Sustainability and visual arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainability and visual arts - Essay Example The paper tells that nature has had a long history of influencing art, one that has extended from the masters bringing their palettes into their gardens to the contemporary earthworks of Andy Goldsworthy and others. However, in order for art to continue to be influenced by nature there must be nature to be influenced by. In a society where the population and urban landscapes are every burgeoning, Susan Leibovitz Steinman creates new landscapes out of urban devastation to promote sustainability and environmental education. Unlike other artist, who work in sites that can be difficult for the average viewer to experience firsthand, Steinman works in the heart of cities. In Mandela Artscape, Steinman literally worked in the middle of the street, at the crossroads of industry and ecology. This project involved regrouping West Oakland community members to reclaim a part of their town that had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1989, by turning the site into a creative, interactive, and env ironmentally friendly work of art. Steinman is not the first to transform the horrors ofa natural disaster into a reclamation project. In 1964, the "Great Good Friday Earthquake," the second largest recorded earthquake at that time with a magnitude of 9.2 on the Richter Scale, struck Anchorage, Alaska. One-hundred-and-thirty-one people perished, towns were buried, and tsunamis tore across the area. The only possible positive outcome of such a terrible natural catastrophe is the proactive and innovative reaction of the survivors. (US Geological Survey, 2004). The Anchorage Earthquake Park (figure 2) is the result of one particular reaction. The goal of this park was to reclaim a destroyed area and to educate people about the earthquake. There are bike paths, cross-country ski trails, picnic tables, and most importantly, information panels. In 1973, Smithson congratulated the people who reclaimed the Anchorage site through the creation of a park, stating that this action was "an inter esting way of dealing with the unexpected, and incorporating that into the community"(Smithson in Holt 1979: 192). Figure 2: The Anchorage Earthquake Park (Source: http://www.igougo.com/journal-j34852-Anchorage-The_Seward_Highway_Americas_Most_Scenic_Byway.html) The significance of Steinman's work, and that which distinguishes Mandela Artscape from the Anchorage Earthquake Park, is the interactive nature of the creative process, as people from the community were involved in every aspect of the project. It is also this element of engagement with the public that differentiates Steinman's work from others. Promoting Sustainability Steinman is critical of Western capitalist society. She is involved in many groups that have emerged as a response to the problem that the consumerist ideology presents. The Women Environmental Artists Directory (WEAD), for example, is an artist-produced, non-profit, national and international organization that Steinman and Jo Hanson founded in 1996. The WEAD lists over two hundred artists, all of whom adopt an activist approach to raising environmental awareness through art. Themes involve site, community and habitat specificity, an educational agenda, public participation, and works that are often temporary - many ideas that overlap with the new genre public art ideology (Hanson and Steinman, 2012). Steinman is also involved with a group called "eco art network" Similarly, the mandate of this group is to create ecological works of art that promote sustainability and environmental education (Ecoartnetwork.org, 2012). Consumerism is a basic concern for artists involved in environmental art, sometimes referred to as "ecoart." As stated by artist Ruth Wallen, "much ecoart is motivated by a recognition that current patterns

Schindlers List Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Schindlers List - Movie Review Example The plot of Schindler’s List runs on multiple accounts under the overall parasol of German atrocities on Jews, but at the core of film is rooted on the transformational narrative of a corrupt and flamboyant German businessman named Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) into an unexpected hero for the Jews. In the event of German capture of Poland in 1939, Oskar moves to Krakow in hopes of establishing a business with the help of local Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley). Initially to prosper but eventually to rescue Nazi victims, Oskar bribes the brutal SS Lieutenant Amon Goth (Ralph Fiennes). The documentary style of the story, scripted by Steven Zaillian that is based on Thomas Keneally’s book Schindler’s Ark, excels in describing what had actually happened. Since, not much was written about Oskar Schindler (Manchel, 1995 March), Zaillian had the flexibility to mould the character in the best possible manner. The essence of story would not have been captured in the movie that well if it were not because of powerful and gripping performances given by the cast. Liam Neeson’s portrayal Oskar, an enigmatic entrepreneur, with a carefree attitude exudes confidence and empathy. To the other extreme is Ralph Fiennes’ Goth character, a psychopath and cold Nazi official. The third arc, Stern essayed by Ben Kingsley has been portrayed as a calculative businessman with a hidden agenda to save lives. Minor roles such as Helen Hirsch (Embeth Davidtz) - the object of Goth’s lust and the Jewish couple that marries in the concentration camp helped recreate images of humiliation, grief and torture, often providing useful insights about the cultural chasm created at the time. The powerhouse of acting in the film coupled with equally powerful technical expertise in filmmaking provides audience the desired effect of being right there in Krakow, 1939. A variety of visual and auditory techniques have been used to inject right emotions in each frame. Using real locations, Krakow (Poland), Aushwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp (Poland) and Jerusalem, Israel (The Internet Movie Database, 1993), Spielberg enhance movie’s claims of authenticity and credibility. The settings of dark and damp Aushwitz camp, kitchenware factory of Krakow or the posh German nightclub by production designer Allan Starski add authenticity to the story’s interest. For example, a stark duality between two back-to-back scenes, one detailing Oskar’s rich wardrobe and the other of thousands of Jews entering Krakow provides to audience an apt visualization of the two worlds of Germans and Jews. Adding to the set-design, costumes by designer Anna Sheppard also highlights the stark brutalities amongst powerful and the powerless. Oskar’s movie star possessions, Nazi uniforms, German women’s chic dresses and innocent captives’ modest clothing opinionates viewers towards what the director is narrating. The monochr omatic palette transports the viewer to that era by switching from the riches to the ghettos, and from the ghettos to the camps. Despite the fact that the film is in black-and-white, specific use of color has been used 5 times to bring viewer’

Electronic Surveillance Invasion Of Privacy Philosophy Essay

Electronic Surveillance Invasion Of Privacy Philosophy Essay Electronic surveillance has become part of our everyday life for quite some time by now. When we make a call to most service companies or organizations, we almost always hear the computer voice: Forreason, this phone call is monitored. When we go to work, turn on the computer, it says on the screen: your activity is monitored. Everywhere we look, we found surveillance cameras, on the street, in the mall, at school We found them in the United States as well as most of the other countries in the whole world. Over ABC news, one day I heard about the humming bird the US military was developing to help the troops in the field. It is remote controlled, looks and flies like a humming bird, with a camera on it. Ive never been too worried about the privacy issue until I see this little bird flying around. Its so small, it has the ability to go basically everywhere. If its used in the military, who can say its never going to be used by general public? If everybody can buy one, is it possible for somebody to buy one as a toy and fly it around the park? Or how about a kid flying it around the apartment building or the neighborhood? Will we need to get rid of all the windows of our houses to have some privacy? The news keep reporting a lot of cases in which the criminals were caught because of the use of electronic surveillance. Whenever this happens, most people might think its really a good thing. It is definitely good if video cameras only catch bad guys, but thats never going to be possible, it either catchs everything or nothing at all. Watching the crimes being committed on a video would sure brings definite evidences the same as hearing the criminals talk about their crimes on the phone. In court, electronic surveillance has been very successful. But as communications advance, the surveillance techniques has became more and more intrusive to privacy. One has to agree that electronic surveillance does play an important role in criminal investigation in this information era, but we also cant deny the fact that its very intrusive and its even becoming more and more intrusive because of the advancing technology. Ethical dilemma Now, weve reached a ethical dilemma here. First of all, electronic surveillance is helpful in law enforcement. Definitely no doubt at all. In fact, law enforcement agents requests lots and lots of information from all sorts of organizations, from wiretaps, surveillance cameras, to cell phone locations and e-mails. The most familiar one we all know is whenever there is car stolen, robbery broken in, or anything, surveillance cameras films are pulled out to the light to identify criminals. Some of the things we might not know as much: in 2006 alone, AOL received about one thousand request from the law enforcement on a monthly basis; in 2009, the website Face book received more than ten request daily; some cell phone companies even have websites, so the police can use the data from it freely. Overall, thousands of electronic surveillance are ordered every year by the law enforcement. Or we might even say, for solving almost every crime, there is some type of electronic surveillance used . On the other hand, privacy concern is getting more and more of an issue. When the very early type of surveillance was used, like wiretaps, they are only conducted on people who are suspected of some sort of crime, not on regular legitimately behaved citizens. But after surveillance cameras came into play, everything, everybody is monitored, legitimate or not, guilty or not, people are all watched all the time in work place, on the street or most public places. Luckily, we still have our privacy left in our own home if we want. But if later on, the little humming bird come into life, we might as well lose that, by then, there would be barely any privacy left if any at all. Then what shall we do as a society? Should we keep current surveillance, or even add lots more to make the world a safer place to live? Or should we get rid of all the surveillance, and all the advance technology and go back to what we had during the very early days? Or do we want to use the surveillance and at the same time protect privacy as much as possible? How do we approach that? Analyzing by the use of ethical theories Kant First of all, lets see what Kant would say about this situation. Kants Categorical Imperative (First Formula) says: to act only from the moral rules that you can at the same time will to be universal moral laws. We might put the moral rule this way: it is okay for the law enforcement to use electronic surveillance. Now, in order to evaluate this morale rule, we try to put it into a universal rule. Law enforcement can use electronic surveillance whenever they want. Since surveillance works very well, if the court accepts any evidence from electronic surveillance, and law enforcement is allowed to put surveillance over anybody at any place any time, we might find surveillance cameras everywhere, maybe even in our bedrooms or bathrooms. Thus, by then, people would have no expect about privacy anymore. Under such circumstances, people who want to conduct criminal activities wont be doing it under public light, or anywhere that electronic surveillance can reach, they might be doing it in underground tunnels or under the water, or they might invent some type of shield or clothes such that the cameras wont go through, or whatever way thats possible. Of course they wont be using phone calls, or e-mails or any other electronic communication methods. They might be using pigeons or bugs or whatever works to send messages. So, by then, all the surveillance we have wont be useful any more, thus the idea that surveillance will help fight crimes, catch criminals wont be true any more. So we conclude it would reach contradictory when we try to universal the rule. Then, Kants Second Formulation of Categorical Imperative points out it is wrong for one person to use another person. When the law enforcement use wiretap on a suspect, Kant would probably say its okay. But for the cases of surveillance cameras and other surveillance which targets all the people in general, the law enforcement are using the legitimate people trying to find out who the criminals are. Those people who are lawful citizens should not be treated as means to an end. So it is wrong for law enforcement to watch over everybody trying to find the bad guys. Act Utilitarian Act utilitarian uses the Principle of Utility to just moral issues, it believes an action is right if it increases the total happiness of all the affected parties, and an action is wrong if it decreases the total happiness of the affected parties. Lets say law enforcement is using surveillance cameras in neighborhood parks in order to detect possible criminal activities. Now, lets try to determine all the affected parties and the change of their happiness. First of all, the camera is there to watch over the park, so the police department dont need as many patrols out there, that would save them some money. Also, cameras are on twenty-four hours a day, and it shows absolute evidence, people can watch it, replay it, it most likely will even work better than if a patrol is there in person. The camera might help to keep the criminals away, make it a better neighborhood to live in, thus everybody in the neighborhood will benefit. On the other hand, people who lives around the park, maybe going there quite a few times a day, and dont feel like being watched all the time, so they might chose not to go to the park at all. Especially, people who live right by the park might worry the cameras could possibly see what theyre doing in thei r house, that might cause them great discomfort. They might even move away from the park to free themselves. In this case we need to decide which side weights more, if there is barely anybody living around the park, and there are a lot of criminal activities going on over there, utilitarianism might say its better to have some surveillance cameras there. But for the places where many people live around with very rarely any criminal activities happen, it might not be such a good idea to put surveillance cameras there. The only problems here is, most likely, where there are more people, there are more crimes happening. Rational people would agree not much crimes are happening deep in the forest. So the issue becomes, the places where surveillance cameras are most in need are places where there are more people, but at the same time, thats the place where we would appreciate not having the cameras. Rule Utilitarian Rule utilitarianism holds that we should use those moral rules which, if followed by everyone, will lead to the greatest increase in total happiness. Now lets look at the same universal moral rule as we used for Kant: Law enforcement can use electronic surveillance whenever they want. If law enforcement can use whatever surveillance they want and it holds up in court, they would not hesitate to use it, since that would make them break into the criminal cases way easier. Thus we might came upon such scenario: everybody is required to wear a cap with a camera on it, or a pair of earrings with tiny cameras on the bottom, so the law enforcement can watch over all our activities, thus nothing will go hidden, no criminal activities will go without being find out. Then we will be living in an absolute transparent world. How about if the technology advance so much, people might invent something that could tell if people are thinking evil, if such detection chip is planted in everyones head, then, surely, there wouldnt be any crimes happening at all. If there is no crimes on the world, all the legitimate citizens would definitely benefit. Also, if there is no crimes, we probably dont even need the entire justice branch of the country, or any attorneys, or weapons or such, thats going to be a great big save. If there is no crime, everybody will have lot less to worry about everyday, it should be way easier for people to stay happy. The first negative consequence of such an universal adoption of electronic surveillance is that its going to cost the taxpayers a lot of money to have all the cameras installed, all the special software or device designed and produced to put into use. Also, a lot of law enforcement personals would be needed to monitor all these many people in the country. Whats the ratio of law enforcement to citizen? One to five? Ten? Thats a question. The most harmful consequence of massive electronic surveillance would be the unhappiness caused to people by having very little privacy. Were born to love freedom, nobody love to be watched all the time. If people are not happy living in this country, theyll go somewhere else where freedom and privacy is valued more. Thus, US as a nation, will be downgraded, less and less people will want to come and work here, our own best elites will definitely seek opportunities elsewhere, the whole country and everyone inside would be worse off. In conclusion, the possible harm caused by adopting the universal moral rule seems to exceed the possible benefits. So the rule utilitarianism would probably say using electronic surveillance for law enforcement is wrong. Social Contract Theory Social contract theory states that it is morally right for one person to act according to a moral rule that is accepted by rational people because of the mutual benefits of adopting such a rule, given others follow the rules as well. To apply social contract theory, we identify the rational agents and their rights. The morality of the action of the law enforcement depends on whether the privacy rights of the people is violated. Most of us would agree having privacy is one way the society gives to rational adults on the account that they will be responsible for whatever they do. We dont give much privacy to babies or toddlers, because mostly they dont know what they are doing, and they need somebody to watch over them, also we generally dont hold them responsible for what they do. We as adults, take care of them, and are responsible for their behaviors. If were being watched over like babies, would that imply we dont know what were doing, and need some supervision all the time? If thats the case, how can the law enforcement know what they are doing, on what ground can they have the right and ability to watch our the rest of the world? Should they themselves be watched over at the same time? On the other hand, if were treated like babies, we shouldnt be responsible for what we do. Some might argue we dont have rights to privacy the same way as we have right to life and to our own property. But we mostly would agree, giving people some privacy have many benefits. Privacy gives people the opportunity to do what they please, to be themselves, to grow in their own unique way. Generally speaking, people expect privacy when they are in their private places, such as bedrooms; people expect certain things to be private such as how much money they have in the bank; or what they said to their girlfriend or boyfriend or such. Privacy is valued in our society, a rational people would agree, having some privacy is good to everybody because nobody wants to live under a camera and have other people watch how many times they went to bathrooms or even how many scars are over their bodies. In conclusion, according to social contract theory, it is wrong for law enforcement to use electronic surveillance because it violates the privacy of the general public. Consequences if electronic surveillance is not allowed Now, look at the other side of the issue. What would happen if electronic surveillance is not allowed at all? Of course we would have our privacy back, people will be living a happier life being able to do what they please without being watched. But what about law enforcement? Will we be able to capture any criminals? Were better off than our ancestors in many ways, such as, we have better clothes, better food, better education and so on. But the world is also getting more and more dangerous, all the newest technology, the advance in education also made it possible for some criminals to do huge damage to the society. If electronic surveillance arent allowed in court, will we be able to catch those people and put them in jail? The chances might be very low. If criminals figure out the law enforcement cant reach them, most likely theyll do a lot more damage, if people know they cant be caught for the bad things they do, most likely theyll keep doing it, and other people who use to be legitimate person might even find out stealing from other people is way easier than working hard to gain something, if lots of other people are doing it, why cant they? Computers are used by almost everybody here in US, people conduct crimes on co mputers, some might sell illegal things on the web, some might sent viruses to destroy other peoples computer, all sorts of bad things could happen, thus it is becoming increasing important that the law enforcement can stay on top of the technology and keep the criminal activities under control. If there are all legitimate people on the world, then we sure dont need any surveillance, we can have all our privacy. But thats not the case, then, some type of surveillance will be needed to watch over those who are trying to damage the society. Decision and Implementation From the point of view of Kant, act utilitarianism, rule utilitarianism, and social contract theory, we have all concluded it is wrong for the law enforcement to use electronic surveillance for law enforcement. But on the other hand, because of the advancing in technology and education, criminals these days are becoming very good at covering what they do, so surveillance is needed in lots of ways to protect the general public from the harm the criminals might cause, and it is important for law enforcement to have some electronic surveillance, so they can effectively catch those criminals and give the punish they deserve, thus people will be living in a much more safer environment. Now we realize we all want as much privacy as possible, but we also want to live in a safe place where criminals are punished for the bad things they do, thus electronic surveillance becomes something we dont like, but we got to have some. That happens a lot in life, suppose somebody might dont like vegetables at all, but because of the benefits vegetable brings, they have to eat some, since they all want to live a healthy and long life. But at the same time, they might be able to find all sorts of ways to make the vegetables tastier to their desire, so they will more likely want to eat it, even possibly enjoy eating it. Now how should we implement such theory on electronic surveillance? How can we use it in such a way that brings more beneficiary than damage? Congress has already passed many laws relating to protecting peoples privacy, such as the Video Privacy Protection Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and so on, but the technology is advancing so rapidly, which makes it hard for the congress to react and come up with new law regarding new issues. So, first of all, we will need a group of elites who possess the newest technology in the legislative group, so they will be able to come up with supportive laws as fast as needed. This way the gap between new technology and the laws will be luckily filled up. On the other hand, its a good idea to use every possible way to actively promote virtues in people in the country, higher education is one way to pursue this, high education will bring people up to some level of understanding about how the society function as a whole, how is it important that everybody in the whole nation, whole world need to work together to make the universe a better place to live in. Other than that, good economy, good living condition, good relationship between family members and relatives and friends, all those together will give people a sense of belonging, make people happier and such that not as many people will be thinking about committing crimes, which then leads to less surveillance needed, so in return well all have more privacy. Also, another very important part is how can we make sure our law enforcement personals are well trained about how important it is to stick to their code of professional ethics, such that people can trust them not to misuse priva te information, and there should be strict laws to regulate when such things does happen. If legitimate person can trust law enforcement to only use their information for specific reasons, they would be more willing to provide such information and give away some of their privacy.

My Theory Of The Universe :: essays research papers

My Theory of the Universe You are about to be transported to a very strange world, read on if you dare! The planet you are on is a giant disco ball, rotating clockwise. (Earth) This disco ball is in a place that has two stories. It is on the first story ceiling, but the ceiling is made of glass so the disco ball can be seen from both floors. The walls of the room are black. There is a big yellow spotlight in one corner of the room that slowly moves up and down. (Sun) There is another spotlight in the opposite corner, but this one is white and has a rotating filter to block some of the light out. (Moon) This filter starts at one end of the light, works its way across, and then works its way back. (Phases of the Moon) There are many spots on the walls of the room that are just reflections off of the disco ball. (Stars) These spots seem to form different patterns on the walls and move along with the disco ball, but not always at the same rate. (Constellations) There are two very shy people in the room that sometimes leave the room. When they are in the room they stand by the walls and always wink for some reason, so all we can see of them is one of their eyes. (Mercury & Venus) Then there are three very weird people in the room that are always in the middle of the room doing the Waltz. They do this some how by themselves and they to are always winking. They are sometimes on the first floor and sometimes on the second floor. (Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) There is also one guy dressed in a white polyester leisure suit, gold chains, and rings dancing to "Stayin' Alive." (comet) It seems as though everyone in the universe hears their own music. He is only in the room for a little bit; he makes his way across the room then leaves, he must get tired really quick! Sometimes when he is dancing or even when you can not see him dancing, (must have forgot his gold chains) somehow he loses a ring because we can see it fly across the sky. (shooting star) Then there are two people, one directly below the ball and one directly above the ball when they are there. They both dress in silver lamay (shiny stuff) that makes all different colors that we can see. (Northern/Southern Lights) Occasionally some stupid guy stands in front of one of the spotlights and

Comparison: Shakespeare’s Sonnets and Sonnet

Compare and Contrast Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare In this essay I am going to highlight the comparisons and contrasts between William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 and also give my opinions. A similarity between the two poems is that they are both about a man’s love for a woman. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Meaning that the woman that Shakespeare loves in Sonnet 18 is ‘more lovely’ than a ‘summer’s day’ and she is just right for him, as summer can sometimes be too hot. In Sonnet 130, it’s also about Shakespeare’s love for a woman.And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. This shows that Shakespeare still loves the woman that the poem is about. Even though in the rest of the poem Shakespeare highlights all of her bad points. My Mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red tha n her lips red; This means that the woman’ s eyes in this poem are nowhere near as bright as the sun and her lips aren’t as red as coral, but even though she has her bad points, Shakespeare still loves her. This shows that Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 are similar in the way they are both about Shakespeare’s love for a woman.Another comparison between Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 is that in both the poems Shakespeare uses metaphors to describe the two women in the poems. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Here, Shakespeare compares the woman to a summers day and says that she is ‘more lovely and more temperate’ meaning that the woman is not too hot or not too cold. Shakespeare also uses metaphors in Sonnet 130. If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; This compares the woman’s skin in Sonnet 130 to the colour of snow.This shows that a comparison between Sonnet 18 and Sonn et 130 is that they both do use metaphors. Another comparison of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 is, in the sonnets, the women aren’t named. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, Shakespeare calls the woman he talks about ‘thee’ and in Sonnet 130 the woman is also anonymous. My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; In Sonnet 130 Shakespeare calls the woman ‘his mistress’. This shows that another comparison between the two poems is that the women in both of them are anonymous.One of the differences between Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 is that in Sonnet 18, Shakespeare highlights the woman’s beauty, but in Sonnet 130, Shakespeare highlights the woman’s faults. But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, Here, in Sonnet 18, Shakespeare is saying that the woman’s beauty never fades whereas summer fades a fter a while. In Sonnet 130 Shakespeare highlights the woman’s bad points. Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; Here Shakespeare is saying that the woman’s lips aren’t red like coral, which to Shakespeare is a bad thing, which he highlights.This proves that a difference between Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 is that in Sonnet 18 he highlights the woman’s good features, whereas in Sonnet 130 Shakespeare highlights the woman’s bad features. Another difference between the two sonnets is that in Sonnet 18 Shakespeare pays the woman lots of complements, whereas in Sonnet 130 Shakespeare insults the woman. So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. This is a complement from Sonnet 18, which means, as long as people can see and as long as she is alive she will be beautiful and full of life.In Sonnet 130 though, Shakespeare insults the woman. And in some perfumes is there more de light Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. This insult from Sonnet 130 is saying that perfumes smell a lot better than his wife’s breath. This shows that a difference between Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 is that in Sonnet 18 Shakespeare complements the woman, whereas in Sonnet 130, Shakespeare insults the woman. My view is that these two sonnets are both love poems. I think in Sonnet 130 Shakespeare insults and highlights the woman’s bad points, but he still loves the woman he talks about.And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. This means that in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, even though all of the woman’s bad points he still loves her. In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 Shakespeare highlights the woman’s good points and says how beautiful she is. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: This shows one of the complements that Shakespeare pays the woman in Sonnet 18. This shows that both the sonnets are love poems. In this essay I have highlighted similarities and differences between Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 and gave my opinion of them.

Caring for People with Additional Needs Essay

Introduction In my AO1 ‘caring for people with additional needs’ portfolio I am going to provide and clearly display in great detail information and understanding of three causes of additional needs. I will do this by researching a range of sources to get in dept information. Then I will provide an explanation with great content of the effects on people who are in need of these services due to their additional needs. Finally, I intend to record in depth and show understanding of each stage of the care management process and evaluate how it is used to access, plan, implement, monitor and review individual care plans. Definition of disability â€Å"A physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.† (http://www.equalityni.org) What is a physical disability? People with physical disabilities, also known as disabled people or physically disabled people, have a physical impairment which has a substantial and long term effect on their ability to carry our day-to-day activities. Someone with a moderate physical disability would have mobility problems, e.g. unable to manage stairs, and need aids or assistance to walk. Someone with a severe physical disability would be unable to walk and dependent on a carer for mobility. Depending on their individual needs, disabled people may require an accessible home, with or without aids and adaptations. Occupational therapists will assess an individual person’s needs for these, and refer the person on to the appropriate agency to have adaptations carried out. Care & Repair Services help disabled owner occupiers and private tenants to have adaptations carried out. (http://www.firststopcareadvice.org.uk) What is a sensory disability? A sensory disability is when one of your senses; sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste or spatial awareness, is no longer normal. For example, if you wear glasses you have a slight impairment. If you find it hard to hear then you have a hearing impairment. You don’t have to have completely lost a sense to be sensory impaired. (http://www.staffordshirecares.info) What is a Learning disability? A learning disability affects the way a person learns new things in any area of life, not just at school. Find out how a learning disability can affect someone, and who can offer support. It affects the way they understand information and how they communicate. This means they can have difficulty: †¢ Understanding new or complex information †¢ Learning new skills, and †¢ Coping independently â€Å"In practical terms,† says Lesley Campbell from the learning disability charity Mencap, â€Å"a learning disability means that it’s harder for your child to learn, understand and communicate than it is for other children.† A learning disability is not the same as learning difficulty or mental illness. â€Å"People get confused if they start using the term ‘learning difficulty’. In education this means things like dyslexia, which is not a learning disability,† says Campbell. â€Å"Our definition of learning disabilities focuses on people who have difficulty learning across more than one area of their life. It’s not just to do with reading or writing.† (http://www.nhs.uk) The three conditions I have chosen to focus on are Down’s syndrome that is caused by a chromosomal disorder, cerebral palsy that is caused by damage before and after birth and diabetes that is caused by a disease and medical condition. Firstly I am going to research Downs’s syndrome, which is caused by a chromosomal disorder. Down’s syndrome is a genetic disorder that was named after John Langdon Down, the doctor who first recognised it as a distinct condition in 1866.Down’s syndrome affects a baby’s normal physical development and causes moderate to severe learning difficulties. It is a lifelong condition that develops when a baby is still in the womb (uterus). Children who are born with Down’s syndrome also have a higher chance of developing other conditions, some of which are life threatening. (http://www.nhs.uk) Down’s syndrome (DS), also called Trisomy 21, is a condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in the way a child develops, both mentally and physically. The physical features and medical problems associated with Down’s syndrome can vary widely from child to child. While some children with Down’s syndrome need a lot of medical attention, others lead healthy lives. Though Down’s syndrome can’t be prevented, it can be detected before a child is born. The health problems that may go along with Down’s syndrome can be treated, and many resources are available to help children and their families who are living with the condition. (http://kidshealth.org) Downs syndrome is a genetic disorder that occurs in approximately 1 of 800 live births. It is uncommon in the UK, for example, from 2007 to 2008, 1,843 cases of Down’s syndrome were diagnosed during pregnancy, and 743 babies were born with the condition. Down’s syndrome affects about 1 in every 1,000 live births. Down’s syndrome affects all ethnic groups equally. Boys are slightly more likely (around 15%) to be born with Down’s syndrome than girls. (http://www.nhs.uk) The likelihood of having a baby born with Down’s syndrome increases with the mother’s age: What are the symptoms? There are estimated to be over 100 characteristics of Down’s syndrome. Common characteristics of Down syndrome can include: †¢ A flat facial profile †¢ An upward slant to the eye †¢ A short neck †¢ Abnormally shaped ears †¢ White spots on the iris of the eye (called Brushfield spots) †¢ A single, deep transverse crease on the palm of the hand †¢ Smaller than average size †¢ Exaggerated space between the first and second toe †¢ Poor muscle tone (called hypotonia) †¢ Joint looseness †¢ Broad feet with short toes †¢ Learning disabilities. (http://down-syndrome.emedtv.com) The diagnosis Antenatal screening is a way of assessing whether the unborn baby could develop, or has developed, an abnormality during the pregnancy. Antenatal screening cannot diagnose conditions such as Down’s syndrome, but it can determine the likelihood of the baby developing the syndrome. If the risk of Down’s syndrome (or any other condition) is shown to be high, further testing can be arranged to confirm whether or not the baby has the condition. The test that is used for Down’s syndrome is a combined blood test and an ultrasound scan, which is known as the ‘combined test’. During a blood test, a sample of your blood will be taken and tested to check the levels of certain proteins and hormones. If the blood contains abnormal levels of these substances, one may have an increased risk of having a baby with Down’s syndrome. (http://www.nhs.uk) The treatment Down’s syndrome is not a condition that can be cured. However, there are treatments and therapies for the physical, medical and cognitive problems associated with Down syndrome. †¢ Medications can be used to treat certain conditions that occur in people with Down’s syndrome. For example, if a person with Down syndrome has a seizure disorder, they would benefit from taking anti-seizure medications. †¢ The baby’s pediatrician will be the main person managing the infant’s health issues. Most pediatricians have experience dealing with the common medical issues seen in children with Down’s syndrome. †¢ Children with Down syndrome are almost always referred to early intervention programs shortly after birth. Early intervention is a program of therapies, exercises and activities designed to specifically help children with Down syndrome or other disabilities. †¢ Physical therapy focuses on motor development. Since most children with Down’s syndrome have hypotonia or low muscle tone, the goal of physical therapy is to teach the children with Down’s syndrome to move their bodies in appropriate ways, and to improve their muscle tone. †¢ Speech therapy is a very important treatment for children with Down’s syndrome. Because children with Down’s syndrome often have small mouths and slightly enlarged tongues, they can have articulation problems. (http://downsyndrome.about.com) There’s no cure, but treatment of any accompanying health problems and support for learning difficulties allows many people with the syndrome to lead relatively normal and semi-independent lives. Others, however, need full-time care. Many people with the condition live well into adulthood, with an average life expectancy of around 60 years. Physiotherapy, speech therapy and special educational programmes have an important role to play, while specific medical conditions associated with the syndrome are treated as appropriate.(http://www.bbc.co.uk) What are the short term and long-term effects on someone with downs syndrome physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially? Long term effects- physically Common Down’s syndrome physical effects can include thyroid problems, hearing problems, congenital heart disease, eye problems, joint and muscle problems, Seizure, bone, Leukaemia and other cancers, Immune system problems. (http://down-syndrome.emedtv.com) Children with Down syndrome have a widely recognised characteristic appearance. Their head may be smaller than normal and abnormally shaped. Other prominent characteristics of Down syndrome are: a flattened nose, protruding tongue, upward slanting eyes, short hands and fingers, and a single crease in the palm. (http://www.mamashealth.com) Short term effects- physically Children with Down syndrome have decreased resistance to infections and are more prone to dental disease. Some people with Down’s syndrome may have to wear glasses or eye patches. (http://www.health.state.mn.us) Long term effects- intellectually Down’s syndrome affects a child’s ability to learn in different ways, but most have mild to moderate intellectual impairment. Children with Down’s syndrome can and do learn, and are capable of developing skills throughout their lives. They simply reach goals at a different pace. There is often a misconception that individuals with Down’s syndrome have a â€Å"static† or predetermined ability to learn. This simply is not true. It is now known that individuals with Down’s syndrome develop over the course of their lifetime and should be treated accordingly. The learning potential of an individual with Down’s syndrome can be maximised through early intervention, good education, higher expectations and encouragement. (http://downsyndrome.about.com) Some may not be able to cope up with complex thinking that is required in the study of certain subjects. Some may achieve the complex thought process much later. (http://www.buzzle.com) Short term effects-intellectually As almost all children with Down’s syndrome have some degree of intellectual disability, we expect them to have more difficulty developing speech than normal children do. If the child with Down’s syndrome does not have a hearing loss we expect the child’s ability to develop speech to be somewhat dependent on the level of intellectual ability. Therefore, if the child has only a mild intellectual disability (and no hearing loss) he or she usually develops a great deal of speech and can have a simple conversation with family or friends. If the child has a very severe degree of intellectual disability we expect the Down syndrome child to have a great deal of difficulty developing spoken language, and we may use signs and/or pictures (augmentative communication) to help us communicate with that child. (http://www.sch.edu.au) Long term effects-emotionally Around 1 in 5 people with Down’s syndrome will develop a psychological or behavioural condition. Children: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – a behavioural condition that is characterised by a short attention span and impulsiveness Autistic spectrum disorder – a developmental disorder than can cause problems with language, behaviour and social interaction Teenagers and adults: Depression – a condition that causes persistent feelings of extreme sadness Obsessive compulsive disorder – a health condition that is usually associated with both obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour. (http://www.nhs.uk) Short term effects – emotionally Because of the communication problems discussed above, people with Down’s syndrome may have difficulty talking about things that make them sad or angry. Major life changes such as loss or separation may prompt decreases in appropriate behaviour at school or work. (http://www.ds-health.com) Long term effects – socially They are recognisably inarticulate in their language and communication skills. Their emotional and intellectual growth is often retarded. Children with Down’s syndrome lack in social abilities. (http://www.buzzle.com) Short term effects – socially Socially people with Down’s syndrome are affected, they may feel that it is difficult to mix with people independently, although further into their lives they may develop more confidence to be able to socialise more easily. That’s not to say that people with Down’s syndrome are shy or unsociable, but just may have less confidence in certain years of their lives. Some people with Down’s syndrome may have to be supervised because of their condition, leaving them less outgoing and feeling uncomfortable having an adult watching over them. My second cause of additional need that i now intend to discuss is cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy is a general term covering a number of neurological conditions that affect a child’s movement and coordination. Neurological conditions affect the brain and nervous system. Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain, which normally occurs before, during or soon after birth. Known possible causes of cerebral palsy include: †¢ Infection in early pregnancy †¢ A difficult or premature birth †¢ Bleeding in the baby’s brain †¢ Abnormal brain development in the baby (http://www.nhs.uk) At some point very early in life, either while a baby is still growing in the womb, during birth or shortly after, something happens to interfere with the normal development of the brain or to injure the brain tissues. This abnormal development or injury disrupts the nerve signals between the brain and the muscles, leading to problems with movement, posture and coordination as the child grows up. This is called cerebral palsy. While some people are severely affected, others have only minor disruption, depending on which parts of the brain are not functioning properly. It’s estimated that as many as 1 in every 400 children may have cerebral palsy, which means nearly 2,000 babies, from all social backgrounds and ethnic groups, are diagnosed every year. (http://www.bbc.co.uk) About 1 in 500 babies born in the UK have cerebral palsy. The number of cases per year (the incidence) has not changed much over the period of 50 years or so. The health and care of mothers have improved in this time and some causes of cerebral palsy have decreased. However, more babies are being born prematurely and surviving. A proportion of these will have cerebral palsy. This (together with the cause in most cases not being known) is probably why the number of cases has not changed much over the period of 50 years or so. (http://www.patient.co.uk) What are the symptoms? Cerebral palsy is often classified into different types depending on the type of symptoms, which in turn probably reflect which parts of the brain are not working as they should. These include: †¢ Spastic cerebral palsy (about 70 per cent of all cases) – some of the muscles in the body are tight, stiff and weak, drawing the limbs in and making control of movement difficult. †¢ Athetoid (dyskinetic) cerebral palsy (10 per cent of cases) – control of muscles is disrupted by spontaneous and unwanted irregular writhing movements. These may be the result of muscles changing very rapidly from being loose and floppy to very tight and tense. The muscles used for speech may also be affected, interfering with communication. Control of posture is also disrupted. †¢ Ataxic cerebral palsy – problems include difficulty with balance, shaky movements of hands or feet, and difficulty with speech. †¢ Mixed cerebral palsy – a combination of two or more of the above. In coordination of the muscles of the mouth may cause feeding problems such as slow feeding, gagging and vomiting. There may be delayed motor milestones, such as crawling and walking , weakness or paralysis of the limbs, an abnormal gait and slowness in developing speech and social skills. As many as one in three children and adolescents with cerebral palsy also has epilepsy (or seizures). Other common problems include: †¢ Difficulty with walking, writing, eating, talking, dressing †¢ Problems with balance and coordination †¢ Difficulty controlling and maintaining posture (they may need help to sit upright) †¢ Visual difficulties †¢ Hearing problems (http://www.bbc.co.uk) The symptoms of cerebral palsy normally become apparent during the first three years of your child’s life. Your child may be slower in achieving important developmental goals, such as learning to crawl, walk or speak. Children with cerebral palsy also tend to have problems with their muscle tone (the unconscious ability to contract or relax muscles as needed). Your child may have: †¢ Hypertonia: increased muscle tone, which can make them appear stiff or rigid †¢ Hypotonia: decreased muscle tone, which makes them appear floppy (http://www.nhs.uk) The diagnosis The paediatrician will ask about a child’s history and their pattern of development. They will also study a child’s reflexes, posture, motor skills and muscle tone. Depending on the child’s age, they may also be referred to an educational psychologist so the child’s intellectual development can be assessed. Further tests may be recommended to rule out other conditions, which cause similar symptoms to cerebral palsy, such as a tumour or muscular dystrophy (a genetic condition affecting the development of the muscles). In some cases, further testing will also be able to confirm a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. This is because the condition can cause changes to the structure of the brain, which can be detected by the tests. Tests a child may require include: †¢ Blood tests †¢ Cranial ultrasound, which uses sound waves to build up a picture of the child’s brain tissue †¢ MRI scan, which uses radio and magnetic waves to study the brain in more detail †¢ CT scan, which uses a series of X-rays that are then assembled by a computer to create a detailed 3-D model of a child’s brain While a confident diagnosis of cerebral palsy can usually be made when s child is two or three years old, the type and severity of a child’s cerebral palsy may not be determined until they reach four or five years of age. (http://www.nhs.uk) Treatment There’s no cure for cerebral palsy. However, there are plenty of treatments and therapies that can reduce the impact of the condition by easing symptoms such as spasticity, improving communication skills and finding other ways to do things. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy can all play an important part. Children with cerebral palsy do best when they get special help from an early age. Because the brain changes a lot during the first few years of life, it can be difficult to assess the extent of cerebral palsy at first, but most experts suggest babies should be first assessed at about 9 to 12 months. Many children with cerebral palsy benefit from an approach known as conductive education, which helps them to overcome movement problems and gain some control through special education and rehabilitation. Adults can get a lot from it too. Speech and language therapy helps with speech development and also with eating, drinking, and swallowing. Surgery is sometimes needed to correct any deformities that develop as a result of abnormal muscle development or function. Medication can reduce muscle hyperactivity and spasticity, but physiotherapy is the bedrock of cerebral palsy management and can helps with posture and movement. It also tries to prevent progression of disability. Occupational therapy helps children overcome difficulties performing everyday tasks, encouraging them to lead independent lives. With help, most people with cerebral palsy are able to live much the same sort of lives as everyone else. They may have to work a bit harder to overcome practical problems, but most things are possible. (http://www.bbc.co.uk)