Stigma of mental illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stigma of mental illness - Essay Example People who suffer from a mental illness not only â€Å"struggle with the symptoms and disabilities that result from the disease† but they also â€Å"are challenged by the stereotypes and prejudice that result from the misconceptions about mental illness, and as a result of both, people with mental illness are robbed of the opportunities that define a quality life: good jobs, safe housing, satisfactory health care, and affiliation with a diverse group of people† (Understanding the Impact of Stigma on People With Mental Illness, P.Corrigan and A.Watson, 16) Mental illness is perceived by society as an indulgence or a sign of weakness. Surely the affected person has brought it upon himself to live this way. It leads the sufferer to feel shame, to feel isolated and be socially excluded, to be discriminated against and be faced with stereotypes that are difficult to overcome. Even self-stigmatization can result which includes low self esteem, so the affected person not only feels stigma from society, but from themselves as well. (Stigma of Mental Illness and ways of Diminishing It, P. ... So why, as a society do we not attempt to educate ourselves about mental illness and why do we allow the stigma to continue? As a society, our beliefs are largely affected by the media; everything we think, believe, or discriminate against can be drawn from the media and its messages. Media is such a powerful tool and if used properly, can be a wonderful resource, but so often, the messages we receive are flawed. The Canadian Mental Health Association has compiled the results of many reports into its paper Mass Media and Mental Illness: A Literature Review (Dara Roth Edney, 2004). They found that the media repeatedly portrays people with a mental illness as being incapable of both developing opinions and speaking on their own behalf, as being unstable, unpredictable, disheveled, helpless, and appearing lost and confused, to lack comprehension and as being unproductive failures. The media also makes it appear that violent crimes committed by people with a mental illness are common and that the general public has reason to fear them. Imagine if it was you or a loved one battling a mental illness and having popular culture discriminate against you in this way. How would you feel and how would you want the messages that media sends us to change? While the majority of our media messages are negative in nature, there have been small steps taken to try to change the views of society. The television program Monk and the movie As Good As It Gets are both examples of stories that revolved around characters with a mental illness. Unfortunately these are just two examples in a medium that produces thousands of products each year. For society to fully accept the mentally ill as people and not as people with a problem, the media needs to step up

The structure of project building project Essay

The structure of project building project - Essay Example The advantage of this method is that if the client is very specific about his requirements of the final project, the contractor has no excuse but to deliver, as all consultants and their coordination are his responsibility. The disadvantage of such a contract is that if the client is not vigilant, the contractor can cut corners in order to maximise his profit, at the cost of the quality of the finished project. This method of procurement makes the contractor a stakeholder in the project, sharing profits as well as risk. The development of such projects are increasingly been seen in large township developments, where phase wise development is done. This method makes it possible for each stakeholder to manage cash flows more easily, despite a slower return on investment. This is a method by which very large and complicated projects requiring several consultants are executed. This is used in cases where no single entity, including architect, contractor or consultant can single handedly deliver the project on time and to specifications. A contract is an exchange of commitments towards a common goal. ... 4.2 A contract is an exchange of commitments towards a common goal. It may be written or oral, and contains the terms and conditions according to which all participants shall work to achieve those goals in the best interests of the venture. The basic requirements that a construction contract has to fulfill are: It needs to be compatible with the laws of the land. It has to be formulated properly, with a clear structure so as to eliminate confusion or ambiguity as to its contents. A contract has to consider the making of an offer and its implicit acceptance by another party, subject to the terms and conditions within it. A contract has to mention the considerations for carrying out the job, in the form of clearly defined monetary compensation for the standard as well as deviations in the terms and conditions. All parties entering into a contract need to have the ability to execute the contract. No person with a criminal record, of unsound mind or under the age of 18 can be a signatory to a contract. Performance obligations in a contract: Every party to the contract has an obligation to complete the work set down in the contract, and to set up a self-auditing mechanism to study his own periodic performance on the project, and to rectify any delays and deficiencies in the execution that may potentially compromise the project. It is also the contractor's prerogative to check the client's satisfaction continuously. Time obligations of a contract: It is the contractor's responsibility to start work after a careful project timeline with realistic deadlines, and to work towards maintaining or exceeding those deadlines. It is also the contractor's responsibility to bring any repercussions of changes in design or