Sources of Academic Stress free essay sample

The study further tries to make an in-depth investigation into each component of academic stress such as curriculum and instruction, team work related issues, assessment, and placement, to identify the micro issues that are causing stress. Around twelve micro issues have been identified under the curriculum and instruction component while four stresses were prioritize related to team work; five sub issues regarding assessment and three micro issues under placement components of academic stress.The sample comprises of 500 postgraduate management students from various management institutes spread across the Wrangle district of Andorra Pradesh in India. Data was collected through self designed academic stress questionnaire based on previous models available. Key. Fords: Stress; Academic stress; Student stress; Stress among management students; 1 . Introduction: Stress is a necessary and unavoidable concomitant of daily living-necessary because without some stress we would be listless and apathetic creatures, and unavoidable because it relates to any external event, be it pleasurable or incorporating. A persons response towards stress depends on whether an event is appraised as a challenge or a threat (Lazarus Folkway, 1984). Challenging stimulus can lead to positive outcomes such as motivation and improved task performance while threatening ones or distress can result in anxiety, depression, social dysfunction and even suicidal intention. Along with the improvements during the scientific era and the rapid development of information, competitiveness among people has become increasingly intense, as a consequence, people have become busier and, therefore, stress is a natural consequence.Even though appropriate stress is a juncture for self- growth, it is also a motivation for people to progress actively. It not only affects our thoughts and feelings UT our behavioral models, as well. However, overstress causes problems and discomfort, and can have serious effects on people. Specifically, student faces the stress when they enter a completely new world of professional education. Stress has become an important topic in academic circles.Many scholars in the field of behavioral science have carried out extensive research on stress and its outcomes and concluded that the topic needed more attention (Goal, 2009). Stress in academic institutions can have both positive and negative consequences if not well managed (Stevenson Harper, 2006). Academic institutions have different work settings compared to nonacademic and therefore one would expect the difference in symptoms, causes, and consequences of stress (Change L u, 2007). It is important to the society that students should learn and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills that will in turn make them contribute positively to the development of the general economy of any nation. It is important for page 32 of 12 the institutions to maintain well balanced academic environment conducive for better learning, with the focus on the students personal needs. Students eave different expectations, goals, and values that they want to fulfill, which is only possible if the students expectations, goals, and values are integrated with that of the institution (Goodman, 1993). . Academic Stress: Academic stress among students have long been researched on, and researchers have identified stresses as too many assignments, competitions with other students, failures and poor relationships with other students or lecturers (Freebooter Warn, 2003). Academic stresses include the students perception of the extensive knowledge base required and the perception of n inadequat e time to develop it (Carvers et al, 1996).Students report experiencing academic stress at predictable times each semester with the greatest sources of academic stress resulting from taking and studying for exams, grade competition, and the large amount of content to master in a small amount Of time (Absorbers, 1994). When stress is perceived negatively or becomes excessive, students experience physical and psychological impairment. Methods to reduce stress by students often include effective time management, social support, positive reappraisal, and engagement in leisure pursuits (Murphy Archer, 1996).The only scientific research that specifically related leisure satisfaction to academic stress was that of Ragged and McKinney (1993) who established a negative association between academic stress and leisure satisfaction. Institutional level stresses are overcrowded lecture halls, semester system, and inadequate resources to perform academic work (Amino Goal, 2008). The pressure to perform well in the examination or test and time allocated makes academic environment very stressful (Regretful Chafer, 2006).This is likely to affect the social relations both within the institution and outside which affects the individual persons life in terms of commitment to achieving the goals (Freebooter Warn, 2003). Knowing the causes of students stress will make the educational administrator know how to monitor and control the stress factors that are responsible for the students stress. Often, graduate students perceive that faculty exert great power over their lives and feel that they live in a state of substantial powerlessness (Latch, 1970).Another source of stress is the difficulty of achieving social intimacy. It is difficult to find a mate or maintain a relationship with an existing one. Graduate students tend to lack the time and/or the opportunity to develop interpersonal relationships (Hortatory, 1976). Fear of academic failure related to these tasks is a definite stresses (Kola, 1980). Thus, stresses affecting students can be categorized as academic, financial, time or health related, and self- imposed (Goodman, 1993). Academic stresses include the students an inadequate time to develop it ((Carvers et a, 1996). Students report small amount of time (Absorbers, 1994). College students have many obstacles to overcome in order to achieve their optimal academic performance. It takes a lot more than just studying to achieve a successful college career. Different stresses such as time management and social activities can all pose their own threat to a students academic performance. The way that Page 33 of 12 academic performance is measured is through the ordinal scale of grade point average (GAP). A students GAP determines many things such as class rank and entrance to graduate school.Much research has been done looking at the correlation of many stress factors that college students experience and the effects of stress on their GAP. Hatchet and Pres (1991) referred to these tress factors as academic situational constraints. Their study took into account a variety of factors that can diminish a students academic performance. An undergraduate study done by Neumann et al (1990) concludes that college students may in fact experience the burnout phenomenon due to learning conditions that demand excessively high levels of effort and do not provide supportive mechanisms that would facilitate effective coping.In a higher learning institutions where the demands placed on students are based on deadlines and pressure for excelling in tests or examination, the students are likely to be the victims of stress. This highlights the need for research to examine the sources of academic stress faced by students at various management institutions. With such knowledge, educationists will be able to pay more attention to the sources of academic stress of students and the use of counseling measures to assist students in the sound dev elopment of their bodies and mind. 2. . Stress Among Management Students: As the management education is an important medium that facilitates improvement of leadership qualities and turns out excellent future managers, which is quite evident. Students entering into the reflections education needs to face many challenges to which they have never been exposed earlier. The pressure to earn good grades and to earn a degree is very high (Hirsch Ellis, 1996). Other potential sources of stress include excessive homework, unclear assignments, and uncomfortable classrooms (Cohn Frazer, 1986).In addition to academic requirements, relations with faculty members and time pressures may also be sources of stress (Egan-Cohen Lomenta, 1988). It is important to the society that students should learn and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills that will in turn make them intricate positively to the development of the general economy of any nation. Do these situations really cause problems and academic stress? Do the differences in learning methods and teachers teaching methods, in addition to the assignments, tests , project and course selection, cause academic stress in students? . Review of Elite return: Types of role stress present among the engineering and management students in India was explored in a study conducted by Rakes Kumar Augural and Slanderer Sings Char (2007). Role overload, role stagnation and self-role distance were found to be the major stresses experienced by the students. Male students experienced more role stagnation than females. The results did not show any significant differences on any of the role stresses between first year students and their seniors, or between management and engineering students.The results of this study are helpful in understanding the social and educational environment prevailing in the country. Teachers often emphasize the acquisition of knowledge, so they often neglect the em otional feelings of students during the teaching process, which can cause emotional stress and learning problems for students. In addition, students may feel unfamiliar tuitions like nervousness, worry, frustration, abasement, depression, etc.The instability of these emotions easily initiates unusual behavior, which then affects the learning achievements and adjustment page 34 of 12 ability of students if appropriate timely counseling is not given by the institutions, teachers and parents, or if they cannot obtain appropriate concern from their peers or siblings (Chin et a, 2006). Raw K and D K Subsidiaries (2006) Of National Institute Of Mental Health and Neuron Sciences (MECHANISM) conducted an appraisal of stress and coping behavior, on a group of 258 male and female undergraduates.Packagers (2000) pointed out that the essential factors for the formation of stress are frequent and strong. There is a related connection between the results of stress and psychological and personality characteristics. College Chronic Life Stress Survey constructed by Thebes and Cohen (1996) focuses on the frequency of chroni c stress in the lives of college students. This scale contains items that persist across time to create stress, such as interpersonal conflicts, self- esteem problems, and money problems. These stresses were evaluated in relation to the number of times, a student had to deal with them on a weekly axis. It was found that with regard to chronic stress, first- year students scored higher than other students. Roach-Sings (1994) have examined sources of stress among undergraduates through similar studies. According to Hirsch and Ellis (1 996), the dynamic relationship between a person and the environment, in stress perception and reaction, is especially magnified in college students. The problems and situations encountered by college students may differ from those faced by their non-student peers.The most significant academic stresses reported were items that are time-specific or object specific which supports Carols (1963) contention that learning is a function of time allowed, aptitude, quality of instruction and ability to understand instruction. These core academic stresses were found to be relatively unchanged over time, as observed by Murphy and Archer (1996) who com pared the academic stresses of their previous study with those experienced eight years later (Archer Lamina, 1985). Past research found that collegiate stresses included: academics, social relationships, finances, daily hassles (for example, parking and being late) and familial relationships (Larson, 2006). Within each domain conflict, insufficient resources, time demands, and new responsibilities had characterized stress. 3. 1 . Purpose Of the Study. An initial approach in stress management is Often an analysis of the stresses, or events that have caused stress (Holmes Rare, 1967).In this regard, this study tries to identify the sources that resulted in stress for management students in various institutions spread across Wrangle District of the state of Andorra Pradesh. 4. Methodology: 4. 1 . Objectives: The principle objective of the study is: 1 To find out the components of academic stress experienced by management students. The sub objectives are as follows. 2. To analyze the curriculum and instruction related components responsible for stress. 3. To explore the team work related aspects creating stress among management students 4.To know the assessment related factors of academic stress. 5. To find out the placement related issues causing stress among management students. Page 35 of 12 4. 2. Hypotheses: Generally, most of the hypotheses are developed basing on the commonly held notions. This study also begins by assuming the following five hypotheses regarding the academic stress among the postgraduate management students. The assumptions are as follows. 1. That different components of academic work results in stress among management students. 2.That some issues of curriculum and instruction form the basis for stress among students. 3. That the team related work environment creates stress among management students. 4. That the assessment system is a cause of stress among management students. 5. That the placement activity contributes for stress among management students. 4. 3. Sample: Due to the limitations of human power and time, the sample was limited to 500 Post Graduate Management students from various management institutions bread across the Wrangle District of Andorra Pradesh, India. 4. 4.Measure: An academic stress scale for professional students was created for the study based on Holmes and Rashes Social Readjustment Rating Scale (1967), Student Stress Scale (Nines, Roth, 1985),leistering student stress developed from Burgees (2009), Organizational Stress Scale (OURS Scale) constructed by Parke (1993) and the 40-item revised Cope inventory by Ackerman and Eagan(2003). 5. Results and Analysis: The results of the study are discussed hereunder. The components of academic stress: Not surprisingly, much of the academic stress at graduate level is related to what students learn and how they learn it.Theres a lot of pressure for the present generation management students to learn more and more than in past generations. Just as it can be stressful to handle a heavy and challenging workload, some students can experience stress from regular academic work that isnt difficult enough. For the purpose of the present study, the components of academic activity are identified as curriculum and instruction; team work; assessment; and placement. The present study attempts to find out which of these aspects are creating stress among management students.HI : That different components of academic work results in stress among management students. The responses indicate that, among the identified four components of academic work, a large majority (86%) of the management students felt that daily class work is resulting in stress among them. The next component of academic stress is related to placement activity since around 63% of the respondents have given second priority to this factor. Assessment aspect of the academics is given third priority by 41% of the management student.Another component of academic work group assignments, was treated fourth on priori ¶y scale by around 24% of the dents. Hence it is clearly evident that the four identified components of academic work are responsible for academic stress among the management students. In this context, the study further tries to analyses different sub issues of each of the above components to gain an in depth knowledge about the specific sources of stresses in an academic setting of a management institute. Page 36 of 12 Fig-I: Components of academic stress.Curriculum Instruction 100% 86% 80% 60% 40% Placement related 20% 0% 24% Assessment related 5. 1 . Curriculum and Instruction Related Stresses: Curriculum and instruction form the basis for the academic activity. Any institution or any course cannot fulfill the academic requirements without the predetermined curriculum and structured instruction. Each course has a minimum requirement of instruction hours of the specified curriculum. Hence class work is an integral part of any academic endeavourer. There is no substitute for class work in academics. Moreover, class work forms the main body of the course. Students have to participate in the curriculum and instruction process by attending the regular class work and fulfill the class work requirements in the form of completion of assignments, reading and understanding the specified epics, complying with the minimum attendance requirements, completing the group tasks compulsory for assessment and so on. Any student of academics, at whatever level of study he/she may be, must fulfill these requirements to complete the course. Naturally, such well structured academic activity results in stress among a major portion of the students.There is no way to escape or avoid and coping with Team work the resultant stress related is inevitable. In this context, the study attempts to gain further understanding of the specific issues of the curriculum and instruction aspect which are causing stress among the management students. H2O: That some issues of curriculum and instruction form the basis for stress among students. The open ended responses receiv ed resulted in an exhaustive list of twelve factors that cause stress regarding curriculum and instruction aspect of academic stress. The issues of regularly attending classes to comply with the minimum attendance requirements and achieving academic goals are the major factors of academic stress among the management students as above 60% of the students have given first and second preferences respectively. The next dominant sub issues of academic tress were choosing specialization (56%) and handling class work (54%) followed by the issues of the amount of material to study and studying for tests and exams which attracted Page 37 of above 40% responses.Further the sub issues like participating in oral presentations fear of failing or lagging behind others in some subjects, writing essays and assignments, and contribution to class discussion were noteworthy since they were given weighting by above 20% of the sample group. Some important aspect of academic stress. Since the students hailing from different places, religions, cultures and societies are admitted into an institution. Once they are part of the class, the f ormal groups are made by the faculty or administration for inculcating the spirit of team work culture among the more sub components resulting in academic students.Definitely these formal grouping is stress were learning all the material and not done on the basis of habits, preferences, keeping pace with regular learning. Some and the individual likes and dislikes. Thus, other issues which were mentioned by a there is a great scope that this may be a meager percentage Of the respondents were potential stresses in academics specifically omitted from the discussion. N the case of management students. 5. 2.Teamwork Related Stresses: At the The study attempted to explore the sub student stage it is felt that mixing with the issues of group work aspect which serve the randomly made formal teams for the sake of sources of academic stress among the group assignments and presentations is an management students. HA: That the team related work environment creates stress among man cement students. Among the four factors provided for proportioning by the sample group, the issue of adjusting with the group mindset was opted to be the dominant factor by 60% of the sample group.The next preference was given to the issue of communicating with the team members as well as the class members (52%) followed by making joint presentations with 38%. Around 30% Of the students said that completing group assignments was another source of stress among them. This clearly indicates that students, faculty and the academic administrators have to concentrate on imparting group skills without allowing the students prone to stress. Page 38 of 12 5. 3. Assessment Related Stresses: Assessment is a central element in the overall quality of teaching and learning in higher education. Well designed assessment sets clear expectations, establishes a reasonable workload and provides opportunities for students to self- monitor, rehearse, practice and receive feedback. Assessment is an integral component of a students general attitudes towards studying. Students often explained negative attitudes in terms of their experiences of excessive workloads or inappropriate forms of assessment. The experience of learning is made less satisfactory by assessment methods which are perceived to be inappropriate ones. High achievement in conventional terms may mask this coherent educational experience.The repertoire Of assessment methods in use in higher education has expanded considerably in recent years. New assessment methods are developed and implemented in higher education, for example: self and peer assessment, portfolio assessment, simulations, and Overall assessment. The latest constructivist theories and practices go together with a shift from a test or evaluation culture to an assessment culture (Barnum, 1996). The students perceived assessment requirements seem to have a strong relation with the approach to learning a student adopts when tackling an academic task.Similar findings emerged from the Lancaster investigation (Renamed, 1 981 ) in relation to a whole series of academic tasks and also to dissatisfaction and also hide the fact that students have not understood material they have learned as completely as they might appear to have done. Giddier (1987) found that multiple choice type exams are generally perceived more favorably than essay type items along most dimensions of the inventory (I. E. Perceived difficulty, anxiety, complexity, success expectancy, feeling at ease), by both boys and girls.Furthermore, it was found that students perceive essay type exams to be somewhat more appropriate than little choice exams for the purpose of r eflecting ones knowledge in the subject matter tested. Assessment is therefore a potent strategic tool for educators with which to spell out the learning that will be rewarded and to guide students into effective approaches to study. Page 39 of 12 Equally, however, poorly designed assessment has the potential to hinder learning or stifle curriculum innovation.But designing assessment to influence students patterns of study in positive ways can present significant challenges. In this context, the study aims at finding the sub factors which ere causing the academic stress among the management students. HA: That the assessment system is a cause of stress among management students. Meeting the deadlines of assessment serves the principle source (82%) of stress followed by lack of clarity fomenting dead the assessment good grades through the assessment process was the cause of worry for about 50% of the students whereas around 40% were worried about sitting for the tests.Thus the above five sub issues of assessment are the apparent stresses for management students. 5. 4. Place meet Related Stresses: Placement of the management students with the fast growing private sector impasses is a recent phenomenon. In fact, many of the students join management courses with an intention to achieve better placement with good corporate. The institutes also are working towards meeting the needs of their students.Hence, due to the importance given to this aspect, the lines Fig-4: Assessment 100% researchers are forced to 82% related stresses include this aspect as a 80% potential source of 60% academic stress among the High weighting Getting good 40% students of management 66% components grades 52% 20% course. Many a time 0% students are worried about their future placement. Naturally this worry rises 41% to the level of anxiety and 72% results in stress among Sitting for tests Lack of clarity many students.Hence, the study attempted to find out the model (72%). Around 66% of the students sub issues of placement aspect responsible were apprehensive about the high weight for creating stress among the management age components of the assessment. Getting students. HA: That the placement activity contributes for stress among management students. Facing the placement interview itself was the dominant Stresses for the sample group as around 90% expressed the same. Many people want to work in the locations of their preferences.

Shylock and Antonio in essays

Shylock and Antonio in essays One of the main themes of The Merchant of Venice is Good verses Evil. By incorporating characters into this theme, the two I see as most fitting are Antonio, representing good, friendship and honesty and Shylock as Antonios enemy, represents evil and dishonesty. Therefore the character of whom I most admire is Antonio, as he stands for all that is good. As much as I admire Antonio, I dislike Shylock, who has no mercy for those around him and would probably exact a harsh revenge even on his best of friends. We first meet Shylock in (Act I (scene iii)) where Bassanio seeks out Shylock for a loan in Antonios name, it is the first we hear of the Jews hatred for Antonio, I hate him for he is a Christian. (Act I (scene iii) ) This shows the reasons for Shylocks hatred towards Antonio, both financially and religiously. Any chance he can get, he will destroy Antonios life and fortune. This is proved by what he says later on in Act I scene iii, If I can once catch him upon the hip, I will feed fat the grudge against him. While the bond is being decided Shylock hides his hate for Antonio and instead misleads him to believe their differences have been forgotten and that friendship has shone through. This is to entrap Antonio in order to hold him into a bond, which most certainly will end up feeding Shylocks revenge even more. If Antonio defaults then Shylock is to take a pound of Antonios flesh, Taken in what part of your body pleaseth me. (Act I (scene iii)) We know Antonio thinks of Shylock as a friend by what he says in (Act I (scene iii)), The Hebrew will turn Christian, he grows kind. However, this friendship is dependent on him changing religion. There can be no possibility of compatibility if he remains Jewish. For the rest of Act I and II we hear little of Shy...

How To Schedule Your WordPress Blogging Workflow

How To Schedule Your WordPress Blogging Workflow When you decide you want to take your blog seriously, youll begin to consider your WordPress blogging workflow. Whats a WordPress blogging workflow? Its the process that takes you from start to finish for each of your blog posts, the way you make it happen.  Perhaps things have changed from when you started to blog, and its not enough to dash off a post when inspiration strikes. Now youre considering other things, such as readers and traffic and page rank and building a platform. Understanding The WordPress Blogging Workflow Any blog, no matter if it is a solo blog, team blog, or agency blog for a client, has a similar WordPress  blogging workflow foundation. Each step leads on to the next as you build your post up from bare idea to completed content. With great ideas comes great responsibility. Make sure you have a place to save them. #BloggingTips1. Organize Your Blogging Ideas With great ideas comes great responsibility.  Idea generation, storage, and access are the foundation of your blog posts, but it is also the step most bloggers struggle with. Its not that they have a shortage of ideas, necessarily, but they need a way to manage them. Your system for organizing your ideas must account for: Jotting your ideas down. Will you use a mobile app that syncs with a service you can access back on your laptop? Or, will you rely on a blogging notebook, perhaps? Catalog your ideas. You will need to find a way to organize your ideas so you can find them again should you need them or want to add new research to them. Even the best search function cant always account for everything, and it certainly doesnt beat out how you already think about the categories of content on your blog. Churning ideas up. Create a system where you regularly dive into old ideas to find those you want to use, and delete those that are no longer applicable or that you dont want to cover. Without this kind of system, your ideas quickly bloat and overwhelm and its hard to know where to start or even know what you have to work with. A key to great idea management is to use a tool youre already using and familiar with, thats already part of other workflows or your daily life, perhaps–anything you dont have to rely on forming a new habit around. Because we work heavily in WordPress, we make apt use of s organizational abilities that connect directly with WordPress. We make selections based on category, and, because it is on a calendar, we get a birds-eye-view of whats coming so that ideas dont drop to the bottom and are forgotten. Do you have a system that churns your ideas up? Or are your best blog ideas forgotten in the pile?2. Schedule Your Ideas On The Calendar People schedule at different points in the blogging workflow process. Some prefer to not put mere work-in-progress ideas on the calendar, but instead wait until they are completed posts. We put the ideas on the calendar before we move forward for this blog, and I do the same for my own blogs. When you put the scheduling of posts into place at this point in the process, the date becomes the determining factor. All the rest of the following activities are centered around the date the post will be published. Scheduling now means you are choosing the best time for the post based on the idea and how it fits into the editorial calendar content. This is the method we use here when we schedule blog posts. We simply drag our ideas around on the calendar, automatically syncing the changes in WordPress as we do so. 3. Collaboration And Communication Solo bloggers are probably not used to this step as they perfect their WordPress blogging workflow, since they are writing completely on their own.  But a team?  For the want of collaboration, the blog was lost. Some of the ever-important things youll want to communicate and collaborate on in your WordPress blogging workflow is: Who is writing the post? When is the post due? Is someone creating the graphics or finding an image? What do the rest of you think about my post? Should I make changes? Are these the most recent updates to the post? (Especially important when writers arent working in WordPress) Who is finalizing the post? Unless your team of writers is functioning as a collection of solo bloggers with no style guides, no oversight, no uniform message, and as a general free-for-all, you will need a way to collaborate.  has collaboration built-in for each synced blog post that combines back-and-forth conversation with assigned and dated tasks; this is the system I use for all of my blogs, both at work and personal. 4. Review And Edit Your Post The reviewing and editing process is what takes the raw material and polishes it up. Your WordPress blogging workflow will want to include this in the timeline. It includes review and critique within the team, and client review if youre an agency. For our team, the process looks like this: Content planning meeting for the next two weeks of content. Write the posts youre supposed to write. Assign a team member the task of reviewing it. The team member reviews the post based on topic and content (not typos and grammar), and offers suggestions. The writer reworks the post as needed. The editor then proofs the post for typos and grammar before publishing. We rely heavily on peer review here, and use to do it. Each blog posts gets a running commentary on headline suggestions, keyword ideas, changes to the content of the post, and image suggestions.

Democratization in the Third Wave European Countries Essay

Democratization in the Third Wave European Countries - Essay Example There have been three waves of democratization. The first wave started in the 1820’s, as suffrage widened and more citizens in Europe demanded their rights (Huntington 1991, p.3). It started in the US and then spread across the British dominion (Huntington 1984, p.196). However, in 1922 Mussolini came to power, which marked the return to autocracies. By the end of World War II, only 12 democracies were left, in comparison to 29 beforehand (Huntington 1991, p.3). The second wave was supported, and imposed by the Allied Forces after World War II. In 1962, the zenith was reached with 36 democracies (Huntington 1991, p.3). Many of them were also former colonies (Huntington 1991, p. 31 – 108). After 1962, democracy again experienced a decline (Jaggers & Gurr 1995, 477). In 1974, the third wave started. This wave was marked by the shifts to democracy in Portugal, Greece and Spain (Huntington, 1991, p.4). The Catholic Church became an opponent of autocracies in the 1960’s (Huntington 1991, p.77). The European Union (EU), then known as the European Community (EC), conditioned the benefits of access to their markets on democratization. Greece joined EC in 1981, and Spain and Portugal followed. By 1994, according to Jaggers and Gurr (1995, p.479), there were 50 percent democracies and only 18 percent autocracies in the world. However, they also classified countries into incoherent systems, claiming that 19 percent countries were autocracies and 13 percent democracies (Jaggers & Gurr, 1995, p.479).... 31 – 108). After 1962, democracy again experienced a decline (Jaggers & Gurr 1995, 477). In 1974, the third wave started. This wave was marked by the shifts to democracy in Portugal, Greece and Spain (Huntington, 1991, p.4). The Catholic Church became an opponent of autocracies in the 1960’s (Huntington 1991, p.77). The European Union (EU), then known as the European Community (EC), conditioned the benefits of access to their markets on democratization. Greece joined EC in 1981, and Spain and Portugal followed. By 1994, according to Jaggers and Gurr (1995, p.479), there were 50 percent democracies and only 18 percent autocracies in the world. However, they also classified countries into incoherent systems, claiming that 19 percent countries were autocracies and 13 percent democracies (Jaggers & Gurr, 1995, p.479). These are less stable than coherent systems. Papaioannou and Siourounis (2008, p.384) determined that among 174 countries between 1960 and 2005, there were 63 democratic transitions and 3 reverse transitions from relatively stable democracy to autocracy. In the 1990’s, it was questionable whether young democracies were going to survive. According to Shin (1994, p.137), since governments depend on people or demos, democracy can only survive if people support it. However, at the time, newly democratic countries lacked factors that facilitate democratization such as civic organizations and market economies (Shin 1994, p.137). According to Rose and Shin (2001, p.334), â€Å"[w]hile the third wave has increased by 77 per cent the number of countries holding competitive elections, the number of countries recognizing political and civil liberties has increased by only 40 per cent.† As a result, the third wave in many

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Globalization - Essay Example s affected by it; in fact, it can be said that it undermines state sovereignty because decisions that are made have to consider their impact on international affairs (Shimko 192). An example of this is oil-exporting countries that heavily depend on the income from this product to fund their national budgets. If these countries were to act in a way which displeases the international community, then they would be forced to abandon such decisions through the placing of sanctions on their exports. Moreover, because of globalization, many countries have interests in other countries; therefore, to protect these interests, it has become necessary for the powerful to meddle in the political affairs of the weaker ones (Yang170). This has not only made the latter countries lose their sovereignty, but it has also encouraged their overdependence on more developed nations for economic aid. Cultural diversity loosely refers to the variety and differences in race, ethnicity, and class that are present in a society, state, or the world. Different races have diverse cultures or customs; for  example, in a  traditional  Mexican  wedding; there is a  distinct  ceremony  where  a rosary  or  white  rope  is wound around  the  bride  and  groom  to form a number eight.  Languages, cuisine and mode of dressing are also part of cultural diversity notwithstanding the conformity to everyday way of living by people of a certain society (Mueller 71). History profoundly determines these aspects, but they are mostly affected by the environment. This implies the people who develop the cultural resources and control access to the culture itself. While trying to achieve globalization, cultural diversity has developed since the core idea behind it is ‘speaking a common language’. This is because globalization includes transformation of a s patial organization, which in turn means wide-ranging institutional reform institutions formed with a large influence from culture. Many argue that

Human Genome Project: Legal, Ethical and Social Implications

Human Genome Project: Legal, Ethical and Social Implications In this dissertation we consider the human genome project in its wider context. We take a brief overview of the aims, the working and the sequencing techniques used together with the timeline achieved. The ability to sequence genes has given a greater understanding of the human genome. This understanding has thrown up a great many legal, social medical and ethical problems and dilemmas which clearly need tube both addressed and solved. This dissertation looks at many of the issues, analyses them, and considers some of the possible solutions. We primarily consider the situation in the UK, but comparisons are drawn with the arguably more litigious society in the USA, particularly in consideration of the legal implications of the subject. We make a consideration of the ethical position of researchers, medical professionals and also individuals whether they are considered as research subjects or simply as private citizens. We draw conclusions from our findings and present them. Introduction The Human Genome Project (HGP) was a vast and ambitious concept which was conceived in the 1980s and formally started in 1990, the main stated aim of which was to achieve the mapping of the entire human genome. It was originally anticipated that the process would take approximately 15 years and was therefore scheduled to be complete in2005/6 but the advances in technological hard and software improved sequencing ability to the extent that the entire undertaking was actually completed in 2003. The project itself involved over 1,000 principal scientists in over 200Universities, Government laboratories and private facilities. The stated and defined primary goals of the project were to: identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, store this information in databases, improve tools for data analysis, transfer related technologies to the private sector, and address the ethical, legal, and social issues that may arise from the project. (after Collins FS et al 1998), Although the project was primarily about the sequencing of the human genome, part of the intrinsic preparatory work was carried out in the sequencing techniques of other organisms such as E Coli and Drosophila(the fruit fly) Brief description of the genome The genome of an organism is a term which relates to the sum total of the DNA of the organism. This is replicated in virtually every cell in the organism and it should be noted that it includes not only the nuclear DNA but the extra-nuclear DNA as well. It is the basic code for making all of the constituent proteins and thereby it is the ultimate determinant of the various processes that occur within the organism. The human genome has approximately 3 billion base pairs (abbreviated as A T G C). These are arranged in sequential style in the DNA double helix and are unique to an individual. There are large areas of repetition and large areas which appear to be â€Å"biologically silent† but we shall discuss this in rather greater detail later in this dissertation. (Nichols, E.K. 1998) Sequencing techniques used The eventual sequence derived in the human genome project does not represent anyone individual’s genome. The original samples were taken from multiple sperm and blood (from females) donations which were mixed and sent to labs across the world. The differences were comparatively insignificant as the vast majority (99.7+%) of the genomic sequence is identical in every individual.(Collins et al 2001) Sperm is used, as the DNA : protein ratio is higher in sperm than for other cells and is therefore easier to prepare. It should be noted that sperm contains both the male and female sex chromosomes (X Y) so equal numbers of each were added to the samples and the blood DNA was added to ensure that female derived DNA was also present. The original sequencing techniques (in the 1990s) were primarily those of gel electrophoresis, which is slow, labour intensive and expensive. It was reported that the entire human genome project team managed to sequence 200Mb of gene in 1998. Advances in technology and automotive processing allowed one participant (DOE Joint genome institute) to sequence 1.5 billion bases in one month in January 2003. (Soga, Kakazuet al 2004) It was the discovery and large-scale implementation of the capillary gel electrophoresis technique that was mainly responsible for these advances. One of the major advantages of the capillary tube method is that the comparatively larger surface area of the capillary tube allows for greater heat dissipation which was the rate limiting step for the older models as too much heat would melt the gel carrier. (Tsai et al.2004) The actual mechanism for sequencing is extremely complex but in essence each chromosome, which comprises between 50 and 250 million base pairs, is fragmented into more manageable size pieces. (the sub cloning step).Each piece is then set up as a template from which a set of smaller fragments are generated, each one is a base pair shorter than the parent (the template preparation and sequencing reaction steps). (Marsha et al 2004) The resulting fragments are separated by electrophoresis which is an ideal method because of their differing size (separation step). The end base of each fragment is then identified (base-calling step). Automated sequencers then can analyse the resulting patterns which will give representation of the base order which is then â€Å"reassembled† into blocks of about 500 bases each (for ease of handling the data) . Number of very sophisticated computer programmes then analyse the raw data for potential errors and can identify specific genes and silent areas (Krill P et al 2000) Once sequenced, the final details are placed in the public domain such as Embank for open access to all. We have made several references to the draft and final sequences. The explanation of the difference lies in the fact that there are both intrinsic errors in the processing and also in the variability of the genetic material used. The original draft sequence was published in June 2000. This was the result of each area being analysed at least 4-5times to minimise the errors. This original data was presented inspections of about 10,000 base pairs and the chromosomal locations of the genes were known at this stage. A higher quality â€Å"final† reference sequence was published in April 2003which represented a 8-9 fold sequencing of every chromosome to fill in gaps and to minimise errors which were quoted as being no more than one in 10,000 bases (Kaiser et al 2004) Human genome project timeline 1990 Official commencement of HGP work Apr. 1998 HGP passes sequencing midpoint March 1999 Target completion date for â€Å"Human genome Working Draft† accelerated to early 2000 Dec 1999 Human Chromosome 22 sequenced (first human chromosome ever sequenced) May 2000 Human Chromosome 21 sequenced March 2000 Drosophila genome completed April 2000 Draft sequences of Human Chromosome 5, 16 19 completed June 2000 Working draft of DNA sequence achieved Dec 2001 Human Chromosome 20 sequenced Dec 2002 Complete Mouse genome draft publication Jan 2003 Human Chromosome 14 sequenced June 2003 Human Chromosome Y sequenced July 2003 Human Chromosome 7 sequenced Oct 2003 Human Chromosome 6 sequenced March 2004 Human Chromosome 13 19 sequenced May 2004 Human Chromosome 9 10 sequenced Sept 2004 Human Chromosome 5 sequenced Oct 2004 Human gene count estimates changed from 20,000 to 25,000 Dec 2004 Human Chromosome 16 sequenced March 2004 Human Chromosome X sequenced April 2005 Human Chromosome 2 4 sequenced Legal issues Patenting The whole issue of patenting the genome and the offshoots of the project caused an enormous furore in medical, scientific and pharmaceutical circles. The opposing ends of the spectrum argued that, on the one hand, the benefits of such a fundamentally important piece of work should be freely available for the human race in general and the scientific community in particular, to the other who believed that the money to be made by the commercial exploitation of the genome could be used to finance other related projects. (Nuffield 2002) The culmination of the argument was that the genome was fragmented and patented piecemeal. In order to fully understand the implications of this we must explore the workings of the patent system. In the UK, patents are issued by the Patent Office. Applications must be received within 18 months of the discovery (it is 3 years in the USA). Once granted, they remain in force for 20 years from the date of issue. In order to be considered suitable for a patent to be issued a product must generally satisfy four criteria, namely: Useful – the patent application must be accompanied by some practical application of the invention (whether it has actually been applied or has been proposed in a purely theoretical sense) Novel – it must be a new, or previously unknown entity. Non-obvious –it must be a significant modification that is not simply a minor adjustment made by someone with appropriate skill and training in that particular area Detailed – the item must be described in sufficient detail to allow person who has appropriate training in the field to use it for the purpose for which it was designed. This is often referred to as the â€Å"enablement criterion† ( after Cochran and Cox. 1997) The academic argument referred to earlier was intensified by the knowledge that raw products of nature are not generally patentable. Special provision had to be made by the agencies on both sides of the Atlantic to allow for patents to be issued for genetic material. The general guiding principal in issuing patents is that they are issued on a â€Å"first to invent† basis. Where a specific application is not immediately obvious (as is the case with many pharmaceutical and bio-tech products), provisional patents can be applied for and enforced for up to one year after either discovery or publication of the findings. This is a mechanism to allow for the full implications of the finding to be worked out and patented.(Nickols F 2004) In specific reference to our considerations here, we should note that with bio-tech discoveries in general and DNA patents in particular, coincident with the application for a patent, the applicant is required to deposit a sample of their discovery in any one of 26 designated biological culture repositories which are distributed throughout the world. (Bjorn tad DJ, et al. 2002) It is a reflection of both the scale and importance of this work to appreciate that to date, there have been over 3 million separate genome-related applications for patents received on file throughout the world. The legal ramifications of this process are huge. In the UK, USA and Japan (where the bulk of the applications for genome-related patents are filed) the system requires that the details of the applications are kept completely confidential until the full patent is finally issued. As we have discussed, this process can take up to a year. (Brown,2000) The corollary of this fact is that those scientists and companies who utilise the data ( which is available on the Internet) to evaluate clinical or pharmaceutical applications of gene sequences risk the issuing of a future injunction if it transpires that those particular sequences have been the subject of a previous patent application which has subsequently turned out to be successful. (Morris AH 2002) The 3 million genome related patents include the genes themselves, gene fragments, tests for specific genes, various proteins and stem cells. To satisfy the Patent Office the four tests set out above are specifically modified to accommodate genetic material thus: (1) identify novel genetic sequences, (2) specify the sequences product, (3) specify how the product functions in nature i.e., its use (4) enable one skilled in the field to use the sequence for its stated purpose (after Caulfield 2003) Even this is not completely sufficient for the current needs of science. If we take the example of gene fragments. Their function is often not known although their structure almost invariably is. The practical applications can be extremely vague. A quoted utility of a gene fragment has been cited as â€Å"providing a scientific probe to help find another gene†. Clearly it could cause substantial practical difficulties if a patent were to be issued on such a basis, and the subsequent usage was found to be substantially different, it would not invalidate the patent. The significance of this can be fully appreciated if we consider that the typical gene fragment, comprising about 500 bases (known as expressed sequence tags or ESTs) actually represent typically about20-30% of the active chromosomal genetic material, the full chromosome may be about 40-60 times larger than this. The active chromosomal genetic material is often referred to as canal and typically only contains its information-rich (or exon) regions. The scientific importance of these gene segments are that they represent very useful tools for research as they can duplicate the actions of genes, can be synthesised in the laboratory, and remove the need for scientists to manipulate the entire gene. (HUGO 2000) It can therefore be clearly be appreciated that such gene fragments are very useful tools in genetic research and the granting of patents touch entities has sparked off another major controversy in the scientific community. There have been major representations to the various Patent Offices throughout the world not to grant such patents to these universally important entities to applicants who have neither determined the base sequence of the genes nor yet determined their function and possible uses. As a result of this, the UK and USA Patent Offices decided to issue more stringent guidelines (effective as from 2001) which required that an application for patent of a gene fragment must now specifically state how the fragment functions before a patent can be issued. The wording is specific and substantial utility that is credible, but is still considered by many to be too indeterminate. (Thompson 1992) The basis behind the objections stem from the two main arguments already put forward. Firstly the patenting of such a â€Å"bottleneck or gatekeeper† product can seriously hinder the eventual development or even the characterisation of more complex molecules. Secondly, scientists are obviously wary of utilising such entities because of the possible financial constraints and penalties that would be imposed if the particular entity that they were using subsequently was found to bathe subject of a provisional (and therefore initially secret) patent application. In essence the patent of the gene fragment could be taken out after a comparatively small amount of scientific work and exert totally disproportionate control over the possible commercial and scientific development of more advanced genome research. (Schwarz D teal 1997), There are also less obvious, but very practical, implications to this type of patenting. Let us consider the situation where patents have been separately applied for, and granted to gene fragments, the gene and various proteins that the gene expresses. Any scientist wishing to-do research in that area has not only to pay the various license holders for permission to use their patented entity, but there are also hidden costs in the research necessary to determine where (and whether)the patents have been granted. (Short ell SM et al 1998), Not all research has been hampered or driven by the restrictive practices that the issuing of patents inevitably promotes. Let us consider the case of the Welcome Foundation who, in collaboration with ten other smaller pharmaceutical concerns, agreed to form a non-profitmaking consortium whose stated goal was to find and map out an initial300,000 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). To date they have discovered nearly 2 million. In a truly philanthropic gesture they generated a publicly available SNP map of the human genome in which they patented every SNP found solely for the purpose of preventing others from making financial profit from them and making the information available to the public domain. The SNP is a single variation in the base sequence in the genome and they are found, on average, about one in every 500 base units. It can occur in an active or in a non-coding region. The effect will clearly vary depending upon the actual site of the variation but they are believed to be a fundamental cause of genetic variation which could give researchers important clues into the genetic basis of disease process or variations in responsiveness to pharmaceuticals. (Russell SJ1997) In addition it is believed that SNPs are responsible for variations in the way that humans respond to a multitude of potential pathogens and toxins. The SNP is therefore an invaluable tool in the research behind multifactorial disease process where complex environmental and genetic interactions are responsible for the overall phenotypic expression of the clinical disease state. (Santis,G et al 1994). We have referred in passing to the arguments that are currently raging relating to the issues on patenting genetic material. We should therefore consider the question of why patent at all? Would we be better off if the patent offices did not accept patents of genetic material? On first examination of the situation one might think that scientific investigation, in general terms, might proceed faster if all scientists had unlimited and free access to all information in the public domain. More careful consideration suggests however, the laws relating to intellectual property are built on the assumption that unless ownership and commercial profits can be reasonably secure (by means such as patents) few organisations would be willing to make the substantial investment that is typically necessary for development and research. The reasoning behind the mechanism of patenting intellectual property is therefore the marrying together of the need to secure a potential income from one’s work with the ability to allow the transparency of full publication of one’s discoveries which will therefore allow others to consider and utilise the information in their own research. (Berwick. 1996) Consideration of this point will suggest that the only other effective means of safeguarding the costs of one’s research would be total secrecy which clearly would not be in the general interest of the scientific community. If we add to the general thrust of this argument, the fact that, in general terms, the costs of development(post-invention) far outweigh the costs of research (pre-invention) we can see the economic sense in allowing innovative research-based firms the financial security of development by preserving the profit incentives by means of the Patent. (DGP 2002) In general terms we could view the patent mechanism as a positive development.(McGregor D 1965). Perhaps it is the breadth and number of the patents allowed in the field of genomic research that is the prime cause of unease in the scientific community. Special cases The arguments presented above can be broadened further if one of the natural extensions of the human genome project is the research into the possibility of cloning. We will not consider the (currently totally illegal) possibility of human cloning per se, but the therapeutic embryo cloning for the purposes of harvesting human stem cells. Such cells have immense potential for the study and therapy of a great number of disease process. As such they have enormous value as both intellectual and commercial property. The background to our discussion here includes consideration of the fact that courts in both the UK and the USA (Diamond v. Chakrabarty1980) have set precedents that single celled organisms (genetically modified bacteria) were intrinsically patentable. Legal argument then followed and shortly after there were similar rulings in favour of the patentability of simian stem cells. It logically follows that human stem cells should be afforded the same legal protection. The problem arises then that such a move would offend other legal principles such as technical ownership of another human being.(PGA 2001) Clearly there are enormous, and some would say insurmountable, difficulties in this region. We present this point simply to illustrate the potential difficulties surrounding ownership of the human genome. Broader legal issues Matters relating to the legal implications arising from the human genome project already fill countless volumes and we do not propose to make an exhaustive examination of the subject. There are however, number of major issues that arise either directly or indirectly from this project. They are largely interlinked with major social and ethical considerations and society, as a whole, has looked to the law to provide authoritative answers to some of them. (Stripling R et al.1992) One of the major problems associated with the potential ability to decipher the human genome is what to do with the information that it gives us. The ability to â€Å"read genes† brings with it the ability to discriminate with increasing degrees of subtlety. Discrimination is inevitably linked (historically, at least) with varying degrees of injustice. Whether it is the more obvious forms of discrimination such as insurance loading on the basis of predisposition to disease traits or more insidious and pernicious scenarios such as the ability to discriminate by genetic association with various ethnic groups, the ability is there. Will it become acceptable to refuse a mortgage application on the grounds that a person has been found to have a genetic disposition towards gastric cancer? Could health insurance premiums be based on an interpretation of various aspects of one’s genome? Some lawyers have already voiced their concerns about the ability of the law to provide genetic defences where it may be possible to challenge prosecutions on the ability to undermine the ethical principle of the validity of individual responsibility. The concept of free-will may be legally challenged in the prospect of discovery of various genetic traits that may predispose the individual to any one oaf number of behaviour patterns such as antisocial or thrill-seeking behaviour or violence. (Laurie G 2004) We currently accept that some manifestations of the human genome are now routinely enshrined in virtually unchallengeable law. DNA identification in criminal law is commonplace and scarcely questioned. Paternity suits are settled on the basis of genetic make-up. It doesn’t take a quantum leap of intuition to appreciate that there may soon be potential negligence cases brought against physicians and the like who fail to warn patients against the possibility of developing the ever increasing number of disease processes that are thought to have a genetic predisposition or component. The converse of that dilemma is should we expect physicians to suppress information found by genetic testing if there is no known cure? It follows that if we do not then people could be condemned to live with the knowledge that they are statistically likely to develop any one oaf number of diseases that they may very well, in other circumstances, have chosen to live in ignorance of. (Hyde, SC et al. 1993) Such cases have already surfaced, unsurprisingly in the USA. The estate of a colonic cancer victim unsuccessfully tried to sue a physician who failed to warn him about a genetic predisposition to colonic cancer from which he subsequently died. (Safer v Estate of Peck 1996) Some measures have been taken to try to protect exploitation of the genetic status of individuals where it is known. In the USA, some 16states have enacted laws to prevent both health and other insurance companies from using any form of genetic information to load premiums or to refuse cover. The initial reaction to these moves was one of delight, but it soon became clear that this was only of any potential value when the individual was asymptomatic. There was no bar to premium levels once the symptoms became apparent. To some extent, although the same level of legal prohibition does not apply in the UK, there is little difference. In this country, insurance companies will still load premiums or refuse cover once symptoms are apparent. (Rothstein MR1999) Social and medical considerations As we have implied earlier in this piece, the fundamental nature and importance of the human genome project to humanity as a whole means that its impact has great implications for the fields of law, ethics and social considerations. This is hardly surprising as, at the most basic level, all these three considerations are inextricably linked. Many of the social implications are also tied up with medical considerations and therefore we shall consider both of these elements together. Humans, as a race, have about 3 million pairs of bases that determine their genetic identity. Interpersonal differences between individual humans however, are determined by only one tenth of one present of our collective DNA. These three million base pairs are ultimately responsible for the physical and perhaps behavioural diversity that we observe in our species. (Erickson 1993) It is in the nature of inheritance that this variation has accumulated across the generations by small mutations or variations in the base sequences. These small differences are ultimately responsible for all human diversity including many overt disease process and predisposition or resistance to others. It is clearly important where these mutations take place as some have no functional effect, others may confer some form of advantage or benefit (and thereby the motive factor behind the evolutionary processes) others may cause disease or even be incompatible with life.(Griesenbach U et al 2002), It can be argued that all disease process have at least a genetic component. It can be completely due to a genetic malfunction such as the defect in the single gene for the cystic fibrosis transmembraneconductance regulator (CFTR) which results in an abnormal expression of one protein (the protein is still expressed, but due to one amino acid irregularity it folds in a different way) which results in the clinical situation of cystic fibrosis. (Piteous DJ et al 1997). Equally it may be due to a variation in the genetic code that modifies how the immune system responds to a particular pathogen (Yoshimura, K et al. 1992). As we understand how our genome influences literally every aspect of our health we will inevitably discover more ways to combat and tackle the diseases of mankind. Before we move on to discuss overtly social and ethical considerations we should logically extend the appraisal and examination of the medical issues, as they have a pronounced bearing on these other areas. With the advent of a greater understanding of the human genome and the cellular mechanisms of regulation and disease comes the prospect of gene therapy. On the one hand, the potential benefits for the sufferers of single gene mutation syndromes such as Tay Asch’s disease and Sickle Cell Anaemia are clear and undisputed, and yet the same technology has enormous social and ethical ramifications. There are thought to be about 4,000 single gene defect syndromes known to medical science at present (Termite, S et al 1998). These are the prime targets for the gene therapy researchers There are also an enormous number of more complex, but still primarily genetically determined disease process, such as Alzheimers Disease and schizophrenia, together with the commoner Diabetes Mellitus and hypertension variants which, although having a genetic component, are thought to be manifested after a period of interaction with environmental factors. It is quite possible that the techniques of gene therapy could ultimately be applied to these conditions as well.(Sikorski R et al 1998), Social and medical benefits The advent of understanding of gene function leads to other developments in the fields of both diagnostics and possibly preventative medicine. There is already considerable debate in pharmaceutical circles about the ability of researchers to utilise genetic information to make predictive assumptions about the ability of individuals to metabolise drugs. (Sailor R et al. 1998).One of the big problems with pharmacology is that, although a normal response to a particular drug can be predicted reasonably accurately, there are variations in genetic make-up which cause marked differences in threat of metabolism and excretion of some drugs. In many cases, these differences are of minor clinical importance, but in anaesthetic and cytotoxic drugs, the differences can be lethal. (Wriggle DJ 2004). As extension of this thread of argument is that it is known that some malignancies will respond well to some cytotoxic agents while others will show no response at all. The point behind these comments is that there are considerable efforts in the pharmaceutical industry to identify the particular regions of the genome which are ultimately responsible for these differences. If they can be found it follows that they may either be capable of modification (by gene therapy or other mechanism) or their effect can be measured so that the dose (or even the type) of medication can be adjusted with far more confidence in the knowledge of the likely pharmacodynamics of that individual patient.(Spindle et al 2002). It is the ultimate hope and goal of these efforts that the pharmaceutical industry will ultimately be able to speed up the process of drug development, make the drugs faster and more effective while dramatically reducing the number of adverse drug reactions observed. Social and medical difficulties Gene tests are currently in the process of being developed as a direct result of the human genome project. Some are already commercially available. the social implications here are huge. Quite apart from the medical implications of being able to predict the likelihood of possibly developing certain disease processes, there are legal and social applications as well. Courts have been presented with the results of gene tests in cases as diverse as medical malpractice, privacy violations, criminal cases and even child custody battles.(Diamond. B. 2001) The immediate difficulty in this area is, firstly that there is insufficient knowledge to be able to interpret the results of the gene tests with 100% accuracy. This, when combined with the knowledge that many of the conditions that currently can be tested for have no known or successful treatment, leads to enormous social and ethical dilemmas. While it may be considered quite reasonable to tell a person that they are carrying a defective gene for cystic fibrosis ( as a carrier state, rather than a symptomatic individual) and thereby allow them to make positive decisions with regard to whether they choose to run the risk of passing that particular gene on to future generations. Is it reasonable to tell someone in their 20s that they are likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease in their 60s? How will that knowledge impinge upon their approach to life? (Douglas C 2002) Equally how will such knowledge affect the eventual application and acceptance of health insurance policies which are currently worked out on

How Slippery is the Slope? Essay

How Slippery is the Slope? â€Å"There is no ‘slippery slope’ toward loss of liberties, only a long staircase where each step downward must first be tolerated by the American people and their leaders.† Alan K. Simpson. The essay, Chapter 6: The Slippery Slope, is a break down on how ineffective and illogical the slippery slope fallacy is in an argument against gay marriage. Initially it presents the counter which is the slippery slope essay, and then it breaks it down by four categories being; (1) slipping to absurdity, (2) slipping the other way, (3) slippery slopes in general, (4) concept of choice. Within this essay it undoubtedly does a good job of disproving this counter argument through the authors ability to use pathos, logos, and ethos in a coherent and commendable way. The first category discusses how absurd it is to assume that if gay marriage was legalized then eventually polygamy, incestuous, and even pedophiliac marriages would all have to be legalized. In the second category it is a reminder that the slopes can slip in more direction, so their theory could back fire and the slope could slip into more support for not only the LGBT community, but also for those who are mentally handicapped and those with sexually transmitted diseases. As the third category states slippery slopes in general are a bad idea and are illogical and the fourth category recognizes that states, â€Å"in addition to the aforementioned reasons, a distinction between gay marriages and polygamous and incestuous marriages can be made based on the concept of â€Å"choice.† This fallacy is extremely weak in any sort of intellectual debate because the tactic of it is to fly off into a many other situations that are, more often than not, ridiculous and do not usually relate specifically to the â€Å"top of the slope† issue, and this essay is a good argument showing the flaws in the slippery slope argument against legalizing gay marriage. Logos was a heavy factor in this argumentative essay. The author uses logos to debate the logic of the slippery slope argument, which in and of itself, is a very illogical argument tactic and the author knows that so it uses that as the main way to attack it. A prime example of this use of logos is  in the third category called slippery slopes in general and the author said, â€Å"It is disingenuous, and callous, to treat any potential change as part of some seamless process of an alleged disintegration of an institution.† That being said, that iss not the only example of the author using logos to argue the counter, there is a plethora of logos used throughout the essay such as this excerpt, â€Å"The very notion is manifestly ridiculous. Gay marriage is a legal and moral issue distinct from these others, and it as best disingenuous to argue that its legalization will force the government to recognize the sanctity of a human bond with an animal or a dead person.† In any debate or argument dealing with civil rights are very pathos-centric, because how can one not be emotional when dealing with the rights of human beings? It is incredibly important to appeal to those emotions which are very powerful tools in persuasion and can attract the proper audience and if the emotions are strong enough it can persuade the counter’s side too. â€Å"If you haven’t figured it out by now, slippery slopes don’t usually have much logical sway. Usually, they can be outright dismissed on their face,† using sentences like this and like this, â€Å"Marriage has evolved for the better many times over the years, and will likely evolve even further in years to come,† are great ways to add a bit of emotional impact on the audience. Also the other sources they use, such as the quote from Andrew Sullivan, help add more emotional impact because what the quotes says. Ethos is also an integral part of this essay, without credibility then the argument has no foundation and gives the audience no reason to believe in the author. The major way that the author uses ethos is through the style of their writing, it’s very academically put together and very formally, which not a lot of essays on this subject on the internet are. There is cited sources and very formal language used; you could even say that the authors use of more intellectual vocabulary might also be an additive to their credibility. The citations they use in this article really help with the authors credibility, because they are linked in so if anyone were to try and dispute what was said to be cited they could go directly to the source and that is massive credibility points. Inversely, the lack of too much ethos is also a major part of this essay. If it were to have too much emotional  continent not only would it seem less formal thus less credible, it would also turn off those w ho are apart of the counter to the gay rights movement by making them feel bad or making them angry because the authors use of emotional content. So in the end it appears as though the slope is not so slippery after all, the counter arguments author failed to recognize how this logical fallacy is almost laughed at when brought to a serious argument. It has no foothold, it basically only existing to exist and should not be taken seriously by anyone with half a brain. It is imperative to realize that opposition only uses this method in a last ditch effort to coax the deep end into believing their side over the other, but it’s also important that in any argument both side can, and may resort to using this argumentative tactic no matter how fallacious and ignorant it appears. The author made solid, valid, and most importantly, logical points to break down the other argument showing how ridiculous it really was to try and use the â€Å"slippery slope† style.