Business Strategies Implemented Internationally Research Paper - 1

Business Strategies Implemented Internationally - Research Paper Example How should you organize the business outside of the U.S.? Marketing department handles the sales operation in an international market. Setup of the export department that is in direct contact with the CEO. Setup of independent franchisees or subsidiaries whereby each franchise functions individually and is in direct contact with the CEO (Hodgetts & Rugman, 1995). Should you set-up reasonably independent companies, subsidiaries, in each foreign market? Yes, setting up subsidiaries in each of the international markets is one of the best ways to manage business outside the local market. The franchises are run according to the demands of that country. This is called as the multi-domestic strategy. Another similar strategy; known as international strategy, in this concept certain departments of the international franchise are still maintained by the parent company (Aswathappa, 2008). In order to exercise control over each of the subsidiary, it is important that the companies know which of the strategies it is going to implement and their relevant advantages and disadvantages. A subsidiary board of director will manage the various subsidiaries and their work and hence in this way it is easy to maintain the reputation and decrease the chances of risk in reputation. It is better not to impose a strict brand image and it is also important that all the subsidiaries be linked with the help of the internet or any other software that might be available

Ethics, as It Pertains to Information Technology Term Paper

Ethics, as It Pertains to Information Technology - Term Paper Example Ethics in information technology is a branch of philosophy that deals with how people should make decisions concerned with their professional conduct, when using information technology. Computers have dramatically changed information handling and communication, but have also caused ethical questions to be raised on standards that the users of information technology should uphold in order to be at par with the expectations from the society. The most theatrical abuse of computer technology is the rampant internet hackings of company websites and online theft of credit card numbers. Such cases are imperceptible, frequent and tied to everyday workings of ordinary, law abiding citizens and different situations are on the rise with great frequency due to computer hacking. Hacking is a situation where an individual referred to as a hacker, gains, or attempts to gain access to resources or services belonging to someone else from their computer databases, usually organizations or companies wi thout their prior authorization or awareness (Davis, Philipp and Cowen, 2005). Such activities lead to the disruption of services, loss of data as well as vandalism of data, software or even hardware resources. Hackers are motivated by a multitude of reasons, which include, getting profits, protests, or to gain recognition based on the enormity of the challenge. Hackers have different attitudes and aims. They use different terms to differentiate themselves from each other, or to exclude themselves from specific groups that they have disagreements with. Members of the computer underground should be referred to as crackers and not hackers. A cracker is someone who gains unauthorized access to a computer in order to commit crimes such as information theft. The amount of data and its confidentiality amplifies the concerns that are raised over information technology ethics, and why they should be maintained. Organizations are then forced to device come up with ethical standards that will guide their employees conduct while at the same time ensuring that they remain within the bounds of acceptable public ethics. However, there has been a disregard of societal ethics where companies have employed espionage tactics over rival companies to gain unfair competitive advantage by hacking into their information systems or purchasing information from hackers. In other cases, inquisitive minors have done hacking using a computer and an internet connection. A good example is that of a juvenile who, in March of 1997, sent a couple of computer commands from his personal computer effectively and disabled a telephone company services that was serving an airport in the United States. Such actions have drawn major attention from security agencies such as the F.B.I, and they have made fighting computer hacking be one of their priorities. In the recent past, there has been an accelerated increase in the number of organized hacker groups all over the world. Such groups gather occasiona lly in conventions such as DEF CON, HoHoCon, and SummerCon and such conventions provide information and a means to learn from other members. Hackers also gain credibility by affiliating themselves to elite hacker organizations. Public interest groups such as the computer Ethics Institute have been in the frontline in trying to lay down the ethical standards that computer users should uphold. Various security agencies have highly prioritized cases of hacking to the extent of setting up a

The importance of realism in British soap opera Essay Example for Free

The importance of realism in British soap opera Essay Corrie, Enders and Brookie are all one. Family Affairs and The Archers are too. These shows are all a part of the great institution known as the British Soap Operas. Originating from when they were U.S. daytime drama programs sponsored by soap manufacturers, they were aimed at 1930s housewives with Opera ironically mocking the storylines that were thought of as being trivial and domestic. Soaps have always remained melodramatic, outrageous and containing high emotional content. They explore the domestic and personal worlds of their characters, which make the audience become more fascinated with the everyday drama of relationships and communities then with apparent serious events such as politics or current affairs. Soaps are mainly revolved around an established location (a street, close, square or an area). Some Soap, such as The Bill and Casualty are known to be occupational soaps, revolving around a workplace. The key factors in Soap are the community places where everyone knows each other making storylines a lot more possible. The Local pub is a place where gossip can be spread fast and enemies cannot avoid one another. Meaning a confrontation (a la Mike Baldwin and Ken Barlow) is inevitable providing a worthwhile appearance in soap. A big part of the Soap Operas popularity is realism, which is the dominant mode of representation in Television and Media. The term usually implies that the media text attempts to represent an external reality; Soaps are realistic because it is accurately reproduces the part and culture of the world its referring to. The uses of conventions aid this representation. A series of conventions is used to charm the audience into the world. Locations, narrative structures and mise-en-scene conventions are a few which attract the audience. If everyone in Eastenders drove Mercedes convertibles with the top down in October, it wouldnt match the reality of it happening at the same time in East End London. Whilst still being dramatic, soaps have always connected to their audience using realism. To achieve this the audience should feel the Soap should be set in contemporary setting meaning it should be set in the present day or at least modern times which the audience can recognize. The drama should contain people who the audience can identify with; a character like Phil Mitchell is more believable then someone having superhero powers (think Superman, Buffy). This means the audience are able to believe the characters are real people too, because of their possible human existence. Realism is also constructed by Soaps revolving around the working class, who make up the majority of the audience. Storylines and activities such as popping into the local are believable. These conventions are evident in popular soaps such as Coronation Street (1960-), Eastenders (1985-) and Brookside (1982-2003). Storylines in Soaps make realism more realistic; the social issues conveyed are usually negative. These things that are significant in society and in the news at one time or another, these controversial storylines prompt quick conflicting response. Some issues are long-standing such as alcoholism, teenage pregnancy, abortion, drugs and rape. Soap operas tend to reflect as many social issues as they can, which can be seen as a attempt to educate and support viewers. Often there is a help line number for victims who have suffered the same fate as the character after the episode. The long storyline of Mark Fowler in Eastenders being HIV positive was started in the 80s a time when the disease was being discovered and the show took the issue and proved that the suffering characters are like real people and arent protected by their fictional state. The storyline was followed until Marks eventual death in 2003. This also shows that every single dialogue written in Soaps can influence the future plots. However, some storylines arent so reflective. Weve just seen Dirty Den Watts reappear in EastEnders, despite having died 10years ago. The writers wrote him back in by revisiting the day when his body was dragged out of a river and that cryptically his body wasnt identified. If he had been identified, this storyline wouldnt be gripping 17million viewers currently. Notice that there was no help lines for viewers who have had people come back from the dead, proving that the writers arent using realism to illustrate this storyline. Adding to the realism is the location, many small communities have basic meeting places the shops, pub and repair garage are just a few. This provides the characters with a assembly point where storyline titbits can be exchanged and the viewer more informed. These local public places are magnified in the Soap. Almost every woman in Coronation Street works at Underworld, which would almost never happen in a real street. This unrealistic setting employs the realistic storyline The woman at underworld would be gossiping about a wedding or other storyline that would inform the viewers more detail of the story. The gossiping and bitchy female workplace is also evident in the real world. Also Soap has the proximity of everything being so close to one another. Rita in Coronation Street goes from working all day in a Newsagent to having a night out at the Rovers. Nobody goes very far away. In a Truman Show style it is almost as it the characters do not know of a world outside Weatherfield. Important in adding to the realism is sound. It is always diegetic, like when the train goes past the market stalls in EastEnders. This can make the show seem more real because the 5.35 train to North London has just gone past a busy market. This makes the whole concept more believable. Representation of the characters is also important. East end London is full of different ethnicities, different genders, sexual preference, ages, occupations, incomes and backgrounds and the characters in Eastenders are meant to be a represent society. The more different characters in the Soap, the more authentic it is. Soaps mostly rely on conflict with one another, as do most things; it comes down to Good vs. Bad. Audiences all go through conflict with one another, believing they are right. To have characters do the same provides the audience with a reassurance that everyone disagrees and that conflict is inevitable. There is a disagreement about the value of Soap Opera. Some say Soaps are Junk TV predictable and limited in stimulation of the mind. For others they are examples of realism, reflecting the society they depict by tackling social issues in a dramatic form. Thus, the importance of realism in soap operas is vital to their success. Cemented as their own institution, avid fans can cling onto story lines and events in a bid to relate to scenarios in their life. Although a strong example, the HIV Mark Fowler storyline has the possibility to help and support victims so much that if they actually remembered that Mark Fowler is fictional the story crumbles and they may feel vulnerable and alone. Having the empathy of someone else going through the same can encourage an audience so much that the realistic features found in Soaps should be exact, so the audience can accept the story and relate. To me, it seems anything but trivial and domestic.

Youth Mental Health Issues

Youth Mental Health Issues Mental and substance use disorders are among the most important health issues facing Australians. They are a key health issue for young people in their teenage years and early 20s and, if these disorders persist, the constraints, distress and disability they cause can last for decades (McGorry et al., 2007). Associated with mental disorders among youth are high rates of enduring disability, including school failure, impaired or unstable employment, and poor family and social functioning. These problems lead to spirals of dysfunction and disadvantage that are difficult to reverse. (McGorry et al., 2007). As over 75% of mental disorders commence before the age of 25 years, reducing the economic, geographical, attitudinal and service organisation barriers for adolescents and young adults is an essential first step in addressing mental health problems (Hickie and McGorry, 2007). In Australia, rates of mental illness among young people is higher than for any other population group and represented the major burden of disease for young people with depression making the greatest contribution to this burden. In addition, youth suicide and self-harm have both steadily increased during the 1990s (Williams et al., 2005). 60% of all health-related disability costs in 15 34-year-olds are attributable to mental health problems, and of the total disability years lived in Australia, 27% is attributable to mental disorders. Although most common mental disorders commence before 18 years of age, people aged 25 44 years and 45 64 years are more than twice as likely as those aged under 25 years to receive an active treatment when seen in general practice (Hickie et al., 2005). Research has indicated that some mental health problems can be prevented through appropriate early intervention, and that the impact of existing mental illness can be mitigated through the early provision of appropriate services (Mental Health Policy and Planning Unit, ACT, 2006). It has been estimated that up to 60% of cases of alcohol or other substance misuse could be prevented by earlier treatment of common mental health problems (Hickie et al., 2005). Despite the enthusiastic efforts of many clinicians around Australia, progress in service reform has plateaued, remains piecemeal and is frustratingly slow in contrast to what has been achieved in other countries, many of which began by emulating Australia. In addition, the specialist mental health system is seriously under-funded (McGorry and Yung, 2003). While Australia s national health spending continues to grow past $72 billion the total recurrent mental health spending has consistently remained below 7% of this figure (Hickie et al., 2005). The need for coordinated national health and welfare services for people with mental health and substance misuse problems has been recognised by all Australian governments, but insufficient investment, lack of accountability, divided systems of government and changing health care demands resulted in a very patchy set of reforms (Hickie and McGorry, 2007; Vimpani, 2005). Statistics regarding the problem Close to one in five people in Australia were affected by a mental health problem within a 12-month period, according to the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Young adults were particularly affected, with more than one-quarter of Australians aged 18 to 24 years suffering from at least one mental disorder over a 12-month period (Mental Health Policy and Planning Unit, ACT, 2006). In Australia, the prevalence of mental health problems among children aged 4 12 years lies between 7% and 14%, rises to 19% among adolescents aged 13 17 years, and increases again to 27% among young adults aged 18 24. Therefore, up to one in four young people in Australia are likely to be suffering from a mental health problem, with substance misuse or dependency, depression or anxiety disorder, or some combination of these the most common issues (McGorry et al., 2007). It is therefore more likely that mental health problems will develop between the ages of 12 and 26 than in any other stage of life (Orygen Youth Health, 2009). This situation also exists among Australian Indigenous communities, where the continuing grief and trauma resulting from the loss of traditional lands and cultural practices as a result of colonization, past policies of child removal and the destruction of traditional governance arrangements within Aboriginal communities, are an ever-present cultural reality that plays out in some of the worst developmental health and well-being outcomes in advanced industrial society (Vimpani, 2005). Risk taking by young people Studies show that psychosocial issues form a great burden of disease for young people, including intentional and unintentional injuries, mental disorders, tobacco, alcohol and other substance misuse, and unprotected sexual intercourse (Tylee et al., 2007). The pathways to substance misuse in young people involve complex interplay between individual biological and psychological vulnerability, familial factors and broader societal influences. The impact on family and society is often painful, destructive and expensive (Vimpani, 2005). In 2005, nearly half of all deaths of young men and a third of young women aged 15 34 years in NSW were due to suicide, transport accidents or accidental drug overdoses (418 persons; ABS, 2008b). In 2007, amongst young men in the age group 15-24 in NSW, the average age for first consumption of alcohol was around 15, and amongst women of the same age group, the average age for first use of alcohol was around 17 years. In addition to its potential direct health consequences, risky or high risk drinking can increase the likelihood of a person falling, or being involved in an accident or violence (ABS, 2008a). 71% of persons aged 14-19 and 89.4% of persons aged 20-29 were current drinkers. 27.6% of persons aged 14-19 (40.5% at the age of 20-29) were at risk of short term harm, while 10% (14.7% at the age of 20-29) were at risk of long term harm. Around 90% of Australian youth (aged 18 24 years) have drinking patterns that place them at high risk of acute harm (Lubmen et al., 2007). On av erage, 25 percent of hospitalisations of 15-24 year olds occur as a result of alcohol consumption (Prime Minister of Australia, 2008). Almost one-quarter (23%) of people aged 15 24 years in Australia reported using illicit drugs during the last 12 months, around twice as high as the proportion of people aged 25 years and over (11%). Marijuana/cannabis was the most common drug used by 15 24 year olds (18%), followed by ecstasy (9%), and meth/amphetamines and pharmaceuticals (both 4%). Barriers to provision and use of health services Primary-care health services are sometimes still not available. They may be inaccessible for a variety of reasons such as cost, lack of convenience or lack of publicity and visibility. Health services might not be acceptable to young people, however, even if available and accessible. Fear about lack of confidentiality (particularly from parents) is a major reason for young people s reluctance to seek help, as well as possible stigma, fear of difficult questions. In addition, health professionals might not be trained in communicating with young people. If and when young people seek help, some may be unhappy with the consultation and determine not to go back. To ensure prevention and early intervention efforts, clinicians and public-health workers are increasingly recognising the pressing need to overcome the many barriers that hinder the provision and use of health services by young people, and to transform the negative image of health facilities to one of welcoming user-friendly sett ings (Tylee et al., 2007). Spending in the area remains poor, and service access and tenure are actively withheld in most specialist mental health and substance misuse service systems until high levels of risk or danger are reached, or severe illness, sustained disability and chronicity are entrenched. Thus, just when mental health services are most needed by young people and their families, they are often inaccessible or unacceptable in design, style and quality. Moreover, numerous young people with distressing and disabling mental health difficulties struggle to find age-appropriate assistance. Young people with moderately severe non-psychotic disorders (eg, depression, anxiety disorders and personality disorders), and those with comorbid substance use and mental health issues, are particularly vulnerable. For many of these young people, if they survive (and many do not), their difficulties eventually become chronic and disabling (McGorry et al., 2007). Another barrier is related to the manners in which young people seek help when they have a mental problem. The most recent national survey data for Australia show that only 29% of children and adolescents with a mental health problem had been in contact with a professional service of any type in a 12-month period. Some subgroups, such as young males, young Indigenous Australians and migrants may be even less likely to voluntarily seek professional help when needed. If young people want to talk to anyone, it is generally someone they know and trust and when they do seek professional help, it is from the more familiar sources family doctors and school-based counsellors. However, many young people at high risk of mental health problems do not have links to work, school, or even a family doctor (Rickwood, Deane and Wilson, 2007). Furthermore, mental disorders are not well recognized by the public. The initial Australian survey of mental health literacy showed that many people cannot give the correct psychiatric label to a disorder portrayed in a depression or schizophrenia vignette. There is also a gap in beliefs about treatment between the public and mental-health professionals: the biggest gap is in beliefs about medication for both depression and schizophrenia, and admission to a psychiatric ward for schizophrenia (Jorm et al., 2006). Existing resources: Knowledge, policy and programs Existing knowledge: Manners of interventions Prevention and early intervention programs are normally classified into four types: universal programs are presented to all regardless of symptoms; selective programs target children and adolescents who are at risk of developing a disorder by virtue of particular risk factors, such as being children of a depressed parent; indicated programs are delivered to students with early or mild symptoms of a disorder; and treatment programs are provided for those diagnosed with the disorder (Neil Christensen, 2007). Universal prevention programs target all young people in the community regardless of their level of risk, and include economic measures, social marketing, and regulatory control and law enforcement initiatives, as well as a range of psychosocial programs (Lubmen et al., 2007). In addition, interventions can be divided between promotion and prevention programs. Mental health promotion refers to activity designed to enhance emotional wellbeing, or increase public understanding of mental health issues and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. Prevention of mental illness may focus on at risk groups or sectors of the whole population. (Mental Health Policy and Planning Unit, ACT, 2006). Source: Mental Health Policy and Planning Unit, ACT (2006). Finally, collaborative care is typically described as a multifaceted intervention involving combinations of distinct professionals working collaboratively within the primary care setting. Collaborative care not only improves depression outcomes in months, but has been found to show benefits for up to 5 years (Hickie and McGorry, 2007). The importance of early intervention In the last two decades research demonstrated the high importance of early intervention to promote youth mental health and cope with mental disorders and substance misuse. Early intervention is required to minimise the impact of mental illness on a young person s learning, growth and development, thus improving the health outcome of those affected by mental illness. (Orygen Youth Health, 2009). It was found that the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) could be dramatically reduced by providing community education and mobile detection teams in an experimental study (McGorry, Killackey Yung, 2007; McGorry et al., 2007). On the other hand, delayed treatment and prolonged duration of untreated psychosis is correlated with poorer response to treatment and worse outcomes. Thus, first-episode psychosis should be viewed as a psychiatric emergency and immediate treatment sought as a matter of urgency (McGorry and Yung, 2003). The existing evidence also highlights the importance of prevention and early intervention programs on substance abuse. Such programs focus on delaying the age of onset of drug experimentation; reducing the number of young people who progress to regular or problem use; and encouraging current users to minimise or reduce risky patterns of use. Universal school-based drug education programs have been found to be effective in preventing and delaying the onset of drug use and reducing drug consumption (Lubmen et al., 2007). Early andeffective intervention, targeting young people aged 12 25 years, is a community priority. A robust focus on young people s mental health has the capacity to generate greater personal, social and economic benefits than similar intervention in other age groups, and is therefore one of the best buys for future reforms (McGorry et al., 2007). Importance of other players During the early phases of a mental disorder, members of a person s social network (including parents, peers and GPs) can play an important role in providing support and encouraging appropriate help-seeking. For mental-health problems, young people tend to seek help from friends and family rather than health services. In developing countries, young people are even less willing to seek professional help for more sensitive matters (Tylee et al., 2007). As friends and family are often consulted first by young people, they constitute and important part of the pathway to professional mental health services (Rickwood, Deane and Wilson, 2007). In a survey with young Australians and their parents, it was found that the most common response was to listen, talk or support the person, followed by listen, talk orsupport family and encourage professional help-seeking. Counsellor and GP/doctor/medical were the most frequently mentioned types of professional help that would be encouraged, but when young people were asked open ended questions about how they would help a peer, only a minority mentioned that they would encourage professional help. Among parents, encouraging professional help was a common response both in open-ended and direct questions (Jorm, Wright and Morgan, 2007). General practice is essential to young people s mental health and is often the point of initial contact with professional services. However, there is a need to improve the ability of GPs to recognise mental health problems in young people As well asensuring privacy and clearly explaining confidentiality. Finally, GPs can provide reassurance that it is common to feel distress at times, and that symptoms can be a normal response to stressful events (Rickwood et al., 2007). Schools For the small percentage of youth who do receive service, this typically occurs in a school setting. School-based mental health (SBMH) programs and services not only enhance access to services for youth, but also reduce stigma for help seeking, increase opportunities to promote generalization and enhance capacity for mental health promotion and problem prevention efforts (Paternite, 2005). There is compelling evidence of the effectiveness of a range of school-based interventions in primary and secondary schools for children and young people at risk of substance abuse (Vimpani, 2005). One study found that participation in a school-based intervention beginning in preschool was associated with a wide range of positive outcomes, including less depressive symptoms (Reynolds et al., 2009). Best elements for SBMH include: (a) school family community agency partnerships, (b) commitment to a full continuum of mental health education, mental health promotion, assessment, problem prevention, early intervention, and treatment, and (c) services for all youth, including those in general and special education. A strong connection between schools and other community agencies and programs also assists in moving a community toward a system of care, and promotes opportunities for developing more comprehensive and responsive programs and services (Paternite, 2005). Government policy There are a number of examples of governmental policy and program to enhance youth mental health. The new Medicare-based scheme now includes a suite of measures designed to increase access to appropriate and affordable forms of evidence-based psychological care. Unfortunately, it largely reverts to traditional individual fee-for-service structures. There are no requirements for geographical distribution of services, despite the evidence of gross mal-distribution of mental health specialist services in Australia and the proven contribution of lack of mental health services to increased suicide rates in rural and regional communities (Hickie and McGorry, 2007). Transformation is also occurring in primary care in Australia. GPs are increasing their skills, providing new evidence-based medication and psychological treatments, and beginning to emphasise long term functional outcomes rather than short-term relief of symptoms. Early-intervention paradigms depend on earlier presentation for treatment. Future progress now depends on development of an effective and accessible youth-health and related primary care network. (Hickie et al., 2005). As for substance abuse, The National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (now known as the National Drug Strategy) was established in 1985. It is an inter-governmental and strategic approach based on national and state government cooperation and planning. The campaign has been adopted to bring together research and practice relevant to the treatment and prevention to protect the healthy development of children and youth (Williams et al., 2005). Existing programs There are several existing programs which address youth mental health and substance abuse. Knowing which programs exist may help us in understanding existing resources and knowledge, learning best practices, and recognising what else needs to be done. Australian programs: * The National Youth Mental Health Foundation headspace: providing mental and health wellbeing support, information and services to young people aged 12 to 25 years and their families across Australia. www.headspace.org.au * MindMatters is a national mental health initiative funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. It is a professional development program supporting Australian secondary schools in promoting and protecting the mental health, social and emotional wellbeing of all the members of school communities. www.mindmatters.edu.au * Mindframe: a national Australian Governments program aimed at improving media reporting on mental health issues, providing access to accurate information about suicide and mental illness and portraying these issues in the news media and on stage and screen in Australia. www.mindframe-media.info * The Personal Assessment and Crises Evaluation (PACE) clinic provides treatment for young people who are identified as being at ultra high risk. It involves facilitated groups using adult learning principles based on a curriculum addressing adolescent communication, conflict resolution and adolescent development. http://cp.oyh.org.au/ClinicalPrograms/pace * The Gatehouse Project has been developed in Australia as an enhancement program for use in the secondary school environment. It incorporates professional training for teachers and an emotional competence curriculum for students and is designed to make changes in the social and learning environments of the school as well as promoting change at the individual level. www.rch.org.au/gatehouseproject * Pathways to Prevention: a universal, early intervention , developmental prevention project focused on the transition to school in one of the most disadvantaged urban areas in Queensland. * The Positive Parenting Program (Triple P), which has been implemented widely in Australia and elsewhere for parents of preschool children, has also been implemented for parents of primary school-aged children. http://www1.triplep.net * The Family Partnerships training program, now established in several Australian states and already incorporated into maternal and child health and home visitor training, is designed to improve the establishment of an effective respectful partnership between health workers and their clients. Other international programs: * ARC (Availability, Responsiveness and Continuity): an organizational and community intervention model that was designed to support the improvement of social and mental health services for children. The ARC model incorporates intervention components from organizational development, inter-organizational domain development, the diffusion of innovation, and technology transfer that target social, strategic, and technological factors in effective children s services. * Preparing for the Drug Free Years (PDFY) is a universal prevention programme targeted at parents of pre-adolescents (aged 8 -14 years) that has been subjected to several large-scale dissemination and effectiveness studies across 30 states of the United States and Canada involving 120000 families. Future directions This paper suggests that despite a wealth of knowledge and information on appropriate interventional methods, services to address youth mental health in Australia are not consistently provided and are often under-funded. New evidence is continuously available for professionals; however this knowledge has often failed to filter through to the community and those in need. As Bertolote McGorry (2005) asserted, despite the availability of interventions that can reduce relapses by more than 50%, not all affected individuals have access to them, and when they do, it is not always in a timely and sustained way. The major health problems for young people are largely preventable. Access to primary-health services is seen as an important component of care, including preventive health for young people. Young people need services that are sensitive to their unique stage of biological, cognitive, and psychosocial transition into adulthood, and an impression of how health services can be made more youth-friendly has emerged (Tylee et al., 2007). Existing and new extended community networks, including business, schools, sporting bodies, government sectors, community agencies and the broader community are asked to play their part in mental health promotion and illness prevention. These networks will: * bring together all service sectors and the broader community in closer collaboration in the promotion of mental health; * exchange information about, and increase understanding of existing activities, and encourage new ones; * develop and strengthen the mental health promoting aspects of existing activities; develop greater mental health promotion skills right across the community; and * encourage an environment that fosters and welcomes new ideas, and supports adaptation and innovation to respond to a new environment (Mental Health Policy and Planning Unit, ACT, 2006). As for substance misuse, despite acknowledgement of the substantial costs associated with alcohol misuse within Australia, there have not been serious attempts to reduce alcohol harm using the major levers of mass-marketing campaigns, accompanied by significant changes to alcohol price and regulatory controls. Young people continue to be given conflicting messages regarding the social acceptability of consuming alcohol (Lubmen et al., 2007). According to the Mental Health Policy and Planning Unit (2006), ideas about the best strategies for supporting the mental health of the community are undergoing great change in Australia and internationally, with a growing focus on preventative approaches. Mental health promotion and prevention are roles for the whole community and all sectors of government. Although Australia has slipped behind in early intervention reform, it is now emerging that the situation can improve and that Australia can again be at the forefront of early intervention work. Here are some proposals as to how this can best be achieved: 1. Guaranteed access to specialist mental health services for a minimum period of 3 years post-diagnosis for all young people aged 15 25 with a first-episode of psychosis. New funding is clearly required to support this. 2. Such funding must be quarantined into new structures, programmes and teams. 3. The child versus adult psychiatry service model split is a serious flaw for early intervention and for modern and appropriate developmental psychiatry models. It needs to be transcended by proactive youth-orientated models. Early detection and engagement can be radically improved through such reforms and specialist mental health care can also be delivered in a less salient and stigmatized manner. McGorry et al. (2007) suggested four service levels that are required to fully manage mental illness among young people: 1. Improving community capacity to deal with mental health problems in young people through e-health, provision of information, first aid training and self-care initiatives; 2. Primary care services provided by general practitioners and other frontline service providers, such as school counsellors, community health workers, and non-government agency youth workers; 3. Enhanced primary care services provided by GPs (ideally working in collaboration with specialist mental health service providers in co-located multidisciplinary service centres) as well as team-based virtual networks; 4. Specialist youth-specific (12 25 years) mental health services providing comprehensive assessment, treatment and social and vocational recovery services (McGorry et al., 2007). Elements of successful programs (best practices) Revising the vast research on preventing mental disorders and promoting mental health among youth, particularly in Australia, as well as examining some of the successful and effective programs in the field, the following items summarise elements of current best practice: 1. Holistic approaches and community engagement: a. Adopt holistic approaches which integrate mental health promotion with other aspects of community and individual wellbeing b. Balance between universal and targeted programmes and their relative cost-effectiveness. c. Engage young people, the community and youth support services in working together to build the resilience of young people, and encourage early help and help seeking when problems occur d. Community engagement with the youth, and youth engagement with the community e. Outreach workers, selected community members and young people themselves are involved in reaching out with health services to young people in the community f. Promote community-based health facility: including stand-alone units (which are generally run by non-governmental organisations or by private individuals or institutions), and units that are an integral part of a district or municipal health system (that are run by the government). 2. Access to services and information: a. Make services more accessible to youth by collaborating with schools, GPs, parents etc. b. Social marketing to reduce stigma and make information more accessible c. Have more information online for young people with mental health issues, their families and peers. Promote understanding among community members of the benefits that young people will gain by obtaining health services a. Reduce costs b. Improve convenience of point of delivery working hours and locations 3. Assure youth-friendly primary-care services a. Have other players in the community involved in promotion of youth mental health, such as schools, GPs, and community centres b. Practitioners training c. Ensure confidentiality and privacy (including discreet entrance) d. Addressing inequities (including gender inequities) and easing the respect, protection, and fulfilment of human rights 4. Inter-sectoral and inter-organisational collaboration: a. Enable organisations to work in partnership towards shared goals b. Lead to multi agency, client centred service delivery and care 5. Research and support: a. Provide support such as information and training for the community and for mental health carers and consumers to plan and participate in mental health promotion activity b. Acknowledge formal and informal knowledge 6. Policy: a. Promoting a whole-of-government response to support optimal development health and well-being outcomes b. Policies and procedures are in place that ensure health services that are either free or affordable to all young people

Comparing Science and Religion in Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Struggle Between Science and Religion in Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Metropolis From Frankenstein to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to Metropolis, the mad scientist is one of the modern world's most instantly recognizable and entertaining cultural icons. Popular culture's fascination with demented doctors, crazed clinicians, and technologically fanatical fiends have dominated the major motifs of popular literature and film for most of the 20th century and this fascination will continue into the 21st century. An archetypal outcast, the mad scientist represents all that modern culture holds mysterious and fascinating, intriguing and sinful, and, to say the least, romantic. Popular culture has completely desensitized the blasphemous, heretical, epileptic shocks of tampering with "things that should not be tampered with" and has made them, instead, into common, everyday occurrences. The Romantic struggle between theology and science still wages today--only today's theology has become a religion of materialism and the worship of the monetary system; and through mass media this neo-theology has appealed to societies appetite and captivated an audience desirable by any deity. When we think of 'Mad Science,' the modern, stereotypical, Hollywood vision of mad science floods the mind-of Dr. Frankenstein (Frankenstein); Dr. Jekyll (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde); and Rotwang (Metropolis); along with many others-and for good reason. Many of these characters we know by heart, either from literature, theater, or film, while many others we've hardly heard of and are thus marked mundane and unimportant in our minds. Mad science is synonymous with 'the insane scientist' who blew up his lab, but is ecst... ... science and symbolism pertaining to sex roles, marriage, and the family. With the reformed tolerance and leniency of the 19th century, especially that of religion, the gateway was opened and the chaos that is modern horror was set free to terrorize the land. Works Cited Carroll, David , and Kyla Ward. "The Horror Timeline." < http://www.tabula-rasa.info/DarkAges/> October 13, 2003. Lovecraft, H.P. "H.P. Lovecraft Library." William Johns, 2002. October 15, 2003. Perkus, Aaron Keith. Mythos Journal No. 6: Myths of Science and Technology: Dr. Jekyll Hyeding in the Garden of Eden. October 15, 2003. Skal, David J. Screams of Reason: mad science and modern culture. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1998. Stevenson, Robert Louis. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2003.

Cause and Effect of Games Addiction

Topic: Cause and Effect of online game addiction There are many reasons people play games: for their entertainment, relaxation, studying and burning free time. Game is a part of human creativity, it keeps people entertained, creative, figure out what to do or better at problem solving. The game can include friends so people will play together or against each other and become competitive. Other than the benefits from playing online games, there are also problems from online games. Two main causes of this addiction is the design and service of the games and the effect is that people have less time.Online game addiction is a problem. The first cause of game online addiction is the design of game. Game designers make characters’ look and act like humans. Thus player is easily manipulated and they can play it by themself without anyone else. Characters have clothes, hairs, body like humans for example. When player click left-mouse they stand and another mouse they go at moment. Som ething people feel this action like they are going and doing. It is really real to see and they are interested with drag their mouse . The pictures are beautiful, natural, and it looks real making the game more fun.The background pictures are many colors, flowers, water, gardens, trees, 3D of style for example. There are many tools and support players which makes the game exciting. This is like that there is a map load when people want to finish their task. Pop-up windows show up when people use their character to trade items with others and act everything with one option. Another cause is the service of the game. Player can exchange items easily and view all traditional items in the screen. Therefore they can save it in the store or take it out of the game.Players keep characters in their account for the next time they will play. Thus game services attract people to upgrade level of character. There more exercise, the better the character will be compared to others. For example if people saw their character less level than their friends they feel shy and spend more time to play online games for winning in the future. Players can get virtual money in the virtual world. They can buy something in game by this money or put real money into game system. So game provider sells account cards for player check and save money or use it in the virtual world.Many players spend a lot of time to playing online game and have too little time to exercise and study. As a result Children get bad grades, fail their exam and don’t help anything about housework for their mother. In addition, players are bad at communicating in real life because it is they can easily talk in the game and they not only act in the play but also send message for others. Player can get sick because they play too much, which means they do not get enough rest and see the computer screen a lot. Some people play action games or violent game that have a lot of strategy to kill so they act the same way in real life.Online game addiction is a serious problem for everyone. There are benefits, but there are also problems. When players play every day, they will get addicted to online games. The design and services of the games are the reasons people get addicted, and there are negative impacts to people. I think people need to talk about children playing too many games. It is acceptable to play games, however people have to limit the time. Players should spend enough time for both games and their real lives. Thus the life is balanced, healthy and useful.

Life Is a Race Essay

Family as a Primary Group Social Problems Garelick August 2010 Family plays an important role in the life of every person and society as a whole. It is no surprise that at every new stage of development in our society, with every revaluation of values, the interest in the issues of family, morality and spirituality spikes. At the present time, in the complicated environments through which we weave our lives, the family remains a unique mediator between the interests of the individual and society and is in the epicenter of a major social upheaval. The transition to current market relations and with them the related apathy, and with the mpoverishment of the general population drastically came the turnaround in the view affecting the well-being of our families and their stability and potential for proper upbringing of the young. These, along with many other social instabilities, have led to a crisis of family values. The consequences of this crisis are bifurcations between the generations, the prevalence of reduced lifetime fertility and the growing number of single parents in the United States. If marriage, parenthood and kinship are what constitute family relations, at the present time we are witnessing a decay of this little tiny trinity. The problem is complicated by the fact that at present time, the institution of marriage is going through a transitional period. There is a certain destruction of the old traditional values of marriage, and the new have yet to be formed. Marriage and family are increasingly becoming more about individuals and their need for intimate satisfaction and informal communication, and less about structure and support of one another. Let us pinpoint and define Just where the family lays its essence within the complicated world of social institutions and in which groups, as defined by our text. In a broad sense, the concept of a social group is any social association of people, anything from peer groups to a population of a particular country. In sociology, this concept is used in a narrower sense as â€Å"any number of people with similar norms, values, and expectations who interact with one another on a regular basis† (Schaefer, 2009, p. 107). In general, members of a society feel like they belong to a group, and are also perceived by others as members of said group. To analyze the social structure of a society there must be items explored that ppear in all elementary parts of the given society, which incorporate all of the social perspectives. For this, I have chosen what is generally accepted to be the â€Å"primary group† (Schaefer, 2009, p. 110). The most successful definition, and essentially creation of the term, was created by â€Å"Charles Horton Cooley’ who â€Å"coined the term†¦ o refer to a small group characterized by intimate, tace-to-tace association and cooperation† (Scnaeter, 2 p. 110). In other words, primary groups are those in which individuals have personal interaction with one another. For example, classmates can be members of a primary roup, and the rest of the student body would then be members of a secondary group. From a social perspective of a â€Å"functionalist† for the normal operation of the human society we must consolidate certain types of social relations so that they become mandatory for members of a particular social group (Schaefer, 2009, p. 4). This primarily refers to those social relations in which, in order to obtain entry, members of a certain group must satisfy the most vital requirements needed for the successful functioning of the given group as an integrated social unit. For example, or the production of material comforts, people tend to perpetuate and secure a level of financial cushioning; this is also done for the upbringing of children, for unstrained family relationships, as well as for education and training for everyone involved. A symbolic â€Å"interactionist† would view the family process as a consolidation of social relations and a way to establish a system of roles and statuses, prescribing certain rules of conduct in a â€Å"social network,† and in defining a system of sanctions in case of a default by any of the individuals in the process of living out and following he given rules of conduct (Schaefer, 2009, p. 16/111). Social roles, statuses and sanctions are implemented in the form of social institutions that define sustainable patterns of behavior, ideas and incentives. Social institutions â€Å"are organized patterns of beliefs and behavior centered on basic social needs, such as replacing personnel† in the family setting (Schaefer, 2009, p. 113). Social institutions dictate how ideas and goals are perceived and defined by the system of standard social values, such as patterns of public behavior and the complicated systems of various social ties, i. e. he sets of roles and statuses through which a range of behavior is carried out and kept within certain limits. So, within the concepts of â€Å"social institution† and â€Å"social group† there is a significant internal difference. While the social group, whether primary or secondary, is a collection of interacting individuals, the social institution is a system of social relationships and social norms that exist in a particular area of human activity. However, it should be noted that these concepts are inseparable from each other, because a social institution is a set of relationships and systems of behavior, and is etermined ultimately by the needs of people. In other words, although the social institution creates social relationships and norms, there are people for whom these relationships are linked and carried out; the family is the perfect example of a social group that puts the rules in to practice. People organize themselves into different groups using institutional rules. Each institution includes many social groups that provide the overall institutional behavior. Consequently, institutions and social groups are interrelated, and it would be completely meaningless to separate these otions and study them separately. So, based on the foregoing, I conclude that the family is a social phenomenon that combines the features of a social institution and a primary group. The idea of the modern family arises from the desire to satisfy purely personal needs and interests ot individuals. According to structure-tunctionalists, â€Å"tn patterns of reciprocal obligations among people and between structures of people and the greater society define family. The greater society has needs that must be met; in order to meet those needs, society creates subsets of people structured to elp meet the needs of society. The family is one of those structures. The definition of â€Å"family† changes as the needs of the greater society change. When the greater society needs rapid population growth † after a time of war, for example † society’s definition of family emphasizes heterosexual bonding, procreation and child rearing; but when the greater society is faced with over-population and the need to limit population growth, society’s definition of family may be modified to include homosexual bonding and may be more supportive of childless couples† (Diem, 1997, As a primary group, the family connects the personal needs of the public interest, adapting to social relations, norms, and values that are accepted in our society. In other words, the family’s personal needs are sorted and organized on the basis of accepted societal values, norms and behavior patterns and, eventually, acquire the character of the social functions such as the regulation of sex, procreation, socialization, emotional satisfaction, status, safety, and economic security. From what I have gathered, the definition of family from a conflict perspective has een a highly discouraged and slightly controversial subject since family â€Å"is considered a sacred institution. As a result, support for research on conflict in the family has been discouraged† (Werner-Wilson, 1993, p. 6). And it would seem that a social institution of such prominence would not have a dark side from which can leap and bound toward freedom suppressed minorities. But for the sake of this essay, let us assume that if Karl Marx were to look at the institution of marriage, he would wave his well bearded nugget side to side disapprovingly. The idea of a traditional family as roots in male supremacy, and suppression of women’s rights. If only Karl Marx was not a man of the nineteenth century, but lived in present time. The ideal family includes: 1) a set of social values (love, for children), 2) public procedure (for the care of children, family rights and obligations), and 3) interlacing of roles and statuses (status and role of husband, wife, child, teenager, mother-in- law, brothers, etc. ), with the aid of which the family exists. Thus, the institution of family is a collection of certain bonds, rules and roles, which in practice are manifested into the activities of this individual primary group. We all know how great the importance of family is in everyday life, society and even in the political arena. After all, it is the family of each person that provides them with an inexhaustible source of love, devotion and support. The family lays foundation for morality, spirituality and tolerance. And it is the family that is recognized as the major reason for why cultural beliefs survive, are inherited and passed from generation to generation. It is a prerequisite for socialization and the lifelong study of social roles, basic education, skills, and behavior. A healthy, strong family is the basis of stability and prosperity of any society. The family is the foundation of all social institutions vis- ¤-vis the development of the family is ultimately the progress of society as a whole. But the world does not stand still, in its ever-changing atmosphere social institutions take on new meanings and the ideas ot marriage and tamily change witn the times. Marriage has ceased to be life-long and is losing its legitimacy: divorce, single parent families, broken hearts and bank accounts used to be exceptions, and are now becoming the norm. The vast majority of professionals such as philosophers, sociologists, psychologists, economists, and students of the modern school of thought, all agree that the family is going through a real crisis. The strength of family is being tested under the weight of total catastrophic failure that our society is facing; the deep nature of which is characterized by our flailing civilization. As a primary element of society, it gives a miniature image of the same contradictions that are inherent in our cultures. One of the most remarkable properties of the family is its flexible and dynamic orm of structural organization. Thanks to the universal ability to adapt to the peculiarities of the ever-changing world, the family has developed an enormous variety of types of family structures, sometimes adapting itself beyond recognition, but while keeping unchanged its essence as a social institution and a primary group. In addition, the family is created to meet any number and range of essential human needs. The family, therefore, in contrast to other social groups defines the very meaning of integrity and adaptability. Because of its multifunctional ability to ameliorate the physiological and sychological human needs, and its inclination toward self-organization and self- development the idea of family is able to combine all personal, collective and public interests into one little amiable ball with a gigantic potential for explosive cataclysm. The world is not static, it changes, and with it change its social institutions, and thus the family. Clearly, the family today, like society in general, is in deep cow dung. The strength of the family, its charm and vitality lie in the integrity that is inherent in the family idea and in the definition of the primary social group and social nstitution. The present era in which we have had this great pleasure of existing is different from any other in recorded history. Todays complex economic and social situations require a modern approach, which can often cause stress and depression, which have already become integral parts of our existence. Today is the time when the need is particularly great in having a safe retreat, a place of spiritual comfort. This safe retreat can be our family, its stability and strength can be built to withstand the widespread variability of the painful world. The family is something worth elebrating, and in celebrating ourselves we can go on further to build everything else that will try to destroy it.