Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Global Warming Essay According to Live Science, global warming is used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earths climate forever. The scientific consensus on climatic changes to global warming is that the average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0. 4 Cto 0. 8 C over the past 100 years (as cited in Live Science, n. d. ). In the article from the American Policy Roundtable Arguments against Global Warming, many claim that global warming is obvious and that all arguments against global warming fall. The problem is that what is obvious often isnt true. Concern over global warming is overblown and misdirected. More than 17,000 scientists have signed a petition circulated by the Oregon Institute of Science saying in part, there in no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the forseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earths atmosphere and disruption of the Earths climate. Satellite readings of temperatures in the lower troposphere show no warming since readings began 23 years ago. These readings are accurate within 0. 01 C, and are consistent with data from weather balloons. Only land-based temperature stations show a warming trend, and these stations do not cover the entire globe, and often contaminated by heat generated by nearly urban development, and are subject to human error (cited in American Policy Roundtable, n. d. ). When it comes to government and industrial leaders, a certain number of these are not being honest to citizens about the amount of pollution the industries and countries create. According to Exact Weather, from an article called Hysteria, all the main players from politicians and scientists to big corporations and the United Nations benefit from instilling fear into billions of human beings over the unproven theory of man-made global warming, Indeed, just three weeks after the U. N. ratcheted up international fears over global warming, a panel of 18 scientists from 11 countries has not reported to the U. N. that the only thing that can stop catastrophic climate change is a global tax on greenhouse gas emissions. Global problems, real or conjured up, require global governmental solutions. Environmentalism is nothing less than the global elitists replacement ideology for communism/socialism. Elitists who desire to rule other peoples lives have gravitated an even more powerful ideology. More powerful because it seems to trump all other considerations, as it claims the very survival of life on earth is dependent on implementing its agenda. (cited in Exact Weather, n. d. ). This is not the first time Americas major media has predicted an impending global climate crisis. It has happened four different time with each prediction warning that entire countries would be wiped out or that lower crop yields would mean the billions would die. In 1895, the panic was over an imminent ice age. Later, in the late 1920s, when the earths surface warmed less than half a degree, the media jumped on a new threat global warming, which continued into the late 1950s. Then in 1975, the New York Times headlined that global cooling was inevitable. Then in 1981, it was back to global warming, with the New York Times quoting seven government atmospheric scientists who predicted global warming of an almost unprecedented magnitude. (cited in Exact Weather, n. d. ). In an article written John Coleman, founder of the Weather Channel, he believes that not only is global warming the greatest scam in history, he believes some dastardly scientists with environmental and political motives manipulated long term scientific data to create an allusion of rapid global warming. Other scientists have also jumped into the circle to support and broaden the research to further enhance the totally slanted, bogus global warming claims. Mr. Coleman also believes that any person who spends a decade at a university obtaining a PHD in Meteorology and become a research scientist, more likely than not, becomes a part of that single minded culture. They all look askance like anyone, certain of their superiority. They respect government and disrespect business, particularly big business. They are environmentalists about all else. These scientists know that if they do research and results are in no way alarming their research will gather dust on the shelf and their research will languish. But if they do research that sounds alarms, they will become well know and respected and receive scholarly awards and, very importantly, more research dollars will come flooding their way. These scientists had to strive to be accepted, invited to present and review papers and travel to international meetings of the committee. Otherwise they were a nobody in the field. When many researchers did climate change studies in the late 90s they were eager to produce findings that would be important and be widely noticed and trigger more research funding. It was easy for them to manipulate the data to come up with results they wanted to make headlines and at the same time drive their environmental agendas. Then their like-minded Ph. D colleagues reviews their work and hastened to endorse ti without question (Coleman, n. d. ). Everyone has heard already that global warming is an international problem. Some say worldwide organizations are needed to address the worldwide issue to make sure all nations adhere to standardized pollution regulations. Some countries and the regions that comproise them have there own rules and regulations set to determine the daily life of how much electricity, coal, nuclear power, and other resources can be used, as well as how cars can be made, how buildings and bridges can be built as to not effect environmental damage. All of this comes at an extra cost to society and put more debt to these countries that implement the regulations. According to the article Destroying America to Save the World, the Kyoto Treaty is a international treaty designed to cut emissions that already contribute to global warming. The heart of the global warming dispute remains quite important. Scientists have been debating the reality of climate change and its potential impact for years. Despite extensive scientific opposition, worldwide environmental groups pushed for action that led to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change. The pact required reductions in emissions below 1990 levels for developed nations. When a ABC News report mentioned the estimated cost of the Kyoto Treaty if the United States implemented it, the result would be a damaging US economu with job losses and a increase in the price of energy by $2,000 per family. When the Fox News channel addressed the issue short, but to the point, it explained the reason for the U. S. opposition was that the treaty would not force reductions by the developing nations including major polluters such as China, but it would have cut emissions by about 30 percent beginning in 2008. Fox also mentioned that the supporters of the treaty believed the cost to American families was about $100 a year, while critics claimed it would have doubled the price of energy, costing families $2,700 a year. (Gainor, n. d. ) But this is not just the only example of regions, states, countries, or international communities imposing treaties or regulations that are costly. Arguments against Global Warming also mentions efforts by state governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are even more expensive and threaten to bust state budgets. After raising their spending with reckless abandon during the 1990s, states now face a umulative projected deficit of more than $90 billion. Incredibly, most states nevertheless, persist in backing unnecessary and expensive greenhouse gas reduction programs. New Jersey, for example, collected $358 millions a year in utility taxes to fund greenhouse gas reduction programs. Such programs will have no impact on global greenhouse gas emissions. All they do is destroy jobs and waste money (cited in American Policy Roundtable, n. d. ). There are many developing nations that are beginning to feel the positive impact of economic growth and development. Some of those developing nations have shown high amounts of pollution that is clogging up these countries cities especially in China and India. The Kyoto protocol will not solve the problem because it costs are too much and there is skepticism about it among the international community. The best way to prevent developing countries from have revolutionary and economic uprisings is not through international public policies. In article called International Clean Energy Initiative from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, using Advanced, low-polluting energy technologies, developed and manufactured in the United States. It is an initiative built on a set of recommendations by the Presidents Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology and is directed at leveling the playing field between cleaner U. S. energy technologies and services and polluting alternatives. While this technology carries higher up-front costs, and can be risky to decision-makers in developing countries, the real benefits of the initiative will help lay the technical and policy foundation that will allow developing and transition countries to build a clean energy future, leapfrogging past the polluting energy technologies used by the industrial countries. cited in Office of Science and Technology Policy article, 2001, pg. 1) The best option for world enforcement of pollution control, economic growth, and political stability is no regrets. Arguments against Global Warming mentions that while the alternative demands for immediate action to stop global warming, the best option is to do nothing. The best option is to invest in atmospheric research now and in reducing emissions sometimes in the future if the science becomes more compelling. Right now, investments should be made to reduce emissions only when such investments make economic sense in their own right. This is the strategy of no regrets. The United States spends more on global warming research each year than the entire rest of the world combined, and American businesses are leading the way in demonstrating new technologies for reducing and sequestering greenhouse gas emissions. (cited in American Policy Roundtable, n. d. ). If many countries emulate the way the United States does its research on global warming, and uses its methods, world enforcement becomes less and less likely since there are alternatives other than control, rules, and regulation. (cited in American Policy Roundtable, n. d. ).

Research Methods Into Positivism And Social Constructivism

Research Methods Into Positivism And Social Constructivism There has been heated discussion over the use of positivism and social constructivism in management research over the past few decades. And one can find that most of the theorists take a neutral view with regard to this situation. After the 1980s there has been a trend towards social constructivism but even then no one is sticking completely to the principles of one single philosophy. The main idea behind positivism is that society is an external agent and hence its properties or characteristics must be measured objectively rather than by any subjective means like intuition, sensation etc. This view was first proposed by French theorist Auguste Comte (1853) according to whom All good intellects have repeated, since Bacons time, that there can be no real knowledge but that which is based on observable facts. Hence his view has two main assumptions i.e. reality is external and objective and knowledge is based upon observations of this reality. Thus there are certain postulates of this philosophy: Independence: The researcher must be independent in his thoughts and is not influenced by any factors while observing the reality. Value-freedom: This involves deciding upon the area to be studied and how to study it. Positivism suggests doing this on the basis of objective research and not on human beliefs. Causality: The main objective of social and behavioral sciences is to evaluate the causes and fundamental laws behind the fluctuations in the behavioral pattern of people. Hypothesis and deduction: every research will be based on certain hypothesis and the observations will be made to either prove or disprove this hypothesis statement. Operationalization: The research concepts must be formulated in such a way that the facts obtained from observations can be measured empirically. Reductionism: This concept believes that a bigger problem will be easy to solve if it is divided into smaller elements which can be separately solved. Generalization: In order to make general conclusions on fluctuations in human behavior, it is essential that the research must be conducted among samples of appropriate size. On the basis of results obtained from the sample size, the researcher can make wider judgments on the whole population. Cross-sectional analysis: This kind of regularities can be easily identified by comparing the differences in the samples. All the above given implications are the collective view points of different theorists of positivism. But there were many theorists who were having contrasting opinions on these postulates too. Even Comte was not supporting the reductionism concept. Wittgenstein proposed in his past studies that all factual intentions can be broken down into smaller elementary propositions that were entirely independent from each other. He himself later challenged this theory arguing that elementary propositions can be logically related to each other (Pears, 1971). Thus this philosophy is under an unending debate among the theorists. Aiken (1956) came up with the view that positivism is the best way to find out the behavioral patterns in human beings which may be originated as a result of metaphysical speculation. The concept of social constructivism on the other hand was developed based on the works of Berger and Luckman (1966), Watzlawick (1984) and Shotter (1993). This philosophy is based upon idea that people use language as a medium for sharing their experiences and it is through this way, they make sense of the world. Hence this theory suggests that people form, create and make themselves and their worlds by means of the verbal skills. It is more concerned about the process and product peoples way of interacting with each other (Leeds-Hurwitz, 1995). It is considered as social because it focuses on the interaction rather than the individual. Hence even though there exist a clear dichotomy between the two philosophies, there exists a high difference in opinion among the researchers about the selection of methods. Therefore a number of compromising has to be done between these two philosophies in order to conduct a research. Figure: Matrix of research designs Detached Survey research Case method (Yin) Quasi-experimental design Ethnography Positivist Social Grounded theory Experimental Design design constructionist Co-operative enquiry Action research Involved The following are pure researches mentioned in the figure above: Action research: Action research cannot completely belong to pure research as it contains certain elements of applied research too. In this research, the researcher tries to be as much close to the research area or subject. This is because the researcher intends to make a direct influence for which he may make certain alterations even in the research process. The ground concept behind this research was that if one wants to know a subject well he must try to change it. This theory was widely accepted in Organizational Development where the trainers use it for enhancing the team effectiveness (French Bell, 1978; Homan, 1979). Survey Research: This is a kind of research process which requires direct interaction with the samples. If done properly, this research can give accurate information which can be highly useful in solving the research problem. Survey research gives much importance to primary data and involves systematic observation (Sapsford, 2007). Therefore this research helps to take better business decisions by which way the business activities can be handles much more effectively. Experimental design: In this research, the experimenter assigns subjects at random to a test or control group. The test group conditions are then manipulated by the researcher so as to evaluate their effect with regard to the control group who are in a normal setting. But this kind of study is quite difficult to conduct in real organizations since its not easy to obtain a captive population for the research. Quasi-experimental designs: This was developed when the researchers found it difficult to create pure experimental designs under the positivist concept. This was clearly explained by Campell and Stanley (1963), who assessed a number of designs which made use of multiple scales so as to minimize the impact caused by incomplete matching of control and test groups. Ethnography: This is a theory based on social constructivist principle where the experimenter will try to be a part of the research so as to understand the mindset of the experimental group and the meanings and significances that the samples bring in their behavior of themselves and others. Case Method: There are several research designs at present and some of them are similar to fieldwork methods while some others fall in the intermediate position. Case study method is the kind of research design which comes under the latter category. The most important deliberations to this topic were made by Robert Yin (1993). The other popular contributors to this method are Stake (1995), Eisenhardt (1989), and Hamel et.al (1993). Grounded theory: This theory is based on constructivist principles and helps the researcher to understand how he will proceed with the research. This concept got worldwide attention from the studies of Glaser and Strauss (1967). In this method, the researcher mainly has to develop a theory by means of comparative method, i.e. viewing the same event in different situations and analyzing the difference. Co-operative enquiry: This is a type of action research where all the participants of the research contribute equally to the development of enquire and show active participation in the research process (Heron, 1996; Reason, 2003). Apart from the above research designs, there exist certain other designs which can be used for management researches. The most important ones among them are critical inquiry, participant observation and narrative methods. All these methods have certain similarities with the above mentioned designs as well as certain unique features of their own. Hence they are also widely accepted in business research and used according to the requirements. 2. The different areas of research that holds high significance are: a) Research topic: Finalizing the research topic is the first and most important part of a research since it is based on the depth of title that the research proceeds (Kumar, 2005). In the broad sense, research title can be any question or problem that you need to answer or any assumption that needs to be challenged. As per the words of Powers, Meenaghan Twoomey (1985), Potential research questions may occur to us on a regular basis, but the process of formulating them in a meaningful way is not at all an easy task. In order to frame a research title, it is essential to have a thorough knowledge of research methodology as well as on the theoretical aspects of the topic. The research title can be formulated based upon four sources namely daily life, practical issues, past research and theory (Johnson Christensen, 2010). They form the initial base for the structuring of research title. Thus the research topic serves as a foundation to the research and hence if it is framed properly, the study will also move in the right direction. The research problem can vary in complexity and hence the way it is formulated determines the research approach, study design, sampling strategy, research instrument as well as many other factors. Therefore there must be certain considerations while selecting a research topic. The main considerations are interest, magnitude, measurement concepts, expertise level, relevance, ethical issues etc. (Kumar, 2005). If the research topic fulfills most of these considerations, then it can be regarded as a suitable one. b) Research question: A research question refers to the problem that the experimenter seeks to answer through the research. The research question is an essential element of every research despite of the fact that it is qualitative and quantitative. But they will vary according to the nature of research. If the research question is qualitative, then it will be intended for finding out the relationship between two variables. A variable is something which has more than one value (Vaus, 2002). Hence research questions for these kinds of researches are not much specific. While on the hand, a quantitative research question tends to more precise as it will be based on mathematical results. Business research usually applies qualitative research questions since they ask more general questions which can be used for exploring the samples views or responses on a particular phenomenon. It is usually an interrogative sentence which aims to relate two or more variables. It can be of three types nam ely: descriptive, predictive and causal. The researcher must have thorough understanding of the variables that are related in the research. These questions are open-ended, general, and over-reaching regarding an issue, problem or phenomenon. c) Research hypothesis (es): They can be referred to as tentative answers to the research questions. This is because the solution to them can be found out after statistical analysis only and hence it forms a critical step in the evidence-gathering process of a research (Guerrero Nachmias, 2010). There will be two hypotheses while conducting this process. The first hypotheses will be referred to as research hypotheses (H1) and the other one will be termed as null hypothesis (H0). The research hypotheses are formulated based upon the parameters of population but its form is different from research to research. Null hypothesis is the one set as a counter the research hypothesis. It is because every research hypothesis is set in order to prove a relationship. Hence it is necessary to set an alternate hypothesis that could disprove the relationship. For hypothesis testing, the researcher aims to disprove the null hypothesis in order to provide support to the research hypothesis. Therefor e research hypotheses are oriented towards a particular direction. This means it states whether a population mean is greater than or lesser than a particular value. d) Research objectives: A researcher intends to summarize what must be achieved by means of the research. The objectives of the study must be in alignment with the problem statement. There are mainly two types of objectives set for a research- general objective and specific objective. General objective states what the researcher intends to achieve in general terms through conducting this study. This general objective when broken down to smaller parts for better solving becomes specific objectives. Research objectives are better than research questions since they lead to higher specificity in the research (Saunders et.al. 2003). 3. A research design process that could be adopted in business researches is as follows: Web 01: An overview of the research design process This research design can be used in most management studies with little variations. This process starts with identification of research problem. Every research must have a problem which needs to be solved through the research process. Business researches usually intend to find answers to some social issues, business problem or a phenomenon. After identifying the research problem, the next step is determining the research objectives and questions. A research question is the problem or issue that the research intends to solve while research objectives tend to summarize the area that is to be achieved by the study. Hence both these factors lie in close relation to each other. The next task in the research design process is conducting the secondary research. This is done by means of an extensive literature study. This way the researcher gathers details on the theoretical aspects of the research. Hence the researcher will be searching in books, journals, articles, online databases, websit es etc for collecting the data. An appropriate methodology for conducting the research must be developed by this time. Research methodology helps in determining the research philosophy, approach, method, study design etc. All these factors are highly important for the successful completion of research. After collecting the secondary data, the researcher will look out for methods for collecting the primary data. There exist several research methods for data collection. The research instrument will be decided based upon the literature study (Taylor et.al. 2006). The most common research instruments include surveys, interviews, questionnaires, etc. In some cases, the researcher conducts a pilot study in order to obtain responses from a small portion of the population. These research instruments help to gain valid data from the samples. After collecting the primary and secondary information, the researcher decides upon the methods for their analysis. Literature review analysis is quite critical for researches as they would help in gaining insights on the core issues and provide suitable recommendations. The analysis of primary data is done by means of certain analysis techniques. The most common methods include percentage analysis, chi-square test, ANOVA, z-test etc. They help in providing empirical findings for the research which are most accurate. After obtaining the findings, they are interpreted to reach at final judgments and conclusion. On the basis of these interpretations, the researcher could provide suitable suggestions or recommendations for solving the research problem. 4. a) A survey is used for describing a population and it usually involves systematic observation or interviewing. Surveys involve what the researcher wants to find out and the answers also will be defined under a specific range (Sapsford, 2007). The most common survey instruments used in management and social researches are questionnaires and interviews. For constructing a questionnaire, the responses must be provided in a range. Hence it must have certain measurement scales. There are mainly four types of measurement scales used in surveys. They are: Nominal Scale: This is a kind of measurement scale where the objects are assigned to categories without any numerical properties. These scales have definite identity of their own but have no other characteristics (Jackson, 2007). Those variables which are measured using these scales are named as categorical variables since they try to classify the information collected. But these variables have no empirical value. Examples of variables measured through nominal scales are ethnicity, gender etc. These variables cannot be hence used in mathematical analysis. Hence these scales are considered as the lowest level of measurement since the variables are different by means of quality rather than quantity in this (Bordens Abbott, 2006). Ordinal Scale: They form the next level of measurement used in surveys. They constitute numbers which are in a predetermined order so that there will be certain relationships which can be inferred from them (Sapsford, 2007). Hence the objectives are classified into certain categories which form a rank order through a range. The data in this scale do have certain identity and properties but they dont have equal unit size and absolute zero. Interval Scale: In this scale, the measurement units are all of equal size. Therefore it fulfills the three main criteria of an ideal scale i.e. identity, magnitude and equal unit size. It forms the third level of measurement used in surveys. Hence this scale contains the characteristics of both nominal and ordinal scale but is much more effective than the other two (Malhotra Dash, 2008). Fahrenheit scale is the most prominent interval scale used. Ratio scale: This forms the highest measurement scale and has all the characteristics of nominal, ordinal and interval scale. It is the most complicated scale since it allows the researcher to identify the absolute differences between scale points as well as helps him in comparing the responses obtained (Hair et.al. 2007). This scale possesses an absolute zero which indicates the absence of variables in measurement. b. Questionnaire is the most commonly used research instrument. The main characteristics of a good questionnaire are as follows: It must be short and precise. So while framing a questionnaire, ensure that the research objectives will be met from the analysis of responses of the questionnaire. Usage of simple language: The questionnaire must be framed in such a way that the respondents find it easy to understand. Start with interesting questions: The questionnaire will include questions that will generate interest in the samples to answer and encourage them to fill out the complete form. Absence of leading questions: If there are leading questions in the form, it will encourage the respondents to answer in a particular way. But this is not considered as a good practice since the sample must not be influenced by any means in writing an answer. The number of choices wont be too long because the respondents will find it difficult to assess all of them. Hence the choice list must be small. Include simple concepts which the samples could understand. Including complicated concepts will make it a tough task for the respondents to answer the questions properly. The elements of a bad questionnaire are included below. It will have more open-ended questions than close-ended ones. This will make it difficult for the respondents to answer the questions and also their answers wont be similar. The analysis of these responses is not possible through any statistical method. The questions will be vague. The respondents will not be able to understand the real meaning of this question and this will influence their answer. The research questions are not communicated through this questionnaire. This way the questionnaire fails to serve its purpose.

Perceptions of Reading for Pleasure in Boys Methodology

Perceptions of Reading for Pleasure in Boys Methodology Methodology. Design approach To address the challenge of boys perceptions of reading for pleasure and referring to relevant literature, I decided to approach the research using triangulation so that cross examination of findings could be achieved within a relatively short space of time. A mixed method research approach was used to answer my research question so that in carrying out a questionnaire, follow up interviews and observations could take place to answer further underlying causes and questions. Cresswell at al. (1993) describes the mixed method approach as collecting, analysing and integrating both qualitative and quantitative data through a single or multiple studies. In doing this Kettley (2012) writes that it allows for the analysis of both patterns and causes of behaviour which can heighten the reliability of results. However, Laws (2003) challenges this view, stating that a variety different research perspectives may not match tidily as there could be contrast and conflict between findings. Laws (20 03) recommends that a researcher should critically analyse any contrasts in findings so to make meaning from them. What researchers have used it- why is it good Triangulation- what is it (ive used this method but show some insight) Sampling-300 words Morse and Niehaus (2009) observe that sampling methods are intended to maximise the efficiency and validity of research results. This research involved using a purposeful sample, a technique which is widely used so that individuals or groups of participants are especially knowledgeable or experienced in ones line of inquiry (Palinkas et al., 2013). For this research, two year three classes both from independent schools were chosen to explore the challenge of boys reading for pleasure. My main interest for this research was to see how perceptions of reading differed between classes which had members that were thought to read more for pleasure (such as in a mixed setting) in comparison to a class where the class was all boys and were stereotyped to be disinterested to read in their free time. These schools were chosen as the number of boys in each year group were similar and were of contrast in terms of single sex or mixed. Both schools were from the same county of Oxfordshire, and all members of staff in each year group were female. The two groups of pupils were, although determined on school establishment type, not based on predetermined viewpoints on reading for pleasure. Patton (2002) highlights that the use of a purposeful sample is to capture major variations through the analysis of results rather than to identify a common core. Due to the lack of single sex primary schools, a private mixed school was chosen as the contrast so that in terms of types of schools these were the same. If I were to carry out this research again, I would involve more single sex and mixed schools in my research so that my results were not generalised Observation Observational data is an attractive form of data collection as it allows the researcher to gather evidence from real-life situations (Cohen et al., 2000). At the beginning of each week in the schools, I observed the children in their learning environment, concentrating especially on the daily routine and how English was taught. I chose to use observations as one of my research methods as it allows you direct access to social interactions which can be of focus to the research interest (Simpson and Tuson, 1995) whilst also viewing and analysing the physical, human, interactional and programme setting (Cohen at al., 2000). Using a semi-structured observation approach allowed me to immerse myself in the situation so that I could understand how reading for pleasure was promoted within the classroom and how children reacted to reading in the classroom environment. As I was comparing two different year groups from different schools, using the unstructured approach allowed for elements of th e observational situation speak for themselves, rather than preparing an observation schedule (Cohen et al., 2000). Thomas (2009) states that although an unstructured observation may be easier in comparison to structured, it involves a great deal of preparatory work so that one is able to become part of the situation and requires sensitivity, thought and commitment to analyse the findings meaningfully. Punch (1998) highlights other difficulties stating that in terms of recording data, the flexible nature of observational methods, the recording of data can potentially become flexible also. To overcome this potential barrier, simply noted characteristics from each category in terms of the physical environment, the links to literacy in lessons, childrens behaviour and finally teachers strategies. All observational methods have advantages and disadvantages, however with careful preparation, they can be powerful tools in gaining valuable research evidence. Questionnaire A questionnaire was decided to be used to find out the childrens viewpoints on reading for pleasure, as well finding out what other hobbies they like to do in their free time and how often they engaged in reading for pleasure in their free time. Gray (2004) recommends that questionnaires are used when working with a large audience where standardised questions are required. Using questionnaires as a research method allows an analytical approach which can be used to explore relationships between variables. Gillham (2000) highlights that there are a few advantageous aspects of a questionnaires which has led to it being a popular choice of research method. Some of these factors include low cost, quick data retrieval and the fact that questionnaires can be sent to a large scale of people in little time. Gillham (2000) also highlights that anonymity can be assured whilst using a questionnaire however he also points out that on a small scale, researchers may be aware of characteristics of r espondents and therefore able to identify answers based on a character profile. Like many research methods, questionnaires have their drawbacks. Gillham (2000) advises that if a questionnaire is to be intrinsically motivating for participants, the length should range between four and six pages. Robson (2011) further highlights that the motivation of a participant could affect the data leading to a less valid result. To overcome these barriers, I chose 12 questions, many of which were closed questions which required little thinking time. Two open questions were used to find out their view point on why they enjoyed or disliked reading, and what would motivate them to read more for pleasure. Due to the anonymity of questionnaires, researchers are unable to identify misleading or flippant answers, and if no further follow-up observations or interviews are involved, researchers may not be able to detect true representations. As I used two other research methods alongside questionnaires, I was able to identify a more valid representation of children and teachers viewp oints in comparison to just using one method alone. Using the same standardised questions which have been piloted and altered if necessary, it is possible to gain a high reliability of response (Robson, 2011). Prior to the research taking place, I emailed the questionnaires to both schools and tested the questions for clarity with an external 8-year-old boy so that the questions were clear and the vocabulary was age appropriate. Interview I decided to use semi structured interviews with both the teachers of year three from both schools and a selection of 4 boys who were deemed reluctant readers by their teachers. This was so that my research could be further supported and a deeper understanding of both teachers and boys could be achieved. Arksey and Knight (1999) comment that the method of interviewing allows participants to express their feelings and perceptions of the world around them. This further agreed by Cohen and Marion (1997) highlighting that one of the fundamental reasons for using interviews as part of a research approach is to gather information on an individuals knowledge, value and attitude which can be used in conjunction with other methods such as a survey. These interviews were undertaken after they had completed the questionnaire, so that I was able to gain more insight into what motivated boys to read in the classroom and at home, and what would motivate them further to read for pleasure. Although the questions for each student was the same, a semi-structured approach was used so that answers could be clarified further and I could gain a more transparent understanding. Using semi structured interviews when researching childrens viewpoints is ideal, especially when used alongside child-friendly language and meeting in places in which the child is familiar with (Graham et al., 2012). Each class teacher was also questioned on which strategies they used to promote reading for pleasure. As half of the teachers were from the mixed school, the questions were worded slightly differently as I wanted to find out how they motivated the boys. All of the interviews with each student was recorded rather than making notes on what was being said. This was so that I could concentrate on their body language and verbal response at the same time rather than concentrating primarily on just verbal feedback. It has been reported that taking notes during an interview can distract the interviewer from the focus of the conversation which can result in a loss of critical information (Britten, 1995) therefore using a high quality recorder alongside note taking on the participants body language and emotions can significantly decrease the likelihood of error or misconceptions during data analysis (Fernandez and Griffiths, 2007). As the majority of the interviews were with the children, it was important that the children could see that I had their full attention, and that by listening to what they had to say we were showing respect (McCrum and Hughes, 1998). A researcher needs to be aware that not all respondents may be willing to participa te in an interview, and if uncomfortable about the interview being recorded may inhibit honest responses (Bell, 2010). Prior to each interview, the children were asked about whether they would be willing to take part, and were assured that all information would be purely for research purposes and kept anonymous. Speer and Hutchby (2003) see this as an essential part of social sciences, so that a researcher can investigate impeccably what a participant is doing whilst they are being recorded. Using semi structured interviews allows for further probing of opinions and view when it is ideal that individuals answers are expanded upon (Gray, 2004). Ethics Due to the nature of this research being held in two schools involving students, ethics was taken into consideration prior to any research taking place. It has been highlighted that children from an early age are able to speak for themselves on a range of experiences, their views and their surrounding environment (James, Jenks and Prout, 1998) therefore if they are to be directly involved in research, they should be made aware of what is to be expected and the option whether participate or not (Cohen and Emmanuel, 1998). Prior to any research taking place, I emailed both schools stating the aims of the research and what information I was wanting from each child. Once in the school, informal meeting were arranged with the Heads of school, so that no further consent from the childrens parents was needed. UK Data Protection Act ? (1988)? How could my sample have been better? Bigger sample size in terms of using more than one single sex school and one mixed school Using state schools as well as private schools How was the quality of data? References: Arksey, H. and Knight, P. (1999) Interviewing for Social Scientists. London: SAGE Bell, J. (2010) Doing your research project: A guide for first-time researchers in education, health and social science. 5th edn. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing. Britten, N. (1995) Qualitative research: Qualitative interviews in medical research. British Medical Journal, 311(6999), pp. 251-253 Cohen, J. and Emmanuel, J. (1998) Positive Participation: Consulting and Involving Young People in Health Related Work. London: Health Education Authority. Cohen, L., Manion, L., Morrison, K. and Cohen, P.L. (2000) Research methods in education. 5th edn. London: Taylor Francis. Fernandez, R.S. and Griffiths, R. (2007) Portable MP3 players: Innovative devices for recording qualitative interviews. Nurse Researcher. 15(1), pp.7-15 Gillham, B (2000) Developing a Questionnaire. London: Continuum. Graham, A., Powell, M.A., Fitzgerald, R., Taylor, N.J and Moulat, B. (2012) Draft Ethical Research Involving Children. International Charter and Guidelines. Florence: UNICEF, Office for Research. Innocenti Kettley, N.C. (2012) Theory building in educational research. London: Continuum International Pub. Group. Laws,S.D., Harper, C. and Marcus, R. (2003) Research for development: A practical guide. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. Morse, J.M. and Niehaus, L. (2009) in Kettley, N.C. (2012) Theory building in educational research. London. Continuum International Pub.Group. Palinkas, L.A., Horwitz, S.M., Green, C.A., Wisdom, K. (2013) Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Adminstration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), pp.533-544 Punch, K.F. (1998) Introduction to Social Research: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. London: Sage Publishing. Pages 184-90 Simpson, M. and Tuscan, J. (1995) Using observations in small-scale research: A beginners guide. Edingburgh: SCRE, The Scottish Council for Research in Education. Thomas, G. (2013) How to do your research project: A guide for students in education and applied social sciences. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications

The Prince and the Pauper :: Essays Papers

The Prince and the Pauper The three main ideas of this book are (1) two boys' wishes become true but later they don't enjoy it (2) Be careful what you wish for(3) Always think about what you're doing first. The two major characters were Tom Canty and Edward, the Prince of Wales. The conflict was between John Canty, Tom's father, and the prince. The other conflict was between Tom and the lords, servants, the King, and all the royal people in the castle. John Canty, the lords, the servants, the King, and all the royal people in the castle opposed Tom and Edward. Tom and Edward opposed them also. The characters deal with the situation that they find themselves in by telling the truth. They never stopped telling everyone one who they really were. They insisted saying that there were not who everyone really thought they were. Everyone thought Tom and Edward were both mad. The reason why no one believed them is because they both looked alike and they both had exchanged outfits. They exchanged outfits because Edward wanted to feel how it was to be a pauper and how to live like one and Tom wanted to feel how it was to be a prince, the son of the King, and how to live like one. First Tom was enjoying it because he didn't have to beg anymore, he ate good food, and he slept in a nice, cozy bed in the King's palace, but later he didn't enjoy it because he wanted to go back home to his original family and live the way he used to live. The Prince of Wales, son of the King, Edward was then living like a Pauper. He was treated badly and never ate anything at all. He was beaten by John Canty, Tom's father and was always forced to beg. Tom's mom tried to stop John but John and Tom’s sisters watched in just slapped her horror. Edward didn't even enjoy being a pauper at least once. Everyone just thought that Tom and Edward were both mad. They solved the confusion, though. After the King had died and Tom was about to be crowned King of England Edward ran in and said that he was the true King.

Benefits of Vegetarianism :: Healthy Lifestyle Essay

More than 10 billion animals are killed for our plates each year. These animals are drugged and starved each day. Almost none of the animals ever see daylight. Majority of the mothers ever see their young. Shortly after giving birth, the mothers are sent away to cruel veal farms to feed humans their calves. Fish on aquafarms spend their entire life in filthy enclosures. Forty percent of them die because diseases and parasite infections. On some farms, conditions are so horrendous that majority of them die before they can get packaged. But that is not as alarming as what continues. Most of the innocent animals are killed so horrifically, that the poor animals which have only brought goodness, have their throats slit while they are fully conscious. More than fifteen million people in the United States of America are vegetarians. The consumption of eating meat, dairy, and eggs have been strongly linked to Alzheimer’s disease, and asthma. Meat-eaters are nine times more likely to be obese than vegetarians. Animal products clog your arteries, zap your energy and slow down your immune system. Vegetarians have stronger immune systems than their meat-eating friends, making them less vulnerable to everyday illnesses such as colds, and flues. There’s a bonus also to becoming a vegetarian - you live longer on average six to ten years! The oldest person in the world was a vegetarian - living until 117 years! Vegetarians grow taller and have higher IQs than their classmates. They are also at a lower risk for heart diseases, diabetes, and obesity. Even older people who switch to a vegetarian diet can prevent and even reverse chronic mental diseases! Meat-eating is why our teeth grow crooked, and why our jaws are small. Not very many people know exactly what part of the body they are eating. We are actually supposed to be omnivores. Compare our teeth to those of a carnivore. A carnivore’s teeth are used to tear apart meat. Ours are not. We do not have ‘canine teeth’. Animal fat is saturated fat and cholesterol, which both have been linked to various health problems, including heart diseases, and cancer. A group fifteen scientists declared that up to 40 percent of cancers are preventable. Most people think that vegetarians don’t get enough protein. But this is an old wives’ tale. Vegetarians do get enough protein. Is it possible to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet?

Every Child Matters

There is no duty more important than ensuring that children’s rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and that they can grow up in peace. Kofi Annan, the 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations The aim of this paper is to review and critically analyse the Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003) framework as well as to discuss the impact of Every Child Matters agenda on a specific role within an educational setting.For this purpose, information was gathered through elements of practitioner-based research and observations along with the study and analysis of materials presented in books, research journals and professional publications, so as to evaluate the main aspects of the policy Every Child Matters and identify the issues it has raised for professionals working with young children, and particularly early years practitioners, as well as to propose some strategies that could support those practitioners throughout the process of inevitable changes associated with the introduction of the policy.In 2003, the Government launched Every Child Matters, a comprehensive programme of reform for children’s services with wide-reaching implications for education, health, social services, voluntary and community organisations, and other agencies. Every Child Matters constituted the Government’s policy response to the findings and recommendations of Lord Laming’s Inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie, the young girl who died as the result of severe physical abuse and neglect in her family. It was published as a Green Paper for consultation on September 2003.Its proposals have since been further developed in subsequent documents including Every Child Matters; Next Steps and Every Child Matters; Change for Children. Many of the reforms proposed in Every Child Matters—including the establishment of a Children’s Commissioner for England—required amendments to statute. Consequent ly, a Children Bill was presented to Parliament in March 2004 and subsequently received royal assent on 15 November 2004. The Children Act 2004, as it now is, provides the legal ‘backbone’ for the programme of reform. House of Lords and House of Commons, 2005) The proposals of the Government for reforming children’s services aimed to combine the development of an overall framework for universal children’s services with the need for targeted services to protect vulnerable children. The framework has introduced five outcomes for children’s services as being of key importance during childhood and adult life: being healthy; staying safe; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution; achieving economic well-being.As Benton, Chamberlain and Rutt (2003: 30) point out, Thirty-nine quantitative indicators have been identified relating to these outcomes. For example, one of the key indicators of children being healthy is the infant mortality rate, w hereas achieving economic well-being might be partially assessed by the percentage of young people accessing FE and training after completing compulsory schooling. Each of the 150 local authority areas can be assessed using any of these indicators that are available at the local level.The research (Anning, Cullen and Fleer, 2004; Williams, 2004; Roche and Tucker, 2007) suggests that the introduction of the quantitative indicators along with other expectations of the Every Child Matters agenda has transformed the educational landscape in recent years. The need for effective and coherent multi-agency working has become apparent, and that was not just to ensure that abused children like Victoria Climbie no longer fall through the net, but also to bring together health, social care and education services for collaboration in the interests of all children and with effective provision at all levels.It is worth to mention that the story behind the development of the Every Child Matters sti ll presents â€Å"uncomfortable reading† (Roche and Tucker, 2007: 213) for politicians, children’s service managers, practitioners and academics alike due to the fact that the Every Child Matters framework emerged out of the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Victoria Climbie as well as many other child abuse inquiries.The study suggests that Every Child Matters has indicated the emergence of the notions of â€Å"a child† and â€Å"childhood† as the central subjects in New Labour’s social policy. Recently Gordon Brown declared: â€Å"Nothing is more important to the future of our whole country than that, with the best schooling, services and financial support, every child has the chance to develop their potential. † (Guardian, 2003: 19) Similarly, former Prime Minister Tony Blair stated: â€Å"For most parents, our children are everything to us: our hopes, our ambitions, our future. (DfES, 2003: 1) The above claims suggest that c hildren today are no longer seen as incomplete adults not yet able to participate in social life, but as â€Å"co-constructors of childhood and society† (Qvortrup, 1994: 14) In the same context, Moss and Petrie (2002: 40), talk about it being â€Å"time to welcome children as young citizens, equal stakeholders with adults† and state that â€Å"the child has a voice to be listened to† (ibid: 101).However, it is important to acknowledge that this notion of childhood does not seem to be the only one that shapes the status of children in the sphere of political and economic priorities. Tomplinson (2008) uses an example of Home Office activity linked to the Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO), which is being used to restrain children and make information about them public within their communities. According to Walker (2008: 149), â€Å"ten young people a week are being jailed as a result of ASBOs†.This activity is in clear contrast to the aims of Every Child Ma tters, one of which is â€Å"to minimise the use of custody† (DfES, 2004: 3) Prout (cited in Jones et al, 2008: 29) explains that â€Å"public debate swings between children as victims, in need of protection from harm, and children as threat to social order coming from problem families producing unruly and uncontrolled children. † The study also suggests that Every Child Matters possibly does not put enough emphasis on the importance of children’s participation and respecting of children’s opinions.Some acknowledgement of those issues is evident in Paragraph 1. 13 of the document, which states some factors that foster children’s resilience against disadvantage: Strong relationships with parents, family and other significant adults Parental interest and involvement in education with clear and high expectations Positive role models Individual characteristics such as an outgoing nature, self-motivation, intelligence Active involvement in family, schoo l and community life Recognition, praise and feeling valued† (DfES, 2003: paragraph 1. 3) Paragraph 5. 47 also mentions â€Å"Involving children in developing services† (DfES, 2003: paragraph 5. 47) As Williams (2004) rightly points out, the Every Child Matters framework refers to children’s consultation only twice. The first reference is in setting out its outcomes: â€Å"When we consulted with children, young people and families they wanted the Government to set out the aims in terms of a positive vision of what as a society we want to achieve for our children† (DfES, 2003: paragraph 1. 2).The themes of staying safe and enjoying and achieving are reinforced by the second reference to children’s opinions, when â€Å"somewhere safe to go and something to do† is mentioned in relation to the need for recreational activities (DfES, 2003: paragraph 2. 39). The study also revealed that, surprisingly, the theme of â€Å"enjoying† is hardly d eveloped in the framework. The section â€Å"Enjoying and Achieving† focuses mainly on educational achievement without taking into the consideration the fact that â€Å"enjoyment† was the main theme that came from children.Not only does it give the impression that children’s views are not very important but it also characterizes a rather dreary vision of childhood which is about getting through your exams and keeping out of trouble. This registers more about the processes of becoming an adult rather than the active enjoyment and negotiation of childhood and young personhood with friends and siblings. (Williams, 2004: 412) In addition to criticism towards the lack of emphasis on children’s participation, the study also revealed that there are some points of tension in the Every Child Matters document which reflect a weak framework of values.Walker (2008) expresses concern regarding the fact that no advice is given in the document to the agencies on how to cooperate together effectively and how to overcome difficulties and barriers, especially when it comes to a clash of different values. Williams (2004) shares this concern, arguing that while the document opens up new possibilities for the way society can transform the lives of children and their parents, it also, at the same time, closes these off due to its failure to be much more explicit about its vision and its values: There is an underestimation f the need for services and policies to underpin both trust and respect, and for strategies that can build consensus around such values. To some extent a case is put in the Introduction to the Every Child Matters: ‘Underpinning this must be not just the resources but an attitude that reflects the value that our society places on children and childhood’. But the values that might support a change in attitude are not spelled out. (ibid: 410)Nevertheless, despite the mentioned concerns about the conflicting nature of some serv ices and a failure to offer effective legislation in ways that will work for all children and families, it should be noted that the introduction of Every Child Matters and the legislation to support its implementation should be viewed as a staging post (my emphasis) for a government that is on a significant journey of reform for child-related policy and practice (Parton, 2005).The study suggests that the Every Child Matters agenda raised a number of important issues within the roles of all professional involved in children’s and young people’s services, including teachers and practitioners of early years childcare and educational settings. One of the main issues is related to the introduction of multi-agency approach, which encourages professionals to work in multi-disciplinary teams based in schools and Children’s Centres.An early manifestation of multidisciplinary approaches to work could be seen in relation to the rapid development of early years provision. T he mandatory introduction of Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships (EYDCP) in every local authority area clearly signalled the intention of the Government to build multi-agency working relationships across the public, private and voluntary sectors that would encompass education, social care and health.Crucially, the local education authority was given the lead role in bringing together related agencies â€Å"to draw up an annual local plan, linked together into the Government’s targets for early education places for 3- and 4-year-olds and the expansion of childcare† (Pugh, 2001: 15). Following the Every Child Matters agenda on integrated multi-agency approach put an obligation on early years practitioners to restructure and refocus their roles. The agenda for safeguarding children based on integrated pproach had to be carefully reviewed from the perspective of all those working with young children. While the traditional protection functions remained the sa me (looking for signs of abuse, reporting suspicion of abuse, etc. ), the other functions, specifically related to multi-agency involvement, had to be introduced, such as involvement in common assessment process, sharing and analysing information, reviewing outcomes for the children against specific plans.Within such a perspective the practitioners based at an early years setting have become central figures in developing services for socially excluded children and families and those who are considered to be at risk. The contribution of these practitioners has been viewed as vital, as it is argued that â€Å"health, education and social services all have an important role to play in improving and safe-guarding the well-being of vulnerable children and their families† (Abbott et al. , 2005: 230). However, Abbott et al. ibid) also note that there have been difficulties in promoting the vision of multidisciplinary working across organizations, and go further in their criticisms, arguing that there is a â€Å"lack of evidence to support the notion that multi-agency working in practice brings about benefits for children and families†. (Abbott et al, 2005: 23) The introduction of multi-agency multi-disciplinary approaches also is having an impact on the practitioners working with older age groups of children. The changes in those practitioners’ job roles are mainly related to the issue of developing extended schools.According to research conducted by Cummings et al. (2003) specific grounds for the development of extended schools appear to be emerging, however the evaluation of the extended schools revealed that there is no single model of the extended school, and there is considerable variation between the existing models depending on community need, geography and access to funding. The ‘full-service’ school in which services are located on the school site is less common, though many schools are working towards this (ibid). The chall enge to those working in extended schools to deliver effective practice seems to be considerable.The study suggests that, perhaps, the greatest challenge lies in the area of changing the culture of some schools. Smith (2005) supports the idea that multidisciplinary work challenges the isolated position of many schools: â€Å"where schools have had to work with other agencies their relative size, statutory nature and high degree of control over what happens within their walls have often made them difficult partners† (ibid: 13). Clearly, these issues have put additional pressure on all staff working in schools in terms of demands of being accountable to both schools and outside agencies.The study also revealed that those occupying teaching roles in extended schools have been faced with new expectations placed on them. Cajkler et al (cited in Rochea and Tucker, 2007) emphasize that the safeguarding agenda pursued in extended school along with the creation of extended education, leisure, care and health opportunities make teachers to undertake different forms of work. As the â€Å"Lead Professional† they find themselves working more closely with families, especially when it comes to improving their access to services that are based on school premises.At the heart of Every Child Matters agenda lies recognition that all practitioners working with children will require new skills and knowledge to work more within multi-agency systems. This demand instigated another change in the roles performed by the practitioners as the policy agenda also emphasises the reform of training schemes. As Abbott and Hevey (2001: 180) point out, â€Å"the development of new and innovatory ways of working will ‘require something more than benign cooperation across existing professions†.The authors go on to argue that the development of a new children’s workforce has put forward the need for flexibility in approach and a sharing of values and attitudes tha t had been advocated much earlier in the Rumbold Report (DES, 1990). Indeed, the Every Child Matters agenda implies that all those working with children will require knowledge and skills in six wide areas of expertise, which is referred to as the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the children’s workforce.The areas of expertise include: the development of effective communication skills; an understanding of child development; promoting children’s welfare; supporting transitions; multi-agency working; sharing of information (DfES, 2005). Advocates of the ‘common core’ specifically argue that the roles and responsibilities outlined within the Every Child Matters framework require individuals and groups to develop such a range of skills and knowledge in order to increase their ability to work across professional boundaries (Tucker et al. , 2002).Along with the demand related to the new training schemes, the Every Child Matters agenda also challenges the p ractitioners to meet new requirements of OfSTED inspections, which require the practitioners to report the way they are meeting the â€Å"five outcomes†. Personal experiences as well as discussions with the professionals show that, in some ways, the delivery of the Every Child Matters agenda has been transformed from a framework of aspiration to one where evidence is apprehensively sought in relation to specific targets against each outcome.The paper so far has attempted to review and critically analyse the Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003) framework and to discuss the impact of Every Child Matters agenda on a role of practitioners within educational settings. One of the key intentions has been to provide a brief overview of the main issues of the Every Child Matters agenda, an agenda profoundly influenced by a consistent failure to safeguard and protect children and young people and, therefore, promote their welfare.Specific areas concerned with multi-agency approach, the dev elopment of extended schools and workforce training and OfSTED issues have been reviewed to demonstrate the scope and complexity of the changes in the roles of practitioners working with children. The impact of Every Child Matters certainly appears to be influential in terms of the way it has been transforming structures and processes at both the national and local levels.Every Child Matters has provided a framework for shaping practice, specifically in relation to multi-agency multi-disciplinary approach and the expectations of professionals within educational settings to improve the quality and outcomes of safeguarding children. The study also suggests that, notwithstanding efficiency or inadequacy of specific aspects of the framework, no all-embracing package has been devised, which proposes a perfect solution for safeguarding children and promoting their rights and participation.It seems unrealistic to expect a selected framework to offer ultimate solutions in the context of edu cational system in view of the fact that a wide variety of different initiatives and approaches continuously develop to meet new sociological, legislative and educational needs. Today children are seen as â€Å"social beings, active in the construction of their own realities and subjectivities and therefore potentially active in the construction and deconstruction of dominant ideologies† (Osler, 1998: 34). However, in the face of changes that ime brings into our society every day we must recognise that there is no objective truth about children; and there is no single, objective description of how we should protect and safeguard them. The process of developing the ideas of childhood is a continuous non-stop practice, which helps us to comprehend the children and their lives as they really are and in this way give the children's views a central role in our explorations and perceptions.

Substance Abuse And Addiction Health And Social Care Essay

â€Å" Tens of 1000000s of Americans use habit-forming substances. Twenty-five million have a history of intoxicant dependance and more than five million qualify as difficult nucleus chronic drug users † ( Bernhein and Rangel, 2004 ) . The alterations in the encephalon make it hard for people to halt mistreating drugs. Research shows that â€Å" uniting dependence intervention medicines with behavioural therapy is the best manner to guarantee success for most patients † ( MedicineNet.com, 2008 ) . Treatment is tailored to the patient ‘s maltreatment or dependence job and any other jobs they may hold medically, socially, or psychologically. Statement of Problem The job of substance maltreatment and dependence is a turning job. Prevention is the key to assist control and halt this job. Intervention, parental influence, and the media can all impact a individual and their job. Substance dependence occurs when â€Å" after important exposure, users find themselves prosecuting in compulsive, repeated, and unwanted usage despite clearly harmful effects, and frequently despite a strong desire to discontinue unconditionally ( Bernhein and Rangel, 2004 ) . Peoples in the United States have spent over $ 150 billion on baccy merchandises, alcoholic drinks, cocaine, diacetylmorphine, marihuana, and Methedrines ( Bernhein and Rangel, 2004 ) . Social costs such as wellness attention, non-productivity, and offense sum more than $ 300 billion per twelvemonth ( Bernhein and Rangel, 2004 ) . Drugs are â€Å" chemicals that tap into the encephalon ‘s communicating system and interrupt the manner nervus cells usually send, receive, and procedure information † ( MedicineNet.com, 2008 ) . The drugs can direct incorrect messages to the encephalon by directing big sums of Dopastat into the system. By over-stimulating the system, the euphoric consequence causes a individual to reiterate the behaviour of mistreating drugs ( MedicineNet.com, 2008 ) . Through changeless usage, the euphoric consequence wears off and the individual must go on taking the drug, and perchance more of the drug, in order to capture that experiencing once more. â€Å" Brain imaging surveies of dependent persons shows alterations in countries of the encephalon that are critical to judgement, determination devising, acquisition, memory, and behavior control. These alterations drive an maltreater to seek out and take drugs obsessively despite inauspicious effects to go addicted to drugs † ( MedicineNet.com, 2008 ) . Drug dependence is preventable. NIDA funded research show â€Å" that bar plans that involve the household, schools, communities, and the media are effectual in cut downing substance maltreatment. Although many events and cultural factors affect substance maltreatment tendencies, when young persons perceive substance maltreatment as harmful, they cut down their drug pickings. It is imperative that in order to assist the young person and the general populace to understand the hazard of substance maltreatment and for instructors, parents, and health care professionals to maintain directing the message that drug dependence can be prevented if a individual ne'er abuses drugs † ( MedicineNet.com, 2008 ) . Discussion Substance dependence is a â€Å" chronic, frequently get worsing encephalon disease that causes compulsive drug seeking and utilize despite harmful effects to the person that is addicted and to those around them. It is a encephalon disease because the maltreatment of drugs can take to alterations in the construction and map of the encephalon † ( MedicineNet.com, 2008 ) . Substance maltreatment involves the â€Å" perennial and inordinate usage of chemical substances to accomplish a certain consequence † ( Segal and Cutter, 2009 ) . Substance dependence and maltreatment compels a individual to go haunted with obtaining and utilizing drugs despite the many inauspicious wellness and life jobs ( The National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . The research indicates people abuse drugs because they think they feel better on drugs. It is besides stated in research they take drugs in order to get by with the many troubles they may be confronting in their life. â€Å" Drugs exert their effects mostly on the motive and pleasance tracts of the encephalon ( The National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . Drugs affect the encephalon chemicals because the â€Å" chemical construction of the drugs is similar to encephalon chemicals or neurotransmitters † ( The National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . â€Å" Similarity in construction allows them to be recognized by nerve cells and to change normal encephalon messages † ( The National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . Addiction is a â€Å" developmental disease which normally beings in adolescence † ( The National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . â€Å" Sixty-seven per centum of adolescence will experiment with marihuana for the first clip between the ages of 12 and 17 † ( The National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . Prevention would necessitate to get down at an early age in order to halt substance maltreatment before it starts. Causes There is no conclusive grounds why person can go addicted to a substance and another individual does non. In dependence there is a force which creates an inability to acquire control of a state of affairs. If a individual is in hurting, they may take a hurting pill. Once the hurting subsides any little feeling of hurting and the individual will take another pill. The individual becomes use to the feeling that the pill is giving them relief irrespective of how terrible or non the hurting still is. This is when people abuse prescribed medicines, nonprescription medicines or illegal pills. Substance maltreatment can besides be a trigger when a individual is experiencing down or lonely. Taking a pill can assist control that feeling. There are other triggers which can do dependence: household history, history of mental unwellness, untreated physical hurting, and peer force per unit area ( Segal and Cutter, 2009 ) . Vulnerability is a â€Å" merchandise of the interaction of a individual ‘s biological science, cistrons, environment, and age † ( The National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . Studies show that along with environment, emphasis, and equal influence, genetic sciences attribute anyplace from 40 % to 60 % per centum toward sensitivity to dependence. Environmental factors besides contribute to a individual ‘s impulse to take drugs. Factors such as a history of physical or sexual maltreatment, witnessing a violent act, or emphasize all influence the individual ‘s pick ( The National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . Gender besides affects substance maltreatment and dependence. Abuse and dependence can impact a male otherwise from a female. Research on grownup substance maltreaters has â€Å" revealed a figure of societal and psychological differences between males and females that have of import deductions for intervention † ( Toray, Coughlin, Vuchinich and Patricelli, 1991 ) . A survey was done on 930 male and female striplings who were in intervention for substance maltreatment. They were analyzed to understand the difference between the genders ( Toray et. Al, 1991 ) . While category and ethnicity influence the logical thinking behind adolescent substance maltreatment, small research has been done to understand how gender affects maltreatment and dependence. Research showed that â€Å" gender differences may be in psychosocial factors such as depression and parental and equal influences which determine substance usage forms † ( Toray, et Al, 1991 ) . Men are more likely to seek intervention so adult females are. â€Å" The survey showed that 20 % of all clients in publically funded intervention services were adult females † ( Toray, et Al, 1991 ) . Because of societal stigma, adult females seem to be less unfastened about their jobs. Female substance maltreaters â€Å" tend to self-medicate to acquire off from emotional hurting † ( Toray, et Al, 1991 ) . There are great differences in the figure of males and females who receive intervention. Females study higher rates of self-destruction, depression, and physical and sexual mal treatment so males do. Because of these differences, the success of intervention can be less successful for females ( Toray, et Al, 1991 ) . Data was collected from 1981 through 1988 from 930 striplings. Of these striplings, 90 % were from in-between category households and 10 % were from lower and upper category households. The age span was 16 old ages old for males and 15 old ages old for female. The striplings were chiefly of white beginning ( Toray, et Al, 1991 ) . The intent of this research was to garner information about the young person ‘s drug history and household history and to profile the young person sing their drug usage. The group was asked the particulars of their drug usage – what they used and how frequently. They were given a psychological profile sing depression, self-destruction efforts, physical and/or sexual maltreatment. They besides were asked about their parent ‘s history of drug usage and whether they used drugs, intoxicant, or both ( Toray, et Al, 1991 ) . The major differences found between males and females were in â€Å" suicide efforts, physical and/or sexual maltreatment and household drug history with female rates significantly higher so male rates † ( Toray, et Al, 1991 ) . The female substance maltreater may be â€Å" confronted with psychological, household, and cultural barriers in recovery non found by males † ( Toray, et Al, 1991 ) . Recovery is a long and difficult procedure and may be more hard for a female because resources available to females â€Å" lack sensitiveness to a figure of issues she may be confronting such as stigmatisation and sexual victimization † ( Toray, et Al, 1991 ) . It is critical that a female receive the appropriate support both during and after intervention. Rational Peoples have many grounds for remaining addicted to substances. They might believe â€Å" ingestion of the habit-forming good is non every bit harmful, that persons possess subjective beliefs refering this injury, and that beliefs are optimally updated information gained through ingestion † ( Orphanides and Zervos, 1995 ) . Parents, guidance, and equals can assist a individual get through this tough stage of their life. There is intervention out at that place where the dependence can be controlled and non take over person ‘s life. Peoples ‘s dependences are non merely to substances but to other things such as work, eating, and faith. Rational Choice Theory can explicate a assortment of habit-forming behaviours. The theory â€Å" derives conditions that determine whether steady province ingestion degrees are unstable or stable. Unstable steady provinces are important to the apprehension of rational dependence † ( Becker and Murphy, 1988 ) . The variables determine whether a individual can go addicted to a certain good and the effects that it causes. Consumption of a substance will demo how a individual responds to alterations sing the substance. It besides shows how a individual responds to stressful things that are go oning in their life and if it increases the demand for the substance ( Becker and Murphy, 1988 ) . â€Å" The Rational Choice Theory implies that â€Å" traveling cold Meleagris gallopavo is used to stop strong dependences, that nuts frequently go on orgies, that addicts respond more to permanent than to impermanent alterations in monetary values of habit-forming goods, and that anxiousness and tensenesss can precipitate and dependence ( Becker and Murphy, 1988 ) . A individual decides to stop his dependence if â€Å" events lower either his demand for the habit-forming good sufficiently or his stock of ingestion capital sufficiently † ( Becker and Murphy, 1988 ) . There needs to be an interaction between the individual and the good in order for the individual to halt the dependence. Rational individuals end stronger dependences more quickly than weaker 1s can. Media, Parents, and Peers The United States Office of National Drug Control Policy late â€Å" launched a media run intended to cut down illegal drug usage by the immature Americans † ( Lu, Zanutto, Hornik and Rosenbaum, 2001 ) . This survey was done with 521 teens and it compared teens that had been exposed to the media run and those that were non. The research was done based on three inquiries: â€Å" ( 1 ) In recent months, how frequently have you seen anti-drug commercials on telecasting or heard them on the wireless? ( 2 ) In recent months, how frequently have you seen anti-drug ads in newspapers or magazines? ( 3 ) In recent months, how frequently have you seen anti-drug ads in film theatres or on pictures? † ( Lu, et Al, 2001 ) . Older kids reported â€Å" less exposure to the media run than the younger kids, but gender and race showed small or no relationship to exposure † ( Lu, et Al, 2001 ) . Social larning theory sing emphasis and header were integrated to organize a ground for adolescent drug usage from informations obtained from 343 young persons. Parental rejection, aberrant equals, and low self-pride increased the stripling ‘s chance of drug usage. Findingss suggest that intervention should include single guidance and household therapy with an accent on rearing patterns ( Simons and Robertson, 1989 ) . This survey was done in a Midwestern metropolis with a population of 250,000. The stripling ‘s interviewed were between the ages of 13 to 17 old ages. They completed a two-hour interview and questionnaire. The questionnaire focused on demographic information, household state of affairs, peer relationships, psychological wellbeing, delinquent behaviour, and drug/alcohol usage ( Simon and Robertson, 1989 ) . 189 were male and 154 were female. They came from all different walks of life. Consequences found that substance maltreatment among young persons was â€Å" associated with weak bonds to household and strong bonds to a aberrant equal group † ( Simons and Robertson, 1989 ) . Parental rejection increased the usage of substance maltreatment amongst young person. Rejected kids tended to â€Å" mistrust and impute malevolent motivations to others, with the consequence being a defensive, if non aggressive, attack to equals interactions † ( Simons and Robertson, 1989 ) . Parental rejection is â€Å" positively related and self-esteem negatively related to avoidant get bying. There was no important coefficient between either parent ‘s imbibing form and avoidant header and parental rejection and aggressiveness are positively associated with engagement in a aberrant equal group † ( Simons and Robertson, 1989 ) . Prevention and Treatment Geting the message out sing substance maltreatment and dependence being harmful demands to get down at an early age. Most people become addicted can non halt without aid. In the addicted encephalon, â€Å" the control circuit becomes impaired because of drug usage and loses much of its repressive power over the circuits that drive responses to stimuli deemed salient † ( The National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . Substance maltreatment intervention needs to handle the whole individual non merely the substance job. Behavior therapy can modify a individual ‘s attitude and behaviour as it relates to the substance maltreatment. There are medicines that a individual can take to handle the symptoms. Peoples that want to halt pickings can take a medical specialty that will assist control their desire to towards their dependence. Since substance maltreatment is really complex, there are many different types of intervention. Substance maltreatment intervention includes â€Å" detoxification, direction of drug dependance, and bar of backsliding † ( The National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1996 ) . Treatment plans are varied and multifaceted. Treatment falls into two classs: â€Å" drugs that affect physiological procedures and therapies that aim to modify behaviour † ( The National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1996 ) . Prescription medicines can supply a utility drug for the existent drug and barricade the physiological effects of the abused drug. They can besides assist the effects of backdown. Therapy and guidance can assist to alter a individual ‘s behaviour. â€Å" Peer support self-help groups modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous, behavioural conditioning to change one ‘s response to drug stimulations, accomplishment development, or long term intervention in a closed residential scene str essing substance abstention and acquisition of new attitudes and behaviour † ( The National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1996 ) , are all apart of acquiring effectual intervention. A â€Å" loving, fostering relationship with household has shown to be an of import portion though which a individual can larn to care, to give, and to compromise in relationships with others † ( Simons and Robertson, 1989 ) . Backsliding Peoples do non acquire cured when they go through intervention. Peoples become clean and sober. Substance maltreatment requires womb-to-tomb intervention. Peoples need to be able to acquire where they can â€Å" pull off their recovery and recover their lives † ( The National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . If a individual relapses, it needs to function as a trigger that a different intervention or intercession demands to be used. The added support of a group, reding, household, and friends can assist a individual get through intervention. â€Å" The odds of staying abstentious rise if a patient has been abstinent for one to three old ages. After three old ages, the recovery odds remain high and stable. Addiction requires an on-going and active disease direction scheme † ( The National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2009 ) . Backsliding is common and frequently repeated interventions are required. Successful intervention relies in portion on how much clip is spent in a intervention plan. Those who remain in a plan for at least a twelvemonth are less likely to return to their substance maltreatment or dependence ( The National Institute on Drug Addiction, 1996 ) . Opportunities of backsliding are influenced by the same biological, psychological, behavioural, societal, and environmental factors that they originally faced. The longer person abstains from substance maltreatment, the better the opportunity of them remaining clean and sober in the hereafter ( The National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1996 ) . Decision This paper covers substance maltreatment and dependence and its affects. The research was based on intercession and bar and the influences around a individual including the media, parents, and equals. This subject was chosen because of the turning job with substance maltreatment and dependence in the United States. Merely in my town entirely, there are changeless reminders everyday of the job and how it affects the town, the schools, and the individual ‘s household. The paper was developed around why and how a individual abuses or becomes dependence to a substance. The paper besides discusses the different research done sing substance maltreatment and dependence particularly refering striplings. The paper besides discusses the bar of substance maltreatment and dependence and those around them that can assist such as household, friends, and support groups. Even though there are drugs which can assist a individual, there still is the job of going addicted. Because so many people have a substance maltreatment and dependence, dependence still remains a job in the United States. Reasons for dependence and maltreatment are eternal. Without the aid and support of household, friends, and intervention, the dependence will go on. Even with support, people may decline it. The addicted individual demands to desire to halt their dependence. Annotated Bibliography Becker, G.S. , and Murphy, K.M. ( 1988 ) . A theory of rational dependence. The Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 96, No. 4, pp. 675-700. The University of Chicago Press. Retrieved on January 9, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/stable.1830469.pdf This article discusses how a individual rationalizes their substance maltreatment or dependence and what they future may keep for them. Bernheim, B.D. , and Rangel, A. ( 2004 ) . Addiction and cue-triggered determination procedures. The American Economic Review, Vol. 94, No. 5 pp. 1558-1590. American Economic Association. Retrieved on January 9, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/stable/3592834.pdf This article discusses why users find themselves prosecuting in usage even if they might desire to halt. The user knows the effects of what they are making and might desire to halt but can non. It besides discusses the money that is spent on substance maltreatment in the United States. It besides talks about forms of habit-forming behaviour. Lu, B. , Zanutto, E. , Homik, R. , and Rosenbaum, P.R. ( 2001 ) . Matching with doses in an experimental survey of a media run against drug maltreatment. Journal of the American Statistical Association, Vol. 96, No. 456 pp. 1245- 1253. American Statistical Association. Retrieved on January 9, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/stable/3085887.pdf This article discusses how the media might act upon habit-forming behaviour and how the media could be used in a positive manner. MedicineNet, Inc. ( 2008 ) . Drug maltreatment and dependence. Retrieved on January 8, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp? articlekey=25825 This article discusses what drug dependence is and why some people might go addicted and some do non. Factors include biological science, environment, and development. Orphanides, A. , and Zervos, D. ( 1995 ) . Rational dependence with acquisition and sorrow. The Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 103, No. 4 pp. 739-758. The University of Chicago Press. Retrieved on January 9, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/stable/2138580.pdf This article discusses how people did non believe that they could go addicted and how they regret their past determinations. Saisan, J. , Segal, J. , and Cutter, D. , ( 2009 ) . Drug maltreatment and dependence. Signs, symptoms, and assist for drug jobs. Retrieved on January 8, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //helpguide.org/mental/drug_substance_abuse_addiction_signs_effects_treatment This article discusses what to look for in a individual that you might believe has a substance maltreatment or dependence job. It discusses the causes of the maltreatment and the different types of maltreatment. St. simons, R.L. , and Robertson, J.F. ( 1989 ) . The impact of rearing factors, aberrant equals, and get bying manner upon adolescent drug usage. Family Relations, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 273-281. National Council on Family Relations. Retrieved on January 9, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/stable/585052.pdf This article deals with research on stripling substance usage and maltreatment. This information was obtained from research done on 343 young persons. The research dealt with parental interaction, their equals, and how the young persons felt about themselves. The National Institute on Drug Abuse ( 1996 ) . Drug usage. Retrieved on January 8, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hq.nasa.gov/office/ospp/securityguide/Eap/Drugs.htm This article discusses the difference between drug usage, maltreatment, and dependance. It talks about drug dangers and their badness. It besides discusses the drug maltreatment intervention. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, ( 2008 ) . NIDA for teens: Facts on drugs – Anabolic steroids. Retrieved on January 8, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/facts_ster1.php This article talks about steroid usage among jocks, how they are used, and the effects of the drug. It besides discusses the range of usage among teens. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, ( 2009 ) . Addiction scientific discipline: From molecules to pull off attention. National Institute of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on January 8, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.drugabuse.gov/pubs/teaching/Teaching6/Teaching1.html This is a series of articles that discusses everything from wellness effects to the money spent of drugs. It touches on HIV/AIDS. It discusses what happens to the encephalon when a individual is on drugs. It talks about how and why people become addicted to drugs. It discusses what factors affect the interaction of drugs and how the environment affects the use. It besides touches on intervention and what can be done in the instance of a backsliding. Toray, T. , Coughlin, C. , Vuchinich, S. , and Patricelli, P. ( 1991 ) . Gender differences associated with adolescent substance maltreatment: Comparisions and deductions for intervention. Family Relations, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 338-344. National Council of Family Relations. Retrieved on January 9, 2010 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/stable/585021.pdf This was research done on a group of 930 striplings, both male and female, who were in intervention for drug maltreatment. This research shows how substance maltreatment and dependence affects the male and female otherwise. It takes into affect the history of physical and or sexual maltreatment and household history of substance maltreatment. I. Introduction a. Substance maltreatment and dependence B. Problem today among people c. Reason of dependence II. Statement of Problem a. Relevant – large job in today ‘s society B. Way to understand job c. What causes people to go addicted? d. Why does it impact some and non others? e. Are at that place underlying jobs to the maltreatment? f. Are at that place underlying jobs to the dependence? g. How does it impact those around them? III. Discussion a. Substance maltreatment B. Substance dependence c. Social deductions d. Parental engagement e. Peer engagement IV. Causes a. What causes the maltreatment and dependence B. Statisticss c. Family history d. Peer force per unit area V. Rational behind abuse/addiction a. It ‘s all right, I can discontinue anytime b. I am non aching anyone c. It does non be that much VI. Media influence Exposure to anti drug messages Helping the cause VII. Prevention a. Parents B. Peers c. Programs d. Rehabilitation VIII.. Relapse a. Reason b. Abstinence VIIII. Decision a. Reason for dependence and/or maltreatment B. Affects of intervention c. Problem today in the United States Brooding Narrative