Christianity What is Temptation - 1013 Words

Temptations are one of life’s most riveting tests or enticements that we face diurnal. Moreover, it causes us to yearn for something that we do not necessarily need or it causes us to sin. Furthermore, if we give into temptation, we may be blissful, but it will only be ephemeral. It is because of â€Å"The Fall of Man† that sin is second nature for us, which in turn makes it facile to give into temptation. In other words, as the verbal expression goes â€Å"we were born in sin and live therein.† As a result, our temptations can either make us or break us. The Bible states in Romans 7:19 that â€Å"For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do† (King James Version). Strictly speaking, albeit we aspire to do good,†¦show more content†¦This is how temptation affects us. However, we do not always yield to temptation. What is Hope? Hope has many different significations, but my definition of hope is â€Å"a positive anticipation of God’s promise.† It is a state of believing in something that you may not necessarily see. Moreover, having faith that something is to come or transpire. However, according to Keathley (2005) â€Å"†Hope† in Scripture means â€Å"a strong and confident expectation.† Predominately, when we verbalize the word â€Å"Hope†, we are thinking of God’s promise to us of a more preponderant life, when we will visually see our heavenly father in Heaven. Hope in the Biblical form Although hope is our method by which we acquire inspiration and encouragement, it does not provide elusiveness from authenticity or from difficult situations. According to the Bible in Romans 12:12 we should â€Å"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer (ESV). (ESV)† Likewise, hope in the biblical form alters our way of thinking from that of this world to that of our God’s promise of our future home in Heaven. For this reason, hope, when predicated on God’s promise does not keep you suspended in mid air, but gives you a rope on which to hold. Practical application Imagine it is your birthday and you want a new car. Six years earlier, you were promised at the age of 18 you would receive a car. Therefore, as each birthday would pass you would anxiously wait in anticipation forShow MoreRelatedKantian Ethics and Christian Ethics1400 Words   |  6 Pagesirrationally or immorally. In comparison to Christianity, to act immorally is to act in disagreement with Gods laws. Kants CI is formulated into three different ways, which include: The Universal Law Formulation, The Humanity or End in Itself Formulation, and The Kingdom of Ends Formulation (Stanford) . The first to formulas combine to create the final formulation. Christianity closely relates to each formula, except for the final formulation. Christianity provides context where following the CIRead MoreChristianity Is A Religion That Is Religion953 Words   |  4 PagesChristianity is a religion that is based off of, and adheres to the religious teachings of Jesus Christ. This section will fo cus mainly on how the aspects of alcoholism, fornication, and modesty are addressed within Christianity. Alcohol consumption is permitted in Christianity and Christ has often been portrayed in the Bible grasping a glass of wine. The Bible even states that wine, which cheereth God and man† is that which does indeed â€Å"maketh glad the heart of man. However, the Bible states toRead MoreThe Prayer Of The Sacred1678 Words   |  7 Pagesprivileged and normative for a particular tradition†(Sacred Quest. Cunningham). Scriptures such as â€Å"The Lord’s Prayer† or the â€Å"Shema† follow that definition and are considered conical. Followers of religion look towards scriptures to help guide them in what in their religion is considered to be right and wrong, or which path they should follow. The text also says that â€Å"scriptures serve as a yardstick against which the truth of certain ideas or the rightness of certain practices can be measured and judg ed†Read MoreThe Lewis s Life Story1618 Words   |  7 Pagesshortly after returning home he returned to his study at Oxford. As the years went on Lewis never lost his love for reading he especially enjoyed Christian author George Macdonald. Lewis’s atheism was challenge by one volume, Phantastes, he wrote, What it acutally did to me, was to covert, even to baptize†¦ my imaginations. Another influential writer to Lewis was G.K Chestoerton’s that stirred serious questions in his materialism. Christian friends Owen Barfield and Nevill Coghill challenged his logicRead MoreEssay on Gods Grace Vs. Free Will1189 Words   |  5 Pages By the beginning of the fifth century, the rate of growth for Christianity was increasing exponentially. However, there was a negative result of this rapid growth. What might have simply been a different interpretation of one person, spawned into indifference among the entire population of Christian followers. The Church wished for elimination of these indifferences to maintain the strength of true worship. However, they saw it essential to put down the beliefs o f one man in particular, PelagiusRead More Buddhism Essay1569 Words   |  7 Pagesthe steps he took in becoming a religious icon. I know understand that Buddhism is not all meditation and relaxing. There is a strict code of the four noble truths and the prescription of getting through them called the eightfold path. Much like Christianity Buddhism also has many different views on how to follow the religion, and has been broken up into different paths (yanas). The book also covers how Buddhism has a way of crossing into nirvana, and the journey enlighten followers have to make.Read MoreEssay on Budism by Huston Smith1605 Words   |  7 Pagesthe steps he took in becoming a religious icon. I know understand that Buddhism is not all meditation and relaxing. There is a strict code of the four noble truths and the prescription of getting through them called the eightfold path. Much like Christianity Buddhism also has many different views on how to follow the religion, and has been br oken up into different paths (yanas). The book also covers how Buddhism has a way of crossing into nirvana, and the journey enlighten followers have to make.Read MoreChristina Rossetti’s Goblin Market Essay887 Words   |  4 Pagesgoing to the market. After the goblins taunt, tease and torment her with the tempting fruit, the fruit’s juices smudged in her face, she runs back home letting her sister kiss and suck them from her cheeks. Tasting the juices for a second time was what saved Laura. â€Å"Opening with the sensuous advertisement of exotic fruits hawked by goblin men to innocent young women, Rossetti’s poem presents an explicitly articulated image of a marketplace in which female ‘appetite’ is at stake† (Carpenter 415).Read MoreEssay on Religious Themes of Goblin Market and The Eve of St. Agnes873 Words   |  4 Pagescontain important allusions to and quotations from The Book of Common Prayers and the Bible. (McGann 211). Keats, however, chose to use religious topics to inspire his works in other ways. Robert Ryan says, Keats decisively repudiated the Christianity of their time as incorrigibly dishonest and pernicious. (Ryan 5). Ryans statement along with the symbolism in The Eve of St. Agnes makes me believe Keats to have preferred the old religion over the new. One religious interpretation ofRead MoreAnalysis Of John Donne s The Wife Of Bath981 Words   |  4 Pagesprofoundly influenced in their writing by Christianity, by analyzing the specific Christian ideas that are the central points in the following stories Judith, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue, John Donne’s Holy Sonnets, and Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Dr.Faustus. The Old English poem Judith is based on the Old Testament, like Exodus and Daniel, whose heroes consciously devote their military avidity to the glory of God. There are many points where Christianity has shown an influence in this poem

Alcohol Is the Worst Drug in the United States Free Essays

Alcohol is the Most Dangerous Drug in the United States Alcohol is more harmful than any other drug. Despite this fact, alcohol is still legal in the United States. There are many types of illegal drugs that are well known for their harmful consequences to humans but it is, in fact, alcohol that causes more harm than all of the illegal substances. We will write a custom essay sample on Alcohol Is the Worst Drug in the United States or any similar topic only for you Order Now A 2010 study by the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs ranked alcohol as â€Å"most harmful† drug on a list of 20 drugs. Alcohol ranked higher than crack and heroin when the potential harm to individuals and others was examined. Alcohol causes physical, psychological and social problems. Alcohol is a depressant that affects every part of the human body. Alcohol affects the part of the brain that controls coordination, memory, judgment and decision-making. Each year, more than 5,000 people under the age of 21 die from underage drinking. Another 1,900 die from car accidents. And still more people die from alcohol-related homicides, suicides and other alcohol-induced accidents. Alcohol costs the U. S. over 184. 6 billion dollars in 1998, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This cost was more than the estimated cost of all other illegal substances put together-$143. billion-during 1998. Although alcohol has been dubbed the most harmful drug, it is not the drug that does the most harm to an individual. In fact, alcohol earned this dubious honor because of the effect that alcohol has on the people around the alcoholic. Herion, crack cocain and metamfetamine are much more harmful to a person’s body than alcohol is. In a later study in the British Medical Journal, alcohol was found to be the fourth most dangerous drug after heroin, crack and crystal meth. This same study deemed alcohol to be the second most dangerous drug to society. Some people say that alcohol should be banned. Despite the overwhelming evidence that alchol is very bad for indivduals and their loved ones, alcohol remains legal in the U. S. During the 1920’s the US banned alcohol during a time called Prohibition. This policy is considered to have been a failure because it lead to more organized crime, increased alcoholics and negatively impacted the economy. Alcohol continues to be advertised on television and radio, apparently enticing people to continue to buy and drink alchol. Alcohol will always be legal. Alcohol is a big part of our American culture. It is embraced and celebrated by people of all ages every day. Our country is not prepared to make the consumption of alcohol illegal. Doing so would clog the court systems, lead to corruption of officials and cripple the U. S. econmy due to the lost tax money generated by the sale of alcohol. People do need to be educated on the dangers of alcohol so each person can make the best decision for themselves and their family, which would be to avoid alcohol alcohol all together. References Alaraki, M. (2010). Alcohol is society’s most dangerous drug. Retrieved from http://www. dailyfinance. om/2010/11/01/alcohol-is-societys-most-dangerous-drug/ Nutt, D. J. , (2010). Drugs harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis. The Lancet 376(9752), 1558-1565. Doi: 10. 1016/50140-6736(10)61462-6 Grohol, J. M. (2010). Alcohol the Most Dangerous Drug? Probably not. Retrieved from http://psychcentral. com/blog/archives/2010/11/01/alcohol-the-most-dangerous-drug-probably-not/ Neurobonnkers . (2012). The largest ever study in to drug harms places alcohol in the top four. Retrieved from http://neurobonkers. com/2012/08/06/the-largest-ever-study-in-to-drug-harms-places-alcohol-in-the-top-four/ How to cite Alcohol Is the Worst Drug in the United States, Essay examples

Aboriginal medicine Essay Example For Students

Aboriginal medicine Essay Many of the inequalities in the health of the Aboriginal people can be attributed to the erosion of the Aboriginal culture.(chp.2). Restrictions placed on the cultural practices of the Aboriginal people ultimately led to the abatement of the Aboriginal traditional medicines.(p88). Losing their freedom to practice traditional therapeutics, the Aboriginal people eventually had to adapt to the culturally inappropriate ways of western medicines. The purpose of this paper is to examine the advantages of Aboriginal healing methods for the Aboriginal people, as well as to explain why these traditional methods continued to persist long after western style medicines were introduced. Advantages of Aboriginal Healing Methods for the Aboriginal PeopleTraditional healing methods were based upon traditional Aboriginal spirituality beliefs.(p18). This spiritual belief system stated that people exist within this context as worthy creatures, but no more worthy than any other being. To live secure, healthy lives through acknowledging and respecting the spiritual as well as the physical world, because there is no difference between the two.(p71). The whole Aboriginal culture was based around these beliefs. Everyone in the community was treated as equal with acknowledgment and respect. Therefore those who deemed to follow the cultural beliefs had no difficulty in understanding the healing practices of the people. This appreciation of equality and respect was an advantage to the Aboriginal people, especially within their healing methods. Illness was treated in many ways but the main goal was to achieve a sense of balance and harmony.(p82). Applications of herbs and roots, s piritual intervention, and community wide ritual and ceremonies were all therapeutic practices.(p71). It was the healer who held the keys to the supernatural and natural worlds and who interpreted signs, diagnosed disease and provided medicines from the grassland, woodland, and parkland pharmacopoeia.(p18). The healers knowledge of herbs and roots and ways to administer and diagnose had been passed down from generation to generation.(p85). Healers stood as an advantage for the Aboriginal people. Trust and a personal relationships would naturally build between the patient and the healer.(p77). This must have been comforting for the Aboriginal people, being aware of what they were taking and trusting their elders and ancestors with the guidance. Aboriginal medicines were based upon their beliefs, the healers and medicine men were reassuring and comforting members of the community since they could communicate with these spirits. Even though they were usually men and elders , they were not seen as having more power, just higher spiritual ability-they were treated as equal and respected the same as any other.(p73). The healers also respected the physical environment form which all medicinal herbs and roots were taken. If something was taken a gift was always left as a sing of respect and acknowledgment- for example tobacco was commonly left when herbs were taken from the ground as a gift to the creator.(p100). I see this as an advantage to the Aboriginal people because it taught value and meaning to life-not to be too greedy as the white men soon came to be, depleting many of the Aboriginals medicinal herbs and roots for their own use.(p99) There was one thing that the white man could not take away form the Aboriginal people their beliefs. Even though the White man tried it was something that the Aboriginal people kept as their own. This, I see as an advantage to the Aboriginal culture because the medicinal practices were based upon these beliefs, and they could n ot be stolen from them. One other advantage to the healing practices of the Aboriginal people was the formation of bonds and ties with one another through the ceremonies and rituals that were performed.(p73). An illness was a communities responsibility. Everyone had roles from dancing to singing to drumming, depending on the ceremony.(p75). The family would constantly surround the ill stay in the same room until the person was no longer sick.-This was misunderstood by many western medical doctors who eventually forbid any of the rituals to take place.(p115). So the main advantage I would say, that Aboriginal healing practices has for the Aboriginal people is the understanding and clarity it makes for them because it is what they know and what their ancestors knew. It was their culture, and one must understand the culture to understand the benefits of its healing process for its people. The white man began to deteriorate the Aboriginal healing practice in order to implement their own . No values or beliefs of Aboriginal therapeutic practices were taken into thought. This forcing uncomfortable and untrustworthy situations to arise within the western world of medicine.(chp.4). Persistence of Aboriginal Healing Methods After the Introduction of Western MedicinesOne does not have to look far to find the reasons why the Aboriginal people failed to embrace the Western-style medical practices. Reasons that I will discuss for the persistence of Aboriginal healing practices are 1. Lack of doctors for the reserve. 2. The Aboriginal people were afraid and unaware of the practices (not trusting of the ways). 3. The communication barrier between doctors and their patients. 4. The misunderstanding of cultural practices and the roles of the individuals involved (the role of a doctor vs. role of a healer). 5. Many of their healing methods still continued to be effective western medical attention was the last resort. There was a shortage of doctors on the reserves if there were any doctors at all; as well as a shortage of doctors who would treat the aboriginal people. The native people were often affiliated with very malignant diseases such as smallpox, scurvy, and other loathsome diseases..doctors wanted to protect their own health and safetythey feared potential outbreak within the communitiesthis being the number one reason why the department was at first unwilling to entertain the notion of medical practitioners for the reserves.(p143). The white culture should feel extreme guilt for it was them who introduced the malignant diseases to the Aboriginal people, forced them to practice their Western medicines, than left them to suffer when no western medicines were provided resulting in the high death rates of the Aboriginal people. And this all because the doctors were afraid to do their jobs-treat the ill. Frankly this makes me sick. In another section of the book it states that the people(Aboriginals) refused to come to the hospitals to be treated becau se there was not enough staff to support all the people in need.(p117). So obviously Aboriginal health was not in the best intrests of the White man , especially when it came to supplying proper care. Aboriginal people were not familiar with the ways of western medicines which resulted in them acting with fear and distrust towards the system. Doctors medicines were neither understood nor trusted by the Aboriginal people.(p144). The focus of Aboriginal healing methods were not the same as the White mansmany times the doctors would focus on the next life while the healers would focus on this life.(p74). White healing methods were not based on spiritual beliefs rather only on the scientific and physical facts. This produced little faith in the new medicines no purpose or beliefs to follow. The people simply did not care for the hospital as they had very little faith in white doctor or his medicines.(p115). Throughout the book Maureen Lux makes mention to the many elders who state they were afraid to use the medication given to them by the white doctors because it made them ill, many think they got side effects because they were used as guinea pigs in the western medical field. (p180). There was also a great fear of hospitals because they were isolated buildings which the Aboriginal people related to ghosts. The hospitals were always a last resort for the Aboriginal people, they were viewed as a place for the chronically ill and alone-who rarely came out alive.(p179). It was basically a misunderstanding, but the White man did not take the time and courtesy to help the Aboriginals understand and not be afraid, it was something they had to learn on their own. Shiloh by Bobbie Ann Mason Essay word count: 12542Medicine That WalksQuestion #4 based on the book by Maureen Lux

The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead an Example by

The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead by Expert Marvellous | 05 Dec 2016 In a very common and usual field, sometimes a twist needs to be added to the average to create the extraordinary. This is exactly what the play The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead captured and portrayed. By doing seven totally different characters, this monologue play caught the interest and utmost attention of every single audience in the Dallas Theatre Center located at Downtown Dallas, Texas. The play was performed by a single actress by the name of Annalee Jeffries, changing costumes and varying personifications to attain the role of five women and two men. This alone makes the play really interesting and worthwhile to watch. I would personally categorize this play as a type of art, for it really challenges the viewers to think beyond what is presented. The form and aesthetics are explicitly shown, but the concept and meaning must be dug from deep within to truly understand the piece. Need essay sample on "The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Each scene was composed first of a dark silhouette, allowing the actress to change clothes. Then the character reveals itself, and talks in a monologue fashion about the story. The thing stressed here is that each character has his or her own interpretation of the storys plot. Different views and points were then suggested by each, but no concrete idea would be derived from a single scene. Thats why the most striking part of the play is probably the final scene when Rhonda, the main character focused by the story, is found jailed and visited by the daughter of the woman she killed about 10 years ago. This scene greatly affected me, and upon all the revelations only would the whole story make sense and be completed. Undergraduates Frequently Tell EssayLab professionals: How much do I have to pay someone to make my essay online? Essay writer professionals recommend: Writing Essay Company Best Essay Writing Service Paper Writing Service Cheap Essay Writing The final scenes are very important because they rap up everything that happened. From here, we can come to some conclusions to answers hanging ever since the beginning of the play. For example, now we know that Rhonda killed the lesbian partner of a Doctor Alex Doucette, mistaking her as the mistress. Also, we found out that the teenager portrayed before is directly related to these women and that his losing of his mother made him mentally unstable. Another thing about the last scene is the courage shown by the fourteen-year old daughter. It would be really hard for someone to actually forgive a woman who killed your mother for no legal reason at all. In defense, the mother was only mistaken for someone else, therefore having done nothing evil and direct to Rhonda. It would then be uncomfortable and awkward just to sit and talk with the womans murderer. But the daughter pulled everything off, and eventually even forgave Rhonda. This would be one of the highlights of the play, since it brings out two values prevalent in kids. First is having the courage to step up and face whatever is bringing you down, and then the innocent and forgiving soul of children. These serves as a reminder to many on how to deal with matters like this, that sometimes it would be better to follow a childs heart. Finally, the strength of the final scene lies in its truth and consequence part of the story. It was here when Rhonda, and the audience, found out the dark cold truth about many things. Such as that Lynette mislead Rhonda to kill another woman, and ended up marrying Rhondas husband after she went to jail. Or that the fourteen-year old daughter of the woman that Rhonda killed was blind. Also, the consequences of her actions were seen in the twelve years sentenced to her. Things such as these can be seen as lessons or insights on what actually happened during the story. Taking the play as a whole, I would say that it was put together quite perfectly. Quite because although it grasps the attention of the audience, there still lingers an air of decay, where the viewers were left wandering what happened, unable to concentrate on the next scene. However, this can be seen by others as a challenge and, as a matter of fact, may increase their likeness towards the play. Aside from these, the parts were coherent enough and easily understandable, thanks to several components of the play that were well made and nicely put together. The costumes are one of the important elements that made the division of the characters possible. They dictate what part is going on and how this character differs from the previous one. The changing of clothes also gave the play ample time to allow the events to sink into the mind. Also, it adds to the depth and texture of the play. The portion of the play when the actress dresses in shadows lifts up a certain feeling of transforma tion, that excites the audiences on what is about to happen next. Aside from the costumes, the set design and the lights also did their parts in the play. To reinforce the area being portrayed by the actress, a screen was provided on top, reflecting the current scene on the stage. The use of many different lights also added to the feelings of the play. Warm colors would evoke terror and anger while cool and mellow colors add to the solemnity and peacefulness aspect of the scenes. On the stage also were seven chairs. Each of these chairs was removed as the lights dim after every scene. This is a very symbolical method of showing the end of a scene. Each chair represents a separate character, and removing them would signify the end of the role that they played in the story. As I leave the theater, two main ideas remained stuck to my head. One is how powerful a monologue can be. Usually plays are performed with many actors and actresses, but this play did very well using only one. By using only one being to portray several roles, the essence of that actor or actress increases by each scene that he or she does. I think it has something to do with the build up of emotions and characters inside that allows him or her to express himself or herself freely and full of energy. Second is the moral lesson of the play which spins around truth and trust. These are very fragile words, and sometimes cannot be found together. It was only in the end when the truth came out that Rhonda realized who she can and cant trust. Overall, my experience was really worthwhile. The play The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead made me appreciate more the art of theater, especially the monologues. Works Cited "The Blonde, the Brunette & the Vengeful Redhead." (Book, 2007) [WorldCat.org]. N.p., 23 Aug. 2016. Web. 05 Dec. 2016. The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead: , 2006. N.p.: n.p., 2006. Print. "The Blonde, the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.

Parallelism for SAT Writing Tips and Practice

Parallelism for SAT Writing Tips and Practice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We get to add to our grammar knowledge. Get excited! Parallel structure questions on the SAT Writing section are fairly common. Fortunately, parallel structure is a somewhat easy to comprehend grammatical rule. Once you understand the rule, you should be able to correctly answer any parallel structure question on the SAT. So, let’s master another rule and boost your SAT Writing score with these tips and strategies. In this post, I’ll do the following: Explain parallel structure. Detail the types of parallel structure questions on the SAT. Offer strategies to correctly answer parallel structure questions. Provide additional practice questions to test you on what you've learned. What is Parallelism as a Grammar Rule? Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words for two or more words or ideas in a sentence. Using parallel structure shows that the words/ideas have the same level of importance and makes the sentence easier to understand. The basic parallel structure rule is that the things in a list should be in the same grammatical form. If you are listing three things, the construction of that list should benoun, noun, noun,orverb, verb, verb,orgerund, gerund, gerund,etc. Any inconsistency within the list is an error in parallel structure. Here is an example of a sentence with an error in parallel structure: Egya likes laughing, singing, and to write. The sentence is listing three things that Egya likes. The first two are in the gerund form. Gerunds are verbs that function like nouns and end in "ing". The last thing, "to write", is an infinitive. An infinitiveis also a verb that functions like a noun, but it is constructed by using the word "to" plus the verb. In order to make this list parallel, all three items should be in the same grammatical form. The corrected version of the sentence looks like this: Egya likes laughing, singing, and writing. Now all three items on the list are gerunds. So, how is parallel structure tested on the SAT Writing section? Parallel Structure on the SAT There are two primary types of parallel structure questions that appear in SAT Writing. Type #1: Parallel Lists The example from above was a parallel structure list sentence. Generally, in list questions, three things are listed and you have to ensure that all the items in the list are in the same grammatical form. This is another sentence that contains a parallel structure error: Sonia is known for her independence, her honesty, and being intelligent. Do you see the inconsistency in the list? The first two items are nouns, traits that Sonia possesses. In the last item, "being intelligent", the word "being" is a gerund and "intelligent" is an adjective that describes Sonia. We want all three items in the list to have the same construction. After we fix the parallel structure error, this is our sentence: Sonia is known for her independence, her honesty, and her intelligence. Now all the items in the list match. The sentence reads better and all is well in the world of parallel structure. Strategy To correctly answer parallel structure list questions, first identify that there is a list of items. Usually the list will look like this: x, y, and z. Make sure that the commas are separating items in a list and are not just separating clauses. Once you have identified the list, ensure that the items in the list are as consistent with the other items in the list as possible. How do we do that? Break down each item in the list by identifying the parts of speech of the words and make sure that all the items match. We want each item to be in the same grammatical form. After breaking down the list items, there should be no inconsistencies. Once we fixed our previous example sentence, the items in the list included "independence" (noun), "honesty" (noun), and "intelligence" (noun). Let's move on to the second type of parallel structure question. Type #2: Parallel Phrases Parallel structure phrase questions are slightly more complicated than list questions, but they follow the same principle. The parallel structure rule regarding phrases is that the construction of a phrase on one side of a conjunction must match the construction of the phrase on the other side of the conjunction as closely as possible. Definition of a Conjunction Conjunctions are words that connect phrases or clauses. Examples of common conjunctions includeand, or, but,andso.Some of you may be familiar with the acronym FANBOYS. It stands for For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. Those are all conjunctions. Additionally, there are correlative conjunctions, also known as word pairs. Literally, these words come in pairs. The items correlative conjunctions compare follow each word of the word pair. Examples of word pairs include either...or, not only...but also, as...as, and both...and. Example Sentences Now that we know the rule and the definition of a conjunction, we can check out how this rule should be applied. Here is a sentence with a parallel structure error: The SAT Writing section challengesstudents and frustration is found in them. So, the two items are connected by the conjunction "and". Let's break down each item by its parts of speech. The first item, "challenges students" is VERB+ NOUN. The second item that follows the conjunction is "frustration is found in them". That phrase's construction is NOUN + VERB + ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION + PRONOUN. Even if you struggle identifying the parts of speech of certain words, you should be able to immediately recognize that the phrases are not consistent and the sentence has a parallel structure error. So, how do we correct the sentence? We change the wording in the phrase following "and" to match the VERB + NOUN construction of the first phrase. This is the corrected version of the sentence: The SAT Writing section challenges students and frustrates them. Do you see that the phrases appear more consistent and the sentence reads better after we fix the error? Also, note that it's fine to use a pronoun in the place of a noun as long as the pronoun has a clear antecedent (coming soon). Let's go through the same process with another example: Rand Paul supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act as well as that the Department of Education should be eliminated. The two items in the sentence are the two things that Rand Paul supports. Both items are connected by the conjunction "as well as". Let's break down the parts of speech of the words in those things. Phrase #1 Is "the repeal of the Affordable Care Act". Repeal= NOUN +of= PREPOSITION+Affordable Care Act=NOUN. Phrase #1's construction is NOUN + PREPOSITION + NOUN. The basic construction of phrase #2 is PRONOUN(that) + NOUN (Department of Education)+ VERB (should be eliminated). Its construction is PRONOUN + NOUN + VERB.We want the construction of phrase #2 to match the construction of phrase #1. Here is the corrected version of the sentence: Rand Paul supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act as well as the elimination of the Department of Education. Much better, right So, phrase #2 should now match the NOUN + PREPOSITION + NOUN construction of phrase #1. Let's see if it does. Elimination=NOUN, of=PREPOSITION, Department of Education=NOUN. Boom!! Strategy If you see a conjunction connecting/comparing two items, identify the items. Then, break down the words in each item by their parts of speech and determine the phrase's construction. Make sure that the phrases are parallel. The construction of the phrases should match as closely as possible. Also, a preposition used on one side of a conjunction or word pair must appear on the other side. Look at this example with a parallel structure error. The dancer was praised not only for her strength but also in her agility. The dancer was praised for two things. Those things are connected by the word pair "not only...but also". The two things, which are the phrases before and after "but also", should be parallel in construction. The prepositions should match for the sentences to be parallel. This is the corrected version of the sentence: The dancer was praised not only for her strength but also for her agility. Now let's apply what we've learned to examples from real SATs. Real SAT Writing Examples See if you can identify an error in parallel structure in this first example. Explanation: First, we notice that there is no grammatical error within the underlined phrase. Now, let's look at the phrase's function within the sentence. The phrase "and composing one original work" is one of three things that a student must present to complete the music program. Therefore, the phrase is part of a list and should be parallel in structure to the other two items in the list. The construction of the first two items is "ONE" + ADJECTIVE + NOUN. We want the last item in the list to match the other two items as closely as possible. So, what's the answer? The answer is B. The phrase "and one original composition" matches the construction of "ONE" + ADJECTIVE + NOUN. Answer choice C doesn't work because the word "with" is incorrect given the context of the sentence. Remember the basic list construction of x, y, and z. Here's another real SAT example for you. Explanation: Again, there is nothing grammatically incorrect within the phrase "childhood is glorified". What is the function of that phrase within the sentence? The phrase is one of two things James Barrie is noted for portraying. The two things are connected by the conjunction "and". The first thing he is noted for portraying is "adulthood as unpleasant". What is the construction of that phrase? Its construction is NOUN + "AS" + ADJECTIVE. We want the construction of the second phrase to mirror that of the first. The answer is C. The phrase "childhood as glorious" perfectly matches the construction of NOUN + "AS" + ADJECTIVE and fixes the error in parallel structure. Check out this example of an identify the error parallel structure question. Explanation: Hopefully, you identified the conjunction "and" within the sentence. What is "and" connecting in the sentence? It is connecting two things that eating nuts might help. The first thing it might help is "to lower blood cholesterol levels in humans". The basic construction of that phrase is INFINITIVE + NOUN + PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. The second thing that eating nuts might help is "reducing the risk of heart disease". Let's break down that phrase by parts of speech. That phrase's construction is GERUND + NOUN + PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. We know that the infinitive form is correct in the first phrase because the word "to" isn't underlined. Therefore, the word "reducing" should be changed to the infinitive form to fix the error in parallel structure. The answer is C. "Reducing" should be changed to "reduce". The "to" is implied from "to lower". Here are some tips for you to use to help you correctly answer any parallel structure question you may encounter on the SAT Writing section. General Strategies for Parallel Structure SAT Writing Questions #1: Any List Within A Sentence Indicates a Possible Error in Parallel Structure If you see the x, y, and z list construction, make sure that the items in the list have the same grammatical form. #2: Phrases Connected by Conjunctions May Indicate an Error in Parallel Structure The phrase parallel structure questions tend to be more difficult and will most likely appear near the end of the sentence improvement and identify the error subsections. If you see multiple items connected by conjunctions at the end of these subsections, look for errors in parallel structure. #3: Break Down the Construction of Phrases Separated by Conjunctions and Items in a List Identify the parts of speech of words within a list. Also, identify the parts of speech of words within phrases that precede and succeed a conjunction. Make sure the construction of the phrases and list items match as closely as possible. Now we can apply the lessons we've learned. Additional SAT Writing Practice If you've read this article closely, I hope you have a solid grasp on parallel structure and how parallel structure questions are presented on the SAT. I've created some realistic SAT Writing practice problems for you to test your knowledge of parallel structure. Use what you've learned and the strategies I've presentedto help you answer the questions. 1. I like my PrepScholar articles because not only are they informative and entertaining but also because they offer students help. A. they offer students help. B. they offers students help. C. they are helpful for students. D. they are helping students. E. their offering to help students. 2. Because I was hungry, tired, and feeling like I was sad, I did not want to go to my appointment. A. and feeling like I was sad, B. and sad, C. I had feelings of sadness, D. I felt like I was sad, E. to feel sadness, 3. Stand-up comedy, one of the least respected performing arts, is valuable to society because the performer is able to inform the audience and making it laugh uncontrollably. A. making it laugh uncontrollably. B. making them laugh uncontrollably. C. uncontrollable laughter is caused by him. D. make it laugh uncontrollably. E. he makes people laugh uncontrollably. 4. Exercising(A) enabled Joe to strengthen his(B) muscles and releasing(C) his stress. (D) No Error (E) Answers: 1. C, 2. B, 3. D, 4. C What's Next If you want an overview of the topics on the SAT Writing section, read this article about what's tested on SAT Writing. If, specifically, you want to know the grammar rules tested in SAT Writing, check out this guide to SAT grammar. Since I know many of you have lofty goals and aspirations, I assume you may be interested in knowing what to do to get a perfect score on the SAT Writing section. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Bank of America Mobile Banking

Brown, who was responsible for the development and launch of mobile banking, reported on the current status, In less than three years we have four million mobile banking customers. Brown was hesitant to make the banks mobile app complex by adding more features. The added complexity could slow down the app and negatively affect user experience. He explained, App comple xity has led to some high-profile failures in the marketplace. This carries a huge risk. It was also unclear if users were ready to sign up for mortgages or credit cards on their mobile phones. Carrel reminded them, Dont forget that competitors view mobile as yet another platform to differentiate themselves. Just last month, Citi integrated credit card account information in its iPhone app. Citi customers can even track their credit card rewards on their mobile devices now. Carrel floated a second option, Why not create different apps for different target groups, say an app for Merrill Lynch brokerage, or for small business customers? Citi and Wells Fargo have done this, feeling they can provide users a more customized solution. (See Exhibit 1 for mobile banking apps for major players. ) McDonald, Brown and Carrel agree that they have to come up with a new strategy on mobile banking. Financial Services Industry The U. S. financial services industry was fragmented, with thousands of banks offering retail and wholesale banking services. In 2009 the 10 largest banks held 46. 4% of total deposits, with BofA the largest U. S. bank holding company, followed by JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo. In 2008-2009, the financial services industry went through the most stressful times in recent history. The collapse of the U. S. real estate and subprime mortgage markets caused a dramatic fall in the value of mortgage -backed securities, which led to a deep recession in the U. S. and financial troubles abroad. In 2012 they situation in the banking industry has improved. Bank of America By 2009, BofAs businesses included retail banking (i. e. , deposits, debit and credit cards, mortgage loans), global wealth management, middle market lending, large corporate lending, global treasury services, and investment banking. By December 2009, BofAs markets covered 82% of the U. S. opulation, and the bank served over 53 million customers and small businesses. U. S. Mobile Banking Market Mobile banking was introduced in the U. S. in 2007. Consumers could access their bank accounts on the move from their cell phones. Many banks saw it as yet another channel to differentiate themselves from competitors and engage customers that could potentially lead to both higher income and increased customer re tention. While mobile banking introduced some new capital investment and operational costs, analysts projected it to be one of the least costly banking channels. Since almost all banks had a well established online presence, this was the easiest option for banks. Slow browser speed on many mobile phones coupled with small phone screens made this option less appealing to some users. The emergence of smartphones, such as iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry, allowed banks to provide a richer experience to users through apps. By optimizing the user interface specifically for these devices, apps had the potential to engage users. Smartphones were expected to grow in use from 10% in 2008 to 46% of the total U. S. mobile phone market by 2012. App development costs could range from $40,000 to several hundred thousand dollars. Research from Global Industry Analysts shows that mobile and internet banking are becoming increasingly intertwined. This is largely due to the success of smartphones, which afford consumers convenient access to internet banking. The global mobile internet market will continue to drive the expansion of the mobile banking services sector. Financial institutions are responding by launching downloadable applica tions and encouraging consumers to bank online and through mobile devices by rolling out mobile and internet banking services. Market Size and Consumer Adoption In 2009, an estimated 10 million consumers used mobile banking in the U. S. ; by 2014 this number was expected to grow to 37 million, representing 30% of the total expected online banking users in the U. S. Total annual transactions for mobile banking services were expected to increase from about 180 million in 2008 to 2. 4 billion in 2014. Improvement in mobile devices and networks, better features from banks, and increasing awareness among users were the main drivers of growth. Most banks required customers to be registered online banking users before they could sign up for mobile banking. However, a 2009 survey of 500 mobile users showed that almost 60% of consumers not currently using online banking would be interested in using at least one mobile banking service. In early 2010, Wells Fargo allowed customers to sign up for its mobile banking service, regardless of their online usage. In spite of increasing interest, mobile banking was still relatively small compared to other banking channels. According to an American Bankers Association survey, only 1% of respondents considered mobile as their preferred banking method, compared to 25% for online banking, 21% for branches, and 17% for ATM.

See instructions Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

See instructions - Statistics Project Example of interest in analyzing and strategizing on how to minimize the future occurrence of the occupational assaults and the impacts it has on the nursing staff. I was very keen on the previous findings in this study. In this article, the main aim was to add the prevalent data to the established literature and review other relevant articles in this field. The article is outstanding as it explores the issues that are related to the occupational health and the safety for the mental health nurses which is regarded as the occupational violence. In this appraisal study, research was carried out due to the recognition of the international nursing council about the increased violence in nursing. This was also supported by various studies in industries in Australia about the violence in the nursing industry that occurred on a weekly basis. From the report, the problem has become international as it affects all the nurses in the world. Furthermore, the study reveals that that violence in nursing is affected by several factors and other environmental factors. Thus, the study centered on demographics in the prevalence in relation to age, workplace, and gender as far as occupational violence is concerned. The article also centers on the perception of the staff in the management of occupational violence. In the article, ethical considerations were taken seriously as it was approved by the human research ethics committee. The study also involved a descriptive survey as it involved the nurses from both the psychiatric and the community based departments. The study was effective as it developed a questionnaire that was very comprehensive in its analysis. Finally, I would like to congratulate Mc Kinnon and cross for their analytical work in this article. Therefore, it is with gratitude that they may release another edition that focuses on nursing problems. McKinnon, B., Cross, W. (2008). Occupational violence and assault in mental health nursing: A scoping project for a Victorian

Interpretation of the film Like water for chocolate Essay

Interpretation of the film Like water for chocolate - Essay Example It is a story of fantasy, romance and food, full of color and intensity. In fact, food, cooking and the kitchen are essential elements in this movie to such an extent that even the title itself is a reference to food. The expression "como agua para chocolate", translated as â€Å"like water for chocolate†, refers to the boiling water used to prepare hot chocolate in Mexico. This South American idiom is often used to describe someone who is sexually frustrated. Pedro and Tita’s love story starts very early on when as a girl she catches the boy’s eye. When years later the family receives the visit of young Pedro, Tita and him immediately recognize each other and fall in love. However, this was not meant to be: Tita was the youngest of three daughters and, according to custom, the one that would stay at home and take care of the ageing parents. Consequently, Tita will only be allowed to marry after the death of her mother (Monografà ­as.com). Her mother, a strict, conservative and tyrannical character, will not break the tradition but offers Rosaura, the eldest, instead. After some deliberation Pedro decides that marrying Rosaura would bring him closer to his real love and, to Tita’s surprise, he accepts the proposal. As a consequence, they all end up living in the same house and the situation becomes untenable: Pedro and Tita cannot be together but cannot hide the love that is obvious to all. From the storyline it is obvious that, in such a conservative society as that found in Mexico during the early 20th century, traditions are more important than feelings and compliance with an old custom prevails over the love of the main characters. In this conventional and old-fashioned society, although individuals were not free to marry whoever they chose, no one dares to challenge the established rules and become conformist. This applies to women but also to men, as

Defining Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

Defining Race and Ethnicity Essay The use of the terms race and ethnicity is varied. The two terms are misused as if they are identical. The casual and common appearance of the terms side by side in the public discourse may discourage people from regarding them as distinct terms. Race is based on the premise of biological and physical differences. the concept of race included any essential zing of groups of people which held them to display inherent, heritable, persistent or predictive characteristics, and which thus had a biological or quasi-biological basis. Ethnicity is an embodiment of values, institutions, and patterns of behavior, a composite whole representing a peoples historical experience, aspirations, and worldview. Ethnic classification, either externally imposed or intrinsically engendered, often defines peoples membership to a group. Aside from social constructs, ethnicity is innately more central to human experience and identity than race. I do not believe that these concepts should be important to society. Racial and ethnic categories are neither fixed across societies nor within a society. Racial and ethnic categories are fluid and changing depending on the socio-political context of a society at any given time. Ethnic and racial differences do not inherently lead to conflict. Instead, these differences can take on a social meaning of hierarchy leading to conflict when divided groups fail to negotiate. In such cases, the imbalance of power, not the racial or ethnic differences per se, is the underlying cause of the conflict. In each of these cases, it is critical that the topic of race and ethnicity receives continual examination. The ideology and myth of racial and ethnic differences cannot be validated to support or legitimate superiority, privilege, or conflict as has often been the case in both historical and global contexts.

Plagiarism Essay -- Education Writing Essays

Plagiarism When we have an idea or insight, rarely is it the first time it has ever occurred to an individual. Furthermore, what we learn through formal education, dialogue, and reading (for those who pay attention) becomes an integral part of our thought--we assimilate the ideas of others. Thus, what we may think and say is not necessarily of our own origin, but rather it is a conglomeration of the ideas of others in conjunction with our own native thoughts and understanding--such is human nature. However, there is a fundamental difference between this assimilation of idea and thought through socialization/education versus plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined, as the knowing act of stealing another's ideas and passing those ideas on as your own with the intent to deceive. It is theft of intellectual property which is owned and has value. Plagiarism is to steal and lie while assimilation is the process of educating the mind to gain knowledge from a vast variety of sources. Even though there is sig nificant difference between the legal and moral dealings of plagiarism, there is overlap between the is and ought. Socrates and Confucius, we have read, would agree that assimilation is necessary for education and for being moral, but, as I will show, consider that plagiarism is immoral. To understand Socrates view on plagiarism, we must first understand the basis for what he considers moral. Morality, Socrates believes, is that which induces happiness and is in our best, long-term interest and that to live unpleasantly is immoral or evil (Plato 1956, pg.56). Furthermore, Socrates believes that we only are immoral out of ignorance for what is in our long-term best interest. Hence, immorality is due to a lack of knowledge. Thus, while ... ...own its scholars. Plagiarism has become so widespread and tolerated, that it is almost too much work to eradicate. The result is sending a message to students that plagiarism is an issue of cleverness (who can avoid being caught) rather than morality. For this, I am saddened that higher standards of thought and morality are not enforced for the good of the scholar and society. References Plato. Translated by Martin Ostwasl, Edited and Introduced by Gregory Vlastos. 1956. Protagoras. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall Confucius. Translated by Arthur Waley. 1989. The Analects of Confucius. New York: Vintage Books- Divison of Random House, Inc. King James Version, The Holy Bible. Kant, Immanuel. Translated by James W. Ellington. 1993. Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals3rd Edition. Indianapolis, Indiana: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.

Comments on Student’s Critique

These comments relates to the student critique on the article, â€Å"Is credit card fraud a Real Crime? Does it really cripple the E-commerce sector of E-business? † The student views that, the article is missing on presentation aspects which should be part of the article. The student argues that the introduction is very long and agrees with it that it is useful for it elaborate the inside of the story given that it captures issues which ought to be the main discussion.In addition, the English used needs few adjustments and that the structure of the article is poor. The article is said to present facts rather a discussion which the questions imply. Consequently, the student view that the second question has been neglected and that the author should have focused on both questions in the discussion. The conclusion is viewed that it lacks definitive outcomes and the student attributes this to the fact that it contains little discussion.Despite all the mistakes in the article, the student view that the article contains usable facts that could be used in the future works and investigations. In my view, the student appears to be negative towards the presentation of the article. If those aspects could have been addressed, the article would have been much better. The student is right given that this was a discussion article and it should have suitable structure and clear English with no errors in it.

Pesticides and their environmental impact Essay

Introduction Pesticides are chemicals or organic substances that have been designed to prevent pests, weeds or diseases in agricultural production and other places where public health is of paramount importance. Pesticides are very important in agricultural production because they control vermin that would otherwise lead production losses during growth and the storage. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003). Various researches have continued to indicate that farmers stand to loose about a third of the crop field if pesticides are not used as a control measure. This would have catastrophic effect on food security across the globe. Thus pesticides play a major role in food production. However the handling and the usage of the pesticides has continued to have long lasting effect on the environment including the flora and fauna. (Hamilton D & Crossley S   2004). Since 2500 BC farmers used biological means to control various pests. It was the safest method even though not the most effective. The farm products treated by biological pesticides  Ã‚   did not have any side effects to the consumers who used these products. However after the agrarian revolution, an increasing number of farmers started using artificial pesticides that were more suitable for the increased scale of agricultural production. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003).   There are different types of pesticides depending on the target pests; insecticides help to control insects, bactericide control bacteria and fungicides control fungi. We also have synthetic pesticides that are artificially produced in factories. DDT is always listed as one of the most effective pesticides yet the most environmental destructive which led to its eventual ban in 1939 in over 98 countries. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003). Environmental Effects The environment is always contaminated when pesticides are applied on crops. During the process of application it has been known that some amounts of pesticides vaporize and are later deposited in the soil or other waterways by rainfall. (Hamilton D & Crossley S   2004). Pesticides present in ground water or drinking water has great impact and is both costly and problematic to control. For example the total concentration of pesticide residues in many ground water supplies in the EU countries exceeds the maximum permissible concentration. In the US the situation is the same and research done on about 68,000 wells revealed that about 9,000 of these wells were indeed contaminated with the residues, which exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency standards (EPA) for water meant for drinking. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003) Contaminated water is very harmful to animals, vital microorganisms in the soil, and extremely dangerous for the marine ecosystem. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003) Pesticides and Wildlife Wildlife by nature do not discriminate in their eating and drinking habits, thus when the pesticides residues find their way to the areas where the wildlife is bound to exist then it poses great danger as they may lead to a slow but sure death of the animals. A very good example is the death of flamingoes and other bird species in the Kenyan lake Nakuru. These deaths were as a result of the excessive use of pesticides in the upstream waterway that feed the lake with water. (Watson, D 2004).   Greater effects have also been recorded amongst various bee and bird species that are very important in the pollination processes. A good example of this effect was also recorded in the US and Europe between 1950 and 1970 when the dramatic decline in the population of the birds of prey was attributed to the organochlorine pesticide that was POPs. The use of DDT was found to break down to DDE, chemical that was responsible for the cause of eggshell thinning that resulted to the crushing of the eggs leading to the failure of the breeding cycle of the birds of prey that also included the fish-eating birds. http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/food-and-agriculture/pesticides/ Another pesticide aspect that has led to the decline in the bird populations is when they have reduced the existence of certain weeds in various arable fields. The weeds play a very significant role in providing the birds with seeds and insects for food, thus when they are decimated then it affects the bird’s food chain. The great decline of the grey partridge is directly attributed to the use of herbicides that change the availability of the food supply.  Ã‚   http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/food-and-agriculture/pesticides/ Until recently a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide called cypermethrin was commonly used in sheep dips across the UK and had adverse effect on the environment. The greatest impact was realized in the marine life where a vast number of various aquatic invertebrates were killed. http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/food-and-agriculture/pesticides/ In fish the residues are consumed resulting to the bioaccumulation of the pesticides in the birds of prey that eat this fish. Such pesticides as dieldrin   and aldrin were directly blamed for the decline in the deaths and population decline of birds of prey. However it is worth noting that in areas where the usage of the chemicals is prohibited the population of the birds species has recorded remarkable increase. http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/food-and-agriculture/pesticides/ Health Effects Workers in the manufacturing companies are at great dangers of developing various other complications while handling the manufacturing processes. Sometimes the workers lack adequate protection and are therefore exposed to the chemicals that are highly carcinogenic. Farmers and other pesticide handlers are the most exposed people to the dangers of the pesticides. (Watson, D 2004). Organophosphates are less harmful to the environment  Ã‚   compared to organ chlorine pesticides. The pesticides can cause abdominal pain, headache, dizziness, nausea, as well as skin and eye problems. When pesticides are used for a long time they can also cause respiratory problems, memory disorder, cancer, neurological deficit and in women who are exposed so much to the pesticides it can cause miscarriages and birth defects when pregnant. (Walter A. et.al.2005) Consumers Most of the crops planted by big scale farmers are very harmful to the consumers because these farmers use the pesticides for cultivation processes. Fruits and vegetables contain the pesticides residues making them harmful to the consumers. Due to these residues, the maximum Residue limits has recommended some standards for individual pesticides food to be used. The EPA has set tolerances that detect the toxicity of the residues and amount of pesticide application that remain in food before it is marketed and prepared. The tolerance level is obtained using scientific assessments that manufactures are required to produce before a particular pesticide can be registered. (Walter A. et.al.2005) The study published in 1993 showed that the infants and children are exposed to pesticides through their diet, while in the US the study shows that pesticide residues in food cause causes of cancer. (Watson, D 2004). The pesticide residue has been a major concern in the US making it possible in 1996 to begin a program known as United States Department of Agriculture to allow its food to be tested for different types of pesticides. The program allowed the test of different vegetables and fruits commonly eaten for example: Apple, Lettuce, Pears and Oranges. To avoid the entire health problem, the consumer can wash, peel, cook and even trim the fat from meat and eat variety of food to avoid long-term exposure to pesticide. The consumer is also advised to buy organic food. (Walter A. et.al.2005) Pesticides are generally exposed to the general public some of the pesticides are very harmful and because they lack proper handling instructions pose great dangers not only to the users but also to the public at large. According to various studies, various pesticides have severe effects on young children and cause leukemia. Organophosphate can cause infliction to the nerve cells and may lead to low birth weights. This is because when pregnant women are exposed to the pesticides they have a very high chance of affecting the uterus and the child carried in the womb. (Walter A. et.al.2005)   With the development of new technology most pesticides are becoming obsolete and other better methods are being used as form of pest control such technologies are being developed in such countries as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Mexico. To reduce health and environmental risks, biological and botanical methods are being  Ã‚   developed and applicators are advised to adopt other methods other than the use of chemical pesticides. For example farming methods like polyculture where by you grow multiple types of plants or even planting crops where the pests that damage the plants do not exist (crop rotation) if not you can adopt the US style of spraying the pests with hot water or the release of natural predators. Interfering with insect’s production can be accomplished by sterilizing males so that there is no production of the off springs. All this methods have been achieved in Indonesia and Sweden thus making their environment very friendly not only to human beings but also to their crops and animals. (Hond, Frank et.al.2003). Conclusion Pesticides have been of great use especially in the production of food to sustain the ever-increasing world population. Most of the pesticides have significant side effects on the environment and have continued to cause untold damage to the ecosystem. In the developed world the governments have continued to institute very strict measures that have seen the banning of the usage most of such products. The producers realizing the challenges they face in these regions have opted to switch their operations to the third world countries where the regimes lack the necessary infrastructure or legislation to control the use of the said products. Thus the dangers have been shifted from the first worlds to the poor third world countries, which are left to bear the brunt of the pesticides. First world countries have the responsibility of protecting the world from the effects of the pesticides because they are the largest producers.    Work cited Hamilton, Denis; Crossley, Stephen (2004). Pesticide residues in food and drinking water. J. Wiley. Hond, Frank et.al. (2003). Pesticides: problems, improvements, alternatives. Blackwell Science. Pesticides-and-the-environment: Retrieved on 11th April from http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/campaigns/food-and-agriculture/pesticides/ Walter A. Alarcon, et.al. (2005) Pesticides and the Environment. â€Å"Acute Illnesses Associated With Pesticide Exposure at Schools†. Journal of the American Medical Association Watson, David H. (2004). Pesticide, veterinary and other in food residues: woodhead Publishing

Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example

Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example Teenage Pregnancy Essay Teenage Pregnancy Essay as seen in Table 1. Thus, it appears that although a smaller percentage of teen-aged women plan their pregnancy than older women, for a substantial percentage (42. 6%) the pregnancy is unintended but not unwanted. Conceptualising and defining unplanned, unintended and unwanted pregnancies can be complex.A relatively reliable indicator of the unwantedness of a pregnancy (for whatever reason) is termination of pregnancy (TOP). Buchmann, Mensah and Pillay (2002) found the following age-related TOP rates at a hospital in Soweto, as measured over an eight-week period: 13 to16 years: 23% 17 to19 years: 14. 9% 20 to 34 years: 12. 7% 35+ years: 16. 2%. According to these statistics, more young teen-aged women have unwanted pregnancies than do older women. Low rates of termination of pregnancy (3%) were reported in the national household survey (Pettifor et al. 2005). This low level of reportage may, however, have to do with the stigma attached to termination of pregnancy. POTENTIAL CONSEQUE NCES The disruption of schooling The relationship between early pregnancy and school disruption is complicated. Data presented in Macleod (1999a) indicated that many young women who became mothers in fact left school before pregnancy. More recently, 20. 6% of the pregnant teenagers in the survey conducted by Manzini (2001) in KwaZulu-Natal had left school prior to conceiving.The 2003 General Household Survey statistics indicate that of all the females who had dropped out of school, only 13% cited pregnancy as a reason (Crouch, 2005). Nevertheless, this is higher than the 10. 3% in the household survey conducted amongst urban black youth by Richter (1996), prior to the introduction of the Schools Act, which prevents discrimination against pregnant learners. For those who leave because of pregnancy, a significant new factor may be the Department of Education? s (2007) guidelines entitled „Measures for the Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy? hat makes it possible for educators to „request? that learners take a leave of absence of up to two years. There are thus numerous factors, besides pregnancy, that lead to school leaving. Some of the major reasons for leaving school before the end of Grade 12 include poverty, frustration associated with the inexperience of teachers, a lack of relevance of the curriculum and teaching materials, the absence of parents at home, and the need to care for siblings or sick family members (Human Sciences Research Council, 2007).Biddecom and Bakilana? s (2003) investigation of the transition to adulthood through significant events in young people? s lives (first sex, stopping school, pregnancy, birth and union) provides a glimpse into the complexity of the sequencing of these events. The researchers conclude that adolescents seldom experience all five events during their teenage years, and that there is â€Å"more disorder than order in terms of the variety of combinations and chronological sequences of import ant social and family formation transitions† (p. 15).Studies reviewed in Macleod (1999a) indicated that a substantial minority of pregnant or mothering young women did not plan to return to school. More recent evidence gives a better picture of actual returns (as opposed to plans to return). Manzini (2001) found that 48% of young women who left school because of pregnancy returned to school. The major reason cited for not returning to school was the need to care for the child. In the survey by Grant and Hallman (2006) 29% of the 14-19 year-old women and 52% of the 20-24 year-old women who had dropped out of school had returned.With every year that passes the chance of a return to school diminishes, with very little chance of return after four years (Grant Hallman, 2006). Various reasons for drop-out and return have been explored. Lloyd (2005) ascribes the drop-out rates to the child support grants (see later discussion of the controversy regarding this). Grant and Hallman (20 06) found that prior poor school performance (e. g. non-pregnancy-related repetition of grades) and having to be the primary caregiver for the child are strongly associated with the likelihood of dropping out when pregnant.In terms of returning to school, Kaufman, De Wet and Stadler (2000) suggest that the increased bride price that accompanies higher educational status is a motivating factor for parental support in this regard. Grant and Hallman? s (2006) data suggest that young women are more likely to return to school if they have never repeated a grade or withdrawn temporarily from school before, and if they live with an adult female. The presence of older female relatives allows a young mother to relinquish domestic duties to older women and return to school.Young women who marry and move to their husband? s household may, however, have increased domestic responsibilities and there may be less support for their continued education (Matthews, et al. , 2008). Grant and Hallman? s (2006) study debunks the frequently made assumption that, were young women not to conceive, they would continue their education. They discuss the concept of disengagement from school in which young women perceive few opportunities emerging from participating in education.If there is little incentive to participate in school, there is also little incentive to avoid pregnancy. For some young women it is a rational option to leave an unsatisfactory situation at school for the role of motherhood. It is possible, however, that not only school engagement but also school attendance is a protective factor against teen pregnancy. Harrison (2008) argues that school leaving, either through dropout or completion, represents a significant change in the life circumsta nces of young women.This is supported by statistics that indicate that there is an increase in pregnancy and HIV infection after school leaving, with the proportion of 17-18 year-olds who have been pregnant being nearly four times that of 16- year-olds. Early reproduction and health The studies cited in Macleod (1999a) that had a health focus tried to tease out the obstetric outcomes of early pregnancy. Some of these studies showed increased risks, while others ascribed the risk to socio-economic status or poor antenatal care. We failed to locate any recent South African research on the obstetric outcomes of early pregnancy.Instead the focus has shifted to concerns over the increased risk for young women in terms of contracting HIV (Jewkes, Vundule, Maforah Jordaan, 2001) and the level of antenatal care young pregnant women receive. According to the 2003 SADHS, compared to pregnant women 20 to 34 years old, pregnant women under the age of 20 are more likely to receive care from a nurse or midwife than from a doctor and are more likely not to receive care at all. The components of antenatal care also reflect less adequate antenatal care for younger women compared to women in the age category of 20 to 34 years .They are less likely to be informed of the signs of pregnancy complications, to have their weight, height and blood pressure measured, to have urine and blood samples taken or to receive iron supplements. Many young women report for antenatal testing only in their second or third trimester. This should be seen in the light of the finding that late presentation for pregnancy care is a general and persistent problem in South Africa (Myer Harrison, 2003). In addition, taboos associated with teenage sexual activity, denial of paternity by a male partner and lack of nowledge regarding the importance of antenatal consultations may be reasons for late attendance (Phafoli, Van Aswegen Alberts, 2007). Women who have accessed urine pregnancy testing tend to seek care up to four weeks earlier than those who have not. Barriers to young women accessing urine pregnancy testing within the public health sector include ignorance of protocols on the part of service providers and a negative attitud e to providing pregnancy tests for teenagers on the basis that this encourages them to be sexually active (Morroni Moodley, 2006). The outcomes of early reproduction for childrenResearch reviewed in Macleod (1999a) pointed to inadequate mothering, neglect, maltreatment and abuse as consequences of early childbearing. The concern about whether these effects were owing to the age of the mother or constraints imposed by poverty were raised. Interestingly, we were not able to locate any recent research that spoke to the issue of mothering or neglect/abuse. Data, albeit contradictory (see below), is, however, available on mortality rates. The 2003 SADHS is inconsistent in terms of its reportage of mortality rates by age of mother. Table 2 below contains figures featured in Table 6. of the 2003 SADHS. (Neonatal mortality is the probability of dying within the first month of life; post-neonatal mortality is the difference between infant and neonatal mortality; infant mortality is the prob ability of dying in the first year of life; child mortality is the probability of dying between exact age one and five; under-five mortality is the probability of dying between birth and exact age five). Data in the table indicate that, on all indices, children born to mothers below the age of 20 have a lower mortality rate than those born to women between the ages of 20 and 39 years.However, the text below this table in the 2003 SADHS states that, â€Å"The relationship between maternal age and child mortality shows the expected U-shape with women younger than 20 years having higher infant and under-five mortality rates than women between 20 and 40 years of age. † This appears to be in direct contradiction to the figures presented. It is not clear which of these (the figures or the statement) is accurate. The conditions that most frequently account for infant deaths are complications in the perinatal period (22%) and low birth weight 20%). Although it is possible that these conditions are more pronounced for young women who give birth, further clarification of the above contradictory data is required. Welfare concerns – the child support grant Macleod (1999a) reported that concerns around welfare dependency were a feature of the Euro-American, but not the South African, literature on teen-aged pregnancy. This is no longer true. With the introduction of the child support grant (CSG), research on the possibility of the CSG acting as a „perverse incentive? as been conducted. The popular concern, as raised in the South African media, that young women are deliberately conceiving in order to access the CSG is supported, to a certain extent, by the PPASA (2003) survey in which it was found that 12. 1% of pregnant teen-aged women who had deliberately conceived cited the CSG as the reason. However, other research (Department of Social Development, 2006; Makiwane Udjo, 2006) concludes that there is no evidence that the CSG leads to a „pervers e incentive? to conceive.These authors base their conclusion on the following: (1) early fertility decreased after the introduction of the CSG; (2) only 20% of teen-aged mothers are beneficiaries of these grants; (3) older female relatives who take over care of the child are often beneficiaries rather than the teen-aged mothers; (4) of those who would qualify for the grant, the proportion of teen-aged mothers taking them up is considerably lower than those in older age groups; and (5) during the period in which the CSG has been offered, rates of termination of pregnancy have increased.Indeed, the fact that many young women who are eligible for the grant are not receiving it should be of concern. In general, the CSG is associated with an increase in school attendance, and improved child health and nutrition, which in turn contributes to schoolreadiness of the child, as well as extra money to pa y for school fees and uniforms (Case, Hosegood Lund, 2005). The concern about the social cost of early reproduction through teen-aged mothers depending on welfare has also been criticised within the United States. Researchers compared teen-aged mothers with teenagers who were pregnant but had a miscarriage (i. e. ho would have been mothers had the miscarriage not occurred). Their conclusions are startling, given the usual assumption in the United States that early reproduction contributes to welfare dependency. They state that if all teenagers delayed childbearing, public assistance expenditure would increase slightly and that the lifetime earnings of these women would decrease (Hotz, McElroy Sander, 1996). CONTRIBUTING FACTORS While not all pregnancies amongst young women are unplanned, and not all unplanned pregnancies are unwanted, more young women find their pregnancies problematic than do women in their middle reproductive years.It is these young women specifically who should be assisted in terms of preventing unwanted pregnancies. An understanding of the contribu tory factors (which are complex and interweaving) is required for this to occur. Knowledge and sources of knowledge Within the context of HIV, much emphasis has been placed on education about condom usage. James, Reddy, Taylor and Jinabhai (2004) found that secondary school learners in the Midlands district of KwaZulu-Natal had a high level of knowledge regarding the causes of and protection against HIV/AIDS and STIs. In studies more directly related to contraception (e. . Oni, Prinsloo, Nortje, Joubert, 2005; Richter Mlambo, 2005), young people? s knowledge has been found to be variable, with some misconceptions abounding. For example, in Rutenberg et al.? s (2001) household survey in KwaZulu-Natal, few respondents (8%) knew about the menstrual cycle and the times a woman has the greatest chance of falling pregnant. This knowledge improved slightly with age. However, 80% of their sample knew that a woman could get pregnant if she had sex only once, almost all (99%) knew of at lea st one method of family planning, and 72% could name more than two.White respondents, urban African respondents and female respondents were more likely to know of more than one method than other respondents. Research on young people? s knowledge of emergency contraception is new. Indications are that this knowledge is quite poor. Mqhayi et al. (2004) found that only 17% of the young women they interviewed at urban and rural public health clinics had heard of emergency contraception, with significantly more urban-based women knowing of its existence than rurally-based women. These trends seem to mirror the knowledge of this kind of contraception in the general population (Smit et al. 2001). Macleod (1999b) noted that: There are a number of difficulties associated with the research which investigates the reproductive ignorance hypothesis. Firstly, the implied one-to-one correspondence between reproductive ignorance and teenage pregnancy is spurious. Obviously, a lack of sexual knowled ge is not a sufficient condition for conception, nor is it even necessary (p. 8). This is now recognised by researchers. For example, Ehlers? (2003a) survey suggests that young women in Tshwane know about contraceptives, but that this knowledge is not necessarily associated with effective usage. 5. 9% of the sample of pregnant young women knew of contraceptive methods but had still conceived. Abel and Fitzgerald (2006) argue that a rational, decision- making model regarding contraceptive usage, that equates knowledge with usage, ignores contextual issues which may prevent young women, especially, from negotiating condom usage. Young men and women are exposed to messages regarding sexuality and contraception from a variety of sources. These includ e elders, peers, the mass media, and formal, institutional sources uch as life skills programmes and family planning services. Parents are enjoined by a variety of sources to speak openly to their children about sexuality and to provide sex education. Ho wever, this may be an unrealistic expectation. Similar to the research reviewed in Macleod (1999b), recent research indicates that it is generally difficult for parents to engage in this kind of interaction with their children (Madu, Kropiunigg Weckenmann, 2002). Despite these barriers, a number of interventions, such as the PPASA? s parent education programmes and loveLife? Born Free dialogues, are aimed at parents to sensitise them to the need to speak with their children about sexual matters. What is becoming clear in the literature are the nuances of interaction between parents or elders and young women. MacPhail and Campbell? s (2001) research shows that while older women provide little or no information to young women, they will assist in taking a young woman to the family planning clinic. Although some young women are informed of a link between menstruation and pregnancy, their understanding of the nature of the association remains vague.Most often young women are admonished to stay away from boys, meaning that abstinence rather than contraception is emphasised. Adult surveillance may also actively impinge on contraceptive use. Information about youths? visits to family planning clinics, and about their suspected relationships and sexual activities is passed on to relevant others, who in turn reprimand the youth in question. As with research reported in Macleod (1999b), peers are found in recent research to be a frequent source of information (Rutenberg et al. , 2001).Again, however, peer communication is viewed as a double-edged sword. While some of their messages provide valuable information, some perpetuate the mystification and silence surrounding sexual matters. In contrast to research reviewed in Macleod (1999b), research in the last decade has concentrated more on the mass media, including magazines and radio and television broadcasts. This must be viewed in the light of recent efforts such as the sexual health campaign run by lov eLife. Research indicates that these media have reasonable reach – about half the population (Rutenberg et al. 2001) – although reception may be gendered, with more males than females being exposed to the messages (Oni et al. , 2005). Exposure to messages in the mass media has been positively associated with increased condom usage (Katz, 2006). Formal, institutional sources of knowledge, where operational, appear also to be effective in terms of imparting knowledge. For example, life skills education in schools has been shown to be of some benefit in terms of promoting sexual and reproductive health knowledge and perceived condom self-efficacy (Magnani et al. 2005). Nevertheless, there is still some way to go, and implementation appears to be uneven. For example, teenagers in Bushbuckridge, Limpopo, stated that they had not received school education that enabled them to understand sexual intercourse, sexually transmitted diseases, contraception, negotiation of sexual r elationships, and the difficulties of single parenthood (Richter Mlambo, 2005). Use of contraceptives It appears that some inroads are being made in terms of contraception use amongst teenagers.Moultrie and McGrath (2007) report from the Demographic Surveillance Site in rural KwaZulu-Natal that between 2000 and 2005 the proportion of young people who had e ver had sex remained relatively constant, but that contraceptive usage increased significantly. Simbayi, Chauveau and Shisana (2004) report a similar trend of increased contraceptive usage in their national survey as compared to findings from the 1990s. Dinkelman, Lam and Leibbrandt (2007) found a significant increase in condom usage and a decrease in multiple partners between 2002 and 2005 amongst women aged 17 to 22 years surveyed in the Cape Area Panel Study.Although contraception usage appears to be increasing, this varies considerably depending on a number of factors, including location and education. According to the 2003 S ADHS, women in rural areas and in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, and those with lower levels of education, reported the lowest condom use. These trends are confirmed by Mqhayi et al.? s (2004) comparative study of rural and urban public health facility users, and by Kaufman, Clark, Manzini and May? s (2004) survey in KwaZulu-Natal.Factors that prevent the use of contraceptives that were reported in recent research are similar to those listed in Macleod (1999b). These include perceived lack of risk, peer norms, gender power relations (MacPhail Campbell, 2001), lack of availability and access, fear of adult attitudes to contraceptive usage, and the economic context of adolescent sexuality (Ehlers, 2003a). Research is beginning to tease out the nuances regarding contraceptive usage. For example, using condoms at sexual debut and speaking to partners about condoms have been reported as indicators of condom use at the respondents? ost recent sexual interaction (Hendriksen, Pettifor, L ee, Coates Rees, 2007), with one survey finding that younger respondents were less likely to speak to their partners than older ones (Manzini, 2001). Garenne et al.? s (2001) research in the Agincourt subdistrict of Limpopo Province shows that contraceptive usage increases significantly amongst young women after first birth. Data from the SADHS shows that youth are currently more willing to use contraceptives prior to first birth than previous cohorts of women. As indicated above, research on emergency contraceptives is new.I n the study by Mqhayi et al. (2004) only two out of 193 women had used emergency contraception, although 39% reported having had unprotected sex in the last year although they did not wish to conceive. Timing of first sexual intercourse and age of sexual partner The average age of sexual debut reported in recent research is somewhat older than that reported in Macleod (1999b), where the average reported age at first coitus was around 14 years. In the 2003 SADH S, the median age of first intercourse is reported consistently across all age groups to be around 18 years, in Pettifor et al.? (2005) nationally representative survey it is around 17 years, and in Simbayi, Chauveau and Shisana? s (2004) nationally representative survey, 16. 5 years. In the 1998 SADHS survey 46% of women reported that their first sexual encounter occurred before the age of 18. This percentage dropped to 42% in the 2003 SADHS survey, indicating a possible general trend in delaying first intercourse. Despite this, early sexual debut is a feature for a sizable minority of young teenagers. Factors affecting sexual debut, including education, provincial location, race, and orphan status, are elucidated more learly in recent research than in that reported in Macleod (1999b). According to the 2003 SADHS, there is a difference of one to three years in age at first sex between the lowest and highest education groups. The provinces reporting the lowest age of sexual debut ar e the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga. The percentage of reported first sex by age 15 was lower among whites, Indians and coloureds than among Africans. Urban versus non-urban location did not make any difference. In a separate study, it was found that orphaned teenagers had an earlier sexual debut than non-orphans (Thurman, Brown, Richter, Maharaj Magnani, 2006).The age difference between partners and the possibility of transactional sex has gained more attention in recent research than was reported in Macleod (1999b). Jewkes, Vundule, Maforah and Jordaan (2001) report a mean difference of 5. 1 years in age between pregnant young women and their current partners in their sample of young women in Cape Town. This differed significantly from a comparison group of young women who were not pregnant, where the mean difference in age between partners was 4 years. Dunkle et al. (2007) report that 17. % of male participants in their study aged 15 to 26 admitted to engaging in transactional sex , and that a male partner was more likely to perpetrate genderbased violence within the context of a transactional sexual relationship. Factors affecting contraceptive use and risky sexual behaviour Macleod (1999b) reported that: The South African research on risk-taking behaviour is mostly descriptive in nature. Researchers in the United States have extended this to investigating the factors associated with risk-taking behaviour and to developing cognitively based theoretical models which may account for this behaviour in certain adolescents (p. 0). This has changed in the last 10 years with researchers analysing and theorising factors associated with sexual risk taking. This is possibly owing to the increased research into young people? s sexual behaviour in the light of the HIV epidemic. Brook, Morojele, Zhang and Brook (2006) researched the multiple pathways to risky sexual behaviour amongst young people through studying the relationship between what they call the proximal facto rs (personality, emotional status and behavioural tendencies), intermediate factors (parent-teenager relationship, peer influence) and distal factors (socioeconomic conditions).Their conclusion is complex, but illustrates the important role that poverty plays in sexual behaviour: The first pathway showed that poverty is related to a weak parent-child relationship, which in turn is related to vulnerable personality and behavioral attributes. Vulnerable personality and behavioural attributes are then observed to be related to associating with deviant peers, which in turn is related to risky sexual behaviour. The second pathway demonstrated that poverty is related to associating with deviant peers, which in turn is linked to vulnerable personality and behavioral attributes and risky sexual behaviour.A reciprocal relationship was observed between associating with deviant peers and having vulnerable personality and behavioural attributes. The third and fourth pathways show that family po verty and deviant peers are directly associated with risky sexual behaviours. †¦ There was no direct link between personality and behavioral risk factors and risky sexual behavior, but we found that this relationship †¦ was mediated by associating with deviant peers (p. 270).Researchers have used a range of social cognitive theories to explain sexual risk behaviour at a personal and interpersonal level amongst young people. For example, Jemmott et al. (2007) found that adolescents who had positive attitudes to condoms and positive behavioural control beliefs (i. e. believed they could use condoms effectively) had firmer intentions to use condoms than their peers. Bryan, Kagee and Broaddus (2006) found HIV knowledge and positive outlook (self-esteem and future optimism) to be associated with the intention to use condoms.The theory of planned behaviour holds that the intention to use condoms is the main determinant of actual use, an assertion that is supported by the researc h of Bryan, Kagee and Broaddus (2006). Boer and Mashamba (2007) found a gender difference in the psychosocial correlates of intention to use condoms. Among the males in their sample, attitude to condoms and subjective norms (perception of the normative beliefs of significant others and motivation to comply with these norms) were associated with intended condom use, while for females attitude to condom and self-efficacy were related to intended condom use.They relate this difference to the gender power imbalances prevalent in many young people? s lives, which means that young women need to have high levels of self-efficacy in order to negotiate condom use within a sexual relationship. S imilarly, Sayles et al. (2006) found that respondents with high self-efficacy engaged in fewer sexual risk behaviours. Perception of risk has been argued to play a role in sexual behaviour. It appears that the threat of contracting HIV is currently a significant factor in motivating young people to us e condoms (Varga, 2000).Despite this, the calculation of costs versus benefits may sway young people towards non-use of condoms. For some youth, decreased physical pleasure and fears of physical consequences (e. g. condom getting stuck in the womb) mitigates against consistent usage of condoms (James et al. , 2004; Varga, 2000). Beliefs concerning what using a condom means are also a factor. Young women? s carrying of condoms or insistence on their use during sex may be seen as a sign of promiscuity, infidelity, or HIV infection.This negativity does not extend to males (Varga, 2000). Harrison, Xaba and Kunene (2001) suggest that male youths understand condoms as something to be used within a casual relationship, while female youths see them as a signal of love and trustworthiness. Varga (2000), however, notes an overarching perception that condoms threaten trust and intimacy between partners. At an interpersonal level, messages from significant others and the ability of young people to negotiate with their partners about contraception have come under the spotlight.Boer and Westhoff (2006) indicate that communication concerning condoms is evident from both strong ties and weak ties within young people? s social networks. However, the level of positivity varied widely, with the most positive messages coming from teachers, mothers, and close friends, and negative messages coming from teachers propagating abstinence and from close friends. Their research indicates that young people tend to conform to messages (either positive or negative) if these messages are provided by strong social ties, but not if they are provided by weak social ties. Violent and coercive sexual relationshipsDunkle et al. (2004) found in their sample of women attending antenatal clinics in Soweto that over half of the women aged 15 to 30 had experienced physical and/or sexual violence from male intimate partners, with nearly one-third reporting incidences in the previous 12 months. Another s urvey, conducted by the PPASA in six provinces, found that 20% of teenaged females reported forced sexual encounters or had been sexually assaulted. While the research on violent and coercive sexual relations appeared in the review by Macleod (1999b), more is now understood concerning its relation to early sexual debut and early pregnancy.For example, Dunkle et al. (2004) found that the median age of first intercourse amongst their participants was 17 years. However, 97% of women who reported first intercourse before 13 years, and 26. 7% of those reporting at the ages of 13 and 14 years also reported non-consent to coitus. Data confirming forced or coerced sexual debut is provided by Rutenberg et al. (2001) and Jewkes and Abrahams (2002). Jewkes et al. (2001) found that the partners of pregnant young women in their sample were more likely to be older, to not be in school and to have multiple girlfriends than the partners of non-pregnant young women.The pregnant women experienced sig nificantly more violence in their relationships and were more likely to have been forced to have sex for the first time. Similar to research reported in Macleod (1999b), the gender dynamics underpinning coercive sex have received attention in recent research. Varga (2000) contends that gender ideology enforces double standards in behaviour and inhibits the ability of young women to negotiate with a partner. Constructions of masculinity in part rely on sexual performance, particularly the construction of isoka, a dominant and sexually vigorous version of masculinity.However, the threat of HIV seems to have diminished this norm, with young men reporting being more cautious than in previous studies. Jewkes and Christofides (2008) suggest that paternity is so important to masculinity, that some young men might actively seek an opportunity to father a child. Cultural factors Macleod (1999b) reported that the exploration of cultural factors in relation to teen-aged pregnancy fell into two broad camps – the breakdown of tradition and the cultural value placed on fertility. The first of these has received less attention in the last 10 years.The practice of vaginal inspection, which was reported as one of the traditional practices that was being broken down, has, however, been debated. Recent initiatives have attempted to use this rite to promote abstinence from sexual intercourse and as a means of avoiding STIs and pregnancy. Maluleke (2003) argues that while there is reason to believe that the rite can be used to pass on valuable information regarding reproductive health to young women, it is a gendered cultural institution. The procedure is seen as demeaning to the women who are tested, and as a violation of personal privacy.There are also possible unintended outcomes, including older men seeking out younger women because of their potential virginity and low HIV risk status (Simbayi, Chauveau Shisana, 2004). The cultural value placed on fertility has receive d less attention, although PrestonWhyte (1999) and Jewkes and Christofides (2008) discuss the issue. They indicate that women of all ages in most African societies experience pressure to have children. Importance is placed on fertility and procreation, such that young women may be labelled as barren if they do not conceive. Pregnancy is understood as the epitome of womanhood.Childbirth may be regarded as a rite of passage, and thus raises the status of a young woman. Furthermore, pregnancy is valued by young African women for the meaning it imparts to re lationships. In the context of multiple relationships, an acknowledged pregnancy may strengthen bonds between partners. Health service provision Macleod (1999b) reported on research which found that access to service provision was difficult for young people. There seems to be some change in this, although there are still difficulties. The majority of participants in MacPhail and Campbell? (2001) research reported obtaining their con doms from the local clinic. In a national sample of adolescent mothers (Ehlers, 2003b), the majority reported waiting only 30 minutes to receive assistance at a family planning clinic, and 86% experienced nurses as being very helpful. The Department of Health? s National Adolescent Friendly Clinic Initiative (NAFCI) was begun in 1999 and works with service providers to improve the quality of health care for young people. Research has identified changes in the perceptions of youth when a clinic has received NAFCI support (Dickson, Ashton Smith, 2007).However, this is not universal and access to condoms is especially difficult for young women who have to negotiate the negative attitudes of nurses at some local clinics (MacPhail Campbell, 2001). CONCLUSION A number of shifts in focus with regards to research on the consequences and contributory factors of teen-aged pregnancy are evident in this review. Researchers no longer pontificate about the obstetric outcomes of teen-aged pregna ncy, but rather concentrate on the services that are provided to young women.The mothering capabilities of young women do not feature as a research question, although (contradictory) data on infant and child mortality rates are available. Relationship difficulties with family of origin and partner, which were reported on in Macleod (1999a) are no longer really an issue. Demographic concerns have disappeared from the radar screen, but welfare concerns have emerged with the introduction of the CSG. Disruption of schooling remains a topic of debate with respect to the outcomes of early pregnancy. Reproductive knowledge, the source of knowledge, sexual debut and the use of contraceptives remain as central points of focus.Researchers seem to have lost interest in expounding early menarche, psychological problems, family structure, and peer influence as contributory factors, all factors that featured in the research reported in Macleod (1999b). Coercive sex and cultural issues remain of i nterest to researchers, although more nuance is evident in the former and less in the latter. The level of health service provision, as a contributory factor, continues to be an important area of focus. In general, we feel that the quality, depth and breadth of the research have improved over the last ten years.This is as a result of (1) the nationally representative as well as localised health surveys being conducted, (2) researchers? teasing out of the nuances surrounding particular issues (such as school return; CSG; interactions between young people and elders around sexual issues, condom usage, and coercive sex) and (3) increased levels of theorising around particular issues. The data that we have access to and the engagement of researchers with the complexities of issues arguably provides a much better basis for thinking through, planning and implementing interventions. Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example Teenage Pregnancy Essay Teenage Pregnancy Essay Essay Topic: Teenage Pregnancy The problem of teenage pregnancy is usually seen as a controversial issue, which affects not just the mother and her child but society as a whole. Teenage pregnancy happens among women under age 20. This problem is not limited to culture, religion, education or moral values and beliefs. Here are some facts: Every year almost a million teenage girls become pregnant. The U. S. A has double the adolescent pregnancy and birth rates than any industrialized country. One- third of the girls who became pregnant as teenagers keep their babies (Teenage pregnancy, Robert T. Brown, 2002). What are the causes of teenage pregnancy? What do parents do wrong? In this essay, I would like to present some of the causes and effects of teenage pregnancy. There are three main factors that have an influence on teenage pregnancy: media, family and wanted pregnancy. The Media is one of the factors that could diminish the sexual risk that adolescents take. However, a lot of advertisement and entertainment are obsessed with sex but they usually do not show the negative consequences of sex. People on TV or movies are depicted as having sex without consequences, which leads to young people thinking that sex is safe and they do not have to worry about the consequences of their acts. Family is the most important thing for many people. But in the last decade, people started to spend most of their time at work. As a result of this change they do not have time for their children. The absence of communication leads to loneliness and unhappiness in their children. They do not feel loved so they start looking for love somewhere else. Many of the adolescents are not particularly developed to make decisions based on reasoned understanding of the future consequences of their actions. This is called immaturity (Teenage pregnancy, Robert T. Brown, 2002) Young people also have a feeling of being protected from risky behaviour. They hope that anything bad will not happen to them. This personal myth leads to unprotected sexual activity, with all it’s consequences. (Teenage pregnancy, Robert T. Brown, 2002)Girls in teen age are more sensitive about things that are happening around them. They often feel lonely and upset. Low self-system is often connected with depression. This may lead to sexual activity, alcoholism or drug addiction. Girls who grow up without father have a tendency to look for older man who can give them the feeling of being loved and protected. Teenage pregnancy, Robert T. Brown, 2002)Wanted pregnancy is a special type of teen pregnancy. Girls become pregnant because they really want to. They want to make their partners happy or they expect that the baby will give them love. Other girls see peers in their social circles having a baby. And because the government contributes certain amounts of money f or children, they can see the material benefit for themselves and their families (Teenage pregnancy, Robert T. Brown, 2002)The effects of teenage pregnancy are not limited to having to decide whether or not to keep the baby. The pregnancy influences society, the mother’s health, finances and emotions. One of the biggest problem are finances: Most working mothers who have had children too early are not qualified enough to get a better paying job. The amount of money they earn is sufficient only for survival. It leads to cheap, unhealthy food, unsanitary houses and poorly equipped school for children and defective medical care. A single mother is also forced to pay bills and utilities as others but in her case it is a big problem. Inability to support her child and pay bills causes physical and mental stress. Dealing with an unplanned pregnancy has a great impact on a girl’s psyche and emotions. It is not just about changes in her body: there are other factors which a teenage mother has to deal with. This includes frustration, initial excitement, fear, resentment or confusion. Young mothers become overwhelmed with the pressure of supporting their children financially. Children suffer for the mistakes of their parents. Children raised by teenage parents start their lives with a handicap. They are automatically placed in the lower class. Children become lonely and confused. Many of these children end up having their own children at an early age. Because of poor education they end up in dead-end jobs, jail or joblessness. (The effects of teen pregnancy on children, Waltohar)In developed countries, teenage pregnancy usually happens outside of marriage, and for this reason it is viewed as a social stigma in many communities and cultures. By contrast, in societies were teen parents are wed pregnancy is welcomed by the family and society. However, in these societies, early pregnancy may combine with malnutrition and poor health care to cause medical problems (Teenage pregnancy, Wikipedia 2006)The most immediate effects of pregnancy are changes in the body. A teen’s body immediately starts the process of adaptation and for preparation for childbirth. A teenager needs to consider the effects of activities on a baby. Because activities common for teenagers, such as drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, lack of sleep or unhealthy eating can have an impact on a growing child. Complications in pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of mortality among young girls. There are several factors which could help to solve this problem. Sexual education can teach effective contraception if teenagers choose to have a sex. It educates people about the risks of alcohol, drugs and unprotected sex. In my opinion, however, the most important thing is that parents should realize that they provide for young people during their teen years and that they should find time for talk with their children.