Plagiarism Paper Essay

Plagiarism is a very important issue nowadays. More and more students are becoming lazy in their work and find plagiarism which is basically ‘copy and pasting’ paragraphs or sentences from internet sites or books the easiest way of doing work. The usual way of plagiarism is going on a website; inserting key facts and words that will make it easier to find, then find a source which explains exactly what you are looking for and from there copy a sentence or paragraph and paste it into your ‘essay’ or ‘work’ document. This issue has been said that has been going on for a few years but only now it has been recently acknowledged and seen as a problem for society. As students go on their lives copying work from others their mental processes are undeveloping because they aren’t using their creativity and imagination for such work as they are meant to, by using your own words and knowledge it shows a clear understanding of the research provided. Plagiarism which is basically the use of other people’s words or ideas without giving them credit is only part of the general problem of cheating and cheaters. It is hard to detect cheating as it mostly passes undetected by professors and teachers. In many subjects, plagiarism can be minimized almost completely by appropriate design of the questions asked by the professor or lecturer. By doing this it will make it more difficult for the students to look for the complete answer on the internet therefore could not be plagiaries. Another issue of plagiarism is the honor code the school or college has which most of all of them do and they are given out and read out to the students in the beginning of the year which states in a complete clear manner that plagiarism is wrong and will be penalized. Nevertheless, it is very difficult to penalize and know who and which student is indeed plagiarism which makes it a universal goal for all faculties and departments to ensure this ethical issue and make us, students realize how wrong this is before we get into a lot of trouble. The policy states that ‘Universities, faculties and perhaps departments need to have clear, well-publicized policies on plagiarism. These policies need to do more than say â€Å"do not plagiaries.† They need to explain what plagiarism means in practice with examples of correct and incorrect citations.’ By doing so, students will be completely aware of the incorrect manners of plagiarism. Although there is different cases all around, some might say that the only way a student can survive highschool and university is if he plagiarises or even copies most of the work given to him, what the main issue is that these students whom think this way don’t even paraphrase paragraphs researched, they just do it and hope for the best. This makes work a lot easier for them but of course not at all appreciated as it is not there own work but someone elses. A research shows that ‘cheating is starting younger—in elementary school. And by the time they get to middle school or high school they see cheating as perfectly ok’, this fact is concerning. How can kids that age even know what cheating is? Who shows them? These questions are ones not to be ignored, it is a very thought through issue and it needs to be defeated because if not†¦ cheating will be no longer invalid but valid because of the substantial manners it is coming across making it almost impossible to make it stop. Students who get caught are penalized. Or at least that is what I thought, I did High school at an international school doing the International Baccalaureate, which I know for a fact that if I would have gotten caught plagiarism I would have been expelled from the diploma and not given another chance. We had an internet site where we had to hand in all our work –via online- called turnitin, this method was a great one for students and teachers; it was easy, efficient and most of all comfortable. Also, this way, teachers could know exactly what sentences or paragraphs were plagiarized in our work if it wasn’t cited, but as the research paper states ‘ What it wont catch is students who crib the ideas, not the words’, this being very true is still a manner of making our minds react to explanations and re-writing them in the manner we feel is correct, which I think is correct. Plagiarism is a very harsh factor nowadays because students are doing it more and more and professors and teachers don’t have the ways to stop such acts. It is a debacle that one day could be fixed with more website protections or more ‘turnitin’ sites used my universities and schools but for now the ethical issues and the trust issues lie in the hands of the teacher and the student. Work Cited Published in Tertangala (University of Wollongong Students’ Representative Council), 20 July – 3 August 1992, p. 20. The case of the purloined paper by Brigid Schulte (Washington Post) September 23, 2002

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Walt Disney Company

In organizations where there seems to be an increasing focus on unethical behavior within public companies from senior managers, it is vital that organizations establish policies and processes to ensure that it is complying with the rules and regulations put in place by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Walt Disney Company is able to meet its reporting requirements for the Security and Exchange Commission by using the following resources. The availability of technology, internal disclosure controls, internal controls over financial reporting, and independent accounting auditors who verify that these controls are in place and working as intended. The SEC requires that Disney posts all Interactive Data Files. These files are required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months. Viewing the Investor Relations tab of The Walt Disney Company corporate website shows that historical SEC filings are listed by category for a variety of required reports, including forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, 11-K, S-8, 425, S-4, and proxy statements. Disney uses internal disclosure controls by their policy that all SEC filings be signed by a senior member of the management. These people are President, CFO, Managing VP and Internal Counsel helps ensure that the filings are correct, comply with reporting requirements, and are communicated to the other stakeholders in the management of Disney. These are Board of Directors and other Senior Members of the management team. In an era where CEOs and CFOs are continually being called before US Congress to testify on the financial situation within their firms, this policy adds a layer of accountability to senior management. Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. Company management explicitly acknowledges their accountability for being able to create accurate, reliable, sufficiently detailed, and timely external financial reports Independent Accounting Auditors. Disney makes use of PricewaterhouseCoopers as an independent auditing firm to provide a third party analysis of their internal controls over financial reporting. In addition, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ own report to the Board of Directors and Shareholders of The Walt Disney Company is included in the Annual Report and discusses the process by which Disney’s internal controls over financial reporting are tested and audited to provide a reasonable level of assurance that the controls are working and that external financial reports are being reported based on generally accepted accounting principles as required by U. S. Law. By following all of the procedures that Disney has put into place they can be positive that they are following the SEC rules and regulations.

How does the case of the 'Guildford Four' Illustrate the weaknesses of Coursework

How does the case of the 'Guildford Four' Illustrate the weaknesses of utilitarianism when used as the moral guide of the State - Coursework Example Based on how the consequences of a human action could create happiness for human beings is merely a pure achievement of pleasure and prevention of pain (Kemerling 2002; Bentham 1789, p. 1). When estimating the moral status of human actions1, Bentham argued that the measurement of hedonistic value of human actions should be based on certainty and uncertainty, purity and extent of human actions, the intensity of pleasure and the duration wherein the sense of pleasure could last including the collateral benefits of the human action in order to prevent collateral harm (Timmons 2002, pp. 106 – 108; Dibie 1988, p. 315). It means that the experiencing pleasure and pain are classified as intrinsically good and bad respectively. With regards to political philosophy, Bentham’s proposed utilitarianism considers the happiness based on pleasure such that the happiness of the entire community and/or society as a whole is more important as compared to the happiness or self-interest of a single person. With this in mind, the principle of utility as suggested by Bentham means that the moral obligation of each individual should be based on â€Å"the greatest happiness of the greatest number of people affected by human actions† (Kenny 1998, pp. 283 – 284). In other words, Bentham’s strongly believe that the human actions and social institutions should aim at promoting the greatest utility – happiness and pleasure (Crisp 1997, p. 2). Since the greatest happiness should be for the greatest number of people, government corruption is considered as intrinsically bad since only few minorities among the government officials could enjoy the pleasure of having substantial amount of money due to misuse of political power and legal rights. At the... The act of judging whether or not a given action is morally right or wrong is considered a very complex situation. Specifically the case of the 'Guildford Four' illustrates the weaknesses of utilitarianism when used as the moral guide of the state. In judging whether or not human action is intrinsically right (good) or wrong (evil), the role of the public policymakers comes in. As stated by Sir William Blackstone, â€Å"It is better to let ten guilty men go free than to wrongly incarcerate one innocent man†. Because of the increasing number of wrongful conviction in UK, developing a set of political rules in the form of law will not always lead to actions that are morally good. One way or the other, developing a set of political rules the the form of creating a legal system may only serve as a scapegoating tactics in the case of the true criminals. As compared to the theory of utilitarianism, the concept of deontology is totally different in the sense that deontology remains f ocus on judging an action by observing the righteousness or wrongness of an action regardless of whether the end result of the action is good or evil (Nishukan 2007). Instead of taking into consideration the end-result of an action, Immanuel Kant suggest the use of deontology more than the classical utilitarianism since deontology judges moral issues by carefully examining the type of actions being committed by a person

Marketing Behavior and Decision-Making Assignment - 1

Marketing Behavior and Decision-Making - Assignment Example In addition, this course also highlights how the decision-making process is affected by social, marketing and other situational factors. According to research, the customers usually go through a five-stage process. This model is extremely crucial for individuals during the creation of marketing decisions. As stated above, this model includes need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post-purchase analysis (Kardes, 2001). This course enables learners to manage all these stages hence, persuading the potential client that the product surely satisfies his or her needs. On the other hand, an MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree is usually awarded to learners who have understood and mastered the study of business (Gorman, 2003). Researchers claim that this degree is considered as a prominent degree compared to other degree courses all over the world. The learners are equipped with knowledge which can be applied in several real world business situations. Individuals with the MBA degree have successfully managed to advance their careers and also increase their salary potential in a significant way. This is because most of the MBA graduates are eligible to apply for the job vacancies in the current business world. In fact, job vacancies that are related to the executive and senior management positions usually require individuals who have an MBA degree. Most of the MBA programs offer the required skills in general management through a specialized curriculum (Gorman, 2003). This form of education is quite relevant in most business sectors and industries. In the MBA degree, there are different disciplines that are offered. Some of the most common disciplines include marketing, economics, accounting, finance, information systems, entrepreneurship, global management and operations management among

Using Groucho Marx, illustrate the progression from vaudeville, to Essay

Using Groucho Marx, illustrate the progression from vaudeville, to movies, to radio, to television in the history of popular culture. Be explicit about the time - Essay Example By studying the career of Groucho Marx in detail, much about the history of popular culture could be learned. Marx, having lived and performed in the first half of the twentieth century, bore witness to the advances in the way entertainment will be produced and delivered. Hence, Marx’s progress as a performer is interlinked with the revolutionary technological advancements of the day. (The Best of Groucho, 37) Vaudeville was a highly innovative form of entertainment that was very popular during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. It comprised a series of short but action-packed â€Å"acts† that could range from comedy skits to dance and music to mimicry. The acts were performed for a direct audience similar to the contemporary theatre and hence required the actors to possess qualities of spontaneity and talents for ad-libbing. Groucho Marx was a prominent exponent of this form of entertainment. The comedy team of the Marx Brothers is best remembered for how they induced convulsions of laughter in the audience. Groucho’s quick wit and funny insults during the Vaudeville days are still remembered fondly by his fans. (The Best of Groucho, 37) The Marx Brothers’ made a move into a more conventional form of performance art when they worked for the Broadway show â€Å"I’ll Say She Is†. The success of this show led to the more popular shows like The Cocoanuts (1925) and Animal Crackers (1928). This was about the time when silent movies were taking centre stage. It led to both Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers being made into â€Å"talkies†. Its success led to further silent movie offers from Paramount Studios – Monkey Business (1931), Horse Feathers (1932) and Duck Soup (1933). Although these movies were regarded as classics by the critics, their box-office returns were uninspiring, leading to speculation that the Marx Brothers’ days in Hollywood were at an end. (Rosten 104). But

Self-Report Measures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self-Report Measures - Essay Example They are ideal tools when the researcher wishes to study a few participants in greater detail (Stangor, 2010). A typical example would be the use of T.A.T. (Thematic Apperception Test) cards to gather data from the participants. The stories told by participants yield rich data; but it can become very cumbersome to study a large sample in this manner. Fixed Format Self Report measures, on the other hand, are techniques that limit the number of responses that a subject can give to any answer by providing alternatives, or scaled attributes; where the participant indicates one (or more) of the alternatives provided as a response. With such measures, the data obtained is easily analyzed with quantitative techniques; but is limited in that the participant cannot give a response that is not provided among the options (Stangor, 2010). A typical example would be the use if Likert Scales to measure the extent of agreement or disagreement with a particular issue. Such measures can be used with a large sample size; often many individuals can be asked to contribute data at the same time. Explain the advantages of free-format self-report measures and fixed-format self-report measures. No.

Settlements in the americas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Settlements in the americas - Essay Example One example of such explosion occurred in Jamestown in 1610. For three years after the arrival of the British in 1607, the Indians felt the newcomers were allies. All that changed in the winter of 1610 when starved British settlers raided the Powhatan tribe of their food. Within a few short months, the British occupying Virginia announced a declaration of war against the American Indians in the region. Eventually a peace treaty would be signed, but it was only to last for right years. Despite the peace treaty being struck, the American Indians remained bitter towards their British neighbors and continued to feel exploited. Additionally, overtime a strong sentiment developed amongst the Indians reflecting the feeling that their land had been taken from them. By 1646 the British had defeated the Indians following an all-out Anglo-Indian war. No one can deny the impact economics had on the British’s decision to first befriend and the eradication of the Indians. For the British, it was largely about land. Land meant money and power. However, this did not compute for the Indians because their concept of land remained very different. For the Indians, and unlike the British, land was not â€Å"private property.† In fact, the Indians had no concept of private property at all. In their view, the land belonged to all who occupy it and it should be treated with respect. Their fundamental inability to understand land in the same way as the British meant conflict was truly inevitable. However, land wasn’t solely used to justify violence against American Indians. The British also used religion to justify violence. In 1637 New England settlers committed the equivalent of a genocide against Pequot Indians. The British in charge of the attack claimed God favored their extermination of the Indians because they had previously killed settlers. According to the Indians, God not only accepted but encouraged the slaughter of Indians because they

Research Methods for Social Epidemiology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Methods for Social Epidemiology - Essay Example Observational research involves descriptive and analytical studies. First, participant observation (in which the observer is obvious to and involved with the subjects) is less valid than a questionnaire would be for sensitive data. Second, the observer's expectations affect what he or she sees and reports, reducing the validity of the data. Validity is thus diminished when the observer reports seeing either "everything" or "nothing." In its turn, observational epidemiology involves the following types of research: descriptive studies, ecological studies fallacy, cross sectional studies and cohort studies (Oakes and Kaufman 2006). In participant observation, the researcher is a regular participant in the activities being observed; while in non-participant observations, the researcher is not a participant in the ongoing activities being observed. Second, structuring the observation increases validity by focusing the attention of the observers on certain characteristics and events. Third, placing the observation on a scientific foundation by stating a hypothesis up front increases validity by avoiding distortion. Using observation only for studying those epidemiological phenomena that are appropriate to this method (e.g., nonverbal behaviors and social interactions) increases validity (Beaglehole et al 2007). In contrast to observational epidemiology, experimental design involves ra

Patronage & Clieintelist Politics in Egypt - Pre-arab spring Assignment

Patronage & Clieintelist Politics in Egypt - Pre-arab spring - Assignment Example s the case in Egypt during the pre-Arab spring period patron-client relationships offers a platform for the mobilization of the low-status group by the well established elites. Thus, introduction of competitive elections would disadvantage the patron since the client would have additional resources from the patron by use of hiss or her to pay the patron. In essence, incentives linked to voter turn out Egypt’s electoral process during the pre-Arab spring played a chief role in the voting trend among the vast majority. Although some voters cast their vote based on ideological concerns, this is just a small percentage of voters unlike the majority who expected material benefits for voting for a particular leader. In additional, the vast majority cast their vote mainly due to pressure from the government either in a direct or an indirect manner. Thus, responsive to vote buying was high since the higher percentage of the population compromised of poor and illiterate parties (Blayde s 10). The success of Clientelistic practice in Egypt during the pre-Arab spring thrived mainly because one of the benefits clients received from the patron monetary material in exchange for votes-vote

Healing Myth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Healing Myth - Essay Example She spent five years stuck in tortuous dread, trying to outrun destruction, war, starvation and the ultimate commitment of an individual, the death. She challenged inhuman evil acts as if they were kindergarten toys. According to me the turning point in the story can be found when children’s mother turns them out of the home. She whispers to the children and Loung writes (2006) â€Å"If we stay together, we will die together, but if they cannot find us, they cannot kill us† (p.121). She instructs them to separate, â€Å"walk until you come to a work camp, tell them you are orphans, and change your name† (p.122). Loung stubbornly refuses to go so â€Å"Ma says sternly. ‘Your Pa is gone now, and I just cannot take care of you kids. I don’t want you here! You are too much work for me! I want you to leave!† (p.122).As the wife of a high ranking government official, her strategy was right and the children were saved but she lost sight of the human angle at that moment. That was a peculiar situation and in the situations they were placed in neither mother nor the children could be blamed. The wise saying goes that desperate situations need desperate remedies. In such a grim situation thinking power gets engulfed in confusion and no accurate decision is possible. It is wrong to conclude that the mother does not love her children. The reality is she visualizes absolute danger for their lives if they continue to stay in the house together and as such she wants them to leave hoping that destiny would favor w them with good luck if they move out of the house and seek shelter elsewhere. Loung’s position is also to be pitied. Her resentment towards her mother is perfect as children look forward for protection from their parents and family members when it is a question of life or death. What is their plan of escape and where will they hide? Neither the

A few factors Essay Example for Free

A few factors Essay Investigation A few factors (the gradient/height of ramp, the mass of the object, friction, gravity, the energy act on the object or the length of object) can affect the final speed of an object at the end of the ramp. Planning I am going to do my investigation on mass of the object which I think it is one of the factors that will affect the final speed of an object at the end of the ramp because when gravitational potential energy equals to mass times gravity times height, so if mass is increased, the gravitational potential energy will increase in proportionally. I will do the experiment by adding weights on top of a wooden cart to increase the mass, and then I will time how long it takes to fall down from the ramp and calculate the final speed by: Diagram Weight add to the cart (grams) 0 100 200 300 400 Time (sec) 678 607 721 686 693 Weight add to the cart (grams) 500 600 700 800 900 Time (sec) 719 703 661 677 657 My experiment results are: According to the results, mass does not affect the final speed of an object at the end of the ramp. I think this is because when something is dropped, it will transfer from gravitational potential energy to kenetic energy So I am going to change my investigation on the height of the ramp. I think height of the ramp will affect the final speed of an object when height of the ramp is increased, the gravitational potential energy will increase proportionally due to: G. P. E. = mass x gravity x height Method of doing the experiment I am going to do it by using a ramp that I can increase the height. Then I will release the cart at the top of the ramp and time how long it will take for the cart to come down. I will increase the height by 5cm each time (5cm, 10cm, 15cm, 20cm, 25cm and 30cm). I will take down the time thrice to get the average time of it because it is more reliable. Then I will work out the average speed. I will divide the length of the ramp by the time taken and work out the final speed by doubling the average speed. The length of the ramp is one metre and the weight of the cart is 900 grams. I can make this a fair test by not pushing the cart, doing average on the time, and keeping the mass the same. Apparatus I will need. A clamp to hold the ramp, A ramp, A wooden cart as the object and A stopwatch for timing for the experiment. Safety features I will make sure it is safe by putting books at the end to stop the cart from bumping into others feet and I will make sure no one is standing near it. I will do the whole experiment on the ground because this can stop things from falling down the table and hit peoples feet. Diagram Evidence/results I have my experiment results after all of this and they are: Height(cm) 5 10 15 20 25 30 Average Time(sec) 409 231. 180 154 137 110 According to the results, there seems to be a trend. So, I think I will calculate the final speed. Height(cm) 5 10 15 20 25 30 Final speed(cm/s) 0. 489 0. 865 1. 111 1. 299 1. 46 1. 818 The trend is obvious now. It shows that whenever the height is increased, the time taken will decrease and the final speed of the cart will increase. From we calculate gravitational energy (mass x gravity/acceleration x height), height seems to be one of the main factors that can affect the G. P. E. because as height increases, the G. P. E.will be affected by it. Example: if an object with constant gravity (x), constant mass (y) but falls from changing heights (5 and 10), the outcome will be 5xy and 10xy and this also proved that when the height is increased, the G. P. E. will increase. The forces of gravity pulls down on all objects have on Earth. If objects are allowed to fall, they accelerate downwards. Therefore, if an object is allowed to fall from a higher place, the gravity will pulls down the object with a greater force and the object will accelerate faster as it comes down. If the object falls from a higher place, there will be more time for the object to accelerate, so the final speed of the object will be faster, and as the gravitational force is greater, the object is being pulled harder and quicker. Therefore, this explains why an object will have a faster final speed at the end of the ramp whenever the height of the ramp is increased. At first, I did an experiment on mass of the object that the experiment doesnt work. I have found out that mass doesnt affect the final speed of an object. When an object is held at a certain point, gravitational potential energy is stored; when it is dropped, it will transfer gravitational potential energy to kenetic energy. So that means: Gravitational potential energy = kenetic energy Mass x gravity x height = 0. 5 x mass x velocity This shows that mass exists on both sides of the equation, that means it can be cancel out to simplified the equation. So the equation will become: Gravity x height = 0. 5 x velocity That means mass does not affect the velocity on the right side of the equation. Graph I have also plotted a graph of height against final speed, and after that, I have drawn a line of best fit. The graph shows a straight line of best fit. The graph shows a straight line of best fit and this shows height and final speed are in direct proportion. This proves when the height of the ramp is increased, the final speed is increased and this means the object accelerates faster. Evaluations My results are quite accurate because on the graph, all of the results go very near the best-fit line. My results are quite reliable, as I do every height for three times and take the average of it. I can make the results more accurate by using a light sensor with the computer. This will be more accurate then using a stop watch because human need a time to react before their brain do what it is told to do which is the reaction time. I think my method of doing the experiment is quite good because I can get accurate results from it. I can improve it by putting the ramp more stable and firmer because the ramp keeps on sliding down the slide. I think the method of doing the experiment is quite good because it gives me a quite accurate result and it takes less than half an hour to finish the experiment. At first, I did an experiment on mass of the object that takes about 45 minutes but I got results that are not appropriate for my experiment. So I quickly change the investigation on another topic. Although it wastes lots of time, I learn that mass of an object will not affect the final speed of a falling object.

Acoustics and Sound Insulation Methods

Acoustics and Sound Insulation Methods Acoustics and Sound Insulation ABSTRACT Acoustics is the study of sound. The knowledge of this field is necessary as it helps in creating peaceful surroundings. The technical knowhow of sound insulation has been helpful in constructing functional theatres, hospitals, Auditoriums, jam pads, etc. Sound is created when a surface vibrates. When this vibration is periodic or rhythmic then the sound produced is pleasing to the ears eg. Musical Notes. On the contrary when the vibration is non-periodic and irregular then it is termed as noise. eg. Infants crying. INTRODUCTION Sound travels in the form of longitudinal waves. Each wave moves backward and forward passing on the vibration to the next. For us to be able to hear sound clearly it is very important for the waves to travel uninterrupted. It is proven that sound travels the fastest in solids, then in liquids and the least in air. This is because in solid the molecules are so tightly packed that the transmission is the easiest. In liquids too the molecules are fairly close to each other where as in air it becomes a little tough for sound to travel. Sound cannot travel in vacuum as it needs a medium to travel. The speed of sound in air depends upon the moisture or dryness in air. The more the moisture the faster sound will travel. CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND Intensity and Loudness of sound: Loudness is the response of humans to the impact of sound. Whereas intensity is the amount of sound waves passing through per unit area per unit time. Frequency and Pitch Sounds can be of different types and wavelengths. Pitch is  What helps us distinguish between sounds of same loudness but of different frequencies. This is the  characteristic which helps us recognise a man’s voice and  women’s Voice. Quality The quality of sound is what enables us to differentiate between two musical tones played on different instruments. A study has shown that the notes produced by instruments are at times pure notes. They have some fundamental tones of frequency fo and additional tones of frequency 2fo, 4fo, etc. called over tones. The fundamental is heard very clearly because it has greater impact human ear. TABLE 1.1, ACCEPTABLE NOISE LEVEL TYPE OF BUILDING NOISE LEVEL RANGE ( decibels, db) 1. Radio and T.V. studio 25-30 2. Music Room 30-35 3. Hospitals and auditoriums 35-40 4. Apartments, hotels and homes 35-40 5. Conference rooms and libraries 35-40 6. Class rooms 40-45 7. Banks and stores 45-50 8. Restaurants 50-55 2# REFLECTION OF SOUND Sound waves from a plain surface reflect in the same way as that of light. The angel of incidence is equal to the angel of reflection. Following are the characteristics of reflection of sound: When sound waves reflect from a flat surface the wave fronts form a spherical shape and the centre of curvature is the source of sound When sound waves reflect from a convex surface they get magnified and therefore become thinner and weaker. Convex surfaces can be used in interior spaces to reduce the impact of sound. Sound waves that reflect from a concave surface are very dense and compressed therefore the sound is amplified. Concave surfaces should be avoided in interior spaces as the result is undesirable. Reflection on flat surface Reflection on convex surface Reflection on concave surface   3# ABSORPTION When sound waves strike a surface some of the sound is absorbed by friction. The materials that absorb are known as absorbants. Absorption in auditoriums or theatre the takes place in three ways – In Air – This absorption happens due to friction between two molecules though this is very small By Audience Cloth is an absorbant. So in theatres and auditoriums the sound is absorbed by the clothes o f the audience. The  more the audience the more the absorption takes place. By furniture and furnishing – Materials such as curtains, carpets absorb sound. The following materials are commonly used for absorption of sound – Acoustic Plaster – This contains shredded insulation material with cement Perforated and Unperforated compressed cane or wood fibre board. Wood Particle board Compressed wood wool Mineral/ glass wool mats Mineral/ glass wool tiles Composite units of perforated hard board backed with perforated fibreboard Requirements of a good acoustic material- Should have high absorption power It should be able to absorb a wide range of frequencies Should be cheap and easily available Should look attractive after fixing it It should be fire resistant Should have adequate structural strength Should be non- hygroscopic. It should be insects and termites free 4# SOUND INSULATION Sound insulation/sound proofing is a method used to subdue the level of sound passing through the insulating building component. People generally confuse sound absorption and sound insulation to be the same. The two are very different from each other. Sound absorbents which are mostly pours materials absorb thus reduce the sound which is reflected from surfaces. On the contrary sound insulating construction reduces sound passing through it. Sound absorbers, are poor sound insulators. While hard material used for sound insulation areinferior sound absorbers. TABLE 4.1. SOUND INSULATION BETWEEN ROOMS SITUATION OVERALL INSULATION IN db 1. Between living room in one house and the living room in another 50 2. Elsewhere between houses or flat 40 3. Between two rooms in the same house. 30 4. Between two class rooms in a school 40 5. Between two rooms in an office 30 6. Between two wards in a hospital 45 Impact Insulation- is a rating of how well a building floor reduces the impact of sounds, such as footsteps. Sound Insulating Materials – Non porous rigid partitions- The sound insulation of non-porous rigid constructions such as plastered solid brick masonry walls varies. It depends upon the weight per unit area. There is a point when it requires major increase in thickness to provide small increase in sound insulation. Porous Rigid Materials Porous concrete masonry and cinder concrete are some examples of porous rigid materials. They provide 10 percent higher insulation as compared to non-porous rigid partitions due to their sound absorptive quality. To enhance the results of insulation it is recommended that porous partitions should be plastered on at least one side and if possible then on both sides. Flexible Porous Material These materials provide low insulation. Even lower than rigid materials. Flexible porous materials consists of mineral wool, quilt etc. To increase insulation rigid materials and porous absorbers can be combined together and then applied. This will produce better insulation per unit area. 4.1 WALL INSULATION Walls are a vertical barrier of sound. Proper construction of walls can increase the level of sound insulation. Construction of walls for sound insulation can be of four types Rigid Homogeneous Walls- Stone, brick or concrete masonry constructions come under this section. The sound insulation in these walls depends upon their weight per unit area. Sound insulation in these increases if the thickness of wall increases. Due to this these walls become uneconomical and bulky after a certain limit. Partition Walls of porous materials- These can be rigid or non-rigid. Rigid porous materials such as porous concrete masonry, cinder concrete etc. increase insulation about 10.%. While partition walls of non rigid porous materials provide very low sound insulation. However they can be used if combined with rigid materials. Double wall partition A double wall partition comprises of Plaster boards Or fibre boards or plaster on laths on both sides. With sound absorbing cushion in between. Rough wooden blocks are provided to support the cushion. Double wall partition is a wall of rigid as well as nonrigid porous materials. Cavity Wall Construction- This is said to be the most adequate wall construction from the sound proofing point of view. In this two walls are made with a gap of minimum 5cm between them. This gab can be left air filled as we know sound travels the slowest in air or can be filled with some flexible material, like quilt etc. On the surface of the wall celotex or other insulating board may be fixed. 4.2 FLOOR AND CEILING INSULATION Like walls are vertical sound barriers similarly floor and ceiling are horizontal sound barriers. The materials used for the construction of floors and ceiling i.e. R.C.C, stone etc. provide great insulation again air borne noise but do not function well for structure and impact borne noise. The target of sound proofed floors is to provide insulation against impact and structure borne noise. This can be achieved by the following ways- APPLING RESILIANT SURFACE MATERIALS ON FLOOR In this a thin concrete layer is provided as R.C.C floor slab. On top of this then a soft floor finish or covering is applied. This finish or covering can be of linoleum, insulation board, cork, carpet, etc. this helps in reducing impact noises. CONCRETE FLOOR FLOATING CONSTRUCTION This is similar to Cavity wall construction as discussed earlier. In this method we construct an isolated floor from the existing concrete floor. Then a resilient or porous material like glass wool is laid on the R.C.C flooring. On top of this a water proof sheet is put and then a 5cm thick layer of concrete is given. This kind of construction provides complete insulation against impact sounds. TIMBER FLOOR FLOATING CONSTRUCTION – In case of wooden flooring the problem of sound insulation is even more. This process is similar to concrete floor floating construction. The only difference is that mineral or glass wool quilts are used for isolation purpose. At times sand or ashes are also used for isolation. CONCLUSION Sound is mechanical wave which travels through a medium. Sound can be pleasing as well as disturbing. It’s necessary to emit disturbing sounds to have the perfect required atmosphere. To make an area sound proof its walls/partitions, floor and ceilings need to be treated and insulated. The methods of insulation as discussed above are some ways through which sound proofing can be done. Sound proofing or insulation is the method by which transmission of sound waves can be bard from passing from one area to another. References: Building Constructions by B.C Punamia.: Sound Insulation http://www.meritnation.com/ask-answer/question/how-many-characteristics-a-sound-wave-have. www.scribd.com/doc/102689279/acoustics-ppt

London Bombings: Aftermath and Effects

London Bombings: Aftermath and Effects Managing the Aftermath of the London Bombings Introduction The Aftermath European Union Governmental Agencies in the United Kingdom Conclusion Bibliography Introduction The 7th of July 2005 will always be remembered as an infamous date representing the day when a coordinated attack was conducted by terrorists on the public transport system of the city of London during the heavily trafficked morning rush hour period (CNN.com, 2006). The series of attacks occurred aboard three underground trains all within a minute of each other starting at 8:50 a.m., with a fourth occurring on a bus that was traveling in Travistock Square at 9:47 a.m. (CNN.com, 2006). That day saw a death toll of fifty-two civilians, along with the four suicide bombers, and approximately seven hundred and seventy individuals injured (BBC.co.uk, 2006). The incident was reportedly motivated by the United Kingdom’s inclusion in the United States backed invasion and occupation of Iraq (Altermedia.info, 2005). The attack was highly reminiscent of the train bombings in Madrid, with both coming after Spain and the United Kingdom had reduced their troops stationed in Iraq (Dhimmi Watc h, 2005). The events preceding the attacks in London strongly suggested that a similar occurrence might happen in the United Kingdom. With the attacks taking place as the G8 Summit was being held in Scotland, the probability of an attack should have been higher on the British threat assessment scale than it was (World Socialist Web Site, 2005). In addition, London was also in the middle of celebrating the fact that it had made a successful bid for the hosting of the Olympics in 2012, thus the attacks were targeted to achieve maximum effect and exposure (Rasmussen, 2005). But, that view is open to conjecture as the target, timing and nature of the attack could have occurred in any number of possible ways, thus making the potential to suggest its prevention as a rather moot point. The nature of terrorist attacks is their surprise and use of individuals who purportedly can fly beneath the surveillance radar of the authorities seeking to uncover them. Subsequent information and reports have linked the bombings to Al-Qaeda (Philpott, 2005). The developments resulting from the occupation of Iraq, Al-Qaeda and global terrorism have changed the manner in which governments view, react and prepare for potential occurances. What happened on that fateful day could have occurred in any country at any time, and that propensity is still open. This examination will look at the aftermath of the London bombings and the events that transpired as well as the larger implications and actions that it triggered. And while various plans where in place as a result of the events of 9-11, action after such an event can be subject to variables that even the most prepared plan could not make contingencies for. The following will chronicle those events as well as investigations, inquiries, changes, legislation and findings made in the aftermath from varied quarters. The initial reports indicated that there were six explosions which was reported as a result of them occurring between stations, thus causing passengers to exit at points located to the front as well as rear of the train streaming them into two opposite directions thereby creating confusion as to the initial damage and explosion count. That development caused additional confusion for the various agencies responding to the attacks until the situation entailing three train attacks was revealed. After the initial confusion cleared it was determined that (CNN.com, 2006): The first explosion took place on the eastbound Circle Line train traveling from Liverpool Street to Aldgate. Explosion number two occurred on the westbound Circle Line train between Edgware Road and Paddington approximately. The third explosion took place on the southbound Piccadilly Line between King’s Cross Street Pancras and Russell Square The London Underground suspended service throughout the entire network after all trains were brought into the nearest stations thus causing massive displacement for individuals throughout the city. The Tavistock Square double decker bus explosion represented the final of the explosions, where it first passed by Euston as evacuees where exiting from the underground station. It had to divert its route and the final incident occurred (Rasmussen, 2005). The investigation into the bombings uncovered that the bombs went off as another train was passing in the opposite direction, thus leading to the conclusion that the attacks were timed for maximum effect, however for some reason the bombers did not escape (Sky News, 2005). The investigation uncovered that there were possessions found on the bombers that aided in the identification of the attackers as they where carrying identification as well as other information that subsequently led to the discovery of their factory in Leeds where the explosive devices were made (Edwards, 2005). All of the attackers carried â€Å"†¦ return rail tickets †¦ and display car park tickets †¦Ã¢â‚¬  prior to their boarding the trains (Edwards, 2005). Further evidence to supported Edwards (2005) contention, which aligns with of the statements made by Tony Blair (2005) is illustrated by the fact that the explosive devices where contained in large sized rucksacks that could have easily been dumped, and personal effects such as drivers licences, banking cards and other items were found on their remains further supporting his theory that they were deceived by their superiors and the bombs were set to explode in advance as suicide bombers customarily remove all forms of identification and links. The importance of the discovery of the manner in which the events unfolded as well as the origin of the attackers was an outgrowth of the investigation into the affiliations of the attackers. The individuals involved were unknown to authorities by name, however they were caught by surveillance techniques that included a large sweep of activities thus relegating them to lesser status. Through re-tracing their steps based upon the receipts found on their remains it was clear that they traveled to Luton via vehicle, and then onto London by train (Campbell and Laville, 2005). They were captured on the King’s Cross CCTV system at 8:30 a.m.. The Aftermath In a statement released by the Rt. Hon. Paul Murphy, the MP Chairman of the United Kingdom’s Intelligence and Security Committee, he commented as to whether there was any intelligence information that could have aided in the prevention of the attacks (Community Central, 2005). The official statement and position was if there had been prior suspicions or information, then the authorities would have intervened. In all probability the audacity of the attack, even after the events if September 11th in the United States and Madrid, caught authorities by surprise even though planning for the potential of such an occurrence had been undertaken. There were and are scores of reports commenting on the probability of advance knowledge as well as one of the bombers being spotted a full year prior to the event (officialconfusion.com, 2006a). In addition to the preceding, the government is purported to have had advance knowledge that such an attack would be carried out on London’s un derground through information gathered by intelligence services (occificalconfusion.com 2006b). In hindsight it is easy to shift through mountains of information that had been gathered and or observed and put the pieces together after the fact, but the vagueness of data, the many sources and potential endings they suggest makes foresight more difficult. In one report, the London Metropolitan Police had contracted the private company of Visor Consultants to look into planning a simulated drill concerning the potential of multiple explosive attacks being made upon the London underground system (Chossudovsky, 2005). Interestingly enough a drill simulating such an attack was being conducted at 9:30 that very morning with the participants having to switch in mid drill to an active status. These drills represented crisis management on the part of the London Metropolitan Police (Chossudovsky, 2005). The preceding indicates that the varied reports as documented by Officalconfusion.com (2006ab) and other web sites in the aftermath had some validity. As the inquiry into this aspect of the London bombings represents as important an area in crisis management procedures either planned or in place prior to the attacks and hence, further investigation is warranted. A Report to Parliament by Prime Minister Blair concerning the â€Å"Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s Report into the London Terrorist Attacks on 7 July 2005† was presented on May 2006 (Prime Minister’s Office, 2006). The Report stated that the existence of Siddeque Khan was known to authorities, however his identity was not. It, the Report, also stated that Shazad Tanweer was also unknown by name, and that surveillance did pick him up through routine activity, however, since the activity was routine, no special significance was made. Said Report did indicate that the outcome of the 7 July attacks might have been prevented if the Security Service had come to different conclusions concerning the intelligence it gathered before the event. Blair’s Report also covered the subject of the reduction of the threat level and alert systems which was reduced from severe general to substantial (Prime Minister’s Office, 2006). The Report stated that the intelligence gathered prior to and up to the event did not indicate the likelihood of such an occurrence, and that a high alert level reflects a substantial indicator which did not affect the security aspects being lowered concerning transport systems. With regard to police systems the Report recommended their merging information and operative systems to provide increased communication regarding strategic and national issues as represented by terrorism, with more information passed down to lower levels (Prime Minister’s Office, 2006). The foregoing also indicated an increase in police community support officers from 6,300 to 16,000, with further increases through 2008 to heighten the ability to cover more intelligence areas and retrieve information. In conjun ction with the preceding, the Security Service along with Special Forces units have embarked on expansion putting more regional offices in place along with increased fiscal and resource support (Prime Minister’s Office, 2006). Resources from the Home Office were increased by  £30 million, with the level of increase rising to  £60 million for the budget period 2007 through 2008 (Prime Minister’s Office, 2006). European Union On a broader plane, the European Union implemented measures representing key priorities as a response to the bombings in London via the Council of the European Union’s Counter Terrorism Coordinator issued a special report concerning the â€Å"Implementation of the Action Plan to Combat Terrorism† (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). While the Report was one of a regular series issued every six months as the result of an adoption by the Council of the European Union, it made special reference to the London Bombings and that this Report contained a response to that event. The European Union, as the governing body for its member states and the center resource in implementing plans and planning of their behalf that takes into consideration past, present and future considerations, the Declaration of March 2004 to combat terrorism was set forth to be a priority for the European Union. As a direct outgrowth of the London bombing the ‘Money Laundering Dir ective’ was issued and put into action, along with the ‘Directive on Enhancing Port Security’ † (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). Additionally, Europol, Frontex and Eurotrust increased their support to the national law enforcement authorities of member nations as well as increased cooperation with national governmental agencies of other non-member nations. Specifically, the Report gave priority and urgency to the London bombings and various measures as a result of it. The vulnerability exposed by the successful terrorist attacks in London heightened the Council’s sense of urgency to identify, arrest and prevent such occurances. The use of the Internet as a communications medium by terrorists was highlighted, along with their ability to obtain weapons and employ non-conventional explosive devices† (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). Such developments indicated that additional measures, techniques and strategies were needed in the face of the preceding. New directives included the information exchange program to provide criminal record data to appropriate agencies as well as the improvement of mechanisms in consort with the preceding. The directive made it mandatory that information and cooperation be exchanged between member states along with Europol and Eurojust for all pending investigations as well as prosecutions † (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). Important to the preceding is the access to databases under the Schengen Information System which is to be made fully operational by 2007. Present implementations included the Visa Information System and its consolidation to permit faster detection, information, investigation and prevention by virtue of cross data access and matching † (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). A direct implementation coming out of the London bombings was the adoption of biometric identifiers for residence permits along with national identity cards. The implementation of enhanced measures for security regarding explosives, equipment to make bombs and firearms was also put into place (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). Heightened training for police departments in terrorism, and Customs protocols were also adopted. The areas of Port security along with Airport security were increased through the adding of additional screening measures, new technologies in equipment a s well as increased personnel and surveillance systems. Risk management measures were also upgraded through enhanced Civil Protection Mechanisms, along with crisis management techniques to provide guidance in pre attack, in the event of their occurrence, preparedness and post attack response † (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). The London bombings resulted in the Council putting forth a plan to devise crisis coordination as a result of a special adoption of the Council made on 13 July 2005. The foregoing entailed increased information sharing in emergencies and in particular, terrorist attacks when such involves more than one member state, with such measures to be in place by June 2006 † (European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator, 2005). The importance of the foregoing is the increased funding, inter agency cooperation and information sharing for all European Union member states as well as national governments not a part of the EU. Governmental Agencies in the United Kingdom The events of 7 July 2005 involved the following agencies and departments, the Metropolitan Police Service, London Fire Brigade, City of London Police, London Underground, London Ambulance Service and the Gold Coordinating Group, MI5 as well as outside intelligence reports. MI5 represents one of the more important agencies in the preceding list and maintains a web site for reference by the general public. It provides information on response levels and threats, however no update on measures either directly taken or in progress as a result of the 7 July bombings is available on their web site (MI5, 2006). Equally important is the Ministry of Defence which maintains a web site as well. It as well did not and does not contain any relevant information concerning departmental updates in the aftermath of the bombings (UK Ministry of Defence, 2006). The same search was conducted for The Secret Intelligence Service (2006) that yielded the like results. The preceding is understandable in that disseminating internal information regarding the conduct of affairs in relationship to measures in place or being put into place, does not represent an intelligent option. Internal measures and developments on the part of governmental agencies are secretive areas, thus new plans and activities represent aspects that are unavailable to the public. Public sentiment and anxiety in the United Kingdom over the 7 July bombings represent an area of intense concern within the country for all of its citizens. The aftermath of this event resulted in the country developing â€Å"†¦ stronger counter terrorism measures †¦ as represented by legislation (Lawson, 2005). As the attacks were carried out by homegrown terrorists, the difficulty in preventive measures has increased dramatically as the identification means take in individuals already inside the country’s borders. The response by the Emergency Medical Service represents a major component plan that worked from the standpoint of crisis management. With a wounded total in excess of 700 people, the importance of getting medical personnel to the sites, performing emergency services and transporting them to hospitals, coordinating which location was a major undertaking. The London Ambulance Service deployed vehicles throughout the four sites and had to respond accordingly to the level of the incident as developments became known (Heightman, 2005). A situation of this type calls for on the spot reactions, decision making and judgment. As part of emergency preparedness, the London Ambulance Service had researched various plans scenarios to respond to such incidents as a result of the events of September 11th in the United States, briefings with government officials and the threat of such a disaster occurring in London as a result of the country’s participation in Iraq and the train attack in Madrid some sixteen months prior. The personnel total exceeded 250 emergency staff, supplemented by a contingency of volunteers who responded to the situation, with approximately 100 ambulances used to transfer injured individuals to various medical facilities (Heightman, 2005). The total or injured exceeded the London Ambulance Service capacity, so under the contingency plans developed, it called in aid from Bedfordshire, Kent, Essex, Herefordshire and Surrey as well as St. John Ambulance and the British Red Cross (Heightman, 2005). Per the crisis management operational plan the vehicles were staged at locations that had been planned in advance where a large contingent of vehicles could have easy access and departure. Local managers arrived at these locations to coordinated activities and schedule departures as well as points to ferry the injured to as well as aiding in making determinations of whom to carry out first and whom to treat on the scene (Heightman, 2005). In total, the London Ambulance Service oversaw the treatment of 645 individuals, of which 45 represented critical and serious injuries such as burns, amputations, fractured limbs and blast burns, with an additional 300 treated on scene and 300 ferried to various hospitals (Heightman, 2005). Working in conjunction with the London Metropolitan Police the entire operation was seamless and one of the bright spots in a day of disaster. In the immediate aftermath of the bombings the government’s COBRA crisis management team, along with the Joint Terrorism Analysis Center swung into action which combines MI5 and MI6, domestic and foreign intelligence, Government Communications Headquarters and the police together to coordinate response, investigation and management of the situation (Philpott, 2005). The entire operation went global in hours, pulling in intelligence and research from the United States, United Nations, The European Union, and other countries to review briefings, documents, surveillance and other materials. The inter-agency team London Resilience that was put into operation after September 11th, coordinated emergency services, health, fire, transport, utilities and business under its umbrella (London Resilience, 2006). London Resilience ‘Strategic Emergency Plan’ represents a blueprint designed for the effective handling of crisis situations in London as a collaborative effort. The London Metropolitan Police were also prepared for the situation, as stated by Ian Blair, Commissioner, â€Å"This is the biggest crime scene in England’s history †¦ a situation for which we have planned and prepared †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Philpott, 2005). Critical in the immediate investigation of the incident where the 400,000 CCTV cameras throughout London that helped to identify the bombers at King’s Cross when they arrived. (Wikipedia, 2006). It recorded them splitting up and talking, and the investigation team spotted the four bombers on Monday through matching their images with documents found at the explosions (Philpott, 2005). The CCTV system was designed and developed as a result of the 1985 IRA bombings, and the trial program was so successful that it was expanded (Wikipedia, 2006). As one of the most sophisticated CCTV systems in the world, the United Kingdom has one camera for every 14 individuals when home, business, and governmental systems are added to gether (Wikipedia, 2006). The events of 7 July has resulted in all major cities increasing their security efforts with respect to subway bombings, however, the measure of scanning all backpacks, pocketbooks, suitcases and other carry one items is not only impractical, but impossible. Thus, in the aftermath the underground system in the United Kingdom is safer, but still vulnerable, much less so than prior to the incident, but vulnerable nevertheless. In London a major impediment to more security measures on top of the additional personnel which has been put into place is fiscal. The present budget does not allow for security officer patrolling enough trains, as well as having at least one officer per station to eye scan passengers (Philpott, 2005). Funds to provide added cameras, hardening of tunnels, fences, radiation detection and intrusion systems, control and command tools for security and track monitoring along with rolling stock have been estimated at  £1 billion (Philpott, 2005). All in all, the emergency services, police, MI5, intelligence arms and government responded favorably to the largest incident in the country’s history, save for World War II. The planning, preparations, and coordination that the government put into place after September 11th helped to quickly identify the bombers, although the evidence strongly suggests that they were sacrificed in the process by devices that were timed to go off quicker than they were led to believe thus capturing them in the explosions as well (BBC News, 2005). The fact they were carrying their personal identification, bank cards, and the parking ticket points to their belief that they were deceived by their superiors (Edwards, 2005). Conclusion The surprise nature of the bombings could not have been forecast, even in the face of the advance knowledge of the Madrid train attack, as to location, date and timing. Pre terrorist planning by the Metropolitan Police, London Ambulance Service, Fire Brigade and other governmental agencies has not been identified as being sub-standard or negligent. In a Report made to Parliament concerning the â€Å"Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s Report into the London Terrorist Attacks on 7 July 2005†, a full briefing of all of the salient facets were covered. The Security Service did pick up Shazad Tanweer and Siddeque Khan, but their name identities were unknown and they were not identified as significant participants at that time. Said Report made a number of important recommendations regarding the merging of police systems along with increasing police community support officers to heighten departmental capabilities in the future which were enacted. Additionally allocation increases for the police budget were immediately granted. The blasts also prompted the Council of the European Union to adopt a number of measures concerning intra country intelligence and cooperation protocols. The Declaration of March 2004 to combat terrorism was set forth to be a priority for the European Union. Money laundering,, enhanced Port and Airport security measures were increased and various agencies were provided with directives to devise increased security and cooperation methods and measures. The Council Report also increased Civil Protection Mechanisms, crisis management and pre attack preparedness. The London Ambulance Service performed admirably in response to the attack handling in excess of 600 patients and coordinating the activities of a number of regional ambulances services and volunteer units to effectively ferry the injured to hospitals. Their performance lessened the loss of live and was a bright spot in an otherwise dreadful historic day. Internal security measures and inter agency cooperation has been enhanced in the aftermath of the attacks to better coordinate activities in the pre terrorist phase through investigation, detainment and arrest. The system has prevented two such occurances and continues to seek ways to improve upon their operational standards. Thanks to the 400,000 police CCTV cameras in operation in the target area, visual identification was made in short order, resulting in arrests as well as the discovery of the factory where the devices were made. The lessons learned from the 7 July attacks represented severe and costly teachings that the country as well as European Union and the United states have taken to heart. It again provided evidence regarding the need to be ever vigilant in techniques, surveillance and preemptive action to prevent occurances of this type in the future. The loss of live by civilians represents an unacceptable price in a battle of idealism that encompasses the quest of a small group, Al-Qaeda, to impose its will on nations. Bibliography Altermedia.info (2005) Who benefits from the London Bombings? Retrieved on 6 December 2006 from http://us.altermedia.info/news-of-interest-to-white-people/who-benefits-from-the-london-bombings_1033.html BBC News (2005) Police hunt bomb team accomplices. 15 July 2005. Retrieved on 9 December 2006 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4684869.stm BBC.co.uk (2006) What happened on 7 July? Retrieved on 6 December 2006 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_5140000/newsid_5147000/5147004.stm Campbell, D., Laville, S. (2005) British suicide bombers carried out London attacks, say Police. 13 July 2005. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/attackonlondon/story/0,16132,1527404,00.html Chossudovsky, M. (2005) Fictional 7/7 â€Å"scenario† of multiple bomb attacks on London’s subway. 11 August 2005. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.lonelantern.org/london_terror_drills.html Community Central (2005) Report into the London terrorist attacks on 7 July 2005 published. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.continuitycentral.com/news02553.htm CNN.com (2006) Minute-by-minute account. 11 May 2006. Retrieved on 6 December 2006 from http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/07/07/london.timeline/index.html Dhimmi Watch (2005) UN effectively blames West for London bombings. Retrieved on 6 December 2006 from http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/007156.php Edwards, J. (2005) Exclusive: Was It Suicide? 16 July 2005. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15742951method=fullsiteid=94762headline=was-it-suicidename_page.html European Union Counter Terrorism Coordinator (2005) Implementation of the Action Plan to Combat Terrorism. 12 December 2005. Council of the European Union Heightman, A. (2005) Bombs Enter London: The EMS response plan that worked. Vol. 30, Issue 8. Jems Lawson, D. (2005) The London Bombing Fallout: Negotiating Public Anxiety and Political Gain. 28 October 2005.Centre for Social Change Research, Queensland University of Technology London Resilience (2006) London Prepared. Retrieved on 9 December 2006 from http://www.londonprepared.gov.uk/ MI5 (2006) This is the official website of the UK Security Service. Retrieved on 8 December 2006 from http://www.mi5.gov.uk/output/Page2.html Officalconfusion.com (2006a) Bomber Spotted a Year Before July 7. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.infowars.net/~officia/77/priorknow/surveillance/230106timesspottedyearbefore.html Officialconfusion.com (2006b) Spies Warned of Tube Attack. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.infowars.net/~officia/77/priorknow/surveillance/181205timesspieswarnedofattack.html Philpott, D. (2005) The London Bombings: New Evidence Points t Al-Qaeda and a New Terror Campaign. Homeland Defense Journal, Special Report Prime Minister’s Office (2006) Government Response to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s Report into the London Terrorist Attacks on 7 July 2005. May 2006. Retrieved on 6 December 2006 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/11_05_06_isc_london_attacks_report_govt.pdf Rassmussen, M. (2005) Some Thoughts on the London Bombs. Vo. 4, Issue 9. Strategic Insights Secret Intelligence Service (2006) The Official Secret Intelligence Service Website. Retrieved on 8 December 2006 from http://www.sis.gov.uk/output/Page79.html Sky News (2005) Interview with Sir Ian Blair. 24 July 2005. Retrieved on 7 December 2006 from http://www.skynewstranscripts.co.uk/transcript.asp?id=117 UK Ministry of Defence (2006) Home Web Page. Retrieved on 8 December 2006 from http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Home/ Wikipedia (2006) Closed Circuit television. Retrieved on Why is Disability Viewed as a Social Problem? Why is Disability Viewed as a Social Problem? TO WHAT EXTENT IS THE SOCIAL PROBLEM THAT IS DISABILITY A MATTER OF PRIVATE CONCERN FOR THE FAMILY? Disability excites interest because disability is seen as a social problem i.e. it is seen either in terms of personal tragedy or of blame. Social problems generate public concern and private misery and call for collective action to remedy this (Worsley, 1972). Disability has been theorised in a number of different ways, most of which locate the problem in the individual rather than the broader social, political, and economic influences. This has implications for the location of the blame for social problems, such that they become depoliticised. The rise in the idea of the politics of minority groups is well documented and implies that in the case of people with disabilities who are unable to work the Government should provide a whole range of services. Because most Governments are unwilling to commit themselves this far, disability is again defined as a social problem, and often the burden of care lies with the family (Moore, 2002). This paper will give an account of definitions of disability and the ways in which they impact on disabled people. There will be an exploration of the concept and history of the family and its contemporary diverse forms, and an examination of the ways in which the ideology of the family has problematised the concept of care. The paper will then assess how the family has been implicated in both solving and defining the problem of disability and to what extent the social problem that is disability is a matter of private concern for families. Models of Disability The medical model of health is the most powerful in western society, doctors introduced a curative model of health that concentrated on the body where the hospital became the space for such models were put into practice (Walsh et al, 2000). This model situates ill health in the individual and ignores the social circumstances that may give rise to ill health, furthermore it has impacted on government healthcare policy throughout the twentieth century. The situation is exacerbated by the medicalisation of many conditions making them into a problem that can only be addressed by experts, as Brisenden(1986) comments: The problem is that medical people tend to see all difficulties solely from the perspective of proposed treatments for a patient, without recognising that the individual has to weigh up whether this treatment fits into the overall economy of their life. In the past especially, doctors have been too willing to suggest medical treatment and hospitalisation, even when this would not necessarily improve the quality of life for the person concerned. Indeed, questions about the quality of life have sometimes been portrayed as something of an intrusion upon the purely medical equation. (Brisenden, 1986:176). The medical model leads to the treatment of people with disabilities as passive objects of medical attention. This is oppressive of disabled people and spreads to other social relationships, it sees disability as pathological i.e. rooted in a persons biology, and thus unchanging. Contained within this model is the perception of people with disabilities as problematic. Disability has also been theorized as a personal tragedy, resulting in individuals with a disability being seen as victims. This results in policy making whereby people with disabilities need compensating for their disability. This model also affects social relationships. The view of disability as personal tragedy individualises disability so that it becomes depoliticised and the disabled person must make his or her adjustments to that disability as best they can (Dalley, 1990). In locating disability within the individual society denies any responsibility to cater for the diversity of their needs (Oliver, 1990). The third way in which disability has been theorized is in the social model of disability. This model is becoming increasingly dominant in research on disability. Vassey (1992) has described it thus: redefining disability in terms of a disabling environment, repositioning disabled people as citizens with rights, and reconfiguring the responsibilities for creating, sustaining and overcoming disablism (Vassey, 1992:44).. Here the person is disabled because of the refusal of society to provide for example suitable access for the wheelchair user. This model stresses that a disabling society leads to the exclusion of people with disabilities. Oliver (1996) contends that this notion has been politically empowering for disabled people, and has allowed a previously contested notion to develop an agenda that has influenced policy making. Some people see disability as entirely a result of social structures and processes while others feel that society compounds the difficulties that disabled people encounter. Disability is not a universal category, people have different types and degrees of impairment, some can function well with technical aids while still others are, to a greater or lesser degree, dependent on the care of other people (Dalley, 1988). The Concept and History of the Family Parsons (1955) argued that the family is the primary place of socialization and serves to introduce and instill the norms and values of society. Parsons model was what is commonly known as the nuclear family, i.e. parents and children living together to provide the mutual love and support that individuals need to be productive members of society (Giddens, 2001). Murdock (1949 cited in Giddens, 2001) maintains that traditional concepts of the family are a universal phenomenon. Others criticise the nuclear model for being too narrow and for neglecting the fact that not all family members experience life in the same way (Abbott and Wallace, 1997). Whether the nuclear family is regarded as universal depends largely on how the family is defined, certainly it is no longer the norm in contemporary society. Gittins (1993) maintains that there are a wide variety of domestic relationships. Thus relationships may be universal but the forms they take can be infinitely variable. There are many single parent families, whether through death, divorce or choice, there are also second marriages that often result in reconstituted families. The nuclear model relates specifically to nineteenth and early twentieth century ideological views of the family (Giddens, 2001). The Family and Ideology Until the late seventeenth century there was little or no distinction between the public and the private sphere, families generally worked the land and they did this together. The rise of industrialization and the growth of the towns brought massive changes to what had constituted family life up until that time. Feminists argue that for centuries women have been the subordinate sex in society and this subordination is largely a result of the fact that they have been born women rather than men. This subordination increased with industrialisation and the separation between public and private spheres (Oakley 1982). The coming of the factory meant that the family was replaced as the unit of production. The growing dependence of children, Oakley (1982) states, led to womens increased dependence on men and their restriction to the private sphere. Throughout the nineteenth century there was a growing idealisation of the feminine. Women were regarded as both physically and emotionally weaker than men and unfit for the same roles. Victorian ideology said that women were created to help men and should thus remain at home. This primarily affected the middle classes but as the century progressed the working class were also influenced by this ideology, locking women into the housewife role (Oakley, 1982). Murdock (1949 in Giddens, 2001) argued that gender roles are the natural result of the biological differences between men and women. Mens superior strength and womens childbearing capabilities make the sexual division of labour the most sensible way of organising society. Delphy (1977) maintains that this results in sexual inequality. Gender differences are not innate but socially constructed to serve the interests of the socially dominant group. Delphy contends that women are a separate class because the categories of man and woman are political and economic, rather than eternal biological categories. Within the family particularly, women form a class who are exploited by men, as Delphy states: While the wage-labourer sells his labour power, the marrie woman gives hers away; exclusivity and non-payment are intimately connected. To supply unpaid labour within the framework of a universal and personal relationship (marriage) constructs primarily a relationship of slavery (Delpy, 1977:15). This relationship has been exploited by successive Governments and is implicit in many social policy initiatives. The Family and the Welfare State The post-war welfare state which promised universal welfare provision, was set up on the assumption of full employment and the notion that men would go out to work while women stayed home (Abbott and Wallace, 1997).. Moore (2002) maintains that this is an ideological view of the family and how it might function. In the late 1970s the Tories actively discouraged alternatives to the traditional family e.g. cohabitation and gay partnerships (Abbott and Wallace, 1997). Since the Thatcher Government public and policy debates on family life, parenting and health have centered around the idea of responsibility (Such and Walker 2004) Moore (2002) maintains that in the thinking of the seventies and also in Labours Third Way, family members have a duty to help each other as it is not the job of the state to look after them. The state takes over when no-one else is around to share the burden. The fact that the State has had to intervene, it is argued, is one of the reasons why the traditional family is on the decline. In a good society members should help each other without regard to personal benefit. The State should be there to provide a safety net when there is no other help available. New Labour advocate a mixed economy of welfare where welfare is provided in part by the state and partly by private companies operating for profit. The shift from public to private has received much publicity and contributed to social problems and to social exclusion. Previously highly subsidized, or universal, services have either become part of the private sector, or have been subject to means testing, some welfare provision has been handed over to voluntary organizations. This has increased the likelihood that welfare and caring are now a private rather than a public responsibility (Giddens, 2001). This tends to stigmatise further those who are forced to rely on benefits, e.g. the disabled and their carers, usually women. The State and Womens Caring Role Marxist feminists e.g. Walby (1990) argue that the gender ideology that has filtered down to the working classes has affected their solidarity as a class and this makes them more easily controllable by the Capitalist system. While Marxism gives an explanation of exploitation by the capitalist system it does not explain the inequalities between women and men. Delphy (1977) maintains that gender and sexual inequality should be the fundamental categories of feminist analysis. Marxism alone does not explain for example why women are seen as responsible for household tasks. Capitalism could still profit if men stayed at home. The Community Care Act of 1990 has imposed further responsibilities on women in the role of informal carers. Dalley (1988) argues that much Governments policy making has been based on ideologies of caring with the assumptions behind the idea of community care being based on outmoded notions of the family. In practice this notion of caring disadvantages women carers and also many disabled or older dependent relatives. Within such an ideology, the caring that women do in the home is considered to be a natural part of womens role within the family. Thus, her caring role become invisible and shouldering the burden increases the likelihood that women will themselves be in need of care (Graham, 1993). This is borne out by the increasing number of women who suffer from disabilities and mental health problems. Womens caring role is further undermined by the idea that any health care that matters is given by professionals. When this is accompanied by Government discourses of self-help, self-reliance and the responsibility of the family this adds to the social stigma that disabled people face. It focuses on the disability, not the person themselves, inevitably this places an added strain on families. The prevalence of the medical model of health and the ways in which families are kept under-informed regarding the disability of a family member, particularly a child, affects family relationships. Gregory (1991) maintains that when a person is diagnosed as diabled this affects the ways in which society and the family respond to and deal with that person. Families themselves can tend to see the disabled family member as sick and different. Gregory (1991) found that having a disabled family member also affected the way in which mothers viewed themselves because ideological images of motherhood focus on having an able child. Thus a woman may feel that she is somehow not a mother because of the ways in which society defines motherhood. Press reports on disabled children and their families usually present them in terms of sacrifice and heroism (Gregory, 1991). This can affect family members response to the disabled person, their forced reliance on the medical model, and the view of disability as a tragedy becomes universalized. This misses the individuals personal needs and circumstances. It seems that increasingly the social problem of disability is becoming a matter of private concern for the family. The NHS appears to take this view. While doctors may diagnose a physical or learning disability families are often left to cope without ei ther sufficient information or professional help. In a number of cases families have reported that hospitals have refused to admit non-emergency cases unless a parent or carer remains on site to provide additional support (http://www.cafamily.org.uk/rda-uk.html). A shortage of nursing staff and the increasing tendency to perform surgery on a day care basis means that many families are left with extra caring responsibilities once they take the disabled child or adult home. (http://www.cafamily.org.uk/rda-uk.html). Conclusion Ideologies of the family and the medical model of disability exacerbate the social problems of disability. Discourses of family responsibility place a much greater burden on many people, particularly women who bear the burden of responsibility of care. Such discourses tend to make women who find it difficult to cope feel that they are a failure. This in turn reflects back on the disabled person who may feel that they are a burden. Clearly current policies and debates over partnership between the Government and families and family responsibility is moving closer to the view that disability is no longer a public concern but a private family one. Dalley (1988) argue that some form of institutional care e.g. supported living should replace care in the family. While there are support structures in place for people with disabilities, the extent to which informal carers have access to such facilities is very limited (Baldwin and Twigg, 1990).. Perhaps supported living arrangements along wit h family involvement in personal care would, arguably, take some strain off of the family and give more independence to the person with disabilities thus making the social problem of disability a shared public and private concern rather than simply a concern for the family. Bibliography Abbott, P. and Wallace, C. 1997. An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge. Baldwin, S and Twigg, J. 1991 Women and community care: Reflections on a debate in Maclean, M and Groves, D eds 1991 Womens Issues in Social Policy London, Routledge Crowe, G. and Hardey,M.1992. Diversity and ambiguity among lone-parent households in modern Britain. In Marsh, C. and Arber, S. (Eds.) 1992. Families and Households: Divisions and Change. London: Macmillan. Dalley, G. 1988 Ideologies of caring: Rethinking Community and Collectivism London, Macmillan Delphy, C 1977 The Main Enemy London, Womens Research and Resource Centre Giddens, A. 2001. (4th ed). Sociology. Cambridge, Polity Press. Gittens, D. 1993 The Family in Question: Changing households and familial ideologies London, Macmillan Graham, H. 1993 Hardship and Health in Womens Lives Hemel Hempstead, Harvester/Wheatsheaf Gregory, S. 1991 Challenging Motherhood: Mothers and their deaf children in Phoenix, A and Lloyd E, eds. 1991 Motherhood: Meaning Practices and Ideology London, Sage Moore, S. 2002 Social Welfare Alive 3rd ed. Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Oakley, A 1982 Subject Woman London, Fontana Parsons, T. and Bales, R. 1955. Family, Socialisation, and Interaction Process. Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press Oliver, P. 1990 The Politics of Disablement Basingstoke, Macmillan Oliver, M 1996 Social Work with Disabled People Basingstoke Macmillan. Such, E. and Walker, R. 2004 Being responsible and responsible beings: childrens understanding of responsibility Children and Society 18 (3) Jun 2004, pp.231-242 Swain, J. Heyman, B and Gilmour, M 1998 Public Research, private concerns: Ethical issues in the use of open-ended interviews with people who have learning disabilities in Disability and Society 13 (1) pp. 21-36 Thomas, C. eds 2004 Disabling Barriers, Enabling Environments London, Sage Vasey, S. (1992) A response to Liz Crow, Coalition, September, 42-44 Walby, S. 1990 cited in Abbott, P. and Wallace, C. 1997. An Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives. London, Routledge. Walsh, M. Stephens, P. and Moore, S. 2000 Social Policy and Welfare. Cheltenham Worsley, P and Chatterton, M 1972 Problems of Modern Society: A Sociological Perspective Harmondsworth, Penguin

Cindy Sherman Essay -- Essays Papers

Cindy Sherman Terror and mockery come together in the portraits of Cindy Sherman on display at the Crocker Art Museum. Walking into the large, dimly lit ballroom, one may begin to feel a slight sense of trepidation as the viewer looks around to find nine sets of beady eyes watching one’s every move. Sherman produced her History Portraits during the late eighties and early nineties, nine of which are displayed at the museum. In her portraits she uses lush fabrics, lavish jewelry, and false body parts to decorate herself in these self-portraits. Her portraits have been know to cause discomfort in the viewers who find the general stereotypes, depicted in her portraits, amusing, yet confusing and terrorizing. Sherman’s Untitled #225 (Blond Woman) triggers those exact emotions. The portrait is a large colored photograph created in 1990. An eighteenth century blond, Madonna-like, young lady sits poised with one hand on her exposed artificial breast as if she is nursing a baby. She is well dressed in a blue satin dress, small white beads laced through her braided hair, and a tiara atop her head. Her icy, blue eyes stare off to the left with a harsh, cold expression. With her breast aimed high, spewing fluids, in the same direction as she stares, it is difficult to imagine what is going through her head, however it is clear that it is something of an almost vindictive and unforgiving nature. Possibly, she points her breast toward a man who betrayed her or harass...

Glacial Processes :: essays research papers

There are many different glacial landforms created by glacial erosion, one of these landforms is U-shaped valleys or glacial troughs. This glacial landform has many distinct characteristics. One of these characteristics is that it has very steep valley sides caused by the glacier as it moves down the valley eroding the sides of the valley by the processes of abrasion and plucking. Abrasion is when the boulders and moraine carried by the glacier rubs and erodes the valley side as it physically moves down the valley. Plucking happens when the water in the glacier freezes inside of the cracks in the individual rocks on the valley side then the water freezes and as the glacier moves the rock is plucked or torn from the valley side producing the steep side to the valley. The valley also has wide flat floors caused by ice movement aided by large volumes of melt water and moraine has greater erosive power than that of rivers. This results in the wide floors. The greater erosive power of the glacier than that of a river also causes the valley to be very straight compared to the valley shape that a river has eroded, it has no interlocking spurs because the shear power of the glacier has slowly smashed through the original spurs of the valley. Just before the glacier forms and when the temperatures are cold enough known as the the â€Å"pre glacial† period the process of freeze thaw takes place, this aids the formation of the u shaped valley. Freeze thaw is when the water in the summer enters the cracks of rocks and the in winter when the temperatures have gone below 0 degrees centigrade the water freezes in the cracks and because when water has frozen the particles in the water have less movement and expand causing the rock to shatter. Freeze thaw therefore helps in the formation of the u shaped valley by breaking up the valley floor so that the floor is weakened so the glacier can easily and speedily erode the valley floor by all the conventional forms of erosion like plucking abrasion but with greater ease. There are many of examples of u shaped valleys around the world because wherever there has been a glacier there will be a u shaped valley that has been formed as it moves down the valley. One example of a u shaped valley is that of the valley in the Swiss Alps near san moritz

Employment with a Criminal Background Essay -- Jobs Career

Employment with a Criminal Background Seeking employment is highly competitive, and it becomes more difficult when in poverty and with a criminal past. Many factors influence this complex situation. Hiring an exconvict does pose a risk to the employer, and negative stereotypes reinforce anxiety over this risk. A common belief is that a criminal background means a person can’t be trusted and that they might re-offend, and if the applicant re-offends the employer could be charged with negligent hiring. The theory that criminals commit crime for financial reasons suggests a linking between poverty and crime. Placing offenders in employment brings stability and serves to reduce the tendency to re-offend. There are training programs in and out of prison that have been designed to help ex-cons develop job skills; however success of these programs is still debatable. There are also horror stories of what some ex-cons have done in places of employment, including harm other employees. Thus it is understandable for employers to not want to be exposed to a risk but this does not help those in poverty with criminal records. The challenges ex-cons face trying to find employment as well as the options available to them will be further explored. There can be various factors that affect how an ex-con applicant is viewed and treated. Employers may look at the seriousness of the offense. For instance, people will more likely be hired after property offenses than after violent crime and murder (Albright and Furjen ). In a study measuring employer’s attitudes towards ex-con applicants, it was found the type of offense can play a big role in being hired. â€Å"Employers in this study also indicated that the more information they recei... ...-30. Jones, Mark and Barbara Sims. â€Å"Recidivism of offenders released from prison in North Carolina: a gender comparison.† Prison Journal 77.3 (Sept 1997): 335-49. Petersilia, Joan. When Prisoners Come Home. New York: Oxford, 2003. Saxonhouse, Elena. â€Å"Equal protection: comparing former felons' challenges to disenfranchisement and employment discrimination.† Stanford Law Review 56 (May 2004): 1597-1640). Tatge, Mark. â€Å"With Unemployment Low, Employers Turn to Ex-Cons to Fill Open.† Wall Street Journal 24 April 2000. 10 May 2005 . Turner, Susan and Joan Petersilia. â€Å"Work release in Washington: effects on recidivism and corrections costs.† Prison Journal 76.2 (June 1996): 138-65. Weygandt, Scott. â€Å"Focusing on employment: NIC's career center project.† Corrections Today 65.5 (August 2003): 112-15. Employment with a Criminal Background Essay -- Jobs Career Employment with a Criminal Background Seeking employment is highly competitive, and it becomes more difficult when in poverty and with a criminal past. Many factors influence this complex situation. Hiring an exconvict does pose a risk to the employer, and negative stereotypes reinforce anxiety over this risk. A common belief is that a criminal background means a person can’t be trusted and that they might re-offend, and if the applicant re-offends the employer could be charged with negligent hiring. The theory that criminals commit crime for financial reasons suggests a linking between poverty and crime. Placing offenders in employment brings stability and serves to reduce the tendency to re-offend. There are training programs in and out of prison that have been designed to help ex-cons develop job skills; however success of these programs is still debatable. There are also horror stories of what some ex-cons have done in places of employment, including harm other employees. Thus it is understandable for employers to not want to be exposed to a risk but this does not help those in poverty with criminal records. The challenges ex-cons face trying to find employment as well as the options available to them will be further explored. There can be various factors that affect how an ex-con applicant is viewed and treated. Employers may look at the seriousness of the offense. For instance, people will more likely be hired after property offenses than after violent crime and murder (Albright and Furjen ). In a study measuring employer’s attitudes towards ex-con applicants, it was found the type of offense can play a big role in being hired. â€Å"Employers in this study also indicated that the more information they recei... ...-30. Jones, Mark and Barbara Sims. â€Å"Recidivism of offenders released from prison in North Carolina: a gender comparison.† Prison Journal 77.3 (Sept 1997): 335-49. Petersilia, Joan. When Prisoners Come Home. New York: Oxford, 2003. Saxonhouse, Elena. â€Å"Equal protection: comparing former felons' challenges to disenfranchisement and employment discrimination.† Stanford Law Review 56 (May 2004): 1597-1640). Tatge, Mark. â€Å"With Unemployment Low, Employers Turn to Ex-Cons to Fill Open.† Wall Street Journal 24 April 2000. 10 May 2005 . Turner, Susan and Joan Petersilia. â€Å"Work release in Washington: effects on recidivism and corrections costs.† Prison Journal 76.2 (June 1996): 138-65. Weygandt, Scott. â€Å"Focusing on employment: NIC's career center project.† Corrections Today 65.5 (August 2003): 112-15.

Social Effects of Alzheimer’s

â€Å"What Are the Social Effects of Alzheimer’s Disease? † The growing epidemic of Alzheimer’s Disease plagues more than 4 million people nationwide, according to the National Institute for Aging. The social and financial costs associated with Alzheimer’s Disease are on the rise with no relief in sight. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), is the most common form of Dementia. It is an irreversible disease that destroys the brain over a period of time. AD is equivalent to child development in reverse. Scientists have found that AD patients share the abnormal processing and degradation of the beta-amyloid precursor protein. Scientists have noted that there are 2 changes in the brain cells. That is plaque and tangles. Plaques are made up of a sticky protein called beta amyloid, which builds up into small, sticky clumps in the cortex of the brain, intermingled with the functioning nerve cells. Tangles are made up of tau molecules, which normally form tiny tubes that support the structure of the brain cell. In Alzheimer’s patients, the molecules change shape so that the tubes collapse, causing the cell to shrink and die. It is still unknown how these changes occur. Alois Alzheimer first identified this disease in 1907. Generally, a person can develop this disease anywhere from 2 to 20 years after the first warning signs appear. Both men and women can become effected by AD. The older person is more likely to have it than the younger person. Rare inherited forms of AD such as Familal AD, can develop in individuals as early as their 30's and 40's. Most people develop it between the ages of 65 and 75 years old. AD has no single cause, but in the last 15 years, scientists have found several risk factors that increase one’s likelihood in developing the disease. One of the main risk factors is increasing age. According to the Multi-Institutional Research in Alzheimer’s Genetic Epidemiology (MIRAGE) project based at Boston University School of Medicine shows that at all ages a women’s risk of the disease is somewhat higher than men’s. Scientists also believe genetic predisposition plays a role to some degree. Based upon the MIRAGE project’s findings, it was found that people who’s both parents had AD had 1. 5 times the risk of people with just one affected parent and 5 times the risk of people with 2 unaffected parents. It was also found that most people with one affected parent do not develop AD themselves. Scientists have also found that genetic mutations on chromosomes 1, 14, 12 and 21greatly increase the risk of this disease in some families. Specifically chromosome 21 cause AD in people with down syndrome. A gene on chromosomes 12 and 19 play a significant role in late on-set AD, the most common type of AD. Scientists believe that ethnicity and environmental   factors play a role in the development in this disease. It has also been founded that high fat/low fiber diets have been linked to increase the risk of AD, as well as strokes, heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. It is believed that regular, moderate exercise also helps to prevent AD too. In 1998, AD researchers Erasmus University in Rotterdam found that women smokers are 2 times as likely to develop AD and men who smoke have 6 times the risk. More research is needed, as there is still no clear answer to the cause of this disease. There are 7 stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. The first stage is when the patient is cognitively normal. This is when there are no complaints or indication of any memory problems. The second stage is when the patient is very mild and cognitive deficit. In this stage, there is forgetfulness of new names or where they put things such as glasses or keys. The third stage is when the patient has a mild cognitive decline. This is when there is trouble remembering the names of objects and material they just read. The fourth stage is when the patient has a moderate cognitive decline. This is when the patient gets lost going to familiar places and having difficulty counting and recognizing familiar people. The fifth stage is when the patient has a moderately severe cognitive decline. This is when the patient has early dementia. It is when the patient needs assistance to survive. They forget their address, phone number and where they are. The sixth stage is when the patient has a severe cognitive decline. This is when the patient has middle dementia. In this stage, they forget relatives names but not their own. They have no idea of where they are or what the date is. They seem nervous and paranoid and usually lash out. Other times they are peaceful. They also lose bladder and bowel control. Finally, in the seventh stage, the patient has a very severe cognitive decline. It is the final stage of dementia. They later cannot feed themselves, and eventually lose the ability to walk and talk. The 10 Warnings signs generally associated with AD are: memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language, disorientation with regard to time and place, poor or decreased judgment, problems with abstract thinking, misplacing things, hanges in mood or behavior, changes in personality and loss of initiative. A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease with 100% accuracy requires an examination of the brain tissue. This is typically done with an autopsy after a person dies. An autopsy of a person with Alzheimer’s shows their brains literally tangled and deteriorated. Although a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s is very accurate wit hout autopsy with a complete physical examination of the patient. The diagnosis of AD is through a process of elimination after all possible causes of the symptoms are ruled out. Early diagnosis of this horrible disease is very important, as it will give time to the patient to make plans for the care of themselves and their finances. There are no cures for AD. Only 5 prescription drugs to treat AD have been approved by the FDA. Unfortunately, none of these drugs stops the disease itself, but it slows down the process for a limited time and helps control some of the behavioral symptoms. There is no way of preventing AD. There is some indication that antioxidants such as Vitamin E and some anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen may reduce the risk of starting it. It is believed that approximately 2-4 million Americans have AD. More than 70% of Alzheimer’s sufferers live in their own home and the average out of pocket cost is $12,500 a year. For Alzheimer’s patients in residential care centers or nursing homes, the average cost is $42,000-$70,000 per person per year depending upon where they live. The average cost of Alzheimer’s care from diagnosis until death is $174,000. AD is very costly. Most assistant living facilities are self-financed. Unfortunately, most people cannot afford it. V. A. benefits maybe an option for veterans. Medicare pays for up to 150 days of nursing home care, but AD does not qualify because there is no possibility of rehabilitation. Medicaid is a federal program administered by individual states that pay for long term care. Unfortunately, there are many restrictions and depending upon the state and or the stage of AD, the sufferer is in dictates whether or not they qualify for such a benefit. That is why this is a health crisis facing our nation. The government must be willing to provide more money towards research, and until a cure is found the restrictions of Medicaid must be reorganized to aid those in need.