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Lord Of The Rings And Mythology

Lord Of The Rings And Mythology

Lord of the Rings is regarded as one of the greatest stories of modern times. It is a story filled with original ideas and creates an entire world unto itself with a history of it’s own along with it’s many races. This creation of a new world and the storytelling involved in it holds many parallels and similarities to ancient and classical myths that people have been telling for thousands of years. The Lord of the Rings has been classified as a modern extension of the family of myths by many critics and has a following to support this claim.

The classification of The Lord of the Rings as a modern myth can be seen in several different ways. There are many characters in The Lord of the Rings, which have parallels with characters in classical mythology such as Tom Bombadil, Gandalf, Gollum and Frodo. Other examples of mythological concepts held in the novel are seen simply in the storyline, the quest in particular and the battle between good and evil.

The status of myth for The Lord of the Rings can also be seen in the deep history that Tolkien gave to Middle Earth and it’s people. There are extensive histories given through thousands of years of Middle Earth and is thoroughly recorded in Tolkien’s works such as The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The History of Middle Earth and The Book of Lost Tales. This element of storytelling is seen throughout almost all stories regarded as mythology, the story is given a deep background involving deities and the beginning of the Earth into the creation of man and in some of them has a deity interacting with the characters in the myth. This is true in Tolkien’s later work in The Silmarillion which is mostly a story somewhat similar to The Lord of the Rings except that The Silmarillion takes place much earlier in Middle Earth’s history and several allusions to it are made in The Lord of the Rings that could not be understood without doing proper historical research into Tolkien’s world which is vast to say the least. This makes the novel’s status as a myth different from other classical myths in that they took place in the known world at that time which included the Mediterranean theater of Greece and the Italian peninsula, Northern Scandinavian countries and Anglo-Saxon dominated areas. In Tolkien’s case he went ahead and made an entirely different world with entirely different geography and entirely different races of people and histories. This of course is used to be conducive to the “fairy story written for adults” (The Letters of JRR Tolkien pg. 232) quality that Tolkien wanted in The Lord of the Rings and his other works.

Some critics have seen Tolkien parallel what some would call “Christian mythology” in his writing with the creation of Arda and Middle Earth. Arda is the entire world of Tolkien, which includes Valinor, the Undying Lands, Numenor, which is Tolkien’s Atlantis and Middle Earth, which is the continent on which The Lord of the Rings takes place. Tolkien’s creation of Arda is not chronicled in The Lord of the Rings although it is mentioned several times throughout the book and in the Appendix. His creation myth was based on Iluvatar or “The One”, who is seen as the creator in Christian tradition although he is not as close to his people, creating the Ainur or “Holy Ones” to carry out His plan for Middle Earth. With the Ainur come a subgroup called the Valar who are the most powerful of the Ainur and each have a special authority over Middle Earth. Although this does not go along with Christian tradition Tolkien explains his hierarchy of spirits in one of his letters.

“It is, I should say, a ‘monotheistic but ‘sub-creational’ mythology.’ There is no embodiment of the One, of God, who indeed remains remote, outside the World, and only directly accessible to the Valar or Rulers. These take the place of the ‘gods’, but are created spirits….”(The Letters pg. 235)

Even though Tolkien clearly explains his “monotheistic but sub-creational mythology” some Christian critics argue that Tolkien’s spiritual hierarchy does indeed parallel the Biblical account. Even Tolkien, in spite of his denials, has compared parts of his myth with corresponding aspects of truth. But the obvious similarities tend to confuse rather than clarify Biblical truth (Kjos). Although this part of the creation of the World seems to somewhat parallel Christian tradition the creation of Elves, Men and Dwarves seem to not follow any real blueprint for their “awakening” (Tolkien 1101).

Tolkien has a basis in ancient mythology by using the myth of Atlantis as one of his major influences to be part of the story of The Lord of the Rings by creating a people in the story that had a fate similar to that of the Atlanteans. In The Lord of the Rings Numenor was the great power beyond Middle Earth that began the Kingdoms of Gondor, Arnor and the Northern Dunedain in Middle Earth after it’s destruction and whose line came down to Aragorn Elessar the rightful King of Gondor who claims the throne in The Lord of the Rings.

“Numenor is my personal alteration of the Atlantis myth and /or tradition, and accommodation of it to my general mythology. Of all the mythical or ‘archetypal’ images this is the one most deeply seated in my imagination, and for many years I had a recurrent Atlantis dream: the stupendous and ineluctable wave advancing from the Sea or over the land, sometimes dark, sometimes green and sunlit.” (The Letters pg. 361)

Although Tolkien’s inspiration may have been originally inspired through a dream it was based in the Greek myth of the lost continent of Atlantis that was destroyed at the height of it’s power and is now, according to myth, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean thus losing a great civilization and also drawing an irrefutable parallel with Tolkien’s Numenor.

Along with the setting of Tolkien’s Middle Earth came the characters he had in The Lord of the Rings, many of which had counterparts in classical mythology. Stories can be broken down as basically as possible by essentially having protagonists and antagonists but in many myths the characters go beyond that, as do Tolkien’s characters in The Lord of the Rings.

Some of Tolkien’s characters have been believed to have Christ-like qualities in their actions and the way that they are placed within the story. Some examples of Christ-like qualities can be seen in Frodo’s decision to being the Ringbearer in the Fellowship and how it is such a difficult burden to carry but he decides to take it anyway. Another example of Christ-like qualities would be Gandalf’s resurrection from the dead after his battle with Durin’s Bane. Although Tolkien claims that he despises all forms of allegory (Tolkien, Foreword to Lord of the Rings) it is still thought that he had chose to give his protagonists Christ-like qualities.

Characters on the other end of the spectrum such as Gollum have their counterpart in mythology with the Norse god Loki who was the god of mischief and trouble making. In almost every classical myth there is a figure in it that has the specified job of causing trouble. Gollum is seen throughout The Lord of the Rings causing trouble for Frodo and Sam throughout their journey in Mordor. Loki can be seen as a parallel to this because he is seen throughout Norse myth through the killing of the beloved Norse god Balder.

Other parallels between mythological characters can be seen between Gandalf and the hero of the Kalevala, Vainamoinen. Vainamoinen is the main character of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, and is an epic hero who uses his wise judgment and in some cases magic to defeat his enemy. Vainamoinen uses his power to exert order over chaos and through this establishes the land of Kaleva, which is current day Finland. Vainamoinen uses magic on many occasions to save his people from such threats as disease and uses his great knowledge to recover the moon and sun after they have been carried off and hidden in a mountain. This character can be seen as Gandalf’s counterpart because of their use of knowledge and magic and their eventual quest to save their people and land from an evil power. Although it is not quite a quest as The Lord of the Rings is the Kalevala holds many things in common with Tolkien’s mythology.

The most interesting character in Tolkien’s story that could possibly have many mythological counterparts is Tom Bombadil. With reading The Lord of the Rings the question of “Who or What is Tom Bombadil?” comes up and it has been a question that eludes many Tolkien scholars and there can never really be an exact answer to that question which was Tolkien’s original intention.

“And even in a mythical Age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. Tom Bombadil is one (intentionally)” – The Letters of JRR Tolkien, No. 144

There are many ideas of what Tom was, perhaps he was an elf, or one of the Valar or Iluvatar himself but all of these have their hypothesis refuted either by Tolkien’s letters or in his far spread mythology. We are not quote sure what Tom exactly is but some critics have created comparisons between the Greek god Bacchus and the Arthurian Kay who are jolly, meddlesome characters, which seem to reflect Tom’s sensibilities throughout his short time in the novel (Anonymous, The Riddle of Tom Bombadil). Is Tom Bombadil a “mischievous outsider”? He is certainly mischievous (or joyfully unconcerned with the world at large), and we’ve seen that he is definitely an “outsider”, in that he doesn’t fit easily with the rest of Tolkien’s mythology. A possible suggestion here is that these elements help to add an inherent sense of “myth” to the book, which would otherwise be far less evident.

Other mythological elements that can be seen as an influence to Tolkien’s work was the language of the Kalevala which was the catalyst for him to create his own language, Elvish. This quality alone puts Tolkien in a whole other world beyond regular mythology. By creating his own languages in the book Tolkien brings about a whole new world and gives the feeling of being in another world with a different race speaking an unknown language. This alone puts Tolkien in a whole new area of mythology and creates a world that is in no way tangible for the reader thus creating the element of fantasy.

Tolkien created The Lord of the Rings as a modern mythology and creating a whole new world that never existed but that he almost makes it seem like it has in some antique time that there are no records of. Ultimately, Tolkien was in the business of creating his own mythology to avoid comparison with other mythologies is to miss a rich seam of material in his work and to miss the point of the storytelling that he has brought to the reader. He makes a world come alive through his words and creates a world so rich in culture and history the reader almost wants to believe that Middle Earth exists and that hobbits still flourished in The Shire. He creates a myth that is beyond our world and intangible but with that creates a world so beautiful and ugly, so light and dark that it has become one of the great stories of modern times and gives the world a modern myth that it can be proud of.

Bibliography:

Works Cited

1)Anonymous “The Riddle of Tom Bombadil” 11/14/98 http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.htm?http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/alphab.html 5/7/02

2)Hunt, JM “The Gods” N/A, http://www.desy.de/gna/interpedia/greek_myth/greek_myth.html 5/10/02

3)N/A “The Kalevala’s Contents” 10/16/99 http://virtual.finland.fi/finfo/english/kaleva.html 5/2/02

4)Kjos, Berit “Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings: Truth, Myth or Both?” N/A http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/rings.htm 5/21/02

5)Hamilton, Edith Mythology Warner Books, 1942

6)Tolkien, JRR The Lord of the Rings Houghton Mifflin, 1954

Nurses Violating the ANA Code of Ethics Nursing

Nurses Violating the ANA Code of Ethics Nursing

Statutes of limitation are outlined for criminal litigation and civil use. The law is used to prevent the prosecution of stale claims, and unreasonable delay to conserve legal rights. Nonetheless, in the absence of a specific statute, statutes of limitation are irrelevant to disciplinary action, and administrative Board of Nursing license revocation. Virginia Department of Health Professional comprises of Virginia Board of Nursing. To protect the public, Virginia Board of Nursing, undertake disciplinary proceedings and action. This ensures ethical and suitably qualified individuals practice nursing. Case number 18299,187497 under the license number 0002-091180 and case number 196595 are among the individuals who violated the ANA Code of Ethics. Violation of the code will lead to licences suspension. These two nurses had their nursing practice rebuked by the Virginia Board of Nursing.

Case Number 18299, 187497 had broken several rules. On 31st July 2014, the Virginia Board of Nursing issued her license to practice nursing in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The nurse violated term number 1 of the Board’s order. Term number 1 of the Board’s order required the nurse to submit evaluations by a mental health specialist and a neurologist satisfactory to the Board within 90 days of the entry of the Board’s order. The documents that she submitted, medical records from Neuro-Care of Virginia dated 22nd February 2018 and medical records from Virginia South Psychiatric and Family Services dated 27th September 2017, 25th October 2017 and 22nd November 2017. These medical records were not evaluated and approved by the Board.

License 0002-091180 also violated the term number 2 of the Board’s Order. The Virginal Board of Nursing ordered the holder of the license to sign all required medical releases and authorization forms within 30 days of the entry. She failed to submit the medical release and authorization forms due on 16th February 2018.

The license beholder violated Virginia Code 54.1-3007(6). These violations are from the findings of facts number 5 through 8. On 12th September 2017, she was admitted to the Emergency Department at Southside Regional Medical Centre, Petersburg, Virginia for seizure-like symptoms and carbamazepine (2019, 28th March). On 13th September 2017, she was transferred to the intensive care unit of SRMFC for inpatient psychiatric treatment with initial diagnoses of epilepsy, a major depressive disorder with suicidal ideations, unspecified dementia, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and poisoning by iminostilbenes. She admitted that her initial presentation for seizure-like symptoms was an intentional overdose and suicide attempt after she ingested 35 Tegretol 200mg tablets prescribed for her seizure condition. On 18th September 2017, she was discharged from SRMC with diagnoses of seizure disorder, major server depression with a suicide attempt and Tegretol toxicity. Upon discharge, the treating neurologist indicated that she was sometimes noncompliant with her seizure medications. Finally, during an interview with the investigator for the Department of Health Professions, she stated that she was scheduled to work the 11 a.mto 7 p.m shift at Hopewell Health Care Centre, on the day of her overdose. She acknowledged that her overdose and hospital admissions impacted her work.

The Virginia Board of Nursing findings and facts illustrated that case number 196595 on 4th March 2019 applied for licensure by examination to practice professional nursing in the Commonwealth of Virginia (2019, 28th March). The Virginia Board of Nursing found that the nurse violated code 54.1-3007(1) and 18 VAC 90-19-230(A) (1) (b) of the Regulations Governing Certified Nurse Aides in that on her application for licensure, she failed to disclose all of her criminal misdemeanour convictions from 2007 through 2010 and on her request, she only listed of them. Case number 196595 based on the findings of facts and conclusion by the Virginia Department of Health Professional. The Virginia Board of Nursing ordered her to Aube is reprimanded, her licensure to practice professional nursing in the Commonwealth of Virginia is approved without restriction (Epstein, Beth, and Martha Turner). The Board also ordered her to comply with laws and regulations governing the practice of professional nursing in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She was ordered that any violation of the preceding terms and conditions from the orders given or any statute or regulation that governs the practice of professional nursing will further her disciplinary action.

Nursing is a dedication to both wellbeings of the injured, sick, and vulnerable in the society and social justice. Nurses under case number 18299,187497 and 196595 violated the ANA Code of Ethics (Olson, L. L., & Stokes, F. 2016). Both nurses violated the fundamental principle for the inherent dignity and worth. Nurse 18299,187497 violated human rights by attempting suicide by overdose. These violations of the ANA Code of Ethics the Virginia Board of Nursing had the authority to take action against the licensees. These actions implicate that the nurses will not be able to attend to the sick. This employed authority allowed by managerial case law and law principles tends to pursue to prevent and eliminate such nurses from dodging disciplinary actions.

References

(2019, 28th March). Retrieved from https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/enforcement/cdecision/boardresults.asp?board=10&send=ViewOlson, L. L., & Stokes, F. (2016). The ANA code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements: Resource for nursing regulation. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 7(2), 9-20.

Epstein, Beth, and Martha Turner. “The nursing code of ethics: Its value, its history.” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 20.2 (2015): 1-10.

Value Preposition on product Common

Value Proposition on product ‘Common’

Every organization that strives making good profit as well as maintaining a good customer number must always work to satisfy the customer need. Therefore the various companies must work to keep in line with the current trends in the market and being able to be the most competitive amongst other companies. Value addition is key in being the most competitive as well as attracting more customers.

Value Proposition Builder

Different models for value prepositions have been developed one of the models the Value Proposition Builder for creating a value proposition states six stages to the analysis. These stages are:

The market

This will explain which group the company was to target. The use of the product common would benefit a wide range of customers including those who want to work and process their transactions from home since they can process the same via their home computers. It also caters for business people across the world who export products to different countries since different currencies can be processed without delay. The market also targets upcoming business people since they charge low transaction fee thus attracting more people

Value experience or customer experience stage

Through this the company must be able to evaluate what the market values most. In the case of the new product ‘common’ which is to be used as a processing digital currency, the company must assess how the customers will be able to fit into the new system since it will provides a platform for exchange of different currencies and thus being more efficient than other internet currency platforms.

Offering stage

This stage should explain which services are unique to the company. In the case of ‘common’, the new product in the market offers better and unique services as compared to PayPal, Authorize.net. These include; one being able to accept unlimited amounts of online payments regardless of the type of currency.

Value hierarchy

The fourth stage explains the benefits that the customers will derive from the said product. In the case of common product, other than being able to receive unlimited currencies and different types of currencies the amount of fee charge is also minimal as compared to those charged by other companies for example pay pal i.e. 1%.

Alternatives and Differentiation

The fifth stage explains the alternatives and differentiation. Through this the customers are able to know the alternatives the market has to the product in this case the product common. The sixth stage is to provide proof to substantiate the value preposition for the said product. The company must be able to show its customers how they are going to benefit from the said value preposition.

In conclusion, the process above will ensure that the product common is able to attract more customers due to the benefits associated with it.

Reference: https://futurecurve.com/services/value-proposition-builder

unethical behavior by Pfizer and Parke-Davis in research

Unethical Behavior by Pfizer and Parke-Davis in Research

When a business intends to prove that its products or services are safe and effective, it might engage in practices that are morally unethical and professionally suspect. An example of unethical business research conduct was the case of Neurontin, a drug manufactured by Pfizer and Parke-Davis. The drug is approved for the treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia and epilepsy but it can also be used off-label for uses that FDA has not approved. These off-label uses include treating bipolar disorder, migraines and restless leg syndrome (Ramírez de Arellano, 2009).

In many instances, physicians prescribe the drug off-label for a wide range of conditions such as insomnia and hot flashes. With time, it has been found that the off-label uses have exceeded the uses that FDA has approved. In 2004, Pfizer urged physicians to give more prescriptions of the drug’s off-label uses something that is not legal. The company was interested in having more of the off-label uses approved by FDA, it went ahead to carry out research to establish if the drug also works for other conditions. If they are able to convince the federal regulation that they have enough evidence of the drug’s efficacy and safety, then FDA can extend some of off-label uses. Pfizer and Parke-Davis used some unethical strategies to offset their scuttle publications of some unfavorable findings they got (Ramírez de Arellano, 2009).

They used deceptive tactics such as delaying reports that had indicated no evidence of the efficacy of the drug. They also reinterpreted negative data and bundled negative findings together with positive studies in order to neutralize their results. They used selective outcome reporting, a practice that employed two different techniques: changing trial outcomes to produce the results they wanted and not reporting negative outcomes. Alteration of outcomes of trials so as to achieve the desired results involves the modification of the purposes of research after it has been done. Drug trials involve primary and secondary outcomes, but the primary outcomes rea more important.

In this unethical research behavior the injured parties are the patients who were deceived to think that the drug could treat some of their conditions. Patients bought the drug with the knowledge that it could cure some of their conditions which was not true. The patients ended up buying the drug but the drug was not effective in treating their conditions. Physicians who were convinced to sell the drug for other uses were also affected by the unethical behavior. They often had to deal with unsatisfied patients who bought the drug to treat their conditions. The physicians would also be reported to authorities for prescribing a drug that was not effective.

The unethical behavior by Pfizer and Parke-Davis resulted to the company being fined $430 million for criminal fines and other civil penalties (Ramírez de Arellano, 2009). The public image of the organization was also destroyed by the unethical business behavior. People no longer believed in the organization and the negative image made people stop purchasing other drugs produced by the company. The unethical behavior resulted to individuals boycotting products from the organization as they no longer trusted the organization. The unethical behavior resulted into the society having a negative impression of the company. These practice undermined the trust the society has on science and also mocked the system that comes up with evidence for making decisions (Ramírez de Arellano, 2009).

The unethical behavior could be avoided by publishing the correct results regarding the research. The organization should not have altered the results in any way but displayed the true outcome of the research. Clinical trials are the core of what people do in healthcare and hence any results should be adequately reported to avoid any problem from drug use.

References

Ramírez de Arellano, A. (2009). HEALTH AND SAFETY. Retrieved January 10, 2015, from http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=2887

Social Cognitive Theory and Health Belief Model

Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) is classified as an interpersonal level theory including the constructs of self-efficacy, observational learning, expectations, expectancies, emotional arousal, locus of control, reinforcement, and behavioral capability. Within the construct of Social Cognitive Theory, personal and environmental factors play a large role in health behavior and they interact with each other. Changing one changes them all.

In this Discussion, you will examine the Social Cognitive Theory as it relates to addressing the negative behavior of bullying. You will explore how the constructs impact the development of the negative behavior of bullying as well as how it can be used to create anti-bullying programs.

Note: This Discussion will span the full 2 weeks of this module, with your final participation culminating on Day 7 of Week 3 in the second week of the module.

To prepare:

Review the resources in this Module, including pages 161–190 of the Hayden (2019) textbook.

By Day 5 of Week 2

Post your responses to the following questions from your course text (Hayden, 2019, p. 187):

1. Using the constructs of the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), how is bullying behavior learned?
2. Using the concepts of reciprocal determination as the basis, what are the environmental and personal factors that contribute to bullying behavior?

Then, explain the following:

1. How does the construct of observational learning impact bullying behavior?

Finally, suggest two strategies for creating a successful anti-bullying program utilizing constructs of the Social Cognitive Theory.

Be sure to cite information using APA style.

Challenges Woman Have Faced Overtime in The Olympics

For the Final Research Project, you will apply the historical perspective, the skills you have learned in this class, as you create some kind of artifact about any Olympiad, place, or theme related to Olympism or the Olympics in any way. The only stipulation is that you cannot write a traditional research paper. The project can be a number of formats: Research Report, Research Proposal, Timeline, or Creative Project.

The Research Report and Research Proposal are the most structured and probably easiest to put together, but different projects work better with different questions. The Timeline is great for showing change over time and is a good option if you are thinking about turning points in history. The Creative Project can be almost anything. Students have done paintings, designed a new mascot for an Olympic event, created propaganda posters, and recorded podcasts. Creative projects often require an interpretive essay to accompany them.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask because the requirements can be somewhat flexible according to the project and topic. On Canvas, you have access to sample projects, a Research Report, a Research Proposal outline, and the Final Project Rubric. You will also be able to review all the videos and material about how to analyze sources you’ve used during the semester and a number of new Final Project Resources. No matter the format, all Final Research Projects will have some version of the following:

• Research Question ”You will articulate a research question. For the Proposal, you will describe your plan to answer the question; for the other projects, you will actually answer the question.
• Primary Source Analysis You will synthesize at least 5 primary sources to compose a historical narrative or analyze primary sources to discern how they will inform a larger research project (for the Research Proposal).
• Historiography ”You will synthesize at least 3 scholarly sources to describe the main points and debates surrounding your topic and how your project relates to these debates. What does your project contribute to the conversation? What existing interpretations does it support or follow? What disagreements does it show? For the Proposal and Timeline, the Historiography should be a separate section. For the Creative Projects, you may integrate this analysis in your narrative.
• Bibliography/Works Cited ”The Bibliography should list all the sources you referenced in your work on the Final Project. List Primary & Secondary sources separately under headings. You will have a minimum of 8 sources in the Bibliography (at least 5 primary and at least 3 secondary).
• Additional Logistics/Requirements ”The Project, no matter the format, should be at least 1500 words but will likely be closer to 1800-2000 words.

Requirements

• At least 1500 words
• At least 3 scholarly sources
• At least 5 primary sources
• Bibliography/Works Cited with Primary and Secondary sources separated
• In-text citations

Public Health Agents of Change

Many individuals from around the globe have played a crucial role in advancing the field of public health. These prominent figures have been extraordinary agents of social change. They opened the doors to public health, worked to eradicate and/or control diseases, developed methods for family planning, and educated the public about the importance of healthy behaviors and the social and health consequences of racism and discrimination. They established their role in maintaining individual and community health.

Review the Learning Resources provided in this module and think about the challenges that the public health figures experienced and the contributions each person has made to social change. It is recommended that you start with the provided resources as there are many available on these figures, some of which may not be of suitable quality for scholarship. However, you will likely need to find additional scholarly resources to complete this assignment. Consider the quality of the resource before using and be sure to cite all sources used in your paper.

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Your Instructor has provided the topic for this paper. If you do not receive your topic within 14 days of the deadline, be sure to ask the Instructor.

Review the Module 2 Assignment Learning Resources related to historical events and figures in public health. (click to expand/reduce)

In addition to the resources provided, familiarize yourself with the Walden University resources below for your Assignment. The Walden Academics Skills Center and Writing Center offer many resources to help students with their writing. Throughout your academic program at Walden, you will be required to use APA style for all your written assignments. Also, when writing at the graduate level, it is important that you use evidence from the resources and other scholarly sources to support your work. As such, it will be critical that you properly cite and reference your work.

Below are a few Writing Center links to get you started: (click to expand/reduce)

Review the following media: (click to expand/reduce)

The Assignment

• Submit a 3- to 5-page paper (not including title page and references) addressing the two agents of change as assigned by your Instructor.
  • Include a title page in APA format.
  • Include an APA-formatted section header for each section.
    • Describe the innovative, public health related activities that the two agents of social change were (or have been) involved with during their lifetime.
    • Compare and contrast the challenges the social change agents experienced in conducting their activities and the strategies each person used to overcome them.
    • Discuss and compare the impact the agents of social change had (or have had) on current public health systems.
    • Analyze the importance of and implications of the social change agents activities for positive social change.
    • Provide a brief reflection on how one or more achievements of these agents of social change may relate to you personally.
• Be sure to cite the resources you used within your assignment using APA format for in-text citation and include a reference list at the end of your paper.
• Make sure you follow APA format for all aspects of your paper.

Legalizing Marijuana in the State of Maryland

What is an Op-Ed?
Op-ed stands for opposite editorial. Instead of a typical article written by a newspaper employee, it
is a strong opinion held by a community member unaffiliated with the newspaper. These are typically
argumentative essays in support for your side of the issue. Therefore, in this paper you will choose
any topic related to health/health care in the US that you are strongly passionate about and argue for
your personal opinion. You must use evidence from doing research to support your arguments.
Before you start:
 Read these instructions fully and then click the hyperlinks found in this document and review
the content for advice and guidance on writing a great opinion editorial.
 The idea for this assignment is to serve as a contrast to the midterm regarding writing style,
tone, jargon, etc.—formal research paper versus informal opinion piece.
 Choose a topic you are truly passionate about. Seriously, I cannot stress this enough. Almost
any topic can be related to healthcare so please do not hesitate to email me with ideas for my
feedback.
 Use Grammarly! It’s free to create an account if you don’t have one. Just remember that it’s a
software and occasionally suggests fixes that are incorrect.
 Read some editorials from the opinion section of your local newspaper’s website, the
NY Times and Washington Post (the two most prestigious op-ed sections) to get a good
understanding of the tone and style of good op-eds.
Overview
Choose an ongoing issue that you find important which is currently in the news and relevant to this
course. This topic should have a direct impact on CT (or your home state or country’s) citizens. Write
an Op-Ed arguing for one side of the issue. Write the op-ed like you plan on sending it to the Hartford
Courant or the New Haven Register (or your local newspaper) for publication in their Opinion

HLTH 2200-01W Summer 2022 MT1
section. The US Healthcare System is large and encompasses numerous topics, so I intentionally left
the essay topic parameters broad so that each of you can find a topic you are truly passionate about.
For example, the most creative paper I have read was about the picture painted of the social, health,
and health care inequity in a student’s favorite hip-hop album. The student defended the
violent/drug-related lyrics by convincingly explaining that the hip-hop artist is only rapping about
his life—w hat he sees and experiences on a daily basis, arguing that those who come from a
‘privileged background’ should view hip-hop as a glimpse into the lives of a particular
disenfranchised population rather than criticize it for its vulgarity.
Examples of common topics include, but are not limited to: health equity & justice, discrimination in
healthcare, ACA public option expansion, universal healthcare, the opioid epidemic, cutting edge
technologies and innovations, health education, legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana (at the state
or federal level, respectively), pharmaceutical industry, lobbyists, politics, a component of your
current or prospective career field and its relation to healthcare, etc. Whatever you choose for a topic,
make sure that there is a clear and explicit link to the US healthcare system or the healthcare system
of your home country if you are an international student and would like to focus on that.
Audience
Your op-ed must be 1,500-2,500 words long. You may (and are encouraged to) use a first-person
perspective. In contrast to the midterm essay, you may use “informal” language like contractions (e.g.,
I’m rather than I am). Keep your paragraphs short and engaging, 3-5 sentences. Some ‘paragraphs’
can be a single sentence or even a single word if it is impactful!
The tone should not be passive; this is an issue you are passionate about, so make sure the
essay reads like it by using an active voice!
An op-ed should not read like a formal research paper (e.g., the midterm essay)—your goal is for
‘everyday people’ to read your opinion in the newspaper or online news outlet and gain their support
on the issue. The majority of your audience are not experts in the health field, and many are clueless
about the healthcare system in general, so make sure to avoid using excessive jargon. The trick is to
write it so that your family member who knows nothing about your topic will ‘get it’ by the time they
finish reading your essay. All citations should be in the form of a hyperlink to the primary source; the
op-ed should not contain a references section/bibliography at the bottom of the paper.
Assignment Requirements

HLTH 2200-01W Summer 2022 MT1
ï‚· A strong argumentative paper that avoids passive language!
ï‚· Title of your paper should be at the top of the first page in large, bolded font (like at the top
of this document)
o Do not create a title page or write an abstract.
ï‚· Any professional font at size 11 or 12
ï‚· Double or 1.5 space with standard margins (which is the default in Word)
ï‚· A space in between paragraphs
 Your name as the running header at the top of each page (where it says ‘HLTH 2200-01W’ on
this document)
ï‚· Page numbers at the bottom of each page (center or right)
ï‚· Hyperlinked citations
o Like I have done on this document; again, click the hyperlinks I have created
instructions for guides and tips on writing a strong paper and hyperlinking in Word.
o Do not include a bibliography at the end of the paper.
 An original subtitle related to your topic for each ‘significant’ section of the paper, except for
the introduction. Please be creative with what you title each section! Just try to keep it five
words or less.
Sample Outline Template (‘Significant’ sections in italics)
 Introduction: Introduction to your paper and identifying the central issue of your
argument/opinion)
o Subtitle is unnecessary here because it should be right under the main title of the
paper
 Background: Background information detailing the central issue you’re writing about
o What is the issue/problem?
o When did it happen and what led to it?
o Why is it important for the general public to be aware of it? And why is it important
for society that it is addressed and/or solved? (Basically, why should the reader
care?)
o How should the problem be addressed? (This should be your thesis statement)
 Thesis statement: One sentence at the end of your ‘Background’ section that
succinctly describes your idea on how to address the issue

HLTH 2200-01W Summer 2022 MT1
 Supporting statements: Evidence that supports your plan on addressing the issue
o This should be the ‘meat’ of your essay and well researched.
 Opposing viewpoints: Identifying and addressing opposing viewpoints
o What are the biggest and strongest arguments from “the other side”? (Often political)
o Your rebuttals (How would you defend your stance/proposal to those critics and
what is your evidence?)
 Conclusion: Short recap reminding why the reader should care about the issue, your plan on
how to address it, and your thoughts on the first steps the get the ball rolling (E.g., Politicians
need to draft a bill, etc.)
Want to get your work published in the paper?
Submitting your assignment to a newspaper or other news outlet for publication is not mandatory,
however, I encourage you to give it a shot if you are proud of your work and want the public to know.
Please notify me if you wish to submit it for publication and I will work with you to edit your paper,
so it fits the submission requirements. Typically, this means cutting it down to 750 or less words. I
have had students successfully publish this assignment in the past, including this very W section last
summer so don’t sell yourself short if you are proud of your work!

My title is what I pick as my essay, Maryland currently has decriminalized marijuana so why don’t they just legalize it overall.

Policy Brief Essay

Topic Overview

Health disparities among marginalized populations (e.g., people of color, the LGTBQ+ community, women, the homeless, the incarcerated, etc.) and populations from underserved areas (e.g., inner-city neighborhoods with high population densities and high poverty rates and rural areas with low population densities and high poverty rates) is one of the biggest problems that the US Healthcare system has faced and still faces today.

Your assignment is to choose a vulnerable population and examine disparities in health and health care compared to the rest of the U.S. population. Consider the following questions as a guide to get started.

• Which population are you choosing?

• What is/are the most significant disparity/disparities they face?

• What are the underlying causes of these disparities?

• How did they initially develop?

• Have they improved, regressed, or stayed the same?

• How come? (E.g., complex problem that requires significant time and funding; public apathy; lack of action by government, etc.)

• Why is this issue important for society? (Why should your audience care?)

• What actions need to be taken by policymakers (politicians, leaders in healthcare/medicine, ultra-wealthy business leaders) and other voices who hold influence over society (e.g., celebrities, media outlets, major social media influencers, etc.) in order to address the underlying issues to close the disparity gap for your chosen population?

Audience and Writing Style

The audience you are writing this essay for are people who read Health Affairs (a prestigious journal read by academics, clinicians, researchers, and other various experts in the field). The essay should be in the form of a policy brief that you hope to have published in a journal that has a similar scope and reach of Health Affairs. Before writing a single word, make sure to read/skim some policy briefs on the Health Affairs website to get a good understanding of an appropriate format, style, tone, and language of your paper.

Each paper must contain three clear sections a beginning, middle, and end. You can (and should) have subsections within each of the three to properly organize your thoughts for clarity to the reader.

The beginning section should introduce and detail the topic overall, then discuss the issues that need to be addressed and why it’s important, then capped off with your thesis statement. There must be a clearly identifiable one-sentence long thesis statement at the end of your beginning section. (Make sure to click the hyperlink in the previous sentence for tips on what to do and not to do when formulating your thesis statement.)

The middle section should focus on supporting your thesis statement using evidence from your research, and should be the “meat” of the paper. If your thesis is a plan or proposal of some sort, the middle section should also be used to detail the specifics of your plan while explaining your reasoning.

The final section can identify and address potential criticisms, barriers, limitations, etc., and conclude with a very brief recap of your thesis and argument to drive the point home. If your paper’s thesis is a proposal/solution to address a problem of some sort, you can end with what you believe are the first steps to get the ball rolling.

This is a formal essay that is intended for academics, healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers so please make sure that your writing tone is appropriate and your essay does not contain poor grammar, spelling errors, use of first-person perspective (e.g., “I think” or “My opinion is”), or contractions (e.g., “they’re” should be written out as they are”).

Note: I strongly recommend using Grammarly to check your work after completing your first draft! It is free to create an account if you don’t have one and it will catch 90-95% of issues that are easy to miss. It is a software AI, however, and therefore not perfect; so go with your gut if you disagree with its suggestion.

Essay Requirements

• Your essay must include a title page and abstract. It must be 2,000-3,000 words long (not including title page, abstract, and bibliography). It must include:

• Any appropriate/professional font of your choosing at size 11 or 12.

• Either 1.5 or double spacing with standard default margins.
• The title page and abstract should be single spaced.

• A title page.
• In MS Word, you can click “Insert > Cover Page” for a number of pre-made title pages, some with a dedicated area for an abstract. While you do not have to use any of these, I strongly recommend it because it will save you time while giving it a little style.

• Abstract with 3-5 sentences—either towards the bottom of the title page, or at the top of the next page, above your introduction.

• Original subtitles for each section and subsection of your paper. Put the subtitle for each of the three ‘big’ sections of your paper in bold while italicizing the titles for subsections within the big three.  Be creative, but keep it short—five words max.

• For example—I’ve used Misguided Views as my subtitle for the section where I identified and addressed opposing viewpoints tin a paper I wrote. Look at various briefs on Health Affairs for more examples.

• Page numbers at the bottom of each page (middle or right side of the paper).

• Your name along with the title of your essay in the running header of each page. (Up where it says HLTH 2200-01W on this document.)

• A bibliography at the end—you may use any citation style you wish (MLA, APA, AMA, Chicago) as long as it is consistent for all citations.

• I suggest using the endnotes function for your bibliography because it helps with organization, but this is not a requirement. If you do use it, make sure you use endnotes and NOT footnotes. Endnotes will appear at the very end of your paper while footnotes will appear on the bottom of whatever page your citation is on.

• Your essay must include a minimum of five to ten (5-10) citations with at least three (3) from peer reviewed journals.

• When you are doing your research, in addition to the databases available through the university library, I strongly recommend using Google Scholar instead of Google. This way, most of your results will be peer-reviewed articles.

• Another great resource to find primary sources in journals is by looking at the citations in the article you are reading because the primary source will almost certainly be cited.

• You must always use primary sources for your citations, regardless of whether it is from an academic journal or if you are citing statistics.

• Primary sources for statistics will likely come from the HHS (including all of the departments within it like the CDC and NIH) website or states’ department of public health websites.

Indigenous in the Modern day Legal System

1. Choosing ONE of the following specific categories of identity – race,  gender, class or indigenous peoples. Explain how this concept of culture is mobilized in contemporary struggles with or through justice or legal systems. You can also consider this question in the context of the relationship between local groups, national and transnational forces.

Your answers must be a minimum of 675 words. So, there should be three separate essays of at least 675 words each. Answers will be graded according to four criteria:

• The degree to which they show understanding of the ideas and content presented in class readings, lectures, and films/videos.
• The quality of the logical reasoning in your argument
• How well you use the material from lectures, readings and film/video to support your argument. Draw from at least four different examples from class material, and suggest that include at least two journal articles for each question. Additional outside materials are very welcome – they would be in addition to the four sources required from class material.
• The quality of your essay writing.
• I expect your answer to be a well written, edited essay ­­with a clear short introduction, discussion paragraphs each focused on one point each, and a succinct conclusion that reiterates your points. I suggest you outline three points that you can link in a logical argument that addresses the question. Avoid overly grandiose statements, or personal accounts, as they detract from having a short focused essay. The discussion is the most important part of your essay.

Youtube video: (1)  Prey Lang Community Network, Cambodia – Equator Prize 2015 Winner

(2) Mni Wiconi: The Stand at Standing Rock