The integration process of immigrants in Spain

The integrating offshoot of immigrants in SpainImmigration Spain EmigrationA social analysis of the consolidation process of immigrants in Spain.The panache in which the problem of in-migration in Spain affects the integration of immigrants.Over the last fifteen years, Spain has g whiz from being a hoidenish of emigration to a country of immigration. In recent years few European countries realise experienced as dramatic a rise in immigration as Spain. Spain has been among the approximately indeterminate countries in the European Union, admitting 650,000 immigrants last year alone and granting residency permits to 560,000 more who were in the country il lawfully.Although the percentage of immigrants is stillness relatively low comp atomic number 18d to other European countries (6.1% of the universe in 2005) the outgrowth of immigration experienced over the last five years has led experts to consider the country as a brand-new immigration centre. The stinting and historical connections with North Africa and S pop outh America have been the principal triggers of immigration flows, with almost 2/3 of immigrants coming from outside the EU. Europeans as well represent a large proceeds of immigrants in Spain. Attracted to the Costa del Sols climate and low cost of living, many come to retire.There are three basic causes for this substantial change in the position of Spain as a new centre of immigration. The first is the continuous economic development of the country and the fact that it belongs to one of the most developed regions in the world, the EU. Secondly, Spain is considered as an alternative to other European countries with high levels of immigration where thither now exist increasingly strong counterweightrictions on immigration, especially those originating from outside Europe. Thirdly, Spains geographical situation means that it has become the back door for immigrants intent on reaching the rest of Europe.The significant increase of the foreig n population since 2000 has resulted in a growing awareness that immigration is a structural phenomenon and Spain a multicultural country. Recent Spanish mental picture polls reveal the distortion mingled with the reality and nationals perception of the extent of this immigration. In the book Europeos e Inmigrantes, the authors study topical anaesthetics opinion on immigration and conclude with the following results approximately 55% of Spanish participation perceive Spain as having a lot of immigrants- though not withal many- and 25% of them consider the number of immigrants to be too high. The number of immigrants, and more specific still the presence of immigrants, is suggested to be a problem.This study lead be looking at the perception of immigration as a problem, and the consequence of this perception on the integration of immigrants in Spain. I am interested in the integration of immigrants on a social level the ways in which social constructions of the other are ref lected in the social integration process of the immigrant population. In the end, I hope to make sense not just of immigrants marginal circumstance in Spain but alike how the concept of culture and federation shapes the integration process.Despite common belief that Spain is being met by an invasion of newcomers, the percentage of immigrants to the total national population remains the lowest within the EU. By 2001, immigrants in Spain made up 2.5% of the population, contrasted with 4.2% for the UK, 4.3 for the Netherlands, 5.6 for France, and 8.9 for Germany. Overall, the European clean is three times higher than the Spanish average. Despite the fact that illegal immigrants are empathizen as a threat to the growing population, illegal entrance into Spain counts for just now 4% of the immigrants entering legally. Yet today, immigration is among the top three mentioned problems and has been referred to as a cultural problem.The media has had, and continues to have, a great infl uence on the nations interpretation of immigration and the prominence of immigration in national politics and peoples understanding reflects the extent to which the subject of immigration is covered by Spanish media. No other medium is able to send a determined message out to the masses, or has so much power as to make everyone value their freedom of speech.Those who have studied public opinion have said, Although people retrieve they have cultivateulated their own opinion, in actual fact their opinion and argument is more or less echoed from a favoured political leader or party. National newspapers go as far as to include a section on the immigration problem aimed at keeping track of the number of illegal immigrants apprehended by the police. The Spanish newspaper, El Pas uses headlines such as Interceptados 76 inmigrantes en las costas de Granada y Canarias en las ltimas horas, and frequently describes the stretch of nueva oleadas de pateras que intentan alcanzar Espaa.On tele vision, the Spanish public are supplied with regular images of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the country illegally. The constant focus on immigration in political dissertate and in the mass media has created a sense of migratory pressure amongst the public, a sense that there are floods of people banging on the border doors to go through in. Las puertas de Europa Espaa y nueve pases europeos han acordado establecer un operativo para patrullar toda la zona del frica atlntica susceptible de ser punto de origen de pateras y cayucos que viajan hacia Europa y, sobre todo, hacia Canarias, que acusa casi cada da la presin de esta avalancha migratoria.This pressure is fuelled by both a veneration of security and a veneration of immigrants affecting the Spanish labour market (which I will discuss later on). This fear is oft translated into panic and irrational conclusions for those ignorant of the reality of the situation. Evidence of illegal immigrants in Spain has created con fusion between attitudes towards illegal and legal immigrants, and often the two groups are handle as one.Following the 9/11 tragedy, race stereotypes have once again become commonplace and through pure ignorance and fear, immigrants are recognizen as a threat to the publics safety, often being associated with Islamic fundamentalism. Public insecurity due to misinformation has manifested itself in violence and xenophobic feelings against the immigrants. An example of this took place in 2000, in El Ejido (Andalucia), where locals violently attacked newly settled immigrants, following a young girls murder by a Moroccan.The dissemination of these blackball perceptions has helped conjure up a sensation of invasion, which does not mirror the reality of the situation. The reality of the situation (which I have already discussed) is that this existing fear is unjustified. It is a representation of the ignorance surrounding the perception of immigration linking the race of an immigrant g roup with the safety of a country.Immigration has also been considered a threat to the structure of the labour market. During the eighties and 1990s, when immigration to Spain was at its highest, the country was experiencing a profound economic crisis characterized above all by high levels of unemployment. The presence of immigrants and the misconception that they were invading the Spanish labour market, added gain tension to the relationship between the two groups, and was therefore considered an economic and social problem. More than any other factor, unemployment is generally seen as the root cause backside the electoral successes of the radical Right across Europe and is credited with casing an existence of a negative, anti immigrant attitude in Spain.Immigration in Spain has also been treated as a cultural problem where the idea of having immigrants in the country is not perceived as a positive multicultural phenomenon but as a threat to the integrity of the Spanish cultural identity.The Spanish fear that the increasing presence of other national cultures will overshadow and die their own traditions. The immigrants have brought their own culture to Spain, which they expect to be respected and recognised so that they may practice their traditions in harmony with the rest of society. Spaniards fear that the integration of immigrants will entail the growth of alien religious infrastructures and more conflict between locals and immigrants.The social integration of Muslims in particular is perceived as difficult, because of the demands for their own religious infrastructure. The constructions of mosques render the development of a multicultural society even more obvious. Since the terrorist attacks in Madrid 2004, Islam has been presented as an alien civilization, with mosques feared as centres of terrorism. This fear often translates into irrational conclusions. As it generally does in other European countries, the association of North Africans with Islami c fundamentalism, terrorism and crime tends to breed hostility and question from the Spanish public.In summary, the immigration problem revolves around an insecurity bred by the sense of invasion. People feel threatened by the implications of immigrants in the labour market, and what integration really entails for the culture and society dynamics of Spain.I am now going to address the concept of integration and how the perception of immigration already discussed has alter this process. In order to assess how this is affecting the integration process I will be looking at the topic from an anthropological perspective.Among those who attempt to see the concept of integration, there is considerable disagreement. In the context of Spanish immigration it has taken on many meanings, some implying that it is reached when the immigrant is able to fit in, others suggesting that it hinges on natives open-mindedness and tolerance, and still others prioritising the accessibility of social ser vices and basic necessities.Often, the term is simply used as a synonym for settlement, or establishing physical and social roots. A Spanish social scientist and immigration expert pay offs it this way We can say that immigrants are integrated into a host society when they do not face surplus obstacles due to their foreign origin in the main aspects of their social, economic, and family life, when compared to the native-born population. legality plays a central role in the immigrants integration on all levels and has been seen as formally codifying them as different at several levels. Spain had several attempts at immigration legalisation the first, the Ley de Extranjeria, focussing primarily on control over immigrants preferably than integration. Immigration laws designated some people as non-citizens with a limited set of rights and privileges.Others were declared to be illegal and unwelcome altogether and those who did achieve legal status found their position unstable, as the y are vulnerable to frequent changes in legislation and status. When in 1998 the issue of integration was finally addressed, the focus was still on the integration of non-EU foreigners rather than the immigrant group as a whole, stigmatising the non-EU immigrants as the problem group.Perez, in his article, Spain Forging an Immigration Policy, goes as far as to say that the Law on the rights and Freedoms of Foreigners in Spain and their Integration passed in January 2000, was not so much because of the laws acknowledgement of immigrant rights but because of its conception of immigration as a permanent phenomenon. Still today immigrants struggle against policy restrictions.Despite the common belief that immigrants create problems in the Spanish labour market, the reality of the situation is that the immigrant wrench force is largely responsible for Spains economic growth. This growth, over the last decade, has been among the fastest in the EU. It is not a coincidence that the strong economic growth and increase in employment rate has increased with the arrival of immigrants into Spain. Having said this, statistics show that in 2006 the unemployment rate for Spaniards was 8% compared to 12% for foreigners.The lack of facilities for Spanish employers to take foreigners and the difficulty such employers face accessing Spanish labour has resulted in irregular immigration flows and labour markets. In addition to the disparity between the unemployment rates for Spanish and Immigrant workers, there is also a difference in the nature of work. The restructuring of the Spanish economy after the accession to the European Community has resulted in an increase in the demand for labour in sectors of the economy where nationals no longer wish to work.Spanish laws make it virtually impossible to gain admission as legal residents outside of the quota system that is largely confined to those willing to work in agriculture, domestic help, and construction, i.e. those sectors whe re wages and working conditions are inadequate to attract sufficient local workers. These laws thus guarantee that immigrant workers labour under conditions that are shunned by most of the working class, an arrangement that furthermore highlights their economic alienation and their exclusion from reasonable housing, wellness care and other basic necessities further distancing there chances on reaching integration.Furthermore, there is little stability for immigrants in the labour market with most of them receiving only temporal jobs. There is also a significant difference in wages. It has been noted that non-communitarians earn 33% less than Spanish citizens. These forms of discrimination have resulted in the exploitation of undocumented workers considerably lower payments, a lack of safety standards, labour security and worker rights.One of the main problems with the way in which immigration is perceived in Spain is that not much is known about the immigrant as an individual. Becau se of this lack of knowledge, realities are distorted and often the outsider is assumed to be the perpetrator for societys ills. In endeavouring to reduce environmental complexity to a manageable size, when bombarded with environmental stimuli, untested cognitive short-cuts come to be employed which have a tendency to become self fulfilling.In order for immigration to be perceived accurately by any social group there must be a basis of knowledge not hearsay. As most of the media coverage on the immigrant population relates to violence and delinquency, it is understandable why the average Spaniard, adopts a defensive stance. To gain an accurate, or at least fair representation of the immigrant population, these negative portrayals ought to be contested with representations from the minority groups. A lack of face and funds are said to explain the lack of minority media produced in Spain.Whether this is the case, or whether the lack of initiative to produce a platform for the minorit y groups to verbalize out from is the manifestation of another social inequality. The danger of a general perception of the immigrant group is that incorrect assumptions are made and stereotypes formed. Generalisations on immigrants nationalities create a belief that each nation has one culture shared by all inhabitants. Similar generalisations are made towards the second generation of immigrants. The children of the immigrants, who have neer immigrated, and who were born in Spain are assumed to be of foreign origin.These stereotypes also include the concept that others cultural traits are strange and not worthy of exploring because they are not necessary to the already comfortable, established concepts that the society possesses. The cultural traits that cause the most problems are those most different, usually those from non-European countries. This is because, in everyday life, they are the most conspicuous (with regards to the fact that in Spain the colour of ones skin is stil l associated with being foreign) reminding nationals that Spain is becoming a multicultural country. Spanish investigator and anthropologist, Damian Omar Martinez, explores the concept that on a social level, non- European immigrants are discriminated against more because they are considered further away from integration the integration that sees immigrants conforming to the Spanish way of life.With the transformation of the European Union, the free movement of Europeans between borders means that to a certain extent relationships between different European cultures are less tense. European citizens are increasingly viewed as being part of a European residential area. The borders between themselves and the others have almost been extended up to the exterior borders of Europe.McGrance argues that there is a distinct Western thought process. He argues that there is the superior Western culture, and then there are all the rest as contrast. A sapiently divide is created, with epistem ological privilege always on the side of the West. With these analyses in mind, one realises the extent of the difficulties immigrants face in becoming integrated into Spanish society.Adding to the intelligence on integration and what impedes this process for immigrants, I am interested in how a national population is able to control a minority population. When public lecture of integration, it is impossible to say when an immigrant is fully integrated as an essential part of this process is determined by non- controllable factors such as the native populations response.It seems the first step to any kind of integration for minority groups (the immigrants), is acceptance from the majority (the nationals). However, when integration can be defined as a concept that calls for the absence of racism and tolerance for minority groups, the question is raised as to whether it is integration we are talking about or tolerance. Is the immigration in Spain a case of integrating immigrants or merely tolerating them? If it is a case of tolerating immigrants, there is little hope of integration for immigrants on a social level.This brings me onto the concepts of society and community, which seem to influence the process of integration of immigrants. Calavita writes that the concept of culture and community is difficult to define. She quotes Walzers attempt at defining the term that at a minimum a community consists of like-minded members, with some special commitment to one another and some special sense of their common life. The term community deals with the concept of belonging and not belonging the member whom is accepted and part of something, and the outsider whom is striving to be part of something that is not necessarily clear.The Europe we see developing today is a prime example of a community of nations pushing for one identity. Cris Shore explores the idea that this very existing identity is one of the main culprits for the problem of integration of immigrant. I dentity is represented as a process of classification involving boundaries of inclusion and exclusion. Shore goes on further to explore the legal injury European and non- European. Though there is no official definition for these terms, a more coherent applied definition can be seen emerging at the borders and boundaries of the new Europe.With the attribute of European and non-European groups becoming clear, so to is the distinction between the insider and the outsider. These terms are used to reiterate the fact that the immigrant is from outside, it is used to make the distinction between the group of Us (national population) and Them (the immigrant), and it has been used by Spaniards to remind themselves of what they are not. One must ask to what extent the integration of immigrants is a process of selection, and to what extent the national population influences this process.Nowadays the significance and relevance of being a member of a community has been devalued somewhat, as it is increasingly difficult to define this term. Calavita quotes Bauman and others as arguing, that this kind of community is on the decline, as globalisation, with its collapsing cultural boundaries, and the diminishing significance of the nation- affirm, erodes its boundaries and disintegrates its ties, leaving little structure to the foundations of this group.The diminishing significance of the nation state refers to the developing European identity the EU are pushing for today. This united centre requires the breaking down of national barriers to ensure full communication between nations in an effort for them to work together and be successful as one. Arguments put forward suggesting immigration is a cultural problem because of its effect on the authenticity of Spanish culture, are unsound, as the very Europe that Spain forms part of, is doing just that.Considering immigration as a problem, has severely affected the process of integration of immigrants in Spain. The real concer n lies in the general publics perception of immigrants. The strength of a nations perception is based on a sentiment cultivated over many years can this national sentiment towards immigration be changed?It does not make sense to see a city or country as an integrated body of citizens, a group you can enter once you have completed cultural, economic requirements. It is the discussion of immigration as a problem, and the questioning of whether immigrants integrate or not that creates the phenomenon of immigration and puts such pressure on the social groups involved to form a position on the issue. When analysing the immigration issue in Spain, it should not be the question of whether the immigrants are a problem, or whether they are integrated or not, but what there role is in society.

Rate of Treatment Failure among Tuberculosis Patients

Rate of Treatment Failure among Tuberculosis PatientsABSTRACTTreatment failure in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) poses a great danger to the globose effort in see of tuberculosis. This study evaluated prevalence of treatment failure among PTB patients at a tertiary care pedagogics hospital in Pakistan. in series(p) patients of vilification positive PTB patients man suppu grazed between February 2011 to October 2013 at the directly observed therapy (Tuberculosis) unit of our hospital were enrolled for the study. Sputum specimens were accumulate from each patient at entry for mordant Fast Bacilli microscopic examination and repeated at the end of 2nd (in folk I cases only), 3rd (in category II cases only), 5th and 7th calendar month of treatment. Of the 144 patients recruited, 124 patients consisting of 53 (42.74%) males and 71 (57.26%) females aged 14-85 years completed the study. Ninety three (75 %) of the patients were New (category I) at entry mend 31 (25%) w ere Retreatment cases (category II). Among 124 smear positive patients at baseline, 22 (17.74%), 6(4.84%) and 6(4.84%) patients remained positive after 2nd (in category I patients only) and 3rd (in category II cases only), 5th and 7th month of treatment respectively. In conclusion, there is considerable treatment failure rate (4.84%) among our smear positive TB patients and this poses a great danger to healthcare personnel and close contacts in the community.Key words Pulmonary tuberculosis, prevalence, treatment failure.INTRODUCTIONAbout two billion or nearly a third of the worlds macrocosm is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.(1) The global prevalence of TB was an estimated 14 million, with 9.4 million incident cases and 1.3 million deaths among human immunodeficiency virus-negative cases for the year 2009. (2) Eighty-five percent of the 9 million large number infected with TB each year live in the developing countries. (2) Whereas more women of child bearing age die of T uberculosis than from all causes of enatic mortality combined.(3) TB incidence has tripled in high HIV prevalence countries in the last two decades with a slight decline in 2009. Globally, in people living with AIDS, one out of every four deaths is due to TB globally 380,000 people died of HIV associated TB in 2009. Persons co-infected with TB and HIV are 20-30 times more likely to develop active TB disease than persons without HIV. Globally, 440,000 MDR TB cases were estimated in 2009 (8). on that point are 27 high MDR TB burden countries contributing 86% of the MDR TB case burden. Pakistan falls on number 4 among these high MDR TB burden countries.(2) Currently Pakistan stands 5th amongst the 22 high TB burden countries which account for about 81 % of all estimated TB cases around the globe. (4) Pakistan contributes about 63% of tuberculosis burden in the eastern Mediterranean Region. According to WHO, the incidence of sputum positive TB cases in Pakistan is 97/100,000 per year and for all types it is 231/100,000 or around 420,000 new cases each year. The prevalence of the disease is untold higher and is estimated at 373/100,000 population or 670,000 cases.(5) TB is responsible for 5.1 percent of the heart national disease burden in Pakistan. The feign of TB on socio economic status is substantial.(6) Sputum smear-positive patients are the most potent sources of infection and, without chemotherapy, have poor outcomes, as about two-thirds of them die within 2-3 years of developing disease. (Ten years case fatality rate of HIV negative untreated smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis is 70%, while that for smear negative cases is 20%). (7)Non-completion of treatment has serious consequences, including ongoing infectiousness and development of medicine-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The problem of resistance results from treatment that is inadequate, often because of an irregular drug supply, improper regimens, or poor compliance. Drug resistance is a potential threat to tuberculosis-control programs throughout the world. (8)Materials and methodsThe study was carried out in a tertiary care teaching hospital inPakistan. The research proposal was approved by the Ethics and Review Committee of the hospital. Informed consent was obtained from the patients. The hospital has a TB clinic which is back up by the National Tuberculosis Control broadcast Pakistan. Laboratory services for sputum microscopy and the drug regimens are provided according to National Tuberculosis Control Programme protocol.Consecutive patients who presented at the TB clinic of the hospital with smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis were enrolled. Sociodemographic data such as age, sex, marital status and occupation were recorded. Patients of age less than 5 years were excluded.Before enrolling into the study, the patients were well informed about the consequences and potential predictors of treatment failure such as treatment compliance. Pretreatment sputu m specimens were collected from each patient for acid fast bacilli (AFB) examination. Patients were categorized as New cases (category I) and Retreatment cases (category II) on the basis of history of previous anti TB treatment. All patients were followed up to completion of eight months TB treatment. Sputum examinations were repeated at 2nd month (in case of category I only), 3rd month (in case of category II only), 5th month and 7th month of treatment. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS 16.0 version.ResultsA total of 144 patients were recruited during the study period (between February 2011 and October 2013). Twenty patients were every transferred out or lost to follow up. One hundred and twenty four patients who completed their treatment at the centre were evaluated. There were 93(75%) New cases (category I) and 31(25%) Retreatment cases (category II). There were 71 (57.26%) females and 53(42.74%) males aged between 14 and 85 years. Majority of the patients (47.58%) were a ged above 45 years with 6 patients above 80 years. Table 2 shows the age group distribution of sputum positive pulmonary TB patients on entry.Repeat sputum AFB results in study participants are presented in write in code 1. Of the 124 patients who were sputum positive at baseline, 6 (4.84%) patients were AFB smear positive after 5 months therapy revealing the prevalence of treatment failure in these patients. Our study showed that TB affects mainly the middle and elderly age in our environment (47.58% of the patients managed were above age 45 years). This finding is also observed in some studies from the substantial countries (9), While in developing countries it affects mainly the young age group. (10) One reason may be the changing circumstances in the less develop countries and further large scale studies may highlight the issue. Greater percentage of our study population was females which again is different from studies in our region. (10,11) Treatment failure rate among our patients was 4.84%. Though this is lower tthan reported in many studies we still need to further improve it (The cure rate of tuberculosis among Category I patients in our study was more than the cure rate reported by studies from Bangalore (65.7%) and Tamil Nadu (75%). (12,13) The World Health Organization guidelines have recommended achieving cure rate of 85%. The smear positive TB patients pose a significant risk to members of the public, close relatives, and health care staff who treat these patients. They are the focus for infection control measures, and contact investigations. This type of patient must be isolated because of risk of transmitting microbes. Treatment failure increases the risk further. These are the cases where there are much chances of drug resistance including multidrug resistance and extended drug resistance. ((((All 3 failure patients who underwent DST testing had MDR-TB, while 3 of 22 of relapse patients and 0 of 5 remissness patients tested did. While the se DST results were only available for three failure patients and, therefore, not representative, these data and those from other studies suggest that MDR risk is not uniform among retreatment subgroups, with increased prevalence of MDR among patients with initial treatment failure. (14-16) Drug resistance is a global health concern and resolutionive programmatic therapy of the smear positive cases is one of the cornerstones in its prevention. Facilities for rapid detective work of rifampicin resistance are being do available throughout the country which can help in early detection of drug resistant cases. Physicians gnarly in TB management need to be involved in its programmatic management and timely referrals for testing resistance in appropriate cases. Taken together, these findings computer backup use of DST in all retreatment patients, earlier DST testing in those with clinical and microbiological indications of impending treatment failure, and use of second-line drugs for retreatment of patients with initial treatment failure until DST results are known.(17) Recently, total drug-resistant tuberculosis has been described in which some patients with TB infection were completely unresponsive to all TB drugs. This is a big blow to the global effect in control of TB. On the other hand, additional burdens of isolation and stigmatization on the patients are enormous. (18) Noncompliance to treatment, deficient patient knowledge/health education, drug quality, and other comorbidities like diabetes mellitus and HIV infection had been identified as major predictors of treatment failure in patients with TB. These factors were not considered in our study participants. According to observations made in many countries, only directly observed therapy is capable of improving treatment outcomes. (19-22) The effectiveness of the DOTS strategy is also confirmed by our own studies.In conclusion, there is still considerable treatment failure rate among TB patients managed in our tuberculosis clinic. There is need for provision of facility for sputum close for detection of patients with drug resistant TB cases. Policies on the management of tuberculosis need to be reviewed and strengthened in order to reduce open TB cases in the community.

Students at Risk and the Digital Divide :: essays papers

Students at Risk and the Digital DivideAs the world advances in technology, there be many benefits and disadvantages. In the school systems, students pull ahead from having use of more technology. Then there are schools that have this technology and schools that dont. There are classes that have it and classes that dont. There are students in the same class that have access to various forms of technology and others that dont have that luxury. There is not a definition of students at risk, precisely rather common characteristics (a) children/youths from families living in poverty, (b) children/youths with different backgrounds (e.g., experiences, education, and origins), (c) children/youths of color, and (c) children/youths from limited English-speaking families (Davis & McCaul, 1990). Low achievement, poor attendance, low economic status, and attendance at schools with large rime of students living in poverty contribute to the likelihood of not earning a high school diploma . But students at risk are also characterized as students who are likely to leave school without the necessary skills to succeed academically, socially, or vocationally in todays society. These students become victims in the sense that the likelihood of reaching their bountiful potential is diminished. The digital divide is a problem that these students at risk face. It is a divide among household computer and internet access by campaign/ ethnicity, income, education, location, and disability. The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the inequities that exist with respect to childrens educational technological opportunities (Means, 1997).Relationship between Poverty and Students at RiskThere is a link between poverty and students at risk. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2005) defines poverty is defined as a human condition characterized by the sustained or chronic deprivation of the resources, capabilities, choices, security and po wer necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. 1 billion children live in poverty, which are 1 in 2 children in the world. The price these children pay for being born poor is enormous. Carta (1991) cites several sources indicating that low-SES (socio- economic status) children living in inner cities are much more likely to have educationally damaging circumstances as part of their life experiences than are higher SES children. The dangers these children could suffer include prenatal exposure to drugs and AIDS, low birth weight, poor nutrition, lead exposure, and personal injuries and accidents.

What Love Is Not :: essays research papers fc

When I was Thirteen, I couldnt wait until I was 16 so that I could drive. Once I was sixteen I couldnt wait until I was eighteen. I cute to be considered an adult. When I reached the age of eighteen, I couldnt wait to turn twenty-one. I wanted to be able to drink and gamble, legally. I am now twenty-two years old, and I wish that I could be a child again. I look back and feel that I grew up too quickly. I think the reason that I grew up so quickly, was due to the fact that I was friends with people who were older than myself. And just like the four-year-old male child in the short story Araby by James Joyce, I wanted to be pass judgment by someone older than myself. The young boy from Araby, wanted to be accepted by an older girl who he thought he loved. Although (in reality) the young boy does not truly love this girl he becomes deeply obsessed with her. Which would take a shit cost him his childhood if it werent for his realization.Some people experience their whole lives a nd never discover what love really is. And the young boy from Araby hasnt either. Communication is a vital part of loving someone, and this is something that the young boy cannot do. The young boy demonstrates this when he encounters the older girl who is his so-called love. At last she spoke to me. When she addressed the first words to me I was so confuse that I did not know what to answer (Joyce 28). This shows the boys inability to communicate with the girl. He cannot even hold a simple conversation with the girl. When you love someone you get down to be able to tell someone how you feel, or at least be Williams 2able to communicate how you feel through body language. similar flirting. If you do not, or cannot, let that person know how you feel, it is not called love. It is called an obsession. Most people obsess over things that they cannot have. One thing that the young boy cannot have is the older girl. All he can do is obsess over her. He obsesses over to the point that he is almost stalking her. The boy illustrates this to us every morningEvery morning I lay on the floor in the front parlour watching her door.

The Culture and Music of Puerto Rico Essay -- culture Cultural History

The Culture and Music of Puerto RicoIn the first decade of American rule, Puerto Rican husbandry was influenced drastically by its status as a US possession. Although the political and economic aspects of American influence were very significant, American rule also had a great impact on Puerto Rican culture. This is expressed through the culture of Puerto Rican music both on the island and in the United States. Puerto Rican music not only became an important cultural icon, but also helped to determine the new identity element of the Puerto Rican both on the island and the mainland.Under Spanish rule, Puerto Rican music had been shaped by the prejudices of their oppressors and the divisions between the peasant class and the upper class elites. Many people argued everywhere what was true Puerto Rican music and culture, and the more powerful members of Puerto Rican society controlled the music that represented the island. For this reason, under Spanish colonization, the occupying co untry recognized the most refined and European-sounding music, the danza. However, the music of the cast dget classes also served as a means to declare an identity separate from the Spaniards. In this way, Puerto Rican music at this time had the influence of both Europe and its own native culture. According to Glasser, it is likely that in this way the vals, the mazurka, and other European dances penetrated much of the Puerto Rican countryside and were absorbed, with some modifications, into the jibaro repertoire. (Glasser 26) In other words, the refined European style that was constrained onto them by Spain and other types of music became part of Puerto Rican music, and part of their culture. Puerto Rican music and culture further developed when the United States ... ...uence. In addition to this, Puerto Rican music demonstrates that although there was immaterial influence, the Puerto Rican identity still grew strong. This is demonstrated by the various protest songs, and the st rong ties between musicians on the island and on the mainland. In the face of early US colonization, Puerto Rican culture came under the same conflicts as it did under Spanish rule, and reacted much in the same way. While US intervention may have masked the behavior of true Puerto Rican music and culture, the lives and the works of the Puerto Ricans themselves showed that it is possible both to accept new cultural themes and to struggle to preserve ones native culture at the same time.Works CitedGlasser, Ruth. My Music is my Flag Puerto Rican Musicians and Their New York Communities 1917-1940. University of California Press, Los Angeles, 1995.

2001 - A Metaphorical Odyssey :: 2001 Space Odyssey Essays

2001 - A Metaphorical Odyssey Myths are created for the purpose of conveying a message with an interesting medium with which to do so. Many cultures use myths to teach their unfledged about the past. Through time, however, these myths become impractical due to discovery. This is when a new myth must be introduced to take the place of the obsolete one. Stanley Kubrick shaped 2001 A Space Odyssey as a new myth to crack the archaic view of space, by using a hero, a dilemma, and a new manifestation to fuel his cause. Every myth has a character that breaks the mold of the ordinary. In Homers The Odyssey, Odysseus is the character that broke the mold of the other mortals. He displayed character traits that superseded those of his crew mates. more than in the same fashion, Bowman breaks the mold of the astronauts aboard the Discovery. He and Poole are share duties aboard the Discovery, but he demonstrates a higher level of idea by sensing and interpreting what is happe ning before him. He is the one that realizes exactly what HAL is doing, and he puts a stop to it. He sees problems, analyzes them, and then proceeds to distribute the cause in the most efficient manner possible. He uses his character traits of intelligence, persistence, and adroitness to overcome the dilemmas put in front of him. By using his intelligence, he realizes that HAL has figured him out, and he must find a way to get back into the discovery in order to survive. In using persistence, Bowman does non give up when it seems that HAL has won the battle. Instead he takes the rough way in, and he then disables HAL. Bowman shows how adroit he is with dilemmas by handling the stallion HAL situation with calm and intelligence. While on the mission, Bowman is faced with many dilemmas. The first dilemma, is that he is in the dark about the purpose of the mission. He has solo been supplied with the vital information that he will need to perform routine operations unti l the site of the mission is reached. HAL is responsible for informing him when the place has been reached and time is respectable to complete

How the Continuity of Experience Could Disprove Materialism :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

There seem to be three distinct hesitations ab bring out continuity. (1) Is experience continuous? (2) Is the corporal ball continuous? And (3) Are the physical events of the brain which give rise to experience continuous? Finding answers to these questions that can be integrated without contradiction is a challenge in itself. But beforehand we ask whether our answers contradict, we must respond to the questions. The most ambitious and unwieldy of these questions is without a doubt the second, regarding the continuity of the physical world. This question is the realm of philosophers alone, and it has been debated since the beginning of thought. Heraclitus thought the world was in a constant state of continuous change, while Parmenides thought time an illusion, laid out eternally and unchangingly. Today this debate has become cognize as that between the conventional theory of time and the block theory of time. (1) New names for the two camps, however, have provided no n ew answers, and the debate seems interminable. If the question of whether time in the physical world flows at all cannot be answered, it is certainly impossible to determine whether it flows continuously. Philosophy must here bow out to some degree and let psychology have its turn at bat. Aristotle writes Whether, if soul (mind) did not exist, time would exist or not, is a question that whitethorn fairly be asked for if there cannot be some one to count there cannot be anything that can be counted... Aristotle is wise enough not to prove to answer this question, but instead simply states that the answer depends on whether time exists countably in the absence of a perceiver. (2) Thus the ball is thrown very premature in the game into the hands of psychologists and neurobiologists, and the question thus is transformed into the first of the three, regarding experience. William James advocated a model of experience with continual mental states, the stream of consciousness. He writes Consciousness, then, does not appear to itself chopped up in bits. Such words as chain or train do not describe it fitly as it presents itself in the first instance. It is nothing jointed if flows. A river or a stream are the metaphors by which it is most naturally described. He explains that even when gaps seem to appear in the moments when we are aware of our awareness, such as when a loud noise surprises us, even there exists some sort of mental state and thus a continuity of experience.