Beowulf as a Hero Essay -- Seamus Heaney

The poem, Beowulf, by Seamus Heaney, depicts Beowulf as a perfect hero. Beowulf is the mythical son of Edgetho and later becomes the king of the Geats. In the poem, Beowulf's shows heroism in two different phases of his life, youth and old age. Throughout the poem, Beowulf faces three difficult conflicts with Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. Throughout the novel Beowulf is a noted and respected warrior from Geatland. During Beowulf's youth, he is considered to be a great warrior, portrayed by his strength, courage, and bravery. Beowulf begins his legacy in Denmark with an evil monster, Grendel. Grendel is ruining King Hrothgar's kingdom and is ritually tormenting him. The monster breaks into the castle and eats as many of Hrothgar's men as he can hold each night. King Hrothgar calls Beowulf for help because the king has tried everything else. Beowulf arrives with a ship of his warriors to help King Hrothgar in stopping Grendel. King Hrothgar accepts Beowulf's pledge to kill Grendel. Beowulf pledges to face Grendel with, "no weapons, therefore, for either this night; unarmed he shall face me if face me he dares" (47). When Beowulf meets Grendel he fights barehanded and rips his arm off. Beowulf comes back with Grendel's arm. It is hung in the battle hall as a trophy of Beowulf's bravery, courage, and victory over the monster. Beowulf's defeat of Grendel certifies his reputation for bravery and es tablishes him as a full hero. Even though Grendel is dead, the danger has not passed. Grendel's mother comes to King Hrothgar's battle hall. She retrieves, "their trophy, Grendel's bloodied hand" (91). Hrothgar is very disappointed and calls on the hero, Beowulf, once again. Beowulf travels with his men to the fiery lake whe... ...he only one left of the WaegmundingsÂ…Now I must follow them" (189). Wiglaf is the only warrior who stayed to help Beowulf, the rest fled. Therefore, Beowulf leaves Wiglaf to rule his kingdom. Beowulf should be considered a hero because he gives his life to keep his kingdom safe. Beowulf is a great warrior, portrayed by his strength, courage, and bravery. Beowulf also exemplifies the manner and values dictated by the Germanic heroic code. He is considered to be both a warrior and a king. When Beowulf encounters the dragon, the responsibilities of being king are thrown. He must act for the good of his people, not just for his own glory. Throughout the poem, Beowulf holds a good reputation and is respected by the people. Works Cited Beowulf. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed M H Abrams, et al. Vol. 1. Sixth ed. NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1993.

King Lear :: essays research papers

Reaction to Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm I found the ending to Aunt Ada Doom's story a very Austen-like way of dispelling the myth of the Madwoman in the Attic. And, of course, Flora gets this idea from Mansfield Park. The madwoman, who isn't truly mad to begin with, can be cured with something as simple as a copy of Vogue and a trip to Paris. There is no ongoing psychological torment or dramatic death. Madness can be cured by good, old-fashioned materialism. Perhaps Bertha Rochester could have undergone the same "therapy." Elfine's wedding reception also seems to be a way of putting down Victorian psychological drama and upholding Austen's purism: There they all were. Enjoying themselves. Having a nice time. And having it in an ordinary human manner. Not having it because they were raping somebody, or beating somebody, or having religious mania or being doomed to silence by a gloomy, earthly pride, or loving the soil with the fierce desire of a lecher, or anything of that sort. No, they were just enjoying an ordinary human event, like any of the millions of ordinary people in the world. (217) Lastly, Flora's marriage plot also seemed reminiscent of Austen. Her love affair with Charles is not the primary focus in the novel. Cleanliness, manners, and fashion take precedent before everything else. Only when Flora has cleaned up Cold Comfort and cleansed the farm of its Victorian characteristics can she pursue her own marriage plot. What I love most about Cold Comfort Farm is also what makes it difficult to write about. Gibbons takes many conventions, especially those of the Victorian novel, and turns them on their head. We never learn what Aunt Ada Doom saw in the woodshed, nor why Judith is depressed (besides her weird Oedipal complex for Seth). We never find out about the question of Flora's rights or what happened between her father and his relatives. Gibbons builds up these possibilities for psychological drama and deflates them all by the end of the novel. Her humorous style, and her deflation of all that is psychological and dramatic, really gives the text and Austen-like feel. King Lear :: essays research papers Reaction to Gibbons, Cold Comfort Farm I found the ending to Aunt Ada Doom's story a very Austen-like way of dispelling the myth of the Madwoman in the Attic. And, of course, Flora gets this idea from Mansfield Park. The madwoman, who isn't truly mad to begin with, can be cured with something as simple as a copy of Vogue and a trip to Paris. There is no ongoing psychological torment or dramatic death. Madness can be cured by good, old-fashioned materialism. Perhaps Bertha Rochester could have undergone the same "therapy." Elfine's wedding reception also seems to be a way of putting down Victorian psychological drama and upholding Austen's purism: There they all were. Enjoying themselves. Having a nice time. And having it in an ordinary human manner. Not having it because they were raping somebody, or beating somebody, or having religious mania or being doomed to silence by a gloomy, earthly pride, or loving the soil with the fierce desire of a lecher, or anything of that sort. No, they were just enjoying an ordinary human event, like any of the millions of ordinary people in the world. (217) Lastly, Flora's marriage plot also seemed reminiscent of Austen. Her love affair with Charles is not the primary focus in the novel. Cleanliness, manners, and fashion take precedent before everything else. Only when Flora has cleaned up Cold Comfort and cleansed the farm of its Victorian characteristics can she pursue her own marriage plot. What I love most about Cold Comfort Farm is also what makes it difficult to write about. Gibbons takes many conventions, especially those of the Victorian novel, and turns them on their head. We never learn what Aunt Ada Doom saw in the woodshed, nor why Judith is depressed (besides her weird Oedipal complex for Seth). We never find out about the question of Flora's rights or what happened between her father and his relatives. Gibbons builds up these possibilities for psychological drama and deflates them all by the end of the novel. Her humorous style, and her deflation of all that is psychological and dramatic, really gives the text and Austen-like feel.

Why People Gamble Essays -- Gambling Addiction Money Essays

Why People Gamble For centuries, people have indulged in different types of gambling: poker, horse races, bingo, lottery, and slot machines. Gambling has seduced any and almost everyone between the ages of sixteen and ninety years old. Before turning eighteen, the legal age of casino and horse race admittance, those younger make monetary bets on football and high school stunts. Gambling is even more prevalent today than it was yesterday with the added attraction of on-line casinos, offering jackpot equivalent to twenty years salary in exchange for a credit card / debit card number. Gambling was suppressed in the 1920's as a result of Prohibition and because of this will forever lure people into its taboo trap. Gambling as sport is hard to resist because it offers immediate gratification. Not only is there a chance that you may quadruple the amount of money that you lay down, a literal payoff, but there is also a feeling of hope, an alternate limbo between reality and fantasy that can be translated int o a sort of mental payoff. The question is: is it all about the money? It couldn't be all about the money, unless the general public was extremely stupid. The odds of winning the lottery are lesser than the odds of someone being struck by lightning (1 in 649,739) or than someone being killed by a terrorist attack abroad (1 in 650,000). (7). It has been said, "If you bought 100 tickets a week your entire adult life, from the age of 18 to 75, you'd have a 1 percent chance of winning the lottery". (7) Now, a number of psychological studies have been done which indicate that the desire to play the lottery has more to do with the inability or unconcern of a person to calculate the total sum of their own money over time spent of th... ...ody responds well to their desire to gamble, to diversify, to extend their minds and risk. Whether it be monetary, behavioral or just plain desire to risk, humans are drawn towards the new and the chancy. It is the danger of loss and the thrill of life that keeps us breathing. Works Consulted: 1)Alvarez,A. The Biggest Game in Town. New York: Chronicle Books, 2002. 2)Brunson,Doyle. Doyle Brunson's Super System. Cardoza Pub, 1979. 3)Dostoeyevsky,Fyodor. The Gambler. New York: Viking Press, 1966. Sources Consulted: 4)http://www.norc.uchicago.edu/new/gamb-fin.htm 5)http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010524062100.htm 6)http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0004400A-E6F5-1C5E-B882809EC588ED9F 7)http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001309.html 8)http://www.reflection-idea.com/psychics.html 9)http://hanson.gmu.edu/gamble.html Why People Gamble Essays -- Gambling Addiction Money Essays Why People Gamble For centuries, people have indulged in different types of gambling: poker, horse races, bingo, lottery, and slot machines. Gambling has seduced any and almost everyone between the ages of sixteen and ninety years old. Before turning eighteen, the legal age of casino and horse race admittance, those younger make monetary bets on football and high school stunts. Gambling is even more prevalent today than it was yesterday with the added attraction of on-line casinos, offering jackpot equivalent to twenty years salary in exchange for a credit card / debit card number. Gambling was suppressed in the 1920's as a result of Prohibition and because of this will forever lure people into its taboo trap. Gambling as sport is hard to resist because it offers immediate gratification. Not only is there a chance that you may quadruple the amount of money that you lay down, a literal payoff, but there is also a feeling of hope, an alternate limbo between reality and fantasy that can be translated int o a sort of mental payoff. The question is: is it all about the money? It couldn't be all about the money, unless the general public was extremely stupid. The odds of winning the lottery are lesser than the odds of someone being struck by lightning (1 in 649,739) or than someone being killed by a terrorist attack abroad (1 in 650,000). (7). It has been said, "If you bought 100 tickets a week your entire adult life, from the age of 18 to 75, you'd have a 1 percent chance of winning the lottery". (7) Now, a number of psychological studies have been done which indicate that the desire to play the lottery has more to do with the inability or unconcern of a person to calculate the total sum of their own money over time spent of th... ...ody responds well to their desire to gamble, to diversify, to extend their minds and risk. Whether it be monetary, behavioral or just plain desire to risk, humans are drawn towards the new and the chancy. It is the danger of loss and the thrill of life that keeps us breathing. Works Consulted: 1)Alvarez,A. The Biggest Game in Town. New York: Chronicle Books, 2002. 2)Brunson,Doyle. Doyle Brunson's Super System. Cardoza Pub, 1979. 3)Dostoeyevsky,Fyodor. The Gambler. New York: Viking Press, 1966. Sources Consulted: 4)http://www.norc.uchicago.edu/new/gamb-fin.htm 5)http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010524062100.htm 6)http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0004400A-E6F5-1C5E-B882809EC588ED9F 7)http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/001309.html 8)http://www.reflection-idea.com/psychics.html 9)http://hanson.gmu.edu/gamble.html

Plato and Mill on the relationship between individual and society Essay

Plato was born around 428-7 BC, he lived for the most part of his life in Athens, and had much to say about Athenian democracy. Mill was born much later in London in 1806, but although over two thousand years of political philosophy divide the two, much of the same issues and concerns arise in both their work though often with very different outlooks. Despite their differing opinions Plato and Mill are both antithetical, or in other words believe that the â€Å"tyranny of the majority† is to be feared. Plato believes that individuals are selfish and pursue their own self-interests at the expense of the rest of the population, and follow their own moral path. The philosopher individual is epitomised by the â€Å"Gadfly†. The gadfly is referred to by Plato in the Apology, to describe Socrates’ relationship with the Athenian political scene. Socrates believed he irritated for the purpose of leading people closer to the truth ‘to sting people and whip them into a fury, all in the service of truth’. The gadfly describes a person who upsets the status quo by posing lots of questions. Plato states that while the gadfly is easy to swat, the cost to society of silencing an individual simply because of his irritancy could be extremely high. This seems to contradict some of what he has to say on his republic, as he stifles the lower class citizens in the Kallipolis, counting their opinions as obsolete in comparison to the philosophers. The gadfly is also mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Jeremiah also relating to political influence ‘Egypt is a very fair heifer; the gadfly cometh, it cometh from the North’. Plato believes that Democracy fosters the wrong kind of individual, hence the Kallipolis, which is the inverse of Democracy, designed to bring about the ‘right way of living’. In Plato’s view, an individual is fulfilled by the contribution that he or she makes to the overall functioning of the community, and the Kallipolis is designed to make this possible for everyone. Plato’s state also respects the individuality of its members and treats them equally. In Plato’s republic, the state limits the freedom of its individuals, but only to ensure that all the members receive the same amount of freedom. In effect, Plato believes that the repression of individual freedom results in equal freedom for the society as a whole. This is contrasted to Mill, whose view is that, excluding children, the individual is sovereign over himself, his body and his mind. Interference in an individual’s beliefs or actions is wrong. Unless it is known that one is inflicting harm upon another, interference is not justified. Mill has three liberties that are the hallmark of a free society- the first is the freedom of thoughts and sentiment on all subjects, including freedom of expression and publication. The second liberty is the freedom of taste; the fact that others may disapprove of an individual’s actions or beliefs, is not justified by Mill as the basis of interference, for example homosexuality. The third and final liberty necessary for a free society is the freedom of individuals to unite as long as the resulting union does not lead to others being harmed as a result. Mill forbids coercion and deception within the union, as he believes it is unjustified to have a direct negative impact on the utility of others (this does not involve doing something which someone else does not agree with). Mill encourages individualism and self-development or ‘human flourishing’ as he believes that it will only benefit society, as the individuals will be able to contribute more if they reach their full potential and are allowed to develop their own ideals and opinions. Mill has concerns over the limits of which power can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual. Safeguards are necessary to ensure that the majority does not suppress the minority. ‘Mankind would be no more justified in silencing one person, than that one person; if he had the power would be justified in silencing mankind’. Plato believes that false opinions could be dangerous to society, whereas Mill would say they were necessary in order to help obtain the truth, something that we as humans so desperately strive to obtain. Plato believes that satisfying our desires is something scarcely worth caring about, whereas Mill would encourage us to do so as long as it brings utility rather than harm. Free discussion in Mill’s opinion will only aid us in getting closer to the truth, as who is to decide what is true if there is no proof? A combination of views, questions and opinions are better than one view or opinion that is decided to be true, and not questioned. There are always people who will disagree with something that others agree with, so who is ‘right’? Plato believes that in order to have a productive and harmonious society, conditioning or training is necessary to ensure that the members’ actual desires coincide as far as possible with their real desires, thus reducing conflict. Mill would argue that this is in a sense brainwashing the individuals to believe that they are happy and that they are fulfilling desires, when in fact they are only fulfilling what the Philosopher Kings have told them they desire. Plato believes in critical freedom, which the Kallipolis is intended to provide to its members as much as their nature permits, Mill however believes in actual freedom in which all is permitted but harm (The Harm Principle). Mill’s rejection of social contracts is accompanied with the acceptance of certain rules of conduct in our dealing with others in return for the protection we receive from society. For example, we are bound to observe and respect the rights of others and according to him â€Å"As soon as any part of a person’s conduct affects prejudicially the interests of others, society has jurisdiction over it†. Otherwise Mill states that foolish actions do not deserve penalties, and that mature individuals should be left to develop and coagulate their own views and act on their own impulses. All society can do is help educate its members as to what is moral and immoral before they reach the state of maturity and therefore the freedom they have a right to. Plato’s similes are used to demonstrate the negative aspects of democracy and Athenian politicians. The simile of the cave is used to show how politicians will conceal the truth from the people (represented by the prisoners). The people are ignorant and do not possess the knowledge that they deserve. The prisoners are bound and only have a view of the wall in front of them, there is a fire behind them, between them and the wall is nothing. All that the prisoners can see are shadows of themselves, and of the objects behind them. The prisoners naively believe that the shadows are real as they have nothing else upon which to base their knowledge. One of the prisoners manages to escape from the cave, and in the light of the sun sees the real world for the first time. He realises that all this time he was deceived by shadows. This man, if according to Plato is in possession of the capacity for knowledge and wisdom will feel it is his duty to go back to the cave, release his fellow prisoners and enlighten them. The other prisoners are hard to persuade however, as his exposure to the sunlight renders him unable to see the shadows as clearly as before, and so the prisoners just think that he is less intelligent than when he was trapped. Plato justifies the Philosopher Kings lying to the people in order to protect them. Plato argues the necessity of a structured organised society separate from the outside world in which every individual reaches their maximum potential and has a fundamental part to play in contributing all they can to their community as a whole. Education is available to all members of the Kallipolis regardless of gender. Mill states in his introductory chapter to On Liberty that the ‘struggle between liberty and authority is the most conspicuous feature’. Mill developed a principle to counteract what he calls the ‘interference of collective opinion’ on an individuals’ independence, this principle was called the Liberty principle. Mill and Plato have different styles of communicating their points, Mill expresses his ideas in the form of discursive arguments, Plato however expresses his ideas in the form of dialogue, something which Mill praises Plato for regardless of their conflicting conclusions. Plato’s Kallipolis, or utopia is designed as a hierarchical state consisting of three different classes, the Producers, the Auxiliaries, and the Guardians. These three different classes will have very different experiences of life, and which one they will lead depends on their capacity for knowledge. The three classes experience different upbringings, and receive different levels of education. Plato contradicts himself, he says that all people in the Kallipolis should be ‘friends’ and ‘equals’ yet he also unashamedly states that the Producers will not be able to choose how they wish to live their lives, and that their opinions are the least worthy. The Producers are in effect not free, but rather slaves to their senior ranking class, the Guardians. The Producers are thought to be the least intelligent mass of the population, and they are therefore expected to trust and believe their rulers. This is justified by Plato because it is better for them to be under the control of ‘divine wisdom’ something that the minority of the population possess, and what makes those that do worthy to rule over all others. Plato’s belief is that if these less intelligent people are allowed to think freely, then they will make the wrong choices, and an individual is only worth what they contribute to their community as a whole. This means that personal desires are not as important as the overall functioning of the community, which is immaculately ruled by the Philosopher Kings who have the ability to learn and retain the knowledge leaded to rule and guide the citizens of the Kallipolis. Mill’s views contradict these of Plato’s; his liberalist view is that the individual is important in creating the desired environment within the state and is worthy of reaching their full potential in all areas. Mill considers freedoms of opinion and of actions necessary, and his Harm Principle was made to help protect other individuals from being hurt. Mill believes that individuals have a fundamental right to discover and develop their knowledge to their maximum capacity with the absence of ‘a priori’ constraints. Plato’s view on the freedom of individual development of knowledge is that it is the â€Å"despotism of custom†. Mill prioritises the freedom of thought and expression; he believes that unless we push an argument to its absolute limit, then we cannot claim to fully understand it. Mill says that we must listen to everyone, even those that offend us, or those who we believe to be irrelevant. Mill’s justification for this is that if one person speaks out against an otherwise unanimous society about a certain topic, and they are right, then they could enlighten the mass to the truth. If they speak out and are found to be wrong, then they have simply helped the mass come closer to the truth by falsely opposing it. Plato’s analogy of the Beast shows how politicians will keep society happy in the short term, while not regarding what is best for them in the long term. It works on the basis of keeping the people satisfied rather than truly doing what is best for them (according to Plato). The keeper of the Beast manipulates it with what is wants at the time by giving it treats, with no regards for its health. It is made clear however that the Beast is manipulating the keeper too, by getting what it currently desires out of him. For this reason Plato says that freedom to do what one wants when ignoring the absolute truth, or the long term real effects of certain action or decision can be damaging to the â€Å"inward domain of consciousness†. Similarly, his analogy of the Ship of State depicts his attitude on Athenian democracy. The captain of the ship is stronger than any of the crew, but he lacks the skill of working on and handling the boat. The crew argue over who should be in control, and beg the captain to allow them to take control of the ship. Those who succeed turn the voyage into a â€Å"drunken pleasure cruise†. The true navigator or â€Å"star-gazer† is overlooked by his fellow men although he is the only one skilled enough to actually guide the ship, he possesses the â€Å"art of navigation†, and seamanship. He is unable to gain the control needed to steer the ship to safety. The captain represents Athenian citizens responsive only to the rhetoric of the crew, the crew represent the politicians, they are manipulative and are not concerned with the truth, but rather power. Plato says that eventually the crew will ask the navigator for help, sacrificing their freedom and control for their safety and social benefit. The navigator is capable of using his knowledge of astronomy (knowledge of Being) to help guide the ship and those on it through a world of constantly changing and sometimes-dangerous weather conditions (the world of Becoming). The crew must surrender to the navigator, as he possesses not opinions or beliefs, but facts. The crew have to recognise his superior knowledge and therefore his authority, although they would fail to do so if it did not ultimately benefit them. Mill would argue that this analogy is incomplete, for the crew are able to be taught the skill of navigation themselves and do not need to rely solely on the â€Å"star-gazer†, wouldn’t a crew of capable navigators be better than just one? Mill would argue that it is vital for the well being of the state to be able to argue against the truth. He argues the positive value of blasphemy as it challenges assumptions that are established as being right or wrong. We can criticise Mill for assuming that all individuals are capable of being rational and having rational thoughts and discussions. Equally, Plato fails to recognise the need for questioning and testing and assumes that people will accept sacrificing their freedom because he tells them too. If the â€Å"tyranny of the majority† is to be feared then why would Plato put the minority in power, and deprive the majority of control over their lives and the lives of their children? Mill and Plato hold the same or similar views on the issue of gender. Plato says that all citizens of the Republic, male or female will have access to equal education, as gender is obsolete when knowledge is the main focus, although a woman could never become a Philosopher Ruler. In 1869 Mill wrote â€Å"The Subjection of Women†, in which he encouraged and supported equal rights for both genders. Mill encouraged the equal rights for women on the basis of utility. He argued that we could not criticise women for being less skilled than men if we did not give them equal opportunity to try. He also said that society could not be at its best when half the population could contribute nothing to society outside of the home. Plato had a number of conditions that he says will help maximise the usefulness of all members of society, the stories which children are told must be authorised, and there is the censorship of music and the restriction of meat and fish unless it is roasted. Children are to be removed from their parents and are not to know who their parents are and visa versa. They are to call all males old enough ‘father’ and all females ‘mother’, the purpose of this was to minimise private possessive emotions therefore reinforcing their focus on their relationship with their community. Deformed children and children of inferior breeding will be ‘put away in some mysterious unknown place as they ought to be’. The works of Homer and Hesiod, two of the earliest Greek poets are banned, as they encourage their readers to fear death, and depict the heavens as being filled with the ‘inextinguishable laughter of the blessed Gods’. Plato on the other hand banned loud laughter. Mill would argue that this repression is an infringement of basic human rights, and the suppression of individual development and human flourishing will do nothing but hinder the development and progression of mankind. How can society benefit if most individuals are at a disadvantage as to developing their own unique skills? Plato classifies people in three groups, as gold, the best members of society fit to be guardians, as silver members fit to be soldiers, and the common herd of brass and iron, fit only to be the producers. This is what Plato describes as the ‘one royal lie’ used to deceive both the rulers, and the rest of the city, if he can justify lying about God’s creation of the three differing classes of people then why is he justified in choosing which one they belong to? Breeding is organised with the strongest members of society used simply to keep the population ‘constant’ and as best bred as they can be. The strongest of sires are allowed to have the most children and the weaker ones less. The fundamental difference between Mill and Plato is that while Plato wished to radically change the structure of society in order to condition and force the people to behave and think in a certain way, Mill would leave the people to develop naturally, yet offer them all the education and teaching needed to steer them away from negative things and intervene only when one is inflicting harm upon another. Mill’s two main criticisms of Plato’s republic are that the proper function of the state is to regulate behaviour, not to encourage one or another’s set of belief or values. The second is that tolerance should be restricted to cases where it does not undermine the moral foundations of the community. He would argue that social bigotry should be restrained for the sake of encouraging freedom of thought and expression. Mill endorses Grote’s admiration of Athenian tolerance, as tolerance is a necessity and encourages genius as a society ‘may have persons of talent†¦but genius in such a soil is fatally stunted in it’s growth’. Plato on the other hand criticises Athenian tolerance on the basis that the maintenance of public emotions requires repression by both law and by non-legal sanctions. He held the belief that Athenian tolerance undermines civic spirit required for the furtherance of the tolerant society itself. Aristotle, a student of Plato’s born in 384BC stated that it is ‘the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it’. It is interesting that somebody taught by Plato would recognise the need for the self-development of opinion, something that Mill believes to be essential for a progressive society. Mill states that his father taught him to value Plato and his contributions to philosophy, and he says that he does just that. He called himself a pioneer when he began his translations of Plato’s work. Perhaps this was because he believed that the time that separated the two philosophers had made way for changes albeit dramatic, to Plato’s ideas that would concur with the modern world. Mill criticised Plato for trying to show that virtue is in the individuals’ interest, but also for attempting to give justification that virtue should be preferred at all. Neither Plato nor Mill’s work is flawless, so criticisms can be made on their errors and self-contradictions, yet both of these men helped advance philosophy immensely, and provided the basis of much discussion and debate. For Mill, freedom is necessary and desirable by both the individual and society. For Plato however freedom is not of fundamental concern; it is far more important to live according to the eternal and immutable truths. Herein lays the biggest contrast in the works of these two influential philosophers as regards the relationship between the individual and society.

Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?

SHOULD ANY VACCINES BE REQUIRED FOR CHILDREN? SHOULD ANY VACCINES BE REQUIRED FOR CHILDREN? Most Vaccinations protect people from certain diseases which can make them sick, disabled or can in some cases even kill them. The vaccination helps boosts people’s body’s defence system, also known as the immune system. Vaccines create immunity which protects people from infections without causing suffering of the disease itself. Vaccines can also be called shots, immunizations or needles. (Smith, n. d. ) Most vaccines contain a disease that is either very weak or dead.However, they do not contain a type of disease that can make people sick. Some vaccines do not contain any germs at all. Putting that little bit of disease inside the body makes the body’s defence system produce antibodies which fight off that kind of disease. The body makes antibodies in two different ways, one way is by getting the disease or the vaccine, however getting the vaccine is much safer when mak ing the antibodies without having the risk of become disabled or maybe dying. The antibodies stay with the human for a very long period of time.These antibodies remember how to fight off a certain disease, which means that if the germ causes that disease enters the body at a later date, the body’s defence system will automatically know how to fight it off because of the antibodies. Most of the time the body’s defence system will remember how to fight the disease/germ for the rest of the human’s life. However, sometimes defence systems need a little reminder, a booster shot to remind the defence system how to fight off the disease/germ. In the first two years of a baby’s life they are given several different vaccines to protect them.The table below shows each vaccine that a baby gets all the way up to six years old. The table also shows how many doses a baby’s get of each vaccine and when they are given them. The majority of babies do not have side effects from vaccines, however if they do they are normally nothing serious. ‘Some vaccines may cause low fever, a rash or soreness at the spot where the shot was given. Although the body may seem like it is getting sick after the vaccination, these reactions are good signs that the immune system is working and learning to fight off infections’ ((CDC), n. . ). In rare cases, a baby may have a serious allergic reaction to a vaccine. Signs of a serious allergic reaction include: * Breathing problems and wheezing * Swelling of the throat * Being hoarse * Weakness * Dizziness * Fast heartbeat * Hives * Paleness ((CDC), n. d. ) Vaccinations are quick and highly effective. Once a child has been vaccinated against a disease, their body can then fight that disease more effectively if they come into contact with it. If a child is not vaccinated they can have an increased risk of catching the illness. (CDC), n. d. ) Age| Vaccine| Information| Problems| 2 Months old| 5-in-1 (DTaP/ IPV/Hib)| ‘The 5-in-1 (DTaP/IPV/Hib) vaccine is used to protect against separate disease which include: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping cough, Polio and Haemophilus influenza type b’. (NHS, n. d. )| ‘Diphtheria: Can be a highly contagious infection that generally affects the throat and nose and less commonly, it can affect the skin. The bacteria spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes and their saliva enter another person’s nose or mouth.The symptoms of Diphtheria include: * High temperature (fever) * Sore throat * Breathing difficultiesTetanus: Tetanus is a very serious infection but is also very rare. It is caused by bacteria. It normally occurs when an open wound becomes contaminated. If it is not treated it may lead to complications which can end up being fatal. Tetanus is caused by a type of bacteria called Clostridium tentai. This bacteria can live in many different substances which include: * Soil * House dust * Animal and human waste (manure )Whooping Cough: Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airways.The conditions usually begin with a continuing dry and irritating cough which then progresses into intense coughing’. ‘This is then followed by a distinctive whooping noise, which is how the condition gets its name. Symptoms include: * Runny or blocked nose * Sneezing * Watering eyes * Dry, irritating cough * Sore throat * Raised temperature * Feeling generally unwell. Polio: Polio is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to paralysis, breathing problems and even death.Although polio can cause paralysis and death the vast majority of people who are infected with the polio do not become sick and are never aware they’ve been infected with polio. Signs and Symptoms will generally last one to ten days, these include: * Fever * Sore Throat * Headache * Vomiting * Fatigue * Back pain or stiffness * Neck or stiffness * Pain or stiffness in arms or legs * Muscl e spasms or tendernessHaemophilus influenza type b’: This is a bacterial infection that can cause a number of serious illnesses such as pneumonia or meningitis, especially in young children.Hib can cause any of the following infections: * Meningitis * Pneumonia * Pericarditis * Epiglottitis * Septic arthritis * CellulitisSome of these infections can lead to blood poisoning, which can be fatal. Symptoms of this include: * Fever * Lethargy * Vomiting * Stiff neck(NHS, n. d. )| 2 Months old| Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine| ‘The Pneumococcal vaccine is used to protect infants and young children against the caused by a bacterium. There are currently three PCV vaccines available. ’ (Wikipedia, n. d. | The Pneumococcal disease is caused by a bacterium, which can lead to serious infections in the lungs, blood and brain. You can catch the bacteria from people who cough or sneeze around you. Even if you get good medical care pneumonia can be deadly. The disease is hard to trea t because the bacterium becomes resistant to antibiotics. Some common symptoms include: * A high temperature * Chills * Sweats * Aches and pains * Headache * A general sense of feeling unwell Other symptoms may include: * Nausea * Vomiting * Tiredness(NHS, n. d. | 3 months old| 5-in-1 (DTap/IPV/Hib) Vaccine; Second Dose| ‘This vaccine is used to protect against separate diseases: Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Whooping cough, Polio and Haemophilus influenza type b. ’ This vaccine is a booster because your memory cells may need a reminder to protect you from the disease. (NHS, n. d. )| Refer to: 2 months- 5-in-1 (DTap/IPV/Hib) Vaccine. If the second dose of the vaccination is not taken then the patient will not be protected from things such as Tetanus and Whooping cough because they are not taking every little bit of the vaccination course which they need to protect them in the future. 3 months old| Meningitis C| ‘The Meningitis C vaccine is conjugate vaccine against Gro up C meningitis. The Meningitis C vaccine was introduced in 1999 and in Ireland in 2000. It provides excellent protection against meningitis caused by Group C’. (Meningitiswise, n. d. )| Meningococcal disease is caused from a bacterial infection which is caused by an organism called Neisseria meningitides. This bacterium can cause an epidemic disease. The disease is transmitted through droplets or coughing and sneezing, or more directly through kissing.For the disease to go from person to person there has to be either frequent contact or prolonged contact. Signs and Symptoms of Meningitis C:Early Stages of infection: * Fever * Stiff neck * Severe headache * Pain in back or joints * Vomiting * A high pitched, moaning cry for babies * Difficult to wake (babies) * Pale of blotchy skin (babies)Later stages on infection: * Dislike of bright lights (photophobia) * Reduced awareness/drowsiness (can lead to a coma) * Bruise-like rash that does not fade under pressure. Meningitis is v ery serious and must be treated straight away. (1999, n. d. | 4 months old| 5-in-1 (DTap/IPV/Hib) Vaccine; Third Dose| ‘This vaccine is used to protect against separate disease: Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping cough, Polio and Haemophilus influenza type b. ’ This vaccine is a booster because your memory cells may need a reminder to protect you from the disease. (NHS, n. d. )| Refer to: 3 months- 5-in-1 (DTap/IPV/Hib) Vaccine. If the third dose of this vaccination is not taken then the patient will not be protected from things such as Tetanus and Whooping cough because they are not taking every little bit of the vaccination which they need to protect them in the future. 4 months old| Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine; Second Dose| ‘This vaccine is used to protect infants and young children against the bacterium. There are currently three PCV vaccines available’. This vaccine is a booster because your memory cells may need a reminder to protect you from the disease. ( Wikipedia, n. d. )| Refer to: 2 months- Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine. If the second dose of this vaccination is not taken then the patient will not be protected from the disease. They will not be protected because they are not taking the full course of the vaccination. 4 months old| Meningitis C; Second Dose| ‘The Meningitis C vaccine is conjugate vaccine against Group C meningitis’. (Meningitiswise, n. d. ). The second dose is given as a booster vaccine; this is given to remind your memory cells that they need to protect you for the disease. | Refer to: 3 months- Meningitis C. if the second dose of this vaccination is not taken then the patient will not be protected from the disease. They will not be protected because they are not taking the full course of the vaccination. Between 12 and 13 months old| Hib/Men C booster| ‘This vaccine helps boosts children’s protection against two different disease, these are Haemophilus and Meningitis C infections. They are both serious infections and can both cause blood poisoning’. (NHS, n. d. )| This vaccination is given as a single injection which basically boosts the babies’ protection against Haemophilus influenza type b and meningitis C. (NHS, n. d. )| Between 12 and 13 months old| Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) Vaccine| ‘Measles, Mumps and Rubella are highly infectious conditions.The MMR vaccine contains weakened versions of live measles, mumps and rubella viruses. The vaccine works by triggering the immune system to produce antibodies against measles, mumps and rubella’. (NHS, n. d. )| The first MMR vaccine is given as a single injection to babies as part of their routine vaccinations, usually within a month of their first birthday. The MMR vaccine can sometimes be given earlier than their first birthday if the baby has been exposed to the measles virus.Signs and Symptoms: * Small rash of bruise-like spots * Small chance of seizures * High temperature * Loss of ap petite * General feeling of being unwell * Swelling of the glands in the cheek, neck or under the jaw. (NHS, n. d. )| Between 12 and 13 months old| Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine; Third dose| ‘This vaccine is used to protect infants and young children against the bacterium. There are currently three PCV vaccines available. ’ This vaccine is a booster because your memory cells may need a reminder to protect you from the disease. (Wikipedia, n. d. | Refer to: 4 months- Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine. If the second dose of this vaccination is not taken then the patient will not be protected from the disease. They will not be protected because they are not taking the full course of the vaccination. | 3 years and 4 months old, or soon after| Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) Vaccine; second dose| Measles, Mumps and Rubella are highly infectious conditions. The MMR vaccine contains weakened versions of live measles, mumps and rubella viruses. The vaccine works by triggering the immune system to produce antibodies against measles, mumps and rubella’ (NHS, n. . ). The second dose is given as a booster vaccine; this is given to remind your memory cells that they need to protect you for the disease. | Refer to: between 12 and 13 months. Measles, mumps and rubella vaccination. If this second dose is not taken then the baby will not be protected from this disease, this is because they have not taken the full course of the vaccination. | 3 years and 4 months old, or soon after| 4-in-1 (DTaP/IPV) pre-school booster| ‘The DTaP/IPV vaccine boosts children’s protection against four serious childhood diseases; these are Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping cough and Polio.The vaccine is recommended for children about three years and four months old. There are two vaccines available, one contains higher-strength Diphtheria and the other contains lower-strength Diphtheria. (NHS, n. d. )| This vaccine is given to three-year-old children to boost their protection a gainst: * Diphtheria * Tetanus * Whooping cough * PolioChildren are routinely vaccinated against these illnesses as babies. This booster increases their immunity even further. (NHS, n. d. )| (NHS, n. d. : I have chosen to use this table from the NHS website because I think that the information that is given useful. It is also reliable because it has come from a trustworthy website. Pro’s and Con’s of Vaccinations: Vaccines can impose some risks. It is important that parents consider the benefits and risks of vaccines when they are decided whether or not they should have their child/children vaccinated. Many people need to realise that when considering vaccination, one of the most important questions asked is ‘does the risk of the disease over weigh the risk of the vaccination? This does include the risk of being exposed to certain diseases. There are about 12 diseases that are considered serious and have been vaccinated against, these include: Measles, Mumps, Rub ella, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping Cough, Polio, Hepatitis A and B, Pneumococcal disease, chicken pox and HIB disease. The vaccinations that are given for these diseases help play a large role in lowering the risk of exposure to the diseases. (2000, n. d. ) This graph is showing that since 1989 up to 2000 the number of ases of Mumps has decreased dramatically and also it is showing that a lot more people are having the MMR vaccination. We know this because of the number of notifications for mumps has decreased dramatically. There are many more pros than cons I think when it comes to vaccinations. These include your child will be safe during the first years of his/her life. Mortality can be prevented even in dangerous and life threatening diseases, when you child catches diseases now or later on in life, he’ll/she’ll likely to have it milder than you would expect.Contagious diseases can be prevented especially if your child is in his/her pre-school years and the risk o f complications are lower than those who do not go through with vaccinations. Also there will be less health issues by this I mean disability, there will be less cost on the society via disability benefits but also there will be a better life for individuals. Most parents today haven’t seen a child suffer with an infection such as Tetanus or Polio so it is very easy for them to say that vaccinations against such illnesses are not necessary.However the vaccination routine is the only reason why such infections have been nearly completely wiped out in the UK. If a certain number of children do not have the vaccinations then it will not be long before the diseases appear again. Vaccinations are a very powerful preventative tool. They work by exposing the immune system to something that resembles the disease. The body’s own immune system responds and is then able to build up some sort of immunity that protects us in the case of infection by a live virus.The effectiveness o f vaccines is proved by the fact that smallpox has been completely wiped out, and the incidence of other serious illnesses has lowered a lot since the introduction of vaccinations. | Maximum number of Annual Cases in Pre-Vaccine Era (Year)| Number of cases in 2009| Percent Change| Diphtheria| 12,641 (1899)| 0| -100. 00| Measles| 52,866 (1952)| 2| -99. 99| Mumps| 18,709 (1957)| 13| -99. 93| Pertussis| 13,333 (1937)| 371| -97. 22| Polio| 3,950 (1955)| 0| -100. 00| Rubella| 34,148 (1943)| 1| -99. 9| Tetanus| 45 (1925)| 0| -100. 00| HIB| 147 (1987)| 1| -99. 32| Chickenpox| 23,768 (1953)| 2,219| -90. 66| (LaMorte, n. d. ) This table is showing how vaccinations have helped the number of cases of disease and infections. I think this source is reliable because it clearly shows that number of cases for each disease has dropped dramatically because more and more are having the vaccinations. However everything has two sides. No vaccination is 100% safe, and there are always certain risks invol ved in vaccinations.If people are not vaccinated there is a high chance that the risk of disease will increase dramatically because people aren’t protecting and preventing themselves from specific diseases and infections. Also there will be a major increase in health risk, by this I mean that there will be a lot more children with a weaker immune system which will them lead to an increase in diseases and infections which can also in some severe cases cause death, this is because the children have not been vaccinated from those certain diseases so their immune systems do not know how to fight them off or at least protect them from it.If children are not vaccinated then the country has less control over epidemics and pandemics because the children that are not being vaccinated can spread the disease and infections rapidly to other people which means that more people that are not being vaccinated are going to get the disease or infection. (safety, n. d. ) This graph is showing t hat there has been an increase in the confirmed cases of measles due to parents no longer wanting to vaccinate there babies/children due to the risk factors. Alternatives to vaccinations Parents face many tough decisions when it comes to vaccines.There is an alternative called Homeoprophylaxis (HP) or homeopathic immunization. It has been around for over 200 years, and recent studies show its effectiveness in epidemics, and its effectiveness at preventing childhood diseases (not injuring the child). Homeoprophylaxis is a dilute preparation from a disease product i. e. from the sputum of n individual with the disease, or in the case of influenzium (homeopathic version of the flue shot), the four viruses selected by the WHO for the annual flu vaccine. They are safe for everyone, including babies and they come in a small sugar pill that dissolves quickly in your mouth.It involves no side effects. No trauma, no toxins and no risks. It is given when the body is healthy and shouldnâ€℠¢t be given during a time of illness. The benefits of homeopathic immunization are pretty good. It works by naturally strengthening the resistance of the child instead of targeting the pathogen, bacteria, or virus that causes the epidemic disease. For this reason pathogens can never develop a resistance to the prophylactics. The immunization protects against diseases for which no vaccine exists; an example of this is the â€Å"B† strain of meningococcal (meningitis) disease that is responsible for many infections.The immunization protects those that traditional vaccines are unsuitable, such as those who have had adverse reactions to other vaccines, the malnourished, and the sick and debilitated the immune-compromised, the pregnant, those allergic to vaccine materials and those on steroids. Vaccination: * Material dose; live, attenuated or killed virus, bacteria, toxin, in crude dose * Adjuvants to stimulate allergic response and other additives with the possibility of other v iruses, human fetus tissue, and DNA, animal byproducts etc. Multiple diseases given at once Homeoprophylaxis * Energetic dose; substances are potentized/diluted to reduce material dose but retain memory of disease/pathogen * Single disease at a time * No adjuvants, preservatives or contaminants National Attack rates and the Efficacy of Homeoprophylaxis Disease| Attack rates unimmunised %| Attack rate Homeoprophylaxis %| Efficacy of Homeoprophylaxis%| Whooping Cough| 85. 0| 11. 7| 86. 2| Measles| 90. 0| 9. 0| 90. 0| Mumps| 70. 0| 5. 9| 91. 6| (Golden, n. d. )Should any vaccines be required for children? Arguments for and arguments against: (Dimes, n. d. ) Argument FOR: Vaccination should be required for children. No individual should have the right to risk the health of the public solely for the purpose of satisfying their personal moral or religious views. (Parenting, n. d. ) This graph is showing that since vaccinations have been introduced the number of deaths caused by disease su ch as Measles, Whooping Cough, Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever have decreased.Therefore I believe that Vaccinations should be required for children, and no individual should have the right to risk the health of the public because they satisfying their personal moral or religious views because if they aren’t being vaccinated they are affecting everyone else around them. This graph is reliable because it clearly shows important information which shows that FOR argument is important because vaccinations are decreasing the deaths of people because of disease. Argument AGAINST: Governments should not have the right to intervene in the health decisions parents make for their children. 1% of parents believe they should have the right to refuse mandated school entry vaccinations for their children. This graph is showing the number of people contracting measles has increased due to parents refusing to let their children have the school entry vaccinations. Because of this there could end up being an epidemic in Wales, because a number of children are not protected from Measles. I think that the school entry vaccinations should be made mandatory; I think this because it will stop the spread of an epidemic as people will be vaccinated against Measles.This source is reliable because it clearly shows that because people are not being vaccinated, diseases are spreading rapidly. From looking at both these arguments for and against I think that all children should be forced into having vaccinations, no matter what there religion is or what they believe in. If all children have the vaccinations that are available to them then maybe one day all the horrid diseases will be wiped out. This includes anyone who migrates because nobody knows what diseases they could be carrying or they could have come from a disease ridden area.Argument FOR: Vaccines can get rid of disease and prevent serious illness and death. Mandatory vaccination has got rid of disease that once killed thousan ds of children, such as polio and small pox. (Murakami, 2011) This graph is showing that when the Small Pox Vaccination was made mandatory the number of deaths per million shot right down because people were made to have the vaccination. Then when the vaccination was no longer mandatory so the number of deaths per million shot straight back up again.Then finally the vaccination was made mandatory one last time, this was when Small Pox was finally wiped out. I think this source is reliable because it clearly shows how helpful the Small Pox vaccination was and also how effective it was to England and Wales. Argument AGAINST: Many parents hold religious beliefs against vaccination. Forcing such parents to vaccinate their children would violate their rights to the free exercise of their religion. From looking at both the argument for and against I feel that vaccinations should be mandatory no what the circumstances are.Everyone in world should be given these vaccinations because when va ccinations are made mandatory they do work, they do wipe out harmful disease, as my source shows about Small Pox. If the Small Pox vaccination was not made mandatory then the Small Pox disease would still be runny wild today. Argument FOR: Some individuals that have been vaccinated may still get sick when exposed to infected individuals, 75%-94% of the population, depending on the disease, must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. When the herd immunity is achieved the number of immunized individuals is high enough to prevent the spread of disease through the population. BBC, 2012) This graph is showing that the confirmed cases of Whooping cough in England and Wales rose from 2011 to 2012. This graph is perfect for the Argument FOR because it shows that the number of confirmed cases could be due to the vaccinated individuals being exposed to the infected individuals. My source is not as reliable as I would like it to be because it does not actually show that some of the confirmed cases of Whooping cough are due to the vaccinated children being exposed to the infected individuals. Argument AGAINST: Vaccines interfere with the natural law and God’s plan for humanity.Disease is a natural occurrence and humans should not interfere with it. From looking at the argument for and the argument against I feel that people should not be aloud to say that they do want vaccinating because it is going against God and the natural law, because yes they may believe that but them believing that affects a lot of other people they are not vaccinated so they are a risk to more people. I disagree with the statement that disease is a natural occurrence because if everyone in the world was to be vaccinated then diseases would be wiped out and nothing would occur.Argument FOR: The risks of not being vaccinated far outweigh the small risks associated with vaccination. Preventable diseases like measles and mumps can cause permanent disability and death. In 1991 an outbreak of m easles in an unvaccinated group of children in Philadelphia caused seven deaths. Children infected with mumps can become permanently deaf. Although a very small number of deaths from the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine have been reported, the most common adverse reactions are minor soreness and or fever.Argument AGAINST: Common childhood vaccinations may cause rare yet serious reactions including anaphylactic shock, paralysis, and sudden death. This risk is not worth taking, considering most diseases vaccinated against are not necessarily life threatening. (Health, n. d. ) From looking at this pie chart I can see that there were a number of deaths related to diseases than can be preventable by a few simple vaccines. This graph shows that if all these children had been vaccinated from these diseases then the deaths wouldn’t have been anywhere near as high as they were.I think this graph is reliable because it shows the number of lives that could have been saved if the ch ildren have been vaccinated. From looking at the argument for and argument against I think the risk of contracting a disease should over weigh the possible side effects that the vaccination can bring. Although the side effects of the vaccination can be bad they only last a couple of days at most, whereas if you contract a disease it last between one and ten days and in some cases is can kill you.I think that parents should think about the risks and benefits in a lot of detail before they say that they do not want to vaccinate their children. Argument FOR: Because children and babies are more open to the swine flu they should be required to take FDA- approved vaccine to prevent illness and possible death. Argument AGAINST: Vaccines can cause brain inflammation which can then lead to either death or permanent brain damage and disorders such as autism, ADD/ADHA, and other developmental problems.Also this vaccine has been associated specifically with the development of autism and is sti ll found in certain tetanus and flu vaccines. (Anon. , n. d. ) This graph is showing the percentage of people who would and would not consider the swine flu vaccination. This pie chart just shows exactly why people are contracting diseases just like swine flu. I would say this source is reliable because it gives people a clear understanding of why certain diseases are quite rife.Argument FOR: Children should be required to receive vaccination against hepatitis B. the disease can cause inflammation of the liver leading to scarring of the liver or cancer. The world health organization recommends that hepatitis B vaccination be part of universal childhood vaccination routine. (Organization, n. d. ) This map shows which countries have and which countries have not introduced the HepB vaccination. This map shows us which countries have more disease issues and which do not.I think this vaccination is reliable because it shows us where vaccinations need to be put in place and then also made mandatory so diseases do not become rife. Argument AGAINST: All vaccines cause immune system suppression and can permanently damage the natural immune system. Unvaccinated children can build and strengthen their immune systems through fighting off infection and developing natural immunity to disease like measles and chickenpox. From looking at both the for and against argument I think that HepB should be made mandatory because it is a life threatening disease.I disagree with the statement that children can build and strengthen their immune system because with the diseases that can be contracted only the vaccination can properly protect them. To conclude I am for this question because I feel that all vaccines should be required for children for their own protection and well being. Parents who straight away say ‘NO NO NO I am not vaccinating my child’ should think about the benefits and risk factors, because I believe that the benefits over weigh the risk factors by a lo t.I understand that some parents do no want their children to have to suffer some of the side effects that the vaccinations bring, they need to realise that the side effects of the vaccinations are nothing compared to the diseases that they can contract. The diseases can also be life threating, so the parents need to realise that yes their child may have side effects from the vaccination which only last a day or two whereas if they contract a disease it is likely to last around one to ten days and also some can kill. I know what I’d rather my child have.In my opinion vaccinations should be made mandatory from everyone and anyone, whether they are religious or not. I think this because if half of a population are religious and the other half are non religious and are for vaccinations for example, the religious side are going to always contract the diseases because they are not protected against them and even though the non religious side that have been vaccinated are protected they can still contract the disease but it may not be as extreme as if the religious side were to contract the disease.If anyone migrates to the country they should be tested on and vaccinated straight away no questions asked because people do not know what they could be carrying, they could be bringing all sorts of diseases in the country. Bibliography (CDC), C. f. D. C. a. P. , n. d. [Online] Available at: http://www. marchofdimes. com/baby/wellbabycare_vaccinations. html [Accessed 16 February 2013]. 1999, D. O. H. , n. d. Meningococcal C Vaccine Factsheet. [Online] Available at: http://www. nhs. uk/Planners/vaccinations/Documents/mencfsht[1]. pdf [Accessed 16th February 2013]. 2000, H. . S. , n. d. Primary Childhood Immunisation. [Online] Available at: http://www. sehd. scot. nhs. uk/publications/his0/his0-10. htm [Accessed 16th February 2013]. Anon. , n. d. Swine Flu Vaccination. [Online] Available at: http://whatjapanthinks. com/2009/12/10/just-one-in-twenty-always-wear-masks- for-swine-flu-prevention/ [Accessed 16th February 2013]. BBC, 2012. BBC NEWS HEALTH. [Online] Available at: http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/health-20539837 [Accessed 16th February 2013]. Dimes, M. o. , n. d. Vaccines. [Online] Available at: http://vaccines. procon. org/#arguments Accessed 16th February 2013]. Golden, D. , n. d. Organic Life Love. [Online] Available at: http://organiclifelove. com/2011/03/22/a-safe-alternative-to-vaccines-homeopathic-immunization/ [Accessed 16th February 2013]. Health, G. , n. d. Resources. [Online] Available at: http://www. action. org/resources/item/undervaccination-by-the-numbers [Accessed 16th February 2013]. LaMorte, W. , n. d. Disease Surveillance. [Online] Available at: http://sph. bu. edu/otlt/MPH-Modules/PH/MA-Surveillance/MA-Surveillance7. html [Accessed 16th February 2013]. Meningitiswise, n. d. Online] Available at: http://www. meningitis. org/disease-info/vaccines [Accessed 16 FEBRUARY 2013]. Murakami, A. , 2011. Vaccination Fauxscination. [Online] Available at: http://aaronmurakami. com/blog/2011/01/29/vaccination-fauxscination/ [Accessed 16th February 2013]. NHS, n. d. NHS Choice. [Online] Available at: http://www. nhs. uk/Conditions/vaccinations/Pages/vaccination-schedule-age-checklist. aspx [Accessed 16 February 2013]. Organization, W. H. , n. d. World Heath. [Online] Available at: http://www. who. int/immunization_delivery/new_vaccines/hepb/en/index4. tml [Accessed 16th February 2013]. Parenting, N. , n. d. Natural Parenting. [Online] Available at: http://forums. naturalparenting. com. au/vaccination/39639-disease-vaccination-graphs. html [Accessed 16th February 2013]. safety, C. h. a. , n. d. Wakefield data questioned again. [Online] Available at: http://ebdblog. com/2009/02/wakefield-data-questioned-again/ [Accessed 16th february 2013]. Wikipedia, n. d. Wikipedia. [Online] Available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Pneumococcal_conjugate_vaccine [Accessed 16 February 2013].

Rural Entreprneurship -One Key to Rural Revitalisation

Entrepreneurship can play an important role in rural development. â€Å"Entrepreneur means one who creates a product on his own account, who ever undertakes on his own an industrial/trading enterprise in which work men are employed†. If entrepreneurships really encouraged in rural area it would, of course, be instrumental in changing the face of rural areas by solving the problems of unemployment, poverty, economic disparity, poor utilization of rural capacity, low level of standard of living. Authors: 1. Dr.Ratan Barman, Reader, Department of Commerce, Assam University (Diphu Campus) 2. Dipanjan Chakraborty, Senior Lecturer, Department Of commerce,Darrang College,tezpur Introduction ‘India lives in her villages’—- this axiom is still true today despite the service sector budding in the urban and semi urban areas. Majority of the population still lives in rural India and the large chunk of population in urban areas still live through the learning of a villa ge life. For the strength of the country there is a necessity to develop the villages. Development of a country is a choice loaded on its people, whether urban or rural.It is individuals who shape up a society and decide its progress and performance. Urban and rural are two sides of the same coin of economic development. While the urban sector has witnessed phenomenal growth and development, fuelled by the post independence era of industrialization, the rural sector saw little corporate growth. Rural development is more than ever before linked to entrepreneurship. Institutions and individuals promoting rural development now see entrepreneurship as a strategic development intervention that could accelerate the rural development process.Furthermore, institutions and individuals seem to agree on the urgent need to promote rural enterprises: development agencies see rural entrepreneurship as an enormous employment potential; politicians see it as the key strategy to prevent rural unrest ; farmers see it as an instrument for improving farm earnings; and women see it as an employment possibility near their homes which provides autonomy, independence and a reduced need for social support. To all these groups, however, entrepreneurship stands as a vehicle to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities and to sustain a healthy economy and environment.Rural industrialization is important not only as a means of generating employment opportunities in the rural areas with low capital cost and raising the real income of the people, but also because it contributes to the development of agriculture and urban industries. In the absence of rural industrialization, it would not be easy to solve the problem of unemployment in rural areas. The entrepreneurial orientation to rural development accepts entrepreneurship as the central force of economic growth and development, without it other factors of development will be wasted or frittered away.However, the acceptance of entrepreneurship as a central development force by itself will not lead to rural development and the advancement of rural enterprises. What is needed in addition is an environment enabling entrepreneurship in rural areas. The existence of such an environment largely depends on policies promoting rural entrepreneurship. The effectiveness of such policies in turn depends on a conceptual framework about entrepreneurship, i. e. , what it is and where it comes from. Concept of Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneur The terms ‘entrepreneurship’ and ‘entrepreneur’ are not new to the Indian economy.Often these two terms are considered synonymous and used interchangeably. But conceptually both the terms are different. The relationship between the two is just like the two sides of the same coin. The understanding of the concept of entrepreneurship owes a lot to the work of economist Joseph Schumpeter and the Austrian School of economics. According to Schump eter (1950),’ and entrepreneur is a person who is willing and able to convert a new idea or invention in to a successful innovation. † Entrepreneurship forces â€Å"creative destruction† across markets and industries, simultaneously creating new products and business models and liminating others. In this way, creative destruction is largely responsible for the dynamism of industries and long-run economic growth. The entrepreneur is the kind of persons that is willing to put his career and financial security on the line for an idea, spending his time and capital in an uncertain venture. Entrepreneurship as a stabilizing force limits entrepreneurship to reading markets disequilibria, while entrepreneurship defined as owning and operating a business, denies the possibility of entrepreneurial behaviour by non-owners, employees and managers who have no equity stake in the business.Therefore, the most appropriate definition of entrepreneurship that would fit into the r ural development context, argued here, is the broader one, the one which defines entrepreneurship as: â€Å"a force that mobilizes other resources to meet unmet market demand†, â€Å"the ability to create and build something from practically nothing†, â€Å"the process of creating value by pulling together a unique package of resources to exploit an opportunity†2. Concept of Rural entrepreneurship Many examples of successful rural entrepreneurship can already be found in literature.Rural entrepreneurship can be defined as entrepreneurship emerging at village level which can take place in a variety of fields of endeavour such as business, industry, agriculture and acts as a potent factor for economic development, In short, rural entrepreneurship implies rural industrialization consisting mainly of agro-based industries, Khadi and village industries and cottage industries. The promotion of rural entrepreneurship is vital in the context of generating gainful employ ment and minimizing the widening of disparities between rural and urban population.About 75% of the population who lives in villages has to utilize the village resources and they are plentifully available and people are not utilizing it effectively due to mass illiteracy. The risk aversion people can be transformed in to risk taking innovative entrepreneurs by proper training. Rural entrepreneurship not only concentrates on enhancement of products by use of local force or by artisans but also has significant environmental and social impact by developing eco friendly and appropriate olution to local problems China represents a unique example of rural entrepreneurial development with prima facie importance to the use of local resources, such as natural resources, human resources and material resources for local economic, social and cultural development and for running within the local area the surpluses so generated and at the same time effectively integrating rural development with m odernization the urban sector. China’s successful rural development through less dogmatic and down-to-earth approach to rural industrialization is really worth emulating for our country.Dynamic rural entrepreneurs can also be found. They are expanding their activities and markets and they find new markets for their products and services beyond the local boundaries. Role of Entrepreneurship in Rural development For rapid development, rural industrialization is must. But rural industrialization requires development of rural areas.. According to the Government of India, any industry located in rural area, village or town with population of 20,000 or less and an investment of Rs. crore in Plant and machinery is treated is rural industry. Rural or village industry is classified in to the following categories: †¢ Mineral based industry †¢ Forest based industry †¢ Agro based and food industry †¢ Polymer and chemical industry †¢ Engineering and non-convention al energy †¢ Textile industry †¢ Service industry Objectives of entrepreneurship in Rural Development †¢ To reduce disparities in income between rural and urban areas †¢ To promote balanced regional development To pressure the age-old rich heritage of the country †¢ To control migration of population from rural to urban area and thus helps in checking haphazard growth of cities and slums †¢ To help in reducing social tension and pollution Rural Entrepreneurship as a policy Tool to Achieve Rural Development Before independence, rural industrialization and hence rural entrepreneurship did not get any emphasis. The British Government gave importance to imports and neglected the development of Indian industries.In order to achieve rural development, after independence, the government of India used rural entrepreneurship as a policy tool. It has been clearly reflected in various five year plans and industrial policies. 1) Production in Khadi & Village indust ries sector was Rs 4,519 croes in the year 1997-98 and by the end of the year 2006-07, it is expected to increase up to Rs. 13,250croes i. e. in the span of 9 years it is expected to rise by almost 3 times. 2) Employment in KVI sector was 6. 65 million in the year 1997-98 and it is expected to increase up to 9. 5million by the end of year. Problems faced by entrepreneurs of rural areas †¢ Lack of finance-Modern entrepreneurship is a costly affair which needs abundant credit facilities. But in undeveloped countries, there is always scarcity of such credit facilities †¢ Lack of technical know-how-On account of faulty education system youth lack professional, managerial and technical knowledge which is an impediment in developing the spirit of enterprise, consequently not many people come forward to establish self-employment units. Absence of Enterprising skill- Most of the rural people in India lack risk bearing ability. Reluctance to involve oneself in business, inclination towards wage employment, lack of creative thinking are few reasons which have restricted the growth of self-employment in rural area. †¢ Lack of Infrastructure-On account of lack of infrastructural facilities viz, transport, water, electricity, market, storage and communication etc, entrepreneurs are shying away from establishing industries in villages. Industries which are already established are also facing similar problems. Adverse, social, cultural and Industrial environment-Caste systems, social evils, fatalism, religious superstitions, particularly in the countryside, do not allow development of adventurous spirit. Lack of skill and expertise in labourers, their tendency to migrate to big cities and consumer’s habit to buy goods produced by big companies create many problems for new entrepreneurs. †¢ Lack of awareness about quality control-It is true that of awareness hinders rural entrepreneurship. There are number of factors responsible for the lack of awar eness among rural folk.Illiteracy, ignorance, lack of proper propaganda by agencies, corruption among government functionaries etc are some of the factors responsible for this problem. †¢ Lack of market information due to poor communication facility- The absence of effective communication and access to right information makes it difficult for rural entrepreneurs to understand market trends and policies followed by the government on industrialization. Rural Development through Rural Entrepreneurship To achieve rural development through rural entrepreneurship,† The support infrastructure† given by Bill Bolton & John Thompson should be implemented given below.The support infrastructure | | People | Ideas | The Enterprise | |Sector |Education and |Research and |Property |Finance |Supply |Business support |Community | | |Training |Development | | | | |development | |Facility |School, |Industry, |Business |Seed and |Sub |Government |Housing, | | |College |University |Incu bator; |venture |contractors; |Agencies; |Schools, | | |University; |Garage |Innovation |capital |Labour |Clubs and |Hospitals, | | |Training | |centre | |pool |Associations, |Recreation, | | |Facility; | |Science | | |Consultants |Transport | | |Entrepreneur | |Technology | | |And business |Tele commu | | | | |Business | | |advices |nications | | |school | |parks | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Activity |Courses of |Technology |Premises |Equity& | Staff |Training advice |Amenity | | |programmes |transfer |and support |Loans |& Suppliers |and networking |provision | Source: Entrepreneurs by Bill Bolton & John Thompson Conclusion On the basis of analysis and role of rural entrepreneurship for rural development, we can conclude that rural entrepreneurship and rural development are two sides of the same coin. A part from Government policy, there is an urgent need to create conducive environment in rural areas so that rural entrepreneurship should flourish. Suggestions The following suggesti ons can be put forwarded for the protection and enhancement of demand potentiality leading to fertile ground for entrepreneurship.Entrepreneurship would be conducive for rural capacity utilization and development and solving rural problems like, unemployment, poverty, low level standard of living etc. ? Formulation of a registered trade union, under the guidance of appropriate Government, at village level-The role of such a trade union should be to protect and promote the interest of labours in the village. It will lead to enhance their bargaining power, thereby more earnings. Labour concessions will be instrumental in changing the face of rural areas. ? Formation of village development council, under the guidance of appropriate Government, at the village level . This council should lead in forming and propagating about negative impacts of drain of rural demand, rural resources to urban area.Consciousness should be created about the fulfillment of rural demand by rural supplier livi ng in the same village. It means trading should be promoted in the villages. Positive impact of divion of work. Divion of work will lead specialization, better capacity utilization, assurance of definite market and enough earning to meet family needs. The positive and negative impacts of migration of people from rural area to urban area. It is good in the sense that it is going to provide employment to rural people in urban area. But the negative part of the process is that commit their funds in urban area. These migrated people should be encouraged and motivated to finally stay in village.They should spend their money in rural areas. It would lead to enhancement in rural demand and rural development. Such a village development council will be forum where issues relating development will be discussed and opinions will be floated among the people for course of action. ? Formation of Rural entrepreneurship Development Bank of India, on the line of Industrial Development bank of India, is essential to promote entrepreneurship in the rural areas. It role would be to make available finance, knlwledge, technical expertise, managerial advice, help in marketing, string etc. it has to take case from beginning to end. Even its role would be to come up with plans.The is need to promote urban culture in rural area in respect of consumption, entertainment, education, spending, standard of livingrationality,etc. to promote economic activities. Rural-Urban interaction, T. V, Radio, Mobile, Road etc, are promoting urban culture in rural areas. ? State Government must invest in more for development of rural entrepreneurship ? All latest technology of the globe is to be disseminated to all rural areas by Government through Toll free number ? Appointment of SSI ombudsman and having one stop centre for needs of rural entrepreneurs to be established. ? There is necessary to promote education and skill necessary for entrepreneurship ?

Foundation Degree Paramedic Science Essay

Assignment – Critique of research article, â€Å"life after cancer; Living with the risk† Word count 2500 (excluding refs) Submission date – 6th July 2012 The purpose of this essay aims to provide a critical evaluation of a research article titled life after cancer; living with risk (Wilkins and Woodgate, Cancer Nursing 2011 vol 34, no 6, P487-494) it will be structured according to the recommendations of the critique guidelines of Parahoo, 1988. Parahoo states that the title should not be long and complicated and should reflect as much as possible what the research is about (Parahoo and Reid 1988, P69). The title in this case meets this criteria, it is concise but clear and suggestive of the content and context. It does not presume to validate or invalidate the research; again this is a recommendation of Parahoo 1988. The title is 2 parts, Life after cancer; this could be interpreted as life of a carer or relative after a cancer patient has died or indeed life for a cancer patient after successful treatment. The second part of the title (living with risk) goes someway to qualify the first and elicit that the subject matter discusses living with risk after cancer treatment. It does not however explain in the title what â€Å"the risk† refers to. This perceived risk could be research into a possibility that cancer survivors take more risks in everyday life than non-cancer survivors as they have faced their the harsh reality of their own morbidity and overcome this. It is not until reading the full text that it becomes apparent that the risk refers to the risk of being diagnosed with a secondary form of cancer. The researchers of the study have a strong affiliation to the field and both possess recognised formal qualifications, unusually both in the fields of nursing and medicine making both very credible. No conflicts have been disclosed again adding credibility to the study and findings as unbiased. The abstract of the does provide an overview of the intentions of the study, the sample used, an overview of the results, conclusions and the implications for practice. The abstract lists key area’s under the bullet points of, â€Å"background, objective, method, results and conclusions.† Making the study easy to follow and read in a logical and accepted format. The abstract is suitably brief but enticing with a word count of 225 words, this word count is an average size for an abstract but goes slightly over the 150-200 words recommended the book entitled, â€Å"the art of abstracting†, (Cremmins, Edward, The Art of Abstracting 2nd Edition, Info Resources Press, April 1996) The objective attempts to explain the rationale for the study and is neatly and subsinctly summarised in one sentence. The method of the study is of an interprative, qualitative nature examining in some depth the feelings perceptions and views of cancer survivors though a descriptive approach using face to face semi structured interviews. The interviews took place in the subjects own homes, this would suggest that the subject was comfortable and at ease leading to an open, frank and honest interview providing valuable and unbiased data. An interview guide was used during the interview to assist participants to articulate their thoughts; the study does not go into any further detail to clarify what was contained within the interview guide and how this may affect any results obtained from questions throughout the interview process. The results data was analysed by the constant comparative method of data analysis. This method of data analysis lends itself to complex and sensitive situations allowing the researcher to gain the trust of the subjects. (Method of Qualitative Analysis, Barney G. Glaser, Social Problems, Vol.12, No. 4, 1965, pp. 436-445) The conclusion summarises the key findings and recommendations contained within the study and is to the point leading onto the implications for practise which are summarised in context with the study. There is an acknowledgement within the implications that the findings are a foundation which is subjective that further research would be beneficial to build on findings of the subject with the objective of improving detection, treatment and views on secondary cancer. The literature review discusses numerous previous studies on the subject matter and references 11 others containing both qualitative and quantitative research giving a broad background into the study. The vast majority of previous studies appear to be of a quantitative nature which adds validity to the alternative qualitative approach chosen for this study. All of this indicates that the authors have researched the topic and acknowledge previous work contributed by other researchers in the study area. This strongly suggests a high awareness of the topic and gives due credit to other researchers, it is mentioned in the data collection methods section of the study that the literature review influenced the interview guide developed to assist with data collection which further acknowledges previous research. It does not appear within the context of the study that the literature review has bias or undue influence on the findings but rather to support their validity as the method of the st udy and findings of this study are presented from a different perspective. However to maintain a balanced perspective we should consider the reasons that to date only one previous study has been a qualitative study with almost 10 times that amount of previous quantitative studies in the area, the rationale for this is approach is discussed and addressed with good effect in the last paragraph of the literature review. An argument for using qualitative a method for this study is that quantitative studies can be criticised for attempting to reduce a highly complex situation into a simple cause and effect paradox. Therefore the rationale for using qualitative methods does seem highly relevant and would support the data collection method chosen and the survey design. As interviewing allows the researcher to gain unique insight into other perspectives about the phenomenon being researched (Glesne and Peskin 1992) the argument put across is a rather compelling one to support further research using the method chosen to give a balanced view with evidence from both q ualitative and quantitative data research rather than from just one perspective. The hypnosis attempts to establish the perceived risks of a secondary diagnosis of cancer following successful treatment and attempts to obtain the views of the participants in relation to screening for the well-established increased medical risk, the hypothesis sets out to demonstrate that views are conflicting and wide ranging; throughout the text this hypothesis becomes well established. The overall approach of the study as previously discussed was an interpretive, descriptive qualitative design although the purpose states that this is part of a larger mixed method study aimed at establishing themes and patterns through the views and opinions of participants that had been specifically selected for inclusion due to their previous diagnosis, treatment and subsequent survival of various forms of cancer. The sample group was a relatively small number using only 22 participants (16 women and 6 men, it could be argued that this was a female dominated sample group that may have implications on the results) however using the qualitative format the sample group was of an acceptable size, the focus of the qualitative data is on the quality of the data collected as each participant is a source of a large volume of data. (Boswell and Cannon, Introduction to nursing research, qualitative research meathods, chapter 8, page 196.) The sample group was specifically selected to fit the inclusion criteria (Cancer survivors who were 5 or more years out from the initial cancer diagnosis, at least 19 years old at the time of the interview, resident to the area of the interviews and could speak and understand English) The nature of the selection and inclusion was purposive in nature, this is perfectly acceptable as the objective is to explore and describe the phenomena and not generalise the findings as qualitative research by its nature is not specifically designed to be representative of the general population. (Holloway and Wheeler, 2010, p 138) The research method chosen was specifically designed to be an emic perspective to describe the thoughts and feelings of post cancer patients, this method is ideal to understand and describe complex and sensitive information. Purposive sampling has been used as the participants have all been selected due to specific criteria. The primary goal in purposive sampling is not to generate a sample that is representative but rather one that is selected to represent certain subject characteristics that are relevant to the investigation. (Stommel and Wills, Clinical research, concepts and principles for advanced practice nurses, p302-303) A clear description of the sampling rationale and recruitment process is evident, (Bluff 1997). To maximise variation participants were selected that had differing ages at the time of the initial diagnosis and different types of cancer. This demonstrates an excellent cross section of variables to maximise results. Participants were recruited exclusively from a central cancer registry and hospital based database, the study goes on to state that this register is â€Å"largely untapped† meaning that the participants would not have preconceived ideas or previous experience of prior studies of this kind. Non eligible potential participants were excluded from the study prior to recruitment to ensure validity of the study. The age range was 19 – 87 years, however with the upper age range it could be concluded that the perceived risk of secondary cancer and subsequent screening views may vary vastly from younger participants due to the age difference. Fifteen of the participants were employed (full or part time) and the remaining participants were either retired or disabled, it could be argued that unemployed and disadvantaged people were not represented in the sample group who may have had differing views from the sample group interviewed. This assumption could also be continued that as all participants were white, ethnic groups were under represented and again may have differing views due to racial, cultural or social backgrounds. An argument that only white participents were deliberately selected for the study is a moot point as cancer is not a racially or culturally specific disease as perhaps a study into something like sickle cell crisis would be. The age range was wide and the average age is listed as 40 years old at the time of diagnosis however we know that some participants were far from the average age at the time of diagnosis but this maximises variation in the study. The data was collection method for the study was done using a semi structured interview technique; the same researcher (Krista Wilkins, PhD, RN) completed all of the 23 face to face interviews. By using the same researcher we can assume continuity of the interview with the same structure being followed throughout. It is noted that 1 participant was interviewed twice because the first interview had ended early, the study does not elaborate as the reasons why the first interview ended early. By being interviewed twice an argument could be put that the data collected should not be included as the participant may have had time to think about, discuss and research the upcoming questions in the repeat interview which could potentially affect the validity of the findings, this presumably was not considered to be an issue as the participant and data were not excluded from the study or conclusions drawn. As mentioned previously in the literature review key themes that had been discovered in the literature review were included to develop an interview guide. This suggests that all of the interviews were conducted not only by the same researcher but also following the same structure (or semi structure) with the interview guide being used as an â€Å"aide memoir† to keep the interviews on track and relevant. A person centred open ended approach was used as research shows that people respond well to this type of questioning ensuring that the information elicited was detailed, personal and rich in information.(Geer JG, Public opinion quarterly, volume 52, issue 3, p356-357) The interviews took place in the participants own homes which would establish both comfort and confidence in a familiar and â€Å"safe† environment encouraging an open, honest and useful interview and eliminating the desire for social acquiescence however we must remind mindful of participant reactivity to the researcher in this technique. The interviews lasted generally no longer than an hour, the timeframe given is credible and suggestive that the participant was allowed sufficient time to relax and â€Å"open up† within the interview ensuring rich data collection but without the effect of feeling rushed or exhausted discussing a potentially stressful, personal and emotive topic. However no upper or lower time limit was set so that if the data being collected at the point of an hour was valuable the participant was not cut short and valuable data excluded. Field notes were taken immediately after the interviews and included observations about the setting and impressions including non-verbal communications. This could be criticised as being a subjective observation and no reference is made to indicate the qualifications of the interviewer to make meaningful conclusion from observations of this type. All interviews were digitally recorded (with the participants consent) the recordings and field notes were later transcribed verbatim which supports the validity and credibility of the study immensely. There was no evidence of a pilot study to add further validity to this study. In this study all proper ethical principles have been adhered to, ethical permission was granted by gaining informed consent from all participants and from local university and hospital ethical review committees. The process lead to a delay between the study being carried out and publication with the study taking place between July 2008 and July 2009 and publication in issue 34 of the publication, Cancer nursing in Nov – Dec 2011. (Wilkins and Woodgate, Life after cancer – living with the risk, Cancer nursing, issue 34, p487 – 494, Dec 2011) but this length of time is not uncommon. The importance of gaining ethical approval is so that no harm comes to participants and the research community as a whole is not affected by the negatives of publicity which bring the research community into disrepute and go against the very objective of research to improve evidence based practice (Blaber, A. 2008, Foundations for Paramedic Practice, a Theoretical Perspective). The data analysis in this case forms the main body of the study and gives numerous personal experiences and thoughts to form the findings, all quotes have been annomalised to maintain the dignity and privacy of the participants. The data is broken down in a logical format helping the reader to understand the conclusions reached by the researchers and go a long way to help understand how the findings were reached. The limitations of the study are readily acknowledged and openly state that the findings are not generalised to all cancer survivors, it goes on to state that the data was only collected at one time point, this could be addressed by further studies and perhaps a longitudinal study would be beneficial to broaden the picture. The study failed to reveal any risk perceptions due to different variables for example age, type of cancer etc. To its credit the limitations does acknowledge that ethnic variability may have revealed additional information. The discussion is an in depth appraisal of the study as a whole including the findings, the conclusion is brief and does not introduce any new information, rather it summarises the previous sections of the study and draws the reader to an informed conclusion. Reference List Blaber, A. (2008) Foundations for Paramedic Practice, a Theoretical Perspective. Open University Press, pg 49. Boswell, C and Cannon, S. (2011) Introduction to nursing research, qualitative research methods, Jones and Bartlett publishers, chapter 8, pg 196. Cremmins, E. (1996) The Art of Abstracting 2nd Edition, Info Resources Press, pg. 46 Geer JG, (2005) Public opinion quarterly, volume 52, issue 3, Lawrence Erlbaum associates publishers, p356-357 Glaser, B. (1965) Method of Qualitative Analysis, Social Problems, Vol.12, No. 4, pp. 436-445 Holloway, I. and Wheeler, S. (2010) Qualitative Research in Nursing and Healthcare. 3rd ed. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, pg. 6, pg.138. Parahoo, K. (1988) Research Skills, Number 5. Critical Reading of Research. Nursing Times, 84 (43),pg 69-72 Stommel, M and Wills, C. (2004) Clinical research, concepts and principles for advanced practice nurses, Lippincott Williams and Williams, p302-303 Wilkins, K and Woodgate, R. (Dec 2011) Cancer nursing, Life after cancer – living with the risk, Lippincott Williams and Williams, issue 34, p487 – 494.