street  pharmacist would be able to have the same benefit of protection under the CSA, since we give longer sentences for drug dealing than we do murder. All things considered, the objective behind medical marijuana and the benefits it provides to the terminally ill or a person who suffers chronic pain shows a positive sign that it helps to relieve and aid in pain management. It’s time for public health officials, state regulators, and health scientist to bring (make) changes in health care when it concerns medical marijuana. Medical marijuana can be manufactured as a controlled substance and regulated to meet the standards in quality care and quality control. The standards can be met by establishing and monitoring results through follow ups and collection of clinical evidence. Medical marijuana has been a hot topic for years and will continue to be a hot topic in the years to come, yet it still benefits the people who need it. In many cases, people will continue to self-medicate to help with pain relief. Marijuana is an herb that is natural and in many cases safer than pain killers offered by large pharmaceutical companies. It has been proven that marijuana slows down response and gives the person the munchies. Yet the drugs from pharmaceutical companies can cause much worse damage from liver and kidney malfunctions as well as heart problems. So, which is better? George J. Annas, J. D., M. P. H. (2006) Congress Controlled Substances and Physician Assisted Suicide—Elephants in Mouse Holes, The New England Journal of Medicine