Melting ice glaciers due to global warming Term Paper - 1

Melting ice glaciers due to global warming - Term Paper Example The increase in carbon content in the air has increased the global temperature which has caused glaciers to melt (Kayne). The resulting increase in the sea level is the main cause of hurricanes and cyclones which have endangered life on Earth. The enormous increase of temperature can greatly affect many ecosystems. Most importantly, ice is melting away. The following figure depicts fluctuations in the sea level along with the temperature variations over the last 450,000 years: From the figure, it can be seen that the content of carbon dioxide in the Miocene caused the sea levels to become 25 ft higher as compared to the present day level. The increase in the content of carbon dioxide in the air in the recent years has been so enormous that the global temperature and sea levels did not get sufficient time to increase, and so they could not increase as much as they would have, had the increase of carbon dioxide taken longer. It is noteworthy here that it is not the phenomenon of melting away of the pack ice that causes any rise in the level of sea. Ice that floats in an ocean is lesser in density as compared to water. When it melts, the additional water that goes into the sea is no more than the volume of ice that was originally above the water line. Nonetheless, ice which is on the land does play a big role in adding to the sea level upon melting. Many researches in the past have spoken of a consistent rise in the level of sea. Presently, rate of increase of sea level is about 1.8 Â ± 0.3 mm per annum which makes about 7.4 inches per 100 years (White et al. cited in Deem). The present rate of increase of sea level is dangerous and if the trend sustains over some period of time, sea levels would increase enough to cause damage to the life on land. Many islands particularly the ones which are in the Pacific are greatly endangered by the

Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 10

Anthropology - Essay Example There was the development of complex form of communication. People also formed government due to their centralized form of life (Ferraro & Andreatta, 2009). This paper seeks to present some of the biological and/or social consequences of humans switching from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a farming lifestyle. There were various consequences of human switching from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a farming lifestyle. Most of these consequences are social and biological. The most significant change was brought by sedentary life. This form of life encouraged high population growth. As a result, more food was needed to satisfy the ever-increasing population. However, this led to increased competition for food as human population rose above the available food. Additionally, the shift from hunter-gatherer to farming led to diet change. This had a tremendous influence on the anatomy of human teeth and jaws. This is because initially human was adapted to hard food, but this shift led to adoption of simple food that required little effort to chew. In fact, the hunter-gatherer had longer, narrower jawbones. The size of jaw became shorter when farming was adopted because most of the foods were raw and processed (Larsen, 1995). Moreover, the rate of disease transmission increased as the hunter-gather er adopted a more sedentary lifestyle. This was because of the unhealthy practices and living together with other domesticated animals (Larsen, 1995). Therefore, society became more susceptible to disease than it was before. Additionally, the change of life to a more sedentary life meant people could farm instead of hunting and gathering. This forced people to settle down in a centralized place. Consequently, there was the development of settlement and group living in the society. This was followed by development of more complex social institutions, and thus well-established forms of communication. There was also division of work and this led to the development of government

Social Educational Theories Essay Example for Free

Social Educational Theories Essay Education plays a major role in any society. But the specifics involved in this role are still subject to debate. That is, the methods of teaching, the strategies of handling students, the style of managing schools, and the goals and standards of the educational system have been the subject of deliberation and reflection among educators, psychologists and social theorists. Educational systems have also changed numerous times throughout history and such changes are often the results of the emergence of social theories that influence the decisions of policy makers. In this research paper, four social theories will be examined: functionalism, Marxism, interpretivism, and post-modernism. These four social theories will be compared and their strengths and weaknesses will be discussed. In doing so, this paper will to what extent do these social theories explain the function of education in American society and how do these theories compare with the realist theory. What is functionalism? Functionalism is believed to have been developed by several philosophers in the nineteenth century but it was only during the early part of the twentieth century, the 1930s, did this social theory take official form in the United States through the work of Talcott Parsons. Unlike the earlier social theories that treat society as one vaguely defined system, functionalism boasts of focusing on the parts of the system and how these parts interact and influence each other. The parts have needs that the other parts can meet and this is why the parts exist in a state of cooperation. The system is then considered to be in equilibrium. However, the functionalists also recognize the changing nature of this system and that the parts adjust to these changes towards a new equilibrium (Parsons, 1951). Strengths and weaknesses. In the field of education, the major strengths of functionalism lies on the emphasis of interdependence and a path of evolutionary change that is not dramatic or chaotic. This is because the functionalists shun conflict and believed that any conflict can be avoided because each individual is influenced by the society’s norms. If an individual scorns these norms, there would be consequences such as social disapproval or even imprisonment. Unfortunately, despite the discouraging presence of these consequences, and based on the history of the world, the history of the American society, and of American education, conflict seemed to be significantly present. This made the tenets of functionalism naive and incomplete. Within the classroom, a functionalist teacher may induce the students to behave in an equilibrium-producing manner by emphasizing the classroom norms and the consequences that are given if such norms are ignored. Some of the consequences might be time-out, lower grades, suspension, and other sanctions. Again, similar to the greater society, the classroom society may have a few students who are not deterred by the consequences. This is not because the student intends to create conflict but because there might be some needs of the students that were not met. In the same way, there would be dissent and revolutions if social problems, such as poverty and tyranny, persist and come to a point when they become unbearable (Ballantine, 1997). Functionalism and education in an American society. Within the American society, functionalism might propose that the whole education system is entrusted with the responsibility of meeting one particular need of the society – to produce responsible and productive citizens. From one perspective, this functionalist role of the educational system may explain the function of education in America. This is because one of the purposes of the current NCLB or No Child Left Behind Act is to produce highly skilled citizens, who will be competitive in the global market (U.  S. Department of Education, 2004). Another perspective of functionalist that can describe the changes in the educational system in America is the concept of equilibrium. For example, the American society realizes that it needed to have better teachers and better students. The educational system responds by establishing standards and a more extensive evaluation procedure for school performance. Unfortunately, these two perspectives seem to be the only obvious connection between functionalism and education in a modern American society. Functionalism and realism. In the same manner, the aims of functionalist education doe not agree with the educational aims of realism, which is to produce perfection in an individual. Despite this difference in stated goals, functionalism and realism indirectly agree on some aspects of pedagogical methodology, such as the use of positive rewards. Functionalists espouse negative consequences for misbehavior while realists applaud positive rewards for admirable behavior (Merton, 1968). What is Marxism? Marxism is essentially a critical theory, which means that it seeks to reveal the negative and detrimental characteristics of an existing system. In this case, Marxism critiques capitalism. The major criticism is the way capitalist societies prey on the people who are stricken by poverty or possess vulnerabilities (Kellner, 1989). For example, capitalists praise the industrial revolution, which brought about rapid economic progress. The Marxists reveal the other side of industrial revolution that is unpleasant, which is the exploitation of children. Children, who may be as young as three years old, are allowed to work in factories (Cody, 2002). Strengths and weaknesses. In the field of education, the major strength of Marxism is the emphasis on teaching methods that encourage critical thinking. Marxists teacher engage in teaching approaches that develop collaboration and independence. Marxists teachers are critical of methods that only demand emulation and passive listening. Thus, some of the preferred methods of the Marxist approach to education are hands-on activities, cooperative learning, and constructivist methods (Kellner, 1989). However the social theory developed by Karl Marx often deludes clear understanding among philosophers, psychologists, and educators. This is because the terms used by Marxists are interpreted in a different way by the largely dominant capitalist society. And here lies the major weakness of Marxism. It cannot be completely understood and its tenets are viewed negatively by the society. Marxism and education in an American society. Politically, the American society is primarily against Marxism. It might be because America is a capitalist country or because Marxism is vaguely understood. In the area of education, however, the aim of Marxism to have students who are capable of thinking independently and critically agrees with the aim of many American teachers. There is a campaign towards the creation of questions that encourage critical and creative thinking. There is also an emphasis towards the creation of activities that encourage collaboration. But, the other Marxist educational aim, which is to produce individuals who will lead radical changes in the society, does not agree with the function of education in the modern American society. The American society may welcome critical-thinking individuals but these individuals must conform to well-established norms. Marxism and realism. Some aspects of Marxism agree with realism – especially about the view on knowledge. One of the pillars of realism, Francis Bacon, cautioned people to be aware of factors that prevent the acquisition of truth, such as limited experience, popularity, religion, and prejudice. Being cautious about these conditions equates to thinking critically. Another tenet of realism, which is espoused by Russell, states that education must lead towards the solutions of the ills that the society has. This can be translated into the radical changes that Marxists wanted. Unfortunately, Marxism is too radical for many realists and these two schools of thoughts are difficult to merge (Grabb, 1990). What is interpretivism? Interpretivism is one of the lesser-known social theories that emphasize the convergence of truth and perception. That is, the truth is similar to what is perceived. Since there might be different perceptions among individuals, these individuals must agree to one level of perception that is unanimously accepted. Once accepted, the common perception becomes a reality. Essentially, the reality that interpretivists create is based on the perceptions of the individuals. Due to this nature of reality, interpretivism can be perceived as a process rather than a theory. That is, in the field of social research, a society’s reality is obtained through interpretivism. And in the field of law, individuals must agree upon the interpretation of practices, statutes, and legal duties (Brink, 2001). These individuals, therefore, must have another basis for their agreement on interpretations. The basis is the set of norms and values of the society. Stated in this way, interpretivism can be deemed similar to functionalism, in which individuals or the parts of the society must conform to norms. And with regards to norms, both interpretivism and functionalism are opposed to Marxism. Strengths and weaknesses. In the field of education, the major strength of interpretivism is that it attempts to develop creativity in the learners, teachers, and education researchers. An object does not remain a simple object but takes on other forms. For example, a chair is no longer a simple chair but a place of rest, a symbol of sentimental moments, or a private corner. All these and more can be the forms of the chair. In this manner, the students not only develop creativity but a degree of open mindedness that will be useful in a global community (Vrasidas, 2001). Unfortunately, interpretivism lacks the structure that many educators wanted. This lack of structure is probably due to the history of interpretivism – which is a critical theory of positivism. Thus, Marxism and interpretivism have one thing in common – both are critical theories that offer a contradiction to an existing and dominant theory. Interpretivism and education in an American society. In the modern American society, interpretivism has been limited to the area of research. Due to this, it cannot be reliably utilized to explain the function of education in the American society. Except for the goal of producing creative thinkers, the interpretivists do not offer much detail or position regarding the teaching and learning processes. At the same time, there are tenets of interpretivism that contradicts the present educational system. For example, Interpretivists, due to their interpretation of reality, may not agree to the presence of standards and curriculum. They may also want to change the predominant methods of evaluation. Interpretivism and realism. The concept of reality between interpretivism and realism are conflicting. The reality of interpretivism is based on the perceptions of people whereas the reality of realism exists even without the presence of any person who can perceive such reality. Due to the opposing nature of reality, there would also be opposing perceptions about the nature of knowledge, which leads to differences in curriculum (Shinn, 2004). What is post-modernism? Similar to Marxism and interpretivism, post-modernism rose at the heels of a dominant existing theory. In this case, that theory was modernism. But, unlike the two previously described social theories, post-modernism adopts many of the tenets of modernism, which are futuristic in nature. Both modernism and post-modernism see a world that is not categorized by labels but fused. For example, in literature, there are no genres that separate poems and stories. But, there is no existing and recognized unity because both modernists and post-modernist realize the fragmented nature of the world. The difference between modernism and post-modernism is the attitude that the proponents and followers have towards this fragmentation and ambiguity. The modernists are saddened by it while the post-modernist embrace it. For example, post-modernist artists display their delight and fascination with chaos and disorganization (Heartfield, 2002). Strengths and weaknesses. In the field of education, the major strength of post-modernism is its ability to embrace and utilize the rapidly changing, chip-driven world. The teachers who are influenced by post-modernism will have the needed flexibility and adaptability to maintain and create direction for the students. For example, the meteoric rise of computers and other electronic gadgets might drag a teacher from his comfort zone and make him less effective. The post-modernist teacher would embrace the changes and will become computer savvy, along with his students. However, the post-modernist approach to education might endanger other aspects of the teaching and learning process. This is because the learning process needed structure and order – a concept that is not respected by post-modernist (Klages, 2007). Post-modernism and education in an American society. The theory of post-modernism might be used to explain the function of education in a modern American society, which is to help the learners adapt to their changing world. Obviously, the world perceived by the learner will change constantly and continuously. But, many of the educators and policy-makers in the American society will have second thoughts regarding this eager attitude towards change. Embracing the change might not be the best action to take. However, post-modernism wanted the students to think less of subject but more of purpose (Sarup, 1993). For example, the student must first determine his reasons why he must get a college degree. In this manner, post-modernism is aligned with the other social theories. However, post-modernism, at this moment, could not be utilized to fully explain the function of education in American society. Post-modernism and realism. Post-modernism, in the field of education, is not compatible with realism. This is because realism values the influence of science whereas post-modernism shins the importance of science. However, post-modernism embraces technological advances. These technological advances will not be possible without science. This attitude might lead to some compromise with the attitude of realists towards science. Realists believe that science will influence philosophies and post-modernists recognize the influence of changes. The function of education in the contemporary American society cannot be described fully by using only one social theory. A composite of these social theories must be used because the present American society has an eclectic view of the function of education.

Evaluating Two Middle Range Theories Nursing Essay

Evaluating Two Middle Range Theories Nursing Essay The purpose of this paper is to evaluate two middle range theories abilities to test the concept of comfort for the practice question Do neonatal nurses who care for dying infants who attend an end of life care educational training program compared to neonatal nurses who do not attend the program experience a difference in comfort levels (Comfort Level for Caring for Dying Infants (CLCDI)) when caring for a dying infant? A summary of two middle range theories the Comfort Theory (Kolcaba, 1994) and the Theory of Self-Efficacy (Resnick, xxxx) will be summarized and then critiqued using Smith and Liehrs (xxxx) Framework for Evaluating Middle Range Theory. The discussion will conclude with a summary of strengths and weakness of the theories and a research hypothesis to reflect that reflects the most appropriate theories conceptual definitions and propositions. Introduction Background Despite nurses as frontline caregivers for dying patients and their families many nurses have identified that they struggle with the responding adequately to the emotional devastation to parents and siblings when caring for a neonate with an unresolved terminal condition (Frommet, 1991). With the advances in neonatal care and life sustaining treatments, sick and very preterm infants do not often die in utero, at birth, or shortly after birth, but instead they often live much longer in a healthcare paradigm of comfort care and dignified death. This relatively new emersion of the end of life model integrates a more holistic approach which considers a more comprehensive view of the patients needs (emotional, spiritual, and medical) (Mallory, 2002; Mallory, 2003; WHO, 2002). With this paradigm shift, health care professionals are obligated to assess the adequacy of their own knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about death and dying. Multiple studies regarding nurses preparation for dealing with death and dying have consistently found that nurses that nurses do not feel educationally prepared to care for dying patients and insist that healthcare professionals should receive additional education on end of life care to bridge the deficit gap (Frommet, 1991; Robinson, 2004; White, Coyne, Patel, 2001; Beckstrand, Callister, Kirchhoff, 2006). These findings have led to a further observation that nurses caring for these complex patients regularly experience moral distress from competing principles of their personal, collegial, organizational, and religious/spiritual ethics (Frommet, 1991). Practice Problem To help ease this moral distress an evidence based end-of -life educational training program for NICU nurses has been successfully implemented in several neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to increase the nurses comfort level of caring for neonates and their families at the end of life (Bagbi, Rogers, Gomez, McMahon, 2008). To determine if an evidence based end of life educational program impacts nurses comfort levels in caring for dying infants and their families a question was developed using the population (P) intervention (I) compared to (C) outcome (O) format (Newhouse, Dearhold, 1997). The following discussion will focus on this PICO question Do neonatal nurses who care for dying infants who attend an end of life care educational training program compared to neonatal nurses who do not attend the program experience a difference in comfort levels (Comfort Level for Caring for Dying Infants (CLCDI)) when caring for a dying infant? During the intervention a monthly 1 hour, neo natal end of life education program will be conducted over a 6 month period of time based on research about what nurses would like to know about caring for a dying infant (Robinson, 2004). For the purpose of this problem, comfort is defined as the ability of the NICU nurse(s) to show adequate knowledge and skills in providing neonatal end of life care for dying babies and their families. For this problem comfort will be measured as a score on the ordinal scale of Comfort Level Caring for Dying Infants (CLCDI). The instrument consisting of 15 items, measured on a 5 point Likert type scale equates scores of 1=never; 2=rarely; 3=sometimes; 4=often, 5=always measures the level of comfort a NICU nurse has caring for dying infants as opposed to their perception toward pediatric or neonatal end of life care (Bagbi, Rogers, Gomez, and McMahon, 2008). In evaluating the score, the higher the reported score the greater level of comfort NICU nurses have in caring for dying babies. Testing the Concept of Comfort A portion of Kolbacas (1991) Theory of Comfort and Resnicks (2008) Theory of Self-Efficacy, two middle range theories, will be used to test the concept of comfort for providing an organizing structure. Based on previous studies about nurses comfort when caring for patients, propositions five and six of Kolbacas Theory of Comfort seem to be a promising fit for this problem (Kolbaca, 1991, Kolbaca, XXX). These propositions collectively propose that patients, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team agree upon desirable and realistic health seeking behaviors (HSBs) and if enhanced comfort is achieved, patients, family members, and/or nurses are strengthened to engage in HSBs, comfort is further enhanced (Kolbaca, 1991). However, comfort as defined conceptually in this case as knowledge and skill can alternatively be equated with a sense of competence or self-efficacy of the NICU nurse to care for a dying infant and their family. There are many examples in the nursing literature linking self-efficacy to knowledge and skill (xxxx, xxxxx).) Self-efficacy, knowledge, and skills are also central to Banduras theory, which is the basis for Resnicks (xxxx) Self-Efficacy theory. Self-efficacy as described in Resnicks (xxxx) Theory of Self-Efficacy for this context is described as the judgment about the nurses ability to organize and execute a course of action required to attain designated types of performances. The theory states that perceived self-efficacy, defined as the individuals judgment of his or her capabilities to organize and execute courses of action, is a determinant of performance (Resnick, xxxx). Self-efficacy beliefs provide the foundation for human motivation, well-being, and personal accomplishment (Resnick, xxxx). According to Resnick (XXXX) theory individuals with higher levels of self-efficacy for a specific behavior (caring for a dying infant) are more likely to attempt that behavior. There are many examples in the literature using the Theory o f Self-Efficacy to support nursing education interventions (xxxxx, xxxxx). For these reasons, Resnicks Theory of Self-Efficacy (xxx) will be used to test the concept of nurses comfort or knowledge and skill (self-efficacy) in caring for dying infants and their families. The purpose of the following discussion is to summarize, describe, analyze, and evaluate these theories using the Framework for the Evaluation of Middle Range Theories (Smith, 2008) and conclude with a synthesis and research hypothesis to reflect conceptual definitions and propositions of the theory with the best fit. Theory Summaries: Comfort and Self-Efficacy Kolcabas Comfort Theory The Comfort Theory is a humanistic, holistic, patient need based nursing derived middle range theory (Kolbaca, xxxx). The concept of comfort has had a historic and consistent presence in nursing. In the early 1900s , comfort was considered to be a goal for both nursing and medicine, as it was believed that comfort led to recovery (McIlveen Morse, 1995). Over time comfort has become an increasingly minor focus, at times reserved only for those patients for whom no further medical treatment options are available (McIlveen Morse, 1995). The term comfort is used as a noun (comforter), adjective (comforting), verb (to comfort), or adverb (comfort the patient) (xxx). It is also used as a negative (absence of discomfort), neutral (ease), or positive (hope inspiring). Webster (1990) defines comfort as relief from distress; to soothe in sorrow or distress; a person or thing that comforts; a state of ease and quiet enjoyment free from worry; anything that makes life easy; and the lessening of misery or grief by calming or inspiring with hope. The origin of comfort is confortrare which means to strengthen greatly(Kolcaba, 1992). Based on the diversity of these terms comfort is a complex term. Kolcabas (1991) concept analysis of comfort helped to clarify the role of comfort as a holistic concept for nursing. This review confirmed that comfort is a positive concept and is associated with activities that nurture and strengthen patients (David, 2002). Over a period of years and revisions Kolcaba (1994) developed the comfort the ory which continues to evolve and change with changes as recent as 2007 (Figure 2). Kolcaba (1994, 2001, 2003) has defined comfort as the immediate state of being strengthened through having the human needs for relief, ease, and transcendence addressed in four contexts of experience (physical, psychospiritual, sociocultural, and environmental). The terms relief, ease, and transcendence are types of comfort that occur physically and mentally (Figure 2). The terms are defined based on definitions from medicine, theology, ergonomics, psychology, and nursing (Kolcaba Kolcaba, 1991). Relief is the state of having a discomfort mitigated or alleviated. Ease is the absence of specific discomforts. Transcendence is the ability to rise above discomforts when they cannot be eradicated or avoided (e.g., the child feels confident about ambulation although (s)he knows it will exacerbate pain). Transcendence, as a type of comfort, accounts for its strengthening property and reminds nurses to never give up helping their children and family members feel comforted. Interventions for increasing transcendence can be targeted to improving the environment, increasing social support, or providing reassurance. The three types of comfort occur in four contexts of experience: physical, psychospiritual, sociocultural, and environmental. These contexts were derived from an extensive review of the nursing literature on holism (Kolcaba, 1992). When the three types of comfort are juxtaposed with the four contexts of experience, a 12-cell grid is created, which is called a taxonomic structure (TS) (Figure 1) . Taken together, these cells represent all relevant aspects (defining attributes) of comfort for nursing and demonstrate the holistic nature of comfort as an important goal of care. All comfort needs can be placed somewhere on the taxonomic structure, and the cells are not mutually exclusive. A sample pediatric case study using the TS as a guide for a holistic comfort assessment is demonstrated below (see Figure 1). The concepts for the middle range for Comfort Theory include comfort needs, comfort interventions, intervening variables, enhanced comfort, health-seeking behaviors, and institutional integrity (Kolcaba, 1994). All of these concepts are relative to patients, families, and nurses (Kolcaba, 2003; Kolcaba, Tilton, Drouin, 2006). There are eight propositions which link the above concepts together. All or parts of the Comfort Theory can be tested for research (Peterson Bredow, 2010). In the comfort theory, Kolcaba asserts that when healthcare needs of a patient are appropriately assessed and proper nursing interventions carried out to address those needs, taking into account variables intervening in the situation, the outcome is enhanced patient comfort over time (Kolcaba, 2007). Once comfort is enhanced, the patient is likely to increase health-seeking behaviors. These behaviors may be internal to the patient (eg, wound healing or improved oxygenation), external to the patient (eg, active participation in rehabilitation exercises), or a peaceful death. Furthermore, Kolcaba asserted that when a patient experiences health-seeking behaviors, the integrity of the institution is subsequently increased because the increase in health-seeking behaviors will result in improved outcomes. Increased institutional integrity lends itself to the development and implementation of best practices and best policies secondary to the positive outcomes experienced by patients (Kolcab a, 2007). To translate the concepts to practice the effectiveness of a holistic intervention can be targeted to the taxonomic structure for enhancing comfort in a specific patient, family, or nurse population over time. Holistic comfort is defined as the immediate experience of being strengthened through having the needs for relief, ease, and transcendence met in four contexts of experience (physical, psychospiritual, social, and environmental).The comfort theory has been operationalized in many research settings with a variety of patient and target populations ranging from end of life care to the comfort of nurses (xxxx). Resnick Theory of Self-Efficacy Self efficacy is described as a way to organize an individuals judgment of his or her capability to execute a course of action. The Theory of Self-efficacy states that self-efficacy expectations and outcome expectations are not only influenced by behavior, but also verbal encouragement, reflective thinking, physiological sensations and role or self-modeling (Bandura, 1995).. Through self evaluation an individual judges their capability to perform and established self expectations which is visually depicted in the conceptual model (Appendix 2) (Resnick, 2008). Resnicks Theory of Self Efficacy is based on Banduras social cognitive theory and conceptualizes person-behavior-environment as triadic reciprocity the foundation for reciprocal determinism (Bandura, 1977, 1986). Most of the research into self-efficacy beliefs among older adults has been quantitative and has consistently supported the influence of those beliefs on behavior. However, it has not been established how efficacy beliefs actually influence motivation in older adults, or what sources of efficacy-enhancing information help strengthen those beliefs. Kolcabas Comfort Theory: Description, Analysis, and Evaluation Theory Description Historical context. The Comfort Theory is a humanistic, holistic, patient need based nursing derived middle range theory (Kolbaca, xxxx). The concept of comfort has had a historic and consistent presence in nursing. In the early 1900s , comfort was considered to be a goal for both nursing and medicine, as it was believed that comfort led to recovery (McIlveen Morse, 1995). Over time comfort has become an increasingly minor focus, at times reserved only for those patients for whom no further medical treatment options are available (McIlveen Morse, 1995). The term comfort is used as a noun (comforter), adjective (comforting), verb (to comfort), or adverb (comfort the patient) (xxx). It is also used as a negative (absence of discomfort), neutral (ease), or positive (hope inspiring). Webster (1990) defines comfort as relief from distress; to soothe in sorrow or distress; a person or thing that comforts; a state of ease and quiet enjoyment free from worry; anything that makes life easy; and the lessening of misery or grief by calming or inspiring with hope. The origin of comfort is confortrare which means to strengthen greatly(Kolcaba, 1992). Based on the diversity of these terms comfort is a complex term. Kolcabas (1991) concept analysis of comfort helped to clarify the role of comfort as a holistic concept for nursing. This review confirmed that comfort is a positive concept and is associated with activities that nurture and strengthen patients (David, 2002). Over a period of years and revisions Kolcaba (1994) developed the comfort the ory which continues to evolve and change with changes as recent as 2007 (Figure 2). Structural Components. Assumptions. Kolcabas Theory of Comfort (1994) makes four basic assumptions about reality. She assumes that humans beings have holistic responses to complex stimuli; comfort is a desirable holistic state that is germane to the discipline of nursing; human beings actively strive to meet, or to have met, their basic comfort needs, and that comfort is more than the absence of pain, anxiety, and other physical discomforts (Kolcaba , 2009). Concepts. Kolcaba defines six concepts of comfort which are relative to patients, families, and nurses (Table 1) . The term family, as defined by Kolcaba (2003) encompasses significant others as determined by the patient (Kolcaba, 2003; Kolcaba, Tilton Drouin, 2006). The first concept is of comfort needs which is the relief/ease/transcendence in physical, psychospiritual, sociocultural and environmental contexts of human experience. Comfort interventions in the model are defined as interventions of the health care team specifically targeting comfort of the patient, family and nurses. Intervening variables are positive or negative factors over which the health care team has little control, including physical limitations of the hospital or patients home, cultural influences, socioeconomic factors, prognosis, concurrent medical or psychological conditions. Health-seeking behaviors are those behaviors of patient, family or nurses (conscious or unconscious) which promote well-being; may b e internal, external or towards promoting a peaceful death. The final concept, institutional integrity, added in most recently, are values, financial stability and wholeness of health care facilities at the local state or national levels. Propositions. To help test the concept of nurses comfort caring for dying infants, propositions five and six of Kolcabas comfort theory are examined. These propositions state that patients, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team agree upon desirable and realistic health seeking behaviors (HSBs) (five) and if enhanced comfort is achieved, patients, family members, and/or nurses are strengthened to engage in HSBs, which further enhances comfort (six). These propositions provide rationale for why nurses and other health care professionals should focus on the patient, family, or in this case the nurses comfort beyond altruistic reasons. Because health seeking behaviors include internal and external behaviors almost any health-related outcome important in a healthcare setting can be classified as a health seeking behavior (Peterson Bredow, 2010). The desirable and realistic health seeking behavior (HSB) for this study is nurses comfort (knowledge and skills) to relieve moral di stress in caring for a dying infant and their family. Several studies support that moral and other types of distress are frequently observed in nurses who care for dying infants (Frommet, 1991) and most importantly indicate that nurses are seeking education regarding patient end of life issues (XXXXX). It is believed that reducing this distress and frustration can be affected through an effective end of life educational programs and is likely to improve the knowledge and skills nurses need to help increase their comfort level in caring for dying infants (xxxxx). Functional Components. Visualizing the concepts in the conceptual model, the Theory Analysis and Evaluation To analyze and evaluate Kolcabas Comfort Theory (1994) the substantive foundation, structural integrity, and functional adequacy of the theory using Smith and Liehrs (2008) Framework for the Evaluation of Middle Range Theories is discussed below (Appendix 1). Substantive foundations. Assessing the substantive foundation of a middle range theory is based on four criteria (Smith, 2003). The first criterion evaluates whether the theory is within the focus of the discipline of nursing. Kolcabas comfort theory successfully addresses four concepts comprising the metaparadigm of nursing, defining the concepts as they correspond to the theory (Dowd, 2002; Kolbaca, 2007) as well as presents a diagram of how the Comfort Theory relates theoretically to other nursing concepts (Figure 2) (Kolcaba, 1994) . Nursing is described as the process of assessing the patients comfort needs, developing and implementing appropriate nursing interventions, and evaluating patient comfort following nursing interventions. Person is described as the recipient of nursing care; the patient may be an individual, family, institution, or community. Environment is considered to be the external surroundings of the patient and can be manipulated to increase patient comfort. Fi nally, health is viewed as the optimum functioning of the patient as they define it. The ability of the framework to suggest interventions that help guide nursing interventions to increase comfort supports the discipline of nursing, and in doing so meeting the first criteria. The second criterion evaluates whether the assumptions are specified and congruent with the focus. The four assumptions in the Comfort Theory are explicitly stated and so meet the second criteria. Comfort theory (xxxx) assumes that humans beings have holistic responses to complex stimuli; comfort is a desirable holistic state that is germane to the discipline of nursing; human beings actively strive to meet, or to have met, their basic comfort needs, and that comfort is more than the absence of pain, anxiety, and other physical discomforts (Kolcaba , 2009). Because the Comfort Theory (XXXX) substantially describes the concept of comfort at the middle range level of discourse, the third criterion of the substantive foundation is met. Kolcabas (1991) concept analysis of comfort helped to clarify the role of comfort as a holistic concept for nursing. This review confirmed that comfort is a positive concept and is associated with activities that nurture and strengthen patients (David, 2002). The Comfort Theory provides an excellent description, explanation, and interpretation of the comfort concept in multiple domains and practice settings. Comfort theory is at the middle range level in that is defined in a measurable way and can be operationalized in both research and practice settings. The final criterion for this category evaluates if the origins are rooted in practice and research experience. The Comfort Theory has been used in numerous practice and research settings to provide a framework where patients have comfort needs and enhancing their comfort is valued. It has also been used to enhance working environments, especially for nurses, and most recently as a framework for working toward national institutional recognitions. More specifically parts are all of the theory have been used to test the effectiveness of holistic interventions for increasing comfort (xxxxxxx), to demonstrate the correlation between comfort and subsequent HSBs (xxxxx) and to relate HSBs to desirable institutional outcomes. It has also been used as a framework for helping families make difficult decisions about end of life (xxxxx). International and national healthcare institutions have also used Comfort Theory to enhance the work environment for nurses (xxxx). In these cases, nurses comfo rt is of interest and is theoretically related to the integrity of the institution. Summarize specific studies and tools used here. Structural integrity. There are four criterion for evaluating structural integrity. The first criterion is that the concepts are well defined. The concepts (defined above) of comfort needs, comfort interventions, intervening variables, enhanced comfort, health-seeking behaviors, and institutional integrity are clearly defined and easy to understand. There are numerous examples of applying the concepts in the literature for further clarification (xxxxx). The second criterion of structural integrity is that concepts within the theory are at the middle range level of abstraction. The concepts of the Comfort Theory-comfort needs, comfort interventions, intervening variables, enhanced comfort, health seeking behaviors, and institutional integrity are near the same level on the ladder of abstraction at the middle range level. They are more concrete because they can and have been operationalized and measured (xxxxx). The third criterion of structural integrity is that there are no more concepts than needed to explain the phenomena. Overall, the concepts adequately explain the phenomena of comfort. The theory is synthesized and organized in a simple manner. Lastly, the fourth criterion evaluates whether the concepts and relationships among the concepts are logically presented with a model. In the Comfort Theory (1994) model the ideas are integrated to create an understanding of the whole phenomenon of comfort in a model. The Comfort Theory (1994) model is a great example of presenting the concepts and statements in a linear logical order so the appreciation of the theory can be recognized (Smith, 2003). Functional adequacy. Because the criterion for functional adequacy overlap somewhat the five criterion will be discussed collectively. The five criterion include: theory can be applied to a variety of practice environments and clients; empirical indicators have been identified; published examples exist of research and theory in practice; and that the theory has evolved through scholarly inquiry. The Comfort Theory easily meets all of these criterions. For example, the Comfort Theory has been used widely in a variety of research in practice settings and patient and family populations. Even though the Comfort Theory has been used most widely with patients and families at the end of life and surrounding holistic palliative care nursing interventions, there has been a broad application of the theory in other populations as well including mothers in labor (xxxx), Alzheimer patients (xxxx), pediatric intensive care unit patients and families (xxxx), patients on bedrest (xxxx), those underg oing radiation therapy (xxxx) and for infants comfort and pain (xxxx). Most recently research of using the theory in practice has expanded to support institutional nursing recognition and comfort in the nursing working environment. In each of the populations mentioned above a psychometric comfort instrument has been developed as empirical indicators of concepts in the theory. However, the empirical indicators extend beyond empiricism and some include perceptions, self reports, observable behaviors and biological indicators (Ford-Gibloe, Campbell, Berman, 1995; Reed, 1995). The Comfort Theory (1994) has also been revised with the latest revision in 2007. The empirical adequacy of the Comfort Theory is evidence of the maturity of this theory (Smith, 2003). Summary The Comfort Theory (1994) is a well defined and well tested theory. Its strength lies in the versatility, adaptability, and testability of the concepts. The comfort theory clearly defines the concepts in the theory and the relationship between them. Because the comfort theory meets most of the substantitive foundations, structural integrity, and functional adequacy criteria the Comfort Theory (1994) is a strong middle range theory. An area that could increase the generalizability especially for nursing institutions is a change in the term in the model of nursing interventions to comfort interventions (xxxxx). Resnicks Self-Efficacy Theory: Description, Analysis, and Evaluation Theory Description Historical context. Resnicks Theory of Self Efficacy is based on Banduras social cognitive theory and conceptualizes person-behavior-environment as triadic reciprocity the foundation for reciprocal determinism (Bandura, 1977, 1986). The cognitive appraisal of these factors results in a perception of a level of confidence in the individuals ability to perform a certain behavior. The positive performance of this behavior reinforces self-efficacy expectations (Bandura, 1995). Structural Components. Although it is not explicitly stated, the core of this theory assumes that people can consciously change and develop or control their behavior. This is important to the proposition that self-efficacy also can be changed or enhanced through reflective thought, general knowledge, skills to perform a specific behavior, and self influence. This perspective is rooted in the model of triadic reciprocality (foundation for reciprocal determinism) in which personal determinants (self-efficacy), environmental conditions (treatment conditions) and action (practice) are mutually interactive influences. Therefore, improving performance depends on changing some of these influences (Bandura, 1977). In order to determine self-efficacy an individual must have the opportunity for self evaluation to evaluate how likely it is he or she can achieve a given level of performance. Concepts. The two major components of self efficacy include self-efficacy expectations and outcome expectations (Table 2). Self-efficacy expectations are judgments about the personal ability to accomplish a given task. Outcome expectations are judgments about what will happen if a given task is accomplished. These two components are differentiated because individuals can believe a certain behavior will result in a specific outcome, however, they may not believe they are capable of performing the behavior required for the outcome to occur (Bandura 1977, 1986). For example, a NICU nurse may believe attending an end of life education series will increase his/her knowledge and skill and ease moral distress, but may not believe that they could provide sensitive care for some ethical, religious, or moral reason. It is generally anticipated, but not always realistic that self-efficacy will have a positive impact on behavior. There are times when self-efficacy will have no or a negative impa ct on performance (Vancouver, Thomspon, Williams, 2001). Bandura (1977, 1986, 1997) suggests that outcome expectations are based largely on the individuals self-efficacy expectations, which generally depend on their judgment about how well they can perform the behavior; can be disassociated with self-efficacy expectations; and are partially separable from self-efficacy judgments when extrinsic outcomes are fixed. Because the outcomes an individual expects are the results of the judgments about what he or she can accomplish, they are unlikely to contribute to predictions of behavior (Bandura, 1977). Judgments about ones self-efficacy is based on four informational sources including enactive attainment, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion and physiological state. The first source, enactive attainment, or the actual performance of a behavior has been described as the most influential source of self-efficacy information (Bandura, 1986,; Bandura Adams, 1977). There has been repeated empirical evidence that actually performing an activity strengthens self-efficacy beliefs due to informational sources (Bandura, 1995). The second source, vicarious experience or visualizing other similar people perform a behavior, also influence self-efficacy (Bandura, Adams, Hardy, Howells, 1980). Conditions that impact vicarious experience include amount of exposure or experience to the behavior (least experience causes greater impact) and amount of instruction given (influence of others is greater with unclear guidelines) (Resnick Galik, 2006). Another source verbal persuasion or exhortation i nvolves telling an individual he or she has the capabilities to master the given behavior. Verbal encouragement from a trusted, credible source in counseling or education form has been used alone to strengthen efficacy expectations (Castro, King, Brassington, 2001; Hitunen et al. 2005; Moore et al., 2006; Resnick, Simpson, et al., 2006). The final information source physiological feedback or state during a behavior can be important in relation to coping with stressors, health functioning, and physical accomplishments. Interventions can be used to alter the interpretation of physiological feedback and help individuals cope with physical sensations, enhancing self efficacy and resulting in improved performance (Bandura Adams, 1977). Propositions. To help test the concept of nurses comfort caring for dying infants,

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - The Parson :: Parson Essays

The Parson: What He Said and Why The Canterbury Tales offer many characters whose vocation does not match his or her tale. This often provides humor and provokes much thought. Yet Chaucer makes the parson match his tale. This provokes a more serious train of thought. Thus Chaucer shows forth his brilliance in his versatility of subject matter. The first thing one should notice in the Parson's tale is that the Parson refuses to tell a fable. In lines 30-36, the Parson gives his reasoning for a straightforward prose. He will not tell a story mixed with chaff and wheat. Rather, he chooses to tell a tale in nonfiction prose so all can understand with clarity. His object is not so much to tell an impressive story but to show forth what he deems important. Second, he speaks in a respectable medieval manner by calling upon authorities. Whereas the wife of Bath says she will not reference authorities, he does so unashamedly. He references the Biblical figures Matthew, Jeremiah, Solomon, David, Jesus, Job, Hezekiah, Ezekiel, Peter, Jeremiah, Moses, Isaiah, Micah, John, Joseph, Paul, Zechariah, and Luke. In addition he refers to scholars and saints such as Ambrose, Isidore, Gregory, Augustine, Chrysostom, Bernard, Seneca, Basil, Damasus, and Galen. As Augustine has been the most influential person in Church history, Augustine is the most quoted authority he uses. Moreover, he includes a lengthy discussion on mortal and venial sins. He exemplifies many ways one may fall into one of the seven deadly sins. Such offenses include birth control as murder and nocturnal emission as adultery. He also gives guidelines how to prevent those sins. He offers hope to the penitent by setting forth the prescribed method of reconciliation ordained by Holy Church.

Urban Legend of Glenn Dale Hospital :: Ghost Stories Urban Legends

Glenn Dale Hospital Background Over the recent break, I mentioned to a friend that I needed to write about a ghost-related urban legend. He offered to tell me about Glenn Dale Hospital, which is supposedly a famous ghost legend in Maryland. Since I am a lifelong Maryland resident and did not know about the hospital, I was eager to hear the story. The story was told in the living room of a house by a 19 year old white male native to southern Maryland. He is from a middle class family and his father and mother are a construction worker and a homemaker, respectively. He heard the story from another friend who claims to have visited Glenn Dale Hospital. The Story So, in the 30s and 40s they used to send tuberculosis patients to the [Glenn Dale] hospital for treatment. [normal relaxed tone] Eventually it was converted into an insane asylum and it became notorious for its treatment of patients. The staff experimented on the patients and locked them up all day. One day, all the patients revolted and the doctors ran out of the hospital and boarded up all the doors and windows. [talking faster] The patients were left inside to die and the hospital was abandoned. The insane still wander the halls. Today, if you sneak in the hospital you will be chased by the ghosts of the patients and catch tuberculosis. My friend went there and swears he saw a ghost watching him from the shadows, and he won’t go near that place anymore [gestures with hand in horizontal motion]. The cops arrest anyone they catch trespassing, but they say the cops won’t go in the hospital after you if you need help.† Context There is evidence to support some of this story. According to a Washington Post article from December 10, 2006, Glenn Dale Hospital does exist on over 200 acres in Prince George’s County, Maryland. In fact, it did house tuberculosis patients starting in the mid-thirties. However, that is essentially all the truth in the story. The article states, â€Å"It [Glen Dale Hospital] was never an insane asylum, as urban explorers and paranormal researchers suggest on the internet.† Since it was never an asylum, the idea of a revolt and the insane wandering the halls must not be true. Since tuberculosis does not last for decades without human hosts, it is impossible to catch the disease just by exploring the hospital.

Drink Raw Milk

Drink Raw Milk Having spent the majority of my life on a dairy farm, I have had the privilege of enjoying fresh, clean, delicious raw milk. There is nothing like it! I would be willing to wager that very few have ever experienced the enjoyment of sipping a tall, ice-cold, creamy â€Å"straight from the farm† glass of milk. There is nothing in the world that compares with the overall taste, the nutritional content, and the health benefits found in raw milk. Raw milk should be an option for everyone to consume. There are warnings and new research advising consumers to avoid raw milk and raw milk products. Indeed, I was surprised to read Nelson (2010) that, â€Å"Raw milk stands alone as the only food that has ever been outlawed, and its advocates point out that it took a constitutional amendment to ban alcohol,† (p. 3). Nonetheless, the movement seems to be gaining in popularity. The Oake Knoll Ayrshire farm in Foxborough, Massachusetts owned by the Lawton family is a perfect example of the momentum that the raw milk movement has gained. â€Å"Lawton figures that she has 200 weekly customers, versus just a handful two years ago,† (Gumpert, 2008). With the â€Å"organic† fresh products movement and the increased accessibility to farmer’s markets, consumers have become more aware of these alternatives. According to the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a foundation that stands strongly behind the raw milk movement, an estimated half a million Americans or more are consuming raw milk. There are many issues surrounding the raw milk versus pasteurized milk debate, but at this time I want to focus on the issue of choice. The taste of raw milk is the first thing I think of every time I drink pasteurized milk. There are drastic differences in taste, sweetness, and texture. Raw milk is mild, creamy, and even sweeter than pasteurized milk. â€Å"Fresh milk has a delicate flavour contributed by compounds of low molecular weight in trace amounts. Heat treatment affects the flavour of milk and produces detectable off-flavours,† (Aboshama, 1977). Many raw milk consumers testify that one of the main reasons they drink raw milk is for the flavor and creamy texture. In a New York Times article, several raw milk drinkers’ sentiments are voiced about the taste of raw milk: â€Å"richness and density,† â€Å"complexity of flavor,† and â€Å"we trust the traditional food chain [flavor] more,† (Drape, 2007). The best tasting milk is going to come from cows that are pasture-fed. There is a direct relationship between what the animal eats and the taste and nutritional value of the milk. â€Å"Products from pasture-raised animals are healthier [tastier] for you to eat than those from grain-fed animals for many reasons. Animals get more readily available nutrients from fresh pasture plants than from grains, so their products contain more vitamin E, beta carotene, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 fatty acids,† (Schivera, 2003). This pasture-fed cow’s milk is the high quality raw milk that so many people are seeking out and defending. This high standard of milk resembles that of which most Americans once lived on, when either everyone owned a cow or knew someone who did. Research done by Levieux (1980) explains that two types of protein exist in milk; they are casein and whey. Unlike casein, whey protein is deconstructed during pasteurization (p. 93). These proteins play an important role in the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Colman, Hettiararchychy, and Herbert (1981) reported that many vitamins and minerals are attracted to these proteins and potentially bind to them. This bond can facilitate their absorption by the digestive system. Pasteurization destroys the ability of certain proteins in milk to bind the important vitamin folate and hence help its absorption (p. 1426). The components of raw milk that are thought to be most affected by the pasteurization process are the water soluble vitamins and the proteins. According to research completed by Rolls (1973), there is approximately a 10% loss of vitamins BI, B6, B12 and folate and a 25% loss of vitamin C (p. 10). Ultimately, raw milk provides the consumer with more available vitamins and minerals than pasteurized milk. The following chart compares the nutritional values of raw milk and pasteurized milk and clearly shows raw milk offers far more benefits than pasteurized milk. NUTRITIVE VALUE OF RAW MILK Vs. PASTEURIZED MILK (Chart) Category ComparedRaw MilkPasteurized Milk 1) Enzymes:All available. Less than 10% remaining. 2) Protein:100% available, all 22 amino acids, including 8 that are essential. Protein-lysine and tyrosine are altered by heat with serious loss of metabolic availability. This results in making the whole protein complex less available for tissue repair and rebuilding. ) Fats: (research studies indicate that fats are necessary to metabolize protein and calcium. All natural protein-bearing foods contain fats. )All 18 fatty acids metabolically available, both saturated and unsaturated fats. Altered by heat, especially the 10 essential unsaturated fats. 4) Vitamins:All 100% available. Among the fat-soluble vitamins, some are classed as unstable and therefore a loss is caused by heat ing above blood temperature. This loss of Vitamin A, D, E and F can run as high as 66%. Vitamin C loss usually exceeds 50%. Losses on water-soluble vitamins are affected by heat and can run from 38% to 80%. ) Carbohydrates:Easily utilized in metabolism. Still associated naturally with elements. Tests indicate that heat has made some changes making elements less available metabolically. 6) Minerals:All 100% metabolically available. Major mineral components are calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur. Vital trace minerals, all 24 or more, 100% available. Calcium is altered by heat and loss in metabolism may run 50% or more, depending on pasteurization temperature. Losses in other essential minerals, because one mineral usually acts synergistically with another element. There is a loss of enzymes that serve as leaders in assimilation minerals. NOTE:Bacterial growth in Raw Milk increases very slowly, because of the friendly acid-forming bacteria (nature's antiseptic) retards the growth of invading organisms (bacteria). Usually keeps for several weeks when under refrigeration and will sour instead of rot. Pasteurization refers to the process of heating every particle of milk to at least 145 F. and holding at such temperature for at least 15 seconds. Pasteurizing does not remove dirt, or bacterially-produced toxins from milk. Bacterial growth will be geometrically rapid after pasteurization and homogenization. Gradually turns rancid in a few days, and then decomposes. Note. The above chart on nutritive values was cited from â€Å"Report In Favor Of Raw Milk: Expert Report and Recommendations,† by A. Vonderplanitz and W. C. Douglass, 2001, Retrieved from http://docs. google. com Raw milk offers many health benefits which include physical, digestive, and even cognitive health. Perkin (2007) reference cites one of his earlier studies Perkin (2006) that, â€Å"Found protective effects of unpasteurized consumption on current eczema and seasonal allergic rhinitis symptoms,† (p. 627). This research has been supported by others such as Waser (2007) who questioned why most farming children seem not to suffer from these ailments. There are many examples of research that show raw milk’s health advantages. Nelson (2010) identifies published studies that find evidence for the following health benefits: Childhood consumption of raw milk resulted in significant reductions in the development of asthma, eczema, and hay fever (in Nelson 2010, p. 6). Consumption of â€Å"farm milk† showed a significant inverse relationship to asthma and allergies in a study of nearly 15,000 European children (in Nelson 2010, p. ). Although the follow studies are dated and have been continually dismissed by popular science, this research shows a correlation between early childhood consumption of raw milk and the absence of certain childhood ailments. Children who drank raw milk were less likely to develop cavities and higher resistance to tuberculosis (in Nelson 2010, p. 6). Raw milk prevented scurvy and protected against flu, diphtheria and pneumonia (in Nelson 2010, p. 6). I find it ironic that we currently immunize children (and some adults) for several of the above diseases. It makes me wonder whether the consumption of raw milk (or the lack of) has played a significant role in the necessity for these immunizations. Milk in it’s cleanest, rawest form offers the most health benefits to the consumer. The controversy surrounding the legality of raw milk continues to rage on, although the focus should be to eliminate the production of â€Å"dirty† milk. I recall from my time on my parents’ dairy farm that as long as the bacteria count remains below 100,000 per ml, organisms if present, cannot represent significant health hazard. Nelson (2010) confirms that not only does state regulators require a bacterial count of 100,000 per ml for milk slated to be pasteurized, they require the bacteria count of Grade A Raw milk to remain under 30,000 per ml (p. 5). The solution to the raw milk debate is in the creation of a universal standard for all milk, not in the banning of unpasteurized milk. The pasteurization process continues to be of great value for mass produced milk, where animals are kept in confined spaces and reated with antibiotics and hormones, but there is no reason to deny the consumer the enjoyment of high quality unpasteurized milk. The purpose of this essay is to provide you, the reader, an explanation of the benefits of raw milk. Even though these benefits exist, many people have never tried raw milk because it continues to be illegal in many states. Drape (2007) reports that while human consumption of raw milk is illegal in fifteen states, there are 26 states that raw milk can be bought in with cer tain restrictions. In my opinion, this is possibly information that many of you have been denied because many health officials (pressured by politics and large corporations) fear that unpasteurized milk is unsafe. The evidence I have presented, illustrates that untreated milk tastes better, has a higher nutritional value, and offers health benefits above and beyond pasteurized milk. At the very least it has a better flavor, with none of the damage caused by the pasteurization process. I challenge everyone to find a local dairy farmer who produces clean, raw milk and enjoy a glass.