Hunahpu and Xbalanque - The Maya Hero Twins

Hunahpu and Xbalanque - The Maya Hero Twins The Hero Twins are famous Mayan semi-gods called Hunahpu and Xbalanque, whose story is narrated in the Popol Vuh (â€Å"The Book of Council†). The Popol Vuh is the sacred text of the Quichà © Maya of the Guatemalan highlands, and it was written during the Early Colonial period, probably between 1554–1556, although the stories within it are clearly much older. The First Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque are the second Hero Twins in Maya mythology. Like all Mesoamerican cultures, the Maya believed in cyclical time, including periodic cosmic destruction and renovation, called the ages of the world. The first pair of divine hero twins were the Maize Twins, 1 Hunter Hun Hunahpu and 7 Hunter Vuqub Hunahpu, and they lived during the second world. Hun Hunahpu and his twin brother Vucub Hunahpu were invited down into the Maya underworld (Xibalba) to play the Mesoamerican ballgame by the Xibalban lords One and Seven Death. There they fell prey to several trickeries. On the eve of the scheduled game, they were given cigars and torches and told to keep them lit all night without consuming them. They failed in this test, and the penalty for failure was death. The twins were sacrificed and buried, but the head of Hun Hunapu was cut off, and only his body was buried with his younger brother. The Lords of Xibalba placed Hun Hunapus head in the fork of a tree, where it helped the tree bear fruit. Eventually, the head came to look like a calabash- the American domesticated squash. A daughter of one of the lords of Xibalba named Xquic (Blood Moon) came to see the tree and Hun Hunapus head talked to her and spit saliva into the maidens hand, impregnating her. Nine months later, the second Hero Twins were born. The Second Hero Twins In the third world, the second pair of hero twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, avenged the first set by defeating the Lords of the Underworld. The names of the second set of Hero Twins have been translated as X-Balan-Que â€Å"Jaguar-Sun† or â€Å"Jaguar-Deer,† and Hunah-Pu, as â€Å"One Blowgunner.† When Hunahpu (One Blowgunner) and Xbalanque (Jaguar Sun) are born, they are treated cruelly by their half-brothers  but make themselves happy by going out every day to hunt birds with their blowguns. After many adventures, the twins are summoned to the underworld. Following in the footsteps of their fathers, Hunahpu and Xbalanque descend the road to Xibalba, but avoid the tricks that captured their fathers. When they are given a torch and cigars to keep alight, they trick the lords by passing off a macaws tail as the glow of a torch, and by putting fireflies at the tips of their cigars. The next day, Hunahpuh and Xbalanque play ball with the Xibalbans, who first try to play with a ball made of a skull covered with crushed bone. An extended game follows, full of trickery on both sides, but the wily twins survive. Dating the Hero Twins Myth In prehistoric sculptures and paintings, the Hero Twins arent identical twins. The older twin (Hunahpuh) is depicted as larger than his younger twin, right-handed and masculine, with black spots on his right cheek, shoulder and arms. The sun and pronghorn antlers are Hunahpuhs main symbols, although often both twins wear deer symbols. The younger twin (Xbalanque) is smaller, left-handed and often with a feminine guise, with the moon and rabbits his symbols. Xbalanque has patches of jaguar skin on his face and body. Although the Popol Vuh dates to the Colonial period, the Hero Twins have been identified on painted vessels, monuments, and cave walls dating to the Classic and Preclassic period, as early as 1000 BCE. The names of the Hero Twins are also present in the Maya calendar as day signs. This further indicates the importance and antiquity of the myth of the Hero Twins, whose origins date back to the earliest period of Maya history. Hero Twins in the Americas In the Popol Vuh myth, before avenging the fates of the first twins, the two brothers have to kill a bird-demon called Vucub-Caquix. This episode is apparently portrayed in a stela at the early site of Izapa, in Chiapas. Here a couple of young men are portrayed shooting a bird-monster descending from a tree with their blowgun. This image is very similar to the one narrated in the Popol Vuh. The myth of divine hero-twins is known in most Native American traditions. They are present in myths and tales both as legendary ancestors, and heroes that need to overcome various trials. Death and rebirth are suggested by many of the hero-twins appearing in the form of men-fish. Many Mesoamerican Indians believed that gods catch fish, human embryos floating in a mythical lake. The Hero Twin myth was part of a suite of ideas and artifacts that arrived in the American southwest from the gulf coast beginning about 800 CE. Scholars have noted that the Maya Hero Twin myth appears in southwestern United States Mimbres pottery about that time. Updated by K. Kris Hirst Sources Boskovic, Aleksandar. The Meaning of Maya Myths. Anthropos 84.1/3 (1989): 203–12. Print.Gilman, Patricia, Marc Thompson, and Kristina Wyckoff. Ritual Change and the Distant: Mesoamerican Iconography, Scarlet Macaws, and Great Kivas in the Mimbres Region of Southwestern New Mexico. American Antiquity 79.1 (2014): 90–107. Print.Knapp, Bettina L. The Popol Vuh: Primordial Mother Participates in the Creation. Confluencia 12.2 (1997): 31–48. Print.Miller, Mary E., and Karl Taube. An Illustrated Dictionary of the Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997. Print.Sharer, Robert J. The Ancient Maya. 6th ed. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 2006. Print.Tedlock, Dennis. How to Drink Chocolate from a Skull at a Wedding Banquet. RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics 42 (2002): 166–79. Print.-. The Popol Vuh: Definitive Edition of the Maya Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods and Kings. 2nd ed. New York: Touc hstone, 1996. Print.

Architecture & Construction. Project evaluation & Design. Initial Essay

Architecture & Construction. Project evaluation & Design. Initial proposals, Design Briefs and Feasibility studies - Essay Example The development will be an apartment that will have its own uninterrupted ocean views with access to the site. Each apartment will have 3 bedrooms, all with ensuites, a study, a theatre room, large open living with plenty of room for dining and also 2 spacious balconies. The main balcony will be facing northeast, and the second balcony will be northwest and will accessible via the main and second bedroom. There will be floor to ceiling glass slide away doors hat give way to a wrap around balcony. This should then allow for the living areas to extend to the outdoor area. Having such an expansive living arrangement makes it as intimate or as social as the occupier wishes. This crucial piece of infrastructure in this beach shack suburb will be finished with modern European finishes. Bamboo floorboards will be used for the flooring and morato marble will be used for the paneling and joinery. There will be a basement car park, finished in sandstone to accommodate all residents. The stylish architectural design and the rare beachfront location enables us as developers to offer the ultimate in beachfront living with the motto of 4 levels of elegance, and only 4 metres to the beach. There will be a 10 metre by 3 metre pool on the beachside of the site to accommodate for a more personal environment for the residents of the building. The facility will come with a small BBQ area allowing for a full functioning facility. The pool will be lined with black pebbles to attract the sun so there will be no need for heating. Quality expectations: Goals were set to ensure that the quality of the project in terms of product and process was not compromised. Project planning was done with the consideration of the external environment which included technological changes, customers and competitors, suppliers, geographical location and climate; economic political and social settings The project was planned to run for two years. The stages involved were

Psychotherapy and Ethical Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Psychotherapy and Ethical Issues - Essay Example It is generally termed as "talking treatment" in which the person who carries the treatment may refer as the therapist and the person being seen is usually referred to as the client. (The Royal College of Psychiatry) Psychotherapy usually involves different sessions of meetings (normally of 50 minutes or more of duration) between the therapist and the client in a quiet room in which the client reveals his worries and anxieties or psychological problems to the therapist and the therapist analyses the problems and find remedies for it. In order to keep the highest standards of professional practice, each Psychotherapist shall enter into agreement to hold and practice a code of ethics. The therapist needs to consider the integrity and welfare of the client when giving tips to overcome the emotional problems. Services are provided to clients within the parameters of informed consent and voluntary participation. When services are extended to individuals or organizations, there has to be a specific contract, which includes information on the nature of the service or intervention offered, the benefits and limitations of the service, frequency, and cost if applicable. This can be provided to the participant (s) before the service begins. Integrity and welfare of the client must be given prominence in the counseling sessio... Here is an example of a young lady, from a conservative third world country, working as a school teacher in Dubai. She was brought up in a highly conservative family had great moral values. Moreover she was the only daughter in her family which prevented her from acquiring a sound personality. Her school life as school teacher in Dubai initially gone well, but after around 3 to 4 months problems began to arise. She was stern in her approaches towards students and never allowed them to take anything easy in their studies. On the other hand, other teachers were more liberal and the students got enough freedom to grow and even to execute malpractices in their subjects. Thus students began to trouble her deliberately and they began to raise complaints about her quiet regularly. The principal and the management were also more liberal in their approach in order to secure good results for the school, thus, to keep their educational business intact. The principal once called her and asked he r to be more liberal in her approach which was a shock to her. She started to develop some emotional problems and finally, had to undergo a psychotherapy treatment.The therapist has initially heard patiently her worries and concerns with respect to her strong belief in morality and ideals. The therapist has realized that she was a person of high integrity and whatever the points raised by her was ethically right. She wanted her students to learn good behavior and practices in their life and she was ready to face any type of hardships to complete her responsibility. The therapist told the client that this world is not intended for

Folk music of Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Folk music of Latin America - Essay Example ars, forcing researchers and enthusiasts of Tango to derive doubtful concepts from people who did not make part of the culture and perhaps cognized nothing or little about Tango. Although there is no specific date assigned to the origin of Tango, evidence in the second half of the Nineteenth Century of people singing Tango in theatres and a Buenos Aires’ couple that danced on stage in 1890 affirms that the genre was established long before the Nineteenth Century ended (Denniston, â€Å"Couple Dancing and the Beginning of Tango†). One theory suggests that the name Tango was derived from the descent of Africa by blended the Spanish’s name for drum, tambor, with their drum god’s name to come. On the other hand, another theory attributes the common Spanish use of the name Tango, which referred to a music style at the inception of Tango, despite the Argentinean meaning of Tango contradicting the Spanish meaning (Miller 85). Tango’s inception was an inter racial initiative to eliminate racial discrimination. Tango’s origin was because of the prevailing circumstances. The poor living conditions of the Buenos Aires people forced them to be concentrated in a single building. Therefore, it was possible for somebody to play the flute or violin with another playing the guitar. The rest of the people who were not involved in the instrument playing had many opportunities to dance as they overcame the shortcomings of life. Various immigrants to Argentina unified with the Argentineans because such music and dances, something that evolved to be Tango. The people’s dance relied merely on live music. Busters took advantage of this fact and raided the streets of Buenos Aires with an aim of making a living from playing instruments like organito and barrel organ. In pursuit of pleasing a woman when they had a dance together, men practiced together with women on their arms only to establish it as a dance style, Tango. Recently, the UN approved the inclusion of Tango as a

Materials for Constructing a Multi-Storey Bulding

Materials for Constructing a Multi-Storey Bulding When dealing with a multi-storey building it is important to get the right materials as these materials will hold the structure together, the multi-storey building itself is very large and will be constantly in use as it is a hotel so the building will be subjected to different loads and situations. Loadings on beams, columns, frames, pads and floors can cause many structural differences the behave and performance of the material may change due to stress and strain on them, the materials I am going to look at are steel and concrete, these materials are used throughout the construction industry and loads on these materials are important as if the material is not up to the job and does not fulfil the need the beam, column, frame, pad or floor could collapse and cause many injuries and be a health and safety danger so it is important to use the materials in the right way. both materials steel and concrete have the advantages and disadvantages when used, when dealing with a multi-storey building it is important that the material can withstand the pressure it is put under so it would not collapse or break, if this does occur the knock on effect would result in the building to collapse and cause large injurys to civilians within and around the building, to stop this the materials which are used and put under a subject of tests such as being compressed and stretched rapidly any faults such as the material does not meet to the UK standard would be out lined and amended or discharged from use on site, this is also done for health and safety reasons. First looking at concrete it is used often through put construction it is used due to its durability and workability, to get to a workable mix the concrete needs to be cured and portioned first, it is important that the concrete meets the needs this could be the concrete is used to construct a concrete beam and this beam is put under a lot of loads; therefore the beam would need to be able to receive the load and distributed. Every material has Strength this is the ability of the material to resist the forces set up within them by the applied load, when a load is applied movement is made so therefore Stability is needed stability is the ability of the structure to resist overall movement, any load (force) tends to move to a downward direction for the material to keep to its state it should maintain a equilibrium this is done by the material resisting the equal and opposite force, any load that is applied is called a active force, this force can also be distributed this is when the load is applied over full length or area of a structural member this would be used in a pad foundation, also other loads may be called can be concentrated or point where the load is put to a single point or over a very restricted area this is used with conjunction of columns and beams. When the load is put to a material in a form of a beam, column, frame, pad or floor the structural material may be affected in the following ways: Stretch called the tensile force, tend to stretch the material Compress called the compressive force , which tends to squeeze a material Shear force when the force causes one part to slide past the other force which tends to make surfaces of a material slide. Torsional force causes the member to twist If the load is not distributed this can result in the beam could form cracks and collapse due to the load it is receiving this works in vise versa if the beam is being crushed for example the building could encounter an earth quake and the beam is being crushed the beam needs to withstand this to help keep the structure of the building; so therefore tests are made up such as a crushing test this is at the stage where the concrete is being made/ produced (mixing/curing), the concrete is mixed and cured (curing can take weeks) depending on the ratio used in the mix, the crushing test is the mix is set into cubes and at different curing stages, each cube is put under a load at which could be put on the multi-storey structure, once the results of each cube are collected the results are analysed and then a decision is made in which grade of concrete to work with for the build, the formula for the test is: These tests are made to find of the: Shear forces Bending moment Deflected shape Reactions at supports As you can see from the example I have given as time goes on the crunching load has increased, this shows that the concrete cube has become more diverse in strength by every week, from these crushing loads the different concrete grade can be used at different points in in construction. Stress is derived by dividing the load applied by the cross-sectional area of the member Stress (f) = Load/ Area = W/A= N/mm2 Strain is measured by dividing the change in length by the original length Strain = change in length Original length The purpose of beams, columns, frames, pads and floors are to: Resist loads imposed upon it. Transfer loads to the foundation. Provide vertical and lateral stability to the structure. Resist bending. A  Beam  is a horizontal structural member resting on  two  or more supports. Beams can be in many forms such as: Simply  supported   where the beam is resting on two supports. Fixed where the ends firmly built in and do not move Cantilever   where one is   firmly built in at one end and the other end is free Continuous   where the beam is resting on three or more supports. A  Column  is a vertical structural member used in the construction industry to transmit  imposed loads  to other members or to the foundation. Compression, Tension and Shear   When the force on a structural member stretches called the tensile force tends to stretch the material. When a force squashes or compresses the member, this is called compressive force , which tends to squeeze the material When the force causes one part to slide past the other force which tends to make surfaces of a material slide. This is called a shear force Bending, Buckling and Deflection this is most common in columns, columns are mostly made of concrete or steel due to their strength properties, timber may also be used but if a large load it put on the Colum buckling could occur (bend sideways).   A beam could be affected by defection if a large load is put on it, the beam could be made of either steel or timber.   A  bending moment  is occurs when the material resists a force this occurs with beams. concrete is a mixture of cement, fine aggregate, course aggregate and water when these are mixed at a good ratio to each other when set it will form a hard solid mass or artificial stone, there is a rule which is used in construction the greater the proportion of cement, the stronger strength of the aggregate , but the water content in the cement is important this process happens in curing the cement over a couple of weeks, as there is more water the cement may not be able to be at its full strength, due to the strength, workability and density of concrete it can be easily made and humans have the ability to create concrete with very specific properties, therefore this material is used allot in design and construction where the manufacture produces a mix when set concrete produced will have desired properties needed. The multi-storey building is made of concrete would consist of: Slabs Columns Shear walls Foundations Reinforced concrete suspended floors Ribbed floors Hollow pot floors Beams Precast concrete floors Concrete is easy to maintain, the first and up most important thing to do is to allow proper curing of the mix as this will allow maximum design characteristics of the concrete mix to be achieved, the concrete when set can be covered in a water resistance paint this will protect the set concrete from water as water is concretes worst enemy; if water sits on the concrete this can stain the surface, allow cracks to form and mold spores to develop making the concrete slippery, this could cause major defects in the construction itself,  the most important thing is to look at temperature when dealing with concrete as concrete can expand and contract, which can force cracking and leave the concrete exposed to increased water intrusion so if crakes do occur these should be filled in and dealt with straight away. Concrete helps to minimise the amount of energy that a building consumes and ensure that the building maintains a level of thermal comfort that is appropriate for its occupants. C oncrete helps buildings to achieve this, as a heavyweight material, concrete acts as a store (or buffer) during the heating season by utilising free heat gains, concrete can It can only be renewed if it is crushed down and grinned into sand. Steel is made up of alloy of iron and carbon, steel can be very useful to the industry of construction, it is used from protective shoes to large beams to small nails, the material is so versatile due to its melting and strengths properties but yet it is lightweight for easy handling this means economical shipping. Precise measurements can be taken meaning very precise cuts of steel can be made so less wastage is made, steel acts as Great protection against the worst weather conditions, Installation is fast and simple, Steel is also recyclable so it is environmentally friendly the steel can be easily malted down and re used for another purpose, to maintain steel it would need to be cleaned regularly and checked for any defeats, when using steel in construction it is important to take in account energy efficiency; if a whole home was built of steel it would be less energy efficient than a wooden house, insulation would be needed to keep in heat this is because metal transfers heat to a colder area more quickly than wood sometimes up to 400 times more rapidly steel studs can create a thermal bridge to the outside of the house, to stop this when the house is being constructed the steel can be warped in insulating board this would help to keep in heat and reduce the thermal bridge, but also one adv antage of steel is the fact that steel can be recycled with ease it can be melted down with not a lot of hassle and the steel can be used to make other things. The sustainability of steel is very good as this material allows, rapid construction on site (therefore reducing site activity) and disruption to neighbors, steel can be precut and delivered in so a system called just-in-time can be used this will reduce site congestion, steel structures are inherently adaptable and extendable, and also steel is multi-cyclable, being 100% recyclable without down cycling. Steel is located in the ground so it would need to be dug out to be used as it is made of carbon and iron, When it is all finished there will be no more. That is why recycling steel is so important. Steel is widely used in construction, due to its properties it is used for mostly columns frames , these would be made of entirely of steel; this is good as steel is very strong but when a load is but on steel from both ends such as a column the column could compress and buckling effect could happen, also if the load is great enough column could break (snap) .  

Should It Be Legal :: essays research papers

Should it be Legal?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1978 the state legislator of New Mexico made a law allowing physicians to prescribe marijuana to patients suffering from nausea caused by chemotherapy, much of this due to the efforts of a cancer patient by the name of Lynn Pierson. The Federal government modified the law to make it comply with IND regulations requiring a research program. The FDA also demanded many studies and required the doctors to fill out many pages of forms for every patient and documenting their progress, slowing the process to a stand still. This process of getting marijuana to the patients was taking so long that New Mexico officials considered using confiscated marijuana from the state highway patrol. In August of 1978 Lynn Pierson, who worked so hard for the legalization of marijuana, died of cancer without ever receiving legal marijuana. A few weeks later the Federal Government suspended the marijuana program. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics reasons for making marijuana illegal were that it was highly addictive and caused violent crimes. Today neither of those reasons has been backed by much data and many experts believe the opposite. According to the National Household Survey on drug abuse, more than 76 million Americans admit to trying marijuana. Along with those who value marijuana: for recreational reasons, many doctors say that it has medicinal uses as well. The government should look at these facts and consider the legalization of marijuana.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many arguments against the legalization of marijuana. One commonly held view is marijuana is â€Å"gateway drug† or a drug that opens the door for harder drug use such as cocaine or heroin. The Institute of Medicine disagrees, and in their 1999 report they explained that marijuana has been mistaken for a â€Å"gateway drug† in the past because patterns in adolescence drug use is strikingly regular. Because it is the most commonly used illicit drug, it is likely that it is the first illegal drug that people try. Most drug users begin with alcohol and nicotine, before they use marijuana (Joy 32).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another complaint about marijuana is that it is a dangerous drug that causes permanent brain damage. Dr. Iversen of Oxford University says, â€Å"Cannabis does not cause structural damage to the brains of animals as some reports had claimed, nor is there evidence of long-term damage to the human brain or other than slight residual impairments in cognitive function after drug use is stopped (Woolf 24).

Chronic Illness Research Paper

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome is an X-linked recessive immunodeficiency disorder usually inherited by males from their mother. This syndrome involves both T- and B-lymphocytes characterized in one third of patients by the triad of recurrent bacterial sinopulmonary infections, eczema (atopiclike dermatitis), and a bleeding diathesis caused by thrombocytopenia and platelet dysfunction.The characteristic triad of bleeding, eczema, and recurrent infections in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome generally become evident during the first year of life, with petechiae and ecchymoses of the skin and oral mucosa and bloody diarrhea being the first clinical signs. Bone marrow transplant improves prognosis of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Investigators reported that before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, cutaneous manifestations occurred frequently, with the most common lesion being eczema similar to atopic dermatitis (71%), followed by petechiae and/or ecchymosis (58%) and cutaneous infections (17%).The c lassic triad of symptoms was seen in 46% of the boys, who were later treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The chronic underlying medical needs, the unpredictable nature of the disease, with its share of life threatening emergencies, all contribute to a stressful life for the family. These families need support from physicians, family, friends, teachers, clergy, neighbors and sometimes professional counselors to help them cope with the disease.Families living with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome are challenged by many stressors and often struggle with the imbalance it causes. Some of the stressors of WAS include variability of the disease's presentation, sudden and unexpected onset of the symptoms (infection, bleeds, malignancies and autoimmunity), the lack of consensus in the medical community on how best to treat WAS, and the incurable nature of the syndrome without bone marrow transplantation that in itself carries significant risk of serious side effects including death .They also struggle with the potentiality that their child's symptoms may increase or worsen with age, and, because of the rarity of the syndrome, families are often dealing with a disease that is not well understood and specialists that are often hard to find. These types of acute and prolonged stressors naturally challenge the safety and predictability within the family system and also the emotional stability of all members within including the child affected with WAS as he ages. Although each family is unique and each family member is different in the ways in which he or she esponds to the stress and trauma associated with WAS, many experience moderate to profound grief, anxiety and or depression. Some experience hyper-vigilance, avoidance of situations or places reminiscent of traumatic events associated with WAS, have nightmares or recurring intrusive traumatic thoughts or images associated with the trauma and or isolation. While others may experience panic attacks, sleep distu rbances, eating disorders, ADHD-like symptoms, under performance at work or school and or symptoms of oppositional defiance.Management of infection includes antibiotics and possibly intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG). The decision to use prophylactic antibiotics and/or IVIG is made case-by-case, based on incidence and severity of infection in the individual patient. Postsplenectomy, prophylactic antibiotics are mandatory, although the patients who undergo splenectomy remain at considerable risk for overwhelming sepsis despite of prophylaxis. The nurse must teach that immunization is mandatory.Varicella-zoster immune globulin is administered within 48 hours if possible, although it may be effective until 96 hours post exposure. To manage acute bleeding the nurse’s role is to administer platelet transfusions and packed erythrocytes. The nurse must also insure that she and the healthcare team are minimizing exposure to allogeneic cells in the patient for whom stem cell reconsti tution is planned is important because such exposure increases graft rejection rates.The nurse must teach the parents how to manage symptoms of eczema at home along with an oral antiviral that the child will be receiving. Parents are taught to treat eczema with conventional topical moisturizing creams and topical steroids. Nurses also advise that milk and other potential food allergens may be eliminated from the diet on a trial basis to observe for improvement. Clinical services provided for the family and child coping with Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome include, groups such as the Wiskott Adlrich Foundation.This foundation is awarded grants to help unraveling the mysteries of WAS, explore avenues for improved cures and find ways to improve the quality of life for those who are impacted by WAS. Resources provided in the U. S. include financial assistance, fundraising assistance, housing-travel and medication, wish granting organizations, and educational scholarships. These assistive progr ams provide the family with detailed information about their disease, and financial supports to cope with the stresses that come with treating and the management of WAS.When dealing with WAS the family is taught that nothing is more important to the health of a child with WAS than warding off potential infections. Basic precautions including: keep the child away from crowds, dirty environments and sick people; use protective face masks at the recommendation of the child’s doctor; following a strict hand washing regimen for the child, family, and visitors. These actions are taken because the child’s body does not have healthy B cells that produce antibodies against infection, they may also need regular infusions of the antibody immunoglobin.Works Cited Boztug, K. (n. d. ). Stem-cell gene therapy for the wiscott-aldrich syndrome. (2010). The NewEngland Journal of Medicine, Retrieved from http://www. nejm. org Schwartz, R. (n. d. ). Pediatric wiskott-adrich syndrome. (201 3). MedScape Reference, Retrieved from http://emedicine. medscape. com/article/ Brickwall, P. , & Katz, D. (n. d. ). Wiskott-aldrich syndrome: current research concepts. (2001). Wiley Online Library, 101(4), 603-608. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com

Negative Effect Of Nuclear Family Essay

The nuclear family is a term used to define a family group consisting of aheterosexual pair of adults; wife and husband, and their children. It can also be known as a ‘beanpole family’ and it can be, especially in middle-class families, child-centered; child-centered is defined as being actively involved by spending lots of time together as the child’s needs and wishes are the most important thing. Only 17% of families in the UK are nuclear families, and this statistic is on the decrease as it is more so a norm in the 21st century to cohabit (an unmarried couple living together and having a sexual relationship).In 2012 there were 18.2 million families in the UK. Of these, 12.2 million consisted of a married couple with or without children. It is in fact 50% of people in the UK who cohabit and the number of opposite sex cohabiting couple families has increased significantly, from 1.5 million in 1996 to 2.9 million in 2012. However, there are other types of families: extended family, unconventional families; single parent families, homosexual families and reconstituted families; step families. Single parent families and step families usually occur after ‘irretrievable breakdown’ of marriage, resulting in divorce. However, it could be that a martial partner or partner has died or left unexpectedly, and after this a new intimate relationship is formed and the couple is likely to procreate. Other characteristics of a nuclear family are: parents having high-paid or good occupations, living away from other family members; independent or privatised; they keep in contact with family via phone and mainly see family on special occasions, e.g. Christmas, Easter, marriages, funerals, and christenings. Despite this, the husband is actively involved in raising the children; ‘new dad’ and they are influenced by the media to be a ‘good father’ and perhaps their peers who are of t he same age as them. Also, they are likely to be called the ‘new man’, a term used to identify men who believe in equality, do house-work, spend time with family and children and do not use any offensive sexist language. There are five theories by sociologist that either support or resent nuclear families. The theories that resent nuclear families are: Marxist and feminist; the nuclear family is not a perfect family. The theories that support nuclear families are: functionalist, post-modern and new right; the nuclear family is the best type of family. Feminists believe: that the failures or ills of family life are due to men, in the family there is gender inequality as it has been proven that women do 3 times more house work than men, women are more likely to be victims of domestic abuse from males, children are more likely to be abused by men rather than women, 80% of divorce is women divorcing men, males are more likely to have addictions (drugs or alcohol or gambling) and men are more lik ely to have a career rather than have a strong focus on the children or housework. In contradiction to this, about two in five of all victims of domestic violence are men; and this is on the increase. However, men do not report domestic abuse from their partners because they are ashamed or embarrassed. Also in favor of men, it is apparent that all men are different, the research and statistics are a generalisation; perhaps not completely reliable. In addition to this, recently there has been an increase in female dominated families;matriarchy. Catherine Hakim (1996) suggests that feminists under-estimate women’s ability to make rational choices. It is not patriarchy (male domination) or men that are responsible for the position of women in families. She argues that women choose to give more commitment to family and children, and consequently they have less commitment to work than men have. Ann Oakleyargues that gender role socialisation is responsible for sexual division of labor. She also argues that there is still an expectation for women to take on the housewife and mother role. Because of this, it is more difficult for women to pursue careers as men do. Oakley also claims that employers expect women to play the role of housewife rather than pursue a career. This patriarchal ideology is justified by men through claims that women are more suited to caring roles because of their maternal instinct. However, Sue Sharpe said that not all women take on caring roles because of their socialisation. They may react against their socialisation, or pursue a career. Charlie Lewis (1980s) stated that fathers are playing a bigger role; they a more committed. Adrianna Burgess agrees with Charlie Lewis. He is a part of the ‘father institute’, a charity that supports fatherhood. A sociologist who wanted major changes was Charlotte Gilman. Gilman called herself a humanist and believed the domestic environment oppressed women through the patriarchal (male dominate d) beliefs upheld by society. She argued that male aggressiveness and maternal roles for women were artificial and no longer necessary for survival in post-prehistoric times. She wrote, â€Å"There is no female mind. The brain is not an organ of sex. Might as well speak of a female liver.† She also argued that women’s contributions to civilization, throughout history, have been stopped because of an androcentric (focus on male) culture. A Marxist view on the nuclear family looks at inequality. Similar to feminism, a Marxist approach to the nuclear family is cynical. A psychiatrist, David Cooper was critical of the nuclear family, and parents; they brought up children incorrectly, leading corruption! His views and research is clearly expressed in ‘The death of a family.’ He has certain beliefs about disciplining children; he believe that parents are obsessed with discipline; ‘control freaks’; children ‘cannot breathe’ and this it is not acceptable; parents should be liberal. He also thinks that this obsession is due to the past where parents were allowed to physically punish their children; violence and hitting. Rd Laing believes that the nuclear family is the cause of a person’s unhappiness; it should take full responsibility for depression or mental illness. It is in fact 50% of adults in Britain are depressedand about eight percent of children and adolescents suffer from depression.More specifically, he states that schizophrenia occurs due to the family. However, it may be un-noticed as mental illness is usually hidden. Edmund Leach; ‘A runaway world’ 1967. He believes that the nuclear family is isolated due to distant relationships with peers, and other family, which is caused by the location in which you live and the occupation you possess. The nuclear family should be outward looking, and it is not, it is inward looking. There should be support from other family members regardless of the situation as, apparently the nuclear family can’t cope with the stresses and strains of modern day society. In contradiction to the beliefs of the above Marxist sociologists: the family, or within primary socialisation play an imperative in teaching their children discipline and self-discipline, which is vital for future employment. It is therefore inevitable! With regards to the believes of Rd Laing, it has been known that when diagnosing mental disorders or illnesses, other factors are present. In addition to this, every individual deals with stress differently, so by assuming that the nuclear family can’t cope with stress isn’t compatible with every family. Divorce is also more likely to occur in the nuclear family, in comparison to the extended family. The functionalist view on the nuclear family is optimistic. They believe that the nuclear family is the norm in modern industrial societies, and it has major functions that contribute to the well-being of society: the family is the primary agent of socialisation; teaching norms and values; the family is central in creating consensus and order. Parsons (1955) argued that families are ‘personality factories’, producing children who have a strong sense of belonging to society. Talcott Parsons believes that the nuclear family provides key functions for society by learning morals, norms and values; primary socialisation, and it provides stability for children. It is described to be universal and functional. Parsons also argued that the family functions to relief the stress of modern day life. It can be known as the ‘warm-bath’ theory, in that the family provides a relaxing environment for the male worker to immerse himself after a hard day. Children or adolescences in nuclear families are unlikely to engage in crime, recr eational drugs, anti-social behavior, and violence. It is only a small minority who engage in this acts; majority have been successful indoctrinated to be a good citizen. Also, Children or adolescences do better in education, exam results, universities, health and career, in a nuclear family. Children in nuclear families are likely to achieve (academically, better health and career), whereas children in single-parent families have lower academic performance, are more susceptible to peer pressure to engage in deviant behavior, have higher dropout rates from high school, and have greater social and psychological problems.However, Kellaghan and this colleagues (1993) conclude that family social status or cultural background don’t determine a child’s achievement at school. They propose that for academic success, it is what parents do in the home, and not children’s family background, that is significant. Similarly, Sam Redding (1999) indicates that in relation to academic outcomes, the potential limitations associated with poor economic circumstances can be overcome by parents who provide stimulating, supportive, and language-rich experiences for their children. The criticisms of the functionalists perspective of the nuclear family is that: there thinking suggests that all members of the nuclear family are underpinned by biology, functionalist’s analysis on the nuclear family tend to be based on the middle-class; they don’t consider other influences such as wealth, social class or ethnicity and the harmonic view from functionalists on family tends to exclude social problems such as increases in divorce rate, child abuse and domestic violence. Ronald Fletcher, ‘shaking the foundation’ (1988) is also in favor of the nuclear family. He argues that people expect more out of marriage and family life than they used to. Couples are no longer prepared to be part of ‘empty-shell marriages’ (marriage without the partners being in love). Therefore divorce is becoming more popular; re-marriage is more successful and procreation is likely. Robert Chester; ‘the rise of the neo-conventional family’ (1985). He believes that the nuclear family has a positive impact on life; 80% of people will live in a nuclear family in sometime in their lives and 80% of people will get married- most people are also likely to become parents. He contends that the neo-conventional family that is characterized by joint conjugal roles and greater sexual equality has replaced it. Chester argues that the statistics only reflect one stage in a person’s life and the ultimately the majority of people will get married, have children and stay in this relationship. New right or traditionalists believe that the nuclear family is the best type of family to live in and that everyone should live in this type of family, on the assumption that, it is on a permanent basis. A relevant example of the New Right approach to the family can be seen in the view that there exists and under-class of criminals, unmarried mothers and idle young men who are responsible for rising crime. It is argued that this under-class is welfare-dependent, and that adolescence girls are deliberately getting pregnant in order to obtain council housing or state benefits. To hinder things further, this under-class is socializing its children into a culture revolving around crime, anti-authority, anti-world and anti-family values. The New right thinkers believe that there has been a significant amount of damage inflicted upon the nuclear family by, for instance, government policies. For example, they claim that government have encouraged mothers to get back to work, but this has resulted in maternal deprivation; lack of love resulting in psychological damage. There have been few taxes or benefits to encourage mothers to stay at home. The New Right argues that commitment to marriage has been weakened by divorce being made easier and single-parent families have been encouraged by welfare policies. It is apparently, more likely for those who are married and have children to stay together, which enables stability for children; children should only be brought up in the marriage by its heterosexual parents, both should be equal. The New right completely looks down upon divorce as in a unconventional family, children do not do as well, in terms of health, education, career etc. The New Right also perceives homosexuality as the symbol of moral decline, ‘unnatural’ and deviant. Many ‘New Right’ thinkers see the 1960s and early 1970s as the beginning of an attack upon the nuclear family; traditional family values. Specifically, the introduction of the contraceptive pill and the legislation of abortion in the 1960s have been associated with the family decline. The sexual freedom women experienced due to these changes apparently lessened their commitment to the family and equal pay and equal opportunities drifted women away from their roles as ‘natural’ mothers. Also, the 1969 Divorce Reform Act was seen as undermining commitment to marriage. Charles Murray (1989). Murray sees the traditional family to be under threat and Murray made this link to the idea of this ‘culture of dependency’. The ‘culture of dependency’ is the idea of people living off benefits rather than working for money. Patricia Morgan’s ‘Farewell to the family’ states that government policy has directly and indirectly contributed to the growth of the mother/child household. While looking to the needs of sole parent families, governments have overlooked or ignored the needs of intact families. Morgan states that the arrival of feminist advisers into governments has radically changed the way government benefits are d istributed. The burden of taxation has increasingly been shifted onto married parents to the benefit of the single and the childless. As a result, lone parents can end up with higher final incomes from any given wage than two-parent families. Also, more mothers are tempted into the workplace, and more children are pushed into day care, in order for traditional families to stay afloat economically. To contradict the beliefs of the New Right are: that the traditional nuclear family is still central to government plans; ‘key ministers have stated that children are best brought up by married natural parents’ andnew rights or legislation for children and women are aimed to strengthen the nuclear family as a whole, rather than weaken it! A post-modernist view on the family is more neutral; all families can face difficulties; any family can be unsuccessful or successful. Post modernists suggest that in the post modern era there is a wide variety of family arrangements people can choose from – nuclear, extended, reconstituted, cohabitation etc. They claim that not one type dominates and that family arrangements are diverse and fluid. Post modernists see such flexibility as a positive thing. Judith Stacey for instance, suggests that a single individual will experience a variety of family structures throughout their life span. Post-modernists argue that the post-modern family life is characterised by diversity, variation and instability. For example, women no longer aspire to romantic love, marriage and children. Cohabitation, single-sex relationships, economic dependence, pre-marital sex and childlessness are now accepted alternative lifestyles. Men’s role(s) are no longer clear, which has, apparently led them to redefining both their sexuality and family commitments. Others disagree with this view; they believe that the basic features of the family have remained identical to the 1950s. Also, the increase in single-parent families and reconstituted families indicate that there is a slow drift away from the nuclear family. Pakulskic and Waters (1996) believe that class can be seen as just one, not very important, division in society along with ethnicity, gender, age, disability, etc. They offer a number of explanations for ‘the death of class’. The development of welfare states and the institutionalization of class conflict have reduced the direct impact of class relationships. Property has increasingly moved from private hands to being owned by organisations and the division of labour has become more complex. Moreover, increasing affluence for the majority has meant that most people are able to choose what they consume and therefore they are able to create their identities. Class background no longer restricts people’s opportunities, confining them to a particular pattern of life and range of experiences. Judith Stacey argues that the greater choice for women gives them the ability to break out of there patriarchal oppression and shape their families to their needs. Therefore, women are the main agents of family change, by changing their role. For example, many reject the traditional house-wife mother role for a career or higher qualifications. Jeffery Weeks; growing acceptance of diversity. Weeks identified that there are shifts in attitudes since the 1950s. The shifts in attitudes are: sexual morality is mostly a matter of personal choice, Church and state have lost the potency to influence morality and there are favourable attitudes to homosexuality and cohabitation. However, despite these changes in attitudes Weeks states that family patterns are not changing; most people want marriage, children are mostly still brought up by couples and many people who divorce get re-married. To contradict this, the New Right and functionalists would disagree and say that the patriarchal nuclear family is the best family as it meets the needs of society. To conclude, I believe that the nuclear family can have a negative impact on its members, which feminist would agree. However, all types of families, e.g. reconstituted family can have a negative impact on its members also. But, the nuclear family is seen to be the traditional family which people have been living in for centuries, so it can therefore be suggested that the changes in society have negatively affected the nuclear family, e.g. equality legislation, and therefore promoted, discreetly, alternative families.