Popular culture Essay

The idea of popular culture can be epitomized in many mediums nowadays whether it is in films, books, songs or photographs. This paper discusses the way that the `ghetto culture’ is portrayed within various mediums. The first part of this paper will deal with the popular movie `Boyz in the Hood (1991)’ written and directed by John Singleton. Music is known as the avenue where contemporary culture exists – this paper will look at the lyrics in the Crompton’s Most Wanted (CMW) song Growing up in the Hood. It is clear to see the similarities that exist between the two mediums and how ghetto life is expressed. The third medium that will be analyzed in this discussion is that of African American poetry. The poem to be analyzed here is Ghetto Child by Langston Hughes. This poem can be seen to be in line with the other two artifacts that are analyzed this paper. When as an active audience people view these forms of media together we can see how powerful different forms of literature can be on the human soul. Boyz in the Hood known as a groundbreaking movie for its hard-hitting realism and its â€Å"street’’ outlook. This realism made the film so popular and the reason it had so much interest to both black and white audiences. It is a rare instance when a film about one socio economic group can apply to everyone, however John Singleton was successful in doing this in this piece of work. It has been said that the realism of the film and the fact that there was such a human element to the characters that made the characters seem so real and so close to home (as though Tre or Ricky could be one of your neighbors). The film also brought black ghetto culture into mainstream movie theatres (this was not the case prior to this where very little is known about African American films before Boyz in the Hood such as Sweet Sweetback’s Badassess Song (1971) – in the past 10 or more years since this film was made it is clear to see that the African American film industry has become more visible. This is a good thing as African American Culture is no longer hidden behind closed doors – people have the chance to see what life is like in the black ghetto culture of the United States. Singleton wrote and directed a movie that appeals to many different audiences. Critics have praised this film time and time again for the way that it portrays the realistic elements of African American life. A point that is of interest to note that creates a point of difference to a number of films produced prior to Boyz in the Hood was in the way that women are portrayed. Typically, in other films that deal with African American life we (the audience) see women portrayed as servants, prostitutes and welfare mothers. This film is the exception where the stereotype of the black women being unemployed does not exist. We see a glimpse of it at the start of the film when the teacher was speaking to Tre’s mother on the phone and the teacher insinuated that the mother did not work. However, this stereotype came to a pass quickly. The women who play the main characters especially Tre’s mother are seen as strong educated and successful women. Even at the end of the film Tre’s girlfriend ends up going to college (this is a different action to one that people would expect in such a film). Another way we can look at the way that powerful black women are portrayed in this film is so look at Tre’s mother and see how she carries herself and the way she dresses. In comparison to many other films where the African American woman is in a lead role we see her struggling in the African American world, however in this film we see Reva (Tre’s mother) as the strong female living in a white world where it is not important whether you are black or white. Another theme/ idea portrayed in this film in relation to the `ghetto culture’ pertains to the way that Tre’s father (Furious) is adamant that he does not want Tre to turn out like the other boys from the ghetto – he wants him to make something of his life and not be one of the kids committing robberies and loitering around liquor stores. This is a strong and powerful message that Furious portrays throughout the film and one the many reasons why this film was such a success in portraying what life is really like in the `ghetto’. Another theme/ idea that is evident throughout the film is the idea of having a positive role model when growing up in the ghetto. Throughout the film Furious tries to teach Tre what is right and what is wrong. In the early part of the film we see Furious teaching Tre his very first lesson in the scene where Furious shoots at a burglar and talks to Tre about it after wards sitting on the porch waiting for the police to arrive. Furious: Somebody must have been praying for that fool, cause I swear I aimed right for his head. Tre Age 10: You should have blew it off. Furious: Don’t say that. Don’t say that. Just would’ve contributed to killing another brother. This being a contributing factor to killing another brother is another theme that permeates throughout the film. However, it is the final part of the film when Ricky is chased and murdered that we understand what this whole idea of killing another brother is like and how fragile and fleeting life is if you live in the ghetto. All Ricky did was annoy a guy the night before which led to his untimely death when he walked down to the corner store to pick up some oatmeal. The audience learns in the final scene that what goes around comes around if you kill one of your `brothers` you in turn will be killed. The shooting scene further indicates the powerful influence that Furious has had on Tre in making the man that he grew up to be. Despite, being so angry with the person that shot Ricky, Tre had a permanent voice in his head that told him that he could not be involved with Doughboy in shooting down the perpetrator responsible for Ricky’s death. Tre understood that everything his father taught him was for a reason and to protect his son. This is indicative in the credits as two weeks after Ricky was buried Dough boy was murdered and so the `circle of death’ continues. Because Tre lived his life in the image of his father he went to college and escaped from the `hood’ to create a better life for himself. In today’s society music is one of the major forms of expression and because of this it is clear to see how the lyrics in songs come to mean certain things in popular culture. In looking at the lyrics in Crompton’s Most Wanted (CMW) song Growing up in the Hood we can understand how the artist feels about growing up in the hood and can understand the words in a song in much the same way that you understand an underlying message when you watch a film. In looking at just the one song is it interesting how many different themes and ideas are permeated in a three-minute recording. In this song the artist has made it clear that living in the hood is violent and because of this you constantly live a dangerous lifestyle and are constantly running away from people so that they do not hurt you or try to kill you. Quick up the stairs so little sucker stop looking Stagger up to the house so I can collect my whooping But watch out ‘cause a little nigga’s up to no good Growin’ up in the hood. The lyrics in this song further describe the fear that exists when one lives in the hood that if you stay in the hood you will die in the hood. The lyrics above indicate the fear that men living in the hood have to come to terms with in everyday of their lives. The song also suggests that when young boys grow up in the hood they are not always aware of what lies ahead. â€Å"Growing up in the hood, yea boy, 1984 Was the year my peers didn’t know what was in store. â€Å" Another idea that is permeated in this song and that is an issue for African Americans living in the ghetto is that of the police. Police are awful to those people who live in the hood – they make them feel as they are dirt and they do not have the right to exist. Police sweat my tip and keep harassing Trying to lock me up ’cause I keep on blasting Community trying to shut me out Through song lyrics it is almost as if the listener feels the pain that the rapper is going through in terms of the way that the police treat him. Music is a powerful way where one person can express how they feel and how deep they feel. Throughout mainstream media it is clear to see the negative relationship that exists between those in the hood and that of the police. It is indicative in the lyrics to the above song and in the way that the brutality of the police force was described in Boyz in the Hood and in other mainstream films that dealt with the hood culture. Another theme that is expressed through the lyrics in this rap deals with the singers feeling towards his own violence where he feels that because he has existed in that environment for so long that he has become violent to and cannot seem to escape from the violent behavior. Throughout out the rap, the listen understand that life in the hood is all about women (â€Å"bitches’’) and money – those are the man thing that a mans life revolves around in the end. An image of frustration seems to be permeated throughout the rap at the same time and certain lyrics further create this image – â€Å"I got hard times and realize †¦ sometimes I wonder†¦ but it just seems that the hood took me under. ’’ It is interesting to note that in ghetto culture that women do not like to be referred to as `bitches`, `hoes` etc they like to be thought of as women and to be called a women. By referring to women as `bitches’ and the circle will continue – children learn from their parents. In Boyz in the Hood the young men do not seem to respect women and refer to them in derogatory ways and views women as `bitches’ and `hoes’. Doughboy was the character that permeated this stereotype. In the scene where all the young people were at the community barbeque and Tre said to the boys that the women should be the first to eat (he was being polite and being a gentleman). Doughboy was not however. Doughboy: Ho’s gotta eat too. Shalika: Who you callin’ a ho’, I ain’t no ho’. Doughboy: Oops, I’m sorry, bitch. It is clear to see that throughout the movie that Doughboy has no respect for women/ has grown up speaking to women and referring to them in a particular way. Doughboy: Don’t go to college to be talkin’ to no bitches. Your black ass ‘posed to be learnin’ somethin’. Can’t learn shit talkin’ to no stupid ass bitch. It is through the power of words that we as individuals learn what life is like for others and what life means to a particular person. The last cultural artefact that will be analysed in this paper pertains to that of African American poetry. The piece of poetry to be analysed here is apiece by C. Highsmith-Hooks called Ghetto Child. Even from the title of the piece we can come to an understanding of what the poem will be about and the fact that the poem is going to feed deep into your soul once you read the poem. This poem is found in the famous collection by C. Highsmith-Hooks called The Soul of a Black Woman. There were a number of reasons why I chose to analyze this poem and relate it to the other two cultural artefacts but the main reason was because this is a poem written by a woman and the other two mediums analyzed were written by men. Ghetto Child tells the story of a child from the `hood’ whose senseless death is mourned by his mother only. This poem was interesting because it pertained to the very essence of what was conveyed in the other two mediums analyzed that a life in the hood leads to death no matter what way one looks at it. In Boyz in the Hood both Ricky and Doughboy were murdered in the hood. This poem helps the audience understand what it is like for a woman in the `hood’ when she looses a child. This notion was briefly shown in Boyz in the Hood when Ricky was murdered and his mother broke down. It is always said that it is better reading a book before you see a film. In this same sense it is important to understand that reading a poem is much better than watching a film as you get to understand and create your own imagery and understand the character in your own mind. In Conclusion, it is clear that there are similarities in the way that the `hood culture` is conveyed in the three cultural artefacts – film, music and poetry that were analyzed in this paper. The major themes explored in these cultural artefacts were that of the permenant violence that surrounds life in the hood – especially for young males. It is a dog eat dog world in the hood and as a young man you need to make a choice about whether or not you will be using a gun because if you do you surely will get killed in the end. Another point that is of interest and has produced ideologies in all three cultural artefacts was how women are viewed in the ghetto. Males seem to have little respect for women with the except being the character of Tre in Boyz in the Hood where he was taught from an early age how to be a good man and in turn respect women. The other characters in the film had little respect for women and often referred to women as â€Å"bitches’’ or â€Å"hoes’’. References: Film: Boyz in the Hood (1991) : Written and directed by John Singleton. Lyrics: Growing up in the Hood – CMW Poem: C. Highsmith-Hooks â€Å"Ghetto Child’’ in The Soul of a Black Woman: From a Whisper to a Shout (2002).

Encephalitis Lethargica Compared to the Movie Awakenings

Encephalitis lethargica is a rare disease which is an atypical form of encephalitis that can cause symptoms that range from headaches to coma like states. Other potential symptoms include things such as double vision, high fevers, lethargy, and delayed physical and mental reactions. The treatment of the illness was the main focus of the movie awakenings and the book it was based upon. The cause of the illness even today still remains much of a mystery with successful treatment also following suit, thankfully however since a large outbreak of the illness in the late 1960’s there have been very rare reported cases of the disease since.When the movie Awakenings begins we find one of the main characters, Leonard Lowe, as a child. In the movie the viewer sees young Leonard begin to suffer from early symptoms of encephalitis lethargica, he quickly becomes unable to keep up in school and is taken out so he can be watched and also presumably to prevent the disease from potentially spr eading. The movie then jumps to 1969 where the viewer is Dr. Sayer apply for a job in Bronx, his experience up to that point had been all research but the hospital being underemployed hires him anyways.Dr. Sayer soon becomes determined to improve the quality of life for his patients and begins to look for a way to alleviate there illness, despite the skepticism of his peers. After investigating into several of his catatonic patients he finds out that many of them had suffered from encephalitis lethargica at one point or another in their past. Soon after discovering this Dr. Sayer proceeds to learn more about them by consulting a doctor who had treated many patients with the disease.He learns that many patients who survived the outbreak would seem to have periods where they would appear to recover from the illness for a time but after an amount of time would fall back into a state of catatonia. Shortly after learning this probably due to the simple fact that the catatonic behavior of his patients was similar to that of Parkinson's patients, he chooses to pursue the latest advances in Parkinson's treatments.He then attends a conference on Parkinson's treatments, there Dr. Sayer first learns about Levodopa (also known as L Dopa) Sayer proposes that L Dopa should be tested as a treatment for one of his catatonic patients, his superiors express doubts that he will be successful but in the end agrees to let him proceed to try it on one patient. He selects Leonard Lowe to be treated with L Dopa. After some period of time Leonard awakens, after this success Dr.Sayer then tries to lobby the patrons of the hospital for more funding to expand this treatment to other patients and after donations from staff members and after showing Leonard to the hospitals investors he gets the required funding and puts the rest of the patients on L Dopa. They, like Leonard, soon awaken after treatment and appear to all make a full recovery from their catatonic states.It’s not long before Leonard begins to suffer side effects from L Dopa, he experiences convulsions, paranoia, and psychotic behavior which are all real symptoms of L Dopa treatment; Leonard also begins to build a tolerance to the drug and he soon has his symptoms of his illness slowly return. The rest of the patients ultimately experience the same course of events and eventually all return to a state of catatonia. The movie ends with Dr. Sayer giving a speech about what he learned from his patients.The symptoms experienced by the patients and the side effects shown in the movie from L Dopa are extremely accurate with those experienced in real life, such as Leonard extreme emotional state and However the research Dr. Sayer, whose real name was Dr. Oliver Sacks, was similar but wasn’t exactly what occurred during the summer of 1969. Rather than starting the L Dopa treatment with just one patient and then expanding the treatment to the rest of the patients as was depicted in the film, Oliver Sacks actually began his study as a double blind procedure with a placebo group and with a treatment group.He also originally intended to only let the study last for 90 days however once he saw that fifty percent of his patients were showing improvement, Sacks went ahead and began giving the rest of the patients L Dopa and dropped his 90 day window for the study. Within the film Dr. Sayer is depicted going from one patient to his whole group of patients, apart from this the movie appears to be completely in line with the events of real life. Works Cited Micromedex, Drug Information Provided By:. â€Å"Levodopa (Oral Route). †Ã‚  Mayo Clinic.Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 01 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Awakenings. †Ã‚  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Side Effects of Carbidopa-Levodopa. †Ã‚  Side Effects of Carbidopa-Levodopa. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"NINDS Encephalitis Lethargica Information Page. †Ã‚  Encephalitis Lethargica Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Awakenings. †Ã‚  Oliver Sacks MD RSS. N. p. , n. d. Web. 14 Feb. 2013.

Business and Virtue Ethics Essay Example for Free

Business and Virtue Ethics Essay Abstract For the purposes of this assignment we will analyze the Mattel case and discuss the actions of the company regarding the behavior and actions in conjunction with the Global Manufacturing Process that was implemented. Breaches of the two business ethics elements of integrity and egoism will be assessed. Within the discussion I have identified the virtues prudence, justice, fidelity, and courage that were largely violated by the Mattel organization and how it affected the employees of Mattel. We will discuss the implications of virtue, deontological, and utilitarian ethics regarding their potential usefulness in evaluation of the Mattel case. Introduction Mattel’s concept of Global Manufacturing Principles (GMP) was not a novel concept. The many forms of GMP including International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) have been around for decades and have worked to insure that specific industries are held to a standard that is industry wide. ISO’s model is â€Å"Say what you do, and do what you say†. When a company endeavors to become ISO qualified, it is required to document every activity (as a standard operating procedure, SOP) that occurs within the company and adhere to that process without deviation. ISO qualified companies are always subject to audit by other ISO registered companies and is initially audited by four such companies in order to acquire certification. Having been directly involved with ISO implementation at a former employer that supplied fasteners for manufacturing, I am fully aware of how involved the certification is. The company SOP was over 1000 pages. Additionally, another ISO company can and will come in and audit your company prior to electing to conduct business with your company. In some instances, ISO qualification is not enough to be awarded the business. The nutrition industry also adheres to the Good Manufacturing Practices, of which I was required to be certified in every year. Each department of the nutritional company I worked for had its own GMP standards that we were to adhere implicitly. The nutrition industry, while not regulated by the FDA, is controlled indirectly by the FDA. GMP is an FDA requirement. Having worked in two industries where the concept is not only expected, but required in some instances; I was not impressed by the fact that Mattel implemented GMP of their own volition for the sole purpose to improve public perception after misconduct was exposed by the media. Business Ethics Issue The one word that I found that resonates throughout the article, whether spoken or implied, is â€Å"integrity†. The incoming CEO stated that Mattel would behave in all actions with â€Å"unwavering integrity† and that the company’s commitment to the GMP remained unequivocal and undiminished. (Sethi, Shapiro, Emelianova, pg.490) Ironically, I identify the most noticeable and important business ethics issue as just that; a lack of integrity. Merriam Webster defines integrity as â€Å"the firm adherence to a code of especially moral value, the quality or sate of being complete or undivided, and the quality of being honest or fair. Mattel exhibited none of these traits insofar as where their GMP’s were concerned. In fact, there were numerous infractions regarding the non-enforcement of their GMP’s across the board in the Asia and Mexico based manufacturing facilities. The second ethics issue I identified was narcissism. Mattel implemented this GMP program with the attitude of ‘look at what we’re doing’ but with minimal effort to ensure the success of the program. According to Duchon and Drake (2009) extreme narcissistic organizations will establish these formal ethics programs but will not have much effect on hindering unethical behaviors. This was evident in that the supervisors at the factories knew what they were supposed to be doing; but found ways to circumvent the system and there were no reprisals as a result of their nonconformance. Ultimately, it was a program of words and not deeds. Three Virtues Prudence â€Å"Careful good judgment that allows someone to avoid danger or risks. † (M-W, 2013) In my opinion, a great deal of misfortune and hardship could have been avoided if Mattel would have practiced a modicum of prudence before ever moving their manufacturing to Asia. In a perfect world, and especially in a modern world we do not expect children to work. However, when dealing with underdeveloped countries; it is normal for children to work in conditions that would be an affront to any American’s moral nature having abandoned child labor decades ago. If Mattel had done due diligence, they would have known that the facility in Indonesia was operating in an unacceptable manner (Sethi, et al. pg. 486) and could have implemented working conditions and requirements from the get-go. Then the exposure by the media would have never been an issue. I have no doubt that the draw of paying lower wages and increased productivity was the catalyst to overlook the conditions in those overseas factories. Justice â€Å"The quality of being just, impartial, or fair. Conformity to truth, fact, or reason. † (M-W, 2013) The concept of justice was completely lost on Mattel. While the implementation of the GMP program was comprehensive; the execution and enforcement was unconscionable. The last paragraph of the GMP, exhibit 1 says that if â€Å"Mattel determines that any of its manufacturing facilities or vendors violate these principles, we may either terminate our business relationship or require that facility to take corrective action. If corrective action is advised and not taken, Mattel will immediately terminate current production and suspend placement of future orders. †(Sethi, et al.pg. 487). However, when audits were performed; the facilities were rife with infractions but there was no follow through when corrective actions were required. The facilities were allowed to continue to operate unhindered. Astonishingly, the 20 plus companies that were not owned by Mattel were allowed to operate without any disciplinary actions imposed by Mattel for infractions if any auditing was conducted at all. Considering the fact that both Mattel owned and vendor factories employ some hundred thousand plus employees; Mattel’s actions were nowhere near impartial, fair, or conforming to fact or reason. Fidelity â€Å"Quality or state of being faithful, accuracy in details. †(M-W, 2013) For this virtue, I am concentrating on the act of being faithful to the employees. Whether or not the GMPs were self-imposed or not, Mattel had an obligation to the people it employs. Throughout the article, it was found during audits that the employee’s time cards would systematically be incomplete where they were not being allowed to clock-out. This resonates that these people were being required to work overtime ‘off the books’. Employees were not being given the appropriate days off or vacation time. Some living conditions and canteen conditions were substandard. Fines were being imposed. (Sethi, et al. 2011) The list goes on and on. In my opinion, Mattel should have had impartial representatives on the ground in these factories to ensure that the rules for payment, working overtime, and work conditions were being upheld. There should have been constant supervision and vigilance on a corporate level. To think that audits that were being conducted every three years was comprehensive enough to get the job done was blind and narrow minded. Courage To go one step further. A virtue is an attitude. Courage is measured when there is risk involved; but also rationality. To be truly courageous there needs to be a clear picture of what a person’s values are. Courage does not need to be proven beyond a doubt. (Hartman, 2008) In the case of Mattel, I feel it was courageous to implement such a comprehensive GMP program although it was misguided and ultimately failed. An even more courageous act would have been to rehab the program and bring it to its full potential and fruition. The article does not mention whether Mattel experienced any loss of revenue as a result, but public perception is a fickle entity and once all of the attention over sweat shops and child labor overseas died down, Mattel was no longer under the microscope. Financially, Mattel was spending money it perceivably no longer needed to spend. Since their program was self-imposed; it is no surprise that Mattel just unceremoniously abandoned the GMP program after nine years. When some organizations implement and enforce codes as part of a self-regulation process and others do not, those who self-regulate invariably incur greater costs. These costs are usually passed onto the consumer who subsequently (and sensibly) choses the organization which offers the cheaper product. (Blackburn & McGee, 2004) Virtue Ethics â€Å"Virtues† are attitudes, dispositions, or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop this potential. They enable us to pursue the ideals we have adopted. Honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence are all examples of virtues. (Andre, Meyer, Shanks, and Velazquez. 1988) Virtue ethics indicates that business decisions should be made in a manner that attributes to the overall goals of the professional. It stresses activities and motives, what we do and why. Virtue ethics proffer that action and motive are connected to character and disposition. Actions are taken and decisions made because they are linked to a certain character. (Blackburn and McGee. 2004) â€Å"That â€Å"ought† does not imply â€Å"right† can be seen in another sort of case as well, namely, when what one ought to do in one’s circumstances results from one’s own prior wrongdoing. In such a case, doing what one ought to do may not be the same as doing a right act or a â€Å"good deed†. In fact, the same prior failure may both increase one’s level of obligation to do a given act now and decrease one’s level of praiseworthiness. † (Russell, 2008) The above quote is especially poignant in the Mattel case. Because Mattel implemented the GMP program on the heels of a media expose, the intentions were not solely based on the ‘right’ thing to do, but on what they ‘ought’ to do. Mattel probably did not get the recognition or good press they were looking for and therefore had no proclivity to ensure that the plan was a success. Utilitarian Ethics â€Å"Actions are approved when they are as such to promote happiness and disapproved when they have a tendency to cause unhappiness. † (Driver, 2009) We also know that utilitarian ethics work for the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Mattel directly employs over twenty thousand people throughout Asia and Mexico. If the happiness of those employees would have been considered; the pay, working conditions, time off, and canteen programs would have never been an issue. If the executives of the company would have experienced any of those adverse conditions, they would have cried â€Å"foul† all the way to an attorney. The employees are ultimately left without a voice and no recourse. Deontology â€Å"To act according to the maxim that you would wish all other rational people to follow as though it were universal law. † â€Å"Never treat a person as a means to an end. † (Pecorino, 2000) Kant contends that where morality is concerned, it is guided by law and therefore judgment is not necessary to fill in the blanks, because there are no blanks. He believed that people can conform to duty and not be morally limited. He believed that we could use indeterminate action-guidance for imperfect duties, and I’m paraphrasing; to weigh the moral options for decisions regarding duty towards others. Because that decision requires the minimum of our morality. Kant rejected virtue ethics. (McAleer, 2001) My opinion is that deontology would not work in the Mattel case. There are too many variables to consider in order to narrow down the maxim that will be comprehensive enough to include thousands of people over a number of cultural variances. Conclusion While the design of Mattel’s Global Manufacturing Principles may have been well intended and meant to improve the working conditions of the employees, the implementation was short-sighted and poorly executed. All too often when the few aspire to set standards for the many, the end result is a miscalculation. GMP’s are not a one size fits all type of endeavor. Each facility should have had a program that was custom to their country and working conditions. The ethical treatment of employees was the intention; but the ultimate governance was not enforced. The aftermath was the abandonment of the program due to the lack of interest and participation on the public and other companies in the industry. References Andre, Claire, Meyer, Michael and S. J. , Shanks, Thomas, Velasquez, Manuel. (1988) Ethics and Virtue. Issues in Ethics, V1 N3. We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Getting to know pepsi Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Getting to know pepsi - Term Paper Example To enhance the quality of its products and quality of its financial reports, the company relies on the services of KPMG as their main external auditors. All financial reports released by the company have an approval and recommendation of their external auditor. The company releases its annual report at the end of each fiscal year, which ends at the last Saturday of every December. The company’s financial records and leadership is available from the following website http://www.pepsico.com/annual11/#//. The company produces a variety of product for its domestic and global markets. The main products that are produced by the company include Dew, 7-Up, Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Quaker Oats, and Tropicana. Pepsi use the indirect method to report its cash flow activity. Indirect cash flow system of reporting uses applications that convert accrual net income or loss into cash flows through a series of additions and deductions. Pepsi is a market leader in the production and distribution of soft drinks. The company recorded net revenue of $65,881 million, $65,881 million in the fiscal year ending 2011 and 2010 respectively as its net revenue. In the close of the financial year that ended at December 2011, the company was worth $72,882 million (PepsiCo web). This was a significant increase in its total holdings comparing to its closing balance of $68,153 million at the end of 2010 financial year (PepsiCo web). At the close of the trading period ending December 2011, the company recorded a net income of $6,443 million. The company’s stocks were valued at $66.35 at the end of the fourth quarter of the last trading period (PepsiCo web). This stock value attracted a $0.515 as a dividend or return on every share unit (PepsiCo web). According to the value of Pepsi’s closing stock and share equity, Pepsi can be classified as a large company. This is in relation to its annual income and dividend report released by the company. The company’s

Should gays and lesbians be allowed to serve in the U.S. military Research Paper

Should gays and lesbians be allowed to serve in the U.S. military - Research Paper Example The constitution of the United States does not offer just anyone an absolute right to serve in the countries military services. Joining the military in United States is considered a privilege and demands particular conditions to be met by the prospect candidate. Anyone who meets the required conditions and sings up as a member of the military in the active duty is serves on full-time basis. All members whether men or women report on their duties if they qualify to specific age and physical conditions. The lower entry to military service is under seventeen while the upper entry is thirty five years. However entry may depend on conditions of a particular category. They issue of gays and lesbians serving in the military should not be a problem of contention and so they should be allowed as suggested by Stewart (53). Since they are qualified individuals just like any others in the military there is no reason as to why they should not be allowed in the military. The issue about gays and l esbians in the military of US has been highly debated upon in politics. This started after the court declared the Don’t ask, Don’t tell policy of the military. ... The liberals have no problem with gays and lesbians serving the military but the conservatives want to ban the issue. Before President Clinton came into power, the department of Finance had its own policy which did not allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military. Once one was investigated and found quilt of this, he/she was discharged from the military. Clinton had promised in his campaigns to overthrow the policy but it was not possible and law was enacted which forbid homosexuality forever. However despite the enactment, homosexuality is still going on in the military. This can be attributed to the fact that some of the low-ranked persons in the army, live with their roommates in the barrack. Therefore, because it has become impossible to totally eliminate homosexuality in the military, it can thus be allowed. Since individuals are not born gays or lesbians, it does not matter in the service delivery. As suggested by Newton (53), this is because lesbianism or gay practice is n ot a weakness but more of lifestyle. Serving in the military means that one is dedicated to serve his/her country and is also willing to die for it. Therefore it is important to respect the private life of individuals if it has no negative impact in their service delivery. For instance, if those individuals outside the military are not investigated in their life then there is no reason as to why military individuals should be investigated. If homosexuality does not change the life of individuals then there is no way it can change their service delivery. For instance in some countries like the NATO countries gays have been openly allowed to work in the military even as leaders and there is no single effect since it was allowed. However people may argue that

The learning environment in regards to general nursing students Essay

The learning environment in regards to general nursing students - Essay Example Teaching and learning is a dynamic, collaborative, reciprocal life-long process of growth arising from interaction between teacher and the student. Teaching faculty is responsible for guiding learning activities, which create an environment that is conducive to learning and valuing of self as a basis for caring for others among the nursing students. In addition, they provide opportunities to practice skills, and offer positive reinforcement as motivation for learning. As a diverse group of scholars, both the teaching faculty and the students interact with the environment bringing a variety of orientation influenced by factors such as previous experience, lifestyles, and desires for achievement. Recognizing these differences it is essential to provide opportunities to validate prior learning. In this context it becomes essential that instructional strategies should be designed to respond to individual differences. As the nursing students actively participate in the teaching- learning process, they become more independent, self-directed, and creative in meeting their learning needs. Critical thinking and self-evaluation are integral elements in the teaching – learning process.

Case Study Analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Analysis - Case Study Example By the End of October 2002, the project was terminated. However, from the report of the Auditor General, it was found that as against the expected $ 38.2 million expenditure, the new project estimate was $ 135.1 million, out of which $ 61 million was already spent. Auditor General found serious issues regarding the corporate governance in Sydney Water. First of all, the reporting of the management to the Board on important issues was not detailed and timely. In addition, the Board did not oversee the project as it was supposed to do. Thirdly, the issues were not properly disclosed in the Annual Report 2002. 1. Cultural attitude within Sydney Water It is evident from the report of the Auditor General that the cultural attitude within Sydney Waters was not befitting a well-functioning organization. One of the main factors that become evident is the widespread belief in the Sydney Water that outsourcing of major projects will transfer all the risks to the contractor and that there is no need of the user cooperation in the process (Review of Sydney Water’s Customer Information and Billing System, 2003). The GM-Customer Service was of the opinion that by paying a premium to PwC, the fixed price contract would give a strong legal backup to Sydney Water. The same view was expressed by the Audit Committee and the whole Sydney Water management. So, they were not so keen in updating their risk management process, and were not interested in following up the DMR recommendations. Another issue is poor record keeping. Some important documents that were found missing in the Auditor General’s review were final business case, tendering processes, and net present value calculations for the project (ibid). Another point is the totally lethargic attitude exhibited by the Board of Directors. It is a well-known fact that the Board is directly responsible to the stakeholders, and hence is responsible to act in a manner that protects the interests of stakeholders. Hence, it is for the board to deal with challenges and issues relating to corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and corporate ethics. As a part of this, it is the responsibility of the directors to make sure that proper books of account are kept. However, in the case of Sydney Water, it can be seen that the board failed to control the whole procedure in a proper way. Firstly, it initiated the process without a proper architecture framework in place, and then failed to avail and analyze the progress of the project. When its managing director, steering committee, and other responsible ones failed to function as directed, it failed to take necessary actions to ensure compliance with the company strategies. In addition, one can observe that officers ranging from the project manager, the steering committee, and general managers of customer service acted in a lethargic and careless way. They failed to provide adequate reports and to follow the usual procedures of communication i n the group. On the one hand, there was lack of common consensus about the responsibilities of each stakeholder, and on the other, they did not care about the interest of the company and its stakeholders. In the words of Schwalbe (2008, p.6), a successful project should meet its scope goal, cost goal, and time goal. It is very evident that the CIBS project failed to meet all the three goals. To meet these ends, the management should show good human resource

Cuban Missile Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Cuban Missile Crisis - Essay Example The first team of negotiations comprised of Moscow while the second side comprised of a prominent team of high ranging advisors, with the inclusion of â€Å"the exclusive committee of the national security council†. Though his advisers took part in the discussions or negotiations, it was only the trusted ones that were updated on vital missile concessions.This information was kept a secret from the public, in order to fuel fast resolution of the Cuban missile crisis, president J.F. Kennedy usually engaged in talks with two parties or sides in purse of a quick and lasting solution. The first team of negotiations comprised of Moscow while the second side comprised of a prominent team of high ranging advisors, with the inclusion of â€Å"the exclusive committee of the national security council†. Though his advisers took part in the discussions or negotiations, it was only the trusted ones that were updated on vital missile concessions. The executive committee almost put a dent on the diplomatic solution towards finding a solution to the Cuban missile crisis, their attempt ranged from cold strikes to forming blockages, despite of all these the president was still willing to fight for the resolution. Kennedy went a step further and authorized the secretary of state D. Rusk to publicly make an announcement during the United Nations meeting; this was meant to be if the secret agreement was not to be honored by the soviets but Kennedy was quickly relieved after Moscow accepted to honor the deal and keep it as a top secret.

Write a brief critique of the response of UK governments to the UN Essay

Write a brief critique of the response of UK governments to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - Essay Example The UK government’s first report declared that no change was required in the active legislation in the UK since the provisions of the convention are already covered (UK First Report to UN, 1994). The UK Government has achieved a high standard in some of the areas of work that the convention recommended. The UN has recognized that the Human Rights Act of 1998 had included some of the aspects of the children in it and this is in line with the needs of the convention. Some of the other legislative steps such as Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, race relations legislation did move the country legislatively forward in this area. The Children and Young People’s Unit in England, the abolition of corporal punishment in the UK and the promotion of children’s rights in all those countries where the UK provides aid, all add to the implementation of the convention directions successfully. The standard of these implementations have been found to be substantially good and recommended by the UN. There are areas where the UK government steps were satisfactory though improvement has to be done. In the legislative front, the changes done in the Human rights Act is not covering all the needs of the children explicitly. The legislation for children and youth is not prioritizing the needs of the children correctly and therefore, is losing focus. The resources spent for the purpose of the children should be clearly specified and allocated for the purpose. A wide and sweeping allocation that maximum resources are allocated would not serve the purpose, says the UN report on the UK. Apart from this, structuring the entire process and therefore, making an effective ‘delivery’ of the program is very important. This includes providing appropriate training and education. There are number of areas which the UN felt that the UK government is yet to meet satisfactorily level. Some of the

Family Bond Essay Example for Free

Family Bond Essay The family system is the most conspicuous bond in the social scheme of things. This bond ties people to each other with invisible strings of love and care, each one bonded to all others in his/her entirety. The family that consists of the elder’s brothers, sisters and children are all bound to each other no matter how far away they may be from each other physically. The family is the inspiration of each individual member and, above all, it is the objective for which each individual member lives and works. The encouragement from the family helps one to achieve marathon goals, and it is the family only that, at time forces a person to adopt the wrong path. Thus the family is of so much importance to every member that, its bonds are in reality responsible for whatever each member achieves or loses. The family is as if the backbone on which the bodies of the individuals in it stand. It is the family that acts as a booster for each one in it and, it is the same family that at times becomes a stumbling block in the growth of an individual in it. This is because the bonds of love are too great to be set apart and as we often hear that love is blind. It is this same blind love of the family that may at times prove to be a hindrance to growth For example, a child in the family may be brilliant in studies but the extreme and blind love of the parents wants to see him as the next Sachin Tendulkar. They, in trying to fulfill their ambition may try to impose their desire on the child and he, in the bargain loses track of studies. At the same time since he has no inclination for cricket, he does not manage to achieve anything in that sphere also. Thus, due to the unquestioned love and bond of the family, the child loses out on both fronts. He is unable to become Sachin Tendulkar and neither has he been able to keep pace with his studies. In this way, the bonds of the family prove to be disastrous also. At the same time, with the backing and support of the family, a child can work wonders as, it is here he gets all the encouragement and back up support. Besides being a support for the children of a family it has often been heard that, b ehind every successful man, there is a woman. This again goes to show how much the backing of a good co-operative wife helps the man also to grow in his career. Thus it is seen that the family bonds play a very prominent part in making or breaking each member of the family. It is from broken homes that, drug addicts, juvenile criminals are also created, so much is the importance of the bonds of a family. So much for parents and children in a family. Even grandparents have an intrinsic role to play in the growth of the individuals. If the children play and have fun with grandparents, they develop a liking for elders, and they learn to respect elders. Once they see their parents behaving well with the grandparents they also learn how to behave with elders. This presence of elders in a family makes the bonds still more pleasant and more lasting. Like everything else, bonds of a family also have their advantages and disadvantages. However, the disadvantages are so minuscule that, the prominent advantages overpower them and the essence of family life and its bonds appear to be just worth it. Where there is a family to fall back upon, even hard times of misfortune, it becomes easier to bear and this is just what family bonds is all about. These bonds are so strong that, no power can break them or destroy them. It is however great luck to get the fortune of a fully blooming family with all its bonds in place.

Define And Discuss Anti Oppressive Practice

Define And Discuss Anti Oppressive Practice Professionals get involved in peoples to protect then and promote social justice , yet oppress them for example, by making decisions for them or the structure of an organisation can oppress on individual. Oppression is: The central circle P represents the personal, psychological, practice and prejudice. Here we are considering the individuals thoughts, feelings and actions. The way in which each practitioner interacts with service user and the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦inflexibility of mind which stands in the way of fair and non-judgmental practice. The P level is embedded in the C level, as values and norms are internalised through socialisation. C refers to the cultural, sphere where people share à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ways of seeing, thinking and doing. Commonailties and consensus about right and wrong and conformity to shared norms are found here. Social inequalities are thus legitimated through culture. Our culture is supported by structures such as the economy, society and the nation state. The C level is immersed in the S level. Discrimination is part of the fabric of society. Socio-political and social divisions describe the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦interlocking patterns of power and influence (Thompson 1997). Therefore, at the P and C level we can see that anti oppression and values are interlinked. they are both socially constructed moral code that assist and control our actions within society; as social work practice recognises the complexity of interactions between human beings and their environment, it has drawn some of its knowledge from anti-oppressive practice and values in order to influence individual change. This knowledge helps the social worker to make informed judgements in addressing the inequalities and injustices that exist in society (Stanford 2005). Issues and risk factors from the case study. A referral form the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) was sent to the organistion on be half of David, requesting service from the Adult Community Mental Health Team (CMHT). David is 17 and half years old has got a history of mental health. Clinical depression (quotion) and self harm. and has been involved for 3 and half years with The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service(CAMHS). His condition is medicated and he been taking this on a regular basis as well as receiving counseling. Due to his age his current Social worker his referred him to the Adult Community Mental Health Team. However, the CMHT made clear that David could receive service from the organisation as he not 18. This could have a negative effect on his condition. for example, it may further the risk of self-harm and potential risk of accidental suicide. According to (Rutter, 1995 and Steinberg, 2004) adolescent are particularly vulnerable to self- harm and suicide if they are already suffering fro m depression. Therefore, coping strategies such as counselling and the resources centres are important to his well-being. However, at the moment its not Cleary as to where David will receive support. according to the Menatl Health Act \he is sitll a child mental health Act Both organisation were in a dilemma as the both shifting to blame on his age however the Menatal Health Act points outin this case Daivd may need an independent person to speak out for him because the professional are able to support. I found this very demoralising and questioned the CAMHTS decision; had she thought about, the remaining mouths of his age, was this helping David to lead a fulfilling life like any other citizen and had she thought of any other ways to support David attend a resource centre without stopping him completely? I wondered whether the whole notion of working together, partnership professionalism, and commissioning meant anything at all to the both social workers. I thought that the CAMETS social worker decision based on a social model. This decision deprived to David to gain a resource that will enhance his well-being. For the reason, his complex needs where not being met. Since both organisations where not working in partnership. There are two types of partnership working, one working with the service user and the other working with other professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary approach. Coulshed Orme (2006:230) states Multi-disciplinary work or inter-agency work is carried out to ensure that a range of service is accessed to provide a holistic approach to meeting the needs of service user. In this case, I believe the CAMHT did not carry out a holistic approach clearly his/ her approach was to simply transfer David to the AMHT. As Thompson (2000) stress partnership working with service users involves working with clients, as opposed to making decisions for them. This view is also shared by Hatton (2008) and Trevithick (2000) who points out positive practice must involve service user if it is to achieve agre ed objectivesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦within this process, service user must be seen not only in terms of problems they bring, but as whole person and full citizens. Therefore, in partnership working, the service user is seen as the expert on themselves and therefore it is essential to involve them in all of the processes. Hatton(2008) goes on to say, if social work is to make a real impact on live of people like David it needs to develop a frame of reference which values, hears and works in partnership. This is in contrast to for example, the medical model, where the professional is regarded as the expert on the service and the service users health. redard of his he should fall ut of this frame referneces. in constarn with ths social modle as it is concerned with experience of vulnerable people at risk of oppression and social devaluation. The whole notion of working together and joined up thinking is now embedded in social work and social care discourses in the United Kingdom (DOH 1998, Payne 2000) Partnership working with other professionals is highly important in order for services to be delived well. The relationship between different agencies can sometimes be difficult as both parties are likely to operate on different levels. For example, referring to level S or Structural-organisation level of the PCS model in Davids case both professional where clashing or the case. Therefore, services are not co-ordination. This will have an effect at the C level or the professional-culture level. As Wilson (2008) highlights effective cooperation between different profession groups is possible but they is a range of difference between them; for instance, their goals, the nature and peace of their work. Therefore, professionals have different priorities, expectations, obligations and concerns, as this is the underlying message in the case of David as a result it is important that these are shared from the beginning to enable understanding. This then allows any issues to be dealt with in a positive and open manner (Thompson, 2000). In doing so, professionals should A, recognise and accept the need for partnership. b, develop clarity and realism of purpose. c, ensure commitment and own ship. d, develop and maintain trust, e, create clear and robust partnership arrangements. F, monitor, measure and learn.(Nuffield cited from class notes) According to the working together It is considered as high-quality practice when a service has partnership working with both the service user and other professionals. According to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Keeping clients informed and aware of any issues and changes in the situation empowers the client and provides autonomy. In order to work in partnership, it is important to keep communication channels open, by involving the service user and other professionals in decision making processes, for instance, in the case David the CAMHTS social worker should have communicated with the AMHTs social worker in advance about the transfer. Therefore, it would have been clear that the AMHT would not be able to take on Daivd, therefore, he/ she would have thought of an alternative such as commissioning service. Commissioning means that services a available so that identified needs can be met c and 0()This suggests that he/she was accountable to the supplier of the resources and the service user . This is supported by the GSCC code of practice as it requires social workers to be accountable for the quality of their work. In the case of David there was lack of commissioning and partnership the case was closed both social workers did not think about the next step. .. to carry out an assessment and plan therefore , Par tnership working promotes a jointed accountability for resolution of the condition, making sure that all parties consider that their contributions are important (Thompson, 2000). Plans must be supported on negotiated agreement and not on the prejudices or assumptions about clients feeling or thoughts. ,

Hispanic, Worker, Student, Mother Essay -- Graduate College Admissions

Hispanic, Worker, Student, Mother    I am the only girl and middle child in a family of five siblings. As is common in Hispanic culture, my status was automatically placed below that of my brothers by virtue of my gender alone. Even as a teenager, I was not allowed to go out to movies alone with my friends; my younger brother was sent to keep an eye on me and report back to my mother. Needless to say, I was also not permitted to date in high school. At that time, without the social life afforded to other girls my age, I turned to academics.    Captivated by muckrakers, yellow journalism, and the sheer power of the printed word, I discovered through journalism my love for writing. The idea of writing something that would get the attention of my teenage peers, or anyone for that matter, appealed to me. In one column I wrote about gang activity at my high school. I argued for tougher disciplinary measures for gang members and against ineffective administrative procedures in dealing with gangs. However, one did not disrespect gangs in the school paper and expect it to go unnoticed. While my adviser feared for my safety, he agreed to run the column anyway. The day it ran, I walked into school with my head held high and prepared for the worst, but it never came. Instead I got people talking; talking about changes. I had succeeded in what I had intended for my writing. My senior year I became a correspondent for the El Paso Herald Post and earned an internship for the summer after graduation. Although I served as more of a gopher than a writer, no task was too small. I loved the opportunity to hang around the newsroom and witness seasoned veterans at work.    When summer ended I was terrified at the prospect ... ...e I had loved in academics. I needed to do more for my daughter and myself. In the summer of 1996, 1 walked off the job and back into the classroom.    Unlike the scared, sheltered girl fresh out of high school, I was now a single mother, a little older but far wiser. While I had longed for my mother's approval when I began college, I now had the admiration of my daughter. As her role model, I'm obligated not merely to teach her about responsibility but also to show her what is right through my actions. I have balanced academics, a child, a household, and a job (sometimes two jobs) every semester while continuing to have my writings published and making the best grades of my academic career. The decisions to keep my daughter and to raise her alone could have devastated my academic career, but instead they made me into a strong, dedicated, and balanced person.

High Taxes in Canada Essay -- essays research papers

Why The Taxes Are So High In Canada   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every government gets the budget from the taxes, and those taxes are collected from people who live in the country and enjoy the benefit and welfare that provided by the government. Therefore, every citizen in every country has to pay taxes, no matter what products or services they purchase. Some countries have heavy taxation, such as Swiss, Japan, and Canada. People always complain about heavy taxation, especially when the one who live in heavy taxation place. A government can tax its citizens directly and it can tax the property they own. There are many kinds of taxes, for example, personal income tax, foreign income tax, property tax, good and service tax, and business tax . .etc. However, people have to look thing on the other side, when they complained about heavy taxation. Most of heavy taxation countries have a better welfare system than others, like Swiss and Canada. There are so many welfare in Canada, and the residents of Canada have to pay higher taxes to government than any other countries. Then government can find the way to balance the high budget. First, Canadian government provides unemployment insurance to all Canadian. This welfare is very important for every one, especially when people lose the job and have to live on. They can get the pay-cheque from government until they find the job. Every-time, people get the job, they have to pay 5% of their salary for unemployment insurance. Unemplo...

Why Do Gamers Buy the Video Games They Buy? Essay -- Video Game Sales

Video games might have started out as a very small market. But today, this market has grown even bigger than the movie or music industry. Each year, millions and millions games fly off store shelves. Grand Theft Auto V broke sales records of the fastest selling entertainment property ever. While this game and others such as Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Assassin’s Creed sell millions of copies every year, other games don’t sell so well and just sit in store shelves. So, why do gamers rush out to stores to buy some games and pass by others? The answer is not so simple as â€Å"good games sell and bad games don’t.† If this were the case, then a game like Persona 4, a critically acclaimed game, would have sold millions of units. While Call of Duty that gets mixed reviews from its fans each year, sells millions of units each year. There are many factors that go into the buying decisions of a gamer. Advertising, gaming reviews, and trends/popularity(how well k nown a game is and trends by popular people) all affect the buying decisions of gamers. Advertising is a main factor in determining whether a game sells or not, as it determines if gamers know if the game exists or not, as well as piquing consumer interest in a game to go buy it. You can make a great game that receives glorious review from all the critics, but still not have it sell. If no one knows about your game, it won’t sell. This is just the basic surface of what advertising is for. Now that consumers know about the product, how does the advertisement encourage them to buy it? An academic study by Hermann Ebbinghaus, one of the first men to study how the human brain works, ran a test to see what parts of advertisements people remember best. His findings have shown how adver... ...ian.com. Guardian News and Media, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. flappy-bird-ebay-app-store>. LIU, HUA-JUNG, and YIH-CHEARNG SHIUE. "INFLUENCE OF FACEBOOK GAME PLAYERS' BEHAVIOR ON FLOW AND PURCHASE INTENTION. ." Social Behavior & Personality 42.1 (2012): 125-133. Umass Lowell Online Databases. Web. 24 Apr 2014. Micheal, Pacther. "How Much Do the Programmers Make?." . Game Trailers, 10 May 2014. Web. 10 May 2014. . Pewdiepie, . FLAPPY BIRD - DONT PLAY THIS GAME! . 2014. Video. YoutubeWeb. 24 Apr 2014. .

Holocaust Argument Paper

English 112- 10 am March 16, 2013 The Holocaust Dilemma The Holocaust created many broken hearts and hardships that have left the world with a great scar in their history. This terrible event that occurred during WWII in Jewish concentration camps should not be taken lightly when speaking of it. Many scientists believe that good information came about of the Holocaust and although this can be accurate it is wrong to consider using information that was collected through pain, murders, injustices, and inhumane acts of cruelty to Jewish men, women, and children.Heavy experimentation was conducted on unwilling patients in concentration camps during World War II. Experiments on hypothermia, hemorrhage, altitude sickness, air pollution, etc. were conducted on innocent Jewish people with the pretext that Jewish lives were nonetheless already condemned. Much information was obtained through this heavy experimentation thus many doctors and scientist today claim that this information should be used due to the accuracy of human testing compared to animal testing. Lives can be saved with this information; hence the lives of the murdered Jews will not be left in vain.There have been cases where Nazi data could have been relevant and justified to use because of multiple medical advances. Take the chilling/ freezing bodies experiments for consideration; Doctor John Hayward, a Biology Professor at the Victoria University in Vancouver, Canada conducted freezing experiments on willing candidates; however, he did not let the body temperature of his patients drop under 36 degrees. According to Peter Tyson in â€Å"The Experiments,† Hayward tested many methods to find the most efficient and fastest way to rewarm the frozen body.Although he ethically conducted these experiments, they were not nearly as valuable as the experiments compared to the tests conducted by the Nazis in Dachau because they immersed victims in lower temperatures. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ) also questioned whether or not the data retained from the Holocaust should be utilized when testing air pollutants such as phosgene used in the manufacturing of pesticides and plastic. Phosgene is very dangerous, attacking mainly the lungs and creating a mucus build up leading to death of â€Å"drowning†.EPA had information of phosgene because of animal testing but is not nearly as accurate as human testing. In this case, Nazi data could have been a good resource to help save lives of workers and commuters who were constantly in contact with the air pollutant phosgene. Although it seems logical to turn to the data obtained from Nazi experimentation obtained from tests held in multiple different concentration camps, there are several reasons why this information should not be utilized. First of all there are large physiological differences between malnourished tortured Jews versus the regular average Joe.Second of all the scientific integrity of Nazis is questionable due to extreme prejudice and hate toward the Jewish; third of all the fact that the information attained after Nazi testing was never published creates misgivings in trusting that this data is correct. Scientists and doctors must consider the fact that all Jewish, gypsies, and people with disabilities were very unhealthy during experimentation. Dehydrated, hungry, poisoned, tortured, and so many other things were implemented on these innocent people.How can these test results be primarily employed when these Holocaust victims do not have nearly the same health people do today? According to Doctor Jay Katz of the Yale University School of Law, â€Å"Those experiments revealed nothing which civilized medicine can use† and that, â€Å"gross violation of human standards that they are not to be trusted at all. † Malnourishment and abuse was inflicted to mass groups of concentration camp victims thus their health does not measure up causing information obtained during WWII inaccura te. There are different methods in finding cures for hypothermia, altitude sickness, infectious diseases, etc. hrough heavy scientific research and development. Skepticism is inevitable when the so called experiments conducted by the Nazis to Jews are not published. Maybe it is the fact that much of the data necessary such as: sex, weight, and age are missing in many of the documentations. According to Baruch C. Cohen in the Jewsih Law Article, The Ethics Of Using Medical Data From Nazi Experiments, â€Å"The data was not recorded from scientific hypothesis and research, but rather, it was inspired and administered through racial ideologies of genocide. Although this abuse was inflicted with the justification that it was mere experimentation, it does not seem safe to use when vital information is absent. Experiments conduce important information; however scientific experimentation is recorded with different body ranges such as: sex, age, weight, medical history, etc. if this inform ation is lacking then wouldn’t there be a large concern that Nazi data will not be accurate enough to help lives today but rather perpetrate medical patients.Yes there is always a risk when surgeries are performed, but personally I would want the information to come from someone who was tested with the same disease to be in similar health than me. Not only was medical experimentation immoral in Nazi concentration camps but there was also other horrid experimentations inflicted on the victims of Holocaust concentration camps. In the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum there are pictures that prove human flesh was utilized for lamp shades and book bindings along with other preserved body parts such as hair and remaining organs from experimentation.Soap made from human bones and flesh was also made from the testing in WWII Holocaust concentration camps. How can one imagine showering while the condensed body of a loved one melts on their skin? How can doctors today still beli eve it is ok to use all the information gathered through agony, pain, and unjust suffering of innocent Jews? How can a scientist be so lazy to morally and ethically make discoveries through heavy research? It is wrong to use information discovered through the abominable experiments inflicted in concentration camps during the Holocaust when there are other ways to find similar sightings.The inhumane acts of violence and repulsive experiments tested on those who were victims of concentration camps during the Holocaust have created tinted data. Although it may be tempting to review the data discovered though human testing in German concentration camps, scientists and doctors need to find a different method to discover similar data because this information may be inaccurate. As mentioned in previous paragraphs it is unethical and immoral to use the information gathered from scientists in the Holocaust concentration camps because their tests were conducted by prejudice and hatred reasoni ng.Sources Cited Kor, Eva Mozes. â€Å"Nazi Experiments as Viewed by a Survivor of Mengele's Experiments. † Caplan, Arthur L. When Medicine Went Mad: Bioethics and the Holocaust. Totowa: Humana Press, 1992. 7. Book. Cohen, Baruch C. â€Å"The Ethics Of Using Medical Data From Nazi Experiments. † 1997. Jewish Law Articles. Web. 1 December 2011. Remember. â€Å"Medical Experiments of the Holocaust and Nazi Medicine. † n. d. Remember. Web. 27 November 2011. Tyson, Peter. â€Å"The Experiments. † October 2000. NOVA Online. Web. 28 November 2011. â€Å"Nazi Propaganda. † 6 January 2011. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Web. 28 November 2011.

Sakura: Cherry Blossoms

Warfare Introduction to World Music October 19, 2009 â€Å"Sakura Sakura† ( ), Who is the voice of sakura in japanese? † Chie Nakamura † Sakura ( ) is the name of a traditional Japanese folk song depicting spring, the season of sakura. Contrary to popular belief, the song did not originate from ancient times (as in, not from the Heian period or prior). It was first composed during the Edo period for children learning to play the koto. Originally, the lyrics â€Å"Blooming cherry blossoms† were attached to the melody. The song has been popular since the Meiji period, and the lyrics in their present form were attached then. It is often sung in international settings as a song representative of Japan. Throughout the ages there have been many rearrangements of the song, but Michio Miyagi's rendition is often regarded to be the best of them all. The cherry blossom is Japan's national flower and has for years appeared in the country's poetry, paintings, and music, as well as on its craft, clothing, and other commercial items. From January through June each year, there are numerous cherry blossom festivals held throughout Japan. Not surprisingly, there is even this popular traditional song, Sakura, Sakura (Cherry Blossom, Cherry Blossom), commonly sung to celebrate the national flower. Its melody and text date back nearly to Medieval times, and the song has been popular in Japan since at least the eighteenth century. The melody is simple and well-known to Westerners from various commercial incarnations, even if they recognize it only as some generic far Eastern tune. But it is hardly generic-sounding. The melody is charming in its sweet melancholy and forlorn sense of innocence. Its rising, opening phrases lead to a gentle but lovely fall, after which sonorities remain mired in lower ranges until the theme is heard again. The text is just as simple, speaking of the fragrance of cherry blossoms and likening their appearance to clouds. Those with an interest in Eastern and far Eastern ethnic music will find this song of strong appeal. ‘Dream of the Cherry Blossoms' by Keiko Abe, a Japanese virtuoso percussionist, is a 5 minute long piece for marimba based on an mprovisation on the tune of ‘Sakura sakura', and has become one of the most played pieces in the marimba repertoire. Also, Yukijiro Yokoh, a Japanese classical guitarist made an arrangement for the instrument. Which is, like Keiko Abe's version, a theme with variations in which he uses different guitar techniques to imitate the sound of the Koto. There are four main kinds of Japanese folk songs (min'yo): work song s, religious songs (such as sato kagura, a form of Shintoist music), songs used for gatherings such as weddings, funerals, and festivals (matsuri, especially Obon), and children's songs (warabe uta). In min'yo, singers are typically accompanied by the 3 stringed lute known as the shamisen, taiko drums, and a bamboo flute called shakuhachi. Other instruments that could accompany are a transverse flute known as the shinobue, a bell known as kane, a hand drum called the tsuzumi, and/or a 13 stringed zither known as the koto. In Okinawa, the main instrument is the sanshin. These are traditional Japanese instruments, but modern instrumentation, such as electric guitars and synthesizers is, also used in this day and age, when enka singers cover traditional min'yo songs (Enka being a Japanese music genre all its own†¦ . Terms often heard when speaking about min'yo are ondo, bushi, bon uta, and komori uta. An ondo generally describes any folk song with a distinctive swung 2/2 time rhythm. The typical folk song heard at Obon festival dances will most likely be an ondo. A bushi is a song with a distinctive rhythm. In fact, its very name means â€Å"rhythm† or â€Å"time,† and describes the ostinato pattern played throughout the song. Bon uta, as the name describes, are songs for Obon, the lantern festival of the dead. Komori uta are children's lullabies. Many of these songs include extra stress on certain syllables, as well as pitched shouts (kakegoe). Kakegoe are generally shouts of cheer, but in min'yo they are often included as parts of choruses. There are many kakegoe, though they vary from region to region. In Okinawa Min'yo, for example, one will hear the common â€Å"ha iya sasa! † In mainland Japan, however, one will be more likely to hear â€Å"a yoisho! ,† â€Å"sate! ,† or â€Å"a sore! † Others are â€Å"a donto koi! † and â€Å"dokoisho! † A guild-based system exists for min'yo; it is called iemoto. Education is passed on in a family, and long apprenticeships are common. On a more personal note this melodies of the Sakura if heard as an instrumental or with lyrics has a profound conjunction of sound for my neural map. The distinct harp, flute, and viola sound is extremley intense for one who has the intrest in a variation of melody this is def inatley the one piece you must listen to. I absolutley loved it.

Political and Economic System

World Geography and Culture Spain Analysis of the Political and Economic Systems Table of Contents I. Introduction (abstract) II. Political System a. Type of Political System b. Structure of the Government c. Identify a current law/policy law d. Impact on society III. Economic System a. Type of economic system b. Identify a current economic issue c. Government role in address the issue d. Impact on society IV. Compare Contract a. Economic issue country of origin V. Conclusion Abstract In this essay, I had to assume the role of a politician and an economist.The country of Spain has many different political issues that can impact the society based on the structure of the government. The economic issues can impact the society based on how the government decides to deal with it. I also had to compare and contrast the current economic and political issue in my country of origin which is Puerto Rico to Spain’s economic and political issue. Introduction Spain also known as the kingdo m of Spain is a beautiful country with a very appealing geography, history, culture, economy, missionary effort, and state capitol.Spain’s political system is parliamentary monarchy. Spain has many different political and economic issues that can impact the society. Most of these issues can be deal by the government. Sometimes other countries can be compare and contract its political and economic issues to other countries. Political System Spain’s government is parliamentary monarchy. The most important task of the constitution was to devolve power to the regions, which were given their own governments, regional assemblies and supreme legal authorities.The central government retains exclusive responsibility for foreign affairs, external trade, defense, justice, law (criminal, commercial and labour), merchant shipping and civil aviation. Spain has been a member of the United Nations (UN) since 1955, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since 1982 and the Europe an Union (EU) since 1986, and is also a permanent observer member of the Organization of American States (OAS). Spain has three branches of government which includes the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial branch.The Senate has 259 members, directly elected by a first-past-the-post system. Each province provides four members plus additional members in the Balearic and Canary islands, where extra members represent the various islands, making a total of 208 members. The 17 autonomous regions also elect one senator each and an additional member for every million inhabitants, totaling a further 51 members. The Senate has the power to amend or veto legislation initiated by Congress.Under Spanish law, the official result of a general election is made public five days after the vote, in order to allow sufficient time for recounts and disputed results. After the members have been sworn in, the King of Spain meets with the party leaders and asks one of them to form a go vernment, which must then be ratified by parliament. The leader of the party of government becomes the president of Spain and has his official residence in the Moncloa Palace in Madrid. The role of citizens in Spain is that they have to be born of a Spanish mother or father.A person born in Spain of foreign parents if neither of them has Spanish nationality or if neither of the parents' legislations confer a nationality to their children. Spain has many political issues. One political issue is during the last few years has been corruption among public officials, including illegal financing of political parties, tax avoidance, fraud, bribery, trying to keep a place or someone in the residential institution, nepotism, misappropriation of public funds, illegal patronage, influence-peddling and kickbacks.Spain has been described (in the Spanish press) as the most corrupt society among the original 15 members of the EU and corruption permeates political and public life at every level. Th is problem is affecting the Marbella council on a massive scale, involving tens of millions of euros pocketed by council officials. Economic System Spain’s economy is a well-based way to equally spread money to all of the people. Some of Spain’s natural resources include coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin; hydroelectric power.Spain’s currency is the European Union euro. Spain’s imports include machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semi-finished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods, measuring and medical control instruments. In 2011, the amount of money that Spain received for imports was $364. 9 billion. Some of Spain’s exports include machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods. In 2011, the amount of money that Spain received for exports was $309. 6 billion. The gross domestic per capita is thirty three thousand six hundred euros a year.In labor force 2. 4 percent goes to agriculture, 24 percent to industry, and 71. 1 percent to services. Spain came out in the number one position because it is a sunny country, because its citizens enjoy shorter working hours and more days holiday, because energy and lifestyle costs are lower, because the government invests into education and healthcare, because the average age at which people die is higher than in most of Europe and because overall, living in Spain ensures you have a better quality of life. Spain has many economic issues.One economic issue is that the Spanish banks' high exposure to the collapsed domestic construction and real estate market also poses a continued risk for the sector. The government oversaw a restructuring of the savings bank sector in 2010, and provided some $15 billion in capital to various institutions. Investors remain concerned that Madrid may need to bail out more troubled banks. The Bank of Spain, however, is seeking to boost confiden ce in the financial sector by pressuring banks to come clean about their losses and consolidate into stronger groups.Puerto Rico doesn’t have political and economic issues similar to Spain. One reason Puerto Rico political issue is not similar to Spain because Puerto Ricans do not have representation in the U. S. Senate and no voting representation in Congress. Instead, the 4 million U. S. Citizens of Puerto Rico only have one â€Å"Resident Commissioner† who cannot even vote on the House floor. Therefore, Puerto Ricans have no say in the making of the laws and statutes that apply to them. Even though the U. S. Supreme Court has absolute jurisdiction over Puerto Rico, Puerto Ricans do not have representation in the U.S. Senate to cast an up or down vote on Supreme Court nominees. In the end, Puerto Rico is governed by a Congress in which they are not allowed to participate in, an Executive whom they did not elect, and a Judiciary whose justices they did not confirm. Th e 4 million U. S. Citizens of Puerto Rico are not allowed to fully participate in the democratic process of their nation. One reason Puerto Rico economic issue is not similar to Spain because recently in Puerto Rico the economy has suffered budget cuts from U.S. The Puerto Rican economy has depended heavily on the tax incentives given to U. S. mainland companies and on federal transfers. Conclusion There were many different things that I learned about Spain’s Political and Economic Systems. One thing that I found interesting was that Spain has the ninth largest economy in the world. Another thing that I found interesting was that Spain was originally a constitutional monarchy but over time became a parliamentary monarchy.

Sexual Orientation

Societal attitudes towards same-sex relationships have varied over time and place, from expecting all males to engage in same-sex relationships, to casual integration, through acceptance, to seeing the practice as a minor sin, repressing it through law entorcement and Judicial mechanisms, and to proscribing it under penalty ot death People with a homosexual orientation can express their sexuality in a variety of ways, and may or may not express it in their behaviors. ] Many have sexual relationships predominately with people of their own gender identity, though some have sexual relationships with those of the opposite gender, bisexual relationships, or none at all The Kinsey scale attempts to describe a person's sexual history or episodes of their sexual activity at a given time. It uses a scale from O, meaning exclusively heterosexual, to 6, meaning exclusively homosexual. It is based on actual sexual behavior surveys.Research indicates that many lesbians and gay men want, and succe ed in having, committed and durable relationships. For example, survey ata indicate that between 40% and 60% of gay men and between 45% and 80% of lesbians are currently involved in a romantic relationship. [110] Survey data also indicate that between 18% and 28% of gay couples and between 8% and 21% of lesbian couples in the U. S. have lived together ten or more years. 110] Studies have found same-sex and opposite-sex couples to be equivalent to each other in measures of satisfaction and commitment in relationships, that age and gender are more reliable than sexual orientation as a predictor of satisfaction and commitment to a relationship, and that people who are heterosexual or homosexual share comparable xpectations and ideals with regard to romantic relationships GENERAL Science has looked at the causes of homosexuality, and more generically the causes of human sexual orientation, with the general conclusions being related to biological and environmental factors.The biological factors that have been researched are genetic and hormonal, particularly during the fetal developmental period, that influence the resulting brain structure, and other characteristics such as handedness. [3][4] There are a wide range of environmental factors (sociological, psychological, or early uterine environment), and various biological factors, that may nfluence sexual orientation; though many researchers believe that it is caused by a complex interplay between nature and nurture, they favor biological models for the cause.Sexual orientation change efforts There are no studies of adequate scientific rigor to conclude whether sexual orientation change efforts work to change a person's sexual orientation. Those efforts have been controversial due to tensions between the values held by some faith- based organizations, on the one hand, and those held by LGBT rights organizations and professional and scientific organizations and other faith-based organizations, on the other. ] The l ongstanding consensus of the behavioral and social sciences and the health and mental health professions is that homosexuality per se is a normal and positive variation of human sexual orientation, and therefore not a mental disorder. [9] The American Psychological Association says that â€Å"most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation†. 1 56] Some individuals and groups have promoted the idea of homosexuality as symptomatic of developmental defects or spiritual and moral failings and have argued that sexual orientation change efforts, including psychotherapy and religious efforts, could alter omosexual feelings and behaviors.Many of these individuals and groups appeared to be embedded within the larger context of conservative religious political movements that have supported the stigmatization of homosexuality on political or religious grounds. No major mental health protessional organization nas sanctioned efforts to change sexual orie ntation and virtually all of them have adopted policy statements cautioning the profession and the public about treatments that purport to change sexual orientation.Physical The terms â€Å"Men who have sex with men† (MSM) and â€Å"women who have sex with omen† (WSW) refer to people who engage in sexual activity with others of the same sex regardless of how they identify themselves†as many choose not to accept social identities as lesbian, gay and These terms are often used in medical literature and social research to describe such groups for study, without needing to consider the issues of sexual self-identity.The terms are seen as problematic, however, because they â€Å"obscure social dimensions of sexuality; undermine the self-labeling of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people; and do not sufficiently describe variations in sexual behavior† . 182] MSM and WSW are sexually active with each other for a variety of reasons with the main ones arguably sexual pl easure, intimacy and bonding. In contrast to its benefits, sexual behavior can be a disease vector. Safe sex is a relevant harm reductionphilosophy. 183] The United States currently prohibits men who have sex with men from donating blood â€Å"because they are, as a group, at increased risk for HIV, hepatitis B and certain other infections that can be transmitted by transfusion. â€Å"[ Public health These safer sex recommendations are agreed upon by public health officials for omen who have sex with women to avoid sexually transmitted infections (ST's): Avoid contact with a partner's menstrual blood and with any visible genital lesions.Cover sex toys that penetrate more than one person's vagina or anus with a new condom for each person; consider using different toys for each person. Use a barrier (e. g. , latex sheet, dental dam, cut-open condom, plastic wrap) during oral sex. Use latex or vinyl gloves and lubricant for any manual sex that might cause bleeding. [186] These safer sex recommendations are agreed upon by public health officials for en who have sex with men to avoid sexually transmitted infections: Avoid contact with a partner's bodily fluids and with any visible genital lesions. Use condoms for anal and oral sex.Use a barrier (e. g. , latex sheet, dental dam, cut-open condom) during anal-oral sex. Cover sex toys that penetrate more than one person with a new condom for each person; consider using different toys for each person and use latex or vinyl gloves and lubricant for any sex that might cause bleeding. Gay and lesbian youth See also: Suicide among LGBT youth Gay and lesbian youth bear an increased risk of suicide, substance abuse, school roblems, and isolation because of a â€Å"hostile and condemning environment, verbal and physical abuse, rejection and isolation from family and peers†. 192] Further, LGBT youths are more likely to report psychological and physical abuse by parents or caretakers, and more sexual abuse. Suggested re asons for this disparity are that (1) LGBT youths may be specifically targeted on the basis of their perceived sexual orientation or gender non-conforming appearance, and (2) that â€Å"risk factors associated with sexual minority status, including discrimination, invisibility, and ejection by family members†¦ may lead to an increase in behaviors that are associated with risk for victimization, such as substance abuse, sex with multiple partners, or running away trom nome as a teenager. [ Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the Philippines have a distinctive culture but limited legal rights. Gays and lesbians are generally tolerated, if not accepted, within Filipino society, but there is still widespread discrimination. The most visible members of the Filipino LGBT culture, the Bakla, are a distinct group in the Philippines. According to he 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey, 11% of sexually active Filipinos between the ages of 15 and 24 have had sex with someone of the same sex. l] Filipino poet and critic Lilia Quindoza Santiago has speculated that Filipino culture may have a more flexible concept of gender because kasarian, the Tagalog word for â€Å"gender†, is defined in less binary terms than the English word gender. [2] Kasarian means â€Å"kind, species, or genus†. [3] The English word gender originally also meant â€Å"kind†. Phil. Survey The Philippines has earned its ranking as one of few gay-friendly countries in the world. Of the 39 countries covered by a global survey, only 17 countries had majorities that accepted homosexuality, with the Philippines ranking at number 10 among the 17.Despite its religiosity, the Philippines is one of the countries in the world where the level of public â€Å"acceptance† of homosexuals is high, according to the results of the survey. The survey titled â€Å"The Global Divide on Homosexuality' conducted by the Us-based Pew Research Center showed t hat 73 percent of adult Filipinos agreed with the statement that â€Å"homosexuality should be accepted by society,† up by nine percentage points from 2002. The percentage of Filipinos who aid society should not accept gays fell from 33 percent in 2002 to 26 percent this year, it added.This high level of acceptance, which is comparable to that found in secular western Europe, is even higher than those found in Japan (54 percent), South Korea (39 percent) or the United States (60 percent), where some states allow gay marriage. â€Å"Brazilians and Filipinos are considerably more tolerant of homosexuality than their countries' relatively high levels of religiosity would suggest,† the Pew survey report said. The Philippines bucked the trend found in the survey showing that gays are mostly accepted in rich and secularized countries.The survey finds that acceptance of homosexuality is particularly widespread in countries where religion is less central in people's lives. The se are also among the richest countries in the world,† the Pew report said. â€Å"In contrast, in poorer countries with high levels of religiosity, few believe homosexuality should be accepted by society,† it added. Religiosity scale The Philippines is said to be one of the most religious countries in the world and almost a third of its population lives below the poverty line.In the surveys â€Å"religiosity scale† where a score of â€Å"3† was the most religious, the Philippines almost got 2. 5. â€Å"Age s also a factor in several countries, with younger respondents offering far more tolerant views than older ones,† the survey report said. And while gender differences are not prevalent, in those countries where they are, women are consistently more accepting of homosexuality than men,† it added. In the Philippines, 78 percent of those aged 18-29 who were interviewed said gays should be accepted, 71 percent for those aged 30-49, and 68 percen t for those 50 years old and above, according to the survey.The report also showed that of the eight countries surveyed in the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines nad the second highest cceptance rate next to Australia's 79 percent. â€Å"In the Asia-Pacific region, where views of homosexuality are mostly negative, more than seven in 10 in Australia and the Philippines say homosexuality should be accepted by society,† the report said. In contrast, only three percent of people in neighboring Indonesia, nine percent in Malaysia and 21 percent in China said homosexuality should be accepted, the report added.Not impressed However, Filipino gay groups were not impressed by the survey results. When asked if the gay community in the Philippines felt accepted, Jonas Bagas, executive director of the TLF Share Collective, said: â€Å"Hardly. â€Å"l think that the study only reflects the perceived acceptance of the LGBT community based on the high visibility of gay entertainers. It' s acceptance [that is] contingent on how you fit the acceptable stereotype†the gay entertainer, the creative, talented bakla, the lesbian security guard,† Bagas said. â€Å"Once you go outside these stereotypes, that's when you encounter rejection,† he added.Bagas said a Filipino student in a lesbian relationship faces higher probability of getting kicked out of her school than a student in a heterosexual relationship. â€Å"We still have strong biases against gay sex, which for any is still deemed immoral and unnatural. This attitude fosters inequality in our laws, in education, healthcare and even within the family,† Bagas said. The Pew report said those who conducted the survey had face-to-face interviews with 804 Filipinos aged 18 and above from March 10 to April 3 this year. The interviews were conducted in Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilonggo, Ilocano and Bicolano.The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 4. 5 percent. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transge nder (LGBT) people in the Philippines have a distinctive culture but limited legal rights. Gays and lesbians are generally tolerated, f not accepted, within Filipino society, but there is still widespread discrimination. The most visible members of the Filipino LGBT culture, the Bakla, are a distinct group in the Philippines. According to the 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey, 11% of sexually active Filipinos between the ages of 15 and 24 have had sex with someone of the same sex. l] Filipino poet and critic Lilia Quindoza Santiago has speculated that Filipino culture may have a more flexible concept of gender because kasarian, the Tagalog word for â€Å"gender†, is defined in less binary terms than the English word gender. 2] Kasarian means â€Å"kind, species, or genus†. [3] The English word gender originally also meant â€Å"kind†. A bakla is a gay man who displays feminine mannerisms, dresses as a woman, or identifies as a woman. The term itsel f is not the equivalent of the English term but bakla are the most culturally visible subset of gay men in the Philippines.They are often considered a third gender, embodying femaleness (pagkababae) in a male body. [5][6] The term bakla is sometimes used in a derogatory sense, although bakla people have largely embraced it. Bakla individuals are socially and economically integrated into Filipino society and re considered an important part of society. The stereotype of a bakla is a parlorista, a cross-dresser who works in a beauty salon. [7] Miss Gay Philippines is a beauty pageant for bakla. Slang terms for LGBT people and concepts In the Philippines, the term gay is used in reference to any LGBT person.For Filipino gays, the Tagalog phrase paglaladlad ng kapa (â€Å"unturling the cape†), or more commonly Just paglaladlad(â€Å"unfurling† or â€Å"unveiling†) refers to the coming- out process. Tibo, T-Bird and tomboy are derogatory terms for butch lesbians Just as bakla is for effeminate gay men. Some lesbians, both butch and femme, use the erms magic or shunggril to refer to themselves. [4] Neutral slang terms for gay men include billy boy, badette, bading, and paminta (straight-acting gay man).While many of these terms are generally considered derogatory, they are sometimes used casually or Jokingly within the Filipino gay and lesbian community. For example, gay men often refer to their gay friends as bakla when talking to each other. Swardspeak[edit] Main article: Swardspeak This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. Please help us clarify the article; suggestions may be found on the talk page. (October 2013) Swardspeak, or â€Å"gay lingo†, s a cant slang derived from Englog (a Tagalog-English pidgin) and is used by a number of homosexuals in the Philippines. 12] Swardspeak uses elements fromTagalog, English, Spanish and Japanese, as well as celebrities' names and trademark brands, giving them new meanings in different contexts. [13] It is largely localized within gay communities and uses words derived from local languages or dialects, including Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Bicolano, and/or other Philippine languages. The use of Swardspeak once immediately identified the speaker as homosexual, making it easy for people of that orientation to recognize each other. This created an exclusive group among its speakers and helped them resist cultural assimilation.More recently, though, straight people have also started to use this way of speaking, particularly in industries dominated by gays, such as the fashion and film industries. LGBT Politics: In the Philippines, the Communist Party of the Philippines Marxist-Leninist and Maoist revolutionary proletarian party in the Philippines are the one and first to introduce and promote the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. They recognize the LGBT as part of the bulk of the masses that can encourage and recruit for their revolutionary work. The revolution ary leader admitted that in their rank.The wide spread of sexual intercourse within their rank and same sex that brought their party principle to set a guideline for those belong with the LGBT's. They also allow to married their fellow same sex revolutionary party member as long it will not affect their revolutionary task in the party organization. Document of the CPP-MLM guideline â€Å"Gabay Para sa Rebolusyunaryong Pakikipagrelasyon at Pagpapakasal† . Same-sex relationships data indicate that between ot gay men and between 4 expectations and ideals with regard to romantic relationships. Sexual Orientation In our day and age, being of a sexual orientation other than heterosexual is somewhat common. Though it is definitely not considered a norm, it is more accepted in most parts of the world. A few years ago, people who were not heterosexual had to hide who they really were in order to be accepted by society. Because of this norm, one automatically assumes they are straight whether it comes to themselves or others. So how do homosexual/asexual people become conscious of their sexual orientation? In the same way that gender is a spectrum, sexuality is a spectrum as well.There are four distinct sexualities. Heterosexual, or straight, people are attracted to members of the opposite sex. Bisexuals are attracted to members of both genders. Homosexuals are attracted to people of the same sex. Homosexuals can be called gay, for both genders, or lesbian, for females only. The last sexuality is asexual, in which there is no attraction to either sexes. Psychologists say that sexuality is determin ed in the early stages of childhood but is not a conscious decision. Basically, people are born with their sexuality.That being said, many parents assume there might be something off about their child if they show interest in activities meant for the opposite sex. If their little girl doesn't like to dress up and would rather play in the dirt, parents start to get suspicious. If their little boy likes dolls and is not all that interested in going outside or playing video games, parents think there's a possibility of them being gay. But a very important thing to understand about sexuality is that there is no way to tell what sexuality someone is just by how masculine or feminine they are.That is because, like afore mentioned, gender is a spectrum. There are gay men that are very masculine but then some that are also extremely feminine. There are lesbians that seem like straight girls to there because they aren't as masculine as the stereotypical lesbian. This applies to other sexuali ties as well. Straight men and women can also be very feminine or masculine, respectively. Personality and curiosity does not completely determine one's sexuality. Sexuality is not something that can be changed. People tend to suppress their feelings if they aren't straight, but that does not change who they really are.Many think that going to therapy can ‘fix' a gay/bi/asexual person, but that does not do anything either. It is not an illness, a mental disorder, or a problem of any sort. Just like being straight, ices who they are. Trying to change someone has proven to be not only ineffective, but also possibly damaging. Nadine and Vain are straight, and they know this based on the pure fact that they aren't attracted to girls. This wasn't a hard thing for them to realize because that sexuality is what is expected. Both have straight parents, and a majority of straight friends.There was never a need for them to have to realize that they were something different, because acco rding to society, they are normal. But someone who doesn't feel anything for the opposite sex, or feels for everyone, or no one at all, how do they know? After hearing the experiences of many internet sensations who have come out as being gay such as Connors Franca, Troy Siva, and Tyler Oakley (major supporter of GSA [Gay Straight Alliance]), we learned that they always knew that they were a little different, supporting work by psychologists at the American Psychiatric Association.In Connors case, he was not able to pinpoint exactly what was different about him until he was 12 years old, when he just randomly thought, â€Å"What if I'm game At 22, he did not come to terms with his sexuality until this year. Throughout high school, he dated girls to did his sexuality, primarily lying to himself. Once he finally allowed himself to accept it, he realized that his friends and family would support him no matter what, and that was when he stopped suppressing his feelings.Connors hid his feelings in fear that people would treat him differently and rightly so. People with an ‘uncommon' sexuality are discriminated and hated against around the world. The U. S. Is one of the most accepting countries for these people, but there are still hate crimes committed against them. Forget the crimes, gay people are not even allowed to openly serve in the U. S. Military. Until gently, Openly gay boys Were not allowed in Boy Scouts. Even now, if the boys are all staying in the same area, the gay boys have to stay in a separate area.Learning about all these things would definitely add to a person's confusion and cause them to suppress their emotions. Once social stigma against homo/bi/a-sexual people stops, they can be more comfortable with whom they are and the coming out process will be much easier. Once they realize what their feelings mean, the transition of their sexuality from subconscious to fully aware will become smoother and that is something we as a species should b e aiming for. Sexual Orientation In our day and age, being of a sexual orientation other than heterosexual is somewhat common. Though it is definitely not considered a norm, it is more accepted in most parts of the world. A few years ago, people who were not heterosexual had to hide who they really were in order to be accepted by society. Because of this norm, one automatically assumes they are straight whether it comes to themselves or others. So how do homosexual/asexual people become conscious of their sexual orientation? In the same way that gender is a spectrum, sexuality is a spectrum as well.There are four distinct sexualities. Heterosexual, or straight, people are attracted to members of the opposite sex. Bisexuals are attracted to members of both genders. Homosexuals are attracted to people of the same sex. Homosexuals can be called gay, for both genders, or lesbian, for females only. The last sexuality is asexual, in which there is no attraction to either sexes. Psychologists say that sexuality is determin ed in the early stages of childhood but is not a conscious decision. Basically, people are born with their sexuality.That being said, many parents assume there might be something off about their child if they show interest in activities meant for the opposite sex. If their little girl doesn't like to dress up and would rather play in the dirt, parents start to get suspicious. If their little boy likes dolls and is not all that interested in going outside or playing video games, parents think there's a possibility of them being gay. But a very important thing to understand about sexuality is that there is no way to tell what sexuality someone is just by how masculine or feminine they are.That is because, like afore mentioned, gender is a spectrum. There are gay men that are very masculine but then some that are also extremely feminine. There are lesbians that seem like straight girls to there because they aren't as masculine as the stereotypical lesbian. This applies to other sexuali ties as well. Straight men and women can also be very feminine or masculine, respectively. Personality and curiosity does not completely determine one's sexuality. Sexuality is not something that can be changed. People tend to suppress their feelings if they aren't straight, but that does not change who they really are.Many think that going to therapy can ‘fix' a gay/bi/asexual person, but that does not do anything either. It is not an illness, a mental disorder, or a problem of any sort. Just like being straight, ices who they are. Trying to change someone has proven to be not only ineffective, but also possibly damaging. Nadine and Vain are straight, and they know this based on the pure fact that they aren't attracted to girls. This wasn't a hard thing for them to realize because that sexuality is what is expected. Both have straight parents, and a majority of straight friends.There was never a need for them to have to realize that they were something different, because acco rding to society, they are normal. But someone who doesn't feel anything for the opposite sex, or feels for everyone, or no one at all, how do they know? After hearing the experiences of many internet sensations who have come out as being gay such as Connors Franca, Troy Siva, and Tyler Oakley (major supporter of GSA [Gay Straight Alliance]), we learned that they always knew that they were a little different, supporting work by psychologists at the American Psychiatric Association.In Connors case, he was not able to pinpoint exactly what was different about him until he was 12 years old, when he just randomly thought, â€Å"What if I'm game At 22, he did not come to terms with his sexuality until this year. Throughout high school, he dated girls to did his sexuality, primarily lying to himself. Once he finally allowed himself to accept it, he realized that his friends and family would support him no matter what, and that was when he stopped suppressing his feelings.Connors hid his feelings in fear that people would treat him differently and rightly so. People with an ‘uncommon' sexuality are discriminated and hated against around the world. The U. S. Is one of the most accepting countries for these people, but there are still hate crimes committed against them. Forget the crimes, gay people are not even allowed to openly serve in the U. S. Military. Until gently, Openly gay boys Were not allowed in Boy Scouts. Even now, if the boys are all staying in the same area, the gay boys have to stay in a separate area.Learning about all these things would definitely add to a person's confusion and cause them to suppress their emotions. Once social stigma against homo/bi/a-sexual people stops, they can be more comfortable with whom they are and the coming out process will be much easier. Once they realize what their feelings mean, the transition of their sexuality from subconscious to fully aware will become smoother and that is something we as a species should b e aiming for.