Feliks Skrzynecki - 853 Words

FELIKS SKRZYNECKI: Places affect our sense of belonging through traditions and vogues. 1. Feliks Skrzynecki is a poem about the authors (Peter Skrzyneckis’) stepfather. The poem demonstrates the strong feeling of belonging Peter feels with his family. However it also expresses the detachment Peter feels from his cultural heritage. This is shown in the lines ‘Remnants of a language I inherited unknowingly’. The use of first person (‘I’) through out the poem is used to show the perception that Peter has of his father, and how he always compares himself to his father. In stanza 3 we get the sense that Peter does not feel as if he belongs with his father and his fathers’ friends, ‘That formal address I never got used to’. The entire poem†¦show more content†¦Boy: Places affect our sense of belonging through traditions and customs. Boy is set in 1984 in the small coastal town in New Zealand. It is the story of a child whose troubles of fitting in with his friends are doubled when his father returns home after seven years in jail. Boy’s father smokes, drinks excessively, swears, and steals, leading Boy to believe that he must copy his father and do these things to belong in society. Over time boy loses the trust of the rest of his family and friends. Taika Waititi uses 3It shows Boy in transition, realizing that his father is a bad influence, and then changing his perspective and actions. Our perception creates a place where we belong 2. Boy believes that his father is over seas for important business. On his fathers return home from jail, Boy never leaves his side in fear that he will once again leave without him. When Boys’ friends invite him out to play he rejects the offer and continues to follow his father. He see’s himself as a man. This change in Boys personality is deliberate Film techniques which show character-so you are analysis characterization 3 techniques- both visual and auralShow MoreRelatedEssay on Techniques of Feliks Skrzynecki Poem654 Words   |  3 PagesFeliks Skrzynecki Stanza 1: • Attribute to Feliks dignity and stoicism in the face of loss and hardship. • Personal/Possessive pronoun my-final relationship • Gentle-tender adjective • (warm feelings, loving affection) • ‘Kept pace only with the Joneses of his own minds making • Colloquialism • Alliteration of ‘M-‘Minds making (Has his own values, individual-sets his own standards) • Initial picture of a man detached from the world that surrounds him-shows immigrant isolationRead More(Not) Belonging Essay, Skrzyneckis Poems Migrant Hostel and Feliks Skrzynecki706 Words   |  3 Pagesdepression and loss of identity. A struggle with cultural identity is evident in Peter Skrzynecki’s poems ‘Migrant Hostel’ and ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’, where he examines a division between his pre-war Polish heritage and his newfound Australian way of life. The movement away from his European cultural heritage towards a more Australian identity created disorientation for Skrzynecki, and these feelings of disconnection and separation are evident in his poetry. ‘Migrant Hostel’ depicts the loss of culturalRead MoreEssay Perceptions on Belonging1014 Words   |  5 Pagescommunity. Feliks Skrzynecki by Peter Skrzynecki, Im nobody! Who are you? by Emily Dickinson and The Rabbits by John Marsden Shaun Tan show the concept of belonging as being contrasted towards the New York Times quote, showing the alienation and non-existent connection towards it. These texts have furthered my understanding on the perceptions of belonging by recognising the different concepts of connection to people, places and things. The text â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† by Peter SkrzyneckiRead MoreBelonging - Hsc 20101713 Words   |  7 Pagesrelationships of an exclusive community. However as we began to analyse Skrzynecki’s anthology and also reflect upon society’s connotations of belonging and simultaneously not belonging, my personal understanding began to evolve. The contemplation of Skrzynecki and my related texts has led me to believe belonging is an intrinsic human need valued for the stability, sense of community, and acceptance found in relationships to people, a place or even oneself. Although, this need to belong exists ever inRead MoreBelonging Essay1459 Words   |  6 PagesPeter Skrzynecki Belonging Essay Significant moments in time shape an understanding of belonging. Explore how this is evident in you prescribed text and at least ONE other related text of your own choosing. Belonging is defined as fitting in to a particular environment or having the right personal or social qualities to be a member of a particular group. Our belonging to or connections with people, places and groups allows one to develop a distinct identity characterised by affiliation, acceptanceRead MoreBelonging Essay1446 Words   |  6 Pagescreate a barrier to belong. ‘Belonging’ is defined as ‘the right personal or social qualities to be a member of a particular group’ or to ‘fit a particular environment’. The themes and issues explored in Peter Skrzyneckis poems include filial relationships highlighted in the poem ‘Feliks Skrzyneckis’ who creates a place to belong in his garden. In addition, the lack of spirituality and religion affects his place in belonging as a student in the poem ‘St Patrick’s College.’ Additionally, this poem alsoRead MoreEssay on Adv English Peter Skrzynecki874 Words   |  4 PagesP eter Skrzynecki’s poems; â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† (1975) and â€Å"Migrant Hostel† (1975) offer various perspectives and representations on this concept. Ernest Hemingway’s short story â€Å"A clean well lighted place† (1926) and the picture â€Å"Berlin Wall† by unknown (1973) compliment these perspectives and representations further. A lack of shared events and time hinders the ability for relationships to form and therefore for a sense of belonging to form with it. â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† offers the responder an insightRead MoreHsc Belonging -Peter Skrzynecki Essay818 Words   |  4 Pagesthem find an individual sense of belonging. This is highlighted in many texts and even composers life works. Texts that support this statement include Peter Skrzynecki’s Immigrant Chronicle poems, of which I have chosen St Patricks College and Feliks Skrzynecki. Skrzynecki’s poetry expresses the difficulties he faces when change doesn’t occur throughout time, as time alone isn’t a factor and that your sense of belonging is something that comes from within, with or without anyone. Not all people’sRead MoreBelonging - Immigrant Chronicles Tom Brennan1243 Words   |  5 Pagesuse of language techniques in both the set of poems â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki†, â€Å"St Patrick’s College† and â€Å"Migrant Hostel† from Peter Skrzynecki’s anthology Immigrant Chronicles (1975) and the novel The Story of Tom Brennan (2005) composed by J.C. Burke. One’s connection to a place greatly impacts on their sense of security and belonging. This idea is explored in Skrzynecki’s poems â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† and â€Å"St Patrick’s College†. In â€Å"Feliks Skrzynecki† the composer uses the metaphoric representation ofRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Hunchback Of Notre Dame 950 Words   |  4 Pagesthe protagonist, Quasimodo. Essentually, both texts explore the impact of a relationship, or lack thereof, on self-identity. Peter Skrzynecki’s ‘In the Folk Museum’ illustrates the impact of his lack of connection to people on his sense of self. Skrzynecki depicts the effect of isolation from others through his lack of understanding of Australian culture, which leads to his displacement amongst the physical setting, â€Å"I look at words that describe machinery, clothes, transport, a Victorian bedroom†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Is Iraq The New Vietnam - 2728 Words

Is Iraq the New Vietnam? Nick Gardner California Baptist University History of US since the Civil War History 223 Professor Lisa Matthews October 22, 2014 Is Iraq the New Vietnam? One of the arguments that you will hear frequently these days, is the insistence that the war in Iraq is this generation’s Vietnam. For the number of times that I have heard the correlation drawn I have never really taken the time to delve deeper into the conflicts and see what similarities and correlations may or may not exist. Both conflicts have drastically different starts and for drastically different reasons, but is there a greater underlying relationship between the two conflicts? It will be my aim in the paper to evaluate the conflict in Vietnam, and draw correlations to the present day political and social climate surrounding the war in Iraq; the decision on if the wars really are connected through the decades will rest with you. The way that the United States got involved with Vietnam was in large part due to the way that we usually get involved in conflicts and disputes; out of a need to proactively or reactively respond to a threat to American interests at home or abroad. True to the times, the threat was communism and it came in the form of a North Vietnamese government led by Ho Chi Minh. The United States was convinced that Minh was wording with China and the Soviets in an attempt to unify Vietnam under a banner of communism (Roark, Johnson, Cohen, Stage, Hartman, 2012, p.Show MoreRelatedEssay Similarities Between the War in Iraq and the Vietnam War831 Words   |  4 PagesSimilarities Between the War in Iraq and the Vietnam War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As time passes, every society endures situations which stress its very fabric. Each societies history is sprinkled with these situations. One such situation which the United States underwent was the Vietnam war. For years this particular event has been hotly debated. Hardly anyone who was present at the time agrees on any point concerning this war, except that they regret it. It has become the greatest American foreign policy calamityRead MoreDomestic Political State Of The Nation, Technological Advances, And Doctrinal Changes1511 Words   |  7 Pagesfinances. This is why the economy of the United States is so important. Without control of its finances, the nation is unable to exercise control internally or over other nations. There have been vast doctrinal changes from the Vietnam War, to the Gulf War, to the War in Iraq that required the US to increase the amount of money fueled into the military. The US no longer fights proxy wars. It fights terrorism globall y, which was because of doctrinal change. The economic cost of waging war in the 21stRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Ptsd )1513 Words   |  7 Pagesdisorder is nothing new, yet it is now finally known as a condition that may not be treatable, however some has developed ways of managing it. Veterans from the Vietnam and Iraq/Afghanistan conflicts are in the spotlight now for suffering with this condition. Are the Vietnam Veterans offered the same care as the recent combat Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, and does the timing of when PTSD interventions take place determine the outcome of the soldier? The conflict in Vietnam was a different warRead MorePoliceman of the World Essay916 Words   |  4 Pagesaccess to overseas markets and materials. Three international incidents from the past five years that can be traced back to a foreign policy created after the Civil War are Vietnam, Somalia, and Iraq. The Vietnam War began in 1955 and was fought between communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The regime of North Vietnam and its allies known as the Viet Cong were supported by the Russian government while South Vietnam’s primary ally was the United States. In 1991 the President of Somalia MohamedRead MoreWars Throughout Our History and Our World Essay1377 Words   |  6 Pagesthat we must follow. There are also rules that the soldiers have to follow; these are called rules of engagement. These rules must be followed by fellow soldiers, and help determine whether they are acting in a just or unjust way. Wars such as the Vietnam War and the Korean War are wars are that can be stated as unjust, for their different reasons of the soldiers ROE and the conditions that they were put under. Meanwhile wars such as the First Gulf War are just, because there were threats such as nuclearRead More Soldier Suicide as Political Statement Essay1218 Words   |  5 PagesSoldier Suicide as Political Statement At least twenty-nine U.S. soldiers stationed in Iraq and Kuwait committed suicide between March 2003 and March 2004. Even the Pentagon considers this an alarmingly high suicide rate. It lead the military to commission a morale poll to be completed by Stars Stripes (August 2003) and to send in a special mental health advisory team to assess the situation. In April 2004, military officials reported the teams conclusion: while the suicideRead MoreHow The Autonomy Of Journalists Are Affected During War Times1675 Words   |  7 Pagesstruggle related to media coverage. New technology During the 1990s, the creation of advanced news-gathering equipment, the apparent growth of the 24-hour news channel, the increase of transnational media organizations and the spread of the internet platforms suggests the arrival of a more pluralized public sphere. The overall effect of these technological developments, according to many analysts, was a reduction in government control over information and a news media that was likely to be more aggressiveRead MoreThe Vietnam War And Iraq Wars1214 Words   |  5 PagesFinal Exam Paper The Vietnam War and Iraq wars have many more similarities then the common American would think. Both were fighting gorillas in a foreign land in a way that the soldiers were never trained or prepared for, against a foe that despise America as a whole. However I believe the biggest difference is the American publics view and attitude toward each of the two wars. As well as the attitude of the soldiers in each of the wars in 2001 after the September 11 attacks we had people like PatRead MoreCuba And Ir Cuba801 Words   |  4 Pagesafter Fidel Castro brother is out and someone new is in. Yet by doing this, it does give United States to apply pressure on the Cuban government to improve human rights, and the United States is able to target the Cuban government with its embargo while still providing assistance to Cuban citizens by people being able to visit family members and send money to relatives in Cuba, and also permits travel for humanitarian and educational reasons. Vietnam questions 1. Here we go again. List 3-4 reasonsRead MoreEthics As A Code Of Conduct880 Words   |  4 Pagesalso a society of individuals (Nye Welch 2011). They argue that politics, especially at an international level, requires the use of ethics as a form of critique (questioning whether the existing code is ‘good’ or ‘right’) and reconstruction (where a new code is advocated following analytical deliberations) in order for politics to be improved. Improvement in politics can be achieved by taking into account more what ‘should’ be done as opposed to merely what ‘can’ be done in certain situations. Clear

Security for the Indigenous People in the Community

Question: Discuss about theSecurity for the Indigenous People in the Community. Answer: Digital Technology in the Indigenous Community and Digital Divide. Indigenous people have started using the mobile technology and are slowly catching up to the latest trends in technology. There has been substantial increase in the number of digital media devices in the indigenous people. It has bene found that the issue that has been felt is the lack of providing network for the remote communities. In the areas of Alice springs, tenant creek, Ayers rock resort there is increase in the number of digital media tools have been found (Rice et al., 2016). The Arnhem land communities are also found to have strong coverages within the media. Four in Ten of the lower income Australians are not connecting to the internet. In the case of Indigenous people only 63% of the people have Internet access at home when compared to 77% of the non-indigenous households. In the case of lower income group 68% of the children have access to the Internet when compared to the 91% in the advantaged community (Price, 2015). This showcases that there is a substantial digital divide that is existing in the societies. The world has been changing dramatically in the newer times. There has been a considerable growth of the digital technologies. This has caused newer opportunities for the people in the areas of networking and communication. In this process it is imperative to understand the impact of the digital technologies and social media use for the people in different communities. The ways to improve the potential, social and health outcomes are essential in this process for productivity and growth (Shorten, 2016). The digital media has been used to increase the interaction among people and increase the quality of life of the people. In this sphere the people are encouraged to provide information and create ideas in the virtual communities. The digital media and the web-based platforms are used for increased collaboration and interaction of the people with one another. Digital media has the tools to aid people across the various platforms and helps them to connect with each other (Andreasson, 20 15). Some of the popular social media such as Facebook has reported that between the 2014 and 2013 there has been increase in the number of people to 13.6 million. The adolescent and the young people in the population is found to use these digital media tools more than the other adult population (Brookes, 2015). The same trend has been observed in the indigenous population. It has been found from the Australian governmental reports that the 69% of the users have a general complacent attitude. The people in general assume that they know more and have a better plan in handling of the issues. In the case of low income group, it has been found that the people have limited educational initiatives. This causes them not to focus on using the digital systems. The governmental mandates have not caught up with the events. The law has not caught up to the technology. There is a complex public policy that is developed in response for the cybercrime. To understand this paradigm in itself is very difficult. The laws are hazy and this leads to the public to become even more vulnerable to attacks (Ko Choo, 2015). There are not enough safety mechanisms that has bene developed to meet the needs of the people. Importance of Digital Devices for Development of Indigenous Community The digital devices are used for community building. It has been accepted as a near panacea cure for the development of communities. The telecommunications and digital media enables the communities to grow as a business and corporate entities. It enables the people to engage in participation and development of the communities. The people who are in the remote areas can have access to the latest technological trends. They are also vital to provide national security and enable the people to gain faster access to aid during times of natural disaster. Even though increasing number of threats are found due to the rise in the technological developments. It has been found that the benefits outweigh the risks. It has been found that the indigenous people in the Australia have social disadvantage in the areas of education. According to the statistics the people are found to drop out of school earlier. There is a wide range of disparity that is found to be evident in the areas of schooling (Collins, 2016). These people are found to have lesser literacy and numeracy skill. This lack of education starts to affect the young people. There is increase in the assault of children, young people are found to experiment with the drugs and become addicted to substance abuse. This increases juvenile incarceration. Increasing in the access of digital media can make the indigenous people become aware of the various social issues and stigma in the society (Abrahamsen Leander, 2015). There can be effective interventions, monitoring or evaluation of the process. The media and the social marketing can be used to raise awareness of the social and the health issues. Media can be a very useful functional tool t hat is used to increase the awareness of the people (Janczewski Caelli, 2016). It is imperative for the people to understand the target group uses and provide security for the same to avoid adverse effects. Hence if the people can gain more access to the digital technology there will be all around progress in the development of the communities. Security Issues of the Indigenous Community Security to the people is not about providing the latest anti-virus software or firewalls. It is imperative to understand and use the latest cyber security software to prevent malwares and virus attacks. However, this is not the only security issues that the people face. The issues that are faced by the people are not limited to the aboriginal people. It has been found to be the case for the wide majority of the people. The aboriginal community in the last century has made tremendous progress in technology (Choucri Jackson 2016). The people in general have become more savvy and using the latest technology. In spite of these developments the people face unique issues owing to their proximity to the urban areas and not having English as the main language of communication. This leads to the digital divide and causes the people to become even more alienation from productivity and progress of their community. The people are found to face some unique security situations and issues owing t o this system (Triggs, 2013). Some of the other issues that has been felt by the aboriginal community and the security issues that impedes the progress of the people are detailed in the following. There are many Indigenous young people who use digital technologies in the current times. However, the access towards these technologies are curbed owing to the remoteness and the socioeconomic status of the people. This invariably leads to the situation where the lack of awareness of the security threats leads to the people facing a number of issues (Edmonds, 2014). The young people do not have the internet or computers at home further causing them to be susceptible to the various issues of the digital media. Apart from this the Indigenous people are targeted because of their ethnicity. Cyber bullying, cyber racism, loss of sensitive information, exchange of explicit imagery between minors are the main security causes for the population (Broucek Turner, 2012). There is a general gap in the knowledge of the people regarding their use. In many houses the adult members are not aware of their issues and this causes the younger people to be susceptible to online threats. In the conventional systems and in real physical spaces there are socially mandated conformities as to how people should be treated. The people do not engage in hurtful behavior or racists stereotypes openly in the public areas. It is considered to be rude and racist. However, this does not exist in the online medium owing to the anonymity involved in the process (OBrien, 2014). The people feel that they have freedom to be themselves and choose to victimize people based on their ethnicity. There should be educational programs are required to raise awareness of the issues. This also leads to increase in the conflicts between the society members. For example, the Diva Chat had caused community clash between the Warlpiri population and the Indigenous population. Cyber racism goes virtually unpunished. The survey groups have indicated that the Indigenous people are susceptible to cyber bullying. Policy is used to handle cyber racism. But the Australian legislation has done little to hand le the racial discrimination of the people. It is also very difficult with the current technology to address all the issues of cyber racism. The indigenous people should be provided with awareness and information as to where they can seek help in cases of cyberbullying or attack. Apart from this another issue that faces the young population is the issue of child pornography. There are explicit images that causes the young people to be susceptible to loss of their innocence and leads to them being exploited in the online medium. There are a number of online awareness camps that has been used by the Indigenous communities to promote the online businesses (Radoll, 2012). The users can use the services peacefully when they are aware of the online digital footprint, practical advises of staying smart and a series of short animations to help the people understand their rights. This would protect the people to face the numerous issues. There has been progress in the past. But the access to these digital devices continue to exists. There are steep divides between other communities and Indigenous community. In spite of these efforts taken by the governments and the organization these processes continue to alienate the indigenous community from the mainstream technology. Importance of Security for the Indigenous People. Cybersecurity is an issue that should be important for all the people. It is not limited to any one community. But in the case of indigenous community, there is already a divide. The people have made a lot of progress in the current century (Parkes, 2013). There is a divide that continues to separate the people. By providing safe and secure online interactions, there will be more amiability in the society. The people will start to feel that their needs are being fulfilled. There will be better community growth both inside the community and the Australian economy. The past efforts towards growth has been successful to a certain extent. But for the people to compete and aide towards the growth of Australia. There should be more efforts taken by all the stakeholders in the community Summary In conclusion of this section, it can be found that the indigenous online users are likely to have secure systems but have lesser secure systems when compared to the national average. The people have made tremendous progress in the past and are likely to have mobile devices but again they are lesser than the national average. Owing to the technological growth there has been progress in the community nevertheless there is a lot more that needs to be done in the communities to enable and instill progress. The most important issue is the issue of security. The security to the people is more than that of malwares of virus attacks. The society issues of racism, bullying continue to haunt the people. There should be more awareness and governmental support to address these issues. This would lead to the development of the community as a whole. Reference: Abrahamsen, R., Leander, A. (Eds.). (2015).Routledge Handbook of Private Security Studies. Routledge. Andreasson, K. (Ed.). (2015).Digital Divides: The New Challenges and Opportunities of e-Inclusion(Vol. 195). CRC Press. Brookes, C. (2015). Cyber Security: Time for an integrated whole-of-nation approach in Australia.Indo-Pacific Strategic Papers. Broucek, V., Turner, P. (2012). Technical, legal and ethical dilemmas: distinguishing risks from malware and cyber-attack tools in the age of'cloud computing'. In21st Annual EICAR Conference(pp. 72-79). Choucri, N., Jackson, C. (2016). Perspectives on Cybersecurity A Collaborative Study.Perspectives on Cybersecurity A Collaborative Study (February 18, 2016). MIT Political Science Department Research Paper, (2016-2). Collins, A. (2016).Contemporary security studies. Oxford university press. Edmonds, F. (2014). Digital storytelling and Aboriginal young people: an exploration of digital technology to support contemporary Koori culture. InMobile Media Making in an Age of Smartphones(pp. 92-103). Palgrave Macmillan US. Janczewski, L. J., Caelli, W. (2016).Cyber Conflicts and Small States. Routledge. Ko, R., Choo, R. (2015).The Cloud Security Ecosystem: Technical, Legal, Business and Management Issues. Syngress. OBrien, W. (2014). Australias Digital Policy Agenda.The International Journal of Children's Rights,22(4), 748-775. Parkes, A. (2013). The dreams of mobile young Aboriginal Australian people. Price, K. (2015).Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: An introduction for the teaching profession. Cambridge University Press. Radoll, P. (2012). Cyber-safety and indigenous youth.Indigenous L. Bull.,8, 11. Rice, E. S., Haynes, E., Royce, P., Thompson, S. C. (2016). Social media and digital technology use among Indigenous young people in Australia: a literature review.International journal for equity in health,15(1), 1. Shorten, B. (2016).For the Common Good: Reflections on Australia's Future. Melbourne Univ. Publishing. Triggs, G. (2013). Social inclusion and human rights in Australia.Speech at the Chain Reaction Foundation Breakfast Cafe Sydney.

Placebos Essays - Clinical Research, Medical Ethics,

Placebos A placebo is defined as an inactive substance resembling a medication, given for psychological effect or as a control in evaluating a medicine believed to be active. However the placebo only fits this description under the restraints it has been given by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which refers to the placebo as an investigational new drug. In actuality, up until the present much of medicine was built on placebos. "Not very long ago, the rituals and symbols of healing constituted the bulk of the physicians armamentarium. In the early decades of the 20th century, most of the medication that doctors carried in their little black bags and kept in their office cabinets had little or no pharmacological value against the maladies for which they were prescribed. Nevertheless, their use in the appropriate clinical context was no doubt frequently beneficial."(Brown, 6) Even though placebos have been proven effective medicine time and time again the FDA remains reluctant to approve them for anything more than clinical research. The FDA stands on their disapproval of placebos as medicine on the basis that patients are to be given the best treatment available. Who is to say that a placebo is not as, if not more effective than the accepted remedy? There are an endless variety of cases that have proven placebos inconclusively effective. Among the most famous of these cases is the story of "Mr. Wright," who was found to have cancer and in 1957 was given only days to live. Hospitalized in Long Beach, California, with tumors the size of oranges, he heard that scientists had discovered a horse serum, Krebiozen, that appeared to be effective against cancer. After Wright begged to receive the serum, his physician, Dr. Philip West, finally agreed and gave wright the injection on a Friday afternoon, not telling Wright that injection consisted only of water. The following Monday the doctor was astonished to find that the patient's tumors were gone. Dr. West later wrote the tumors, " had melted like snowballs on a hot stove." At Tulane University, Dr. Eileen Palace has been using a placebo to restore sexual arousal in women who say they are nonorgasmic. The women are hooked up to a biofeedback machine that they are told measures their vaginal blood flow, an index of arousal. Then they are shown sexual stimuli that would arouse most women. The experiment then tricks the women by sending a false feedback signal, within 30 seconds, that their vaginal blood flow has increased. Almost immediately after they become genuinely aroused. In another case a study was carried out in Japan on 13 people that were extremely allergic to poison ivy. Each individual was rubbed on one arm with a harmless leaf and told that it was poison ivy and then rubbed on the opposite arm with poison ivy and told that it was harmless. All thirteen broke out in a rash where the harmless leaf had contacted their arm. Only two reacted to the poison ivy leaves. (Blakeslee, 2) In yet another example, patients with angina pectoris, chest pain, associated with heart disease, have been shown to improve substantially following an operation that involved nothing more than a simple skin incision. Angina also improved following a type of artery surgery once thought to be effective but later found to be ineffective. (Turner, 1) These are just a few of a great number of cases that prove the effectiveness of placebos. How do placebos work? There are many theories on how placebos work but really no definite answers. Many believe that the response to placebos is one of conditioning. That is that the site of a doctor, his white coat, the sterile smell, and a prescribed medication is equated with being cured, and because we think that we will get better we do. Some think that a placebo might reduce stress, allowing the body to regain some natural optimum level of health. Others believe that special molecules in the brain help carry out the placebo effect. A recent study found that stressed animals could produce a valium like substance in their brain if they have some control over the source of the stress. People must certainly share similar brain chemistry. (Blakeslee, 3) In any case, do we have to know how a placebo works if it is proven that it does work? There are certain birth control methods and stress therapies that work effectively, without explanation and with FDA approval. Many physicians discredit placebos because the feel that the use of a placebo is lying to the