Category: Personal Beliefs

Introduction

What is Success? Success for me is getting organized including determining how and currently using my time and setting priorities. Success for me developing learning strategies, self-motivation, and persistence. Success to me it is important to strive for a well-balanced life. Throughout my life I have achieved a life’s ambition, working hard towards being successful and acquiring an education (Bain, 2004). Success for me is to be open to new experiences as well as change. (Fitzpatrick, 2006). My success in life is the ambition that I always seek to achieve being happy with the fulfillment of my goals brings a smile to my face. (Sopher, 2014). The context of reading Gardner (2009). As a doctoral student will be able to focus on my professional identity, and socioeconomic success, and acquire a mentor. This process will not only create a new educational entity it will also help to adapt and improve my skills in order to provide quality research which leads to academic success. The three common themes in this article are Academic Success, Relationships, and Individual Efforts.

Theme One

Academic Success

Having an (aphasia) learning disability throughout my whole life growing up and overcoming learning difficulties with proper accommodations, support, and preparation not only find success, but with the right support from my parents, my professors and my student service advisors Jenna Hamilton and Megan Aldrich gave me perseverance, guiding me to identify and achieve realistic goals without being harsh or critical. Having an (aphasia) learning disability in knowing how to deal with obstacles and setbacks (Baker & Pifer 2011). Time management became a key factor in my study skills for college constantly reviewing and reassessing my schedule can help me to recognize whether need to make changes in order to help me complete any university tasks (Gardner 2009). Instead of focusing solely on the grade, I consider how each course deepens my expertise in a field of interest or contributes to my overall intellectual development (Smith & Hatmaker 2015). Knowing my intellectual proclivities and habits helps me to apportion my time more effectively and to be more productive overall (Vella, 2007).

Theme Two

Relationships

In the context of Baker and Pifer (2011). Being a student at Colorado Christian University, gave me the ability to form strong bonds with others, and knowing that as a former student at Colorado Christian University, it will allow me to see the big picture more clearly with understanding and knowledge. Being a former student of Colorado Christian University gave me interpersonal relationships based on my personal growth in life and knowing that having support from my student services, and my professors gave me the reinforcement of positive outcomes that made me able to do very well in my classes and made me stay focused on my personal growth and my destiny. As my learning process grows deeper, as a doctoral student here at Grand Canyon University it will give me new relationships with new instructors, new student services advisors, and new staff from the library that will help me reach my goals and build confidence and support me so can be able to do very well in my classes (Olsen, Defrain, & Olson, 1998). Coming in as a doctoral student at Grand Canyon University will not be easy for me but having new instructors, and new staff will help me learn to adopt the values, skills, attitudes, norms, and knowledge (Van Maanen & Schein, 1979). Gardner (2009): Coming in as a doctoral student with Grand Canyon University developing new relationships with new classmates will require perspectives that will bring positive attitudes and beliefs and a new university environment. (Foss, K.A., & Foss, S. K. 2008). Smith and Hatmaker (2015): Strive for good, clear, honest communication with my advisor. As a student, I can initiate dialogue. But achieving and maintaining communication channels means knowing how to open a conversation, when to speak and when to listen, and how to communicate my desires and concerns (Weinberger, 2017).

Theme Three

Individual Efforts

Baker and Pifer (2011): Traditional mentor relationships acknowledge that developmental relationships may provide support beyond just career and/or psychosocial support to include knowledge development and information sharing which is likely important to the doctoral student experience and professional identity development (Ford, Smith, E. M., Weinstein, D. A., Gully, S. M., & Salas, E. 1998). Gardner (2009): By taking advantage of these opportunities, as a doctoral student at Grand Canyon University am better prepared to achieve career goals in academia and elsewhere (Bishop, 2007). Smith and Hatmaker (2015): By my individual differences such as socialization susceptibility and learning orientation, and by the new relationships they developed during the experience and the preexisting relationships students brought to their doctoral education experiences. (Braxton, J. M., & Baird, L. L. 2001).

Conclusion

In doing this research the conclusions in my analysis of recent research, in reading from my textbook and other articles and other textbooks gave me the beneficial effects on my student motivation and as a student and being able to set goals and to accomplish these goals. Doing this research it taught me my success in my field and that never give up and keep going on. (Abbott, & Bordens, 2018). Doing this research has also taught me that having academic success, relationships, and individual efforts will help me understand as a doctoral student at Grand Canyon University and help me to be a better writer.

References

1. Abbott B. Bruce & Bordens, Kenneth (2018). Research Design and Methods: A Process Approach (10th Edition).
2. Bain, K., (2004). What The Best College Teachers Do. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
3. Baker & Pifer (2011). The Role of Relationships in the Transition from Doctoral Student to Independent Scholar
4. Bishop, John (2007). Goal Setting for Students: A Success Tool for the Classroom and Life.
5. Braxton, J. M., & Baird, L. L. (2001). Preparation for Professional Self-Regulation. Science and Engineering Ethics, 7, 593–610.
6. Gardner, K. Susan (2009). Conceptualizing Success in Doctoral Education: Perspectives of Faculty in Seven Disciplines. The Review of Higher Education, 32(3), 383-406. doi: 10.1353/rhe.0.0075. Retrieved from our online textbook. http://search.proquest.com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/docview/220855890/BF07F7F6D7ED4938PQ/4?accountid=7374
7. Fitzpatrick, Bill (2006). ‘Action Principles.’ Success. Org. American Success Institute, Retrieved from http://www.success.org/
8. Ford, J. K., Smith, E. M., Weinstein, D. A., Gully, S. M., & Salas, E. (1998). Relationships of Goal Orientation, Metacognitive Activity, and Practice Strategies with Learning Outcomes and Transfer. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83(2), 218–233.
9. Gardner, K. Susan (2009). Conceptualizing Success in Doctoral Education: Perspectives of Faculty in Seven Disciplines. The Review of Higher Education, 32(3), 383-406. doi: 10.1353/rhe.0.0075. Retrieved from our online textbook. http://search.proquest.com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/docview/220855890/BF07F7F6D7ED4938PQ/4?accountid=7374
10. Sopher, Philos (2014). Believing Success: How to Be Successful – Unlock Your Belief System, Remove Barriers & Free Your Mind (Become Successful)
11. Smith, A. E., & Hatmaker, D. M. (2014). Knowing, Doing, and Becoming: Professional Identity Construction Among Public Affairs Doctoral Students. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 20(4),545-564. Retrieved from our textbook https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.24369837&site=eds-live&scope=site
12. Olsen, H. David, Defrain, John & Olsen, K. Amy (1998). Building Relationships, Developing Skills for Life (Paperback). Published by Life Innovations, Inc.
13. Vella, Jane (2007). On Teaching and Learning: Putting the Principles and Practices of Dialogue Education into Action (1st Edition). Published by Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, California.
14. Weinberger, Mordechai (2017). Mastering Relationships: The Four Elements of Connecting With Anyone (Paperback)

This reflection will explore my inspiration to become a social worker in the field of family violence. I have come to learn over time that social work draws on key values of respect and social justice, which I believe are key values I hold (Australia Association of Social Workers 2010). Over time, I have been able to reflect on how my personal experience and these values of respect and skills of flexibility have come together to develop my understanding of social work, and in turn, have shaped my decision to aspire to become a family violence support worker.

For as long as I can remember I have grown up in a household where advocacy for human rights and social justice were at the forefront of conversations, and it is these values, instilled by my mum, that have guided my choice to study social work overall. I have come to understand that passionate social workers who have an embedded sense of social justice become strong members of the field of social work (Chenoweth & McAuliffe 2017). It is this deep sense of social justice that is a foundation value of mine, which I believe will align with a career in social work. I am studying social work with the developed knowledge that the principle of human rights underpins social work practices (Chenoweth & McAuliffe 2017). Specifically, I would like to work in the field of family violence due to personal experience in that area. I was able to gain first-hand experience of inside systems and gain role models to aspire to. The idea is that a strong motivation for pursuing social work is often personal experience as individuals become inspired. (Chenoweth & McAuliffe 2017). It is this first-hand experience that has given me insight into the systems and resources of family violence, and has encouraged me to be able to pass those experiences on; for me, personal experience is my key driving factor.

One of my key skills is my ability to remain flexible. I know in places such as crisis centers/ safe houses they can be on a case-case basis, and often depend on individuals’ needs and situations. The idea that social work context does not always occur in a neat or straightforward manner is very prevalent. The situations that social workers engage with are often messy, complex, and ever-changing (Williams, D. 2016) I believe it is my ability to be able to adapt and remain flexible in changing situations, that makes me suited to a family violence role. Having gained the knowledge that social work is a diverse and ever-changing field, I am able to clearly see how my skills of flexibility, would be a good fit for a career in the field of family violence in social work. A key value I pride myself on is that of respect. This links into the AASW value of respect and for me solidifies my decision to move forward into a family violence position. The AASW explores how every person has equal worth and needs to be respected for this (Australia Association of Social Workers 2010). I believe in the family violence field it will be my ability to not judge, but respect an individual for what they are going through, which makes me values suited to the position.

I have a strong belief that when experience and knowledge intersect, they form success. In saying that, it is also important for me to keep in mind that not everyone has had the same experience in family services, and therefore my judgment might be clouded. I would need to consider that people entering the system because of personal experience, can be then blinded to the experience of others (Reamer, F. 2013). While I believe my values/skills align with a position in family violence, I will need to keep an open mind of individual situations, and not be affected by biased listening. When discussing working in a family violence setting a common comment for me, is that it is a taxing career. It is discussed that social workers are at risk for experiencing burnout as a result of the nature and contexts of their work (Wagaman, 2015). While I believe that I am very resilient, in reflection, I will need to make sure that I need to have a healthy work-life balance. In order to do this I will need to make sure I regularly consider my mental wellbeing which can be promoted through activities such as journaling and spending time with friends (Moore, S 2011).

At this stage, I am motivated to work in the field of family violence due to my personal values of respect and skills of flexibility aligning with the position. As a whole, it is the impact of personal experience that has given me an understanding of the field, that has ultimately driven me to choose to work in family violence. It is exciting that jobs in the social work profession are predicted to grow by more than 22% by 2022, making it achievable to gain experience in this field. (Australia Association of Social Workers 2017). Despite the strong connection between my values and the SWHS field, I will need to ensure I stay fit for the role by considering my personal bias and work-life balance.

I love Thanksgiving.

I like the eating part, don’t get me wrong. But I love the preparation part. For the past couple of years, I’ve missed it though. As a chaplain, I worked on Thanksgiving, strolling floor to floor blessing and sharing meals with nurses and doctors, and patients in the Atlanta hospitals I worked in. And mid-day, each thanksgiving, my wife Karen came, bags of dishes in hand, having spent the day cooking up a beautiful meal. I smirked the first year when she spread a tablecloth over the institutional-looking tables in the chaplain’s office and pulled out contraband candles, both of which managed to make it feel a bit more like home. As amazing as it was to have her there and to make new traditions, I must admit that I still missed that preparing part of Thanksgiving. I missed bumping butts in the kitchen as folks scurry to get dishes prepared…. the fun that peeling potatoes always brings and the goofiness that mashing them up tended to invite…and holding vigil at the oven as we wondered if that turkey was going to shrivel up before the middle ever got cooked. I even sort of missed chopping veggies for the pre-meal munchies and mixing up the signature family “glug” and slicing bread and serving wine.

I must admit, there is much nostalgia in thinking about the past years’ feasts and gatherings. I easily forget the reality of it: the early morning wake-up time, the panic when the pie caves in, forgetting that sixth and seventh ingredient in the seven-layer salad, and the multi-syllabic words of frustration that accompany mismeasuring the ingredients. But then the prayer is said and the meal is set out, and oooo-s and yummmm-s are audible and folks’ eyes twinkle with anticipation and excitement, and something within me is fed by something far greater than food. And as the various dishes of goodies are circulated, bread is passed, and glasses of glug and wine are topped off, it is clear that this is a feast, complete with echoes of a feast that has nothing to do with food.

These are moments that Thanksgiving becomes more like the Great Thanksgiving, or from the Greek, the Eucharist. Now, I’m clear that there are folks who will point out that this is a holiday where Americans overindulge and eat in excess, as we are already prone to doing. There’s a valid critique there. And someone will hopefully call us to remember that there will be people who will go hungry while others feast. And someone will surely call us to remember that the day of Thanksgiving casts its shadow on a long history of devastation and oppression of Native Americans. And they should because we should remember all of this, and hold that sorrow in tension with our experience of Thanksgiving.

Much the same can be said of the Great Thanksgiving, the Eucharist, that as Christians we sometimes gorge ourselves on our own rituals and habits, that there are many people who hunger for the feast but are invited to the table, and that there are many people who continue to hunger. The Great Thanksgiving, too, casts a long shadow. It has been used as a bargaining chip and battle cry. And we should be reminded of these things so that when we gather around that table and as we taste the bread and the wine we are challenged out of our complacency that takes it all for granted.

Seeing these connections, between Thanksgiving and the Great Thanksgiving—the Eucharist—is important, I think. Both help us see something vital in the other. Both extend themselves far beyond the moments they gather us in. And both these meals of thanksgiving have a sort of remarkable place in our culture. Thanksgiving is a day that somehow moves folks across America to remember to be thankful, which is no small feat in a culture that says having everything is still not enough, and in which a day after being so thankful, if not sooner, we will scrunch ourselves into malls and lines and forget the moments of the day before. The Great Thanksgiving, too, has a remarkable place in our culture. It is a moment in which Christians are reminded to be thankful, and that is no small feat in a religious culture that comes to the table only when it is convenient and reaches quickly for lifesavers or mentos to wash away the taste of bread and wine. When we sit and eat at either of these place settings, we are invited to rest in, to ponder, wonder, to be thankful.

And for some of us, it is in the midst of being thankful that we get all uncomfortable and the dis-ease sets in. Because we know we have a lot. And we get a bit uncomfortable admitting it as we say we are thankful and we get even more uncomfortable about saying thanks to God for what we have because we fear we come close to sounding like the prosperity gospel preachers on TV who tell us that God’s favored finding wealth—let it be noted that this is not what the Gospels actually say. Rather than sound like them, we spend Thanksgiving conflicted about whether we should say thanks to God or whether we should mourn having so much. We put a band-aid over the rawness of the experience hoping to heal it with one-time offerings to food pantries or to community meals, or we yell back at the radio if it makes the day sound too Pollyannaish, or we eat our turkey and fixin’s but promise indigestion for digesting bad karma along with it.

But, then there are other folks who seem to really get this whole thankful business, unapologetically with no disclaimers or false promises of karma-induced indigestion. I keep thinking of being recent with a woman who has had surgery, still in that unfiltered state of half anesthesia, proceeded to boldly and loudly thank God for having come out of surgery, thank the doctors and nurses who cared for her, her spouse whom she loved, a friend who brought her trinkets from traveling, the woman who mopped the floor early in the morning, and on and on the list of thanks went.

What if we were more like that woman? What if we let ourselves be genuinely thankful on Thanksgiving, thankful for all it, for the turkey that won’t cook up right, the lumps still in the mashed potatoes, the charred marshmallow topping on the sweet potatoes, the glug and wine that spill on the floor, the dogs that bark every time the doorbell rings waking up the toddler, the passing of the bread between strained relationships, and the clinking of wine glasses promising a new start. What if we were thankful that we ate too much and for all that we have and all that we are and even for the eye of the needle staring us down?

The reality of any feast is that being thankful in the midst of it can be difficult because, in the act of coming together, we are made human and messy, gravy dribbles, crumbs drop, cranberry sauce slides; the body of Christ broken and stained. But in it too, the promises of life, of love that sustains us, that is both in us and far beyond our wildest imaginations, shine through.

Before it, after it, and in the idea of it, thankfulness is simple. In the midst of it, the setting of the table, the breaking of the bread, the sipping of wine, and Thanksgiving can be difficult. But we’re not in this alone. No matter how you will spend thanksgiving and whether or not the day will be filled with folks who are easy to get along with or not, we are reminded of the opportunity we have to be thankful. Hear the advice of Paul to the Philippians, folks who struggled and needed to be reminded sometimes just as much as us, that giving thanks is a pivotal part of the life of faith….Paul writes to them, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus…Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil 4:4-9).

This Thanksgiving, let us all keep at it. Let’s get out of our heads and into our hearts. Let us be thankful and rejoice, and let us be reminded to do so as we gather around the Thanksgiving table and each time we gather at the table of the Great Thanksgiving.

Have you ever encountered yourself in an apparently lose-lose situation? Have you had to single out between being loyal to your friend and being honest? Have you had to choose between what is right and what is accessible? The word ‘ethics’ is closely related to words such as ‘good’, ‘moral’, ‘virtues’, and ‘principles’. Ethics illustrate how a person should behave by providing a way to choose between conflicting options. It is a state of ethical dilemma when you have to choose between right and wrong without considering your desires. Within our society, we have to deal with ethical dilemmas daily. Definitely, one has to make a choice. Although the choice comes with more than one solution, our decision must be for the sake of our ethical values and the good of society as a whole. Recently, within the past year, I was faced with a moral and ethical dilemma that forced me to choose between honesty and loyalty, and the result of that choice has been my ultimate guide in all my decisions since that time.

At the time of the incident, I worked as a teacher’s assistant during the first term of school. The dilemma I faced involved a friend who was an assistant to another teacher in the same department. We tended to see each other on many occasions, and as time passed, the two of us had become close friends during the course of the term. One time, while I was busily organizing some papers for my teacher, I saw my friend photocopying one test paper and quickly hiding it in his bag. When I asked him about his action, he begged me not to tell the teacher and that he did this for his young sister who was struggling in this subject and needed it badly to raise her grades. As a friend, I tried to warn and convince him to tear off the paper because stealing is an immoral act. Also, the teachers trusted us to be decent and honest assistants. However, he didn’t listen and asked me to keep it a secret. Usually, I am a simply sympathetic person and I am proud of my loyalty to friends. I am devoted to those close to me and deeply within my heart I wanted to keep this incident between me and my friend. However, if there is one thing in life I value most, it is honesty. I was really suffering from this ethical dilemma. Should I be loyal to my friend and protect him by keeping his secret? Or should I be honest and tell my teacher about what he did? I did try to convince him to do this, but he didn’t listen. So, is it his own fault? But what if telling the teacher causes him trouble? What if I lose his friendship? Will I be called a snitch? I know that stealing the papers or anything in general is a misdeed. So, if I ignore what my friend did, will I be doing something good? Will I be conflicting with my own beliefs? Will I be ignoring my value of honesty?

I spent some hours trying to figure out what the right action that I had to take should be, and yes, I reached the right solution. I am always loyal to my friends and to the people whom I love, but I can’t help but be honest. It would be easier to ignore what my friend did and to let everything go smoothly. However, making the easier decision is not always the best decision for the sake of those around us. Ignoring, in this case, will result in my friend’s continuous involvement in misdeeds in the future. He should learn that stealing isn’t right. He should learn that it is immoral to do such an action with a teacher who puts her trust in us. Moreover, the most crucial result is that in the future I will personally find reasons to jeopardize my ethical values for the sake of any reason. Yes, this is what I cared about and wanted to safeguard. It is my ethical value, honesty. One’s moral code acts as a guide for his behavior and decision-making. Therefore, ethics do and should always play an essential role in our decision-making. Hence, I decided to do the right thing and tell the teacher of what my friend did.

My friend apologized to the teacher and promised to change. I was glad that I did what I believed in and valued. In fact, an ethical dilemma of doing the right thing might be a very critical state for us, but still, we can manage it by exerting some effort. We should keep one thing clear in mind our ethics should not be bargained. In this way, all the situations could easily be handled by us no matter how difficult and personal it is. Proper and ethical decisions need to be made between right and wrong. I hope to always be a model for others, and being ethical is the keystone of presenting a good model for others. ‘Actions speak louder than words’ proves to be related to ethics. I aim to show people what my moral principles are based on my actions. At times, it can get strenuous because emotions might cloud my judgment, but in the end, doing the right thing is most crucial to me.

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘brother’? Maybe you imagine a person who will annoy you for the rest of your life. Going into your room and making a mess, or touching stuff they are not supposed to. You may also think of a person who will always look out for you. They may be the most unsupportable person on earth, but they will never abandon you.

Growing up, I always wanted a little brother. I wanted someone to play with so I wouldn’t feel so lonely. I was an only child for eight years and I always asked my mom, “Can I have a baby brother?”. My mother struggled to get pregnant, and to make that happen she had to be on treatment. She was on treatment for several months until she was finally pregnant. Once they received the news that she was expecting a baby, my heart filled with joy. As the months went by, her tummy got bigger and bigger. My brother’s movements become noticeable and his kicks become stronger. Although my parents didn’t want to know the baby’s gender until it was born, my gut always told me it was going to be a boy.

April 24, 2008, was the day I became an elder brother. I wanted to be present at his birth, but I was too young. They took me to see him at Saint Joseph’s Hospital around noon. As I walked into the hospital, the smell of disinfectant and medicine hit me. The receptionists were busy talking on the phone or entering information on the computer. Doctors and nurses were walking back and forth down the endless hallways. Many people were sitting or sleeping in the waiting area. The hospital was fairly quiet, but there was a lot of movement going on. Once we reached the end of the hallway, my aunt stopped at the reception desk and asked: “Excuse me, what room is Christopher Gonzalez in?”. The nurse searched him up on the computer and replied: “He is on the fourth floor in room 224”. We took the elevator up to the fourth floor and looked for his room. My brother was the tiniest thing I had seen. Like all newborns, he looked like a little alien. They laid him in the mini plastic crib. From his head to his toes, he was fairly red. His little fingers were soft and tender. His hair and his eyes were a dark brown color. The nurse had wrapped him in an animal blanket like a little taquito. Everyone would smother him with kisses, especially me. The following day a nurse came in and said: “I’m sorry but your child may have to stay some extra days in the hospital”. Unfortunately, my brother couldn’t come home right away because he had low blood sugar. They transferred him to a room full of other babies that had to be kept under observation. Seeing how the nurses had to poke his little foot to get blood samples several times during the day made me sad. His tiny feet were always purple due to all the times they had to get samples. Everyone was excited the day he was released from the hospital. My baby brother was finally going to come home.

To me, my little brother was like a real-life baby doll. At first, I would be scared to hold him because he seemed fragile and I was scared to break him. Eventually, holding him became second nature, as well as feeding and changing him. I enjoyed spending time with him and taking care of him. Except for when he would throw up on me after he would eat. My brother changed my life completely and without a doubt he has been my biggest blessing. Watching him get bigger and bigger made me sad but happy at the same time. Seeing his little face lighten up every time we would play always made my day. His face was the most angelic little face in the world and his smile was the most contagious. When he began to crawl, he was unstoppable, never staying still. Then he began to walk and became even more unstill. He wanted to explore every single part of the apartment. As he got older, he began to develop his own personality. A happy soul with a lot of talent and potential. Any person who had met him would know the noble-hearted person he was. The sensible little boy with a heart of gold.

My brother is the most sincere and caring person I have ever met. He taught me how to love a person more than I ever thought I could love someone. Most importantly, he filled our lives with love and happiness. Although he is younger than me, he taught me that a brother’s love is unconditional.

Brotherhood is the greatest gift. To me, it means having someone who will always love and care for you, no matter the situation. A person whom you will also always love and take care of despite everything. Brotherly love is the purest and most sincere love that a person can receive. Brother will always be there for you and will be the person you can turn to. He will always be there to protect you and put a smile on your face. I am infinitely grateful to fate for the gift of my brother and the opportunity to feel the full power of brotherhood on myself.

Abstract

Teratogenic influences on the fetal brain caused by illicit drug use can be potentially deadly. We can state that children exposed to drug usage in utero can be victims of child abuse and maltreatment. The purpose of this research paper is to describe the effects on children who are born to mothers that are heavily addicted to drugs and study how a child’s language is affected. Applying Bowlby’s theory of attachment I will uncover the struggles mothers face bonding with their children due to their use of illicit narcotics.

Prenatal drug habits have been a controversial topic to tackle, far less discussed. What a mother decides to do to her body is her choice. Although mothers are in control of what they can and cannot do, if those choices affect a living being that is developing, it then becomes a major cause for concern. Medical institutions worldwide give their best efforts to promote prevention against drug and alcohol usage in mothers that are expecting. Despite those efforts, environmental and biological factors will always determine the path a mother chooses to take.

Maternal substance abuse provides negative outcomes for both mother and child (Parolin, M., & Simonelli, A. 2016). There are innumerable amount of risk factors that can affect a child’s development. Once conceived, a mother can be unwilling to be referred to child protective services. According to preclinical studies, it has been determined that neurobiological pathways can actually compromise a mother’s ability to parent and understand an infant’s behavioral cues and expressions (Rutherford H, Williams S, Moy S, Mayes L, Johns J. 2011). Bowlby’s main theory targets the conceptualization of early relationships between child and caregiver (Bowlby J. Attachment and Loss 1980). If those connections are severed or disrupted, a child will never experience a sense of security, positive interactions, and most importantly cohesive responsive care.

Introduction

Attachment theories focus on early childhood development and how it reflects and plays a major role later in life. Maternal substance abuse throws a wrench into that and negatively influences a child’s development and speech. Recent studies show a high increase in maternal substance abuse among infants born to drug-dependent mothers, which affects 400,000 mothers annually in the United States (2008, National Survey on Drug Use and Health). In order to understand why mothers are using drugs, we have to take into consideration their environmental factors as well as their socioeconomic status. Are women in higher income households less likely to use drugs than their counterparts, which would include lower-income mothers that have the least access to medical care? Do the stress of a new child and financial situations put a strain on a mother, which then leads to her drug usage to counter those feelings? There are a multitude of reasons why any mother would choose to use illicit drugs whilst pregnant. The underlying reality is that the effects of drug use can lead to poor nutrition, a small birth rate, and even more detrimental, stillbirth.

Three-Year Developmental Outcomes in Children with Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Exposure

Attitudes and behaviors of drug-abusing mothers include dysfunctional features. These features include ignoring a child after childbirth, harboring feelings of anger and disdain, threatening disciplinary methods, and also a lack of supervision and control (Dore MM. 1998). A Seattle study was performed from July 1991 through December 1993, which studied the performance of children whose mothers abused alcohol and drugs and examined the research using Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Kartin, 2018). Participants of this study were told that in three years they would be interviewed and evaluated to see how the children grew developmentally.

The results show that within the three-year span, it took to collect information from the mothers that were enrolled, eighty-one children were available in total. Twenty-three of the children out of twenty-eight were in the HRC group which contained 82 percent. Thirty out of the thirty-four children were lumped into the CRC group, which contained 88 percent, and thirty-one children were in the control group. The HRC group contained hospital recruits that reported the use of alcohol. The CRC group was the community group, which analyzed illicit drug effects, and the control group was a substitute group that was used to indicate if they mixed both alcohol and drugs together.

What can be comprised from this study was that children who were born preterm early in their gestational age were not different from the child that was born full term to mothers that abused both alcohol and illicit drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and marijuana (Kartin, 2018). Maternal demographics played no substantial role in mothers who abused drugs. Despite everything, developmental abilities were below par and children suffered low-performance skills when it came to motor, mental and behavioral skills (Kartin, 2018).

Attachment Theory and Maternal Drug Addiction: The Contribution to Parenting Interventions

Within this article, the main goal is to evaluate the quality of attachment to children who were born in at-risk populations. The style of childcare was closely studied to see the effects of the mother-infant bond. Addiction is perceived to be an attachment disorder. Drugs are used as a compensating factor to fill a fix for what we think we may need. Drugs can be used to manage anxiety, and fear, and even regulate our emotions. We typically see in drug-using mothers that the innate need for that fix that comes from drug usage results in attachment disruptions in infancy and thereafter into early childhood. Insecure model attachments discovered that parents with mental health disorders are more likely to be at risk of using and developing insecure attachments with their infants.

Attachment patterns were investigated within a group of women who abused their children and on the latter mothers who were affected by mental disorders (Schneider-Rosen K, Braunwald KG, Carlson V 1985). This longitudinal research focused on children who were at risk from parental conditions such as medical, social, and psychiatric, as well as alcoholism and substance abuse usage (Greenberg, Speltz, and DeKleyn 1993). It was found that psychopathological conditions could, in fact, impede the way a mother takes care of her infant, which then in turn severs the bond between parent and child. This research implies that regardless of mental abilities when substance and alcohol use is added to the mix, it can make it extremely difficult to execute your duties as a parent, which can also have lasting effects when a child grows. Researchers also take into account the severity of prenatal exposure to drugs in utero. Bergin and McCollough 2009), reports that insecure attachments can be predicted in cases where prenatal substance exposure in cases where mothers have a lack of health care and social assistance. With this information presented disorganized attachment is amongst groups of children within at-risk populations. Meta-analysis groups have proven to see patterns of insecurity and avoidance in children categorized in disorganized attachments. Cassibba R, Sette G, Bakermans-Kranenburg M, van IJzendoorn M, Eur Psychol (2013).

Influence of Prenatal Cocaine Exposure on Early Language Development: Longitudinal Findings from Four Months to Three Years of Age

It is evident that drug usage in pregnant mothers can have damaging effects on an infant. Speech and language are major effects a child can inherit from a mother’s choice to abuse drugs. A longitudinal study was maintained by the Miami prenatal cocaine study that produced evaluations for potential influences that evaluated fetal growth within each gestational stage and suggests that it can be altered. Prenatal cocaine exposure was studied in children ranging from the ages of four months to three years of age. Research showed that children exposed to cocaine performed 15 percent on the measures of global language ability as compared to non-cocaine-exposed children (Morrow, C. E., Bandstra, E. S., Anthony, J. C., Ofir, A. Y., Xue, L., & Reyes, M. B. (2003). Children requiring special education services racked up more than 180 million dollars. Unfortunately, children from cocaine mothers couldn’t make the cut-off to receive such services because of their eligibility as opposed to non-cocaine children with disabilities. Many of the kids were predominantly male infants, which exhibited delayed language abilities.

It is important to mention that gestational age was not related to language functionality in full-term infants but rather in preterm infants. It is evident that cocaine exposure to infants born preterm had more malformations and medical conditions. A sample was taken from African American infants that lived in inner-city neighborhoods. Groups studied in these areas had many detrimental factors to where they lived environmentally and how they developed.

Within the first three years of life, there can be many deficits that can add to premature language development due to cocaine usage. Impaired neurobehavioral patterns and attention processes were significantly difficult for these children within the study. In conclusion, postnatal childrearing environments where children were raised in has a significant factor in how children’s language was developed. Although linguistic cues are not picked up on and fully developed, the full understanding of language development won’t be established until years into their academic success to see the full effects and damage of cocaine usage from their biological parent.

Teratogenic influences take away from developing normally. Deprived of advancing through childhood into adolescence and adulthood can make everything in their lives much more difficult. Poor academic functioning, social behavior, and even emotional cues can be extremely difficult to create healthy relationships for any individuals born from unnecessary conditions. It is imperative that healthcare professionals and the public continue to strive to reduce the number of mothers affected by illegal drug use within this country.

Prenatal Exposure to Drugs: Personalized Survey Findings

In order to accelerate the topic forward, I have conducted research that analyzes an individual’s responses to their views on prenatal exposure to drugs. In my survey findings, I found that question A which lists the answer definitely as a response to the question of prenatal drug usage in the country state, and family came to be at 100 percent mean out of all of the questions. There were large differences in the mean in regards to question four which came in as 60 percent out of the five questions answered. What I can concur from my research findings was that when I worked at a pain clinic, a pregnant patient came in wanting to continue her opioid therapy. I suggested at the time to her provider that because of the high dosing of the medication subscribed, it would be best if she were titrated off of the medication to keep the health of the fetus optimal. Quitting the medication would lead to the fetus having a lower risk of heart defects, addiction issues, spina bifida, gastroschisis, and hydrocephaly. In these situations, I believe that this topic is a problem area because many mothers that are drug pushers only think of their needs and fixes. Many don’t want to think about the effects of withdrawals. They would rather continue to take illicit drugs even at the cost of their unborn child’s life. The fetus should have the right to not be exposed to the carcinogenic effect that can have life-altering effects.

I can conclude that the majority of the surveyors believed that prenatal drug use was not only a problem nationally, but statewide as well. There needs to be more funding available locally and federally in order to help assists in this public crisis with drug usage in general. I believe Bowlby’s theory of attachment is correct in this situation because it can alter a child’s behavioral and emotional attachment completely where the child won’t be able to grow up with the security needed to thrive with a parent. Some flaws and inconsistencies that were found in my earlier research were that it was severely difficult to pinpoint an emerging pattern of cocaine usage because of prenatal substances that were implemented at the time. There was some help using the research from child’s meconium to see the onset of cocaine use during the pregnancy but the results were inconclusive. My research, however, was broad; it allowed me to ascertain individual views on exposure, usage, and close relatives. Researchers on the other hand I believed overachieved on their part, by using multiple studies to follow individuals who sometimes moved away, or simply don’t get the opportunity to raise their children because they were taken away due to their instability to raise their own children. There are many factors, which arise that make it difficult to obtain data and assess it.

All in all my personal values will continue to remain the same. Women sometimes become pregnant under inopportune circumstances. No way whatsoever I believe a woman should use drugs to face life’s challenges. A fetus would have a better life without complications of drug use because their organs would be healthier, and their neuro system will be developed and less prone to addiction if given the chance.

In order to create programs that are effective, the research articles can be used substantially as the basis to create a functioning program that can benefit all women despite their socioeconomic status. All in all my research articles and survey findings have validated my understanding of how human development can be impeded because of the use of foreign substances. Bowlby’s theory shows us how bonding can be hindered between mother and child and be further translated into relationship formation in adulthood. Due to society continuously advancing, I have faith that the research compiled over the years would continue to grow because of the amount of public attention that is highlighted on this topic. It is becoming a national epidemic within the United States and continuous study and research can help treat mothers in the best opportune way.

References

1. Deborah Kartin, Ph.D., PT, Therese M. Grant, Ph.D., Ann P. Streissguth, Ph.D., Paul D. Sampson, Ph.D., and Cara C. Ernst, MA Department of Rehabilitation Medicine (D.K.), Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (T.M.G., A.P.S., C.C.E.), School of Medicine, and Department of Statistics (P.D.S.), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
2. Parolin, M., & Simonelli, A. (2016). Attachment Theory and Maternal Drug Addiction: The Contribution to Parenting Interventions. Frontiers in psychiatry, 7, 152. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00152
3. Morrow, C. E., Bandstra, E. S., Anthony, J. C., Ofir, A. Y., Xue, L., & Reyes, M. B. (2003). Influence of prenatal cocaine exposure on early language development: longitudinal findings from four months to three years of age. Journal of Developmental and behavioral pediatrics: JDBP, 24(1), 39-50.

In discussions of teenage abortion, one of the controversial, issues has been the mandatory parental permission for this procedure. At this time as the range of socially acceptable behavior increases teenage pregnancy starts to appear as a common issue, therefore causing the rate of abortion to increase. Some might agree that abortion is an individual’s choice, while others insist that abortion is strictly affecting society, and should be done only by parental permission. From my point of view, abortion affects to minor’s behavior, emotional state, and further perception of the world, therefore I think it is essential to require parental permission before making such a procedure.

I believe that requesting mandated parental consent before making an abortion is vital since teenagers are still supervised by parents who hold responsibility for their actions and physical state. Since abortion is like any other surgical procedure, parents or legal guardians should be informed before making such a decision. Sometimes, young girls do not completely understand the effects of abortion on health and by having an abortion they could endanger their lives. Whereas parents – experienced and knowledgeable adults might know some weaknesses of the girl and could prevent her from serious consequences. It is undoubtedly true, that abortion is a complex procedure, and in the case of gynecological inaccuracy, the young girl might encounter infection, or injury to the cervix, uterus, or other organs. Since teenagers’ bodies are not fully developed, some contingencies might cause a significant impact on a girl’s further health; at such moment, parents’ guidance would help to avoid health hazards and in the case of some accidents as a guardian, they would be able to help. Therefore, it is essential to ask parental permission for such surgical procedures because it provides an opportunity to consult with an experienced adult, thus making the teen more prepared for this process.

Although, by asking for parental consent for abortion, a teen has more chances for a successful outcome of the process she also might get some emotional support. If a teenager has close relationships with her family this might benefit a lot to her overall state. One cannot deny that abortion is a physically and emotionally draining experience; at such a moment parental support is the best psychological healing. It is undoubtedly true that teenagers are individuals too, and they have the right to make decisions by themselves. But, due to an unstable emotional state, it is frequent for humans to make decisions based on their emotions, which often lead to severe consequences. In stressful situations human brain becomes clouded and the ability to think critically decreases. Parents at such a moment could offer help in the form of wise decisions, and emotional and financial support. Furthermore, we should not forget about the cost of medical examinations, which a teen could skip, due to financial dependence on parents. Parental involvement in the process of abortion might evoke confidence in a girl’s decisions and will help her avoid detrimental effects such as tormenting thoughts or self-doubts.

However, many teens live in dysfunctional family environments where parents cannot have a deep understanding of the situation which in turn might worsen the girl’s state. Unintended pregnancies for a young female’s family might seem like a shame. Such thoughts might be based on the religion the family follows or the status of the family. In such a case it might cause more stress and pressure. There were occasions when the family refused the pregnant girl since it might expose the family’s reputation to criticism. By such a requirement less dedicated parents might use various forms of abuse or other punishments; thus, leaving the girl in a hopeless situation. Such an attitude from their parents’ side might be more traumatic for her overall psychological state. Without parental backing, the feeling after an abortion might reduce the confidence in her decisions, and the ability to cope with life’s further obstacles.

Nevertheless, we should accept that the advantages of asking for parental consent before an abortion overweight its disadvantages. If we look at this problem in more broad terms, we can notice that it also has a significant impact on society and youth behavior. The fear of negative parental reactions might invoke them to consider sexual intercourse more seriously and restrict them from frivolous behavior. Since at such a young age teenager’s brain does not reach its full maturity, the ability to make the right decisions and think of the consequences is considerably small. Therefore, embedding such restrictions might contribute to their self-consciousness and restraint of their emotional behavior. Laws and rules are the main components of a strong and safe society that restrict a particular group of people from destroying the idyll. If there were no restrictions such as notifying parents before making an abortion, minors would be more independent in doing their not thoroughly considered ideas or desires.

In conclusion, despite this issue seems like a hot debatable topic I think requiring parental permission will bring more positive effects than negative. Undeniably, there exist, families, where the relationship between parent and child is not close enough; however, in my opinion, the number of adequate parents who are able to at least help the minor in making a decision is greater than those who can put the girl in a danger. The presence of parents might ease the situation: they can provide emotional, financial, and psychological support as well as control the girl’s state during and after the procedure. Even though teenagers are individuals too and they have the right to decide on their own, it would not be excessive to consult with parents before having an abortion. Thus, parental consent will represent a firm and deliberate confirmation from both sides. 

Religious and spiritual beliefs may act as a resource from which individuals derive meaning from psychological trauma it appears that religious emotional expression may encourage adaptive trauma processing, especially for individuals with low ei, who have experienced severe trauma future studies replicating and expanding the current study may be integrated within interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of trauma and better inform this line of investigation.

Even though several factors qualify the findings of this study a practical consideration concerns the potential application of religiously framed written emotional expression in the general population or among medical patients we found no evidence that its impact was restricted to the more religious college students in our sample, and there were no untoward effects of either experimental treatment nonetheless, it is possible that rtc would be ineffective, or even provoke negative reactions, in some individuals, if administered in more heterogeneous samples another concern is studying ei and religion without other closely related constructs, such as social support social support is an important psychosocial variable that has been found to be associated with both ei and religion in previous research38,39 a larger sample size or a series of systematic studies may be required in order to properly examine the potentially complex and dynamic relationships among ei, emotional expression, religion, and other possible mediating and moderating variables, religious and spiritual beliefs may act as a resource from which individuals derive meaning from psychological trauma it appears that religious emotional expression may encourage adaptive trauma processing, especially for individuals with low ei, who have experienced severe trauma future studies replicating and expanding the current study may be integrated within interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of trauma and better inform this line of investigation.

Religious and spiritual beliefs may act as a resource from which individuals derive meaning from psychological trauma it appears that religious emotional expression may encourage adaptive trauma processing, especially for individuals with low ei, who have experienced severe trauma future studies replicating and expanding the current study may be integrated within interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of trauma and better inform this line of investigation, because a one-way analysis of variance was conducted on all baseline measures of the main study variables to assess the effectiveness of random assignment this included age, gender, trauma severity, religiousness, time lapsed since trauma, baseline depressive symptoms, trauma severity, and ei as expected, no significant differences were found among the experimental conditions for any of these variables at baseline (ps07) and the effectiveness of our study manipulation was evaluated by examining whether rtc participants used a higher percentage of religious words in their writing than ctc participants as expected, results showed a significant difference between rtc and ctc participants in the percentage of religious words used in their writings, f(1, 101)864, p01 participants in the rtc had a significantly higher percentage of religious words than participants in the ctc.

Since a one-way analysis of variance was conducted on all baseline measures of the main study variables to assess the effectiveness of random assignment this included age, gender, trauma severity, religiousness, time lapsed since trauma, baseline depressive symptoms, trauma severity, and ei as expected, no significant differences were found among the experimental conditions for any of these variables at baseline (ps07) and the effectiveness of our study manipulation was evaluated by examining whether rtc participants used a higher percentage of religious words in their writing than ctc participants as expected, results showed a significant difference between rtc and ctc participants in the percentage of religious words used in their writings, f(1, 101)864, p01 participants in the rtc had a significantly higher percentage of religious words than participants in the ctc, religious and spiritual beliefs may act as a resource from which individuals derive meaning from psychological trauma it appears that religious emotional expression may encourage adaptive trauma processing, especially for individuals with low ei, who have experienced severe trauma future studies replicating and expanding the current study may be integrated within interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of trauma and better inform this line of investigation.

While several factors qualify the findings of this study a practical consideration concerns the potential application of religiously framed written emotional expression in the general population or among medical patients we found no evidence that its impact was restricted to the more religious college students in our sample, and there were no untoward effects of either experimental treatment nonetheless, it is possible that rtc would be ineffective, or even provoke negative reactions, in some individuals, if administered in more heterogeneous samples another concern is studying ei and religion without other closely related constructs, such as social support social support is an important psychosocial variable that has been found to be associated with both ei and religion in previous research38,39 a larger sample size or a series of systematic studies may be required in order to properly examine the potentially complex and dynamic relationships among ei, emotional expression, religion, and other possible mediating and moderating variables, religious and spiritual beliefs may act as a resource from which individuals derive meaning from psychological trauma it appears that religious emotional expression may encourage adaptive trauma processing, especially for individuals with low ei, who have experienced severe trauma future studies replicating and expanding the current study may be integrated within interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of trauma and better inform this line of investigation because a one-way analysis of variance was conducted on all baseline measures of the main study variables to assess the effectiveness of random assignment this included age, gender, trauma severity, religiousness, time lapsed since trauma, baseline depressive symptoms, trauma severity, and ei as expected, no significant differences were found among the experimental conditions for any of these variables at baseline (ps07) and the effectiveness of our study manipulation was evaluated by examining whether rtc participants used a higher percentage of religious words in their writing than ctc participants as expected, results showed a significant difference between rtc and ctc participants in the percentage of religious words used in their writings, f(1, 101)864, p01 participants in the rtc had a significantly higher percentage of religious words than participants in the ctc.

Whereas several factors qualify the findings of this study a practical consideration concerns the potential application of religiously framed written emotional expression in the general population or among medical patients we found no evidence that its impact was restricted to the more religious college students in our sample, and there were no untoward effects of either experimental treatment nonetheless, it is possible that rtc would be ineffective, or even provoke negative reactions, in some individuals, if administered in more heterogeneous samples another concern is studying ei and religion without other closely related constructs, such as social support social support is an important psychosocial variable that has been found to be associated with both ei and religion in previous research38,39 a larger sample size or a series of systematic studies may be required in order to properly examine the potentially complex and dynamic relationships among ei, emotional expression, religion, and other possible mediating and moderating variables, religious and spiritual beliefs may act as a resource from which individuals derive meaning from psychological trauma it appears that religious emotional expression may encourage adaptive trauma processing, especially for individuals with low ei, who have experienced severe trauma future studies replicating and expanding the current study may be integrated within interventions aimed at reducing the negative effects of trauma and better inform this line of investigation given that a one-way analysis of variance was conducted on all baseline measures of the main study variables to assess the effectiveness of random assignment this included age, gender, trauma severity, religiousness, time lapsed since trauma, baseline depressive symptoms, trauma severity, and ei as expected, no significant differences were found among the experimental conditions for any of these variables at baseline (ps07) and the effectiveness of our study manipulation was evaluated by examining whether rtc participants used a higher percentage of religious words in their writing than ctc participants as expected, results showed a significant difference between rtc and ctc participants in the percentage of religious words used in their writings, f(1, 101)864, p01 participants in the rtc had a significantly higher percentage of religious words than participants in the ctc. 

Throughout life, we often wonder how ideas can be related to another idea. As we grow older and become more aware, our worldview is highly affected by our culture. This is why we see life a certain way. ‘Developing a Worldview’ by Deanne Spears has the best definition of worldviews. Spears says that our worldview derives from those around us such as family members, teachers, and friends (Spears). There are many aspects that go into shaping one’s worldview which can be seen through someone’s experience and from those around them. This can drastically skew one’s worldview if they are unable to think critically about their surroundings and be aware of another’s beliefs. Being aware of worldviews is very important because it coalesce with critical thinking. For example, ethnocentrism according to Spears is defined as believing “our nation or social group is superior”. This illustrates that there is arrogance within a person to think that they are better than another group which can be really detrimental to someone’s point of view of the world.

Throughout my life, my family has significantly shaped my worldview. Although the influence is not necessarily in the most positive way it has given me the most affect results. What I mean by that is I do not want the hardship that most of my family members went through. As someone whose worldviews are modern, I continue to strive in order to be able to achieve professionally. My number one value in life is education and almost all of my family members did not have a level of education passed high school. They did not focus on education to allow for a stable career for themselves. This led me to establish that their kind of lifestyle is not how I want to live and set up for my future family. As a result of seeing them not be able to keep and maintain a nine to five jobs and struggle to pay bills, I have made education my number one value in order to provide for myself and my future family an educated lifestyle that I did not have around myself growing up.

Education is my number one value. I believe that it is best to work hard now and push through all levels of education as it will all pay off in no time. Throughout my high school years, I applied this as motivation to keep moving forward. This meant that even if I did not want my studies in college to revolve around a particular subject to still take the highest course available in order to challenge myself and get a feel for what the college level would be life through taking Advanced Placement or AP for short. This allowed me to be more prepared for classes like English 101 which is equivalent to AP Language. It would be helpful for me to have experienced a class in high school for free and be able to pass it without doubt it in college where I would have to pay.

As a person with modern worldview, I am more likely to side with science over religion. Growing up I was never surrounded by religion so was never reinforced with religious reasoning. I value the more scientific reasoning in the world because I know no other way. The lack of religion shaped my worldview in terms of craving the right answers with the most evidence given. I know that not only is there scientific reasoning behind but morals and ethical reasonings as well. That is the part of me that is still evolving like the Perry’s model states.

One social issue that holds a strong opinion because of my worldviews is whether or not the government should require children to be vaccinated for preventable diseases. This is an issue because diseases that should have been eradicated have appeared once again due to the lack of parental concern with taking their children to get vaccinated. The root cause for not vaccinating their kids was a faulty peer reviewed article that claimed that there was a correlation between autism and vaccines (Davidson). This is not true because autism is mostly said to be an abnormality in the structure or function of the brain and is likely to be present before birth. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, vaccines are created to “prevent diseases and have saved approximately 2.5 million lives” for those who have their necessary vaccinations. Other than their being, a requirement by school institutions to have proper vaccinations, this can be avoided with children who are not enrolled or are home schooled which raises questions on who is safe or in danger. In 2019, 19 years after measles was eradicated the infectious viral disease showed up again. Those who were exposed were in Fullerton while watching the movie ‘Endgame’ (Bharath).

Throughout my life I have had the access to being vaccinated, so I think that it is important not only to make sure you have it but to find access to keep not only yourself safe but those around you as well. I am also educated and in order to get a public education you need to have all your vaccinations required on the immunization card. All and all, the reason why there should be government regulation on vaccines is because it helps everyone be safe in public. If people continue to not vaccinate their kids, rather than just one case in the city of Fullerton, there can be multiple cases that spread into other cities.

Antivaccination has been a topic that has taken over social media and on other different news outlets for quite some time now. This topic is very controversial for a few reasons, reasons which are good enough for parents not to want to vaccinate their kids. ‘Vaccine Rejection and Hesitancy: A Review and Call to Action’, written by Tara C. Smith, highlights a few reasons why parents reject the idea of vaccination, such as the ingredients being unsafe and what it can actually cause. In the article, the author discusses some reasons such as “vaccines are ‘toxic’ and contain antifreeze, mercury, … and other dangerous chemicals that can lead to autism” (Smith). This illustrates that the message they are reinforcing to parents that vaccines cause more harm than they do to help prevent spreadable diseases. Smith’s article highlights reasons why parents should not vaccinate their children in regards to how medical science is untrustworthy. Smith values safety, the negative effects are the reason why she is hesitant about vaccinations. However, Smith believes that compiling all the inaccurate reasons to not vaccinate is good enough to risk children’s lives and other lives around them.

In addition to Smith’s article, the article ‘Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of Vaccines’ the authors Chephra McKee and Kristin Bohannon go more in depth about why some people refuse to vaccinate. In this article, the authors explain there are more reasons that go beyond the medicinal science of vaccinations that scare people away such as betraying their beliefs. The authors explains that there are “different religions and the reasons that vaccines may violate their religious tenets” (McKee and Bohannon). This goes to show that the authors’ value personal beliefs of religion over the safety of not only children but the rest of the people around the area. Not vaccinating is very controversial because it goes beyond the safety of people and gets more technical as people find more reason not to vaccinate. I do believe that when it comes to beliefs, that a person will make decisions based on what they know on the surface. However, the opposing view is not just against vaccinations because it causes autism but also because of cultural and religious beliefs. It is known that vaccinations are important for one’s well-being, something the author may not have analyzed before making a decision, which is a key component to critical thinking.

My worldviews have changed as I got older. I gained the ability to be able to think for myself rather than relying on higher authority. I stand true to my social issue, for vaccinations are a key aspect to human growth and development. A disease that was eradicated in the early 2000’s that came back to bring a bunch of red flags. It leaves me wondering if vaccinations are something parents are against, who is to say that this issue is not going to become bigger than a case that happened in Fullerton, CA. There is a huge obstacle to critical thinking when it comes to vaccinations. I feel like there is an availability heuristic within the parents that is holding them back from knowing more than what on the surface, the truth.

Works Cited

1. Bharath, Deepa, and Leo Smith. “Orange County Confirms 1st Measles Case of 2019; Woman Saw ‘Avengers’ at Fullerton AMC Theater”. Orange County Register, Orange County Register, 1 May 2019, https://www.ocregister.com/2019/04/30/orange-county-confirms-1st-measles-case-of-2019-possible-exposure-sites-include-amc-theatres-in-fullerton/
2. Children’s Hospital. “Global Immunization: Worldwide Disease Incidence”. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 1 Dec. 2014, https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/global-immunization/diseases-and-vaccines-world-view
3. Davidson, Michael. “Vaccination as a Cause of Autism-Myths and Controversies”. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience vol. 19,4 (2017): 403-407.
4. Endgame. Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures, 26 Apr. 2019.
5. McKee, Chephra, and Kristin Bohannon. “Exploring the Reasons Behind Parental Refusal of Vaccines”. The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics: JPPT: the Official Journal of PPAG, Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group, 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4869767/
6. Smith, Tara. “Vaccine Rejection and Hesitancy: A Review and Call to Action”. OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 18 July 2017, https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/4/3/ofx146/3978712
7. Spears, Deanne. Developing A Worldview [PDF File].

With significant population growth and the rise of consumerism, the total amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in Hong Kong has increased sharply. Among all three categories, domestic waste has a major influence on MSW growth. In light of waste management in Hong Kong, most of the MSW will be disposed of in landfills, which leads to pressing landfill saturation problems. Since Hong Kong is facing a land shortage and building new landfills is not sustainable, some experts are considering implementing a mandatory volume-based charging scheme in all domestic premises, while others are skeptical about it. Therefore, this essay will examine the advantages and disadvantages of the scheme.

One argument in favor of this waste charging scheme is that it may decrease the disposal rate of MSW and increase the recycling rate by providing financial incentives to the public. By applying a volume-based charging approach, the residents are required to pay for the waste generated. In order to mitigate the burden, they may consider recycling their waste by sorting them and placing them accordingly in the three recycle bins. This is evident in the case of South Korea. In 1995, the country implemented a volume-based waste fee system. The result is favorable, with around a 25% drop in the per-capita disposal rate from 1994 to 2005 and a 4 times increase in the collection rate of recyclables from 1994 to 2008 (Lo, 2016). This demonstrates that the approach may enhance the recycling rate in the short term. In short, based on the successful experience of South Korea, this scheme may contribute to recycling in Hong Kong.

Although the waste charging system may enhance the recycling rate, residents’ opposition can possibly minimize the effectiveness of the scheme. Since households are required to purchase pre-designated garbage bags of different sizes to collect their waste, payment is needed. In this way, the system may increase the “financial burden of residents, especially low-income families” (Yeung & Chung, 2018, p. 7506). Besides the financial burden, people may focus on how to avoid the fees rather than adopting recycling practices. The initial idea of “waste less, pay less” may not be successfully promoted, leading to a reduction in the effectiveness of the approach. Also, a study by Wan, Shen, and Choi (2018) examined the different degrees of public support for waste management policy. The waste charging scheme is the least supported. In summary, it has been shown in this review that the system is not generally supported and its main idea may not be successfully promoted to increase the recycling rate in Hong Kong.

Despite the drawbacks brought by the scheme, it may increase public environmental awareness and help the government to develop recycling-related policies with more public support. According to a report conducted by Brown and Johnstone (2014), the public who had been exposed to the PAYT system become more accepting of incentive-based schemes. This may be due to their increased understanding of the environmental issue through education and promotion by the government. By knowing the negative influences brought by waste generation and discarding waste in landfills, people may perhaps be aware of the importance of waste reduction and recycling and will be more supportive to recycling-related policies. To conclude, the scheme may assist the government to commence waste management policies more successfully.

Some experts, however, have expressed concerns about whether the policy encourages recycling practices. In Hong Kong, only three types of recycling bins are found. It is certain that the types of recyclables are limited. Food waste contributes to around 34% of the MSW disposed of in landfills. Even then, it is difficult to find “corresponding recycling facilities” within communities (Wan, Shen & Choi, 2018, p. 483). As a result, due to inconvenience in finding corresponding recycling bins, some residents may simply discard wastes in their designated garbage bags. People with a limited understanding of recycling may even view food waste as non-recyclable. Apart from lacking recycling facilities, some residents may discard their waste in public bins to avoid payment. Thus far, the thesis has argued that domestic waste charging schemes may not effectively promote recycling due to poor development of the recycling chain.

This essay has presented the contributions and drawbacks of domestic volume-based charging schemes. It promotes waste reduction and growth in the recycling rate in the short term. As for the advantage in the long term, it increases public awareness of environmental sustainability. However, the scheme may be opposed by the public due to financial issues and its effectiveness in recycling may be degraded due to insufficient support by recycling infrastructure. The approach is supported in this essay. To further increase its effectiveness, the government should decrease the number of public bins to avoid illegal disposal and allocate funds for recycling facilities construction to improve the recycling chain. Implementation of a mandatory domestic waste charging scheme will be challenging. Concerted efforts of the government, the public, and environmental professionals are required.