Prescription Drug Abuse in Teenagers Essay Example for Free

Prescription Drug Abuse in Teenagers Essay Although prescription drugs are not harmful if used correctly, prescription drug abuse is high in teenagers. Most parents would never think their teenagers are helping themselves to prescription medicine sitting on ones counter. The truth is, prescription drug abuse in teenagers has become very common nowadays. The drugs are easily accessible at home, or cheap to buy at school. They are highly addictive and can even cause death. Putting one’s prescriptions in a safe place may save a childs life. Prescription drug addiction usually starts with experimentation. Teenagers may be trying prescription drugs because their friends are doing it or it may just be out of curiosity. Some teenagers will turn to prescription drugs to forget their problems. As the addiction progresses, it becomes harder and harder to stop using the prescription drugs (Smith, 2010). Experimentation rarely leads to a good outcome. If one’s child starts with a simple experiment of prescription drug use, odds are it will ultimately end with addiction. Smith (2010), states â€Å"Addiction is a complex disorder characterized by compulsive drug use. People who are addicted feel an overwhelming, uncontrollable need for drugs† (Drug abuse and addiction, para. 1). When one has repeated drug use it will permanently alter the brain. The long-lasting effect on the brain changes ones ability to think, use good judgment, control ones behavior, or feel normal without the drug. It is the drug cravings and compulsions to use that make the addiction so powerful. These cravings and compulsions to use are partly cause by the changes the drugs make to one’s brain (Smith, 2010). The average prescription drug abuser will start between the ages of 12 and 17. Every day about 2,500 teenagers in this age group abuse a prescription drug for the first time (Havens, 2009). â€Å"The number of high school students who are abusing prescription pain relievers such as oxycodone (OxyCotin), a potent and highly addictive opiate, or sedative is on the rise† (Freedman, (2006), para. 3). Stimulants are the most common used, next is opiates, followed by tranquilizers, and then sedatives (Parenting Teens, 2005). The pain relievers such as Vicoden or OxyCotin are used to achieve a high, whereas the sedatives such as Xanax and Valium are used to relax or calm. These drugs can lead to dependence and addiction. Stimulants such as Adderall, Ritalin, Dexedrine, or Provigil decrease ones appetite but increases ones alertness and attention. These are dangerous because they can cause addiction, seizures, or heart attacks. Stimulants are often used to lose weight of for studying. Steroids are used to built ones bodies or promote athletic performance. The dangers involved in consuming steroids are mental and physical health effects as well as serious sexual effects (Havens, 2009). Findings from a 2005 survey conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health â€Å"indicates that approximately 21% of the U. S. population age 12 and older report using any type of prescription drug nonmedically in their lifetime, 16% report us of opiate-type pain killers, 8% report tranquilizer use, 8% report stimulant use, and 2% report sedative use† (Ford, 2008, para. 10). The study also found that substance abuse can cause users to offend the law as well as impair good judgment. However, it has been found that the violations of the law are followed by the abuse of prescription drugs, or other illegal substances. Therefore if one’s teenager is addicted to prescription drugs, legal difficulties will probably follow. The researchers believe substance abuse is a definite road to a delinquent lifestyle (Ford, 2008). Reported prescription drug abuse by high school seniors in 2005 Parenting Teens (2005). According to Freedman (2006), an 18-year-old who lives in San Francisco believes as long as the prescription medication is taken properly, it is much safer than any street drug. According to the findings of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America study, forty percent said prescription were much safer than illegal drugs; while 31 percent said that there was nothing wrong with using prescription drugs once in a while† (â€Å"Prescription-Drug Use by Teens,† (2006), para. 1). Teenagers think that because a medication has a prescription for an individual, it makes it safe for everyone. Several factors are involved in prescribing certain medications such as medical conditions, age, other prescriptions on may be taking and the diagnosis of the individual. Most teenagers do not consider these factors when helping themselves to medications prescribed to someone else. Prescription drugs are easy for a teenager to acquire either from their doctors or from their own medicine cabinets. Most parents are not aware of the risks involved in leaving a bottle of prescription medication lying on the counter for everyone to have access. It will start with taking one or two at a time and then the teenager ultimately proceeds to steeling the entire bottle, buying the prescription medications at school from classmates or even lying to their doctors to obtain their own prescriptions. The increasing popularity of nonmedical prescription drug use is based on the putative advantages of prescription drugs over â€Å"street† drugs: the drugs are easier to obtain, there is less likelihood of arrest, use is more socially accepted, and there is a perception the prescription drugs are safer† (Ford, (2008), para. 10). Prevention is the best tool concerning teenagers and prescription drug abuse. Havens, (2009), â€Å"Most teenagers say parents are not discussing the dangers of prescription drugs with them† (6 Steps to Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse in Teens, para. ). It is the parent’s responsibility to monitor closely the prescription medication in the home and purchase a lock box if necessary to keep one’s teenager safe. One needs to educate one’s teenagers in the dangers of prescription medication and the factors that go into prescribing those medications to each individual. Take it as far as asking the family physician to speak with one’s teenager if necessary. Sometimes they listen to strangers better than their own parents. Take the time to ensure there are no or out-of-date medications in the home. If these medications are no longer needed, dispose of them properly by flushing those (Havens, 2009). Parents are not always aware of how dangerous their own medication can be to their teenagers. MSNBC (2010). Parents also need to educate themselves in the signs associated with prescription drug abuse. Some of the thing one needs to watch for with their teenager behavior is neglecting responsibilities, getting into legal trouble, and even problems with the relationships with one’s friends. If ones teenager is starting to fall on school grades, not do chores at home, or even skipping school a pattern of neglecting responsibilities in beginning to develop. Behavior to watch for in relationships with friends would be losing longtime friends, and sometimes fist fighting with them. One may also be fighting more than usual with one’s siblings or ones boss at the job. The signs of legal trouble can be anywhere from simple disorderly conduct to any type of major crime. If ones teenager suddenly becomes involved with the law, something is wrong (Smith, 2010). The most noticeable physical signs of a prescription drug addiction is if ones pupils are bigger or smaller than normal, ones eyes are bloodshot, grooming habit deteriorate, unusual odor on breath or clothing, slurred speech, bad coordination, and tremors (Smith, 2010). Psychological warnings one can detect are (Smith, 2010), â€Å"Unexplained change in personality or attitude, sudden mood swings, irritability, or anger outbursts, periods of unusual hyperactivity, agitation, or giddiness, lack of motivation; appears lethargic or â€Å"spaced out†, appears fearful, anxious, or paranoid, with no reason† (Drug abuse and addiction, para. 9). Warning signs that tend to show more in teenagers are when one starts being secretive about their friends, one has a new interest in one’s clothing styles, and ones teenager is suddenly in need or more privacy then usual. If one has money, valuables, or prescription medication missing, one may need to consider the possibility of one’s teenager developing a prescription drug addiction. Other common signs are depression, withdrawing from the family, using incense to hide the smell, or eye drops to cover the dilated or bloodshot (Smith, 2010). Drug rehabilitation can be a costly, but necessary, adventure. According to ChooseHelp, (2010), â€Å"the professional staff involvement at any comprehensive and quality rehab facility disallows bargain treatment, and you need to be prepared to spend a significant amount of money to get a quality and effective treatment program (The Cost of Drug Rehab, para. 3). † Considering all cost involved in housing, feeding, drug therapies, and professional involvement, prices can range from a few thousand dollars a month all the way up to $30,000 per month (ChooseHelp, 2010). Several insurance companies will absorb most of the financial burden. One needs to contact one’s private insurance company and receive all details pertaining to this type of treatment. If one contacts one’s local State Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Council, there are programs available to those that cannot pay nor have any insurance. One needs to take into consideration the seriousness of this addiction. When it involves a prescription drug addiction, one cannot let the cost be a factor in the determination of the treatment. According to ChooseHelp (2010), â€Å"family programs can help to heal a family harmed by the destruction and heartache of abuse; and bring back a healthier dynamic to the family as a whole (Families Need to be a Part of the Process, para. 3). † One needs to decide how much family involvement will be in the rehab process. Family involvement is extremely important not only for the family but for the addict as well. When family member are learning about the addiction from trained professionals as well as other families facing the same situation, families are taught what is most beneficial for the teen and it assures the family that they are not esponsible for the addiction (ChooseHelp, 2010). When seeking a prescription drug treatment center for teenager one needs to consider a program involving patient education as well as family education. The program should offer counseling sessions with a therapist or psychologist as well as peer group session involving several families. One needs to choose a facility close to home to achieve adequate family involvement (ChooseHelp, 2010). When the rehabilitation program is successfully completed it is also important to continue care in an outside group such as Alcohol Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Information for these meetings can be obtained in one’s local phone book. If the teenager in the home has been acting differently and medication is running out sooner than usual, take the steps necessary to help him or her. Admitting he or she may be addicted to prescription drugs is not easy but the help one can receive for him or her may save his or her life. Pay attention to the warning signs, ask questions at the doctor appointments and try not to have addictive medication prescribed to one’s child, especially if the child has had a problem in the past with any type of addiction. Be careful where prescription medications are located and consider investing in a lock box. It may be a decision that saves ones teenagers’ life. If one discovers one’s teenager has a prescription drug addiction, or any other addiction, do not be afraid to seek help. Money does not need to be an issue in saving ones life. References http://www.choosehelp.com/drug-rehab/families-need-to-be-a-part-of-the-process http://www.choosehelp.com/drug-rehab/the-costs-of-drug-rehab http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/12803776/ns/health-addictions/

Facebook Activity Should NOT Play a Role in Employment Essay -- Social

As if employment isn’t already a topic of importance regardless of personal reason, most issues concerning it, hit close to home. Employment is influenced by many things. Some of the major influences are expected like drug testing and background checks. These have little to no amount of controversy, pending personal issues. Other things are not so anticipated, namely what content is on particular social media websites like Facebook. This exact scenario played out in my life much to my dismay. After I applied, interviewed and accepted a position in the education field, I received a phone call from the employer who informed me that they would no longer offer me the position due to an undisclosed reason. Subsequently, I began an investigation into the reason I lost the opportunity of employment with the school district, only to discover astonishing exploits, the culmination of which resulted in my misfortune. These exploits had originated from a personal conflict between an individual that was my friend on Facebook prior to the dispute. Though I can honestly admit that this altercation got vicious, I never believed it would go as far as it had. This individual took my name and pictures and attached them to messages that I had allegedly sent to her. These messages contained highly inappropriate and threatening material. Then she proceeded to send them to the administration department. One person in the Human Resour ces department came to the decision that even though he didn’t know me, my qualifications, or even if the allegations were true, my personal life and Facebook page disqualified me from employment. Incontestably, I felt this infringed on my constitutional rights, confidentiality, as well as my personal life. Most Ame... ... with job performance, and work time. Without this distinction a mental and physical toll is paid and it comes at a high cost to the motivated. Employment simply should not be based upon a personal social networking website, it is unconstitutional, breaks social expectations of confidentiality, as well as imposes upon personal lives and motivations. Unless contractually bound to obey particular guidelines concerning social media, it should play no role in obtaining or termination of employment. Considering that there was no proof of legitimacy and it did not happen on work property or time, undeniably my claim of hideous encroachment on these Rights and socially accepted standards is correct. This very travesty, lead to the children at that particular school district to potentially have to settle for a person that is less qualified than I for their education.

Effects on Performance Management

Effects on Performance Management and the Company when Nepotism and Cronyism is Present. Cronyism is Present. Whether deliberate or unintentional, workplace nepotism and cronyism threatens positive corporate culture as well as the company's overall performance management. Managers who give special treatment to their family members or their favorites decrease the morale of the other employees and do not pay attention to the areas of need that the employee may be facing in their Job performance.Finding yourself on the non-receiving end of desirable assignments can be rough-?especially when the recipient also lacks adequate employment lubrications. The organization being discussed is a relatively small organization; there are approximately twenty full-time employees and seventeen part-time employees. The organization serves adults with developmental disabilities on cite and in the community. They are a non-profit organization and rely on state funded money as well as fundraisers.Their p erformance evaluation they work with does not have any weight when considering raises or pay scale. There have been two directors in the last ten years and both directors suffered from performance management issues. However, since the latest director has been in charge the organizational culture is also changing rapidly. The previous director hired her daughter and the daughter's best friend. When both were hired neither had the required skills to perform their duties. They both rapidly moved up the ladder of success during the director's time.A couple of years prior to the director's retirement an â€Å"assistant director† position was created to train the upcoming replacement. She also happened to be a family friend. This friend had experience as a support coordinator and some college experience. After the new director took over, the entire center seemed to be recreated. The â€Å"daughter† was made a program manager and the â€Å"friend† was made a program ma nager. Once these positions were filled and time went on, cronyism became very visible among the center staff.The â€Å"daughter† had now been moved into an â€Å"invented position† since she was unable to perform her managerial duties, as told to staff, yet her salary and status seemed to remain intact. The â€Å"friend† however seemed to shine brighter daily and chain of command communicated regularly. The morale of the organization started falling and stories and complaints traveled quickly between staff. It was starting to be evident that the word â€Å"team† did not exist. If rooms needed assistance, coverage, or other types of conflict arose there was not anyone to come and offer support.The staff knew they had to call the program manager per chain of command but she was never available. After months of back and forth from trying to get answers from the director and when questioned, the program manager, who also happens to have tightened the bond of friendship with this director would lie and say it is handled or Just not show up when needed the staff began feeling like no matter how much they complained or tried fixing the situation the director valued the friendships more than the organizations culture all together.Every year when it is time to do performance evaluations the direct support staff would cringe. They all knew that no matter what was on the form that they signed it did not matter because â€Å"if† there was a raise to be given, it would be a standard 1%-3% across the board. The facts that the â€Å"mangers† actually had a larger salary increased their raises due to the percentage factor.This past year most staff filled out their own evaluations and wrote their own goal to work towards the following year and the managers Just signed off and passed to the director. The character of cronyism is proactive and dynamic. Goanna (1991) notes that loyalty has two true-hearted dimensions: emotional and behav ioral. The emotional aspect of loyalty results from gratitude. Since emotions are invisible, one's loyalty is evaluated through the behavioral dimension.In situations where loyalty is a highly valued characteristic, individuals tend to display loyal behaviors in order to receive positive evaluations and personal benefits, in this case no consequences for not being supportive to the program staff or not being held accountable for her lack of performance. Additionally, it may not be easy to distinguish between behaviors hat emerge from true-hearted gratitude and behaviors that result purely from â€Å"impression management. † That is why this definition of cronyism is based on the notion of perceived loyalty.The lower ranked employees are likely to play an active role. For instance, a program staff may want to influence the perception her supervisor by uncritically agreeing with the program manager on work or non-work related issues or by speaking highly of that program manager in the presence of the director of the center. (Deluge and Perry, 1994). This perceived loyalty plays a major factor when the yearly evaluations roll around. Since there is not clear Job descriptions or expectations in any area of the organization there would not be anything to effectively measure or evaluate.Popularity or convenience plays more of a role. When the evaluations rotate through the managers, they have many other things that rank higher in priority so it is usually rushed through and passed back to the director to file. In a healthy organizational culture personal relationships and loyalty, to a certain degree, may be functional and does not necessarily breed cronyism. Coffee and Jones (1996), argue that sociability, which refers to sincere approachability among members f an organization, raises morale, fosters teamwork, and promotes creativity.However, when the stress on relationships is so great that it is turned into strong in- group bias and when loyalty becomes un reserved, cronyism is likely to occur. There is a more complex system of social interactions that arise spontaneously as people associate with one another. Dissimilar to the formal structure, which accentuates official positions in terms of authority and responsibility, the informal structure emphasizes people and their unofficial relationships (Newsroom and Davis, 1993).The informal system develops to fulfill needs that cannot be met by the formal system. Increasing informal relationships with the right people, which may include subordinates, peers, and superiors, can be a useful means of acquiring power Nouns, 1992). The coupled relationship between the superior and subordinate in the context of cronyism tends to be governed by their personal ties rather than assigned Job duties or responsibilities.These casual relationships may override organizational hierarchy and involve an element of â€Å"power-seeking,† where individuals exchange ore than friendship among themselves t o further individual goals that cannot be met through formal channels. Studies suggest that the mere act of categorizing people as â€Å"cliques† and out-groups have a tendency to result in favoritism (Teasel et al. , 1971; Turner et al. , 1983). Clique members are given high levels of trust, interaction, support and rewards while out-group members receive low levels of each and often denied valuable opportunities (Vehicle, 1997).These behaviors breed a competition among the staff that creates stress among the employees since they hank that if they are not a member of that clique or friendship they may not get any of the â€Å"rewards† they feel those clique members receive. Some examples of this description within the organization is when an instructor, someone with no authority, brings gifts or constantly offering flattering compliments to feel as though she is in the â€Å"clique† status and when an opportunity arises like a special outing or work opportunity that is praise worthy she usually gets it.The opposite end of the spectrum however is the employee that constantly goes above and beyond her jugular Job duties to help others and seems knowledgeable of her position gets constantly overlooked for promotions, raises, or passed by because she chooses to focus more in her Job rather than the social side of relationships. Personal loyalty toward the program manager or director is different from loyalty to the organization or organizational commitment.The director or program manager's cronies may not be committed to the organization as a whole. In fact, the increase of a deep sense of obligation toward the director or program manager may surpass connection toward the organization (Chem. and Francesco, 2000). An example could be that if the director leaves the organization, her cronies will try to follow suit. Being trusted supporters, â€Å"clique† members of a work unit tend to cultivate a feeling of gratitude towards the program manager or director.These same employees are likely to be pleased with their work due to the existence of receptive bonds in their working relationships. These same employees shared motivational factors and experienced less role-related stress like Job overload, insufficiency, ambiguity, or conflict. Unfortunately, out-group employees who do not possess these same connections seem to have lower Job distraction because even if they are the â€Å"cream of the crop,† their chances of climbing the ladder of success are slim.This has an antagonistic impact on their sense of self-worth as they become trapped in organizations that require friendships to â€Å"earn† promotions (Hurley et al. , 1997). This reason alone should be evidence enough that performance evaluations should be considered more serious than they are in this particular company. They are likely to feel a sense of inequality when they perceive that in-group members, regardless of competency, manage to be prom oted much faster than they do.It is not surprising to find that out-group members are more likely to file grievances (Coleman et al. , 1993). The clique group of employees is likely to show low commitment to the organization. This is where prominence on loyalty to the director or manager may transform into negative organizational performance when the directors personal goals struggle with those of the organization. Although cultural influence plays an important part here, the practice of cronyism, with its stress on loyalty toward management rather than the organization, greatly emphasizes such influence.When the company's strategic plan ND evaluation standards are stated to be practiced one way in the personnel handbook and the actual actions of the management staff proves otherwise the staff could view that situation as an opportunity to slack on their personal performance and not care whether or not the company actual succeeds or not. Obligation is related to organizational depen dability or the degree to which an organization is perceived to be looking after the interests of its employees in practices such as Job security and career development (Buchanan, 1974; Steers, 1977).Due to in-group bias, the hard work of out-group members is often unrecognized by their previous. Furthermore, out-group members do not experience the Job security and preferred rewards in-group members enjoy. They are often overlooked in terms of opportunities for personal achievement. While in-group members are delegated key roles in the organization, and the out-group members are merely assigned peripheral functions that are easily expendable (Change, 1999).Ingratiation, an attempt by individuals to increase their attractiveness in the eyes of others, is one particular rising influence strategy whereby ingratiation behaviors are driven by attempts to influence someone higher in the formal hierarchy of an organization Porter et al. , 1983). Loyalty is adored in cronyism; employees may openly reaffirm the manager's views and defend her appearance and prestige. They may also acknowledge the power distance in the hierarchy ladder and show their submissiveness in order to win the manager or directors heart (Fisher, 1977).The noticeable benefit associated with the in-group status encourages ingratiation behaviors. In addition to having impacts on individuals working in an organization, it can also greatly impact the clientele the organization serves; cronyism also produces significant consequences at the group or organizational level. Personal feelings can seriously bias Judgment. Positive affect toward employees makes managers less likely to give them negative performance feedback. With this being said, incompetence among in-group members has a tendency to be hidden and covered up in the organization.Since in-group members are rewarded on the basis of loyalty rather than competence, they do not see the need to excel and may at best achieve average performance. Addit ionally, these same employees tend to channel their energy and attention to ingratiating themselves with the manager or director or other related political behaviors. This ultimately distracts the employee from completing their proper Job duties (Coffee and Jones, 1996). Talent, which would otherwise rise to the top, is blocked and stifled by lack of opportunity. This leads to talented people leaving the organization.The constant leeching away of talent inevitably weakens the strength of the organization (Redding and Whish, 1993). Finally, the quality of decision making is a victim of cronyism. Any leader who is surrounded by â€Å"yes men† is unable to benefit from the diverse perspectives, experience, and knowledge of their employees. Worse still, with stress on conformity, ideas are unlikely to be fined and improved through group discussion and debate. The result of having such differentiated treatment can cause hostility between the two groups, consequently harmfully affe cting their cooperation and sense of teamwork.Progressively, the relation between the in-group and out-group employees suffers as the unjustified practices continue, and the leader's cronies are perceived to be getting more benefits than deserved (You kill, 1994). Over time, the morale of the out- group will be eroded by their feelings of alienation, powerlessness, and inequity as favoritism of in-group employees renders the relationship between performance and reward less obvious (Preponderates and Topple, 1996). Cronyism stems from the fact that management is able to manipulate rewards and punishments for their employees.The greater their ability to do so, the greater is the personal dependence of employees on them. Missies, (1998) maintains that favored â€Å"clique† treatment may be reduced by making evaluation criteria explicit, objective, and public. To sum up, presence of competent managers and directors are likely to reduce crony behaviors. It is instinctual that comp etent managers tend to reward and promote competency among their employees. But, incompetent managers and directors would feel heartened by competent employees, and inevitably drive away competent employees (Bodleian and Ramekins, 1998).Preponderates (1993) notes that â€Å"yes men† tend to be concentrated among less able workers and among workers with less able managers. In conclusion, the organizational problem of nepotism eventually stemmed to accepted cronyism. By management allowing this to take place the employees began feeling resentment and the organizations moral dropped dramatically. In this particular organization, the clientele are the main ones affected by these behaviors to take place.

Discerning New Forms of Solidarity that Go Beyond Nation, Religion and Social Class - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 9 Words: 2732 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Sociology Essay Type Critical essay Level High school Did you like this example? Discerning New Forms of Solidarity that Go Beyond Nation, Religion and Social Class One thing that is clearly evident is that human beings have consistently developed new forms of solidarity as we have evolved from roaming bands of hunters and gatherers to a digital society with swiftly eroding national borders. Organisations such as Mà ©decins sans Frontià ¨res, The Red Cross, and Amnesty international were created as platforms of international solidarity (Baglioni 2001, p. 224). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Discerning New Forms of Solidarity that Go Beyond Nation, Religion and Social Class" essay for you Create order For these organisations, all that mattered was helping people in need, wherever they were and utilising individual expertise for global benefit (Baglioni 2001, p. 227). Today, the primary basis of solidarity is nationalism—i.e. the recognition of a special duty to ones own nation, although this notion is eroding in Europe and Asia. Although there are certainly extremists for nationalism, most support for these movements is moderate, and moderate nationalists would say that the individual does have a moral duty to treat others fairly (Wilde 2004, p. 137). Nevertheless, nationalist sentiments preclude global identification as prioritising ones national group still allows discrimination to flourish. Of course, the next logical step of human solidarity is that of the global level—where through the creation of international bodies, people strive to articulate universal values that are common to all cultures and come together on that basis. The aforementioned organisat ions do play a role in helping us advance to that point, but there are still many things that need to happen before the cosmopolitan ideal can be put in place. For instance, there needs to be a development of a universal system of ethics, a common language for business, science, and politics, and a change in consciousness from being a citizen of Nation A to citizen of the world. In a sense, this has happened as local movements for equal rights have influenced other people around the world to campaign for their own interests as well. As more organisations and governmental bodies are recognising the inherent worth of the individual, it is reasonable to expect that the development of a broader form of solidarity will emerge. In the scholarship of international relations, an increasing number of writers agree that the ‘old international order is insufficient for dealing with the current threats to human survival, such as resource shortages (oil and potable water), increas ed population growth, and chaotic climate patterns (Wilde 2004, p. 137). Therefore, it is recommended that a form of global governance and stewardship should emerge (Hardt Negri 2005, p. 161). Now, more than ever, the primacy of the nation-state is in question, especially as new ways of identification continue to be explored. While some lean to embracing a more local identification—with ones city or cultural group, others believe that identification on the continental or global level would be more relevant (Waterman 2001, p. 200). In the mid-twentieth century, there has been some movement to creating bodies that possess international oversight such as the International Criminal Court to try war crimes, the Geneva Convention, which dictates international provisions for the treatment of prisoners of war, and the United Nations which dictate standards and prohibitions for weapons proliferation and international trade agreement (Tarrow 2011, p. 2). Although this does pres ent a positive advance toward a system that promotes global accountability and global collaboration on certain commercial and environmental issues—there is still a strong tendency to identify nationality before anything else, and in some circles, tribal identity is most important. Social change toward a more global perspective will likely be slow and painful because of the tendency of the ruling class to view all collective action with suspicion—i.e. as a conspiracy or an infection that must be extracted (Melucci 1996, p. 42). One piece of evidence that supports the conclusion of social change as a contagion was the oppositions past reliance on terrorism or guerilla warfare to achieve particular ends (Clark 2009, p. 1). In 1605, Guy Fawkes and his compatriots sought to blow up Parliament in order to kill the king and restore England to Catholicism. On September 11, nineteen hijackers seized control of four US planes and killed more than 3,000 people in order to force Americans from Muslim lands and decrease support for Israel. In both cases, that led to increased persecution of English Catholics and American Muslims and in the latter case, an even larger American presence in the Middle East. This was especially true of governments where any form of verbal dissent meant exile to a prison colony or execution. As violent reactions often backfire, nonviolent protests may succeed where armed resistance has failed in the past. Even though nonviolent protest was always an option as a tool of social change, it was not until the 1940s that it had been thrust into global consciousness (Tarrow 2011, p. 102). Since the movement for Indian Independence in the 1940s, the concept of the nonviolent protest has gained ground, and the results have been astonishing. To those on the outside, the protestors look like champions of social justice while the government looks repressive for violently putting down the protests rather than simply letting them make a statement. This has worked not only to successfully ensure Indian independence in 1947, but also helped to pass Civil Rights laws in the United States in 1965 and ultimately end the state of apartheid in South Africa (Tarrow 2011, p. 216). The world was moving toward a stance of inclusion and tolerance, stressing an appreciation of all cultures. Thus, governments could no longer maintain a racist status quo without global condemnation, nor could it inflict acts of cruelty on its own citizenry without censure (Tarrow 2011, p. 217). ‘The point here, however, is that global politics will slowly penetrate the domestic agendas and there will be a need for articulation of old and new politics (Wilde 2004, p. 150). Several movements from womens rights to anti-war movements and other independence movements have used nonviolent protests to gain their objectives and the current democratic movements in the Middle East and the Occupy Wall Street movement in the US shows tha t it continues to be seen as a viable tool. One critique of the global mindset is that it would, on the micro-level lead to increased unhappiness, mental ill health, and distrust of others. This was especially true as the demands of an industrial society had split up neighbourhoods and created a world where people did not automatically know what their ‘place was (Spencer Pahl 2006, p. 10). Yes, there are more options than ever as people are more free to emigrate to whichever nation would suit them best, but the discontent would more likely be attributed to the consumer-capitalist ideal of defining the individual by the sum of their purchases. This mindset has also been exported around the globe, which makes it difficult to form communities along anything other than product lines. Yet Spencer and Pahl are optimistic that the old communities can be re-established through the virtual communities of the Internet. While the old cities and towns were grouped around people performing a particular occupation, today, a teacher can go online and correspond with other teachers to discuss the challenges of moulding young minds. A doctor could contact other doctors to learn about treatment modalities they have not tried yet. Only in this case, the community of like-minded people is global rather than local in nature. ‘First, while rightly crediting communities for developing our sense of right and wrong, a universal moral sense, it overturns the universality of the moral sense by asserting the priority of a particular communal obligation (Wilde 2004, p. 137). One defining characteristic of the modern Western state is that it is rich in racial, religious, and cultural diversity. Another is that many of these states are relatively peaceful in spite of this heterogeneity. Part of the reason for this is that states have begun to protect the rights of those historically considered to be an Other based on race, religion or gender. One critique of t he liberal policies of cooperation is that it encourages people to think of themselves first as members of religious or ethnic groups rather than members of a society. According to Touraine Macey (2000): ‘What the liberal conception lacks is a principle of unity that can facilitate communication between different actors. This is why we see so many individuals fleeing into communities, which ensure a high level of communication but also enforce a homogeneity that is potentially intolerant and authoritarian (p. 137). One way to avoid this kind of self-segregation is to ensure that society recognises and appreciates the contributions of all member cultures and teaches a mutual valuing of cultures within its educational system (Mason 2000, p. 149). If the dominant society insists that only its own contributions are relevant, minorities would not feel as though they belong to that nation and would continue to behave as strangers in a strange land. If the dominant society is not prepared to acknowledge the needs and interests of minorities, then change often comes slowly through local action. Even though movements such as the one for African American Civil Rights and the one to expel the Chinese from Tibet started out on a local level, they would eventually be able to exert influence on an international level (Pleyers 2011, p. 41). Another example of this is the womens movements. Starting primarily in Western nations, the quest for the rights of women had taken on global significance when taken to nations that had allowed women little to no agency over their lives (e.g. Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan). While there was some success in the sense that women around the world were able to gain increased agency over their lives, they still remain entrenched in inequalities (Lyons 2010, p. 101). Although Eric Fromm wrote with the intention of recognising the tenets of authoritarian regimes and analysing the tendency to get caught up in mass movements, he was pessimistic in the human capacity to establish a global society of peace and love because even as they adopt new ways of thought, the social structures still support the old ways. In this, he uses the example of the European conversion to Christianity. While the old pagan myths showed a strong male protagonist conquering adversaries, Christianity advocates turning the other cheek and practicing love for ones neighbour. However, the history of Europe for the past five hundred years has been steeped in war, conquest, and greed. As Fromm (2007) says: â€Å"European-North American history, in spite of the conversion to the church, is a history of conquest, pride, greed; our highest values are: to be stronger than others, to be victorious, to conquer others and exploit them† (p. 116). This shows that even though a society may choose to embrace certain values, there is a problem of human nature and its slowness to align with their philosophical ideals. However, adaptat ion does take place because even though racism and sexism are still problematic, the Western world is significantly less sexist and racist than it was one hundred years ago. Progress is slow, but it is inevitable. Global solidarity is possible, but it would be a long time in coming. Curiously, the national socialist movements that were quite prominent in the twentieth century had drawn society together with the premise that they faced a common enemy in the existing social structure (Wallerstein 2002). For some nations, it involved becoming independent of a colonial ruler—for others, it was a war of the working class (proletarians) with the middle classes and aristocracy (the bourgeoisie). Usually, the existing structure only served the interests of a very small, wealthy minority and those in charge of the movements sought to create a society where almost every citizen stood to benefit. State governments, such as the Peoples Republic of China and Soviet Russia had taken the position that religion was to blame for widespread inequity and rendered the practice of any faith illegal, even though it provided a sense of community among groups of people. In any case, Wallerstein described the socialist movement in two steps: the revolutionary phase, where the existing government would be overthrown and the transformation phase, where the former revolutionaries are now members of the legitimate government. Wallerstein (2002) argued that this two-part movement was problematic because the government would now have to contend with the fact that they are members of a wider international community whose requirements may get in the way of a particular agenda. On the left, there was also the problem of balancing the interests of women and minorities, as movement leaders have often promised that they would be solved ‘after the revolution. Working to restore most inequities may be a viable first step for socialist revolutions, but the needs of each sup porting group need to be considered. In summation, there is evidence that we are heading toward an expanding view of solidarity. While some European nations were caught in the grasp of nationalism during and after World War II, in 1958, six states established what would become the European Union—which would create a larger economic community and dismantle obstacles to travelling between member states. While member states have more autonomy than members of a federation (e.g. the US) with respect to the maintenance of the military or foreign policy, all member states must agree to support a democratic free market and the rule of law. Considering the sheer diversity of language, religion and culture, this was a remarkable achievement. This was what Honneth (1996) had in mind when he said that genuine solidarity was created not out of passive tolerance for one another, but with active concern for each citizen on to a degree, which encourages them to contribute their gift s and talents to abstract societal goals (p. 129). This does not mean that people should have a symmetrical level of esteem on a personal level, but instead cultivate a desire for people to develop their best positive attributes, even if it seems foreign. Yes, progress has indeed been made but the global community still has a long way to go before it reaches the point where the vast majority of people consider themselves to be citizens of the world rather than a member of a certain nation or race. According to Wilde (2004): ‘there needs to be a â€Å"more heroic† version of universalism that attaches no intrinsic significance to national boundaries†¦ Cosmopolitanism [should be] the â€Å"ideal of the future†, which could not yet be realised because of the strength of national sentiments was too great (p. 138). Given the level of existential issues such as food and water shortages in a time of unchecked population growth, humanity can only travel one of two paths: global warfare or cooperative management of resources. Since humanity now has the capability to destroy itself, cooperation and global citizenship is the only realistic solution to these problems, otherwise the scope of felt solidarity would once more degenerate to the level of nation, race, religion, or social class. Perhaps Fromm is right in that while human beings can adapt to the reality of a new situation, the fundamentals of human nature can never change enough to ensure the development of a peaceful global society. Bibliography Baglioni, S. (2001) ‘Solidarity Movement Organizations: Towards an Active Global Consciousness in M. Guigni and F. Passy (eds) Political Altruism: Solidarity Movements in International Perspective, Lanham: Rowman Littlefield Clark, H. (ed.) (2009) People Power: Unarmed Resistance and Global Solidarity, London: Pluto Press Fromm, E. (2007) To Have or to Be?, New York: Continuum Publishing Group Hardt, M. Negri, A. (2005) Multitude: War and Democracy in the Age of Empire, New York/London: Penguin Honneth, A. (1996) The Struggle for Recognition: The Moral Grammar of Social Conflicts, Cambridge: Polity Press Lyons, L. (2010) ‘Framing Transnational Feminism: Examining Migrant Worker Organizing in Singapore. In Dufour, P., Masson, D. and Cauette, D., eds. Solidarities Beyond Borders: Transnational Womens Movements. British Columbia: UBC Press Mason, A. (2000) Community, Solidarity and Belonging, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Melucci, A. (1996) Challenging Code s: Collective Action in the Information Age, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Pleyers, G. (2011) Alter-Globalization: Becoming Actors in the Global Age, Cambridge: Polity Press Spencer, L. Pahl, R.E. (2006) Rethinking Friendship: Hidden Solidarities Today, Princeton: Princeton University Press Tarrow, S.G. (2011) Power in Movement: Social Movements and Contentious Politics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Touraine, A. Macey, D. (2000) Can We Live Together? Equality and Difference, Stanford: Stanford University Press Wallerstein, I. (2002) â€Å"New Revolts Against the System† in New Left Review, Vol. 18 (available electronically) Waterman, P. (2001) Globalization, Social Movements and the New Internationalisms, New York: Continuum Group Wilde, L. (2004) Erich Fromm and the Quest For Solidarity, New York: Palgrave Macmillan