Sunday, November 3, 2019
Understanding food principle and preparation- study guide questions Essay
Understanding food principle and preparation- study guide questions - Essay Example Gelatinization denotes the process of breaking intermolecular bonds in a molecule to allow its hydrogen binding sites to form more hydrogen bonds with water molecules. The main factors that influence gelatinization are the amount of water used, the temperature of the water and the amount of the gelatin. When hot water is added directly to starch, their intermolecular hydrogen bonds are broken. As a result, new hydrogen bonds are formed between the individual molecules and water molecules thereby resulting into lumping. The fresh egg is spheroid with one of the edges slightly larger than the other. It has a cylindrical symmetry along the horizontal axis. The shell is thin and hard. When the egg deteriorates, the shell becomes thinner and slightly less firm. The formation of the gray-green discoloration in a cooked egg is due to the formation of ferrous sulfide at the point where the yolk and the egg white meet. It can be avoided by keeping the eggs in a single layer in the frying
Friday, November 1, 2019
How has the debt problem in Europe envolved Essay
How has the debt problem in Europe envolved - Essay Example The EU market was lending to Ireland, Greece and Portugal at a rate that was at par with the one offered to Germany in 2008. The assumption at this point in time being that the Euro could never at any one given point break up and as a result, each and every country within the region was taken to be as safe as Germany- which had been considered to be the safest. For a very long time, Germany benefitted from the Euro zone crisis. The country had very low interest rates that made it even easier for the government to borrow more, thus creating a demand for more personal loans. The European Commercial Bank (ECB) even purchased German government bonds. Germany was seen to be the safe haven in European economics. Interest rates in the country had been going down since the start of the first symptoms of the crisis (Broyer, Peterson and Schneider 2012, p.2). . This was a part crisis how had the country performed before? Was it over heating? If no why? Following this assumption, Greece did acc umulate almost 145% of its gross domestic product (GDP) as gross debt, a figure that was by far beyond what the country was capable of producing within a period of about one year and six months. As the crisis was progressing into its third year, it was not clear whether or not it would culminate in bringing to an end the straightening out or further accelerate the continentââ¬â¢s six-decade progress toward slow but sure confederacy, as Europe staggered between the currencyââ¬â¢s (Euro) break up and the measurably stouter measures that would pave way for tighter political and fiscal bonds (Ernst & Young 2012, p.1). The move towards a single economic region, as adopted by the European Union in the unveiling of the Euro currency is informed by the optimum currency area theory. Presented by Robert Mundell, the theory outlines the features of a new currency developed after several currencies have merged. It deals with the currency of a region as opposed to that of a country; a part icular region, larger than a particular country has to share a currency (Mundell 1961, pp. 658). In essence, the theory seeks to set out the maximum number of currencies that can be used in one particular region. The theory has enabled the close study of the many economic features that are key pillars in monetary unions. What does the theory say should happen? In spring 2010, Greece was not in a position of borrowing on the open markets at reasonably priced interest rates; a bailout package amounting to 110 billion Euros was devised by the European Union, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank. As an act of pay back Greece was required to cut down on its public spending by a quantifiable amount. In May 2010, the European countriesââ¬â¢ government leaders made an approval of a contingency fund totalling to 500 billion Euros for the Union at large. In November 2010, Ireland did wrack a banking crisis after the collapse of a housing bubble and was in receipt of a bailout amounting to 6 billion Euros. Portugal, on her side, received 78 billion Euros as a result of a long-term economic laggard (Wharton 2012,
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Discourse Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Discourse Analysis - Essay Example These advertisements promote an ideal way of life and manipulate the audience into accepting those ideals as their reality. This analysis intends to break down how agencies have reformed the idea of beauty through countless magazine articles, billboards and other media. They do this by enforcing the stereotype that those beauty products are a better way of life. They send the message that youth is beauty, and that beauty is very important yet they set the bar for beauty so high that clients would always depend on their products. The people behind these advertisements have found ways of controlling peoplesââ¬â¢ minds using language in the advertisements. The focus on this study is print advertisements done by Nivea, a company synonymous with the manufacture of beauty products allover the world. They portray a message that they care deeply about the real people and their beauty through their advertisements. Introduction ââ¬Å"Discourse refers to the codes, rules and systems that un der-gird a particular message and thus shapes its meaning and interpretationâ⬠. Language is all around us whether written or spoken. It is a core part of our day to day activities and has a profound effect on people and how they behave. This influence is seen in the field of advertising and marketing. Language is employed in these two fields to relay certain messages to the public. Language is used as a tool to not only pass on information about a product but also convince and influence the product choice of the customers. The competition for consumers is very high among product manufacturers. This has led to the revolution of how advertisements are designed. They use not only words but color, pictures and lighting to appeal to the consumer. It is the use of such tools as visual and linguistic means to persuade their audience that has led many a scholar to argue that, ââ¬Å"advertising is the most influential institution of socialization in modern societyâ⬠(Jhally, 1995) . Cook (2001) points out that advertisements inform, persuade, remind, influence and perhaps change opinions, emotions and attitudes. It is used to emphasize the uniqueness of a product and give reasons why a person should consider it over others already in the market. Advertising can be seen on food packages, billboards, newspapers, magazines, on buses and the Internet just to list a few. This kind of aggressive advertising ensures the audience is aware of a product at all times and remembers it. Advertising is ââ¬Å"any type of form of public announcement intended to direct peopleââ¬â¢s attention to the availability, qualities and/or cost of specific commodities or servicesâ⬠(Fairclough, 2001). The stakeholders of the products are responsible for what we see in these advertisements. They reserve the power to use advertising to further their goals, good or otherwise. They pick advertising media according to their target audience. Magazines are popular with the youth and a slightly older demographic. The Internet on the other hand is popular with the younger generation. The language and depictions used in advertisements is also influenced by the target population. Advertisements have evolved from direct methods being shouted by mouth to the public in open spaces to being transferred indirectly form of print, videos, audio messages in the radio or sound and video together.
Monday, October 28, 2019
A Rose for Emily Essay Example for Free
A Rose for Emily Essay The short story begins by telling the end of it; the story begins with the funeral of the aristocratic Miss Emily Grierson during the time period of the civil war. The funeral turnout so big, the whole town of Jefferson attended. The town felt responsible for Miss Emily because they felt that she was a ââ¬Å"tradition, a duty and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the townâ⬠(287). ââ¬Å"The men of the town respected Miss Grierson and viewed her as a fallen monumentâ⬠(287), whereas the women of the town havenââ¬â¢t been in the house for years and was viewed by the narrator to have attended the funeral just to get a peek of the inside of Emilyââ¬â¢s home to see how she lived. The house sits on a street that was once the townââ¬â¢s most prestigious areas. With all the other homes replaced with garages and cotton gins Miss Griersonââ¬â¢s house was the last one standing. The house was described as ââ¬Å"a big, squarrish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had once been our most select streetâ⬠(287). Now, time has taken toll, and neglect of the maintenance has distorted its once beautiful structure. The main conflict in the story was Emily facing reality, she didnââ¬â¢t know how to let go of her past ââ¬Å"I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselvesâ⬠(288). Agitated by her tactics, the town is getting tired of taking care of her, ââ¬Å"So the next day, ââ¬Å"She will kill herselfâ⬠; and we said it would be the be st thingâ⬠(291). The townspeople think she is stuck up and arrogant because she thinks that everything revolves around her. Isolation from the society caused her to become depressed, unhappy and crazy, leading up to her destroying Homer. Emily was a heavy set woman ââ¬Å"She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water and of that pallid hueâ⬠(288). She was an old, secretive woman, who was devastated and alone in a growing society, forcing her to stay in her role. Emily sunk into a deep mental depression and limited others to see her true identity by remaining hidden,à ââ¬Å"When we next saw Miss Emily, she had grown fat and her hair was turning grayâ⬠(292). She lived most of her life in isolation and was intimidated by her controlling father. When Miss Emily was alive, the townspeople considered her as a financial obligation because she never paid taxes. She hadnââ¬â¢t paid in years, and she wasnââ¬â¢t forced to pay ââ¬Å"See Colonel Sartoris, I have no taxes in Jeffersonâ⬠(288). Her nonpayment dated back to 1894 when the mayor of the town, Mayor Colonel Sartoris, told the story that her father loaned the town money and as payment back to her father they allowed her not to pay taxes. Her father died and left Miss Emily with no money to live off of and the inheritance of a decaying house. As time passed and generations came and went, the arrangement became a discontent with the people so they made many attempts to collect the long time debt but as adamant as they were, so was Emily. She would not respond to their efforts. Finally after numerous failed notifications, the townââ¬â¢s board decided to make a trip to her house hoping to get an agreement to satisfy the debt. Emily hadnââ¬â¢t had visitors in years, but greeted by her old house servant, the board was permitted to enter into the damp stenched home and waited in the room until Miss Grierson was summoned. When Emily enters; small, round and dressed in black, not nearly as appealing as she was once described, the visitors affirmed their purpose. They requested compensation for her taxes, but Emilyââ¬â¢s harsh and bold demanded that she didnââ¬â¢t have taxes and instructed Tobe, her house servant, to escort them out, ââ¬Å"I have no taxes in Jefferson. Tobe!â⬠The Negro appeared. ââ¬Å"Show these gentlemen out.â⬠(288). Emily always wanted a home where she can feel loved and free in, but it didnââ¬â¢t turn out that way as the complaints poured in from neighbors and townspeople about a smell lingering around the home and demanded the new mayor to take action. Judge Stevens, old in his years, didnââ¬â¢t know what he could do to fix the problem. He thought the smell might have been a dead rodent that the caretaker must have killed in the yard, ââ¬Å"Itââ¬â¢s probably just a snake or a rat that nigger of hers killed in the yardâ⬠(289). To quiet down the complaints, he said he would send the message to Ms. Emilyââ¬â¢s servant. As more complaints came in and the problem persisted, a group of men decided to take matters into their own hands and made a visit to Miss Emilyââ¬â¢s house, ââ¬Å"They broke open the cellular door and sprinkled lime there, and in all the out buildingsâ⬠(289). After some time, the smell went away. During her younger years, people felt bad for Miss Emily. Her great-aunt old lady Wyatt had gone mad and her father sheltered her so much that he didnââ¬â¢t allow her too far from his sight. He drove everyone away. He felt that there was no young man good enough for his Emily, so she never married and didnââ¬â¢t have any friends. The Griersons believed they were a higher class than most. Emily didnââ¬â¢t have a relationship with her family in Alabama because her father had a fallen out with them over Aunt Wyattââ¬â¢s property. When Mr. Grierson died, Emily denied he was dead and left him in the house for three days. After many failed attempts by the townspeople to persuade her to get rid of his decomposing body, she let go and buried her father. Now she was all alone and didnââ¬â¢t come out much. Time passed and it was a long time before anyone had seen Emily, ââ¬Å"When we saw her again, her hair was cut short, making her look like a girl with a vague resemblance to those angels in colored church windowsâ⬠(290). Emilyââ¬â¢s new look made her seem younger. After Emilyââ¬â¢s fatherââ¬â¢s death, the town paid a construction company to pave the sidewalks. The foreman, Homer Barron, was from up north and grew to know the townspeople. He was ââ¬Å"a big dark, ready men, with a big voice and eyes lighter than his faceâ⬠(290). Homer was Emilyââ¬â¢s secret lover, ââ¬Å"Miss Emily and her lover Homer Barron, had been carrying on for the better part of two yearsâ⬠(Scherting398), whether that meant he was dead or alive. Rumors in the town said Homer would not get married, ââ¬Å"Homer himself had remarked-he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks Club-that he was not a marrying manâ⬠(291). When Emily requested arsenic from the druggist, the town started to become curious whether she was going to kill herself or not, ââ¬Å"I want some poison,â⬠she said to the druggistâ⬠(290). Little did they know that it was for Homer, ââ¬Å"Emily feels so disillusioned and desperate th at she manages to poison him, feeling that in this way she can keep him forever with herâ⬠(Yang 73). People often saw Homer and Emily together on Sunday afternoons driving in a buggy. Some of the townââ¬â¢s ladies werenââ¬â¢t too pleased with the sight. As Homer and Miss Emily spent more time together, the ladies thought it was a dishonor to the town and a terrible example to the young folks so they reached out to her family in Alabama to see if they can come and stay with her. During the cousins stay, Emily went to the store and bought jewelry, a toilet set,à menââ¬â¢s clothing and a nightshirt. They were thought to surely be married now with Emily preparing for his stay, but while the cousins were at the house, Homer left. Soon after her relatives left Homer returned. After his last sighting entering Miss Emilyââ¬â¢s house, Homer was never seen again as well as Miss Emily, but from time to time she would be seen by her window. People thought Miss Grierson went crazy. It was years before she would be seen again, ââ¬Å"When we next saw Miss Emily, she had grown fat an d her hair was turning grayâ⬠(292). Emily got ill and died downstairs in one of the rooms. The funeral was held days after Miss Emilyââ¬â¢s death. Her family and the townspeople came to make their final view. Ladies all about, men in their confederate uniforms, on the porch and in the yard, they waited after Emily was buried before they went in the room that hadnââ¬â¢t been visited in decades. When the door was broken down, dust filled the room. Inside, it looked like a preparation for a wedding; decorated with faded rose color curtains and lights. Across the room stood a dressing table with crystal set in row and a manââ¬â¢s tarnished, silver toilet set. There also rest a collar and tie. Hanging on a chair, a suit cautiously folded and accompanied by some shoes and socks. To the spectators surprise, lying amongst everything rest Homer. Underneath his nightshirt, his body was molded to fit an embrace. Imprinted on a pillow next to his decayed remains; caressed by time, laid an indentation of a head. In the crest of the indentation rest a single long, gray strand o f hair from Miss Emily head. It was not until her final day of death that the readers could fully picture Emily as being insane. Having being denied male companionship by her father, she was desperate for love. She was so crazy that she killed the man she loved and used her aristocratic position to cover up the murder. By killing Homer, she didnââ¬â¢t realize that she was sentencing herself to total isolation, no contact with anything or anyone from the outside world. The narrator persuaded the reader to believe that Emily killed Homer and then preserved his body in the moment of her most anticipated day. To her, she sealed her love, preventing the stroke of loneliness. Always being comforted by his touch, she laid with him until she became ill and overcome by death. Work Cited SparkNotes Editors. ââ¬Å"SparkNote on A Rose for Emily.â⬠SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2007. Web. 14 Mar. 2013 Dliworth, Thomas. ââ¬Å"A Romance to Kill For: Homocidal Complicity in Faulknerââ¬â¢s A Rose for Emily.â⬠Studies in Short Fiction 361999 251-62. 21 Nov 2008. Yagcioglu, Semiramis. ââ¬Å"Language, Subjectivity and Ideology in ââ¬Å"A Rose for Emilyâ⬠.â⬠Journal of American Studies of Turkey 2(1995) 49-59. 21 Nov 2008. Faulkner, William. ââ¬Å"A Rose for Emily.â⬠In The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. 2160-2166. New York: W.W. Norton, 2003.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
The Character of Caliban in The Tempest Essay examples -- Tempest ess
The Character ofà Caliban in The Tempest à à à à à Caliban is the only authentic native of what is often called 'Prospero's Island'. However, he is not an indigenous islander, his mother Sycorax was from Argier, and his father Setebos seems to have been a Patagonian deity. Sycorax was exiled from Argier for witch-craft, much like Prospero himself, and Caliban was born on the island. Caliban's own understanding of his position is made eloquently plain when we first meet him: à I must eat my dinner. This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou tak'st from me. When thou cam'st first, Thou strok'st me, and made much of me, would'st give me Water with berries in't, and teach me how To name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night. And then I loved thee, And showed thee all the qualities o'th'isle, The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile. Cursed be I that did so! All the charms Of Sycorax - toads, beetles, bats light on you! For I am all the subjects that you have, Which first was mine own king; and here you sty me In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me The rest o'th'island. (1.2.330-344) à We can clearly sense Caliban's resentment of what he sees as a colonial occupation of his island. The story of his upbringing is not so simple, however. It seems that when Prospero and his infant daughter arrived on the island twelve years before, Caliban was an orphan, his mother having died. This is not entirely clear: in conversation with Ariel (formerly Sycorax's spirit) Prospero recalls the 'blue eyed hag', 'The foul witch Sycorax, who with age and envy, Was grown into a hoop' (1.2.258-259), but it is not clear wheth... ...pression to both sides of the question, and leaving much to the interpretation. à Works Cited and Consulted: Davidson, Frank. "The Tempest: An Interpretation." In The Tempest: A Casebook. Ed. D.J. Palmer. London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd., 1968. 225. Kermode, Frank. Introduction. The Tempest. By William Shakespeare. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1958. xlii. Palmer, D. J. (Editor) The Tempest - A Selection of Critical Essays London: MacMillan Press Ltd., 1977. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans, et. al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1974. Solomon, Andrew. "A Reading of the Tempest." In Shakespeare's Late Plays. Ed. Richard C. Tobias and Paul G. Zolbrod. Athens: Ohio UP, 1974. 232. John Wilders' lecture on The Tempest given at Oxford University - Worcester College - August 4th, 1999. à Ã
Thursday, October 24, 2019
The aeration of the mixture of microorganisms
Water treatment is the removal of harmful pollutants in the water so that it can be used domestically and agriculturally. It is conducted through the use of chemical, biological and physical processes. Wastewater treatment enables the recycling of water so that it can be used for various uses. Main body Secondary water treatment method involves the removal of fine and dissolved wastes that are organic by the use of a biological process of treating water. The common approaches to biological water treatment process are the activated sludge and trickling filter.Activated sludge through the aeration of the mixture of microorganisms, which are also referred to as biological sludge, and wastewater. The microorganisms are subjected under an environment that facilitates their growth (Neary, 2009). The wastewater is continuously run into the aeration tank so that the provision of oxygen is enabled. Through the provision of oxygen, the microorganisms are in a position to break down the polluta nts that are organic. In the end, the activated sludge remains in the bottom.The sludge that is in excess is removed and put into disposal. The other approach is the trickling filters that uses a bed of stones, or the plastic material that is perforated. Oxygen is picked up by the waste water and gets sprayed through the filter so that it can pass through the micro organisms . The organic materials present in the waste water are fed on by the micro-organisms due to the high amounts of oxygen. These methods bring together aerobic micro ââ¬âorganisms, oxygen and organic matter.Biological oxidation takes place in the water treatment system, other than in the lake or in a stream when the organic wastes are discarded there. The tertiary water treatment has many processes that include; removal of nutrient, which include Nitrogen and Phosphorous, and toxic materials removal. Tertiary treatment process combines physical and chemical treatment; however, there are still biological treatme nts that remove Nitrogen and Phosphorous.Water is pumped through carbon filters that are activated. Charcoal is activated carbon that has been treated so that it can increase the chemical bonding potential. It is after this filtration that Nitrogen and Phosphorous are removed. However, the water has to pass through chemical treatment that is specialized in order to remove some chemical pollutants. An example of the pollutants is hexavalent chromium, which is toxic and can lead to cancer. Reclaimed water is water that has been treated .this water can be used for irrigation, generation of power, controlling dust, recharging of aquifer, cooling in some of the industrial process and restoration of the natural system. This water cannot be used for drinking, cooking, swimming and irrigating vegetables. This water is beneficial because its cost is low compared to the water used for drinking. Reclaimed water reduces the use of fertilizer because Phosphorous and Nitrogen remain (Neary, 2009) . To ensure that household reclaimed water is safely used, people should become extremely aware of the hazards that may result from reclaimed water.Upon known knowing the hazard, the people should adopt strategies that are in order to manage the prevailing hazards. Conclusion I would recommend tertiary water treatment because it removes pollutants such as hexavalant chromium that is harmful to the human health and the natural environment. Tertiary water treatment is the final treatment of water and hence it is the safest method. REFERENCE Neary, J. (2009). Water Quality for Ecosystem and Human Health. Culver City, CA: Earthprint
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Mexican American Approaches to Health Essay
Mexican American, or Latino, traditional views on health and healing practices are influenced by several other cultures that they have historically had some kind of contact with, such as the Spanish colonizers, indigenous Indian populations, and Western medical practitioners. This varied background accounts for their holistic healing methods and their belief that good health stems from internal balance, a clear conscience, and a strong spiritual relationship with God. The underlying theme in traditional Mexican American health is that there needs to be a balance between the body and Earthââ¬â¢s elements. Equilibrium of each elementââ¬âfire, water, air, and landââ¬âleads to an overall healthy state. (Molina, 1994) Traditionalists tie this balance concept in with the idea that all health states are associated with either hot or cold, and one may be used to heal the other. A state of health is characterized by a warm, wet body, and any exposure to extreme conditions on either side of this scale leads to illness. It is important to point out that the generalizations assumed in this paper are based on very traditional Mexican American individuals and do not span the entire population within the US. In regards to healthcare, traditional Mexican Americans hold the belief that their healing methods are either superior to or the same as those practiced by Western providers, so they tend to rely primarily on home remedies and cultural healers before seeking out other forms of medicine. Furthermore, their healing approach is firmly rooted in their specific values. It is important to be aware of Latino cultural values in order to understand their views on healthcare, as the latter is based on the other. In general, there are three basic values that crucially exists within most Mexican American relationshipsââ¬âpersonalismo, respeto, and dignidad. (Molina, 1994) Personalismo is the trust and rapport that is established with others. Latin Americans respond better to warm, friendly interactions, and prefer personal relationships to professional ones. Therefore, the best ways to earn trust is for a provider to show interest in the patientââ¬â¢s personal life, exercise empathy, and avoid formal interactions. It is also important for a provider to show respeto (respect) by dressing according to their profession and addressing the patient with the formal greeting ââ¬Å"ustedâ⬠. This makes the patient feel as through they are taken seriously and cared for at the same time. A Latino patient tends to want a provider to embrace and exemplify their role as a professional; they simply prefer more intimate interactions. And although they appreciate empathy, they expect a blatant regard for their digidad (dignity); as with many individuals, Latinos place an emphasis on being treated as equals and human beings. Furthermore, Mexican Americans value family and thrive off their interdependent relationships with them. (Molina, 1994) In fact, most traditional Latinos rely more on their relatives for health advice than healthcare providers; as a result, it is common for a family member to accompany a patient to their visit with a provider. Mexican Americansââ¬â¢ cultural definition of health is outlined by the three major states that they believe are the causes for all illness and disease. Additionally, poor health is culturally associated with imbalances within the bodyââ¬â¢s natural states that lead to problems. According to traditional beliefs, poor health can be attributed to one or more of the following: (1) Psychological State, (2) Environment and Natural Causes, or (3) Supernatural beings. (Molina, 1994) The psychological state includes any mental state that may be disrupting oneââ¬â¢s peace of mind, including worry, anger, envy, or stress, all of which can lead to the dangerous state of susto (ââ¬Å"frightâ⬠), or soul loss. Natural causes fall under environmental elements, such as dust, pollution, or germsââ¬âall of the things that Western medicine believes to be the only causes of illness. Finally, supernatural beings include malevolent spirits, witchcraft, or ââ¬Å"mal de ojoâ⬠, the bad eye, any of which can cause disease or illness. Because Mexican American views on health differ from those of mainstream US medicine, there are several ââ¬Å"folk illnessesâ⬠that exist within the culture that have no diagnosis within Western medicine, and are, therefore, remedied by traditional methods. Many of these illnesses fall under the idea of their imbalance theory. For example, an imbalance or conflict within social relationships opens oneââ¬â¢s spirit up to ââ¬Å"mal de ojoâ⬠; symptoms include fever, headache, and sleeplessness. The traditional treatment for this is rubbing the entire body with egg yolk. Empacho is an illness characterized by stomach pains, and results from feeling psychological stress while eating. Ataque de nervios literally translates to ââ¬Å"attack of the nervesâ⬠and is caused by extreme emotional stress brought on by a traumatic event. Those suffering from this illness often engage in fits of swearing and convulsions. The treatments are praying over the affected individual and rubbing alcohol over their face. Caida is an infant disease that occurs when the fontanelle is dislodged from the childââ¬â¢s skull, and can result in death. (Molina, 1994) In Western medicine, providers may equate this with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which even in the most skilled American facilities has no biological explanation. Since many of the illnesses recognized in the Mexican American culture are undiagnosed and not understood in Western medicine, a majority of this group employs home remedies or purchases medicines in a botanica, or a store that sells folk medicine and herbal treatments. (ââ¬Å"Profiles of Healthâ⬠, 1994) Although some recent studies have shown that many Latinos view cost as the number one barrier to healthcare in America, most traditionalists prefer to seek out the assistance of their cultural healers through a healing practice known as Curanderismo. (ââ¬Å"Profiles of Healthâ⬠, 1994) This practice is one of the most prominent healing practices in the Mexican American culture. It approaches health from a holistic point of view and encompasses physical, social, psychological, and spiritual healing. (Johnston, 2006) A Curandero is a revered, spiritual being that treats those suffering from biologically inexplicable illnesses and can have gifts in several areas, including massage, midwife, counselor, spinal adjustment (similar to a Chiropractor), or espiritualistaââ¬âsomeone who channels help from spirits. (Molina, 1994) They specialize in a number of areas of medicine, such as naturopaths, herbalists, palm readers, or psychotherapists. Some research suggests that Curanderos arose out of a need for health care from poverty stricken communities that could not afford it. Traditionally, many sought out the help of Curanderos; however, according to recent studies, very few Mexican Americans utilize the services of a Curandero, and those who do use it as supplemental treatment to Western medicine. The main differences between Mexican American cultural healing methods and Western medicine are the varied definitions of similar illnesses, as well as the explanations for the causes of diseases. However, since most illnesses that are recognized in Latino culture also exist within the framework of American healthcare, then treatment can be applied uniformly. Therefore, the emphasis needs to be placed on cultural competence, which would incorporate a system for understanding other point of views of health. It is imperative for providers to develop both trust with and respect for their patients in order to treat them and to increase adherence to medical plans. Western medical providers must learn to listen to and understand the traditions of the Mexican American patient population so that they will be better equipped to serve them. Once this is accomplished within the American healthcare system, society will see health disparities begin to diminish.
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