The Cultural side of Family

 Introduction

The cultural side of the family is what makes it different from another one. These are the traditions, practices, values, and habits that a family has. The cultural side of the family is important because it plays a big role in being who you are. It helps to build on people’s confidence and improves the relationship aspect. The cultural side of the family determines the people we are and what we believe in and what differentiates us from others.

Dating replaced the traditional way of courtship as a way of finding a mate (Lamanna, Riedmann & Stewart 2014). The difference between dating and courtship these days is that finding a partner might or might not be the main objective. For me, I want to follow the traditional way of courtship with the person that I have found. I want a typical date which will make me know if the person is right for me. This will involve initiation whereby we started by meeting in a public place over a cup of coffee. This way we were able to find the common interests that we have. After that, we went on a date whereby we both decided to go watch a movie, and after the movie, we had together. All this while I was learning a lot through our conversation and everything else that we did. By the end of the date, I knew that I was in love which was an exciting thing because we enjoyed each other’s company. I believe that the traditional way of dating that follows and involves all the steps of knowing each other, going on a date has given me the time I needed to know this person. It has made me more committed and more serious in this relationship. It has made me realize that I am falling in love.

Falling in love has made me develop feelings of rapport. This is because we share a lot of common interests and never get bored when we are together. I and my partner understand each other’s ideas and feelings. We find it very easy to communicate and relate to each other. Luckily we both love watching movies and listening to music. We always enjoy each other’s company which makes me fall in love more and more each day. Our common interests bring us more close to each other developing a very strong bond (Angelo 2015). Our connection has been magical and every time I am not with him I feel like I am not complete and this happens to both of us. I feel like we were never meant to be separated. This relationship has made me a very happy person and I always look forward to meeting the love of my life.

Mutual dependency has always become part of our lives (Lamanna, Riedmann & Stewart 2018). We always want to spend time together and we enjoy doing things together. Sometimes I feel like I cannot do a certain task on my own. I always want my partner to help me out or even give me his opinion. I always feel like we make a strong team together and the outcomes are always the best. The things that I could comfortably do alone and enjoy are now hard for me. Things I enjoyed doing alone for example watching a movie are now not enjoyable moments. I find watching a movie alone lonely and always think that I could enjoy it more with my partner.

Need fulfillment is development is a c component whereby we can satisfy each other’s emotional needs.   Relationships often face a lot of emotional episodes and ours not different from the others. But I always find comfort from my partner and anything that happens to me in or out of the relationship makes me find solace in my partner (Lamanna, Riedmann & Stewart 2018). My partner always knows what to do to make me feel better. It is the same case with my partner and we, therefore, complement each other in terms of emotions. These complements make us get more attracted to each other. It is a very nice feeling knowing that you can be able to share your emotions with someone who will understand even if the situation is embarrassing. This has brought openness in our relationship which is a very good thing for us. It is always very hard to share your emotional needs with people because of the fear of not being perceived the wrong way. Therefore finding that person who has an open mind and relates to your emotions is an ultimate goal in a relationship.

Conclusion

The cultural side of the family is what makes it unique and different from others. In terms of dating, relationships, and falling in love, every person has a different way of doing so. Each person has different values and beliefs regarding the relationship scene. This brings about the theory of the wheel of love where people value different components in the development of love. This difference is what makes up the cultural side because they determine the values a person has in a relationship.

References

Issues Faced by Refugees and Disabled People

Introduction

            Peaceful coexistence among individuals is usually significant for a country and the world in the general, for the reason that it prevents the war which eventually leads to death. Nonetheless, there are a number of factors which tend to lead to conflicts, such as religious differences, civil wars, and anti-immigration wars. These acts have often led to conflicts which have resulted in displacement of persons from their homes. In so doing, victims become dependent on others since they cannot be able to tend to their needs as they were initially doing. In order to achieve peaceful coexistence, the United Nations (UN), together with its member states have forged different strategies. For that reason, this paper will describe the aforementioned social conditions and how they interact to produce vulnerable groups, and also discuss the strategies that can be implemented by the UN to assist these vulnerable groups.

Over the past few years, different countries such as Sudan and Somalia were faced by civil wars which affected both countries’ economies. The war had been attributed to cultural differences which led to deaths, as well as injuries, with many becoming disabled. Most people had to run to neighbouring countries, and were consequently take as refugees. The victims of the fled and became refugees, with most of them sustaining injuries which rendered them disabled. The war lasted for a period 17 years, forcing people to abandon their business in pursuit of safety in other countries. The same also happened in Sudan, and the country had to split into two nations the South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan (Koops et al 822, 2015). The main differences between these two countries were cultural differences, whereby the Northern government which was dominated by the Arabs who were Muslims ignored the interests of their Southern counterparts who majorly Christians. Due to cultural differences, the Southerners felt less appreciated, hence waged a war against their Northern government a move which led to split of the nation into two nations.

The war in Somalia led to political instability thus the government was not able to run its affairs as it if required. Access to healthcare became a problem, and the wounded would not access hospital since medical practitioners had fled the country in such of peace in other countries. The population of the people disabilities in the country is currently high, since most people could not get early treatment resulting in amputation. In a country where people cannot easily access medical care, it becomes difficult to survive to the effects of the war, meaning once a person is injured it becomes difficult for that person to get proper treatment in time. Even after the end of the war, people with disability still experience stigma in Somalia (Rohwerder 2015, 2). Access to medical care as well as well as social amenities has consequently become a problem.

            On the other hand, in 2008 immigrants in South Africa faced an immigrant war which was termed as ‘Xenophobic war’ which resulted in the death of 67 people living scores with injuries (Ali n.p, 2020). South Africans waged on African immigrants who were residing in the country, for the reason that they had taken job positions in the country, living South Africans jobless. In order to create employment for South Africans, immigrants were attacked by a mob with their properties being set ablaze. Due to the fear of killed, victims fled the country for safety, with others escaping with injuries which made disabled. Most of those displaced moved to Durban where there was security.

            In order to end civil wars and religious wars and to also take care of persons with disabilities the UN has come up with the following strategies. The UN has recognized persons with disabilities, with the 3 December being the disability in honour of the persons with disabilities (Philpott & Powers 2010, 167). The main aim of the UN is to empower persons living with disability and ensuring inclusiveness and equality in the society. Through ensuring inclusivity and equity in the society, all persons can be able to access medical care as well as other services equally regardless of whether they are disabled or not. Similarly, the UNHCR has also provided measures of supporting refugees, through offering support to the victims, which includes medical support and food. Finally, the UN offers support to refugees in war tone areas, through the provision of security since the body works as peace keeping agency in such a situation, and also mediates thus bringing the two conflicting sides together. The body holds talks with conflicting sides, and offers assistance in bringing the war to an end. Moreover, the organization also seeks measures of ensuring political stability, through providing troops in case of a war to help liberate the country (Fomerand 2009, 294).

Conclusion

            Civil and religious wars often impacts the society negatively, with people dying, while others living with disabilities. Nonetheless, it is significant for such acts to be prevented before they take place, hence protecting innocent civilians from any attacks. The UN, offers different services to the victims, which includes support and protection in times of war. In addition, the organization also supports the country through offering mediation talks between the two sides in war. In so doing, it becomes easier to end the war, thus protecting the lives of the refugees. On the other hand, the UN also protects people living with disabilities, through ensuring they are treated equally and are included in the society, thus allowing them to access basic needs. People living with disabilities are in most cases discriminated, but the UN has provided ways of protecting them and ensuring they get equal treatment as other people.

Reference

FOMERAND, J., & FOMERAND, J. (2009). The A to Z of the United Nations. Lanham, Scarecrow Press. http://public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=466670.

Ali H. B., (2020). Queer necropolitics of forced migration: Cyclical violence in the African context. Sexualities 23:3, pages 361-375.

Gruijl, K. (2015). UNHCR concern at xenophobic violence in South Africa: UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency.

PHILPOTT, D., & POWERS, G. F. (2010). Strategies of peace: transforming conflict in a violent world. New York, Oxford University Press. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=314537.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PUBLICATIONS. (2015). Sudan South Strategic Information and Developments. Intl Business Pubns USA.

KATE ALMQUIST KNOPF. (2016). COUNCIL SPECIAL REPORT: ending south sudan's civil war. NEW YORK, COUN ON FOREIGN RELATIONS.

KOOPS, J., MACQUEEN, N., TARDY, T., & WILLIAMS, P. (2015). The Oxford handbook of United Nations peacekeeping operations.

WILLMOT, H. (2016). Protection of civilians.

Rohwerder, B. (2015). Disability in Somalia: Knowledge, Evidence, and Learning for Development. Retrieved from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a744dbded915d0e8bf188ec/Disability_in_Somalia.pdf

Discussion post

What strategies could all of us adopt to minimize barriers and misunderstandings for low literacy patients?

 I agree with you that strategies such as the provision of information, effective communication, and structured education can minimize barriers for low literacy patients.  Carlisle et al. (2011) assert that poor health literacy prevents the patients from taking medications properly. However, health care providers and pharmacists need to make health-literacy friendly by communicating more effectively. Effective communication in this case means speaking slower, and avoid the use of medical jargon (Carlisle et al. 2011). In addition to effective communication, health care providers should provide the patients with structured education using tools such as pill cards, a telephone reminder system, and more.  Finally, health care providers should change how they provide information. For example, they should let the patients know about drug labels, use videos, brochures, and other ways of delivering clear information (Carlisle et al. 2011).  These strategies will allow the patients to manage their health and take the medications correctly.

How do language barriers stress health literacy?

 I agree with your idea that language barriers hinder effective health communication.    For example, culture affects health literacy in that patients have their values and beliefs which they use in making decisions (Singleton & Krause, 2009). Also, patients have their own body of words and they use the words to communicate. Patients use both culture and language to interpret healthcare messages and this indicates that if the healthcare provider does not understand the patient's language and culture, the patients will receive negative health outcomes.  In most cases, linguistic differences hinder effective healthcare since the patients and the clinicians do not understand each other (Singleton & Krause, 2009). Lack of proper communication is associated with negative consequences since the patients will not comply with treatment, and the clinicians will not be able to provide information related to risk and certainty.  Therefore, patients may be unable to acquire health literacy due to the failure to understand the language. The latter is contributed by cultural differences. However, the solution to this problem is that clinicians need linguistic and cultural skills for them to provide effective clinical care.

References

Carlisle, A., Jacobson, K. L., Di Francesco, L., & Parker, R. M. (2011). Practical strategies to

improve communication with patients. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 36(9), 576.

Singleton, K., & Krause, E. (2009). Understanding cultural and linguistic barriers to health

literacy. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 14(3), 4.

Cancel Culture

Cancel culture is an act of shaming a person online in the event that a person makes a mistake or otherwise the person goes against the societal norms. In as much as it is a form of criticizing a person for a wrongful act, sometimes it crosses the boundary and in turn becomes cyber bullying. Depending on the reason for the shaming, the results may either be positive or negative. A number of celebrities have fallen victims of cancel culture, because of posting obscene information, or making racial remarks which is targeted towards a specific race. For that reason, it is necessary to delve deeper into online shaming, in a bid to understand whether its significance, this paper will focus on providing reasons backed up by evidence concerning the cancel culture.

1. Cancel is relevant in the sense that it helps keep celebrities as well as popular persons in check, thus making them to think twice before making awful remarks.

 For instance, if a celebrity let’s say a comedian cracks a joke in which he directly discriminates an African American, it becomes clear the comedian is racist.

Nonetheless, through cancel culture, the comedian becomes responsible for his actions thus preventing the spread of racism through comedy.

Secondly, through cancel culture, the a lot of information concerning the perpetrator will exposed to the general public through the social media, hence unmasking the person.

In addition, losing fans and is one of the worst nightmares owing to the fact that their content becomes less reliable.

They in turn end up losing endorsement deals as well as tours and performance which are the main source of their income.

Henceforth, cancel culture only streamlines the morals of celebrities’ thus encouraging togetherness and discipline when it comes to matters entertainment.

2. 2. Cancel culture is responsible for creating and also strengthening social connections.

Cancel culture is not a private activity as it involves multiple people. People derive gratification from coming together against a committer.

Moreover, they tend to enjoy the sense of commonality it provides. In so doing, it strengthens social connections for members within a similar group.

For example, a WhatsApp group may be formed by students in order to shame a perpetrator. Through the group, students from different faculties will get to know each other, share ideas, and in the end expand their knowledge concerning different issues.

Similarly, more people are likely to join in the discussion as a means of being part of the unity and also in order to be able to show solidarity to the affected.

3. Cancel culture encourages peaceful coexistence between all people regardless of their rank or position.

Everyone must be held accountable for their actions, thus it is necessary for cancel culture to come in as a means of ensuring sanity within the society.

In the event that a person humiliates or discriminates a mentally handicap person over the social media, it is necessary for action to be taken against the person.

The mentally ill person may not be able to defend himself or herself due to mental issues. However, this act can be stopped through the cancel culture, whereby the perpetrator will be criticized.

Through criticizing the perpetrator, those who are likely to do the same will be coerced not to do such a thing due to the fear of being shamed on the social media.

Furthermore, through the social media, a person of a higher rank can also be shamed without the fear of being arrested.

In so doing, people from a high level in life may not take advantage of those who are challenged, hereafter encouraging togetherness and respect for others.

4. Cancel culture reveals the true friends and enemies.

When being attacked on the social media, nearly everyone is always against you, but those who stand by you in such situations are your true friends.

In this situations, enemies are forced to reveal themselves, and in most cases they tend to come up with additional information concerning the perpetrator.

When politicians become victims of cancel culture, it becomes easy for them to understand who truly stands with them, and those who are only there for them in times of happiness and not in times of need.

Similarly there seems to be no mechanism to deal with those who make awful remarks on the social media.

The idea of pulling down a social media account alone is not enough, as the perpetrator may open a different social media account and post the same message in a different way.

It is therefore necessary for everyone using the social media to have limits of what they are posting, in order to avoid evil utterances.

Finally, companies and brands may use this as a platform of understanding who their competitors are and who their customers are.

For instance, if a company posts information which provokes the general public, most people would definitely criticize the act and boycott its products.

However, there are those customers who will support the company, and in that process the company will understand whatever it has to do in order to remain relevant.

OVERVIEW

The important task of the parents, teachers, and healthcare providers is to ensure that children of all ages live in a healthy environment free from violence and abuse.  Healthy and safety in childcare entail many things and the purpose of this paper is to focus on the importance of promoting health and safety to prevent childhood obesity and the importance of health and safety in preventing risky sexual behaviors. For example, obesity in children contributes to health risks, psychological burdens, and economic costs. The obesity epidemic is increasing given that parents do not have quality time with their children, schools do not control the consumption pattern, children love out-of-home eating, children lack physical activity, among other factors.  An unhealthy diet such as high-calorie food and sedentary activities contribute to obesity which then increases health risks and social problems.  This issue calls for a comprehensive prevention strategy to prevent childhood obesity. The primary emphases are in early childhood and this means that obesity prevention should be done in early care.  At this period, children will gain skills and knowledge on healthy eating and avoid poor food choices. The knowledge will help them engage in mindful practices, gain emotional control, and maintain a healthy weight.

 Another issue that needs to be addressed in early childhood is sexuality education.   This is an important topic that needs to be recognized and reflect on it to help children understand sexuality and make respectful choices throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.  It is assumed that children develop sexual behavior due to a variety of factors such as family stressors, abuse, violence, internet, access to sexual materials, and more.  It is important to understand that children learn about sexual behaviors during infancy. This is the period when sexual development occurs and children are concerned with their gender, bodies, sexual functioning, and more. The everyday realities about sexual behaviors reveal that children should be engaged to sexuality education throughout their development. This means that education should start at an early age and young children should be well informed to help them develop safer sexual behaviors. Therefore, sexuality education should be part of the curriculum and employ specialized teachers who will help children understand sex and sexuality.

 Area one: Issues – Obesity, exercise, body image

Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the 21st century where young children are disproportionately affected.  Obesity also contributes to psychosocial burdens and economic costs.  Psychosocial burden means that children with obesity suffer from depression, eating disorders, and anxiety, substance abuse, low self-esteem, and negative perception of the body image. Economic costs mean that national health care spends high costs on direct medical costs.  Recent research and studies find that social changes have contributed to the obesity epidemic in that parents are so busy and therefore they are not aware of their children's eating habit,  children consume fast food outside the home,  they spend long hours on computers and video games,  they are not physically active, among other factors.  It is important to understand these contexts and develop an obesity prevention strategy to reduce childhood obesity.

 Obesity, exercise, and body image correlate in that obesity is a condition where a child or an adult become overweight. The obese person develops a negative perception of the body shape. The society also stigmatizes obese people that they have a poor body image.  Individuals become dissatisfied and this dissatisfaction affected their mood and emotions. Obesity and a negative body image are contributed by a lack of exercise. An individual with Body Mass Index of >35, are referred obese.  The BMI comes high due to an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. Therefore, the article concludes that the best solution to prevent obesity is to adhere to healthy eating and exercise regularly. Research shows that a prevention-focused action plan is needed.  The plan should have explicit goals and it should be evidence-based so that the stakeholders may achieve the intended effects.  Even though an evidence-based approach is limited, stakeholders should come up with an environmental, and social policy to prevent obesity. The research finds that schools should be at the forefront to provide children with health behaviors and create a supportive environment.  Since obesity in children is a public health concern, schools, communities, parents, and other stakeholders should collaborate to promote healthy eating and encourage children to participate in physical activities.

 Recommendations

• Schools should create a conducive environment that supports health eating and physical activity
• Schools should ensure that foods and beverages industries follow nutritional standard
• Schools should implement dietary guideline
• Schools should ensure food literacy
• Schools should create a physical activity program, clubs, and lesson
• Parents should provide their children with healthful food choice
• Parents should help children make healthful choices and encourage physical activity
• Parents should limit TV time

Evaluation:

 Strengths

• There is a collaboration between schools and parent
• Teachers and parents have the authority to shape behavior
• It is easy to implement the policies immediately

Weaknesses

• Time challenges as teachers focus on academic subject
• Financial challenges- lack of funds to employ school nutritionists
• Parents lack healthy nutrition knowledge
• Parents lack knowledge about perfect physical activity
• Parents lack time and money to provide nutritious food

Area two: Issues – Sexuality education and child protective behaviors

Children need comprehensive sexual education (CSE) for them to make healthy choices on sexual activity. The research on sexuality education affirms that when children gain knowledge and skills on sexual and reproductive health, they develop safer sexual behaviors.  They again awareness of negative social norms, they develop knowledge about love and relationship, and they challenge harmful gender norms. However, children are going through childhood to adulthood transition without adequate knowledge about physical and emotional development.  Lack of comprehensive sexuality education is leading to a high rate of teen pregnancy. Note that in our culture, parents, teachers, and even the community believe that sexual talk is taboo and they do feel comfortable discussing it. Thus, children have little knowledge about sexuality and what happens is that they have less choice about their life, and they are unable to make self-decisions. The current research emphasizes that teachers and various stakeholders should implement programs to offer children with sexuality education. Note that there is a correlation between sexuality education and protective behaviors in that as children gain knowledge and skills on sexuality during early childhood, they will not be exposed to risk-taking behaviors but rather, they will develop protective behaviors such as connection to parents and community, and participate in social events, increase school attendance, and live a productive life.  The research suggests that comprehensive sexuality education needs to be developed to obtain positive results not only in childhood healthy about also protect their adolescence, and adulthood. In a nutshell, below are the recommendation for sexuality educations.

 Recommendations

• School curriculum should cover sexuality areas such as gender-based violence, sexuality, and more
• Teachers should develop educational goals and objectives and provide a clear message about sexuality behaviors.
• Improve teacher training or employ a psychologist to provide counseling to student
• Parent and communities should have an active involvement
• Health care providers should provide young people with sexual health

  Evaluation

 Strengths

• There is a social relationship between students, teacher, and parents
• Young children will improve sexual health and behaviors
• Children will improve interpersonal relationship

 Weaknesses

• Students need self-reflection and therefore, teachers need adequate training

 Does volunteering have an impact on the physical and mental health of older adults?

Introduction

The physical and mental well-being of older adults is paramount as it alleviates the symptoms of mental disorders. Older adults are vulnerable to physical and mental illness which are associated with depression and anxiety. However, physical activity contributes to healthy ageing and mental well-being. An important point to understand is that volunteering in older adults is associated with positive health outcomes. First, volunteering provides more choice which eventually helps the older adults gains a sense of control. Today, older people seek volunteer roles where they can exploit their talents and interest, transfer and gain skills, and contribute to the community well-being. Through an active connection, older adults can maintain social contacts and develop self-worth. Recent research and studies have found that volunteering does not only contribute to community wellness, but it improves mental and physical well-being as a result of the larger social network, sense of self-worth and emotional gratification.

 Yeung et al. (2017) assert that older adults who participate in voluntary services have a higher level of happiness, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. These factors lead to positive mental and physical health.  An important point to note is that in voluntary services, older adults engage in multiple roles and interact with different coping skills and a supportive network. The authors introduce other-oriented volunteering and self-oriented volunteering and assert that the former has better health effects than the latter. This means that older adults who desire to help other people create supportive relationships, gain self-worth, and life meaning which foster health benefits.

On the other hand, self-oriented volunteering is the desire to fulfil one’s needs and interest. Older adults who have self-volunteer motives engage in things that will benefit themselves. The authors say that this form of volunteering many not contribute to health-promoting benefits (Yeung et al.2017).  For example, in the study, some older adults engaged in self-oriented voluntary services such as recreation, professional services, business, and other services that promoted self-actualization and development. Even though self-oriented volunteering contributed to life satisfaction and social well-being, it was less productive in alleviating depression symptoms (Yeung et al.2017). This indicates that other-oriented volunteering is more likely to contribute to mental and physical well-being. This is because, older adults who choose other-oriented volunteering engage in religious groups, health and education services, and other community organizations to care for others (Yeung et al.2017).  From the study, there is evidence that other-oriented volunteering strengths interpersonal relationships, older adults develop a sense of mattering, it promotes sharing, and it is associated with generosity and gratitude.

 Johnston (2013) also supports the other-oriented volunteering by asserting that religious-based volunteering yields more opportunities in the adult life course. In other words, religious institution volunteerism motivates the older adults to engage in other formal volunteering which generates physical and psychological benefits such as feelings of well-being and meaningful purpose.  Gray et al. (2012) add that volunteering varies, and this means that there are different types of organizations that young, middle and older adults can join to offer volunteer services.  Focusing on our main topic, which is adulthood, the authors say that older adults experience life transition such as retirement, health issues, wealth decline and more. However, an older adult can participate in welfare/ community organizations to improve mental and health benefits.

 Therefore, older adult should engage in a form of volunteering that is problem-solving or a service that focuses on solving life problems such as traumatic events. In other words, other-oriented volunteering has the power to contribute to mental and physical health as it is more involved, and it shows humanitarian concerns.

 People volunteer at many levels, such as in the community and the workplace.  For example, African American women are well known for their willing service in a political, economic, and social environment.  African American women have a spiritual mission for providing housing, employment, and counselling, health care, political support, among other provisions. These women enjoy psychological benefits such as personal competence, life satisfaction, and a sense of purpose (Gutierrez & Mattis, 2014). 

Also, volunteering in the workforce has mental and physical wellness. This is because they devote their time and energy to improve the organization. As a result, the social engagement lowers the level of stress and improves mental and physical well-being (Ramos et al.2015). Note that in all settings whether in the community or the place of work, human beings need social connection. The later increases self-worth, self-confidence, and lower stress.  For example, employees experience job burnout. Note that burnout is a mental health issue, but it can be solved by strategies such as social support within team works. Therefore, volunteering in the workplace improves mental and physical well-being in that volunteers create social interaction, work toward the same goal, build a support system and decrease depression. On the same note,

Lancee & Radl, (2014) add that volunteering is influenced by factors such as family characteristic, education attainment, resources, and more. This means that even though women are in the forefront to help the community,  their effort is affected by  double burdens such as lack of time, loss of network members,  retirement,  health decline, and other changes in a social environment.  Therefore, it is important to understand that in later life, volunteering is diminished due to a number of social forces. Lindley et al. (2014) assert that considering these social forces,  greater flexibility and inclusiveness should be promoted to eliminate barriers and promote opportunities to support older adults who participate in volunteer services. The authors say that volunteering is a public policy responsibility, and therefore the governing sector should offer mutual reinforcement to support older adults in volunteering opportunities.  Note that volunteering run in families and the genetic variation states that women are more likely to participate in volunteer work than men. Therefore, it is important to empower women to support flexibility and inclusiveness to help them have effective participation (Son & Wilson, 2010).

  Rogers et al. (2016) assert that volunteering influence survival, better health, and positive socioeconomic status. This is because, volunteers have favorable characteristics such as salutary behaviors, feeling of usefulness and self-competency.  Also, older adults believe that participating in volunteer activities is a way of keeping them busy, and as they remain socially engaged, they improve individual well-being and survival (Groenou & Tilburg, 2010). Since the research and studies show evidence that volunteering contributes to mental and health well-being,  environmental volunteering changes and therefore, it is important to provide older adults with more opportunities.  In other words, older adults need personal and social rewards which can be provided through ensuring better integration to eliminate cultural practical barriers (Pillemer et al. 2009). Note that volunteering is influenced by factors such as social capital and social cohesion. To help the older adults build a supportive community, volunteers need a stable household income, homeownership, social (Williams et al. 2007). The volunteer supporters' network should recognize that volunteering is an important activity, and therefore they need to build and maintain collaboration to promote long-term impact. There is a need for a new and meaningful volunteer to expand volunteer opportunities. Today, older people need empowerment through precious resources. The community also need to change the perception that older people are creatures of leisure and see them as productive citizens who devote their time to bring a difference in people's lives (Rozario, 2006). The last recommendation is that it is important to analyze both positive effects and negative effects of volunteering, and the in-depth knowledge will help promote the well-being of the volunteers. For example, volunteers spend a lot of time in serving the community, and the work is tiresome, sometimes the environment is unsafe, and they are unable to achieve life and work balance. Nevertheless, volunteers who are goal-oriented and value-oriented benefits from mental and physical well-being as a result of enlarging friendship circles and expanding social networks.

Conclusion

             Social and communal activities increase physical and mental health.  Older people who participate in volunteer activities gain positive health status, reduce depressive symptoms, gain self-worth, and increases life satisfaction. The research paper shows that older people who engage in volunteer activities have lower mortality and morbidity. This because, as they devote their time to engage in meaningful activities, they develop a social support network that enhances physical and mental well-being. The literature recommends that countries should come up with policies to empower older people' ability in engaging in volunteer activities.

References

Yeung, J. W., Zhang, Z., & Kim, T. Y. (2017, July 11). Volunteering and health benefits in

general adults: Cumulative effects and forms. PubMed Central (PMC).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504679/

Rogers, N. T., Demakakos, P., Taylor, M. S., Steptoe, A., Hamer, M., & Shankar, A. (2016).

Volunteering is associated with increased survival in able-bodied participants of the

English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. J Epidemiol Community Health, 70(6),

583-588.

Ramos, R., Güntert, S., Brauchli, R., Bauer, G., Wehner, T., & Hämmig, O. (2015). Exploring

the Interaction Between Volunteering Status, Paid Job Characteristics, and Quality of

Volunteers' Motivation on Mental Health. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of

Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 27(2), 790–809. doi:

10.1007/s11266-015-9647-2

Gutierrez, I. A., & Mattis, J. S. (2014). Factors Predicting Volunteer Engagement Among Urban-

Residing African American Women. Journal of Black Studies, 45(7), 599–619. doi:

10.1177/0021934714543189

Lancee, B., & Radl, J. (2014). Volunteering over the Life Course. Social Forces, 93(2), 833–862.

doi: 10.1093/sf/sou090

Lindley, R., Baldauf, B., Galloway, S., & Li, Y. (2014). Older volunteers in England: Towards

greater flexibility and inclusiveness. Active ageing: Voluntary work by older people in

Europe, 119-147.

Johnston, J. B. (2013). Religion and Volunteering Over the Adult Life Course. Journal for the

Scientific Study of Religion, 52(4), 733–752. doi: 10.1111/jssr.12065 

Gray, E., Khoo, S.-E., & Reimondos, A. (2012). Participation in different types of volunteering

t young, middle, and older adulthood. Journal of Population Research, 29(4), 373–398.

doi: 10.1007/s12546-012-9092-7 

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Volunteering and ageing

Volunteering is one of the most common aspects of society. People volunteer on different occasions often to help out those who are in need and as a way of giving back to the community. While a lot of research has been conducted on the benefits of volunteering to the person or organization getting assisted, there is little information on how volunteering benefits the person who does the voluntary work. This study will, therefore, focus on the correlation that exists between volunteering and impact on overall health among older adults. 

Research Design

           The data used for the study will be drawn from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing as well as telephone interviews. English Longitudinal Study of Ageing is an ongoing study that examines its respondents after every two years. The information is analyzed and used to assess the changes that occur over time rather than relying on information that was collected in the past. It contains information regarding the health, social and economic well being of a sample aged between 50 years and above and focuses on their overall health, social networks, voluntary work, and other information that will be ideal for the research. The telephone interviews will be based on respondents selected from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. 

The data collection methods are ideal for the study as they give current information regarding the area under study. The measures used by the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing are designed by experts and this adds on to the credibility of the site as a source for collecting data. Since the respondents in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing are examined after every 2 years, the information stored is not only recent but also shows the history of the individuals and the changes that have occurred concerning their health and overall, well being. Telephone interviews, on the other hand, are ideal in that they offer convenience to both the interviewer and interviewee. Since the population under study comprises of older adults, interviewing the comfort of their home will be more convenient than allocating specific locations where the interview will take place. The approach is also advantageous in that it saves time and cost that would have incurred if the researcher had to move around conducting the interviews. 

There are however disadvantages in that the information from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing relies on a set of respondents examined over time. Relying on the same population could lead to under-representation of the entire population in general especially with the various changes occurring in society. Another disadvantage lies in the use of telephone interviews which are prone to disruptions. While telephones make it easy to reach the respondents, the quality of information may be affected by various factors such as noise, interruptions and lack the personal touch of a face to face interview. One of the problems that could be encountered is the inability to reach the respondent or lack of clarity during the interview. To avoid this, the interviewee will be notified in advance on the date and time for the interview to allow enough time tom prepare. Pilot tests will be conducted before the actual interview to assess the nature of the connection to do away with any interruptions before the interview. 

The study will rely on qualitative research as it offers more detailed information. To select the respondents for the study, the research will employ the use of convenience sampling. convenience sampling is ideal because the success of telephone interviews is dependent on the respondents' willingness to participate. The first step will be to identify potential candidates for the study through the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. convenience sampling will be used to identify 50 respondents that meet the criteria and are willing to participate in the study. Telephone interviews will be conducted for 20 minutes. The researchers will be trained on telephone etiquette as well as the best approach to use for telephone interviews. Other than the respondents, family members, and caregivers will be encouraged to assist however they can to aid the respondent in participating in the study. Their involvement will greatly assist in data collection as they will help to ensure that the telephone interviews are conducted with the least disruptions possible.

The main concern with telephone interviews has to do with the confidentiality of the information being shared. The respondents will be informed of the researcher’s intent to keep their identity and any sensitive information private. Anonymity will be maintained throughout the study and researchers will be trained on the same. The training will also include how to go about accessing and storing people’s medical history as this will be required to determine the impact that voluntary work has had on their medical and overall well being. The information will be kept confidential and used strictly for the study. 

Variables and Measures

          The data will be collected through telephone interviews and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The statistical analysis waves 2 to 4 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing will be used to determine the impact that volunteering has on the physical and mental health of older adults. The models used will be based on linear regression that is adjusted for baseline well being of the respondents' physical and mental health. The models will take the form; Well-being = Well-being-1 + Volunteering statust-1 + Controlst-1 + Constant. 

t will indicate a variable that will be measured at the outcome wave

t-1 will indicate variables measured at the wave and preceed the outcome wave. 

Each coefficient will be a reflection of the relative changes that will occur to the respondent’s physical and mental health for those that engage in voluntary work compared to non volunteers. The control variables explaining the relationships that exist between voluntary work and the impact to physical and mental health will be implemented to the model in steps so as to give a better analysis of the corelation between the two. The analytical method will mirror those used by other studies due to the popularity of English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. However, there will be some differences due to the information collected through the telephone interviews as the information will be new. The added data will be used to add more clarity on the impact that volunteer work has on individuals mental and physical health. It will also be used to determine whether motivation is a factor in determining the extent to which the effects are felt. The aim is to assess the amount of volunteer work that can be deemed significant to be the cause in changes in mental and physical health and also to prove the correlation between the two.

Anticpated findings

           Since physical and mental health are greatly influenced by a person’s lifestyle, voluntary work is likely to have a positive impact on patients’ health both physical and mentally. On the physical side, the positive outcome is likely to result from the addedd physical activity engaged by the individual. Rather than leading a sedentary lifestyle, voluntary work will give the idividual something to keep them engaged. The physical activity will act as exercise and as a result, positivelty impact the individual’s physical health.

 The positive outcome is also likely to be more on individuals who volunteer because they enjoy it and not for the benefits to their health. They are likely to be more commited and take on added responsibilies as a result. Those more commited to volunteering are likely to put in extra effort as they are engaged in something, they are passionate about. Although those who volunteer as a form of helping and physical exercice are also likely to benefit physically, their input is going to be limited to their perception of how much contribution is ideal. There is however need for more research to determine what amount of volunteer work is likely to yield the expected results.

Mentally, engaging in voluntary work will expose the individual to new environments that takes them away from their normal routines. Since the older adults have spent a significant percentage of their life working, a shif from this routine could be draining and cause mental strain. Through volunteer work, the older adults are likely to break the monotony by finding something to keep them occupied. The voluntary work will employ the use of their skills and mental ability and in so doing, give them a sense of purpose. In addition, the volunteer programs will expose them to new experiences and new people that will keep them engaged and thus positively impact their mental health.

Implication and recomendations

Voluntary work could help impove the ovewrall quality of health for older adults. The information can therefore be used come up with ideal voluntary work that is intended to help the older adults cope with the changes in life. The information can also be used to structure volunteer programs in such a way that they benefit those in the older stages of life. Since most people in these age groups are retired and have a lot of free time, coming up with strategies that promote bnetter physical and mental health can increase the number of volunteers while still promoting quality health and overall, well being for older adults.

There is however need for more information on whether the impact is for any volunteer. Determining whether the frequency of volunteering and nature of voluntary work could help to identify volunteer programs that will have the most impact on the individual’s physical and mental health. Research could focus on which activities promote physical health and those that are ideal for mental aid. This will ensure that the programs intended to help the elderly are structured to suit specific needs rather than overall mental and physical health. In addition, research should assess whether the impact applies for both genders equally or whether men are affected differently from women. Since physical health is different between genders, research should try to identify whether the impact varies between genders so as to come up with recommendations that suit both men and women equally.

Older adults experience a major change in their life as they get past the ages of 50. It is at this stage that most people retire and have to adopt new lifestyles. Since it is a stage that is also associated with a lot of medical complications, identifying ways to promote physical and mental health can be greatly helpful as it helps individuals to adapt to their new lifestyle while still maintaining positive overall health.

Affirmitive action

Introduction

           Society is constantly evolving and people are seeking new and better ways to co-exist. While there are still various forms of discrimination and inequality, most communities are built on policies that promote equality for everyone equally regardless of any differences that may exist. A good example of such policies that seek to promote equality is Affirmative action. Affirmative action takes into account a person’s race, color, gender, national origin, and other differences and then uses them to create opportunities for individuals that suit these criteria. The opportunities created are meant to give people who were originally, or are still oppressed and discriminated against a chance to overcome the challenges they faced in the past and have a better chance to improve their lives. Through affirmative actions, the government can implement affirmative action to businesses and other organizations, forcing them to offer more opportunities to people from specific groups. Affirmative action seeks to promote equality and also create more opportunities for those oppressed to enable them to overcome the challenges that hindered them from achieving their goals in the past. 

Critical analysis

The use of Affirmative action can be traced back to the1960s when it was introduced as a tool to help promote equality and create equal opportunities for everyone in different communities. It was developed to assist in the implementation and enforcement of the Civil Rights Act of 1964to help bring an end to discrimination (Marzilli, 2004). When it was first introduced, affirmative action employed the use of policies that sought to bring an end to segregation of minorities as it barred them from accessing certain institutions and denied them opportunities to lead better lives. Although various policies were enacted during the implementation phase, they failed to have the desired effect and the changes sought after took longer to tangible (Marzilli, 2004). This pushed for better implementation and understanding of what measures had to be taken to ensure that the desired outcomes were achieved.

In today’s society, affirmative action has taken on different forms to enhance its efficiency and ability to create opportunities for people in specific groups. In the field of education, for instance, institutions are encouraged to offer scholarships and other forms of financial support to individuals belonging to groups that are discriminated against or were oppressed in the past (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). The support ensures that individuals from poor backgrounds resulting from the unequal distribution of resources and access to employment have an opportunity to better their lives through education. Access to good schools exposes the individual to better modes of learning and allows the student to acquire knowledge in a conducive environment (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). Excelling in academics helps such individuals rise above the poverty line as they are likely to get employed and grow their career, something that would have been difficult without the intervention of the policies implemented by affirmative action. 

In the employment sector, businesses and other institutions are mandated by the government to take into consideration a person’s gender, ethnic background, and culture when hiring. Individuals identified as belonging to minority races or cultures are then given more opportunities to help them achieve their goals faster (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). While more opportunities are reserved for people from minority groups, other qualifications are taken into accounts such as academic performance, work experience, and overall qualification for the job. This ensures that only those deserving get to benefit from the opportunities created through affirmative action (Kenton, 2019). It also discourages those in the minority groups from taking advantage of the policies and try to get employed simply based on their race or other differentiating factors. 

           Affirmative action has had a positive impact on different aspects of society. Campaigns to promote equality have created an environment where organizations have greater gender diversity and more opportunities are offered to those pressed either currently or in the past. It has also expanded its reach from minority groups to veterans and people living with disabilities (Kenton, 2019). Since the policy seeks to better the lives of people that have faced a great deal of injustice and oppression, affirmative action goes in line with Mill’s ethical theory. The theory is based on the assumption that ‘an action should be considered good if it promotes an overall good that helps people achieve happiness, and bad if it causes the opposite’ (West, 2004). He further argues that there are varying levels in the quality and quantity of happiness and that pleasures that originate from the higher faculties of the brain should be given more consideration. The theory further suggests that people are happier when they can achieve their goals and objectives. 

           Through affirmative action, people are assisted in fulfilling their objectives, and in so doing, achieve happiness. since access to good quality education and a promising career are some of the common personal goals, maintaining certain employee quotas and giving financial aid to people in minority groups ensures that they have the means to achieve their goals (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). The theory further suggests that utilitarianism works alongside natural occurrences that arise from people’s interactions in society. If society was to fully embrace Mill’s theory, individuals would be driven to promote its policies and in so doing, make affirmative action more successful (West, 2004). Affirmative action further supports Mill’s theory as it seeks to not ensure that people are assisted to achieve their goals. While Mill’s theory calls on people’s morals and pushes them to engage only in things that result in the happiness of everyone, affirmative action operates on policies that, if well implemented, could help people achieve goals that they set and in so doing, achieve happiness. 

           According to Mill’s theory, people never desire anything other than what makes them happy thus making it the sole basis of morality. While people engage in various activities such as getting an education or building a successful career, happiness is not as a result of engaging in these activities but rather as a result of the satisfaction and gratification that comes from achieving them (Haidar, 2008). People do not just want good jobs but rather promising careers that enable them to enjoy the things in life that bring happiness. when used in line with affirmative action, the goal is not just to enact policies that bring equality, but rather policies that help those oppressed reach a point in life that they would have been able to without the restrictions caused by discrimination and oppression (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). Through affirmative action, the government not only creates employment opportunities for all individuals, but it also ensures that the opportunities are beneficial to those that faced challenges and promote them to levels that help them achieve their goals and objectives. 

Critical analysis: Objections

           An argument can be made that the effects of affirmative action are insignificant and a waste of resources. The argument is based on the belief that the concepts that govern society make it difficult for affirmative action to make a difference. A good example is the issue of racism. Despite the existence of policies and organizations dedicated to ending discrimination based on race, cases of racial bias are common in society (Kenton, 2019). African Americans, for instance, are discriminated against because of their race despite the issue of slavery being abolished years ago. A significant number of whites still consider themselves superior to African Americans. Forcing organizations to employe members from a specific group could create an environment where individuals from such groups fail to get the credit they deserve (Kenton, 2019). An individual can miss out on an opportunity for promotion simply because the management considers his achievements a result of affirmative action and not because of personal input. With such constructs in society, affirmative action can do little to bring about the change it tries to implement.  

The critics also argue that the existence of diversity in schools and other organizations is not due to affirmative action but rather because society is evolving past constructs that are used to classify people. Issues such as racial discrimination, oppression based on gender are no longer as common because people have moved past physical or cultural differences to an environment where people are judged based on their actions and contributions (Gallaher, 2009). Although there are still cases where minorities are at a disadvantage, only a few people support such forms of discrimination. Whites are seen in support of African Americans and other minority groups and even go against other whites who engaged in forms of racial discrimination (Gallaher, 2009). This goes to prove that affirmative action is more of a waste of resources because society no longer operates on the base of gender, color, or other features used to differentiate people. 

Another argument can be made that an affirmative action is a form of discrimination as it denies opportunities to individuals especially in races considered superior. Despite the various causes of inequality in the past and also the present, giving opportunities to a specific group of people and denying the same to another puts one at a disadvantage (Kenton, 2019). Since whites are ofter considered superior, a white student could miss out on a job opportunity simply because the organization is mandated to offer the opportunity to an individual from a minority race. While this favors those in the minority groups, the white candidates have to seek out another job opportunities and in doing so, miss out on the chance to kick start their career early. 

The approach thus goes against Mill’s ethical theory as it does not offer the common good since whites miss out on job opportunities and the chance to be happy. Also, the approach could make it difficult for the organization to select their desired choice of employees. The requirement to restrict opportunities to certain minority groups could see an organization miss out on a highly qualified candidate or specialist simply because they do not belong to the minority group (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). Organizations are forced to be extra cautious when hiring from superior races to ensure that they only pick the best to fill the positions allocated for members from the ethnic group. If left unchecked, affirmative action could create an environment where, over time, races considered superior end up needing the assistance of affirmative action to get access to education or promising careers. 

Critical analysis: Response

The existence of vices such as racism and inequality is in no way a reflection of affirmative action or the impact that it has. Although such vices are still in existence, affirmative action can still have a significant impact on helping minorities recover from the various constructs in society that oppress them. Affirmative action is, therefore, another tool that is used to help do away with an issue such as racism and inequality (Marzilli, 2004). Although affirmative action does not seek to end issues such as racism, its policies such as the inclusion of African Americans in school helps create diversity and inclusion. This, in turn, creates an environment where schools are more comfortable accomodating students from different ethnic backgrounds, even with the existence of a construct that supports racism. In cases where students from minority groups cannot afford quality education, the financial support provided through affirmative action ensures that every individual has an opportunity to access good quality education (Menand, 2020). Furthermore, affirmative action exists because the constructs that promote vices such as racism still exist. Minorities still find it difficult to secure jobs and this is often a result of racial discrimination and various forms of racial bias that made it difficult to get education or opportunities that allow for a promising career. 

The argument that the changes in society are a result of people deviating from the construct that divides them and not as a result of affirmative action is also baseless. Despite the various platforms that fight to end discrimination and promote equality, the vices still exist but in subtle forms. In employment sectors, for instance, salaries, promotions, and job roles are greatly influenced by an individual’s race (Menand, 2020). Whites, for instance, are more likely to get management jobs while lower tasks are assigned to minority groups. Although racism is not as open, people still get discriminated against based on their skin color. The policies implemented through affirmative action try to bridge the gap and ensure that minorities not only get employment, but also the support they need to overcome such vices (Menand, 2020). The goal is to not just secure employment but create opportunities for promotions, salary increase, and other benefits as well. If well implemented, affirmative action creates an environment where people are not denied opportunities due to opinions and ideologies resulting from the oppression and discrimination of people in the minority groups endured in the past.

Lastly, creating opportunities for minorities is in no way intended to put other races at a disadvantage. In the past, school and job opportunities were reserved for men. Women were denied access to education and this meant that only men could secure jobs. Over time, however, women started going to schools and now apply and are accepted for the same jobs as their male counterparts. The inclusion of women in the workforce in no way denied men access to job opportunities but rather promoted growth that led to more job opportunities (Dupper & Sankaran, 2014). Similarly, giving minority groups more opportunities will only promote their growth similar to how opportunities were reserved to whites in the past. The implementation will, however, take into account the needs of the whites as well and seek a balance where people have a better chance to benefit from their efforts. 

Conclusion 

           The existence of the various policies that govern society is to ensure that people are treated equally and fairly. In line with Mill’s ethical theory, the government’s role is to ensure that the polices not only promote fairness but also offer compensation to those that fall victim to vices that exist in society and this is achieved through affirmative action. Since the vices are a result of the government’s failure to promote equality, affirmative action acts as the tool to compensate those discriminated against and in so doing, help them overcome stereotypes that try to limit their achievements. It is however recommended that those responsible for implementing affirmative action come up with measures to ensure that the tool can reach its objective without creating problems for people classified as belonging to the superior races. 

References

Brink D, (2018) “Mill’s moral and political philosophy” Stanford Encyclopedia of            philosophy, retreievd from, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill-moral-political/

Dupper, O., & Sankaran, K. (2014). Affirmative action: A view from the global South.     Stellenbosch, South Africa: Sun Press.

Haidar H.H. (2008) Mill’s Utilitarian Moral Theory. In: Liberalism and Islam. Palgrave    Macmillan, New York

Kenton W, (2019) “Affirmitive action” retrieevd from,             https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/affirmative-action.asp

Marzilli, A. (2004). Affirmative action. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers.

Menand L, (2020) “The changing meaning of affirmitive action” The New Yorker, retrievd          from, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/01/20/have-we-outgrown-the-             need-for-affirmative-action

West, H. R. (2004). An introduction to Mill's utilitarian ethics. Cambridge, U.K:   Cambridge University Press.

Zamani-Gallaher, E. M. (2009). The case for affirmative action on campus: Concepts of   equity, considerations for practice. Sterling, Va: Stylus Pub.

The Mars Room’s Strange Take on Morality, Causality and Society

Introduction

Morality is the code of conduct that is derived from a particular culture, philosophy, or religion. Causality is the procedure whereby one event causes the development of another occurrence. The cause of the event is partly associated with the effect and the effect is partly associated with the cause. Society is a group of people that are involved in persistent social interaction. Morality, causality, and society in the Mars Room existed if it was beneficial and convenient to the characters. 

Morality

           The Mars Room was a strip club where Romy once worked before she was sentenced to jail. According to Kushner (25), it is a place that she did not have to show up on time, obey any rules, or even smile. Romy once showed up late for work with a black eye and nobody cared. She thought men are to be exploited and they were nothing else rather than losers. The men too thought they were exploiting the women. Romy believed that in the Mars Room you could do whatever you wanted, some girls could not shower, some were pregnant and if not, you were the girl of the night. One time a girl got angry and set the dressing room on fire. Romy says that the Mars Room was a choice and she made that choice but the choice comes with consequences. She says that though everything was fine, nothing was and life was being sucked out of her. Romy is quick to note that it was not a moral problem. The men faded her glimmer, made her angry and numb to touch. She gave and received and extracted from the men’s wallets but that was never enough. Stanville correctional facility is a place where people are persistently flattened and reduces them to one and only one type. A guard in the novel suggests that if the women had wished to be responsible mothers, they would have acted differently. To the state, the judge, and the jury and the prison wardens, the women here were criminals. Despite the intensity of their actions, be it murder, drug offenses, or sex work, they are each given a number and that is all that differentiates them.

Causality

               For Romy to end up in Stanville, there are several times that she thinks that it all started when she started working at the Mars Room which was the most notorious strip club in San Francisco. In Mars Room is where she met Kennedy who he later killed for stalking her. Romy lived with her neglectful mother, was sexually abused when she was a child, and started drinking and using heroin at an early age. She did not attend college and was involved in petty crime and was a sex worker in the Mars Room. She got pregnant and gave birth to her son then moved to Los Angeles to start a new life with her son. A former customer at Mars room who stalked her back in San Francisco follows her to Los Angeles and shows up at her porch and she ended up killing him. She believes that she has no plans on living a long life after having two consecutive life sentences (Kushner 12). It is when she hears that her mother who took care of her son had died and that her son had been put to foster care that she plans to escape from prison.

Society

           Most of the characters in the novel describe what it means to be poor and female in society. Romy got her life sentence a long time and this is because her mother was addicted to painkillers, had several divorces, and did not treat Romy with love. Romy was raped when she was only 11 years old, became a drug addict and a sex worker at an early age. In the Mars Room having had a shower and not being pregnant was an advantage. It was the same in the cells of Stanville where you were to mind your own business and never tell anyone your real name. When Laura Lipp was giving Romy the story of an old couple who kidnapped kids, it shows how society is often misled because the couple was trusted because they were old (Kushner 6). The old lady who could be seated and knitting could wait for a kid’s mother to lose sight of their kids and she could kidnap them. No one could suspect her because she and her husband were elderly. There was Romy’s customer who thought that he could not pay for her services before humiliating her and that led to Romy taking his bag which had expensive clothes that she could not even wear. Because she worked at a strip club, the society could do whatever it pleased including humiliation. Where Romy lived with her mother, a person could hold a gun to her head for no reason. People could do cocaine with strangers by the cemetery. People considered the city she lived to mean everything but to Romy and her friends it meant nothing and they just wanted to get wasted.

Conclusion

           Morality, causality, and the society in the Mars Room paint different pictures of the way they are normally perceived. The choice of working at the strip club was convenient for Romy but it also had its consequences. The causes of being sentenced begin with living with a mother who did not take much care for her and therefore ended up doing what she thought was of interest to her. This led her to have an unplanned pregnancy and eventually killing a person. Being poor and being a female in the society describes how you will be treated. Romy joined the Mars room because she needed money that could make her be able to sustain herself. The men believed that women were to be exploited and even humiliated.

Works Cited

Kushner Rachel The Mars Room: A novel, Simon and Schuster, 2019

White Privilege

            Society, through the government is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring that the rights and freedoms of its people are protected. Since one of the rights is the right to live, countries engage in different ways to ensure that citizens are provided with the means to lead a comfortable life. There are however occurrences where some members of the community take more than they need while others are left lacking even the basis essential. The act of giving access to government resources to certain people and denying the same opportunities to others is what has come to be referred to as political inequality. The existence of political inequality has led to the emergence of white privilege as it gives more opportunities to whites than members from other ethnic backgrounds.

            White privilege is the existence of constructs in society that give more opportunities to one specific race, whites, while denying the same to members from different races (Foy & Smith, 2007). The existence of white privilege is strongly as a result of the various forms of racial discrimination that have existed in society throughout history (Fitzgerald, 2014)). For years, whites have carried themselves as a superior race while all other race were regarded as inferior. While racism is not as common as it was in the past, the effects are still being felt as people, either intentionally or not, consider whites as being better and therefore deserving better opportunities.

            White privilege is a form of political inequality as it offers more opportunities to whites than any other race. A good example of how white privilege disadvantages non-whites is the case when seeking employment (Shapiro, 2004)). To some extent, education is used as a measure of quality when determining if a possible candidate is qualified for a specific job. In a society dominated by white privilege however, whites have a higher chance of getting employed than people from other races like African Americans (Moore, 2008). In such a setting, whites find it easier to meet their goals because they have an added advantage. Employment makes it easier for the whites to earn a living and maintain a respectable status in society.

African Americans on the other hand have to struggle just to enjoy some of the opportunities available to whites. Something as simple as selecting schools is a challenge for non-whites because the first positions are usually reserved for whites (McIntosh, 2017). After school, most African Americans continue to struggle because the opportunity for a promising career, or any job for that matter, is usually reserved for a white candidate.

Despite its negative outcomes, white privilege has managed to remain unchecked as people are yet to differentiate it from racism. Most people consider any vice carried out on someone on the basis of their gender is a form of racism (DiAngelo, 2018). This makes it easier for other vices such as white privilege to go unchecked. When people mistake the two, it becomes difficult to resolve both of them accordingly. Success in the fight against racism for instance can be seen as success in the fight to end white privilege (Rothenberg, 2008). The two are however unrelated and there is a need to create awareness on the negative impact white privilege causes. Focusing on white privilege as an infringement on people’s rights on its own is therefore a call to action for all researchers as this will help to share more information on how white privilege affects people and why it should be done away with like all other forms of political inequality.

References

Blakemore, M. T. (2017). White Privilege. Minneapolis print

DiAngelo, R. J. (2018). White fragility: Why it's so hard for White people to talk about racism.    Boston: Beacon press

Fitzgerald, K. (2014). Recognizing Race and Ethnicity: Power, Privilege, and Inequality. New     York: Westview Press.

McIntosh, P. (2017). White privilege and male privilege: A personal account of coming to see             correspondences through work in women's studies. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley College,    Center for Research on Women.

Moore, W. L. (2008). Reproducing racism: White space, elite law schools, and racial inequality.             Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Rothenberg, P. S. (2008). White privilege: Essential readings on the other side of racism.

Shapiro, T. M. (2004). The hidden cost of being African American: How wealth perpetuates         inequality. New York: Oxford University Press.

Smith, C., & Foy, M. (2007). The cost of privilege: Taking on the system of white supremacy and             racism. Rocky Mount, NC: Camino Press.

Past and Present of Male and Female Clothing

            We exist in a society that promotes and protects the equal rights and freedoms of everyone. People have the freedom to express themselves the way they see fit and this has created a sense of freedom where people act and dress as they please. There are however various constructs in society such as the concepts around femininity and masculinity that try to define people according to specific traits in society. Women, for example, have fallen subject to multiple stereotypes and policies that often dictate the way women live their lives. While a woman dressed in pants and rocking a bow tie is a common occurrence in today's society, this was not always the case and women had to endure great hardships as a result of their gender. In his article “Gender Role Behaviours and Attitude,” Aaron Devour argues that “gender roles are the result of a systematic power imbalance based on gender discrimination” (479). People’s freedom of expression especially concerning how men and women dress has therefore been greatly influenced by how society expects people to dress, and often, this creates room for discrimination. 

            Throughout history, society has been subjected to beliefs and stereotypes that develop over time and often determines how people lead their lives. A good example is a belief that women tend to be more interested in fashion and dressing up compared to men. Also, women are believed to be more invested in the way they look and also help maintain their male counterpart’s appearance. “Feminine styles of dress likewise display subordinate status through greater restriction of a free movement of the body, greater exposure of the bare skin, and an emphasis on sexual characteristics” (Devour 477). Men on the other have been stereotyped as having a “masculinity style of dress emphasizes the size of upper body musculature, allow freedom of movement, and encourage an illusion of physical power” (Devour 479). Women’s clothing in the past is described as being feminine and designed in such a way that it highlights the female figure. Men’s clothing, on the other hand, focused more on the upper body and revealing muscles. Since men were stereotyped as being muscular, their clothing was designed in such a way that it made men appear stronger. In today’s fashion, however, men and women’s clothing has become more alike. Both genders wear similar outfits in the form of shirts, shorts, jeans, athletic wear, and suits to mention a few. Designers like Coco Chanel have made a fortune from designing clothes that suit both genders and in so doing, turned away from stereotypes that led to the development of distinct clothes for men and women. 

            Wearing similar clothes, however, has done little to reduce the disadvantage that women face as a result of their gender. Biologically, men and women will always be different regardless of the various equality rights and policies used. People tend to view each gender differently and this is a result of the experiences and lessons that people pick up in the communities, they live in. “Female and male behaviors are the result of socially directed hormonal instructions and males are innately aggressive and competitive and will, therefore, dominate over females” (Devour 479). People are not only taught that they are different, but that men are better than women. Women, as a result, feel the need to compensate through fashion to live up to the standards of men. Throughout history, women have worn clothing like corsets and high heels along with other types of clothing that mostly suit men. This is even though wearing high hills or a corset is not always comfortable. Men on the other hand dress to represent their position in society, lifestyle or the amount of wealth they possess. Their fashion is not influenced by the desire to please women, but rather to reinstate their position in society. 

            Issues related to gender identity and fashion sense can, therefore, be attributed to what people learn ion the early stages of development. From a young age, boys are introduced to the color pink while girls are engulfed in a world of pink. Their fashion statement is therefore influenced by bold colors for boys and bright ones for girls. Since mothers throughout history have played the role of caregivers, regardless of whether they work or not, girls grow up learning how to be mothers and their dressing is therefore influenced by the environment they grow up in. “Femininity according to this traditional formulation, would result in warm and continued relationships with men, a sense of maternity, interest in caring for children, and the capacity to work productively and continuously in female occupations” (Devour 476). Boys on the other hand desire to dress in suits and official wear similar to how they see their fathers dressing up for work every morning. 

            Devour further argues that fashion is not only influenced by the stereotypes that govern people in society, but also by the influencers and policymakers. In the past, men were the ones who went to work while women stayed at home taking care of the family. As such, men were the ones working in factories that designed clothes for women and also influenced the demand for certain types of fashion. A corset and high heels, for instance, are somewhat uncomfortable to women yet they continue to wear them. Despite various claims that women do not dress up to impress men, the idea behind clothing that highlights the woman’s body shape and shoes that bring out those features favor men more than women. The influence that men had on women in the past can, therefore, be said to have influenced the type of clothing that was worn in the past and some of the clothes that are worn by women today. 

Fashion has evolved to a point where the type of clothes that people wear is more than a representation of their identity. Clothes have been used to represent culture, professionalism, maintain tradition and communicate messages meant to bring about change. Fashion has evolved beyond the concept of an individual as a single attire can carry a message that resonates across the world. Despite this, however, there remains a distinct line between the male and female fashion. While the issue of oppression based on gender is not as common today, men still have a significant influence on the way women dress. The tables have turned however as men are also dressing up to please women and this has helped create some level of acceptance when it comes to fashion. There is a great deal of freedom and people dress as they please, regardless of gender and this has greatly promoted the unisex fashion industry.

Physical Child Abuse, Child Neglect, and Child Sexual Abuse

Introduction

Physical child abuse is the physical injury caused to a child with a spiteful intention. This can be in form of beating, punching, biting, burning, and kicking among others. Child neglect is the lack of meeting a child’s basic needs and not providing for them in terms of healthcare. It is the lack of social, emotional, physical and education needs of a child. Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse whereby an older person uses a child for sexual pleasures or activities.

According to Wekerle, Wolfe, Cohen, Bromberg & Murray (2019), physical abuse is the intentional use of force on a child’s body which is harmful and dangerous and results to an unexpected injury. Child physical abuse is sometimes connected to a child’s physical punishment as a way of discipline. Lack of the developmental knowledge for a child as a parent or caretaker can lead to physical abuse thinking that they are doing it to discipline the child. Lack of compassion or knowledge of the different developments of a child leads to the risk of abusing the child physically by their parents or their caretakers. Physical child abuse can lead to death in cases where there is abusive head injury, abdominal injuries, and suffocation. It is important for professional to know about the physical and psychological outcomes of physical child abuse. They then should help parents and caretaker to know these effects on a child and start practicing non-violent disciplinary approaches.

Wekerle, Wolfe, Cohen, Bromberg & Murray (2019) explain that child neglect is the failure of a parent or a caregiver to provide the child with the necessary care at the time. It occurs when a parent cannot provide the essentials for a child’s psychological, emotional and physical growth. Physical neglect of a child happens when the basic needs which are food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, hygiene and healthy living conditions are not fulfilled. It also occurs when a child is not protected from any harm. Emotional neglect occurs when the need of a child to feel loved, wanted, accepted, and safe lack. When a parent or caregiver reject or are not available for the child, it leads to emotional neglect. Supervisory neglect occurs when a child is left unattended in the care of other children, in dangerous places with harmful people. Child negligence could lead to malnutrition and lack of stable growth and developments patterns. It could easily lead to the child being harmed, it exposes the child to child sexual abuse and even death.

Child sexual abuse occurs when a child is used by an adolescence or an adult for sexual reasons. According to Wekerle, Wolfe, Cohen, Bromberg & Murray (2019), it is when a child is not able to approve due to their age or their level of development. Child sexual abuses cases are reported from the infants to the adolescents. It mainly include touching a child’s private parts, intercourse, intimacy, rape, sodomy, exploiting through prostitution, and producing pornographic materials. Due to the internet and technology, there is sexual exploitation through images and sexual attention in the internet. Child sexual abuse can lead to psychological trauma, depression, post- traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and can also lead to physical injury to the child.

 The parent child interactions have a very big impact on the healthy development of the child. Breiner, Ford, & Gadsden (2016) state that parents should be equipped with knowledge of the practices that promote children’s health and safety. The parenting methods that affect the child’s outcomes positively in terms of them being physically, emotionally, socially, and behavioral  healthy include, the behavior a parents responds with when the child is seeking attention. The parent should be sensitive to the child and comfort them. They should interact with the child and spend time together for example reading books.

According to Breiner, Ford, & Gadsden (2016), to aid children’s health and safety, parents should ensure that the child gets prenatal care, breast-feeds, gets vaccinated, get sufficient nutrition and make sure they monitor them as well as their developments. Parents should avoid using harsh ways of instilling discipline. Programs such as home visits for the children with various disabilities, helping out parents with funds, nutrition assistance, healthcare and housing for parents who are not well able have been established. Their help to ensure both the parent’s and the child’s physical health and safety.

 In order to prevent child abuse and neglect, prevention programs which involve the parent are very effective. According to Cirik, Ciftcioglu & Efe (2017), they acquire a lot of information like how important it is for parents to provide quality care and education to the child early enough. Parental skills should be developed to ensure healthy child development. Empowering parents on finding solutions that are reasonable for them helps them to make changes that are long lasting and understand the developmental stages for their children. Behavioral programs for parents help to reduce exposure for children to abuse and neglect. The preventive programs help to raise awareness to families, teachers and the community as a whole regarding child abuse and neglect.

According to Rudolph, Gembeck, Shanley, & Hawkins (2018), for child sexual abuse, prevention has depended on education that is focused on children on how to avoid, identify and reveal sexual abuse. There are programs focused on parents with the same objective of them being educated on how to they should teach their children about the risks of child sexual abuse and the preventive measures and behaviors. The major challenge with this approaches is that as a parent it is not easy to know if your child has the capacity to understand, identify or even use the preventive measures. This happens because sometimes the child might take the abuser to be loving or showing compassion. They may not be willing to report an abuse of someone they tend to like. They may not be able to psychologically reject the manipulations of the abuser or even challenge their authority. The child may be told that the touch is normal and that they are being prepared for adulthood and it is a way of being loved. In such a scenario, it is hard for a child to use the protective measures and even report the abuser.

Economic disadvantages and poverty for families and children are highly associated with child neglect according to Lindo & Schaller (2014).  Economic factors such as family income, the employment of a parent, economic conditions and their well-being. Income can directly cause a child to be neglected due to the financial constraints of a parent to provide the child with enough care. Lack of income leads to a parent or caregiver not to provide for the child’s basic, emotional, physical, healthcare and education needs.

Economic shock affects the mental health and also has an impact on the rate of child neglect. Poverty could be a cause of mental health leading to child neglect. Single parenting and substance abuse are mostly connected to the social economic status which is a known contributing factor for child neglect. According to Lindo & Schaller (2014), very many children are reported annually in the child care services for neglect in the United States. There are many more unreported cases of child neglect. Child neglect is costly to the society as well due to the special education programs, the increased cases on the justice systems, costs for child welfare services and healthcare.

In the United States, child neglect is the most dangerous form of child maltreatment compared to physical and sexual abuse. It is a significant problem that is affecting children from America. Hornor (2014) states that the major economic concern that is connected to child negligence is lack of financial resources which affects all the aspects if care. Getting financial help from a family member could lead to neglect since research shows that the people who end up receiving help are experiencing critical economic stress.

Pediatric nurse practitioners are likely to come across children that have been neglected medically in their practice. Hornor (2014) explains that it is important for the nurse practitioner to intervene as soon as they encounter such a case. They should evaluate the potential reasons for a parent or care giver not to give a child the necessary medical attention. Despite the financial constraints or barriers, if the child was exposed to any harm as a result of being neglected, a report of medical neglect is justified. If there was no harm on the child, a plan is established to intervene and overcome the barriers. Sufficient supervision of a child is important to protect their health and well-being. This reduces supervisory neglect harm of a child which is a serious concern and even causes death. For nutritional neglect, parents and caregivers are linked with suitable resources such as finances to address the nutritional insufficiency.

Home visit programs have been known to engage families and have helped to reduce parental and life stress that could lead to child neglect rather develop social support and parental capability. Parents and caregivers should join parenting programs that have been developed to assist the people who are not well able or are dealing with the lack of financial resources. This programs enlighten them and help them to socially interact and share different experiences. According to Petersen (2014), the intervention programs are developed to provide information on parenting practices to the parents who experience challenges in taking care of their children on how to nurture their behaviors. There are community service programs where parents are supported through legal services and regulative values that promote reciprocation by creating safe environments for children and their families. Communities and public agencies keep demanding and supporting the targeted prevention measures and provide support services for families facing certain challenges. Evidence based programs that help to prevent child neglect are supported at the community level to take care of the needs of different populations.

Conclusion

Child physical, sexual abuse and neglect remains to be a critical issues up to date. Lack of knowledge for the caregivers and the parents has led to an increase in child maltreatment. It is the result of lack of adequate supervision and follow up on a child and spending enough time with them. It is important for parents to acquire the necessary information on the parenting skills on the different development stages of the child. This helps them to bond and understand each other better in terms of the developmental changes. Child neglect is mostly experienced by families that lack financial resources or are living in poverty. Intervention programs have assisted parents and caregivers in providing information and support.

References

Cirik V., Ciftcioglu S., Efe E. (2017) Preventing child abuse and neglect. Archives of Nursing

Practice and Care 3(1)

 Petersen A.C., Joseph J, Feit M. (2014) New Directions in Child Abuse and Neglect Research:

Interventions and Service Delivery Systems. Retrieved from   https://www.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ books / NBK195981/