Abstract This paper is a review of an article by Jonathon Alter, "Degrees of Discomfort - Is Homophobia Equivalent to Racism". Newsweek. March 12, 1990. The essay discusses the article and assesses the validity of Alter's arguments.
Abstract This paper discusses the topic of animal experimentation by considering the ethical issues involved from a multidimensional perspective. The paper reveals that animals perceive physical pain and discomfort as acutely as we do, but contends that our moral responsibility is not to refrain from eating or making other necessary use of animals. Rather, the paper argues, it is our moral obligation to refrain from subjecting creatures to pain unnecessarily. The paper then explains that this includes minimizing their discomfort as much as possible in worthwhile scientific experiments and by narrowing the scope of what we consider necessary.
Outline:
Introduction
Discussion of the Issues
The Moral Equation
Conclusion
From the Paper "Since the dawn of medical science animals have been used for the purposes of testing hypotheses before risking human health and human lives on untried new technologies. It makes perfect logical sense to do so, but the process is susceptible to moral criticism for subjecting captive animals to disease, discomfort, and often death, exclusively for our benefit. Certain types of scientific uses of animal subjects are justified, even at the animal's expense. Still, the most equitable balance of all the interests and ethical issues involved requires a multidimensional perspective instead of characterizing all animal experimentation right or wrong absolutely."
This paper is review of the article, "Is Handling Client Resistance A Pas De Deux"?, by Jeff Rothstein about resistance and the counseling relationship.
Abstract This paper states that Jeff Rothstein, LCSW, believes that the act of resistance should not be resisted on the part of the counselor because it is a sign the counselor is getting somewhere. The author points out that Rothstein reiterates the common Freudian trope that analysts and therapists should not remain in the patient's or learner's comfort zone, but rather, for the sake of the patient, poke at the discomforting contradictions and fissures, which exist within the patient's consciousness and way of relating to the world. The paper stresses that resistance means a fighting back, and the counselor or instructor may get emotionally hurt in the process.
From the Paper "So long as this injury is not a real or emotional flesh wound, and is taken with a grain of salt, Rothstien says, such mutuality in the exchange between client and counselor can actually enrich the overall process. Of course, different therapists, depending on their background, respond to resistance in differing ways. Psychodynamically oriented therapists tend to work through the resistance, using the relationship between the client and the therapist as the vehicle for the work,? although such a methodology can often be exhausting for the therapist as well as the client."
Abstract This paper looks at the problem of fracture sociale in France. The author examines this problem as seen in "Le D"ner du Cons? and "La Haine" and compares the two with particular attention to class and social barriers in modern France.
From the Paper:
""Le D"ner de Cons? is a farcical comedy about a club of bored, successful and obnoxious Parisians whose lives revolve around a male adolescent game of one-upmanship. Pierre Brochant is an arrogant publishing executive who livens up his upper class existence by attending idiot dinners. The concept is discomforting, rooted as it is in an attitude of arrogant superiority."
Tags: alienation, class, cons, dinner, du, d?ner, france, francis, game, haine, idiot, la, le, race, veber
Abstract In this paper the author makes a psychological analysis of a 16 year old youth who is demonstrating various recognized symptoms for negative affectivity. The author looks at all of the symptoms and attempts to asses what has led both to the symptoms and behavior of the youth. The author considers the youth's relationship with his parents and siblings and also the effect on the youth of his brother's death.
From the paper:
?Vacillations such as declaring himself an atheist one minute and praying to God the next Caulfield is in a flux of coming to terms with his own identity, not an uncommon trait among teens. The difference in Caulfield's behavior and normal "growing pains" are the extreme inter personal negativity, paranoia (e.g. knowing he is going to die from cancer because of a canker sore), and the descent into delusional behavior (e.g. speaking with his dead brother).?
Abstract This paper studies utilitarianism which is a prime philosophical concept related to freedom and liberty. This theory was invented by several thinkers, one of them being John Stuart Mills in his essay "On Liberty". This paper deeply examines utilitarianism and its pros and cons one of which is tyranny. It concludes that the necessity of difference that Mills refers to in his discussion of utility surpasses the more immediate but inferior utility of the moment's discomfort.
From the Paper "John Stuart Mills is best known for being one of the inventive, driving forces behind the philosophy of utilitarianism and a proponent of sweeping individual freedom. Utilitarianism, the moral theory in which all his other philosophies are rooted, teaches that the ethical nature of actions is determined neither by religious code, public opinion, or some other external force, but by the foreseeable result of these actions. An action which is useful and results in the greatest happiness and the least pain is moral, whereas an action which results in unhappiness and pain is neither useful nor moral. This rule of usefulness, or ?utility,? in many ways serves to take morality and ethics out of the hands of priests and gods and put it into the hands of the common man. It is a morality based on the interest of the individual rather than on the interest of his deities, and beyond that it is a morality based on the greater good and common interest of mankind. As can be guessed, this makes utilitarianism a prime philosophical concept for thinkers enamored with individual freedom, and the need to create everything in society -- from morality to legality -- around the freedom of the individual. This was always the intention of Mills, who wrote extensively on the important of liberty."
Abstract The following paper discusses and critically analyzes the title of Blake's poem, "Mad Song", the sleep/day/night triad personification as well as the stanza structure and binary oppositions such as wild/tame and comfort/discomfort.
From the Paper "The first thing that one notices about the poem is its title, "Mad Song". There are seven other poems in Poetical Sketches entitled "Song", but this poem stands out because it is the "mad" song. The reader then wonders: is the poem about madness, written by a madman or both? To begin with, the first line of the poem, "the wild winds weep," connotes a sad wind which cries. It does not seem violent as would the howling wind of a storm, nor is it playful like a gentle breeze. The wind is mournfully crying with sadness even though it is "wild" which usually connotes a joyful freedom."
Abstract The following paper discusses the meaning and causes of homophobia which is defined as any belief system which supports negative myths and stereotypes about homosexual people and examines how social workers may advocate for others by addressing homophobia and identifying and impacting the negative consequences of homophobia. The writer also outlines how homophobia impacts individual development, increases suicide rates, invalidates individual feelings, and damages families. Lastly, this paper concludes with recommendations for how social workers may address issues associated with homophobia.
From the Paper ?Few issues have the potential to affect each and every single individual, whether directly or indirectly. Even fewer issues actually do impact each and every single member of society, whether directly or indirectly. Homophobia is one of the few issues which has both the potential to and which actually does impact each and every single individual, whether directly or indirectly. What makes homophobia so perturbing is that it has spawned numerous forms of oppression for gays and lesbians, both within the United States and in foreign countries. Within the United States, same-sex eroticism is still illegal in nearly half the states with penalties ranging from fines to life imprisonment. In addition, there are no national laws protecting the rights of gays and lesbians, and homosexuals are legally excluded in many states from employment protections, housing discrimination, immigration, inheritance, police protection, public accommodations, and rights of adoption and/or child custody. Likewise, gays and lesbians cannot be legally married to each other (outside of Amsterdam, Hawaii, and Vermont) and are thus not accorded insurance, medical, pension, and tax advantages that are accorded heterosexual marriage partners.?
Abstract The paper discusses the argument that has sent the world into a tailspin as to whether or not people suffering from terminal or excruciatingly painful illness have the right to take their own lives by way of physician-assisted suicide. It shows that proponents contend that what one does with one's life is of no consequence to anyone else -- that it is humane to allow someone to be relieved of constant ? if not unbearable ? discomfort. On the other hand, critics claim that the act of euthanasia is nothing more than a fabricated form of murder. The paper shows that both sides have pertinent points when it comes to understanding and assessing the conflict, but argues that euthanasia supporters have a significantly stronger argument when considering the bigger picture. The general argumentative point of this paper is that physician-assisted suicide is not only the right thing to do for someone seeking such a decision, but it is ethical and humane for a physician to abide by the patient's wish.
From the Paper "The primary focus of conflict with regard to physician-assisted suicide is whether or not it is ethically sound. To determine what is ethically sound, however, one must first define the meaning of ethics. This may appear rather simple to achieve on the outset, but one would soon find that defining such a concept is an extremely personal interpretation. There is no black and white definition of ethics, because each and every person subscribes to his or her own value system; therefore, placing a blanket definition upon the ethical implications of physician-assisted suicide is no different than doing the same with religion or politics: one size does not fit all. To ascertain the ethical nature of euthanasia is to find out what it means to the person requesting the procedure. One will find that to these people, who have suffered terribly at the hands of debilitating and terminal illnesses, the ethical attributes of physician-assisted suicide are far more forgiving than to those who stand by and ignorantly criticize."
Abstract This paper examines the West Nile Virus, a form of encephalitis only found in the United States within the last three years which is spread by mosquitoes. West Nile Virus has infected far more people than has been reported in the media because most people have either very mild symptoms or none at all. It describes the main symptoms such as a fever with some gastro-intestinal discomfort and shows how the elderly are the most susceptible. It looks at problems in actually diagnosing the disease properly due to the vagueness of the symptoms, physicians cannot tell from a physical examination alone whether the person has the disease or not, the only definate way is through a blood test. Since as yet there is no vaccine against the disease for humans, the only way to prevent the disease is to prevent mosquito bites. It provides a number of suggestions for people to minimize their risk for acquiring West Nile Virus.
From the Paper "When people are outdoors, they should use insect repellent with DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). This chemical has been proven in research to be the most effective mosquito repellant. In addition, people are advised to cover as much skin as possible, using full-length pants and long-sleeved shirts. The clothes should be sprayed with insect repellant also, or mosquitoes may be able to bit them through their clothing. If the clothes aren?t sprayed, then the skin under the clothes should be (CDC, 2002). They also recommend staying indoors when mosquitoes are most likely to be out: dawn, and dusk through early evening."
Abstract This paper discusses that the similarity between Shakespeare's Sonnets 57 and 58 is significant enough that one might wonder on first reading if one does not render the other redundant, but close reading of the poems shows that they not only function as a pair but also the order in which they occur in the Quarto of 1609 is essential to their meaning. The paper explains that the Sonnet sequences do "allow for the construction both of a narrative and of an inward-looking 'I' figure", but it is not at all possible to read the sequence as one might read a novel or narrative poem. The author believes that there is a strong hint of the speaker's agonizing discomfort with the young man's heterosexual involvements buried in Sonnet 58's puns that is a harbinger of the agony to come. Annotated Bibliography.
From the Paper "The sense of the poem resides, however, in the anaphoric use of negatives which can be read, at least initially, as a simple litany of the prerogatives that a slave surrenders. As the negatives mount in intensity, the description of what the speaker gives up expands. In the first quatrain, the statement of self-abnegation is plainest, and there is a hint of some sort of reciprocity in the commercial terminology of "precious" "spend" and "services," an indication that the speaker may be or should be compensated for what he gives up. This vanishes in the second quatrain as the metaphor of "sovereign" is joined to that of "slave" and the feelings of the speaker begin to surface. In the third quatrain he identifies the key to his concern, which is his "jealous thought," and the consequence of this feeling, which is the "sad" state in which he "think[s] of nought" but the young man."
Abstract This paper argues that abortion is a totally unacceptable, cruel and unethical practice and should be considered illegal except under some special cases and medical circumstances that indicate a danger to the mother. The writer states that the judicial system must consider the ethical and moral aspects of abortion as an intrinsic part of the problem when approaching this social issue. The paper discusses that the abortion pill RU486 has not been a breakthrough and instead of making abortion a private and safe method it has only increased the physical discomfort and the psychological ordeal for the woman.
From the Paper "Abortion is the one of the most debated social issues of this century. The controversy as to the right that man has over the life of a baby in the fetus and in controlling its entry into the world is a much-debated topic. Abortion is nothing but putting an end to the life of the baby by killing it in the womb itself. This social issue assumes all the more importance given the fact that an astounding 1.7 million people have abortions every year in the United States alone. Abortion, which was initially indicated as a life saving procedure, is today misused to suit the whims and fancies of the people. Let us briefly discuss the abortion procedures before going into the ethical and political aspects of RU 486, the latest abortion pill."
Abstract This paper explores the effects of exercising while pregnant. The paper begins with a physiological explanation of pregnancy and what it does to a woman's body. The paper then looks at the definite advantages of exercising while pregnant and explains that some exercise it vital for a pregnant woman, to remain healthy and reduce discomfort. This is followed by a look at the disadvantages experienced by pregnant women who exercise, such as the added stress on the body. The paper includes reference to a number of scientific and medical articles on the subject.
From the Paper "Previous research regarding the effects of exercise on pregnancy outcomes has been inconsistent. Because of this, the appropriateness of exercise during pregnancy is controversial. There are many factors that affect a woman's ability to exercise and her body's response to exercise. Placental blood flow, the potential for hyperthermia and trauma, changes in coordination and balance, body position during exercise, increased nutritional requirements, and the potential for back and pelvic pain must all be taken into consideration when examining the effects of exercise on pregnancy."
Abstract The title of this research article, "Decreasing Unplanned Extubations In The Surgical Intensive Care Unit", concisely and clearly states the theme as it goes on to discuss the skin irritation and discomfort caused by wearing of an endocracheal tube and also clearly mentions it in the title. The readers are able to understand the overall purpose of the article, which is to conduct a prospective evaluation of all intubated patients in the surgical intensive care unit to examine the effects of three parameters on the likelihood of accidental extubation.
Abstract This is a three-page paper on cognitive dissonance. A person who can handle one situation well, but not another tends to experience discomfort from cognitive dissonance. The paper explores How this can affect others in business or at the workplace.
