An Analysis of J.M. Coetzees Disgrace

An Analysis of J.M. Coetzees Disgrace The novel Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee has attracted wide readership and analysis since its first publication. Set in the post-apartheid South Africa, the plot revolves around the main character David Lurie, a divorced 52-year-old professor who earns a living by teaching communication courses at the Cape Technical University. The resounding conflict in the novel is introduced right from the first paragraph where readers learn of Luries insatiable sexual appetite. He had affairs with the wives of colleagues; he picked up tourists in bars on the waterfront or at the Club Italia; he slept with whores (7). Luries relationships thus surround women, many who end up in engaging in sexual activities with him. In this paper, the themes of arrogance, disgrace, and reconciliation are explored by reviewing Luries interactions with the women in the novel. Despite the portrayal of the female gender as objects of sexual gratification, the characters Soraya, Desiree Isaacs, and Rosalind signify, to a re asonable extent, the rejection of male hegemony on sexual matters. A critical analysis into the life of David Lurie reveals a character whose greatest flaw rests in the inability to control sexual drive. Readers get an idea of the flaw in the first paragraph when Lurie is introduced as a divorced, 52-year-old man who, to his mind has solved the problem of sex rather well (1). We also learn that the problem that Lurie alludes to above has been solved through his sexual relationship with Soraya, an exotic Muslim prostitute working for Discreet Escorts. Whereas the two are committed to a ninety-minute sexual session every Thursday Afternoon, their engagement is clearly devoid of love and enjoyment, especially from the side of Soraya. Elizabeth Lowry, an editor at London Review of Books, finds the relationship of Lurie and women as exploitative. She submits that, both the prostitute Soraya and Melanie-Melà ¡ni are used women and, significantly, they are both dark (Lowry 15). Money is what drives Soraya to honor this appointment. In fact, the objectific ation and commoditization of Soraya body is revealed from the knowledge that a single sexual session takes a duration of ninety minutes and costs a total of R400 (Coetzee 2). The relationship between Lurie and Soraya however ends in a state of disgrace for both characters. Disgrace being a theme which underpins much of the story, Lurie first instance of disgrace happens when he catches the sight of Soraya walking with her two sons along a street that he frequently walks. The glance of Soraya and her two sons live a lasting impression in Luries mind that, in as much as he would like to forget, the two little boys become presences between them (6). Evidently, the reality of Soraya double life leaves Lurie at a state of shame when he tries to imagine what the two sons and their father would do if they discover what he does with Soraya. The feeling is even made worse by the fact that he himself has no son and is divorced. Shame, regret, and dishonor cloud the minds of both these characters. Lurie speaks of she [Soraya] transforms herself into just another woman and him into just another client (Coetzee 7). It is also in this reality that Lurie comes to terms that he might just be a subject in the prostitutes gossip. McDonald (2007) puts this new reality into perspective by submitting that the illusion shattered [that is when Soraya eyes met that of Lurie] is not of her objectivity, but of his own subjectivity, as he becomes aware of how she sees him (McDonald 20). For the first time, he appears embarrassed of his age body as prostitute tend to shudder over older clients (Coetzee 8). Another theme that Coetzee reveals through the relationship of Lurie and women is that of arrogance. Arrogance entails an overbearing attitude directed to people who are perceived as inferior. This arrogance brings to light the hegemonic gender relations between men and women. For instance, after Soraya rejected Luries tendency to regain dominance over her, Lurie re-asserts his dominance when he asks rhetorical questions: what should a predator expect when he intrudes into the vixens nest, into the home of her cubs? (Coetzee 10). McDonald (2009) suggests that objectifying Soraya through the use of animal metaphors was a strategy used by Lurie to reclaim dominance and authority (21). Even though the details surrounding their Luries marriage to Rosalind are scarce, we can gain a wind of Luries arrogance in the marriage set-up through the thoughts that run through his mind. For instance, in an attempt to justify his sexual escapades with Soraya, he appears to suggest that; who needs a w ife, home or marriage when ninety minutes a week with a womans company are enough to make him happy? This is arrogance of the highest order especially to women who, in marriage setup, tend to be very loyal and submissive. Arrogance is further revealed through Luries encounter with Desiree Isaacs. Despite the fact that he has visited their home to make apology for sleeping with Melanie (a student from his class), one cannot help but wonder how again Lurie still views Desiree through lustful lenses. He for instance describes her as the beauty and the desired one. He even imagines the two of them [Melanie and Desiree] in the same bed: an experience fit for a King (164). However, still through Luries relationship to Soraya, Desiree Isaacs, and Rosalind, the theme of reconciliation is explored as even male hegemony in gender relations is rejected. For instance, Luries makes an attempt to reconcile with Soraya by tracking her to her home. Soraya rejects this and in turn demands [commands] Lurie to never phone her home again. Desiree on the other hand finds it very hard to reconcile with an old man who had messed up with her sister. In as much as the family had discussed about Lurie and his planned visit, Desiree still thinks that he is unwanted visitor. She simply cannot come into terms with the reality that her sister, Melanie, had slept with this old man. The process of reconciliation between Isaacs, particularly women, is complicated by the gender sexuality that comes into play. We for instance read of Luries apology when he, with careful ceremony he gets to his knees and touches his forehead to the floor (Coetzee 173). This gesture however leaves t he mother and Desiree unmoved. It can be argued that the rejection of the apology has more to do with the elements of insincerity. According to J.M. Austerities (2016), it is argued that the gesture neither transcends not negates the predicament of gendered sexuality because, a few lines later, we see Lurie experiencing again the current leaps, the current of desire as he looks into the eyes of mother and daughter (J.M. Austerities 160). Nonetheless, Rosalind depicts a woman who has gained control over her life and is willing to reconcile with her husband but not necessarily emotionally. She openly expresses distaste for Luries sexual escapades with Melanie. She says, The whole thing is disgraceful from beginning to end. Disgraceful and vulgar too. And Im not sorry for saying so. (45) Through Rosalind, we see a woman who is not afraid to stand up against a man who had divorced her. However, we can also sense an aspect of Rosalind that is determined to reconcile their differences and be on civil terms. For example, she expresses concern over an article in the Argus news article discussing Lurie. By telephoning and urging Lurie to steel himself, there isa sense of a woman who is on a reconciliation mission. In conclusion, the themes of arrogance, disgrace, and reconciliation are explored in light of gendered-sexual relations between Lurie and characters Soraya, Desiree Isaacs, and Rosalind. Objectification and commoditization of women as sexual tools are the source of Luries arrogance. His character eventually disgraces him when he becomes the objects of self-shame and public ridicule. Because of Luries hegemonic views when he comes to gender relations, the process of reconciliation is complicated to those who cannot explain or accept his behavior. Works Cited Coetzee, J M. Disgrace. Penguin Publishing Group, 2017. Internet resource. J.M. Coetzees Austerities. New York. Routledge, 2016. Print Lowry, Elizabeth. Like a dog. London Review of Books 14 (1999): 12-14. McDonald, William E. Encountering Disgrace: Reading and Teaching Coetzees Novel. Rochester, N.Y: Camden House, 2009. Print.

Family Education Essay

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It is my pleasure to be here to give you a presentation. First of all, I have several questions for all of you. (PPT) How much do you know about your children? (Is there any teacher would like to share some ideas?) As for students, do you communicate with your parents often? Can you talk like close friends? Well, your answers can be quite different as your parents from distinct backgrounds have their own means of parenting. So today,(PPT) I am going to talk about family education, something important during our early age and may influence us a lot in future’s life. Particularly, I will compare family education between western families and Chinese households to highlight some significant factors. First of all, I found a macroscopical view about the obvious difference between Chinese and western family education on the internet (PPT) that said everything is provided for kids in China and parents advocate free development in western countries. Since it states only part of the picture, now let’s enjoy a small performance carried out by my classmates, which may give you an impressive and clear sight of what the difference actually is. (PPT)This is a situation that shows the reaction of parents from China and a western country respectively when their kids plan to do a wild adventure. (PPT) Well, now I hope you all can have this sort of feeling after you enjoy the show, (PPT)that the purposes of parenting is definitely the same around the world. Whereas, different instructive concepts and approaches create the distinguishing circumstances for children to grow up. (PPT) So, I am going to explain the difference in three main aspects as I suppose: (PPT) the extent that parents respect and value children’s self-will; the protection that parents offer to their kids; and the styles of communication between parents and children in daily life. (PPT) In the first place, western parents are relatively more democratic and care more about the development of children’s personalities and thoughts. However, they may neglect those enticing affairs which might mislead the young kids. In contrary, Chinese parents want their kids to grow up in the way they set for their children. In this case, kids seem to have no opportunities to try  those things they may have more interests and talents in. (PPT) Secondly, many parents in China are against kids doing things with danger, because they are afraid of children getting hurt to affect their physical growth. But in western families, parents are likely to encourage kids to meet challenges and experience adventures, as well as give children enough space to cultivate their independence. (PPT) Thirdly, while western parents usually talk to their children like friends or colleagues, with sharing their opinions to expand kids’ own ideas and teach them how to think, some Chinese parents are confused about the ways communicating with their children. They desire their kids to understand and even support their educating methods without realizing that their children may have already been weary about the parenting. Well, have you gained something new about the difference between family education in China and western nations from above description? (PPT) I want invite you to witness the change of parents’ attitudes from China and that western country toward the situation we mentioned at the beginning of my presentation. Welcome my classmates again. Thanks them very much for enriching my speech.(PPT) Well, I believe that a conclusion may be came out now, that the successful family education can be the result of cultivation of one’s morality and positive attitude toward life. (PPT) What is more, whoever Chinese parents or western parents should both pay more attention on building the equal and closer relationship with their children, as well as treat them as special individuals, then the kids are likely to have a better opportunity to grow up in this kind of atmosphere. (PPT) Overall, I’d like to add that if we are more creative and optimistic, there will be a wonderful future for all of us.

The Definitive Guide to Sample Paper Apa

The Definitive Guide to Sample Paper Apa If you are aware of how to compose an article critique, you will readily finish the assignment not based on its complexity and formatting peculiarities. Fortunately, there aren't many and it's quite simple to deliver an appropriate annotation structure. Being one of the most frequent formats for all sorts of scientific and research papers apa citation format is used mainly within the field of social sciences. Among the biggest reasons to make an APA format bibliography is just to produce the research and writing process simpler. With a few sources, making the appropriate in-text APA citation can be a bit more difficult. Citing sources is essential for a few explanations. In many instances, Zotero will automatically capture citation details. Normally a bibliography just contains references information, but in some instances, you might opt to make an annotated bibliography. Finding the Best Sample Paper Apa You may consider the way the simple APA requirements are satisfied in APA Essay sample. You might be accustomed to writing papers in another format like MLA or Chicago style, so it may take a while to find the hang of writing in APA format. The APA format given by is in template will allow you to design your work in accordance with the APA guidelines. Apa american psychological association style is among the most widespread academic formats when it has to do with writing research papers. Within the text of the paper you acknowledge the usage of another authors material by utilizing parenthetical r eferencesthese references should provide enough info to permit the reader to get the complete citation in the list of references at the close of the paper. The APA citation is achieved by the template despite the period of document. QUOTATIONS When quoting source material directly inside your text, utilize the identical in-text citation formatting we've already described, together with a small additional details. This example indicates an excerpt from the midst of a paragraph. Annotated bibliography template is going to be a vivid example and you're going to be able to produce an outstanding annotation with no mistakes and flaws! What's the apa citation style. A bibliography is comparable in many approaches to a reference section, but there are a few critical differences. Your working bibliography ought to be kept separate from the remainder of your paper. Consult the present APA guide for specifics on each and every reference type depending on the kind of resources you used. The very first line of each reference should have right alignment while the rest of the lines should have center alignment. Normally the format following constitutes a substantial portion of the grade, which is why in order to find high results students have to be aware of the significant style peculiarities and ought to follow them to the dot. Employing an illustration may greatly enable you to create an appropriate structure, use necessary formatting techniques and shape the entire work according to professor's demands. It is a huge chance for students, who would like to compose the paper by themselves, but don't understand where to get started! Learning about APA style will be an extremely rewarding experience for you, as you'll be in a position to reply it in all your next writing assignments. Students lead busy lives and frequently forget about a coming deadline. Many students choose to download such samples as a way to find a general idea of the way the assignment should look like and what key points ought to be added. The War Against Sample Paper Apa Choosing our service, you will realize that studying can be simple if you gain from the aid of capable experts. Writing research paper isn't just merely a compilation of related literature that could support the argument you're trying to raise, the findings you're trying to get, or the question you're trying to reply. Attempting to locate unique concepts is most likely the interesting events. how ever, it can also be exhausted whenever we might not obtain the wanted ideas. While there's a learning curve, it also offers the maximum quantity of flexibility in the longer term. Sample Paper Apa Fundamentals Explained Additional you are able to also have a look at these APA Cover Page Samples that you could also find useful. This page ought to be separate from different pages and ought to contain a running head. For instance, a Web page may not readily incorporate an author's name. A title page is generally in the middle of the page and is a concise overview of the topic. In the event the guide isn't easy to locate, then you can offer database details. Other articles define CMC differently and, thus, offer various outcomes. If you're citing a database article that's available in different places, like a journal or magazine, include the homepage's URL. Finally, put all your references together and make a title page. A template is a kind of design that is already formatted in your document so you can start writing on opening it. It isn't challenging to write within this format when you know the fundamentals. The format can be adapted based on the nature and the topic of a custom made essay. This format employs the author-date approach to properly cite outside understanding. When the simple formatting level was achieved, it's now time to organize and layout the principal outline above formatting was done in the outline document, the major outline should be constructed. Only the regions of the major body should have headings! Additional information concerning the APA style is offered in the boxes. Your chosen citation style is going to be saved for the whole document, and that means you won't need to reselect it every single time you cite another source!

Does Sí, Se Puede Mean Yes, We Can

Sà ­, se puede  is a common rallying cry heard at pro-immigration events across the United States, and it is often used at other political events. Most of the news media have translated the phrase as meaning Yes, we can — even though theres no we verb form in the slogan. The phrase gained an uptick in popularity in both English and Spanish when Yes, we can, was adopted as the primary slogan used by the Obama presidential campaign leading up to President Obamas election in 2008 and reelection in 2012. History of the Phrase Sà ­,  se  puede  is the motto of the United Farm Workers, a labor union for farmworkers in the United States. The phrase was the rallying cry attributed in 1972 to Mexican-American  farm worker Cesar Chavez, an American labor leader and civil rights activist. He popularized the cry during a 24-day hunger strike protesting farm labor laws in Phoenix, Ariz. that restricted laborers rights. In 1962, Chavez  co-founded the National Farm Workers Association. The association later became known as the United Farm Workers. Is the Usual Translation of Sà ­, Se Puede Accurate? Is Yes, we can an accurate translation? Yes and no. Since theres no plural verb nor a first-person verb in that sentence, the typical way of saying we can would be  podemos, from the verb poder. So Yes, we can is not a literal translation of sà ­, se puede. In fact, we do not have a good literal translation of the phrase. Sà ­ clearly means yes, but se puede is problematic. It can comes close to its literal meaning but leaves out the vague sense of emphasis and intention  that se provides here. So just what does se puede mean? Out of context, it would be translated loosely as it can be done. But context matters, and as part of a group chant, the translation of yes, we can is entirely appropriate. Se puede is a phrase of empowerment (puede is a close cousin of el poder, a noun meaning power), and we can conveys that thought well even if not a literal equivalent. Other Places the Phrase Has Been Used Use of Sà ­, se puede has spread beyond its original context. Some other examples: Sà ­ Se Puede! (note the lack of an opening exclamation point) was the title of an album by the rock group Los Lobos. Proceeds from album sales were to the United Farm Workers.Sà ­ Se Puede has been used as a slogan for the Colorado-based Law School ... Yes We Can program, which encourages students from that state to consider a legal career. ¡Sà ­, se puede! is the Spanish title of a 2002 bilingual book about a fictional janitors strike.The slogan has been used as a chant at sport events featuring Spanish-speaking athletes.Belisario Betancur, president of Colombia from 1982 to 1986, used the slogan in his campaign.A political coalition in Spain used the slogan Unidos sà ­ se puede during the 2016 elections. Unidos means united.The airline Aeromexico faced legal challenges when it used the phrase con Aeromà ©xico sà ­ se puede in its advertising. (Con is a preposition usually meaning with.) Principles of Translation Some of the best advice for translating to and from English and Spanish is to translate for meaning rather than to translate words. Review the  principles of translation; usually, there is not much difference between the two approaches.

Lung Cancer Cases And The Evidence Used For Decide Patient...

I will be discussing two lung cancer cases and the evidence used to decide patient’s management. NSCLC A 65 year-old woman with known COPD on inhalers presented with a one-month history of a cough and increased shortness of breath. Lung function revealed FEV1 1.40 (54% predicted), TLCO (63% predicted) and patient performance status was 1. She proceeded to have staging CT scan/PET scan/EBUS and investigations all revealed final diagnosis stage IIIA T3N2M0 Non small cell lung cancer squamous (NSCLC). The patient’s case discussed at the lung MDT, decision was for concurrent chemoradiotherapy. I will be discussing evidence for concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT )in NSCLC versus sequential chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy( RT)alone . Approximately 30% of NSCLC presented with stage III of which 12% have stage IIIA and 17.6 % stage IIIB disease. The 5 years’ overall survival OS figures for clinically staged IIIA and IIIB disease 18% and 8% respectively. The poor outcome observed are due to the loco regional failure 30% and distant failure 40-60%. Two randomised phase III trial in patients with staged IIIA NSCLC failed to demonstrate benefit of surgery in stage III N2 disease (Van Meerbeek et al .2007 ).4 Overall survival in patient with stag IIIA NSCLC who received concurrent CRT is 20-25% with median survival of 16-17 months .5 Radical radiotherapy, often combined with concurrent or sequential chemotherapy, is theShow MoreRelatedApproach to Cancer Care Essay2354 Words   |  10 PagesApproach to Cancer care Nursing 410v Grand Canyon University October 5, 2011 Staging is the process of finding out how much cancer there is in the body and where it is located. It is how the doctor learns the stage of a persons cancer. Doctors use this information to plan treatment and to help predict a persons outlook (prognosis). Cancers with the same stage tend to have similar outlooks and are often treated the same way. The cancer stage is also a way for doctors to describe the extentRead MoreCommunity Acquired Pneumonia18251 Words   |  74 Pagesprevalent nowadays and affects all ages. It is an acute or chronic infection of one or both lungs caused by microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria or chemical irritants. (Schmitt, 2011) It has different types, and one of them is Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP). CAP is a disease in which individuals who have not recently been hospitalized develop an infection of the lungs. It occurs because the areas of the lung which absorbs oxygen (alveoli) from the atmosphere become filled with fluid and cannotRead More Unit 8: Promoting Health and Well Being Essay15634 Words   |  63 Pagesrelevant to one of the services user groups, the services user group that I have choose is Health (ill people) this group are people who are ill or who suffer from any diseases. The target group I have chosen is adulthood that has been suffered Lung Cancer disease. In this report I have to give information about what are the consequences of this disease, what people know about this, what they thing about it. Also I will look for background information about the topic I have chosen, the informationRead MoreEssay about Abgenix Case Analysis5730 Words   |  23 Pagest@s$@ Harvard Business School 9-501-061 January 9,2001 Abgenix and the XenoMouse Meet XenoMouse Meet XenoMoussrl\4/headlined the piece frorn the Abgenix information kit. (See Exhibit 1.) wortl-r meeting, XenoMouse was probably it. While Lee Majors played bionic rnan, Steven Austin, in the popular Six Milliott Dollar Man television series in the 1970s, XenoMouse could well be termed the Three Billion Dollar Mouse. XenoMouse lived at Abgenix in Frernont, California, just across the DunbartonRead MoreInvolving Consumers in Health Care Decision Making5693 Words   |  23 Pagesregarding the allocation of scarce resources across competing health care interventions. Traditionally, the extent of consumer (patient) involvement in this decision making process has been minimal. However, with the advent of the recent reforms of the UK National Health Service (NHS), greater consumer involvement has been advocated. 1-3 A policy emphasis on increasing patient choice and the implication that this is a good thing indicates that the UK government envisages consumers in the new NHSRead MoreHo listic Approach14986 Words   |  60 PagesHolistic approach: Meaning: Holistic approach to patient care incorporates the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health of the individual. It explores the connection between mind, body, spirit and environment. Holistic healing includes a wide range of therapies with inherently complex philosophies about the prevention and treatment of illness. Questions still exist as to the safety of complementary and alternative medicine (otherwise known as CAM), which are an integral part of holisticRead MoreCase Study Essay33967 Words   |  136 PagesPART ONE Medical-Surgical Cases 1 1 Cardiovascular Cardiovascular Disorders Case Study 1 Heart Failure Difficulty: Beginning Setting: Emergency department, hospital Index Words: heart failure (HF), cardiomyopathy, volume overload, quality of life X Scenario M.G., a â€Å"frequent flier,† is admitted to the emergency department (ED) with a diagnosis of heart failure (HF). She was discharged from the hospital 10 days ago and comes in today stating, â€Å"I just had to come to the hospital today because IRead MoreAruna Shanbaug Case - Supreme Court of India14522 Words   |  59 Pagesone of the most perplexing issues which the courts and legislatures all over the world are facing today. This Court, in this case, is facing the same issue, and we feel like a ship in an uncharted sea, seeking some guidance by the light thrown by the legislations and judicial pronouncements of foreign countries, as well as the submissions of learned counsels before us. The case before us is a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution, and has been filed on behalf of the petitioner Aruna RamachandraRead MoreMergers Acquisitions in Pharma Industry21425 Words   |  86 PagesReferences Chapter Three-Merger between Glaxo Wellcome Smithkline Beecham 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Merger rationale 3.2.1 Rapid advances in Science and Technology 3.2.2 The growing importance of marketing power 3.2.3 The emergence of patients as consumers 3.3 Merger Benefits 3.3.1 Short term growth 3.3.2 Medium term growth 3.3.3 Long term growth 3.4 Business performance of GSK Chapter summary References Chapter Four-Research Methodology 4.1 Introduction 4Read MoreRobotic Surgery Essay example14445 Words   |  58 Pagesbeen performed by thousands of doctors for many years is a wonderful discovery. However, there are some concerns as to whether robotic surgery is better for patients than regular surgery for some procedures. Surprisingly enough there are many patients who would prefer this surgery due to the precision of the robotic arms. Also, the patients who have had surgery say they spend less time recovering in the hospitals. This could mean some savings for the hospitals since the price for the robotic machines

New Years Free Essays

Gabriela J. Bachman Professor Lathrop Writing 1 19 October, 2009 New Years at Home As I described in essay one, New Years for my family is a very important event and we celebrate it with a number of activities based in superstition. According to Wikipedia (1) superstition is defined as â€Å"a credulous belief, not based on reason. We will write a custom essay sample on New Years or any similar topic only for you Order Now The word is commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy and spiritual beings, particularly the irrational belief that future events can be influenced†. Despite the fact that Catholicism is the main religion in my country, all Peruvians believe in superstition. New Years Eve is when people confirm these superstitions by performing a variety of strange rituals such as burning a â€Å"Muneco de Ano Nuevo†, wearing yellow wrist bands, eating grapes at midnight, and placing lentils in our pockets, all these in order to push some luck and prosperity into our life. In the following paragraphs I will be making a deeper analysis on the meaning of these rituals and explaining why these rituals are still being carried by Peruvian families. One of the most famous rituals and the first I described in essay one is building and burning our first â€Å"Muneco de Ano Nuevo. † A â€Å"Muneco de Ano Nuevo† is an effigy of an important public person that had caused a big commotion during the year. Since in the past decades, politics has been a topic that has caused deception and discontent to Peruvians; this is the reason why effigies are mostly created to represent politicians as showed in this passage from essay one: â€Å"we made an effigy of Alberto Fujimori, who was the president at that time, and who didn’t have a good reputation. Since my family is very interested in politics, this ritual is a joy for them. The part of the ritual they enjoy the most is the burning of the effigy. This doesn’t mean we want to see the real person in flames, but we see it as type of anger therapy, as means of getting rid of all the frustrations we have accumulated towards the politician during the past year, hopi ng he will change and consequently, he will help to bring prosperity to our country. Besides releasing our anger, building and urning the â€Å"Muneco† is also intended to bring the family together into a last activity of the ending year, and first activity of the starting year, hoping family unity will be maintained throughout the entire year. Everyone has an important role in this activity. Although my siblings and I were in charge of building the â€Å"Muneco de Ano Nuevo,†, my whole family contributed in different aspects, as this sentence from essay one clearly illustrates it: â€Å"we used mom’s tan pantyhose to build the face, dad’s old blue jeans and black suit jacket to build the body, and my grandfather’s white tennis shoes to make the feet. A very important role in this ritual is the role of the males, which is to protect their children by doing the most dangerous activities involved in this ritual, as this passage from essay one shows â€Å"my dad and uncles closed the street, sat the â€Å"Muneco† in the middle of the street, bath it on gasoline, and lighted it on flames†. A superstition that is more focused with our history is wearing a yellow wristband in New Years Eve. As I said in essay one â€Å"my mom gave to each of us a yellow wrist band which we wore the entire night†. In Peru, yellow is the dominating color of New Year because is associated with hope, happiness, and optimism. Likewise, yellow is the color of the good things in life such as the sun and gold. But this superstition has a deeper meaning of just being the color that identifies a celebration; in fact it has a connection with the past. For our ancestors, the sun was our God, and the gold was the treasure used to venerate him, but when Spain colonized Peru, they stole our gold and forced natives to change their religion. This is the main reason why we celebrate New Year in Yellow, as a way to award homage to our roots and ancestors, hoping our country will never have to go through this pain again. Lastly, two family oriented superstitions that were also mentioned in essay one are eating grapes at midnight and placing lentils in our pockets. Eating grapes right when the clock strikes midnight is a common superstition practiced in Peru and Latin America in general. â€Å"†¦ Right after, my mom and aunts ran to the kitchen to get the grapes (†¦) they handed us a bowl with twelve grapes each, which we ate under the table†. This example, as strange as it seems, involve us getting under the table to eat twelve grapes in only twelve seconds. Per each grape that we eat, which represents a month of the year, we get to ask a wish. If all the grapes are sweet, it means it will be a good year; in contrast, if for example the fourth grape was sour or not as sweet as the other ones, it means that April is not going to be a good month. As for the reason why we have to get under the table to eat the grapes, I think this just help us on concentrating when asking for the wishes and to avoid choking since all the grapes must be eaten very fast. Another family oriented superstition I mentioned is to carry lentils in our pockets during New Years Eve. In my country, people consider lentils as being a very nutritious food because it contains a big amount of proteins, minerals, and vitamins. As I mentioned in essay one â€Å"my mom handed us a handful of lentils that we put in our pockets for the entire night. † The illustration of the mother handing out lentils to her kids symbolizes the love and care the mother has towards their kids, providing nourishment and making sure they have the vitamins they need to grow strong. By practicing this superstition, we believe food will be available on our table throughout the whole year. Also, lentils resemble coins, thus we believe that carrying lentils in our pockets during New Years Eve will bring money to our home. (Transition) Although I have immigrated to a new country and culture, I will maintain these beliefs in my family, and I will pass it onto my children as my grandparents did to my parents, and my parents did to me. And whether or not all these superstitions are true, they have become part of the Peruvian history and folklore, making our New Year’s celebration unique. Work Cited (1) Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. â€Å"Superstition. † Web. 19 Oct. 2009. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Superstition How to cite New Years, Essay examples

A Global Perspective on Social Determinants

Question: Discuss about the Global Perspective on Social Determinants. Answer: Introduction Ebola is a condition with global dimensions attributed to factors such as its rapid and devastating transmission, and high fatality rate. The condition is yet to get a vaccine, hence making it a primary public health management and prevention challenge. Source and Transmission of Ebola Ebola is caused by Ebola virus (a filovirus), which affects humans and other primates (Gunn, 2008). It is a zoonotic disease; however, the natural reservoir is yet to be known regardless of extensive investigation. The primary source of infection has been determined to be non-human primates; but they are not reservoirs of the virus (Public Health England, 2016). According to Public Health Englands 2016 update on Ebola, the first cases in Ebola outbreaks are acquired through human contact with blood, body fluids, secretions or organs of infected animals. The virus has been found in people who handled infected wild animals such as antelopes, either alive or dead, in regions of outbreaks in Africa. Among humans, the virus is transmitted through close and direct physical contact with infected bodily fluids, of which blood, vomit and faeces being the most infectious (WHO, 2014). There are also reports of the virus being detected in urine, semen and breast milk. There is also some risk in saliva and tears, but there are no confirmatory study findings on them. According to WHO (2014), the virus can also be transmitted indirectly through contact with surfaces and objects that have been previously contaminated with infected secretions. Why the Condition Does Not Have a Vaccine Yet One of the most evident reasons hampering the development of the vaccine is attributed to the socio-economic and political forces in regions where the outbreaks often occur. Ebola outbreaks often occur in poor regions of the world, especially West Africa. The local facilities are limited in terms of medical research. Additionally, main pharmaceutical companies worldwide have no interest in vaccine development during the early phases of the disease. It is true that most tropical infectious diseases in poor tropical nations evoke little interest in funding and research for the development of vaccines by pharmaceutical companies (MacNeil Rollin, 2012). The Ebola virus has been detected for several decades but it seems to be neglected (Geisbert Jahrling, 2003). Geisbert and Jahrling further argue that there is minimal commercial interest for the development of this vaccine. Due to the minimal possibility that it may be a worldwide pandemic, there is minimal research and development dir ected for such. The second issue hampering the process is challenges in production cost and logistics. There are complex regulatory and liability issues surrounding the development. There is disagreement among major players such as the US, UK, and France regarding the issues of regulation and liability. Countries such as the UK suggest that producers and distributors of the vaccines should be provided with some form of relief from liability in order to fast-track the process (Cohen Kupferschmidt, 2014). This is however not the same views held by all countries involved in the development. Financing issues also exist. Economic powerhouses of the world are divided between unilateral financing or the use of a multi-donor club strategy (Cohen Kupferschmidt, 2014). In addition, logistical challenges in aspects such as the availability of storage facilities and cold chain capacity of receiving countries, are also inevitable Third, developing treatments for viral diseases proves more challenging compared to developing other treatments such as antibacterial therapy. This is attributed to the fact that viruses produce a few proteins, hence there are fewer targets for treatment. Due to this, it is challenging to develop a vaccine against the virus as the persons immune system has a small target. In addition, the evolution of the virus poses more challenges. Ebola viruses do evolve at a rapid pace; hence it is not certain whether vaccines developed today would be able to offer the same protection against future outbreaks. Still, on laboratory practices, another reason for the lack of a vaccine for the Ebola virus may be attributed to it being a dangerous virus. The virus has a very high mortality rate as high as 90 percent (Public Health England, 2016). Being that such dangerous requires that researchers work with the virus in special facilities equipped with the highest level of safety precautions. This li mits the number of experiments that can be done by researchers around the world. Working with the virus requires a biosafety level 4 laboratory (Rettner, 2014). Lastly, development of a vaccine for a viral condition such as Ebola may be hampered by the lack of human study subjects. Relatively few people do get infected with this condition, and even fewer of these do survive, hence making it difficult to study the virus in human subjects. In addition, there is the lack of new vaccine trial candidates (Wiwanitki Viroj, 2015). Comparing Public Health Management and Prevention of Ebola in Wealthy Vs. Poor Nations For purposes of comparison in this context, United Kingdom will serve as the wealthy nation whereas Uganda will be the poor nation. The UK has never experienced an Ebola outbreak, further, the risk for the same is quite negligible (NHS Choices, 2015). However, the government has always been vigilant whenever outbreaks have occurred anywhere else in the world. Other than local management interventions, the country has also participated in international management at the sites of outbreaks. On the other hand, Uganda has a record of Ebola outbreaks, the latest being the five outbreaks between 2000 and 2012 with 425 cases and 224 deaths occurred (Okware, et al., 2015). In an event of an Ebola outbreak anywhere, the UK government closely monitors the spread of the virus and also takes action both at home and abroad. The initial response is to prepare the NHS by developing and testing the systems for the management of unusual infectious diseases (UK government, 2016). In addition, screening at UKs ports of entry is heightened. Anyone coming into the country and who had a chance of being exposed to the virus is referred for screening. Any passenger coming from the affected countries are also followed up for risk assessment (UK government, 2016). In its response to outbreaks in Africa, UK works with the WHO and the wider international community in combating the infection at the source. On the countrys government website, it also offers support to international agencies such as the world bank, directly offers medical help on the ground, deploys teams of experts from the NHS to offer support, trains frontline workers, supports scientific research and tes ting, and also fast-tracks vaccine trials (UK government, 2016). Ugandas response to the manage the outbreak and also prevent further spread was based on early detection and action, community mobilisation, and international collaboration (Okware, et al., 2015). The countrys efforts were focused on treatment and not just quarantine in an effort to enhance public trust and also promote health seeking behaviours. Early detection and action lead to favourable outcomes and results. This is evidenced by the ability to easily contain the rural outbreaks. Community-imposed quarantines further prevented the spread and introduction of the virus into neighbouring districts. Community mobilisation and leadership were well-adapted to support early case detection and isolation, and also for the purposes of public education and contact tracing (Okware, et al., 2015). Early detection and action facilitated containment of the outbreak to the source. Outbreak control efforts were further supported by the elements of community mobilisation and leadership. Internatio nal support was also sought to augment the nations efforts in containment and management. Survivability was also improved through palliative care measures. Ugandas efforts in isolation and case management in managing the outbreak especially in cases such as the Gulu outbreak evidenced by a reduction in mortality (Lamunu, et al., 2004). As reiterated by Okware, et al., (2015), in summary; Ugandas efforts were; first, strengthening of leadership at the community level, second, strengthening of laboratory capacity for early detection, third, the improvement of supportive treatment and not just quarantine and isolation, fourth, elimination of gaps in barrier nursing through the institutionalisation of infection control policies, and lastly the development of human resource policy and plans to attract and retain workers. References Cohen, J., Kupferschmidt, K. (2014, October 23). Leaked documents reveal behind-the-scenes Ebola vaccine issues. Retrieved from Science: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/10/leaked-documents-reveal-behind-scenes-ebola-vaccine-issues Geisbert, T. W., Jahrling, P. B. (2003). Towards a vaccine against Ebola virus. Expert Review Vaccines, 2(6), 777-789. Gunn, S. W. (2008). Understanding the Global Dimensions of Health. New York: Springer Science Business Media. Lamunu, M., Lutwama, J. J., Kamugisha, J., Opio, A., Nambooze, J., Ndayimirije, N., Okware, S. (2004). Containing a haemorrhagic fever epidemic: the Ebola experience in Uganda (October 2000-January 2001). International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 27-37. MacNeil, A., Rollin, P. E. (2012). Ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fevers: neglected tropical diseases? PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 6(6), e1546. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0001546 NHS Choices. (2015, March 12). Ebola risk remains low as medic flown home. Retrieved from NHS Choices: https://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/07July/Pages/UK-Ebola-case-confirmed-but-risk-remains-low.aspx Okware, S. I., Omaswa, F., Talisuna, A., Amandua, J., Amone, J.Onek, P.Kagwa, P. (2015). Managing Ebola from rural to urban slum settings: experiences from Uganda. African Health Sciences, 15(1), 312-320. Public Health England. (2016, August 19). Ebola: overview, history, origins and transmission. Retrieved from Public Health England: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ebola-origins-reservoirs-transmission-and-guidelines/ebola-overview-history-origins-and-transmission Rettner, R. (2014, June 23). Retrieved from LiveScience: https://www.livescience.com/46479-ebola-treatment-cure.html UK government. (2016). How the UK government is responding to Ebola. Retrieved from Gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/ebola-virus-government-response/about WHO. (2014, October 6). What we know about transmission of the Ebola virus among humans. Retrieved from World Health Organization : https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/ebola/06-october-2014/en/ Wiwanitki, S., V. W. (2015). Ebola vaccine 2014: remained problems to be answered. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 85-86.