Voodoo Essay -- Voudun Hoodoo Voo doo Religion

Voodoo Throughout history people have feared that which they do not understand. This is even more evident with the topic of witchcraft. With such events, as the Salem witch trials and the inquisition-like attacks on religions, not socially accepted by the majority, demonstrates what happens when intolerance and fear of beliefs not like any other take hold in a culture. Even in the 20th century, a religion exists in the southern United States that intimidates people through prayer, ceremonies, gris-gris, and superstition. This religion is known by names such as Voudun, Hoodoo, and most popular Voodoo The word Voodoo is an intimidating word to many because of the images it brings to the mind of black magic, evil, and death that are associated with it. Voodoo is a religion that is very unique and interesting to examine. The roots of Voodoo are traced back to West Africa, continues on to Haiti and other islands via the slaves and then brought to New Orleans also through slavery. There is a difference in the Voodoo of each of these locations due to peoples' influence on it and according to its need at each location. In West Africa, the people took the view that all things lived and died but when something did die its spirit would linger close to the loved ones to help them in this world. They believed in a spirit world that was ruled by a supreme God just as Catholicism believes in God and Heaven. The Voodoo culture took the view that the supreme God was busy doing the most important work and this resulted in the followers asking sub-deities (loas) to carry their message to God for them. Loas, similar to saints or angels, had unique powers but they also were associated with specific physical traits, favorite ... ... others not even within the rat it is no different from the major religions of the world. By looking more in depth at Voodoo, the ability to determine whether to use the religion for good or evil is a test in itself. Unless one has faith in the beliefs of a given religion, will be seen as a negative belief of evil by those who do not understand. As humans, a bias naturally exists for our own personal beliefs and traditions. Explore and understand what is against your own belief and what could be found may be a surprise. Bibliography and Footnotes: 4. Bodin, Ron, Voodoo: Past and Present.( Lafayette: University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1990.) pp.39 3. Haskins, Jim, Voodoo and Hoodoo. (Lanham: Scarborough House, 1990.) pp.128 and 191 1 and 2. Hurbon, Laennec, Voodoo: Search for the Spirit. (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1995.) pp. 38-39

What do you find particularly memorable in the language the poet uses in Caged Bird?

In the poem, Caged Bird, by Maya Angelou, the language has been employed effectively. She has defined her own structure, so as to find the sound, tempo and rhythm that are most suitable for this poem. The imagery, as well as the sounds, with which the poet uses to aid in the conveyance of her message and ideals, has been executed effectively. Furthermore, the use of contrast and comparison is central to the poem and is presented in a powerful, albeit straightforward manner. Angelou has chosen to shape the structure of a poem to benefit her own ideals, and has achieved this remarkably. This is apparent as, even though each line has a different number of beats, the first line only having four, the second, having six and the fourth having five, the poem in its entirety is still lyrical and musical, and this lyrical style ties in with the poem's image, that of a caged bird, which â€Å"sings with a fearful trill†¦Ã¢â‚¬  By opting not to constrain her poem through the use of rigid meters, rhythm and general structure, each stanza, or rather, each line contributes to the poem's overall idea. Whilst the structure is integral to the poem, so is the use of enjambment. In the first stanza, the structure is smooth and the words flow continuously. The poet has employed enjambment to help make the verse sound more free and boundless, in accordance with the image of a free bird, which â€Å"leaps on the back of the wind†. The structure of the stanzas do not inhibit the meaning of them, but instead, helps to develop them, and it is this skill with which Angelou writes that makes the poem as a whole, effective and memorable. Moreover, Angelou has employed imagery to her advantage in this poem. By using strong, connotative words, she has created a stronger image for the reader to imagine. Her use of effective and clear adjectives, as well as strong, effective metaphors, create a compelling picture which helps the reader to visualize the â€Å"dawn-bright lawn† and â€Å"sighing trees†, thereby enabling the reader to clearly understand the image. The metaphors allow the reader to comprehend the poet's vision, and this is used again when she writes â€Å"the caged bird stands on the grave of dreams† as well as the lines, â€Å"dips his wing in the orange sun's rays†. This use of strong adjectives and stronger metaphors help to clearly impress upon the reader the image which the poet has intended for us to envision. Additionally, Angelou has utilized sound to its greatest effect in each of the poem's stanzas. This has been done to help set the overall tone of the verse and the entire poem. The reader can see this in the first stanza, where Angelou has used softer, longer vowel and consonant sounds to help add to the soft, carefree atmosphere of the stanza. This can be seen with words like â€Å"free†, â€Å"leaps†, and â€Å"floats†. This is again seen in the fourth stanza, through the use of sounds that accentuate the softness of the ambience, which is apparent in the words, â€Å"breeze†, â€Å"soft†, and â€Å"sighing†. In contrast to this, harder, shorter vowel and consonant sounds help to illustrate the bleak, wretched atmosphere of the cage in stanzas two and five. These sounds are used in â€Å"stalks†, â€Å"clipped†, and â€Å"scream†. This use of sound throughout the poem helps the reader to understand the contrasting atmos pheres and the overall tone of the poem. Angelou has centred her poem on the contrast and comparison of the free bird and the caged bird. This contrast portrays the differences between the lives of these two birds. In the first stanza, the free bird â€Å"floats downstream† and â€Å"dips his wings in the orange sun's rays†. This helps the reader to understand the carefree nature of the free bird. In contrast, in the second stanza, the caged bird â€Å"stalks down his narrow cage† and his â€Å"wings are clipped and his feet are tied†. This contrast between the free bird and the caged bird is an effective method, which Angelou enlists, to convey her beliefs and to ensure that the reader can understand her intentions, as well as making the poem memorable and appealing. Angelou has effectively written her poem, and in the process has made it memorable. Her choice not to follow a standard structure has proven fulfilling, as her structure has successfully expressed her message. In addition, the imagery with which she portrays her visualization has helped to impress an image upon the reader, which is helped by the use of different sounds through the poem that enables the reader to fully grasp the mood of the stanzas. This, in turn, helps the contrast and comparisons in the poem to be made more prominent, which ultimately allows Angelou to successfully convey her message, that of the luxuries of freedom, and, in comparison, the bonds of an oppressive society.

Diversity in Groups - 959 Words

Module Five: Diversity in Groups Eli Neff ITT Technical Institute The modern day business model depends on many different factors in order to be successful. One of the most important factors in both internal and external business affairs is the ability to effectively communicate within different cultures, also known as intercultural communication. Intercultural communication happens when two groups or individuals from different backgrounds come together to communicate (Lanqua Team). With the growing amount of diversity in the workplace, intercultural communication is becoming more and more important when leading a business. Globalization With the invention of the internet, businesses across the globe are finding it easier and†¦show more content†¦Celebrating what makes us different, be it cultural values, beliefs, or even skills makes for better teamwork. Seeing how someone is different from you rather than the same forces you to look at them as an individual and understand why they hold the beliefs they do. Becoming more tolerant of others in the workplace is simple but for some people can be very difficult. We must constantly evaluate our own behavior and beliefs in order to treat people fairly. Our prejudices can lead to discrimination, which leads to poor team communication and an unfriendly or even unsafe work environment. Some ways of dealing with the challenges a diverse workplace provides are identifying and eliminating barriers to the utilization of diversity, creating a structure for dealing with personal conflicts, fostering relationships between people in the workplace with different cultural or personal backgrounds, and identifying when miscommunications between members happen so they can be clarified and avoided later. (Johnson amp; Johnson, 2013) Conclusion Embracing each other’s cultural and personal background and beliefs is the key to a healthy and functional diverse workplace. Diversity is unavoidable in today’s business model since globalization is at its zenith, and making sure that we are tolerant of others is the best way to keep it there. One of the many challenges that businessShow MoreRelatedGenerational Diversity Groups : A Generational Group Essay1074 Words   |  5 PagesThere are four generational diversity groups. In this paper I will discuss the four groups, including each group’s name, timeframe, and the characteristics of each group. Then, I will discuss the group in which I belong and the characteristics of the group that I possess. Lastly, I will choose a different group than my own and describe how each group can learn from th e other. Overview of Four Generations There are four generational groups. The first I will discuss is the Veterans (1925-1945). NursesRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Group Diversity1453 Words   |  6 Pagesgiven group that are unlike any other. Our country is highly complex, and the diversity amongst all the different groups of people can create a highly effective collaboration or create and unproductive conflict among individuals. The subject of diversity becomes more and more common today than ever before. Because any environment has the potential to be highly effective, it is imperative to accurately and effectively manage such situations. The importance of knowing how to manage diversity in groupsRead MoreThe Diversity Of Class During A Group Discussion Essay1322 Words   |  6 PagesIdentify and describe a time in this class when you failed to embrace diversity. I failed to embrace diversity in class during a group discussion. For instance, in the group we were talking about traditional roles for men and women. I failed to embrace people who had different views, because I did not see things the same way. One of my peers, believed women will continue to follow traditional roles, while I believed women are breaking away from traditional roles. In other words, my classmateRead MoreTeamwork/Group, Dynamics, Cohesion, Diversity7672 Words   |  31 Pages Topics Page No Abstract 1. Introduction 2. Group Dynamics 1 M. Sahin 2.1. Advantages 1 2.1.1. Setting up Goals 1 2.1.2. Brain storming 1 2.1.3. Communication 2 2.2. Disadvantages 3 2.3. Advantages Vs Disadvantage (End Results) 5 3. Group Cohesiveness 7 J. Mahmoudi What is Group Cohesion? 7 3.1. Nature of Group Cohesiveness 3.2. Groups Goals 8 3.3. Measuring group cohesion 9 3.4. Developing cohesiveness 11Read MoreDiversity Within The Taxonomic Group Of Lagormorpha1863 Words   |  8 PagesDiversity within and between species depends on evolution and evolutionary processes. This essay seeks to analyze the origins and significance of diversity within the taxonomic group of Lagormorpha, both within species and between species. Origin of diversity within species Inbreeding depression occurs when species inbreed to a point where the overall fitness of the species decreases significantly. Slate and Pemberton studied how reduced heterozygosity affected the sperm and gonads of wild rabbitsRead MoreCritical Thinking Group Assignment : Diversity Within Our Group2623 Words   |  11 PagesCritical Thinking Group Assignment: Diversity Within Our Group Tracy Williams, Jessica Parrett, Katharine Shaw, Rasheye’ Cobb, and Alexandria Martin Wright State University â€Æ' Knowing about the diversity within different communities is very helpful when studying human behavior on the macro level. It is of great importance to understand this diversity, in order to enable sound policy development and implementation. No matter how similar a group of people may seem, there is always diversity within themRead MoreThe Impact Of Diversity Training On A Group Dynamics Experiment1018 Words   |  5 PagesFor this particular study, the researcher is instrumental to the measurement of the impact of diversity training. The hypothesis of the study is leaders with diversity training, who manage a diverse work team,  experience higher levels of productivity. Multiple sources of data will be used in order to study full-circle when it comes to analysis and frame of reference. With the researcher as a key instrument, the researcher will collect data primarily through observation and the proceedings of theRead MoreDiversity, Religion, Language, Gender, Or Social Group s Essay2042 Words   |  9 PagesDiversity does not limit itself to appearance, race, religion, language, gender, or social groups, nor is it only found in one country, but among many. Diversity also does not have limitations when it comes to education and no, it is not just the many different ethnicities that are present that are being spoken of. It is educational values that are emphasized in one’s own family as well as the expectations of the culture that one was raised in which diversity can also be prevalent. An illustrationRead MoreThe Origin And Significance Of Diversity Within The Taxonomic Group Of Lagomorpha1779 Words   |  8 Pagessignificance of diversity within and between species using examples from a named Eukaryote taxonomic group of your choice.† Introduction Diversity within and between species depends on various evolutionary processes and can be traced to some sort of genetically altering event, whether it be a mutation, physical isolation, inbreeding depression etc. This essay seeks to analyze the origins and significance of diversity within the taxonomic group of lagomorpha, analyzing the diversity both within andRead MoreDiversity Is A Diverse Personality That Cultivates Within Any Group Setting936 Words   |  4 Pagesthat carries an adventurous circle of diversity. I am a 38-year-old African American who finds herself looking for opportunities in every day’s life cycle. I find my personality as a diverse personality that cultivates within any group setting. Over the years, I have come to learn diversity is everyday lifestyles, whether it is faced on by grocery shopping, employment etc. I have learned there is no way around diversities and its settings; however, diversity is a direction of your reflection.

How to Say and Write Fractions in Spanish

Fractions in Spanish can be stated in several ways depending on the formality of the speech and the size of the number. As always, where there is a choice of which form to use, listening to or reading the fractions in everyday use will help you develop a feel for which form is appropriate. Halves and Thirds The special forms la/una mitad and el/un tercio can be used for half and third, respectively. Some examples of usage: Apple redujo a la mitad el precio de su iPhone mà ¡s barato. (Apple reduced to half the cost of its cheapest iPhone.)El estudio revela que la mitad del software utilizado en la nacià ³n es pirateado. (The study shows that half the software used in the nation is pirated.)Una mitad y otra mitad hacen uno. (One half plus another half make one.)Eres mucho mà ¡s que una mitad de un par. (You are much more than half of a couple.)Predicen la desaparicià ³n de dos tercios de los osos polares antes de 2050. (They predict the disappearance of two-thirds of polar bears before 2050.)Perdià ³ un tercio de su valor en menos de dos aà ±os. (It lost a third of its value in less than two years.)Los internautas espaà ±oles pasan un tercio de su tiempo libre conectados a la red. (Spanish Internet users spend a third of their free time connected to the web.) Fourths Through Tenths For fourths through tenths, you can use the masculine form of the ordinal numbers. These forms are cuarto (fourth, quarter), quinto (fifth), sexto (sixth), sà ©ptimo, sà ©timo (seventh), octavo (eighth), noveno (ninth) and dà ©cimo (tenth). Some examples: Un cuarto de los anfibios y reptiles europeos està ¡ en peligro de extincià ³n. (A quarter of European amphibians and reptiles are in danger of extinction.)La aprobacià ³n de la reforma constitucional requerirà ¡ la obtencià ³n de una mayorà ­a favorable de tres quintos de senadores en una votacià ³n final. (The approval of constitutional reform requires the obtaining of a favorable majority of three-fifths of the senators in a final vote.)Dos sextos es igual a un tercio. (Two-sixths is the same as one-third.)Tres sà ©ptimos mà ¡s un sà ©ptimo es igual a cuatro sà ©ptimos. (Three-sevenths plus one-seventh equals four-sevenths.)El kilà ³metro es casi igual a cinco octavos de una milla. (A kilometer is about equal to five-eighths of a mile.)El ingreso total serà ­a de ocho novenos del salario mà ­nimo legal. (The total income would be eight-ninths of the minimum legal wage.)Perdià ³ tres dà ©cimos de su peso. (He lost three-tenths of his weight.) Use of Parte In everyday speech, it is common to express fractions by using the feminine form of the ordinal numbers followed by parte (which means part or portion). La tercera parte de internautas admite usar la misma contraseà ±a para todos sus accesos web. (A third of Internet users admit using the same password for all their accesses to websites.)Mà ¡s de la cuarta parte de las fuerzas armadas buscan terroristas. (More than a fourth of the armed forces are looking for terrorists.)Se dice que una sexta parte de la humanidad es analfabeta. (It is said that a sixth of humanity is illiterate.)Ella posee siete octavas partes de la casa. (She owns seven-eighths of the house.)_El litro es la centà ©sima parte de un hectolitro. (A liter is a hundredth of a hectoliter.)La pulgada es la duodà ©cima parte del pie y equivale a 2,54 cm. (The inch is 1/12th of a foot and is equivalent to 2.54 centimeters.) Sometimes the parte is omitted if the context makes it unnecessary Also, with larger numbers (i.e., smaller fractions), it is not uncommon for the ordinal number to be substituted. So, for example, you may hear doscientas cinco parte for 1/205th. The -avo Suffix The suffix of -avo is the rough equivalent of the -th (or, sometimes, -rd) suffix in English and can be used for eleventh and beyond. It is attached to the cardinal numbers. Sometimes the stems are shortened; for example, youll see both veintavo and veinteavo used for one-twentieth. Also, ciento is shortened, so a hundredth is a centavo. The ending of -à ©simo is sometimes used instead, as for the thousandths. The use of the -avo suffix is somewhat formal and is less common than the equivalents are in English. Examples: Una garrapatea equivale a un ciento veintiochoavos de redonda. (A semihemidemisemiquaver is equivalent to a 1/128th of a whole note.)El interà ©s mensual es equivalente a un doceavo de la tasa de interà ©s anual. (The monthly interest is equivalent to a twelfth of the annual interest rate.)En ningà ºn caso el crà ©dito diario excederà ¡ a un treintavo de los cargos. (In no case will the daily interest exceed a thirtieth of the charges.)El grueso de un vidrio corriente es de dos milà ©simos de metro. (The thickness of ordinary glass is two-thousandths of a meter.) Decimals and Percentages As in English, fractions in Spanish are commonly expressed in percentages and decimals. The phrase for percent is por ciento and phrases using percentages are treated as masculine nouns: El 85 por ciento de los nià ±os espaà ±oles se considera feliz. Eighty-five percent of Spanish children are considered happy. In most of the Spanish-speaking world, commas are used where decimal points are used in English. Thus 2.54 in English becomes 2,54 in Spanish. In Mexico, Puerto Rico and much of Central America, however, the convention used in U.S. English is followed: 2.54. In speech, numbers with decimals can be expressed digit by digit as in English. Thus you could say dos coma cinco cuatro or dos punto cinco cuatro depending on where you are. (A punto is a period, a coma a comma.) Key Takeaways Halves and thirds are frequently stated in Spanish using mitad and tercio, respectively.Special words are used for the fourths (cuartos) through the tenths (dà ©cimos).For elevenths, twelfths, and beyond, Spanish uses either the suffix -avo or the word parte following the ordinal numbers.

The Dialectics Of Public Policy In Mali - 914 Words

The dialectics of public policy and collective action within the history of the cotton’s developmental agenda in Mali. The history of cotton in Mali has a strong link with politics: the colonialists struggled to impose it, the postcolonial state made of it a symbol of development, the French government remains a stakeholder, and the neoliberal project targeted that sector for reform. The Malian state, despite the increasing export of gold, remains heavily vested in the cotton production as it is the first agricultural export. Moreover, â€Å"cotton is the main source of livelihood for a quarter of the Malian population† (Serra 2014). Hence, the development of the sector has affected a large part of the population, and many more sectors that†¦show more content†¦The strategy of the CMDT was to increase cotton’s production through incentives, in order to buy it from farmers at a fixed price, to process the yields in fibers for selling in international markets (Serra 2014). Hence, the pricing of the farmers’ yields of cotton depends on the decisions of the CMDT and is not directly dependent on the international market’s prices. The production of cotton is localized only in the Southern half and more precisely in the central and eastern parts of South Mali. Between the independence and the end of the twentieth century, the CMDT acted as â€Å"the state within the state† in the cotton zone by managing all agricultural policies, and even public health, education and general infrastructures as roads (Serra 2014). The policies of the CMDT reshaped the agricultural practices. The cultivable lands increased as occasional slash-and-burn method was replaced by a permanent growing fueled by inputs (Dufumier and Bainville 2006). The CMDT have supplied credits for peasants to allow them to increase their capital (mainly cattle, machinery remains rare) and inputs’ supplies. The CMDT also channeled the supply of chemical fertilizers produced by French and European companies. However, most of the increases in yielding are due to organic fertilizers produced by the peasants’ cattle as

Borderline Personality Disorder Free Essays

string(150) " this depressant are realized within a period of three months in treating mood disorders and a period of six weeks if it is made to treat depression\." Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a type of a mental disease characterized by prolonged personality function failure, variability and disturbance of moods. Ultimately, it leads one to unstable and chaotic interpersonal relationships, behavior, identity, and self image. The proceeding results are periods of dissociation and isolation. We will write a custom essay sample on Borderline Personality Disorder or any similar topic only for you Order Now When one is disturbed this way, he or she may develop pervasive negativity within the facets of life psychologically. Difficult in developing and maintaining work, social settings and home relationships are experienced. When the victims are not given the effective therapy and proper care, complete or attempted suicides are possible outcomes (Kantor, 1993, pp. 135). Current research on this disorder has revealed the specific symptoms that can help one establish early signs of the disease. The first recognitive experience of this disease is a turmoil relationship that takes a hate-love track as time goes by. After perceived slight misunderstandings, victims of this disorder furiously and immediately drop their friends. The victims have a general difficult in agreeing on gray areas with the other people they interact with (Lachkar, 2004, pp. 23). Current research from Britain encyclopedia has come up with a wide range of the factors that may lead to this disorder. The causes are said to be complex and diverse. They include child sexual abuse or childhood trauma, brain abnormalities, environmental factors, neurobiological factors and genetic predisposition. The disease itself is mental but the repercussions mostly rest and affect social behavior of the concerned. The affected spends most of the time mentally alternating between extremes of devaluation and idealization. The perceived identity disturbance is generated because of the psychological unrest in evaluating ones sense of self and self image. In the process of finding a solution to these encounters, impulsive thought that are far much self damaging come in mind. They may include reckless driving, substance abuse, binge eating, eating disorders, promiscuous and unprotected sex (Lubbe, 2000, pp. 450). At individual level, suicidal threats, gestures and behavior are experienced. This may also be coupled with behaviors that are self mutilating including excoriation or interfering with body scars that may be healing, cutting or picking at oneself. Due to affective instability, moods can be marked by high reactivity such as irritability, dysphoria, and intense episodic or sometimes high anxiety. Chronic feelings such as worthlessness and emptiness, frequent displays of recurrent physical fights, constant anger and temper, dissociate symptoms, delusions, paranoid ideation and transient stress are symptoms that indicate prevalence of Borderline Personality Disorder (Lachkar, 2004, pp. 24). The Chinese society of psychiatry has carried out an extensive study on the diagnostic paths in handling this mental illness. The diagnosisitnvolves the so called mood swings. Mood swings describes reactivity of mood and marked liability which can be defined as emotional dysregulation. It is a reaction of the victim to external intrapsychic and psychosocial stressors which is believed to subside or arise with time. The above medical research body has come up with several areas of concentration in the attempts to curb the prevalence of the disease globally (Muller, 1994, pp. 87). The approach in treating the disorder has ranged from socialization programs to medication programs. The medical section has given a prior attention to hospitalization, medications and psychotherapy interventions. After carrying out the research, the core treatment of the disorder is psychotherapy. The two mainly used and effective disorders are Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). It is an approach that applies high skills in teaching the regulation techniques of ones relationships, emotions and tolerating distress. It can be a face to face or phone counseling which can be done at individual level or through a group consultation. The second type of psychotherapy is the Transference Focused Psychotherapy (TFP). This kind of approach concentrates on the relationship between the victim of emotions and the therapist. It helps in understanding the challenges that may come along with social interactions and how to deal with the difficulties. These researchers have identified that medications can not adequately cure this disorder. They can only treat the problems that are associated with the disorder. It can approach and counter situations like anxiety, impulsitivity and depression. These medications include anti anxiety medications, antipsychotic and antidepressant. The hospitalization program is usually designed to keep the victim safe from self injury. Consultation of mental health providers gives the directions and precautions to undertake in containing the disease (Muller, 1994. pp. 87). The world health organization has also involved itself in the search for contingency measures in handling of the above disorder. It has proposed and enhanced group based psychological services. These programs motivate people to engage, participate and encourage group and solitary activities. It has thus developed therapeutic communities in Europe, that have led the campaigns towards treatment or lowering of the severity associated with this personality disorder. These communities focus on future prevention of the disease, handle the current victims and extend their material assistance to these individuals. The mission of these research organizations is to provide improved psychiatric rehabilitation services. The rehabilitation is achieved through encouraging engagement in meaningful activities and avoiding of social exclusion and stigmatic endeavors. The world organization also provides mutual support and promotes co-counseling groups all over the world to prevent unexpected and harmful spread of the disorder. The victim can get involved in alternative medicinal techniques. Doing exercises and ensuring physical fitness can be improved by including team sports and occupational therapy techniques. Engaging in a sort of employment encourages the spirit of self efficacy, competence and having a social role and obligation to perform in the society. This in turn promotes self esteem (McCallum, 2001, pp. 234). This body has also provided antidepressants called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor that has been presented in randomized and controlled trials around the world. It has been reported to improve attendant symptoms related to depression, anxiety, hostility and anger. A higher dose of the above depressant is required in the treatment of mood disorders in comparison with depression. The benefits of this depressant are realized within a period of three months in treating mood disorders and a period of six weeks if it is made to treat depression. You read "Borderline Personality Disorder" in category "Papers" Mentalization based treatments assumes that victims of this disorder experience attachment disturbance because of parent child relations in the early childhood stages. Lack of enough early child attunement and mirroring by parents can result to the child’s mentalization deficiency. This lowers the capacity of such child to attach some kind of correlation between the mental state and the potential causing action. Under normal conditions, there must exist some kind of relatedness between the driving force towards an action and the state of the mind. Studies have attached the perceived mental failure in this disorder to problematic impulse control and instability in moods (Acocella, 1999, pp. 108). Mentalization oriented treatments highly and frequently employ psycho dynamically informed multimodal treatment criterion in the process of ensuring a sustained capacity of self regulation of the patient. This criterion goes ahead to incorporate both individual psychotherapy and group psychotherapy in an outpatient context, partial hospitalization or therapeutic community. Combination of these medical and non medical elements helps to reduce the emotional states which are closely associated with Borderline Personality Disorder. The categories of the disorders include feelings of victimization, feeling of lack of identity or fragmentation, feeling of self destructiveness and extreme need for isolation. When these people are completely attacked by the disorder they become hyper alert to signals of rejection, less or no valuation, insecurity, ambivalence, avoidance and demonstration of fearful preoccupation in relationship patterns. All these issues are encountered in the process of novelty seeking or intimacy seeking of the patients (Livesley, 2003, pp. 90). Cultural, age and gender considerations of the disorder Several studies upon the relatedness of this disorder to gender aspects or differences have been done. It is an area that has raised a lot of controversies and critics in the attempt of justifying the perspective that this disorder dominates in female gender as compared to the males. It has thus received a very high feministic criticism. A group of scholars believe that patients of this disorder have a history of abuse in lines to do with sex during their early childhood. This ideology argues that girls are more exposed to the danger of sexual abuse compared to boys, definitely and inevitably justifying that the disease is common among ladies. On the other hand, women who have survived childhood sexual abuse perceive traumatization when interacting with abusive mental health services. This happens because of the fact that Borderline Personality Disorder is a diagnosis full of traumatization and thus it evokes negative or abusive responses and answers from mental health providers. To acknowledge the abuse of sex inflicted on these women, several feminist thinkers have suggested that it is better to use diagnosis of post traumatic disorder for this class of women. This medication is however made to medicalize the disorder but it does not handle the root cause of the problem within the society (Acocella, 1999, pp. 180). Clinical officers respond differently to similar complains or symptoms, depending on whether it originates from a woman or a man. For example if both sexes report cases of angriness and other promiscuous behaviors a man is likely to be diagnosed by use of Antisocial Personality Disorder whereas a woman will be diagnosed with Borderline Personal Disorder. If a woman portrays manhood characteristics such as hostility, success or sexual activity, she is entitled to a diagnosis of personality disorder. If on the other hand the woman shows psychiatric symptoms that conform not to the sick role considered traditionally passive, she is likely to be labeled and considered as a difficult patient. This situation leads to the patient receiving the stigmatizing diagnosis of the borderline personality disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder seemingly is associated with urban settings and low economic and social status. Diagnosis of this disease may at times be applied to the wrong group of persons or individuals. In some areas engagement in some behaviors is perceived as a protective approach or a presumed survival strategy. In making diagnosis analysis, it is of great importance for the clinician involved to consider the economic and social context in which the perceived emotional difficult occurred. Diagnosis of this disorder should not be performed before the age of eighteen years. This is because some observations made at early ages are associated with childhood. After this age, any symptoms can be diagnosed because every sense of maturity s assumed upon an individual (McCallum, 2001, pp. 234). Many sample based studies in the world have shown that the prevalence of this disorder in males is 1% and 3% in females. The origin of the individuals used in the sample has also contributed to variations in the study’s results, depending on the surrounding social and economic scenarios. Urban settings have indicated a percentage of 30% prevalence compared to 3% found in rural areas. This state has prevailed in many nations because urban settings are subjected to many social evils and crimes that highly contribute to emotional reactions. Substance abuses are believed to be highest in towns and cities. This disorder does not have a well defined course in ones life. It is however believed through experimentations and research activities that it disappears as one gets older and older. It has been observed to disappear in the fourth decade of life cycle. The remission of this disorder is not however automatic but depends on the frequency of engaging in criminal activities or activities that can interfere negatively with ones psychological and emotional state. There is a natural impact that forces one to reduce the spectrum of behaviors such as substance abuse (McCallum, 2001, pp. 234). Future considerations of the disorder The future diagnosis of this disorder requires an improvement and a further consideration of emotional difficulties to avoid misconceptions. This is because many reports have been produced where this disorder is persistently misdiagnosed. If this problem is not properly handled, it may lead to marked distress. This also promotes impairment in occupational, role functional and social obligations of the patients. When diagnostic results are released, the patient simply believes in the results without any doubt. Any diagnosis whether true or not is very much impactive on the emotional state of the patient. The patient will therefore adapt the living styles of fellow partners who are suffering from the disorder. Any further research on this work should be in position to offer updated synthesis which concretely incorporates rational clinical attention and current scientific knowledge. It should comprehensively reconstruct the minds of patients for it to serve as a vital caveat utilizing the treatment recommendations with appreciations and not view them as limiting to their ambitions in life. The nature of supportive advance should determine the treatment recommendations. These recommendations should be keyed with respect to confidence level provided by coded evidence (Acocella, 1999, pp. 108). In the future, researchers should not only concentrate on the medication issues but also pay attention to the socialization programs that can be adopted to prevent and at the same time help to cure who are suffering from the disorder. Emotional complications can not occur when the social atmosphere is not disturbed. Borderline disorder is sensitive to the environmental state. It is just a psychological response or reaction towards an emotional embarrassment from a certain source. If sexual abuse among children at early childhood is minimized or stopped, the rate at which the disorder is spreading can be cut down to lower ends. Therefore, programs should be launched to encourage the public through sensitization programs to take a personal initiative, aimed at a collective goal, a counter reaction towards Borderline Personality Disorder (Livesley, 2003, pp. 90). Reference: Acocella Joan, 1999. Creating Hysteria: Women and Multiple Personality Disorder. London, Jossey-Bass publishers, pp. 108. Kantor Martin, 1993. A Guide to Avoidance and Avoidant Personality Disorder. Mahwah, NJ, Praeger publishers, pp. 135. Lachkar Joan, 2004. The Narcissistic/ Borderline Couple: New Approaches to Marital Therapy. London, Brunner-Routledge, pp. 23, 25. Livesley John, 2003. Practical Management of Personality Disorder. London, Guilford Press, pp. 90. Lubbe Trevor, 2000. The Borderline Psychotic Child: A Selective Integration. London, Routledge, pp. 450. McCallum David, 2001. Personality and Dangerousness: Genealogies of Antisocial Personality Disorder. Cambridge University Press, pp. 234. Muller Ryse, 1994. Anatomy of a Splitting Borderline: Description and Analysis of a case History, Mahwah, NJ, pp. 87. How to cite Borderline Personality Disorder, Papers

Ethical Stance on Pro-Euthanasia free essay sample

Abstract Euthanasia is one of the most talked about issues related to biomedical ethics today. This paper will discuss the ethical findings on the topic of euthanasia from a philosophical point of view. The paper examines the moral views of philosophers and then will end with an argument as to why euthanasia should be allowed in United States. Ethical Stance on Euthanasia There are many people that have their opinion on whether one should be able to end their own life when they are suffering from a terminal illness. Some believe that they should have the right to end their own life when they are terminal or that their quality of life will never be the same. Others feel it is unjust to take your own life. There are many ethical positions on the topic of euthanasia that philosophers have been arguing about for many centuries. With all the moral and ethical positions, the question still remains, is euthanasia morally justified? Euthanasia Defined There are different forms of euthanasia that we must define before we can answer the question of whether these methods are justifiable means to end of life treatment. Active, passive, voluntary, involuntary, and non-voluntary are all methods of euthanasia. Active Euthanasia When most people think of euthanasia they are referring to active euthanasia. Most people are also referring to voluntary euthanasia as well which we’ll define later. Active euthanasia is the practice of ending the life by the deliberate administration of drugs. Injecting a patient, with patient’s consent, with a lethal dose of medication would be an example of euthanasia. Other examples of treatments that could be used to deliberately terminate a patient’s life could by the use of lethal gas or the use of prescription medication. Passive Euthanasia Passive euthanasia is the withholding or withdrawing of medication or treatment what could prolong life. This form of euthanasia implies the intent of allowing a natural death to occur without the health care provider’s interference. In most of passive euthanasia cases, the patient is simply not given any form of treatment that would extend his or her life. An example of this would be radiation treatment for terminal cancer. Voluntary Euthanasia When a patient personally requests that euthanasia takes place, either by active or passive forms, they are fully aware of the consequences from their actions. Again, when most people refer to euthanasia it is this type of request of end of time means. Involuntary Euthanasia Roy et al. (1994) states that involuntary euthanasia is carried out against the wishes of the patient. Another way of saying this is the person who is killed, expressed an exact wish to the contrary. Because this is basically carrying out a murder, involuntary euthanasia will never be accepted as a morally justifiable means of terminating a life. Non-voluntary Euthanasia When the patient is killed made no request and when consent of the patient is unavailable, usually due to the person being comatose, this is referred to as non-voluntary euthanasia. The end of life decision is usually made through the consent of loved ones. A Question of Ethics A being that is capable of acting with reference to right and wrong is defined as a moral agent (â€Å"Ethics in PR,† n. d. ). Ethics in PR (n. d. ) goes on to say, when something or someone is deemed a moral agent, it does not necessarily mean that they are successfully making moral decisions. It means that they are in a category that enables them to be blamed. If someone is unable to be blamed, then they do not have rights. Being a moral agent means that they can be held responsible for their decisions and behaviors, whether they are good or bad. Halliday (2000) states that: A moral agent must be a living creature, as they must be able to comprehend abstract moral principles and apply them to decision making. They must have â€Å"self-consciousness, memory, moral principles, other values, and the reasoning faculty, which allows him to devise plans for achieving his objectives, to weigh alternatives, and so on†. Also, in order to weigh the options in decision making, a moral agent must â€Å"attach a positive value to acts that conform to his moral principles and a positive value to some of the results that he can achieve by violating his moral principles. † This means that in order to be a moral agent â€Å"you must live in a world of scarcity rather than paradise. † If all of your values could be easily and immediately be achieved, you wouldn’t have to pick between your moral and non-moral goals, and you couldn’t practice moral agency. When discussing euthanasia who then are the moral agents? Certainly the patient that is competent would be a moral agent and the health care provider would qualify as a moral agent. If the patient were not competent, as would be the case in a non-voluntary euthanasia, the surrogate would be a moral agent. Surrogates could be family members, a friend with power of attorney, or a court appointed representative. Philosophical Theories Telfer (2004) explains that there are mainly two traditional philosophical theories regarding morality that have often been aimed to find a criterion of morally right action that can be broken into two groups. Those two groups are: those which hold that the right action is always that which produces the best consequences, and those which hold that the right action is not always that which produces the best consequences. The first kind of theories are Consequentialist and the theories of the second kind are called Deontological theories. John Stuart Mill In his famous essay, Utilitarianism, Mill states that Utilitarianism good consequences are simply happiness, and happiness is pleasure and freedom from pain-not only physical pain but also distress of other kinds. Mill goes on to state that in his view, the right action is that which produces the most pleasure and the least pain for all those affected. Mill’s second view of good consequences is that of the right action is that which promotes in oneself and other what we may call a higher happiness, one which stresses self-development and the fostering of the distinctively rational nature of human beings. Immanuel Kant The second theory we will discuss is Deontology. Deontology is an alternative ethical system that is usually attributed to the philosophical tradition of Immanuel Kant. Deontologists argue that there are transcendent ethical norms and truths that are universally applicable to all people. Deontology holds that some actions are immoral regardless of their outcomes; these actions are wrong in and of themselves. Kant writes a categorical imperative that tells us to act morally at all times. The categorical imperative, in its most widely used formulation, demands that humans act as though their actions would be universalized into a general rule of nature. Kant believes that all people come to moral conclusions about right and wrong based on rational thought. Deontology is roughly associated with the maxim the means must justify the ends. Whereas utilitarianism focuses on the outcomes, or ends, of actions, deontology demands that the actions, or means, themselves must be ethical. Pro-Euthanasia Arguments The first argument for euthanasia will be that of a utilitarian one. As stated above in his argument for utilitarianism, the right action, according to Mill, are right as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce pain or the reverse of happiness. In the argument for a terminally ill patient suffering from a disease that causes severe, untreatable pain, we would see that the happiness is maximized and the pain would thus be minimized by euthanasia. If the same person were living an enjoyable life prior to the disease and now unable to enjoy the activities that made life worth living, there would be no higher intellectual or emotional pleasures to balance the physical pain. Euthanasia would also allow this patient’s family and friends to be spared the pain of watching him suffer. This would also be considered an action to promote happiness. By allowing this patient to suffer, it would produce pain, or the reverse of happiness, thus agreeing with both arguments in Mills utilitarian theory. To use a utilitarian stance, we must consider what is good for all. In taking this stance, using euthanasia would also allow for other patients that are sick to be allowed to use hospital resources with more treatable conditions. Again, this would contribute to everyone’s happiness by allowing a person who needs a hospital bed to be admitted to the hospital for treatment. There are two forms of Utilitarianism that you could argue for euthanasia. Those are Hedonistic (pleasure based) and Ideal Utilitarianism (Telfer, 2004). Telfer goes on to write that the Hedonistic Utilitarian would say that situations often arise in which a person’s continued existence brings more pain than pleasure both to them and to all those who are distressed by their suffering-not to speak of the resources which are being spent on keeping them alive and which would produce more happiness if used in other ways. She goes on to say, the Ideal Utilitarianism version is the views of those who advocate the possibility of death with dignity through voluntary euthanasia. Ideal Utilitarians can argue that no one who receives proper expert care need die in pain and distress by stating that the good they seek is not mere absence of pain, physical or mental, but the preservation of dignity and the exercise of the human endowment of autonomy. The pro-euthanasia deontology argument brought up by Immanuel Kant is that the intent of an action rather than its effect is what determines morality. According to Kant, omissions are subject to the same moral rules acts. So, according to Kant the intentions of an act are more important than the act itself. In using this argument for euthanasia, one can feel it is acceptable to end the life of a competent terminally ill patient; it is the intention that you are doing a good act by alleviating the pain or ending the suffering of the patient is more meaningful than the act of euthanasia itself. Rationality can be defined as, â€Å"the capability of following rules, drawing inferences, generalizing, making free choices, and altering conduct when the truth of a proposition and interconnections between conduct and the proposition is recognized† (Homes, 2003). According to Gunderson (2004), Kant does not rule out euthanasia for people who have permanently lost their rational agency. Once someone has irretrievably lost rational agency, that person no longer has the sort of Kantian dignity that would justify a duty not to perform euthanasia. Gunderson goes on to say, in Kantian ethics, it would be permissible to write an advanced directive refusing life-saving treatment, and even requesting euthanasia, in the event that one were to suffer a permanent loss of rational agency. Euthanasia would not go against the Kantian duty to seek one’s perfection, because the person who has permanently lost the ability to function rationally is unable to seek perfection. Even for people who have not made an advanced directive, the Kantian argument still applies so long as there is no reason to believe that euthanasia would thwart what the person willed as a rational agent. If a person were to express a desire not to be killed in the event that he or she suffers a permanent loss of rationality, then there is reason to respect that desire, just as there is reason to respect the directives of the deceased regarding property distribution. Respect for rational agency requires both sustaining the conditions of rational agency and respecting decisions made by rational agents. It would be less respectful of humanity and therefore not a genuine kingdom of ends if the rational decisions were not respected after the loss of competence or death (Gunderson, 2004). A person that becomes incompetent and has lost his or her moral life becomes relegated to the status of an animal, or even to that of an object. Rational individuals who foresee the full onset of a mental debilitating disease, such as dementia, must choose between preserving the physical or moral life. Kant and others agree the moral life has greater value than the physical life. Therefore, a rational person has the moral duty to commit suicide, thereby sacrificing the physical life, in order to preserve his moral life (Cooley, 2007). According to Kant, dementia is a brain disorder that leads to the loss of rationality, and thus, humanity. Kant argues that irrational agents have physical lives, but no moral lives. A physical life is the biological life of a body that is physically living. Although this is shared with animals, a moral life involves reason, autonomy, and rationality and that, a moral life, is what separates persons from animals. Kant also argues of the duty of beneficence, which is the moral obligation to act in the best interest of others. This argument could then be used to say that dementia-related diseases cause an emotional burden on the family. Family members interact with someone that is only a shell of the person they once were. This results in emotional strains on the family as they care for the person with dementia, but cannot be loved or even recognized by those they love. Therefore, for those who foresee dementia have the moral right to commit suicide so they do not force their family to care for them in their non-human state. If the patient does not carry out this duty to die, one could easily infer that some sort of mercy killing would be permissible (Sharp, 2012). Sharp (2012) goes on to say that patients with severe dementia have lost all moral status, thus equating them to an object. As a result, others may act toward the patient as they would towards an object. If a demented patient becomes a burden, it should be abandoned in the same way as any other useless object. Another argument is that from Brassington (2006). He believes that if suicide is permissible, it should also be acceptable to respond to a call for assistance by assisting. Although there is no reason to suppose that it may be obligatory actually to help someone die, neither is there any basis for a refusal to do so in the wrongness of a proposed suicide, because there is no wrongness. Brassington goes on to state that the use of Kant’s Categorical Imperative second formulation argues that if we are using euthanasia, we are treating a person wholly as a means to an end; we have desired that we want to minimize suffering, and we have chose to kill as a means to that. If we are to accept this argument for euthanasia, it only works if our actions are motivated by something such as a desire to reduce the net level of suffering in the world and if the euthanasia and the person euthanized are thereby treated as a means to an end. In cases where a person wants us to kill him and when that desire is what motivates us to kill that person, and where we have no other desires that motivates us to kill that person, it would be difficult to sustain the charge that we are acting in such a way to make a person a means to our end (Brassington, 2006). In conclusion, I believe that with terminal diseases and mental diseases that destroy our functional being and thought process, euthanasia should be allowed. I do however, strongly only advocate for the option of voluntary euthanasia. I believe that either the use of active or passive euthanasia should be used. If all forms of euthanasia were to be allowed, society would abuse the privilege. Others may accept that there are circumstances where it is morally permissible to end a life intentionally, but that a change in the law would result in the very potential for abuse and coercion of the people that are vulnerable (Begley, 2008). While both active and passive euthanasia allows the person to exercise their own autonomy and preserve their dignity even in death, active differs from passive in the fact that it also has equal consideration for the doctor’s freedom of conscience and autonomy. I have a hard time agreeing with the fact that doctors should be involved in taking specific steps towards ending a patient’s life because their main objective is to heal/do no harm. Begley (2008) states that doctors, who believe that a patient’s partner can carry out voluntary euthanasia, believe that they (the doctors) should not be involved. The law states as of now that euthanasia is not legal. It is suggested then that doctors and nurses develop empathy and compassion when caring for the patient, but to lay that aside when the patient has asked to end their suffering, because it goes against the law. Begley (2008) writes that this â€Å"pushes a square into a round hole† and encourages the feeling that good doctors and nurses are those who can walk away from situations calling for a compassionate response. It is my opinion that when a patient it known to be competent and knows what decisions they are making, that euthanasia should be a valid alternative. My strongest argument for allowing patients to seek euthanasia is that they must be competent to make the decision. Active or passive euthanasia would allow the patient to be making a rational, competent decision. Again, with the action being voluntary, a patient personally requests that euthanasia takes place, either by active or passive forms, they are fully aware of the consequences from their actions. Being fully aware of the consequences means they have made a rational decision. Kant would argue that suicide is irrational because of â€Å"self-love. † (Matthews, 1998). However, Matthews goes on to say that the contradiction about which Kant speaks arises, however, only if loving oneself always and necessarily implies wanting to stay alive, that is, if going on living, even in conditions of misery, pain, dishonor and so on, is inherently and self-evidently preferable to ceasing to exist. But, one must ask, is life always preferable to non-existence (Matthews, 1998)? If one can make a rational determination that life is not worth living when one must have to go through pain and misery, then one must conclude that euthanasia is an ethical and rational means.