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Analysis of Private Health Insurance and Caesarian Section Rates in Chile

Introduction

The study was conducted to explore the factors and circumstances that explain the linkage between the insurance cover of the private health and the caesarian section of high rates in Chile. The study applied both qualitative and quantitative analysis in the research design. In the qualitative analysis, the study analyzed the interviews with pregnant women and obstetricians. Similarly, on the quantitative analysis, the study analyzed the data from the postnatal on the women who in the previous 24 to 72 hours had given birth.

 

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 Protection of participants

The study tools applied in the study included face to face interview survey and audiotaped interviews with the participants. Furthermore, medical records were reviewed to obtain data on the care management and experiences of women in labor care. To protect the participants and to be ethical, the researcher obtained approval from the Chile health ministry before conducting the study. Furthermore, agreement to be involved in the study was gotten from the director of every study site

Data collection methods

The methods of data collection included face to face interview survey and audiotaped interviews with the participants. The study also applied the maximum variation opportunistic sampling approach to the obstetricians to make sure an extensive range of demographic attitudes, work contexts, experiences, and characteristics to the caesarian section. A similar method was applied to postnatal women to ensure a wide range of parity, age, and socio-economic status. This was believed to eliminated biases and ethical since the information was confidential

Problem statement

Why private health insurance is linked to the caesarian section’s high rate

Data analysis and data management of the quantitative study

The quantitative part of the study was done on 540 postnatal women whom the article will analyze. The semi-structured questionnaire about the expectations of the women and their experiences during the childbirth was administered 24 to 72 hours after the delivery by the researcher.

The results indicated that the views of the women on private women care with their private obstetricians chose a doctor through a relative or a friend recommendation (64% of the participants surveyed from the private clinic, and 80% from the university and public hospitals) (Murray, 2000). Among the women surveyed, the data also indicated that a higher percentage of women preferred private clinic than the university or public hospital because they believed the clinical care and personal care was better and also because it was the condition of the health insurance.

On the other hand, the postnatal women were also interviewed on the preference of delivery method.  When asked during the survey whether they had wanted a caesarian section at any point in their pregnancy, about 6% to 32% of the postnatal women receiving private care from their obstetricians reported that they had. Moreover, the resulted from the private clinic where about 70% of the surveyed women had undergone a caesarian section before, only 18% showed that they had wanted a caesarian section (Murray, 2000).

Discussion/interpretation of findings and suggestions offered

In a critical analysis of the study results, it is clear that the healthcare financing policies in Chile have influenced maternity care management and the outcomes in many unforeseen ways. To begin, in Chile, the private health insurance cover normally requires the maternity care primary provider to be an obstetrician, and the women having private obstetricians indicated higher rates of caesarian section compared to those of the public and university hospitals. This according to Murray (2000) cannot be explained as a reflection of the choice of a patient in the private sector. Murray (2000) asserted that the choice of the patient is always a complex issue, but there exist few grounds for the patients’ choice being the sole explanation of the high caesarian sections in the private sector in Chile.

The question being raised from the quantitative findings is whether the high rates of caesarian section in the private sector is simply a reflection of the consensus in the establishment of the obstetric in Chile, that this is the belief in Chile that because of advances in fetal wellbeing monitoring, the caesarian section should the optimal delivery method for most women. However, Murray (2000) contrasts that school of thought with statistics from one of the most exclusive hospitals in Santiago, Clínica Las Condes. From 1991, the hospital has reported a continuous steady decline in the caesarian section rates.

To discourage caesarian section high rates, the insurance schemes in Chile for the five years before the study had not paid more the obstetricians for performing caesarian sections in comparison to the vaginal deliveries. In the private sector also, the care package is standard irrespective of the delivery type. However, the caesarian section is opted for because it provides maximum efficiency in time use and to offer private care to other patients. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the results of the study indicated that insurance covers of private health required that the primary provider of maternity care to be an obstetrician. However, in the postnatal survey, the women with private obstetricians showed high rates of caesarian section consistently compared to those cared for by the doctors on duty or midwives in university or public hospitals. Patients often incur extra costs from after the surgery and therefore hospitals benefit. Obstetricians also do private work to increase their income since the health insurance demands that their clients to have an obstetrician 

References

Murray, S. F. (January 01, 2000). The relation between private health insurance and high rates of cesarean section in Chile: qualitative and quantitative study. BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 321, 7275, 1501-5. 

5/5 - (5 votes)

Understanding Postpartum Depression: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options

Introduction

The birth of a new-born baby can result facilitate the development of powerful emotions. These range from joy, excitement, anxiety and fear. However, there are situations where this can result to depression especially to the mothers (The New York Times, 2014). Most of the new mothers tend to experience depression after their childbirth and is mainly characterized by mood swings and crying periods that tend to fade quickly. There exist some mothers that tend to experience severe and a long lasting form of depression commonly referred as Postpartum Depression. It is important to note that the Post-Partum Depression is neither a weakness nor a character flaw. Depression on the other hand refers to a mental illness that tend to affect a person’s mood and the way the individuals think about themselves and their relations with others.

There are certain traits or symptoms of depression that are vividly evident from the observation of a patient or mother (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2014). Some of these signs include; feeling sad and hopelessness. Individuals that tend to suffer from this form of depression tends to make it very hard to even remember information and it is very hard for the patient to concentrate on matters that affect the relationship. The mothers with this kind of depression can affect any individual. However, despite being common among women, it can easily affect any parent of the born child and is not only limited to the mothers. Parents who adopt children can also suffer from the postpartum depression.

 

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Major Depression

The episodes of a major depression tend not be experienced for over a period of 20 years. The symptoms experienced by mother, is significantly different symptoms experienced by the child. Some of the symptoms include low energy, persistent boredom, and inability to enjoy the favourite activities (The New York Times, 2014).

The Depression can mainly be categorized into three main groups; typical depression, Dysthymia and the seasonal affective disorder (The New York Times, 2014).

  • Dysthymia- This is unique and chronic form of depression that tend to affect three to six per cent of the general population. The symptoms of the disorder are relatively less intense and at the same time tend to last for a much longer time.
  • Typical Depression- 33% of the total Postpartum Depression states are in the United States. This is further accompanied with unique types of symptoms and they include; sensitivity to rejection, over feeding and the leaden paralysis.
  • Seasonal Disorder- the season affective disorder, commonly referred to as SAD is mainly characterized by the annual episodes of depressions. Some of the other common types of symptoms of the Seasonal affective disorder include; tendency to over eat and fatigue. Seasonal change tends to affect an individual for over 5 months especially for the individuals that are located in the north.

Causes

In order to come up with the best cures for the Post-partum depression, it is very important to determine the main causes of the disorder. Some of the main causes include; biological factors, genetic factors and environmental factors (Stuart, 2012).

Genetic factors-

Over the years it has been determined that post-partum depression tends to run in the family lineage. The data from the adoption, twin and the genetic studies have sufficient information to link Post-partum depression to the genetically make up on individual or family. The studies have further shown that the relatives of the patients with this type of depression are between 2 to 6 times more likely to develop Post- Partum depression, compared to individuals whose family is not associated with the disorder.

Biological Factors

It is important to understand that the biological factors tend play a significant role in increasing the chances of a new mother and the baby to be able develop Post-Partum depression. The most basic causes of the Post-partum disorder are strongly attributed to the abnormal link to specific neurotransmitter. Some of the neurotransmitters include; serotonin and the other neurotransmitter serotonin is one of the most important neurotransmitters in Depression among other important functions.

Environmental Factors

The medications prescribed to the patients play a significant role in affecting the brain chemicals and hence triggering depression among the new born mothers and children. The medications include certain types of drugs that are used for high blood pressure, acne, contraception, inflammation, Parkinson disease and other conditions.

All these factors discussed above play a role in facilitating the post-partum depression among the mothers and the new-born babies.

Postpartum depression can at times be a very difficult experience, when becoming a new parent is a tough experience, and the challenges attributed to the depression may seem significantly overwhelming. It is therefore vital to note that there is no such as an experience as a perfect pregnancy, perfect baby, perfect birth or even perfect parent and thus the one should always aim at doing her best in parenting.

How to treat Postpartum Depression

Over the years there have been contention, on the best mode of treatment of the postpartum depression. Both the Natural cures and drug prescription, or a combination have worked best for the patients across the globe and has significantly helped them recover from the postpartum depression.

Natural Cures

There exist certain natural cures that can significantly assist the parents and the new-born babies over the postpartum depression. Natural cures are the best alternatives for individuals that do not prefer medication as an option to their condition. It is also important to note that the patient has the right to choose the best form of medication that she prefers, not unless advised otherwise by their doctors.

One of the best forms of natural cures is counselling and Support. This refers to a type of counselling known as cognitive behavioural therapy that is very common in the treatment of postpartum depression. This is one of the best treatments to start with especially for milder symptoms. The cognitive behavioural therapy teaches one on how his or her thoughts, behaviours and feelings work together. It further involves teaching important skills such as the problem solving skills, stress management, realistic thinking and relaxation (Canandian Mental Health Association, 2014).

The other type of counselling refers to the interpersonal psychotherapy that mainly focuses on the relationships and can help individuals to adjust to their changing roles in the relationship. The support groups are also very crucial. The postpartum depression and the parenthood role tend to isolate the parents from all the other individuals and thus the isolation may lead to the formation of feelings of depression. The support groups therefor offer and many opportunities to share personal experiences learn from the others and get a chance to connect with the other parents who have had similar experiences in the past and thus understand effectively what one is going through now (Canandian Mental Health Association, 2014).

The other way is through taking care of one’s wellbeing. This is very crucial; however, it may be very difficult for a new parent. As a result, it may be important to recruit loved ones or on the other hand see what is available so that one can take some time for personal needs. Regular exercises are also one of the best ways to manage stress and boost one’s moods. Ensuring that one sleeps well and have enough sleeping time can also be very helpful. Finally, it is also important to spend time in activities that one enjoys find out the relaxation strategies that work for either of you and spend time with people who makes one feel better (Canandian Mental Health Association, 2014).

There are activities that may seem small but are very crucial in ensuring that the postpartum depression is reduced. Some of these steps include; setting goals, getting a routine, exercising, eating healthy and having enough sleep (WebMD, LLC, 2014). It is important to state that natural cures require discipline and commitment to ensure that they achieve 100% healing (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2014).

Medication

Unlike the natural cures, there are certain types of medications that have been developed over time that assist those who suffer from postpartum depression heal fast. The most common type of medication that is utilized so as to tackle the postpartum depression are the antidepressants. The antidepressants exist in different levels and each type of antidepressant act differently. Whereas, most mothers can take antidepressants while breast-feeding, it is important that the mother seek professional advice from their doctors for the possible risks and the benefits of the medication. The medication can also help with some symptoms such as sleep, appetite and the energy levels. However, it is important to recognize the fact that the medication cannot get rid of some of the thoughts that mainly facilitate the depression. Thus most individuals that use medication, are advised to supplement it with counselling (Daley, Macarthur, & Winter, 2007).

The other form of medication is the hormone therapy. The hormone therapy involves estrogen replacement thus may help counteract the rapid drop in the estrogen that is as a result of the child birth, which in turn eases the signs and symptoms of the postpartum depression in some type of women (Daley, Macarthur, & Winter, 2007).

Analysis

From the analysis above, it is vivid that the natural cures of the postpartum depression are the best form of medication. This is because the natural cures tend to deal with the route course of the depression by offering counselling sessions, understanding the main cause of the depression, tackles on how to solve, and how to emerge from it to a stronger person. The medications on the other hand are mainly tackling the symptoms and not the route course of the postpartum depression. The medications mainly tackle factors such as headaches, insomnia, stress, appetite among so many other factors. This will have the effect of only hiding the building pressure into the depression and may even lead to a worse problem that may end up affecting the patients. It is therefore vivid that the natural medication serves as a better form of medication for the postpartum depression. However if both are used then the patient is likely to recognize significant improvements.

References

Canandian Mental Health Association. (2014). Postpartum Depression. Retrieved November 30, 2014, from http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/postpartum-depression/#.VHo91PmSzWE

Daley, A. J., Macarthur, C., & Winter, H. (2007). Midwifery Womens Health. 56-62.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2014). Postpartum depression. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/postpartum-depression/basics/symptoms/con-20029130

Stuart, S. (2012). Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Postpartum Depression. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 14-140.

The New York Times. (2014). Postpartum Depression In-Depth Report. Retrieved November 10, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/post-partum-depression/print.html

WebMD, LLC. (2014). Depression Health Center. Retrieved November 30, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/natural-treatments

5/5 - (5 votes)

Exploring the Impact of Institutions on the Success of Democracy

Democracy generally implies to a system of government where power lies in the hands of the majority. It is a kind of governance in which power is vested in the hands of the common citizens. Democracy marks a power that lies in the hands of ordinary citizens to elect leaders of their choice that represent them.  Since many governments have adopted democratic system of governance, democracy is accredited achievement of the 20th century. Institutions contribute to the success of democratization by presenting several advantages.

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To begin with democracy is credited for protecting the interests of the common citizens. The supreme power remains in the hands of citizens through their elected representatives. These elected representatives carry with them the political social and economic interests of the common citizens who elected them (Rakner & van de Walle, 2009).

Democracy on the other hand bases on the rule of equality. According to the laws of democracy, members of the country or the state are considered equal before the law. Each and every individual l have an equal guaranteed right to enjoy and participate on social, economic and political affairs of the nation. The state or any other authority is not allowed to discriminate along sex, gender or racial lines (Rakner & van de Walle, 2009).

Democracy is recommended for its governance is based on dedication and responsibility .under democratic governance, people discuss issues thoroughly in order to reach concrete agreements that would yield the ultimate benefit for the larger public population

Democracy on the other hand promotes change in the government without violence. This provides citizens with an ideal sense of participation. Despite the advantages enjoyed by democracy, democratic governments have with them various shortcomings. Democracy is prone to wastage of resources and time (Brysk, 2000). A lot of time is spent in taking public accounts on issues that affect governance .on the other hand, huge sums of money are spent in election procedures while huge  risks lies on the possibility of being ruled by irresponsible leaders wo are very likely to embezzle public funds (Rakner & van de Walle, 2009).

There is high possibility of making wrong choices in selection of leaders. Not all individuals in democratic nation understand social, political and economic needs of their societies. May be because of their popularity, the public are likely to make wrong choices in electing logical leaders who understand their needs. Lastly on the disadvantages, democracy gives emphasis on quantity rather than quality (Rakner & van de Walle, 2009).

Although legislatures are essentially creations of democracy, legislature has a major role as an institution in either promoting or hindering democracy. The legislature plays a significant role in the life of a democratic nation. Legislation can be defined as the process of making the laws by an authorized body. Legislation is responsible for promoting democracy through its acts. The acts of the legislature that create laws protecting human rights and limiting powers that might lead to exploitation of the citizens. The representative election into the legislative assembly is an obvious strategy of promoting democracy. On the other hand, having a powerful legislature that oversights the use of national resources and ensuring equitable distribution of resources I an effective way through which the legislature promotes democracy

On the other hand however, legislature may hinder the development of proper democracy. Through creation of selfish laws and act that serve interests of particular group of people, the legislature automatically and directly hinders democracy (Brysk, 2000).

Party system affects the quality of democracy in various ways. Democracy exist and grows in   a non-institutionalized party systems. Multi-party system yield the highest quality of democracy. Multi-party system refers to the government system where multiple political parties have the capability to be in control of government and government offices either in coalition or individually. The parties have the ability to hold government offices due to stiff competition among themselves. Multi-party system provides the opportunities for those dissatisfied by the functionality of the current government to criticize the government and challenge the government in holding the office.  Various parties oversight the functions of the governments and provide opportunity for citizens to choose the best party that they feel present their interests  and common good .on the other hand single party system is a threat to democracy. The single-party system does not give citizens opportunity to choose the kind of party that presents their concerns. Single-party system vests political monopoly on one party and limits competition thus hindering the democratic rights of citizens (Brysk, 2000).

The electoral system on the other hand tell more about democracy. Voting for example has been applied as a democratic feature in politic since 4th century. A democratic electoral system gives votes equal value and gives citizens opportunity to choose leaders of their choice whom they feel hold ad cherish their interests. Democratic electoral system takes into consideration the interest of the minority groups with high level of participation. On the other hand, an electoral system that do not give every individual opportunity to participate in electing their leaders hinders democracy (Howard, 2002).

Political parties play significant role in improving democracy. With different policies various political parties give opportunities to identify with the parties that present their interests. On the other hand, the political parties provide an arena through which the citizens can raise their concerns. Different political parties provide oversight to the government and ensure that the government is on toes in protecting people’s rights and ensuring that the needs of citizens are logically attended to by the state. However, political parties may be very disastrous and can hinder democracy if they are aligned along ethnic, racial or cultural lines (Howard, 2002).

Social and civil movements on the other hand promote democracy. They provide oversight to the government and put the operating government on check. Social and civil movements on the other hand provide an arena through which people can air their views especially those concerning g the government

References

Brysk, A. (2000). “Democratizing civil society in Latin America.” Journal of Democracy 11 (3), 151-165.

Howard, M. (2002). “The weakness of post-communist civil society.” Journal of Democracy 13 (1), 157-169.

Rakner, L. & van de Walle. (2009). “Opposition weakness in Africa.”  Journal of Democracy 20 (3), 108-121

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Psychographic and Demographic Segmentation for Disposable Coffee Cup Company

Demographic segments

The company will be dealing with disposable coffee cups.

The demographic segments of the company will be diverse and the company will use different methods to serve the targeted market.

The demographics the company will focus on education, sex, age, marital status, occupation and income (Weinstein, 1994).

Because most coffee stores in the city serve children with their non beverage coffee, the new employees, university and high school students the company will focus the products o these restaurants and stores

 

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Psychographics

Weinstein (1994) described psychographics as based on the activities, opinions and activities of the consumers.

Therefore, the company will base psychographics on how the consumers will spend their time, their preferences and their priorities and their feelings about events ad issues.

Therefore, the company will get involved in corporate social responsibility activities, community and environmental based activities and charities to create an image.

General statement of your customers needs, preferences and expectations for products and services.

Generally the customers of the company prefer well designed disposable coffee cups that are appealing to their clients

The customers also prefer products that are disposable and are environmentally friendly to avoid pollution

The expectation of the products of the company is to be the market leader in supplying of the disposable cups to the companies.

The products are also expected to meet the demand and the desire of the customers

Retail Format

Merchandise: the company will buy raw materials in large quantity and make the disposable cups in sizeable amounts that will retail to different outlets (Bohlinger, 2001).

Services offered: the company will provide delivery service of the products to the clients. The company will also be engaged in recycling of the used products to preserve the environment

Pricing policy: the company will price the disposable coffee cups based on their sizes and designs. The larger cups will be priced more than the smaller cups

Basic advertising and promotional approach: the company will employ personal advertising with the identified clients. Furthermore, use of print media will be essential for disseminating information to many people.

Basic store design and visual merchandising: the company will have the same design store and a logo for identification and visual merchandising in the market. Similar graphics will be displayed in all the subsidiaries for marketing purposes

Store location

The company will be located in the first floor of the commercial building in New York. The floor plan includes a 300 square feet of office and 2200 square feet of the operations are who also include the store and wash rooms. The premises have the necessary electricity and water will only require slight remodeling to accommodate the store and the kitchen

Competitive advantage

To build and maintain customers who are loyal to the company, the company will adopt different strategies (Porter, 1985). The first one is to create quality products at a low cost. This will be cost friendly to the clients compared to our competitors

Our products will also be environmentally friendly. This conforms to the governments regulations on environmental protection and pollution which the clients will like

The company will also provide after sale services such as delivery of the products to their locations.

Mission statement

To establish a company as the premier supplier of best disposable coffee cups in the country while maintaining our principles as we develop.

 

References

Weinstein, A. (1994). Market segmentation: Using demographics, psychographics, and other niche marketing techniques to predict and model customer behavior. Chicago, Ill: Probus Pub. Co.

Bohlinger, M. S. (2001). Merchandise buying. New York: Fairchild Publications.

Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive advantage: Creating and sustaining superior performance. New York: Free Press.

 

 

5/5 - (4 votes)

Culture Identity and Social Movements: Examining Race and Gender

There has been an increased interest towards understanding the culture off identity. In this era, it can be said that a new form of recognition, a system of identification arose. This system breaks down the individual from a large multitude, outing in place a collection of various identification marks such as color, race and sexuality. The culture of identity removes individualism and enhances the feeling of belonging to, where an individual perception is defined by the group upon which they feel they belong to. The social group has its own distinguishable marks and identification measures which are shared among all members.

 

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Identity through Race: Martin Luther and Malcolm X

Weedon (2004) cites that perhaps in this era the most fundamental identification mark was race. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King the ultimate leaders of this era are often associated with the identification marks that is, black and white. The culture identity theory emphasizes that the personal identity is forged out of shared experiences and interactions.  For both Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, early family experiences developed and emphasized feelings of hate for a culture that despised people of a specific colour. Based on this assumption, they developed what many historians have termed as “black pride”. Black pride allowed people, even those in far off regions to come together. The feeling of belonging was based on simple identification marks, are you black or are you white. Black people held pride in their skin colour, developed hatred for the segregation culture and were protestors, people united to fight for what they considered their own rights.

Malcolm’s struggle was against systems and classifications that defined the black individual as less than human. To him and his predecessor, this was an attempt to reduce the social identity of the black person. For decades, the blacks were individuals each suffering on his own and each seemingly not aware of the other. The presence and belief in Martin and Malcolm brought together the blacks against white racism. The suffering of one individual became the suffering of all people of black skin.

On 1st  December 1953 for example, Rosa parks a singular black woman passenger was arrested for refusing to vacate a seat in the public transport bus in favor of a white woman. The single event caused uproar, with martin Luther and other political leaders leading the African Americans in a boycott of all buses in the transport system. Several marches resulted and many more were arrested in solidarity with Rosa Parks

Identity through Gender: Mackinnon and Freidan

Another identification mark significant in the 20th century is Gender. Catherine Mackinnon is the most prominent figure in matters of gender and especially sexual harassment. Before her, women suffered in the workplace and had little to no power for anything to be done. Mackinnon succeeded in bringing women together, so that they now became a social group with much more significant power. According to Castells (1997), culture identity gives individuals powered and a significant boost where they were otherwise weak and small. In the previous decade, sexual harassment though present had not raised any significant concerns. With Mackinnon’s publication of sexual harassment of working women however, women all over the world not just in the Americas arose to fight the vice. It was no longer about an individual being harassed by a particular supervisor or boss. Rather, it became more about women in general being discriminated and the fight for women to be treated equally with all men.

Gender is a strong market in culture identity, almost stronger than the race and color of the skin. A singular case is often translated into, “we women” against the men. In 1970, Betty Freidan made her name by showing that identity in gender went beyond any skin color. Women of different races, social classes and even countries took to the street protesting the nomination of Cars well who opposed the equality in employment of women.

Challenges Of Culture Identity

Culture identity often enhances the differences between people making it difficult to foster nay form of cooperation. For example, in the late 20th century, blacks and whites regarded each other with suspicion and sometimes great animosity even where their cooperation was needed for success.

In a society where culture identity is enhanced, it is difficult to see beyond the features that distinguish people. When a woman for example is not employed, it is deemed to be a gender issue (Hall and Gay, 1996).  Rarely do people take the time to look at other qualifications that may have caused her to miss the opportunity such as education and experience. It is immediately categorized as sexual discrimination.

Culture identity makes equality impossible because often it enhances what others have and others do not. Before the coming of Luther and Malcolm X, there was little being heard about segregation and classification. However, the identity fostered by the two has led to remnants of the same even to this day. Often, the issue of race is cited when one person lacks and another has. It seems that equality will never be achieved as long as individuals think of themselves as being from one race or another.

References

Castells, Manuel. The Power of Identity. Malden, Mass: Blackwell, 1997.

Hall, Stuart, and Gay P. Du. Questions of Cultural Identity. London: Sage, 1996

Weedon, Chris. Identity and Culture. Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2004.

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