The new advancements in Cloning and the Ethical debate surrounding it

Introduction Cloning is the generation of cells, tissues, organs, organ systems or totally independent organisms from DNA. This article will discuss the latest developments, benefits and ethical and views as regards to cloning.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The new advancements in Cloning and the Ethical debate surrounding it specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Types of cloning There are three types of cloning. Molecular cloning involves use of DNA segments in areas of interest to produce specific products of DNA transcription and this has proven useful in recombinant DNA to produce many therapies like insulin, tissue plasminogen activator and erythropoietin. Cellular cloning involves use of somatic cells to produce a cell line identical to the original cell, and this can be used to produce therapies like those of molecular cloning. Blastomere separation is advanced in that reproductive cells are used to produce independent organisms (Anon, n.d.). Experiments done so far Many advances have been made in cloning so with more animals being cloned. The Rhesus monkey was cloned in 2000 January by embryo splitting and it was known as Tetra. In 2001, an endangered species was cloned called Gaur. Alpha and Beta are the cattle that were cloned in 2001 and 2005 respectively and they were males. The CopyCat was the female cat to be cloned in 2001. In 2004, Little Nicky was the first cat to be cloned for commercial purposes. The first dog to be cloned was Snuppy in 2005. A rat that was first cloned in 2003 and it was named Ralph. Idaho Gem is the name of the first mule to be cloned in 2003. In May 2003, the first horse was cloned named Prometea. The first water buffalo to be cloned was named Ssmrupa in 2009 February but it died after five days because it was infected. The same year, Injaz became the first camel to be cloned(Arnold, 2009). Views on cloning today Attempts to clone human cells fac e many ethical, religious and legal challenges today. Another major challenge is the difficulty in cloning human cells. Never the less, research is going on in various institutions to improve the methods and thus the outcome of cloning since it’s potentially useful in treatment of many medical conditions. The breakthroughs of cloning Treatment of leukemia Normal bone marrow precursors are cloned and placed in the bone marrow cavity of the leukemic patient.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Treatment of eye disorders Patients with cataracts can be potentially cured by cloning the lenses and replacing them with those with cataracts. Treatment in heart attack patients In patients with acute or chronic myocardial infarction, cells can be cloned and then be placed in the ischemic areas. New Vaccines Vaccines can be made by developing cancerous cells which can not repli cate and injecting them to subjects. This can potentially generate memory in the immunity so that on second exposure, these cells are destroyed by the immune system. Another way of using cloning in vaccination is by using DNA recombinant technology where microbial DNA is used to produces toxins, which are detoxified, while retaining their immunogenicity, and introducing them in a subject, who will eliminate the microbes on second exposure. Treatment of Parkinsonism This has been tried in mice where dopamine producing cells are cloned and then injected into mice with Parkinsonism. Behavioral symptoms of the disease improved in the mice because the missing dopamine was produced by these cells. There is hope that this is possible with humans (Randerson, 2008). Life saving strategies Cloning has been supported by many scientists because of these potential benefits. Other major areas of application in cloning are as follows. Organ transplantation Parts of an individual can be cloned to p roduce large tissues which can be transplanted to another part of the same individual. This has an advantage over transplantation from another individual which leads to graft rejection. Infertile individuals, cancer and plastic surgery Cloning processes involve switching on and off of cells, a principle which can be exploited in switching of cancerous cells. Through cloning, a vaccine of cancer may be made as previously noted. Infertile people can father by either using their reproductive cells or cloning their somatic cells and introducing them to a surrogate. Plastic surgery done using cloning has a great benefit as compared to other methods because features of the patient can be retained with no fear of graft rejection.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The new advancements in Cloning and the Ethical debate surrounding it specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Other applications Cloning can be used to test f or genetic diseases. Nerves can be grown to enable high quality medication. Cloning can be used to grow nerves which can be replaced in individuals with spinal cord injury. Liver failure and renal failure can be cured by cloning by replacing the diseased cells. Tay Sachs disease can be prevented by eliminating genes carrying the disorder. Breast implants and soft tissue replacement can be done using cloned tissues from the same individual to eliminate changes of host verses graft disease. Skin can be produced for use as skin flaps in patients with severe burns; lung tissue can be cloned as well. Diseases which seemed to have no cure like Alzheimer’s disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Heart failure arthritis and other degenerative diseases can be approached in this manner (Smith, 2002). Criticisms Reasons for opposition to cloning According to ethical and religious groups, the drawbacks on cloning are many. On average, there is only 1-10% viability of all offspring that were cloned f rom embryos. It has been shown that cloned animals have a higher risk of cancer, infections, mental and physical difficulties. The animals that have been cloned have been seen to die unexpectedly, unpredictably and for unknown reasons. Human cloning is specifically opposed because it is believed that a growing human also needs emotional and intellectual development, which can not be provided by cloning. Genetics Fact Sheet 1 indicates that a person is a product of his or her genetic make up and the environment such that a person cloned from another is not a duplicate. Social relations, responsibility and parenthood of the cloned human are difficult to achieve, which pose a challenge to cloning (BarlowSaleh, 2007). Ethical groups There was a worldwide condemnation of attempts to clone a human being in 2003 when Clonaid biotechnology group claimed to have cloned a baby who they named Eve. They were opposed mainly because of the reasons above. There are many policies which have been la id to regulate cloning especially in the utilization of the embryos (BarlowSaleh, 2007). Conclusion My personal view and opinion Cloning has various pros and cons, whereas it can be a life saving process, it may also have many deleterious effects on the human race. Biologists and doctors should not rush into cloning humans. There is need to carry more experiments with care and the results analyzed to perfect the science and eliminate the disadvantages of cloning and then educate the lay world on the benefits of cloning.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Recap Cloning is the generation of body tissues from DNA. This procedure has many potential applications in various sectors of health. In spite of that, it has been opposed by many ethical groups because of the risks involved and others because of myths and traditional beliefs. With care and effort, these properties can be exploited to develop vaccines, treat various diseases, help in surgery, and even stop the aging process. Research experiments should be furthered The only way to eliminate most of the risks associated with cloning is through furthering the experiments in different species and comparing the results. Biologists should come up with effective machines which do not affect the genetic composition in the embryo as this would reduce the disabilities and mutations seen in cloned animals. Through cloning, many vaccines can be developed which would not otherwise be available. More experiments should be done to develop more vaccines to various diseases. More experiments shoul d be done in order to find treatment of endocrine system diseases as has been seen in diabetes mellitus with insulin. Auto grafts do not induce immunogenicity in an individual. More experiments should be done to exploit this fact by cloning cells to form tissues or even organs from the same patient and then surgically introducing them to the area of defect. Cloning experiments should be furthered to discover other benefits of cloning which are not yet known. References Anon.(n.d.). The Science and Application of Cloning. Web. Arnold, P. (2009). What Animals have been Cloned. Web. Barlow, K. Saleh, M. (2007). Cloning and Stem Cells. Web. Randerson, J. (2008). Therapeutic cloning offers hope of treatment of Parkinson’s. Web. Smith, S. (2002). The Benefits of Human Cloning. Web. This research paper on The new advancements in Cloning and the Ethical debate surrounding it was written and submitted by user Alvaro Jacobs to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Interpersnal Perception

â€Å"Perception Paper† Day in and day out people tend to form an interpersonal perception of others. Whether it is consciously or unconsciously every body is guilty of this. Interpersonal perception is the process by which you decide what people are like and give meaning to their actions. An example would be making judgments about personality and drawing inferences from what you observed. There are three stages to interpersonal perception: selecting, organizing, and interpreting what we observe. The first stage, selecting, is when a person directs their attention to a specific characteristic of another person, whether it be smelling them, looking at them, touching them, or hearing them you select just one characteristic. Directing your attention to specific stimuli and consequently ignoring others is called selective perception. The second stage, organizing, is when after we selects certain stimuli, we organize them into convenient, understandable, and efficient patterns that let us make sense of what we have observed. The way people organize information usually depends on the way they punctuate it. Punctuation is the process of making sense out of stimuli by grouping, dividing, organizing, separating, and categorizing information when communicating with others. In addition to punctuating, one also superimposes, or places a familiar structure on information one selects. Another process within the organizing stage of interpersonal perception is closure, this is when one fills in missing information. The third stage of interpersonal perception is interpreting. Interpreting is when one attaches meaning to all that they observe. The group which I decided to form an interpersonal perception on was gang members. The reason for me choosing this group is because many people stereotype gang members and always assume the worst when they see someone who resembles a gang member. I wanted to try and prove that stereotype ... Free Essays on Interpersnal Perception Free Essays on Interpersnal Perception â€Å"Perception Paper† Day in and day out people tend to form an interpersonal perception of others. Whether it is consciously or unconsciously every body is guilty of this. Interpersonal perception is the process by which you decide what people are like and give meaning to their actions. An example would be making judgments about personality and drawing inferences from what you observed. There are three stages to interpersonal perception: selecting, organizing, and interpreting what we observe. The first stage, selecting, is when a person directs their attention to a specific characteristic of another person, whether it be smelling them, looking at them, touching them, or hearing them you select just one characteristic. Directing your attention to specific stimuli and consequently ignoring others is called selective perception. The second stage, organizing, is when after we selects certain stimuli, we organize them into convenient, understandable, and efficient patterns that let us make sense of what we have observed. The way people organize information usually depends on the way they punctuate it. Punctuation is the process of making sense out of stimuli by grouping, dividing, organizing, separating, and categorizing information when communicating with others. In addition to punctuating, one also superimposes, or places a familiar structure on information one selects. Another process within the organizing stage of interpersonal perception is closure, this is when one fills in missing information. The third stage of interpersonal perception is interpreting. Interpreting is when one attaches meaning to all that they observe. The group which I decided to form an interpersonal perception on was gang members. The reason for me choosing this group is because many people stereotype gang members and always assume the worst when they see someone who resembles a gang member. I wanted to try and prove that stereotype ...

Harlem Renaissance pt1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Harlem Renaissance pt1 - Essay Example ugh many African American writers shared this ideology, which many considered militant in nature, some did not for more reasons they believed would stifle their creativity. Some Black writers during the Harlem Renaissance were not fully on board with the crusaders. Black poet, Stanley Braithwaite, encouraged interracial marriage as a means to solve the race problem, but Cyril Briggs, editor of a Black publication promoting militancy and racial difference − the Crusader – vehemently lashed out against such an idea as being ignorant and backwards. Another Black writer, Langston Hughes, wrote many works that appealed to both educated Black and white Americans, as he did not harbor animosity toward Caucasians. Hughes expressed in an essay that â€Å"black artists intended to express themselves freely, no matter what the black or white public thought. Both authors reasoned that a racial motivation of opposition in the renaissance would work to suffocate their creative expression – not augment it. With all of the well intentioned underpinnings of the Harlem Renaissance, not all African Americans were of one mind regarding artistic expression, as some Black writers of the time felt that following the New Negro Movement Crusaders’ ideology of militancy, pride, and racial difference would ultimately work to crush their expressive talents. Black writers such as Hughes believed that the major motivation and goal of the Harlem Renaissance was to break racial ignorance, let Black artistic expression thrive, and work as an agent to bring success and liberty to African Americans. So, even though Black writers such as Braithwaite and Hughes were not card-toting members of the New Negro Movement Crusaders, they were fully behind the movement forwarding the advancement and open creativity of African Americans during the Harlem

Adam Smith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Adam Smith - Essay Example While many elements of Adam Smith’s theory of capitalism persist today, his view of pure capitalism has proved impossible in modern markets. There are a variety of reasons why Smith’s theory of the invisible hand does not go far enough. One of the major reasons Smith’s theory fails is because of the possibility of monopoly structures. In these situations, organizations are able to gain significant power that allows them to shape market elements in their favor, effectively eliminating the process of supply and demand, and making the emergence of competitors an impossibility. In these situations, it became the responsibility of the government to institute regulatory mechanisms, as not doing so would result in potential recessions or economic complications. Other elements are the nature of ethical considerations. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution organizations increasingly presented longer workweeks and poor working conditions. While it’s possible the invisible hand would ultimately regulate these situations, there remain significant human rights concerns in permitting such a pure capitalistic structure. In conclusion, this essay has examined Adam Smith’s theory of capitalism and demonstrated why it is impossible in the modern world. In this context of understanding, the essay demonstrates that Smith proposed an invisible hand that regulates the market. Still, it’s clear this is impossible in the modern world because of the potential of corporate monopolies and widespread human rights concerns.

Discrimination And Empowerment Mental Health Social Work Essay

Discrimination And Empowerment Mental Health Social Work Essay This essay will firstly define what discrimination is and what it means to discriminate. Examples will be used to demonstrate what discrimination may look like. A definition of empowerment will also be used. The essay will then critically explore theory and ideas around power and how power manifests between groups. This part of the essay will touch on the idea of othering. The essay will move on to focus on mental health, race and racism. The essay will use the idea that mental illness is a social construct and look at how mental illness can be open to influences of racism from society (Bailey 2004). The essay will make links to institutional racism in mental health and psychiatry. In a basic sense to discriminate means to: differentiate or to recognise a distinction (Oxford Dictionaries 2012). In this basic sense it is a part of daily life to discriminate. For example, a baby will often discriminate between a stranger and their caregiver. Discrimination becomes a problem when the difference or recognised distinction is used for the basis of unfair treatment or exclusion (Thompson 2012). Anti-discriminatory practice in social work concerns itself with discrimination that has negative outcomes; whether this is negative discrimination or positive discrimination. Both are equally as damaging. Thompson (1998) defines discrimination as a process where individuals are divided into particular social groups with an uneven distribution of power, resources, opportunities and even rights. Discrimination is not always intentional (Thompson 2009) and there are various types of discrimination (EHRC 2012). Discrimination can be direct, indirect, based on perception or on association (EHRC 2012). The Equality Act 2010 is legislation that protects individuals and groups against discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 brought together several pieces of legislation to protect several protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. Discrimination does not just occur on a personal level, according to Thompson (2012), discrimination occurs on three levels; personal, cultural and structure. This will be explored more later on. Empowerment is a term that often comes in to play when examining discrimination; therefore it is important to have an understanding of both. Empowerment is the capacity of individuals or groups to take control of their circumstance and use their power to help themselves and others to maximise the quality of their lives (Adams 2008: xvi). Empowerment is then not an absence of discrimination and power but an individuals capacity to own or share that power and take control. Therefore empowerment is an anti-oppressive practice not an anti-discriminatory one. They are linked but not the same. Social workers act as mediators between service users and the state. Social workers are in a role that can potentially empower or oppress (Thompson 1997). For this reason Thompson (1997: 11) argues that good practice must be anti-discriminatory practice, no matter how high the standards of practice are in other respects (Thompson 2012). Thompson (1997) reminds the reader many times throughout his book that If youre not part of the solution you are part of the problem. I choose to include this because it reinforces that social workers need to challenge discrimination and take action against it. Discrimination is political, sociological and psychological (Thompson 2012). To accept and tolerate it and to not to challenge it does indeed make social workers part of the problem. Discrimination has links with power which the essay will move on to explain next. As defined by the Oxford Dictionary (2012) power is the ability or capacity to do something; the capacity or ability to act in a particular way to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events; or physical strength or force exerted by someone. From this definition power could be seen as a coercive force or authoritarian. However, some theorists would argue that there is more to power than just coercion and authority. Parsons (1969 cited Rogers 2008) took a different view on power. He saw power as a way of maintaining social order instead of a force for individual gain (Rogers 2008). Parsons (1969 cited Rogers 2008) believed that to be able to enforce coercive action and justify it, there needs to be a collective interest from the social system as a whole (Rogers 2008). Lukes (1974) would disagree with Parsons definition on power. Lukes argues that power is less abstract (Rogers 2008) and that exercising power is the decision to exert control. Lukes (1974:74) illustrates this point as: A exercises power over B when A effects B in a manner contrary to Bs interests. Dominelli (2008) focuses more on the idea of competing power; which group has more power than the other. This splits people to either be in the dominant group or the minority. A dominant group tends to be deemed superior, and with superiority comes privilege (Dominelli 2008). As a result the other group is deemed inferior, the minority and disadvantaged. It is this compound of dominance and oppression that discrimination derives from (Rogers 2008). It is a groups perceived superiorly over another group (Thompson 2012) that justifies coercive action, control and discrimination. When people form oppressive relationships the tendency is to make a strategic decision that excludes a particular group or individuals from accessing power and resources (Dominelli 2002). Othering can be experienced as multiple; multiple oppression. People can be othered simultaneously due to a number of social divisions (Domenelli 2002), for example, being a black woman who experiences mental health issues. Social workers need to recognise power and its links to discrimination. Not to could further oppress (Thompson 2012). It can feel uncomfortable to be in the privileged position; whether this is as a white person or a man and so on. The privileged group need to engage in the fight for equality (Corneau and Stergiopoulos 2012). White people need to engage with the fight against racism and accept responsibility for racism as it is a problem of white society and therefore involves white people (Strawbridge cited Corneau and Stergiopoulos 2012). This explanation can be applied to any other groups that are considered to be the other. Rogers and Pilgrim (2006: 15) suggest that superiority is a social construction: a product of human activity. Dominelli (2002) goes further to say that oppression itself is a social construct as oppressive relations are not pre-determined but they are reproduced between social interactions and routines. Language is often used as a key part of social interaction and is also a very powerful tool. This relates heavily to social work as social workers are responsible for writing reports/care plans/assessments. Depending on how social workers word written pieces of work can indeed paint a very different picture of the service user they are working with. I was once told that words are the bullets of prejudice, this illustrates that labels and language can be powerful, damaging, potentially discriminatory and oppressive. Although labels can be damaging they are a part of social interaction. Labels help us to construct our social world and we use them to find similarities and differences to process the world around us (Moncrieffe and Eyben 2007). Although the process of labelling is fundamental to human behaviour and interaction (Moncrieffe and Eyben 2007:19) social workers need to be aware of when these labels have the potential to be damaging, oppressive and rein forcers of discrimination. Social workers need to reflect and consider what labels they give people and what impacts this may have. Labels can be used to change or sustain power relations which can have an impact on prejudice and on achieving equality (Moncrieffe and Eyben 2007). This essay will use the themes discussed so far to focus in on mental health as an area of practice and critically explore institutionalised racism within mental health practice and psychiatry. To begin I will briefly return to Thompsons (2012) PCS analysis in relation to mental health and race. The P level is our own individual attitudes and feelings (Thompson 2012). Although it is important to examine our own beliefs we do not live in a moral and political vacuum (Coppock and Dunn 2010: 8). For this reason Thompson (2012) also refers to the cultural (C) and structural (S). P is embedded in C and C and P in S which builds up interlocking layers of discrimination; personal, cultural and structural. The C level is where we learn our norms and values. Individuals learn these values and norms through the process of socialisation which occurs through social institutions such as the family, religion and the media (Haralambos and Holborn 2008). These institutions can produce ideas about what is considered normal or right (Coppock and Dunn 2010). From this it is not surprising that there is an attitude in society that people who experience mental health issues are violent and a danger to society; even though there is no relationship between mental health and violence (Rogers and Pilgrim 2006). However, the general media uses terms like psycho (Ward 2012) or crazed gunman (Perrie 2011) in relation to acts of violence creates prejudice. This prejudice can then be used to discriminate. For example, a community may not want a mental home to open near them as the mental people will cause a threat to their community. The S level is the level of institutional oppression and discrimination. Ideas that Thompson (2012: 34) refers to as being sewn in to the fabric of society. Western psychiatry is laden with cultural values and assumptions that are based on western culture (Coppock and Dunn 2010). This suggests that western and white is normality and anything that deviates from this is abnormal (Corneau and Stergiopoulos 2012), or as previously discussed; other. It is the C and S level which the essay will focus on more. Institutional racism explains how institutional structures, systems and the process embedded in society and structures that promote racial inequality (Jones 1997). It is considered to be the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin (MacPherson 1999). Jones (cited Marlow and Loveday 2000: 30) goes further than this definition to also include laws, customs, and practices which systematically reflect and produce racial inequalities. Institutional racism is believed to be a more subtle and covert type of racism (Bhui 2002) and often said to be unintentional (Griffith et al 2007). BME groups are differently represented in psychiatry (Sashidharan 2001). People of African-Caribbean heritage are over represented yet people of Asian heritage underrepresented in mental health settings (Sashidharan 2001). As BME groups deviate from the white norms they appear to receive either too much attention or too little (Sashidharan 2001). This would suggest that the systems which operate within psychiatry are institutionally racist. Both race and mental illness are social constructs (Thompson 1997; Bailey 2004). Thompson (1997) argues that despite the lack in biological evidence for the explanation of racial categories it is still a widely common way of thinking. Bailey (2004) argues that mental illness has always been a social construct therefore open to racism and other forms of discrimination. The declassification of homosexuality in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) illustrates Baileys (2004) point. Race immediately brings up issues around power and the relationship between what is seen as natural and social (Westwood 2002). Historically it was viewed that inequalities around race had a natural explanation (Westwood 2002). Race could be traced back to anthological tradition (Rogers 2006; Craig et al 2012) and colonial discourse with the belief that white identity is superior (Westwood 2002) and that black people are lacking civilisation, savages and a subhuman species (Bailey 2004: 408-409). According to Bailey (2004: 408) the effects of racism on psychiatry can be directly linked to the early stereotypes about black people arising from pseudoscientific racism. It is this pseudoscience racism (science which lacks scientific method or evidence) that underpins racism in mental health services today (Bailey 2004). Racism has many different sides and is a multidimensional form of oppression and discrimination (Corneau and Stergiopoulos 2012; Thompson 2012). Racism is widely known to be the cause of disparities in health and mental health (McKenzie in Bhui 2002; Griffith et al 2007; Craig et al 2012). BME individuals find themselves navigating their way through a system that works from the dominant discourse of the medical model (Corneau and Stergiopoulos 2012). This allows a small amount of room for different and alternative frameworks to challenge racism which is already ingrained in the system. To illustrate this point I will use an example from my practice. I work with a black woman who experiences mental health issues. She has spiritual beliefs and usually openly takes about her beliefs at home. She fears one resident as he is very religious and she feels that he has special powers. I supported her to an appointment with her psychiatrist as she had begun to feel mentally unwell. He did not enquire about any social, cultural or structural factors that may impact on her mental health. I tried to advocate the experiences she had shared with me and reiterated what she was saying. However, he advised her that the tugging she experienced in her stomach was physical and to see a doctor and increased her anti-psychotic medication. Her spiritual experiences were not validated, he individualised the cause of her illness and used a medical intervention. Western psychiatry tends to separate the mind from the body and spirit (Bailey 2004). According to Bailey (2004) many BME service users find this approach unhelpful and irrelevant to their experiences of mental distress. This is because for many BME the mind, body and spirit work in union and the feelings and behaviours behind this is woven into peoples wider existence (Bailey 2004). Kortmann (2010) believes that these types of clinical intervention are often ineffective due to service users non-western origin and tend to quit treatments earlier. For example, some African cultures can believe that seizures are cause by evil spirits (Kortmann 2010) and therefore do not take medication prescribed as they do not believe it to be an illness. Westwood (2002) writes that the negative impact of racism can have a significant impact on an individuals mental health. However in a recent piece of research Ayalon and Gum (2011) concluded that black older adults experienced the highest amount of discriminatory events but there was a weaker association with this and experiences of mental health issues. To account for this it was concluded that BME groups experienced more events of discrimination over their life course and as a result have become more resilient to it (Ayalon and Gum 2011). Some writers argue that to construct institutional racism as the explanation to the disparities in mental health can add to the debate and effectively alienate BME groups even further (Singh and Burns 2006). Singh and Burn (2006) state that, the accusation of racism within psychiatry will give service users the expectation that they will receive a poorer service and this will encourage service users to disengage with services or offer voluntary admission. What Singh and Burn (2006) are speculating is presented by Livingstone (2012) as self-stigma; the stigma that is present on an individual level rather than on a cultural or social. It is the stigma that is internalised that can prevent people from access services (Livingstone 2012) and thus, actively discriminating against ones self. Therefore, Singh and Burns (2006) argue that individuals to stay away from needed services until it is too late and there are few alternatives but to detain them and enforce treatment. Although Singh and Burn (2006) make a logical point they fail to recognise BME service user experiences of Mental Health Services. Bowl (2007) conducted a qualitative research to gain the views and experiences of South Asian service users as most literature is through the lens of academics and professionals. The experiences of this South Asian group would certainly suggest the presence of institutional racism within Mental health Services. The main areas identified were their dissatisfaction in not being understood in the assessment process due to language barriers and cultural incompetence (Bowl 2007). This misunderstanding led to misdiagnosis and refusal of services (Bowl 2007). Racism is often not the only form of oppression that people face. Disadvantage can occur from several areas (Marlow and Loveday 2000). BME groups experiencing mental health issues are already subjected to multiple oppression. There is not enough words in this essay to explore this further but wanted to acknowledge that forms of oppression are not experienced in isolation of each other. For example, links have been made between individuals lower socio-economic status and experience of mental health issues and how black people can face the added stress of earning less and experiencing higher levels of unemployment (Chakraborty and McKenzie 2002). This begins to illustrate the complexity and how oppression is inextricably intertwined. Institutional racism has been highlight in a number of Inquiries in practice. It was firstly highlighted in the Stephen Lawrence Report in 1999; a black young person who was murdered in a racist attack and yet again in the David Bennett Inquiry in 2003; a black man who died in 1998 after being restrained faced down by several nurses for nearly half an hour. Lord Laming (2003) also identified issues around racism in his Inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie. There is not enough words to go into any of these inquiries in any detail but they have been included to demonstrate institutional racism in practice in the police, mental health service and social work. It may seem that whilst mental health services operate within the medical model that is catered towards the white majority things will not change. Institutions and systems are indeed difficult to change, however social workers can work with service users to empower, advocate, challenge and expose discrimination in services and bring about social change. Empowerment is complex in general but becomes more complex in relation to race and ethnicity (Thompson 2007). Social workers need to firstly be aware of institutional racism before they are able to challenge it (Thompson 2007). For social workers to challenge institutional racism they need to challenge policies that do not address the needs of BME groups. To do this, social workers need to be aware of the complex power relations and deeply ingrained racist patterns in society (Thompson 2007). In my practice in a mental health setting I have contact with medical professionals and often support services users to appointments. I find that I must hold onto my social work values and not get drawn into the medical model way of working but to remain holistic in my approach. To conclude, this essay has demonstrated that discrimination is far more complex than treating someone differently. It has focused on a more subtle, covert and indirect form of discrimination: institutional racism. The essay has examined the links between discrimination, racism and power and introduced the idea that mental illness and race are both social constructs. It is this subtle and covert form of discrimination that can be damaging. It can be hard to recognise as it is woven into the very fabric of society (Thompson 2012). However, the message in this essay is that social workers need to recognise power relations, how they operate, on what level they operate at and to challenge discrimination (anti-discriminatory practice) and work with service user to empower them to overcome these obstacles (anti-oppressive practice). Social workers must swim against the tide and not collude with these attitudes no matter how deeply ingrained and embedded they are in society. For the social workers that fail to do so will ultimately become part of the problem. Word count: 3281

Othello: Discrimination Against Women Essay -- Othello essays

Othello: the Discrimination Against Women      Ã‚     Yes, even in Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello there is considerable sexism.   Let us root out and analyze instances of obvious sexism in this play.    Even the noble general yielded to the sexist remarks and insinuations of his ancient, thus developing a reprehensible attitude toward his lovely and faithful wife. Angela Pitt in â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies† comments on the Moor’s sexist treatment of Desdemona:    Desdemona has, therefore, some quite serious faults as a wife, including a will of her own, which was evident even before she was married. This does not mean that she merits the terrible accusations flung at her by Othello, nor does she in any way deserve her death, but she is partly responsible for the tragic action of the play. Othello’s behavior and mounting jealousy are made more comprehensible if we remember what Elizabethan husbands might expect of their wives. (45)    In the opening scene, while Iago is expressing his hatred for the general Othello for his selection of Michael Cassio for the lieutenancy, he contrives a plan to partially avenge himself (â€Å"I follow him to serve my turn upon him†), with Roderigo’s assistance, by alerting Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, to the fact of his daughter’s elopement with Othello: â€Å"Call up her father, / Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight [. . .] .† Implied in this move is the fact of a father’s assumed control over the daughter’s choice of a marriage partner. Iago’s warning to the senator follows closely: â€Å"'Zounds, sir, you're robb'd; for shame, put on your gown; / Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul.† This statement also implies that the father has authority over the daught... ...ilia’s stunning interrogation and conviction of her own husband as the evil mastermind behind the murder reverses the sexist image of women underlying the play. Her performance proves that women are guided by reason to the same extent, or even greater than, men; and that men are passion-driven moreso than are women. The tables are turned on sexism at the very climax of the drama!    WORKS CITED       Jorgensen, Paul A. William Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985.    Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.

Misconception of Femininity and Females

Misconception of Femininity and Females Femininity is a universal word that we all naturally develop an understanding for. When this word comes up many characteristics run through people's heads. However, the type of person everyone refers to is always female. Feminine and female seem to go hand in hand in our society. Unfortunately, this is a stereotype put on women today. This is because femininity is referred to as someone who is dainty or sensitive, soft spoken or indifferent, and dependent of a stronger individual. Over the years women have proven that this word should no longer define them.As the decades progress women become stronger and more independent, which allows them to take over more controlling roles and become a dominating factor in the work force. From this, the definition of femininity should not be the one thing females are defined as. One of the main characteristics of femininity is daintiness and sensitivity. People imagine someone who is very fragile, or even we ak. They are always in need of assistance and are unable to do very physical activities. Also, they are very emotional and need to express what is on their mind.These characteristics were viewed as very common in women from the 50's who were basically trophy wives and were never taken very seriously. Their only goal was to be the perfect wife and keep the man happy. From these women daintiness and sensitivity become a huge factor when defining femininity in America. Over the years women's roles have changed dramatically. They are no longer just a pretty face who cannot do anything for themselves. Through difficult times women have had to stand up and support their families because the man was not in the picture.This was first seen during World War II when all the men had to go overseas, which left their wives the responsibility of getting a job and taking care of the family. Due to this, the work force boomed with new female workers, whom were even taking traditionally male jobs lik e automotive and factory. Also, women were taking jobs to increase military supplies. For instance, like building weapons and airplanes, which developed the famous fictional female worker called Rosie the Riveter. From this, the characteristics of women started developing into a stronger individual who no longer solely relied on their husband.Also, they became emotionally stronger and were no longer seen as weak, helpless individuals who needed to be coddled. From this, the idea of a woman started to shift away from the central definition of femininity. The second basic trait of femininity is being very soft spoken and indifferent. Someone with this quality is usually very shy and does not over step their boundaries. They do not speak up about their opinions on a topic and tend to rely on a more dominating figure to determine what they believe in. Also, they are very passive and try to avoid confrontation with others.This explanation is very stereotypical to how women were viewed be cause men would only talk about controversial topics between each other and the female was not expected to have her own opinions. They were not given the chance to speak up and from this, women remained quiet and allowed their husbands to speak for the both of them. These early years exemplify how women were viewed and ultimately shaped the definition of femininity. As the years went on and women started to become stronger their opinions soon followed after. They were able to become more comfortable with themselves and started to emerge from the shadows of their husbands.From this, they started to speak up and even fight for what they believed in. As more women started to take charge the development of women's rights movements formed and grew exponentially. Women started to become more confident in their voice and were no longer going to be soft spoken, or indifferent. One of the first women's rights organizations created in 1913 was called the National Women's Party, lead by Alice Paul. The main objective of this organization was to gain voting equality, and to do this Alice organized Picketing in front of the White House for months.Eventually, the women influenced Congress to pass the 19th Amendment in 1920. During this time women began to realize their full potential and appear more dominating to others, which hugely shaped the view of women today. Women were no longer viewed as these feminine beauties, but instead, a strong confident individual who has the power to express her views and fight for her beliefs. The last main characteristic of femininity is that the individual is dependent of another. This person relies on a stronger force to take care of them and is unable to fend for themselves.This is a very common characteristic of a stay at home mom, which was very popular in the 50's. Their only task was to maintain the house and take care of the children, while the husband financially supported them. From this, they completely relied on their husband f or survival because without his pay check there would be no income. This is a very stereotypical view point of a female, which is why femininity becomes tightly associated with the traits of a woman. Over the years more women have strived to no longer depend on a male figure and instead, have excelled in the workforce.From this, there has been a huge increase of females going to college and building their own careers. This is seen statistically over the years because in 1950 one in three women worked, 1998 three out of every five women worked, and now, women account for 47% of the work force. In society today the stay at home mom is very uncommon because women have developed an independence from men. Women's priorities have shifted from wanted to start a family as soon as possible to now wanting to become successful first. Also, the jobs women are going into have dominantly been male driven in the past.For example, the business and science fields have experienced a huge increase in women workers with 60% accountants, 46% biological scientists and 78% Laboratory Technicians. From this, the stereotypes of females being weak and dependent of a male are extremely wrong, which is why the traits of femininity should not solely define a woman. Although not all women may act like the career driven female explained in this essay there has been a dramatic trend line towards this. More women are adapting stronger characteristics and shying away from the basic definition of femininity.People may argue that being feminine is only a trait someone possesses, but in our society women are immediately stereotyped due to the association that being feminine is weak. A human being should not be judged based on one word, which applies to all kinds of things in our society. For instance, if someone is gay people have a habit of associating all these stereotypes on that individual. Every person is different and we should not place generalization on them based on one characteristic. A s women begin to change society needs to change with them because one trait is only one part of a person's whole personality.