Wednesday, January 29, 2020

All couples should have the right to a child Essay Example for Free

All couples should have the right to a child Essay With reference to other aspects of human experience, explore the view that all couples should have the right to a child. Justify your answer. [15] Many would agree with this statement, because parenthood is a human right: â€Å"Parents have the exclusive right to determine freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children.† Humans have personal sovereignty, which is to be free of the control or coercion of others. Therefore they should be allowed to make their own decisions about their families. The issue becomes more complicated when infertility is involved. This is especially so in cultures where a woman’s worth is based on her ability to produce children. If she does not receive reproductive technology she could face isolation from her community. Looking at the UK, it could be argued that the purpose of the NHS is to solve our health problems, and infertile could be regarded as a health issue. 1 in 6 couples are infertile and there have been 70,000 IVF babies born in the UK. Infertility can have severe emotional impact on a couple and can strain the relationship. It is paradoxical that the NHS will fund abortions but not IVF (in some areas). They are denying desperate couples of their right to a child. The BBC documentary Don’t Take My baby is a good example of a couple who fought hard for their right to a child. It documented the story of a young disabled couple whose every move was monitored by social services as they raised their newborn baby. The mother was wheelchair bound and the father was visually impaired. The father argued that that even if able-bodied people are poor parents, they are never subject to the same amount of scrutiny disabled parents have to go through. The state has no right to decide who has the right to a child, or else we risk becoming a totalitarian society where only the highest calibres of people are permitted to have children. On the other hand, those who disagree would argue that a child is a privilege, not a right. There are some couples that would be better off not having children, such as those with violent criminal convictions where the child would be at risk of harm. With rights come responsibilities. If you cannot live up to the responsibilities of parenthood, then you forfeit your right to a child. Many would use this line of argumentation to dissuade homosexual couples from adopting, because they cannot responsibly provide a child with a father and mother. If the use of reproductive technology grants every couple the right to a child, we risk viewing children as a commodity. The production of children could become commercialised, as is already happening in India. In November 2015 the Indian government banned foreign couples from using Indian surrogates due to fears that poor mothers were being exploited (they received around  £2000 per pregnancy). Additionally, even with IVF some couples will never conceive. They only have a 20% chance. Perhaps infertility is not a health problem that can be solved, but is the will of God: â€Å"’Shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?’ says your God.† (Isaiah 66:9) Just because a couple does not have the right to bear their own children does not mean that they cannot be parents. In Northern Ireland alone there were 2,785 children in care during 2015. Rather than pouring money in reproductive technology, we should encourage infertile parents to adopt or foster. They can still experience the joys of raising a child, and the child will be saved from a life of never having a permanent home. To conclude, not every couple should have the right to a child. However, we should show immense love and compassion towards those struggling with infertility. To quote Laura Bush, â€Å"For those who deeply want children and are denied them, those missing babies hover like silent ephemeral shadows over their lives.†

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Evolutionary Basis for Ethics and Morals :: Science

Evolutionary Basis for Ethics and Morals With the advent of Darwin's theories of evolution and the rising popularity of biological science as the explanation of human origins, it is perhaps no surprise that philosophers began to tackle the notion of ethics and morals from an evolutionary perspective, eschewing reliance on religious texts and yet seeking to find in science the basis for such characteristics that have long been under the purview of religion and used to separate humanity from its fellow animals. While sociobiologists studied "the evolution of interrelations between organisms in pairs, groups, herds, colonies, [and] nations," both Thomas Hobbes and Friedrich Nietzsche attempted to derive the origins of such groups and nations and the foundation of their morality by using an biological evolutionary model (Dennett 483). Hobbes and Nietzsche tell stories of their own making to explain how such "moral" civilizations were brought into being. In the Hobbesian version, humans once existed in an amoral state in which there was no concept of good and evil – simply good and bad, with all ethics removed. For example, "although they distinguished a good spear from a bad spear...they had no concept of a good or bad person, a moral person, or a good act, a moral act – or their contraries, villains and vices" ( Dennett 454). Mankind persisted in this "state of nature...nasty, brutish and short," Hobbes believed, until several enterprising members of the population arrived at the notion of a "social contract." Instead of remaining in constant competition with each other, humans began to band together outside of simple insular family groups for the protection and sustenance of all – the state, in its nascent form. Dennett draws attention to "Lynn Margulis' story of the eukaryotic revolution," which does provide a useful basis for comparison between the evolution of human civilization and the evolution of species (Dennet 454). "Throughout the Precambrian period," Ernst Mayr writes in What Evolution Is, "the rich diversity of protists gave rise to multicellular descendant, some of which then led to plants, fungi, and animals," and indeed the change from simple prokaryotes to the more complex eukaryotes, and from single-celled eukaryotes to multicellular eukaryotes, seems to mirror human development into ethical beings – assuming that Hobbes' story is true (Mayr 60). The multicellular organisms, "which, thanks to a division of labor among a gang of specialist cells," could now pursue a more complex and

Monday, January 13, 2020

Diversity Organization

It is visible to see that women have come a long way in our nation to now from the beginning of our construction. It was not easy, and many issues are still not completely solved, because of stereotypes and discrimination against women. Stereotypes such as â€Å"women are bad drivers† and â€Å"women should not be paid as much as men†. However, there are many organizations that have been founded and used to help in fighting against such discrimination, and help in supporting women in equal rights, in places, such as the workplace and society in general. When our country was first forming, women were unable to vote for a very long time after it was decided they could not. They also had were expected to play certain roles, such as staying at home to do the housework, take care of the children, clean, and cook. The strength of women â€Å"shined† through in the most visible way during WWII. Many women were obligated to maintain their usual roles, and do a lot of the work the men would be doing, because the men were away at war. Women were also not offered the educational benefits men were in our history also. It was pretty set in stone that the men were â€Å"the thinkers†, and that there was no need to educate women. It is much different now. Women are able to receive education just as easy as a man can, not to mention the laws that have been made to protect the equality rights of women and men. The roles in women have changed drastically. It is now â€Å"the norm† to see a woman with a career, and many that have families too. Many households now share all of the household responsibilities, and often time the finances too. However, not everyone agrees that this has been a positive step in our nation since the Civil Rights Act. Many people still believe a woman should stay home and continue the role that was planned for them in the first place. A major issue that raises these opinions is the amount of crime and problems our nation has with our youth. Many believe that this has increased because of the amount of time that is taken from parents and their children because of both parents working. The â€Å"male vs. female† concept is seen in today’s society has equal in most parts, but there will always be the differences in both. They are each different in anatomy and many mental factors. Our society and media base many things on sexuality and gender. For example, the body washes and bathroom line designed for men, called Axe shows images that â€Å"prove† to attract women to them because of their smell and good looks. People have been used as sex idols, both male and female, but the disrespect and objections that have been formed around women are at a higher risk. This type of advertisement promotes sexuality and creates more issues in equality and respect of both genders. Socially GLBT people have faced much discrimination throughout time. Much of this has to do with religion, and the belief that homosexuality is wrong. I believe historically it was not to be spoken of, and even homosexuals themselves would never â€Å"come out† about their sexuality, because of how negative society was about the issue. With this being said there were no studies or research being done about it for society to gain knowledge about the topic. Today GLBT people face discrimination, but have been given more rights. Many scientists and psychologists have also done a tremendous amount of studies and research on the topic, giving society more knowledge about them and their reason and choice of lifestyle. Religion is the main barrier now between society and GLBT people. Even though there have been laws that reserve the rights of GLBT people, many people will not â€Å"budge† in their opinion on the topic, because in most religions it is considered a sin. This makes it hard for society to want to reserve certain rights for them, such as marriage. However, throughout time there has been much change in many people’s opinions, because of knowledge in diversity, science, and psychology. They have more welcoming atmospheres than they did in the past. For example, in Chicago there is an annual â€Å"Gay Pride Parade† that invites people to support the rights of homosexuals. Workplaces have been more acceptable also, not only because of laws, but also, because they are more familiar with the topic due to the knowledge provided today through media, school, and our communities. It is a more open topic, and even though it is not approved of by many people, it is being more accepted. The main issue that GLBT people are dealing with and fighting for today is the right to be married to another person of the same sex. For laws to be passed, citizens must vote for them, and many people still do not believe it should be allowed. However, there are some states that have made it legal. With diversity and knowledge our country can improve these attitudes and opinions about equality in women and GLBT people of our nation. Our nation has come a long way, especially for how young we are. Our human service organizations and law can be of the most aid in solving these issues. There has been a lot of damage in equality throughout our history, and unfortunately some will never be solved because of the believes that have been taught and practiced for many years. However, our Constitution and many laws give society the chance to fight against non-equal acts and rights as an American citizen.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Essay on Evaluating the Beck Anxiety Inventory - 2120 Words

Evaluating the Beck Anxiety Inventory The Beck Anxiety Inventory is a 21-item scale that measures the severity of self-reported anxiety in adults and adolescents. The inventory was created by Aaron T. Beck and his colleague, Robert A. Steer, at the Center for Cognitive Therapy, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. The most recent edition was published in 1993 by The Psychological Corporation, Harcourt Brace Company in San Antonio, TX. The first edition was published in 1988. The 1993 edition recommends different scoring guidelines than previous editions. There is only one form and one manual as part of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). To purchase the BAI in 2010, the manual and 25 scoring sheets†¦show more content†¦The items of the BAI were drawn from three earlier self-report instruments that measured various aspects of anxiety. The BAI was developed with adult psychiatric outpatients and the manual recommends using caution with other clinical populations. Reliability The manual discusses internal consistency and test-retest in terms of reliability. Internal consistency is measuring how scores on individual items relate to each other or to the test as a whole. In two subsample studies, high internal consistency was found. In the first study, with a mixed sample of 160 outpatients, Beck, Epstein et al. (1988) reported that the BAI had high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach coefficient alpha = .92), and Fydrich et al. found a slightly higher level of internal consistency (coefficient alpha = .94). This means that the items on the BAI are all measuring the same variable, anxiety. Test-retest is testing for a relationship between a score from one test given at two different opportunities. A sample of 83 outpatients from the Beck, Epstein et al. study completed the BAI one week after their initial intake evaluation and before starting cognitive therapy. The correlation between intake and one-week BAI scores was .75 (p .001). This means that the patient’s responses were consistent from the first test to the second test a week later. Validity The manual considers five types of validity: content, concurrent, construct,Show MoreRelatedThe Beck Anxiety Inventory Developed By Aaron T. Beck2294 Words   |  10 PagesGeneral Information The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) [1993] is an anxiety inventory developed by Aaron T. Beck, an American psychologist noted for his research in psychotherapy, psychopathology, suicide, and psychometrics ().The BAI is published in 1990 and 1993 by The Psychological Corporation. The Psychological Corporation is a privately held company located in San Antonio, Texas. 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AlsoRead MoreCase Assessment1307 Words   |  6 Pages -depressed -helpless -anxious †¢Behaviors -yelled at daughter; blamed daughter †¢Recent Situations -late for school and daughter was hiding in closet -daughter refused to go to bed Diagnosis Axis I: R/O Generalized Anxiety Disorder R/O Major Depressive Disorder V61.10 Partner Relational Problem V61.20 Parent-Child Relational Problem Axis II: V71.09 No Diagnosis Axis III: None Axis IV: None AxisRead MoreAn Overview of Becks Cognitive Theory of Depression in Contemporary Literature3027 Words   |  13 PagesBeck s Cognitive Theory of Depression Features Underlying Dysfunctional Beliefs Beck s main argument was that depression was instituted by one s view of oneself, instead of one having a negative view of oneself due to depression. This has large social implications of how we as a group perceive each other and relate our dissatisfactions with one another. 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