Sustainable Socio-Technological System Essay Example for Free

Sustainable Socio-Technological System Essay Every thread of the problems faced by the present human society can be traced back to first industrial revolution of late 18th century and early 19th century that took place in Britain and from where it was embraced by the entire world. The industrial revolution set in motion the process of changes that have since then subsequently transformed the character of not only human society but of entire earth. Air, water, land and sky, all bear the effects of the changes inflicted by human march through industrial revolution and the effects have not been pleasant by any order.   One of the consistent features of the industrial and post industrial revolution has been unprecedented rate of consumption of energy resources, which is the principle reason behind depletion, and instability of earth’s ecological and environmental system (Pirages, 1996). In the endeavor to exploit the full range and scope of advancing technology world required huge energy supplies, which it was unable to obtain from traditional wood fuel or steam power. A quest was soon underway to find that magical energy source that could fuel world’s transition in the new age of speed and power. And soon this magical source was discovered in the form of fossil fuels-petroleum oil and coal with which human world completely shifted in the modern age. The age of automobiles, airplanes, rockets, and computers almost rushed in simultaneously and since then continued to evolve and modify endlessly on the same essential design that is solely based on using the energy of fossil fuels at an increasingly higher rate. 20th century did not merely saw extravagant increase in the consumption of energy resources but also a massive population explosion where population of world tripled from 2 billion in 1930 to 6.5 billion by 2005, thereby making it impossible to reduce the consumption rates (Tyler, 1997). With demands continuously pressing ahead, world’s energy intake also almost doubled from 1973 to 2002. This giant rate and quantity of energy consumption has put world across two crises that have s potential to challenge the very existence of humanity and accompanying life forms, if its not resolved immediately. In the blind rush of growth that world has followed, it became over occupied with the immediate enjoying of wonders of fossil fuel without ever considering the consequences of its maniac pace of growth. The consequences of exploitation, on their part, did not take much time to manifest and air-pollution, water pollution and marine pollution, terms hitherto unheard of, were entering popular terminology. Fossil fuels are essentially hydrocarbon compounds and although they are extremely rich in energy content, their extraction from deep oil wells, refinement and use involve release of harmful and poisonous gases at each step of process, that dangerously increased contents of carbon di-oxide, sulfur oxides, nitrous oxides and chlorine compound in environment, changing the chemical composition of land, air and water. After the discovery of ozone hole in 1985,   humanity encountered the first major threat to its own existence in   so far innocuous journey in the modern high-energy, high-speed age. In subsequent years more catastrophic phenomena, such as global warming and melting of polar ice caps conclusively showed the inherent flaws and dangers associated with man’s present course. Of all the actors of the modern world that have caused upshot in consumption of fossil fuels and hence contributed towards the crisis of environmental pollution and global warming, transportation sector takes the role of the progenitor and spearhead. The role of transportation has been preeminent in humanity’s march through economic development of 20th century. The great mobility offered by transportation sector in personal and freight movements created the foundation of entire industrial infrastructure. However, in the process it also emerged as the biggest consumer of fossil fuel, accounting for more than 70 % of the fuel consumption all over the world. Also it is one of the   biggest polluter and driving cause of pollution. The exhaust fumes from millions of vehicles add toxic gases to atmosphere resulting in poisonous smog. While these gases and fumes add to atmospheric pollution and contributes in global warming their direct impact on human health results in diseases like asthma, migraine and cancer along with sharp rise in cases of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.   Apart from all these, transportation sector results in thousands of purely avoidable deaths each year due to road accidents.   The largest share in transportation sector belongs to personal and individual motorized vehicles, which are currently numbered at over 600 million and are expected to grow to 2 billion by year 2050 (Heywood, 2006). In the view of already depleting oil resources, the size of motorized industry in 2050 would be unsupportable by even existing fossil reserves and certainly untenable in 2050. These figures and analysis put the sustainability prospects of current transportation model in question. Every study conducted shows that if transformative changes are not introduced at institutional and policy level, the entire transportation sector may come to a standstill in few years, turning the wheels of development backward. Sustainable transportation is also a vital issue from current environmental and economic perspectives because researches have proved that increase in motorized transportation has negative economic implications eventually. Thus finding a sustainable transportation model that represents and safeguards interest of both society and industry is essential if world aims to achieve balanced prospects of growth and development (Burwell and Litman, 2006). Part II Sustainable Transportation Transportation plays two important roles in the economy. First it is a complete industry in itself, with various component industries as its part to create the whole structure and second it is the backbone of various other industries and economic activities (OECD, 1998). Transportation affects prospects of sustainable development at many places. The extraction of fossil oils and their consumption in internal combustion engine causes pollution, smog, acid rains and lead to increased concentration of carbon-dioxide in atmosphere; transportation network and road construction cause additional damage to natural environment and contribute in climatic change; the waste generated through transportation, fuel waste as well as industrial waste add toxic and harmful waste to environment (OECD, 1998). Therefore transportation has become the prime focus area in the quest of sustainable development. The sustainable model of transportation attempts to integrate the entire scope of transportation with real needs of human movement and renewed energy sources that does not pose dangers of depletion, or add to environmental pollution (Pirages, 1996). Sustainable transportation strategies include the vital dimensions of operations management, pricing policies, use of clean fuels, improvement in vehicle operation technologies, and integration in land use and planning in transportation infrastructure (Deakin, 2003). The implementation of these strategies requires combined operations at national and regional levels and need to channel efforts at government, business, scientific and community levels (ibid). Guidelines and principles for Sustainable Transportation In devising the guidelines for transportation to make it sustainable and environment friendly, the following issues emerge as areas of prime concern (Guiding Principles, 1996) Access: Transportation is the principle form through which people can access places and goods, contributing prominently in social and economic development. The integrated strategic direction involve a) demand management- Optimizing transportation needs and requirements of society. It includes curtailing unnecessary transportation requirements through use of better communication technology and packaging technologies and redesigning urban landscape. b) diversifying options: it includes providing people with greater number of options through which they can meet their transportation needs. Equity: It defines the need for government and communities to institute transportation policies that ensures social, regional and government equity by striving to attend to transportation needs of all the sections of society. Health and Safety: The sustainable design of transportation system shall include measures that make it conducive for physical and mental health of people and social and community well being. Responsibility at individual level: The safety of climate, natural environment and resources concern every one and hence it’s a collective as well as individual responsibility of people to safeguard them Policy intervention for sustainable development It is widely recognized at policy level that modifying the present transportation framework on sustainable paradigms would be more convenient and cost saving, rather than completely replacing it with a new framework that might be unable to perform at satisfactory levels. The various   policy options to make the existing model of transportation sustainable are broadly categorized as a) regime optimization and b) regime-shifts (Hoogma, Kepmp, Schot and Truffer, 2002). The distinctions assigning the different technologies in either of the two categories are somewhat vague and they are constantly being worked and assessed. The vital trend to emerge so far out is that there are potential technologies and innovations that can be used for both regime optimization and regime shift. The current transport regime considered exclusively for policy and technological intervention is land transportation system, with its huge impact on environment, society and economy. Various policies and strategies for sustainable transportation, as categorized by Deckins (2003), are, Vehicle and Fuel Technological Changes: The only practical solution to the problem of growing fuel scarcity and harmful level of pollutants ejected   technological innovations in energy field that can reduce dependence on petroleum oil by providing alternative and sustainable sources of energy. It shall serve two immensely useful purposes that are a. minimizing U.S dependence on foreign oil and b. preventing the environment from damages associated with use of petroleum oils and products. The certainty of oil exhaustion has inspired efforts from both government and corporate sector to research and develop the new fuel technologies as a providential measure for survival, growth and progress in forthcoming days of oil crisis. Past decade has seen great move on technological researches in alternative fuels. Various new techniques and models have already been introduced in the market to test their viability and capacity to successfully replace petroleum as chief source of energy. Most of these innovations are specifically aimed at transportation sector because it is the chief consumer of petroleum oil and as principle cause of increasing oil imports. Due to distinct requirements of different sectors in transportation, there are various technologies. Passenger vehicles, public transport vehicles and freight transportation carry specific needs that are difficult to be met by a single alternative fuel technology.   Some of the major and most popular of these technologies, where majority of research and development has taken place, are (Aldrich, 1996) Hybrid Vehicles, electric vehicles, use of ethanol as fuel, fuel cell vehicles, use of hydrogen as fuel and vehicles operated by solar power. Road vehicle operations improvement: The management of road vehicle transportation has significant bearing on sustainable transportation. It consists of areas such as-a) traffic flow improvements that involve measures of improving traffic signal timings, ramp metering, flow metering and removal of bottlenecks to improve the efficiency. The net benefit is reduction of time, better fuel efficiency and smooth transportation; b) Transport system improvement with thrust on constructing smart highways, smart vehicles, accident management and scheduling arrangements; c)educating drivers on appropriate fuel conserving techniques as well as traffic guidelines to help them utilize the system better; d) Improving management techniques in logistics and fleet management. Demand management: To optimize the transportation system according to exact requirements of people, so as to minimize the waste and maximize benefits, it suggests measures as such a) modal substitution where transits are redesigned and improvements are made for walking and biking purposes that provide incentives to people for using alternate mediums of transportation; b) substituting trucks by rails that is environmentally cost effective and involves less consumption of fuel and emission of harmful gases while improving efficiency; c) telecommunication improvements or transport telematics that involve technological systems that are either follow either driver oriented approach or centralized management oriented approach by introducing traffic automation that are vital from safety and efficiency point of view (Hoogma, Kepmp, Schot and Truffer, 2002). The major tools of this measure include telecommuting, tele-shopping, teleconferencing, distance learning and use of information technology in transportation and traffic management. Vehicle Technologies 1.Hybrid Vehicle: As the name suggests, hybrid vehicles combine dual technologies for their operation. Technically they are hybrid electric vehicle with an electric motor that drives the vehicle (Hoogma, Kemp, Schot and Truffer, 2002, 41 ). In the case of a typical electric vehicle, hydrogen fuel cell or chemical batteries such as advanced sealed lead battery, nickel cadmium and lithium ion are used for auxiliary power (Aldrich, 1996). However in the hybrid electric vehicles, the electric drive technology is combined with a gasoline-based power generator for running the electric motor and charging the batteries. Bio-diesels: Bio-diesel, as the term suggests, is a type of renewable fuel obtained by agricultural products and used as fuel in heavy-duty vehicles. The major sources currently under research for bio-diesel are soybean, rapeseed, corn, cottonseed, peanut, sunflower, and canola (Aldrich, 1996, 85). The process of making bio-diesel involves use of an alcohol such as methanol which is treated with oil of selected agricultural produce to form glycerin followed by separation of fatty esters, recycling of excess alcohol and purification of esters to produce a fuel that bears remarkable closeness to diesel, however with higher octane number (Aldrich, 1996, 85). Currently bio-diesel is used when blended with petroleum diesel, especially in European markets, with commendable results. Hydrogen: There are great interests in using hydrogen as fuel in transport industry due to the great flexibility of options and performance it offers. Hydrogen can either be used as fuel in place of gasoline in internal combustion engine or it can be used as energy carrier in fuel cells, the latter being the major research area in automobile sector (Aldrich, 1996, 87). Generally, hydrogen is obtained by decomposing hydrocarbon fuels, electrolysis of water and photolysis. It is stored directly in form of gas, liquid or as chemically with metal hydrides (Hydrogen Economy, 2002, 2). Due to its low energy volume, direct use of hydrogen as a fuel would require considerably large volumes to fuel the vehicle. On the other hand, hydrogen is extremely efficient in fuel cells. In a fuel cell, hydrogen combines with oxygen to produce electricity, Use of public transportation and mass transit system: Mass Transport System Apart from introducing alternative fuel and technologies to replace and minimize fossil fuel consumption, another area where fuel consumption can be easily reduced is creating a more robust and functional public transport and mass transit system. It is cost effective and time consuming to redesign the existing public transport system, especially in major cities, to cut down fuel consumption by reducing number of vehicles on the road. While airplanes are already a popular and heavily used long distance intercity mass transit system, there are many available areas of intervention in short distance intercity and intra-city transport to provide fast and reliable transit facilities while simultaneously reducing traffic, freeing up space on roads and parking and moderating fossil oil consumption. The transportation system , excluding freight transport, is presently divided in two broad categories a. privately owned individual all purpose vehicle transport system and b. public transport system consisting of buses, trains, trams, and metros under the control and maintenance of public administration and public transport companies ((Hoogma, Kemp, Schot and Truffer, 2002, 36-37). Public transport system is usually characterized by low cost, fuel-efficient transit system capable of carrying large number of people on a fixed route (ibid). It has been felt over time that a sustainable and efficient fuel policy needs to incorporate advanced public transport system as one of its key focus area. Additionally the light rail and bus services can be expanded to cover specifically high traffic and downtown areas of major cities. An integration of public transport and private vehicle system can be achieved by providing sufficient parking space at stations and depots of public transport system. It would encourage people to use their private vehicles to access public transport system, resolving one of major issues of limited accessibility involved with mass transit system. Inventing new strategies for sustainable transport development Sustainable development, by its definition, is development that has capacity to meaningfully continue itself without negatively affecting any chance of its failure or degeneration. Therefore sustainable transportation, according to this parameter, requires to incorporate measures and policies that help to grow along with changing dynamics of transport network and fuel technologies. These strategies include (Deckins, 2003) Land use and community development: It includes such activities as preservation, rehabilitation, redevelopment and redesigning of cities and suburbs with high population density. It also include additional measures such as infill in cities and suburbs, reusing of brown-fields, recycling buildings, and improving the quality of life through close location of workplace and residence. Consumer response to sustainable strategies: The major issue is to integrate consumers interests in sustainable strategies and technologies. Consumers should view these measures as crucial for creating a long term sustainable transportation plan that is adaptable for new vehicle and fuel technologies, technological up gradation and increased use of automation system, information technology and communication networks. Another major strategic intervention is about urban planning and transportation planning. It deals with concentration of urban growth, limiting urban sprawls and providing strategies for mixed land use that make intelligent urban structure and land use policies. It would help to mitigate transportation requirements by moving destination and source closer. It also recommends prioritising pollution prevention strategies and encouraging pedestrian and cycling movements as alternative to motorized mode of transportation (Guiding principles, 1996). Working towards a sustainable future transport Designing a transport system that successfully meets the present challenges of eliminating pollution, utilizing landscape space, carrying people safely and timely over their destination and most importantly which runs on such fuel technology is sustainable, without risks of running into shortage or worse, total depletion. Keeping in view of the every rising challenge of maintaining an increasingly large fleet of vehicles on the road in the coming years, the sustainable transportation should be able to accommodate both the present and future range of issues. The future sustainable strategy has following important policy and socio-technological dimensions (Schaller, 2007) Creating economic disincentives to drive: Presently the socio-economic system is oriented towards personalized driving. People prefer to ply to their respective destinations through personal mode of transport because it is time consuming, convenient and cost effective. However, in this process they do not pay for the environmental damage of pollution, cost of traffic congestion, charges of using roads, bridges and tunnels and appropriate parking charges. Further, even people are compelled to use personalized motor vehicles due to absence of a supportive framework of alternative medium of transportation. These problems can be tackled economically by raising the cost of driving personal vehicles while simultaneously improving the alternative transportation. The measures taken shall incorporate the total cost of owning and driving personal vehicles, in terms of the damage they inflict on the environment, quality of city life, congestion and accident risks involved. As discussed earlier, strengthening the public transport system and making it more affordable and cost effective would be greatly beneficial in creating disincentive for individual transportation. Redesigning cities and implementing thorough changes Redesigning cities and modelling them to make them conducive for future transportation needs is one of the most important policy and socio technological measures. The structure of major urban centres has already seen fundamental changes in their design and orientation with advent of mass transport structures of railways and metro and mono rails (Barret, 1996, 1971). It is well exemplified by cities of New York, London and Tokyo. With advent of motorized vehicles the cities started to grow and differences between workplace and residential places expanded due to speed and ease provided by these vehicles. Cities that are more dependent on non personal modes of transportation, or mass transportation are traditionally denser than cities whose entire urban structure is based on individual ownership and use of vehicles (ibid). The sustainable urban models requires cities to implement planning measures that make structure of transport more efficient by attuning both the urban landscape design and transportation system to each other requirements. The land use policies need to take such factors into account as population density and new settlement areas. Citing Kenworthy and Newman (1989), Barret shows as the density of population decreases in the urban areas, the consumption of petroleum goes up (ibid). Thus many cities of low population density in United States of America have per head consumption of gasoline several notches more than Asian mega cities like Hong Kong, Tokyo and New Delhi. Therefore sustainable designing of cities would require to create urban forms so that people have greater opportunities to access different destinations in limited time. Most, if not all, destinations, should be within walking distance (Ibid). Scaling of services and facilities should be with the view to minimize the travel requirements with well structured support provided in every locality. For the final step, the densely populated areas should be well connected with highly efficient public transport system. Reference Aldrich, Bob.. ABCs of AFVs: a guide to alternative fuel vehicles. California Energy Commission, Sacramento-CA. April 1996. 1st Feb 2007 http://www.p2pays.org/ref/26/25156.pdf Barret, Georoge. 1996.The Compact City: A Sustainable Urban Form?. Contributors: (edit) Burton, Elizabeth,. Jenks, M., Williams, K. E FN Spon. London Burwell, David and Todd Litman. Issues in Sustainable Transportation. Int.J. Global Environmental Issues, Vol.6. No.4. pp.331-347. 2006 Deakin E, Sustainable Development and Sustainable Transportation: Strategies for Economic Prosperity, Environmental Quality and Equity, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, University of California at Berkley, Accessed on net on 21st February 2007 http://www-iurd.ced.berkeley.edu/pub/WP-2001-03.PDF Definition, Sustainable development, 2007,Global Development Research Center, Accessed on net on 21st February 2007   http://www.gdrc.org/sustdev/index.html Guiding Principles for Sustainable Development, 1996, OECD International Conference, Accessed on net on 21st February 2007 http://www.gdrc.org/uem/sustran/sustran-principles.html Hoogma Recmo, Rene Kemp, John Schot, Bernhard Truffer.   Experimenting for Sustainable Transport: The Approach of Strategic Niche Management.: Spon Press: New York: 2002. 36 Organisation For Economic Co-Operation And Development , 1998, Towards Sustainable Development: Environmental Indicators: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development: Paris, 1998 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/29/9/1890501.pdf Pirages DC, 1996, Building Sustainable Societies: A Blueprint for a Post-Industrial World, M. E. Sharpe, Armonk, NY. Page Number: 3 Policy Brief, Sustainable development: critical issues, 2001, OECD Observe, Accessed on net on 21st February 2007 Schaller, Bruce, Sustainable Transportation for 2030, Gotham Gazette, 23rd February, 2007. http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/transportation/20070213/16/2104 What is Sustainable Development? 2006, Sustainable-development .gov.uk, Accessed on net on 21st February 2007 http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/index.asp   Heywood, John. 2006. Energy For Rapidly Evolving World. MIT world. Feb 5, 2007. http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/350/

Organ Donation Ethical Issues

Organ Donation Ethical Issues The need for the organ transplant is increasing in our sector of health care as more and more end stage diseases are being diagnosed. Organ transplantation may be a life-saving option, but they are not without their challenges and risks. The concept of organ transplantation is both miraculous and challenging at the same time. Whether a patient needs a new kidney, liver, heart, or lung, there are multiple issues that the patient and the family need to deal with. They involve decisions before the transplantation and medical issues postoperatively. An organ transplant bill that had been under study with the senate since 1992 was finally approved on 5 September 2007 as A Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Ordinance 2007 by the Government of Pakistan, and many illegal organ donation and transplantation centers were closed down and many senior doctors involved in the act were charged against it. The issue over here is much diversified and complex when we go into the details of the consequences of the act. Firstly, the question arises of what is right and what is permissible? Secondly, the right of making the laws for the right and wrong act is disputed and challenged by mankind, on the basis of his reasoning and self judgment. Moral Issues The organ transplantation has been long debated and addressed by many scholars from both religious and secular perspective. The major issues concerning the wide permissibility of the act are of bypassing the virtue ethics cardinal features: respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice. If we further categorize the ethical dilemmas we can address he organ transplant act under these broad types, which encompass their own challenges when it comes to making a sound and safe decision. These categories are: Transplant organ from a living person. Transplant of organ from a dead person Transplant from a fetus. If we were not being guided by the supreme law, which has been transedented on us, and let us believe, that man has the power of brains over all other logics and laws of nature. Then trying to find any solution for a given problem, or setting any rules to follow for any system to work would have been very difficult. In other words trying to find analogies for God grounded systems is beyond human competence and reasoning. Considering moral principles Considering the issue of organ donation and transplantation, the respect for autonomy is the right to choose for the decision making of certain biomedical ethical dilemma. It not just involves giving respect for the attitude, but also for the action to be performed. From pure secular ethics point, we can relate what Immanuel Kant had recognized from the concept of unconditional worth, stating that each individual has the capacity to determine his or her own moral destiny. To violate a persons autonomy is like treating that person merely as means, without regard to that persons own goals. Example if a person s dead and his organs are taken from his body without his previous advance directives of any such act, then, its again considered to be using that body as a means. But what if that organ was so precious in saving the life of a living person, who could have benefitted humanity if given a chance to live, e.g. a doctor or a well trained militant, etc. this shows the beneficence over the autonomy and serving the utilitarian ethical principle. If we consider the case of organ taken from a fetus, then again who is the ultimate supreme authority to give consent on behalf of that minor? What makes one decides the ruling of a certain act to be just for an individual? Then here comes the question of, who plays the role of the unquestionable evaluator and who among us is eligible to be devoid of all flaws in reasoning and decision making? Does the living donor has the ultimate right over his body or his relatives who have the right to decide the answer to this if another influential family member is the supposed recipient of the organ? A wife cannot take decision over her own medical issues without her husbands will and consent? A poor clan member of a certain tribe falls victim to the Jirga rulings. Similarly what happens to the war prisoners? The freedom fighters in occupied areas, who have been mutilated for organ trafficking? Who plays the role of just decision mak ing and for what principle? Is it justified that Greatest happiness Principle is fulfilled by the Utilitarian approach? Kantian approach, a duty to save human life? Egalitarian approach, to get equal benefit? Communitarian to serve the community benefits at the cost of ones own necessities and health. The questions remains open ended, if we try to rebut the argument with one ethical principle, then the other might get offended. Does virtue ethics answers every thing? Promoting Organ transplantation has three basic issues namely social, religious and political. The controversy still goes on whether to openly accept the permissibility of the act or to completely Bann it. Another important debate is on the issue of burial in case of cadaveric transplants. The question is of the sanctity of the deceased maintained at the time of burial if he is stripped off all his organs and a hollow coffin is buried instead; would any of us want such an end of life. Moreover some people are of the view that every individual holds the right to be buried as a whole and taking out his body organs (in cases when he hasnt left a clear will regarding the issue) despite in all good faith sounds unethical. These delicate and intricate details further complicate the allowance of this transplantation and organ donation act in full context in all diversities of cases. But the arguments strength depends upon careful analysis of each of the cases keeping in mind all kinds of ha rms and benefits ; be it physical, emotional or financial pertaining to the donor, recipient, and / or their families. Argumentative views regarding the retrieval of an organ from a cadaver as being a part of the corpse or not is also an aspect that cannot be overlooked. The controversial role of Advanced Directives has led to two main questions: 1. Does one have legal rights over ones body? 2. If that is the case, then what exactly is wrong with even selling something that belongs to me? Another view held by many individuals is that, so what it is just an organ? People can sell their organs, which is supposedly their ownership, to gain financial benefits for their families. This again holds the view of providing benefit to many, without doing harm(as the removal of organ is done under anesthesia). But doesnt this promotes the evil of organ trafficking which would harm many poor population and weaker ones in the society. This consequentionalist approach is again challenged here. The chain of this reaction would eventually affect many people, be it a good end or a bad. The principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence can be advanced in the context of different issues: like the expertise available, the disclosure of all the possible outcomes and complications of the procedure, for the donor and the recipient, both medical and financial. The support that would be needed by the family and the prognosis of such advanced procedures should be looked into detail to benefit the patient and do no harm to the donor and the family members. The professional may have an influential role on the decision making. The autonomy of the patient is usually surrogated by the financial and moral obligation of the social setup. There is a strong need for a system to keep a check on the medical problems of certain disease transmission through non screened donor organs, the use of unskilled surgeons in removing the organ, organ trafficking and selling, the actual financial damages of the post operative chemotherapy and potential need for the failure of the graft or re-transplantation, the actual life expectancy even after the transplant of individual case etc. Every states constitution differs in some aspect to their religious and cultural norms, example, what ever is permissible in Germany is not accepted in many Muslim states, so the need for a definite, supreme, sovereign law cannot be denied. Conclusion Finding the ultimate law which would be unchallengeable and flawless is yet to be defined by the human nature. The unlimited limits of transedental laws and reasoning begins, where my horizons of imagination and limited reasoning ends. The noble act of organ donation should be encouraged only in the limits drawn by the Shariah rulings of the contemporary times in view of its divines as an act of saving the humankind and helping those who are suffering. It should be given prime importance that these rulings certainly apply to variations of case selection as well.

Challenges facing mental health problems

Challenges facing mental health problems Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate and access the challenges facing mental health consumers to retain or rebuild a meaningful and valued life. The study was based on looking at mental health statistics, examining current trends in mental health services, treatments, pharmacology, and dual diagnosis management, and rehabilitation, vocational, educational, and transitional services. This paper is based partially on a report that came out of an invigorating collaboration between Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and (NIMH) who strive to improve the availability, accessibility, and quality of mental health services and support; conducting research on mental illness and mental health. This thesis gives my understanding of what this challenge involves, how this can be facilitated by supports within society at large, while evaluating the current policies and service provisions that are available. By exemplifying the current non-governmental organizations (NGO) that are already in place, I then give a synopsis of what agencies/services and resources would be required to necessitate rebuilding a meaningful and valued life for mental health patients. One in four Americans; people of all ages, races, incomes and social stratus will suffer from some form of mental illness in their lifetime. During the course of a year, more than 54 million Americans are affected by one or more mental disorder. (NMHA Tellioglu, 2009) An estimated 22.1 percent of Americans ages 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year (NIMH, 1998) while an astonishing 5.4 percent of adults have severe mental illness. (Surgeon General, 1997). The number of people in Ireland admitted to psychiatric hospitals has dropped by 28% since 1997 with an increase in people treated in community psychiatric facilitiesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬numbering 20,000 30,000 a year. (Irishhealth.com, 2009) Such statistics only begin to capture the level of pain and disruption in individuals, families, and communities for which mental illness is responsible. What is the definition of mental illness? According to the criteria in the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV) it is a diagnosable illness that results in functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. Some diagnoses are considered more severe such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. Disability refers to the degree of limitation an illness imposes on the ability to function in life areas, such as relationships, work, independent living, and managing finances and medical care. People with mental disorders used to be thought of as a detriment to society and were removed from the community; kept in institutions and psychiatric hospitals. Patients were heavily sedated, given electroshock therapy, forgotten by professionals and family, and their condition further deteriorated, giving little or no hope of recovery. More recent research on long term recovery of individuals with mental illness shows a much better prognosis. Seven major retrospective studies done in Germany, Switzerland, Japan, and the U.S. show recovery rates of 46 68% for those with severe forms of mental illness without being institutionalized. (Harding, Zahniser, Zubin and Strauss 1984-1987) Recovery is defined as people with mental illness regaining the ability to work, live independently, maintain meaningful relationships, and contribute to their communities in a variety of ways. (Continuum, 1997) Neuropsychiatric disorders are the second greatest cause of burden of disease after cardiovascular disease, accounting for 40 percent of chronic disease. Serious mental illness can be fatal with suicide as the cause of death among adults second only to traffic accidents. More than 90% of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable mental disorder, (Baylor study, 2009) although not all with mental disorders will necessarily commit suicide; but the pain, hopelessness, and disordered thinking can lead to suicide and the impact is immeasurable. Our nations physical healthà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬as a wholeà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬has never been better. Cancer and HIV/AIDS once termed as terminal are increasingly distinguished as treatable, survivable, and curable ailments. Medical research proves the inextricably intertwined relationship between mental health, physical health and well-being. (David Satcher, 1999) Fortunately, leaders in mental health, intensely devoted advocates, scientists, government officials, and consumers have been insistent that mental health flow in the mainstream of health. With the progress the medical profession has made with disorders of the mind such as dementia and Alzheimers there has also been improvement in understanding mental illness. Dementia is a loss of cognitive function with an inability to think, learn, or perceive due to changes in the brain caused by trauma or disease with blood vessel disease due to illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension as the biggest risk factors. If the illness/illnes ses are treated the dementia can be reversed. Dementia is caused by a condition whereas Alzheimers is a particular physical condition. Some of the early signs of Alzheimers and dementia can include depression. Many medical problems mask as, co-occur with, or exacerbate psychiatric crises. Any patient exhibiting psychiatric symptoms needs a medical evaluation since physical illness can masquerade as mental illness. What many people fail to understand is that dementia, Alzheimers, diabetes, and mental illness are all diseases that a person has no control over. The primary contribution of modern-day mental health research is the degree to which its mended the destructive split between mental and physical health. Researchers recognize the brain is the integrator of thought, emotion, behavior, and physical health. Yet, despite research and unprecedented knowledge about the brain and human behavior, mental health is often disregarded and ailments of the mind remain masked in ignorance and misunderstanding. The challenges involved with retaining or rebuilding a meaningful and valued life for persons with mental illness are innumerable. The closing of mental health institutions, psychiatric wards, community mental health centers, residential facilities and diversion programs has reflected a trend for the entire nation stemming partly from the governments policy of treating the mentally ill in the community, rather than in institutions. (Independent News Media. 1997) Since 1970, 90 percent of public psychiatric hospitals have closed; available beds in NHS psychiatric wards alone dropped by 50,000 since 1980. (Sheriff, 2007) Even when there are adequate mental health facilities patients need to have medication and continual therapy to retain stability. With the closing of mental health systems clients will need additional support in finding a way to continue their treatment regimens. This is especially true for those with bi-polar and schizophrenic disorders who need to be monitored for treatment compliance. With a devastating loss of mental-health services throughout the world, individuals have relapsed, scores of patients have been forced to reside in local nursing homes, become homeless, or end up in correction systems. In 1996, E. Fuller Torrey, prominent psychiatrist/mental health advocate, stated, Quietly but steadily jails and prisons are replacing public mental hospitals as the primary purveyors of public psychiatric services for individuals with serious mental illness in the U.S. With federal funding cuts agencies who could offer services spend more time worrying about who is going to pay for what, rather than how to prevent relapse or suicide. With an inadequate supply of mental health services and providers there is a presence in society of at risk people manifesting mental disorders leading to destabilizing conditions that affect society as a whole. Alcohol and illicit drug use is associated with violence, criminality, antisocial behaviors and the inability to develop into pr oductive citizens of countries and communities. With the lack of mental health dual diagnosis treatment, patients often develop behavior that places them into the legal system; jailed or imprisoned, causing an interruption in their treatment that can lead to radical decline in functioning. Detective Tony Morales, Phoenix Police Department says, all our officers have to be part-time psychiatrists. Gabe Morgan, Sheriff of Newport News, Virginia says, Acute care for the mentally ill was once provided by psychiatric hospitals but many who are severely ill are living in our communities, where the burden of managing symptomatic and psychotic behaviors often falls on law enforcement. Jails were never intended to be treatment facilities but they are replacing psychiatric hospitals. Markowitz, Northern Illinois University reports results of an influential study on how psychiatric hospital capacity impacts crime rates. Data from 81 cities around the country showed communities with greater acc ess to psychiatric beds have lower rates of arrests and crime. (Sheriff, 2007) While troubled individuals are more likely to seek help from their physician than a psychiatrist, (Kiesler, 1980) countless physicians are not trained to deal with mental problems nor willing to spend time listening to anything other than physical symptoms. (Eisenberg, 1977; Engel, 1977; Knowles, 1977; Reiser, 1981). Another challenge is that emergency rooms are becoming the most utilized form of care for those in crisis because mental health service providers are unavailable after hours and on weekends and the ER is not allowed to turn people away. Badly equipped to handle respite/mental health care patients become unnecessarily hospitalized or are medicated until they can see a psychiatrist if available. Mental health consumers who find adequate in-patient treatment often face a void when trying to bridge the gap between relapse or hospitalization and living life in the community. In their quest to achieve recovery, they find little or no intermediate services available. While pharmacotherapy can treat the symptoms of mental illness when taken as directed it cannot restore a sense of value of self nor lift the burden carried by the patient. With no way to progress through rehabilitative therapies and develop coping and life skills a person who has been hospitalized, imprisoned or institutionalized will have little hope reintegrating into society and their mental health will only decline. Often, the result is the revolving door phenomenon with a cycle of deterioration, relapse and re-hospitalization or being arrested for petty crimes, released and arrested again. (Psychiatric Services, November, 2003) Another very real and insidious challenge is the impact of stigma, shame, and isolation associated with mental illness constituting a major barrier against seeking treatment. The graphic portrayal of those labeled with a mental diagnosis confronts the patient living with a serious mental illness to try to navigate beyond the arduous challenges presented by the illness itself. Strides have been made against stigma, yet too frequently mental health is spoken of in whispers and shame. Stigma and an unwarranted sense of hopelessness for recovery from mental illness have erected barriers. These barriers have made their way into churches where those with severe mental illness have turned to seek assistance from their local pastor. Some well meaning Christians throw bible verses or phrases such as if you had enough faith or just give it to God in an effort to solve the problem by fixing the person with mental illness because of their lack of knowledge or understanding. The mentally ill may get support for awhile with prayers, talks on faith, loving and trusting God, but if the person is not progressing as they had hoped then any interest in helping may wane. Serious roadblocks arise when those with mental illness try to find encouragement from their church and get no support or try to talk to their therapist about their faith or religious beliefs and he/she responds in a negative or unsupportive way when hearing about God. Having a relationship with Jesus Christ can give great comfort and hope and provides strength for working through spiritual issues which is an essential part of healing and rehabilitation. God works through people who are willing to help a person to rebuild their life. If a church fails to give support many mental health consumers then make serial connections with church after church trying to find respite and may stop going to church and even worse; turn away from God. Those whose mental illness is dismissed by clergy are not only being told they d ont have a mental illness; theyre also being told they need to stop taking their medication which can be a very dangerous thing. (Baylor, 2008) The unique internal pain of those who have a serious mental illness is only exacerbated when a pastor or members of a congregation fail to understand their condition, or even resents them or their illness because they are unable or unwilling to accept them like Jesus would. Support is essential for recovery of mental illness. Where does a person go when there is little or no treatment available, nor support from family, friends, church or therapists? People who seek God find what they need in time of hardship. Individuals can find support on the internet from mental health forums, blogs and websites. Too many other people that have no answer have given up and have died needlessly. Formidable financial barriers impede needed mental health care from too many people both those with adequate health insurance or one of the 44 million Americans who lack health insurance. If they do not have medical insurance or have other financial problems it can be difficult for the mentally ill to obtain medical care, counseling or medication. Even if they do have medical insurance, many insurance policies either do not cover the cost of treatment for mental illnesses or they only allow a minimum of 12 30 sessions of counseling a year, depending on the insurance policy. Unlike some physical diseases which may be cured with antibiotics or surgery, mental illnesses may need consistent management. For example, there is no cure for schizophrenia. Without continual treatment, these clients decline and may become homeless or worse. For those mental disorders that can be resolved such as post traumatic stress disorder, 12 sessions are not sufficient. It is not feasible to expect a vete ran who has been in active combat for 3 years to heal in three months or a woman who has been abused for most of her life to recover with so few therapy sessions a year. Patients need consistent ongoing treatment without their progress being impeded by financial and insurance restrictions. Some insurance companies have made exceptions through managed care to trade inpatient days for outpatient days to accommodate the patient needing more therapy and psychiatric sessions but this is usually limited to amending the policy for one year at the most. There is substantial research indicating that the majority of the chronically mentally ill can function outside of institutional settings where mental health services are available. A number of community support services were positively evaluated showing evidence patients can be effectively maintained in non-institutional community placement. (Kiesler, 1982) A wide range of non-governmental organizations and community support interventions vary across a spectrum from crisis clinics designed to prevent rehospitalization (Formenhaft, Kaplan, Langsley, 1969) to small self governing communities (Fairweather, 1980) such as mental health drop in centers and psychosocial clubhouses. (Taber, 1980) Primary health care physicians that are able to identify common mental disorders are facilitating and advocating support and treatment for mental health consumers, providing basic medication and psychotherapeutic interventions, while referring complex cases to community mental health services. Other provisions include 24 hour crisis hotlines offering support and encouragement; helping move the person from a state of crisis/feeling suicidal to empowering them to develop and rely on coping skills. In many countries, community mental health teams provide home-based crisis intervention services through 24 hour mobile outreach, assisting in stabilization, visiting people, helping consumers at high risk for hospitalization; providing one-on-one intensive case management, rehabilitation, and follow up. In many countries hospital diversion programs redirect people in crisis to community-based facilities such as mental health crisis shelters, family based crisis homes, apartments with in home-like milieu, or hostels as alternatives to hospitalization helping hundreds of people each year stay in the community and avoid the expense, stigma and trauma of hospitalization. Many provide the same recovery model as psychiatric inpatient treatment facilities and have found with proper support, compassion, understanding, professional mental health, and peer counseling the need for hospitalization is diminished or greatly reduced. Some hospitals have dispositional care, an alternative to hospital stays, adjacent to the ER to facilitate a short stay with discharge as the goal, offering short term acute treatment for psychiatric and substance abuse issues. Outpatient day-treatment is available in a highly structured environment and offer support services upon discharge. A study shows that 80% were successfully diverted from the hospital at considerable savings. Treatment was comparable to those admitted to psychiatric hospitals. Vocational/rehabilitation services help mental health consumers attain independent living skills necessary to move into or remain in more independent level of housing within the community. These programs teach skills such as cooking, nutrition, personal grooming, using public transportation, job skills, budgeting money, health and dental care and assistance achieving a job and/or academic education. While the goal is to stay out of crisis and prevent hospitalization these programs are primarily designed to help consumers reenter society and/or achieve a full community life. Clients take responsibility for their care with moderate support from community-based case managers who make weekly in-home visits to monitor progress and provide assistance. These particular models vary from country to country depending on various factors including the sociocultural context, how health services are organized and the availability of financial and human resources. For success, psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation needs to have integrated, seamless approaches aimed at restoring persons with major mental disorders to their best possible level of functioning and quality of life. How can this be facilitated by supports within society? Effective treatment of serious mental illness goes far beyond inpatient hospitalization and offers individuals the opportunity for community reintegration. (American Psychiatric Association, 2004) Inpatient treatment facilities would be available only for those with severe needs or those at risk to themselves or others. Hospitalization would be brief, minimally disruptive and rehabilitation services within the community could be seamlessly implemented as quickly as possible. (American Psychiatric Association, Kopelowicz and Liberman, 2003) Clients would move through a care continuum including psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, pharmacotherapy, dual diagnoses/addiction treatment, physical assessment, behavioral modification, neurocognitive science, 12-step recovery programs, employment, housing, criminal justice, education, and relapse prevention. Rehabilitation would include teaching life and coping skills, managing symptoms, dealing with memory, decision making, problem solving, and management of anger and stress. Community based programs would include residential services, crisis intervention, hospital diversion and relapse preventative resources, mental health research, and other service providers designed to reintegrate the mentally ill into society. Patients would be educated about their illness to grasp management and proper use of psychiatric medications. The perfect model would include guaranteed access to necessary medicines for people with mental health problems at a cost that the health care system and the individual can afford in order to achieve appropriate prescription and use of these medicines. Having an adequate number of psychiatrists and counselors for outpatient treatm ent in areas that formerly had only a few or none is essential. There is a need to improve coordination between health care providers and governmental and private mental service providers along with community based programs for the mentally ill to advance and improve the referral system and evaluate if the needs of mental health consumers are being met. The government could support mental health consumers by creating laws that restrict discrimination of treatment among insurance providers. Mental illness needs to be viewed as equal to other form of physical disabilities. Mental illness is not a lack of willpower. Medication for depression is just as vital as insulin is for the diabetic. The threat of suicide for mental illness is as dangerous as a heart attack is for heart disease. Promoting good mental health for people of all countries will require scientific know-how but, even more importantly, a societal resolve that we will make the needed investment; not for budgets but for each of us to educate ourselves and others about mental health/illness, and to confront the attitudes, fear, and misunderstanding that remain as barriers before us. (David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., Surgeon General) To remove the stigma and secrecy surrounding mental illness families, churches and others who once offered no support need to sustain those who suffer in shame. There is still a long way to go with reintegrating and rebuilding the lives of those with mental illness. I have learned however that mental health consumers grow emotionally during this process we call recovery through enhanced self esteem, meaningful work, connections to others, a sense of hope and empowerment. They grow physically through increased fitness, improved diet and nutrition, and better health care. They grow intellectually through a better understanding of their disability, effective coping mechanisms, and the development and implementation of personal goals. They grow spiritually through pastors and churches that are willing to offer support, understanding and biblical counseling. It is through our connections with people who are experiencing mental illnesses that we will continue to learn and to grow in our knowledge about mental illness and recovery and have some of the best, richest relationships we could possibly have. In conclusion, the World Health Organization predicts that in the next 20 years more people will be affected by depression than any other cause of ill health worldwide. With this knowledge I would like to challenge the world, our nation, our countries, our cities, our communities, both physical and mental health care models, researchers, our employers, and our citizens to take action to collaborate with mental health consumers. There is no health without mental health and mental health is fundamental to quality of life and to the most creative and productive life that people can live. (Indian Journal, 2006) References Mental Health America Resource Center. 800-969-6642. http://www.nmha.org/ Neugeboren J: Imagining Robert: My Brother, Madness, and Survival. New York, Morrow, 1997 Hall LL: Review of Imagining Robert: My Brother, Madness, and Survival. Psychiatric Services 48:1470-1471, 1997 Harding, Zahniser, Zubin and Strauss (1984 1997). Mental Health Statistics. Continuum, 4, 3-15. Tahir Tellioglu M.D., APA, AAAP (2009). Mental Health Rehabilitation. National Mental Health Association Unknown (2003). Psychiatric Services. American Psychiatric Association, 54, 1491-1498. Alex Kopelowicz, M.D. and Robert Paul Liberman, M.D. Integration of Care: Integrating Treatment with Rehabilitation for Persons with Major Mental Illness. William D. Spaulding, Mary E. Sullivan, and Jeffrey S. Poland, New York, Guilford Publications (2004). Treatment and Rehabilitation of Severe Mental Illness. Am. J. Psychiatry, 161, 937 Alex Kopelowicz, M.D. and Robert Paul Liberman, M.D. (2003). Integration of Care: Integrating with Rehabilitation for Persons with Major Mental Illnesses. American Psychiatric Association, 54, 1491-1498. David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D. Surgeon General (1999). Collaboration between (SAMSHA) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and (NIMH) National Institute of Mental Health Report. Surgeon Generals Response to Mental Health. Healthy Living Clinic. Irish Health. Retrieved 2009, from http://www.irishhealth.com/clin/healthliv/health_ire.html#s6 H. Russel Searlight and Paul J. Handal with Kramer, Kiesler, Flomenhaft, Kaplan Langsley, Fairweather, Taber (September 1986). Psychiatric Deinstitutionalization: The Possibilities and the Reality. Psychiatric Quarterly, Volume 58, 3. S; Steven. Mental-health policy: Iowa doesnt get it. Telegraph Herald (Dubuque). Telegraph Herald (Dubuque). 2007. Retrieved October 08, 2009 from HighBeam Research: J. Health Services: Mental hospitals provision slashed. The Independent (London, England). Independent News Media. 1997. Retrieved October 08, 2009 from HighBeam Research: Mental Health Policies Are Cause for Alarm in the Corrections Community. Sheriff. National Sherriffs Association. 2007. Retrieved October 08, 2009 from HighBeam Research: Mental health: Facing the challenges, building solutions. Indian Journal of Medical Research. Indian Council of Medical Research. 2006. Retrieved October 08, 2009 from HighBeam Research: Baylor Study Finds Serious Mental Illness Often Dismissed by Local Church. US Fed News Service, Including US State News. HT Media Ltd. 2008. Retrieved October 09, 2009 from HighBeam

Product Life-Cycle Model Essay -- essays research papers

Overview The product can be defined as goods, services or both; in the other words it’s anything that satisfies customer need. Each product has its own limited life, however it shares the same aspect and we define the period that the product goes through as the â€Å"Product life cycle†. The Product life cycle consist of four stages starting from introduction stage, growth stage, maturity stage and decline stage. At the introduction stage, the product is not popular and can’t really make a lot of profit. Its marketing cost may be high in order to test a market and set up a distribution channel. At the growth stage, the product start making a profit, the sales increase rapidly with some cost on marketing especially brand building. Competitors enter the market, often in large number depending on how attractive the market is. When a profit starts to decline, it’s the sign of ‘Maturity stage’. At maturity stage, the sales continue to increase but at the decreasing rate until become stable, because of price competition. The product reaches its peak at this stage, most companies fight aggressively to maintain their market share. The competition is very intense, unfortunately a small firms will die one by one. During the decline stage, the profit start to drop gradually, each firm has to manage carefully. There’re not many choice to choose now; take the most out of it before exit or expand the market by using marketing mix strategies in order to extend product life. Can product life...

Brutus, Caesar, and Antony as Protagonists in Julius Caesar Essay examp

A protagonist is the leading character or actor in a play, novel, or story. The leading character of a play is not easily interpreted. A protagonist does not necessarily have to be good or bad. Determining the protagonist is one of the many engaging issues presented in the play. Many characters exhibit the characteristics of a true protagonist in Julius Caesar, few stand out over all others. Caesar was a powerful, courageous, yet arrogant leader who is depicted in many different ways. Brutus friend of Caesar, loves Caesar greatly but does not think he possess leadership skills. Antony is loyal, trustworthy, and a devoted follower of Caesar, and proves to be a required character in Julius Caesar. All three of the protagonist must go through many highs and lows throughout the play. Brutus, Caesar, and Antony all qualify as protagonists in Julius Caesar because they all exhibit the required attributes. Caesar conquered Pompey in the beginning of his reign, his victory captured much support of the common citizens. He grew very popular, and powerful in some people?s eyes. Caesar turned down the crown three times when it was offered to him. Caesar deals with corrupt governments, and does what will be good for everyone rather than thinking about one?s self. Caesar was not of ?the blood of ordinary men?3.1:37. What this means is that he was a powerful, understanding, leader who had became too ambitious and arrogant, which led to his inevitable downfall. Caesar was arrogant in the way that on the ?Ides of March? he did not acknowledge the omens or the warnings of the soothsayer. There is a horrible storm on March 14 that goes on through the ?Ides of March?. His wife Calpurnia warns him not to go out because of the storm a... ...th half so good a will.5.5:50-52? Brutus possess all attributes of the protagonist and the play would not be the same without him. Brutus, Caesar, and Antony all qualify as protagonists in Julius Caesar because they all exhibit the required attributes. A play would not be a play if there were more than one main protagonist, it would be boring and have bad dialect. While Caesar, Brutus, and Antony can all legitimately be considered protagonists, Brutus is the best choice because he is actually in the entire play up to the very last scene, he has morals, and he is an honorable man. Julius Caesar was a great play it hit key points of events that actually happened. Brutus is truly an honorable man, without him the world would not be the same as we know it. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. Dover Publications, Inc.; New York. 2008.

Intimate Apparel Synopsis

Tommy DelZenero Intimate Apparel Feb 6th, 2013 The character I really tried to focus on while watching Intimate Apparel was George, the man from Panama. I thought he was the best actor on the stage that night, but that’s not saying too much. For the first half of the play, the actor performed a monologue with the spotlight solely on him. After the break, the actor participated in scene work with multiple characters. George in the storyline is a man who works a very physically demanding job digging canals in Panama.He one day decides to write a letter to Ester, the unmarried woman who works with fabrics, and he immediately takes a liking to her. They exchange letters for about six months and then it happens- George sends her a letter proclaiming his love and asks Ester to be his wife. She replies and says she would love to; he comes a few weeks later for the wedding. Off the bat when they met, it seems to be a little awkward; they had never met and barely knew each other. Over time, they got closer due to their proximity but emotionally they grew distant.George doesn’t seem to be the romantic that Ester had originally talked to. Also, she finds out that he has been cheating on her. He ends up taking her money and leaving Ester. There were a lot of good things that the actor did throughout the course of the play that I have been taught to do as well. He knew his lines for the most part, his inflection changed at appropriate times, and he used a lot of good hand motions and other gestures. Also, in the first half of the play (before the intermission), the actor played a roll in which he was very romantic and sweet.When he recited the letters, he was able to come across as a very well together and in love man. I genuinely thought he was being sincere and true to Ester. Later in the play, George became very distant and withdrawn. He became a cheating man without morals, who was selfish and inconsiderate. The actor was able to portray two different extr emes in the same play, and he did a pretty good job making the transition. I think this would be hard to accomplish, but he was effectively able to do so. Another effective part in the play was the anger the man who played George was able to show.At the scene in the bedroom talking to Ester, he stomped around, making a certain amount of noise without drowning out his own vocals. Throughout the journey of the theater performance, he made a lot of hand gestures and facial expressions that showed me how he felt; he let me feel his emotions. With that said, George didn’t have a flawless performance. For the most part, I thought it was poor acting; but he did well relatively speaking as I addressed above. With that said, it was hard to understand him half the time. At certain parts it seems he wasn’t exactly sure of his lines.He stuttered at parts that didn’t call for stuttering; it wasn’t apart of the script. That just comes down to memorization. Additionally , the actor lost the role at one point, letting out a smirk mid-scene. That smile kind of threw the audience; actors must be in character at all times. Physically, the actor made the audience believe he was a physically worn man. From the clothes he wore to his whole demeanor. His facial expressions showed exhaustion; while speaking from Panama, his voice was strong but tiresome and showed uncertainty. When he came to the contiguous United States, his physical appearance changed.Although he was not in Panama any longer, his true roots came out in the way he spoke and the heavy accent he placed on his words. George became better dressed and modernized; this led to an emotional change as well. Emotionally speaking, in the beginning of the play George was such a smooth talker; he was a sweetheart who was very persuasive and manipulative. The inflection George had in his voice was very sincere. He showed his charm and passion through the words in his letters (even though they turned out to not be his own words). Regardless, he made Ester fall in love with him and want to see him.He seemed genuine. In person though, he wasn’t so loving. George showed his heartlessness and rudeness in his cheating and dialect towards Ester. He showed anger by the way he stomped about the bedroom and stormed out of rooms. He showed his impatience by the way he knocked at the door, so hard and so loud. There were subtle things that could’ve been done better, but the emotion was attempting to be displayed. Intellectually the actor had a few different motives. The first half of the play the audience thought George was all about love and being Ester’s husband.After the intermission, his true colors came out and he became a money hungry hustler. Throughout the play, the character George had many different emotions and types of person he had to show. The actor did a pretty decent job with his faces and body language that he performed. I thought overall, he did an okay job and the play was interesting. I enjoyed watching the storyline play out, though the acting could’ve been much better. It seemed as though the performers were not prepared to act in front of an actual audience. With that said, I look forward to seeing other productions in the future.

Imperial Presidency Essay

The Imperial Presidency The Imperial Presidency is a term that was created and made known by Arthur Schlesinger. The term is defined as a belief that the presidency is becoming too powerful. The modern president has many powers that the founding fathers did not intend for them to have. This increase in power has started ever since the formation of president Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, and World War II. The term conveys a president that has imperial powers and is authoritarian. The president can make many decisions that the founding fathers did not intend for him to have the power to make. This includes calling a state of emergency, and declaring war without putting it through congress first. These powers are not necessarily bad but they can be taken advantage of. This violates the role the founding fathers intended congress to have. They intended congress to be the center of decision-making. The modern president also has a large Executive staff. It is the president’s staff making big decisions on his behalf that has caused the president to become more powerful. Presidents also have the right to secrecy and they can withhold any information they want from the public. One historical example of Imperial presidency would have to be the role of Colonel Oliver North in the funding to the Contras in Nicaragua, under the presidency of Reagan. This was a huge contravention of a United States Congressional ban, and exemplifies just how much influence and power one member of a large White House staff could have. This was a huge disaster for Reagan and the Government of the United States since it had been â€Å"illegally financing a civil war of the Contra guerrillas against the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. According to the constitution, the president is Command and Chief of the military forces of the United States. Therefore he is able to declare war at any time, without the consent of congress. This is one of the most powerful powers that the president holds. The president also has the power to sign or veto all legislative bills passed by the congress. Thus giving him more power than congress, which is not what is ideally supposed to be, unless Congress over-rides the veto by a two-thirds vote. These are two formal owers that the president uses in order to promote imperial presidency. There are many informal powers that the president uses to expand his role as an imperial president. One of them is the fact that the president has more access to information, knowledge, or expertise than Congress does. This once again puts the president in ahead of congress in being the most powerful. Another informal power the president has is the power to make an executive agreement. An Executive Agree ment is the pact made by the president with heads of foreign nations. They do not need congressional approval. So congress would not have a say in these agreements. Personally, I do believe that the imperial Presidency does exist. It is no news that the president’s executive staff has gradually increased since Roosevelt. These staff members that hold personal loyalty to the president, have powers that they were never intended to have. The power that the White House Chief to Staff position holds is nothing that ever was in the past presidents of the earlier centuries. The large number of officials surrounding the president and only listening to him, along with many other examples, suggests that an imperial presidency certainly does exist. I do believe that an imperial presidency is very necessary right now in the 21st century. The world is becoming more and more powerful, and our country needs a kinglike leader to lead it or else congress will never decide on anything. Congress is now a party based body of government. Their actions tend to focus of what is best for their party rather than what is best for the country.