Euthanasia or assisted dying issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Euthanasia or assisted dying issues - Essay Example She suffered from a condition that was so much in the heart (Daniel 2012). The deficiency of oxygen led to her big brain devastation or rather brain damage and thereafter the doctors vindicated that she suffered from vegetative state. The deficiency resulted from the heart malfunction that she developed so there was no proper intake of oxygen by the required blood vessel that is originating from the heart. The doctors’ report was after they had conducted several tests on her. The doctors were quite optimistic and hoped for the best for her. They tried several types of therapy ranging from speech and physical therapy as well as other experimental therapies. They thought that they would bring her back into a normal mental state. When the years passed by until 1998, Michael the husband to Terry filed a case in court for the removal of the feeding tube that was being used in the administration of food to his wife (David 2008). This was a petition that was highly rejected so much b y the parents, who reasoned and maintained a firm stand that their daughter was not mentally ill. The court again came in with their own ascertainment that Terry does not prefer to continue with the exercises that are making her life longer. The feeding tube was then taken away from her and later put back. When the judge from Pinellas County made a ruling that the feeding tube removed from the patient, many voices came up from many parts such as the federal government that obliged the then president George Bush to ascent to another law just to prolong her life. This was a sign in which they valued the loss of a life. Many should emulate this kind of valuation. Life is a special gift from God and it should therefore be valued and kept ablaze like the Lord provided it (Donna 2010). It is important to note that the utilitarian has to do with getting the best out of a situation. It is also important to highlight that utilitarianism is all about getting the best from joy and happiness wh ile you are suppressing the plights. The utilitarian position in this case of Terry Schiavo is that there was a rescue mission to save her from dying. In the case, there was a lot of thinking on how to maximize the utility. When she was put in the life support and the feeding tube used, there was the maximization of life as her life was prolonged. There was the removal of the feeding tube from the patient kind of led o the shortening of the life of Terry (George 2010). Again it is as well important to note that the action that was conducted to Terry was objective and the outcome was s ell meant to be on the positive end to Terry and her husband. I am therefore on the defending of the utilitarian act that was conducted to the patient. The principle of double effect in its stating says that a good exercise or action is dimensional. In the case of the patient, Terry, the principle was quite ideal as it authorized and allowed for the performance of the euthanasia for the good of Terry S chiavo. The action was morally accepted because its outcome was to do with saving life and not losing. The doctors had full knowledge on the action as they are the experts in the medical field (Janie 2012). It is important to highlight that the metaphysical presuppositions that underlie my approach in the case of Terry here are so broad. Considering the normal human assumptions, it

To What Extent is BP Guilty of Greenwashing Literature review

To What Extent is BP Guilty of Greenwashing - Literature review Example The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines 'greenwashing' as "disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image." It is argued that the presence of the word in the dictionary indicates the growing trend of this phenomenon among corporations. The trend of 'greenwashing' seems to be on the rise as oil companies, known to reap heavily from degradation of the soil, pollution of the air and global warming, realize that they have to re-present themselves as partners towards global climate solutions, manufacturers of automobiles, jets and airplanes realise they can launder their image even as they promote their products and companies in all industries realize the importance of presenting their activities and products as climate-friendly, to make socially conscious investors and consumers more comfortable with buying their products. In most cases, the 'green' propaganda is also aimed at achieving an unfair advantage over competitors (BP's Rebranding,2005). Deen (2002) reports that the wave of 'greenwashing' began more than a decade and a half back, in 1990, when on 'Earth Day millions of people across the world gathered to protest the declining health of the planet. This made it glaringly clear to the several multinational corporations that the average human had started to take interest in the wellbeing of his environment. British Petroleum (BP)... The company also owns 23 refineries and 32 chemical manufacturing plants around the world (BP's Rebranding, 2005). In mid-2000, BP launched one of the most expensive public relations and advertising campaign in recent times, representing the company as an environmental-friendly one and introducing a new slogan 'Beyond Petroleum'. In line with the campaign, the chief of the company was quoted as saying; "The time to consider the policy dimensions of climate change is not when the link between greenhouse gases and climate change is conclusively proven, but when the possibility cannot be discounted and is taken seriously by the society of which we are part. We in BP have reached that point". During the course of the campaign, BP touted itself as the global leader in producing the cleanest burning fossil fuel, the first company to introduce cleaner burning fuels to many of the world's most polluted cities and the largest producer of solar energy in the world (BP's Rebranding, 2005). Â  

Vogue: Across Cultures | Analysis

Vogue: Across Cultures | Analysis ABSTRACT The popularity of fashion magazines over the past few decades has risen to new heights. Fashion magazines being the Bible that many young women and men live by, it is highly important to understand the role these magazines play in different societies and cultures. The researchers of marketing, consumer behaviour, trend analysis and trend forecasting consider culture or the differences and similarities in them to be an â€Å"obvious given†. Culture is most often seen as something that stands in the way of complete globalisation. Theory suggests that differences in target groups and marketing segments can be easily overcome through explicit research. While agreeing to the general thought that culture should be ‘respected and ‘treated seriously, the major driving force of marketing and consumer studies is most often, completely, how to overcome and ‘manage culture (Roothart, H. and W.van der Pol, 2002) There has been some research done on the representation of w omen and feminist ideas in the west but an extensive research needs to be done on the representation of women, men, society and culture through media in an Asian context. Over the past few years the Asian countries have changed their public policies surrounding media its ownership and contents. Taking advantage of this opportunity many international magazines like Elle, Vogue and Cosmopolitan have launched their local versions in these countries. These local versions have continuously faced accusations and criticism from society be it racism, discrimination or nudity, although their international versions have been highly appreciated, thus indicating that cultural differences need to be explored for the successful launch of any brand. For this paper the similarities and differences within different cultures would be determined using the covers of a common brand of magazine VOGUE across cultures. This comparison would also help to determine whether culture and/or society play any role in the successful placement of a magazine and whether Vogue has managed to maintain its brand personality by going local. Chasing a Dream INTRODUCTION Beauty is not concrete and may vary from culture to culture changing over time and shift according to location. The concept of beauty is an image which has been created by society to which woman and men have had to subject themselves to be â€Å"real†. History confirms that the ideology of beauty or what is accepted as being the right appearance has been created by society and largely propagated by media. For United States of the 1950s Marilyn Monroe was the pinnacle of beauty which soon changed to Twiggy in the 1960s. While porcelain skin is valued in China, scarification of the skin and decorating it with tattoos is considered as a status symbol in Africa and other parts. Thus the physical attributes and ideas attached to beauty vary across cultures. â€Å"Womens magazine industry is understood as a monolithic meaning producer, circulating magazines that contain messages and signs about the nature of femininity that serve to promote and legitimate dominant interests.† (Anna Gough- Yates) They have been a great source to study the changes in society. Moving from the purely fashion magazine to lifestyle and home to ‘do it yourself and ‘New woman to ‘woman can work too magazines have always reflected revolutions in society and influenced the opinion of women across nations. Given the increase in trade to Asia and the spread of the beauty industry across nations, it is disappointing that there has hardly been any study on how people are depicted internationally in the fashion magazines. Previous research has established that womans magazines can act as agents of socialising, publicizing certain gender stereotypes and certain beauty ideals like size zero and institutionalizing conventions like photographic poses. (Rudman and Verdi, 1993; Griffin, Viswanath, Schwartz, 1994). Yet hardly any research has been done on the differences in representation of women internationally and locally. GLOBAL MEDIA Over the past few decades there has been a rapid expansion of the global media in the area of womans fashion magazines. Local editions of Elle, Harpers Bazzar and Vogue are now being published in Asia. â€Å"Theory holds that increase trade and improved communication are bringing about a mix of cultures and global unity† (Giddens, 1990, Thompson, 1997). The internationalization of a magazine is not a new phenomenon although until quite recently the most popular womans magazines have been published locally. Harpers Bazaar, a U.S magazine launched itself in U.K. in 1929 (Anna Gough-Yates, 1993), Elle a European magazine began publishing its first edition in Japan in 1960s while Vogue a U.S magazine entered the Indian market in the 21st century. However â€Å"the establishment of an integrated global media market only began in earnest in the late 1980s and did not reach its full potential until the 1990s.† (Herman and Mc Chesney ,1997, p10) According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers the Asia/Pacific magazine market excluding Japan is projected to grow by 7.2% annually, reaching $20.7 billion by 2010, Advertising is also expected to rise by 5% annually to $8.1 billion in 2010. This means theres plenty of potential for countries in South Asia, where advertising spending is just about 0.34% of GDP. Until now foreign brands were allowed only 26% ownership when venturing into Asian countries. But in 2005 most of the Asian countries levelled the field for non news publications allowing 100% foreign direct investment. (D. Ruth, 2007, Forbes) Like all the other global media, magazines use many different strategies to cross borders. But the main reasons for doing so are ‘saturation of home markets and to generate revenue by providing international consumer brands with advertising vehicles that reach into the expanding foreign markets'(Dr. Katherine Frith, 2006,pg4-5). With Condà © Nast having to close down Mademoiselle in November 2001 due to competition and flagging sales, markets with rising economic rates like Asia and Middle East have now become a target for westerns producers of beauty and fashion magazines. HISTORY A study of fashion and magazine covers over the past 100 years gives us a clear picture of the extent of change media can bring about. From the corsets and 16 inch waists to jersey fabrics to bikinis the amount of womans liberation brought about along with the growth of womans beauty and fashion magazines is pretty evident. Magazine publishing surfaced much before the 19th century but up till than due to limited resources and technology publishers did not need illustrated or photographed front covers to sell a magazine. By the end of the century development in technology meant that every publisher could now make use of cover illustrations. The 20s and 30s saw two or more people on the front covers. Red lips, cigarettes, dapper looking men and understated elegance came into fashion. During the second world war men disappeared from the cover pages just as they disappeared from everyday lives of woman. Magazines became womens true friends and the government used them to communicate with the home front. Silk fell from grace and hosiery became scarce. The cover girl emerged, women were pictured wearing aprons holding sheaf of corn. With the end of the world war magazine publishers stuck to a fixed formula of selling magazines by using colour and arresting cover lines. Christian Dior made a splash and womans liberation began. The 1960s saw a revolution of self expression, music and ‘models who became as famous as movie stars. This was the start of a new era for women. The cover of Harpers Bazaar (1965) with the model Jean Shrimpton wearing a Day-Glo bright pink space helmet and the acid green brand emblem at the top is often seen as an emblem of the 60s. Jerseys, pullovers long hair for men and woman were the characteristics of the 70s. Photographs more than an illustration was often seen as the cover pages while cover lines became bigger, brighter and bolder. The 1980s was the decade of Madonna and Michael Jackson with shoulder pads and workout wear which dominating the fashion scene. ( Publication: Vogue Country: United Kingdom Date: 15 April 1980) This ended individualism in the 1990s with Grunge, Goth and a sense of anti style with tattooing and body art becoming in vogue. (Publication: Phase Country: United Kingdom, Date: May 1994) In the 20th century the key to selling magazines was the use of celebrity faces and anorexic models with porcelain skin. Diet plans and Make up tips more than ‘†how to catch a guy and keep him† cover lines make the magazine move. Environment friendly clothes and cosmetics modelled by Julia Roberts and Leonardo di Caprio were the latest trends. (Publication:ElleCountry:Spain Date: August 2002) Until the 90s, Asian society and fashion has been very traditional with local influences. In 1990 fashion icon Princes Diana wore a Salwar kameez and Asian fashion became a noticeable global trend. The 1990s also saw the rise of the â€Å"Asian -chic†. International pop icons like Janet Jackson promoted the Asian look and gave it an International stage. â€Å"As Asian economies flourished, than crashed and began to recover, Asians of different class, ethnicities and gender faced the decision of whether they should wear Western or Asian clothing.†(L. Ann Marie, J. Carla, 2003). The growth of international magazines in Asia and promotion of the Western beauty ideals confused already puzzled nations, drastically affecting the self esteem of many young men and woman. A lot has been recorded about the fashion influences, cultural changes and media in the West however there is hardly any record of such changes in the East. Study has proven that there is great difference between the local and international versions of the magazines but there is no record of the influences and effects on society due to these differences. MAGAZINES TODAY The difference between international magazines and their ‘local versions is that the international issues tend to carry a predominance of images for multinational products. (Shaw, 1999). Such magazines are growing in popularity in Asia and this popularity has bought about a change in perspective regarding the depiction of woman and products in local magazines. Griffin, Viswanath, and Schwartz(1994) found in a study comparing images in weekly U.S. news magazines (Time and Life) to weekly Indian magazines (India Today and Illustrated weekly of India), that many of the western advertising principles and poses for women were being conveyed across nations. They confirmed that female models in India were taking on poses that related closely to ‘gender portrayals ‘of the advanced western nations. A recent analysis of magazines international and local in China by Frith, Cheng and Shaw (2004) suggests that Caucasian models are more frequently shown in seductive dresses than Asian models. Feminist critiques like Kates, Shaw and Garlock (1999) would argue that western magazines are cultural institutions that represent women in a problematic and often unacceptable way although attractive female bodies and sexual content have for long been used in the west to attract consumers to a product and generate interest. Comparing this to the representation of woman across cultures with reference to the few studies conducted on the topic; Griffin, Viswanath and Schwartz (1994) concluded that the use of â€Å"Sexual pursuit† as a theme was used three times more often in U.S. magazines than in Indian magazines. In conservative Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia only Caucasian women were used in Lingerie advertisements (Frith and Mueller, 2003). Any magazine wanting to be resonant with its target audience needs to represent the social norms and cultural values of the given society. International magazines like Vogue and Elle although have publishing houses in Asian countries most often train their employees in the west. The result being that the forms of representation and especially that of woman can take on a globalized look. As Kyung-Ja Lee,(2000, pg 86) has rightly said â€Å" for thirty years, media have been taken to task for reproducing and reinforcing stereotyped images of woman. Yet unfair representation of woman in media still prevails worldwide. Sex stereotyping has been so deeply ingrained, even glorified, that the woman themselves have become desensitised to their own inferior portrayal. The prospects appear even gloomier as the globalisation of media progresses† Previous researchers have noted that the images of models used in magazines have been extensively retouched to represent the ideal of beauty that is unattainable for all but a very few people.(Greer,1999; Gauntlett, 2002). By showing models that are ‘uniformly thin, flawless and perfectly proportioned the media may contribute towards low self esteem and unhappiness among woman and give rise to problems like eating disorders. In fact media is a large contributor to the global increase in plastic surgery to change physical appearance among young girls. Finally as global media takes readers away from local publications it is important to study the impact of international beauty ideal on local consumers. With most models used in international magazines being ‘white the publications are rarefying the ethnic beauty ideals. In fact the obsession with whitening products may be a result of this overuse of White models in Asian publications. For the Caucasian women the body may represent beauty while for the Asian woman it might be the face. For some Asian countries beauty is the simplicity in a ‘sari clad woman while in some parts of Africa its a tattoo adorned naked female. To better understand how beauty and women have been represented internationally as compared to locally and their differences based on society and culture I have considered 3 issue of Vogue magazine across cultures (U.S, India and China) for the period of 6 months from February 2009 to June 2009. The unit of analysis was restricted to the cover pages, containing at least one model. Looking at Vogue magazine over the last twenty years we can easily conclude that the magazines expansion strategy has been very aggressive. Condà © Nast which has a portfolio of 127 magazines in 23 countries believes Vogue to be its cash cow. At present there are a million fashion and beauty magazines such as In Style, Elle and Cosmopolitan circulated around the globe, but in times of crises citizens all over turn to Vogue to confirm the latest fashion news. With readership and subscription levels of about 220,000 a month for the British Vogues, 133,000 a month for the French Vogue and American Vogue, at 1.2 million a month Vogue is the leading magazine in the business of fashion. The Greek, Indian and Chinese Vogues not being as influential are important only to their local countries. The French and Italian Vogue cater to the edgier end of the market while American and British Vogue embrace fashion in the broader sense owing to their larger readership. (A. Lisa, 2009, Times online)

Matthew and Lukes Modifications :: essays research papers

Matthew and Luke’s Modifications   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The authors of the Gospel According to Matthew, and the Gospel According to Luke made some considerable modifications, deletions, and additions to the Gospel of Mark. To the average reader the changes seem rather significant and one might ask why these changes were made. Well, there are several reasons why these changes were made. For example, the authors wanted to show readers that Jesus was more holy than the original author set him out to be. Also, the authors sought after to express the gospel in, what they thought, were better words to make it appear more authentic. Furthermore the authors of the Gospel According to Matthew and the Gospel According to Luke wanted simply to modify the text because they didn’t see eye to eye with what the original author said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beginning with the author of Matthew we can see in the verse of Mark 3.22. It states, â€Å"And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He is possessed by Be-el’zebul, and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.’† However it is stated in Matthew 12.24 â€Å"But when the Pharisees heard it they said, ‘it is only by Be-el’zebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.’† The author made this change to specifically show that it was the Pharisees, not the scribes, who thought that Jesus was possessed by the devil. Although, eventually many people believed that Jesus was possessed, I believe that the author modified the text to show that the Pharisees were the ones who originally stated this.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2 An example of the author portraying Jesus as more holy, or God like, occurs in Matthew 17.22. It says, â€Å"As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, 17.23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.’ And they were greatly distressed. On the other hand, Mark mentions in the verses 9.30-9.32 that Jesus is speaking specifically to his disciples. It also states that they were afraid to ask him, and didn’t understand what was saying about his death. Matthew makes the first change to show that Jesus wants other people to know of his death. Most likely they were other believers and followers of Jesus. It almost like saying that Jesus was not selfish in just telling his disciples of his death, and that he wanted to share it with people who believed in him.

Emirates Airline: Penetrating the North American Market

Emirates Airline is known for going against conventional thinking when running its business. Thus far, this strategy has been profitable for the company. In November 2001, the airline announced that it would begin a 13 ? non-stop flight from Dubai to New York starting in June of 2003. However a postponement in the delivery of the Airbus A380-800 aircraft that would service the new route has caused a delay. This will be Emirates’ attempt at penetrating the North American market. In the current politically charged climate there is debate as to whether or not it will be profitable to expand service to this new route from Dubai to New York. Tensions between Washington and the Arab world create restraints as to when Emirates will be able to expand service. However, the main question currently facing Emirates is whether it should expand to New York at this point in time. Unlike many other airlines, Emirates sees no threat surrounding the tensions in the Middle East. The climate has been this politically charged for the past ten years. In fact, during the first Gulf War in 1991, Emirates Airlines was the only airline that did not cancel any of its flights. They continued flying to Kuwait when a majority of its competitors stopped. Emirates continued business as usual and picked up additional business from those airlines that downsized and stopped flights in the region. This strategy exemplifies how Emirates has gone against conventional thinking and come out ahead. Country Risk Analysis Middle East Region Overview The Middle Eastern region is characterized by economies that are over-dependent on oil; however, they differ on size, wealth, and political agendas. A few of the key players in this region include: Iran, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Of these countries, the United Arab Emirates is quite comparable in many aspects to its neighbors. The UAE and Qatar are not expected to suffer from as much government instability in the threat of war as the other countries. Iran and Iraq, however, have had their share of political unrest, which has drastically affected their oil exports and prices. To counterattack these effects, Iraq has put pressure on the other OPEC countries to increase oil prices and decrease oil exports to the US and Great Britain. As a result, the GDP of all Middle Eastern countries will decrease due to the heavy reliance of oil revenues in exports and as a percentage of GDP. While oil is what makes these countries wealthy, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar enjoy higher GDP per capita over Iraq because of their political situations. Dictatorial governments in Iraq allocate funds to programs that will not necessarily aid the country in the long-run. Literacy rates of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, and the UAE have increased steadily over the past decade. This is mostly owed to government beliefs that educated citizens will 3 augment the status of the country in all aspects. All five countries export to and import from similar countries including; Japan, Italy, China and the US. The main export for these countries is oil and the main imports are machinery and equipment, chemicals and food. United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is located in the Middle East between Oman and Saudi Arabia, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. The country is slightly smaller than the state of Maine, which makes it a very small country within the Middle East region. The population of the UAE is approximately 3,480,000 people. The literacy rate for the UAE is 79. 2% for the total population above 15 years. When categorized by sex, men and women have comparable literacy rates, a rarity in the Middle East region. The population is predominantly Muslim (96%), with the remaining 4% of the population consists of Christians, Hindus and others. Although Arabic is the official language of the country, Persian, English, Hindi and Urdu are also spoken. The UAE is a federation state formed on December 2, 1971 and is composed of seven emirates. The emirates included in the UAE are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ras AlKhaimah, and Umm Al-Qaiwain. Prior to the formation of the federation state, the UAE existed as the Trucial States that belonged to the British for the previous 150 years. The Rulers and the British signed a Perpetual Treaty of Maritime Truce in the 1850s that guarantees peace and protection from external threats. In exchange, the British had direct involvement in its foreign affairs and external defenses. When the British intended to withdraw from the Gulf in 1968, the rulers of the seven emirates came together and formed the federation state with hopes to increase their role in global politics. Economic Environment United Arab Emirates’ economy is heavily dependent on oil production. Abu Dhabi is the largest producer, followed by Dubai, and to a much lesser extent, the remaining emirates. Although oil’s contribution to GDP has been declining in the past few years, government revenue and the non-oil economy continue to be heavily reliant. GDP for the year ending 2001 was 67. 6(US$bn) and 21,000(US$bn) per capita, and 70% of government revenue resulted from oil production. Fluctuations in oil prices impact the growth and volatility of the UAE’s economy. The UAE is a member of the WTO, but has been slow to comply with its requirements for liberalizing trade and competition. The banking sector is closed to foreign investment and other ventures must be 51% owned by a local partner. The exceptions to these rules are in free zones, where 100% foreign ownership is permitted. The limitations on foreign direct investment deter the process of economic diversification. Abu Dhabi is the most resistant to opening its economy, but it has pursued private sector involvement to improve infrastructure regarding water and power. Dubai has chosen to focus its efforts on expanding its services sector by creating Dubai Internet City (DIC) and Dubai Media City (DMC), which are free zones where investors can retain 100% ownership. Dubai also allows foreign investors to own property and purchase shares in UAE listed companies. The UAE typically runs a budget deficit, and the 2002 budget projects one of Dh2. 17bn. Federal spending is expected to increase by 2. 2%, and revenue is expected to grow by 3%. Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the UAE Central Bank are the main contributors to the federal budget.

Child Prodigy Essay

| Child Prodigies: A Blessing or a Curse? | Term Essay| | | Mona S. November/28/2012 | Child Prodigy: A Blessing or a Curse? A child prodigy is an individual, who at a very early age (mostly under the age of 10) is a master of one or a couple of skills or arts. These individuals or children display expert ability or a deep grasp of the fundamentals in a field usually only undertaken by adults. Using a specific term which expresses or defines a child prodigy can change attitudes portrayed towards such individuals such as gifted, talented, superior, rapid learner, able student, bright, exceptional, and even genius.Although there are many terms used to define a child prodigy, the most accepted and preferred terms used are gifted or exceptional (Laycock, 1957). Barbara Clark (1997) identifies a child prodigy as an exceptionally gifted individual who seems to have different value structures, which usually allow them to cope with the conflict or difference they find between their perceptio n of life and that of the average person. According to D. Feldman (1993), a child prodigy may have a reasonably high, but not necessarily exceptionally high, IQ.Prodigies tend to be unusually focused, determined, and highly motivated to reach the highest levels of their fields. They are often marked by great confidence in their abilities, along with a naive sense of these abilities. Thomas & Crescimbeni (1966) refer to the gifted or child prodigies as individuals that have an IQ of 115 and higher. However, that could only be implied to highly intellectual individuals as there are many different forms of child prodigies.I am interested in child prodigies for many reasons as it plays a huge role on how they are raised and how they socialize with others. To others a child prodigy might be a blessing but to child prodigies it is a curse depending on how they are treated. Here are some reasons as to why it is perceived that way: Most child prodigies are denied from having a normal and he althy childhood especially by their parents as they want them to focus on improving their â€Å"gift† and sometimes it happens for the child’s own benefit or in other cases to be used to obtain fame and fortune.It might be a good thing, especially for child prodigies that are â€Å"gifted† in the arts field, to improve and practice on it for future use but it must be done in a healthy and proper way so that children can have a childhood which would help them interact and engage within a society in a normal and functional way, however, denying child prodigies from having a normal, play balanced childhood might eventually turn out disastrous as they will not know how to engage or behave in an acceptable behaviour within their society and it would probably cause them to develop a non-friendly, egoistic, and obnoxious attitude towards others as they believe they are better than the rest. This might cause their lives to brake or be unfulfilled for many reasons that I will expand on throughout this essay. And there is also the widespread belief that young geniuses are pushed and nudged to extremes by one or both parents. Von Karolyi and Winner (2005) believe that the ‘talented’ train and practice extensively, and this practice is necessary for the development of performance. However, thoughtful practice is a very special form of activity that differs from mere experience and mindless drill. Unlike playful engagement with peers deliberate practice is not inherently enjoyable.It also differs from successful performance in front of an audience, which is rewarded with applause, praise and receiving prizes. According to Yoga (2008), parents who wish or hope that their child is a prodigy need to rethink that whole notion especially due to the recent reports that have been portrayed within the media about child prodigies. When a child receives a reputation for excellence, originality, and brilliance for their gift, parents become so please d with the child’s performance and deny any involvement and although this might cause the child to feel delighted with their successful outcome, they face the difficulty of defining their own contributions and would eventually acquire feelings of doubt and ambiguity about their own abilities.What makes things worse is that parents’ standards keep increasing after each accomplishment which causes new projects difficult to start and this would only make the child feel that their finishing product will never be good enough therefore causing them to pick simple tasks where they will not worry about failing in. Goal setting may become defensive, aimed at protecting against feelings of failure or low ability (Covington and Beery, 1976). Competition encourages and motivates gifted children to perform to the best of their high ability, and the recognition they receive for their successes provides the motivation for continued competition. However, there are some negative side e ffects of extreme competitiveness.Child prodigies have to deal with a lot of stress and pressure on their performance because of the expectations that the people around them have of them and from the repeated adult praise such as being perfect, best, or the smartest. The world imposes adult expectations on them, and they are really only children. The challenge of allowing and encouraging gifted children a childhood remains the challenge to the parents and teachers of such children. In my opinion, too many children are pushed too soon into a world that they shouldn’t really be expected to live in. It’s up to the parents to shelter them from harm, and gently show them or introduce them to the real world and its negative side with clear and loving understanding.I don’t know any child prodigies personally, but I am guessing that for a long time they live in a protected bubble where everyone thinks they are special for their talent and not for being a person, when th ey grow up there talent is not as noticeable anymore and therefore their novelty appeal has worn off, they are then expected to live in the â€Å"real world† with no understanding of what it entails and how to interact on a social level. Parents would unintentionally be treating their â€Å"gifted children† differently from their â€Å"normal† children which would only cause sibling rivalry which can be minimized and adjusted but will not disappear. Usually sibling rivalry occurs due to the competition for parent’s attention and sometimes their resources.Cornell (1986) found that â€Å"non-gifted† siblings of gifted children were less well-adjusted than a control group of other non-gifted children. Some child prodigies feel entitled to special treatment yet rarely get it. This could include being excused from certain activities or classes to be given the opportunity to work on their â€Å"gift†. By receiving such special treatments child pro digies could fall in two paths, one of which they are being bullied by others due to their special treatment. Gifted children today experience many disruptions in their lives. Some of these disruptions are relatively unique to them, such as needing to hide how well they do at school as a means to fitting into an anti-intellectual school environment (Coleman & Cross, 2001).All children are affected adversely by bullying, but gifted children differ from other children in significant ways, and what they experience may be qualitatively different. The personality traits and interests of many gifted children may make them targets of bullying by their classmates. At the same time gifted children may be more susceptible to the emotional damage that bullying can inflict. Usually the bullying will occur verbally in order to avoid a lot of trouble from physically abusing their targets and would include segregating the gifted child from peers and other activities, whether it is within class or outside. The gifted children would be called names such as â€Å"teacher’s pet† or â€Å"smarty-pants†. These days bullying can be done very easily that it would spread virally, i. e. cyber bullying.Some gifted children tend to be more timid than other gifted or non-gifted children due to lack of socialization if parents insist on them practicing their â€Å"gift† all the time for their future’s sake therefore they might keep it to themselves about being bullied and sooner or later without seeking help, or even though they do seek for help they are ignored by the adults within the society who believe that the bullying will eventually stop which it does not, it might cause the gifted children to commit suicide as they are tired of the endless bullying. Sometimes the bullying can also cause the gifted child to feel hatred or lose interest in their â€Å"gift† and would not want to engage in such activities again. The same thing can happen if t he child is forced to practice their â€Å"gift† all the time, such as the piano, and is denied their childhood or freedom and is treated as a tool for fame and success.Another path the child prodigy could fall under would be self-social segregation where the child prodigy would not want to spend time with the other normal children as they view themselves to be way better than others. Sometimes, when denied the access for special treatment, it might frustrate and cause them to be even more aggressive, driven, and overachieving than they are by nature. As the child is dehumanised and instrumentalized or taught to ignore reality and to occupy the parental fantastic space, such an unfortunate child feels almighty and all-knowing, perfect and brilliant, worthy of adoration and entitled to special treatment. The empathy, compassion, a ealistic assessment of one's abilities and limitations, realistic expectations of oneself and of others, personal boundaries, team work, social skil ls, perseverance and goal-orientation, not to mention the ability to postpone gratification and to work hard to achieve it are all lacking or missing altogether. Sex or gender differences do matter in accordance to being gifted. Reis and Callahan (1989) emphasize the importance of distinguishing between sex or gender differences, i. e. relating the biological and the sociocultural differences. The possibility of gender differences in interests, and perhaps even in cognitive activity, which would lead girl and boy prodigies toward different domains for study and mastery. These differences might also be biologically based to some extent; they are undoubtedly heavily patterned and reinforced by cultural values.Whatever their origins, it appears at first blush that girl prodigies are better represented in some fields than others, and further exploration of why this might be the case is in order. When we know more about such relationships, we may understand more about gender differences or at least individual differences in the development of specific talents. Why prodigies are found in some fields and not others, and whether certain fields attract more children of one gender than the other, is a matter for further attention. Being gifted or a prodigy also differs on what culture you are from, i. e. if a specific culture views you as a prodigy or not, as well as your socio-economic status because they might be rarely identified or described as gifted or talented if they are from a poor rural area.Peers of economically deprived or culturally different gifted children usually do not place a huge value on school achievement. Family, cultural, and language differences and testing circumstances must be considered as values and beliefs can affect ability testing. An understanding of different cultures is an important factor in both identifying who is gifted and how to set up a program that would help nurture their gift in a non-smothering manner. According to Bernal, 197 9; Bruch, and Curry, 1978, an interesting way to find such gifted people in these cultures would be to meet with students named by peers as out-of-school â€Å"leaders† who can explain characteristics of culturally valued giftedness within their own peer culture.Overall, I would like to state that child prodigy might be something good but only if the child was handled with care and love and given a lot of freedom of choice and opportunity to pursue their dreams otherwise they would be perceived as tools or mini adults with no mind or will of their own that are forced to do what pleases others. Brainstorm/Web Chart Here is a Brainstorm of ideas or a web chart of my term topic paper â€Å"Child prodigy: A blessing or a curse† References Bernal, E. M. (1979). The education of the culturally different gifted. In A. H. Passow (Ed. ), The gifted and the talented (pp. 395-400). Chicago: National Society for the Study of Education. Bruch, C. B. , ; Curry, J. A. (1978). Persona l Learnings: A current synthesis on the culturally different gifted. Gifted Child Quarterly, 22, 33-32 Clark, B. 1997). Growing up gifted: Developing the potential of children at home and at school. Upper Saddle River, N. J: Merrill. Cornell, D. G. , ; Grossberg, I. N. (1986). Siblings of children in gifted programs. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 9, 253-264. Coleman, L. J. ; Cross, T. L. (2001). Being gifted in school: An introduction to development, guidance, and teaching. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press. Covington, M. V. ; Beery, R. G. (1976). Self-worth and school learning. New York: Holt. Feldman, D. H. (1993). Child Prodigies: A Distinctive Form of Giftedness. Gifted Child Quarterly, 37, 4, 188-93. Laycock, S. R. (1957). Gifted children.Toronto: The Copp Clark Teacher's Handbook Series. Reis, S. M. , & Callahan, C. M. (1989). Gifted females: They’ve come a long way—or have they? Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 12, 99-117. Thomas, G. I. , & Crescimbeni , J. (1966). Guiding the gifted child. New York: Random House. Von. Karolyi, C. and Winner, E. 2005. â€Å"Extreme giftedness†. In Conceptions of giftedness, Edited by: Sternberg, R. J and Davidson, J. E. 377–394. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (2nd edn) Yoga, S. S. (2008, April 14). Child prodigy: Two sides of genius. The star online. Retrieved from http://thestar. com. my/lifestyle/story. asp? file=/2008/4/14/lifefocus/20902655&sec=lifefocus