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For our campaign finance homework, I looked up Senator Maria Cantwell. For her 2004 campaign, Cantwell had raised $1,794,461. Cantwell had self-financed 61.7% of the total amount. That is approximately $10,331,911. Over ten million dollars from her own pocket! The next greatest contribution was from individual contributions. This made up 32.3% of the total, rounding up to $5,406,386. The remaining contributions were from PAC and from the category, â€Å"Other.† I was surprised to learn that several of the top contributors were Microsoft Corp., Boeing, Dreamworks SKG, Puget Sound Energy, and the MoneyTree. Even the University of Washington had donated $13,600! Wow, that’s great.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Under the â€Å"Political Parties† category, the Republicans raised $889,752,453, and the Democrats raised $816,976,491 during the 2004 elections. The top five States for Republican contributions were: 1) California 2) Texas 3) Florida 4) New York 5) Michigan. The top five States for Democratic Party contributions were: 1) California 2) New York 3) Massachusetts 4) Florida 5) Texas. The highest industry contributions for the Republican party came from the Retired. The top five contributors were: Goldman Sachs, Hastert for Congress Cmte, Friends of Roy Blunt, Lewis for Congress Cmte, and the Federated Investors Inc. The highest industry contributions for the Democratic party came from Lawyers/Law Firms. The top five contributors were: John Kerry for President, Friends of Schumer, Goldman Sachs, Friends for Harry Reid, and Time Warner. The University of California came in sixth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This was the first time that I had ever looked into this kind of information. I was very interested in learning about how much money goes into campaigns, and where the money is coming from. I was very surprised to find out that Senators or other members of congress spend so much money out of their own pocket just for a campaign--- just to become a member of Congress! Over ten-million dollars! (I didn’t even know that they were that wealthy!) Of her top contributors, I was also surprised to find companies like Puget Sound Energy, or the MoneyTree. I didn’t think that energy companies get to involved in politics. And the MoneyTree? Has it really become that big and great of an organization that they’re donating thousands of dollars to campaigns?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was also very interested in comparing the financial side of the campaigns between Republicans and Democrats. I’m Republican so I was glad to learn that the Republicans had raised over $70 million dollars more than the Democrats.

Choose at least two social work theories; explain their main principles, advantages and disadvantages and apply them to the assessment, planning and intervention in one of the case studies provided below.

Introduction Recognition of the importance of evidence and theory-based practice in social work has grown in recent years (Webb, 2001). Their importance in this field of work should be encouraged as early as possible. Students of social work should be encouraged to explore theories that can not only help them to better understand and work with service users but also help them to handle personal issues that may arise through the course of their work (Trotter and Leech, 2003). This essay will explore the advantages and disadvantages of three theories that are currently applied to social work practice and use them in the assessment, planning and intervention of a case study. Social Learning Theory Social learning theory was first developed by Albert Bandura and colleagues (1961, 1963, 1977) after they observed that children had a strong tendency to imitate adult role models who exhibited either aggressive or non-aggressive behaviour toward a life-sized doll known as ‘Bobo’. Furthermore, this imitation behaviour was strengthened when the role model was the same sex as the child. Bandura et al. (1961, 1963) concluded that children learn behaviour through observing the behaviour of adults around them. Since these early studies, there have been numerous other papers supporting social learning theory, especially in the arenas of crime, violence and aggression (Akers et al., 1979; Foshee, Bauman and Linder, 1999; Pratt et al., 2010). Social learning theory is applicable to social work because it provides an easy to understand theory by which social workers can understand the behaviour of service users. It is a theory to which most people can relate and can provide a rel atively easy basis on which to build suitable interventions. Nevertheless, there were some concerns about the methodology of the Bobo doll study. For example, the study lacked ecological validity because the target of aggression was a toy and children may have been far less likely to have imitated aggression toward another person or an animal.AdvantagesA strength of social learning theory is its high applicability to real life. It is an easy to understand theory and the concepts are clear, and it can therefore be applied by most people in a wide range of situations. It has also been found to be successful in accounting for and explaining a wide range of behaviours including binge drinking (Durkin, Wolfe and Clark, 2005), police misconduct (Chappell and Piquero, 2004) and even software piracy (Higgins, 2006). Therefore, another strength of social learning theory is that it can be tested empirically because it is possible to develop a study design that can demonstrate whether or not i ndividuals learn behaviour through observing others carry out that behaviour. Social learning theory is able to account for the great variability of behaviour that individuals demonstrate and acknowledges that our reactions to different situations are likely to at least partly reflect the reactions displayed by significant others such as parents and friends.DisadvantagesOne criticism of social learning theory is that it focuses too heavily on social aspects. Our social environments and the behaviour of our role models do assert some degree of influence on our own behaviour. Despite this, there are numerous other influences that can serve to influence our behaviour and the way that we react to our surroundings. These may include genetics as well as the role of reinforcement (Skinner, 1948, 1958), by which some behaviours are repeated because they produce a positive outcome whereas others are ceased because they cause a negative outcome. Social learning theory also fails to adequately account for cultural influences on an individual’s learned behaviours. The theory also tends to downplay the cognitive processes of the child. It assumes that children will automatically copy any behaviour they have observed, without taking into account that the child may use other cognitive information to make a decision as to whether the behaviour should be copied or not. In the Bobo doll study by Bandura and his colleagues, children imitated aggressively toward the toy, but would have been likely to have used knowledge about wrong or right had they observed role models being aggressive to another person or an animal. Nor does the theory give an adequate explanation as to how social learning interacts with development. The theory cannot explain at which point in a child’s development social learning may become more or less influential on their behaviour. A final criticism of social learning theory is that it cannot explain behaviour demonstrated by children that the y have not observed. Social Learning Theory: Application to Case Study OneAssessmentAccording to the Community Care Act (1990), assessment by a social worker should be comprehensive, holistic, be needs led and include participation by both the service user and carer. Social learning theory can be applied to the assessment, planning and intervention for the family detailed in case study one in a number of different ways. The very early studies by Bandura and colleges applied social learning theory to aggression in particular. Case study one details that Jenny and Dave’s oldest child Sean exhibits aggressive behaviour at nursery. Assessment of this case using social learning theory would understand Sean’s behaviour to be a product of his environment and in particular, of the rocky and argumentative relationship that his parents have. In a study investigating the role of social learning on subsequent alcohol use and self-regulatory behaviours, Patock-Peckham et al. (2001) found that the parent ing style and behaviours of the parent who is the same sex as a child, is significantly related to that child’s self-regulation skills, which are known to be protective against alcohol use and abuse. This suggests that Sean is likely to adopt his father’s maladaptive drinking behaviours through the process of social learning. The early studies by Bandura et al. (1961, 1963) also reflected this more powerful effect of same sex models. The case study also details that Jenny was invited to attend a ‘Mother and Toddler’ group but did not take the offer up. It also appears as though neither Jenny nor Dave have integrated into their community and are not making the most of their social environment. Social learning theory can also be used to assess and understand the inharmonious relationship between Jenny and Dave, as the theory has been found to be useful in predicting intimate partner violence (Sellers, Cochran and Branch, 2005).Planning and InterventionA suitable intervention based on social learning theory would include educating both Jenny and Dave on the impact that their behaviour is likely to have on their children. Bearing in mind the finding that children tend to be more influenced by the behaviour of the parent of the same sex, Dave should be encouraged to model positive behaviours around Sean in particular and Jenny should be encouraged to attend the ‘Mother and Toddler’ group with Sarah to increase the number of positive interactions and behaviours Sarah is exposed to around other mothers and female role models. Secondly, Jenny and Dave must be encouraged to widen their social interactions in order to foster more positive social experiences, which in return should have a positive impact on their behaviours. Although her mother lives some miles away, Jenny should be encouraged to maintain contact with her in order maximise positive social interactions. It may also be advantageous to help Jenny and Dave explore how they may have learnt to deal with their marital problems using maladaptive behaviours such as verbal aggression, and to help them toward the realisation that although they may have observed significant others using these coping mechanisms, there are more adaptive techniques available to them.Social Conflict TheorySocial conflict theory is based strongly on the philosophy of the famous communist Karl Marx and holds that inequality within society is t he product of some individuals holding and actively defending a disproportionate share of society’s resources. As a result, those without many resources are controlled by those with the lion’s share. Therefore, social conflict theory sees society as greatly unequal and views social problems as the product of society’s issues, not the issues of the individual. One of the most famous empirical demonstrations of social conflict theory was by Sherif et al. (1961). A group of boys unknown to each other were randomly assigned to one of two groups and attended a summer camp. In the initial phase of the experiment, the two groups did not know of the others existence and were encouraged to bond as individual groups. Once an element of competition was introduced, each group became fiercely protective of their own group and both prejudiced and discriminatory behaviour was observed. The study demonstrated that when two groups are put in contest with each other over resource s this can trigger negative behaviours and attempts by competing groups to sabotage each other. Social conflict theory is applicable to social work because it captures the social injustices and inequalities that are often observed in this line of work. It can provide a framework for understanding why some individuals find themselves in constant financial and economic struggles and gives the social worker a better understanding of how they may change this and make a difference in people’s lives.AdvantagesUnlike many other theories, social conflict theory acknowledges the role of economics. This is especially useful for the field of social work because it avoids social workers from putting too much emphasis on the power held by the service user to make a change. It acknowledges that some elements cannot be controlled by the service user and may avoid frustration on behalf of the service user at the social worker not taking into that due to the social standing of the service user they will struggle to find employment opportunities that can change their financial situations. DisadvantagesSocial conflict theory is somewhat reductionist and does not account for the impact of individual thinking or behaviours. The theory sees individuals as a product of their socio-economic standing and cannot explain why many people from poor and deprived backgrounds go on to be successful and wealthy through hard work and determination, overcoming economic obstacles. There is empirical support for social conflict theory supporting its usefulness in aiding understanding of a number of different social constructs, including racial profiling by law-enforcement agencies (Petrocelli, Piquero and Smith, 2003). However, the theory is complex and is thus difficult to measure empirically. This is a key criticism of the theory because complexity adversely affects applicability in the real world. Social Conflict Theory: Application to Case Study OneAssessmentJenny and Dave’s situation can be assessed in the context of social conflict theory. Living in a housing estate, they are likely to be considered as belonging to the lower or working class. As a result, conflict theory would argue that their financial difficulties are due to only owning or having access to a small share of society’s resources. Dave’s employment status appears to be intermittent, which social conflict theory would argue is the result of opportunities being withheld from him by those higher up the economic ladder. The family’s lack of resources are clearly having a knock-on effect on the marriage, with Dave’s spending of the house money on gambling and drinking being a common source of arguments. Social conflict theory can also be applied to understand internal as well as external conflict. For example, high levels of parent-child conflict have been associated with child behavioural problems (El-Sheikh and Flanagan, 2001; El-Sheikh and Elmore-Stanton, 2004). Therefore, Sean’s aggressive behaviour at nursery could be a product of a perceived conflict between himself and his parents. Although Sean is young, his parents’ preoccupation with trying to cope with their poor financial situation may be interpreted by Sean as a lack of attention. This could explain why he acts poorly at nursery.Planning and InterventionBearing the principles of conflict theory in mind, intervention should take the form of enabling the family to increase their resources and the opportunities available to them. Dave should be encouraged to join some government funded courses to increase his skills and employability status. The family should be made aware of the huge number charities that of fer free and impartial advice on both debt and rent arrears. The family’s social worker should be sensitive to their economic standing and take it into account when working with them.Psychoanalytic TheoryOriginally developed by the Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, psychoanalytic theory seeks to explain how external struggles can impact upon an individual or their family to such a degree that they become internalised (Bower, 2005). The theory focuses on uniting both the strengths of an individual’s personality and available resources in order to optimise both their personal and interpersonal functioning (Hollis, 1977). Psychoanalytic theory can also be differentiated from other theories because of its inclusion of Freudian concepts such as the influence of unconscious mental processes and defence mechanisms (Brearley, 2007). One of the main principles of psychoanalytic theory is believing that our unconscious is largely responsible for our conscious actions, thought and feelings, and that awareness of these processes is rare (Greene and Uebel, 2008) Defence mechanisms can be either conscious or unconscious but are always deployed in order to help an individual avoid facing facts about themselves they perceive to be threatening (Jacobs, 2010). Contemporary psychoanalytic theory use in social work has tended to be based on ego psychology (Corey, 2000; Greene and Uebel, 2008), which emphasises the impact of our environment and the role of the ego’s problem-solving capacity in maximising adaptive behaviour. Psychoanalytic theory is applicable to social work and the assessment of service users because it embraces the social work ideal of acknowledging that both individual differences and the environment can have a negative impact on the individual. It may also help social workers to cope with difficult to manage or difficult to understand behaviour by acknowledging that some processes are unconscious on behalf of the service user.AdvantagesUnlike conflict theory that focuses on economic influences and social learning theory that focuses on social influences, psychoanalytic theory is far less reductionist meaning that it can be applied to a wider range of situations and individuals. The theory is somewhat more holistic than both social learning and conflict theory because it emphasises the importance of both internal and external factors and the influence these have on an individual’s ability to cope with everyday stresses. Indeed, early theorists argued that ego psychology in part icular struck an advantageous balance between acknowledging both individual and situational factors (Hamilton, 1958; Wood, 1971). Psychoanalytical theory has been the root of many other useful and currently practised social work models, such as transactional analysis, group therapy and crisis intervention (Trevithick, 2012). Therefore, it has had positive real-world and social work applications.DisadvantagesPsychoanalytic theory can be hard to test empirically, meaning that scientific evidence for both its validity and its effectiveness is lacking. However, it is not completely without evidence. For example, through observational methods, Beebe and Lachmann (2002) found that in support of psychoanalytic theory, infants learn much about their own emotional lives through empathically fuelled caregiver interactions. Nevertheless, Fonagy (2003) has argued that psychoanalytic theory has recently become too fragmented to be supported empirically and this fragmentation makes it a difficult theory to apply in a clinical or social work setting. This highlights another issue with psychoanalytic theory in that it is a com plex theory, which limits both its applicability and usefulness. Psychoanalytic theory is also considered to be quite controversial, although it has come a long way since the overt sexual themes pioneered by Freud. Despite being a more holistic theory, it could be argued that psychoanalytic theory does not adequately acknowledge the role of social influences in how individuals cope with their everyday life stresses. Psychoanalytic Theory: Application to Case Study OneAssessmentThere are a number of behaviours exhibited by Jenny and Dave that could be interpreted as defence mechanisms. Firstly, Dave both gambles and drinks, which causes friction between him and Jenny. Both of these behaviours could be interpreted as coping mechanisms that Dave uses to deal with the family’s financial and economic worries. Dave has said that the only thing wrong with their marriage is the â€Å"lack of intimacy† since their youngest was born. However, from an outside perspective, this is clearly an example of denial and a defence mechanism that Dave is using to avoid facing up to reality. Jenny’s spending of the household income on mail order catalogues is also a likely example of a maladaptive coping mechanism because the family cannot afford to spend money on luxuries.Planning and InterventionThe helping of others through the use of psychoanalytic theory has been described as â€Å"a correc tive emotional experience,† (Greene and Uebel, 2008, p. 64). Therefore, Jenny and Dave should be supported in developing adaptive emotional responses to the difficulties that their environment presents. They should be encouraged to externalise their financial troubles so that they do not control their emotions, which is likely to result in a continuation of negative behaviours, such as drinking, arguing and gambling. Psychoanalytic theory could be applied to this case study by helping Dave to optimise internal and more adaptive external forces to help him cope with the family’s stresses rather than turning to maladaptive behaviours, such as drinking and gambling. Dave should be encouraged to face up to the reality of the family’s situation and to explore ways in which he can cope in healthier ways. If Dave feels the need to escape now and again, he may be encouraged to take up a hobby or sport, which will give him time away from the family but avoid isolation. Conclusion Jenny and Dave’s situation can be interpreted through the use of various theories. A holistic approach in which the most applicable elements of each theory are used to help the family improve their financial and emotional well-being is recommended. References Akers, R.L., Krohn, M.D., Lanza-Kaduce, L. and Radosevich, M. (1979) Social learning and deviant behaviour: A specific test of a general theory. American Sociological Review, 44, pp. 636-655. Bandura, A., Ross, D. and Ross, S.A. (1961) Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63(3), pp. 575. Bandura, A., Ross, D. and Ross, S.A. (1963) Imitation of film-mediated aggressive models. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 66(1), pp. 3-11. Beebe, B. and Lachmann, F.M. (2002) Infant research and adult treatment: Co-constructing interactions. Hillsdale, NJ: The Analytic Press. Bower, M. (2005) Psychoanalytic Theory for Social Work Practice. Oxford, UK: Routledge. Brearley, J. (2007) ‘A Psychoanalytic approach to social work,’ in: J. Lishman (ed.) Handbook of Theory for Practice Teachers, London, UK: Jessica Kingsley. Chappell, A.T. and Piquero, A.R. (2004) Applying social learning theory to police misconduct. Deviant Behavior, 25(2), pp. 89-108. Corey, G. (2000) Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy. Monterey, CA: Thomson Brooks Cole. Durkin, K.F., Wolfe, T.W. and Clark, G.A. (2005) College students and binge drinking: An evaluation of social learning theory. Sociological Spectrum, 25(3), pp. 255-272. El-Sheikh, M. and Flanagan, E. (2001) Parental problem drinking and children’s adjustment: Family conflict and parental depression as mediators and moderators of risk. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 29, pp. 417-432. El-Sheikh, M. and Elmore-Stanton, L. (2004) The link between marital conflict and child-adjustment: Parent-child conflict and perceived attachments as mediators, potentiators, and mitigators of risk. Development and Psychopathology, 16, pp. 631-648. Fonagy, P. (2033) Some complexities in the relationship of psychoanalytic theory to technique. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 72(1), pp. 13-47. Foshee, V.A., Bauman, K.E. and Linder, G.F. (1999) Family violence and the perpetration of adolescent dating violence: Examining social learning and social control processes. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61(2), pp. 331-342. Greene, R.R. and Uebel, M. (2008) ‘Classical psychoanalytic thought, contemporary developments, and clinical social work practice,’ in: R.R. Greene (ed.) Human Behavior Theory and Social Work Practice, Edison, NJ: Transaction Publishers. Hamilton, G. (1958) ‘A theory of personality: Freud’s contribution to social work,’ in: H.J. Parad (ed.) Ego, Psychology and Casework Theory, New York, NY: Family Service of America. Higgins, E. (2006) Gender differences in software piracy: The mediating roles of self-control theory and social learning theory. Journal of Economic Crime Management, 4(1), pp. 1-30. Hollis, F. (1977) Social casework: the psychosocial approach. Encyclopedia of Social Work. Washington: National Association of Social Workers. Jacobs, M. (2010) Psychodynamic Counselling in Action. London, UK: Sage. Patock-Peckham, J.A., Cheong, J., Balhorn, M.E. and Nagoshi, C.T. (2001) Social learning perspective: A model of parenting styles, self-regulation, perceived drinking control, and alcohol use and problems. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 25(9), pp. 1284-1292. Petrocelli, M., Piquero, A.R. and Smith, M.R. (2003) Conflict theory and racial profiling: An empirical analysis of police traffic stop data. Journal of Criminal Justice, 31, pp. 1-11. Pratt, T.C., Cullen, F.T., Sellers, C.S., Winfree Jr., L.T., Madensen, T.D., Daigle, L.E., Fearn, N.E. and Gau, J.M. (2010) The empirical status of social learning theory: A meta-analysis. Justice Quarterly, 27(6), pp. 765-802. Sellers, C.S., Cochran, J.K. and Branch, K.A. (2005) Social learning theory and partner violence. A research note. Deviant Behaviour, 26(4), pp. 379-395. Sherif, M., Harvey, O.J., White, B.J., Hood, W.R. and Sherif, C.W. (1961) Intergroup conflict and cooperaton: The Robbers Cave experiment (Vol.10). Norman, OK: University Book Exchange. Skinner, B.F. (1948) Superstition in the pigeon. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 38(2), pp. 168. Skinner, B.F. (1958) Reinforcement today. American Psychologist, 13(3), pp. 94. Trevithick, P. (2012) Social Work Skills and Knowledge: A Practice Handbook. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press. Trotter, J. and Leech, N. (2003) Linking research, theory and practice in personal and professional development: gender and sexuality issues in social work education. Social Work Education, 22(2), pp. 203-214. Webb, S.A. (2001) Some considerations on the validity of evidence-based practice in social work. British Journal of Social Work, 31, pp. 57-79. Wood, K.M. (1971) ‘The contribution to psychoanalysis and ego psychology,’ in: H.S. Strean (ed.) Social Casework Theory in Action, Metuchen, NJL Scarecrow.

Blood Doping: Is it Rational and Ethical? Essay

You’re in the big race and your rival who you’ve been neck and neck with all year long somehow beats you by way more than usual. You ran one of the best races of your life and he somehow beat you and you don’t know how. Winning that race would have gotten a lot of opportunities from big colleges and instead of looking at you they’re looking instead, at your rival. How would you feel if you later learned the reason he was able to beat you was only because he started blood doping? Now imagine this happening at the professional level every day. Blood doping is unethical, unfair, unsafe, and needs to be regulated and removed completely from professional sports and recreational use. â€Å"Blood doping† is comparable to the administration of anabolic steroids and other drugs with the hope of improving athletic performance. Anabolic steroids have been considered unethical and have been banned from use in sports and blood doping, as it should, is banned as well. The athletes are placing themselves at risk for serious complications without medical benefit. Surely there is the idea that they will do anything to win, but is it worth it? Kathleen Sharp, in her article â€Å"A Drug to Quicken the Blood,† shares the negatives to EPO explaining, â€Å"Too many red blood cells can turn your blood to sludge and make the heart work overtime. The drug raised the risks of strokes, blood clots, and heart attacks. Even worse was that EPO could potentially multiply cancer cells† (Sharp). Look more:  satiric essays EPO has so many health risks and these athletes just ignore them because their goals are more focused on winning rather than their long-term health. There are many other athletes out there, who haven’t admitted to it, but are taking EPO without the public’s knowledge and some of the reason might be that they are taking it just to keep up with others. Imagine this scenario: One athlete starts doping and starts excelling above others, then other athletes will need to dope as well to keep pace with him. The fact that there can only be one winner means a lot of these athletes are doping and are not winning anything, which results in risking and damaging their health without having anything to show for it. Besides the health problems that EPO risks, users are making a conscious decision to use an illegal substance to attempt to benefit their performance and gain an edge on the competition. Much like steroids as mentioned before, EPO is not allowed to be used in sports. Using an illegal substance to try to gain an edge over the competition is unethical no matter what position you take on blood doping. If blood doping was allowed in sports, then the discussion would be different, but since it is not, using it is considered cheating which is unethical behavior and is not acceptable in competition of any kind. There’s a code of ethics that athletes are supposed to follow. They sign contracts and get paid millions of dollars to perform in their respective sport and it’s assumed they got to where they are because of their own talents, hard work, and without the aid of illegal performance enhancing drugs. I think it’s fair to make a general assumption that we expect professionals who are supposed to be the best at what they do to be able to do what they do without cheating. One article from â€Å"Men’s Fitness† shows a study done by Dutch researchers that looks at how much affect blood doping really has on â€Å"elite athletes.† Shawn Radcliffe, the author of â€Å"Study: EPO Blood Doping Useless for Elite Athletes,† explains how the study and found that, in spite of popular belief, there’s little evidence to show EPO can improve performance in cyclists, who are considered to be elite athletes. He describes how â€Å"elite athletes† already have such maximal oxygen uptake, that EPO will have little change in the transportation of oxygen and therefore have little effect on performance. So it’s very possible that Lance Armstrong may have lost his career and titles for nothing if he already had the highest VO2max, or maximal oxygen intake, levels he could which means EPO would have been doing nothing for him. If he and other cyclists raced without the use of EPO, it would make the sport fairer, and there would be no question of his integrity and no doubt in everyone’s minds that he is the greatest cyclist in the world. But since we know he used EPO, he lost everything and it all could have been avoided if the drug wasn’t used in the first place. Even if it was, there should have been tests done to prevent those who were blood doping from being able to race. My solution to the problem of blood doping is to have professional doctors hired by the sports federation (not the individual teams’ doctor) go to each team and test each athlete individually for steroid and EPO use. Especially for major events that are world renowned and watched like the Olympics, World Cup, Tour de France, and the Super bowl, all athletes in these events should be blood tested for steroids and EPO use. There should be no excuse not to since these athletes have a responsibility to be honest and clean for the better of the sport and to be fair to all athletes out there, especially to those who don’t use drugs. Make athletes afraid to dope and hopefully the fad will be eradicated soon enough. If sports can ban, test for, and regulate steroid use then I believe they should reasonably and feasibly be able to test athletes for EPO use as well. Now going back to that big race, but this time without any blood doping involved; you run the best race of your life and beat that rival you’ve been neck and neck with all year long. All those big colleges you’ve been looking at are now scouting you and all the opportunities are opening up. With all things fair, it’s those who train harder and better that deserve to win, not those who cheat and use performance enhancing drugs to do it. That’s why blood doping needs to be regulated and removed completely from professional sports and recreational use.

Hegemons in Africa essays

Hegemons in Africa essays During the Cold War, most African states have been perceived as potential leaders due to strategic support by the West and East. With the end of proxy wars in Africa most states have been left on their own for survival, hence in order for them to be potential leaders in African politics they should have certain characteristics that would enable them to adapt to the changing environment in which the international political system has changed impacting on African politics. The aim of this paper is to discuss core states in Africa that have economic, political and military power to influence other African states in pursuit of vial political, economic and security issues that are directed at restoring peace, security and development in the African continent, Baregu and Landsberg (2003) . Secondly, the paper will highlight strategies that have been formulated by leaders of the core states in order to counteract negative outcomes that may arise in pursuit of consensus towards initiatives that could promote Pan-Africanism in Africa in the post-Cold War era. Lastly, the paper will provide a conclusion about the effectiveness of the core states in Africa in realising their core objectives and goals. CORE STATES IN AFRICA AND THEIR ATTRIBUTES. In general, a core state is seen as backbone and a driving force behind initiatives that would produce gains and in which those who are engaged and motivated in attaining the gains cooperate and give recognition the drivers of the initiative. In political terms, various scholars have termed core states as hegemonies. Although hegemony is associated with use of coercive power and domination with territorial control, Baregu and Landsberg (2003 :173) explains hegemony along the lines of a state having the ability to wield power in non-coercive ways with the consent of other states. Moreover, the core states should have the ability to pay military and economic costs when exercising hegemony. It is ver...

Evoke vs. Invoke

Evoke vs. Invoke Evoke vs. Invoke Evoke vs. Invoke By Mark Nichol Evoke and invoke, two members of a small but powerful family of words relating to stimulus and response, have senses both similar and distinct. To evoke something is to call it forth, perhaps by bringing it to mind, or, synonymously with invoke, by summoning it (as in conjuration) or presenting it in support of an appeal (as when a rule or principle is invoked). Usually, invoke is used for the latter two meanings. The distinction is in the context; usually, something evoked is qualitative and intangible, whereas something invoked is material or practical. Meanwhile, the related words provoke and revoke are also potent in their own right. To provoke is to prompt anger or an action (and is thus, in a limited sense, a direct synonym of evoke and invoke), while revoke means â€Å"to take back or recall.† The root element common to this foursome, -voke, is an English form of the Latin stem voc-, from vox (â€Å"voice†), from which many words with the element voc-, such as vocal and vocabulary, are derived. (Voice itself is different in form because of its detour through French.) Another word with the voc- element is advocate, which means â€Å"to support vocally†; the noun form is identical. The noun forms for evoke, invoke, and their cousins provoke and revoke are identical, produced by omitting the letters k and e and adding the ending -ation resulting in evocation, invocation, provocation, and revocation which correctly suggests that vocation and avocation also share an etymological origin (respectively, they mean, â€Å"calling,† as in what work one is called to do in life, and â€Å"call away,† as in an activity one engages in outside of work). However, although avocados call to me, the word is unrelated; it’s from a Spanish alteration of ahuacatl, a word from the Nahuatl language, spoken by the Aztecs and by more than a million Mexicans. (I invite you to look up that word’s meaning yourself.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should KnowAcronym vs. InitialismProverb vs. Adage

Mini-Theme 2 - Inductive or Deductive Paper Essay

Mini-Theme 2 - Inductive or Deductive Paper - Essay Example For both women, the anger stems from their experiences in a community where fat is considered to be a cardinal sin spawned primarily from willful choice and lazy action. Their frank language and refusal to make apologies, instead indicating those many areas in which ridicule and simply being overweight has prevented them from experiencing those things that â€Å"thin children take for granted, such as being lifted up effortlessly on the shoulders of their fathers†, is refreshing and provides a glimpse into a world that thin people just can’t understand otherwise. After reading these, I have a better appreciation of the various things that prevent fat people from doing something about their weight, more than just a question of mathematical balance between intake and exercise, and the approach helps to illustrate the tremendous pressures introduced thanks to what I do believe is an overactive focus on physical appearance within the American community. However, these authors make it sound as if fat people are the only people who have ever experienced unhappy families, difficulty in school, troubles with parents, cruel classmates or issues with self-image. Our community reveres the thin person so much that even thin people often feel they are too fat, creating numerous eating disorders that ensures absolutely no one, thin, fat or somewhere in between, can feel comfortable with their physical appearance. I appreciate the insight, but I feel that at some point in life, people need to come to an acceptance of who and what they are and stop attackin g the world – thin or fat – for this condition. Exercise is necessary for proper health regardless of whether a person is overweight, underweight or at the proper weight for their frame. It is also necessary whether one is young or old. The problem for many people, though, is that exercise can often be difficult on a person’s joints and, depending upon their weight, can be overly tiring, forcing them

Intercultural communication in language class of culturally diverse Essay

Intercultural communication in language class of culturally diverse students - Essay Example The aim of this paper is to present two case studies identifying two major issues that come in the management of inter-cultural learning for students (World Bank, 2010). The study will be focused on the barriers among students of various cultural backgrounds. It will also elaborate how these students as learners of English as Secondary Language (ESL) respond to the difficulties? The study is comprised of two case studies and will incorporate the case scenario, its discussion and critical evaluation for each case study and will conclude with a formal conclusion. In the English language class one third of my students were from China including Zhang Li, and the rest were mixed of various nations. In learning English language class, the Chinese students were tend to be shy, introvert and reserved. They were poor in communication other students and with instructors and not very often participate in the class discussions. All members of the Chinese group including Zhang Li used to live, st udy and play together. Their attitude showed a fear and hesitation in self-expression. They were very conscious of using English as a medium of interaction. They tend to ignore the cultural aspects of the language and often confused while using phrases and explaining contexts. Moreover, all the Chinese and in particular Zhang Li, felt chauvinistic about their own Chinese culture and were obsessed with fear of interacting with foreign culture. While in English language class their belief on ethnocentrism held them back from developing cultural relations with the American culture and language.