Information Security Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Information Security - Research Paper Example With the increase in the use of distributed computing, mobile computing and the fast growth in the adoption of internet for business communication, there is an increased need for information security. The adoption of these technologies exposes businesses to information theft and fraud through various attacks such as phishing, DoS and virus attacks. Without security for information, a business organization stands a chance of catastrophic disruptions through downtime in business critical systems. In the event of restoring such systems a business organization incurs unnecessary and unwanted costs. (Gordon & Loeb, 2002) Violation of privacy; business needs to be able to protect both customer and employee information, failure to which can result into legal actions and penalties. Financial loss; theft of commercial information such as business plans, intellectual property or customer contracts can financially damage a business organization. Immediate financial impacts can be felt by a business in case of a computer fraud by a staff member. The penalties and fines associated with failure to protect privacy of information about its customers including its staff severely damage the reputation and credibility of the business. Information security generally stresses on the preservation of three factors associated with information; confidentially, availability and integrity among others like authorization, authentication and non repudiation. Confidentiality is information secrecy preservation; that is ensuring that such information as financial projections, technical designs and business reports are only vied by authorized personnel. Integrity ensures that information has not been manipulated or tampered with; it ensures that information can be relied upon to be accurate to its purpose. The availability aspect of information security ensures that information is accessible to the authorized persons at the required time

Sports Equity and Inclusion in British Rowing

Sports Equity and Inclusion in British Rowing British Rowing: A critical review Rowing is a sport which involves propelling a boat on a body of water using oars to push against the water and produce a force to move the boat. Rowing itself can be recreational or competitive and competition in rowing can be traced back to Ancient Egypt. Modern rowing as a sport dates back to the 10th Century in London. The arrival of Boat Clubs, for example, the Leander club in England, and the formation of University and public school rowing teams, especially at Oxford, Cambridge, and Eton in the early 18th Century, propelled the popularity of the sport to other Universities and boat clubs around the globe including the U.S and Germany (Burnell, Page, 1997).   Rowing is also one of the oldest Olympic sports. Initially it was part of the 1896 Olympics but the racing could not go ahead due to bad weather. Since 1900 it has been present at every Olympic Games with competitions ranging from individual races (single scull) to eight-person shells (coxed eight). Rowing has also had women participants from 1976 and Paralympic athletes from 2008 (Olympic Studies Centre, 2015). Despite being an amateur sport, rowing in Britain has always reflected the division of social classes by being synonymous with the more upper classes. Sugden, Tomlinson (2000) support this by suggesting that involvement in Henleys boating regatta can be a clear sign of high social status. Social classes, in their most basic form can be described as a division of a society based on social and economic status (English | Oxford Dictionaries, 2017). Later in the report I will analyse this further using different theories and concepts. During the rise in popularity of sports in Britain in the 18th century some sports, for example, football and Rugby, were more associated with the working and lower middle classes and other sports, for example, tennis and golf, where more associated with the upper middle and upper classes (Wilson, 2002). This can be attributed to all cultural consumption, including sports consumption, which requires the right tastes and preferences as well as knowledge and skills. This is called cultural capital. (Bourdieu, 1986, cited in Holt, 1998). Cultural capital is defined by access to cultural processes and products. These include the way by which educational, social and intellectual knowledge can used to advantage the social and economic position of a particular individual or group (Bourdieu, 1986, cited in Beedie, Craig, 2010, p. 268). The access to higher levels of educational knowledge in the 18th Century was achieved through the public schools which required fees to attend. Therefore, th ey attracted students from more economically advanced backgrounds and wealthy families that could afford the fees. These included schools like Westminster, Harrow, and the previously mentioned Eton (UK Parliament, 2017). As rowing was only available at boat clubs, universities, and public schools, all of which were out of reach to all but the ruling class, rowing became the preserve of the higher classes. People in poverty and low social classes, therefore, found it harder to participate in the sport. Rowing in England today is governed by British Rowing. The organisation was founded in 1882 and oversees both indoor and on-water rowing. They are responsible for the development of rowing in England and the selection of crews and individual rowers that represent Great Britain. They are affiliated with the International Rowing Federation and the International Olympic Committee. British Rowing has roughly 30,000 individual members that range in age from 11 to over 80. Individual members are usually linked to one of 550 associated rowing clubs, which in turn are within ten rowing regions in England. Each region has a regional rowing council and representatives who represent them on British Rowings Council. The British Rowing Council is made up of the members of the Board, the Regional Chairmen, the Honorary President, the Honorary Rowing Safety Adviser, the Regional Representatives, Home Nations Representative, and Honorary Life Vice Presidents (Governance British Rowing, 2017). The m embers of the Board are the Directors of British Rowing who meet regularly to manage the business of the organisation. This is headed by the chairman, Annamarie Phelps, CBE. Together they create and govern the policies and initiatives of British Rowing. This report will look specifically at the Equity and Inclusion policies and initiatives for British Rowing. Equity is about being fair and impartial and examines inequalities resulting from race, class, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age, religion, or disability (Fletcher, Dashper, 2014). Being inclusive is about providing many different options to suit people of all ages, skills, and backgrounds, in the most appropriate manner that is possible. Therefore, Equity and Inclusion in sport can be defined as being fair and providing a range of opportunities for different people from different backgrounds to participate in sport. By being equitable and inclusive, a sporting organisation, or sport in general, can help to tackle inequalities that are present in wider society. In sociology and sport the idea of inequality has been broadly characterized and has been connected to different political ideologies. Inequality, as characterized from the right, is unavoidable, or is important for society to cope well. Conversely, from the left, inequality is a social detriment and ought to be killed by vote based or progressive means. This can mean democratically via policies and initiatives or even via revolution and forced change. As indicated by Donnelly (1996), Sport by its very nature, produces, and displays inequality. Early research proposed that sport reflected existing inequalities i.e., it was a microcosm of society. Regardless, more critical research of sport has since uncovered that, as opposed to being a passive component and simply reflecting inequality, sport, by means of social operators collaborations with sporting spaces, is effectively involved in creating, repeating, supporting and indeed, acts as a site for resistance when it comes to inequal ity (Dashper, Fletcher, 2013). Jarvie, Thornton (2012) add to this by stating that Inequality is often limited to two notions of inequality namely inequality of condition and inequality of opportunity. Inequality of condition refers to factors such as time, income, occupation, and education, whereas, inequality of opportunity focuses on the individual and the degree of freedom they may have. Equity and inclusion policies should aim to negate these inequalities. In order to correctly analyse the equity and inclusion policies and their impact on a group within society an organisational SWOT analysis will be conducted for British Rowing in regards to their Equity and Inclusion policies and initiatives (Appendix). A SWOT grid / matrix is a grid that highlights the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with an organisation. The strengths are positive factors that are internal to the organisation and within their control. The weakness are also internal factors that may hinder the organisations ability to attain their goals. Opportunities are external factors that the organisation can use and take advantage of in order to progress. Threats are also external factors that could jeopardise the organisations progress.   Once the grid has been filled the information is analysed to ascertain the limitations and issues affecting the organisation. The benefits of a SWOT analysis are that it is cost free, quick and easy to use, anyone can conduct it, it can highlight strengths, weaknesses, deter threats, capitalise on opportunities, provide a better understanding of the organisation and help develop goals and strategies. There are, however, limitations to a SWOT analysis. A S WOT analysis cannot provide solutions, doesnt prioritise issues, it is open to human error, can produce a lot of useless information and doesnt address complex two sided factors that could be considered a strength or a weakness. Taking these into consideration I have listed 3-5 key points in each grid and will expand on them during the analysis. The first strength that was highlighted was that the British Rowing Equity Policy identified key principles in regards to equity in rowing. It stated that Sports Equity is about fairness in sport, equality of access, recognising inequalities and taking steps to address them. It involves changing the culture and structure of sport to ensure that it becomes equally accessible to all members of society (BRITISH ROWING EQUITY POLICY, 2014). It goes on to explain that no members will be treated differently due to certain factors (age, class, gender etc.) and that anyone can have an equal opportunity to participate. This shows that the equity policy has considered the two notions of inequality as previously discussed and that it will try to address these issues. The second strength highlighted was the implementation of an equity action plan to display their commitment to sports equity. The action plan is 5 points and one key point is the commitment to tackle under representation should eff ort be unevenly distributed. They also state the need to review the policy annually which is good practice. The third strength highlighted was the recognition of the legal requirements to be fair and equitable. This includes The Equality act: 2010 among others. The forth strength highlighted was the Adaptive rowing initiative designed to encourage people with disability to join rowing. Through this initiative, they also recruit people to participate in the Paralympics. This is an excellent strength and one that is surely equitable. The final strength was a statistic from 2013 showing that 52% of new recruits were men and 48% were women which displays a very even split between the two genders. This shows their equity policy is working to break down gender barriers as previous stats showed a 60/40 split in favour of men (British Rowing, 2013). The first weakness in the equity and inclusion initiatives was that participation from state schools remains low. 7% of the U.Ks school children are educated by independent schools but 54% of Great Britains elite rowers from the 2012 Olympic games were educated at independent schools. Those from state schools learnt almost entirely from boat clubs (Brown, 2016). The second weakness was that the cost of equipment/membership. Membership at clubs can be on average  £150-300 for a junior participant and even more for adults (Club rules, forms and prices, 2017 and Smithson, 2017). There is also a membership fee with British Rowing from  £17 for a junior to  £1150 for a lifetime membership. These fees may not be affordable for those who are struggling financially and who are in poverty and therefore the costs of the memberships act as a barrier to participation for those individuals. The final weakness is that equity policy states that British Rowing will publicise this to all employ ees, members, volunteers and officials through its website, Almanack, magazine and club mailings (BRITISH ROWING EQUITY POLICY, 2014). This is good to an extent but there is no mention of publicising its equity policy beyond its members and inner circles. By publicising its equity policy to a wider and more diverse audience in the public it is possible to encourage more participation from individuals that may not realise the opportunity is there to join the sport and that it is inclusive. The first opportunity highlighted was the increased popularity in rowing after the success of the 2012 Olympic games in London. British Rowing endured a spike in new recruits of 12.2% in the final 6 months of 2012 (British Rowing, 2013). British Rowing could take further advantage of this by specifically targeting certain groups in society that have low participation levels. The second opportunity is related to the first. It was that the one of the Olympic legacys goals were Promoting community engagement and achieving participation across all groups in society through the Games (London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Annual Report February 2011). The final opportunity is that rowing is one of Britains most successful sports. They have accumulated 68 medals, including 31 gold, in mens rowing alone at the Olympics, 3rd overall in the history of the games. This can inspire more people to join and be part of the sport. The first threat highlighted was that costs may remain high or even grow with inflation. Costs to participate is a barrier for individuals but the cost for state schools to build facilities and buy equipment, such as boat houses, indoor rowers, storage rooms etc., can be a major factor in state schools deciding not to become involved in rowing. Another threat is that, despite being one of Britains most successful sports, rowing still falls behind other sports such as football, rugby, tennis, cricket, badminton, swimming, and athletics, in terms of popularity (Russell, 2014). Other sports may be more appealing to new participants and sports that are played regularly at both state and independent schools will inevitably have higher participation levels and a more diverse participation pool. The final threat is that now that the 2012 Olympics is long over, and the buzz around rowing is diminishing, the opportunity to encourage state schools and people from social deprivation backgrounds to participate could be fading. From the SWOT analysis, we can see there are issues and challenges for people in social deprivation and in the lower classes of society. To fully understand the context and impact of this, definitions must be understood and sociological theory must be applied. Sociology, as defined by Giddens (2001), is the study of human social life, groups and societies. A theory is a framework for understanding, but it always develops within a particular cultural context and is always provisionalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ theory provides us with a starting point for our understanding but it begs to be expanded, contradicted, refined, replaced (Birrell, 2000). Therefore, a sociological theory is a framework of understanding around the study of human social life, groups, and societies. Three key terms must also be understood and they are ideology, power, and politics. Ideology is the shared ideas or beliefs which serve to justify the interests of dominant groups (Giddens, 2001). Power is the ability of individ uals, or the members of a group, to achieve aims or further the interests they holdà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Many conflicts in society are struggles over power (Giddens, Sutton, 2013, p. 584). Politics takes place wherever conflict exists about goals and the method of achieving those goals (Houlihan, 2002). The way in which society develops unequal layers based on wealth, income, status, and power is defined as social stratification (Beedie, Craig, 2010, p. 116). Karl Marxs Conflict Theory can be used to better understand the social stratification from the perspective of poorer groups and less powerful of people. Karl Marxs work on conflict theory can be best understood by taking into consideration the context of the social world in which he lived. He developed his work during the mid-19th Century, which was a time of deep political and social unrest, due to the rapid expanding system of industrial capitalism and the political and economic issues that accompanied it (Foster, 1979). These political and economic tensions helped to further divide society in the form of social classes, that competed against each other, forming a class conflict. The Marxist view on social class can be basically divided into two main groups but the reality is that there are at least four groupings, which Marx identified to a certain extent. They are the lumpenproetariat, the proletariat, the petite bourgeoisie, and the bourgeoisie. They can also be called the underclass, the working class, the middle class, and the upper class. Each have their own problems and goals and are interconnected and interdependent to a ce rtain degree. This makes it hard to allocate class labels at times as it be a fluid and elastic term that is ever changing. Nevertheless, Marx describes the upper class as the class in control of the means of production and the classes below are the ones that make these means possible by selling their labour for wages. This division of labour causes relationships between classes to become exploitative where the upper classes exploit the lower classes by maximising commodity production for profit rather than need. This profit driven ideology is based on and creates inequalities and these inequalities between the classes cause conflict. This relates back to the definition of power where by conflicts in society are struggles over power and that the groups that wield the most power (upper class) can further their aims and interests that they hold. This also then relates back to our definition of politics; that it takes place wherever conflict exists about goals. This explains why some o f the most powerful people in society are located at the summit of politics (Rigauer, Tomlinson, 2002). When applying this sport, it is important to understand, as previously mentioned, that sport can act as a microcosm of society and reflect the fractures and divisions within society. If modern sport was developed in the 19th Century in tandem with the rise of industrial capitalism, then it is understandable that the same divides and conflicts that were in society at the time were reflected in sport. Houlihan and Malcolm (2016) add to this and state that Sport reflects and reproduces the ideologies of capitalism like aggressive individualism, ruthless competition, elitismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦These ideasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in sport, reflect the broader structure of capitalist society. Having considered the historical context of rowing at the beginning of the report, it is clear to see how Sugden, Tomlinson (2000) suggested that rowing was a sport more associated with the upper classes. As rowing as a competitive sport began to form in independent schools, which became less and less accessible to the lower classes with the rise of industrial capitalism, the only class with the opportunity to participate in the sport were the upper classes that attended the high fee paying schools and as a result rowing, with its lack of lower class members became a sport for the upper class in the 19th century.   Beedie, Craig (2010) support this with an example of the town of Bedford. Bedford is a town with a tradition for rowing due to the River Ouse which flows near it. The grass roots entry points to rowing here were dominated by the fee paying independent schools and thus, any school children from state schools wishing to get involved in rowing had a very little oppor tunity to do so. They go on to state that rowing does not reflect the cosmopolitan diversity of social groups living in Bedford, but instead remains populated by those privileged educationally. Despite conflicts of social classes being less volatile and society being more integrated in the modern era of sport, the class divide in British Rowing is still clear to see. Of the 12 board members in British Rowing, only 2 attended state schools and of all the elite athletes that represented GB, 54% were educated in independent schools. Despite the organisations significant steps to improving inclusion for disability and female participants, it still has an identity as an upper-class sport. This could be further explained again using Marxism as Marx suggests that the ruling elite à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦controls the means of mental production (Storey, 1993). If the people in charge of British Rowing and the lead figures and elite athlete are constantly coming from upper class backgrounds, then the image and idea of rowing being an upper-class sport cannot be changed. As I have previously mentioned, equity and inclusion polices should seek to negate the inequalities associated with that spo rt. One of those inequalities was highlighted as a lack of opportunity for people in poverty and the lower classes as poverty is at the core of exclusion (Collins, Kay, 2014). To combat this inequality and exclusion, I recommend that British Rowing should seek to reach out to other organisations to form a partnership with the goal of bringing more water sports to state schools. Craig, Mellor (2010) state that the recognition of, and involvement in, common activities enables and promotes social cohesion. Therefore, if more and more people from poverty and social deprivation backgrounds can have a better opportunity to participate in rowing it would improve relations between social classes even more and help to alleviate any barriers. For British Rowing, it will also provide a much larger pool of athletes to choose for elite level competition, for example the Olympics, and this could boost Great Britains success in the sport even further. They have proven that initiatives for specific populations (Female, Disability etc.) can improve participation and success in those groups and further effort for people in poverty could boost participation for that group a lso. Other potential means of improving participation could be to place a cap on membership fees so that they cant rise to a level that will become unaffordable to more people. Reaching out to state schools and providing them with equipment would be highly costly to the organisation. As sport becomes more commercialised and media heavy it is perhaps an option for British Rowing to negotiate a TV or sponsorship deal to raise capital for initiatives to improve equity and inclusion in their sport. Events at the Olympics and The Boat Race are the two main televised rowing events. As The Boat Race is one day per year and events at the Olympics only come once every 4 years, opportunity to highlight the sport to wider audience is not as frequent as some of the sports competitors. Staging exhibition races or creating completions for television could get more regular coverage and help to spread interest in rowing and also raise funds for initiatives to improve equity and inclusion. As sport not only reflects society but also helps to shape it, by using rowing to break down social barriers within the sport, and within social groups, society too may be effected in a positive way. Breaking down these barriers will help to provide more opportunities for participation and to be more fair and equal.

World Politics: American Hegemony Essay -- The US as Global Hegemon

UNITED STATES POWER Whenever world politics is mentioned, the state that appears to be at the apex of affairs is the United States of America, although some will argue that it isn’t. It is paramount we know that the international system is shaped by certain defining events that has lead to some significant changes, particularly those connected with different chapters of violence. Certainly, the world wars of the twentieth century and the more recent war on terror must be included as defining moments. The warning of brute force on a potentially large scale also highlights the vigorousness of the cold war period, which dominated world politics within an interval of four decades. The practice of international relations (IR) was introduced out of a need to discuss the causes of war and the different conditions for calm in the wake of the first world war, and it is relevant we know that this has remained a crucial focus ever since. However, violence is not the only factor capable of causing interrupt ion in the international system. Economic elements also have a remarkable impact. The great depression that happened in the 1920s, and the global financial crises of the contemporary period can be used as examples. Another concurrent problem concerns the environment, with the human climate being one among different number of important concerns for the continuing future of humankind and the planet in general. In this paper, I will argue that the current system is hegemonial. My explanation to hegemony will then be centered on the sources of the United States as a hegemonial power. Furthermore, I will state the different primary implications associated with the rise of China and what the Roman Empire offers for understanding the United Sta... ... The Costs of US Hegemony: Military Power, Military Spending, and US Trade Performance. Sage. http://rrp.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/content/31/4/32.full.pdf+html R. Bruce Hitcher. (2008). Globalization Avant La Lettre: Globalization and the History of the Roman Empire. New Global Studies: Vol. 2: Iss. 2, Article 2. Susan V. Lawrence, Michael F. Martin. (2013). Understanding China’s Political System. Congressional Research Services. https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41007.pdf The Rise of China and the Future of the West. (2008, January 1). Retrieved from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/63042/g-john-ikenberry/the-rise-of-china-and-the-future-of-the-west Wei-Wei Zhang. (2004). The Implications of the Rise of China. Foresight, Vol. 6 Iss: 4, P. 223 – 226. http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/journals.htm?articleid=874264

Examination of the factors that contribute to depression among young women aged 15 to 25 of age in the UK

Abstract This dissertation identifies the factors that contribute to a mental health problem (depression) among young women 15 to 25 of age in the UK. The literature review revealed that the young women aged 15 to 25 are exposed to the risk of being depressed as a result of the interplay between biological and environmental factors. Furthermore, the rates of depression were found to be higher in the women population compared to men. The study also reveals that depression in the young women of this age bracket has negative effects on their family and friends. Although the family members and friends are always willing to help their loved ones recover from mental health problems they are prevented from doing so because of their lack of knowledge and skills in handling depression. As a result, depression ends up disrupting the relationship between the patients and their loved ones who equally end up being distressed as well. The findings reveal that the government should increase the funding on i ts programs and consistently review the performance of the policies in order to correct any mistakes in time. Introduction The main purpose of this study is to review literature on the factors that contribute to depression among young women aged 15 to 25 in the UK. The study will explore the impact of the patient’s condition on the family members and friends, and evaluate the effectiveness of the different initiatives to support young women with depression. The study carries out an extensive review of academic articles and will access all available data to discuss the research objectives. Additionally, it will perform an appraisal of the findings and results obtained from related literatures. Thereafter, a conclusion will be provided on all issues deliberated in the study, and then a recommendation will be given for the public education and possibly for future mental health research project among young women in the United Kingdom. Background and Rationale for the study The World Health Organization (WHO) defined mental health as a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community, whilst, mental problems or illness refers to conditions that affect cognition, emotion, and behaviour for example, schizophrenia, depression, and autism (Manderscheid et al, 2010). Women are more likely to suffer from depression compared to men. Brady (2013) confirmed that the investigation of national mental health surveys have shown that psychological disorders are 20% to 40% likely to occur in women than men. Walsh (2009) claims that this disparity is due to many elements, as studies have given a number of factors have been responsible for the cause of mental health problems among women in the UK; some of the influences include the increasing responsibility of women performing multiple roles in the society, such as care ers, homemakers and breadwinners. Seeman (2006) stated that the care giving role of women, which sometimes extends to spouses, children and the elderly, may induce increased stress and possibly cause mental health problems. Likewise, the associated issues of pregnancy and child-bearing are an additional consideration responsible for a high rate of mental health problems among women (Kidd et al, 2013). Ussher (2010) notes that the issue of domestic violence is also a contributing factor because women have depression or mental health problems because they have been subjected to domestic violence. These women sometimes find it hard to go for counseling as a confidential and safe means by which they can outlet their feelings. There are very few studies that have identified the relationship between mental health problems among young women and depression; this supports studies that have linked stress as a catalyst responsible for mental health problems amongst young women (Pratt et al 201 2). Weich (2004) confirmed that some UK based studies have reported an excess in the prevalence of the most common mental disorders of anxiety and depression. The cost of treating depression and other mental problems is a big financial burden to the government. The Centre for Mental Health (2010) concluded that mental problems have not only a human and social cost, but also an economic one, with wider costs in England amounting to ?105 billion a year. Rosenfeld (2009) asserts that very few studies have focused on the causes of depression among young women in the age group of 15-25. Most studies focus on depression on women, men, or adolescents without necessarily narrowing down to young women (Rosenfeld, 2009). The rationale for this study is to identify the causes of depression among the young women aged 15-25, evaluate the effects of depression on the family members and friends, explore the government policy and interventions and then offer recommendations on how to protect the yo ung women from depression. The study of depression in young women is important because the depression suffered at this age group has a direct effect on the future lives of these women (Thomas et al 2008). It is therefore important to look into ways of protecting them against depression because this will not only save the government money that is currently being used on treatment but also ensure that the young women enter the early adulthood stage with a strong mental ability. To the healthcare profession, this study will be helpful in the treatment of depression through making maximum use of preventive measures and formulating a basis for further research on ways of reducing the rates of depression among women aged 15-25. Aims and Objectives The primary aim of this project is to review literature on the factors that contribute to depression among young women aged 15 to 25 in the United Kingdom. The objectives of the study are as follows: To identify and understand the risk factors responsible for depression as a mental health problem among young women aged 15 to 25 in the UK. To examine the impact of depression on the family and friends of the depressed persons To investigate ggovernment initiatives that support young women with depressionEthicsThis study addressed ethical and anti- oppressive issues that relate to research and practice. It adhered to all the ethical principles that guide the use of secondary data. The review was conducted with an interest of finding ways of improving the lives of young people with depression through evaluating ways of reducing the causative agents and providing care for the already depressed population. The findings are meant to benefit both the depressed young people and form a basis f or future research. Literature ReviewMethodsThis review followed an inclusion and exclusion criteria in determining which articles and books to review and which ones to ignore based on the relevance of their content to this dissertation. The journal articles were chosen from EbSCOhost, BNI, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINHAL, government published documents and policy. Simple electronic database search was then done using the key words as a guiding criterion. All the journals and books were screened by reading the titles, abstract and in some cases full text in deciding which ones were suitable for this research. The key words for the search were â€Å"mental illness, young women, depression, and government policies to address depression†. The database search depended on wildcards and keywords in looking for information in the abstracts, title, subject heading, and full text. The words were used separately and then in combination to ensure that as many relevant articles are reviewed. The criteria for inclusi on and exclusion of articles and books The method for selecting articles made use of the inclusion and exclusion criteria to ensure that the search generated the best possible articles and books. The inclusion criteria targeted the articles that cover prevalence of depression among women, early adulthood, policy intervention in the United Kingdom, peer reviewed and possible methods of dealing with depression. The exclusion criteria on the other hand included the articles and books published prior to 2001, generalized the youth without separating young women from women, only included children under the age of 15, focused on bipolar mood disorder, studies with small sample sizes (less than 50), and those involving non representative samples like the ethnic minorities.ResultsA total of 100 citations were considered for the research, out of which 30 duplicate citations were filtered out. The remaining 70 citations were then screened using the inclusion and exclusion criteria outlined above. 50 articles were retained for inclu sion and the other 20 were excluded from the study. Therefore, this review is based on a sample of 50 citations. The details of the review are availed in the subsequent sections of this literature review. The articles were then grouped into those that cover the general correlates of and prevalence of depression, those that cover young women below the age of 30, and finally those that cover young women still under the care of their parents. Among the 50 citations considered for review, only a small percentage was longitudinal by design. The samples had different sample sizes with the least having 50 and the most having 20,000 participants. General correlates and prevalence of depression The findings of this review reveal that in the cases where the articles made comparisons between the males and females, women were more likely to be affected by depression compared to the males. Out of the 10 articles that compared the two sexes only three posted a different result. The three articles did not find any significant differences in the prevalence rates between young men and young women. The other seven articles all concluded that women are more vulnerable to depression than men. The prevalence rates ranged from as low as 4.3% to a high of 49%. Factors that contribute to depression among young women 15 to 25 of age in the UK Lundt (2004, p. 67) claims that in addition to women having higher rates of depression than men, many features of depression differ for women when compared to men. These differences include factors like the likelihood of occurrence, risk factors and the symptoms of depression. This literature review reveals an overwhelming support for a multidimensional model of the risk factors for depression in women with a complex relationship being exhibited between life stress, social, biological, sex role socialization and developmental factors. Hales (2008, p. 33) asserts that currently, the exact neurophysiological mechanisms surrounding depression have not yet been identified although stress appears to play a crucial role in the onset of depressive episodes particular at the initial stages. While the conventional perception of depression supports biopsychosocial model of risk factors, more contemporary conceptualizations and research emphasize on the impact of the sex role socialization (Tho mas, et al 2008, p. 41). The societal gender expectations have a direct influence on how to deal with depression. The women who are forced to adopt female roles that are more stereotyped often experience more depression compared to the ones that are not exposed to such hostile environments. Ussher (2010, p. 13) also adds that women are also more likely to make complex inferences and engage in more ruminative self-focus and this may maintain or even aggravate depression. Walsh (2009, p. 66) notes that there is no single theory explaining the gender differences in depression. In fact the different rates of depression are as a result of multidimensional and interactive issues that are functions of idiographic factors. Rosenfeld (2009, p. 76) supports this further by asserting that integrative biopsychosocial theories of depression have been espoused by many different theories. They note that there are five major categories of risk factors which are: Biological, Life stress, Sex role so cialization, Societal/Social and Developmental The interactive model of risk factors is an expansion of the Worrel and Remmer (1992) model (White, & Groh, 2007, p. 65). All the five factors are discussed in discrete sections below for purposes of clarity although in reality most of these factors are interrelated and involve more than one factor at a time. It is for this reason then that some factors will appear in more than one section. Biological Factors In the past, most scholars held the assumption that there were two subtypes of depressions, neurotic and endogenous (Stahl et al. 2003, p. 56). The endogenous depressions were believed to be driven by purely biological factors whereas the neurotic depressions were thought to be functions of interpersonal and intrapersonal factors. However, more recent research shows that very few depressions are purely biological and there is a general consensus that most depressions have a biopsychosocial basis (Savoie et al 2004, p. 29) Although genetics play a significant role in unipolar depression, heredity is not an important factor as it is in bipolar depression. Depression affects women throughout their lives and it is caused by a combination of different factors that range from hormonal, pregnancy, postnatal to biological factors (Paxton, & Robinson, 2008, p. 16). At a later stage in life women may also suffer from depression caused by menopause. These are the factors that make women more vu lnerable to depression than men. Additionally, women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression in their early lives than men. Nimrod (2012, p. 43) found that females start experiencing depression in their early adolescence. The study highlights that depression can occur in the young women and puberty increases the risk. This assertion was supported by Greenblatt (2011, p. 45) who claims that the depression in women mostly starts at puberty. The hormonal levels at puberty are a major cause of depression in young women. The changes in oestrogen and androgen are more responsible for the depression than puberty itself. Hales (2009, p. 77) asserts that this view is consistent with the fact that depression can be as a result of hormonal changes that are related to the reproductive system of women. This is particularly evident in the young women who often complain of both emotional and physical premenstrual symptoms. The young women may also suffer depression during pregnancy. Erland sson and Eklund (2006, p. 32) claim that while pregnancy does not necessarily cause depression, pregnant women who have a history of depression are more likely to suffer relapses because of their reluctance to use antidepressant medication. This thought is supported by Castle et al (2006, p. 61) as they highlight the implications of managing and treating depression in women. Their research revealed that although many women are often reluctant to take medication during pregnancy, the effectiveness of using antidepressants outweighs the consequences of untreated depression on both the child and the woman. As such, their research outlines the importance of the role of nurses, health visitors, general practitioners, mental health practitioners and the other health professionals in educating the young pregnant women and their families. Additionally, the research also highlights the importance of taking the risks of managing and treating depression during pregnancy into consideration as w ell as empowering the young women to make decisions based on the best guidelines and available evidence. However, every pregnant woman must be considered differently and individually because there are many factors that influence their decisions on whether to use the antidepressants or not. Sleath et al (2005, p. 47) say that additional information is required by both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments and that all medical practitioners must always weigh up the different treatment options available as well as the wishes of the patient before making any decisions. In fact this is the reason why Pestello & Davis-Berman (2008, p. 15) asserts that current advice must be provided based on evidence based practice and practice guidelines. Mirowsky and Ross (2003, p. 55) claim that there is often an increased risk of depression after childbirth because of the hormonal changes in the postnatal period. During this time, there is often an influx of other factors like breast feed ing that may influence a young woman not to use antidepressants. Although infertility does not lead to depression, the young women struggling with infertility may be susceptible to depression. In fact Demyttenaere, De Fruyt, & Stahl (2005, p. 37) claim that depression may play a role in infertility. Some studies indicate a positive correlation between depression symptoms prior to attempting to conceive and infertility. However, the inability to conceive may lead to depression which may in turn affect the probability of being able to conceive (Ravindran, et al 2002, p. 99). Several other medical conditions like anemia, AIDS, Addison’s disease, cancer, diabetes, infectious hepatitis, influenza, systemic lupus, hypothyroidism, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, hyperthyroidism, mononucleosis, and Cushing’s disease can cause symptoms of depression in young women (Pratt, et al. 2012, p. 21). Furthermore, other medical conditions like heart disease , asthma and hypoglycemia can equally cause anxiety like symptoms. Lazear et al (2008, p. 30) claims that there is a positive correlation between depression and coronary heart disease. Depression occurs with a high rate mostly after coronary heart disease. In fact recent research indicates that depression is a risk factor for coronary heart disease and a predictor of poor outcome (Eklund, Erlandsson, & Persson, 2003, p. 48). Life stress factors Hales (2012, p.50) claims that certain types of stressful life events eventually lead to depression in most young women. One of the possible reasons for the intermittent nature of depression is explained by the kindling hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, the strength of the association between stressful life events and depressive onsets decrease with an increase in the number of episodes (Eklund et al 2010, p. 82). It is the unspecified changes that take place during the repressive episodes either through learning or brain changes rather than the stressful life events that kindle future episodes. Erlandsson and Eklund (2003, p. 68) note that in people with recurrent depressions, the relationship between stress and depression declines progressively through approximately nine episodes and then stabilises through the future episodes. The stress diathesis theories of depression indicate that depression results from the way an individual interprets the life stressful events (Castle , Kulkarni, & Abel, 2006, p. 51). Hopelessness depression is a stress diathesis theory whereby an attributional style interacts with the negative style events to generate specific subtype of depression with symptoms of sadness, loss of motivation and suicidal ideation. In the context of this model, the internal factors (an attributional style) interact with the external factors (negative life events) to produce depression in the young women. Therefore, stress in womens’ lives has a direct impact on the levels of depressions. Caretaking and parenting demands on women often confer an increased risk for depression. Young women with children are particularly vulnerable especially for those that do not work outside the home (Duncan, 2004, p. 58). In fact, the more children in the house the more depression are reported. The responsibility of caring for the aging parents is often left to the adult daughters, which in turn increases their vulnerability to depression. Women seem to be more vulnerable to the negative effects of interpersonal relationships (McLeod & McLeod, 2009, p. 28). Women in unhappy marriages are three times more likely to be depressed than the single ones or men (McLeod & McLeod, 2009, p. 28). Women are more vulnerable to interpersonal violence than men are, and depression is a function of interpersonal violence (Beck, & Alford, 2009, p. 77). Depression can occur because of psychological and neurological changes caused by the interpersonal traumas. Smith & Elliott (2010, p. 44) claim there is a positive correlation between women with histories of childhood sexual and physical abuse and reversed neurovegatative depressive symptoms such as weight gain, increased appetite and hypersomnia, which suggests unique biological processes in trauma related depressions. Depression may also occur because of the effects of brain injuries suffered by battered women (Thomas, et al. 2008, p. 49). Sex Role socialisation Factors Certain types of stereotypical female personality traits as well as the gender role socialisation often contribute to the vulnerability of young women to depression. Weiten (2010, p. 37) claims that women with stereotypical beliefs on the gender roles of women and higher scores of measures of femininity are more vulnerable to depression. Furthermore, gender related personality traits like instrumentality are positively correlated to depression. The same is also true for socially influenced stereotypical female personality traits like dependency and passivity, which are conceptualised as mild manifestations of depression (Gotlib & Hammen, 2010, p. 22). Societal / Social factors Women are more likely to face lowered social status in work roles, family roles and community roles. Despite the gains, women have made both economically and socially, inequality between the sexes continues to persist in the society (Kittleson & Denkmire, 2005, p. 09). The reinforcement deficit theory postulated by Worrell and Remer (1992) indicates that depression is related to an unfavourable ratio between positive and negative person environment outcomes (Pettit & Joiner, 2005, p. 64). The low rate of positive outcomes is assumed to be caused by the increase in passive behaviour and dysphoric mood as the young women feel incapable of attaining personal goals leading to eventual withdrawal and despair. The inequity in family decision-making and access to family finance can cause women to feel powerless and unimportant, precursors to depression. Kantor (2007, p. 18) asserts that poverty is a pathway to depression. The majority of the people living in poverty in the United Kingdom ar e women and children. Dobson and Dozois (2008, p. 13) note that 10% of new cases of major depression are caused by poverty. The same is supported by Diamond (2005, p. 73) who hypothesises that depression is a function of financial hardships and poverty. Although gender differences in rates of depression do not differ by culture, the ethnic minority women and lesbians are at a higher risk because of the complexity and number of risks that they face on daily basis (Friedman, & Anderson, 2010, p. 63). The ethnic minority young women are more likely to be subjected to different socioeconomic factors for depression like ethnic/ racial discrimination, segregation into low status and high-risk jobs, lower educational and income levels, unemployment, single parenthood, poor health, marital dissolution and larger family sizes. Greenblatt (2011, p. 31) adds that being a member of a non-dominant group can also lead to experiences of discrimination and oppression, which are risk factors. Additi onally, intragroup and intergroup racism are also stressors that lead to poor health and psychological distress. Cultural role prescriptions for some ethnic minority women may at times lead to depression. For instance, for the Asian and British Indian women, the cultural norms of deference, passivity and courtesy may result in difficulties in self-assertion especially regarding issues of power consequently resulting in depression. Experiences of migration for any ethnic minority group may result in lack of social support, cultural conflicts, identity confusion, cultural adjustments, and feelings of powerlessness and diminished social status. Developmental Factors Gerrity et al (2001, p. 48) point out that prior developmental experience have a direct influence on the adult susceptibility to depression. This is particularly true for the individuals who have a history of neglect, abuse and parental loss as well as those that were brought up by depressed mothers. Additionally, the subsequent developmental transitions and the accompanying stressors increase the vulnerability of young women to depression. The developmental pathway of women often contain five major key points that begin when they start showing increased rates of depression in adolescence, continuing to the transitions on young adulthood, midlife and old age. Ussher (2010, p. 77) asserts that each of these transitions is accompanied by challenges and stresses. The intensity of these factors varies depending on the unique personality of an individual, social contexts, familial and social support, and life circumstances. One such interactive model indicates that girls arrive at the ado lescence stage with more pre-existing factors than boys do and these factors interact with social and biological changes of adolescence, which then extend into adulthood (Peacock & Casey 2000, p. 74). The young women in the age bracket of 15 to 25 are in the period of young adulthood. This period is a time of potential stress and strain for them because it is a time when they must make important interpersonal and vocational life choices that include decisions related to marriage and motherhood (White & Groh, 2007, p. 17). The young mothers with children at home face higher risks of depression. Epidemiological data indicates that the mid to late 20’s is the age at which women start experiencing depression because of the many decisions that they have to make (Stahl, et al 2003, p. 94). In the period of transition to adulthood, the women that were exposed to childhood adversities are more likely to be depressed compared to the ones that did not go through such terrible childhood s. The mid 20’s is the first time a woman must face the harsh realities of life in the context of the dreams and visions mapped out in the adolescence period. The discovery that adulthood is not as she expected often thrusts most women into despair and confusion. The fact that the young women are facing the challenges and stresses of adulthood for the first time in their lives makes them feel unprepared as the demands of adult life are at times very overwhelming (Ferentinos, et al. 2011,p. 63). These stresses make the young adult women vulnerable to psychological distress, particularly depression. Effects of depression on family and friends of the patients Weiten (2010) says that when a young woman gets depression, it does not affect her alone as it also has gross effects on their parents, siblings, friends and the whole family. All the people close to the individuals suffering from depression often get extremely worried about the patients. Beck and Alford (2009) claim that the worst part of it is that in most cases these people do not have the knowledge and skills to help the patients. This worsens the situation for the patients, as they feel helpless and in so doing adding more misery to the parents, siblings and close friends. Dobson and Dozois (2008) assert that the family members and friends get worried on the possibility of the young depressed women contemplating suicide because of their unstable conditions. In as much as they are always willing to help these young depressed women get back to the normal swing of things, the ways of doing it makes the whole thought a mirage. Therefore, they end up being very focused on them, alway s worrying for them and having difficult time connecting with the depressed young women because depression inhibits their ability to interact with other people. Depression hurts the young women both mentally and physically inhibiting their ability to work and function. The people who have affection for the young girls are often hurt by the experiences of their loved ones (Thomas et al 2008). Unlike the other physical illnesses, depression is not easily visible to people without prior experience. In fact, many people have no idea of its causes or treatment (Sleath et al 2005). The intangibility of the illness makes it very hard for the family and friends who are not able to feel or see the intensity of the suffering. Some family members and friends even deny the existence of depression because of the confusing nature of the illness. Castle, Kulkarni, & Abel (2006) claim that some family members and friends consider depression as a sign of personal weakness, while others often end up fighting alongside their depressed friends and family members. These too cases are both extreme and cause grief especially because the depressed young girls feel frustrated, misunderstood or overstretched to recover quickly. Demyttenaere, De Fruyt, and Stahl (2005) say that the symptoms of depression are very difficult to interpret. The young girls often get withdrawn and have little energy to perform ordinary daily tasks. Unfortunately, this is at times misinterpreted by the other family members as a lack of effort in helping in the daily house chores. Evaluation of initiatives for tackling the mental health problems among young women in the UK The purpose of this part of the dissertation is threefold: Make reference to some policies that touch on mental health of young women in the United Kingdom; Highlight some of the progress made by the government in helping the young people suffering from mental health problems; Identify the weaknesses and gaps in the policy and support and what should be done to improve their effectiveness. Owing to the large number of government policies on the young people, this dissertation will be highly selective in approach. INITIATIVES The National Service Framework for children, young people and maternity services policy contains the 11 standards that contribute to the mental well being of the young people. In 2007, the government developed the National Indicator Set to enable the central government manage the performance of the local government. These indicators were as follows: NI50, which monitors the emotional health of the children and young people; NI51 to monitor the effectiveness of government policy. The Children and Young People in Mind (CAMHS) made recommendations that highlight the role of all universal services like the police and midwives in promoting the mental health of children and young people. The government implemented two of its recommendations through the creation of National Advisory Council (NAC) and National CAMHS Support Service (NCSS). The role of the NAC is to hold the government accountable in ensuring that all the recommendations are met. The NCSS, on the other hand, was charged with the role of continually improving and sustaining service delivery. The New Horizons (2009) made mental health the responsibility of everyone. It required all the government departments to work as a team in the prevention of mental health problems and develop resilience in the households. It paid special attention to the need of improving transition from adolescence to adulthood and emphasised the importance of prevention of mental illnesses. In 2010, the Keeping Children and Young People in Mind applauded the need for the government to invest in the mental health and emotional well-being of the children and young people. The Progress Made The investment in CAMHS led to increased advocacy in building resilience, early intervention, general well being and the called for support from families. As a result, there was an increase in the number of professional staff to offer services to the young people (Ferentinos et al 2011). However, the progress was slower for the 16 and 17 year olds as evidenced by the increased number of young people of this age spending time in psychiatric hospitals. This implies that comprehensive implementation of CAMHS is not easy and will require more time and commitment from all the stakeholders. The Mental Health Promotion Driving Policy in the New Horizons is performing well although it is mainly adult focused which places the young women at an increased risk of being lost in the bigger agenda. The Challenges and Recommendations Most of the government policies on young people are properly aspirational although turning them into reality on the ground remains the biggest challenge. The process of implementation is very critical as it underlines the efficiency of the policies. It will be impossible to realise the vision of these policies without total commitment and consistent long term funding. This is why it is advisable for the government to look into ways of ensuring better management and leadership to ensure that these services reach the people as envisaged in the policies. Presently, there is still a gap in the logic on the empowerment of people, families and communities on taking care of mental health (Castle, Kulkarni, & Abel, 2006). Many people have gone through the process of intervention but the real solution lies on empowering individuals with the skills, knowledge and resources to deal with mental health challenges on their own. Helping the young women with self-awareness, social and emotional skil ls, and foster knowledge will help them take the responsibility for their mental health and emotional well-being. Conclusion This dissertation has identified the factors that contribute to a mental health problem (depression) among young women 15 to 25 of age in the UK. The secondary research also assessed the effects of the condition on the family and friends of the patients and then evaluated the policy and support for tackling the mental health problems among young women in the UK. The extensive review of academic articles and books revealed that the young women aged 15 to 25 are exposed to the risk of being depressed as a result of the interplay between biological and environmental factors. Furthermore, the rates of depression were found to be higher in the women population compared to men. The study also revealed that depression in the young women of this age bracket has negative effects on their family and friends. The worst part of it is that the family and friends are always willing to help their loved ones recover from mental health problems but are prevented from doing so because of their lack of knowledge and skills in handling depression. As a result, depression ends up disrupting the relationship between the patients and their loved ones who equally end up being distressed as well. The government has enacted many policies to contain mental health problems in the country, however there are still challenges as highlighted in the discussion. These policies although aspirational, still need more commitment in terms of funding, leadership and management for them to have their intended impact in the country. Recommendations The policies for helping the young girls aged 15 to 25 have already been identified and enacted by the government. The only challenge remaining is the implementation process, which is proving to be difficult as evidenced by the high number of young girls spending their time in the psychiatric hospitals. This can be addressed through increasing the amount of funds allocated to the project. This increase will enable the government to reach more people and empower them with the knowledge and skills on how to handle mental illnesses. As already outlined, the family members and friends are always willing to help the depressed young women but then they lack the necessary knowledge and skills. Equipping these people with the knowledge and skills will be helpful in reducing the rates of depression among young women aged 15 to 25 because they have a close contact and better understanding of their loved ones. Additionally, consistent evaluation and assessment of the policies will also be helpf ul to the government in terms of identifying new ways of helping the young girls. Limitations of the study The study was only reliant on secondary data as the researcher was not able to interact directly with the respondents. This implies that the errors that may have been made by the secondary data could have been replicated in the outcomes of this study. Secondly, very few policies are tailored for this particular age group so the policies used were those overlapping between late adolescence and early adulthood. This may have in some way affected the results although the impact may not be that big given that the age group of 15 to 25 lie in the same period of late adolescence and early adulthood. Bibliography Beck, A. T., & Alford, B. A. (2009). Depression: Causes and treatment. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Brady,. T. 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Loss of the Creature Outside Analysis

People in society today have influences throughout their life that help structure and dictate their thoughts. Choices are made based on these influences, and when these influences begin to take shape as different labels, no real choices are made. People begin to compromise their right to think on their own and instead turn to the most convenient choice. This is how a great deal of society has acts today, choosing the easiest path just so that person can get a given task out of the way and continue on with their life. These influences are frequently seen in politics today. People become so wrapped up in political parties that they become more interested in who is running in which party, instead of which candidate, at any level of government, has the stances that the voter agrees with the most. According to â€Å"The Loss of the Creature† and â€Å"Ways of Seeing†, multiple aspects of having the labels the political parties have inhibit voters from making sovereign decisions. When a candidate is running for an office, they should not have a political party label attached to them because that label can inhibit voters from choosing a candidate who they think will best serve the position to better the region they are running for. Walker Percy constantly reiterates the importance to avoid the beaten track and to not allow experts to control the experiences and dictate the ideas someone may have. Having the labels that political parties have allow different political experts to dictate the way people vote and because of the labels people are losing their ability to make sovereign decisions. These labels are symbolic complexes because they act as pre-made assumptions that get in the way of the voters ability to make a vote based on personal standards alone. â€Å"The highest satisfaction of the sightseer (not merely the tourist but any layman seer of sights) is that his sight should be certified as genuine† (Percy 487). The American voter takes the position of the sightseer, and the voter is losing the ability to have that high satisfaction because the vote is not a genuine vote. This is what Percy refers to as a loss of sovereignty, and the sovereignty is frequently lost due to the impact of the experts. â€Å"He too could use an instructor and a book and a technique, but he would use them as subordinates, just as he would the jackknife† (Percy 489). Percy conveys to the reader that the experts must not be used to form and manipulate any experiences or ideas, but instead used as tools to help guide a person as that person has a genuine experience or forms an idea of their own. Voters who do not take the time to research candidate’s specific views tend to assume that because they belong to a particular party the candidate’s views will align with the voter’s view. If voters aren’t paying attention to specifically who they are voting for and instead voting out of convenience, they aren’t making their vote count and the candidate that the majority of the people share the most views with might not be elected. Similarly to Walker Percy, John Berger stresses the importance of making your own decisions not based on what others endorse; to do so will bring the power back to the people. This comes with the implications that the people are not in complete control, and John Berger uses mystification to show that the art critics are in control of the art world because they are making art less accessible (Berger 103). According to the Campaign Finance Institute, out of a random sample of 100 candidates that were elected to the House of Representatives, 20% of their total campaign finances came from the states party funding. That shows a great representation of how much influence the party label has on politics today. In general, the more funding a campaign had, the more likely that candidate was to win the election (Malbin). The funding of political parties takes away the power from the people because the more a voter who does not research the stances hears about a candidate from different campaign strategies, the more likely the voter will like what he/she hears, base their opinions off of those endorsements, and in turn vote for the candidate. â€Å"A people or a class which is cut off from its own past is far less free to choose and to act as a people or a class than one that been able to situate itself in history† (Berger 118). The voters who do not take the time to research the stances of the candidates are the type of people the Berger is referring to. When the people listen to the critics and choose to not place themselves in the history of politics where they can institute their own decisions of who to vote for, they are not â€Å"acting as a people† as Berger refers to. This is because they are not always basing the decision off of which candidate would represent the individual best, who would in turn represent the people the best. People are being cut off from acting as a people, and this is in part because of the negative influence political party labels have on the overall scheme of politics. As I finish up high school and close into the age to vote, I have become increasingly interested in politics because soon it will be my civil duty to vote. Growing up a fairly independent student, I grew up assessing situations and creating my own opinions like Percy advises people of all ages should do. My parents never forced their political views on me, and because of that I am able to side with candidates based on my own stances. The more I became interested in politics, the more I began to realize that not all candidates at any level shared the same stances as other members of their equivalent political parties. This is where the idea of calling myself Republican of Democratic became incredibly distasteful and unappealing because every year when elections come, stances of certain representatives change and I have found myself siding with both sides of the party. Berger would find these labels unappealing as well because labels can be reproduced through media and what the candidate stands for can be altered because of the party they represent. These political party labels are similar to the camera because they are destroying the uniqueness of the candidates like the camera does to paintings (Berger 106). Only so much personal research could be done, so I decided to turn to others to learn more about politics and about their views and stances and different issues. The more I spoke with adults, the more I began to realize how prominent the influence political parties have in our society. Three different parents of close friends told me they voted either completely democratic or completely republican for the election in 2009 because they were working too often to take the time to research the stances of every single candidate. This is exactly what Percy would not want in this day and age. People are losing their sovereignty as voters because they are following the beaten tracks and following the tour guides without having unique experiences or opinions in this situation. The American voters have the right to have a title that describes the general trend of their political stances. However, those titles should explain how they morally stand in most circumstances, in most cases conservative or liberal, instead of automatically identifying themselves with a particular party. The importance of eliminating the labels that political parties possess will substantially improve the political system in America because it will cause voters to take the time to truly know who they are voting for, and not base their decision off of a mere title. Walker Percy explains that we as a society can not allow symbolic complexes such as these titles stand in the way of having a sovereign experience. In this situation, the sovereign experience would be for a citizen to cast a unique vote based solely on personal stances and how much that person agrees with the candidate in question. John Berger would wish to eliminate the labels as well because eliminating the labels would be one step closer to the people truly being in power. Political party labels need to be removed from the political system in America so that the citizens can truly make what they believe to be the correct choice when voting.

Weber and Simmels Take on Power and Conflict Essays

Weber and Simmels Take on Power and Conflict Essays Weber and Simmels Take on Power and Conflict Essay Weber and Simmels Take on Power and Conflict Essay Amber Clayton Weber and Simmel’s Take on Power and Conflict Jon Witt, explaining Max Weber’s theory on resources of power, was not surprised at the fact that students do not use the party resource to fight for better tuition costs, because of the individualistic society of the United States. This fits into conflict theory because the school would be considered a rational-legal authority. The students â€Å"give in† to the rules and perceived rights of the school to raise tuition costs. As Jon Witt said â€Å"there are reasons†¦ for why people should do what they are told to do. If the school did not charge the students money then they would not be able to pay the teachers and professors to educate them. This idea fits into the broader theory because Witt’s claim about the US being individualistic is not expanded in this chapter, but it is in previous ones. In chapter 4, Witt mentioned â€Å"†¦we combine extreme interdepe ndence (due to specialization) with a strong sense of individualism (tied to a weak collective conscience). We depend on each other more than ever, but we realize it less. In an article by Margaret Foster, she asks 70 college presidents â€Å"can you school continue to attract students at its current rate of tuition growth? † and 80% said yes. This tells me that students are simply following the rational-legal authority of the bureaucratic schools, choosing to accept the higher charges and taking out higher loans. The students most likely do this because they are too weak as individuals to do anything about it or they assume the school leaders are making these decisions because they have no other choice (bad economy, budget cuts, ect). George Ritzer claims that the unpredictability of human error has led to a desire for greater control and the replacement of human with nonhuman technology. The idea of companies (bureaucracies) replacing humans with technology to ensure efficiency fits into Weber’s theory of formal rationality. As Ritzer explains â€Å"[Fast-food chains have] employed all the rational principles pioneered by the bureaucracy and is part of the bureaucratic system because huge conglomerates now own many of the fast-food chains. McDonald’s utilized bureaucratic principles and combined them with others, and the outcome is the process of McDonaldization. † Ritzer backs his claim up with multiple examples and evidence. One of which being the replacement of human communication over the telephone. Companies force people to go through a string of â€Å"press 1 for yes or 2 for no†s before they even talk to a real person. In some cases, the person doesn’t speak to a real person at all. Although annoying, people just excuse it away as a consequence of living in our technological world. This idea is expanded in an article by Karen Korzep. She outlines the advantages and problems with TeleHealth (medical technology) and the resistance among people to a total technological take-over. She explains in her conclusion that â€Å"just because the technology exists, does not mean that everyone will be accepting to it†¦ [however] [i]n my opinion, it will be at least one more decade before we see this technology take over and really have an effect on jobs. † Therefore, even though people may have resistance to the technology and worry that it will affect jobs negatively, the technology will still, most likely, take over in time. William J. Staudenmeier, Jr. claims in his chapter about Georg Simmel’s theories on social drinking that when a member of the group buys a round of drinks, the others would not simply pay them money, because â€Å"treating†¦ has to do with personal relationships, and it is not strictly an economic exchange. † This idea fits into conflict theory because the taverns are becoming more and more bureaucratic with rules and regulations that the consumers must follow or face the consequences (kicked out or banned for fighting or over drinking). Instead of backing his claim up with evidence, Staudenmeier expands on the idea by saying â€Å"the ‘surplus of satisfaction’†¦ comes from the value of giving and receiving in a group in which such actions and the thought of such actions make us feel good and make us feel a part of the group. This is outside the narrow cash nexus of economic exchange because what is calculated here is not mere profit and loss. † The issue of teenage pregnancy and how it fits into this theory is best addressed in an article by Linda Arms Gilbert. She outlined a study done by the Franklin Heights Federal Housing Project in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Murfreesboro Housing Authority partnered with the police department to help rid the projects from drug-related behaviors by developing positive relationships with the Franklin Heights families. The police department made over 500 contacts, creating a positive working relationship between the families and law enforcement as well as informed residents willing to provide tips against drug-related behaviors. The Parks and Recreation Department started an after-school program for 8-13-year old students, which included educational leisurely activities and an after-school tutoring program. A Parents as Teachers Program was started that allowed teen mothers to connect with their children. The program â€Å"held group meetings to help young parents understand the emotional, physical cognitive needs of their young children and to form a community of teen mothers who could offer support to each other. In the end â€Å"Franklin Heights has taught an entire city about the importance of collaboration and has shown what can be accomplished when individuals and agencies choose to look beyond the borders of their own job descriptions and departments to see the needs of families within that community. † The point is that, even in a bureaucratic society where, typically, rational-legal authority does not think about the well-being of their â€Å"workers† (in this case, the people who req uire government assistance), there can be an authority who thinks beyond what is efficient and profitable and helps the issue of teenage pregnancy, drug use, and violence. - [ 1 ]. John Witt, The Big Picture: A Sociology Primer (New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. , 2007) p 89 [ 2 ]. Witt, p 86 [ 3 ]. Witt, 59 [ 4 ]. FOSTER, MARGARET. Sticker Shock. American Scholar 82. 1 (2013): 120. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Mar. 2013. [ 5 ]. George Ritzer, The Weberian Theory of Rationalization and the McDonaldization of Contemporary Society, Peter Kivisto, ed. , Illuminating Social Life: Classical and Contemporary Theory Revisited, 4th ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press, 2008), p 52 [ 6 ]. Ritzer, p 45 [ 7 ]. Ritzer, p 54 [ 8 ]. Korzep, Karen. The Future Of Technology And The Effect It May Have On Replacing Human Jobs. Technology Health Care 18. 4/5 (2010): 353-358. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Mar. 2013. [ 9 ]. Korzep, p 357 [ 10 ]. William Staudenmeier, Jr. , Alcohol-Related Windows on Simmels Social World, Kivisto, 109 [ 11 ]. Staudenmeier, Jr. , p 110 [ 12 ]. Gilbert, Linda Arms. The Teen Pregnancy Dilemma: A Different Solution. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin 73. 3 (2007): 5-8. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Mar. 2013. p 3 [ 13 ]. Gilbert, p 3

Pascals Triangle Essays - Blaise Pascal, Combinatorics, Free Essays

Pascals Triangle Essays - Blaise Pascal, Combinatorics, Free Essays Pascals Triangle Pascals Triangle Blas Pacal was born in France in 1623. He was a child prodigy and was fascinated by mathematics. When Pascal was 19 he invented the first calculating machine that actually worked. Many other people had tried to do the same but did not succeed. One of the topics that deeply interested him was the likelihood of an event happening (probability). This interest came to Pascal from a gambler who asked him to help him make a better guess so he could make an educated guess. In the coarse of his investigations he produced a triangular pattern that is named after him. The pattern was known at least three hundred years before Pascal had discover it. The Chinese were the first to discover it but it was fully developed by Pascal (Ladja , 2). Pascal's triangle is a triangluar arrangement of rows. Each row except the first row begins and ends with the number 1 written diagonally. The first row only has one number which is 1. Beginning with the second row, each number is the sum of the number written just above it to the right and the left. The numbers are placed midway between the numbers of the row directly above it. If you flip 1 coin the possibilities are 1 heads (H) or 1 tails (T). This combination of 1 and 1 is the firs row of Pascal's Triangle. If you flip the coin twice you will get a few different results as I will show below (Ladja, 3): Let's say you have the polynomial x+1, and you want to raise it to some powers, like 1,2,3,4,5,.... If you make a chart of what you get when you do these power-raisins, you'll get something like this (Dr. Math, 3): (x+1)^0 = 1 (x+1)^1 = 1 + x (x+1)^2 = 1 + 2x + x^2 (x+1)^3 = 1 + 3x + 3x^2 + x^3 (x+1)^4 = 1 + 4x + 6x^2 + 4x^3 + x^4 (x+1)^5 = 1 + 5x + 10x^2 + 10x^3 + 5x^4 + x^5 ..... If you just look at the coefficients of the polynomials that you get, you'll see Pascal's Triangle! Because of this connection, the entries in Pascal's Triangle are called the binomial coefficients.There's a pretty simple formula for figuring out the binomial coefficients (Dr. Math, 4): n! [n:k] = k! (n-k)! 6 * 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 For example, [6:3] = = 20. 3 * 2 * 1 * 3 * 2 * 1 The triangular numbers and the Fibonacci numbers can be found in Pascal's triangle. The triangular numbers are easier to find: starting with the third one on the left side go down to your right and you get 1, 3, 6, 10, etc (Swarthmore, 5) 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 3 3 1 1 4 6 4 1 1 5 10 10 5 1 1 6 15 20 15 6 1 1 7 21 35 35 21 7 1 The Fibonacci numbers are harder to locate. To find them you need to go up at an angle: you're looking for 1, 1, 1+1, 1+2, 1+3+1, 1+4+3, 1+5+6+1 (Dr. Math, 4). Another thing I found out is that if you multiply 11 x 11 you will get 121 which is the 2nd line in Pascal's Triangle. If you multiply 121 x 11 you get 1331 which is the 3rd line in the triangle (Dr. Math, 4). If you then multiply 1331 x 11 you get 14641 which is the 4th line in Pascal's Triangle, but if you then multiply 14641 x 11 you do not get the 5th line numbers. You get 161051. But after the 5th line it doesn't work anymore (Dr. Math, 4). Another example of probability: Say there are four children Annie, Bob, Carlos, and Danny (A, B, C, D). The teacher wants to choose two of them to hand out books; in how many ways can she choose a pair (ladja, 4)? 1.A & B 2.A & C 3.A & D 4.B & C 5.B & D 6.C & D There are six ways to make a choice of a pair. If the teacher wants to send three students: 1.A, B, C 2.A, B, D 3.A, C, D 4.B, C, D If the teacher wants to send a group of K children where K may range from 0-4; in how many ways will she choose the children K=0 1 way (There is only

First jobs of millionaires and billionaires

First jobs of millionaires and billionaires When we think about our futures, who among us doesn’t dream of following in the footsteps of rich and successful people? You might be shocked to discover what some of these amazingly wealthy people did for their first jobs. Let’s take a closer look. A study conducted by the sales recruitment specialist company Aaron Wallis revealed that the most common first job amongst the billionaire crowd is a salesperson. Approximately 10% of these fabulously wealthy folks started out in the world of sales, which stands to reason- this position allows individuals to build their negotiating and deal-brokering skills, learn how to be persuasive in the face of overwhelming negative odds, and discover the value of persistence, which are common traits of successful people. Financial investor George Soros, entrepreneur Mark Cuban, and Dell founder Michael Dell can be counted amongst those who got their start as salespeople.Other common first jobs of the ultra wealthy include stock traders (Carlos Slim Helu, telecom magnate), engineers (Mikhail Fridman, business magnate), accountants (Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike), and software developers (Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft), but the list is surprisingly robust- you can practically name any job and it’s likely that at least one millionaire or billionaire got his or her start doing that.Have these rich folks typically stayed within the fields that they started in and made their fortunes there? Well, sometimes they do, like Mark Zuckerberg, whose first job was starting Facebook. However, more often than not their first jobs have little to do with how they made their money. Amancio Ortega, founder of fashion mega-brand Zara, started out as a shop hand for a shirtmaker.Since education and career path are often intertwined for most folks, let’s take a look at a few other interesting statistics from the Aaron Wallis study. Among 100 of the world’s top billionaires, approximately 30% inherited or wo rked for family businesses, 53% worked for other businesses, and 17% actually started their own businesses. Around 75% obtained a college degree, with the mostly commonly pursued academic path being engineering (22%). Business and accounting degrees are also popular among this economically elite group.So, what’s the takeaway from this look at the first jobs of millionaires and billionaires? The truth is, many of us dream of becoming wealthy and wildly successful, but may have assumed that it’s a path that’s not open to us. Think again! Clearly, the road to riches for many successful millionaires and billionaires didn’t start off paved in gold. This is good news for you if you feel as if you haven’t quite found your professional niche just yet. The road to success can start from any location!

Measuring Institutional Performance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Measuring Institutional Performance - Assignment Example For instance, if the students at School A receive higher scores on a standardized exam than students at School B, School A is viewed as being the better school. Some areas even rate their schools based on standardized score reports, with parents moving their children around to the higher-rated schools in hopes of them receiving a better education. Certain other statistics are also used as a performance measure when it comes to educational institutions. A large one is the number of students that enroll in college close to graduation or upon graduation from that educational institution. The rating and/or popularity of the colleges that those students enroll in also play a large factor in the process. The numbers of students within an educational institution that participate in community or other outside activities also give a favorable impression when it comes to measuring the performance of that institution. Generally, the more positive media attention an educational institution recei ves, the better it is rated in its overall performance. ... The rating and/or popularity of the colleges that those students enroll in also play a large factor in the process. The numbers of students within an educational institution that participate in community or other outside activities also give a favorable impression when it comes to measuring the performance of that institution. Generally, the more positive media attention an educational institution receives, the better it is rated in its overall performance. Size and financial matters also play a significant role in the performance measurement of an educational institution. Generally, larger schools are seen as being more productive since they typically have more resources to fund activities that can better enrich the lives of their students. They can also afford more educational materials that can help their students learn and retain more material. The tradeoff is that students in smaller schools often receive more personalized attention because of smaller class sizes and better student-to-teacher ratios. According to Mayston when referring to this topic (2000, pg. 1), "These issues relate to the clarification of the objectives of the education system, the impact of performance reward systems, such as Performance Related Pay, the role of resources in influencing educational outcomes, the reliability of existing methods of assessing educational performance, such as Data Envelopment Analysis and multivariate regression, and the need for an improved national comparative database if progress is to be made in several of these directions." Motivational Factors Likely to Influence the Level of Performance of Staff and Ways in Which Efforts May Be Made to Quantify Such Factors Staff members in pretty

Restoration of the Everglades Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Restoration of the Everglades - Research Paper Example The scenario started changing in the late 1980’s with the beginning of developments like creation of agricultural farms for growing sugarcane and vegetables, building up of new canals and levees for protecting the farms and the cities from floods and increase in the infrastructure in the east of the everglades. Some parts of the marshland started facing drought and others flood. Earlier it used to cover an area of 10,360 kms but today it has been reduced to half its size. The primary reason for this condition is the pollution caused by companies like Big sugar, construction companies, and various other factors (Marjory Stoneman Doughlas, 1969). The Big sugars comprise of a group of sugarcane growers, mainly U.S sugars, and are primarily responsible for destroying the Everglades. Farmers of these agricultural farms use high content phosphorus fertilizers in excessive quantities, to improve the quality of their soil. The run-off water from these sugarcane farms carrying the kill er phosphorus gets drained into the Everglades through canal-water discharge from Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades agricultural area. It was revealed that this overdose of nutrient results in the overgrowth of unwanted plant and algae species or eutrophication, which in turn causes great harm to the original vegetation of Everglades. The original vegetation of this place- sawgrass and other native plant species- are getting replaced by nutrient loving plants like cattails. Not only fertilizers but sewage and human wastes from these fields are being dumped in the marshlands polluting the water, making it unhygienic to drink and the survival of flora and fauna impossible. The entire ecosystem of Florida is in peril because of the pollution (William H. Orem, Feb 2009). In 1992, the state of Florida had set limit to the amount of phosphorus that could be spewed in the everglades. To achieve this, it had set out Stormwater treatment areas on former agricultural areas. These are artific ial wetlands that help in cleaning the phosphorus-laden canal water before it gets drained in the everglades. This step of the government has been successful to a great extent- reducing the amount of phosphorus in the water from 150 parts per billion (ppb) in 1990’s to 30 ppb today. The target of 10 ppb is still far away but the problem of Everglades is not limited to phosphorus, it goes beyond that (William H. Orem, 2009). There is another way in which these agricultural farms are affecting the marshlands. The agricultural land in the Everglades mostly consists of peat soil. It used to extend up to an area of 3 meters but today it has diminished to one third its size. This happens when farmers drain the peat soil through canals for the better growth of their crops. Once this peat soil is exposed to air it gets oxidized away by aerobic bacteria. As a consequence, the aquatic plants remnants in the peat soil get degraded. Scientists have projected that only 20 cm of the peat s oil will remain by 2050. This is alarming since it will extinguish the original plants and vegetation of the Everglades (William H. Orem, Feb 2009). U.S. factory farms are also polluting the Everglades. During rainy season or snow melting season, the run-off water from these farms, which grow animal feed crops, carry the top soil particles into the Everglades. Also, the 1.4 billion tones of animal manures generated on these farms are let off through the