Political Psychology Essay

Rape victims, survivors of plane crashes, combat veterans, and others who have experienced extremely traumatic events may react emotionally with a posttraumatic stress disorder. This reaction is characterized by involuntary reexperiencing of the traumatic events, especially the original feelings of shock, horror, and fear, in dreams or flashbacks. In addition, victims experience an emotional numbing in relation to everyday events, associated with feelings of alienation from other people. Finally, the emotional pain of this reaction can result in an increase of various symptoms, such as sleep problems, guilt about surviving, difficulty in concentrating, and an exaggerated startle response (Calkins, 1996). The Situation: 9/11   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A more recent example was the 9/11 incident. The safety and protection that was a seal of American social order was devastated by the 9/11 aftermath. The American people who have gone through the bereavement of either of their parents, brothers, sisters, next of kin, or friends may well be putting up now with overpowering anguish. They will want all the emotional assistance they can obtain and they will need an extended recovery period. Life will never look the same again for any oblivious or sentient American people, but the young people who have upheld personal fatalities may need considerable support from qualified, compassionate specialists (Skene, 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The world is not in the slightest peaceful, but at present, there is no security issue taking center stage and the situation in the 9/11 assault is no exception. The 9/11 event had impressed upon America a greater sense of threat at the advent of the new millennium. The 9/11 terrorist attacks incited terror, fury, grief, revulsion, fear, empathy, bewilderment, melancholy, retribution – sundry reactions in a nation that was everlastingly changed. To translate the mixed reaction of a private individual in a more politically relevant sense, it is wise to recall how then Senator Edward Livingston could be more important at these times with his words in a debate on the Alien and Sedition Acts: â€Å"†¦we are absurd enough to call ourselves free and enlightened while we advocate principles that would have disgraced the age of Gothic barbarity† (Skene, 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They may well not entirely come to terms with the intangible theories thrashed out by counselors or on the television newscast but are prone to be directed in their thoughts by a distinct discernment of validity. They may have dealings with a diversity of sentiments and impressions, and their articulation may subsume mimicking or self-deleterious actions as a way of dealing with their retaliation, fury, and despondency. A number of children at this phase may demonstrate a reluctance to speak of their sentiments and thoughts (Dunn, 2001). The Psychology of Situation: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The emotional responses of posttraumatic stress can occur immediately following the disaster in an acute form and subside over a period of several months or can persist, becoming a chronic syndrome often called the residual stress pattern. In other cases, people may show no immediate reaction but may experience a full-blown posttraumatic stress disorder after a delay of months or even years. Clinicians are still discovering veterans of World War II and the Korean War who are displaying residual or delayed posttraumatic stress disorders (Hinkle, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This delayed posttraumatic stress syndrome has been a special problem in the case of Vietnam veterans. The problems of many seemed to be made worse by feelings that they had been rejected by an unsympathetic American public and that they had been betrayed by their government and had spent important years of their lives in a wasted effort (Bornstein, 1994). In a study of Vietnam veterans with combat experience, called the â€Å"Forgotten Warrior Project,† John Wilson, a psychologist at Cleveland State University found that (Kagan, 2004): Their suicide rate was 23 to 33 percent higher than the national average. Of those who had been married when they left the United States, 38 percent were divorced within six months after returning. The rate of hospitalization for alcoholism or drinking problems was high and increasing. About half of them still had some emotional problems related to adjustment of civilian life. Brian Seaward is one of the authors that delved into the realm of stress and its health consequences. Seaward notes that aside from the special life events that may be experienced by almost everyone, the most appreciable part of the list is the concept of change.   This implies that change may be in tandem with stress as being a natural part of modern-day living.   That change is the ultimate source of stress.   â€Å"Change becomes a powerful stressor agent because it necessitates adaptation whether it is perceived as a negative or positive experience† (Calkins, 1996). The important features of posttraumatic stress disorder, according to Seaward, are cognition and stress.   Stress affects cognition as anxiety intrudes on one’s consciousness as demonstrated by his unstoppable pangs of emotion, excessive preoccupation with the threatening situation or person, startling reactions, and other unwanted sensations.   It may also impair memory and attention during cognitive tasks.   It may also enhance attention, principally regarding memories of the stressor but repetitive thoughts can perpetuate stress and make it chronic (Calkins, 1996). Seaward also enumerates the emotional signs of health hassle, which are among others, anxiety, irritability, increased aggression, lack of enthusiasm, depression, alienation, and low self-esteem. Indecision, impaired judgments, lack of concentration, lapses in memory, and absentmindedness are some cases of mental drawbacks caused by health troubles. Seaward also shows that there are individuals who are more prone to health troubles than others.   As a result, the ability to cope with poor health is not the same with everyone. For instance, effective coping with stress depends upon how people go about their day-to-day lives. Lifestyle is a key factor in determining the likelihood of an improved posttraumatic stress disorder (Calkins, 1996). Posttraumatic stress disorder is usually coupled with feelings of sadness, discouragement, and dissatisfaction and usually occurs with other symptoms, such as feelings of worthlessness or guilt, decreased energy, and suicidal thoughts. Just as one can have the flu and bladder infection at the same time, it is quite possible, especially in the milder forms of bipolar disorder, to be both abnormally depressed and anxious at the same time (Dunn, 2001). Survivors of extremely traumatic experiences such as 9/11 are sometimes left with special anxiety problems. Some act as if they have been by the shock of their ordeal. Their interest in life is diminished, and they feel alienated from the people around them. Others develop a tendency to remain constantly on the alert, as if disaster is sure to strike again at any moment. They tend also to startle easily. People who have lived through auto crashes may panic at the sound if cars in the night. Those who have endured a mugging or rape may respond with a start whenever they hear strange sounds, and some former prisoners o war and hostages report similar reactions whenever they hear approaching footsteps (Skene, 2001). Survivors of psychological trauma are likely also to keep reliving their experience. They suffer from nightmares in which the shattering episode is reenacted in all its terrifying detail, and by day they find themselves suddenly overwhelmed by harrowing memories whenever they are exposed to situations that even remotely resemble the original event (Garcà ­a, 2005). There is evidence also that mood disorders are related to disturbances in the brain, to such an extent that the symptoms sometimes appear without any provocation. Neither the depressed individual nor the close family and friends can point to any unusually stressful event that might have caused a depression (Dunn, 2001). The Responsive Behavior of the Young and the Old Posttraumatic stress reactions can occur at any age.   Some people get over the traumatic experience of 9/11 soon enough, but others are troubled by symptoms for years on end. A number of elderly concentration camp survivors broke down completely decades after their ordeal was over when they had to be hospitalized for medical reasons. The experience was sufficiently similar to imprisonment to reopen fully the old psychological wounds (Garcà ­a, 2005). Children endure with bereavement a lot in the vein of adults, but with still not as much of discernment (Garcà ­a, 2005). When taking children in hand, it is imperative to recognize that they almost certainly discern more than what parents grant them credit for. Despite the fact that parents inherently desire to safeguard their children from pain, even the youngest kid understands that something is dreadfully wrong and yearns to grasp why the every adult distraught and in tears. This protective attitude merely serves to deprive the child of a chance to learn more about grief management and coping skills, which are indispensable throughout a person’s life, especially when he or she continues live in the absence of any parent who is supposed to shield them from deep sorrow since it is the parent or any close relative who has passed away (Garcà ­a, 2005). It is essential to acknowledge that every child is inimitable in his or her comprehension of the entire process of death. This discernment hinge on their developmental phase, intellectual skills, teachings by parents, teachers, and significant others, personality attributes, imagery in the media, spiritual convictions, and prior incidents of death induced by 9/11 (Hinkle, 2004). Nevertheless, there are a number of consequential factors that will be useful in comprehending how young people live through and cope with death and its aftermath (Dunn, 2001). Coping strategy of an individual’s behavioral and psychological efforts to buffer or minimize environmental and internal demands of posttraumatic stress disorder. Coping means that the person is â€Å"taking charge of his or her own life and is seeking the resources needed to solve current problems† (Garcà ­a, 2005). Seaward furthers that although the coping strategies used by individuals are often distinct, coping temperaments are to a large extent acquired from the social environment. The manner in which people attempt to resolve stressful situations, the cognitive strategies that they use to downsize threat, and the techniques for handling tensions are largely gained from the groups to which they belong.   A person tries to contain the threat and beat stress in two ways, namely focusing on the problem and on the emotions (Bornstein, 1994).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Other grown-ups are overly wrapped up in their anguish to make an effort to comprehend how the firsthand witnesses of the 9/11 attacks fathom. Other people usually misconstrue the bystander’s demonstration of sentiments, characteristically hold themselves responsible for their fellowmen’s lamentation or rage. Therefore, even though it is likely for the entire people to express their sorrow in the presence of the world, it is essential to impart an elucidation to the terrorist that they can face the future more stalwartly. Discovering how to communicate their anguish, resentment, and apprehension will help Americans to contend with comparable disasters if truly inevitable in the future (Skene, 2001). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No question about it; the 9/11 incident was the commencement of enlarged hostilities and vigilance as well. The imagery being broadcast was far too excruciating to behold. Mass terrorism is not a regular crime; it is an enormously terrible crime. Tens of thousands, more or less, are the terrorists’ target to inflict fatality or fear upon, and they are more than determined to rule the world. With continued weak will, no wonder how more people would struggle to stay untreated with posttraumatic stress disorder (Skene, 2001). Attitudes toward those with posttraumatic stress disorder have improved over time. Today, individuals with PTSD are fortunate enough to be treated in hospitals and clinics instead of being out away in prisons or asylums. But they are still far from universally accepted either within the family or community. How they are viewed by others can be critical. It can help determine whether they will recover sufficiently to function in society, or to continue to be overwhelmed by their symptoms and even get worse (Calkins, 1996). For a person with posttraumatic stress disorder, there is no clear-cut organic problem, no violation of basic social norms, and no loss of orientation to reality, but the individual shows a lifelong pattern of self-defeating and inadequate coping strategies aimed more at reducing anxiety than at solving life problems. By mental aberrations or psychological scars, the PTSD patient proves to others that he or she is impotent in the face of a threatening world (Dunn, 2001). Our growing understanding of posttraumatic stress disorder does more than enable society to reclaim its familiar stranger. In making sense of posttraumatic stress disorder, we are forced to come to grips with basic conceptions of normality, reality, and social values. And mind loosed from its stable moorings does not just go on its solitary way; it bumps into other minds, sometimes changing their stability (Kagan, 2004). Many PSTD patients are privately treated at home, while others have learned to conceal their disturbances and not act crazy in public. Still others act out their mental problems in ways that society does not judge as mentally disordered; perhaps joining the hate groups, or engaging in socially acceptable forms of violence. Just as unemployment statistics do not include all those who are chronically unemployed and have stopped looking for work, so, too, statistics on posttraumatic stress disorder omit those who suffer in silence, living a marginal existence on the fringes of society (Hinkle, 2004). Indeed, victims of posttraumatic stress disorder caused by 9/11 are usually beset by extremely difficult psychological and social problems. They are likely to be financially strapped, not only because the therapy can be expensive, but also it interferes with productive work. They tend to be outcasts from both the family and society at large. Often the only persons willing to give them serious attention are their fellow PTSD patients, which do not really help as negativity enlarges (Bornstein, 1994). Under such depressive, circumstance, they need considerable help to break free from prejudiced society and get a fresh start in life. References Calkins, Mary Whiton. (1996). An Introduction to Psychology. The Macmillan Company. Bornstein, Marc H. (1994). Psychology and Its Allied Disciplines. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Dunn, Edgar S. (2001). Abnormal Psychology. Resources for the Future. Garcà ­a, Cynthia. (2005). â€Å"Developmental Psychology.† Merrill-Palmer Quarterly. Hinkle, Gisela J. (2004). The Development of Modern Sociology: Its Nature and Growth in the United States. Random House. Kagan, Jerome. (2004). â€Å"The Limitations of Concepts in Developmental Psychology.† Developmental Psychology. Skene, Neil. (2001). â€Å"Sacrificing Freedoms in the Name of Saving Them.† Atlanta: Creative Loafing.

GROWING CALAMITY: AN IN-DEPTH REPORT ON GLOBAL FOOD INSECURITY In The 21st Century Essay

Food prices and the global demand for food have been on the rise in recent years. The catalyst for riots worldwide and food insecurity has caused widespread disturbances in agricultural industries. Food insecurity exists when people do not have adequate physical, social or economic access to food (FAO, United Nations 2009). It is captivating and noteworthy to mention that there is enough food to feed twice the earth’s population yet, food is not being equally distributed. This renders a high percentage of the world’s population poverty-stricken and hungry. Local governments, food rights activists, international trade institutions, and non-governmental organizations are becoming increasingly concerned with food distribution and food sovereignty (Schanbacher, 2010). Neoliberal processes that control  distribution and consumption are dominating policies regarding food production. International trade institution and multinational corporations dominate the entire food chai n, and as a result the global food system has encountered a crisis. The food crisis that persists today is by no means a sudden disaster that has struck the agricultural industry. It is the manifestation of a long-standing crisis in agriculture. Neoliberal global food systems have significantly modified the dynamics of agricultural production and farmers no longer have control over the food they produce and are subjected to volatile markets (Borras, 2009). Data collected by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization between 2004 and 2006 shows that the number of undernourished people in the world has been steadily increasing for almost two decades. The report showed that there was little or no progress being made towards World Food Summit targets to reduce hunger and that most of the countries were suffering from undernourishment (FAO, United Nations, 2009). While lesser-developed countries do benefit from some aspects of neoliberal globalization, it must be said that the same processes put marginalized societies at risk; impoverished farmers are no exception. These vulnerable farmers endure diminished technological resources and face stiff competition from capital-intensive foreign producers (Friedman, 2005). For decades the food industry’s hegemonic agents have perpetuated liberalized and unsustainable food systems that have resulted in many countries to falling victim to food insecurity. Such a grave and widespread problem warrants an in-depth exploration, to be carried out within this report. Beginning with a probe into the historical and contemporary challenges of food insecurity, this paper contends that structural changes at an international level are necessary to improve global access to sustenance. Case studies and multifaceted conceptualizations of the issue culminate in the identification of viable solutions to eradicat e food insecurity forever. HISTORICAL CONTEXT Although food insecurity is not a new phenomenon, the term was only coined in the mid-1970s, following a food crisis in 1972, which lasted for one year (Fulton, 2012). The magnitude of that crisis caused many to remark it, as the advent of food insecurity itself. Although it is often thought that  food insecurity is a result of food scarcity, Friedmann (1982) explains that food insecurity should be conceptualize as â€Å"a structural turning point† in the globe’s food production and distribution. Friedmann considers this first global food crisis to be the initial breakdown of the world’s food economy; which sustained grain surpluses and depressed prices (1982). Fulton also attempts to draw our attention to the heart of the matter by referring to the paradigm shift within the international food security discourse. Fulton (2012) contends that the analytical focus of the issue changed from food supply management, to the assessment of people’s ability to saf ely and consistently access food in a timely manner. In retrospect, the invention of new seed technologies, investments in rural agriculture, modern fertilizers and irrigation, caused many to be surprised by the catastrophe (Timmer, 2010). A variety of complex events, such as the oil crisis, rendered developing nations vulnerable and triggered the 1972 food crises (Friedmann, 1993). While some scholars regard oil’s radical price increases as the key catalyst to the food crisis, others interpret it differently (Fulton, 2012). Timmer for example, suggests that the high food prices led to soaring crude oil prices and that environmental catalysts were at the core of the 1972 food crisis (2010). Timmer goes on to explain that during the dry season in 1972 a severe drought, caused by El Nino, caused rice crops in Indonesia, Thailand and, the Philippines to be drastically reduced (Timmer, 2010). Soon after, domestic prices and demand for rice skyrocketed. To meet domestic demand Tha iland, the world’s leading rice exporter, banned rice export in April 1973. What followed was a nine months standstill in world rice markets. Countries were left to depend on rice imports to fulfill domestic demand for food. Residual effects of El Nino spread far across the globe and had devastating ramifications. In 1972 the world’s grain production decreased by 16 million metric tons (mmt), rice production dropped by14mmt and, wheat production diminished by 8mmt. Cumulatively, the total shortfall in world grain supply amounted to approximately 70 tons and represented an 8% reduction in global food supply. As a result of the shortage of food grains, prices rose. As a means of guranteeing their domestic food supply, oil-rich food-importing nation-states, reacted with an oil embargo against the United States and the former Soviet Union. Following the increase in oil prices, fertilizer  prices also went up. The international community responded to the crisis and the countries in dire straits, by formulating what Friedmann terms a â€Å"temporary, elegant and dangerous† solution (1993). The solution was to offer lavished transnational bank loans, financed by oil-rich nations (Friedmann, 1993). The global food crisis originated due to severe weather conditions that were exacerbated by financial turmoil. Together with the Cold War, these issues aggravated the socio-political and economic conditions which eventually lead to explosive grain prices. CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES: CASE STUDIES Since the food crisis in the early 1970s, humanity has witnessed a variety of countries declaring food emergencies, such as famine. In the year 2006 alone, twenty-five of the thirty-nine serious food emergencies were caused by the aftermath of violent conflicts, natural hazards or, a combination of the two (Alinovi, 2007). Of these thirty-nine serious food traumas, several of these crises were on-going for years and, in some cases for decades (Alinovi, 2007). The intensity and severity of a nation’s political conflicts dictates the impact that that conflict has on the food security. In certain instances it is impossible for some developing nations to overcome such dismal conditions. Since 1986, at least five African countries have been in a constant state of food insecurity for fifteen years, or more. A country that best embodies this is Somalia. Recent occurrences in the Horn of Africa, where hundreds of thousands of people died due to starvation, have been well publicized an d are well-known by the general public. Without looking at the broader context, the mainstream media was quick to assert that the famine in Somalia was caused by severe drought. While it is correct that the region received the lowest rainfall that it had in sixty years, the famine was compounded by neglect. Two years prior to the famine, Islamist rebels prohibited most aid agencies from working in Somalia and the rebels only rescinded the ban when the food situation there was officially labeled a ‘famine’. Famines are declared when, a third of the child population is acutely malnourished and when two adults or four children per 10,000 people die of hunger each day (Chossudovsky, 2011). Before and during the famine in Somalia, the atmosphere was one of lawlessness, gang warfare and anarchy; all of which  contributed to the famine (Chossudovsky, 2011). It is noteworthy to mention that this was not the first time that conditions were severe in Somalia. In fact, in 1992 t housands of citizens starved to death and far-reaching famines prompted international intervention. When President Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991, Somalia effectively became a failed state and politically driven civil-wars led to impoverishment. United Nations peacekeeping forces were eventually pulled out of the country after two American Black Hawk helicopters were shot down in 1993. Another nation that exemplifies contemporary food insecurity is Sudan. In the case of Sudanese, the major catalyst for the crisis was the conflict between the central government and a rebel group, the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) (Alinovi, 2007). When a country endures a civil war, an extraordinary amount of stress is placed on the civilian population. Not only are hospitals, clinics, schools and agriculture services diminished, or closed altogether, trade links and communication networks are disrupted indefinitely (Dodge, 1990). The policies enacted by the Sudanese government are directly related to the level of food insecurity experienced in the country’s Nuba Mountains. The Unregistered Land Act of 1970 resulted in a grab for farming land and displaced peaceful Nuba villagers. In addition to disrupting the Nuba people’s agro-ecology, humanitarian aid in SPLA controlled areas was blocked (Pantuliano, 2007). These measures successfully disrupted the vil lager’s conventional farming systems in favour of large-scale mechanized corporate agriculture (Pantuliano, 2007). These two case studies are prime examples of nations that have suffered from food insecurity due to political conflicts, lawlessness and anarchy. It is clear that given the multidimensional nature of the problem, short-term humanitarian aid will not yield successful results. Consequently, a complex issue such as food insecurity requires multifaceted solutions. EXPLORING FOOD INSECURITY The causes of food insecurity are as unique as the countries that are impacted; therefore conceptualizing the issue requires that it be examined from varying angles. An inability to access adequate and nutritious food inevitably results in malnourishment. This section will examine whether  the Malthusian theory can assist in obtaining a greater understanding of the emergence and persistence of food insecurity. The Malthusian Theory of Population refers to works by Robert Malthus. Malthus’ theory relies on the premise that two fixed factors are the driving forces of human existence: food and passion between the sexes. Further, Malthus contends that unchecked populations grow exponentially, while food supplies increase arithmetically. These differing growth rates are what Malthus believed caused populations to grow faster than their food supply; according to him, this in turn causes food insecurity. Appendix A represents this concept visually. Malthus believed that when a high population is strained due to a lack of food, naturally occurring ‘preventive checks’ keep the population from getting out of control (Drysdale, 1878). Essentially he believed that food insecurity itself was caused these checks (Drysdale, 1878). There are however many critics of the Malthusian Theory. Ester Boserup believed that a small population actually restrains technological innovations and keeps agriculture at subsistence levels. Boserup asserts that major innovations in agriculture only occurred when food insecurity was a factor because it forced large populations to find any means of sustaining its populace. Julian Simon was equally as critical of Malthus and regarded people as resource creators rather than, resource destroyers. Simon believed that population growth has a positive, and not a negative impact on development. Both Boserup and Simon contend that the Malthusian Theory of Population fails to sufficiently explain the causes of food insecurity (Malthus ian Crisis, 2009). Critics go on to highlight another of Robert Malthus’s shortcomings; he did not take into account human ability to intentionally control birth rate. The Malthusian theory states that food insecurity results in population controls such as: food shortages, epidemics, pestilence and plagues. It is therefore possible for humans, given a lack of food, to simply decide to limit their reproduction. Malthusian theory also underestimates the possibility that food can increase at an exponential rate. Scientific advancements in the last few centuries have made the exponential growth of food production a reality (International Society, 2009). Neo-Malthusian theory, despite accepting human being’s ability to control fertility and therefore the population growth rate, still fails to account for the progress being made towards increasing global food supplies  (Acselrad, 2006). Many of the areas that experience food insecurity are in third world countries, which are characterized by very high birth rates. The concern now is to find out why food insecurity continues to exist. If Malthus’ theory has been disproven and there truly is enough food for everyone in the world it is extremely important, now more than ever, to examine other possible causes of continued international food imbalances. EXPLORING FOOD INSECURITY: THE ROLE OF CORPORATIONS While Malthus was correct in his emphasis on technology and the environmental burdens associated with food production, in relation to the effects of food insecurity, he could not have conceptualized the far-reaching impact of large multinational agribusiness corporations. Contemporary industrialized society’s agricultural economies are characterized by the commodification of food products, engineered from the farm to the dinner table (Drabenstott, 1995). This industrialized approach applies principals of economic efficiency to cultivation and, has resulted in a slippery slope of revenue prioritization achieved through the technological alteration of food itself. Biotechnology has enabled the food industry to increase crop yield and revenues through the isolation and incorporation of specific traits from other plants or animals, into food products (Drabenstott, 1995). While Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO foods superficially appear to be reducing shortages, and by extrapo lation food scarcity related deaths; environmental damage caused by intense corporate farming and the high toxicity of GMO foods, actually work to undermine the world’s food security. Intensive farming by agribusinesses degrades the soil and increases the industry’s reliance on chemicals. Fiscally sound, the application of pesticides during the food cultivation process produces greater yield and assures better storage and distribution of the product (Court, 2006). Generally applied aerially using helicopters or airplanes, herbicides such as Atrazine are estrogen disruptors and increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease (Aiyelaagbe, 2011). Herbicides often transported via surface runoff, leeches into the ground where it contaminates distant water sources and, can cause cancer after increased exposure (Aiyelaagbe, 2011). Toxins applied during production are inevitably transferred to the produce and have adverse effects on human populations worldwide. Genetically eng ineered or  modified foods have similar, unpublicized, adverse effect. Global leader in agribusiness ingenuity, Monsanto Corporation’s modified â€Å"Bt† corn was engineered with a bacteria bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterium produces the pesticide Bttoxin aimed at killing insects during production. Appendix B illustrates this process. Monsanto Corporation told the public that the Bttoxin was entirely safe because it would be completely destroyed in the human digestive system; however that was not a true statement. Studies have shown the pesticide to be present in the fetal blood of 80% of pregnant Canadian women tested (Smith, 2013). The full effects of the toxin are still unknown nevertheless preliminary research indicates that ‘Bt’ may cause deformities in unborn children (Smith, 2013). Without speaking to the morality of the subject, technological changes to alter the biological processes of plants and animals for the purposes of increasing crop yield, is actually counter-productive to the goal of sustaining life. Corpo rations such as Monsanto facilitate modern industrial society’s commodification of life sustaining nourishment. In short, the western corporatization of agriculture has left the world with a food system that no longer functions to provide safe, wholesome and nutritious food for all people. SOLUTIONS & CONCLUSIONS Food insecurity can be found in every corner of the globe and is usually caused by drought, famine, natural disasters, war, political instability, economic upheaval and most recently, global warming. Although developed and developing countries alike suffer from varying degrees of the problem, the former suffers less often than the latter. As is the case in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, USA; food insecurity can be a short-term problem, that if effectively tackled, can be rectified (Huffingtonpost, 2012). Food insecurity can also spiral into a long-term problem, as is the case in Sudan North Africa where political instability has fostered food insecurity in the region (Mensah, 2013). Food insecurity in most cases is caused by natural disasters (ie. earthquake in Haiti, tsunami in Thailand) where there is little or no warning. Natural disasters destroy infrastructure and food supplies; therefore it is a necessity that nations be ready in the event of any emergency. The first step to take when the problem of food insecurity arises is to evaluate local needs. Need is  determined by the causal factors of the crisis in a particular area. Conducting a comprehensive evaluation, by examining key data on local assets, resources and, livelihood strategies is key to minimizing damage. For example, response teams could be sent out to meet directly with community members to better understand local conditions and create a collaborative plan of action to end food insecurity. The solutions to food insecurity can be classified into two categories: short-term and long-term solutions. Short-term solutions usually precede long-term solutions; and are the first responses to emergency situations. Short-term strategies include the distribution of food, cash and other items to prevent food insecurity in smaller timeframe. An example of this can be observed among the poor in the United States on food stamps and as well as in Haiti. Haiti received food aid and cash gifts from organizations and people around the world after an earthquake struck the island nation. Haiti has had a long history of food insecurity, brought about by political instability and poor governance. Long-term solutions to food insecurity are devised with a more stable future in mind. Technological innovations have proven to be the main source of hope for future food security. Through technological innovation we can and have been able increase crop production to fight food insecurity and build stability internationally. Through sophisticated methods like genetic engineering, scientists have been able to modify the DNA of crops in order to increase agricultural output. ‘’An example [of this] can be observed in the case of an apple; ‘’an apple is about the size of a little pea, it started somewhere in Russia and it was inedible at the time of discovery. The domestication of the plant has resulted in twenty thousand different varieties of the fruit, all originated from one plant species (Despommier, n.d.). This report, above all things, demonstrates that augmented crop yield does absolutely nothing to increase marginalized people’s access to food. Technologically driven agriculture is unsustainable and damages poorer populationsâ€⠄¢ only tool of self-determinism: the land. Genetically modified foods and seeds contain diminished nutritional value and are toxic to human beings. Food insecurity in actuality, directly relates to socio-political issues that exacerbate the neo-liberal dilemma of unfair food distribution. Each country must therefore resist hegemonic policies and take their population’s survival into their own hands. This report  calls for return to subsistence farming. Importing food to meet domestic need, in constantly fluctuating and volatile markets, adds to the problem of unreliable food supplies. Neither entirely correct nor incorrect, Malthus had no way of accounting for globalizations’ impact on absolutely every facet of contemporary life. Unless the international community abandons â€Å"equality† in favor of equity, rampant food insecurity will continue. WORKS CITED Abandon the Cube (2011). Seven Billion†¦ and Counting. Abandon the Cube. Retrieved from http://www.abandonthecube.com/blog/tag/malthusian-crisis/. Acselrad, H. (2006). Neo-Malthusianism: A Narrow Theory Exceeds Its Carrying Capacity. Political Environments, (5). Action Against Hunger. Food Security & Livelihoods. Retrieved from http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/impact/food-security-livelihoods. Alinovi, L., Hemrich, G., & Russo, L. (2007). Addressing food insecurity in fragile states: case studies from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and Sudan (No. 07, p. 21). ESA Working Paper. Borras, S. M. (2008). Transnational agrarian movements confronting globalization. M. Edelman & C. Kay (Eds.). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. Chossudovsky, M. (2011). Somalia: The Real Causes of Famine. Global Research, 4-17. Despommier, D.(n.d.). The Key to Population Growth and Food Production [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/videos/?294043623. Dodge, C. P. (1990). Health implications of war in Uganda and Sudan. Social Science & Medicine, 31(6), 691-698. Drabenstott, M. (1995). Agricultural industrialization: Implications for economic development and public policy. Journal of Agricultural and Applied economics, 27, 13-20. Drysdale, C. R. (1878). The population question according to T.R. Malthus and J.S. Mill. London: W. Bell. FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, for a world without hunger. Friedmann, H. (1982). The Political Economy of Food: The Rise and Fall of the Postwar. Hall, H. (2005). Bt Corn: Is It Worth the Risk?. The Science Creative Quarterly, Issue 2. Retrieved from http://www.scq.ubc.ca/bt-corn-is-it-worth-the-risk/. International Food Order. American Journal of Sociology, 88, 248-286. Friedmann, H. (1993).The Political Economy of Food: A Global Crisis. New Left Review, 197, 29-57. Friedmann, H. (2009). Feeding the empire: The pathologies of globalized agriculture. Socialist register, 41(41). Fulton, M. Food Security: What Does It Mean for Canadian Food and Agricultural Policy? April, 2012. Growing Our Future: Making Sense of National Food Strategies. Lecture conducted from University of Guelph’s Institute for the Advanced Study of Food and Agricultural Policy, Guelph, ON. Mensah, J. (2013). Malthusian theory of Population. Class Presentation. Lecture Conducted from York University, Toronto, ON. Pantuliano, S., Alinovi, L., Hemrich, G., & Russo, L. (2008). Responding to protracted crises: the principled model of NMPACT in Sudan. Beyond relief: food security in protracted crises, 25-63 Schanbacher, W. D. (2010). The politics of food: The global conflict between food security and food sovereignty. Westport, CT: Praeger Security International. Science Daily(2009). One Billion Hungry People: Multiple Causes of Food Insecurity Considered. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625113857.htm Smith, J. M. (2011). GMO toxins in women and fetuses. Expanded Academic ASAP, 16, 1- 12. Timmer, C. P. (2010). Reflections on food crises past. Food policy, 35(1), 1-11. Young, L., Ram, R. S., & Cort, S. G. (1996). Industry Corner: The Pesticide

Primary sources analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Primary sources analysis - Essay Example The pamphlet starts with Paine describing the difference between government and society, in which he criticizes the government for creating distinctions in society and in people and enforcing laws on the freedom of people (â€Å"Paine†). He claims that a society is formed because of the people’s needs which are interdependent on other people of society and these necessitate their interaction (â€Å"Paine†). However, a government is just needed when people do not behave morally and loses their conscience i.e. when they need someone to regulate and govern them (â€Å"Paine†). In just his description of government Paine shows his utter dislike of this regulatory body which makes laws to govern not just the issues concerning a society, but also the lives of people, snatching their freedom from them (â€Å"Paine†). It is here that Paine gives his idea of how the government should be like and the Act of Confederation to be replaced by the Act of Constitut ion. Paine brings the attention of people towards the failures of the constitution of United Kingdom, which is ruled by monarchial and aristocratic tyranny (â€Å"Paine†). ... This system of English constitution gives power to those who contribute nothing for the people, and takes away the power from the commons (ordinary people) who only can make a difference to the society (â€Å"Paine†). Paine’s argument touches one’s soul because these are questions in every one’s minds, only no one is daring enough to ask them. Plain openly states this mixed society a ridiculous form where Congress makes laws and monarch executes them, that is, the final power is always with the monarch (â€Å"Paine†). He argues that humans are equals as taught to us in our religions as well, then how can any parliament have more powers then an ordinary common (â€Å"Paine†). Paine also raised some genuine facts which rendered British power even more invalid. He said that America was not in war with any other country, but British’s rivals have become American’s too which is the misuse of the state of America (â€Å"Paine†) . Referring to phenomena of religion, Paine brought the attention of people towards how God has created the world by leaving the nation of America and Britain far apart, meaning that God himself did not allow this injustice (â€Å"Paine†). British were exploiting the people of America by using their resources for its own benefits and taking away the opportunities of commerce which America excelled at (â€Å"Paine†). Paine’s arguments were direct and tangible and arouse emotions in people who were already tired and fed up by the unjust treatments imposed on them. They were already on the brink about independence and Common Sense served as their fuel to call out and fight for independence which was their right and only they could bring it by changing their destiny. Common sense was famous all the more because of the

The Elements of Multidisciplinary Approach Addressing the Needs of Essay

The Elements of Multidisciplinary Approach Addressing the Needs of Female Offenders - Essay Example Reports revealed that most women offenders are mothers, and females who have experienced some form of abuse, with broken homes, big financial problems or unable to sustain stable jobs, addiction to drugs and alcohol, psychological distress, with low self-esteem, with a history of severe emotional and verbal abuse, and a lot more. There is then a need to continuously educate the public in supporting and even intervening to prevent or at least minimize these increasing problems, especially the juvenile. The school, family, and community are avenues where the government and non-government agencies should focus on. As they say in medicine, prevention is better than cure. It does apply to our community as well that before making the multidisciplinary approach in addressing the needs of female offenders, it is quite proper to first identify and treat the causes. It is harder to come up with solutions when females already became offenders and eventually are in jail. Strip-search and â€Å" squat and cough† are only among the procedures undergone by every female offender before entering their prison cells which could be really humiliating and completely no privacy. Then there’s booking, mugshots, fingerprints, medical screening, shower (with no doors) and changing into a jail uniform. After this, the female offender is taken to her cell where the worst things can happen. Many women are abused while in prison and can be subjected to conditions which not only revictimize them but are below international human rights standards which the United States has endorsed (Belknap). This should be then another concern of the government to re-evaluate available treatment programs in correctional institutions and do some program revisions as needed. It is the responsibility of the criminal justice system starting from the police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and corrections to come up with a multidisciplinary approach exclusively designed for them. Women, as describe d are far more emotional. Emotions make women whole people; without emotions, women would be machines (Booher 17).  

Summarize Research Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summarize Research Article - Essay Example laims that most hospitals within the United States do to employ effective decontamination measures thereby resulting the infection of myriad practitioners annually. The researcher therefore seeks to investigate the measures employed in health facilities within the country. The researcher identifies several health facilities within the state. Sampling is the process of identifying the hospitals to investigate. The researchers employ random sampling technique in the selection of both the hospitals and the specific health practitioners to investigate in the study. With the selection of a particular number of subjects, they begin the investigation. The process involves extensive data collection through interviews and observations of the practices in the health facilities. They record the subsequent contaminations and the actions the facilities employ after the contaminations. In the end, the researchers document their findings thereby drawing a conclusion, which qualifies their earlier hypothesis. In the end, the researchers prove that several health facilities across the country employ various safety precautions. However, some lack such fundamental security features thereby presenting substantial health risk to their employees. The researchers compare th e number of the contaminated health practitioners against the number of the uncontaminated in order to draw such damning conclusions. The validity of the conclusion relies on the number of the variables they use and the frequency of either contamination or effective decontamination in order to prove the hypothesis. Just as with quantitative research, qualitative researches also operate with effectively constructed hypothesis, which they either approve or disapprove in the end. However, qualitative researches investigate values hat result in particular behaviors. Such researches investigate the why, when, how and why intricate of a phenomenon. The researches therefore do not rely on numerical findings but on the

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How Peer pressure can be turned into a positive - Essay Example Peer pressure also motivates the youth. Despite the negative attributes often associated with peer pressure as being destructive to young people’s overall development, it has instrumentally uplifted youth from the depths of confusion and emotional turmoil to clear paths in life. Peer pressure is erroneously thought to only elicit negative effects amongst young people. However, this fails to consider the numerous positive benefits that can be gained from peer pressure. For example, peer pressure could act as a motivation because it boosts one’s morale in becoming better at certain things. Additionally, under motivation, children coming financially unstable homes find an impetus to work hard in their academic studies to get better jobs and earn handsome salaries. In the same capacity, motivation helps people in understanding different issues from multiple spectrums. Overall, it raises a person’s self-esteem and confidence. It is usually peer pressure through motivation, for example, that leads young people to embrace activities such as exercising to maintain healthy bodies. They also practice healthy habits that does not make susceptible to diseases. Integration of socialization skills is another way how peer pressure can be turned into a positive thing. This is because it enables the socializees to make friends that usually expand their networks in terms of opportunities and chances in life. Alternatively, socialization is a healthy exercise that inspires people to join different co-curricular activities such as drama, sports, and clubs among others to achieve popularity amongst their peers. Therefore, through socialization, citizens cultivate vital cultures of collective behavior and unity as benchmarks for group norms. In other words, peer groups interconnect its members through creating platforms for group conformity and group consensus. Identity formation is equally an integral merit emerging from peer pressure that is often overlooked. This

International trade Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

International trade - Essay Example The theory of comparative advantage insinuates that reducing trade limits (trade liberalization) and opening up global markets would lead to benefits from trade for all parties concerned. However, the theory is one thing, getting nations to agree to break down complex trade obstacles they have put up over the years is another thing altogether. Taking this complexity into account, how is it possible to know that countries that claim to have relaxed their trade restrictions actually have? Even if it is possible to confirm that this has happened, is there any evidence to ascertain that trade liberalization actually brings benefits to the developing world, where problems arising from the difficulty of penetrating the markets of the developed world are very grave? This paper aims to answer this question and more. Key words Trade liberalization, protectionism, trade barriers, tariffs, quotas, comparative advantage Most studies (extensive and comprehensive studies going back as far as the 7 0s and 80s, and more recent (though less reliable) ones conducted using cross-country regression analysis) strongly indicate that countries that have more liberal trade laws grow faster and have more open economies compared to those that have more protectionist policies (Buffie 2001, pg. 15). Since 1980, the PCIs of third world countries that have a combined population of over 3 billion people have doubled; this is according to figures released by the OECD and the World Bank. In addition to this, they have managed to slash, by more than 30%, their mean import tariffs, as well as almost tripling their ratios of trade-to-GDP. This means that only third world countries that are less developed, have combined populations of less than 2 billion, whose trade-to-GDP ratios and PCIs are stagnant, and who have insignificant decline in mean import tariffs, are left. Unlike the rest, the new globalizers have also witnessed dramatic improvements in welfare indicators and significant reductions i n poverty. A lot has been made of the World’s Bank’s decision to revise its approximations of future effects of trade liberalization. They are not unimportant. However, trade liberalization only is not a panacea (Okamoto 2004, pg. 46). In order to fully realize productivity benefits, external liberalization should be integrated into comprehensive market-based reforms and be supported by institutional reforms that buttress markets – just like David Hume and Adam Smith indicated more than 2 centuries ago. The main point however remains that richer developing countries are those that have carried out massive liberalization of foreign direct investment (FDI) and external trade as a part of a broader move towards market economies (Vietnam and China are the perfect examples). So much for the very fallacious view that high protection in Vietnam and China has not stifled fast growth and has in fact triggered it. Should only developed countries liberalize trade during th e Doha round? Northern trade limits suppress exports from labor-intensive developing countries, and are therefore very iniquitous. However, what groups like Oxfam do not say is that the protectionist policies of developing countries hurt them even more (Rogowsky & Linkins 2001, pg. 37). Such liberalization would benefit unskilled rural labor