Sunday, January 26, 2020

Communication for Health Promotion

Communication for Health Promotion The purpose of this assignment is to strongly critique an interaction between a health professional and a service user in a video clip titled â€Å"Sexual Health Advice Role-play† (Nice (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) Media, 2012). In the video clip, an adolescent male is seen using the C card scheme to obtain free condom from a pharmacy. The health professional in the pharmacy takes this as an opportunity to offer the adolescent service user a free chlamydia test. The type of health promotion and communication seen in the video clip will be discussed including the health promotion models observed in the clip and the strategies that could have been used to enhance the opportunity will be highlighted. In order to promote health, heath professionals must understand the definition of health. Health is commonly defined by two definitions; one of which is a negative definition and the other positive. The negative definition of health defines health as the absence of disease or illness (Naidoo and Wills, 2009), whereas the positive definition looks at holistic health and defines health as not just the absence of disease and infirmity but as a state of complete physical mental and social well-being (World Health Organisation (WHO), 1946). Health is holistic and consists of different dimensions which all need to be considered (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). Health promotion is a practice of empowering people to improve control over their health, and to also better it. It encourages people to improve their mental, physical and social well-being and to do so individuals and groups should have the knowledge of interventions that are in place in order to help people satisfy their needs, and change or cope with the environment (WHO), 1986). Nutbeam (1998) suggested that a comprehensive social and political process is represented by Health Promotion. It does not just look at strategies used to strengthen people’s skills and capabilities but it also looks at the strategies used to change social, environmental and economic conditions in order to improve their impact on individuals and public health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behaviour towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions (WHO) 1986). There is a variety of health promotion approaches which all have different objectives. These approaches are medical, behaviour change, educational, empowerment and social change (Naidoo and Wills 2009). The medical approach concentrates on strategies used to decrease morbidity and premature mortality. The approach is also concerned with disease prevention among high-risk groups. This approach is usually linked with the three levels of health promotion, which are primary, secondary and tertiary (Leddy, 2006). Primary health promotion consists of strategies that prevent ill health before it occurs. Strategies may include immunisation or encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles (Hubley et al, 2013). The C card is a form of Primary health promotion because it aims to help young people protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases by issuing free condoms.[g1] Condoms are an effective way of preventing sexually transmitted diseases (National Health Service (NHS) choices, 201 3) therefore the C Card scheme is a good example of primary health promotion because it prevents disease before it occurs. Secondary health promotion consists of actions taken to identify and prevent the progression of disease at an early stage (Scriven,2005). Secondary health promotion strategies may include health screening programmes. Secondary health promotion is seen in the video clip when the health professional encourages the service user to get screened for chlamydia. Every young person under the age of 25 is entitled to a free and confidential chlamydia test through the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP). The NCSP is an NHS sexual health programme which was put into place by the Department of Health (DOH) in 2003 (NCSP 2003). In 2012 206,912 people in England tested positive for chlamydia and 64% of these were under 25 (NHS Choice, 2013). The NCSP targets young people under 25 because they are a high risk group where chlamydia is concerned. The programme’s aims are to make sure that young people under the age of 25 who are sexually active are aware of the effects of chlamydia and have access to free and confidential chlamydia screening (NCSP, 2013). According to Public Health England (PHE) (2013), since the NCSP was introduced there has been a 40% increase of chlamydia diagnoses in young people. This shows that more young people are being tested and getting treatment for chlamydia. The last level of health promotion is tertiary health promotion which looks at improving the health of individuals who are already affected by a disease. It consists of actions to avoid deterioration and aims to reduce complications (Fertman and Allensworth, 2010). An example of tertiary health promotion is when an HIV infected person takes antiretroviral drugs to help slow down the spread of virus in the body (NHS choice, 2012). The educational approach aims to enable individuals to make informed choices about their health behaviours by educating and assi sting them in developing skills (Trapani 2007). The educational approach is applied in the interaction when the health professional firstly provides the service user with information about chlamydia before performing the chlamydia test. The behaviour change approach aims to change individual’s unhealthy behaviours, by encouraging them to adopt healthy behaviours (Dixey, 2013). An element of the behaviour change approach is seen in the video clip; by providing free condoms to young people, the C card scheme is trying to change their behaviours by encouraging them to stop engaging in unprotected sex. The C-Card scheme is a service for young people which provides free condoms, advice and information. [g2]The service is free and confidential. The aims of the scheme are to help young people have more access to condoms, support them, educate them on sexual heath and how to correctly use condoms (Burtney, 2008). The initial reason why the service user went to the pharmacy was to obtain free condoms but the health professional takes this as an opportunity to promote health. The promotion of health and wellbeing is a fundamental part of being a health professional (Scriven, 2005). All health care professionals are encouraged to make every contact count. They are encouraged to use every interaction with an individual as an opportunity to promote health, whatever their profession or the reason of the interaction (Department of Health, 2012). Good communication skills are essential when health professional are attempting to promote good sexual health to young people. Effective communication enables health professionals to maximise the success of the interaction and this enhances the associated health promotion throughout the consultation (Barnes, 2009). The communication process begins at point of greeting and introduction (French, 2006). Williams and Davies (2005) suggest that communication with adolescents should begin with the development of trust. They further on elaborate that rapport with the adolescent should be built by health professionals and they are also are advised to be non judgemental and straight forward. Throughout the interaction, the health professional did not introduce herself to the service user. The health professional could have presented the idea of a chlamydia screening more effectively by firstly introducing herself. According to NICE (2012) health and social care professionals must always make it a priority to introduce themselves to service users and clearly explain their role and responsibilities. If the health professional had introduced herself to the service user, the service user would have felt more comfortable and would have had more trust in the health professional. Introducing herself could have helped her build rapport between herself and the service user. Establishing rapport and building a relationship between a service user and health professional are considered as foundations to good communication (Mitchell and Welling, 1998). Building a relationship is fundamental when working with young people because if a young person does not trust you, they may not disclose personal information (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2013). Throughout the consultation the health professional maintained excellent professionalism. The language used by the health professional was that of a professional manor and not over technical. The service user used clinical language that could be understood by the service user, she did not speak in way that could have been patronising to the service user. When interacting with adolescents, some health professionals resort to using patronising language because they believe an adolescent would not be capable of understanding professional language (Berry, 2006) The health professional maintained good eye contact throughout the interaction. When interacting with a service user, health professionals are advised to maintain eye contact if it is culturally acceptable for the service user because it shows honest, confidence and helps build a more therapeutic relationship (Eisenberge, 2012). According to Bateman (2000), a health professional’s advice may not be absorbed if there is a la ck of eye contact. Appropriate body language was used by the health professional throughout the interaction. The body language used by the service user was also that of a professional manor. Allen (2013) suggests that body language can be used as a foundation of building rapport between service user and health professional. She also goes on to say that trust can be established through mirroring and matching the body movements of a person. The health professional is seen mirroring the service user’s body movement throughout the interaction. Maintained good communication skill, eye contact, body language Good environment no noise, privacy, no interruptions When service user asked if it could be transmitted through kissing professional asked as if she didn’t know. No information. Did not ask for consent She did not give him a chance to ask questions Gave information before test References Burtney, E (2008) Guidelines for Setting Up a C-Card Condom Distribution Scheme For Young People. Available at: http://www.phru.net/shin/Condom%20Distribution%20Review/Brook%20guidelines%20FINAL%2029%20Oct.doc (Accessed: 23 April 2014) Department of Health (2012) The NHSs role in the publics health: a report from the NHS Future Forum. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/216423/dh_132114.pdf (Accessed: 23 April 2014) Public Health England (2013) Chlamydia screening intervention proves infectious in general practice. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chlamydia-screening-intervention-proves-infectious-in-general-practice (Accessed: 24 April 2014) Fertman, C. and Allensworth, D. (ed.) (2010) Health Promotion Programs: From Theory to Practice. London: Jossey-Bass Hubley, H., Copeman, J. and Woodall, J. (2013) Practical Health Promotion. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Polity Press Leddy, S. (2006) Integrative Health Promotion: Conceptual Bases for Nursing Practice. 2nd edn. London: Jones and Bartlett Naidoo, J. and Wills, J. (2009) Foundations For Health Promotion. 3rd edn. London: Elsevier NCSP (2013) What is the NCSP?. Available at: http://www.chlamydiascreening.nhs.uk/ys/about.html (Accessed: 23 April 2014) NHS Choices (2012) HIV and AIDS – Treatment. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/HIV/Pages/Treatmentpg.aspx (Accessed: 23 April 2014) NHS Choices (2013) Chlamydia. Available at: ttp://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Chlamydia/Pages/Introduction.aspx (Accessed: 24 April 2014) http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qualitystandards/patientexperience/PatientAwarenessOfHealthcareProfessionals.jsp Nutbeam, D. (1998) ‘Evaluating Health Promotion – progress, problems and solutions’, Health Promotion international ; 13, pp. 27-44 Scriven, A. (2005) Health Promoting Practice: The contribution of nurses and allied health professional. 1st edn. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan World Health organisation (1986) The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Available at: http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/Milestones_Health_Promotion_05022010.pdf?ua=1 (Accessed: 23 April 2014) World Health Organisation (1946) Constitution. World Health Organisation, Geneva http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=TjI1QMi3cnoCdq=medical+approach+in+health+promotionsource=gbs_navlinks_s http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=xwOd0PcEdtoCsource=gbs_navlinks_s http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/clinical-zones/sexual-health/health-promotion-in-sexual-health-2-nurses-role-in-engaging-with-clients/5001424.article http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yUTP2ioasf8Csource=gbs_navlinks_s http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bkDjTmriEiYCdq=why+is+eye+contact+important+in+health+and+social+caresource=gbs_navlinks_s http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AK_Mg2J5EhUCdq=language+used+by+health+professionalssource=gbs_navlinks_s http://www.naturalhealthcourses.com/Reading_Room/Body_Language.htm [g1]Reference [g2]Reference

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Part Two Chapter IV

IV Samantha's dinner invitation to Kay had been motivated by a mixture of vengefulness and boredom. She saw it as retaliation against Miles, who was always busy with schemes in which he gave her no say but with which he expected her to co-operate; she wanted to see how he liked it when she arranged things without consulting him. Then she would be stealing a march on Maureen and Shirley, those nosy old crones, who were so fascinated by Gavin's private affairs but knew next to nothing about the relationship between him and his London girlfriend. Finally, it would afford her another opportunity to sharpen her claws on Gavin for being pusillanimous and indecisive about his love life: she might talk about weddings in front of Kay or say how nice it was to see Gavin making a commitment at last. However, her plans for the discomfiture of others gave Samantha less pleasure than she had hoped. When on Saturday morning she told Miles what she had done, he reacted with suspicious enthusiasm. ‘Great, yeah, we haven't had Gavin round for ages. And nice for you to get to know Kay.' ‘Why?' ‘Well, you always got on with Lisa, didn't you?' ‘Miles, I hated Lisa.' ‘Well, OK †¦ maybe you'll like Kay better!' She glared at him, wondering where all this good humour was coming from. Lexie and Libby, home for the weekend and cooped up in the house because of the rain, were watching a music DVD in the sitting room; a guitar-laden ballad blared through to the kitchen where their parents stood talking. ‘Listen,' said Miles, brandishing his mobile, ‘Aubrey wants to have a talk with me about the council. I've just called Dad, and the Fawleys have invited us all to dinner tonight at Sweetlove – ‘ ‘No thanks,' said Samantha, cutting him off. She was suddenly full of a fury she could barely explain, even to herself. She walked out of the room. They argued in low voices all over the house through the day, trying not to spoil their daughters' weekend. Samantha refused to change her mind or to discuss her reasons. Miles, afraid of getting angry at her, was alternately conciliatory and cold. ‘How do you think it's going to look if you don't come?' he said at ten to eight that evening, standing in the doorway of the sitting room, ready to leave, wearing a suit and tie. ‘It's nothing to do with me, Miles,' Samantha said. ‘You're the one running for office.' She liked watching him dither. She knew that he was terrified of being late, yet wondering whether he could still persuade her to go with him. ‘You know they'll be expecting both of us.' ‘Really? Nobody sent me an invitation.' ‘Oh, come off it, Sam, you know they meant – they took it for granted – ‘ ‘More fool them, then. I've told you, I don't fancy it. You'd better hurry. You don't want to keep Mummy and Daddy waiting.' He left. She listened to the car reversing out of the drive, then went into the kitchen, opened a bottle of wine and brought it back into the sitting room with a glass. She kept picturing Howard, Shirley and Miles all having dinner together at Sweetlove House. It would surely be the first orgasm Shirley had had in years. Her thoughts swerved irresistibly to what her accountant had said to her during the week. Profits were way down, whatever she had pretended to Howard. The accountant had actually suggested closing the shop and concentrating on the online side of the business. This would be an admission of failure that Samantha was not prepared to make. For one thing, Shirley would love it if the shop closed; she had been a bitch about it from the start. I'm sorry, Sam, it's not really my taste †¦ just a teeny bit over the top †¦ But Samantha loved her little red and black shop in Yarvil; loved getting away from Pagford every day, chatting to customers, gossiping with Carly, her assistant. Her world would be tiny without the shop she had nurtured for fourteen years; it would contract, in short, to Pagford. (Pagford, bloody Pagford. Samantha had never meant to live here. She and Miles had planned a year out before starting work, a round-the-world trip. They had their itinerary mapped out, their visas ready. Samantha had dreamed about walking barefoot and hand in hand on long white Australian beaches. And then she had found out that she was pregnant. She had come down to visit him at ‘Ambleside', a day after she had taken the pregnancy test, one week after their graduation. They were supposed to be leaving for Singapore in eight days' time. Samantha had not wanted to tell Miles in his parents' house; she was afraid that they would overhear. Shirley seemed to be behind every door Samantha opened in the bungalow. So she waited until they were sitting at a dark corner table in the Black Canon. She remembered the rigid line of Miles' jaw when she told him; he seemed, in some indefinable way, to become older as the news hit him. He did not speak for several petrified seconds. Then he said, ‘Right. We'll get married.' He told her that he had already bought her a ring, that he had been planning to propose somewhere good, somewhere like the top of Ayers Rock. Sure enough, when they got back to the bungalow, he unearthed the little box from where he had already hidden it in his rucksack. It was a small solitaire diamond from a jeweller's in Yarvil; he had bought it with some of the money his grandmother had left him. Samantha had sat on the edge of Miles' bed and cried and cried. They had married three months later.) Alone with her bottle of wine, Samantha turned on the television. It brought up the DVD Lexie and Libby had been watching: a frozen image of four young men singing to her in tight T-shirts; they looked barely out of their teens. She pressed play. After the boys finished their song, the DVD cut to an interview. Samantha slugged back her wine, watching the band joking with each other, then becoming earnest as they discussed how much they loved their fans. She thought that she would have known them as Americans even if the sound had been off. Their teeth were perfect. It grew late; she paused the DVD, went upstairs and told the girls to leave the PlayStation and go to bed; then she returned to the sitting room, where she was three-quarters of the way down the bottle of wine. She had not turned on the lamps. She pressed play and kept drinking. When the DVD finished, she put it back to the beginning and watched the bit she had missed. One of the boys appeared significantly more mature than the other three. He was broader across the shoulders; biceps bulged beneath the short sleeves of his T-shirt; he had a thick strong neck and a square jaw. Samantha watched him undulating, staring into the camera with a detached serious expression on his handsome face, which was all planes and angles and winged black eyebrows. She thought of sex with Miles. It had last happened three weeks previously. His performance was as predictable as a Masonic handshake. One of his favourite sayings was ‘if it's not broke, don't fix it'. Samantha emptied the last of the bottle into her glass and imagined making love to the boy on the screen. Her breasts looked better in a bra these days; they spilled everywhere when she lay down; it made her feel flabby and awful. She pictured herself, forced back against a wall, one leg propped up, a dress pushed up to her waist and that strong dark boy with his jeans round his knees, thrusting in and out of her †¦ With a lurch in the pit of her stomach that was almost like happiness, she heard the car turning back into the drive and the beams of the headlights swung around the dark sitting room. She fumbled with the controls to turn over to the news, which took her much longer than it ought to have done; she shoved the empty wine bottle under the sofa and clutched her almost empty glass as a prop. The front door opened and closed. Miles entered the room behind her. ‘Why are you sitting here in the dark?' He turned on a lamp and she glanced up at him. He was as well groomed as he had been when he left, except for the raindrops on the shoulders of his jacket. ‘How was dinner?' ‘Fine,' he said. ‘You were missed. Aubrey and Julia were sorry you couldn't make it.' ‘Oh, I'm sure. And I'll bet your mother cried with disappointment.' He sat down in an armchair at right angles to her, staring at her. She pushed her hair out of her eyes. ‘What's this all about, Sam?' ‘If you don't know, Miles – ‘ But she was not sure herself; or at least, she did not know how to condense this sprawling sense of ill-usage into a coherent accusation. ‘I can't see how me standing for the Parish Council – ‘ ‘Oh, for God's sake, Miles!' she shouted, and was then slightly taken aback by how loud her voice was. ‘Explain to me, please,' he said, ‘what possible difference it can make to you?' She glared at him, struggling to articulate it for his pedantic legal mind, which was like a fiddling pair of tweezers in the way that it seized on poor choices of word, yet so often failed to grasp the bigger picture. What could she say that he would understand? That she found Howard and Shirley's endless talk about the council boring as hell? That he was quite tedious enough already, with his endlessly retold anecdotes about the good old days back at the rugby club and his self-congratulatory stories about work, without adding pontifications about the Fields? ‘Well, I was under the impression,' said Samantha, in their dimly lit sitting room, ‘that we had other plans.' ‘Like what?' said Miles. ‘What are you talking about?' ‘We said,' Samantha articulated carefully over the rim of her trembling glass, ‘that once the girls were out of school, we'd go travelling. We promised each other that, remember?' The formless rage and misery that had consumed her since Miles announced his intention to stand for the council had not once led her to mourn the year's travelling she had missed, but at this moment it seemed to her that that was the real problem; or at least, that it came closest to expressing both the antagonism and the yearning inside her. Miles seemed completely bewildered. ‘What are you talking about?' ‘When I got pregnant with Lexie,' Samantha said loudly, ‘and we couldn't go travelling, and your bloody mother made us get married in double-quick time, and your father got you a job with Edward Collins, you said, we agreed, that we'd do it when the girls were grown up; we said we'd go away and do all the things we missed out on.' He shook his head slowly. ‘This is news to me,' he said. ‘Where the hell has this come from?' ‘Miles, we were in the Black Canon. I told you I was pregnant, and you said – for Christ's sake, Miles – I told you I was pregnant, and you promised me, you promised – ‘ ‘You want a holiday?' said Miles. ‘Is that it? You want a holiday?' ‘No, Miles, I don't want a bloody holiday, I want – don't you remember? We said we'd take a year out and do it later, when the kids were grown up!' ‘Fine, then.' He seemed unnerved, determined to brush her aside. ‘Fine. When Libby's eighteen; in four years' time, we'll talk about it again. I don't see how me becoming a councillor affects any of this.' ‘Well, apart from the bloody boredom of listening to you and your parents whining about the Fields for the rest of our natural lives – ‘ ‘Our natural lives?' he smirked. ‘As opposed to – ?' ‘Piss off,' she spat. ‘Don't be such a bloody smartarse, Miles, it might impress your mother – ‘ ‘Well, frankly, I still don't see what the problem – ‘ ‘The problem,' she shouted, ‘is that this is about our future, Miles. Our future. And I don't want to bloody talk about it in four years' time, I want to talk about it now!' ‘I think you'd better eat something,' said Miles. He got to his feet. ‘You've had enough to drink.' ‘Screw you, Miles!' ‘Sorry, if you're going to be abusive †¦' He turned and walked out of the room. She barely stopped herself throwing her wine glass after him. The council: if he got on it, he would never get off; he would never renounce his seat, the chance to be a proper Pagford big shot, like Howard. He was committing himself anew to Pagford, retaking his vows to the town of his birth, to a future quite different from the one he had promised his distraught new fiancee as she sat sobbing on his bed. When had they last talked about travelling the world? She was not sure. Years and years ago, perhaps, but tonight Samantha decided that she, at least, had never changed her mind. Yes, she had always expected that some day they would pack up and leave, in search of heat and freedom, half the globe away from Pagford, Shirley, Mollison and Lowe, the rain, the pettiness and the sameness. Perhaps she had not thought of the white sands of Australia and Singapore with longing for many years, but she would rather be there, even with her heavy thighs and her stretch marks, than here, trapped in Pagford, forced to watch as Miles turned slowly into Howard. She slumped back down on the sofa, groped for the controls, and switched back to Libby's DVD. The band, now in black and white, was walking slowly along a long empty beach, singing. The broad-shouldered boy's shirt was flapping open in the breeze. A fine trail of hair led from his navel down into his jeans.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Succubus Revealed Chapter 8

It was hard to believe that in only a couple of days I'd gone from doubting my transfer was real to suddenly signing on to be in a Las Vegas stage production. Things happened so fast that it was easy to get swept along, and Bastien and Phoebe's gleeful encouragement just made things happen that much more quickly. Shape-shifting took care of my clothing problem, and Bastien soon left us, allegedly to go get a drink and try his hand at the blackjack table. Once he left the theatre, though, Phoebe leaned over to me conspiratorially and whispered, â€Å"Here's a wager for you. How much do you want to bet he comes back with a glow?† I laughed and whispered back, â€Å"I won't take that bet. Are you sure you haven't worked with him before?† Admittedly, an incubus looking to get laid wasn't that far of a stretch, but I liked how adeptly Phoebe was able to pick up on my old friend's personality quirks. â€Å"Nah,† she said with a smile. â€Å"I've just known his type.† Other dancers began trickling in. Phoebe introduced us as they arrived, and most were friendly and excited to have someone new in the group. They weren't yet at their full number needed for the show, so everyone was anxious for that to happen. I brought them one step closer, though it surprised me they were still short. From my experiences, there were always groups of girls lined up to try to make it in show business. Phoebe confirmed as much. â€Å"Oh, yeah, tons have tried out. And you should have seen them at the beginning, when they first did the open casting. Matthias is just really selective, that's all. Cornelia – the head choreographer – is just as bad.† â€Å"And yet he took me on a five-minute audition,† I pointed out. Phoebe grinned. â€Å"Sweetie, he just knows talent when he sees it. Besides, he's in charge of this gig. If he says you're in, you're in.† Matthias wasn't the only one running the show, of course. Along with the dancers came other management and staff, like the aforementioned Cornelia. Everyone had a part to play. The rehearsal was fast-paced and aggressive – but also lots of fun. Phoebe hadn't been joking. The other dancers were good – really good. It had been a very long time since I'd danced with any sort of group, even longer since I was with one of such caliber. I was used to being the standout at anything dance related, and it was a surprise – a good one – to find myself surrounded by so many equals. I had to work to keep up with them on the first day, and even if I didn't walk out as an instant star, I left confident that I'd held my own. Before I could go, one of the show's costumers asked to take my measurements backstage. Phoebe told me she'd go hunt down Bastien and meet me at the casino's central bar. The seamstress appeared with her tape measure, and I made a mental note of my height for future shape-shifting. Matthias came by, carrying his notes, and paused when he saw us. â€Å"You did really well today,† he told me. â€Å"It's like you've been with us from the first day.† â€Å"Hardly,† I said. â€Å"I've still got a lot to learn. Especially in the fourth song. The steps are deceptively simple . . . but there's a certain attitude you've got to hold to pull them off. No, maybe not attitude. Grace? Vibe? I can't explain it, but the simplicity's what makes it so genius. It seems like such a basic pattern, but how it's executed is what truly brings out the beauty.† I was thinking aloud, just sort of rambling, and realized that I sounded kind of ridiculous. â€Å"Sorry. That probably doesn't make any sense.† â€Å"No, no.† Matthias stared at me wonderingly. â€Å"That's exactly it. That's how I intended it. I was inspired by watching classical ballet, how all the moves are amplified by the emotion put into the routines. Cornelia said it was crazy to try to think that deep for a show like this, but it just felt right.† â€Å"It's beautiful,† I said honestly. â€Å"I can absolutely see where you were going with it. Reminds me of something from La Bayadre.† â€Å"You know La Bayadre?† he asked, wide-eyed. â€Å"Of course,† I said. â€Å"It's a classic. Who doesn't?† â€Å"You'd be surprised.† I realized then that the seamstress had left, having achieved her goal. Matthias was still regarding me in amazement. Now that they weren't focused on the clipboard, I was able to see how blue his eyes were. They were like the sky on a clear, crisp day. â€Å"Are you busy tonight?† he asked a few moments later. â€Å"Would you . . . would you like to go get dinner? Or even just a drink? I'd love to talk dance more with you.† For a succubus, I could be surprisingly na?ve sometimes. Because for half an instant, I almost accepted. I was so keyed up after the rehearsal and so excited to talk more about the show that I actually briefly thought that was all he wanted to go out for. Now, I don't mean to imply that his motives were totally base either. He wasn't using this as a ruse to simply get me into bed. But he also wasn't treating this as a meeting of colleagues. Bottom line: he liked me. I'd peaked his interest, and he wanted to go out on a date. Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem . . . except, there was something I sincerely liked about him. He was cute, and I found his passion for his work endearing. I loved how he kept getting wrapped up in it, totally consumed and distracted like – Seth. And there was the problem. This guy was the choreographer version of Seth. A one-night fling with some sleazy guy who meant nothing wasn't cheating in the eyes of our relationship. But for me to go out with a guy I liked, that I found intriguing and attractive in the same way I found Seth . . . well. That was wrong, especially since Matthias was obviously interested in me. It was a strange situation to be in, one I hadn't expected. â€Å"Oh, that would be great, but my friends and I already have plans,† I told him. â€Å"We're trying to make the most of my trip since it's so short.† â€Å"Oh.† His face fell a little, then brightened. â€Å"But you'll be back for tomorrow's rehearsal, right? It'd be great if you were able to get in the steps one more time before you left town. You know, give you something to practice.† â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"That'd be great.† The rest of the evening went by in a blur of activity. Phoebe joined Bastien and me in a whirlwind tour of Vegas highlights, which included a lot of casino and club hopping. Phoebe and I both donned skimpy, glamorous dresses, playing up our succubus sex appeal to its maximum. We draped ourselves on Bastien's arms, and he swaggered around even more than usual, smug with the envy he got over showing us off. After hours of this, I was ready for some downtime. Phoebe and Bastien had a quick consultation and decided that if we hurried we could make the late performance of a magic show they knew. â€Å"Magic?† I asked, more than a little tipsy from vodka gimlets. â€Å"Don't we live a magic show?† â€Å"Damn near,† said Bastien. He was ostensibly still being gallant in offering me his arm, but it was unclear who was really holding whom up. â€Å"There's something special about this show, I've heard.† There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. The three of us made our way to a modest, off-Strip hotel I'd never heard of. It still had alcohol and slot machines in its casino, which was probably all that mattered to most of its customers. Bastien bought us tickets to see The Great Jambini, and we hurried into the small theater – which was about half-full – just as the lights went down. A mediocre comedian did the warm-up act, and soon the star attraction himself came out. He had graying hair and a bright purple silk turban, along with a sequined cape that could have come straight from the wardrobe department at Sparkles. He kept tripping over its hem, which led to my first observation: he was totally drunk. A second observation soon followed, once I realized there were more immortal signatures in here than just mine, Phoebe's, and Bastien's. The Great Jambini was an imp. He started off with some standard card tricks, receiving half-hearted applause from the audience. These were followed by juggling, which I found remarkable simply because of the concentration it required from someone so obviously intoxicated. He didn't miss a move. I think the other members of the audience shared my opinion because their applause warmed up. Inspired by this, Jambini then made a great show of setting his juggling pins on fire. This brought the applause to a standstill, and some of the people in the front rows shifted uneasily. â€Å"Is that a good idea?† I murmured to my friends. â€Å"It never is,† remarked Phoebe. â€Å"What do you mean nev – â€Å" Within thirty seconds after lighting the pins, Jambini had begun juggling . . . and promptly set his cape on fire. People gasped and screamed as he flung it off him onto the stage. Considering its cheap material, I was kind of surprised the cape hadn't ignited faster. He stomped on it until the flames were out, and I saw a few stagehands on the periphery ready with fire extinguishers, just in case. Once the cape was a black, smoldering mess, he lifted it up. A dove emerged from underneath it, flying up into the air, much to the awe and delight of the spectators. â€Å"It was part of the show,† I breathed, equally impressed. â€Å"Yup,† said Phoebe. Jambini reached for the dove, which just barely slipped past him. It circled around the room, then swooped low into the audience. Along the way, it sideswiped a woman whose hair was elaborately French braided. The dove's foot got tangled in her hair, and it soon became trapped, beating its wings frantically to escape as she leaped up and began screaming. â€Å"Was that part of the show?† I asked. â€Å"No,† said Phoebe in awe. â€Å"But it really should be.† Within seconds, the stagehands were out in the audience, where they were able to remove and confine the dove. They escorted the woman off as well, heads bent low as they murmured apologies. The Great Jambini made a flourish-filled bow, much to the delight of the crowd. Everyone loves a wacky mishap. He performed a few scarf tricks, most of which went off without a hitch, and then came to stand in the center of the stage, face grave. â€Å"For my next trick, I need a volunteer.† His eyes fell on our corner. â€Å"A lovely volunteer.† â€Å"Oh, he noticed us,† said Phoebe, with a sigh. She raised her hand, along with others in the audience. When I did nothing, she elbowed me until I raised my hand as well. After a great show of examining all the volunteers, Jambini strode up to our table and extended his hand to me. Bastien and Phoebe whistled and cheered, urging me up. I was a little nervous about being set on fire or attacked by birds, but it was hard for me to refuse an audience. I accepted Jambini's hand and let him lead me up to the stage, while thunderous applause rang out around us. â€Å"Just shape-shift into any outfit that comes to mind,† he muttered in my ear, his breath heavy with the scent of gin. Once we were on center stage, he took the microphone and kicked into showman mode. â€Å"Now, my lovely assistant here . . . what is your name, lovely assistant?† I leaned toward the microphone. â€Å"Georgina.† â€Å"Georgina. What a lovely name. And so, lovely Georgina, all you have to do is allow yourself to be receptive to the awe-inspiring, truly mystical powers of my magic. If you do, wondrous transformations will occur.† I nodded in agreement, and more cheering ensued. Jambini walked over to his prop table and returned with a curtain attached to a hoop and a handle. When he held it up by the handle, the curtain hung down in a way that created an enclosed cylinder, completely concealing the person inside. I obligingly stepped forward, letting the folds of fabric hide me while Jambini gave a â€Å"magical countdown.† In those brief seconds, I shape-shifted my sparkly cocktail dress to the first thing that came to mind: my green foil elf dress. Jambini whipped the curtain away dramatically, revealing me in my new attire. People gasped and clapped with delight, and I gave a bow almost as showy as his. Encouraged by the response, Jambini declared, â€Å"One more time.† I stepped back into the curtained enclosure and changed this time into black jeans, a silver-sequined top, and a woman's tuxedo jacket. When he pulled back the curtain, the applause faltered a little bit before increasing to a frenzy. I'd seen these types of tricks performed before among those not gifted with shape-shifting, and usually performers simply shifted between loose dresses, items easy to get on and off. My choice of clothing kind of defied the logic of those familiar with how the trick worked. But, hey. This was magic, right? â€Å"Show-off,† Bastien told me when I returned to my seat. â€Å"Hey,† I whispered back, watching Jambini attempt to swallow a knife. He'd gotten about a third of the way there before he started coughing. With a shrug, he finally gave up and simply bowed to delayed applause. â€Å"These people deserve something for their money.† Jambini – or Jamie, as I later learned he was really named – was much more appreciative of my performance. My group met up with him in the hotel's drab bar after the show. â€Å"Switching to pants was genius,† he told me, knocking back a glass of gin. I had a sneaking suspicion that the show's actual performance was the longest he went without a drink on a given day. â€Å"People are going to be scratching their heads over that one for days.† â€Å"Maybe too much,† warned Bastien. â€Å"You'll make mortals suspicious.† I shrugged, unconcerned. â€Å"This is Vegas, baby. No one'll question it. Besides, weirder things happen all the time.† Jamie was nodding along eagerly. â€Å"And that tacky holiday dress too? That was great. Really god-awful. You know, if you're moving here, I could totally hook you up with a job as my assistant.† He chuckled. â€Å"People would probably get more out of seeing you than my tricks.† â€Å"That wouldn't surprise me in the least,† said Bastien, straight-faced. â€Å"Well, thanks,† I said, â€Å"but I think I've got more jobs than I need. Phoebe already set me up with something.† â€Å"Poacher,† said Jamie. The other succubus laughed as she stirred cherries around in her cocktail. â€Å"Hey, I can't help it if I – â€Å" A familiar aura spread through the room, and Phoebe fell silent. We all turned as one, watching as Luis entered the bar. Even mortals, who couldn't feel him like we could, paused and watched him stride through the room. There was just something that powerful and compelling about his dark presence. â€Å"Boss man,† said Jamie, holding up his glass in a mock toast. â€Å"You just missed my amazing performance.† â€Å"I've seen your shows before,† said Luis, sitting down and beckoning the bartender over. â€Å"I don't think I really missed anything.† â€Å"Georgina was his ‘lovely assistant,' † teased Phoebe. â€Å"Oh?† Luis paused to place his order and then turned toward me. â€Å"Pray tell, what did you do to wow them? Set some scarves on fire?† â€Å"Just some run-of-the-mill shape-shifting,† I said modestly. Jamie started in on his second gin glass. He'd ordered two when we sat down. I guess he didn't want to risk waiting the extra few minutes it would take to pour another. â€Å"That trick is always best with succubi. Even with a plant and a prepped costume, it never goes off quite as well. I used to have this girl who worked with me when I lived in Raleigh, and she did okay, but you could tell people knew how the whole get-up worked.† Alcohol was buzzing through me pleasantly, and I'd slowed down my consumption so as not to lose my head. Somewhere in that warm haze, Jamie's words tickled a memory. â€Å"Raleigh . . . when were you in Raleigh?† â€Å"I moved from there a few years ago. I was there about . . . oh, I don't know.† He took a sip of gin, perhaps to help his math skills. â€Å"Not that long. Twenty years. I did some good soul brokering, but really, my talents were better appreciated here, you know?† â€Å"When you were there, did you know a vampire named Milton?† I asked. Remembering my conversation with Hugh while I was in the middle of a cheap Vegas bar was weird – but no weirder than hearing Raleigh mentioned twice this week. â€Å"Milton?† Jamie's eyebrows rose, and some of his good humor dimmed. â€Å"Yeah, I know him. Scary son of a bitch. Looks like – â€Å" â€Å"Nosferatu?† I suggested. Jamie nodded solemnly. â€Å"How anyone as blatantly vampire as him got by as a covert operative is beyond me.† Phoebe frowned. â€Å"Did you say ‘covert operative'?† The waiter appeared then with Luis's drink. Luis motioned for him to stay and glanced around at the rest of us. â€Å"Refills? Another gimlet or cosmo? Jamie? You're drinking Tanqueray, right?† Jamie looked offended. â€Å"Beefeater.† Luis rolled his eyes. â€Å"That's ridiculous and disgusting. Bring him some Tanqueray.† â€Å"No!† exclaimed Jamie. â€Å"Beefeater. I'm a purist.† â€Å"You have no discrimination,† countered Luis. He looked back at the confused waiter. â€Å"Bring one of each. We'll have a taste test.† The waiter looked relieved and hurried off before someone else contradicted the orders. â€Å"It's a waste of time,† said Jamie. â€Å"No offense, boss man. You'll see.† Luis was unmoved. â€Å"Beefeater's for peasants.† â€Å"Jamie,† I tried, â€Å"about Milton – â€Å" â€Å"Peasants!† I don't think Luis could've insulted Jamie more if he'd called his mother names. â€Å"Beefeater is a refined drink, for a refined palate. You know I have infinite respect for you, but clearly, despite your years of worldly experience . . . well . . .† Jamie drunkenly groped for an eloquent way to finish his speech. â€Å"You're wrong.† Luis laughed, something I couldn't help but think Jerome most definitely wouldn't have done if one of his subordinates said he was wrong. â€Å"We'll see, my friend. It's a complex matter really, coming down to an analysis of both base ingredients and the distillation process.† â€Å"Jamie – † I attempted again. â€Å"That,† declared Jamie, â€Å"we can both agree on. And Beefeater is vastly superior in both.† â€Å"Give it up, Fleur,† Bastien told me in a low voice, eyes twinkling. â€Å"You can't compete with gin. Better luck tomorrow.† I started to protest, but further listening to Luis and Jamie's debate told me Bastien was right. Jamie was so fixated on defending his gin's honor that I doubt he would've even remembered me asking about Milton. â€Å"Will he be sober tomorrow?† I asked skeptically. â€Å"No,† said Phoebe. â€Å"But he's usually a little less drunk during the first half of the day.† The gin arrived, and Luis and Jamie became totally consumed with conducting â€Å"scientific† examinations on it, involving scent and surface tension. I didn't really see how the latter made that much of a difference in a taste test, but they seemed to think it was a pretty serious matter. â€Å"Dear God,† I murmured, amazed. Bastien finished off his cocktail. â€Å"When things turn serious, it's time for me to leave. What do you say, ladies? Would you like to go search out the clubs for some companionship ?† â€Å"I've got an early day tomorrow,† Phoebe said with regret. â€Å"I should probably just go home now. But you'll be at practice tomorrow, right?† â€Å"I guess so,† I said. â€Å"I told Matthias I would.† Despite ostensibly being involved in liquor analysis, Luis glanced over at the sound of the company manager's name. â€Å"Oh? Did you arrange the introduction?† I nodded. â€Å"Phoebe got me signed on.† Luis looked pleased. â€Å"Excellent. Are you happy with it?† The question surprised me, but then I remembered his earlier comment upon my arrival, about how he wanted happy employees. â€Å"I think so. I think it'll be a lot of fun.† â€Å"Good. And what did you think of Matthias?† That one was really a surprise. â€Å"I thought he was nice. Do you know him?† â€Å"Only by reputation,† said Luis. I was about to use the interruption to ask Jamie about Milton again, but before I could, Luis effortlessly slipped back to gin science, effectively blocking me from the imp's attention. Tomorrow, I decided. â€Å"You know,† said Phoebe slyly. â€Å"I could help you find Matthias if you wanted to see him tonight.† Even afloat on vodka gimlets, I still knew the right and wrong surrounding any sort of casual romance with Matthias. If I was going to hook up with anyone while I was here, it wasn't going to be anybody I would ever consider seriously. I flashed her and Bastien my best saucy succubus smile. â€Å"Nah, too tame. I'm not here to settle down yet. Let's find something wilder and do this Vegas weekend right.† Bastien whooped with joy and caught hold of my hand. As he led me away, telling me about â€Å"this perfect dance club,† I caught sight of Luis's face. He was nodding at Jamie, still seemingly interested in their debate . . . but there was something about the satisfied, knowing smile on Luis's lips that made me think it wasn't just the gin he was so happy about.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

A Masterpiece of Literature, The Adventures of Huckleberry...

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has been called one of the greatest American Novels and considered a masterpiece of literature. The book is being taught by teachers across the country for years. Now, Huckleberry Finn, along with other remarkable novels such as Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird, is being pulled off the shelves of libraries, out of schools and banned from classrooms because it has been considered unsuitable and racist for todays youth. An classic American novel like this book should not be banned from schools; it shows history, growth and friendship. Mark Twain being raised in a town where slavery existed and slaves were called â€Å"niggers† this was normal for him and wasn’t considered offensive to Blacks. This racial term is repeatedly used in the book and today that word is very offensive to most people, but during the era Twain set the book in it was not like that. Black people were just called this without any thought to the name. Throughout the novel, Huck struggles with dealing with how different Jim is, and learns of Jim’s heart and humanity. A word that is commonly used today that we might not find offensive could be in forty years to other people; because they see a meaning behind the word that actually had no meaning when it was originally used. Twain was clearly not writing to offend anyone or make it so people felt uncomfortable teaching it, like he said in the beginning before the novel Persons attempting to find aShow MoreRelatedMark Twain : Seeing America s Flaws1593 Words   |  7 PagesT wain: Seeing America’s Flaws â€Å"You don’t know about me, without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , but that ain’t no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain and he told the truth, mainly. There was things he stretched, but mainly he told the truth† (qtd. in Jones 237). That was the very first line in Mark Twain’s controversial book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Samuel L. Clemens, as a young boy, grew up on the Mississippi and learned the ways of southern societyRead MoreThe Censorship of Huckleberry Finn Essay1273 Words   |  6 PagesThe Censorship of Huckleberry Finn Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a significant book in the history of American literature that presents readers with the truth of our past American society in aspects such as speech, mannerisms, and tradition that we must embrace rather than dismiss by censorship. It is a novel that has been praised and proclaimed America’s â€Å"first indigenous literary masterpiece† (Walter Dean Howells) as well as one that has been criticized and declared obscene. It hasRead MoreHuckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay1571 Words   |  7 Pagescontroversial novel; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn had a great way of capturing moments in time and bringing them to life through the use of meaningful and direct diction. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been a vexed novel for it s a use of the â€Å"N-word†. However, many scholars and associations have devised a â€Å"solution† for this problem such as, completely banning the book, creating sanitized versions, or ev en replacing the book for another American literature novel. â€Å"What is so wrongRead MoreThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Research Paper1649 Words   |  7 PagesSince its first publication in 1884, Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has proven to be one of history’s most controversial novels; especially recently, the novel has often been banned by schools and censored by libraries. Characters in the book are constantly using disparaging language toward slaves, and the repeated use of the word â€Å"nigger† makes many sensitive and offended. Critics denounce the novel and Mark Twain as racist for this word being insulting and politicallyRead MoreThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer600 Words   |  3 PagesThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer: A novel written by Samuel Langhorne Clemens also more commonly known as Mark Twain. Samuel was born in 1835 in what he called â€Å"the almost invisible village† in Florida, Missouri. In his younger years he and his family moved to Hannibal Missouri on the Mississippi River. He later used this town as his fictional town of St. Petersburg in â€Å"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer†. While Samuel Clemens was savoring all of his fame he and his family were living in Hartford, ConnecticutRead MoreArgumentative Essay Huck Finn958 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Argumentative Essay: Should The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn be taught in school? Daniel Perez Period 1 10/30/14 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel based on the journey Huck, a young boy with an abusive father, and Jim, a runaway slave, have down the Mississippi River to Free states for an end goal of freedom. Freedom means different things to both of them, to Huck freedom means to be able to do what he wants and not be â€Å"sivilized†, while Jim’s definition of freedom isRead MoreBiography of Mark Twain Essay1175 Words   |  5 PagesNew York, the couple moved to Hartford, Connecticut. Much of Twains best work was written in the 1870s and 1880s in Hartford or during the summers at Quarry Farm, near Elmira, New York. Roughing It (1872) recounts his early adventures as a miner and journalist; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) celebrates boyhood in a town on the Mississippi River; A Tramp Abroad (1880) describes a walking trip through the Black Forest of Germany and the Swiss Alps; The Prince and the Pauper (1882), a childrensRead MoreAn Analysis of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn3099 Words   |  12 Pagesï » ¿HUCKLEBERRY FINN The adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the finest works of Mark Twain and probably the most controversial too. This is because it is by no means an ordinary story of Huckleberrys adventures; it is essentially a social commentary on the slavery and post civil war era in the United States. T. S. Eliot in 1950 acknowledged the book as,  ¦the only one of Mark Twains various books which can be called a masterpiece. I do not suggest that it is his only book of permanent interest;Read More Mark Twain Essay1401 Words   |  6 Pageswritten in the 1870s and 1880s in Hartford or during the summers at Quarry Farm, near Elmira, New York. Roughing It (1872) which recounts his early adventures as a miner and journalist was first. 4quot; In a story called quot;The Adventures of Tom Sawyerquot; he was stated that Quarry Farm was Twains favorite place he ever resided. quot;The Adventures of Tom Sawyerquot; (1876) which celebrates boyhood in a town on the Mississippi River was his second nove l. quot;A Tramp Abroadquot; (1880) whichRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1346 Words   |  6 Pages An in depth look at â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† Racism was an ever present evil that was prevelant during the 1830s and 1840s that lead to a multitude of wrongdoings against blacks. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is about a young child name Huck and how he matures in a society teeming with racism. While on his adventure, he must learn to make tough, adult-like decisions. He travels down the Mississippi River with a runaway slave who later becomes one his his greatest friends. In Mark

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

What Is Intimate Partner Violence - 3639 Words

Abstract My paper defines intimate partner violence (IPV), as well as the four categories of violence: physical, sexual, threats of violence, and psychological/emotional. Within the contents of this paper I discuss the benefits of educating service providers on IPV along with the different forms of violence that may occur for a victim. Moreover, the paper discusses the Incident Severity Index that is developed by the Department of Defense, as well as the discrepancies of how they rate different situations of violence. This paper also discusses the risk factors of IPV, in addition to barriers that limit victims from reporting accurate data. Furthermore, it also entails a comparison and contrast of the symptoms of PTSD among service members/veterans along with showing the characteristic of IPV perpetrators. Lastly, I will discuss the variety of services military families can acquire through the Family Advocacy program and how the programs may benefit victims of IPV, as well as civilian co mmunities. Defining Intimate Partner Violence The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d.) defines intimate partner violence (IPV) as a â€Å"serious, preventable public health problem that affects millions of Americans† (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d., p. 1). Through the group discussions we have had in class I have learned that IPV is not a â€Å"one fit all† approach, the violence occurs in different levels of severity and frequency. There are fourShow MoreRelatedWhat Is Intimate Partner Violence?1351 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is Intimate Partner Violence? If one has not lived through it, the meaning is unknown. When we hear the term, we tend to picture a woman covered in bruises. In reality, the damage is much worse. There is many long term effects that run deeper than the physical injuries (Giardino, 2010). Victims experience shame, isolation, detrimental physical and mental health consequences and financial stressor. This also causes dramatic effects on the families of the victims. This violence also affectsRead MoreIntimate Partner Violence: What is it and how can you get help?1300 Words   |  6 PagesIntimate Partner Violence: What is it and how can you get help? Abuse is any behavior that is used to control and subdue another person through the use and fear of physical, emotional, and sexual assaults. Intimate partner violence can come in many forms. I will discuss these further as well as treatment options and services that are available for individuals in these abusive relationships. Intimate Partner Violence Intimate partner violence (IPV) or domestic violence, is violence that occursRead MoreWhat Way Does Childhood History, Substance Abuse And Poverty Affect Intimate Partner Violence?3857 Words   |  16 PagesIN WHAT WAY DOES CHILDHOOD HISTORY, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND POVERTY AFFECT INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE? Intimate Partner Violence has affects individuals from all Backgrounds, Genders, and Socio economic statuses (Women Against Abuse, 2012). Therefore, Intimate Partner violence may and can overlaps with poverty, homelessness, and job instability that suggestively limits victim’s abilities to escape abuse (Women Against Abuse, 2012). There is lack of housing which has widely spread poverty and high ratesRead MoreEmotional And Emotional Effects Of Domestic Violence1503 Words   |  7 PagesDomestic violence, or as Daigle calls it, intimate partner violence, comes in different forms. One of these forms is intimate terrorism, which involves severe, persistent and frequent abuse that tends to get worse as time goes on. The abusive partner needs to feel like he or she has the power and control of the relationship. This type of intimate partner violence is likely to result in serious injury, the worst of which is death. Another kind of intimate partner violence is situational couple violenceRead MoreDomestic Violence And Sexual Violence1535 Words   |  7 Pages(Domestic Violence Statistics, 2015). The topic that will be studied with the paper is intimate partner violence or another term that can be used is domestic violence. Domestic violence or intimate partner violence is the systematic pattern or control or power perpetuated by one partner against another (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, n.d.). Throughout the paper the term domestic violence and intimate violence will be used interchangeably. The misconception is that domestic violence or intimateRead MoreThe Effects Of Intimate Partner Violence On Children1469 Words   |  6 PagesEffects of Intimate Partner Violence on Children Just about everyone out there can say they know someone who has been affected my intimate partner violence. Or most often they have been a victim themselves but the point is intimate partner violence is so widespread that it has often been referred to as an epidemic. Most dictionaries roughly define the word epidemic as affecting many people at the same time or a rapid increase or spread in the occurrence of something. That right there can easily beRead MoreIntimate Partner And Sexual Violence1555 Words   |  7 PagesNational Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence 2010 survey, will provide statistical information on victims who experienced one or more violent crimes from their husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend. These crimes arrange from stalking, rape, to physical and mental abuse. It will examine the impact of intimate partner violence on gender, race, and ethnicity. This report will give an overview of health consequences and the implications for prevention for Intimate Partne r and Sexual Violence. LastlyRead MoreSexual Partner Violence And Black American Women Essay1056 Words   |  5 PagesRELATED TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND BLACK AMERICAN WOMEN Arshida Moore 12/11/2016 PADM 6130 Research Methods INTRODUCTION In the United States, Black American women are physically battered and often die from Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) at increasingly disparate rates in comparison to that of White American women. When compared to their White American counterparts, Black American women unswervingly conveyed higher rates of violence by their intimate partner (West, 2004)Read MoreThe Fight For Power And Dominance865 Words   |  4 PagesThe fight for power and dominance in a relationship affects the treatment of women in intimate relationships. Women are five to eight times more likely to be victimized by an intimate partner, according to the Department of Justice in 2007 among 96% of intimate relationship violence victims 85% were female. (Lee Shaw, 2012) The meaning of gender has given a set of values to men that normalizes their inferiority and women’s subordination. The gender roles that are given to women paved way to theRead MoreIntimate Partner Violence And Domestic Violence1098 Words   |  5 PagesREMINGTON COLLEGES INC. Intimate Partner Violence Domestic violence Cheyannica Newson 12/16/2014 â€Æ' What is intimate partner violence? Intimate partner violence is when a partner is physical and sexually abused. Intimate violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples. Twenty seven percent of women and nearly 12% of men in the United States have experienced contact sexual, violence, physical, or stalking by an intimate partner (Prevent Domestic Violence in Your Community, 2014)

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Comparison of Mesopotamia and the Indus Civilization

Mesopotamia and Harappan societies have long been compared throughout the history of archaeology. Mesopotamia, also known as, the land between the rivers, was named for the triangular area between the Tigris and the Euphrates river, (Nov. 7 lecture). In recent use, it covers a broader area referring to most of what is now Iraq. This adds ancient Assyria and Babylonia to the scope of Mesopotamia (Schultz and Lavenda 1995:310). Parts of Mesopotamia were not inhabited at all until approximately 8000 BC when plants and animals were domesticated, bringing about an agricultural revolution. This allowed nomads and cave dwellers to become farmers and herders.(Whitehouse 1977:129).) The Indus civilization is often referred to as Harappan†¦show more content†¦(Hawkes 1973:275). The level of grain present would have represented the level of public credit. (Hawkes 1973:275). In Mesopotamia there were state and temple grain stores, but because of the size and architectural importance of those at the Indus sights, they are believed to have a greater importance. (Hawkes 1973:275). GOVERNMENT The state in Indus civilization was governed by a centralized government. (Hawkes 1973:263). The regular planning of Indus towns and cities could only mean that each was built as a whole by an authority with absolute control (Hawkes 1973:273). Because of the uniformity over such a large area, it is almost guarunteed that the entire Indus area was a unified state. (Hawkes 1973:273). The two main sights were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, and they were the commercial and administrative centers. It is unlikely that there were two equal rulers, however. (Hawkes 1973:2730). The citadels suggest a combination of a combined military and religious power. There werent temples that dominated the area like at Mesopotamia, only a few shrines have been found in the Indus territory. (Hawkes 1973:276). We dont know the nature of the authority there, whether it was ruling priests or kings,(Whitehouse 1977:122) but we know the ruling elite had religious practices of ritual cleaning through bathing. (White house 1977:278). In Mesopotamia we have a clearer picture of the ruling powers which wereShow MoreRelatedMesopotamia, Egypt, and Indus Valley Essay813 Words   |  4 Pagesdevelopments, the most prominent being the first civilizations, Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. They had many similarities, such as characteristics of early civilizations and social structures, but they also had their differences. The most embossed differences included the divergent geography, prior belief, trade, relations with other civilizations, and politics. The earliest societies, such as Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt exhibiting indicator traits of civilization developed along the floodplains of greatRead MoreComparing The River Valley Civilizations1509 Words   |  7 PagesComparing and Contrasting River Valley Civilizations In the following treatise, the research that will be presented will provide criteria involving similarities and differences in three attributes of life in the four primary river valley civilizations. The river valley civilizations are composed of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, and China. While each of these civilizations is unique in their habits and traditions, they share many similar qualities. For this work to be as comprehensive asRead MoreGeography and Early Civilizations Essay917 Words   |  4 PagesGeography and Early Civilizations Geography had a tremendous impact on early civilizations, the topography of the different regions played a key role in their development and formation. This statement by Fernand Braudel â€Å" Geography is the stage in which humanity’s endless dramas are played out† (Getz et al., Exchanges, 26) is a very moving and telling description. The terrain, whether it is natural or man made is not the end all, be all. It does however affect the stage a great deal. MountainousRead Morecompare and contrast 11262 Words   |  6 PagesGraded Assignment The Comparative Essay: Early Civilizations Complete and submit this assignment by the due date to receive full credit. (45 points) Score 1. Compare and contrast key characteristics of two early civilizations (choose from Mesopotamian, Shang, Indus Valley, Chavin, and Phoenician) in terms of three of the following: economy, political system, art and architecture, religion, technology, legacy. 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Sunday, December 8, 2019

Marxist Views On Capitalism

Question: Discuss about theMarxist Views On Capitalism. Answer: Introduction Karl Marx use images of blood, monsters and vampires to describe colonialism and the rise of Capitalism in order to criticize it as selfish and exploitative to the majority poor. Marx's thoughts are concentrated on and utilized by rationalists, students of history, business analysts, sociologists and political researchers. His thoughts were viewed as so radical that he was seen as a motivation to revolutionists and a risk by pioneers of state governments. Karl Marx's work has everlastingly affected the field of humanism in that his perspectives opened the way to the investigation of how one's social class impacts one's educational encounters and life shots. His work likewise opened the entryway for some contrasting points of view on the issue of the affluent and the poor in the public eye. While in Paris from 1843 to 1845, Marx could meet with other radical scholars and revolutionists, for Paris had turned into middle for all things social, political and creative. Here, Marx could ex amine communist speculations that were not accessible to him in Germany (Andrew, 2013). The prior discourse recommends that wage work and nonwage work be without a doubt, inseparably connected. The investigation of one class requires thought of the other. As we should see later, the idea of the social division of work upgrades our comprehension of this shared exchange of wage and nonwage work. For the time being, we require just remember our advanced cases of products and ventures that were once created inside the family, which got to be items sold by business firms. This new game plan is connected, at any rate to some degree, to the example of responsibility for method for making these merchandise and ventures in the family unit. Formally, the absence of responsibility for workspace for doing clothing is the same as the absence of responsibility for package of arrive on which a family once developed its own particular sustenance. In either case, the dissent of possession to a specific method for generation makes an adjustment in the blend of wage also, non-wage work (D iane, 2012). Overlooking Balibar's notice about the imprudent utilization of the word low class, we could decipher this rebuilding of the life of a present day family as a contemporary variation of the procedure of primitive accumulation, whereby the mass of individuals working for wages has expanded. In this sense, the idea of primitive accumulation is firmly bound up with that of the social division of work. Traditional Economy and Primitive Accumulation Despite the fact that Marx quieted his examination of the proceeding with nature of primitive accumulation, he was richly obvious that primitive accumulation brought about groundbreaking changes in social relations that were vital to formation of the industrialist framework. Marx's lesson was lost on later business analysts. They were substance to regard the Industrial Revolution as though it were simply the presentation of predominant techniques for generation. Conversely, the traditional political financial specialists saw primitive accumulation as a method for fundamentally reordering the social division of work, which they perceived as a precondition of the making of a low class. Along this line, Marx, in expounding on primitive accumulation, proposed the recipe: Accumulation of capital is . . . intensification of the low class. We will attempt to take after the same convention in our investigation of the traditional hypothesis of primitive accumulation. The traditional political market analysts make this undertaking impressively less demanding. Contrasted with their examination of the classes of benefits or wages, they received a much more dynamic, practically argumentative way to deal with their investigation of primitive accumulation. Completing such an examination of the traditional hypothesis of primitive accumulation has a twofold significance: it uncovers a side of established political economy that beforehand has gone unnoticed; and it advises us that primitive accumulation is a progressing procedure. Indeed, even innovative critiques on primitive accumulation do not do the theme full equity. Like Marx, most contemporary references consign the idea to an inaccessible past, aside from maybe on account of the proletarianization that the less-created nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Duncan G rard, 2011). Regular fields kept alive an enthusiastic co-agent soul in the group; fenced in areas starved it. In champion nation individuals needed to cooperate genially, to concur upon product pivots, spells of basic field, the up-keep and change of their grazing and glades, the clearing of the trench, the fencing of the fields (Heilbroner, 2013). They drudged next to each other in the fields, and they strolled together from field to town, from ranch to heath, morning, evening and night. They all relied on upon basic assets for their fuel, for bedding, and grub for their stock, and by pooling so large portions of the necessities of business they were restrained from early youth to submit to the guidelines and traditions of the group. After walled in area, when each man could fence his own particular bit of region and caution his neighbors off, the train of offering things decently to one's neighbors was casual, and each family unit turned into an island unto itself. This was the colossal insurg ency in men's lives, more prominent than all the monetary changes taking after walled in area. However few individuals living in this world passed on to us by the encasing and enhancing agriculturist are fit for gauging the full importance of a lifestyle that is presently lost. Racial Divergence and Colonization All through the 1900s, the majority of segment inspectors have struggled in opposition to the effectiveness of the Marxist view in segregating racial abuse. These scientists and faultfinders evacuate the Marxist insights that Racial maul is reinforced by manipulative as well as injurious cash related approaches, that the dazzling class recognize a fundamental part in the movement of racial manhandle, therefore racial divergence in a few nations is secured battle of class. Furthermore, such informed individuals of Marxism argue with the aim of chronicled realness, which places a ton of guilt on the general working class, holds quick earnestly to a sort of money related concerns, in addition to giving cautious thought to individual association. They request with the intention that exceptional racists were not the business visionaries or people from the unprecedented class, but middle class bureaucrats (colonialists). They fight that racial divergence divide over lines of class (John, 2013). Specialists declining the use of a Marxist way to merge advocates, and in like manner element people, for instance, Vann Woodward along with Wilson WEB. Du Bois. The points of view of such social scientists have changed into the standard viewpoint. In the speculations of Marx and Fanon, both scholars contend that the social orders that they examine each speak to "a world divided by half." Marx contends this is represented by the contention between the "compartments" of the industrialist and the specialist, though the pressure between the colonizer and colonized local supplant this class battle inside Fanon's colonial setting. Since colonialism does not have the trade relations of private enterprise, Fanon's examination adjusts Marx's hypothesis to colonialism by indicating that the colonial social relations evaluate esteem, not through the cash shape, but rather through the whiteness of one's skin. Amid the underlying periods of development, the settlements serve to assist the monetary interests of industrialist society. Without the entrepreneur bourgeoisie to make the conditions for the advancement of a vast scale low class, to automate horticulture and utilizing the colonized as "constrained work," the settlement stays stagnant between its unique structure of semi-feudalism and the parasitic colonizers' lack of engagement in building up the trade procedures of free enterprise. Fanon accordingly portrays the states as a wellspring of crude material which, once transformed into fabricated merchandise, could be dispersed on European markets. Without private enterprise's trade relations communicated through the cash, the connections inside colonial society expect the type of skin shading which safeguards the exploitative qualification between the colonizers and the colonized. Whiteness serves as the exemplification of significant worth and shows excellence and ideals, which have never been dark. Fanon in this manner clarifies that "the cause is the outcome: You are rich since you are white, you are white since you are rich. Whiteness seems to express the "utilization qualities" of people's attributes, for example, insight and riches, yet it just serves to supplant the cash frame as the marker of worth in the settlements. Transformation of Class The merciless procedure of isolating individuals from their method for accommodating themselves, known as primitive accumulation, brought about gigantic hard-ships for the everyday citizens. This same primitive accumulation gave a reason for entrepreneur improvement. Joan Thirsk, a standout amongst the most educated students of history of early British agribusiness, depicts over the nature of a portion of the harshest social and individual changes associated with the walled in areas (John, 2013). A few people criticized this seizure. Marx echoed their estimation, charging: ''The seizure of the immediate makers was finished by method for the most savage barbarianism, and under the boost of the most scandalous, the most ignoble, the most unimportant and the most accursed of interests.'' Formally, this dispossession was consummately lawful. Overall, the workers did not have property rights in the thin sense. They just had conventional rights. As business sectors developed, first eager for land upper class and later the bourgeoisie utilized the state to make a lawful structure to repeal these conventional rights. Basic dispossession from the center was an important, yet not generally adequate condition to tackle country individuals to the work showcase. Indeed, even after the fenced in areas, workers held benefits in 'the bushes, woods, undergrowth, stone quarries and rock pits, in this manner acquiring fuel for cooking and wood for creature life, crab apples and cob nuts from the hedgerows, briers, tansy and other wild herbs from whatever other little fix of waste. . . . Practically the thrifty worker or his better half could swing every living thing in the area however irrelevant to some great use. To the degree that the conventional economy may have the capacity to remain in place in spite of the loss of the hall, a supply of work acceptable to capital will be expected. Therefore, the level of genuine wages would be higher, in this way hindering the procedure of accumulation. Not surprisingly, one by one, these conventional rights additionally vanished. In the eyes of the bourgeoisie, ''property has to be total property: all the endured "rights" that the working class had gained or safeguarded . . . were currently dismisses (Lenny, 2011). Primitive accumulation sliced through conventional lifeways like scissors. The main sharp edge served to undermine the capacity of individuals to accommodate them. The other sharp edge was an arrangement of stern measures required to keep individuals from discovering elective survival methodologies outside the arrangement of wage work. A large group of generally ruthless laws intended to undermine whatever resistance individuals kept up against the requests of wage work went with the dispossession of the laborers' rights, even before private enterprise had turned into a huge financial compel. For instance, starting with the Tudors, England ordered a progression of stern measures to keep workers from floating into vagrancy or falling back onto welfare frameworks. As indicated by a 1572 statute, homeless people beyond fourteen years old were to be extremely bogged and marked with a scorching iron on the left ear unless somebody was willing to take him or her into administration for a long time. Rehash guilty parties more than eighteen were to be executed unless somebody would take them into administration. Third offenses consequently brought about execution. Comparable statutes showed up at the same time amid the mid sixteenth century in England, the Low Countries, and Zurich. In the end, the dominant part of laborers, without any option, had minimal decision yet to work for wages at something near subsistence level. In the wake of primitive accumulation, the wage relationship turned into an apparently willful issue. Specialists required occupation and bosses needed laborers. Truly, obviously, the basic procedure was a long way from deliberate. Truly, the procedure by which the bourgeoisie turned into the politically overwhelming class throughout the eighteenth Century was veiled by the foundation of an unequivocally coded and formally populist juridical structure, made conceivable by the association of a parliamentary, delegate administration. Yet, the improvement and speculation of disciplinary instruments constituted the other, dim side of these procedures. Bolstered by these minor, regular, physical components, by each one of those frameworks of miniaturized scale control that are non-populist (Lenny, (2011). Established Economy and the War on Sluggishness The established political financial specialists participated in the chorale of those censuring the sloth and lethargy of poor people. In spite of the fact that they praised the recreation exercises of the rich, they censured all conduct with respect to the less blessed that did not yield a most extreme of work exertion. Thomas (2014) considered that if a people have not procured a propensity for industry, the inexpensiveness of the considerable number of necessaries of life energizes sloth. The best cure is to raise the interest for all necessaries. . . . Sloth ought to be rebuffed by bondage in any event.'' The threatening ''in any event'' in this reference recommends that the never-to-be-overlooked educator may have had much sterner medicine as a top priority than unimportant brief bondage. What else may the great specialist prescribe to sincere understudies of good rationality in the occasion that transitory subjugation demonstrated deficient in shunting individuals off to the wor king environment? Conclusion Indeed, the historical backdrop of the enrollment of work is a continuous story of either compulsion through the beast constrain of neediness or more straightforward regulation, which made a continuation of the old ways inconceivable. Obviously, the extractions regular to customary moderately independent family unit economy kept numerous individuals at or simply over the subsistence level, yet for some the market was a stage in reverse. The bewildering presentation of the individualistic methods for the market cut individuals off from their customary systems and made a feeling of dehumanization. An implied requirement for teach legitimized the unforgiving measures that the poor persevered. Without a doubt, authors of each influence imparted an obsessional worry to the formation of a skilled work drive. Supporters of such measures normally safeguarded their position by summoning the need to humanize laborers or stamp out sloth and sluggishness. However, capital required these measures to win the family economy keeping in mind the end goal to have the capacity to remove a more prominent mass of surplus esteem. Truth be told, practically everybody near the procedure of primitive accumulation, whether a companion or adversary of work, concurred with Charles Hall's decision that ''on the off chance that they were not poor, they would not submit to vocations'' at any rate inasmuch as their compensation were held low enough to make considerable benefits. Bosses rushed to see the relationship amongst destitution and the opportunity to procure great looking benefits. Ambrose Crowley, for instance, set up his manufacturing plant in the north instead of the midlands, for there 'the country is very poor and crowded so laborers should of need increment. Bibliography Andrew G. (2013) Marxist economics, The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics, v. 3, pp. 39095 Diane F. (2012) radical economics, The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition Duncan F. and Grard D. (2011) Marx's analysis of capitalist production, The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition Heilbroner R. (2013) The Worldly Philosophers (7th ed.), London: Penguin Books John E. R. (2013) socialism (new perspectives), The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd Edition Lenny F. (2011) Contradictions of Capitalism: An Introduction to Marxist Economics, St Petersburg, Florida: Red and Black Publishers Roemer J. (2010) Marxian value analysis, The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics, v. 3, pp. 38387 Screpanti, E. and Zamagni S (2015) An Outline of the History of Economic Thought (2nd ed.) Oxford: Oxford University Press. Solow, R. M (2011) The Wide, Wide World Of Wealth, The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics, Edited by John Eatwell, Murray Milgate and Peter Newman, New York: Stockton Press, New York Times Thomas T. (2014) The Dialectic of Capital, A Study of the Inner Logic of Capitalism, 2 volumes (preliminary edition), Tokyo