Vampire Academy Chapter 19

NINETEEN IT'S HARD TO SAY WHAT finally made me do it. I'd held on to so many secrets for so long, doing what I believed best protected Lissa. But hiding her cutting did nothing to protect her. I hadn't been able to make her stop – and really, I now wondered if it was my fault she'd ever started. None of this had happened until she healed me in the accident. What if she'd left me injured? Maybe I would have recovered. Maybe she would be all right today. I stayed in the clinic while Dimitri went to get Alberta. He hadn't hesitated for a second when I told him where she was. I'd said she was in danger, and he'd left immediately. Everything after that moved like some sort of slow-motion nightmare. The minutes dragged on while I waited. When he finally returned with an unconscious Lissa, a flurry arose at the clinic, one everyone wanted me kept out of. She had lost a lot of blood, and while they had a feeder on hand right away, rousing her to enough consciousness to drink proved difficult. It wasn't until the middle of the Academy's night that someone decided she was stable enough for me to visit. â€Å"Is it true?† she asked when I walked into the room. She lay on the bed, wrists heavily bandaged. I knew they'd put a lot of blood back into her, but she still looked pale to me. â€Å"They said it was you. You told them.† â€Å"I had to,† I said, afraid to get too close. â€Å"Liss†¦you cut yourself worse than you ever have. And after healing me†¦and then everything with Christian†¦you couldn't handle it. You needed help.† She closed her eyes. â€Å"Christian. You know about that. Of course you do. You know about everything.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I just wanted to help.† â€Å"What happened to what Ms. Karp said? About keeping it all secret?† â€Å"She was talking about the other stuff. I don't think she'd want you to keep cutting yourself.† â€Å"Did you tell them about the ? ®other stuff'?† I shook my head. â€Å"Not yet.† She turned toward me, eyes cold. † ? ®Yet.' But you're going to.† â€Å"I have to. You can heal other people†¦but it's killing you.† â€Å"I healed you.† â€Å"I would have been okay eventually. The ankle would have healed. It's not worth what it does to you. And I think I know how it started†¦when you first healed me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I explained my revelation about the accident and how all of her powers and depression had started after that. I also pointed out how our bond had formed after the accident too, though I didn't fully understand why yet. â€Å"I don't know what's going on, but this is beyond us. We need someone's help.† â€Å"They'll take me away,† she said flatly. â€Å"Like Ms. Karp.† â€Å"I think they'll try to help you. They were all really worried. Liss, I'm doing this for you. I just want you to be okay.† She turned away from me. â€Å"Get out, Rose.† I did. They released her the next morning on the condition that she'd have to come back for daily visits to the counselor. Dimitri told me they also planned on putting her on some sort of medication to help with the depression. I wasn't a big fan of pills, but I'd cheer on anything that would help her. Unfortunately, some sophomore had been in the clinic for an asthma attack. He'd seen her come in with Dimitri and Alberta. He didn't know why she'd been admitted, but that hadn't stopped him from telling people in his hall what he'd seen. They then told others at breakfast. By lunch, all the upperclassmen knew about the late-night clinic visit. And more importantly, everyone knew she wasn't speaking to me. Just like that, whatever social headway I'd made plummeted. She didn't outright condemn me, but her silence spoke legions, and people behaved accordingly. The whole day, I walked around the Academy like a ghost. People watched and occasionally spoke to me, but few made much more effort than that. They followed Lissa's lead, imitating her silence. No one was openly mean to me – they probably didn't want to risk it in case she and I patched things up. Still, I heard â€Å"blood whore† whispered here and there when someone thought I wasn't listening. Mason would have welcomed me to his lunch table, but some of his friends might not have been so nice. I didn't want to be the cause of any fights between him and them. So I chose Natalie instead. â€Å"I heard Lissa tried to run away again, and you stopped her,† Natalie said. No one had a clue why she'd been in the clinic yet. I hoped it stayed that way. Running away? Where in the world had that come from? â€Å"Why would she do that?† â€Å"I don't know.† She lowered her voice. â€Å"Why'd she leave before? It's just what I heard.† That story raged on as the day passed, as did all sorts of rumors about why Lissa might have gone to the med clinic. Pregnancy and abortion theories were eternally popular. Some whispered she might have gotten Victor's disease. No one even came close to guessing the truth. Leaving our last class as quickly as possible, I was astonished when Mia started walking toward me. â€Å"What do you want?† I demanded. â€Å"I can't come out and play today, little girl.† â€Å"You sure have an attitude for someone who doesn't exist right now.† â€Å"As opposed to you?† I asked. Remembering what Christian had said, I did feel a little sorry for her. That guilt disappeared after I took one look at her face. She might have been a victim, but now she was a monster. There was a cold, cunning look about her, very different from the desperate and depressed one from the other day. She hadn't stayed beaten after what Andre had done to her – if that was even true, and I believed it was – and I doubted she would with Lissa either. Mia was a survivor. â€Å"She got rid of you, and you're too high and mighty to admit it.† Her blue eyes practically bugged out. â€Å"Don't you want to get back at her?† â€Å"Are you more psycho than usual? She's my best friend. And why are you still following me?† Mia tsked. â€Å"She doesn't act like it. Come on, tell me what happened at the clinic. It's something big, isn't it? She really is pregnant, right? Tell me what it is.† â€Å"Go away.† â€Å"If you tell me, I'll get Jesse and Ralf to say they made all that stuff up.† I stopped walking and spun around to face her. Scared, she took a few steps backward. She must have recalled some of my past threats of physical violence. â€Å"I already know they made it all up, because I didn't do any of it. And if you try to turn me against Lissa one more time, the stories are going to be about you bleeding, because I'll have ripped your throat out!† My voice grew louder with each word until I practically shouted. Mia stepped back further, clearly terrified. â€Å"You really are crazy. No wonder she dropped you.† She shrugged. â€Å"Whatever. I'll find out what's going on without you.† When the dance came that weekend, I decided I really didn't want to go. It had sounded stupid to begin with, and I'd only been interested in going to the after-parties anyway. But without Lissa, I wasn't likely to gain admission to those. Instead, I holed up in my room, trying – and failing – to do some homework. Through the bond, I felt all sorts of mixed emotions from her, particularly anxiety and excitement. It had to be hard hanging out all night with a guy you didn't really like. About ten minutes after the dance's start time, I decided to clean up and take a shower. When I came back down the hall from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around my head, I saw Mason standing outside my door. He wasn't exactly dressed up, but he also wasn't wearing jeans. It was a start. â€Å"There you are, party girl. I was about ready to give up.† â€Å"Did you start another fire? No guys allowed in this hall.† â€Å"Whatever. Like that makes a difference.† True. The school might be able to keep Strigoi out, but they did a horrible job at keeping the rest of us away from each other. â€Å"Let me in. You've got to get ready.† It took me a minute to realize what he meant. â€Å"No. I'm not going.† â€Å"Come on,† he prodded, following me inside. † ? ®Cause you had a fight with Lissa? You guys are going to make up soon. No reason for you to stay here all night. If you don't want to be around her, Eddie's getting a group together over in his room later.† My old, fun-loving spirit perked its head up just a bit. No Lissa. Probably no royals. â€Å"Yeah?† Seeing that he was starting to get me, Mason grinned. Looking at his eyes, I realized again how much he liked me. And again I wondered, Why couldn't I just have a normal boyfriend? Why did I want my hot, older mentor – the mentor I'd probably end up getting fired? â€Å"It'll just be novices,† Mason continued, oblivious to my thoughts. â€Å"And I have a surprise for you when we get there.† â€Å"Is it in a bottle?† If Lissa wanted to ignore me, I had no reason to keep myself sober. â€Å"No, that's at Eddie's. Hurry up and get dressed. I know you aren't wearing that.† I looked down at my ripped jeans and University of Oregon T-shirt. Yeah. Definitely not wearing this. Fifteen minutes later, we cut across the quad back over to the commons, laughing as we recounted how a particularly clumsy classmate of ours had given himself a black eye in practice this week. Moving quickly over the frozen ground wasn't easy in heels, and he kept grabbing my arm to keep me from falling over, half-dragging me along. It made us laugh that much more. A happy feeling started to well up in me – I wasn't entirely rid of the ache for Lissa, but this was a start. Maybe I didn't have her and her friends, but I had my own friends. It was also very likely that I was going to get head-over-heels drunk tonight, which, while not a great way to solve my problems, would at least be really fun. Yeah. My life could be worse. Then we ran into Dimitri and Alberta. They were on their way somewhere else, talking guardian business. Alberta smiled when she saw us, giving us the kind of indulgent look older people always give to younger people who appear to be having fun and acting silly. Like she thought we were cute. The nerve. We stumbled to a halt, and Mason put a hand on my arm to steady me. â€Å"Mr. Ashford, Miss Hathaway. I'm surprised you aren't already in the commons.† Mason gave her an angelic, teacher's-pet smile. â€Å"Got delayed, Guardian Petrov. You know how it is with girls. Always got to look perfect. You especially must know all about that.† Normally I would have elbowed him for saying something so stupid, but I was staring at Dimitri and incapable of speech. Perhaps more importantly, he was staring at me too. I had on the black dress, and it was everything I'd hoped it could be. In fact, it was a wonder Alberta didn't call me on the dress code right there and then. The fabric clung everywhere, and no Moroi girl's chest could have held this dress up. Victor's rose hung around my neck, and I'd done a hasty blow-dry of my hair, leaving it down the way I knew Dimitri liked it. I hadn't worn tights because no one wore tights with dresses like this anymore, so my feet were freezing in the heels. All for the sake of looking good. And I was pretty sure I looked damn good, but Dimitri's face wasn't giving anything away. He just looked at me – and looked and looked. Maybe that said something about my appearance in and of itself. Remembering how Mason sort of held my hand, I pulled away from him. He and Alberta finished up their joking remarks, and we all went our separate ways. Music blasted inside the commons when we arrived, white Christmas lights and – ugh – a disco ball casting the only light in the otherwise darkened room. Gyrating bodies, mostly underclassmen, packed the dance floor. Those who were our age stood in too-cool clusters along the edges of the room, waiting for an opportune time to sneak off. An assortment of chaperones, guardians and Moroi teachers alike, patrolled around, breaking up those dancers who did a little too much gyrating. When I saw Kirova in a sleeveless plaid dress, I turned to Mason and said, â€Å"Are you sure we can't hit the hard liquor yet?† He snickered and took my hand again. â€Å"Come on, time for your surprise.† Letting him lead me, I walked across the room, cutting through a cluster of freshmen who looked way too young to be doing the kind of pelvic thrusts they were attempting. Where were the chaperones when you needed them? Then I saw where he was leading me and came to a screeching halt. â€Å"No,† I said, not budging when he tugged my hand. â€Å"Come on, it's going to be great.† â€Å"You're taking me to Jesse and Ralf. The only way I can ever be seen with them is if I've got a blunt object, and I'm aiming between their legs.† He pulled me again. â€Å"Not anymore. Come on.† Reluctant, I finally started moving: my worst fears were realized when a few pairs eyes turned our way. Great. Everything was starting all over again. Jesse and Ralf didn't notice us at first, but when they did, an amusing array of expressions played over their faces. First they saw my body and the dress. Testosterone took over as pure male lust shone out of their faces. Then they seemed to realize it was me and promptly turned terrified. Cool. Mason gave Jesse a sharp poke in the chest with the end of his finger. â€Å"All right, Zeklos. Tell her.† Jesse didn't say anything, and Mason repeated the gesture, only harder. â€Å"Tell her.† Not meeting my eyes, Jesse mumbled, â€Å"Rose, we know none of that stuff happened.† I almost choked on my own laughter. â€Å"Do you? Wow. I'm really glad to hear that. Because you see, until you said that, I'd been thinking it had happened. Thank God you guys are here to set me straight and tell me what the hell I have or haven't done!† They flinched, and Mason's light expression darkened to something harder. â€Å"She knows that,† he growled. â€Å"Tell her the rest.† Jesse sighed. â€Å"We did it because Mia told us to.† â€Å"And?† prompted Mason. â€Å"And we're sorry.† Mason turned to Ralf. â€Å"I want to hear it from you, big boy.† Ralf wouldn't meet my eyes either, but he mumbled something that sounded vaguely like an apology. Seeing them defeated, Mason turned chipper. â€Å"You haven't heard the best part yet.† I cut him a sidelong look. â€Å"Yeah? Like the part where we rewind time and none of this ever happened?† â€Å"Next best thing.† He tapped Jesse again. â€Å"Tell her. Tell her why you did it.† Jesse looked up and exchanged uneasy looks with Ralf. â€Å"Boys,† warned Mason, clearly delighted about something, â€Å"you're making Hathaway and me very angry. Tell her why you did it.† Wearing the look of one who realized things couldn't get any worse, Jesse finally met my eyes. â€Å"We did it because she slept with us. Both of us.†

Goup Influence on Self

Group Influence on Self from a Classical and Contemporary View Elizabeth H. Dixon PSYCH/555 September 3, 2011 Kelly Topp, Ph. D. Group Influence on Self from a Classical and Contemporary View Human behavior is often strongly affected by other people and groups of people as well as the groups to which a person may belong. Groups usually have established norms that tell its members how they are expected behave as members of the group.According to Baron, Branscombe, and Byrne  (2009), â€Å"Perhaps much more surprising is the fact that often, we are strongly affected by the mere presence of others, even if we are not part of a formal group† (Chapter 11, Effects of the Presence of Others, para. 1). Individuals can also withdraw from groups if they believe that the group is no longer providing their needs or has changed to a point where the group no longer reflects their desires, beliefs, needs, or values. Both of the above-mentioned styles of interactions can greatly affect an i ndividual and how he or she may come to terms within their role of self.These norms and expectations are a part of group influence and what is known as conformity and obedience. The subject of this paper will compare and contrast the concepts of conformity and obedience, analyze a classical and contemporary study concerning the effect of group influence on the self, and analyze individual and societal influences that lead to deviance from dominant group norms. A Comparison and Contrast of the Concept of Conformity and Obedience Group influence is a result of changes that result from indirect or direct interaction with groups of people.According to Fiske (2010), â€Å"Social influence broadly encompasses any changes in beliefs, attitudes, or behavior that result from interpersonal interaction† (Social Influence: Doing What Others Do and Say, Conceptual Definitions, para. 1). As such, the main influence of social influence is that of norms and roles in interactive settings. Key concepts aid in describing and analyzing the concept of social influence. For the purpose of the subject of this paper, conformity and obedience are two of the concepts that will be discussed. Conformity and obedience are similar in context and meaning; however, each affects an ndividual differently and has distinct differences when one is to define each concept. Conformity When one defines conformity, he or she must not forget to note that conformity exists in diverse types concerning individuals who are trying to fulfill their needs, wants, and desires. â€Å"Conformity is a form of social influence in which individuals change their attitudes and/or behavior to adhere to a group or social norm† (Shiraev & Levy, 2010, Social Interaction, Conformity, para. 1). Conformity is taught at very early ages. Parents place expectations of behavior on children as early as pre-kindergarten years.As children begin to socialize with other groups of people, they continue to learn that con formity is the baseline of norms and is â€Å"the unwritten rules of behavior. † Sometimes conformity happens as a motivation to gain rewards or avoid forms of punishment. This form of behavior is known as compliance, and tends to bring hope to individuals in need. For example, if people are desperate because of a lack of a need, or poverty, they may comply because of what may seem to be a convincing solution to their problems. Another reason that conformity exist is to escape sanctions administered by a group of people.For example, a person who does not conform to the expectations and rules of a group may receive sanctions, such as fines, against him or her and becomes at risk of ostracism from the group. Along the line of sanctioning, another reason that a person might conform is to remain in the good graces of others by living up to the expectations of others. In this case it is usually true that the â€Å"others† represent a majority of people. For example, people visit other countries that have different cultural norms, such as a woman wearing a scarf to cover her face.As a way to show respect for the culture, a woman may conform to the norms while a visitor within that particular country. Finally, a person may practice conformity because he or she is forced to comply. For an example, if a store is in the process of a robbery, the cashier and store clerk may do whatever the robber tell them to do. Both workers could also be compliant because they may be in a situation in which they are held at gunpoint and does not want to put themselves at a higher risk of being hurt or killed. Obedience People tend to try to interchange to use of the term conformity and obedience.Although obedience is very similar to conformity, the main difference between the two concepts is the source of the influence, or authority upon each term. Conformity has more to do with social expectations within a group or society, whereas obedience has more to do with influence from authority given by others or figures of authority. â€Å"Obedience is a form of conformity when a person simply follows orders given by others. Obedience to authority is defined as following orders given by an authority figure† (Shiraev & Levy, 2010, Social Interaction, Following Orders, para. 1).When obedience is shown toward another person or group of people, there is a belief that the authority figure has the right to demand actions, give orders, or issue requests. When a daycare worker wants compliance from the children in the daycare, obedience is the term used to describe what the worker wants from the children. When a police officer says to an individual â€Å"stop and put your hands up! † obedience is about a demand of action from a figure of authority. One way to define the difference of obedience and conformity is by noting that obedience is the result of a deliberate or active form of social influence (Shiraev & Levy, 2010).In other words, conformity i nvolves more personal choices than obedience, which involves an authority figure telling an individual or others how to behave in a particular way. Studies and research confirm that the concepts of conformity and obedience are similar in that each concept is driven by social interaction and social influences that greatly affect the concept of self. A Classical Study Concerning the Effect of Group Influence on the Self A historically well-known study of the self and the effect of group influence was that of an experiment conducted by a 1950s psychologist named Solomon Asch.Asch hypothesized that individual judgment is influenced by norms. Asch was interested in the extent that a person may follow or rebel against group expectations and norms. In Asch's experiments, a group of students were informed that they were to participate in a vision test. One subject was not told that the other participants were assistants of the experimenter (confederates). In the beginning of the experiment, the confederates were answering questions correctly, but eventually began to answer the questions incorrectly.The test subject knowingly had the correct answers but eventually began to answer the questions incorrectly. It became obvious that the individual was trying to conform to the participants who answered the question incorrectly. Findings of the Classical Study Nearly 75 % of the participants in these experiments went along with the other participants of the group at least once. The results indicated, along with the trial experiments, conformity approximately one-third of the time. Asch also found that the size of the opposing participants affected conformity as well.If the opposing is the majority, regardless of the number in the group, subjects conform just as easily as they would if the group is much larger in number. The experiments also showed the effect of group number and conformity. In the experiment when there was a presence of three or more confederates, the level o f conformity was more significant and obvious than the presence of one or two confederates. When more confederates was given the incorrect answer, while one confederate gave the correct answer, the level of conformity was dramatically lowered to between 5 to 10 %.Later studies have also supported this finding suggesting that social support is a valuable tool in decreasing or combating conformity (Morris & Miller, 1975). Limitations or Shortcomings with the Study The Asch experiments was criticized and believed to have limitations because critics of the experiment believed that participants had specific reasons in choosing to conform. According to some critics, the individuals may not have had a desire to conform to the group and that conformity could have occurred because of motivation to avoid any conflict.Critics also believed that the lab experiments may not have been an accurate reflection of the situations of the real-world. A Contemporary Study Concerning the Effect of the Inf luence of Obedience on the Self The January 2009 issue of American Psychologist discusses a more contemporary, new study that replicated Milgram's classic obedience experiment (Schaefer, 2011). In Milgram's 1960 experiment, participants were asked to deliver electrical shocks to a person who was known as the â€Å"learner† whenever an incorrect answer was given. Realistically, the learner was pretending to be shocked, as was a confederate in the experiment.The experiment was to prove and determine the willingness of people to obey the commands of a figure of authority. Despite that the learner seemed to be in serious distress, 65% of participants displayed a willingness to deliver the maximum level of shocks to the â€Å"learner. † Recently, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University, by the name of Jerry Burger, performed an experiment that replicated Milgram's famous study (Schafer, 2011). Under the same hypothesis of Milgram’s experiment, using modifica tions and safeguards to protect participants’ welfare, Burger repeated areas of the Milgram’s experiment with college undergraduates.Burger’s maximum shock level was 150-volts instead of the original 450-volts, and also participants were carefully screened to find whether or not the participants might experience negative reactions to the experiment. Burger also ensured through a screening process that students did not have knowledge of Milgram’s study. Findings of the Contemporary Study The results of the replication of the experiments showed surprisingly and startlingly similarities to Milgram’s original 1960 experiment. The participants, just as in the original experience, showed a high level of willingness to shock the learner.The most comparable point in the two studies revealed a full obedience measured rate of 70 %, not significantly high, compared to the rate of 82. 5 % measured more than 40 years ago. The results of Burger’s experime nt were high enough to reveal that participants obeyed at the same rate as in Milgram’s original study. Limitations or Shortcomings with the Study Critics of Burger’s experiment believe there are too many differences and lack of connections between his study and the earlier studies of obedience research to allow precise and useful comparisons within the study.The extreme differences in the maximum voltage are an example of what the critics view as conceptually unacceptable. However, supporters indicate that it is true that direct comparisons cannot be made when there is a significant difference between the 150-volt maximum of Burger’s research and Milgram’s 450-volt maximum; however, Burger’s procedures can be used to further the exploration of some of the situational variables studied by Milgram, along with other possible additional variables. This further exploration of variables would assist in explanations when analyzing contemporary examples o f group influence on the self.A Contemporary Example of the Effect That Group Influence Has on the Self A contemporary example of the effect that group influence has on the self is an approach that reminds this writer of a friend that she once had in college. This friend was a freshman that had never been away from home or her parents, and for the first time ever, was making decision about her life on her own. This friend, who will be referred to as â€Å"Angela† was bright and ambitious. Angela was so eager to fit in that she was willing to be a friend to anyone.Although Angela came from a rich family, she was not the type of person who would â€Å"look down† on others or prejudge others. Angela became friends with a girl that she met in one of her classes. Initially, the newfound friend seemed to like Angela, and both of them liked some of the same things. The new friend who will be referred to as â€Å"Jeannie† was a sophomore, and also from a rich background and quite preppy. Jeannie dressed a certain way, and carried herself a certain way, which was one of the true opposites between her and Angela.As time went by, including the school summer break, Jeannie and Angela became the best of friends. Upon their return to school, Jeannie introduced Angela to the girls in her sorority. Angela thought that it was a privilege that this prominent sorority seemed to have an interest in her. Angela immediately â€Å"took to† the group of young ladies. Eventually she pledged the sorority and became a member. During this time, this writer was still a friend of Angela; however, this writer noticed that Angela really did change.Angela altered her behavior and attitude to that of the group members. Angela bought expensive clothing and gadgets just so that she could be just like everyone in her group. Angela started to â€Å"look down† on other students by openly referring to them as â€Å"wanna-be’s† and other terms. Angela would be disrespectful toward members of the other sororities and always seemed to act as if she were better than everyone else. Angela acted as if she had very much power and authority, and within a year’s time, had conformed totally to the behaviors of her sorors.Angela had other friends, just like this writer, but eventually lost their friendship because of her â€Å"snooty† ways. Angela’s Transformation and the Conformity Theory This writer’s story is an example of the conformity theory in psychology. When Angela altered her behaviors and attitudes to that of the sorority members, she displayed one of the key aspects of the conformity theory known as the normative social influence. Angela openly referred to other people as â€Å"wanna-be’s† and began to â€Å"look down† on others, as she continued to follow the aspects of normative social influence.When normative social influence is exhibited, the influence of others leads one to conform to be accepted and liked by members within the group. The social impact theory is also displayed in this story because Angela became physically closer to the members within the sorority. According to the social impact theory the more important the group is, the closer a person’s physical distance becomes to that group. Angela found acceptance of the group’s mentality as her behaviors appeared to come naturally. Referent power was another factor in Angela’s transformation.Even though this sorority was not the most likeable, the group was perceived as rich girls from powerful and prominent backgrounds. Eventually Angela became just like the other members of her sorority and therefore, made other friends an outcast in her life. A long time after becoming a member of the sorority, Angela realized how her actions were and how unbecoming it caused her to be. After realizing the true friends she had were out of her life, and cared to have nothing to do with her , she chose to deviate from her sorority and became an inactive status within her sorority.The Individual and Societal Influences that Lead To Deviance Sociologists, define the term deviant as â€Å"exhibiting behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society† (Schaefer, 2011, Chapter 7, Deviance and Social Control, What Is Deviance, para. 1). In the United States, the behaviors of drug users, alcoholics, and mentally ill people are examples of what society views as deviant behaviors. However, there are positive deviations that exist as well.Some people deviate from the norm to become more of an individual, and different because they may feel like standing up for what they believe versus that of belonging to a group that may seem opposite of the person’s beliefs. If one were to ask one of these people, how they became who they are, there is a strong likelihood that both individual and societal influences lead that person to these dev iant behaviors. Individual Influences and Deviance Individual influences that promote deviance may stem from other factors that play a role in how individuals become defiant and deviant.When it is concerning society being the group in question, researchers agree that the offspring’s actions stem from the individual influences that start from within the home. Within the family, if there is divorce, abuse, and deviant parental behaviors, there becomes a link to delinquency as juveniles and deviance as adults. Genetics and individual abnormalities also have been proven as reasons for deviance toward societal and group norms. It is generally acceptable practice to believe that genetic influences are significant in producing deviant behavior(s) in society (Carson, Butcher, & Mineka, 1996).Some people who deviate are not mentally ill or unhealthy, but have higher levels of self-actualization. Self-Actualization is â€Å"the highest level of the hierarchy, the level represents the need to be what one potentially is† (Goodman, 1968, p. 2). It is also generally accepted practice to believe that societal influences cause people to deviate from group norms and expectations. Societal Influences and Deviance Expectations such as cultural norms and values could cause a person to deviate from within a group.A deviant behavior clarifies moral boundaries, facilitates changes in society, encourages social unity, and affirms, as mentioned earlier, cultural norms and values (Carson, Butcher, & Mineka, 1996). Deviance is viewed by sociologists as a behavior engaged in a person by having common sociocultural backgrounds or the same experiences within a culture. In other words, deviant and nondeviant behavior is learned in the same way in that they both are behaviors that are a learned from others who engage in and encourage violation of cultural norms and values.Another form of a more common societal influence is that of peer pressure. Research has proven that deviant behavior is influenced by the presence or absence of a peer group. Example of Individual and Societal Influences and Deviance An example individual influence of deviant behavior is about the life of a son who became deviant because of behaviors that stemmed from within the home. This boy’s deviant mother practiced ineffective parenting and began teaching her son at the early age of five, to be criminally deviant. Kimes taught Kenny, the younger of two sons, to steal, murder, and commit scams.Fortunately, Kenny’s oldest brother did not follow in his mother’s footsteps. Kenny was graduated from high school and enrolled into college. It was in 1998 that Kenny dropped out of college to begin with his mother, a nationwide journey that initially seemed to have no particular purpose. The two made huge purchases using bad checks and fake identifications and were scamming even more to have money. The two of them murdered the victims of their biggest scams, and in July 1 998, landed in New York City, where they murdered Irene Silverman.Mrs. Silverman would be their last victim, after the two of them were infiltrated by the FBI, through a friend who sold Mrs. Kimes the illegal gun that was used to murder Irene Silverman. Sante and Kenny were tried in the spring of 2000 and found guilty of 58 different crimes (Sante) and 60 for Kenny. Sante received a sentence of 120 years and Kenny was sentenced to 125 years. A few months later, during an interview by Court TV reporter, Maria Zone, Kenny attempted to escape by pressing a ballpoint pen into Ms.Zone’s throat and holding her hostage for three hours before being subdued by authorities. Conclusion Many styles of group interaction exist among people. The subject of this paper had discussed the styles of conformity and obedience. There are both classical and contemporary studies that explain the importance of these styles when it concerns the concept of self and group influence. Finally, the discussi on of this paper was to analyze individual and societal influences that lead to deviant behavior and deviance from the dominant group norms.In conclusion, it is safe to state that groups or authority figures have powerful influence on an individual; however, although this may be a fact, there are still individuals who become nonconforming because individual influences and social influences will deviate from society and group expectations and norms. References Baron, R. A. , Branscombe, N. R. , & Byrne, D. (2009). Social Psychology (12th ed. ). Retrieved from https: //ecampus. phoenix. edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader. aspx? assetid= dcc36fe5-a546-43aa-a98f-7f22b00d6213&assetmetaid=0e66697f-8e59-426a-9e81- 0f11d551f5ad#ch11. Carson, R.C. , Butcher, J. N. , & Mineka, S. (1996). Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life (10th ed. ). New York, NY; HarperCollins College Publishers. Fiske, S. T. (2010). Social beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology (2nd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Go odman, R. (1968). ON THE OPERATIONALITY OF THE MASLOW NEED HIERARCHY. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 6(1), 51-57. Morris, W. & Miller, R. (1975). The effects of census-breaking and census-pre-empting partners of reduction in conformity. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 11, 215-223. Schaefer, R. T. (2011). Sociology: A brief introduction (9th ed. . Retrieved from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader. aspx? assetMetaId=3e30bf5c-a204-4d0d-ad08-a0fc3ac36be5&assetDataId=1db06d3b-3487-4815-8bb6-13bc3688b4f6&assetpdfdataid=5efbce9a-4e5c-4bc3-8c17-fe40098b56f1. Shiraev, E. B. , & Levy, D. A. (2010). Cross-cultural psychology. Critical thinking and contemporary applications (4th ed. ). Retrieved from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader. aspx? assetMetaId=ac0b2e56-5cb2-4024-abff-6da6accc415c&assetDataId=3affa4fb-bbbd-4c11-8b2d-ab669c0ea62b&assetpdfdataid=0d2966aa-e83d-4eb2-aed0-bf9949269b85.

Persuasive Essay on Adoption

Homosexual Couples Should Be Allowed to Adopt New Jersey’s statewide parenting legislation espouses a progressive stance on the matters of same-sex parenting and child care in the processes of adoption and foster parenting. The Garden State allows for same-sex adoption; allows single homosexuals to adopt; and allows second parent same-sex adoption (â€Å"Same-Sex Adoption Laws,† n. d. ). New Jersey has passed progressive laws and policies that prohibit discrimination charged against gay individuals in the adoption process (Sudol, 2010).New Jersey state law also bans discrimination against gay individuals in the foster parent process (2010). New Jersey Statutes Annotated 9:3-43 enables for any person to adopt permitted the said person(s) pass a background investigation and meet adoption criteria for eligibility(N. J. S. A. 9:3-43). Unmarried joint adoptive parents petitioning to adopt a child can do so because of N. J. S. A. 9:3-43. In re Adoption of two Children by H. N . R. , 666 A. 2d 535 (N. J. Super. 995) permits second parent adoption; this statute exercises the possibility for an individual to petition for shared rights of custody with a parent who already possesses legal parental custody of a child. Several states prohibit joint adoption due to unmarried status. This statute is favorable for unmarried parents seeking to adopt in New Jersey. This New Jersey statute provides for an overall tolerant atmosphere for queer individuals and couples looking to adopt or become foster parents. In summary, laws and policies regarding same-sex adoption vary from state to state.The three common forms of adoptive guardianship are individual (single) parent adoption, joint adoption, and second parent adoption. Firstly, the most traditional type of adoptive parents is the single parent adoption. This is where an unmarried individual adopts a child that has been put up for adoption by the birth parent or by the state. Secondly, joint adoption is when an unmar ried couple can petition the court to adopt a child. Lastly, in the case of a second parent adoption, one parent has legal guardianship over a child and a second parent petitions the court to become a legally recognized co-parent.Bans on gay marriage vary state by state, as a consequence, gay couples cannot petition for adoption as a married couple but, as single individuals. This creates the opportunity for gay couples to become legal parents of foster children since most states prevent unmarried couples from adopting. As a result of state to state differences in the question of gay adoptive parents, second-parent adoptions are either permitted or the laws are unclear (Montana, 2009). Montana (2009) argues that ambiguity in court decisions are prevalent regarding gay second parent adoption petitions.Montana (2009) asserts how a state’s unclear and ambiguous position on second parent adoption places the decision on the judge to rule according to his or her personal beliefs co ncerning homosexuality rather than the letter of the law. The courts of twenty-one states including Washington, D. C. have granted second-parent adoption availability to several individuals applying to become legal second parents or co-parents of former foster children (Public Broadcasting Service, 2006).Mississippi law bars same-sex couples from all possibilities of adoption but, allows the viability for single gays and lesbians to adopt (Public Broadcasting Service, 2006). In Utah and New Hampshire, all unmarried couples, regardless of sexual orientation are allowed to adopt (Public Broadcasting Service, 2006). The following states allow adoption by openly gay and lesbian couples: Florida, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington, D. C. Social movements and countercultures during the 1960’s and 1970’s emerged and challenged institutionalized oppression.The Civil Rights movement addressed the pli ght of African Americans in a viciously racist society. Gay rights and the feminist movement actively subverted traditional gender norms through political activism. The American public’s disapproval of the Vietnam War served as the political platform to advance anti-war, civil rights, feminist, and queer political agendas in the increasing struggle for equal rights in a discriminatory inequitable society. The social movements of the 60’s and 70’s impacted the traditional views of adoption in the United States.The trend of challenging the dominant society’s oppressive social structures that best represent the interests of the dominant group, influenced society to question adoption laws during the 1970’s (Montana, 2009). Much like today, openly gay applicants were barred from adoption. The majorities of the cases was and still are second-parent adoptions, in which the biological parent is the legal guardian and their life partner petitions the state court to adopt (Montana, 2009). Adopting a child that is unrelated to either partner is still difficult in contemporary society; however, it is o longer illegal in most states (Montana, 2009). The seventies birthed professional organizations designed to advocate for disenfranchised oppressed groups. One of the most renowned organizations that continues to engage in public education and legal activism is Lambda Legal. Lambda Legal’s mission is to achieve full equality and secure the legal protection of the LGBT community. Throughout the 1970s, Lambda Legal was instrumental in winning some of the nation's first court cases on behalf of gay and lesbian parents and same-sex couples (Lambda Legal, n. . ). Since its inception in the seventies, Lambda Legal has battled to institute policy change, social change through political and legal activism, and to shape new positive attitudes about the LGBT community through educational awareness. For instance, a landmark court case, Finstuen v. Edmondson, was a paramount victory for LGBT individuals and same-sex parents everywhere. In 2004, the Oklahoma legislature exacted a punitive law that rendered children orphans if adopted in other states by same-sex couples.Thus, when their families returned, moved to or traveled through Oklahoma, the parents’ legal custody over the newly adopted children is not recognized by the state of Oklahoma. The three families in this case were headed by same-sex couples with children adopted in Washington, New Jersey and California respectively. Two of the families moved to Oklahoma. In the legal defense of the three families, Lambda Legal argued that the law is unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment violating the Equal Protection and Due Process clauses. All legal parents have a fundamental right to care for and raise their children, which is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the U. S. Constitution (Lambda Legal, n. d. ). Lambda Legal remains active in challenging discriminatory laws and policies on the local and state level that work to invalidate the legal adoptions of children by same-sex parents. Lambda Legal secured pivotal wins for the LGBT community’s adoptive parents in its most recent trials; these trials are similar to the Oklahoma court case where the rights of same-sex couples and their adopted children were denied. The Evan B.Donaldson Adoption Institute is another notable organization that partnered with the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) to produce a legal document to ensure ethical practice and policy to secure the well-being of same-sex adoptive families. The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute and the NASW Illinois chapter are dedicated to promote the best interests of children by engaging in research regarding adoption. The adequate education and training of child welfare professionals encourages fundamentally sound and ethical practice when interacting with the gay community. In an effort to fight for ethical public policies and laws for same-sex adoption, the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute immerses itself in political activism to apply pressure to local and state political officials to consider issues that inhibit the likelihood of same-sex parents for homeless foster children. The number of children in need of homes is steadily increasing; organizations like the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute and Lambda Legal are instrumental in changing the willingness of adoption agencies to accept same-sex parents. Organizational response creates room for social change.Although the debate about same-sex adoptive parents continues to gain national attention, state, local courts and adoption agencies will continue to arbitrarily deny or accept same-sex petitions for adoption if the federal government does not intervene to standardize this issue by implementing an overriding national policy. Ryan Nishimoto, author of â€Å"Marriage Makes Cents: How Law ;um p; Economics Justifies Same-Sex Marriage,† suggests that society’s objections against same-sex marriage and same-sex adoptive parents are rooted in homophobic sentiments, religious views, and denigrating stereotypes (Nishimoto, 2003).The Supreme Court has historically undermined the gay rights question in contemporary American law (Nishimoto, 2003). The Supreme Court shares the general public’s sentiments about homosexuality’s immoral nature which deems same-sex couples unfit for marriage and parenting (Nishimoto, 2003). The prohibitions on same-sex marriage intimately impact the legal and economic dimensions of homosexual relationships. Marital benefits heterosexual couples receive do not apply to same-sex couples looking to adopt.Nishimoto (2003) lists how same-sex partners are excluded from insurance awards, social security benefits, public pensions, worker's compensation, income tax benefits, and estate tax benefits. Being that gays are not able to mar ry, their partners are not considered spouses. As a result, same-sex â€Å"unions† and â€Å"partnerships† are not legally recognized to qualify for the aforementioned benefits that heterosexual couples reap. This reality complicates adoption and custody cases for LGBT same-sex couples. Same sex couples must file for a second parent adoption so that both artners have legal custody over the adopted child. This process is emotionally draining and financially costly; a petitioning gay or lesbian parent faces extensive social work assessment to establish suitability (Nishimoto, 2003). State laws can prohibit same-sex second-parent adoption nullifying the possibility of a couple possessing joint custody of a child. Once again, second-parent adoption may be unclear in state legislations. This leaves the decision to appeal a petition on the court judge. A couple’s opportunity to gain joint custody relies on the judge’s personal views on homosexuality (Nishimoto, 2003).Nishimoto (2003) concludes the discussion of adoption and custody battles for LGBT couples by stating, â€Å"Thus, even if the parents overcome the lengthy, costly obstacles in their path, a judge may simply choose not to authorize the adoption. † Recommendation/Conclusion Interventions at the practice level can have far reaching benefits for same-sex parents and their children. Same-sex friendly foster agencies must engage in practice that does not further oppress the LGBT population with uninformed and unethical practice, policy, and unprofessional behavior.According to Sudol (2010) foster care agencies must cultivate a culture of inclusive practice integrated at the agency and case levels. At the agency level, staff training must have a comprehensive coverage of LGBT issues and topics; paperwork documentation, informational materials must use inclusive language, advertisements should portray a diverse representation of LGBT families, and inclusive recruitment effort s. Inclusive practice suggests that a practitioner uses culturally competent language as preferred by individual/family, avoids â€Å"outing† people, and includes other LGBT people/groups in family engagement/kin search (Sudol, 2010).In addition, Sudol (2010) adds that child welfare professionals and social workers alike, need to avoid focusing on the sexual identity of the individual/family by seeing the human not the identity. We strongly agree that the federal government must negotiate the contemporary question of same-sex parenting. It makes no sense for the federal government to give a blind eye and a deaf ear to same-sex parenting. Same-sex marriage coupled with this debate is gaining increasing attention as homosexuality gains legitimacy within the broader dominant society.The overview of current adoption law concerning lesbian, gay, and bisexual parents by the National Center for Lesbian Rights perfectly considers contemporary evidence justifying why LGBT parents are fit for adoption and why the Supreme Court must address this ensuing issue as opposed to leaving it for individual states to reconcile. One, a growing number of children lives in families with two same-sex parents. University of Maryland, Family Policy Impact Seminar, conducted research juxtaposing the rates of adoption in â€Å"gay-friendly† states in comparison to states with â€Å"anti-gay† policies.Studies showed that â€Å"gay-friendly† states adopted children and found permanent residencies as twice as much as â€Å"anti-gay† states. Two, sexual orientation is not relevant to parental ability. Discourse on the capabilities of same-sex parents to be adequate parents is governed principally by harmful stereotypes and moral judgments condemning homosexuality. â€Å"Not a single study has found children of gay or lesbian parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents.Indeed, the evidence to date sugg ests that home environments provided by gay and lesbian parents are as likely as those provided by heterosexual parents to support and enable children’s psychosocial growth. † (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2002). Three, the need for adoptive homes and the increasing visibility of lesbian, gay, and bisexual parent families has contributed to a dramatic decrease in anti-gay discriminatory policies and practices on the part of adoption agencies and courts.Four, adoption provides legal protection to children of LGBT parents. The United States guarantees financial support, inheritance rights, social security benefits, retirement benefits, and state worker’s compensation benefits for children of heterosexual parents. The downfall to this is that current law is bias against LGBT couples. Children are not eligible for these benefits if the co-parent in a same-sex partnership is not legally recognized as a guardian.For example, if the child is sick and needs to be hosp italized, the second parent cannot give medical consent for treatment to his/her child. These incentives/benefits must apply to all children regardless of the parent’s marital status and sexual orientation. The LGBT community has made progressive strides for legal rights in the area of family law (NCLR, 2011). To strengthen and preserve the emotional health of a family in a same-sex parented household, society must change their traditional views of what constitutes a family.LGBT organizations remain fierce and persistent in advocating for equality and legal rights of the gay community. Custody, visitation rights, domestic partnership benefits, sick-leave benefits, marriage, and adoption are all arenas which the gay community continues to transform for their benefit (NCLR, 2011). Legal recognition of family relationships for same-sex families further enables courts, social welfare policies, and child welfare institutions to adopt LGBT inclusive protections. Mass media mirrors our society’s values and social attitudes.The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) encourages media outlets to recognize the highly increasing numbers of families with gay, lesbian and bi-sexual parents by incorporating their stories and experiences into the coverage of all issues related to families. The diversity of images in popular media aids in the reconstruction of the idea of the â€Å"ideal† family. It is more important than ever for literature, publication, television, cinema, advertisements, and music to be change agents in today’s society.Structural change may be slow; however, as a society we must realize that thousands of loving individuals and couples are being denied the chance of giving orphans a loving home. The numbers of orphans increasing in foster care services are disproportionate to the number of foster parents willing to adopt them. This fact alone without a shadow of a doubt calls to question the involvement federal govern ment to revise law and policy to integrate the needs of same-sex parents and the growing orphan problem in the United States.The investigation of same-sex parents continues to produce evidence suggesting that children growing up in same-sex households report feeling more tolerant of other groups. The quality of parenting and family functioning are not inhibited by the parent’s sexual orientation. Lastly, children raised by same-sex parents do not exhibit psychosocial and emotionally disruptive behaviors (Children Welfare Information Gateway, 2011). | |

Why is Walmart considered to be a channel captain Essay

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The audit of not-for-profit organization-AuditingAssigment Essay

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Scopes Monkey Trial Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scopes Monkey Trial - Essay Example ospital and spent most of his time there making observations of the professors during his stay at Baltimore and wrote informative opinions on the four famous doctors and being a famous journalist of his times his writings are considered important especially in the field of sciences. (Roberts, 2010) John Scopes was the teacher convicted in Scopes Monkey trial for teaching evolution in school going against the Bulter Act. Scopes being a learned man believed in Darwin’s theory and taught the theory of evolution to the general science students. His contribution to science especially among the schools in Tennessee was that his trial became the first ever trial to be broadcasted on the radio and hence the helped in spreading the popularity of Darwin’s theory .It helped consider the legitimacy of teaching evolution theory to students (Frazzetto, 2004). Darrow was a well known lawyer. He joined the Scope’s Trial as defendant lawyer particularly because the prosecutor was W.J. Bryan and Darrow considered it once in a life time opportunity to defend a case that was immense importance in those times. Darrow was considered an amateur scientist and he grew up reading and indulging in science was never against the theory of evolution which helped him defend the case. However, one of most famous role of Darrow’s in science was his movement against eugenics. His idea of eugenics was rather sceptical and he wrote several articles aimed against the idea of Eugenics which he believed was doom for the human society (Darrow, 1926). W.J. Bryan was a politician and was concerned with teaching of evolution in the schools. He was the main prosecutor in the Scope’s Monkey Trial. He looked upon scientific theories with suspicion a nd considered science was responsible for weak moral standards of students (Linder, 2004).During the trial he handed out pamphlets which talked against Darwin’s evolution theory. However he contributed to the field of medical sciences by

Changes in American Transportation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Changes in American Transportation - Essay Example Transportation includes transportation of people, goods, and even animals.There were various means of transportation in America during the 1800's, including Steam Boats, Horses and the use of Public Ferry. Nowadays, transportation and communication are usually treated in different contexts. However, during early 1800's, long distance communication was very much dependent upon transportation. During that period, transportation was synonymous to communication, and the growth of transportation directly affected the developments in communication to a great extent. During the 1800's the 'pony couriers', a means of transportation as well as communication, influenced the history of transportation in America.In order to appreciate the changes in transportation during that period, it is necessary to analyze the process under the then prevailing circumstances, and gain an understanding of transportation methods and processes back then. A careful analysis of the newspapers of this period in the history provides glimpses of the status of transportations prevailed in those times. In America, transportation in the sea and waterways was already quite developed between 1800 and 1810. The use of steam boats started between 1800 and 1810. ... Transportation of the agricultural and industrial commodities strengthened the economy of the country. Within few years steam boar services grown very fast, catering to the development of the economy, and a news article is given below. Natchiz, Jan 2: Important Arrival - Arrived here on Monday last, the Steam-Boat from Pittsburgh which had as a regular trader She was only 921 hours underway from Pittsburgh to this place a distance of near two thousand miles."1 Before then, only the inland methods of transportation, like horses, mules and asses which remained primitive because of their slow pace of technological development, that Americans relied upon. Animals like horses, mules and asses were the means of transportation before 1800.This change in the mode of transportation enabled Americans to move from place to place more conveniently than they could before 1800. During the 1800's it was normal to come across the advertisements in newspapers, a sample of which is given below, for trading in horses. "A Mare and Horse for Sale, Classified Ad 4"2 Another change in the mode of transportation between 1800 and 1810 was the commencement of the use of Public ferries. Adverts like the one below were to be regularly seen in the newspapers then. "Be it ordained by the Mayor, Aldermen, Common Council, and Freemen of the City of Hartford, That if any person shall willfully, or negligently, ride or drive any kind of Carriage, or Vehicle, or ride, lead, or drive any horse upon any Side Walk in laid City, now laid out, or hereafter to be laid out, unless for the purpose of necessarily... and to pay to such party just damages."3 "The port cities and ferry places were active with import and export of cargo of various types. Primitive types of

Summary for an article of political economy subject Essay

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The United States should intervene in the Syrian Civil War to Essay

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USPS Political and Legal Barriers Research Paper - 1

USPS Political and Legal Barriers - Research Paper Example Canada, on the other hand consists of three territories and ten provinces (Kemp, 2010). It covers 9.98 million square kilometers, and its population consists of Paleo-Indian and aboriginal societies. Canada is also a developed nation (just like the United States). It is one of the wealthiest nations and is ranked the eighth highest in terms of per capita income and Human Development Index. It has the highest measurement of civil liberties, living standards, education and government transparency. The parliamentary system of Canada’s governance is within the constitutional monarchy. The monarchy lays the foundations of the legislature, judiciary and executive branches. Queen Elizabeth II is the sovereign and serves as the head of state; however the Governor General, who is the Queen’s representative, conducts several federal duties in the country. However, the functions of such royal figures is limited since their executive powers are subject to the control of the cabinet, the committee made up of Ministers of the Crown who are responsible to the House of common and headed by the Prime Minister who is the overall head of Canadian government. The prime minister, who is the leader of a political party that has majority members in the house of common, is usually elected by the governor general (Mankiw, 2008). His office has significant power to influence major legislations and parliamentary approval. It heads major government agencies and the Crown corporations. Th e leader of the opposition party then becomes leader of Loyal Opposition and checks the government. The members of parliament are usually elected by simple majority at an electoral district in a general election that is done every four years or when a vote of no confidence against the government is made by the house of common. This election is usually called out by the governor in general through consultation with the Prime Minister (Romney, 1989).

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The depth of time Essay Example for Free

The depth of time Essay We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up. We all wonder what life is. After much contemplation, I have found that life just boils down to a moment, more specifically the present moment. The past and the future exist only in our imagination. Real life and the world exist only in the present moment. How do we get a hold of or point at this moment exactly? Time is like a strong wind. You cannot reach out and grab it. In most cases you cannot slow it down or speed it up.

Biomedical And Biopsychosocial Health Models Health And Social Care Essay

Biomedical And Biopsychosocial Health Models Health And Social Care Essay The medical model of health is a negative one: that is, that health is essentially the absence of disease. Despite bold attempts by bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) to argue for a definition of health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, most medically related thought remains concerned with disease and illness. -The main point of this model of disease is that it attempts to uncover underlying pathological processes and their particular effects. -The pathologically based and causally specific medical model became increasingly dominant. In the medical model of disease, tuberculosis is defined as a disease of bodily organs following exposure to the tubercle bacillus. The development of the illness involves symptoms such as coughing, haemoptysis (coughing up blood), weight loss and fever. In this model the underlying cause of the illness is the bacillus, and its elimination from the body (through anti-tubercular drugs) is aimed to restore the body to health. -In the case of tuberculosis, the symptoms described above are also found in other diseases, and this problem of linking symptoms to specific underlying mechanisms frustrated medical development. -Today, these are often referred to as forms of complementary medicine herbalism and homeopathy, for example that treat symptoms holistically but do not rest on the idea of underlying, specific pathological disease mechanisms. -The medical model was essentially individualistic in orientation and, unlike earlier approaches, paid less attention to the patients social situation or the wider environment. This narrowing of focus (towards the internal workings of the body, and then to cellular and sub-cellular levels), led to many gains in understanding and treatment, especially after 1941, when penicillin was introduced, and the era of antibiotics began. But it was also accompanied by the development of what Lawrence calls a bounded medical profession, that could pronounce widely on health matters and could act with increasing power and autonomy. Doctors now claimed exclusive jurisdiction (authority) over health and illness, with the warrant of the medical model of disease as their support. This situation meant that modern citizens were increasingly encouraged to see their health as an individual matter, and their health problems as in need of the attention of a doctor. It is this which Foucault (1973) saw as constituting the medical gaze which focused on the individual and on processes going on inside the body its volumes and spaces. Wider influences on health, such as circumstances at work or in the domestic sphere, were of less interest to the modern doctor. This gaze (extended in due course to health-related behaviours) underpinned the development of the modern doctor-patient relationship, in which all authority over health matters was seen to reside in the doctors expertise and skill, especially as shown in diagnosis. This meant that the patients view of illness and alternative approaches to health were excluded from serious consideration. Indeed, the patients view was seen as contaminating the diagnostic process, and it was better if the patient occupied only a p assive role. It is for this reason that the medical model of disease has been regarded critically in many sociological accounts. The power of the medical model and the power of the medical profession have been seen to serve the interests of medical dominance rather than patients needs (Freidson 1970/1988, 2001) and to direct attention away from the wider determinants of health. However, before we proceed, two caveats need to be entered. Whilst medicine in the last 20 years has continued to focus on processes in the individual body, such as the chemistry of the brain or the role of genes in relation to specific diseases, the current context is clearly different from that which existed at the beginning of the twentieth century. Today, in countries such as the UK and the USA, infectious diseases are of far less importance as threats to human health. The biopsychosocial model in medical research: the evolution of the health concept over the last two decades 1. Introduction The traditional biomedical paradigm has its roots in the Cartesian division between mind and body, and considers disease primarily as a result of injury, infection, inheritance and the like. Although this model has been extraordinarily productive for medicine, its reductionistic character prevents it from adequately accounting for all relevant medical aspects of health and illness [1 and 2]. One of the most criticised consequences of adopting the biomedical model is a partial definition of the concept of health. If disease consists only of somatic pathology-or, more strictly and according to the influential work of Virchow [3], cellular pathology-health must be the state in which somatic signs and symptoms are not present. According to this view, the World Health Organization defined health simply as the absence of disease [4]. In his classic papers, Engel [1 and 5] explicitly warned of a crisis in the biomedical paradigm and conceptualised a new model which regards social and psychological aspects as giving a better understanding of the illness process [6]. In recent years, the so-called biopsychosocial model has found broad acceptance in some academic and institutional domains, such as health education, health psychology, public health or preventive medicine, and even in public opinion. It is now generally accepted that illness and health are the result of an interaction between biological, psychological and social factors [7, 8 and 9]. Many authors now include mental and social aspects in their definitions of health [10, 11, 12 and 13]. It might be expected that, in the two decades since Engels call for a biopsychosocial framework, the concept of health implying social and psychological components would also have extended to practical contexts. The purpose of the present study is to find out whether and to what extent the biopsychosocial concept of health has spread among medical researchers. 4. Discussion and conclusions In western culture, at least since the advent of Cartesian dualism, medicine has used a mechanistic approach to human nature and has centred its interest around illness and its signs. -The main reason for the failure of psychological and social measures in the reports examined lies in the still deep-rooted dominance of the biomedical model which, despite the criticism of its reductionism, remains useful and still enables advances in medicine. This dominance has surely been reinforced in recent years because of the push of genetic research and therapies. Perhaps, holistic and biological-reductionistic models should not compete but try to coexist, as two different but not necessarily incompatible possibilities for approaching health questions. The result would be, however, a reduction of biomedical terrain. First, clinical and health psychology have demonstrated their capacity to explain and treat many somatic symptoms. Second, some holistic medical models-such as Traditional Chinese Medicine or Hannemans homeopathy-are gaining ground because of patients who do not find satisfactory solutions in biomedical care. Third, biomedical care implies enormous and rapidly-ri sing costs that are beginning to exceed the budget of the health care systems. 4.2. Practice implications The biopsychosocial model has been successfully applied to obtain a better understanding of the disease processes and their causes [18], and also for public health purposes [19 and 20], or to improve physician-patient relations [21 and 22], but medical practitioners are still reluctant to incorporate it into treatment plans [16]. Holistic approaches remain till now restricted to chronic illness management [23], which is the field of medical care where regaining health, in a biomedical sense, is not the main goal. For the medical practitioner, the difficulties attached to the change from a biomedical to a biopsychosocial model of health can be well understood. First, this change necessarily implies taking into account a much wider spectrum of the factors influencing health and the healing process, which in turn demands greater knowledge and time investment. Second, the new paradigm implies a new style of the patient-doctor relationship, a style which enables, among other things, the doctors attention to the patients psychosocial circumstances, in order to better manage his or her situation, and not only his or her illness. Undoubtedly, this kind of interaction requires a greater effort from practitioners, but also from the health care systems, which should provide the necessary context and resources for it, such as communication skills training, adequate settings, or enough personnel. Despite these hindrances, which will probably continue to relegate the biopsychosocial model to a secondary place in medical practice, the broadening of the doctors perspective to encompass psychological and social aspects would be really beneficial for the patient, since as Engel [24] lucidly pointed out, even though both patient and doctor may culturally adhere to the biomedical model, the patients needs and ultimate criteria are always psychosocial. What Is the Biomedical Model? (wise geec) The biomedical model is a theoretical framework of illness that excludes psychological and social factors. Followers of this model instead focus only on biological factors such as bacteria or genetics. For example, when diagnosing an illness, most doctors do not first ask for a psychological or social history of the patient. The biomedical model is considered to be the dominant modern model of disease. According to this model, good health is the freedom from pain, disease or defect. It focuses on physical processes that affect health, such as the biochemistry, physiology and pathology of diseases. It does not take social or psychological factors into account. The biomedical model is often referred to in contrast with the biopsychosocial model. In 1977, George L. Engel published an article in the well-known journal Science that questioned the dominance of the biomedical model. He proposed the need for a new model that was more holistic. Although the biomedical model has remained the dominant model since that time, many fields, including medicine, nursing, sociology and psychology, use the biopsychosocial model at times. In recent years, some professionals have even begun to adopt a biopsychosocial-spiritual model, insisting that spiritual factors must be considered as well. Proponents of the biopsychosocial model look at biological factors when assessing and treating patients, just like users of the dominant model do. They also look at other areas of patients lives, however. Psychological factors include mood, intelligence, memory and perceptions. Sociological factors include friends, family, social class and environment. Those who examine spiritual factors also assess patients based on their beliefs about life and the possibility of a higher power. Scholars in disability studies describe a medical model of disability that is part of the general biomedical model. In this medical model, disability is an entirely physical occurrence. According to the medical model, being disabled is negative and can only be made better if the disability is cured and the person is made normal. Many disability rights advocates describe a social model of disability, which they prefer. This social model opposes the medical model. In the social model, disability is a difference neither good nor bad. Proponents of the social model see disability as a cultural construct. They point out that a persons experience of disability can decrease through environmental or societal changes, without the intervention of a professional and without the disability being cured. Explain the main determinants of health: age, sex and hereditary factors, lifestyle, housing, social class etc.: The determinants of health Introduction Many factors combine together to affect the health of individuals and communities. Whether people are healthy or not, is determined by their circumstances and environment. To a large extent, factors such as where we live, the state of our environment, genetics, our income and education level, and our relationships with friends and family all have considerable impacts on health, whereas the more commonly considered factors such as access and use of health care services often have less of an impact. The determinants of health include: the social and economic environment, the physical environment, and the persons individual characteristics and behaviours. The context of peoples lives determine their health, and so blaming individuals for having poor health or crediting them for good health is inappropriate. Individuals are unlikely to be able to directly control many of the determinants of health. These determinants-or things that make people healthy or not-include the above factors, and many others: Income and social status higher income and social status are linked to better health. The greater the gap between the richest and poorest people, the greater the differences in health. Education low education levels are linked with poor health, more stress and lower self-confidence. Physical environment safe water and clean air, healthy workplaces, safe houses, communities and roads all contribute to good health. Employment and working conditions people in employment are healthier, particularly those who have more control over their working conditions Social support networks greater support from families, friends and communities is linked to better health. Culture customs and traditions, and the beliefs of the family and community all affect health. Genetics inheritance plays a part in determining lifespan, healthiness and the likelihood of developing certain illnesses. Personal behaviour and coping skills balanced eating, keeping active, smoking, drinking, and how we deal with lifes stresses and challenges all affect health. Health services access and use of services that prevent and treat disease influences health Gender Men and women suffer from different types of diseases at different ages. Success of NHS was also its Achilles heel demand increased The scale and nature of the problem: Incidents involving incorrect medication dosage Incidents involving the use of technical procedures A number of women became pregnant following failure of earlier sterilisations which had been carried out by laparoscope (keyhole surgery). The surgeon had attached the sterilisation clips to the wrong part of the Fallopian tube. Incidents involving failures in communication A man admitted to hospital for an arthroscopy (an exploratory operation) on his knees had a previous history of thrombosis (blood clots). This was noted by a nurse on his admission form, but was not entered on the operation form which had a section for risk factors and known allergies. The operation was carried out and the patient was discharged from hospital the same day. Given his history of thrombosis the patient should have been given anticoagulant drugs following his operation, but because his history had not been properly recorded none were given. Two days later he was admitted to the intensive care unit of another hospital with a blood clot in his lungs The impact of adverse events on individuals 2.15 Adverse events involve a huge personal cost to the people involved, both patients and staff. Many patients suffer increased pain, disability and psychological trauma. On occasions, when the incident is insensitively handled, patients and their families may be further traumatised when their experience is ignored, or where explanations or apologies are not forthcoming. The psychological impact of the event may be further compounded by a protracted, adversarial legal process. Staff may experience shame, guilt and depression after a serious adverse event, which may again be exacerbated by follow-up action. [20,21] 2.16 The effect of adverse events on patients, their families and staff is not sufficiently appreciated and more attention should be given to ways of minimising the impact of adverse events on all those involved. These issues, while of great importance, cannot be fully addressed within this report and may require separate attention, though we made some limited comment in the context of our discussion on litigation in chapter 4. Conclusion Information on the frequency and nature of adverse events in the NHS is patchy and can do no more than give an impression of the problem.   Information from primary care is particularly lacking; The financial costs of adverse events to the NHS are difficult to estimate but undoubtedly major probably in excess of  £2 billion a year; There is evidence of a range of different kinds of failure, and of the recurrence of identical incidents or incidents with similar root causes; Case studies highlight the consequences of weaknesses in the ability of the NHS as a system to learn from serious adverse events; There is a need for further work focusing specifically on how the impact of adverse events on patients, their families and staff can be minimised. From the cradle to the grave, increasing aging population etc: Britains population is ageing fast, with statisticians predicting a huge increase in the number of 100 year olds by the next century. With people living longer and longer because of medical and other advances, health experts believe the number of people suffering from debilitating conditions such as cancer and heart disease will grow and could mean a rising demand for nursing care. Health experts are worried that as people get older, they could become prone to an increasing number of debilitating conditions if they do not keep active. The WHO has launched a campaign to promote good health in old age. Doctors in the UK say people have an over-gloomy picture of old age and that there is no reason why they should have a lower quality of life than other people if they keep healthy. People do have anxiety that there will be a period of disability at the end of their lives. But there is no evidence that that is the case if they are encouraged to live a healthy life and this generation of elderly people are in better nick than the previous generation. Beating the ageing process Organisations which campaign for the elderly are in favour of policies which support old people to be as independent as possible and allow them more choice and power over their future. They say cuts in local authority and health budgets mean services like home helps have been whittled (cut) away. Without a boost in those services which support independence, there is likely to be increasing pressure on those that cater for dependence: our hospitals, nursing and residential homes. The organisation wants a national strategy which sets a framework that encourages independence and inclusion. It says that such a strategy would be much cheaper than putting people into care homes. They want to see a wider debate on issues such as who funds long-term care, rationing of care particularly in the light of increasing technological change, and health promotion. They argue that the present division between social and health services over long-term care is artificial and damaging. It means people in places funded by social services have to contribute towards their care costs, whereas those in places funded by the NHS get free care.