Disadvantages In Regard To Leisure Choices Sociology Essay

Disadvantages In Regard To Leisure Choices Sociology Essay Taking a thorough assessment of the society we live in, it is evident that women are in many ways disadvantaged as regards leisure choice compared to men. Leisure is itself seen as a psychological experience of enjoyment and satisfaction which occurs within the framework of time or activity. Leisure includes things like watching television, participating in sports, meeting friends, engaging in hobbies and going to events (Doughty, 2010). It requires plenty of time and psychological fitness for one have the best of it. Women are the most disadvantaged due to various constraints they encounter in society. Womens access to free time and leisure opportunities are controlled by such factors as their work and domestic situation, their low income level together with age and ethnic group. These constraints may include structural factors such as family obligations, financial resources, weather factors and work time (Shaw 1994). In most societies, it is normally regarded as womens duty to take care of the family as well as looking after children. As far as these constraining factors have assisted in understanding leisure participation among women, further adjustments can be reached through specific examination of their sub-groups. This is because the constraints are different to the various categories of women basing on their ages. For instance, girls between the age of fifteen and below have limited access to leisure activities since they have restricted time to engage in recreational activities (Kiefer, 2004). They face such constraints as lack of knowledge, lack of accessibility to recreational facilities as influenced by their parents, lack of interest in various recreational facilities and lack of partners (Rehman et al., 2003). At this age, girls are still in school and do not have time to engage in those activities as tourism except during holidays where they can move around the world with their families, but for a very short period of time. Everything they do is influenced by their parents and it is usually difficult for them to decide for themselves. These girls may not necessarily be affected by those limitations such as the interpersonal and intrapersonal constraints since they are still young and have nothing to worry about. They engage in sporting activities in school as part of the co-curricular activities of any school which may not be regarded as leisure (Young people at Play, n.d.). Their weak physical situations discourage them from getting actively involved sports events. These girls are not affected by financial constraints since they are young and all their needs are met by their parents. However, their participation may depend on their cultural background, that is, race and ethnicity play an important role in determining a familys influence on childrens leisure. For example, those from the developing countries grow in hardship where there is hardly any money to take them to school. Therefore, they only resort in dropping out of school and engage in child labor to earn living for their parents and thus have no time for leisure or time to involve themselves in any recreational activities (Shaw 1994). In addition, girls from these developing countries such as in Africa and Asia do not have role models who can motivate them to engage in sporting activities such as football, athletics, volleyball etc. At the same time, their families cannot afford to take them around the world as tourists since they do not have enough money to cater for it. Those from Western countries are a bit different because their parents have the financial strength to finance their education and hav e role models in the society who encourage them to involve themselves in sports. Some are even motivated to engage in music activities, for example, in the US where some girls become superstars at very tender ages. All in all, these girls are more dependent on parental consent and support for recreational activities. On the other hand, young single ladies mostly of the age between 15 and 25 years have different experiences on leisure, sports and other recreational activities. At this age they can easily make mature independent decisions and they therefore face peculiar constraints as regards to their leisure involvement. Based on their perception of sporting activities, these women highly suffer from the limitations of low self-esteem and lack the belief that they may be talented or competent in any recreational activities (Goliath, 2002). Most of these women have just finished school and still looking for employment and therefore have high financial problems. This renders them unable to get involved in both leisure and recreational activities without the help of their parents. The constraints may also depend on the cultural background. Women from poverty stricken countries such as the developing countries experience those intrapersonal constraints such as stress, family attitudes and personal ev aluations of the appropriateness of an activity (Goliath, 2002). Since these women may not have acquired the appropriate education as a result of their background, they may end up engaging themselves in activities such as prostitution and other criminal activities. As a result, they have no time for leisure, sports and other recreational activities. Additionally, they do not have the financial ability to visit other countries as tourists. Various interpersonal constraints such as relationships with others and the ability to find partners as well as the influence of family obligations also affect their leisure involvement. As a result of the societal stress, these women do not have the time enjoy recreational activities with their peers. In addition, they lack role models in the society who may encourage them to engage in productive activities and they therefore end up living desperately. Though women are normally strong physically at this age, inadequate education and lack of awareness about the benefits of participating in sports has been the main reason they never involve themselves. As a result, physical education is often not admired among the females in school (Goliath 2002). Young women aged between 15 and 25 years from developed countries also experience intrapersonal and interpersonal constraints as regards their leisure involvement. These Western women have the constraints such as those of structural factors including financial resources and work time constraints. Those who have jobs do not have time for leisure and recreational activities and hardly get time to engage in sports. Those who do not have jobs have financial problems as well as low esteem and they do not have trust in themselves hence they cannot get involved in leisure activities. As far as sport is concerned, many governments have not taken the initiative to persuade women to participate. They have had less concern in terms providing sponsorship, coverage in media, awareness and the provision of opportunities for women in sport as compared to their male counterparts (Goliath, 2002). Some sports disciplines such as football is far widely considered to be for men yet some women have shown to be as equally talented in it. Furthermore, women with children have different limitations concerning their time for leisure. Some of the women in this category have limited time, money as well as limited access to leisure facilities. Most of these women are married and are mostly disadvantaged with regard to time for leisure. Women with children are normally held by household obligations and family commitments such as child care together with economic constraints (Borg Clark, n.d.). Due to male chauvinism in most societies, many women earn very little incomes which and this has proven to be constraining on their lives as well as on their leisure lives. Women who are employed are said to experience a double shift to their household obligations hence have no time for leisure participation as compared to their male counterparts (Martinson, Schwartz Vaughan, 2002). However, leisure, recreational activities, and sport have different implications depending on the cultural background of women. Those from poor backgrounds have limited access to leisure activities and are mostly unemployed since job opportunities are rare. Most of their time is spent taking care of children and farming so as to sustain their families. It is usually very hard for them to think about touring other countries or engage in any recreational activities due to financial constraints. They are highly constrained by societal stress and have very low esteem to even think of participating in any sporting activities and they not only have little time for themselves, but they also never feel that they have a right to leisure for themselves (Martinson, Schwartz Vaughan, 2002). Other women fear for violence especially in those leisure settings far from home. At times, they regard taking care of their families as their prime duty since most of their husbands are jobless and never ca re about them. Similarly, women with children from developed countries have little time for leisure and other recreational activities such as sports and tourism. Those who have jobs have are the ones said to have double shift, that is, have little time for leisure because they need to balance the time they spend with their family and that spend in work. These women spend much of their time either in job or at home. Most of them make use of computer-based technology for leisure designed to make them busy such as the internet and believe that time spent or even activities pursued with family are the most important (Kramarae Spender, 2000). In most cases, especially at times when they are free from work, most women wish to recreate around the world together with their families but their children prevent them. This is because children are usually cumbersome to travel with. Generally, women with children are usually unwilling to get involved in sporting activities. They only take part in body fitting exercises such as jogging in the mornings. Most of them think they cannot manage to participate in sports activities such as athletics, football etc. and regard nurturing their children as their key role in the society. They only watch their favorite soccer teams or even basketball teams on televisions during their free moments on weekends. The type of profession a woman is in may also act as a constraint to her leisure life. Nurses for example have the ethic of care in their minds all the time which is connected to the lack of a sense of right to leisure (Martinson, Schwartz Vaughan, 2002). Women who are single parents and do not high paying jobs mostly encounter financial constraints which is normally constraining to life in general and to their leisure lives as well. This is due to the fact that they have to cater for the basic needs of their children. By meeting food, shelter, clothing and educational expenses for the children, the amounts that remain may be too little to cater for recreational activities. Old women have various constraints to leisure participation as well. Their participation in various recreational activities is highly influenced by health related problems, poor performance quality and lack of companions (Leitner Leitner, 2004). In general, older people are said to suffer from health problems more than young people. Particular health problems limit participation in specific leisure activities (Women Sports and Fitness Foundation, n.d.). Older women with sight problems cannot freely engage in activities such as tourism, exercises and other recreational activities that include work. Research has shown that older women like to engage more in inactive recreation such as watching television, listening to radio and reading newspapers rather than participate in active forms of recreation (Leitner Leitner, 2004). This is due to the fear that they may get injuries resulting to their children putting them in nursing homes. Moreover, older women are seen to be economically di sadvantaged and also tend to have more household and family obligations which make them have less free time to take part in leisure activities. Most of them like stay at home and take care of their grandchildren. These actions of care giving reduce their leisure activities due to lack of time, tiredness, and other intrapersonal constraints such as stress (Leitner Leitner, 2004). Older women leisure involvement is also influenced by attitude (Henderson Bialeschki, 1990). These women only participate in those leisure activities which they consider as meaningful to them (Greer, 2006). Some leisure activities that are taken as being for fun but have no purpose are highly ridiculed by the elderly women. Most of these aged women view their old age negatively and have a feeling that they should not be involved in recreational and leisure activities because they think that people their age should not have leisure anymore (Leitner Leitner, 2004). At their old ages, they have lost taste for most of the recreational activities such as swimming and look upon them as for the young and strong people. As regards to sporting activities, aged women are incapable of participating actively and can only watch on televisions since most of them have health related problems. The level to which aged women are disadvantaged with respect to leisure involvement may also depend on their cultural background. Majority of women from developing countries spend most of their time taking care of their grandchildren and never have time to involve themselves in recreational activities (Leitner Leitner, 2004). Most of them remain within their homesteads all day and have never visited a foreign country and even never think of activities like tourism. They do not even think of having leisure as their right and are most of the times stressed as a result of their children dropping out of school, lack of food due to drought etc. Most of the developing countries are faced with the problem of diseases and therefore a big number of the aged women have health complications hence they can hardly participate in any leisure or sports activities (Leitner Leitner, 2004). Older women from developed countries are quite different from their counterparts on how they perceive these recreational activities. As for them, they may like to tour other countries but factors such as health related problems, family commitments, among others hold them back (Leitner Leitner, 2004). This is because they are unable get involved in those recreational events like mountain-climbing, skiing and skating. They have leisure by watching televisions and reading magazines unlike those from developing countries who are mostly too illiterate to read newspapers and have little access or interest in television. Their lack of leisure involvement is mainly affected by attitude. This is shown by the fact that they ignore some recreational activities that do not add value to their lives at those old ages. Most of them like sports events though their weak health may not be in a position to withstand them. Consequently, they follow these events on televisions or go to the venues where sports activities are held accompanied by other family members such as their grandchildren. Though some women are good in sports, they never get the recognition they deserve (Stavropoulou, 2008). Some sports such as rugby and football are regarded as mens and women who shine in them get very little or no attention at all (Goliath, 2002). Governments can increase women participation in sports by encouraging wider media representation and giving rewards to the best personalities in the various sport categories. By doing so, young women will be encouraged to participate in sports regardless of their cultural backgrounds and earn money for themselves which may in turn increase their leisure participation. In conclusion, it is evident that women are the most disadvantaged when it comes to leisure participation as compared to men. It has been seen that their lack of sports involvement is as a result of poor attention by most governments and the notion that most sports disciplines are better suited for men. However, it is clear that their access to recreational facilities is mainly influenced by factors such as time availability, household and family obligations, financial stability and cultural background. Women have also been found to be constrained differently depending on their ages.

When Religion Hurts :: Suicide Death Medical Essays

When Religion Hurts "The question is do I have a God complex? †¦I have a MD from Harvard. I am board certified in cardio-thoracic medicine and trauma surgery. I have been awarded citations from 7 different medical boards in New England and I am never, ever sick at sea. So I ask you, when someone goes into that chapel and they fall on their knees and they pray to God that their wife doesn’t miscarriage, or that their daughter doesn’t bleed to death or that their mother doesn’t suffer acute neuro-trauma from post-operative shock, who do you think they are praying to? Now you go ahead and read your bible Dennis. And you go to your church and with any luck you might win the annual raffle, but if you are looking for God, he was in operating room number 2 on November 17th and he doesn’t like to be second-guessed. You ask me if I have a God complex, let me tell you something, I am God." (Becker, 1993) This quote was taken from the movie Malice. A doctor removed an ovary that he thought was necrotic and the lab result came back that it wasn’t. Unfortunately he removed the other one prior due to having a cyst on it. He was sued for malpractice and during his questioning he was asked if he had a God complex. A God complex is when a doctor believes that he has the power to save a person’s life when God might intend that person to die. The doctor then plays God by trying to undermine the plan that God has created for the patient. Many battles are fought in our society today over who actually controls our destiny. Although euthanasia is not a new concept, it is receiving more attention today. The main advisory for euthanasia is the same one as it was from the start of euthanasia. This advisory is our religious belief. Religion is said to be the key to our salvation, but it also puts blinders on our ethical values. Although religion gives us hope for a better life after death, it is this same belief that prolongs our suffering while still in this p lane of existence. Euthanasia is defined as "The act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy.

Adapting Community Interventions for Different Cultures and Communities Essay

The Mexican Americans had their own unique identity. They had their own style in each decade starting from the 1940s– including the Zoot Suit Riots, to the Chicano Movement, then to the 2000s –which is known as the LA punk looks. During the 1940’s, young Mexican Americans wanted to fight for their justice against the United States servicemen. They started a group and began to wear clothing that was out of the ordinary. They wore baggy dress pants and big drape jackets, including a hat. Because of their clothing, people called them the Zoot Suits but they referred themselves as Pachucos and Pachuca. According to the article â€Å"6 Decades of Mexican and Mexican- American Style Evolution† (Agrawal), there are 6 different decades of the Mexican- American style that include: the 1940s– the Pachuco look, the 1950s– the start of the Civil Rights Movement, where Rock music combined with fashion and included curled hair and polka-dot dresses for the women, the 1960s, the Chicano Movement and the Chicano Activists movement, the 1980s– which was shaped due to hip- hip and was known to be the Chola look, then the 1900s– which starred Selena, the Queen of Tejano music who became known due to her iconic style and became a well known music idol, and lastly, the 2000s. The 2000s allowed women to express their strength and solidarity through the LA punk style by keeping a simple makeup look. Although Mexican- Americans used their art through music, Chinese Americans believed in respecting their art through appropriation . Another significant time in US history was the Chinese Exclusion Act that included Chinese Immigrants. According to the article, â€Å"The Chinese Exclusion Acts: A Racist Chapter in U.S. Civil Rights History† (Chin), The Act that started in the year of 1882 prohibited: immigration on Chinese laborers, denying naturalization, and enforced Chinese laborers who are already legal in the United States and later want to re-enter and receive a certificate to return. The Chinese Immigrants worked as servants, fishermen, farmers, etc. They also worked on railroads and miners. Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, it has turned the table around and changed history for Chinese immigrants and they were treated differently. They were treated differently because they were â€Å"different† from others by their looks and the way they dressed. Non- Chinese people would sometime be jealous of what Chinese Americans accomplished. Sticking to their cultures and backgrounds, the Chinese men wo uld usually have their hair long and in a ponytail, their clothing would consist of cultural robes, which is known as a Cheongsam. Cheongsam is worn as Chinese cultural appropriation for respect. Usually Chinese friends and family have to give the approval if you are allowed to wear a Cheongsam. Until today’s world, many people still stereotype not only Chinese people but Asian Americans in general due to what they wore back then because of their culture. Despite the appropriation, the Chinese Americans believed in, African Americans took a stand and did for what they believed in to achieve justice as well as the Mexican Americans. Going back into the 1900s, African Americans then segregated into urban housing. As they began to take over a community in New York City and begin with the Harlem Renaissance, which was located in northern Manhattan. During the Harlem Renaissance, several groups and organizations appealed to improvements economically and educationally. According to the article â€Å"The Harlem Renaissance a Cultural Rebirth† (Hall), after black soldiers engaged in World War I, they wished for a better America for themselves. This time period included African Americans making a great remark within their culture. Due to their remark, they also created a climatic change within their fashion statement. This fashion statement included: the Flappers, a masculine look for women, and day and night dresses. Flappers is another word for dancers because of the dresses they wore that made it easier for them to dance in. During this era, women decided to stand out and portray the masculine look. Women woul d want to wear men’s clothing and began to smoke, drink and drive, etc. Because of this movement, they created several movies until today’s world portraying â€Å"the Harlem Renaissance†. Some movies include Harlem Nights, Brother to Brother, Murder in Harlem, and the recent popular one that features similar actions of the Harlem Renaissance would be The Great Gatsby that features Leonardo DiCaprio. Although during the Harlem Renaissance was more of a fashion statement by making a remark, the Native Americans were quite different in terms of making their own fashion. During the time of the Wounded Knee Massacre, there were about 300 Native American deaths. There was a battle between the Native Americans and the United States soldiers in the Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. During this time Native Americans took belief in their Ghost Dance. The Ghost Dance was a religious dance to bring back their original world and to protect themselves. During this time Native Americans would have to hunt for animals to use their skin to make clothing and to stay warm. Hunting and gathering was a way for them to survive. In today’s society, American Indian culture has changed. As of now we usually see depictions of the American Indian culture in social media. Such as music videos, movies, or television shows that portray the American Indian culture. It has changed compared to back then. Their culture contains making art, clothing, jewelry, dance, and fashion. To the Native American culture, they typically don’t have a certain clothing they wear for appropriation. According to the article â€Å"Native by Design† (Montgomery), they believe that appropriation does not matter and what matters is representing where they came from and showing off their beliefs as much as possible. Urban Outfitters –the popular clothing company– brings off the Navajo vibe in every store. This includes the designs in the store, several pieces of their clothing, and the setting of the store. This represents that even though Native Americans had one culture back then, it doesn’t mean it has changed drastically. Throughout time, culture, beliefs, and traditions, we soon come to realize the true beauty behind it all. We realize the true beauty of different ethnic groups, especially of our own culture and beliefs. Yes, it will all change over a certain span, but it all depends on what we want to believe in and what we want to keep believing in. Till today’s society, the beliefs we used to believe in will become more and more modern as time goes by and it will evolve quickly before we know it. Stereotypes will change, beliefs will change, etc. It is best to understand the true beauty of one’s culture. Despite all the stereotypes and the modern technology, we should take in consideration of our own culture and admire what we have. Fashion will change each and every year but we just have to make the most of it and express ourselves through art. Like these four different Ethnic groups: Mexican Americans, Chinese Immigrants, African Americans, and Native Americans; they all believed i n different cultures and beliefs but each group used their own unique way to express what is theirs.

Indian Red Scorpion Facts (Hottentotta tamulus)

The Indian red scorpion (Hottentotta tamulus) or eastern Indian scorpion is considered to be the most lethal scorpion in the world. Despite its common name, the scorpion isnt necessarily red. It can range in color from reddish brown to orange or brown. The Indian red scorpion doesnt hunt people, but it will sting to defend itself. Children are most likely to die from stings because of their small size. Fast Facts: Indian Red Scorpion Scientific Name: Hottentotta tamulusCommon Names: Indian red scorpion, eastern Indian scorpionBasic Animal Group: InvertebrateSize: 2.0-3.5 inchesLifespan: 3-5 years (captivity)Diet: CarnivoreHabitat: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri LankaPopulation: AbundantConservation Status: Not evaluated Description The Indian red scorpion is a fairly small scorpion, ranging from 2 to 3-1/2 inches in length. It ranges in color from bright reddish orange to dull brown. The species has distinctive dark gray ridges and granulation. It has relatively small pincers, a thickened tail (telson) and a large stinger. As with spiders, male scorpion pedipalps appear somewhat inflated compared to those of females. Like other scorpions, the Indian red scorpion is fluorescent under black light. Several color morphs of Indian red scorpions exist. Sagar khunte /  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license Habitat and Distribution The species is found in India, eastern Pakistan, and eastern Nepal. Recently, it has been seen (rarely) in Sri Lanka. Although little is known about the Indian red scorpions ecology, it appears to prefer humid tropical and subtropical habitats. It often lives near or in human settlements. Diet and Behavior The Indian red scorpion is a carnivore. It is a nocturnal ambush predator that detects prey by vibration and subdues it using its chelae (claws) and stinger. It feeds on cockroaches and other invertebrates and sometimes small vertebrates, such as lizards and rodents. Reproduction and Offspring In general, scorpions reach sexual maturity between 1 and 3 years of age. While some species can reproduce asexually via parthenogenesis, the Indian red scorpion only reproduces sexually. Mating occurs following a complex courtship ritual in which the male grasps the females pedipalps and dances with her until he finds a suitable flat area to deposit his spermatophore. He guides the female over the spermatophore and she accepts it into her genital opening. While scorpion females tend not to eat their mates, sexual cannibalism is not unknown, so males quickly depart following mating. Females give birth to live young, which are called scorplings. The young resemble their parents except they are white and unable to sting. They stay with their mother, riding on her back, at least until after their first molt. In captivity, Indian red scorpions live 3 to 5 years. The female Indian red scorpion carries her young on her back. Akash M. Deshmukh /  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license Conservation Status The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has not evaluated the conservation status of the Indian red scorpion. The scorpion is abundant within its range (except for Sri Lanka). However, there are high bounties on collection of wild specimens for scientific research, plus they may be captured for the pet trade. The population trend of the species is unknown. Indian Red Scorpions and Humans Despite their potent venom, Indian red scorpions are kept as pets. They are also kept and bred in captivity for medical research. Scorpion toxins include potassium channel-blocking peptides, which may have use as immunosuppressants for autoimmune disorders (e.g., multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis). Some toxins may have application in dermatology, cancer treatment, and as antimalarial drugs. Indian red scorpion stings are not uncommon in India and Nepal. While the scorpions are not aggressive, they will sting when stepped on or otherwise threatened. Reported clinical fatality rates range from 8 to 40%. Children are the most common victims. Symptoms of envenomation include severe pain at the site of the sting, vomiting, sweating, breathlessness, and alternating high and low blood pressure and heart rate. The venom targets the pulmonary and cardiovascular system and can cause death from pulmonary edema. While antivenom has little effectiveness, administration of the blood pressure medication prazosin can reduce the mortality rate to less than 4%. Some persons suffer severe allergic reactions to the venom and antivenom, including anaphylaxis. Sources Bawaskar, H.S. and P.H. Bawaskar. Indian red scorpion envenoming. Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 65 (3): 383–391, 1998. doi:10.1016/0041-0101(95)00005-7Ismail, M. and P. H. Bawaskar. The scorpion envenoming syndrome. Toxicon. 33 (7): 825–858, 1995. PMID:8588209Kovařà ­k, F. A revision of the genus Hottentotta Birula, 1908, with descriptions of four new species. Euscorpius. 58: 1–105, 2007.Nagaraj, S.K.; Dattatreya, P.; Boramuth, T.N. Indian scorpions collected in Karnataka: maintenance in captivity, venom extraction and toxicity studies. J. Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis. 2015; 21: 51. doi:10.1186/s40409-015-0053-4Polis, Gary A. The Biology of Scorpions. Stanford University Press, 1990. ISBN 978-0-8047-1249-1.