Thematic Analysis- The scarlet letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Thematic Analysis- The scarlet letter - Essay Example The Scarlet Letter uses the difficult journey of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale to shed light upon the human condition and how human life is characterized by sin and suffering. An important characteristic of a human being is that he is not perfect and that from time to time he has a temptation to drift from the right path and turn towards committing a sin. This characteristic is depicted in the story by Hawthorne by the sin that Hester commits by sleeping with another man despite of being married. Hester becomes pregnant and she is questioned several times regarding the name of her lover but she does not reveal his identity. This feature of human condition (that is sin) is further strengthened in the story when it is revealed that the man who was also involved in this act of adultery with Hester was Arthur Dimmesdale, the minister of the Church. This revelation supports the belief that a human being can never be perfect no matter what position he holds in the society and that ev ery being can be sinful owing to the temptations of human nature. Nathaniel Hawthorne explains the nature of evil and good in the story. Hester and Dimmesdale are the two people who commit the sin but they display their goodness by repenting for their sins. Hester is punished in public for her act but she faces her difficulties with grace and does not run away. She rather becomes stronger and dignified in her period of punishment and this earns respect from the people owing to this. On the other hand, Dimmesdale faces his suffering alone and he pierces the scarlet A on his chest. He is not as strong as Hester to reveal his sin in public but he suffers deep down and falls ill. He finally reveals his act in public and dies. Their characters display the good side of human nature as they repent for their sinful act. Dimmesdale is a religious man who understands that their illegal unity by running away would yield them nothing in this world and the world hereafter. He explains this by sa ying, â€Å"I fear! I fear! It may be, that, when we forgot our God,--when we violated our reverence each for the other's soul,--it was vain to hope that we could meet hereafter, in an everlasting and pure reunion.† These lines are a display of his regret for his sin. The evil side of human nature is seen in the character of Roger Chillingworth. He is Hester’s husband who deserted her years back and left her alone and he returns at the time when she is being punished for her act of adultery. Chillingworth may be considered responsible for the position that Hester is placed in because it is probably her loneliness that drove her towards her act of sin. Despite of the sin being committed by her, she comes out of it gracefully. But Chillingworth works towards seeking revenge. The evilness of Chillingworth is explained by Dimmesdale when he says, â€Å"That old man's revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart† . Chillingworth is an evil man who does not let Hester live in peace and spies on Dimmesdale as well and is ready to go to any depths for the attainment of his revenge. The Scarlet Letter is a perfect story written by Hawthorne which provides a depiction of the human nature. It throws light upon the aspects of sin, evil and goodness. A human being cannot be perfect and sinful acts are a part of the existence of human life. Hester accepts her sin and

Social Pedagogy Essay Example for Free

Social Pedagogy Essay What is social pedagogy? Social pedagogy is concerned with well-being, learning and growth. This is underpinned by humanistic values and principles which view people as active and resourceful agents highlight the importance of including them into the wider community, and aim to tackle or prevent social problems and inequality. Social pedagogy uses the holistic approach to education in the broadest sense, the centrality of relationships, and the use of observation and reflection as a tool for continuous development of all that are included in the pedagogic process. It uses various predominant elements that form part of social pedagogy, and each of them is underpinned in its significance by theory and research. This makes it helpful to apply theory to practice. Social pedagogy aims to provide nurturing conditions that support childrens growth in both directions, towards independence and interdependence. In Goethes words children need two things from their parents: roots and wings When did it begin/originate? As an idea ‘sozial pà ¤dagogik’ first started being used around the middle of the nineteenth century in Germany as a way of describing alternatives to the dominant models of schooling. parents have the shared responsibility same as practitioners as they aim to provide a nurturing condition that support natural growth this is for children and young people until they reach adolescence in every setting. The term social pedagogy has been used in countries such as Germany, Holland and Hungary to embrace the activities of youth workers, residential or day care workers work with offenders, and play and occupational therapists. It has also been used to describe aspects of church work and some community development activity. How does it benefit children? Social pedagogy is about the holistic wellbeing and education and this is a shared responsibility between parents and the society as a whole. It also develops children and young people’s knowledge of what is expected of them as an individual. This helps them gain skills that they want to achieve, coping with emotions and also physical skills. This is put in to place to learn children and young people on how to become a valued member of society. How can it support children’s development? Social Pedagogy can support children’s development by helping children and young people to take more risks in life as this is a way of helping them to develop their judgement and also how to test boundaries. Social Pedagogy also helps to remove any barriers in stopping the child’s development to decrease, or not be as developed as other children, helping the child to understand more complex things. Social Pedagogy also helps to increase social interactions and communication, giving the child confidence within themselves.

Influence Of Christianity In South Korean Politics Essay

Influence Of Christianity In South Korean Politics Essay Introduction South Korea as a country has a large number of Christian denominations unlike Japan or China where the dominant religion is Buddhism, Confucianism, or other traditional religions. The roles that the Christians played in Korea extends to social, economic and political field. This paper concerns with how Christian as a religion had an unprecedented influence in the political spheres in South Korea politics. South Korea apparently has more than 60,000 churches and is considered the most Christianized non western country.* Christianity was said to have entered Korea in the 18th and 19th century through China by the Roman Catholics. However it was met with a harsh treatment meted out towards these foreigners and even persecuted the converts. However, despite the persecutions the number of converts later increased more than before and for these missionaries they found a fertile land for the Christian as a religion to grow manifold and till today it remains so. The opening of the port in Korea led to the inflow of merchants who along with the trade came the influence of western ideologies, cultures and many others. It also lessened the oppressions against these Christians which created, in part, a condition that enabled the Christians to have more of a receptive welcome. Not only did they bring doctors, medicines from outside but also schools which would in the later stages play an important role for the Koreans in every aspect of their life-be it in economic, social, education, political and the likes. The political influence that came from outside of Korea further intensified for other foreigners to have a say in the political matters. And of course the degradation of the social order created a breeding ground for the rise of voices that were subdued before with the aid of foreign influence. The disadvantaged lots were more perceptive of these new changes and they knew that they were able to have a say in an otherwise country which was ma terially and ideologically held by the ruling classes-the Yangban class. It gave the lower discontented sections of the society freedom from the bondage of the Confucian social order. Education by the Christians and its introduction to democracy One of the major contributions that the Christian missionaries brought along in Korea was education and through this tool people were made to realize the importance of equality through education and the opposition of the elites. Education in olden days was available only to the rich and the elites of the Korean society with the usage of the Chinese scripts. With the mission to make the Koreans learn how to read bible the missionaries took efforts in making the hangul script available to all the common people. Through education the notions of human rights, liberty, equality, democracy and other western concepts came into force. It was involved in the propagation of activities such as the founding of politically independent newspapers which would serve an important means to either support the government or to criticize the wrongdoings of the government. Even the missionaries helped form unions for the workers for fair treatment and the rights of the workers. In education it provided the individuals with a cause for national independence with the protection of American missionaries. The large Christian presence in Pyongando province in part accounts for its prominence in the Independence movement during the early phases of Japanese rule. The Koreans had to undergo a lot of hardships during the Japanese rule and their economic and social was in a mess. . The independence club founded by the Christian missionaries was active in the remedying of corruption and compromised political order; this club had many Christians as its leaders. Although it was known that Catholics came first to Korea it was the Protestants that had a large growing number of converts who introduced the concepts of ideas concerned with national independence and other new liberal thoughts. In a way one can say that the role played by these missionaries were more of political than that of spirituality. One must however note that some of the Protestant Christian church lead ers at the later stage declared that any those Christians who were involved in activities other than spirituality should be banned from the churches as the church was supposed to be a place of worship and not a place for talks regarding issues that are related to labor, peace or international affairs. Christianity and Politics Even before the appearance of the two super powers in Korea, the political activity was very active even in North Korea. The church leaders were active in the participation of political activities that offered them quite a huge opportunity. The Soviet Union viewed Christian Church suspiciously because it wanted to establish a friendly relationship with Korea but the fact that Cho Mansik the then leader of CPKI (this CPKI was sponsored by church leaders) was a Christian and has a Christian background of his organization it was going to be a problematic situation for the Soviet Union as they viewed Christianity as something that was sympathetic towards the United States. The Soviets knew that the United States had introduced Protestantism to late Choson Korea and promoted it until the outbreak of the Pacific War in 1941. In addition to that there were factors such as the growing influence of Christian leaders like Syngman Rhee and Yo Unhyong in the south as well. In this factor too, it became a necessary for the Soviets to not ignore the influence that Christianity as a religion was having over both North as well as South Korea. Syngman Rhee, the first president of South Korea was himself active in both the Independence club and the Youth Mens Christian Association (YMCA) and was educated in a school founded and run by U.S. Methodist missionaries. During the time of the Japanese rule the March First Independence movement of 1919 where the Christian churches played an important role posed a direct threat to the Japanese rule. Not only did it provided shelter to the intellectuals following their suppression by the Japanese but it also exercised an appeal to the people of Pyongando province who were very alienated from the mainstream of political or social life. During the early years of liberation the Christians had more support from the masses and had more potential in terms of political activities because of better education, experience in politics and administration which wasnt so for the other groups like the businessman, bureaucrats and policemen who were known to have collaborated with the Japanese durin g the colonial era. After the liberation of Korea from Japan and the outbreak of the civil war between the North Koreans and the South Koreans there was a huge displacement of the people from the north to the south because of the anti drive towards Christianity in north with its ideologies based on communism and these north Koreans had been the stronghold of Korean Christianity who formed the core of the church in the south. In fact Pyongyang was once the center of Christianity on the peninsula known as the Jerusalem of the East. These North Koreans supported Rhees efforts to establish an anti communist ideology. In his speech before a conference of Presbyterian churches he said that the most urgent problem that the South Koreans faced was that of the Soviet trained Red army which aspired to wipe out Christianity. He appealed to the church members for support of his government and to fight against communism. Rhees drive toward anti communism helped minimize the opposition to his government by the churches as they shared the similar ideologies.perhaps this explains a cordial relation between the government and the church during that time. During the reign of Park Chung Hee, the establishment of the Yushin system was criticized on the grounds that the system was corrupted and it violated human rights which involved kidnapping and torturing. In opposition to the government few incidents broke out in October which was to later have a major influence on other movements as such. The arrests of the church leader Rev. Pak Hyong gyu, Rev. Kwon Ho Gyong on 6th July 1973 on the charge of leading a rebellion against the government led many Christians to provide as many as 400 anti-Yushin leaflets causing the government to distort the actual incident through the usage of torture. Overtime the incident became very big that international body of church came in August 1st 1973 to investigate the matter. The government, due to pressures both from outside and inside the country, finally yielded to the demands and released the prisoners. This incident shows the crucial bitter battle between the Christian organizations and Park regime and the incident further promoted the churches dedication towards democracy and human rights. The opposition movement was indeed hugely responsible for the demand of the establishment of democratic institutions and that of the political and civil rights. Catholic politician Kim Dae Jung raised his voice against Park Chung Hee for intimidating the South Koreans through the Yushin system and he became famous for his campaingn against President Park and his strength at withstanding periods of imprisonment, exile, attempts to assassinate him and even death sentence. In 1997 Kim Dae Jung was elected and he was the first catholic to be elected as a president in South Korea. Even though he lost to his opponent the country would still have a catholic as its president for the opposition was also a catholic Lee Hoi Chang who lost to Kim Dae Jung by only 2 points. Kim Dae Jungs predecessor, Kim Young Sam was also a Christian, a Presbyterian leader who was elected as the president of South Korea in 1993 indicating the vitality of Christianity in South Korea. A liberation theory called minjung shinhak literally meaning the theology of people became a towering symbol of the rally of democracy, equality, social justice and human rights. Christian churches championed the causes for the people of Korea in political, economic and in social spheres. It was a strong supporter of democracy and campaigned against the authoritative, oppressive and military rule of the Korean government. Besides the university students the church as an organization forms the biggest group to oppose and criticize the government openly. It was also to be seen that most of the prisoners who were prisoned for engaging in anti government activities were church leaders, priests, students and journalists. Conclusion As we have seen Education was a very important instrument that the Christian Missionaries used to educate and produce intellectuals that would later participate in the political spheres. They would then probably have reflected those ideologies that they have imbibed during their education years in their political decisions as well. Some of the known Universities in South Korea that have Christianity as their background are Yonsei University and EWHA University among others. The alumni of these universities have enjoyed various social as well as political privileges. They have served in national cabinet and South Korea had the first female prime minister in Han Myeong Suk (also an alumnus of EWHA). The conception of freedom and basic rights as universal is central to Christian doctrine and perhaps its one of the many reasons as to why the Koreans after years and years of suppression found something in Christianity that they could finally be free from the subjugation and rule from foreign powers. Christianity has been used as a political tool by countries not just in Korea but also in other countries and is a powerful one that can be used for the betterment of society or for worse. In the case of South Korea it played a major role in the wake of liberalization from Japanese colonial rule and also in terms of monetary reliefs after the civil war where both the countries plummeted in poverty. The crossing of the South Korean priest and political activist Han Sang Ryol recently into North Korea from Beijing to Pyongyang who was of the view that Lees government was responsible for anti-reunification and upon which he was arrested for the violation of national security law is still a continuing evidence that Christian as a religion is still a tool that is being used for political purposes. With time one might even hope that Christianity serve a common ground for resolving problems between the two countries. However, it is of an importance to see that Christianity when used as a means for political reasons when actually it should be more of helping someone grow in faith it becomes a mere tool for other politicians to use for political gains and eventually peoples trust in the government would fail (which happened often in South Korea) and keep distance away from religion altogether as it has become something impure and a religion for the elites when it in fact started as an instrument to help the down casted lot. We all know how media especially the newspaper can harm or gain favor for the government in power and this knowledge is used to the maxim by the government to either financially support or threaten the opposing forces and in this case it was mainly directed towards these Christian organizations. South Korea as a country with a large number of Christians can spell trouble for the government if they go against some principles which would lead to mass protests and if there had been any casualties that government would face dire consequences; thus it became a necessity for the government to not take up policies or engage in activities that would anger these organizations and would even go to the extent of buttering them. In all one cannot ignore the major influence Christianity had in Korea-both North Korea (because the paper deals with only Christian influence in South Korea context much has not been written for North Korea) as well as South Korea in almost all aspects. Although one criticizes the motive behind the conversion from their tradition to Christianity stating reasons like easy access to monetary, position and other worldly gains (it is certainly true to some extent in that if the Christian missionaries have not made their appearance the history as we know of Korea might totally have been a different one) there have been some genuine reasons like the spread of equality, democracy, human rights and the likes. Despite the many accusations made against the Christianity as an organization in catering to the needs of other motivated politicians one cannot but help to remind that minus the Christians in economics, social, and even political spheres South Korea might not have been able to achieve such success in a matter of a short time which might be boisterous to say at one point but because the contributions it had made towards the development of South Korea had been enormous one cannot dismiss its role that easily. It is thus impossible to paint the whole of South Korea without a Christian element in it and the roles it had played significantly in other aspects besides the role of spiritualism.

Knowledge :: essays research papers

After an exhausting game of basketball on my Playstation two it was time to eat. As my search for food was coming to an end I came across a bag of potatoes. So using the cooking skills that I have acquired in my many years I decided to make french-fries. As I cut my potatoes I started to think about Michael Pollan’s essay â€Å"Playing God in the Garden†. This essay is about the creation of â€Å"genetically engineered† potatoes that produce their own insecticide right inside their leaves. I began to wonder if the potatoes on my plate were the same â€Å"New Leaf† potatoes that Pollan talked about. I started to change my mind about eating the fries that I had already melted cheese on but they looked to good to give to my roommate so I continued thinking while eating. The government does not require New Leaf potatoes to be labeled in stores so it must mean they feel it will have no harm on people. One of the many reasons that government exists is to look o ver the wealth fare of its citizens. Think of some of the things that a company must put on their products, labels on alcohol and cigarettes tell the dangers that come from using them, and all foods packages must have the ingredients printed on them. The government also sets up programs like family first to help people in need. Even in high school a person needs four years of gym. Peter Drucker touches this subject in his essay â€Å"The Age of Social Transformation† as he talks about a changing society. The government made the decision that using the knowledge that Monsanto found was the right thing to do for the farming industry. The best times will come when the knowledge that people have is used to enhance their lives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What good is knowledge if it is not used? There is no point in learning new things if the only reason for learning them is to prove a point or to know more than someone else. Knowledge should be used and the New Leaf is just a potato that has had knowledge applied to it. The potato helps farmers because they no longer have to bathe their fields in harmful chemicals. Imagine living on a farm and someone offers a job that pays more, has fewer hours and is easier than farm work.

The Sociology of Health

The Sociology of Health The socio-medical model of health The socio-medical model of health focuses on the social factors which effect an individual’s health and well-being. They believe each person should be treated in accordance to their own personal circumstance and situation surrounding there illness, rather than be treated as a member of a group suffering from a particular illness, and should be treated the same as each person within that group. The socio-medical model concentrates on social factors contributing to the standards of health.Social inequality and living standards are important influences on the standards of health. The socio-medical model suggests that the wealthy are more likely to have good health and suffer from less illness, and the poor are more likely to have bad health and suffer from more illnesses than the wealthy would. Things which could be factors contributing to ill health within societies with poor living standards, according to the socio-medic al model are; damp or cold houses, lack of exercise, poor diet, lack of education and health awareness etc.The socio-medical model also suggests that the standards of health varies across different cultures, and that what is considered an illness in one society might be not be seen as an illness in another society. For example the contagious skin disease ‘yaws’ was so common in sub-Saharan Africa early this century that it was not considered a disease at all, it was considered normal because most of the population had the disease. The socio-medical model thinks that some societies also treat people with an illness differently from other societies.For example Australia does not allow anyone with HIV into the country, which is seen by most other countries as morally wrong and contrasts with the way people with HIV are treated in the majority of societies around the world. Time is another factor which the socio-medical model believes influences the standards of health. For instance cigarettes were promoted as being positive over 60years ago, whereas today smoking cigarettes is a well-known health threat.Socio-medical treatments for illnesses include looking at an individual’s personal situation, identifying the factors which have contributed to their illness or disorder, and removing these factors in order to correct or resolve the problem. For example a young man who has gone bald, from a socio-medical point of view, would be assessed and factors in his life such as great stress at work would be identified, this stress would be seen as the cause of his premature baldness, and they would try to help the man find a health way to vent his stress – in order to improve his condition.The biomedical model would view this man in a different way, they would concentrate on genetic factors such as premature baldness in his father, and put this forward as the cause in contrast to the socio-medical model. The biomedical model of health The biomedic al model emerged after the industrialisation of the western world. New scientific discoveries and methods were being used to produce a new model of health which used new technologies and tests such as x-rays, biopsies and electroencephalographs in order to monitor people’s health.These tests aim to show ‘biological malfunction or irregularity’ in order to diagnose illnesses, which are then treated using biological methods such as drugs, operations, hospitalisation etc. (Ross Clarke, 2012). According to the biomedical model the individual is not responsible for their illness or condition, and think that illness is caused by; a biological breakdown within the individual (this can be things such as infections, genetic malfunctions, broken bones and so on) or by external factors invading the body – such as virus’s and disease etc.They believe every single illness has ‘one single observable cause’. (Mike Harris, 2008). The biomedical model b elieves that the cause for a certain illness in one person has the same cause of that illness in another person – so all people with that illness should be given the same treatments, no individual cases are usually taken into account. (Ross Clarke, 2012). The biomedical model refers to ‘good health’ as having no illness. If you have ‘bad health’ you are considered to be ill, or to have an illness.Treatment is given with the aim of correcting a malfunction within the body and once this malfunction is corrected, you will be considered to be healthy again. (The Open University, 2012). The biomedical model is the dominant model of health in the modern western world. It treats illness and ‘malfunction’ with the use of medication, operations, radio and chemo therapy, transplants etc. Some socio-medical methods of treatment, however, are used alongside the biomedical model treatments, such as the use of therapy. (Unknown Author, 2012).The diffe rent approaches to mental health and illness Mental health and illness can be defined and viewed in many different ways according to many different factors including; the models of disability, the culture, gender, social class, the time period, religion etc. (Ross Clarke B, 2012). The biomedical, or medical, model of health would describe mental illness in the same way they describe any other illness; that it is caused by one single physical/genetic cause. This could be things such as genes passed down from your parents, a bump or bang to the head etc.They believe that symptoms are caused by a physical problem within the person or in the brain and they group these symptoms together in order to diagnose an illness or syndrome. The medical model uses two classification systems of mental illness in order to diagnose a patient. These two systems are the DSM IV and the ICD-10. The DSM identifies the patient’s symptoms in order to give a diagnosis for their disorder, while the ICD- 10 not only identifies the disorder and relevant symptoms, but it also tries to identify a cause. Andrews, G. , Slade, T. , Peters, L. 1999). The medical model of mental health describes people with mental illnesses as victims of their disorder, they see them as being unable to control their own actions and place no blame on the patient. The medical model uses drugs and therapies in order to treat people with mental illness, these could be things such as antipsychotic drugs, antidepressant drugs, mood stabilisers, sectioning, institutionalisation, ECT (Electro compulsive therapy), psychosurgery etc. (Saul McLeod, 2008).The socio-medical model’s approach to mental health is a total contrast to that of the medical model. It believes that many of the treatments used by the biomedical model are inhumane and unnecessary, and that mental illness is a result of social and personal factors surrounding an individual, rather than as a result of a biological cause. The socio-medical mod el would use therapies such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), client-centred therapy, family interventions, self-help groups, social and individual learning skills sessions and vocational training.The therapies used by the socio-medical model aim to give insight into the patients personal problems which could be causing the mental illness, they aim to give the patient unconditional positive regard, boost self-esteem and confidence (which may be low due to the negative perceptions of mental illnesses in most societies) and try to promote an independent life for the patient so that they can live in society safely, whilst still getting the care and treatment they need from community carers etc. (Coppock and Dunn, 2009).They believe the society you live in, your quality of life and your social class has a great influence on an individual’s mental health. They would say that due to the financial stresses and low life quality of the lower classes, this would make them more li kely to suffer from mental illness. They will use the client centred therapy to identify the personal problems in an individual’s life such as marital problems, financial problems, problems in the work place etc. The socio-medical model believes that the medical model stigmatizes patients by treating all patients suffering from a particular mental illness the same.They believe that society has a negative perception of mentally ill people and that they should not be labelled as it is not their fault they are suffering from that condition. (Ross Clarke B, 2012). Besides the different medical models, there are also other approaches to the study of mental health. Sigmund Freud, and others who follow the psychodynamic theory, would say that mental illness is due to an unsuccessful completion of a psychosexual stage or due to a trauma in a person’s childhood, and that bringing their unconscious thoughts to the surface of the conscious mind (using psychotherapy) will eliminat e the problem. Unknown Author B, 2011). Different time periods have also had different approaches to the study of mental illness. Early this century, for example, people suffering from mental illness were seen as being inadequate to the rest of society, a danger to their-selves and others and unable to live ‘normally’ within society. They treated these people inhumanely, carrying out horrendous treatments which often resulted in patients becoming emotionless and ‘zombified’.Before the 1950’s ECT was carried out without the use of anaesthetic, which was very painful and uncomfortable for the patient. Around this time people with mental illnesses were being institutionalised on a regular basis, and by the mid 1950’s there was a total of around 150,000 people across the UK in mental institutions. (BBC, 2010). People were institutionalised for a variety of different reasons, ranging from sufferers of depression, to violent outbursts (mostly among women) and then extreme things such as murder or suicide attempts.These institutions at the time thought they were providing the best form of treatment for their patients, but people in more recent times think that the institutions had an unpleasant ‘prison-like atmosphere’ and that they totally took away people’s rights, freedom, independence, social skills and self-esteem and confidence and that the treatments they used were unnecessary and inhumane. (BBC, 2010).In the late 1950’s – early 1960’s a more humane approach started to be taken to the study of mental health. The start of the NHS in 1948 meant that mental health would now have a more modern and humane view from society, the NHS started to introduce new treatments and therapies in the asylums/institutions such as ‘programmes of activity’ including craft and sewing classes ect, and also introduced an ‘open-door policy’, aiming to give the patients more indep endence and freedom.This new approach recognised that asylums were not necessary for all mentally ill patients and in 1961, a man named Enoch Powell tried to change societies vision of mental ill health and, as the health minister of the time, he vowed to close all mental asylums/institutions and to instead, release patients into society, providing treatment and care for them at home and in the community via community carers. (Adam McCulloch, Michael Fitzpatrick, 2011). It wasn’t until the 1970’s however that people stopped being admitted into the asylums and still took until the 1980’s for the first asylum to close.By 1990 100,000 patients had been released into society and mental hospitals started to become extinct. This was the start of care in the community for the mentally ill, as we know it today. (BBC, 2010). The modern approach to mental illness is that there could be a number of causes, whether that be genetic, organic, personal, social or a combination of either, and that sufferers should not be labelled, should not be considered ‘abnormal’ and that they should be treated just like any other ‘normal’ member of society. Ross Clarke B, 2012). They should receive sufficient care via GP/hospital appointments, care in the community and by alternative therapies such as family interventions, self-help groups etc. ‘User movements’ have also quite recently been introduced, this is a system which encourages the patient to work with a professional such as a doctor/psychiatrist to help choose the treatments they receive in order to make them feel more in control of their illness or disorder and to help them feel more confidence that the chosen treatment will work. BBC, 2010). People with mental illnesses are no longer stigmatised or labelled and a majority of the western world have now accepted mental illness as a genuine problem which needs to be solved, rather than seeing it as a condition which needs to be locked away from society like in the early 50’s. References Mike Harris. (2008). Sociology of health and illness. Available: http://www. slideshare. net/Bias22/sociology-of-health-and-illness-presentation#btnNext Last Accessed: 06/12/2012Unknown Author. (2012). What is the biomedical model? Available: http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-the-biomedical-model. htm Last Accessed: 06/12/2012 Ross Clarke. (2012). Booklet 3 – the different constructions of health and illness. The Manchester College, 2012 The Open university. (2012). Models of healthcare: the biomedical model. Available: http://openlearn. open. ac. uk/mod/oucontent/view. php? id=398060§ion=1. 6 Last Accessed: 06/12/2012 Andrews, G. , Slade, T. , Peters, L. (1999).Classification in psychiatry: ICD-10 versus DSM-IV. The British Journal of Psychiatry. v. 174. no. 1. p. 3 – 4 Ross Clarke B. (2012). Booklet 4 – approaches to the study of mental health and illness. The Manchester College, 201 2. Saul McLeod. (2008). The medical model. Available: http://www. simplypsychology. org/medical-model. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. Coppock and Dunn. (2009). Understanding mental health and mental distress. Available: http://www. sagepub. com/upm-data/30675_02_Coppock_&_Dunn_Ch_01. df Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. Unknown Author B. (2011). Psychology 101. Available: http://allpsych. com/psychology101/personality. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. BBC (2010). BBC4 video – mental history of the mad house. Last Accessed 27/11/2012. Adam McCulloch, Michael Fitzpatrick. (2011). Mental institutions, Enoch Powell and community care. Available: http://www. communitycare. co. uk/blogs/social-care-the-big-picture/2011/09/mental-institutions-enoch-powell-and-community-care. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. The Sociology of Health The Sociology of Health The socio-medical model of health The socio-medical model of health focuses on the social factors which effect an individual’s health and well-being. They believe each person should be treated in accordance to their own personal circumstance and situation surrounding there illness, rather than be treated as a member of a group suffering from a particular illness, and should be treated the same as each person within that group. The socio-medical model concentrates on social factors contributing to the standards of health.Social inequality and living standards are important influences on the standards of health. The socio-medical model suggests that the wealthy are more likely to have good health and suffer from less illness, and the poor are more likely to have bad health and suffer from more illnesses than the wealthy would. Things which could be factors contributing to ill health within societies with poor living standards, according to the socio-medic al model are; damp or cold houses, lack of exercise, poor diet, lack of education and health awareness etc.The socio-medical model also suggests that the standards of health varies across different cultures, and that what is considered an illness in one society might be not be seen as an illness in another society. For example the contagious skin disease ‘yaws’ was so common in sub-Saharan Africa early this century that it was not considered a disease at all, it was considered normal because most of the population had the disease. The socio-medical model thinks that some societies also treat people with an illness differently from other societies.For example Australia does not allow anyone with HIV into the country, which is seen by most other countries as morally wrong and contrasts with the way people with HIV are treated in the majority of societies around the world. Time is another factor which the socio-medical model believes influences the standards of health. For instance cigarettes were promoted as being positive over 60years ago, whereas today smoking cigarettes is a well-known health threat.Socio-medical treatments for illnesses include looking at an individual’s personal situation, identifying the factors which have contributed to their illness or disorder, and removing these factors in order to correct or resolve the problem. For example a young man who has gone bald, from a socio-medical point of view, would be assessed and factors in his life such as great stress at work would be identified, this stress would be seen as the cause of his premature baldness, and they would try to help the man find a health way to vent his stress – in order to improve his condition.The biomedical model would view this man in a different way, they would concentrate on genetic factors such as premature baldness in his father, and put this forward as the cause in contrast to the socio-medical model. The biomedical model of health The biomedic al model emerged after the industrialisation of the western world. New scientific discoveries and methods were being used to produce a new model of health which used new technologies and tests such as x-rays, biopsies and electroencephalographs in order to monitor people’s health.These tests aim to show ‘biological malfunction or irregularity’ in order to diagnose illnesses, which are then treated using biological methods such as drugs, operations, hospitalisation etc. (Ross Clarke, 2012). According to the biomedical model the individual is not responsible for their illness or condition, and think that illness is caused by; a biological breakdown within the individual (this can be things such as infections, genetic malfunctions, broken bones and so on) or by external factors invading the body – such as virus’s and disease etc.They believe every single illness has ‘one single observable cause’. (Mike Harris, 2008). The biomedical model b elieves that the cause for a certain illness in one person has the same cause of that illness in another person – so all people with that illness should be given the same treatments, no individual cases are usually taken into account. (Ross Clarke, 2012). The biomedical model refers to ‘good health’ as having no illness. If you have ‘bad health’ you are considered to be ill, or to have an illness.Treatment is given with the aim of correcting a malfunction within the body and once this malfunction is corrected, you will be considered to be healthy again. (The Open University, 2012). The biomedical model is the dominant model of health in the modern western world. It treats illness and ‘malfunction’ with the use of medication, operations, radio and chemo therapy, transplants etc. Some socio-medical methods of treatment, however, are used alongside the biomedical model treatments, such as the use of therapy. (Unknown Author, 2012).The diffe rent approaches to mental health and illness Mental health and illness can be defined and viewed in many different ways according to many different factors including; the models of disability, the culture, gender, social class, the time period, religion etc. (Ross Clarke B, 2012). The biomedical, or medical, model of health would describe mental illness in the same way they describe any other illness; that it is caused by one single physical/genetic cause. This could be things such as genes passed down from your parents, a bump or bang to the head etc.They believe that symptoms are caused by a physical problem within the person or in the brain and they group these symptoms together in order to diagnose an illness or syndrome. The medical model uses two classification systems of mental illness in order to diagnose a patient. These two systems are the DSM IV and the ICD-10. The DSM identifies the patient’s symptoms in order to give a diagnosis for their disorder, while the ICD- 10 not only identifies the disorder and relevant symptoms, but it also tries to identify a cause. Andrews, G. , Slade, T. , Peters, L. 1999). The medical model of mental health describes people with mental illnesses as victims of their disorder, they see them as being unable to control their own actions and place no blame on the patient. The medical model uses drugs and therapies in order to treat people with mental illness, these could be things such as antipsychotic drugs, antidepressant drugs, mood stabilisers, sectioning, institutionalisation, ECT (Electro compulsive therapy), psychosurgery etc. (Saul McLeod, 2008).The socio-medical model’s approach to mental health is a total contrast to that of the medical model. It believes that many of the treatments used by the biomedical model are inhumane and unnecessary, and that mental illness is a result of social and personal factors surrounding an individual, rather than as a result of a biological cause. The socio-medical mod el would use therapies such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), client-centred therapy, family interventions, self-help groups, social and individual learning skills sessions and vocational training.The therapies used by the socio-medical model aim to give insight into the patients personal problems which could be causing the mental illness, they aim to give the patient unconditional positive regard, boost self-esteem and confidence (which may be low due to the negative perceptions of mental illnesses in most societies) and try to promote an independent life for the patient so that they can live in society safely, whilst still getting the care and treatment they need from community carers etc. (Coppock and Dunn, 2009).They believe the society you live in, your quality of life and your social class has a great influence on an individual’s mental health. They would say that due to the financial stresses and low life quality of the lower classes, this would make them more li kely to suffer from mental illness. They will use the client centred therapy to identify the personal problems in an individual’s life such as marital problems, financial problems, problems in the work place etc. The socio-medical model believes that the medical model stigmatizes patients by treating all patients suffering from a particular mental illness the same.They believe that society has a negative perception of mentally ill people and that they should not be labelled as it is not their fault they are suffering from that condition. (Ross Clarke B, 2012). Besides the different medical models, there are also other approaches to the study of mental health. Sigmund Freud, and others who follow the psychodynamic theory, would say that mental illness is due to an unsuccessful completion of a psychosexual stage or due to a trauma in a person’s childhood, and that bringing their unconscious thoughts to the surface of the conscious mind (using psychotherapy) will eliminat e the problem. Unknown Author B, 2011). Different time periods have also had different approaches to the study of mental illness. Early this century, for example, people suffering from mental illness were seen as being inadequate to the rest of society, a danger to their-selves and others and unable to live ‘normally’ within society. They treated these people inhumanely, carrying out horrendous treatments which often resulted in patients becoming emotionless and ‘zombified’.Before the 1950’s ECT was carried out without the use of anaesthetic, which was very painful and uncomfortable for the patient. Around this time people with mental illnesses were being institutionalised on a regular basis, and by the mid 1950’s there was a total of around 150,000 people across the UK in mental institutions. (BBC, 2010). People were institutionalised for a variety of different reasons, ranging from sufferers of depression, to violent outbursts (mostly among women) and then extreme things such as murder or suicide attempts.These institutions at the time thought they were providing the best form of treatment for their patients, but people in more recent times think that the institutions had an unpleasant ‘prison-like atmosphere’ and that they totally took away people’s rights, freedom, independence, social skills and self-esteem and confidence and that the treatments they used were unnecessary and inhumane. (BBC, 2010).In the late 1950’s – early 1960’s a more humane approach started to be taken to the study of mental health. The start of the NHS in 1948 meant that mental health would now have a more modern and humane view from society, the NHS started to introduce new treatments and therapies in the asylums/institutions such as ‘programmes of activity’ including craft and sewing classes ect, and also introduced an ‘open-door policy’, aiming to give the patients more indep endence and freedom.This new approach recognised that asylums were not necessary for all mentally ill patients and in 1961, a man named Enoch Powell tried to change societies vision of mental ill health and, as the health minister of the time, he vowed to close all mental asylums/institutions and to instead, release patients into society, providing treatment and care for them at home and in the community via community carers. (Adam McCulloch, Michael Fitzpatrick, 2011). It wasn’t until the 1970’s however that people stopped being admitted into the asylums and still took until the 1980’s for the first asylum to close.By 1990 100,000 patients had been released into society and mental hospitals started to become extinct. This was the start of care in the community for the mentally ill, as we know it today. (BBC, 2010). The modern approach to mental illness is that there could be a number of causes, whether that be genetic, organic, personal, social or a combination of either, and that sufferers should not be labelled, should not be considered ‘abnormal’ and that they should be treated just like any other ‘normal’ member of society. Ross Clarke B, 2012). They should receive sufficient care via GP/hospital appointments, care in the community and by alternative therapies such as family interventions, self-help groups etc. ‘User movements’ have also quite recently been introduced, this is a system which encourages the patient to work with a professional such as a doctor/psychiatrist to help choose the treatments they receive in order to make them feel more in control of their illness or disorder and to help them feel more confidence that the chosen treatment will work. BBC, 2010). People with mental illnesses are no longer stigmatised or labelled and a majority of the western world have now accepted mental illness as a genuine problem which needs to be solved, rather than seeing it as a condition which needs to be locked away from society like in the early 50’s. References Mike Harris. (2008). Sociology of health and illness. Available: http://www. slideshare. net/Bias22/sociology-of-health-and-illness-presentation#btnNext Last Accessed: 06/12/2012Unknown Author. (2012). What is the biomedical model? Available: http://www. wisegeek. com/what-is-the-biomedical-model. htm Last Accessed: 06/12/2012 Ross Clarke. (2012). Booklet 3 – the different constructions of health and illness. The Manchester College, 2012 The Open university. (2012). Models of healthcare: the biomedical model. Available: http://openlearn. open. ac. uk/mod/oucontent/view. php? id=398060§ion=1. 6 Last Accessed: 06/12/2012 Andrews, G. , Slade, T. , Peters, L. (1999).Classification in psychiatry: ICD-10 versus DSM-IV. The British Journal of Psychiatry. v. 174. no. 1. p. 3 – 4 Ross Clarke B. (2012). Booklet 4 – approaches to the study of mental health and illness. The Manchester College, 201 2. Saul McLeod. (2008). The medical model. Available: http://www. simplypsychology. org/medical-model. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. Coppock and Dunn. (2009). Understanding mental health and mental distress. Available: http://www. sagepub. com/upm-data/30675_02_Coppock_&_Dunn_Ch_01. df Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. Unknown Author B. (2011). Psychology 101. Available: http://allpsych. com/psychology101/personality. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012. BBC (2010). BBC4 video – mental history of the mad house. Last Accessed 27/11/2012. Adam McCulloch, Michael Fitzpatrick. (2011). Mental institutions, Enoch Powell and community care. Available: http://www. communitycare. co. uk/blogs/social-care-the-big-picture/2011/09/mental-institutions-enoch-powell-and-community-care. html Last Accessed: 06/12/2012.

Black People and Roberta Essay

In Toni Morrison’s â€Å"Recitatif,† the story is about two girls, Twyla and Roberta. They grow up in an orphanage because their mothers could not care for them. Morrison makes it clear the girls come from different ethnic backgrounds but never states which one is black or white. At one point in the story Twyla comments, â€Å"We looked like salt and pepper. † I grew frustrated with the story and had to read it several times. I could never determine who was black and white and the lesson I learned should have been it doesn’t really matter. The story begins with Twyla’s mother dropping her off at the orphanage. She meets Roberta and they become best friends. The bond they share occurs because they were not considered real orphans. They were abandoned kids unlike the other children whose parents had died. One of the last times the girls see each other was the day of a visitation. On that night, Twyla’s mother was wearing â€Å"those tight green slacks that made her butt stick out. † Many people have labeled blacks as having larger butts. She could have been black, she could have been a heavy white woman with a large butt, or a Hispanic woman like me. But I automatically stereotyped and went with Twyla has to be black. During the visitation Roberta’s mother â€Å"had brought chicken legs. † Twyla notices Roberta does not eat the chicken legs. I always thought black people liked chicken more than white people which means Roberta was white since she did not eat the chicken. Or maybe she just wasn’t hungry. Shortly after that visitation Roberta’s mother came to take her home, leaving the girls devastated. They see each other several times throughout the years. At their first meeting, Roberta was rude and distant because she was high. Roberta tells Twyla she is on the way to see Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was an infamous black guitarist. I thought at this point Roberta has to be black. However Hendrix’s band was interracial with a diverse audience. Roberta could have been white due to the diverse audience. I am a huge Hendrix fan and I am not black so why would I think Roberta is. Twelve years later they meet again at a grocery store. Roberta married a rich man and was extremely friendly to Twyla. Twyla cannot hold back her emotions and asks Roberta about the last time they saw each other. Roberta shrugs it off, â€Å"Oh, Twyla, you know how it was in those days: black—white. You know how everything was. † I can relate to this. In 1980, the Cuban Mariel Boat Lifts came over bring thousands of Cubans. I am Cuban but I was born here. Kids I had known since kindergarten treated me as if I just come over on the boats. It had a lasting effect on me and matured me beyond my years. The third time they meet is at the school where their children attend. Roberta and other mothers were picketing because they did not want their kids to be segregated. This led to a fight severing any last chance of a friendship for them as it would not be resolved until Twyla and Roberta meet for a final time. As the story ends I do not get a sense of closure. The question of which girl is white or black remains unanswered. It opened my eyes and made me question how prejudice I really am. I try to not stereotype as a result of what I went through as a child but I found myself doing just that. I can understand why Morrison wrote the way she. I am not sure what her goal was overall but to me it seemed as if she were teaching me about prejudices. â€Å"Recitatif† challenged me to not judge either girl by their race but accept them for who they are. In the end, what difference did it really make about the girls’ races? The story is about how their friendship develops and then deteriorates. Nothing more; nothing less.