Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essays - Health, RTT, Medicine, Personal Life

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome On any given day in the United States... 10,657 babies are born. (US Census Bureau). Twenty of these babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Twenty may seem as though it is not a lot, but when you compare it to the fact that this number is more than HIV positive, Muscular Dystrophy, Spina Bifida and Down Syndrome combine it creates a whole new parameter. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a direct result of a woman's competed disregard for the fetus. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS, hereinafter), is a series of both mental and physical birth defects that can include, but are not limited to, mental retardation, deficiencies in growth, central nervous system dysfunction, behavioral maladjustments, and craniofacial abnormalities. It is common knowledge not to smoke or drink during pregnancy. Growth abnormalities can be significant and also includes all three of the following respects of growth: weight, length and head circumference. Most of the time the baby's growth abnormalities are so severe they need to be hospitalized because of obvious failure to survive. A baby with craniofacial abnormalities can be recognized by their eyes in that they are small with exaggerated inner epicanthic folds. (Health Visitor Nov. 1981) The bridge of the nose is normally poorly developed. The ears are often large and simple in form. (Midwives Chronicle and Nursing notes) At first, when the baby is delivered, the affected infant shows signs of alcohol withdrawal; with signs that are much similar to delirium tremens in adults. They are often anxious, have a weak grasp, poor hand-to-eye coordination and consistent difficulty in feeding and sucking. People can not blame the mother's for the most part though. It is a common ignorance among the health care providers. Most health care providers are untrained and unfamiliar with substance abuse issues among pregnant women. FAS is widely misdiagnosed and or under diagnosed. Only ten percent of medical schools require students to complete a course on the proper diagnosis of individuals with alcohol and other drug addictions. Many women do not receive proper pre-natal care, and a study performed by a National Center for Health Statistics found that doctors appear less likely to tell a pregnant black woman to quit drinking and or smoking than they would be to a white woman. (The New York Times, January 19, 1994) As mentioned above, a baby with FAS can suffer from many different birth abnormalities. These disabilities will indeed last a lifetime. There is no amount of alcohol found to be safe to consume during pregnancy. FAS is, however, 100% preventable when a woman abstains from alcohol. FAS is the leading known cause of mental retardation. Approximately, one out of 750 live birth are born each year with FAS. (The Journal of American Medical Association, 1991) Thirty to 40% of the mothers who drink "heavily" throughout pregnancy have the syndrome. FAS is not limited to any one group, race, culture, or socio-economic background. Between one-third and two-thirds of children in special education have been affected by alcohol in some way. (The Journal of American Medical Association, 1991) Comparison of children and adults with FAS shows that with the approach to adolescence, the specific craniofacial features are not as noticeable as they are in infancy. Average academic functioning of these children and adults does not seem to develop beyond early school grade level. The short stature and small head (micro cephalic), seem to be permanent. The most noticeable behavioral problems were found to be with comprehension, judgment, and attention skills, causing these adults born with FAS to experience major psychological and adjustment problems for the rest of their lives. Numerous studies with animals, of experimental alcoholism, where nutritional status has been well controlled, have shown that the damage to the developing fetus, such as low birth rate CNS ( Central Nervous System) impairment, etc. are caused by the direct consequence of the effects of alcohol. In addition, some of these studies have shown a clear continuum effect; the higher the blood alcohol of the mother, the greater the damage to the developing fetus. Even though the direct connection between alcohol intake and birth defects is now indisputable, there are other etiological factors associated with maternal drinking that must also be considered as contributing factors in an adverse pregnancy outcome. The most important of these secondary factors is alcohol related malnutrition, as nutritional deficiencies occur frequently with alcohol intake due to reduced appetite. Alcohol-induced zinc depletion is particularly well documented. This has shown a positive correlation with reduced zinc status and low birth weight and fetal malformations, suggesting that inadequate zinc

THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY essays

THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY essays Im a flake. Make plans with me at your own risk because Ill inevitably let you down. You can count on me arriving no less than fifteen minutes late to meet you but that is, of course, if I show up at all. I do this because I am inconsiderate and dont appreciate you or your time. If you count on me to be somewhere at a specific time, Ill fuck it up and ruin your whole day. You may think Im exaggerating for dramatic effect, but consider yourself sufficiently warned. All of this may sound hard for you to believe I know it shocked the hell out of me when I heard it. It never occurred to me that I had this reputation or that for the members of my family, it was a long and widely held belief. Not because it wasnt like them to talk behind my back after all, Ive been a member of the Gillis family for 27 years and know thats how we operate. No, I just thought I was boring and my life too uneventful to have cultivated an M.O. To be honest, I didnt think they had enough raw materials to work with. Sure, I spent the better part of my teenage years holed up in my bedroom listening to Nina Simone and Joy Division, venturing out only to eat and go to school, but was that so uncommon? Maybe, but since I had no friends at the time, how was I to know? Although I was deeply committed to my sullen, agoraphobic way of life, I eventually grew out of that phase and went on to make friends and have boyfriends, therefore established myself as more normal, whatever that means. I thought I was living under their radar, but looking back now, I shouldve known b etter. I am the second youngest child in a family of seven kids and like many large families; we Gilliss adhere to the rules and norms of our own particular hierarchal social structure. I realized pretty early on that in order to establish and maintain my position in our organization, I had to learn...

Stress in American Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stress in American Society - Essay Example They are simply mirroring their parents' struggle for cars, boats, and bigger houses. Still, there is little compassion for the overloaded 15 year old. Stress is expected. Time is money. Americans too readily sacrifice quality family time in an effort to generate the success they need to buy their family quality things. If America really wants to pay more than just intellectual homage and lip service to the concept of 'family first' then they must take a good hard look at their real system of values. The postmodern world of technology has made American teenagers the most stressed out and overloaded generation in history. Students are groomed for success in a competitive world with everything from school to extra-curricular activities, and "staying up all night to finish routine assignments, to agonizing over falling grades because jobs crowd out homework" (Shellenbarger1). When work takes priority over grades, it brings on an additional source of stress. A recent study reported that the number of hours a student works is directly related to their "emotional exhaustion and psychological strain" (de man, Harvey, Ward, and Benoit 248). These tensions are a reflection of the seventy percent of parents who don't have time for their children, and the untold children who don't have time for their parents. ... in a hectic schedule, peers into the future and predicts, "We're moving fast as it is, and you know our kids are going to be moving even faster" (Shellenbarger 2). These children naively look to jobs and technology to save them, as if the problem will also provide the solution (Shellenbarger2). One 16-year-old boy is already plotting his future, isolated from his family, where they respect him for his money and little else (Shellenbarger2). Other than being wealthy the teen doesn't know what he wants to be. These are the children that America is producing in its rush to compete and produce. These are the children that are bombarded by a pop culture that idolizes wealth and has disdain for the real and mundane. These are the children that are raised by a generation of parents where average is not an option and failure is for losers. The solution to this national madness will only be accepted when America takes an honest inventory of their needs, and makes a real commitment to 'family values'. There is plenty of support for altering our schedules, slowing down, and making a decision whether to keep the BMW or the family. High school students overwhelmingly want to spend more time with their children than their parents did (Shellenbarger3). Parents need to reassess their priorities and make more time and 'mental space' for their children. It requires more than simply being present, and may not involve a super-sacrifice of time. Parents need to provide "a variety of behaviours that the child values: for example, closeness, warmth and being ready to defend the child's interests" (Lewis 297). This is not merely quantity time, but is the quality time that has been a time-honored goal of all parents. Students and institutions need to make a realistic evaluation of what is

Future of Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Future of Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Future of Fashion" concerns the fashion's future. The visual physical contact will determine to a large extent whether the costumer will like the product or not. The place therefore is very essential because it is where the actual sale occurs. The place of the retailing activity – the Store – has its evolution: from the retailer’s house, to a small stall without a roof on a busy street; to a structure with a roof in an open plaza or space, to a big store in a big building, to a shop inside a building with other smaller shops, and to a group of many big stores all housed under a large structure or venue. A store’s size may be small, medium or big. It may only have a table where the goods are placed for sale or it may have many merchandising elements like shelves, racks, booths, kiosks, counters, cashiers, aisles, promotional materials and sales people. The shop may be a simple room or an architectural building with interior design to make it attr active for customers to come inside the store. The store therefore performs many functions other than just the place of sale; it also serves as a promotional, advertising and marketing tool. It must attract people to come inside, look at the products and make a purchase. It must give customers a good feeling and pleasant experience for them to visit again and buy. With the hectic changes and very fast-paced improvement of technology however, the significance and effectiveness of the store is slowly being threatened to the point. where it may be relegated to performing a minor or useless role. That single technology challenging the role of the store as the forefront of the retailing business is the Computer-Internet tandem. With changes in technology come also changes in the psychological and mental attitudes of people. Human beings when exposed to the capabilities of gadgets and instruments become attracted to the benefits and amenities that technology brings and they soon begin to have a lifestyle revolving around such technology. These modern tools have brought them up close to and face to face with goods and services through the internet without having to enter a store. According to Campus Market Research, 91% of US college students are online everyday and 74% prefer to buy textbooks online (Sanchez 6). Products can be seen before the monitor of a computer with colors approximating their real value; the specifications of the product may be downloaded and known; and prices from different stores may be viewed and compared. The products can be ordered and paid with credit cards through the internet itself or executed with the support of electronic peripherals like a telephone, cell-phone or fax machine. Lastly, the buyer has the luxury and comfort of having the bought items delivered to his or her doorstep without ever having to step inside a single store! One may be led to think that the Internet may cause the complete obliteration or obsolescence of the stor e. As mentioned earlier, Traditional or Conventional Retailing is done through the Store (store-retailing). It is a real place where real goods are physically located. It is a place where consumers can go to look at the goods they need and possibly buy if they want them. They can see, smell and touch the actual product; they can make real time appreciation and evaluation of the product

Causal Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Causal Argument - Essay Example Causes of Pollution As noted by the US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, pollution could be caused by either human or natural processes. In environmental pollution, air pollution has been commonly reported in industrial towns. Raven, Berg and Hassenzahl (12) categorize air pollutants into gaseous and particulate pollutants. These gaseous and particulate matters get released into the atmosphere through burning of fossil fuels including petroleum and coal. Such activities cause the release of both fine and coarse particles, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur compounds, radioactive substances and halogens. The main sources of this form of pollution are motor vehicles using either diesel or gasoline, rail roads, aircraft, agricultural burning and industrial processes among others (Awosanya, Sebiomo and Idiagi 612). According to Shafi (3), a combination of the effect of these processes results in the release of 91.0, 25.7, 30.2, 29.1 and 18.7 metric tons of carbon monoxide, particulate matte r, sulfur oxides, hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxides respectively. Pesticides have also been noted to cause a spread of ungraded ions in the air thus possibly contaminating the air. Metallurgical industries, petroleum refineries, fertilizer and chemical industries and pulp and paper mills have been noted to contribute greatly to air pollution. They produce gaseous emissions that pollute the air. Various solid and liquid wastes pollute water. Organic and mineral wastes and industrial by-products or effluents carried into water bodies cause pollution. Furthermore, pollutants emanating from agricultural fields containing phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers eventually reach water bodies. According to Shafi (4), these pollutants deoxygenate and intoxicate the water causing a lethal or sub-lethal reaction to the micro-organisms in the water. Examples of sources of water pollution include food processing industries such as canning, brewing, refineries and dairy industries, chemical plants, oil drilling wastes, blast furnace washing, rubber production factories and research laboratories among many others. Raven, Berg and Hassenzahl (405) also note that metallic wastes like zinc, lead, copper and mercury released as effluents or wastes from industries eventually reach water bodies. These not only deteriorate the quality of water but also get deposited in the bodies of the living organisms that consume the water. Additionally, sewage effluents, organic wastes and exudates promote the life of microbes that thrive on organic matter like algae, fungi, helminthes, bacteria and viruses. These are known to cause dangerous diseases in both the flora and fauna. Lastly, pollution of the soil could result from the insanitary habits of humans or disposal of semi-solid and solid wastes. The atmospheric fall-out also causes soil pollution. The current rapid urbanization has led to limited space in which solid wastes could be deposited (Shafi 6). The disposal of these wastes on land has led to toxic materials seeping deep into the soil which affects the course of ground water. Agricultural practice has seen pesticides, manures and fertilizers introduced to lad leading to chemical and biological contamination. Wastes containing micro organisms pollute soil and could cause these micro organisms to enter into the food chain and subsequently consumed by humans. Radiation could be

Teaching Creativity in Primary Schools

Teaching Creativity in Primary Schools Creativity Arts Primary â€Å"The philosophical foundation for teaching integrated arts in the primary school is based on the belief that aesthetic and creative education is the entitlement of every child and that the nature and quality of the provisions determines the distinctiveness of cultural life and academic performance in school.†(Bloomfield,2000,pg1). For this essay I am going to be talking about why teaching creativity in the arts in primary school is an essential part of children’s learning and what children gain from the lessons. I will be reflecting on my own learning experiences in this module as I feel this justifies why creative arts should be taught. I will be explaining how I can use what I have learnt, from this module, in school and talk about the creative lessons I have planned for in school. â€Å"Children’s natural enthusiasm for the arts, as major and valid sources of knowledge, is nurtured from the first day at school and their motivation and commitment is maintained throughout their primary years.† (Bloomfield,2000,pg1). Creative arts is an essential part of school life as it includes practical engagement of all children as they learn how to paint, compose music, write or to dance, and as they progress through the school year their knowledge of each art form deepens. When children discover social, cultural or historical aspects of the arts they are able to increase their knowledge of the topic by referring to books, articles, artefacts, CDs, recordings and videos. This also gives the children a deeper understanding of their work. (Bloomfield,2000). Creative arts also develop the use of children’s imagination, the way that they respond to their own life experiences and the way they express and communicate their ideas. This can also help their physical development which includes performing confidently, imaginably and good use of space for themselves and others while performing. (Moyles,2002). Creative arts also involves children with different learning needs, audio, visual and kinaesthetic. The lessons are designed to include all children and allow children to achieve their goals. Each creative area helps develop different skills for learning. I am going to talk about how drama, music and art can aid children’s learning in school. â€Å"Art and design stimulates creativity and imagination. It provides visual tactile and sensory experiences and a unique way of understanding the world.†(DfEE,1999,pg116). Art artefacts can be found anywhere, all that is needed is imagination to use these artefacts effectively and this can then bring any classroom activity to life. All artefacts that are found can be used to teach the programmes of study in the National Curriculum. â€Å"Art is fashioned from world resources, and the natural environment has provided the stimulus for wide ranging art activities both as the stimulus for the design and in the way in which the properties of its material has determined the form of the art object†. (Bloomfield,2000,pg88). During art sessions children acquire a range of skills which include visual and manual skills, skills to use a wide range of materials and media and problem solving skills. These skills then enable children to formulate their ideas and use materials and artefacts to create their own artefacts in 2D and 3D form. The use of these skills enhance children’s practical knowledge of art making. Children become critically aware during art sessions. They are able to discuss and write about their experiences of art making and develop a metalanguage to discuss their experiences of visual art and design. (Bloomfield,2000). â€Å"Children build up their powers of discussion; they incorporate a vocabulary that has meaning for them from their own creative participation as well as in critical discussion.† (Moyles,2002,pg40). During a school topic where art is a key focus it is essential to present children’s work either in a portfolio or a class display as this allows the class to reflect on the work they have produced and the value of the process and allows children to comment constructively on each others work. (Bloomfield,2000). â€Å"Music is a powerful, unique form of communication that can change the way pupils feel, think and act. It brings together intellect and feeling and enables personal expression, reflection and emotional development.† (DfEE,1999,pg122). Music sessions in school provide vital skills for children to progress through their primary and secondary years. Music lessons enhance children’s listening skills. â€Å"Listening is fundamental both in forms of the sounds independently produced and also the collective responses of groups.† Music also enhances group work as it aids inclusion because children, whatever their background or aptitude, have the ability to express themselves successfully in the classroom. Mutual respect and self-discipline is acquired during these sessions as children develop good relationships with each other. (Bloomfield,2000). â€Å"Participation in music and its integration with other art forms provides a rich social environment for children. Performance and presentational work develops a close working relationship within the peer group.† (Bloomfield,2000,pg76). Music is also looked at as a form of communication. Many professional song writers write songs to deploy meaning and get messages out to the greater world. Musical understanding through singing songs helps children use their voices in an eloquent and effective manner. Children in school are encouraged to adapt music as a form of communication asmusic offers a unique mode of experience where children can receive and express ideas and feelings. This also encourages children to use descriptive language to describe why they have chosen a particular sound to represent their emotions mood or feelings. Music also develops children’s speech as children with musical training have a greater capability to process all sounds, including speech. (Bloomfield,2000). â€Å"ICT is a powerful and necessary tool for the children which both enhances and informs their music, whether as creators, performers, or as investigators.† (Bloomfield,2000,pg87). Children can use music to find out about the world. There are many links that can be made with music and the celebration of diversity. Children can be encouraged to make music CDs to share with different schools in different communities and countries. Music which the children relate to or which is related to the topic may create different feelings. These feelings can be compared within the group or between different schools. As with music there is no right or wrong answer and it would be interesting to see how other people interpret their ideas and this celebrates diversity. (Bloomfield,2000). When children have recorded their piece it is possible for them to use it as backing music to a performance associated with their topic, this then uses music to enhance and intensify the other creative arts. Drama can be split into two sections, drama and dance. â€Å"Dance education provides children with an artistic language of actions which, linked with their intellectual and physical growth, is transformed into a significant and meaningful mode of communication.† (Bloomfield,2000,pg46). Dance sessions gain children techniques in coordinating movements, inventing movements, remembering movements and then transferring the movements into a dance routine. During these sessions children are encouraged to use their whole body to do this. Dance can be linked to Literacy sessions as children are â€Å"using their bodies to express metaphors and symbols through the formulation and organisation of movement patterns that capture and convey meaning.† (Bloomfield,2000,pg 45). This is also a good way to introduce poetry to children, as they are comparing themselves to something different. Children may be encouraged to show how they are feeling as dance has a semantic structure which provides the basis of how children can think, feel and express ideas through movement. Drama and dance can be used to enhance descriptive work of characters the children are portraying. Drama links with literacy development and understanding as it enables children with the pronunciation of words and recitation from stories and poems. (Bloomfield,2000). Pie Corbett believes that children should story map to remember plots in their stories. This is to help them when they are reciting stories to the class. He believes that this way helps develop a child’s memory as they only need their own interpretation of a picture to tell a story. Dance and music linked together is a way for children to express their understanding of themselves and the world as they perceive it. This can encourage children to research different dances and music from different countries of the world. When children participate in these lessons they are including themselves in the coordination of the group. Once children have been given an initial stimulus they are in control of their group. This then develops their skills in working collectively and harmoniously together because a group who can not function this way will have no hope in producing a final piece of work. Drama can be linked with music as this can provide an effective atmosphere matching the mood for a production. Art can be used to create wall displays, props and set designs for a drama production. During this module I can honestly say I have felt lost at times. The reason for this was due to my own experiences that involved creative arts at school. During art lessons I was always under the impression that I could not draw. I would always feel embarrassed about my work. The art teacher gave me no confidence in the lessons. It was a case of turning up, doing the work and then be given no constructive feedback. I took this negativity into my first art seminar. I did not feel comfortable doing the tasks that were set but I carried on. I then had a very long discussion with Catherine about my finished products. She then told me that I was concentrating on the negatives factors of my art work and I should look closely at the positives. Even though I believe she was cross with my attitude towards art, she took the time to teach me a valuable lesson. This I will never forget and I can use effectively in my own art lesson. By making me see the positives in my work I was able to achieve more because I felt confident in what I was doing. I was praised effectively but not over praised as I would have thought she was patronising me. This is the correct attitude to have in the classroom whilst teaching. Children know when they have been given false or too much praise and then the praise is not effective. â€Å"Praise can alienate pupils because every response is being judged by the praise it receives.†(Cockburn,2006,pg105). During my time in school I have planned individual drama and music lessons. For the music lesson the class was split into three groups. Each group was given a number of instruments that made sounds related to Christmas. I gave each group a starting point and this was Christmas Eve, Christmas day morning and Christmas day afternoon. I asked each group to compile a composition relating to the starting point. The children knew that this was their first draft of a composition and they would have time to â€Å"practise, rehearse and perform† ,(DfEE,1999,pg126), as the teacher was going to use my idea in further music lessons. The children had to note the pattern of their music using symbols; this was going to make it easier for them to improve the composition. The children were left in control of their own compositions as I did not want any of my own personal input involved in their work. Children are far more creative and adventurous when they are left to their own devices and the y will learn more about their work. (Bloomfield,2000). â€Å"Tell me and I forget, show me and I may remember, let me do it and I will learn.†(DfEE,1999,pg90). It is important when using the creative arts that the children have an end product to show for their work. It was therefore essential that our group was able to show off our work on the ‘Railway lines through the snow’ painting. This gave us a sense of achievement and finalised all our hard work. As a group we all developed through the module especially our concert performance. I had to listen to my peers and they had to listen to me. We had to stay harmonised and focused otherwise the concert would have been a disaster. Each member of the group had different personal strengths and we had to use each others strengths to aid our concert performance. I developed all the skills that I have spoken about which children develop during creative arts sessions and I understand if we did not have these skills we would not progress, and achieve our end goal. â€Å"The creative arts permit individual children to conceptualise and understand their strength areas to compensate or overcome weakness in other areas. It also has the impact of motivating children, sustaining their interest and improving their self-esteem. It provides in-depth study and develops all round skills.†(Bloomfield,2000,pg108). Experience in the creative arts is therefore an essential part of a child’s learning. References Bloomfield. A. (2000). Teaching Integrated Arts in the Primary School. London:David Fulton Publishers. Cockburn A. Handscomb G. (2006). Teaching children 3-11, a students guide. 2nd ed. London: Paul Chapman Publishing. DfES., (1999). The National Curriculum. London:DfES Moyes, J. (2002). Beginning Teaching:Beginning Learning in Primary Education. Second edition. Buckingham: Open University. Palmer, S.(2003) Literacy: What works? London: Nelson Thornes.

Holding Parents Accountable for Their Childrens Behavior :: essays research papers

In the past, there have been many minors who have done numerous of acts in which they are punished in a reasonable manner. Just imagine if the parents of these children were put on trail instead of the minors. Why should a parent have to suffer the consequences for their child’s mistake, in which they probably had no idea what the child was doing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to The Beaufort Gazette in Beaufort, SC, â€Å"A couple in Boise, Idaho now faces criminal charges because their 10- and 12-year old sons sexually molested three of their younger siblings, starting when one of the children was just one month old.† The report goes on to say, â€Å"Prosecutors said one girl was just 2 years old when the abuse started in October 2002. The other girl was less than 8 months old. The sexual abuse of the boy allegedly began in December 2002, when he was just one month old.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to The Idaho Statesman Newspaper in Boise, Idaho, â€Å"The parents are being charged with four counts of felonies. The first three include the connection with the allegations of sexual abuse by the boys, and the fourth charge addresses allowing a child to walk on dirty floors, in which resulted in infected cuts on the child’s feet.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This sounds more like a child neglect case rather than a connection of a child molestation case. I am not defending the couple in any way, but I feel there is no proof of them knowing about such acts going on between their children. Therefore, it will be hard to prosecute the couple on the molestation charges unless there is some type of evidence that is not being presented or considered until the trail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There was a

Value System in Nepal

What is value system? In simple way value system means the principle of right and wrong that are accepted by an individual or a social group. Values can be defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes. As such, values reflect a person’s sense of right and wrong or what â€Å"ought† to be. 40â€Å"Equal rights for all† and â€Å"People should be treated with respect and dignity† are representative of values. Values tend to influence attitudes and behavior.For example, if you value equal rights for all and you go to work for an organization that treats its managers much better than it does its workers, you may form the attitude that the company is an unfair place to work; consequently, you may not produce well or may perhaps leave the company. It is likely that if the company had had a more egalitarian policy, your attitude and behaviors would have been more positive. A value system is in essence the ordering and prioriti zation of the ethical and ideological values that an individual or society holds.While two individuals or groups may share a set of common values, they may differ in their determination of which values in that set have precedence over others. The two individuals or groups are said to have different value systems, even though they may have many values in common, if their prioritization of values differs, or if there are different exceptions they attach to these values. Groups and individuals whose differing value systems have many values in common may still wind up in conflict, ideological or physical, with each other, because of the differences in their value systems.People with differing value systems will thus disagree on the rightness or wrongness of certain actions, both in the abstract and in specific circumstances. In essence, a value system (if sufficiently well-defined) is a formalization of a moral code. The premise behind the discipline of rigorously examining value system s and the differences between them (given the provisional name ethonomics) is that an understanding of these differences in prioritization of values can lead to greater understanding about the politics (and motivations) of individuals and groups.While political discourse in recent times has frequently focused on the â€Å"values† held by the people engaging in the discourse (be they candidates, office holders, or media pundits), in reality those being compared share many (perhaps most) values in common. It is in their prioritization of those values that they differ, causing them (as a result of these different prioritizations) to come to different conclusions about what is right and wrong, and to take different actions accordingly.One example of a simple formal value system is Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, which is intended as value system (of sorts) for robots in the hypothetical future of Asimov's science fiction novels. Simply distilled, the laws stipulate that: * human life is of primary importance and value (â€Å"A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. â€Å") * orders given by human beings to robots are secondary, to be obeyed as long as they do not violate the first law (â€Å"A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. ) * a robot's own existence is of tertiary value, meaning that a robot should preserve its own life only if the other two laws have been satisfactorily complied with (â€Å"A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. â€Å") Naturally, this is a very simplistic set of values, but the idea behind formalization of value systems is that more complex value systems that apply to human society might be derived or mapped from similar principles and structures, and that conflicts between such value systems might be resolved rat ionally.Definitions Values In order to define value systems, we need to define the characteristics of values that could be represented in a value system. The values that a group or person holds may fall into several different categories. The ones that usually concern us in the area of value systems are the ethical and the ideological. * Ethical values may be thought of as those values which serve to distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong, and moral and immoral. At a societal level, these values frequently form a basis for what is permitted and what is prohibited. Ideological values deal with the broader or more abstract areas of politics, religion, economics, and social mores. In theory, the broader ideological values should derive logically as natural consequences of the particulars of fundamental ethical values and their prioritizations. But although ideally a value system ought to be consistent, quite often this is not the case. Value Systems As mentioned earlier, a va lue system is the ordering and prioritization of the ethical and ideological values that an individual or society holds.The specific prioritizations may lead to designated exceptions invoked because one value is deemed more important than another (e. g. , â€Å"lying is wrong, but lying to save someone else's life is acceptable, because human life is more valuable (more highly valued) than the principle that lying is wrong†). Regardless of whether or not value systems are formed logically, they determine for individuals and societies what actions they are likely to act and how those actions are likely to be justified (or perhaps ‘rationalized'). Characteristics of Value SystemsValue systems can be categorized along multiple axes: * They can be personal, held by an individual and applicable only to an individual, or they can be communal or societal, defined by and applying to a community or society. Communal value systems may be legal codes take on the force of law in ma ny societies. * They can be internally consistent, where the broader ideological values derive logically as natural consequences of the particulars of fundamental ethical values, and where values do not contradict each other, or they can be inconsistent.Although ideally a value system ought to be consistent, quite often this is not the case in practice. Note that valuing the consistency of a value system is itself a sort of ‘meta-value', that could be present or absent in a given value system. * They can be idealized value systems (ideal representations of an individual's or group's value prioritizations) or realized value systems (how such a value system is manifested in reality, in the actions and decisions of the individual or group).Idealized value systems tend to be absolute, in that they are codified as a strict set of proscriptions on behavior, while realized value systems contain conditional exceptions that are rules to resolve collisions between values in practical ci rcumstances. Personal vs. Communal A value system may be held by a group of people, a community or society, or it might be held by an individual. An individual person's value system might be consistent with or equivalent to the community's value system. Consistency does not imply equivalence, though.An individual's value system might even hold the person to a higher standard, and still be consistent with the community's value system. (Consistency within a value system, described below, refers to the degree to which contradictions and overt situational exceptions are absent from that value system; consistency between value systems means that any action that might be taken in one value system would not contradict the rules associated with another. ) Exceptions One way of looking at differences between value systems is to think of the exceptions to the â€Å"rules† associated with values.These could be abstract exceptions (which are generalized enough in the way they are defined to take hold in all situations) and situational exceptions (which only can be said to be applied in very specific situations). The more generalized the exception, the more useful it is in a wider context for defining a consistent value system. In general, abstract exceptions serve to reinforce the prioritization of values, e. g. : Lying is wrong, but lying to save someone else's life is acceptable, because preserving a human life is more valuable (more highly valued) than the adhering to the principle that lying is wrong.In a formal value system (idealized or realized), the default exception associated with each value is assumed to be â€Å"as long as no higher-priority value is violated†. However, this hierarchical structure may be too simplistic in practice, and explicit exceptions may need to be specified. Examples of exceptions in practice: * We may commonly agree that telling the truth is an important positive value, and that conversely deception is inherently wrong. Bu t we make both abstract and situational exceptions for circumstances where we may assert that lying is acceptable behavior.Thus lying to avoid causing another person pain as a general rule would be considered an abstract exception, while lying in a particular situation because a specific person, if lied to, might do a specific thing at a specific time would be considered a situational exception. * People may agree that stealing is wrong, but some people may believe that stealing if you are starving and want to feed yourself and your loved ones is more acceptable than stealing if you are a abitual thief who makes a living stealing from people, or if you are an already wealthy person whose greed leads you to steal from your partners, your investors, or those you do business with. Others may find nothing wrong with stealing from faceless corporations and business establishments but may frown upon stealing from individuals. Some may define certain acts to qualify as not stealing if they fit into some of these categories. * People who think that killing is wrong might make an exception for someone acting in self-defense, placing a higher value on preservation of one's own life than on the principle of â€Å"thou shalt not kill†.Someone in the military might accept the value that killing another person is wrong yet may see nothing wrong with killing someone (in self-defense or not) in the course of or following the orders of a military commander (assumed to have a valid reason for ordering the killing), placing a higher value on discipline/loyalty and â€Å"defending one's country†. Conversely, a conscientious objector might prioritize the value that killing is wrong not only over military actions but even over self-defense. Many people in the business world might include the Golden Rule (which says â€Å"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you†) in their value system, but in practice they might place higher priority on the values li ke â€Å"Every man for himself† or â€Å"Let the buyer beware†. Conversely, another person might find that prioritization morally repugnant, and accuse the businessman of being unethical (or even of a form of theft) if he sells merchandise he knows to be shoddy, or deceives those he tries to do business with. ConsistencyA value system whose exceptions are abstract, generalized enough to be used in all situations, is said to be an internally consistent value system. On the other hand, a value system whose exceptions are highly situational, or whose exceptions are inconsistently applied, is said to be an internally inconsistent. A value system's consistency (or lack thereof) does not necessarily say anything about how ‘good' or ‘evil' it is. A value system that declares that lying and murder are acceptable, that essentially endorses a ‘might makes right' morality, could be internally consistent in its approach.Likewise, an internally inconsistent value system, loaded with inconsistently applied situational exceptions, might be considered perfectly acceptable if the ‘meta-value' of consistent application of values is not part of the value system. (The paradox here is that the absence of this value in a value system makes it consistent, because there is no constraint that says it must be consistent. It could be argued that those who explicitly omit this meta-value from their value system implicit endorse consistency as a value in that act of deliberate omission. On the other hand, those who hold this value ) Idealized vs.Realized These exceptions, especially when they are implicitly rather than explicitly defined, often yield a difference between an idealized value system and the realized value system. The idealized value system is the simple listing of values (in priority order) that a person or society would purport that they employ in determining right and wrong. The realized value system is the one they actually use in day -to-day life. While people claiming to employ a particular value system might say they place more value on x than y, more often than not there are deviations from this in practice.A consistent value system A religion may list a strong set of positive values, but its adherents and even those who are leaders of the religion may stray from those in practice. Idealized value systems often list strict rules (perhaps without any prioritizing order) but do not carefully define exceptions, abstract or situational. Realized value systems, in practice, often have a number of exceptions associated with them, but they may not be explicitly defined or consistently applied. Absolutists hold to their idealized value system and claim no exceptions other than the default.Defining Values Some fundamental values that most people seem to share, at least in theory, are: * â€Å"It's wrong to hurt, to harm, or especially to kill another person. † * â€Å"It's wrong to steal from another person. à ¢â‚¬  * â€Å"It's wrong to lie. † In practice, realized examples of these values would be a good deal more complicated, with exceptions already embedded within them. * â€Å"It's wrong to hurt another person, except in self-defense to keep them from hurting you, or if it is agreed upon with the other person as a step towards a mutually acceptable greater good (e. g. a doctor giving a patient a painful injection to cure an ailment). † * â€Å"It's wrong to take something from someone in a non-consensual fashion without negotiating overtly with the other person and agreeing to a mutually satisfactory transfer or exchange. † * â€Å"It's wrong to deceive another person knowingly for your own gain. † * â€Å"It's wrong to take deliberate overt action to prevent another person from exercising his will as long as that exercise does not interfere with your own exercise of will, except when the other person's will serves to violate the aforementioned principle s. In general, these values declare that â€Å"it's wrong to interfere in another person's life unless they do things to interfere in yours† This corresponds in essence to what has been called the Wiccan Rede which declares that â€Å"[As long as it] harms none, do what thou wilt†. While this may seem an elegant moral principle, in practice it runs into trouble because of the differing priorities people place on specific individual values, because of the way differing value systems define what is and isn't ‘harm', and perhaps most of all because of the different exceptions implicitly or explicitly defined in a value system.Examples of conflicting value systems This section is devoted to the process of using rational analysis to resolve conflicts between value systems. Individualism vs. collectivism In individualism, the needs and wants of the individual take precedence over the needs and wants of a society or community. The implicit exception inherent in individu alism is usually â€Å"as long as the actions of the individual do not harm other individuals. † Absolutists may claim that even this exception does not hold.In collectivism, the needs and wants of the society or community take precedence over the needs and wants of the individual. Rarely is the exception invoked that this is true â€Å"as long as the actions of the society do not restrict individuals . † It could be argued that a rational value system puts value on the needs and wants of the society or community structure, but does not give this more value than the needs and wants of the individuals within it.It is relatively easy to argue the case for this prioritization: under collectivism, a community could decide (however such decisions might be made) that it would work better if there were no people in it to interfere with the smooth running of society. While this might be true, since people tend to â€Å"complicate† the smooth running of any social order, it would create a society without any people, something which is clearly against the interest of the people in that society—would we rationally advocate our own extinction if it made the â€Å"system† of society run better?A rational resolution to the conflict between individualism and collectivism might structure these values in this manner: 1. The rights of individuals to act as they wish is unencumbered, unless their actions harm others or interfere with others' free exercise of their individual rights, and as long as their actions do not interfere with functions of society that other individuals depend upon, provided those functions do not themselves interfere with these proscribed individual rights and were agreed to by a majority of the individuals. . A society (or more specifically the system of order that enables the workings of a society) exists for the purpose of benefitting the lives of the individuals who are members of that society. The functions of a soc iety in providing such benefits would be those agreed to by the majority of individuals in the society. 1. A society may require contributions from its members in order for them to benefit from the services provided by the society.The failure of individuals to make such required contributions could be considered a reason to deny those benefits to them, although a society could elect to consider hardship situations in determining how much should be contributed. 1. A society may restrict behavior of individuals who are members of the society only for the purpose of performing its designated functions agreed to by the majority of individuals in the society, only insofar as they violate the aforementioned values.This means that a society may abrogate the rights of any of its members who fails to uphold the aforementioned values. Of necessity, as you can see here, the exceptions associated with values like these can become recursive and often convoluted. The name proposed for the discipl ine that tries to perform this task—mapping and formalizing value system prioritizations and resolving conflicts between disparate value systems through rational analysis—is ethonomics.

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