The neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia Research Paper

The neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia - Research Paper Example An adult diagnosed as having schizophrenia will go to a completely separate facility and will see a very different specialist—though the doctor will still likely be a specialist. What is most unfortunate about the current mind set and treatment set-up is that neither allows for comprehensive understanding of these neurological disorders or for continuous treatment of them. What is most relied upon for diagnosing neurological disorders at present (outside of the symptoms themselves) is the prevalence of the suspected disorder among the patient’s immediate and distant family. The thought is that such disorders are largely hereditary, and so if several other members of the family have this particular disorder, then the patient likely has it as well. More recent research could definitely shift that thought process, however. According to research, there is a clear overlapping of various symptoms and developmental delay between many of these disorders. The symptoms themselves (i.e. developmental delay, cognitive impairment, social impairment, etc) are seen across the spectrum of disorders, and where they differ is in their severity. With that kind of overlapping, treatment of one disorder could most certainly benefit from understanding of treatment of another disorder. As we well understand, more comprehensive understanding of a disorder allows for more creative and more effective treatment options. Obviously, with more and better treatment options, doctors are more likely to be able to better the quality of life for their patients. At the end of the day, is that not the end goal of all medical understanding—to improve the quality of life for the patient? Administrative set-up for treatment facilities is also limiting the medical community’s ability to treat their patients. While studies are showing that neurodevelopmental disorders cross the age spectrum from children with ADHD to adults with bipolar disorder, treatment facilities only al low for treatment of one or the other. What happens to those individuals who develop what becomes labeled as one disorder as a child, and then continues to need treatment as an adult? Often times these adults are re-diagnosed with a different disorder and are subjected to a completely new set of lifestyle rules and treatments. More comprehensive understanding of these neurological disorders as being on a spectrum and having overlapping symptoms (and possibly treatments), would allow for doctors to take information of a childhood disorder and factor that in to treatment of the adult patient. Better communication between facilities would also surely result from better comprehension given that members of the medical community already have well-established policies of working with other members who may offer insight in to what would help their individual patient. The connection of the information in this article to my personal major and career aspirations were strongly felt by me. As a psychiatric social worker, it will be my duty to understand both what individuals’ symptoms indicate in terms of illness and comprehend the way those symptoms are felt by the individual. That is to say, how the symptoms present themselves and what they mean to and for the client. Aside from my duties, being a psychiatric soc

Poverty and Pollution Case Study Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Poverty and Pollution Case Study - Term Paper Example In later part of 20th century, the industrialization process was still young in the developing world, and so they were not in a position to change gear and switch to environmentally friendly technology. Many developing countries are still not able to tackle the problem of environmental pollution because it is not economically feasible for them to invest in environmental friendly technology. The issue of environmental pollution will be discussed in the paper with regards to developing countries. A global plan for pollution control will also be laid down in the end of the paper. Third world countries are more prone to environmental pollution than the developed countries because businesses in the third-world countries pay little heed towards environmental concern (Taylor, 2002). The moral repercussions of environmental pollution in the third-world countries are substantial. When businesses pollute the oceans, rivers, lands, and atmosphere of third world countries, they indirectly affect the health of the inhabitants of those countries. This is why the act of pollution can never be ethically justified. Environmental pollution in the third-world countries can also not be justified through argument of economic progress. There is no doubt that industries and businesses offer employment opportunities to local people which is instrumental in improving their living standards. But this opportunity comes at the price of their health and this cannot be ethical. Basic ethics demands that every person is given employment opportunity without compromising his health or the health of others. When businesses pollute the environment of a third-world country, they endanger the health of the people of that country. This is why there is not sound ethical justification for doing so. Businesses in the third-world countries have many reasons to ignore pollution control. The cost of investing in environmentally friendly equipment is extremely

SWFS 5004 Social Inclusion (Part 2) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

SWFS 5004 Social Inclusion (Part 2) - Essay Example In simple terms therefore, social exclusion may refer to the extent to which individuals are unable to participate in key areas of economic, social and cultural life (Levitas, 1998). While clarifying this definition, Hilary (2007) explains that an individual can become socially excluded if he or she fails to participate fully in key activities carried out in his or her society. In view of the foregoing definition, it can clearly be upheld that social exclusion involves an individual’s lack of participation in society and emphasizes the multi-dimensional, multi-layered and dynamic nature of the problem (Frazer & Marlier, 2007). The concept of social exclusion can thus be found to possess four salient features namely: lack of participation, multi-dimensional, dynamism and multi-layered. Silver (1994) observes that the causes of social exclusion operate at many levels including individual, household, community and institutional. Hilary (2007) sums up the concept of social exclusi on as the inter-connectivity between â€Å"a person’s social class, educational status, relationships in childhood and living standards as well as how these might affect access to various opportunities†. ... It similarly presents a PowerPoint presentation of my personal reflections on my own values of respect, caring and person centered. Aspects of social inclusion and social exclusion As earlier explained in the foregoing introductory part of this essay, social exclusion has been demonstrated to be multidimensional going beyond the issue of material poverty. According to Will (2007), social exclusion also encompasses other forms of social disadvantages such as lack of regular and equal access to education, health care, social care as well as proper housing. Additionally, the same causes go beyond material poverty and further encompass a wide range of reasons including discrimination against immigrants, ethnic minorities, the disabled, the elderly or ex-offenders (Will, 2007). Secondly, social exclusion is also considered to be a process in itself rather than a mere outcome of a process as espoused by Paris (2004). Research indicates that the accumulation of a number of disadvantages ass ociated with social exclusion may result in a self-reinforcing cycle that makes it difficult to attribute causality to one specific factor or another (Frazer & Marlier, 2007). This fact has led a multiplicity of social scientists to delve into the genesis of social exclusion, making the concept quite dynamic, where different individuals or groups of individuals find themselves in different stages of the exclusion process, whether temporarily, recurringly or continuously (Levitas, 1998). Apart from the preceding argument, the concept of social exclusion is said to be context-specific where best inclusion endeavors are in ways that are specific to particular localities. This in essence implies that countries and governments need to develop

Article writing about corrlational stuies Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing about corrlational stuies - Article Example Patrowski. Substantially, the researcher bases on general assumptions regarding ESL students and thus, tries to establish its validity. Apprehensions regarding learners who use minority language are deemed to be limited in their studies due to the perceived language barrier. The problem therefore is that they are oftentimes stuck in furthering ESL courses instead of attaining an elevated comprehensive learning experience. They become in essence improperly restricted in their apposite learning process. The 271 students were selected as they were part of the ESL program at CUNY. Primarily, the researcher chose them for their inclusion in the program. Another important aspect was the availability of their records to the researcher as they are within the same academic institution. The information collected by the researcher includes their entrance exam scores which integrated their aptitude in math, reading and composition. It also incorporates their ‘persistence’ which involves how they perform academically together with their diligence in pursuing tertiary education. The subjects were chosen perceptibly for their significance in what the author is trying to establish. He also recognizes that its relevance may be fragmentary as it is only focused in one university but he still maintain that it is of import in terms of the issue the research is trying to attain. In particular this is also because of the variance that is palpable in today’s ‘ethnolinguistically diverse institutions.’ Students’ success were measured by (1) their CPA or their cumulative grade point averages through a grading system based in the usual â€Å"4 point† system wherein O=F and 4=A and (2) based on six criterion. Referred to as â€Å"SCS rating† this composed of; completing their courses on development, a 2.0 GPA or higher, finishing their freshman papers, gaining the required 6 units Core Curriculum, a minimum 50 credits and a 70% attempted

The Courageous woman Essay Example for Free

The Courageous woman Essay As a woman leader, Elizabeth Blackwell strived to become someone in life. She influenced mothers, children, wives, and sisters and showed them how strength could lead them to their dreams. Her family and friends discouraged her, but she kept going in her own direction. They told her how impossible it would be to become a woman doctor and she asked them why she should not be a doctor. They had no reasons to tell her, but even if they had one, it was not useful, so she still kept going no matter what the challenge and hard times she faced. After all what she went through, Elizabeth Blackwell accomplished her dream by becoming the first woman doctor. Elizabeth influenced women to become more confident in their own ideas and skills. Like other women who followed Elizabeth Blackwell’s idea, I am inspired by her persistence in life; even if I face hard ways, it is good to follow my dreams and travel by my own destination. I want to attend Regina Dominican High School, because I want to be like Blackwell and pursue my goals without hesitation and fear of other people’s discouragement. Elizabeth’s strength has had an impact on me because she is the kind of woman who proved that women are not the bottom of society; they are the top of society and equal to men. Her impact on me is that women can become whatever they want and equal with everyone. As a woman leader, Elizabeth’s strength will help me to develop my dexterity, put out my creativity in front of people, and follow my dreams to become a doctor. As long as I am doing what is expected of me, even if people are putting me down, I just have to be persistent to fulfill my dreams. To develop as a global leader, use any chance I get to disprove people who may have the wrong impression about me. Regina Dominican High School has its own belief in its students, and I am 100% sure that if I attend the Regina Dominican High School in the next four years, I will be like Elizabeth Blackwell and achieve my goal.

Analysing Homelessness And Potential Causes Social Work Essay

Analysing Homelessness And Potential Causes Social Work Essay Homelessness is not a problem of Irish government housing policy; it is a problem of individuals. In order to discuss this statement both structural and individual causes of homelessness will have to be examined. There are a number of personal issues which contribute to the complex issue of homelessness, and how much these contribute to a individual becoming homeless in Ireland will have to be determined. Both statutory and voluntary agencies involved in the area of service provision for the homeless have different views on the definition of homelessness, and both definitions will need to be explored. Over the years in Ireland the government has attempted to address the homeless issue with various acts and strategies and I feel it would be necessary to review the implementation and impact of such interventions on the homeless problem. Finally the impact of government housing policy on homelessness will have to be examined and discussed. Homelessness and its causes cannot be easily explained. Both structural and individual issues interact to contribute to this complex problem. Personal problems such as psychiatric illnesses, domestic violence, poverty, unemployment, addiction and disability are just some of the problems that are believed to contribute to an individuals pathway to homelessness. Leaving state care such as prisons or psychiatric hospitals, without the proper safeguards being put in place can also be a factor in an individual becoming homeless. With regard to the definition of the term homelessness, it wasnt until the 1988 Housing Act that the first legal definition of homelessness was introduced. 1988 Housing Act Unlike a number of countries throughout the European Union, presently a right to housing does not exist in Ireland. However, there has been policy and legislation enacted to assist those who cannot afford housing in acquiring their own home. The 1988 Housing Act obligates local authorities to carry out assessments every three years, of those who are in need of housing or who are homeless. In regard to homelessness this Act cleared up earlier confusion as to which statutory body was responsible for the homeless, by leaving responsibility at the door of the local authority. Prior to this, under the 1953 Health Act, the Health Authority was responsible for providing assistance to those who were incapable of providing shelter for themselves. Although this Act does not oblige local authorities to provide accommodation, it does how ever permit such authorities to assist the homeless. Also prior to this, under the Vagrancy Act, homeless people were often highly criminalised for such offence s as wandering abroad, not being able to give a good account of ones self and not having any visible means of subsistence. The Act changed this by taking such offences off the statute books. Another provision of the Act authorises local authorities to provide assistance to approved voluntary agencies involved in the area of provision of welfare and housing for the homeless. An important part of this act was the first legal definition of homelessness. Under Section Two of the Act a person is classified as homeless if: there is no accommodation available and which, in the opinion of the authority, he, together with any other person who normally resides with him or who might reasonably be expected to reside with him, can reasonably occupy or remain in occupation of, or (b) he is living in a hospital, county home, night shelter or other such institution, and is so living because he has no accommodation of the kind referred to in paragraph (a), and he is, in the opinion of the authority, unable to provide accommodation from his own resources. While voluntary agencies welcomed this first legal definition of homelessness there were some criticisms of the Act. Focus Ireland, a leading voluntary organisation in the provision of services to the homeless, believed the Act failed to go far enough. One of their main criticisms of the Act was its failure to legally oblige local authorities to provide housing for the homeless. As well as this, they believed the act was too narrow and did not provide for those at risk of homelessness. Focus Ireland divides homelessness into three broad categories; the visible homeless, the hidden homeless and those at risk of homelessness. The visible homeless are those sleeping rough or those residing in emergency accommodation such as bbs or shelters. The hidden homeless are families or individuals involuntarily sharing with friends of family, in insecure, inadequate and often sub-standard accommodation. Finally those at risk of being homeless, these are people who have housing but are likely to b ecome homeless due to economic difficulties such as rent being too high, insecure accommodation or health difficulties (Focus Ireland, 2002). Reviews of the impact of the1988 Housing Act on homelessness Follow up reviews of the implementation of 1988 Housing Act painted a bleak picture in regard to its impact on the problem of homelessness. Kellehers (1990) review stated that the Act had minimal affect on the problem and that greater co-ordination needed to exist between statuary and voluntary agencies involved in the delivery of services to the homeless. He also pointed to the need for the development of a housing forum, consisting of both statutory and voluntary agencies to tackle the problem. Two years after this, in 1992, Lawless and Dillon carried out a survey on local authorities throughout the country and found that only five authorities had staff specifically trained to cater for the needs of the homeless. This led to authorities providing basic shelter, with very little services being developed to cater for the needs of the homeless (OSullivan, 2005). These studies were pointing to the need for co-ordination between services, but it wasnt until almost eight years later that the government acknowledged that such an approach was required. Homeless strategies The 2000 Homelessness: An Integrated Strategy, was the first real acknowledgement by government that an integrated approach to the problem of homelessness was required to tackle the problem. The report found that a wide variety of services existed for the homeless, but very little co-ordination existed between these services. Another part of the report suggested that the majority of services focused primarily on emergency needs such as shelter and food and as a result homeless people became stuck in such accommodation. The report suggested that the focus needed to be more on moving people out of homelessness and, in conjunction with this, putting preventative measures in place that would prevent homelessness. An important part of the strategy was to clear up earlier confusion as to who had responsibility for meeting the different needs of the homeless. The strategy clearly states that local authorities are responsible for meeting the accommodation and housing needs of people who are homeless, while health boards are responsible for meeting their health and care needs (www.homelessagency.ie). In 2004 the Simon Community, a voluntary organisation involved in delivering services to the homeless reviewed the Integrated Strategy. They believed that through focusing on the complexities of homelessness, the strategy takes away from the fact that the foremost need of someone who is homeless is housing (www.simoncommunity.com). As part of the overall homeless strategy, in 2002 the government introduced the Homeless Preventative Strategy. The key element in this strategy was to ensure that no one left state care without measures being taken to ensure they had a place to live upon leaving. This included people leaving prisons, hospitals and juvenile centres. While there have been improvements in this area, there is still much to be achieved. These strategies have had an impact on the homeless problem but the recent freeze in funding for homeless services by the HSE has put the achievements of the last 7 years in jeopardy. A new project ran by the De Paul Trust, which was going to provide 30 new homes to those moving from emergency accommodation, could not go ahead due to lack of funding. A number of other services have also being affected by this lack of funding (The Irish Times, 2008). Housing Policy The term Housing policy is used to describe policy implemented by government in regard to the housing market. Blackwell (1988, p75) defined housing policy as any deliberate course of action which is designed to affect housing conditions. Through policy and legislation, the government intervenes to create a well organized housing market. This can be done through direct interventions such as setting minimum standards for housing conditions as well as directly providing housing (local authority housing) to the public. In addition to this government may provide tax relief and state loans to people purchasing their own homes, as well as providing welfare (rent allowance) to those on low incomes who are renting in the private sector. The state can also act to determine which source of tenure will be predominant within society (Quinn et al, 1999). The three types of tenure that exist within Ireland are owner occupied, social housing and the private sector. In Ireland today the type of tenure promoted by government is that of owner occupied. This is shown in figures produced by euro stat () that 82.3 percent of the Irish population are living in owner occupied housing, compared to an EU average of 63.4 percent. Since the 1970s the Irish government have promoted this type of tenure in a number of ways; through tax relief, the waiving of stamp duty on the purchasing of new homes, etc. In addition, the government has also made it possible for low income households who are renting local authority housing to purchase their houses at a lower than normal prices, shared ownership, affordable housing. Although the promotion of this type of tenure appears ideal in theory it has the undesired effect of excluding those who can not afford such housing (www.cori.ie). Housing need Obliged by the 1988 Housing Act in 1991, local authorities carried out a count on those in need of housing and the figure recorded was 23,242 with - of these being homeless. Two years later a further count reported an increase of over 5000 and the figure stood at 28,624 with homeless people making up. Both these counts took into consideration those who were on the waiting list and those who were not. Voluntary agencies working with the homeless challenged the validity of these counts and were highly critical of methods used to conduct the count. In response to these criticisms, government commissioned the Economic and Social Research Institute to investigate the criticisms of the count, and it was concluded that an undercount had taking place. One of the main concerns of this report was that local authorities lacked the skills and knowledge required to respond effectively to issues that often accompanied homelessness, such as addiction or mental health problems. It recommended greate r co-ordination between voluntary agencies and the health board and highlighted the need for clarification concerning policy in relation to the housing of one-person households by local authorities. Due to the shortage of social housing being provided and the continuing growth in numbers of households on the waiting list, there was very little provision for the housing of one- person households (OSullivan, 2005). Lack of social housing One of the effects of government promoting the tenure of home ownership is the lack of resources being allocated to the tenure of social housing. In 1996 there were 27,427 households on the local authority housing waiting list and by 2002 this had grown to 48,400. The 2005 count saw a slight decrease at 43, 684. At this rate it would take until 2033 to eliminate the current waiting list and this is providing there are no new entrants to the waiting list (www.cori.ie). Naturally families are given priority when it comes to the order of selecting those on the waiting list for local authority housing. Its interesting to note that () % of the homeless are individual households and this very fact means that they are inevitably not a priority for local authority housing. In an article written by McVerry Carrol (2007) they believed one of the main obstacles to addressing the homeless issue was the failure by government in the provision of long term accommodation. An interesting fact in thi s article was expenditure on homeless services in Dublin, the budget which stands at 54 million a year is the equivalent of spending à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬74 a day per homeless person, with the price of a mortgage for 1st time buyers standing at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬46,22 (assuming an average house price of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬270,000). They felt the key instrument in addressing homelessness was firstly providing suitable long term accommodation and then provide a service which would support the individual or family in maintaining such accommodation. This approach, they believed would greatly diminish the need for the web of services that currently exist to address the homeless issue (www.cfj.ie). Conclusion In conclusion, it can be seen that there are a vast amount of circumstances that contribute to an individual or families becoming homeless. Stating that homelessness is a problem of individuals seems to be too simplistic a view and fails to allow for the failure of Irish government to provide housing for one of the most vulnerable groups in society. Although the government has increased funding in tackling the problem of homelessness, the question has to be asked, has this funding being used wisely? It seems as if the cart has been put before the horse as far as addressing the issue of homelessness is concerned. If theres to be any substantial progress made in addressing the homeless issue, providing housing has to be the primary objective. After addressing this very basic need, services need to be developed to assist people in maintaining such accomodation. http://www.simoncommunity.com/uploads/File/position/Taking%20the%20Integrated%20Strategy%20Forward%20Feb%2004.pdf The Irish times, February, 28, 2008 http://www.homelessagency.ie/about_homelessness/integratedStrategy.html http://www.cfj.ie/content/view/152/96/ 614781157279

Analysis of Sam Spade Essay -- sexual maturity, masculinity, film

There a many definitions of masculinity and those definitions are heavily influenced by culture, environment, media, and the child’s parents. When young men start to reach their sexual maturity, they have to create their own definition of what it is to be a man. The idea of masculinity creates a lot of questions, because there is no resource that will give a young male the answer. Due to this, young males learn what it is to be a man from a grab bag of possibilities. Eventually, the young male will have accumulated traits, appearances, behavior, and so on that defines what it is to be a man. With a new sense of self, the young male transforms into his idea of masculinity. In the Maltase Flacon, masculinity is defined through the actions of Sam Spade whom demonstrates the masculine principals of making his achievement of alpha male status a top priority, aggressive behavior, avoiding being feminine, homophobic, and restriction of his emotions (Meek) through his interaction with several characters throughout the film. Through out the film, Sam Spade has a constant need to prove to himself and other people around him that he is an alpha male. This need is triggered when Sam Spade feels intimidated or challenge by another male. Sam Spade’s alpha male status is challenged when he is taken at gunpoint by Wilmer Cook to see Kasper Gutman. Sam quickly rises to the challenge and manages to take Wilmer’s guns away from him (Falcon). Considering that the gun is a phallic symbol, one could interpret that when Sam took away Wilmer’s guns he symbolically took away Wilmer’s masculinity as punishment for challenging his alpha male status. Sam’s action of emasculating Wilmer inflates his ego and reinforces his masculinity though his achievem... ...ith several characters throughout the film. This particular definition of what it is to be a man is presented to the public in the form of media. It is possible that this film could serve as a guide for how young men of the past, present, or even future should behave in order to be considered a man. In this film, the femme fatale sexuality is censored, but the ideals that acting violently towards people who are homosexual, constantly fulfilling a need to achieve dominance through aggressive and violence behavior is the cultural norm of what it is to be a man. This film demonstrates people acceptance of this behavior and acts as propaganda. Works Cited Meek, Dr. Will. Psychology of Men. Ed. Dr. Will Meek. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. . The Maltese Falcon. Dir. John Huston. 1941. Warner Bros., 2000. DVD-ROM.