Nonviolent Protests An argumentative essay - 1411 Words

From the Boston Tea Party of 1773, the Civil Rights Movement and the Pro-Life Movement of the 1960s, to the Tea Party Movement and Occupy Wall Street Movement of current times, â€Å"those struggling against unjust laws have engaged in acts of deliberate, open disobedience to government power to uphold higher principles regarding human rights and social justice† (DeForrest, 1998, p. 653) through nonviolent protests. Perhaps the most well-known of the non-violent protests are those associated with the Civil Rights movement. The movement was felt across the south, yet Birmingham, Alabama was known for its unequal treatment of blacks and became the focus of the Civil Rights Movement. Under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr., president of†¦show more content†¦It was during these demonstrations that the Birmingham Police Department, under the leadership of Eugene â€Å"Bull† Connor, used forceful measures such as using high-pressured water jets and police d ogs in hopes of stopping the demonstrations. These clergymen believed that Birmingham’s extreme measures were justified and they too urged the African American community to withdraw their demonstrations. King responded to the eight clergymen with his letter from the Birmingham jail. King (1963) immediately strives to justify the need for nonviolent direct action through his statement, â€Å"Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary.† What is direct action? Direct action is a form of political activism which may include sit-ins, strikes, and demonstrations (Haines, 1984). Kings explanation to the clergymen for protesting segregation began with an explanation of their actions, â€Å"Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue†. In this case King was invoking the right of freedom of expression, not only freedom of speech but the freedom to assemble. The clergy and many of the citizens of Birmingham believed the demonstrations, sit-ins, and strikes, considered peaceful by KingShow MoreRelatedEssay Questions On Dis obedience And Rebellion3173 Words   |  13 PagesDraft for Argumentative Essay Thoughts of disobedience and rebellion have existed for almost as long as the first law or rule that could be broken. These thoughts come naturally to us, being humans we are curious and we wonder, what would happen if we were to do something different, something off the beaten path. This curiosity has fueled, our evolution, our development to the beings that we are now. It has spawned the thoughts of morality and justice that caused the subject of this essay, civil disobedienceRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesjobs tend to shift from developed nations to countries where lower labor costs give firms a comparative advantage. In this photo, an employee wearing a sign on his head reading â€Å"Capital Interests† joins co-workers at a Nokia factory in Germany to protest the company’s decision of terminating mobile phone production at the plant, resulting in the loss of 2,300 jobs. Nokia announced plans to shift production from Germany to Romania, where labor costs are lower. 18 CHAPTER 1 What Is Organizational

Trends in Japanese Baby Names

Baby names are like a mirror that reflects the times. Lets have a look at the transitions in popular baby names and recent trends. Royal Influence Since the royal family is popular and well respected in Japan, it has certain influences. The Western calendar is widely known and used in Japan, but the name of the era (gengou) is still used to date official documents. The year in which an Emperor ascended to the throne would be the first year of a new era, and it continues until his death. The current gengou is Heisei (the year 2006 is Heisei 18), and it was changed from Showa when Emperor Akihito succeeds to the throne in 1989. That year, the kanji character Ã¥ ¹ ³hei) or æˆ Ã‚  (sei) was very popular to use in a name. After Empress Michiko married to Emperor Akihito in 1959, many newborn baby girls were named Michiko. The year princess Kiko married prince Fumihito (1990), and Crown princess Masako married Crown prince Naruhito (1993), many parents named their baby after the princess or used one of the kanji characters. In 2001, Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako had a baby girl and she was named Princess Aiko. Aiko is written with the kanji characters for loveæ„› and childÃ¥ ­ , and refers to a person who loves others. Although the popularity of the name Aiko has always been steady, its popularity grew after the princesss birth.   Popular Kanji Characters The recent popular kanji character for a boys names is ç ¿â€ (to soar). The names including this character are  Ã§ ¿â€,  Ã¥ ¤ §Ã§ ¿â€,  Ã§ ¿â€Ã¥ ¤ ª,  Ã¦ µ ·Ã§ ¿â€,  Ã§ ¿â€Ã§Å"Ÿ,  Ã§ ¿â€Ã¥ ¤ §Ã‚  and so on.  Other popular kanji for boys are Ã¥ ¤ ªÃ‚  (great) and Ã¥ ¤ §Ã‚  (big). The kanji character for ç ¾Å½Ã‚  (beauty)  is always popular for girls names. In 2005 it is especially popular, even more so than other popular kanji such as 愛  (love), å„ ªÃ‚  (gentle) or èŠ ±Ã‚  (flower).  Ã§ ¾Å½Ã¥â€™ ²,  Ã§ ¾Å½Ã§ ¾ ½,  Ã§ ¾Å½Ã¥â€ž ªÃ‚  andç ¾Å½Ã¦Å"ˆÂ  are listed in  the top 10 names for girls. Hiragana Names Most names are written in  kanji. However, some names dont have kanji characters and are simply written in  hiragana  or  katakana. Katakana names are rarely used in Japan today. Hiragana is mainly used for female names because of its soft impression. A hiragana name is one of the most recent trends.  Ã£ â€¢Ã£  Ã£â€šâ€°Ã‚  (Sakura),  Ã£ â€œÃ£ â€œÃ£â€š Ã‚  (Kokoro),  Ã£  ²Ã£  ªÃ£ Å¸(Hinata),  Ã£  ²Ã£ â€¹Ã£â€šÅ Ã‚  (Hikari) and  Ã£  »Ã£  ®Ã£ â€¹Ã‚  (Honoka) are popular girls names written in hiragana. Modern Trends Popular boys names have endings such as ~to, ~ki, and ~ta. Haruto, Yuuto, Yuuki, Souta, Kouki, Haruki, Yuuta,  and Kaito are included in the top 10 boys names (by reading). In 2005, names that have the image of summer and ocean are popular for boys. Among of them are  Ã¦â€¹â€œÃ¦ µ ·,  Ã¦ µ ·Ã¦â€"â€", or  Ã¥ ¤ ªÃ©â„¢ ½.  Western or exotic sounding names are trendy for girls. Girls names with two syllables are also a recent trend.  The top 3 girls names by reading  are Hina, Yui, and Miyu. In the past, it was very common and traditional to use the kanji character ko  (a child) at the end of female names. Empress Michiko, Crown Princess Masako, Princess Kiko, and Yoko Ono, all end with ko (Ã¥ ­ ). If you have a few female Japanese friends, you will probably notice this pattern. In fact, more than 80% of my female relatives and girlfriends have ko at the end of their names. However, this might not be true for the next generation. There are only three names including ko in the recent 100 popular names for girls. They are Nanako (è Å"々å ­ )and Riko (莉å ­ ,  Ã§ â€ Ã¥ ­ ). Instead of ko at the end, using ka or na is the recent trend. Haruka, Hina, Honoka, Momoka, Ayaka, Yuuna, and Haruna for example. Increasing Diversity There used to be certain patterns for names. From the 10s to the mid-70s, there was little change in naming patterns. Today there is no set pattern and baby names have greater diversity. Boys Names Rank 1915 1925 1935 1945 1955 1 Kiyoshi Kiyoshi Hiroshi Masaru Takashi 2 Saburou Shigeru Kiyoshi Isamu Makoto 3 Shigeru Isamu Isamu Susumu Shigeru 4 Masao Saburou Minoru Kiyoshi Osamu 5 Tadashi Hiroshi Susumu Katsutoshi Yutaka Rank 1965 1975 1985 1995 2000 1 Makoto Makoto Daisuke Takuya Shou 2 Hiroshi Daisuke Takuya Kenta Shouta 3 Osamu Manabu Naoki Shouta Daiki 4 Naoki Tsuyoshi Kenta Tsubasa Yuuto 5 Tetsuya Naoki Kazuya Daiki Takumi Girls Names Rank 1915 1925 1935 1945 1955 1 Chiyo Sachiko Kazuko Kazuko Youko 2 Chiyoko Fumiko Sachiko Sachiko Keiko 3 Fumiko Miyoko Setsuko Youko Kyouko 4 Shizuko Hisako Hiroko Setsuko Sachiko 5 Kiyo Yoshiko Hisako Hiroko Kazuko Rank 1965 1975 1985 1995 2000 1 Akemi Kumiko Ai Misaki Sakura 2 Mayumi Yuuko Mai Ai Yuuka 3 Yumiko Mayumi Mami Haruka Misaki 4 Keiko Tomoko Megumi Kana Natsuki 5 Kumiko Youko Kaori Mai Nanami Individuality in Spelling There are thousands of kanji to choose from for a name, even the same name can usually be written in many different kanji combinations (some have more than 50 combinations). Japanese baby names might have more variety than baby names in any other languages.

Marketing communications strategy Free Essays

In the case, Benetton is using an offbeat and customer-centric marketing perspective in a highly saturated industry. In terms of retail clothing, there are high barriers in this market when it comes to getting a marketing message across to the inundated consumer. Therefore, what Benetton is trying to do, as shown in the case, is present itself as an outsider within this saturated market, in order to both appeal to the customer directly, and to confront them with issues of empowerment. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing communications strategy or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is related to the chapter’s mention of â€Å"Customer Empowerment– Customization: when a company produces individually differentiated products, services, prices, and delivery channels in accordance to the consumer wants/needs† (Chapter 12). The case also involves issues discussed such as heightened competition (retail fashion being a very competitive industry), industry convergence, and disintermediation, or removing the middleman and going straight to the consumers in terms of getting across a fresh and unconventional marketing message. Success behind strategy The success behind Benetton’s marketing strategy is the ability of the company’s marketers to place the company in an outsider role, and also a role of post-modern commentary on culutre. Essentially, this says to the customer that by identifying with the unique or different postmodern advertising of Benetton, and its messages of political and social concern used in advertising, they are identifying with a lifestyle, not just a brand. This was one of the early strategies that was then taken to such extremes by other 80s competitors of Benetton like Swatch and even Nike: by positioning the mainstream retail fashion company in a counter-cultural socio-political position through advertising, the individuation of the consumer is assured, as they relate their own individuality or difference with the uniqueness of the advertising. This led to a lot of success for Benetton’s marketing. In short, the success behind Benettons marketing strategy is the company’s ability to place its unique and controversial advertising brand as a lifestyle as well as a fashion choice. Applying Benetton’s strategy to another retailer Depending on the fashion retailer and the brand awareness of the public, a similar marketing communication strategy to that of Benetton could be either a good move or a bad move. For a company that already has some degree of guerilla, socio-political or counter-cultural marketing in effect, such as a youth-brand company like Ecko or even a monolith with a lot of money to spend on assimilating youth culture, like Nike, it may be possible to make the marketing communications of Benetton a success. On the other hand, if the brand is something like Abercrombie Fitch, J. Crew, or Tommy Hilfinger, this is a company that relates its brand not to socio-political turmoil and controversy, but to conservatism and the idea of unchanging classic ideals of fashion. Therefore, for this type of retail fashion brand with a lot of conservatism in its image, it would be more difficult to successfully integrate a marketing communications strategy similar to that of Benetton. The consumer would not be able to make a logical connection between a brand like Abercrombie Fitch, and an image of high shock value controversy, which could relate to cognitive dissonance on the part of the consumer, which is something marketers tend to avoid. REFERENCE Benetton—case study. Chapters 12-14 How to cite Marketing communications strategy, Essays

Marketing communications strategy Free Essays

In the case, Benetton is using an offbeat and customer-centric marketing perspective in a highly saturated industry. In terms of retail clothing, there are high barriers in this market when it comes to getting a marketing message across to the inundated consumer. Therefore, what Benetton is trying to do, as shown in the case, is present itself as an outsider within this saturated market, in order to both appeal to the customer directly, and to confront them with issues of empowerment. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing communications strategy or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is related to the chapter’s mention of â€Å"Customer Empowerment– Customization: when a company produces individually differentiated products, services, prices, and delivery channels in accordance to the consumer wants/needs† (Chapter 12). The case also involves issues discussed such as heightened competition (retail fashion being a very competitive industry), industry convergence, and disintermediation, or removing the middleman and going straight to the consumers in terms of getting across a fresh and unconventional marketing message. Success behind strategy The success behind Benetton’s marketing strategy is the ability of the company’s marketers to place the company in an outsider role, and also a role of post-modern commentary on culutre. Essentially, this says to the customer that by identifying with the unique or different postmodern advertising of Benetton, and its messages of political and social concern used in advertising, they are identifying with a lifestyle, not just a brand. This was one of the early strategies that was then taken to such extremes by other 80s competitors of Benetton like Swatch and even Nike: by positioning the mainstream retail fashion company in a counter-cultural socio-political position through advertising, the individuation of the consumer is assured, as they relate their own individuality or difference with the uniqueness of the advertising. This led to a lot of success for Benetton’s marketing. In short, the success behind Benettons marketing strategy is the company’s ability to place its unique and controversial advertising brand as a lifestyle as well as a fashion choice. Applying Benetton’s strategy to another retailer Depending on the fashion retailer and the brand awareness of the public, a similar marketing communication strategy to that of Benetton could be either a good move or a bad move. For a company that already has some degree of guerilla, socio-political or counter-cultural marketing in effect, such as a youth-brand company like Ecko or even a monolith with a lot of money to spend on assimilating youth culture, like Nike, it may be possible to make the marketing communications of Benetton a success. On the other hand, if the brand is something like Abercrombie Fitch, J. Crew, or Tommy Hilfinger, this is a company that relates its brand not to socio-political turmoil and controversy, but to conservatism and the idea of unchanging classic ideals of fashion. Therefore, for this type of retail fashion brand with a lot of conservatism in its image, it would be more difficult to successfully integrate a marketing communications strategy similar to that of Benetton. The consumer would not be able to make a logical connection between a brand like Abercrombie Fitch, and an image of high shock value controversy, which could relate to cognitive dissonance on the part of the consumer, which is something marketers tend to avoid. REFERENCE Benetton—case study. Chapters 12-14 How to cite Marketing communications strategy, Essays

Similarities between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution free essay sample

The characters in Animal Farm all share a link between certain people involved during the Russian Revolution. Here is a list of characters from the book, which had things in common with some important people who played a role in the Russian Revolution. Old Major (pig) – He represents Karl Marx, who is one of the most famous philosophers and political theorists in history. Karl Marx is the inventor of Communism, just like Old Major, who is the ‘Father of Animalism’. They also both die before the Revolution. Napoleon (pig) – Napoleon is Joseph Stalin, the second leader of the Soviet Union. Animal farm skips the rule of Lenin (and combines Lenin with the character of Old Major), and has Napoleon leading the farm from the beginning of the revolution. Snowball (pig) – Snowball represents Leon Trotsky, who was the other leader of the revolution. He was a pure communist who followed Marx, and wanted to improve life in Russia. We will write a custom essay sample on Similarities between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When Joseph Stalin (Napoleon) rose to power, Trotsky becomes one of Stalin’s biggest enemies and was eventually expelled. In Animal Farm, Snowball was exiled from the farm by Napoleon’s dogs, just like Trotsky had been. Mr. Jones Mr Jones is a farmer, and the owner of Manor Farm. He represents the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov (Nicholas II). He was a poor leader compared to other western kings and was very cruel, sometimes brutal with opponents. Mrs. Jones represents the Tsar’s wife, Alexandra. Squealer (pig) This pig represents the Russian media, which spread Stalins version of the truth to the masses. Boxer (horse) Boxer represents the working class. Boxer is portrayed as being a dedicated worker, but as owning a less-than-average intelligence. His personal motto was, I will work harder!† Boxer was very dedicated to his work, but he was actually being tricked by Napoleon. The Dogs – The dogs are the military/police. Shortly after the revolution, several puppies are stolen from their mother. Later on in the book, the puppies are fully grown and trained to protect Napoleon. Moses the Raven – The raven Moses represents the Russian Orthodox Church. In the beginning of the novel, Moses was like a pet to Mr. Jones. He fled the farm shortly after the revolution, but eventually came back. Moses didn’t do any work, but he told the animals stories about a paradise called Sugarcandy Mountain, which is an allegory of Heaven. Benjamin (donkey) – Benjamin represented the skeptical people in and outside of Russia. They weren’t sure whether revolution would change anything. Mollie (horse) – Mollie represents the vain and selfish people in Russia and throughout the world who ignored the revolution and sought residence in more inviting countries. In the book, Mollie eventually flees the Animal Farm to live elsewhere. Mr. Frederick (farmer) Owner of Pinchfield (Leader of Germany). He is represented as Adolf Hitler throughout the book. Mr. Pilkington (farmer) Owner of Foxwood (Leader of England). He doesnt represent one person in particular, but is like a mix of all of the leaders of England. Other types of relations Many of the events or other things in Animal Farm are represented as things in the actual Russian Revolution. Animalism – Animalism is represented as Communism in Animal Farm. Communism is a type of government that relies on collectivization of labor and good to equal out the classes. In Animal Farm, Animalism is taught by Old Major who teaches that all animals are equal, just as Communism was invented by Karl Marx who says that all people are equal. Hoof Horn – A reference to the national Soviet symbol, Hammer and Sickle. Animal Committees A representation of the Soviet Committees. Beasts of England Allegorical to the original socialist anthem, The Internationale. Later in the book, this song was replaced by Comrade Napoleon. Windmill The Windmill is a symbol for Stalins Five-Year Plans for the National Economy of the Soviet Union. Just as the Windmill was promised to make the animals life easier, the Five-Year Plans were supposed to improve Soviet industry. The Animal Revolt – The Russian Revolution. The Battle of Cowshed – An allegory to the Russian Civil War. Selling of wood to Frederick – A reference to the Nazi-Soviet Pact. The Battle of the Windmill – An allegory to the Battle of Stalingrad, an invasion of Russia by Nazi forces.

Antigone Essays (546 words) - Death Customs, Operas, Antigone

Antigone And Oedipus Antigone and Oedipus, written by Sophocles, are dramatic plays with a tragic ending. The main theme for Antigone is that people sometimes have to learn the hard way from their mistakes. This theme is expressed in the final four lines of the play. They read, There is no happiness where there is no wisdom; No wisdom but in submission to the gods. Big words are always punished, And proud men in old age learn to be wise. These lines are an important part of the play. They symbolize Creon's bad decisions he made, his defiance to the gods, the punishment he went through because of his edict, and the wisdom he gained because of all his mistakes. "There is no happiness where there is no wisdom" demonstrates how Creon not using wisdom in his decision affected him. By declaring that Polyneices could not have a proper burial, he went against the gods and the other citizens of Thebes's beliefs. This was not a wise decision on his part, and because of it he lost his wife, his son, and his happiness. Creon also defied the laws of the gods. This is what is expressed in the line, "No wisdom but in submission to the gods." In Antigone, the edict and decisions that Creon made demonstrated that his law was more important then the gods laws. His defiance of the laws eventually made him believe, by talking to Teirisias, that something bad would happen to him, so he gave in to his decision. When he gave into the gods he gained wisdom and learned that his actions would be punished. Creons edict is considered his big words. In the third line it says, "Big words are always punished." Creons edict was punished by his loss of happiness. He proclaimed to his city that Polyneices may not be buried, when he did this he was very proud and demanding about his decision. He was determined not to change his mind for anything. These big words that he proclaimed would bring his downfall. Because Creon locked Antigone up, for burying Polyneices, she killed herself. Creon's son Haimon, who was engaged to Antigone, also committed suicide upon seeing his beloved Antigone dead. Also Creon's wife took her own life. If Creon hadn't gone against what was right, by making his laws more important then the god's laws, and issuing his edict, he would not have suffered the way he did. By getting involved in stopping Polyneices burial by his edict he brought upon his own terrible punishment. The last line, "Proud men in old age learn to be wise" explains the main theme of Antigone. The proud man is Creon, the King of Thebes. By all the mistakes he makes he learns to be wiser. As a ruler he was a very proud man. He didn't seem to care about anything as long as his commands were carried out. By losing his son and wife and probably the respect of many citizens of Thebes he grew wiser. Creon's bad decisions he made, his defiance to the gods, the punishment he went through because of his edict, and the wisdom he gained because of all his mistakes, all contribute to the main theme of Antigone, that people sometimes have to learn the hard from their mistakes. The explication of the final four lines of the play really give a better understanding of the theme that Sophocles was trying to get across to his audience.

Sports and Steroids Societys Acceptance or Rejection of Steroids in Sports

Sports and Steroids Societys Acceptance or Rejection of Steroids in Sports Introduction The essence of all athletic competitions can be boiled down to the concept of performance and how much better one particular athlete is over another. Professional athletes do not enter into a competition with a nonchalant attitude of competing for fun rather they are in it to win it and as such train endlessly in order to reach the peak of their physical prowess.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Sports and Steroids: Society’s Acceptance or Rejection of Steroids in Sports specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Their reward for winning such competitions can range from money, fame to everlasting glory in their chosen sport. Unfortunately, there are no rewards for the losers with society relegating them to the background as they celebrate the accomplishments of the winners. It is due to this that athletes try to accomplish any means possible to win with some of them choosing shortcuts in their attem pt to achieve money, fame and glory. One of the shortcuts comes in the form of using anabolic steroids in order to boost muscle performance in order to give them a certain edge over the competition. It has been proven through both clinical tests and actual usage in sporting competitions that the use of steroids significantly increases muscle density, strength, reduces recovery time and drastically increases an athlete’s stamina (Hassan, Salem Sayed, 2009). While their effectiveness has been proven time and again their usage in sporting competitions has been categorized as a form of cheating. Normal athletes cannot rival the performance of other athletes on steroids and as such it comes to a point that they either have to take steroids themselves or not compete at all. This creates a situation where it is not the best athlete that wins in a competition but rather which athlete has used steroids the most in order to win (Mannie, 2004). Such activities can be considered a clear violation of the concept of fair play and is affront to spirit of competition. The general public has thus responded negatively to the use of steroids in sporting competitions since people do not patronize sports such as baseball, football or soccer in order to watch people cheat their way into victory rather they watch sporting events in order to see the clash of individuals striving to achieve victory through the power of effort, willpower and the spirit to succeed. What must be understood is that the concept of a person being an athlete has a special meaning in society in that they represent what a person can achieve should they work hard, strive for success and never give up. Athletes have in effect become role models for many within society and as such news of prolific cheating by numerous athletes within sporting events is generally considered a form of betrayal over the image of integrity, willpower and perseverance that society has attached to them. As such it comes as no s urprise that the various steroid scandals that have rocked numerous sports over the past several years have detrimentally affected their fan bases and made fans that much more suspicious and hesitant over patronizing a particular team or athlete on the basis that they may be using steroids to cheat their way to victory.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is based on this that the scope of this paper will entail an investigation into society’s reaction to the use of steroids and examines the negativity surrounding this particular form of controversial enhancement. Furthermore the goal of this paper will be an attempt to convince audiences that steroids should not be used for advancement in sports and that they are a bad influence on adolescents. Comparing and Contrasting an Athlete’s Decision to Take Steroids and the Perception of Fans. Decision for Taking Steroids When trying to understand why an athlete would take steroids it must first be acknowledged that not all people are born equal. Some people have genetic predispositions towards athleticism which does give them a certain advantage over other athletes. Another factor that should be taken into consideration is the fact that similar to any profession being an athlete requires a certain degree of performance above set standards in order to be acknowledged by the general public. It can be seen that athletes that rise above the norm often attain lucrative sponsorship agreements, team contracts and a plethora of other benefits befitting an athlete of their caliber. On the other hand athletes that are sub-par or fail to distinguish themselves often fade into obscurity or are relegated to contracts and sponsorships that are barely within the range of the average median salary within the U.S. Not only that unlike other careers athletes only have a set period of time in order to stand out and distinguish themselves due to decreasing performance levels as they age. Steroids give athletes the performance boost they need in order to win games, events or sporting competitions (Mannie, 2004). It enhances their stamina, gives them greater strength, speed and durability and even allows them to recover faster from injuries thus resulting in a performance level that is above the norm (Silvester, 2006). What must be understood is that modern day sporting competitions whether in baseball, football or basketball are all about a players stats and playing ability. The value of athletes has been relegated to a set of numbers wherein the greater the number the higher their value is to a team or sponsors. This creates a behavioral predilection towards constant improvement towards perfection not for the sake of being more competitive but rather a desire to stay relevant in sporting events where superstars abound and talented rookies enter into the fray on an almost yearl y basis. Steroid Use among Athletes In a way being an athlete is a race against time as they fight to stay relevant whiles their bodies age and their abilities whither. What must be understood is that steroid use helps to preserve and enhance existing skills beyond what people would normally be capable of doing.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Sports and Steroids: Society’s Acceptance or Rejection of Steroids in Sports specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It acts as a method of increasing muscular density and stamina resulting in increased performance in even the oldest athletes (Silvester, 2006). One example of this can be seen in increased performance of Barry Bonds during the latter part of his career. What must be understood is that while Barry Bonds was an excellent baseball player in his youth however his performance started to decline during his early 30s. Surprisingly though Bonds very noticeably began to bulk up and his performance greatly improved during his mid 30s to the point that he was noticeably better than he was during the earlier half of his career. As it turns out his improved physique and athletic prowess were not due to a strenuous workout regimen and diet as Bonds had stated but rather was entirely due to steroid use. Other baseball athletes that exhibited greater athleticism during the latter part of their careers such as Sammy Sousa have also tested positive for steroid use and as such its use has become synonymous with cheating the clock so to speak wherein physical prowess and athletic performance is preserved or even drastically improved during the latter part of an athletes career. It is due to this that athletes begin to turn towards steroid use in order to not be relegated into the background, to achieve their moment of fame, to preserve their athleticism when theyre well past their prime and to attain in their eyes their much deserved reward for stri ving so hard. Perception of Steroid use by Fans and Athletes On average fan perception regarding steroid use by athletes has been largely negative with most athletes that have proven records of steroid usage often losing a majority of their fans (Denham, 2000). As it was indicated earlier athletes are often used by society as role models for behavior and achievement. When such athletes cheat in order to win it is thought of as being the equivalent of spitting in the face of the people that believed in them for so long. People want to believe that incredible feats of athleticism are possible through hard work and perseverance since for them it is a reflection of what they themselves might be capable of in their own lives albeit in a different way. It must be noted though that before they are found out athletes that use steroids often have a much larger fan base as compared to athletes that dont use steroids. This is due to the fact that their improved performance often makes them mor e prominent as compared to other athletes and as such become fan favorites. It is only when they are found out that their fan base rapidly erodes and such athletes are thought of in a negative light due to their use of unethical methods in order to boost their performance.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In general it can be seen that both in society and in the media athletes that use steroids are generally portrayed unfavorably due to them representing the darker half of sports (Denham, 2000). They are vilified, thought of as cheaters and sometimes even shunned for their actions and as such can be considered a warning to all athletes that even consider turning to steroids as a means of boosting their performance. Adolescents and Steroids What is the percentage of adolescent users? An examination by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimates that within the U.S. alone nearly 500,000 teenagers are currently using steroids (Kuehn, 2009). In fact it was noted by Kuehn (2009) that in 2005 there was a .7% increase in the amount of steroids utilized by boys in 10th grade as compared to the previous year which was at only 2% (Kuehn, 2009). What must be understood is that while 2.7% may seem like small number the fact remains that no teenager should be using steroids at all so ev en a .7% increase can be considered a large increase. It as estimated that nearly 6.6% of all male high school seniors particularly those within athletic programs utilized steroids in order to gain a competitive edge (Kuehn, 2009). Further studies also revealed that there was also a certain degree of steroid use among the female athletes within various high schools but little data has been collected regarding this particular population base due to the fact that most studies focuses on male archetypes of steroid usage. It is interesting to note though that there are no racial differences in steroid use with no specific racial group specifically utilizing steroids. What was seen though is that steroid use was often concentrated in various athletic departments and as such in order to examine the prevalence of steroid use in a particular school it is best to focus most of the examinations mainly on student athletes since they have a greater predilection towards its use. What must be und erstood is that steroid usage has a specific risk factor for adolescents as compared to adults due to the fact that rising testosterone and sex hormone levels within the body are actually used as an inherent mechanism for triggering growth spurts during adolescence. When these hormone levels reach a certain point they actually send a signal to a persons bones to stop growing and unfortunately by utilizing anabolic steroids this causes the bones to stop growing prematurely for adolescents (Bahrke,Yesalis, Kopstein Stephens, 2000). This particular situation is also facilitated by other side effects of steroids such as increased aggression, the development of liver tumors, cholestatic jaundice and in some cases the development of blood filled cysts within the liver that have a tendency to rupture causing internal bleeding (Lumia McGinnis, 2010) Adolescents, Peer Pressure and their Emulation of Sports Icons What must be understood when examining the current behavior of numerous young adolescents and their use of steroids is the fact that they believe steroids are an effective shortcut of enhancing their performance to the same degree as their sports heroes. While it may be true that they acknowledge the fact that taking steroids is a form of cheating they still look at athletic greats such as Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Triple H and Batista who have all been confirmed as taking steroids and believe that despite the inherent risks involved the glory, money and fame that comes along with being an athletic superstar is well worth the risks involved in utilizing steroids (Feinberg, 2009). Furthermore the persistent myth that side effects only come through prolonged usage convinces many student athletes that by taking steroids in limited amounts they can avoid the supposed side effects that come with steroid use. Another factor that should be taken into consideration is peer pressure and how it at times forces people to take steroids even though they initially have no d esire to. A student athletes’ worth is determine by their performance in their given sport and at times such students are pressured into taking steroids by their teammates in order to improve their performance and win championships. Even though they dont want to take steroids the pressure to perform and be part of the team often causes young athletes to take steroids which places them on the path for future health complications in the future. Conclusion Based on what has been presented in this paper so far it can be seen that steroid usage among athletes not only is a highly unethical method of competing within a sport but it also sends the wrong message to adolescents that all they need to do in order to become a sports superstar is to take steroids. While it may be true that steroids do indeed boost athletic performance to considerable levels the fact remains that in the end if such athletes are found out they tarnish the reputations of the sport and ruin the sense of fair play and competition that is the basis for most sporting events. Not only that the rising rates of adolescent steroid usage can be assumed as being directly connected to steroid usage within major sports as well and as such players that use steroids can be considered ethically liable for health conditions adolescents that take steroids will suffer since they act as their role models. It is based on the findings of this paper that it can be stated that steroids should not be used for advancement in sports due to both the negative reputation it gives to certain sports and the fact that adolescents look up to their sports heroes as the basis for their own attitude in competitive events. Reference List Bahrke, M. S., Yesalis, C. E., Kopstein, A. N., Stephens, J. A. 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