The Financial and sovereign debt crisis In Europe Essay

The Financial and sovereign debt crisis In Europe - Essay Example However, the sovereign debt crisis particularly worsened in 2010 raising many concerns over the effectiveness of the fiscal policy adopted by the European Monetary Union, which appeared to have failed totally in abating the crisis. Greece and Ireland were among the worst hit countries while Spain and Portugal experienced its impact to a lesser extent. Nevertheless, other European countries have raised concerns that the crisis needs to be controlled amicably lest it spreads to other European countries a scenario, which may become difficult to solve. As a result, the European Union has proposed a raft of measures, which it aims to use in solving such crises in Europe. This paper will analyze some of the new policy initiatives that the European member states has proposed for tackling the financial and sovereign-debt crisis in the region. ... This is in spite of the fact that the policy has put a lot of emphasis on keeping the debts of the public sectors low, as well as strengthening a forward-looking budgetary planning. Furthermore, even after the occurrence of the crisis of 2010 that resulted in the agitation of the financial markets, it became apparent that the EMU did not have what it takes to manage and solve the crisis as noted by Cottarelli et al. (Par.4). Such a failure has prompted the European Union to respond to the crisis in more appropriate manner that will prevent any financial and foreign debt crisis in the future. The first proposed policy for solving Europe’s financial and sovereign-debt crisis in the region was the stabilization of Greece followed by the establishment of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) that has proved effective in stabilizing markets (Honohan par.2). Nevertheless, Swartz reveals that these crisis responses were established in an ad-hoc manner and on a provisional basis and fails to provide an adequate basis for dealing with any probable future debts and financial crisis (6). There are also several other policies which have been proposed as a means of tackling the financial and sovereign debt crisis in the Euro zone. The paper will examine the new policies that have been proposed to solve the financial and sovereign debt crisis in Europe. Becker argues that Europe is one of the regions that suffered most from the effects of financial and sovereign debt crisis that affected several countries in this region following the debt and financial crisis of the 2010 spring (Par.1). This crisis is said to have affected many financial markets in the region including banking institutions, which suffered

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 28

Case Study Example Mechanism should take the four concept developed in the version of a television commercial convert to same advertisement concept. Mekanism can further launch them online without purchasing media space and instead increase the power of social media to spread the ads online. For PLP Company to market and distribute their RTD teas in North America it needs a wider range of customer power for the sales of their products as customer is the most important asset and priority of any business enterprise. To build the customers base by implementing new techniques in mobilizing the customers like the social networking sites online. For the brand Brisk, they have to influence and convince other customers using some brands like the Arizona to switch to Brisk to increase the sales turnover There is stiff competition between the companies advocating their brand attempt to create awareness to customers about the brands through the media, storytelling, and the traditional television commercials. While the Brink’s sales were growing fast, the brand was still falling behind its competitors in term of its social media presence. For example in the summer of 2010, brisk competitors such as Arizona. Snapple and SoBe had all built significant stronger social media following than Brisk. Arizona, which regularly ran popular contest on Facebook, had garnered almost 250 times more customers on it than Brisk and more than 20 times more followers on Twitter. The acronym is Pepsi Lipton Partnership. It is a business marketing strategy between the Pepsi Company and the Lipton. The companies formed a 50-50 joint venture called the Pepsi Lipton tea Partnership to enhance their marketing strategy. The collaboration allowed Lipton to take advantage of PepsiCo’s strong presence in the market across the world, and it has well developed bottling system and distribution networks. In return, PepsiCo would benefit from Lipton’s reputation as a

Business Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business Analysis - Case Study Example The Company drew popularity in the 1940s as a cleaning company that offered its services to the defense forces of nations especially those involved in war. The Tennant brand is strong and so is its positioning within the market. They currently hold approximately fifteen percent of the global market share, with sales growing faster than many of their competitors. Tennant’s focus was rare as they chose to deliver a sustainable value to their customers without compromising on price or performance. This strength is not imitable with new companies as it something that is built over time although many existing companies have built the same brand strength with their products. This strength has proved to be a sustainable competitive advantage for Tennant. They have exploited this strength and achieved organization. Key Issues 1) Tennant needs a strategic plan that will assure them future growth in the wake of competition and uncertainty in the market. 2) The market diversification pla ns at Tennant are intense. Tennant should focus on making their current product lines stronger. 3) Tennant is constantly facing new competition, much of which is offering discounted products making it difficult for Tennant and other companies in the industry to compete. Criteria and Evaluation of Alternatives by Criteria SWOT Analysis Strengths Tennant has strength in their discovery and early adoption of new technologies. It has allowed them to build relationships with various suppliers and service providers and has helped further build their brand name and recognition within the industry. This strength will be critical if Tennant chooses to venture in to new market segments or further expand their product line as they will always be a step ahead of their competition. This strength has proved to be a key competitive advantage for Tennant. They have exploited this strength and achieved organization. Weaknesses This industry is mostly affected by the growing consumer demands that sur pass production capability of any company. Due to this identified demand, the industry has experienced substantial growth, emanating from the expansion of market by competitors. Opportunities also arise as a result of growth. This is reflected by the current state of intense competition in the industry. Political factors fuel this demand especially due to policies regulating health standards and application of such efforts to ensure cleanliness. Opportunities The primary identified opportunity of the industry is that of providing chemical-free cleaning product alternatives as supplements to their already established product lin

The relationship between stress, anxiety, habits and phobias Essay Example for Free

The relationship between stress, anxiety, habits and phobias Essay In This essay I shall describe in detail the individual elements, Stress, Anxiety, Habits and Phobias. Firstly I shall describe how these issues manifest within the subconscious, and then I shall address the relationship between the conditions, and how these can come about. Following this I shall discuss the treatment process of my chosen element in more detail (anxiety). Beginning with Stress. Stress can often over lap with anxiety, but I shall try to describe them individually before divulging into their inter-relations. The dictionary describes stress as â€Å" a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.† Stress is linked to our ‘fight of flight’ survival instinct; it has been present from our prehistoric ancestors, as a survival technique. This technique created a sense of fear, and arousal in the subconscious to help flea from harm. Nowadays, we face different threats, as modern day survival depends on our placement in society, and the role of hunter-gatherer has been replaced by earning through means of occupation to supply for our families. This modern day way of life has created more complex threat, and a more deep-rooted variety of stresses such as our social standing, job status, high expectations and other modern day pressure filled tasks. Unlike our prehistoric ancestors, running from our problems is not a beneficial solution. We have to deal with our ‘monsters’ and work through problems, as more stress and or anxiety can be caused by loosing control, along with the potential consequences that could follow on from such a situations e.g. loose homes, belongings, family issues etc. Furthermore, the more we allow ourselves to experience such stressful situations, the more sensitive our fight or flight mode becomes, which means we end up constantly ready for battle, constantly on edge as if â€Å"perceiving potential threat everywhere†. Therefore we can see that stress is formed from situations one is experiencing presently, whether they are experiencing feelings of fear, feelings of anger or feelin gs of anxiety, and not dealing with these issues can be severely detrimental causing a cyclical  deterioration. Leading on from stress, I shall now explore the issue of anxiety. Anxiety manifests itself from the minds creativity; it is an individual’s apprehension of events to be. In the build up to change, our minds create all sorts of conclusions from the ideal scenario to the worst scenario. Each of these scenarios fills us with a type of anxiety, whether it is tingles of excitement, or dread. We get these feelings as we start a new job, before we do a presentation at school or at work; we get them when we get bad news, maybe news of our health deteriorating. There can be long of short term causes of anxiety depending on the event you are about to endure, or are going through, and we all deal with different situations differently. Moreover, how you deal with these issues can be dependent on your environment, and some can be part of your genetics. Stress like anxiety, is not all bad, stress can be positive.It is good to have stress to motivate, and prepare individuals for repercussions of events and deal with change as it happens knowing that a number of outcomes are possible, this is known as Eustress. Self-preparation in a way, it is just the overload of stress, a stress that is consistent in someone’s life that is detrimental, such as dealing with a terminal illness like cancer, this is known as Chronic Stress. Stress has been catergorised into six categories, and having mentioned Chronic, and Eustress, I shall briefly explain the other four. Hypo stress, which can occur due to lack of motivation, doing a repetitive and un-motivating job, may cause someone to suffer from this. Acute, which can be described as ‘typical’ stress, and can be helped within a six week program though various treatments, Episodic acute stress, this type of stress can be treated but can take up to six months, it can produce migraines, strokes, heart attacks etc., and finally there is Traumatic stress, post traumatic stress can be put into this category, it’s a stress that is so severe that it will seem to increase for the individual, therefore this type of stress can only be treated by qualified professionals. It can occur from extreme physical or mental trauma such as a natural disaster, or extreme physical peril. I shall discuss the signs to look out for in clients who may be suffering  from anxiety or stress, and the treatment methods later in the essay, firstly I shall explore Habit and Phobias. We use habits as coping mechanisms, they may originally of helped you cope with an issue when you were very young, the mind is so busy dealing with our current and ever changing environment and the events that take place, that a lot of the things we do are stored or on ‘auto pilot’, for future use in similar situations. An example of Auto pilot is driving, some journeys we have gotten from A to B and our minds have been elsewhere for most of the time, yet we have changed gear, stopped at lights, allowed traffic to pass at roundabouts and made it to our destination. Other habits include comfort eating, smoking when feeling stressed, and loosing control by lashing out or shouting when angry, all on an ‘auto pilot’. The brains extraordinary problem solving skills and storage system has adapted to recognize behaviors linked to negative and positive outcomes, behaviors that bring us comfort and happiness, and it can be very hard to change or break these behaviors (habits), that are so deeply ingrained. Examples of these are thumb sucking for comfort, nail biting when tense, or anxious, and using food or drink as a comfort or control mechanism. As therapists we need to encourage habits that are needed in the clients day-to-day life, and highlight and work on habits that are no longer necessary in a client’s life. To do this, its important to understand why these habits have come about, and looking at hidden agendas such as stress, anxiety and phobic issues can help bridge the gap between the root of the habit and enable the therapist to work on breaking the habit, and curing the root ailment. Like all the ailments we are discussing in this essay, commencing treatment with an adequate notation, and finishing the first session with a screed to relax the client can be very beneficial, and aid the client by teaching them new tools to extract the habits, and replace them with more positive coping mechanisms, such as relaxation, and then further sessions will help you establish any further underlying issues and hidden agendas. Finally I’d like to discuss phobias. Phobias are irrational fears. Some phobias are learnt others inherited. A phobia itself is created in the subconscious mind, and they tend to be quite intense fears of items, animals, individuals or anything really. Phobias can range, from simple phobias i.e. heights, and small spaces, to Complex phobias such as losing control, being in an accident, then there is Social Phobias, fearing social situations and what others may think if you are blushing, or say the wrong thing, linked to social phobias are Panic attacks, which are a result of severe anxiety, which has a physical effect on the body, and finally there is Agoraphobia, which is fear of being away from the comfort of ones home, out in the open environment, an environment out of an individuals control. A note to mention when treating Phobias is on the subject of ethical issues, however bizarre a phobia is to another person, as a therapist, it is very important to be professional whilst dealing with a client with a phobia, as looking amused or shocked, could be detrimental to the rapport you are creating and also the clients comfort level. I shall now briefly look into treatment methods for Phobias. Similar to habits, I believe it is important to use a relaxation to begin with, then on the next session begin to explore the fear, and the use of ideomotor signals can help identify where the phobia began, the use of regression therapy to take the client back to where it began can then be used, and suggestions given to the client to help renounce the phobia. Other methods could include making the fear seem irrational and empowering the client to see that there is no need to be afraid. Having looked at each condition it is clear that there are definite overlaps, where anxiety build up can lead to stress, or fear of an event. And habits can be used as a coping method to deal with stress and anxiety issues. All of the above can be helped with hypnotherapy. However some conditions would need to be used in collaboration with other professional help, (in order for treatment to be ethically sound) such as people suffering from panic attacks and Post traumatic stress disorders, to name a couple. One must be aware that as well as helping, hypnotherapy could hinder if the therapist isn’t mindful of a client who may be suffering more deep rooted issues, (where more than Hypnotherapy may be necessary) such as continuous anxiety, some  forms of depression, neurotic disorders etc. These more acute psychological or physical issues need to be further investigated through means of GP consent and discussion with supervisor. Continuing on, I would like to discuss symptoms to look out for when with a client suffering from stress and anxiety. Stress can be both mental and physical. The most common are clients saying they are suffering from depression or severe anxiety and they cannot put their finger quite on why they feel this way, (confusion, and lack of organization in their current day to day life due to lack of concentration may be occurring). There is also insomnia, sleep deprivation, broken sleep, and perhaps problems in their sex lives. The stress will be apparent in many different ways in your client, either easily identifiable, constant and therefore identifiable through lack of self-esteem, or possibly related to another ailment such as IBS, depression etc. (Here a more detailed exploration of the actual issue is definitely necessary, perhaps seeking advice, referring, or GP consent, depending on the issue). Their are crossovers when looking for signs of anxiety in a client, as this ailment affects the entire entity, and can create phobia like symptoms, as it can create fear in the client, who will avoid the subject which causes the anxiety, which will cause more negativity, and this negative cycle can lead to feelings of depression, and isolation. Other physically visible symptoms, are linked to the ‘fight or flight’ mode, and they are ridding the body of unnecessary waste, so the body can produce more oxygen to flea or defend, such as sweating, diarrhea and trembling. Having discussed the above conditions and having delved into their roots and inter relations. I shall conclude with a paragraph on how to deal with a client who claims to be experiencing anxiety. Treating anxiety with hypnotherapy is very effective, and as a therapist we hope to change an individuals perception of a past event or release emotion from it in order for them to be able to cope better. As a therapist it is important to put your client completely at ease to gain rapport. Making sure your voice is calm and welcoming, you make eye contact, and your body language is warm and welcoming, and your mannerisms and conversation must always come under the  ethical code. Obviously all clients differ, but in the case of anxiety one would tend to use a more authoritarian script, as the clients anxious imagination is obviously running wild, and in order to collect their thoughts and help them relax, I believe taking control of the hypnotic journey would be most efficient. Working with the notation one will have collected, and having done a PMR or other relaxation on the first session (and adding a trigger induction), one would use the clients modality and work to the clients comfort levels to ensure the script was completely suitable for them, making the client feel safe and secure and watching the paralanguage of the client to ensure the client was not becoming physically anxious whilst under. Examples of script suggestions for anxiety would include empowering the client, making them feel in control and free, but always giving them a devise if they felt they needed support. A script in the module notes uses a shield, and others I have explored and would be prone to use are ones that include vulnerable animals such as rabbits to really delve into the fight or flight mode, and making the client aware of why these anxious tendency occur, and suggesting to them to be mindful, and know that they are ok, and proud to recognize and deal with such situations. Briefly, when treating stress one must prepare a script to change the reaction to a particular situation during hypnosis to a more positive one, the feelings about that situation can also become more positive. When an individual then experiences that situation in real life, their reaction will often be much different. References: Module Notes Hypnotic World Hypno directory (online)

Localization of Bran Functions: Research and Analysis

Localization of Bran Functions: Research and Analysis Adult brains show localized functions, for example with speech processes being concentrated in areas in the left hemisphere and with executive functions concentrated in the pre-frontal cortex. How does this organization come about? Is it because these functions are localized from birth? The functioning and processes of the brain is a very complex subject. Years of studies and experiments are yet to answer all the questions we have, although modern technology like brain imaging and MRI’s has come a long way to try to understand the way our brains work and their development. The matters we will be looking at is how the brain functions are organised, exploring localisation and the strengths and limitations to this, and could this localization have be set in shape from the birth of a human brain. To do this we will be focusing on modulization and innate modularity and the theories behind them. Cognitive development of the brain starts as a baby grows in the womb and the genetic makeup of the parents entwine and start to create a genetic blueprint. As there is a limited environment in the womb, the effect that environment will have on the baby will be limited. Because of this, the post-natal stage of brain development is probably the considered the more important of the two. The human brain does most of its advance development outside of the womb, only creating the basic connections and functions inside the womb. This can be seen using brain mapping of a baby at different stages of their infancy; as a neonate the baby as very few connections and as they get older, the dendritic trees of neurons can be seen extending creating much more connections. Huttenlocher (1990) reported a steady increase in the number of synapses in several regions of the cerebral cortex†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦in parts of the visual cortex, the generation of the synapses begins around the time of birth. (Mareschal et al., 2004, p. 122)From this we can see that there are limited functions and connectivity in the brain at birth and soon after birth these connectivities rapidly start to expand. So for these functions to be localised from birth would mean having all the right connections in place for this to be possible. So from this alone we can assume that these functions are localized through influence of their environment after birth and not set in place at birth. During the early stages of a babies postnatal brain development , the brain holds the ability of plasticity which allows change and adaption for diiferent parts of the brain. At this time plasticity limits the functions in the brain are not yet identified as this capability allows for various parts of the brain to take on diverse functions in cases of localized brain damage. As the child turn into n adult the brain becomes more set and let plastic and damage to the brain in this state is a lot harder to recover from. As the brain continues to mature, its neural pathways separate and functions localise, making it much harder to ‘transfer’ functions from one section of the brain to another. Parts of the brain are allocated with certain functions; language and speech is located predominantly in the left hemisphere and cognitive functions in pre-frontal cortex. (Mareschal et al., 2004, p. 123) Along with the separation of the neural pathways and brain development comes funct ional specialization. Lewkowitz and Turkewitz (1981) study in the early 1980s supported this claim. They showed that new-born babies visual preferences were significantly affected by previous auditory stimulus. Also studies by Meltzoff and Borton (1979) show that independent pathways in infants between 3 and 5 months of age are used to receive information from different senses. These processes of separating neural pathways to create a localized functioning of the brain are linked to selectionism which originates from Darwins theory of selection, in this case showing that the pathways that were ‘weaker’ or used less are eliminated and die off while those that are frequently use are strengthened in order to function a lot quicker. Although there is little understand and much speculation about this process. (Mareschal et al., 2004,p. 124-5) By dividing the brain into cognitive modules, this helps us to try to understand the structures and functions of the brain. There is a lot of speculation as to whether these do modules exist, they provide a basis for potential explanation of brain functioning. Scientists, Fodor and Karmiloff-Smith share very contrasting views and theories on brain functioning; although they both believe there are such things as cognitive module, they have conflicting views on how they are developed. Fodor (1983) had a nativist perpective and argued that modularity of the brain is ‘innate’. He believed that humans are born with the innate capacity to develop information processing systems that allow them to make sense of the world, in which they have evolved. (Mareschal et al., 2004, p.127) He believed that the brain has the ability to function in a particular way and the environment cannot affect this. This statement can easily be scrutinised as early we discussed that genes ‘always’ interact with their environment. Therefore, for the functioning of the brain to not be affected by the environment would me an that certain genes do not interact with their environment. Fodor claimed that this happened as a direct outcome of the evolution of our species. (Mareschal et al., 2004, p.127) One piece of evidence that is useful in showing a weakness in Fodor’s theory is that of Self-organization. The Self-organizing system is based on the ability of the brain to sort information into structures when in a particular environment. (Mareschal et al 2004, p.132), According to Keslo 1995, Johnson 1997 (cited in Mareschal et al 2004), Brain development at all of the stages requires a certain amount of self-organisation. Self-organisation is based on the theory of Hebb (1949) which claims that for localized functions to work at the same time and to create particular pathways, an important rule of repetition comes into play. The Hebb rule states that the connections created by neurons to transmit information are joined by its repeated use and so support the theory of selectionism. Karmiloff-Smith (1992) on the other hand, argues that cognitive modules created through development and the effect of environment interaction and stimulation. A strong indicator for Smith is the plasticity of the brain, that certains parts of the brain may take up the function of another part of the brain if needed at an early age, which challenges the nativist idea of innate local functioning. This debate between Fodor and Karmiloff-Smith is ongoing. Petersen et al. (1990) conducted an experiment using a PET machine, where they presented native and foreign speakers with English words. The test shown that particular parts of the cortex in native speakers responded to English words. This implies that the exposure to same the environment led to the development of a specific processing area in the cortex of their left hemisphere to process English language. This experiment supports the ‘modulization theory. (Mareschal et al., 2004, p. 130) While there is much complex data to consi der, there appears to be more evidence in favour of Karmiloff-Smith’s (1992) theory which is best demonstrated with experiments and studies carried out on the ability for children to learn language. Nativists like Chomsky (1965) claim that language is innate and supporting this claim further Pinker (1994) claims that pidgins and creoles are some of the evidence for this. His claim is drawn from the evidence which shows that children are able to create grammatically correct language though they never heard it being spoken before. Chomskys argument from the ‘poverty of the input suggesting that children can create a new language such as well formulated, never before heard question. He also claims that the brain has a special set of genes allowing language to develop in a particular cortical region. In contrast to Pinkers claim, the evidence from neuroscience and particularly the study carried out by Neville et al. (1998) illustrates that though in adulthood there are spec ialist cortical regions processing language, it wasn’t destined from birth that these functions were processed in these parts of the cortex. The experiment Neville et al. carried out with his participants, showed that in the deaf participants, the identical area of language processing was stimulated as in the hearing participants and in further still, a larger part of the right hemisphere was activated. Findings like this show that different parts of the brain can support language related information processing. (Mareschal et al., 2004p. 140) Reilly et al. (1998) provides further evidence. They conducted a study carried out on children with localized brain damage in the area of language processing. This occurred soon after or during birth. The study showed that while the learning ability of the children was not continuous but in fact varied, it presented a pattern of constant functional regaining of the damaged area, which were taken over by another area of the cortex. Anothe r study for adults revealed that localized lacerations causing specific loss of certain capabilities are mostly permanent. This suggests that in adulthood the plasticity of the brain reduces the functions cannot be relocated elsewhere. Johnson et al. (1996) study regarding the practical ability of pre-frontal cortex appears to support modularization. The study involving infants, revealed results suggesting that cognitive and behavioural development of infants is associated with the pre-frontal cortex especially when it comes to learning new abilities in initial stages of development. This demonstrates that the pre-frontal cortex activity is more general in early development and is able to take on other functions. Changes in these functions in the cortex are further focused and localized and the role of pre-frontal cortex reduces. It is very difficult to prove one theory as correct and the other as incorrect, as they both share areas that can be supported by some research or studies. Although a lot of evidence appears to be in favour of the modularization theory, there is a lot evidence that backs the innate modularity theory also. Both having strengths and weaknesses, but neither have enough evidence to completely contradict the other. In this case it would be safer to say that evidence shows that some functions are localized from birth, but have the potential to adapt if necessary while other functions appear to be unable to interchange and can only operate in there localized region. The reason for this appears to be circumstantial. Depending on factors such as age, damage, purpose, function and environment. It has been made know that not all functions are localized at birth and that there is much growth, development and connections made after birth that allows many areas of the brain to take part in one function and allowing the brain to expand and change. The evidence shown in this essay clearly shows that modularization is supported more than innate modularity. Even with the aid of current technology, scientists are still unable to stipulate which of the theories is the most accurate and the unending dispute is so yet to be settled. Word count: 1809 References Mareschal, D., Johnson, M. H . and Grayson A, (2004) Brain and cognitive development in Oates J. and Grayson A. (eds) Cognitive and Language Development in Children, Oxford, Blackwell/The Open University

Math Coursework - The Fencing Problem :: Math Coursework Mathematics

The Fencing Problem Introduction A farmer has exactly 1000 metres of fencing and wants to use it to fence a plot of level land. The farmer was not interested in any specific shape of fencing but demanded that the understated two criteria must be met:  · The perimeter remains fixed at 1000 metres  · It must fence the maximum area of land Different shapes of fence with the same perimeter can cover different areas. The difficulty is finding out which shape would cover the maximum area of land using the fencing with a fixed perimeter. Aim The aim of the investigation is to find out which shape or shapes of fencing will cover the maximum area of land using exactly 1000 metres of fencing material. Prediction I am predicting that the maximum area of land covered will be achieved by using the fencing shapes with the greatest number of sides. Method I made a list of possible different shapes to be investigated and assigned measurements to the sides of the shapes making sure that they fit in within the perimeter of 1000 metres of fencing. I then worked out the areas of each shape using known mathematical formulae and techniques such as Pythagoras' theorem to calculate the sides of right angled triangles; using trigonometrical functions (sine, tangent and cosine) to calculate either angles or sides of triangles constructed. Sometimes there are no known exact formulae for working out the area of certain shapes such as octagon and more complex polygons. In such cases, given shapes are split into shapes that have known formulae for areas and the worked out the areas are added together. Areas of the following shapes were investigated: square, rectangle, kite, parallelogram, equilateral triangle, scalene triangle, isosceles triangle, right-angled triangle, rhombus, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon and octagon. Results The results of the analysis are shown in Table 1 and Fig 1. Table 1 showing the areas for the different shapes formed by using the

A divided America on the topic of abortion Essay

Abortion In modern history, there have been few subjects of political and social interest as divisive as that of abortion. Ideologically, many traditional religions such as Christianity have stipulated that abortion itself is an unethical practice and one that is morally wrong. Many Christians assert that there is some divinely unethical nature of the mishandling of the fetus itself. Most arguments of this kind essentially pertain to the status of the fetus as a person, one that has the right to the same advantages and privileges as its human mother. As such, abortion has come to dominate many discussions and people have found platforms to argue for or against the acceptance of abortion as a norm in our society. Much of the opposition surrounding the ethics of abortion pertains to religious belief, and many ascribe to the notion that abortion contradicts divine command theory. As such, there are many factors to consider in interpreting abortion from a theological standpoint, as well as in add ressing the positives and negatives associated with the act itself. When the United States first began establishing itself as its own country, many of the states simply transferred English laws to their own and used these as a sort of template for how to conduct their own affairs. Abortion was handled much the same in this way, and the structure for how many states began to approach abortion came from how they chose to handle it within this framework. Many states essentially stated that it was not allowed or permitted after around the 15-20 week period immediately following conception. Anti-abortion laws and statutes officially began to manifest themselves in the United States around the 1820s, and these laws expanded upon previous laws to help supplant the notion that abortion was unethical. In the year 1821, one of the first prominent anti-abortion laws came forth from Connecticut, which outlawed medicines that were given to women to help further abortions. In 1829, New York made abortions that Despite the advances that were occurring in medical science and the developments in these fields, many people in the United States still considered it an unethical dilemma to condone the acts that were associated with abortion, or to facilitate them. As medical sciences grew in support of the belief that fetuses didn’t exhibit the same traits or characteristics as fully-born children, many theological centers and individuals began imposing their own opinions of the matter, to stand in stark contradiction to these claims. Scientists in this era concluded that conception was merely an inauguration point for the development of a fetus and that it was a continuous process of development until the child fully possessed all of its human-like traits and characteristics. Criminalization of abortion became a huge trend in the late 1860s, as various doctors and legislators began doubling down on the act and making it illegal. By the year 1900, abortion had become a felony in essentially every state in the country. Yet, some states had included clauses or provisions which were meant to ensure that abortions could be conducted in a limited nature, when issues such as the health of the mother became a factor, or if the pregnancy was the direct result of incest or rape. In 1973, the Supreme Court was a group the case of Roe v. Wade, one that would transform the history of abortions in the country and provide a catalyst for a more in-depth examination of the ethical nature of abortions themselves. In this particular case, the Supreme Court came to rule that a statute in Texas which forbade abortion, except when it was necessary to ensure the safety of the mother, was unconstitutional. This decision sparked a tremendous amount of backlash and controversy and has provided a plethora of individuals and groups with a reason to once again oppose the act. Many of these groups and entities have debated on the ethical nature of abortion, and have used the divine command theory to support their claims. The divine command theory is a theological approach to understanding and interpreting the grounds of morality, as well as establishing what is moral and what is not. Unlike the ethics of natural law, the divine command theory is used to establish a clear and present moral direction, and to help supplant a sense of duty and ethical foundation. The theory is developed on the notion that God is the creator of the world, and that the laws which govern morality and ethics are extensions of the commands that God asserts. Furthermore, the argument among many theological representatives is that God would be against the nature of abortion, as it stands contrary to the Commandments that God gave humans. A direct and implicit interpretation of the morality of abortion may be surmised from the scripture in Exodus 21:22-24, in which the scripture itself discusses a woman who has a miscarriage as a result of two men who are fighting in the passage. (The Bible, Exodus 21:22-24) The scripture does n ot directly state that she had an abortion at that moment, but it does provide an inference into the miscarriage and states that it was immoral due to the fact a life was lost in this time. As such, it has become a principle Christian belief that a life of a fetus is equivalent to that of an adult human, in terms of the value that God places upon it. In the passage 44:2, it is stated that â€Å"thus says the Lord who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you. Do not fear, O Jacob My servant, and you Jeshurun whom I have chosen.† (The Bible, Isaiah 44:2) In this bit of scripture, God consults with Jacob and tells him that he should not have any fear because God provided him with life directly from the womb of his mother, which would imply that God has established some level of plan or purpose for Jacob even when he was a fetus. It is this basis that many have used to establish their interpretation of divine command theory. This notion supports the centralized argument that it is humanity’s responsibility to provide the most maximum safety for that of all human life, which these theorists argue starts in the womb and immediately after conception. The moral ramifications of abortion, as this theory postulates, is that God will not condone actions which facilitate the likelihood of abortion or the helping of abortion in any way. While it can be said that the religious groups believe that the life of a fetus is sacred, many people outside of these mentalities believe that there is an inherent right in the mother to control what she does with her own body, and how she goes about doing it. Many of these individuals argue that their belief systems do not correlate directly with this mentality and that it is unethical in itself to subject a woman to the harsh realities of being a mother if it was never her intention to become a mother in the first place. As such, it is worth understanding abortion itself and what it can entail, to better interpret the ethical nature of the act and which side presents a more sound argument. Abortion can be a tremendously devastating act, psychologically. A study that was amassed from approximately 56,000 public records in California concluded that women who had abortions were 160 percent more likely to be sent to the hospital for psychiatric care, as opposed to women who had chosen to see the pregnancy through and deliver the child. (Barlett, 2004, 729) Furthermore, it was noted that the rates of treatment for psychiatric issues were higher by a large margin for upwards of four years, in women who had abortions. Further studies indicate that many women experience psychological issues as early as eight weeks after they have an abortion. These studies have found that approximately 44 percent of women have some level of nervous disorder and that 36 percent note that they have some level of disturbance in their sleep patterns and in their overall regular sleep cycles. (Barlett, 2004, 731) Over 30 percent of these women also note that they openly regret the decision that the y made, and approximately 11 percent of people are prescribed some type of medication to help them cope with the stresses associated with their decision. (Barlett, 2004, 731)   Women who have abortions are more prone to visit psychiatrists than those who have delivered children to full term. Researchers have concluded that there is only one real positive emotion that is correlated with abortions, being that of relief. Yet, this can quickly be supplanted by feelings of numbness or a sense of emotional paralysis. It is often the case that women who have abortions are left with a general inability to express their emotions after the procedure, correlating whatever feelings they have to just a general appreciation for having been able to survive the procedure, with little more being reported. This can lead to a more stable, concurrent level of negative reactions which can continue to manifest themselves throughout the next several months following an abortion-related procedure. Significant studies have concluded that approximately 50 percent of women question their decisions after the procedure, and over 55 percent express some sort of guilt within the 8 weeks that follow the abortion. (Barlett, 2004, 735) Furthermore, approximately forty percent of women who abort report to having sexual complications or dysfunctions, which can last for a short or long period of time in most cases. These can include increased pain or a loss of pleasure from the acts of sex and an aversion to the genitals of their partners, or to males in general. Psychological issues aren’t the only ones that can manifest themselves after an abortion. Approximately one hundred complications have been associated with the induction of abortion, and all of these have the capacity to affect the women undergoing these processes. Statistics on abortion state that 10 percent of women who are undergoing some type of abortion-related procedure have some type of immediate physical or mental issue that occurs during or after the process and 20 percent of these can be seen as major factors and health-related issues. (Barlett, 2004, 737) Among many of the complications that can physically happen are infections, fevers, abdominal pain, bleeding, vomiting and intestinal disturbances. The most commonly identified major issues that can happen are serious infections, embolism, convulsions, cervical injury, hemorrhaging, perforation of the uterus, bleeding, and shock during the process. A study which cataloged the effects of 1,180 abortions concluded tha t over 27 percent of the patients had some type of infection that lasted more than 3 days after the process. (Barlett, 2004, 741) While it can be said that many of these issues can be immediately treated, a large percentage of them can lead to long-term, more serious results and damages to the reproductive system and other attributes of the woman’s body and health. 3 to 5 percent of women who have aborted are accidentally left sterile as a result of the effects of the process, and this is even greater when venereal diseases are introduced into the equation. (Barlett, 2004, 740) Despite these factors, there are many potential ethical positives to abortions. Regardless of the health risks associated with abortion, it should ultimately be left to the woman to decide what she will do with her own body. Many experts argue that pregnancies should not be enforced upon the acts of sex. In 2008, a study concluded that 41 percent of all pregnancies that happened in the United States were not planned, or indirectly accidental in some way. (Finn, Moore, 2008, 112) When one considers the size of the population in the United States, there are over 85 million women who identify with this claim. The number of reasons that a woman should be able to cancel a pregnancy should not be so limited, and this affects a large percentage of the population in the United States. Delineating these decisions and the freedom for a woman to have her own say over her body does not pose a significant level of intrinsic value in the life of the woman. Furthermore, the issue becomes more complex when one looks at the availability of contraception. It is often the case that many women who have sex and their partners are not able to readily find contraception, nor do they have the means to ascertain it themselves. Since 1980, there has been a 61 percent decrease in the funds that are available through the Title X program, which helps to provide affordable services to people to help them dictate their family planning. (Finn, Moore, 2008, 110)   Many socially-charged issues and the dissemination of anti-abortion materials have catalyzed a scenario in which women do not have the proper access to the resources that they often need to ensure that they do not get pregnant. When this is considered, enforcing abortions does not have much of an ethical foundation in itself, supplanting the notion that women’s bodies and their decisions are not valid or hold the same level of importance as the livelihood of fetuses. Abortion is a tremendously important social issue, and one that has manifested itself in many different ways throughout the course of modern American history. Many opponents of abortion believe that the act is against God’s will, and that God has ordained the value of a fetus’ existence as comparable to the lives of humans. This coincides with the principles of divine command theory according to many of these individuals, and their belief system is built around the notion that abortion is a fundamentally unethical issue to God. Many ideologies have used this as a principle justification for their unwillingness to understand or accept abortion, which has led to a significant level of controversy in the United States between the groups of people who oppose it and those who support it. As a result, the United States has had a turbulent history with the subject of abortion, which has led to much debate in terms of a woman’s right to her own livelihood and body. While it can be said that abortion can be a potentially harmful action in terms of the effects it can have psychologically and physically, a woman should still be given the freedom to choose how she goes about her own body, and what she chooses to do with it. Socially, it is the responsibility of a nation such as the United States to provide the most adequate resources that it can to help facilitate these processes and the decisions that women make.    References Bartlett, LA. â€Å"Risk factors for legal induced abortion-related mortality in the United   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   States†.Obstet Gynecol.Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004. p. 729-745. Finer, Lawrence B.;   Moore, Ann M.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Qualitative Perspectives† Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 2008. pp..   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   110–128. The Bible: Contemporary English Version, 2000. London: Harper Collins. Weingarten, Karen. Abortion in the American Imagination: Before Life and Choice, 1880-1940,   Ã‚  Ã‚   2000.New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. p. 176.