Heritage and Health Essay

With cultural differences evident among the human population in the world today, it could be noticed that the different approaches also differ from one culture to another. Having the knowledge that people are usually shaped in life through the traditions that they were particularly brought up with, some definitely use these traditional ways of health maintenance to suffice their need for better health status. In this paper, understanding such differences among human individuals at present and how well they are able to withstand the challenges of modern health issues that face the human society at present through the implications of traditional ways of health care procedures shall be discussed and clarified. Personally, the author of this paper has seen the different ways by which his culture imposes the different procedures of healthcare approaches among the ancestors and older generations that he has lived with. Considerably, seeing them and the process by which they deal with health emergencies and the emerging issues that pertain to the said need of being healthy, taught the author himself to face certain health situations in the same manner. Most of the procedures used by the author’s ancestors are based on the process of using alternative routes to healthcare maintenance. Instead of actually being able to find the most important approach to health issues through medical ways, the family line of the author tends to find cure from regular herbal solutions. Traditional as it is, his ancestors believe that it is only through this process that they would be able to find the most demanded cure without having to worry about the many possible side effects of the process that they are going to adapt to. This is the reason why most of the author’s family members try their best to do away with synthetic medicine and vitamins offered in the market today. Having the chance to meet to other families from other cultures, the author himself found out that the entire process of maintaining health from his side of the family may be a little bit different from that of the process to which other cultures view the said need to protect one’s health. For one, the implicative manner by which the other family from the west naturally brings about the welcomed possibility of accepting new age medicine without any doubt. Likely, that family was particularly raised in a society of continuous change and development. Their intense belief that change is for the better makes them well acquainted with the different developments in medicine that brings about the possibility of dealing with health issues in a much convenient and faster way which they think is most effective not only for their health needs but also for the lifestyle that they are living. Meanwhile, another family attests to the use of rituals for the sake of saving a family from any health phenomenon that may arise in the human community that they are living in. They also depend on rituals and prayed-for oils that are believed to have a great chance of healing someone with an illness or even with a terminal health case through the collaborative use of touch and prayer. As much as they believe in alternative medicine, they also believe that their gods would be able to help them get through life especially during trying times including the need to deal with serious health cases. Seriously, up to these moments, the two families and the family of the author himself have a great connection with traditions especially when it comes to health issues and the need to deal with the situations concerned with the said matter. Terribly, there are some occasions when too much tradition makes a family member’s life be subjected into serious dangers. This is the reason why the author himself decided to take nursing as a career, a path that he knows could both protect his family’s health and allow culturally deepened families to see the differences of the procedures of modern technology and modern medicine to bring ease to the health needs of the human society. Knowing how these people feel about their connection to their culture certainly makes it easier for the author of this paper to see through the situation and be able to decipher the health cases he is supposed to handle later on and still be able to find the most effective procedure there is to manage giving them the health care assistance they need without completely bypassing their cultural traditions just so to be able to save the lives of people in an ethical yet strategic way. It is through this process that the author believes that he would be able to successfully applied what he has learned within the four walls of the classrooms and laboratories along with the things that he learned and would be continuously learning from actual medical practice to meet the needs of the people who are culturally loyal to their traditions when it comes to health maintenance needs. True, some of these cultural or traditional procedures help well in the idea of keeping a good grip on keeping one’s health protected. In fact, it could not be denied that there are those medical experts who retrying the avenue of alternative medicine as suggested through traditional procedures of healing, however, for certain terminal health cases, there must be a careful balance on the given attention towards health safety and traditional loyalty to the ways that one or a family has been particularly accustomed to. Truthfully, this fact leads to the idea that nurses need to be flexible enough to know and recognize the need for health safety and cultural respect in dealing with healthcare issues.

City and Country Living

City living and country living have a wide range of differences and similarities but every day new people enter each and call it there home. When living in the city you are an on-the go kind of person and enjoy the world at a fast pace. In comparison to a country living style when time stands still. It’s as though you watch as the seasons come and pass every year. Both have many positives and some negatives but it’s a very hard choice when you are talking about living in a jam packed city compared to a spacious in the country-side.While living in the city, you have numerous things to do the opportunities are endless. On any given night you can walk around and enjoy the wonders of the city the sights, sounds, and delightfulness takes your breath away at all times. In addition the city has other things that also are beneficial like numerous cultures that live there and how they are portrayed through the different clubs and restaurants throughout the city. Also a great thi ng about the city is its different array of foods you can eat an expensive dinner or you can stop on the corner and get a hot dog.The city also has many different bar like atmospheres where you can get a casual dinner, or you can have an alcoholic beverage and enjoy yourself. Being a city-dweller you are always around excitement and a great place to make-a-living seeming that there are so many opportunities for work. Although the city seems to have a lot of great things, the country can offer just as much excitement as the city does just in a different type of excitement. The country is a marvelous place to live it offers a very relaxing feel, and is filled with magnificent views.Even though you’re not living there you can still access the city via transportation. Also the country can maybe help you become a more self-sufficient person, growing your own produce and becoming more of an outdoors person often enjoying the voices of nature through the night with crickets chirping or the rooster crow in the morning nature and its occupants are surrounding you in the country. Another thing about the country is it offers a very safe community with very little chance of crime and the air quality is a lot less polluted then living in the city.Living in the country is awesome and has a wide variety of positives when setting up a family environment. In contrast to all of the great things the city provides, the city can have a downside. The noise level of a city can stress you out; rarely having downtime when there is constant commotion. Another negative about the city is thatitss such an expensive lifestyle without much money it would be hard to live in the city because it’s a much more extravagant lifestyle then the country.It’s a very hectic lifestyle and can sometimes prove to be too much for people; it’s also a very noisy place with the screeching of brakes or babies crying there is always something going on in the city. People in the city usually aren’t worried about you either there more worried about keeping up and on time for their self and they would much rather move along then stop and associate with you. The city does have a downside like everywhere else but can provide a very safe and stable home. Even though the country can be an awesome place to live and start a family there is, like the city a downside.Being in the country you don’t have such interesting things to do in your free time as the city. If you don’t have a car it may be hard to commute to work because there aren’t any buses that go that far away from the city. Another bad side of the country is the lack of entertainment because there aren’t many places to go, hangout and have a bite to eat at in the community you would have to travel to have that luxury. Even though there are negatives, the positives outweigh them and the country still provides a great place to live.Having to choose between these two places to live would be very tough. Although I think both places are great they both have some disadvantages that would represent problems. The country is for relaxing and enjoying the outdoors more suitable for the slow-paced people; while the city is more cluttered and people live for the nightlife and a much more fast-paced lifestyle. Your character and how you want to live are the only ways you will be able to make the choice on where you want to live; the city or the country.

Obama's Bailout Plans Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Obama's Bailout Plans - Term Paper Example Treasury to help average Americans, $300 billion was used to bailout homeowners affected by the housing crisis in July, $200 billion for the release of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in September, and another $50 billion and $25 billion were used to save money market funds and car companies, respectively. Stimulus packages were also injected this year, as the Obama regime unleashed a mammoth $787 billion in February to combat unemployment and another $275 billion was allocated also in February for nine million homeowners to refinance their home loans in order to prevent threats of foreclosure. Another wave of economic rescue plans were bared in March, such as the $30 billion to again lend financial assistance to American Investment Group (AIG) hit by the banking crisis last year, $15 billion to help troubled small businesses, $1 trillion to try to save toxic assets from the balance sheets of financial institutions, and $ 22 billion to assist two automakers, General motors and Chrysler. The latest of the bailouts is the $1 trillion stimulus package as a result of the G-20 meeting in London in April. Given this uncertain amount of bailouts and stimulus packages, the office of the President, the Federal Reserve and the ... Millions of American jobs are at stake, and thousands of businesses- large or small- are also at risked of getting sideswiped by the financial turmoil. The fear of massive unemployment due to the unprecedented closure of big businesses like banks, car companies, and even small businesses galvanized the Obama administration into action by injecting stimulus packages that are aimed at saving the economy. Based on the U.S. government's forecast, joblessness will stand at 8.1 percent this year, but the figure is expected to drop to 7.9 percent in 2010 (Dickson). This means that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American workers are at risk of being pushed out of their jobs. Recession in the United States was said to have reached an alarming level, as businesses continue to be severely affected and unemployment rate continues to escalate. Now, the Federal Reserve is playing a major role in trying to solve the financial crisis that continues to threaten the U.S. dollar. However, will the Federal Reserve solve the economic crisis or will it only worsen the problem The Fed and the monetary system The Federal Reserve System, which was created in 1913 during the term of former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson by virtue of the Federal Reserve Act, is a semi-public monetary institution. This means that despite the word "federal," this institution is not 100-percent owned by the federal government. Since the creation of the Federal Reserve, economic crunch became unavoidable due to the inflationary nature of America's monetary system. In fact, a number of well-known critics of the Federal Reserve, which is beyond the control and supervision of the U.S.

Legalizing same Sex Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Legalizing same Sex Marriage - Essay Example One of the biggest fight in America, is the fight for equality. In the fifties and sixties, black Americans fought for equal rights, and this was one of the longest and most publicized fight since the abolishment of slavery. Today there is a new, tempestuous issue on the horizon— the legalizing same sex marriage. Before defending the rights of same sex marriage, certain questions must be answered: are gays American citizen; are they humans; and do they pay taxes? The answer to these questions is yes. Then why are they not given equal treatment as other American citizens? Simple, a marriage is the union between a male and a female. And gay are given equal rights. They have all the right of any American citizen, and as soon as they fit the criteria for marriage they will be pronounced married. The debate over whether the state ought to recognize gay marriages has thus far focused on the issue as one of civil rights. Such a treatment is erroneous because state recognition of marriage is not a universal right. States regulate marriage in many ways besides denying men the right to marry men, and women the right to marry women. Roughly half of all states prohibit first cousins from marrying, and all prohibit marriage of closer blood relatives, ...In all states, it is illegal to attempt to marry more than one person, or even to pass off more than one person as one’s spouse. Some states restrict the marriage of people suffering from syphilis or other venereal diseases. Homosexuals, therefore, are not the only people to be denied the right to marry the person of their choosing (5). Apparently Mr. Kolasinski is not the one one who agrees that gays already has all the right that each American citizen has. Eddie Thompson at AD authorden.com agrees to, he says: First, gay and lesbians already possess rights equally protected under the law. They have the exact rights that I have today. They can marry a member of the opposite sex if they so choose, just like I have done. I can't marry a member of my own sex, even if I wanted to. So, we have the exact same rights. What is being suggested by the gay agenda is not "equal rights" but "extra rights." They want to be allowed to reap the benefits of marriage without actually marrying in its traditional sense. There are many wonderful people who choose to remain single for myriad reasons, and these people are not clamoring for the rights granted to couples who marry. Why should those who refuse traditional marriage be granted such rights simply because they prefer sex with someone whose anatomy r esembles their own? In fact, most of the so-called â€Å"rights† married couples have can be obtained through a lawyer’s legal maneuvers. Documents of the United States constitution, Declaration of Independe nt, and the Bill of Rights are testimonies of the freedom enjoy by Americans. Unfortunately, our founding fathers were unaware that they neglected to enact another document, the Bill of Rights for same sex marriage. Had they not been negligence, the new Bill would read thus: The constitution of the United States of America do apologize to the American people for the travesty it is about to commit on the sanctity of marriage. The people of the United States of America must now recognize the union of pf two men or two women, and give it the distinguish name of marriage. The same privilege given to a man and a woman who form a union will now be given to marriages of same sex. A man and a man, or a woman and a woman who chooses to love each other and decides to consummate that love through marriage will be given a legal document testifying to that fact. If such parties choose to, they are allowed to raise

Impact of Technology on Society (Automobile) Essay

Impact of Technology on Society (Automobile) - Essay Example The automobile technology has had far reaching effects on the society. The advent of technology in the field of automobile has led to the design and production of high quality features of the automobiles used in the industry. The technological progress in the field of automobile has led to development in the cooling systems of engines, increased fuel efficiency of cars, advanced suspension and emission systems, increased horse-power, etc (Volti, 2004). The use of technologies has however, impacted the society by bringing about changes in the socio-economic lives of the people and also affecting the environmental conditions. Functions of society prior to use of technology The functions of the society prior to the invention and use of technology was primitive in nature. The people of the society were accustomed to undertake huge efforts in doing works like gathering of food, travelling from one place to another, sending messages for communication. The works of the society were done over longer period of time. The wooden chariots pulled by animals like horses, cows, buffaloes, etc. was used for moving from one place to another. The poorer sections of the society even had to walk long distances for the purpose of travelling from one place to another. There were several limitations in the modes of transport and long distance travel was done only cases of high need. The people of the society depended on the natural resources and the animals for maintaining their livelihood. The functions of the society before the use of technology was highly dependent on the natural and the natural resources were worshipped as Gods and Goddesses for securing their liveliho od. The functions of the society changed as they learnt to convert the natural resources into beneficial elements for their use that would help to lead to attain improvement in the style of livelihood. The invention of the wheel, motor, steam engine and mechanical engines gradually changes the function of the society as they could achieve their goals with much lesser efforts than before. Functions of the society after adoption of technology The functions of the society changed drastically with the adoption of technologies. The discovery and application of technology increased the efficiency of several modes of communication and transport. The use of automobiles in the society that incorporate complicates and sophisticated technologies were able to provide faster and smoother ways of communication all over the world. The people of the society could travel longer distances with the help of fuel efficient and high horse-power driven automobile engine used in cars and aircrafts. The bar riers of communication were reduced and people could not travel farther distances within their national boundaries but could also cross international borders with ease. The reduction of these barriers with the wide-spread adoption of technology helped in fostering social and cultural exchange between the nations. The various meeting and conferences held across the world from people of society in different corners of the globe were part of daily routines. This brought about economic changes in the lives of the people as the increase in business activities with the spread of technology and world-wide exchanges of culture, ideas and businesses led to the advent of globalization which reshaped the functions of the

Corrections and Juvenile Justice Research Proposal - 1

Corrections and Juvenile Justice - Research Proposal Example Initially, a letter of interest will be sent to the potential participants, and after receiving the returned responses of interest, an informed consent form will be forwarded to the one hundred subjects. Furthermore, purposive sampling technique will be adopted Participant’s gender (i.e. male), availability to do the study, age (at least 18 years of age), current mental health status, and incarceration status will be included in the selection criteria since they are very important for the purpose of this research. Informed Consent Neuman (2000) argued that research can and should be conducted in an ethical manner. Every attempt would be made to conduct the research in an ethical manner. Since the participants would be at least eighteen years of age, consent would not be necessary from the Department of Children and Family Services. However, in order to address other ethical concerns, informed consent form will be obtained from the participants. All the participants will be inf ormed that their participation is completely voluntary. All interested participants will be made aware of the study's research goals, as well as its ethical mandates. In addition, participants will be allowed to withdraw their participation at any time and that no financial incentives would be offered as compensation for their participation. Participants could also refuse to participate in this study at any stage. The informed consent form will also address the issues of participant anonymity and confidentiality. Anonymity of the participants will be ensured by offering each participant the option to choose a pseudonym for himself. Confidentiality will be ensured by removing any names or identifying characteristics of the participants from all records. To circumvent the risk of psychological harm, participants will be treated with the utmost respect, consideration, and sympathy. Data Collection Clinical records from a private subsidiary of the Department of Children and Family Servi ces (DCFS) concerning the subjects would be utilized in order to assess historical and current behavior. Clinical records of participants would also be helpful in this study as they will provide useful information including: an account of psychiatric familial histories, and a validated Axis I Diagnosis as found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Furthermore, social history, familial involvement, peer relationships, psychological evaluations with intelligence quotient (IQ) score, history of housing placements, demographics, history of incarcerations including probation/incarceration reports, and purpose of wardship entry reports would also be available in the clinical records. In an effort to effectively provide an analysis of the hypotheses, research would be conducted by reviewing various articles or related literature, and methods/techniques currently utilized in identifying potential criminal behavior characteris tics in juvenile offenders. This study will also refer to the practices and techniques that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Behavioral Science Unit uses in formulating criminal profiles for reliability purposes. The purpose of this study is to determine how a sample of incarcerated youth would score on a violence predictor assessment instrument, which is designed to predict

Civil Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Civil Rights - Essay Example Following World War II, a lot more African American and whites combined together to object the prejudice and segregation that existed in the United States society. Before World War II, a minor figure of blacks and whites had struggled for equality. Nevertheless, with the ending of World War II a significantly prepared Civil Rights Movement was hatched. There were numerous reasons why the Civil Rights Movement came into being at this spot in American history. In their thousands, African Americans served their country all through World War II. They revealed that racial prejudice was not virtually as domineering in European countries like Britain and France. Undoubtedly, many people appreciated the fact that the United States could become a land without traces of racial discrimination. Another principal reason for the development of the Civil Rights Movement towards the end of World War II was the G.I. Bill. To assist World War II veterans completely re-adjust to life after coming back home, the federal government assisted compensate the fee of college education. A large number of African Americans, reaching their thousands, took advantage of this assistance and then realized after graduating from college that whites got well-paying jobs. As result, many African Americans found themselves in jobs they could have received without a four-year college degree. Dispassionate that the United States did not justly provide freedom and equality to all its citizens, a lot of African Americans and their white sympathizers formed a lot more planned movement to accomplish equal rights (Murray 50-67). All through the 1950s and the early 1960s, Martin Luther King, Jr., resurfaced as a significant leader of the Civil Rights Movement. For instance, in 955, King assisted in planning the Montgomery Bus Boycott and expected to abolish segregation in public transportation in Montgomery, Alabama. Further, he next created the Southern Leadership Conference. This union, recognized in 195 7, was committed to uniting churches across the South to boycott racial isolation and the need for equal rights in the United States multi-cultured society. King spearheaded this organization for the rest of his life. He called for non-violent protest. King was of the view that American citizens of all races would appear auspiciously on a lobby group that advocates for peace and equality did not meet inequality with violence. King’s nonviolent message appealed to thousands of supporters of all races who decided that racial segregation and inequality against African Americans needed to be abolished. He planed protest meetings, sit-ins, marches and boycotts. King expected that thousands of American Citizens demanding serenely and politely for equivalent rights would rally support to the Civil Rights Movement (Jackson 40-45). Booker T. Washington was brought up in slavery in Virginia, and during the Civil War he worked in a coal mine and studied at night. At a very young age, Bo oker. T. discovered the importance of education; he also discovered that blacks in the South had very measly power; that is, little income, unequal rights, and in spite of the Fifteenth Amendment, were incapable of voting. According to Booker T. he suggested a clause that later came to be known as the Atlanta Compromise. It advocated that blacks receive better-paying jobs in

Making an out line of essay.(Cinema studies) Essay

Making an out line of .(Cinema studies) - Essay Example Thus the inner emotions and desires of a lesbian spectator can be made visible to the audience through the movies. The main concept underlying the idea of cinephilia is fetishism. The author discusses a number of video artists, photographers and filmmakers who utilizes glamour photography, film clips and stories and myths from the stars. The essay highlights the idea of fetishism, lesbian culture, cross-dressing and composite portrait, all of which contributes towards making the lesbianism in cinema more vivid. The exploration of the idea of lesbian spectatorship unfolds several sensitive facts that usually do not come out to the forefront but the artists mind can read into all kinds of perversion, which is not confined, only to the gays. The idea here is to emphasize upon the fact that the heroine Bette Davis would prefer something special and not the usual heterosexual intimacy, which is apparently rejected. Ultimately it is desire that the Hollywood relies upon. The celebrities came out in the 1990s self-identifying themselves with the lesbian audience and previously it was thought of losing their credibility in the process. However time has proved that many lesbian audiences do buy tickets. The female homosexuality has contributed to the appeal of the star system mainly to women. However, the lesbians in the society were not really conspicuous but the lesbian fandom has been extensively documented. Works on spectatorships emphasizes on the need for privileged relationship between the women audience and the female stars. The works also focus on the crushes on female stars and how they represent their relationship with the stars, which goes beyond imagination. The lesbian audience identifies their desires through the stars in the movies. This section discusses about the works that explore lesbian adolescents’ views on their favorite stars. The teenager lesbians are interviewed and the idea is mainly to deal with the adolescent awakening rather

Reputation Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reputation Managment - Essay Example Reputation increases the actual worth of the company and increases its market value , but most organization does not understand the real value of reputation. Companies need to measure, monitor and manage their reputation to be successful on a long term basis. Most organization does not take initiative to manage reputation because they consider it as an intangible asset. Like any other asset of the company, reputation has its liability side. So the reputation management implemented by a company has to evaluate both the reputation assets and the liabilities. According to Doorley (2007,pg.11)â€Å"The very act of having to list their reputational assets and liabilities helps the various units focus on reputation management†. It is extremely important for an organization to have a plan regarding the reputation management. A comprehensive reputation management plan is to be applied to all areas of an organization like finance, human resources, manufacturing, marketing, investor relations and public affairs. Definition of Reputation Reputation is the main identity of an organization on international business platform and to maintain it, a company need to have an ideal reputation management system. A reputation can be defined as the opinion or view of other’s about something. According to Changâ€Å"Abdul Rahman and Hailes defined reputation as an expectation about an agent’s behavior based on information about or its past behavior†.... Reputation has a profound value in business world as it enables business partners and consumers to trust the company without concerns. Reputation allows the business partners and customers to carry on business with a company on moral and ethical grounds. Trust and reputation go hand in hand and a company with a good reputation in the business world is deemed to be honest, transparent and reliable in their business dealings. Reputation of a company shows to the outside world the credibility it has in the market and between customers and clients. A company’s reputation depends upon its past performance and the opinion its customer’s and customer’s has based on it. Reputation gives an idea to the outside world about the future behavior of an organization. Reputation is of contagious in nature and word of mouth can enhance or destroy goodwill of the firm. Reputation spread in the market like fire and hence a company should be cautious and calculative in maintaining i ts prestige and reputation. Development Stages of Corporate Reputation The corporate reputation has evolved through different stages which involves corporate image corporate identity and corporate reputation. The corporate image is the stage where consumer perceives the company through its brand, logo and uniform and theme of office building. Corporate image is not only in the hand of the company but is contributed by media and other external agents. Corporate image can be established by creating graphical theme to the products and also by providing apt products according to the customer needs. Corporate image is the initial stage of reputation development as the quality of product enhances the image of an organization. The second stage is

Raslila Essay Example for Free

Raslila Essay Raslila has a basic script which has to be followed, but it has enough scope for improvisation as well. Though the emphasis of Raslila is on darshan or the visual appeal, it is important to capture the bhava or the sentiment. This is done through music, dance and drama enacted by the actors. The various raasas or dramatic flavors like friendship, conjugal love, parental love, amazement, compassion, humour, chivalry, fury, fear and dread are expressed through this traditional folk form. The range of the villagers who perform raslila is quite vast. They perform legends that portray different stages of Krishnas youth. In some areas of Uttar Pradesh raslila is performed only by Brahmin boys in the age group of 13 to 14 years. Even now, many roles of sakhis or mother of Radha and Krishna are performed by men disguised as women. Raslila is also performed by mobile troupes moving from village to village. A traditional raslila usually lasts for three and a half hours. The dance form was originated during the amorous encounters of milkmaids with Lord Krishna. Legend goes that when all the milkmaids started demanding Krishna to be their dance partner, Krishna cast a spell so that each of those milkmaid thought Krishna wasdancing with them. This marked the birth of Raslila. Raslila is generally performed by mobile troupes that roam around village to village. This dance is performed primarily on Rasia, a song form that is entirely based on the theme of Krishna-Radha love. Raslila is a folk tradition that has incorporated elements of Indian classical music, drama and dance. This presentation goes beyond professionalism. Though the dramas have basic scripts there is ample room for improvisation and extemporization, only to return to its formal delineation after the inspiration of the creative force is consumed. The emphasis is on seeing through sound (darshan). The visual sense is to enhance, but the ultimate ingredient is the bhava, a particular mood or sentiment conveyed by the music and songs, which along with the action of the drama enable the actors and the audience to personally taste the different dramatic flavors, such as friendship, servitor ship, parental love, conjugal love, amazement, humor, chivalry, compassion, fury, fear and dread.

Comic Books: History and Impact on Society

Comic Books: History and Impact on Society Comic books hold an undeniable significance in modern history. Three aspects of significance include the history of comic books, the use of comics for social commentary, and the cultural impact comics have had on our daily lives. Comic books had humble beginnings, soon they grew into a major threat during Cold War era American society and then became an outlet to hippie counter-culture in the 1960s. The earliest ancestors to comics can be found in caves, little stick men spearing blob-shaped beasts. Rodolphe TÃ ¶pffer is considered by many to be the Father of Modern Comics. TÃ ¶pffer was the first to comment on the interwoven nature that words and pictures held, The pictures without the text, would have only an obscure meaning; the text, without the pictures, would mean nothing (Fingeroth 2008, p. 12). In 1895, Richard F. Outcaults character, the Yellow Kid, was the first successful reappearing comic character. In 1935, Max Gaines found funding to begin reprinting comic serials into paper bound books, or comic books. Through the 1940s and 50s comic books were a main focus of attack for Dr. Fredric Wertham. Wertham claimed that comics were corrupting the morals of kids; this included accusations of Batman an d Robin having homosexual tendencies, that Supermans power of flight distorted a childs understanding of physics, and that Wonder Woman gave young girls the wrong impression of the role of women in society (Coville 1996, para 19). In 1954, the industry responded by instituting the Comic Code Authority (CCA), which handed out seals of approval to comics it deemed passed its strict criteria. This included censoring all gore, any story without a happy ending, and nearly any form of sexuality (relationships had to uphold the sanctity of marriage). Although the CCA had no legal authority, shops wouldnt sell comics without the seal which led to a decline in the comic book industry in profit and creativity. Enter the 1960s and the emergence of the hippie counter-culture. A product of this era was the development of underground comics, or comix, which was a direct reaction to the rules of the CCA and the idea of the institution as a whole. Artists within the underground comix scene focused on adult-themed topics, such as hallucinogen use, pushing sexual taboos and rejecting established views of morality, religion and social class. Two huge influences in the scene include Robert Crumb and Art Spiegelman, whose work could be found in record stores and head shops. In the early 1970s mainstream comic brands started to pick up on these more serious topics, which led to the weakening of the CCA. The 70s also saw a shift in focus amongst comic books, relevance to real life issues became the dominant idea. This led to stories about drug abuse, racial prejudice and a peppering of feminist thought. Ethnic minorities also had more roles in comic books, if still secondary and stereotyped. The 1980s to the present day have seen a shift in comics towards graphic novels, emotionally complex characters with human weaknesses, politically stimulated story lines, gritty dystopian-esque cities and a prevalence of anti-hero protagonists (Coville 1996, para 16-23). The history of comics is so rich in detail that this could be considered just the tip of the iceberg. One thing is clear though; the comic book industry rebounded from serious attacks and became stronger than ever, pushing for personal expression amongst its artists and writers. As made evident by the past 40 odd years of comics, the reflection of real life social issues has been a popular trend. Hot topics that are still relevant to this day include the views of women, LGBT persons and ethnic minorities within society. Women have had a role in comics since their creation. Early depictions of women usually put them in the role of damsel in distress/ plot device or purely as a sex symbol. In 1940, the first true, although mostly unheard of, female superhero was created: Fantomah (Markstein n.d, para 3). Fantomah, along with other early female comic protagonists Wonder Woman and Sheena, fell into the Jungle Goddess category. The role of the female was put in the background with the creation of the CCA. Female characters didnt find a positive voice in comics until the 1980s and 1990s (Felton n.d., para 1). Series such as Love Rockets, Ghost World, and Tank Girl promoted strong portrayals of women, often with feminist leanings dealing with the exploration of se xuality in positive ways and the dismissal of expected roles in society. Gay characters also began to make an emergence during this same period. For example, the series Y: The Last Man toyed with the idea of all the men in the world but one dying off at once. Not only did it take a serious look at the complete reinventing of civilization through the hands of women, it delved heavily into lesbian culture: the views of women as masculine and feminine, theories of dominance and ideas of where man would be in a female dominant society. A more mainstream example would be Batwoman, who was recently written as an openly gay character in the series 52 (Gustines 2006, para 2). Ethnic minorities have been in comic books for the past 100 years, but they were usually given stereotypical, often outright racist, roles with no depth of character. Nowadays there are countless comic book characters of color that are portrayed in the same light as white characters. Examples of this would be superhero es such as Storm, a black woman who was leader of the X-MenÂÂ ­, and Cyborg, black male leader of the Teen Titans. Not to mention nearly the entire cast of Love Rockets who are of Mexican descent. One of the earliest well-known black superheroes, Black Panther, has recently gone through a revival. Reginald Hudlin, Black Entertainment Televisions President for Entertainment, who wrote the new series has stated: The reality is that theres been so few black characters who have their own book, who have been consistently published, let alone a black character who has been written by a black writer and the perspective that comes from that (Gustines 2006, para 7). In closing, the effort being made to turn comics into tools for personal reflection on ones values seems to be growing significantly. Established views are being challenged in a creative format, with people having control in how much they want to expose themselves. Lastly, the cultural impact of comic books on the world is noteworthy; film and television adaptations of comic books throughout the world and their acceptance as literature, the extension of the fictional superhero identity into real-life groups and individuals donning costumes, and the use of comic books to push ideological views has had a resounding effect on society. Though adaptations of comics had been put onto the big screen for many years, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon serials being prominent, it wasnt until 1978 when the first Superman movie was released that audiences and film makers took it seriously (Booker 2007, pp. x-xi). Superman was extremely popular, and until nearly a decade later it reigned as the most well-known comic movie available. With new progress made into computer-generated imagery (CGI), the trend was ready to take off. Dozens of comic book movies and television shows have been made, a good amount of which arent superhero related, thanks to the nearly infin ite potential of CGI (10 Interesting Comic Book Facts You Probably Didnt Know 2009, para 6). These include classic superheroes such as Batman, Superman and Spiderman that have been replicated and assimilated in foreign countries. Another notable trend is the view of comic books as legitimate literature, such as Art Spiegelmans Maus receiving a special Pulitzer in 1992 and Alan Moores Watchmen being entered into Time magazines 2005 list of 100 Best English-language novels from 1923 to the present (10 Interesting Comic Book Facts You Probably Didnt Know 2009, para 8). By now it can be claimed that superheroes are indeed a part of our society, but some individuals take it one step further. Take for example the New York based real life superhero Terrifica. Terrifica dons a blond wig and red boots, complete with red cape and utility belt at night. Her mission is to prevent drunken women from being taken advantage of by sexual predators, which keeps her mostly in bars and party scenes. Her arch-nemesis, Fantastico, is a full-time seducer of women, whom Terrfica has been known to peel women off of (Robinson 2002, para 4). It sounds like a joke, but there are dozens of real life superheroes in the world. Another is A ngle-Grinder Man, a resident of the London area who travels around at night, in full costume, with an angle-grinder that he uses to cut off clamps he finds on peoples cars. He even has a hotline (Superhero takes on clampers 2003, para 1-4). A far more touching example would be the group who call themselves Superheroes Anonymous. This is a group of costumed heroes who have been walking the streets of New York since 2007, handing out food and support to the homeless (Superheroes Anonymous 2010, para 2). A comic being used as a vehicle for ideology goes way back to the original serialized character, Yellow Kid. Though the premise of Yellow Kid and his colleagues was lighthearted and whimsical in nature, the underlying theme and artistic style of the comic was seen as a critical satire of the severe poverty following the industrial revolution. All the characters were dirty, rag covered, homeless-looking children who poked fun at upper-class customs (McAllister et al. 2001, pp.1-2). J. R obyn Goodman made the observation that throughout popular comics in 1909 to 1914 over 80% of the cartoons reflected anti-suffragist ideology (Goodman in McAllister et al. 2001, p. 9). Topics that have been covered such as the blossoming of underground comix and the progressive feminist/sexual views between the 1960s and current comic books can be seen as forms of ideology being present too. To clarify, comic books as a whole have affected our world culture in profound ways. It can be said that they are engrained in our psyche; through print, film and television they have reached millions and have cemented archetypes and ideologies along the way. By now it should be clear that comic books are here to stay. Even after grievous attacks the medium of comic books has triumphed and made its place in society known. They have grown with us; as children we see the world as black and white, and comics reflected this by depicting battles clearly as good versus evil. As we grow older the shades of grey start to take shape and to mirror this, comics have taken on ambiguous topics and played with our sense of morality. While there are many who have no interest in comic books, its near impossible to find someone who has never heard of Superman, Batman or Spiderman. Yes, comic books truly are a significant man-made facet of civilization.