Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender Essay

Female protagonists are challenged to break the stereotype that women are weak, and to instead illustrate that women are just as capable as men in most if not all things. Marele Day’s, â€Å"The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender† is a text in which the protagonist, Claudia Valentine subverts and challenges the male centred conventions of the crime fiction genre. She does this by being strong, who not only does the work of men, but also manages to thrive in a harsh setting where women are not ordinarily found. Understanding her character, and the way that shapes her work, and where she lives is key to fully appreciating how Days’ text subverts the crime fiction genre. One of the significant ideas, explored by Marele Day is the issue of Gender. In the opening of the novel, Marele Day uses description to invite the readers to a whirlpool of â€Å"ash trays†, empty bottles of â€Å"Jack Daniel†, a nameless blond in the bed, a hangover and a messy flat s urrounded with scattered clothes. The use of imagery always the reader to understand this novel, is based upon a male protagonist. The supposedly male protagonist wakes up the nameless blond before going to a funeral. He refers the nameless blond as â€Å"him†. The readers are in a state of conundrum to whether the protagonist is gay or Day has subverted the main character as a female. It is then on page three, Day reveals the narrator’s name – Claudia Valentine – and on page five that the audience learns her profession. â€Å"People rarely come to private investigator with good news†, Claudia uses her familiar sardonic style to depict that the readers have been tricked the whole time on the issue of gender expectation. Through the opening novel, the readers understand how Day uses gender inversion and parody to combat the crime fiction conventions. The readers are able to understand that Claudia is a stereotypical hardboiled detective who fits the conventions of a typical Private Investigator. This is demonstrated when she visits the apartment of the deceased Mark Bannister in Bondi. Claudia belongs to a tough world of fighting crime as she is tough and cynical and possess a great deal of physical strength. This portrayed in the quote, â€Å"My legs are my best weapon. I don’t carry a gun like some of my cowboy colleagues†. Parody and symbolism are used in the term â€Å"legs† because in the traditional crime fiction genre, the female legs are symbolic of attraction and love. Claudia also teases and adds sarcastic humour when she makes fun of the  macho men. In addition, Claudia is a post – feminine version of the traditional Private investigator, who uses her intellectual power rather than her physique, â€Å"There’s more than one way of skinning a cat†. Here, she uses idiom and typical terse, and witty, colloquial language style to demonstrate women unlike men possess skills other than brute strength and weapons. The readers understand that Claudia avoids direct clashes and harsh violent methods when locating and fighting her enemies. She only expresses her tough, heroic and hardboiled character by using karate as a means of self-defence. Through these extracts, Claudia challenges and subverts these gender stereotypes and Claudia most certainly foliaged into a feminist hero whilst turning the traditional detective genre on its head. Furthermore, the setting of Sydney is profoundly explored when she steps into the corrupt environment of the video arcade. This is a typical crime fiction scene as merchandise are exchanged with a pay off. Day uses double entendre in the phrase â€Å"waiting for the developers to give them a new lease of life, or maybe just a new lease†. This emphasises the city as treacherous, where corruption is an underlying motif in the novel. The ‘stench’ of Sydney forces Claudia to equip many qualities and standards that showcases her hard-boiled detective nature. This is illustrated when Claudia ‘saunters’ over to the Maori (doorman), which implies that she is a confident, nonchalant, typical PI. Her communication with the Maori is terse and witty: the use of play on words â€Å"smack† and â€Å"score†, reveals Claudia’s usage of pun and humour. The readers grasp the notion that these qualities are associated with typical PI which adds further entertainment, humour to the story and appeal to Claudia’s character as she tries to understand the city of Sydney.Marele Day displays finer points of Sydney as a corrupted and powerful dwelling. After she is kicked out by the Maori, she goes to the hamburger shop. While eating, she mentions two opposite poles of Sydney; Macquarie St and George St. She personifies George St as â€Å"brash†, â€Å"bright lights† and â€Å"winking†. With the use of personification, Day was able to create a lively vivid character. The readers visualise the modern city with its lavish lifestyle, beaches and harbour. In contrast, she reflects upon the corrupt and colonial history of Macquarie’s Rum Corps which in 1980s was represented as a corrupt ‘old boy’s network’. This is where Sydney was  depicted as â€Å"crime capital† of the South Pacific. Claudia is dismayed that Sydney is changing â€Å"My city from the city she grew up with into a corrupted empire whose morals are obsolete and filthy. Finally, the use of first person voice in this arcade crime scene, creates suspense and action. This is portrayed when Claudia paces to the container terminal where she describes it as â€Å"strong, menacing and all seeing†. Claudia uses descriptive language and she puts a clear image into the readers mind about the double edged urban setting as dark and sleazy. To add to the misty and daunting surrounding, fighting and action takes place. Claudia, after observing what happened in the container terminal was eager to breakout:, â€Å"For the moment I had a more pressing task: to get back to the car without being†¦.Oh Christ!† (p.72). First person narrative emphasises the readers concern for Claudia’s safety and her vulnerability. Day employed many action verbs in one sentence; â€Å"poised†, â€Å"kick†, â€Å"rolled†, â€Å"swung† and â€Å"swept†. Day, crammed all these action verbs into one long sentence to inform the readers about the rapid, dangerous events unfolding in the crime scene as well as to create an atmosphere mingled with tense and anticipation. Claudia’s quick thinking and wise action enabled her to survive in the sleazy, dangerous underworld. In conclusion, Marele Day portrayed a hard-boiled detective character by exploring two key ideas: Gender and the setting of Sydney. Through these ideas, Claudia Valentine subverted the crime fiction genre by breaking the stereotype that females are weak beings. Likewise, Claudia Valentine was able to thrive in a corrupt and harsh setting of Sydney, illustrating the notion that female women are just as capable as men in most if not all aspects.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Vegetarians Essay

One advantage that cannot be disputed is that vegetarian’s conscience can be at peace in the sense that he does not cause the death of animals grown for meat and fat such as rabbits, poultry or pigs. This idea alone persuades many people, especially women to start embracing vegetarianism as their way of life. Another undisputable advantage of vegetarianism is that long-term vegetarians are rarely overweight thus people can make losing weight easier by becoming vegetarians. Of course, they will still need to compose their diet very carefully since many of the high-calorie (with low nutritional value) foods contain no meat at all. Actually, meat is not high on calories unless it is a fatty meat. Less clear and more arguable is the claim that vegetarianism is healthier and better for one’s longevity. All advocates of vegetarianism play this card and support their claims with many arguments. The basic idea is that our body can get everything it needs from plants or animal by-products such as eggs or milk. Of course, there are extreme groups who refuse to eat animal by-products, but I’ll stick with the less extreme idea. Anyway, this is true, at least as long as you eat fish – some people who consider themselves vegetarians eat fish, some don’t. Anyway, no one can say with absolute certainty (you can believe it, but cannot prove it indisputably) that avoiding all meat is beneficial for human body. However, it is certain that limiting certain types of meat is good for us. And vegetarians benefit from avoiding those kinds of meat (after all they do not eat any meat).

Articles

In 1787. a group of representatives from the 13 colonies met all together to discuss the Articles of Confederations weaknesses and to make a new Constitution. They disputed, debated, and talked about It for 4 months until they created the U. S. Constitution. In my essay, I will discuss some weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and I will also discuss how they resolved It. I will also discuss some weaknesses that remained in the Constitution when it was passed. One of the Articles of Confederations weaknesses was that each state makes their wn money. It was difficult for the states to trade with each other. If the states used the same kind of money, it would encourage more trading between them which is easier than making their own money. Another weakness was that John Jay mentions that the new government would be fair and enough. Thereby, the people were saying that the weakness of the old government which was the Articles of Confederation was unorganized and not fair. It had no federal court system, so each state made up their own laws and had their wn courts which may have led to a corruption. One weakness that remained In the Constitution even when It was passed was that Thomas Jefferson mentions that the only important thing that was not in the Constitution was a Bill of Rights. So, the federalists promised to include a Bill of Rights In the constltuuon once It will pass. The Bill of Right were the first 10 amendments, which included the freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, etc Another weakness was that the Articles of Confederation had only one house of overnment, but the Constitution provides for fair representation in the government.

Development of Miami city Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Development of Miami city - Research Paper Example The president did not like the controller tower to be destroyed, so it was left till now in the campus compound. This tower was later star as Florida international ivory tower. With an increase in number of students who wanted to pursue education, it called for the establishment growth in terms of facilities and structures. Presently, Florida international university is considered to be among the first and largest university in United States of America. However. This was characteristic to as far as it was able to produce good students who were experience to work. FIU produced elite who was able to meet the demands of employers.The group looked or worked to meet the demands of its client (students); therefore, spirits of entrepreneur were born in the institution, this lead to the establishment of some new technique that related to management and business. The school was officially opened in 1972 with five thousand six hundred and sixty seven students. The institution provided a variet y of faculties both full time and part time.Later in 1976, Hartod Crosby was elected to be the next president, accepting to benefit the basis for three year period interim. During his leadership, the company expanded and opened a north campus. The president made numerous progresses to the university, such as implementing new programs that made individual students perform better. In addition, some courses within the hospital were looked into, for example, the program the president made with the Latin America and Caribbean.

Country Effect to Companies Success.Thailand Assignment

Country Effect to Companies Success.Thailand - Assignment Example It is only through sustained growth and development of the company in the new market that incomes and subsequently profits will be yielded on the investments. But questions have been asked as to why some companies succeed easily in new markets and why other struggle till collapse. Indeed, no single answer can be given to explain why this phenomenon is so. However, one fact that is inclusive in the many available options of answers the regard for the country effect (Lee-Ross and Mitchell, 2007). By country effect, reference is being made to the need to pay critical attention to rhythmic cultural and socio-economic behavioral pattern of the people within the country in which the company is situated (Garcia-Cabrera and Garcia-Sota, 2008). Studies have showed that the mistake that most modern companies make with the country effect and thus the regard for the cultural influence of the local people is that, they tend to take pride in globalization and thus think global and act global. In t his paper, an example is presented of how an entrepreneur in Thailand effectively made use of the country effect to his advantage, using the article of Brettel, Engelen and Heinemann (2008) as a case study. Consumer Perception and Ethics A regard for consumer perception and ethics is an important factor that determines success for entrepreneurs in Thailand. This is because according to Brettel, Engelen and Heinemann (2008), the perceptive and ethical values of the people of Thailand is carried directly into their consumer decision making as to which companies to do business with and which companies to withdraw from. Generally, these consumers would want companies to show high sense of integrity, ethical consideration and respect for social responsibility. Entrepreneurs who have become successful in Thailand have therefore been those who make as part of their organizational culture and climate, the respect for integrity, ethics and community development. Specific example is used with DHL Thailand in a separate study where the company made as part of its new market entry strategy, the need to throw themselves up to the people as the most trusted company. With the use of high moral standards through respect for privacy, timely delivery of parcels, concise charging of fees, and improved corporate social responsibility, the company became one of the fastest growing companies in Thailand (Baughn et al, 2006). In effect, it is always important to know the values that consumers cherish through consumer perception and ethics and rightly make these values showed in the company’s virtues. Consumer behavior and preferences Another study conducted has showed that the country effect and the exhibition of culture can be translated into the consumer behavior and preferences of the local people (Nguyen et al, 2009). That is t say that the kind and nature of goods and services that consumers will patronize depends largely on their country culture. Disregarding the countr y effect would therefore mean that companies and for that matter, entrepreneurs will offer goods and services that do not meet the preferences of consumers. As far as consumer behavior and preference is concerned, Brettel, Engelen and Heinemann (2008) explained that two key dimensions of country effect that comes to play in Thailand are collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. With collectivism, Thailand is ranked high, meaning there is high dependence on group in the society. In effect, the consumer behavior of individuals is influenced by what the masses accept to be true, real or authentic. With this in mind, entrepreneurs who h

Why Extrinsic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why Extrinsic - Essay Example The failure of organization to provide perceived equity for employees results in a lot of resentment (especially when there is secrecy and people overestimate each other’s pay) and resulting inefficiencies. The failure of extrinsic rewards is even more obvious in executive positions as incentive systems had very weak or negative correlations to corporate profits as at higher incomes, prospect of more money fails to be a motivator. Locke’s (1960) research suggests a reason for such results – incentives actually discourage risk-taking and people perform easier tasks to complete as much work as possible. Employees look at short-term benefits (monetary rewards) rather than long-term organizational interests. Another research proved that in the long-term, even the removal of a financial incentive system that has been long in place could not drive down productivity. Merit pay has also failed as a motivator of performance as few managers feel that higher pay would make them work harder. Therefore, intrinsic rewards such as training and goal-setting is a much stronger motivator of performance. To treat workers with respect and appreciation is what motivates them to stay at an organization and higher pay has failed to reduce employee turnover in the

Why are some firms Born Global Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why are some firms Born Global - Essay Example The motivation behind this phenomenon has been the increasing ease in conducting international trade and the globalisation concept that is being embraced the world over where the globe is one big market. This paper shall seek to look at why some firms are born global and look into the risks that they face in international markets. Firms that are born global have various characteristics in common that are both internal and external and they have similar market strategies they use to approach the international market. The born global concept therefore circles around internationalisation of firms and thus their ultimate expansion strategy (Fillis 2001, pp. 767-83). As mentioned earlier these firms enter into the export market when they are relatively small and young and the drive to do this emanates from their perception of the world being a market place. They take advantage of this and venture into markets abroad. These firms have been a subject of intense research for many years and particularly for the last two decades. They were first labelled as innate exporters but these were more characterised by high level management skills as well as a broader and in-depth international business outlook. Some firms were also taken for study and they were the high technology ones. These firms were seen to sprout to the i nternational business arena right from their start. The basic reason for this was the nature of their products where they needed to venture into new market so as to have a wider market base for their exotic products. All these firms that were characterised by their speed to enter into the international market were later termed as International New Ventures (Child and Rita 2001, pp. 1135-48). The following diagram illustrates this concept better: Although it was mentioned earlier that born global firms have been under research for a number of years now, the various challenges they

Why you should grow your own garden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Why you should grow your own garden - Essay Example Diabetes has also been known to result from having too much pesticide in the bloodstream, and makes up for its slightly lower lethality for its potential to prolong ones suffering (Norton). Either way, this problem is definitely something that warrants concern. II. Fruits and vegetables have always been sought after for their nutritional value. This being the case, for them to have such terrifying health risks as a result of being dunked in pesticides is not only ironic, but a major, major danger as well. B. (Satisfaction) This is rewarding, not merely because it minimizes the health risks involved, but also because of the rush of fulfillment that will most definitely come as a result. C. (Visualization) Thus, while definitely demanding and taxing, having your own garden will surely be a step in the right direction. C. An article on CNN (2012) actually talks about this, relating the story of Madeline Martinez who heard the call to agriculture after a very painful awakening in the form of type 2 diabetes. Not long after receiving the fateful diagnosis from her endocrinologist, she set up growing organic food in her backyard, buying broccoli, cucumber and tomato seeds, as well as those for various herbs, for her to grow there. And in the 4 months that followed, she went on to lose 16 lbs. – a feat explained by the combination of her own vitamin-rich produce and the effort she put in producing it. II. And besides the health benefits involved, Martinez also speaks of how the costs of maintaining her garden were more than offset, as well as of the wonderful opportunity it gave her to teach her nieces such values as responsibility and hard work. B. Not only will your health take a dramatic turn for the better as a result – especially since the pesticide-ridden veggies will have become a thing of the past – you’ll surely encounter psychological benefits as well, laboring on your own garden and reaping the literal

S5W4DQs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

S5W4DQs - Assignment Example These proceedings were instituted in a way that allowed the rapid use of Germany’s industrial potential to stimulate Western Europe economic recovery and growth in the years between 1945 and 1957. The punitive measures went hand in hand with reconciliatory measures in order to avoid resistance in the future. The United States provided Western Europe the necessary resources for economic reconstruction under the aid plan known as the Marshall plan (Dobbins et al, 2003). This was done in exchange for cooperation. Additionally, the United States maintained their military presence in Germany and other occupied Western Europe Countries to prevent the resurfacing of German power and also prevent Soviet expansion. In a nutshell, there was a mix between military weapons and economic weapons (Lecture notes, 2007). The Marshall plan led to transformation of the perception the German’s had towards the United States as colonialist occupants to perceiving them as economic partners. Western Europe recorded the highest growth in economy during the first quarter of the century after 1948. This rapid progress was branded as loirtschaftwundery (economic miracle) in Germany. The economic growth led to reduction of communist influence in Germany (Kunz, 1997; Reynolds 2004). Financial recovery spurred political stability in the region because financial assistance and the consequent economic growth led to cooperation among the citizens of Germany. The military security also followed as the Americans empowered the Europeans to contribute to their own defense. The Marshall plan was adopted as an Economic Recovery Program (ERP) in Western Europe and particularly Germany. This has become a model for future reconstruction programs. There are several aspects in the program that are applicable in the 21st century. The Marshall plan provided financial aid to spur economic growth in Western Europe, the result of this led the Western Europe to Shift their

Observation Report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Observation Report - Assignment Example This paper will present an observation report of two students named Hessa Al Khater and Zarmeena Qazi. A close analysis of Hessa Al Khater’s performance of the presentation task reveals that he managed to address the audience correctly as expected. Hessa relied on both body language and verbal communication to actively engage the audience. At the beginning of the presentation, Hessa brought forth a root statement, which defined his introduction, body, and the conclusion. He exhibited expertise in developing his ideas logically and making a lively presentation. During Hessa’s presentation, the attention of the class was both to the speaker and to the PowerPoint. The speaker’s capacity to involve the audience explains why there was a measure of attention drawn to him. In other parts of the presentation, the speaker pointed out something on the PowerPoint, a factor that prompted the audience to focus their attention on the PowerPoint. Unfortunately, there was an overuse of the PowerPoint, which was an undesirable aspect. However, the speaker gave proper reference to the slides. Some of the outstanding strengths that Hessa exhibited during his presentation were that he was confident and sure of himself and began with a catchy opening. Moreover, he introduced himself to the audience in an appropriate manner a factor that created a favorable atmosphere for the presentation. He highlighted the topic and presented background information on the topic, a factor that warmed up the audience to the content of the presentation. An overview of the presentation and a good planning of the entire timeline backed up the background information about the presentation. Hessa’s presentation was easy to follow with transitions that served to connect different slides. There was a proper emphasis on the main points as well as highlighting of the sub conclusions in each section. At

Culture and People Essay Example for Free

Culture and People Essay Does culture have an impact on who we are? Have you ever notice that what is the main difference between people around the world? People eat different foods, wear variant clothes, believe in various things, and have different appearances but the main difference is how people behave and this difference comes from their culture. Culture is the shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of people for interpreting, expressing, and responding to the social realities around them. Culture means the series of norms and values that the public believe in and behave accordingly. These beliefs comes from parents and goes from one generation to another and influence people’s behavior. Culture has an impact on people’s life because it affects people’s life, their society, and the world. Parents are the first teachers that kids learn lot of things from their fathers and mothers. The environment of a family that a child grow up in is the most important thing that influences her/his behavior because children learn how to live like their parents and parents try to teach their children the culture that their society has. People are influenced by their culture and sometimes more than one culture can be influencing a person, such as Native Tribes living in a modern society. If people from different Countries were raised in the same society then those people would have the same culture and those people would believe in the same things. Traditions help people to show their beliefs, for example Halloween is a holiday that is showing what American people celebrate, it represents as a symbol for American culture. Most people would agree that their own has been important to their shaping and development, enriched their lives and often, led to their life decisions but their culture is the products of human action which is inherited independently of the biological genes. The way that one person think not only affects people around that person but it also affects that Society. The difference between cultures will never end because it is hard to change what people believe In. People may learn lot of things from their friends but when a person wants to make a decision he/she will always compare it with her/his culture. For example personal zone is one of the traditions that most of the American people do. In the personal zone, the conversation gets more direct, and this is a good distance for two people who are talking in earnest about something. Society has always been impacted by technology. Each invention has affected how people relate to one another and how cultures have expanded or ended. Technology impacts how cities grow, where people live, and who owns what. Technologies are the reason a few people are very rich, that people are more social, and that teaching and learning is changing. People in the 21st century are at a crucial time in history where as educators can make a difference in how students interact with one another and make a place in society. People developed a language so they could communicate and invented tools for agriculture, to build homes, and to create weapons for hunting and protection. Over time many people have been influenced by other cultures and that is where different cultures meet each other. So this is the cultural evolution which people affect other cultures and cultures affect people as well. For example when a person moves to another country he/she gets influenced by that country’s culture and also that person can affect her/his society too. People’s culture influences their belief system which affects the way that people see the world . Although culture is integrated with sociology, anthropology, psychology, religions , and other aspects however this paper focuses on people’s behavior, globalism, and the cultural evolution. Culture makes societies unique, making it an essential element in influencing people’s everyday lives. It is also important to be able to recognize and respect other cultures, and not believe ones own culture is more valuable or superior than the rest. Hope that one day there would be peace all around the world and all people would speak the same language.

Russias Approach to Cyber Warfare

Russias Approach to Cyber Warfare Policy Briefing on the Imminent Russian Cybersecurity Threat: The Need For Action Against Russian Cybercrimes In recent years, Russia has found a reliance on using cyberwar and crimes as a tactic to achieve their strategic goals both in their near-abroad and against Western countries. The United States must be prepared to retaliate against any cyber attack directed at our nation by assessing options to limit and counter the Russians without leading to an overescalation and possible war. Background: The frequency with which we hear about Russian hackers hacking into a country’s important information and systems has become more and more regular, and as a result of this it is important to trace back the history of Russian cyber warfare. The first instance of a large scale Russian cyber attack happened in Estonia in 2007. At the time, tensions were high between Russia and the former Soviet State, and the Kremlin authorized a campaign which targeted Estonian governmental agencies and businesses through use of massive DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks that shut down countless websites essential to the functioning of these agencies and businesses (Batashvili). In 2008, Russia coordinated an even larger cyber attack during the Russo- Georgian War. On August 7, a cyber attack was conducted from Russia against Georgian government and media websites, while at the same time Russian troops were crossing the Georgian border. According to the Report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia, the attack lead to several Georgian servers and high amounts Internet traffic being taken control of and placed under external control (Batashvili). The offensive persisted through the conflict lasting until ceasefire was announced on August 12. Furthermore, the Kremlin had tested their abilities in the lead up to the invasion, shutting down the official website of the president of Georgia for an entire day on July 10. The Russian cyber attacks affected practically all Georgian government websites, crippling the state’s ability to respond to the conflict. Additionally, attacks targeted Georgian media, business, and other political organizations in order to control them from turning the conflict away from Russia’s favor by making it difficult for information of what was happening inside of the conflict zone to spread out to the rest of the world. According to a report by the US Cyber Consequences Unit, â€Å"the primary objective of the cyber campaign was to support the Russian invasion of Georgia, and the cyber attacks fit neatly into the invasion plan†. The attacks achieved their intent, since they â€Å"significantly impeded the ability of the Georgian government to deal with the Russian invasion by interfering with communications between the government and the public, stopping many payments and financial transactions, and causing confusion about what was happening† (US Cyber Crimes Unit). Recent cyber attacks against Ukraine are a worrying signal of a continued use of this strategy. Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said that during in the final two months of 2016, Ukrainian state institutions had 6,500 instances of hacking, most directed towards the ministries of defence and finance, in addition to Kiev’s power grid and the treasury. According to the Poroshenko, the operation came at the hand of the Russian security services, following the same playbook as they had in Georgia (Batashvili). Russian cyber operations are not use solely in tandem with military offensives however, with many also being employed in the wars on information, especially against Western nations. The 2016 American presidential election, while highly publicized is not the only instance in which there is evidence of Russian interference with the 2017 French and German elections also being targeted. Numerous French officials and agencies, including the Defense Minister and DGSE have raised concern over the issue of Russian interference in the nation’s election, citing concern that fake news and cyber attacks were being directed to now President Macron and his party as they were not the candidates the Kremlin believed would be most beneficial to the Russian state interests. German intelligence agencies have also brought up similar concerns about Russian cyber activities being directed against Germany and its election, with Chancellor Angela Merkel, herself seeing attacks as threatening the foundation of German democracy and the effective functioning of the German state (Delker). Russian Objectives: As practiced today, Russian use of cyberwarfare has three common and consistent objectives: Capturing Territory Without Resorting to Overt or Conventional Military Force This was the strategic goal we saw Russia trying to achieve in 2014, when they successfully annexed Crimea. The annexation of Crimea relied on a group of Russian Special Forces operatives known as the â€Å"little green men†, who took their directives from a newly created Russian special operations command. The deployment of these highly trained operatives, in coordination with a massive information warfare campaign, as well as the involvement of   local Russian loyalist proxies created the opportunity for Russia to takeover without needing to shed blood as they had forced momentum to shift in their favor allowing for Crimeans in Ukraine to vote for secession from Ukraine (Chivis). In 2008, Russia used similar tactics in its invasion of Georgia, during which they similarly coordinated cyber attacks against essential government computing services while simultaneously operating special operation forces in coordination with Russian loyalists from the Georgian State. A major impact of these tactics has led to a weakened ability to integrate these countries with Western thought. In 2013, Russian Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov showed Russia’s current views on such hybrid cyber warfare tactics, stating that in modern conflicts non-military means are put to use more than 4 times as often than are conventional military operations (Gerasimov). This suggests in the future such cyber attacks will be likely, and even at this point many are not being properly identified. In its use of cyberspace, Russia has shown it can find success in achieving territorial expansion goals in a manner that is nonviolent and seemingly peaceful, however there is always the underlying threat of actual military force being used unsparingly. Creating a Pretext for Overt, Conventional Military Action In a similar manner to capturing territory through covert, non-militarial expansion, Russia is also capable of using cyber warfare in order to create a conflict which gives them solid reasoning to use military force in foreign nations (Chivis). For instance, the Russian annexation of Crimea has lead to a reasonable concern that the Kremlin could engage in a hybrid strategy to manufacture a conflict worthy of military action elsewhere, possibly the Baltic states. As it did in Crimea, Russia could try to create tension in a country like Estonia by conducting a campaign which foments discord between the minority Russian population and the Estonians. In creating these sentiments which portray the government of Estonia as oppressive towards the minority Russians, the Kremlin can justify a Russian military intervention their behalf of the Russian minority, as Russian sentiment still sees these people as their own. Conducting an operation of this sort requires the accompaniment of simultaneous cyber operations directed at inflaming attitudes and creating difficulties in executing both national and NATO responses. It would almost certainly be accompanied by efforts to influence broader European and world opinion in ways that favored Russia’s intervention through use of propaganda and opinion shifting which portrays Russia as acting on behalf of a repressed population that seeks its aid. On the ground, it would involve the use of Russian secret agents and proxies, both to act as aid/support for local populations creating tensions, and to coordinate with military forces awaiting instruction and guidance. Using Hybrid Measures to Influence the Politics and Policies of Countries in the West and Elsewhere This last objective is the most pressing for the United States and Western countries out of the near vicinity of Russia. In this objective, the Kremlin seeks to use cyber operations in lieu of military action or war to create tension and distress in Western governments. The goal of this strategy is to influence and create favorable political outcomes in targeted countries to serve Russia’s national interests (Chivis). The countries where these types of operations are most likely to find success are those with high levels of corruption and weak legal systems. However, more stable countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom are similarly susceptible to such operations. Examples of ways the Kremlin can engage in cyber operations to influence an outside nation’s political system include the use of fake â€Å"troll† accounts used on social media to spread propaganda and create divides amongst the citizens of that nation. Also the hacking of servers of government officials can provide them with material which they can use to either influence that official through blackmail, or which can be leaked to induce further tension. In creating these narratives, Russia has the ability to influence democracy by planting false information and manufacturing biases against those that act against the interests of the Kremlin. American Stakes: The continued use of cyber attacks by the Russian government brings up very realistic threats both domestically and internationally for the United States. Internationally as Russia continues with their their goals of territorial expansion, the United States is faced with the concern of a wider influence of Russian thought and expansion of pro-Russian policies in areas where the United States has worked to promote democracy and peace. The desire of Russia to reassemble the Soviet Union remains very real, and as seen in Estonia, Georgia, and Crimea cyber attacks can play a key role in these territorial gains. By allowing continued expansion of the Russian state, the United States risks losing the strategic relationships they have developed with these countries as well as the progress they made towards finding them more independence from Russia as democracy began to take its roots in these nations. Furthermore, these attacks can be used by Russia in places like Syria as a way to promote the Assad regime which works in coordination with Russia in achieving other strategic goals, such as the development of an oil pipeline through Syria. Domestically, Russian cyber attacks can destabilize the US government by creating rifts and tensions amongst the American populace through the spread of false information and fake news.   As seen by the hacks against the DNC as well as the use of trolls during the 2016 Presidential Election, Russia’s use of cyber attacks can undermine American democracy by allowing for a foreign nation to alter the minds of our citizens, feeding them lies and inflammatory material to create disarray in our democracy. This is especially hurtful as Russia can cite American disorder as a reason to not take our example and implement democracy in the American fashion to foreign nations. Attacks by Russia can also cripple the government’s ability to function towards the service of its citizens.   Government Organization for a Cyber Attack The 2016 Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 41 United States Cyber Incident Coordination   defines a significant cyber attack as â€Å"likely to result in demonstrable harm to national security interests, foreign relations, the domestic and global economy, public confidence, civil liberties, or public health and the safety of the American people.† (PPD 41). Cyber attacks by Russia against domestic communication or critical IT infrastructure fall under this classification. Should such an attack actually occur, the National Cyber Response Group would lead the defensive response as an arm of the National Security Council (PPD 41). The Secretary of Defense, in tandem with the directors of our Intelligence agencies would be responsible for managing incoming threats, and coordinating any strategy or movement that would require active military response. In the event that the telecommunications systems of the National Security and Emergency Preparedness sector fail, the National Coordinating Center for Communications would be tasked with re-establishing communications. Furthermore, PPD 41 stipulates that if an operation with clear attribution is found to have occured, the Cyber Response Group shall assemble a team of qualified and skilled cyber personnel to respond to the cyber incident. This response team shall have experience together in the form of practice sessions and war games. U.S. Strategic Responses After addressing the immediate effects of a Russian cyber attack, it’s imperative the United States consider its options of strategic and tactical responses. One option for the United States is response through non-military means such as indictment, diplomacy, or sanctions (Bate). A lower-level military and intelligence strategy that could possibly be employed by the United States is the use of counter-surveillance intelligence operations,   non-attributable cyber or conventional attacks, or attributable cyber or conventional attacks (Herb). These operations would target Russian military, civilian, or critical infrastructure systems. Since NATO classifies cyberspace as the fifth operational domain, it is likely that if the United States identified a significant cyber incident against its citizens as originating from Russia, their response would come in the form of aggressive cyber tactics. The possibility of conventional military expeditions may be explored, however the risk of further escalation makes it more likely that the United States respond only through cyber operations. Low-Level Attributable Cyber Intrusion One possible response the United States could utilize in retaliation to Russian cyber attacks is low-level cyber intrusion, distributed across a array of cyber incidents that could not be collectively categorized as a major attack. This intrusion would appear as a result of what is called â€Å"loud cyber weapons†, which are tools that can be traced back to the U.S military (Herb). The US military would send these weapons, embedded with encrypted codes, into Russian networks. The United States would then publicly provide the encryption key to end the intrusions caused by these weapons as a way to claim responsibility for the attack. The purpose of taking credit for the attacks is a key paradigm shift in U.S military strategy, now emphasizing attribution as a key aspect of a successful operation, and public knowledge as vital for deterrence. The United States also has the option of conducting more basic cyber attacks against Russia’s network, including by not limited to: alteration of government websites, disruptions of Internet service, interferences and disablements of communications, or the spreading of propaganda (Department of Defense Law of War Manual). In the aftermath of the hack of the DNC, senior officials weighed options for counter attacks on the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Main Intelligence Agency (GRU), including the use of the NSA’s TreasureMap tool, which tracks all global connections to the Internet, and can be utilized to install malware in targeted Russian computer systems with the purpose of intelligence gathering and future cyber-assaults (Bamford). Medium-Level Cyber Attack -No Immediate Casualties   The United States also has to ability to employ the use of â€Å"logic bombs† in cyber operations targeting both military and non-military targets in Russia. â€Å"Logic bomb† are codes developed with the purpose of overloading a computer’s system rendering them incapable to operate by presenting them with an endless amount of logic questions to answer. Sending these â€Å"logic bombs† into computer systems critical to Russia’s infrastructure will lead to the United States causing dramatic economic and operational damages to the Russian government and its people (Sternstein). The United States has invested a large sum of money into the development of these â€Å"logic bombs†, with initial investment coming back in 2014 when U.S. Cyber Command offered a $460 million contract to develop a â€Å"computer code capable of killing adversaries.†(Storm). High-Level Cyber Attack – Possible Casualties The United States could use logic bombs or other cyber intrusion methods to attack Russian critical infrastructure in a more serious fashion, leading to a larger potential for loss of human life or safety. These attacks include targeting systems such as those of a dam above a populated level where a   hacking could lead to floodgates being opened onto Russian citizens, or disabling air traffic control services leading to air safety where planes pose a threat to each other and the land beneath them. These options, particularly if they are easily traceable, have the potential to escalate quickly into further intensified conflict. Military-Level Cyber Attack – Escalatory The United States also has the ability to use similar cyber operations to directly attack Russian military targets, with possible targets including the shut off of power at a nuclear facility or an airfield, which will lead to the cause of serious casualties. These attacks will most definitely lead to a triggering of a notable escalatory threshold of response by the Russians. It is significant that many Russian industrial networks run computer systems operating Windows XP, and in some cases even older systems, while maintaining connections to the Internet. Not only are these dated systems particularly vulnerable to attack, as evidenced by the United States already demonstrating its ability to break into these systems. In November 2016, the United States reportedly penetrated Russian military systems, leaving behind malware to be activated in retaliation in the case of Russian interference of U.S. elections (Dilanian et. al). This demonstrated both confidence in the success of the malware implant, and political willingness to trigger a consequential conflict given Russia attacks the United States in a serious manner (Bernish). Strategic Considerations for U.S. Decisions In response to a Russian cyber attack, the United State’s strategic responses should be a result of its classification of the attack as being non-significant, significant, or an act of war. State Department Cyber Coordinator Chris Painter said the United States would respond to incidents on a case-by-case basis in testimony before the House Subcommittee on Information Technology and National Security in November 2016, saying that retaliation â€Å"could be through cyber means. It could be through diplomacy. It could be through indictments and law enforcement actions.†(Pellerin). Some of these responses require action while others do not; the path taken must be dependent on actual and anticipated effects of a cyber attack, including damage, injury, and death. Painter testified that, â€Å"cyber activities may in certain circumstances constitute an armed attack that triggers our inherent right to self-defense as recognized by Article 51 of the U.N. Charter†(Hearing on â€Å"Digital Acts of War: Evolving the Cybersecurity Conversation†). The United States could also identify a cyberattack as being an infringement upon its territorial integrity and political independence, per Article 2(4) of the Charter. However, recent political happenings indicate that the United States would be hesitant in invoking Article 51, regardless of whether a Russian cyber attack lead to nominal death, injury, or damage. Instead, the United States could limit its declarations and address the attack as a â€Å"significant cyber incident,† invoking the full support of the U.S. military while avoiding over-escalation. Furthermore, even though NATO justifies military response in the realm of cyberspace, the lack of precedent means that the United States actually has more options in responding to Russia if it were to employ use of cyber means, that may or may not lead to conventional consequences. The United States would need to decide between conducting a covert or overt counter-cyber attack. The tactical considerations noted above show that hidden, non-attributable cyber attacks do not fall within the Department of Defense’s deterrence strategy, and would not be treated as a suitable strategy. In the aftermath of the 2014 Sony Pictures hacking by the North Korean government, the United States didn’t respond with a public cyber operation, and it was â€Å"unclear how the United States may have retaliated against the North in secret, if it even did so.†(Sanger). The lack of a publicly noticed retaliation as well mild economic sanctions now seems ineffective as punishment. A situation could come up that would give the United States the opportunity to execute an immediately observable cyber attack or a preparatory attack (logic bomb), with the target being either a Russian military or civilian infrastructure. Similar to Russia, the United States should also avoid directly targeting a military structure in order to avoid escalation to full-scale war. As a result of this, the United States should choose to deploy a cyber weapon against critical Russian infrastructure, leading to conventional consequences being faced by Russia. Even the use a medium-level choice in terms of retaliation, would require global ramifications to be taken into account. Even still, it is my recommendation to engage in a retaliatory strategy, which employs the use of both a combination of an observable cyber attack through use of â€Å"loud cyber weapons† and â€Å"logic bombs† against significant parts of the Russian infrastructure. The United States cannot allow Russia to attack them and take global credit for the attack without retaliating in some way to show dominance over Russia. â€Å"Loud cyber weapons† are particularly suitable for retaliation that the public is aware of and will show the world that the United States is not only willing to retaliate, but is better skilled in cyber war and confident enough in its abilities to retaliate swiftly. â€Å"Logic bombs† targeted against non-military sites that still hold significant value to Russian infrastructure will be the second leg of the suggested attack. The crippling of essential infrastructure will both warn the Russians that an attack on us will be met with an attack that hurts their citizens and keep them from being able to retaliate back since they will not have the resources to come back at the United States. Works Cited Batashvili, David. â€Å"Russias Cyber War: Past, Present, and Future.† EUobserver, 15 Feb. 2017, euobserver.com/opinion/136909. Delker, Janosch. â€Å"Germany Fears Russia Stole Information to Disrupt Election.† POLITICO, POLITICO, 28 Jan. 2018, www.politico.eu/article/hacked-information-bomb-under-germanys-election/. The Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation, approved by Russian Federation presidential edict on February 5, 2010 (translated). Accessed at http://carnegieendowment.org/files/ 2010russia_military_doctrine.pdf. Understanding Russian â€Å"Hybrid Warfare† and What Can Be Done About It (2017) (testimony of Christopher S. Chivvis). Print. US Cyber Consequences Unit. (2009) ‘Overview by the US-CCU of the cyber campaign against Georgia in August of 2008’ Valery Gerasimov, â€Å"The Value of Science is in the Foresight: New Challenges Demand   Rethinking the Forms and Methods of Carrying out Combat Operations,† Voyenno-Promyshlennyy Kurier, February 26, 2013.

Rights of a Child with Disability

Rights of a Child with Disability All childcare settings are forbidden from discriminating in anyway against disabled children when they apply for the school. All children should be made to feel accepted and welcomed; they should be offered the same opportunities as abled children. All children should have the opportunity to attend public or private school. Schools should adapt their setting to accommodate all children. This may mean that the setting may need to install ramps ofr wheelchair bound children. This would mean the setting is promoting equal rights for all children. This all comes under the Equality Act 2010. Under the SEN Code of Practice all childrens’ needs will be aimed to be met in a mainstream setting. Despite a child’s disability or additional needs they should still be offered a full education. Parents will be asked to offer support at home and members of staff at the child’s setting will always keep the parent informed about everything that is happening with their child. The United Nations Convention on the rights of a child states that all children should have their views listened too. However the influence that a child has over a situation will depend on the level of maturity that the child possesses. This is all mentioned in article 12 of The UNCRC. It is said that all children should have the right to a full and independent life. This means that all children should receive special support and care if they need it. Article 31 says that every child should be exposed to culture like any other child. Therefore the people working with the children should adapt the setting so it allows them to do so. Inclusive practice is something that is extremely important to not just disabled children but all children. Inclusive practice promotes diversity in an environment. Settings should uphold not just a child friendly approach to learning but also a child centred approach to learning. A child friendly approach is simply when the environment is nice for the children, practitioners will treat all children in a respectful manner, the will do this regardless of if the child is a boy, girl, disabled or able bodied. The aim of this approach is that all children will feel safe in the environment they are in and they will gradually improve. On the other hand a child centred approach is when practitioners will push the children to do their best. This will always be done in a respectful way, practitioners will not pressurise the children but they will make sure they are continually challenging themselves in a safe way. They may be asked to face strategic problems in a group setting which in turn w ill encourage socialising and communication which some children may have struggled to do originally. Children will be taught valuable life skills and shown how to organise themselves. This will give children a sense of independence. However most importantly practitioners will want children to feel empowered despite their disability or additional needs, and to feel safe and secure in their environment. All settings should be in a social model of disability frame of mind this is when practitioners do not to pay attention to the child’s disability or condition but remember and respect the fact they have feelings this model is here it empower children not knock their self-esteem. Medical model of disability is when the child’s disability is seen as an illness that a cure should be found. This makes children feel disempowered, this will make the child lose who they are and will always be seen as a walking illness. If a setting is following the medical model then they are no longer working in line with inclusive practice. Promoting the inclusive practice should mean that respect for children; teachers and parents/carers should always be given. Practitioners should show empathy towards the children and have their interests at the heart of planning. Respecting a child in an inclusive practice can be done in many ways however one is not defining the child by the symptoms of their condition, this will dishearten a child and they will not feel like the rest of their peers. Children should always feel safe and secure in the environment in which they are in. If a child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it may be a struggle to get that child to relax and to concentrate on their work. Nevertheless if the child’s interests and hobbies are in the heart of planning this may encourage good behaviour and concentration in the classroom. Which in turn will produce good results not just for the child in question but all the children that may have originally been distracted by child that suffe rs from ADHD. Showing empathy towards a child and his/her family shows that you have and understanding of their condition and respect what they are going through. But in no way does showing empathy mean you have to sympathise with them and show them pity, this will not benefit you or the childs progression. Showing empathy however will allow for a deeper insight in to their condition and have a broader understanding of their day to day life which will help you make settings more accessible and beneficial for them. Attitudes within an environment may need to be adjusted knowing more about a child’s disability will help practitioners to change attitudes about the way they look at things. For example if a blind child has just joined the class they may decide to change the way the room is laid out to help that child. This is because the teacher understands that having tables just dotted around the room may become a hindrance to that child. Practitioners should try to empower the children let them become more involved with their own day to day life, let them make decisions on their education and the way they wish to be treated. Everyone single child should feel safe and welcomed when they enter any childcare setting. Children should always feel valued and respected no matter what their condition is; equal rights should always be at the front of everyones minds along with the child being at the centre of all planning. Having a disability doesn’t mean the child is a second class citizen, disability should always be represented in a fair and positive light. A child with a disability is likely to already have low self-esteem so they should not feel degraded any further; this means not prejudiced language or behaviour should be used. If this behaviour does arise it should be addressed quickly, in a sensitive manner you should let the person know that they have done is wrong. Anyone that is involved with the setting should portray a positive attitude towards diversity. Parents are always going to be the biggest source of information regarding a child; parents can be brought in to an educational setting to help a teacher to provide the best care for a child. A practitioner may ask the parent to share their expertise with them, other professional may be brought in to help deliver the best education for a child. Every child has strengths as well as areas in which they require additional help; however an educator should also focus on the child’s interests and strengths this will make the child feel good about themselves, practitioners should praise a child for good work. Parents have a substantial emotional investment in their child and this should be valued at all times. A practitioner may say that a child would be better off not attending a mainstream school, this may be extremely upsetting for a parent to hear, and this is when a member of staff should offer support not only to the child but to the parent also. It should always be remembered that this is all new for the parent; they may not understand the procedures that are involved with having a SEN child. To help the parents/carers feel more comfortable with the situation all documents should be given to the parents in advance of meetings. Having a copy of the setting procedures before the meeting means that the parent can feel more prepared for when it comes to the meetings also it means that parents can ask questions about things that may be concerning them. By questions being asked and answers being given a strong teacher and parent/carer bond can be made. Practitioners need to be under the understanding that their opinions may differ to the opinions of the parents. They must remain calm, respectful and professional when having discussions with parents. Parents/carers should be allowed the time to think about the practitioners ideas, then once everyone has come to agreement they can all sit down together and deliberate about best way to care for the child. In some cases the parents may also have a disability themselves; also there may be a language barrier between the parent and the practitioner. The practitioner should try to offer as much support as possible to the parent/carer. If English doesn’t happen to be their first language then maybe a translator could be brought in to make them feel more comfortable in the situation. Flexibility on the scheduling of meetings will always be greatly welcomed by the parents/carers. Often they may have work commitments or other children, if practitioners can be flexible about what time the meeting can take place it will help the families massively. If meetings can be arranged in advance it is likely that the families will be able to arrange cover for work and alternative childcare if needed. This proves to the families that the members of staff are trying to help them as much as possible to make their lives a little easier. If a child needs are more in-depth the help of other professionals may be needed. There are many different professionals that may provide a service that could help a child, such as a Speech and Language Therapist, they will be used if the child struggles to be able to communicate, also if the child struggles to swallow a speech and language therapist will be used. A paediatrician is a doctor that is located in a hospital; this may seem scary however it’s just so they can keep a closer eye on the childs progression on regular visits. Social workers are there to offer support to the families and the child as a child with a disability or an additional need is likely to be viewed as a target for bullying. The environment that the child is learning in should always be adapted to the best of everyone’s ability to meet that child’s needs. All resources/materials should always be checked that they are not just age but also stage appropriate. However the environment should also be appropriate for them, this may mean a setting may have to adapt to meet the needs of every child e.g. if a child is blind the layout of a room may need to be changed. If a child has a lack of manipulative skills they may find undressing and dressing difficult. If the child has a PE lesson it may be a good idea to give that child extra time to change or allow the child to come in to school with their PE kit on and only have to change after the session. Some children find it hard to express their opinions or how they feel about things. They may not be able decide which type of toys they want to play with. Practitioners should try using visual aids to be able to understand what type of the things the c hild likes and dislikes. Resources should always be checked to make sure they are stage suitable as if the activities are too easy the child will lose interest and not improve but if the activity is to hard then the child will not focus and will not progress as they will feel discouraged. All these things need to be taken in to consideration when adapting a practice.

We Are Living in a Corporate Dystopia Essay -- Persuasive Argumentati

A Corporate Dystopia      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Our children are being brainwashed. Not overtly, mind you, and not in any way that would be so violent as to cause alarm with most parents, but subtly and persistently, powerful entities are programming and transforming the next generation of American citizens into obedient attendants and mindless drones. Without the necessary steps taken to prevent it, our future will lie in the hands of men and women who, instead of using a well-cultivated intellect, will feign attack on the problems of their day with the "Just do it." and "Why ask why?" knee-jerk responses of their wasted childhood, leaving real power to reside with their programmers: Coca-Cola, Nike, Disney, et al. By allowing corporations free access to the minds of our children (as many of us do), we take the first bold steps down the road to the Brave New World. Ignoring this threat and treating it as either non-existent or only minimally significant is tantamount to inviting Huxley's dystopian vision into our own world. In so doing, we set ourselves up for a decidedly dark tomorrow.    To the uninitiated, the society of Huxley's Brave New World at first seems to be only pure science fiction with no visible ties to reality. After all, we have no government-controlled genetic engineering of human beings in our world. We do not center our children's education around pleasure and the maintenance of happiness. We have no drug, or soma, to keep us in a state of physical bliss and emotional contentedness. Yet, for all its fantasy, there are several uncomfortably close connections with our own world in Huxley's ominous vision.    For instance, while there is currently no centralized system of large-scale genetic engineering, recent... ...ty to apathy and, more importantly, teach our children to do the same.    [In] Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think. -From Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman    Works Cited Coca-Cola Company. 1997 Annual Report. Atlanta: Coca-Cola Company. 1998. Available online at: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/investors/index.html Hays, Constance L. "Math Textbook Salted With Brand Names Raises New Alarm". New York Times 21 Mar. 1999. Available online at: http://www.nytimes.com Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Time, Inc. 1963. Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show-Business. New York: Viking. 1985.    We Are Living in a Corporate Dystopia Essay -- Persuasive Argumentati A Corporate Dystopia      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Our children are being brainwashed. Not overtly, mind you, and not in any way that would be so violent as to cause alarm with most parents, but subtly and persistently, powerful entities are programming and transforming the next generation of American citizens into obedient attendants and mindless drones. Without the necessary steps taken to prevent it, our future will lie in the hands of men and women who, instead of using a well-cultivated intellect, will feign attack on the problems of their day with the "Just do it." and "Why ask why?" knee-jerk responses of their wasted childhood, leaving real power to reside with their programmers: Coca-Cola, Nike, Disney, et al. By allowing corporations free access to the minds of our children (as many of us do), we take the first bold steps down the road to the Brave New World. Ignoring this threat and treating it as either non-existent or only minimally significant is tantamount to inviting Huxley's dystopian vision into our own world. In so doing, we set ourselves up for a decidedly dark tomorrow.    To the uninitiated, the society of Huxley's Brave New World at first seems to be only pure science fiction with no visible ties to reality. After all, we have no government-controlled genetic engineering of human beings in our world. We do not center our children's education around pleasure and the maintenance of happiness. We have no drug, or soma, to keep us in a state of physical bliss and emotional contentedness. Yet, for all its fantasy, there are several uncomfortably close connections with our own world in Huxley's ominous vision.    For instance, while there is currently no centralized system of large-scale genetic engineering, recent... ...ty to apathy and, more importantly, teach our children to do the same.    [In] Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think. -From Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman    Works Cited Coca-Cola Company. 1997 Annual Report. Atlanta: Coca-Cola Company. 1998. Available online at: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/investors/index.html Hays, Constance L. "Math Textbook Salted With Brand Names Raises New Alarm". New York Times 21 Mar. 1999. Available online at: http://www.nytimes.com Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York: Time, Inc. 1963. Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show-Business. New York: Viking. 1985.   

Baldwin In A Microcosm :: essays research papers

Baldwin in a microcosm "Not everything that is faced can be changed but nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James Baldwin Racism has been a part of American and world history for centuries, and has become a pattern in cultures. James Baldwin was an African-American author who, like many black men and women, struggled against the inherent hate/racism in America. Baldwin had the opportunity to travel to a microcosmic Swiss village atop a mountain. His story of the native's curiosity towards him and eventually fondness challenges the idea that racism is quickly overtaking the world. A microcosm, by definition is a representation of something on a smaller scale. In the Renaissance age, philosophers considered the world to be a macrocosm hosting millions of individual microcosms: people. The term microcosm signifies the creation of the human being as a complete world. In contrast, macrocosm refers to the idea of the whole universe outside humanity. This idea that an individual person is a world unto himself, surely influenced Baldwin in the writing of his essay pertaining to the small Swiss village that was "virtually unknown" (124). The village that Baldwin verbosely writes about is not specified although he tells us that the warm springs are a tourist draw and that the village is "only four hours from Milan and three hours from Lausanne" (124), but this gives the reader little information about the city. The imagery that forms while reading the passage comes directly from the population of the village. The men, women, and children, are all astounded by Baldwin's skin color and hair texture. Some of the inhabitants believed that Baldwin's hair "was the color of tar, that it had the texture of wire, or the texture of cotton" (125). The sheer astonishment of the village natives took Baldwin by surprise, as did the young children shouting "Neger Neger!" The people of the town, although geographically sheltered, are the same people that Baldwin knew as he grew up. He says that "America comes out of Europe, but these people have never seen America, nor have most of them seen more of Europe than the hamlet at the foot of their mountain" (127). Baldwin grew up in Harlem and suffered from racism in many ways. He recalls be called the very same derogatory word that the children in the Swiss village called him, but the difference was that the children in Harlem had an inbred racism and the Swiss children had never seen a black man before.

Drug Usage In Todays Youth Essay -- Essays Papers

Drug Usage In Today's Youth Today's teenagers cry out incessantly for their personal freedom but have thrown their responsibilities as well as their right to these personal freedoms out the window with their increasing turn towards drugs. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 1997, nearly fifty percent of high school seniors have used marijuana. i This is a shocking statistic. However, it not as shocking as the fact that this percentage has been on a steady increase since 1992 and has shown no sign of leveling out any time soon. The youth of today have not only started to use illicit drugs in more frequently, but drugs are reaching a greater number of adolescents and teenagers each year. One big problem with today's youth is that the majority does not fear the consequences of drugs. In addition, they are increasingly using illicit drugs and almost regard drugs as the popular thing to do. There are countless movies out where today's youth is portrayed as drug users. Even if it is not a drug based movie, there is at least one comment on, reference to, or portrayal of the use of drugs by all types of people. The worst part about it is that it is not only the stereotype drug user in these movies that is using the drugs. In fact, in several of the pop culture movies that have been released in the past few years it is the most popular kids in school that are using the drugs. For instance in the movie "Clueless," at a party, Cher and the other popular kids smoke marijuana and make it sound like it is all right to do. This portrayal of not only the slackers, but also the cool kids in today's society using drugs is a big influence on today's youth that using drugs is ok. Using drugs is irresponsible, unh... ... and added personal freedom, this is hindered by the addition of drugs to this natural cycle. If a user is to irresponsible to not see the disadvantages of drugs why should any freedom be gained. The problem with today's society is that they always want the quick fix to everything. This is upheld with the youth of today's society wanting personal freedom, but no responsibility. i High School Youth and Trends. NIDA Infofax. Database on-line. Available from http://www.nida,nih.gov/Infofax/HSYouthtrends.html ii Hamilton, Linda. "Recreational Drugs: An Alluring Threat to Your Body Chemistry." Dance Magazine, January 1996 iii Same as ii. iv Brook, Judith S., Balka, Elinor B., Whiteman, Martin. "The Risks for Late Adolescence of Early Adolescent Marijuana Use." American Journal of Public Health, October 1999 v Same as iv.

The destructive results of Insomnia

Insomnia is one of widely-spread sleep disorders which as a result of worries, fears, anxiety and bad brain patterns function make a person unable to maintain his/her sleep. The people suffering from insomnia become irritable the next day and often worry about the coming night when they will have to fight for sleep.As a result during the day people may meet unexpected desire to fall asleep what completely ruins the course of the day and leads to stress and depression. A person with Insomnia may also suffer from other sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome.The destructive results of Insomnia make us to think of it as a serous mental disease, however it is only a symptom caused by medications, psychological condition, inappropriate sleeping habits or by other stressful events. Among the medications that may greatly contribute to the progression of Insomnia are caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, antidepressants, amphetamines, diuretics, appetite suppressants and different drug products including cocaine and marijuana.The extent to which a person can be imposed to Insomnia has two levels of difficulty. The primary Insomnia defines a person who is having sleep problems are not directly connected with any other health states or problems. Secondary Insomnia means that a person’s inconveniences with sleep are associated with inherent health conditions such as depression, cancer, heartburn, asthma or others. Because of their pain and medications they are taking they start to have other health problems which are connected by the chain of successive conditions.Sleep disorder in its primary level can be easily treated if a person take make a habit from the following activities: ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Regularity of sleep times; ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Comfortable conditions for sleep (bed, temperature and lightening); ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prevention from accepting the stimulants (e.g. coffee or ciga rettes); ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Practice of relaxation methods; ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Avoidance from taking naps during the day.  Medicines interference into Insomnia treatment is not required as it can be treated with setting new sleeping habits. However for short-term Insomnia one can use over-the-counter sleeping drugs. It is important not to use them regularly as there may appear dependence upon them and create the situation of good sleep impossibility unless the drug is used.Treatment for long term Insomnia requires more complex procedure. First it is needed to conduct a first treating of any underlying conditions or health problems that are determined to cause Insomnia. If Insomnia progresses one can chose either to go through the behavioral therapy or start to accept medications. The first method helps people to replace their ways of living and focus on achieving of specific goals while gaining more control over their lives.Professionals in the fi eld of advancement of Behavior Therapy identify some common goals of behavior therapy. The Insomnia persons should follow this goal which requires for them to use only one bedroom for sleep (Acting), try to understand how his/her stresses influence the sleep (Feeling), to realize that at least 7 hours of sleep is a must for everyone (Thinking), to integrate diet and exercise to encourage the sleep (Dealing), and to train himself/herself in self-management skills (Coping). Medical therapy by contrast with Behavioral therapy has side effects and must be used with caution.Bibliography:1. Fogel J (2003). Behavioral treatments for insomnia in primary care settings. Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing eJournal, 3(4).2. Morgan K (2003). Daytime activity and risk factors for late-life insomnia. Journal of Sleep Research, 12(3): 231–238.3. â€Å"Insomnia Help / Behavioral Treatments for Insomnia†http://www.helpguide.org/aging/insomnia_treatment.htm  

Face Recognition Technology Essay

Facial recognition technology refers to a computer driven application that automatically identifies an individual from his or her digital image by a comparison of particular facial features in a facial database and in a live image (Vacca, 2007: 95).   The technology creates a template of people’s facial configurations, such as the lengths of their noses, and the angles of their jaws.   It thereby functions like the other biometric technologies (e.g. iris scanning) that use biological features for the purposes of recognition. According to Visionics, a manufacturer of face recognition technology, the technology is capable of finding human faces â€Å"anywhere in the field of view and at any distance, and it can continuously track them and crop them out of the scene, matching the face against a watch list (Kautzer, 2002).† Undoubtedly, these features of face recognition technology make it an attractive option for law enforcement agencies – always trying to catch criminals and keep an eye on suspects.   But, is there more to face recognition technology than meets the eye? Description and Uses of Facial Recognition Technology It is natural brain technology that allows humans to recognize fellow human beings.   According to Bruce & Young (1986) there are â€Å"face recognition units† in the brains of human beings (361).   Face recognition involves matching â€Å"the products of structural encoding,† that is, facial features that are spotted by the eye with â€Å"previously stored structural codes (Bruce & Young: 361).†Ã‚   Vacca writes that there are three areas of the face that are â€Å"primary targets† in face recognition because they do not typically change (95). These parts of the face include upper sections of a person’s eye sockets, the part of the face surrounding one’s cheekbones, and the sides of the human mouth.   Regardless of whether the human brain also considers these parts of the face most crucial to facial recognition, Vacca explains three different techniques used in man-made face recognition technology, namely, eigenface systems, eigenfeature systems, and thermal imaging.   Eigenface image systems capture facial images and change them to â€Å"light and dark areas (Vacca: 95).† In eigenfeature systems, certain features of the face, for example, the eyes and the mouth, are picked out and distances are measured between these features.   Thermal imaging systems, on the other hand, take thermal images of the human face, focusing on the pattern of blood vessels (Vacca). Even though iris scanning and other kinds of biometric technologies are known to be far more accurate than face recognition technology, it is believed that the latter would be more widely accepted because it is least intrusive.   This technology does not require users to push, click, or insert anything into the system, despite the fact that it takes many experts to create eigenface, eigenfeature or thermal imaging systems.   Moreover, companies using the face recognition technology do not require the installation of anything except a new software application. The cameras already in place as well as pictures of their employees on file are enough for companies that use this technology.   Hence, face recognition technology is cheaper for organizations than iris scanning, for instance, which requires reading setups.   According to Frances Zelazney, who works as the director of corporate communication at Visionics – a leading developer of biometrics – yet another advantage of facial recognition technology as compared to other biometric technologies is that â€Å"facial recognition provides for inherent human backup because we naturally recognize one another†¦ If the system goes down, someone can pull out an ID with a picture as backup, something you can’t do with fingerprint devices (Rutherford, 2001).† Unsurprisingly, facial recognition technology is known as the fastest growing biometric technology in our day.   Law enforcement agencies and the military have been successfully using the technology for many years without the public being aware of it.   In the year 1988, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (Lakewood Division) began using composite sketches of suspects, as well as video images, in order to conduct searches on a database of digital facial shots. The department also has a photo database of sex offenders and plans to find suspects on this database.   Then there is the Gang Reporting Evaluation Tracking system that can be searched with the use of photos of suspects in order for law enforcement to circumvent false identification cards as well as information that has been presented by gang members (Jarvis). Other applications of face recognition technology in the area of criminal investigation include the Integrated Law Enforcement Face-Identification System which incorporates a unique three dimensional composite technology to identify angled-view face shots more easily.   The system is meant to be very helpful in the correct identification of uncooperative suspects in addition to subjects that have been caught from a distance using video surveillance cameras. Furthermore, Britain is known to use at least two hundred thousand video cameras for surveillance.   Many of these cameras are being installed with the facial recognition technology today.   Typically these systems use computers to monitor cameras that are looking for recognized criminals.   As soon as the system is seen to identify a known criminal, the police are called (Jarvis). There are numerous United States embassies around the world that are already using the face recognition technology to keep criminals from entering the country.   The Israel-Palestine border control is similarly using the technology to reduce crime across the border (Jarvis). IQ Biometrix, established in 2001, was a company providing help to thousands of law enforcement agencies around the world with the FACES â„ ¢, a groundbreaking software tool allowing users to create and recreate billions of face shots, as well as encode, catalogue and transmit them.   The technology incorporated a facial composite tool that the FBI and the CIA also used.   The United States Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy, and various local as well as state police agencies had similarly opted for this groundbreaking system of facial recognition (â€Å"IQ Biometrix,† 2004). Given the importance of putting a name to a face in law enforcement, whether it is to solve crimes, protect the public, or to ensure security in jails, face recognition technology is proving itself to be of tremendous value.   Sheriff Everett Rice with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in Florida employs the Viisage face recognition technology to â€Å"positively identify and verify individuals (â€Å"Facial Recognition in Action,† 2007).†Ã‚   Some of these individuals have been recently arrested while others are about to be released.   The face recognition technology is also of use with people that visit the courthouse.   So far, application of the technology has been successful, and users of the technology believe that it would have a greater impact on crime control in the years to come (â€Å"Facial Recognition in Action†).   The following is a detailed account of the case being considered: Over time, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, like other law enforcement agencies, found itself faced with cumbersome booking, release and criminal investigation processes.   A prominent problem was a lack of timely information, which often allowed suspects to get away with providing false identification, hampering law enforcement or sidetracking investigations.   However the sheriff’s office found facial recognition to be an invaluable tool in providing quick and accurate identity information.   Facial recognition technology has allowed the sheriff’s office to quickly access important identity information and retrieve records, thus allowing officers to correctly identify even uncooperative suspects and to conduct more efficient investigations. In 2000, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office received a grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) at the U.S. Department of Justice.   The goal of the funding was to demonstrate the use of facial recognition technology for Florida law enforcement. Under the leadership of Lt. James Main acting as project director, the sheriff’s office decided to look beyond the traditional investigative uses of face recognition and to focus on how the quick, non-intrusive technology could be used to enhance operations at the jail. By initially focusing on the booking facility where mugshot images are collected, Main believed he could create processing efficiencies by using the existing images to build a facial recognition database.   The database would then serve as the foundation for identity solutions within Pinellas County, and throughout the state (â€Å"Facial Recognition in Action†). Application of face recognition technology by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is a model for other agencies involved in criminal investigation.   The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has applied the new technology in other ways as well.   As an example, the Sheriff’s Office has expanded use of the technology to its patrol cars to allow street deputies to identify those individuals that have been stopped and are unable to produce identification.   There are workstations in the Pinellas Country where investigators may use face recognition technology to compare images that have been acquired in investigations. This system allows for search of at least two million images within ten seconds.   What is more, this browser based system is available in the cars of deputies that patrol the streets of the Pinellas County (â€Å"Facial Recognition in Action†).   Report on the use of face recognition technology for law enforcement in the Pinellas County continues thus: As envisioned by the Department of Justice grant, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with other state and local agencies in Florida to maximize the effectiveness of the system.   Agencies participating in the project include the Florida Department of Corrections, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), seven Florida Regional Terrorism Task Forces, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Miami-Dade, Broward, Leon and Duval counties.

Social Phobia

Social Anxiety Disorder: Social Phobia The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines social anxiety disorder as a marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur (DSM). Exposure to these situations provokes an immediate anxiety response such as a panic attack (DSM). In order to be diagnosed, fear or avoidance of these situations must interfere significantly with the person’s normal routines, occupational or academic functioning, social activities or relationships, or a person must experience marked distress about having the phobia (DSM). In 400 B. C. , Hippocrates described a young man that displayed the symptoms of a social anxiety disorder. â€Å"He dare not come in company for fear he should be misused, disgraced, overshoot himself in gesture or speeches, or be sick; he thinks every man observes him† (Burton 2009). Throughout the 20th century, psychiatrists described extremely shy patients as having social phobia and social neurosis. British psychiatrists Isaac Marks and Michael Gelder proposed that social phobias be considered a distinct category separate from other simple phobias (Hope, Heimberg, Juster, & Turk 2005). In 1980, the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders introduced social phobia as an official psychiatric diagnosis. Social phobia was described as a fear of performance situations, but did not include fears of informal situations such as casual conversations or social situations. Patients with broad fears were likely to be diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder, which could not be diagnosed in conjunction with social phobia (Weiner, Freedheim, Freedheim, Reynolds, Miller, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, & Nelson 2003). In 1985, psychiatrist Michael Liebowitz and psychologist Richard Heimberg initiated a call to action for research on social phobia (Weiner, Freedheim, Freedheim, Reynolds, Miller, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, & Nelson 2003). Due to the lack of research on social anxiety disorder, the disorder came to be known by many as the â€Å"neglected anxiety disorder† (Weiner, Freedheim, Freedheim, Reynolds, Miller, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, & Nelson 2003). In 1987, the DSM-III-R introduces changes in some of the diagnostic criteria. To diagnosis social anxiety disorder the symptoms must cause â€Å"interference or marked distress† rather than simply â€Å"significant distress. † It also became possible to diagnose social phobia and avoidant personality disorder in the same patient (Weiner, Freedheim, Freedheim, Reynolds, Miller, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, & Nelson 2003). In 1994, the DSM-IV was released, and the disorder was defined as a â€Å"marked and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or possible scrutiny by others† (Weiner, Freedheim, Freedheim, Reynolds, Miller, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, Nelson, Gallagher, & Nelson 2003). The etiology of social anxiety disorder is largely attributed to genetics, and environmental factors. Family studies of individuals with social anxiety disorder show a higher incidence of the disorder than that found in the general population, and a twin study found a concordance rate of 15. % in dizygotes and a 24. 4% concordance in monozygotes (Kedler, Neale, Kessler, Heath & Eaves 1992. ). Of course, there is very little evidence that the genetic factors attributed to social anxiety disorder extend beyond the link between environmental factors since there is very little evidence of neurobiological factors. Other than the fact that se lective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are effective treatments for social anxiety disorder, there is little evidence to implicate dysfunction of the serotonergic system (Jefferson 2001. . The lack of empirical data identifying neurobiological factors in causing the onset of social anxiety disorder is best stated in a quote by Dr. Murray B. Stein, a Professor of Psychiatry and Family & Preventive Medicine at the University of California San Diego, â€Å"It is clear that we have a long way to go before we can speak with authority about the ‘neurobiology of social phobia’† (Stein 1998. ) Therefore, environmental factors remain the most referred to etiological agent in the onset of social anxiety disorder. Parenting traits such as over control, lack of warmth or rejection, and overprotection are known to be associated with the etiology of social anxiety disorder (Brooks, & Schmidt 2008). Some individuals with social anxiety disorder associate its onset with a specific social event or interaction that was particularly embarrassing or humiliating. Such a circumstance could be considered an adverse conditioning stimulus (Jefferson 2001). There is further evidence that poor results from quality of life assessments can be attributed to social anxiety disorder. Individuals with major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder have substantially poorer quality of life than community comparison cohorts. In many cases, the quality-of-life impairments associated with these anxiety disorders are equal to or greater than those seen with other chronic medical disorders (Rapaport, Clary, Fayyad, & Endicott 2005). Social anxiety disorder is a common disorder. The lifetime prevalence of SAD is somewhere between 7% and 13% in Western countries (Furmark 2002). Furthermore, epidemiological studies have demonstrated that social anxiety disorder is the most widespread of all the anxiety disorders, and the third most common psychiatric disorder after major depression and alcohol abuse (Brooks, & Schmidt 2008). Therapy and medication are the most common treatments for social anxiety disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most utilized form of psychotherapy, and has been found to be successful in seventy-five percent of patients (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). This type of therapy focuses on reminding the patient that it is their own thoughts, not other people or situations, that determine how they behave or react (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). In therapy, the patient is taught how to recognize and change the negative thoughts they have about themselves (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). Exposure therapy is also a common form of treatment for social anxiety disorder. In this type of therapy, the patient is gradually exposed to situations that they fear most (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). Exposure therapy enables the patient to learn coping techniques, and develop the courage to face them (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). The patient is also exposed to role-playing with emphasis on developing the skills to cope with different social situations in a â€Å"safe† environment (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). There are several medications used to treat social anxiety disorder. These medications are typically serotonin reuptake inhibitors including Paxil, Zoloft, and Prozac (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). A serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) drug such as Venlafaxine may also be used as a first-line therapy for social anxiety disorder (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). Typically, the patient begins with a low dosage, and is gradually increased to a full dosage, to minimize side effects (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). It may take up to three months of treatment before the patient begins to have noticeable improvement of symptoms (â€Å"Social anxiety disorder,† 2009). Social anxiety disorder remains a largely misunderstood, and under researched, disorder. Momentum through increased clinical research, in depth understanding through treatment, and stricter guidelines for proper diagnosis are positive indications that Psychology has recognized the debilitating effects of social anxiety disorder on patients. In time, clinicians will be better prepared to treat patients suffering from this disorder, and will improve the lives of patients. References Brooks, C. A. , & Schmidt, L. A. (2008). Social anxiety disorder: a review of environmental risk factors. Neuropsychiatr Disease and Treatment, 4(1), Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. ih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515922/ Burton, Robert. (2009). The Anatomy of melancholy. Charlottesville, VA: The University of Virginia. Furmark T. (2002). Social phobia: overview of community surveys, Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 105, Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/11939957 Hope, Debra, Heimberg, Richard, Juster, Harlan, & Turk, Cynthia. (2005). Managing social anxiety. New York, NY: Oxf ord Univ Pr. Jefferson, J. W. (2001). Physicians postgraduate press, inc.. Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 3(1), Retrieved from http://www. cbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC181152/ Kedler, K. S. , Neale, M. C. , Kessler, R. C. , Heath, A. C. , and Eaves, L. J. (1992) The genetic epidemiology of phobias in women: the interrelationship of agoraphobia, social phobia, situational phobia, and simple phobia. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry. Rapaport, M. H. , Clary, C, Fayyad, R, & Endicott, J. (2005). Quality-of-life impairment in depressive and anxiety disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(6), Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/9861470 Social anxiety disorder (social phobia). (2009). Mayoclinic. com. Retrieved (2010, April 25), Retrieved from http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/social-anxiety-disorder/DS00595/DSECTION=treatments%2Dand%2Ddrugs Stein, M. B. (1998). Neurobiological perspectives on social phobia: from affiliation to zoology. Biological Psychiatry, 44(12), Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/9861470 Weiner, Irving, Freedheim, Donald, Freedheim, Donald, Reynolds, William, Miller, Gloria, Gallagher, Michela, Nelson, Randy, Gallagher, Michela, Nelson, Randy, Gallagher, Michela, & Nelson, Randy. (2003). Handbook of psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.