IT Essay

by admin | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

Researching Into Information Technology and Its Impacts on Society Essay
Abstract
Smart Mobile devices have become very popular both in the social and business world. This paper seeks to discuss the effect of these devices among people in the social as well as the business settings. There will be in-depth discussion on the devices’ effects of people’s lives at work, private social life, in government and education.

Introduction
Since the industrial revolution, technology has been characterised by stativity, well apart from a few applications like the wheel, the train, the automobile and the airplane. Given the bulk of the equipment used in the above-mentioned inventions, stativity was not much of a choice.

Telecommunication gadgets like the Morse code and the telephone were grounded as well and their sizes and modes of operation did little to enable much movement. Two centuries later, technology experts are of the opinion that mobility displayed by telecommunication gadgets today is likely to get out of hand and possibly impact negatively on human life. Of particular importance to this discussion are the developments characterising the information and communications technology sector.

The last two decades have experienced some of the most effective ICT inventions in human history. The technology boom of the last decade of the 20th century provided the platform for the development of mobile technology that today has changed the ways of communication (Gallagher 2005, et al, p. 67). Technology nowadays is so mobile that business and individuals who fail to adapt to it risk being left behind, literary. Nothing in the 21st century captures the very spirit technological mobility as the mobile phone does.

The smart phone stands out nowadays as the epitome of synchronisation and mobility of technology. While its benefits cannot be overstated, there is genuine concern that the overall, especially adverse effects of this very technology have been grossly overlooked.

Which therefore begs the question; will the ever-increasing number of smart mobile devices (i-Phones etc) impact on the way we conduct our lives (work and private)? The answer to the above question is to the affirmative. The specifics of the answer will therefore form the main content of this discussion.

This paper will address the particular impacts on both work and private lives of human beings of smart mobile devices. It’s important to note that the impacts that will be discussed will touch on both the negative and positive sides of smart mobile devices. Besides, the above, there will also be a discussion on how smart mobile technology impacts education as well as government.

In this paper, the words; business and work will be used interchangeably but will have similar meaning in the same context. Also, the words; smart phones and smart mobile devices will be used interchangeably.

Before the analysis is carried out however, it’s important to have a brief look on general effects of smart mobile devices, an enhancement of the affirmative answer given above

Smart Mobile Devices Impacts Human life
According to Salt (2011, p. 152), the advent of advanced technologies like the smart mobile services has drastically altered human being’s work, life and relationships. However, Salt (2011, p. 152) singles out the mobile phone, social media such as Facebook and Twitter and smart phones as some of the technologies that are increasingly defining how people work and form relationships in the social arena.

The smart phone technology is undoubtedly influencing the formation of protocols and strange social behaviours that all lead to addiction. Through addiction to smart mobile devices, people are fast becoming slaves to the gadgets which dictate them what to do while defining every sphere of their lives.

There are currently close to 500 million smartphone users in the world. That number is set to increase by 32.4% to 1.2 billion people by the year 2015. The growth of the smartphone usage by the above margin is likely to net more people to the addition that currently is being experienced. In turn the effects; both negative and positive will trickle down to the populations.

Impact on work/Business
Business communication is nowadays technology oriented (Stockard 2011, p. 153), letters, memos and reports have been replaced by technologies such as NetMeeting and LiveMeeting. Additionally, business communication is increasingly relying on the telephone especially Smartphones such as Blackberry and i-Phone (Stockard 2011, p. 153). Stockard adds that because phones can nowadays send messages as fast as the PC, business communication has become easier and quicker.

For a long time the business world has relied on the PC for conducting business. The PC still maintains its rightful place in the day-to-day running of organizations and conduction of business. However, the advent of the smart phone is increasingly diminishing the importance of the PC in business transactions.

This is because the smart mobile gadgets like smart phones and tablets have what the PC doesn’t; mobility and portability. The above features coupled with the presence of integrated PC features in smartphone makes them attractive and addictive to business people. The addiction and effect of these devices on work lives can be capture through a Ring Central online survey that was carried out in the year 2010.

Increased reliance on Smart mobile devices for conducting business
In the survey, respondents ranked the smartphone and intimate life both at 40% as the two most important things that they can’t do without in their lives. Additionally, the majority of respondents totaling 79% cited the smart phone as the main business tool for conducting business easily beating the home and office phones (Trade 2010).

This is in contrast a few years ago when laptops were the main gadgets through which business was conducted remotely. The smartphone however easily beats the laptop as the primary preference in conducting remote business especially because it enable people access the physical tools that were only found in the office.

Some business people (34%) admitted to using the smartphone for business more than the computer (Trade 2010).

Levels of addiction of the smartphones.
Levels of addiction of the smartphones, Source: Ringcentral Online survey

People are now increasingly addicted to productivity
Many business people and those that are in both formal and informal employment admitted that they are addicted to the smart mobile devices for the sole purpose of improving productivity in their respective work areas. Again, the ability to conduct business from any location came top among the reasons the respondents gave.

To that effect, 40% of respondents ranked smart phones as being significant as intimate relations. Hypothetically, therefore these people cannot easily choose between their social lives and the gadgets they are holding (Trade 2010). This therefore shows a worrying trend where people may rank non-living requirements like gadgets ahead of social and personal development.

In a nutshell, business people as well as those that are working in the formal sector have demonstrated an unmatched passion for smart mobile devices. The fact that it has changed their way of life as shown above underscores the critical role these devices play and the depth of their effect.

Of more importance however is the dynamism that these gadgets have brought to the business world. They have reduced overreliance on the PC and the business phone as the main tools of conducting business. Mobility and speed have now become the norm thanks to these devices.

Impact on Private Life
Many academics and political critics have conceded that the smart mobile devices like the BlackBerry can result into negative impact on the balance between work life and family life (Sweeny 2009, p. 190).

Addiction to mobile smart devices has not only affected business/ or work relationships of the users. There is sufficient reason to believe that the addiction has extended to the private or social lives of many people that use them.

Increasingly, people have found themselves in the awkward position where they need to split their time between their social lives and business. This effect will be captured through a presentation of different social scenarios that are aimed at showing the skewed devotion and commitment to family and relationships due to the use of mart mobile devices. In all the scenarios, the use of the gadgets is a deviation from the norm as we know it.

Less family time
Nowadays, many people are devoting more time to business than to family. It’s not uncommon for people to conduct business while on a weekend or holiday alone or with family. Smart mobile devices come in handy in when one needs to check on the developments in the business world.

During this time, people split their time between being with family and communication various business issues. People with the smart gadgets find it difficult to keep to themselves without referring to their devices in social functions such as funerals and weddings and children’s outings. Subtly, and without realizing, these actions indicate lack of attention on the family and other social relationships which takes its toll in the long-run (Powell, p. 181).

Less privacy
According to Furnell et al (2011, p. 50), the use of smart phones by people with no or little technical knowledge exposes them to the risk of being attacked through the use of their gadgets as security or attack vectors. In fact, most people who use these devices have little or no technical knowledge on measures that mitigate these risks.

Many of the smart mobile devices have been fitted with advanced microchips which make it easier for surveillance of the holder. The log installed in the smart devices can record all the places the holder has been to and sometimes the activities they have been up to.

Additionally, it’s easy for the parent companies and other interested parties to monitor the devices remotely illegally or otherwise. No matter the circumstances under which the surveillance takes place, the privacy of the holders of these devices is compromised. It’s no secret that surveillance information from these devices has led to the collapse of many social relations of the holders.

Social Networking
One of the biggest impacts of smart mobile devices is social networking. Butler (2010, p. 100), quoting Comscore, says that over 30% of smartphone users access social networking sites like facebook and twitter using their phones. It’s now possible for people from different locations to communicate and participate in social events without necessarily meeting physically. The social networking impact can be positive or negative depending on the function it plays.

Impact on Government/ Administration
Andersen et al (2011, p. 278) does not entirely see the effects of smart mobile devices as being negative. According to them, mobile communication especially through smart devices positively influences mobile business which in turn reinforces social media. Mobile business and social media therefore reinforce each other in a form of co evolution that has positive consequences (Andersen et al 2011, p. 278).

Through the use of these devices, both commerce and government have been forced to adopt technological changes for better communication and business procedures in the technologically mobile world (Rhomobile 2011, p. 23). On the same note, there is a feeling among many scholars that these gadgets have played and will continue to play a crucial role in social media growth and evolution.

As such they come in hand in the implementation of changes in government and in society especially through participation of citizens in e-democracy. A good example is role smart devices have played in the political crises of North Africa and the Middle East.

Impact on Education
Education is one of the fields that have evolved with time. There is a marked difference between ancient and modern universities. Though there has been considerable adaptation of technology in education, the advent of smart mobile devices is likely to have a major impact on education. Smartphones aide students in accessing online textbooks while connecting them with databases and libraries online when doing research (Wright & Webb 2011, p. 203).

According to Huang & Ling (2011, p. 557), education has also benefited from ubiquitous learning enabled by smart phones that help in individualized learning. Some android smart phones have an embedded system that helps in the creation of an assisted learning that is less bulky and mobile. The system can also improve the improve distraction behavior in students. Additionally, the application helps in the interaction between peers and teachers. The above application has not yet been adopted by the main stream companies. However it offers a glimpse of the impact that smart mobile devices are likely to have on education.

Conclusion
In a nutshell, smart mobile devices offer advanced computing and connectivity abilities compared to normal mobile services. Their impacts are manifested through effects in productivity and communication in the work place, private life, in government and in education. The effects of these devices are both positive and negative.

Their addictive nature and ability to cause distraction is by far the biggest negative effect these devices have on human life. Both private and work lives of the holders gets altered positively or negatively. Social life of the users especially the family is likely to be negatively affected because people extend conduction of business out of the office.

On the brighter side however, smart mobile devices have enhanced the way business is done and productivity has increased in the work place. Also, it has enhanced networking among professionals and people of different classes. Education has also been impacted positively through easy access to research materials in online libraries. Applications such as Google Reader on the Android phone are an example.

The impacts discussed above have so far been as a result of the existing level of technology. As the thesis statement asserts, technology is ever increasing and new products with mobile and smart features are being developed. The way we conduct our lives is sure set to change with these new products.

References
Andersen, K. et al. (2011) Electronic Government and the Information Systems Perspective: Berlin: Springer Verlag.

Butler, M. (2010) Enterprise Social Networking and Collaboration. East Yorkshire: Martin Butler Research Ltd.

Furnell, S. et al. (2011) Trust, Privacy and Security in Digital Business. New York: Springer Verlag.

Gallagher, P. et al. (2005) Managing the challenges of WTO participation: 45 case studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ling, S. & Huang, X. (2011) Advances in Computer Science, Environment, Ecoinformatics, and Education. Berlin: Springer Verlag.

Powell, G. (2011) Women and Men in Management. London: Sage Publications.

Rhomobile. (2011) Top Trends in Smartphones: and How Rhomobile helps you write apps for them. San Jose, CA.

Sweeny, A. (2009) BlackBerry planet: the story of Research in Motion and the little device that took the world by storm. Ontario: John Willey & Sons.

Stockard, O. (2011) The Write Approach. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Group.

Salt, B. (2011) The Big Tilt: What Happens When the Boomers Bust and the Xers and Ys Inherit the earth. Victoria: Hardie Grant Books.

Trade, J (2010) Smartphones Changing the Way Business Professionals Work and Live. Web. Web.

Wright, K. & Webb, L (2011) Computer-Mediated Communication in Personal Relationships. NY: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.

Pharmacology Essay

by admin | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

Drug Metabolism: Plasma Protein Binding Essay
Plasma protein binding is the process a certain drug attaches itself to the proteins that are found within the blood plasma. A drug’s efficiency may be assessed by the how loosely or strongly it binds itself. For instance a loosely bound drug is said to be more effective as it can navigate through all the cell membranes. Protein binding is said to have a big command on the biological half life of any medicine. The part that is bound to the protein may act as a storage that supplies the drug slowly into the system. Under normal conditions, a drug may exist in two forms while it is still in the blood i.e. bound and unbound form. These forms are highly dependent on the drug’s attraction towards plasma protein. In most cases, one fraction of the drug may be bound while the other part may be unbound (Edmunds & Mayhew, 2004). Given that the unbound form of the drug is bio-transformed from the body, the other part of the drug may be liberated so as to maintain a steady balance. It is also important to note that while albumin is basic, the other drugs will primarily bind themselves to it. The other parts that have been discussed are both acid and neutral drugs. When the albumin becomes drenched, the other kinds of drugs that are both acidic and neutral will attach themselves to lipoproteins.

It has been shown through various researches that a patient taking Warfarin faces a higher chance of increased bleeding, if they decide to take a course of aspirin. This is because Warfarin is an anticoagulant that exhibits a therapeutic indication that is low (Edmunds & Mayhew, 2004).

Cytochrome P450
This is a cluster of enzymes that that can be found in the body particularly in the endoplasmic reticulum. The gene responsible for this cluster of enzymes has known to be in existence for the last three and a half billion years. High levels of this cluster of enzymes can be located in the liver and are also responsible for the transformation of many types of drugs including drugs that mitigate the effects of cancer into a less toxic form. This assists the body in excretion as issues can arise if the toxicity is let to exist. Endogenous compounds ingested orally through eating are metabolized and hence this is manifested through the high levels of concentration are also found in the small intestines. A number of mechanisms can modify the P450 system. These alterations exhibit themselves in the form of inhibitions and also differ from one individual to the other. Research into this group of enzymes is significant towards achieving full knowledge on how drugs are able to metabolize and interact with one another (Edmunds & Mayhew, 2004).

The Process of drug metabolism through P450 Enzymes
Drug oxidation requires molecular oxygen, NADPH and a flavoprotein. This is in addition to the drug substrate and the P450 enzyme itself. The overall reaction is addition of one atom to the oxygen atom while the other atom of oxygen forms water. However the mechanism involves complex catalytic cycles whereby the Cytochrome P450 reductase supplies one ore both of the electrons needed for the oxidation and subsequent restoration of the redox state of the Cytochrome P450 system. This process involves a cyclic oxidation reduction of the iron in conjunction with substrate binding and activation of molecular oxygen (Edmunds & Mayhew, 2004).

Cytochrome P450 with iron ions combines with the drug and then receives an electron from the reductase hence undergoing reduction from +3 to +2. This enables it to combine with molecular oxygen and then a proton. This is followed by another electron from NADPH P450 reductase. The latter complex now combines with another proton yielding to water and Ferric oxine drug complex which extracts a protein from the drug (Edmunds & Mayhew, 2004).

Reference
Edmunds, M. W. & Mayhew, M. S. (2004). Pharmacology for the primary care provider (2nd ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.

Pharmacology Essay

by admin | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

Systems Pharmacology Among Viruses and Bacteria Essay
Hypertension Treatment
The exact causes of essential hypertension are still largely unknown, so the treatment of this health condition is symptomatic. The most influential factors causing the development of hypertension are thought to be environmental and genetic. Depending on the health status of the patient, it is possible to choose among several types of drugs. Major attention should be paid to the presence of heart diseases when developing a hypertension treatment plan.

Medications treating hypertension can be divided into three classes: sympathetically-acting, acting via hormonal control, and vasodilators. Sympathetically acting drugs affect the sympathetic nervous system that releases noradrenaline. The release of α and β receptors causes the increase of blood pressure. Such sympathetically acting drugs as prazosin and phenoxybenzamine block the release of α and β receptors and, thus, decrease blood pressure. The side effects associated with the administration of this type of drugs involve postural hypotension and lethargy.

Hormonally acting medications are also effective in blocking AT synthesis, which results in lower blood pressure. Some examples of these drugs are losartan and captopril. Vasodilation is another part of therapy to treat hypertension that is aimed at the widening of blood vessels. Diuretics are vasodilators that cause the blood vessels widening through the entry of certain elements (for example, Ca2+).

Bendrofluazide, frusemide, and spironolactone are diuretics commonly used to treat hypertension. Calcium channel antagonists (for instance, amlodipine, diltiazem, and nifedipine) are vasodilators that prevent calcium from entering blood cells, which leads to lower blood pressure as well. Potassium channel activators (such as minoxidil) cause the relaxation of muscle cells. Hydralazine can also be prescribed to treat hypertension, but this drug is mainly used in combination with diuretics and some sympathetically acting drugs. Nitrates can be used when treating essential hypertension as they are effective vasodilators.

Antibiotic Classes and Application Use
Antibiotics, also referred to as antimicrobials or antibacterials, are chemical compounds that are utilized to kill or impede the growth of such infectious organisms as bacteria and fungi. Antibiotics can be natural substances, but they are often synthesized or derived from natural substances. Natural penicillins include penicillin G (Benzyl) and penicillin G sodium and potassium. Semisynthesized penicillins are penicillinase-resistant penicillins (cloxacillin), aminopenicillins (ampicillin), and antipseudomonal penicillins (carbenicillin indanyl sodium). The primary feature shared by all antibiotics is their selective toxicity, which is their ability to be more toxic to infectious organisms and remain comparatively safe for the host organism.

Antibiotics can be divided into two groups based on the spectrum of their activity. Antibacterials of the broad spectrum activity can affect a large number of pathogens while narrow-spectrum-activity antibiotics can have an influence on particular infectious organisms. Antipseudomonal penicillins are characterized by the broadest spectrum. Antimicrobials are also grouped in terms of their impact into bactericidal (those killing pathogens) and bacteriostatic (those impeding the growth of these organisms).

Before prescribing antibiotics, it is essential to consider two aspects: patients’ history and the type of the organism attacking them. As for the data regarding the patient, it is important to identify their allergies (if any), infection susceptibility, disorder severity, ethnicity, age, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and the use of other types of medication. Antibiotics are effective against gram negative and gram-positive bacteria, acid-fast bacteria, as well as anaerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

Antibiotics are commonly used to treat such health issues as typhoid fever, invasive salmonellosis, peritonitis, endocarditis, chronic bronchitis and pneumonia, meningitis caused by bacteria, lower urinary tract infection, gonorrhea, urethritis, syphilis, and septicemia. Antimicrobials are also effective in treating osteomyelitis, conjunctivitis, dental infections, otitis media, acne, and animal or insect bite.

Virus Infection and Treatment
Viruses are infectious agents that cause diseases and can live and replicate in host cells (animals, plants, or bacteria). These organisms have a core with RNA or DNA that is enclosed in a protein shell. Some examples of virus types are influenza A and B, hepatitis B and C, herpes, papilloma, and human immunodeficiency (HIV). Some viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis B and C, human papillomavirus, and herpesvirus 8 can cause cancer.

The major classes of anti-viral medications are as follows: fusion, protease, viral DNA polymerase, nucleoside reverse transcriptase and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase, and integrase inhibitors. Inhibitors of viral coat disassembly and chemokine receptor antagonists are also widely used anti-viral drugs. Different antivirals have a specific mechanism of action and are prescribed accordingly. For instance, such antivirals as docosanol or maraviroc (fusion inhibitors) block the fusion of the virus and the host cell. Uncoating inhibitors (such as rimantadine or amantadine) prevent viral RNA genome release.

Integrase inhibitors block HIV DNA insertion into the DNA of CD4 cell. Viral DNA polymerase inhibitors terminate viral DNA chain and are effective against such agents as varicella-zoster virus or herpes. Nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors block the conversion of viral RNA into DNA, which is a disruption of the process of retroviruses functioning. Late protein synthesis is blocked by protease inhibitors while assembly is blocked by neuraminidase inhibitors. Neuraminidase inhibitors block the release of virions from infected cells surface. Protease inhibitors facilitate the production of inactive viral proteins that are instrumental in preventing the maturation of virions, which results in their inability to infect other cells.

Genital Infections and Treatment
Genital infections are often sexually transmitted and can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. People can also be infected through touch, sharing things with an infected person, or due to inappropriate hygiene. When a person is diagnosed with a genital infection, they are advised to inform all their sexual partners about their health condition, which will enable all of the stakeholders to identify certain health issues timely.

Herpes is one of the common genital infections that can affect both males and females. The symptoms associated with this health condition include red areas with or without itching or tingling. The appearance of blisters and transformation into painful sores is another symptom. Herpes causes pain during urination, as well as headaches, fever, and fatigue. This disease is caused by such agents as herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, Varicella-zoster virus, and cyto megalo virus. Aciclovir is the most effective medication to treat herpes, but lignocaine and paracetamol are prescribed in addition to acyclovir in order to accelerate recovery.

Gonorrhea is a genital infection that is caused by bacteria. This infection is characterized by such symptoms as increased frequency and urgency of urination, redness and swelling of genitals, greenish, yellow, or white discharge. When treating this health issue, ceftriaxone and azithromycin are prescribed. The latter is often administered to treat chlamydia that is also a genital infection that is commonly present in people diagnosed with gonorrhea. Candidiasis is a widespread genital infection that is caused by fungi. The symptoms of this disease are itching, soreness, swelling around genitals, pain and burning during sex or urination. Such antifungal drugs as imidazole and fluconazole are effective medications for women while male patients are prescribed imidazole.

Gastrointestinal Infections and Treatments
Helicobacter pylori infection, known as the central cause of ulcers, is a bacterium that is mainly located in mucosa on gastric epithelium luminal surface. These bacteria can live in a human body for years without the appearance of any significant symptoms. However, when symptoms occur, they include pain in abdomen, nausea, appetite loss, bloating, and weight loss. By producing urease, they ensure their survival in the acidic environment. These bacteria damage stomach tissues due to their secretion causing the development of ulcers. This infection is the most common disease found in up to 90% of people having ulcers.

The primary goals of treatment include ulcer healing, H. pylori eradication, and symptoms relief. The patients are prescribed gastric acid inhibitors, antacids, and cytoprotection. Such antacids as alkaline salts reduce the acid load, which results in the neutralization of gastric acidity. Colloidal antacids decrease acidity and provide a mechanical coating to ulcers. Acid inhibitors (such as cimetidine and ranitidine) decrease and impede acid secretion. Cytoprotection is an important part of treatment as drugs facilitating mucosal resistance stimulate mucus and the secretion of hydrogen carbonate improving the protective function of mucus.

The use of medication against H. pylori is an important component of treatment as well. The use of the triple therapy ensures the eradication of the bacteria in question in one week with no or limited side effects. High patient compliance is another feature of this type of treatment. This therapy involves the administration of amoxicillin, clarithromycin, and proton pump inhibitors. Importantly, the use of these drugs triggers immune responses on the local and systemic levels.

Pharmacology Essay

by admin | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

Psychopharmacology and Its Principles and Issues Essay
The principles of psychopharmacology
There are numerous psychopharmacological principles that are used by physicians in the field of medicine. These principles are set guidelines that have been tailored and modified for purposes of assisting psychiatrist patients (Carlson, 2010). Additionally, these principles contain a basic description of drug administration and its end-effects in the human body. Therefore, the psychodynamic principles are meant to facilitate success in clinical encounters. In most cases, such principles primarily emphasize pharmacologic care (Carlson, 2010). It is imperative to note that such principles adhere to the medical selection, transference, counter-transference, treatment procedures, and other activities that are relevant to the practice of psychopharmacology.

Other dynamics include medication choice, overprescribing, and under prescribing of psychopharmacological care. For this reason, these principles are stated on the basis of their application in psychology (Carlson, 2010). One of the principles is pharmacokinetics. This principle asserts that by effectively administering a drug, it must reach its site of action (Carlson, 2010). However, the psychiatrist should be aware of some of the behaviorally active drugs which have an effect on patients’ nervous system. For this reason, this principle explains the fate of a drug once it is absorbed into the body and how it accesses the target site. On the same note, drug administration is also a principle that elaborates how drugs should be made to pass through all the blood barriers into the targeted sites. From this principle, the drug can be administered by use of intravenous, intramuscular, intrarectally, interparental, or by inhalation (Carlson, 2010). Additionally, some drugs are administered through soluble lipids that are easily diffused into blood vessels.

Such principles are relevant in the field of psychology since psychiatrists are able to administer drugs to patients effectively. Therefore, individuals in the field of psychology need to be familiar with the principles (Carlson, 2010). Moreover, through these principles psychiatrists are able to monitor and examine behavioral and cellular functioning due to the effect evoked by the drug administered. This also helps in taking safety measures when administering specific types of drugs. In line with this, one is able to know the appropriate dose to avoid toxicity or side effects associated with the wrong application of the drug (Carlson, 2010).

Addiction to prescription drugs versus street or illegal drugs
From a neurological point of view, any kind of drug addiction is harmful to human health unless it is controlled. According to research evidence, drug addition in both cases has similar impacts on both mental and physical health (Carlson, 2010). In line with this, once administered in the body, both drugs have similar impacts on the nervous system. Addiction from painkillers has been perceived to be in no way different from that of stimulant drugs such as cocaine, opium, and mandrax. Neurological views have shown that the addiction recovery procedure and withdrawal process are relatively similar in both cases (Carlson, 2010). It is vivid that the dangers associated with abusing prescription drugs are similar to those of street drugs. For instance, both drugs can impair body functions and also affect the ability to make proper health choices (Carlson, 2010). However, the only difference that arises is on the prescription of street drugs since they are taken without clear guidance from a qualified doctor. In the case, of a careful prescription of the drug, a patient is usually instructed how to use the drug only that they become addicted after prolonged use. Additionally, street drugs have been examined and found to have high stimulating effects on the brain and thus are more addictive.

Reference
Carlson, N. (2010). Physiology of behavior. New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Criminology Essay

by admin | Mar 21, 2023 | Uncategorized

Cultural Criminology: Inside the Crime Essay
The purpose of cultural criminology is to examine and describe crime and forms of crime control as cultural products. Criminality and actors in crime control are seen as creative notions that can be expressed in symbolically mediated cultural practices. Thus, subculture members, politicians, media producers, commercial organizations, and other relevant actors provide meaningful explanations for their actions. Cultural criminology considers its task the analysis of the ongoing process of interpretation, reinterpretation, and deconstruction (Wickert, 2019). The theory does not see itself as a theory of crime in a narrow sense; instead, it is a paradigm or perspective approach of crime as a phenomenon, placing significant emphasis on the importance of images, symbols, and representations of self-staging. Cultural criminology qualitative relies on the social sense drawing meanings and methods of ethnography as well as textual and content analysis.

Thus, the main point of difference between cultural criminology and other theories of crime is that it places criminality and control over it in a specific context that can be interpreted differently when viewed from varied perspectives. That is, the theory views crime and the relevant agencies and institutions of crime control as cultural products or as creative constructs. As such, corruption must be approached from the standpoint of the meanings that it carries. To facilitate an understanding of cultural criminology, it is essential to consider such ideas as crime as culture, culture as crime, the media constructions of crime control and corruption, and political dimensions of culture, crime, and cultural criminology.

Crime as culture entails the characterization of deviant subcultures as systems of symbols, which may include the style and appearance of their members, slang expressions, as well as any signs, slogans, and other methods of differentiation. In this sense, crime as culture means that individuals belong to a subculture that requires one’s capacity to construct and deconstruct the system of collective codes and practices. Besides, within the subculture that considers crime among its defining culture, symbolic communication may also often occur besides face-to-face interactions.

Culture as crime is a thematic area of cultural criminology that entails the criminalization of cultural products and players. The analysis of the area depends, on the one hand, on the differentiation between the so-called high culture and, on the other hand, popular culture. Criminalizing cultural products and the various forms that it takes mainly influences popular culture. Although, it is necessary to note several isolated examples in which criminalization also influences the products of the so-called high culture. For instance, the photographs taken by Jock Sturges and Robert Mapplethorpe were deemed pornographic despite the fact that their intention was artistic expression. On the downside, the stigmatization and criminalization predominantly affect artists that belong to social minorities and subcultures, such as black rap musicians, punk musicians, LGBTQ artists, and others.

The third thematic focus area, media constructions of crime control and crime, is focused on the analysis of reciprocal action mechanisms of the judicial system and the media. Drawing from the works of Cohen and Becker, such constructs as moral panics and folk devils have been heavily covered in media. An example of the media construction of crime and crime control pertains to the Satanic panic, a national hysteria episode that dominated the media in the 1980s (Hughes, 2016). The event involved the severe moral panic associated with more than twelve thousand unsubstantiated satanic ritual abuse cases in the 1980s in the United States (Hughes, 2016). The issue with satanic panic relates to the extreme media coverage of the alleged abuse of satanic rituals, with the information not being verified or taken from unreliable sources. Therefore, due to the relationship of dependence between media coverage and crime, especially when it comes to the determination of which crime phenomena should be covered and which should not get any attention. In the thematic area of media constructions of crime control and crime, it is essential to consider media’s construction of crime as a product of entertainment.

The thematic area of focus, which entails the political dimension of culture, crime, and cultural criminology, is concerned with the analysis of power relations in which social control, media, and crime stand. Specifically, deviant subcultures become targets of stately surveillance and control or are subject to a process of commodification. In the sense of “cultural wars,” the art establishment that includes alternative artists argues about the aesthetic value of works. However, the opponents of such art declare this alternative art a crime and take criminal justice actions against artists. The censorship that affects artists that are politically motivated provides an extreme case of the arguments regarding artistic interpretation from the hegemonic perspective. Mass media has succeeded in focusing on the crime and social control by focusing on or ignoring specific themes. For example, there is currently a large number of a large number of TV shows (e.g., Making a Murderer, the Night Stalker, Tiger King, The Jinx, and others) in which crime is viewed from a cultural perspective. In Making a Murderer, for example, life in rural Manitowoc is depicted as full of crime due to the low quality of life and poor education levels of the population. In The Jinx, a commentary on the norm of the rich and powerful being able to get away with murder for a long time is made.

Cultural criminology is distinct from the general theory of crime due to its key terms. For example, the theory gives attention to such terms as transgression, carnival of crime, and edgework. At the time of festivities, the valid norms of power relations are not considered, including class differences, gender differences, with the social order being disregarded, with no sanctions expected for irrational and senseless behaviour. Criminological verstehen, drawn from the work of Max Weber, is concerned with the understanding of social action as an imperative component of social development (Ferrell, 1997). The emphasis is placed on actors and their relevant constructions of meaning underlining their actions. Finally, the term style is also given significance as appropriate to the theoretical tradition of symbolic interactionism. According to the theory, interactions are characterized by specific symbols used for expressing themselves, mainly in relationships, social objects, and situations.

While cultural criminology does not claim that it is an independent and self-contained approach to exploring crime, it has been subjected to some criticism. For example, it is considered too general while the methodological approach is too arbitrary, with crimes supposedly being played down. Despite the criticism, in the current climate, especially with the increased interest of media in crime, cultural criminology provides an interface for exploring the interplay between crime and culture in modern society.

Reference List
Ferrell, J. (1997) ‘Criminology verstehen: inside the immediacy of crime’, Justice Quarterly, 14(1), pp. 3-23.

Hughes, S. (2016) American monsters: tabloid media and the satanic panic, 1970–2000. Web.

Wickert, C. (2019) Cultural criminology. Web.