On February 19, 2024, a scientific manuscript writing event was held in Mugadisho, bringing together academics and researchers from various institutions. The event aimed to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and enhance scientific writing skills among participants.

Participating Institution:
The University of Bosaso was represented at the event by Mr. Sharmarke Angar, who served as the university’s delegate.

Activities and Discussions:
The event commenced with an opening ceremony, followed by interactive sessions focused on scientific manuscript writing techniques, formatting guidelines, and best practices. Participants engaged in discussions on various topics, including research methodologies, data analysis, and effective communication of research findings.

Collaborative Workshops:
Throughout the event, participants collaborated in workshops to refine their manuscript writing skills. They received guidance from experienced researchers and editors, who provided feedback and suggestions for improving the quality of their manuscripts.

Networking Opportunities:
The event provided valuable networking opportunities, allowing participants to interact with peers, exchange ideas, and establish potential collaborations for future research projects.

Conclusion:
The scientific manuscript writing event held in Mugadisho on February 19, 2024, served as a platform for knowledge sharing and capacity building in academic writing. The participation of the University of Bosaso, represented by Mr. Sharmarke Angar, contributed to the success of the event and furthered the university’s commitment to excellence in research and scholarly communication.

For further inquiries or information regarding the event, please contact the organizing committee or the University of Bosaso.

The social problem the researcher is trying to investigate is how easily the youth in rural and urban areas are able to access alcohol and tobacco. Historically, both rural and urban areas have experienced a wide spread behavior of underage youth being involved in drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco. Averagely, teens as young as 10-15 are already involved in episodic heavy drinking that has adverse effects in their health and social life. Such early onset use of alcohol and tobacco expose these victims to multiple health problems such as unsafe sexual behaviors, violence and motor vehicle crashes.

The research method in this study is use of survey. Four regional school districts were used to administer a survey of 445 sampled youth from 30 different communities in the central region of the United States. The survey contained demographics and a 30-day measurement about the points of access of alcohol and tobacco. The study referred to Census Bureau (2010) to differentiate a rural region from the urban one. For a region to be considered urban, it must have over 2500 residents. Any region below such population was considered a rural region in the research. Data was collected through an online form that was protected and the link was provided by school districts who subsequently shared with sampled respondents. Since the collected data was collected as part of drug prevention community outreach project, purposive sampling was used to determine appropriate respondents. The research also uses secondary sources like peer-reviewed journals to substantiate several claims that have been dis0cussed throughout the research.

The findings of the research showed that both youth from rural and urban regions had no significant difference in points-of- access of alcohol and tobacco. While dissecting the results to determine specific findings on both tobacco and alcohol, the findings showed that urban youth (27.4%) reported a higher rate of tobacco consumption compared rural youth (26.8%), which shows there was no significant difference. Conversely, there was a significant difference in alcohol with urban participants (30.2%) more likely to have consumed alcohol in the last 30 days while rural participants recorded 21.3%.

According to Komro and Toomey (2002), alcoholism is persistent public health problem. Recently U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ahs established that  underage drinkers are on the rise. Subsequently, many youths have been seen dropping out of school while others are inolved in crimes with capital offenses. This research shows that the youth are more likely to access drugs among other narcotics with ease in their neighborhoods. Astonishingly, 88% of 12th grade scholars indicated that they can get alcohol very easily with little restrictions (Williams, et al., 2018, p. 2). Others also indicated that they are able to purchase from commercial stores with little restrictive obstacles. This shows that parents are not making enough effort to educate their children about the dangers of drug abuse. Additionally, this research indicated that the vast majority of youth in who were able to access these materials are more likely to consume them yet the public authorities have put restrictions to access some of these materials and their consumption.

Educating the youth is one of the strategies that the researcher would recommend to solve this problem. In this case, the youth should be educated about health and social problems that tobacco and alcohol are associated with. Developing a high school curriculum that targets to educate underage youth to refrain from taking alcohol will be beneficial. In addition, policies should be introduced to fine alcohol and drug sellers heavily so that they avoid selling such substances to young children. Using family strategies can also help to address the problem.  Family attributes including as parent-child relationships, discipline methods, communication, monitoring and supervision can help to influence the use of alcohol and tobacco among the youth. Due to pressures of economic demands, many parents are engrossed in their career duties and spending little time with their families. As a result, they have freedom to test any form of drug substance that come their way. To address this problem, parents should be compelled to know the whereabouts of their children, especially when they are offsite to reduce chances of accessing alcohol and tobacco.  Parents are advised to improve their relationships with their children using positive reinforcement and listening to their needs effectively. Strengthening family bond will provide consistent discipline that is essential in making a young youth to make the right decisions.

References

Williams, R.D., Housman, J.M., Evans, J.L., Bishop, J & Ray, V. (2018).   Urban and Rural Adolescents’ Points-of-Access for Alcohol and Tobacco. J Community Health 43, 406–411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-017-0438-.

Komro,K & Toomey,T. M. (2002). Strategies to Prevent Underage Drinking. National institute on Alcohol abuse and Alcoholism, 26(1): 5-14.

Family is the most important agent of socialization. Parents get credit for well raised children and blamed for ill-mannered ones as well. This indicates that the manner in which parents their children profoundly affects the society as a whole. Grandparents, parents, siblings and the society in general teach children what they need to know about their communities. This includes how to handle objects and how to relate to one another. Such awareness harnesses the fundamental knowledge of how the world works which eventually shapes children’s social interaction behavior.

According to Mark, Donaldson & Campbell (2011), early dependency of a child makes a child to understand how to relate with others as a way of co-existence. In early ages of a child, parents are tasked to take care of their children, who in turn learn to trust their parents. As a child grows, he learns customs and community values. These beliefs can be indoctrinated through verbal or non-verbal cues.  While handling various social actions, events and activities a child learns to handle different social situations, which eventually shape the social life. Razieh (2012) asserts that a family is a place where a child grows and develops both ‘roots’ and ‘wings’ that transforms him/her from being a dependent creature to an independent grown up. Each family has a unique way of living within the nuclear setup and a number of characteristics are passed down the generation, which eventually shapes the general social behavior of a community.

The nature of American families has been changing from time to time. Dramatic Changes to the American Families are majorly attributed to 4 major trends including increased number of children being brought up by single parents, increased number of families living in non-traditional setups, increased proportion of females in labor force and increased proportion of older people compared to children in the American population demographics.  Increase in single parenthood has been majorly attributed by high cases of divorce and bearing children outside marriages. According to Davanzo & Rahman (2013), many millennial adults choose to wait longer before getting married or prefer open relationships over committed married relationships. During such periods, they are likely to sire children and fail to get married altogether. In the current contemporary world, people are committed to live in the modern way and abandon traditional values that are considered to be “out of fashion”. As a result, they end up in the modern-day living arrangements.  Since the end of the World War II, promotion of women’s rights has been gradually growing as a global movement, which has motivated women to strive for both political and employment positions that were initially reserved for men (Calvès, 2009). The ripple effect of these movements has paved way for many women to join the labor force. Increased proportion of older people compared to children population has been stimulated by decline in mortality rate due to improved healthcare systems and reduced fertility rates.

There are notable differences in marriages and family lives that are linked to differences in class, race, gender and personal choices. In many families, parents help girls to act and think “like girls” while boys to think and act “like boys”. These inclinations cause behavioral disparities that eventually make children to learn their genders. An individual with strong gender preferences is likely to have marriage problems. Some are likely to presume “men chores” cannot be done by women and “women chores” are meant for women (Booher-Jennings, 2008). Such gender stems may cause family squabbles that eventually become a notable problems in the families.  Interracial families are likely to bring about cross-cultural variation in socialization which is regarded as a good characteristic that facilitates learning from other societies. Multicultural communities harnesses improved style of living and stimulate competition that eventually leads to economic growth. According to Hilbrecht, Shaw & Andrey (2013), working-class parents tend to have repetitive tasks which are purely based on rules and conformity guidelines.  Wealthy parents tend to work in managerial positions that require creative and problem-solving tendencies. Working parents are likely to teach their children behaviors that are aligned to their current work environments. Consequently, children are raised with a job perception that can take certain types of jobs.

In my opinion, trend towards diverse families has a negative effect to both an individual and the society at large.  Family diversity is moving away from the traditional nuclear family. One of the notable problems that arise from multicultural family is conflict of theories, beliefs and customs that split many families apart. Even though theorists like Murdock (2016) believe that multicultural families brings change that is essential for co-existence between different people from different parts of the world, it is also causing essential traditions to decay. Strong homogenous families give rise to stabilized families that reduce cases of illegitimate children. This eventually reduces stress and good mankind. Desirable social characteristics are carried on to the next generation. Therefore, moving away from close family is likely to harm good functional ideas that are regarded as fit for the community.

If the trend changed towards the traditional families, women rights would be profoundly affected. Before World War II, women were regarded as house wives and those who were privileged to work were secretaries, receptionists or store clerks. This gave male counter parts an upper hand to infringe women’s economic privileges. As a result many women depended on men for social and economic support. In general, women were seen as wives and mothers who were mandated to take care of their homes and children. Their selfless effort to rise above the common masculinity believes were realized in World War II. When millions of men left the service, women stepped up to take up some of the vital roles in the military. The military service realized that many women were proud to serve the country and inspired other civilian women to fight to for social change (WWII Museum, 2018). Consequently, more women started taking up jobs that were initially spared for men and advocated for their rights.

References

Booher-Jennings, J. (2008). Learning to label: Socialisation, gender, and the hidden curriculum of high-stakes testing. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 29, 149–160.

Calvès, A. (2009). Empowerment: The History of a Key Concept in Contemporary Development Discourse. Revue Tiers Monde, 4(4), 735-749. https://doi.org/10.3917/rtm.200.0735.

Davanzo, J., & Rahman, M. O. (2013). American families: trends and correlates. Population index, 59(3), 350–386.

Hilbrecht, M, Shaw, S &  Andrey, J. (2013). Remixing work, family and leisure: Teleworkers’ experiences of everyday life. New Technology, Work and Employment.28(2):130-144.

Mark, M. M., Donaldson, S. I., & Campbell, B. (2011). Social psychology and evaluation: The Guilford Press.

Murdock,E. (2016). Multiculturalism, Identity and Difference. In Experiences of Culture Contact (pp. 1-345). Palgrave Macmillan UK Press, DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-59679-6,

Razieh,T. (2012). Bandura’s Social Learning Theory & Social Cognitive Learning Theory.

WWII Museum. (2018). Gender on the Home Front. Retrieved May 16, 2021, from The National WWII Museum New Orleans: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/gender-home-front.

Race is a socially constructed concept that is in the society that people use to place importance on certain priorities based on skin color or eye shapes. According to Nyborg (2019), racism is a social construct that people use to decide who matters in the society. In this paper, I documented two interviewees from minority groups who are classified as low class people. They speak on behalf of many low class people who have been segregated due to social stratification factors.

Subjects’ Classes, Races and Gender

My first interviewee was a woman from Mexico that was working in IT firm in Texas. She is a female and a black Mexican with colored skin. She was born and raised in Mexico City and moved to United States 12 years ago.  She has been working in various companies across the State of Texas for the last 10 years. She cited that she has been moving from one company to another and no single company has ever promoted her from professional entry level. She regards herself as one of the minority groups in the United States. Her skin color, race and gender have greatly contributed to her tribulations she faces both in the neighborhood and her work place. The existing social stigma against people of color has made her discriminated in all possible well paying positions of her career. Being a woman she was given little chance to speak in company meetings and even if she was given a chance, the moderator of the meeting would brush-off her suggestions. She lives in a community where neighbors doubted whether she was a resident in her first 3 months of stay in her current home.  She added that was once stopped from parking in her parking spot in front of her door because one of the neighbors mistook her a burglar.  She was said that she was planning to move and work in Iowa because houses are affordable compared to Texas. This shows the struggles of people of the minority groups who do not regard the quality of life as a priority in their lives but how to survive at the minimal cost.

My second interviewee was a Bengali Indian man who was working as a taxi driver in Miami. His Bengali race is one of the cast races in India. He said he ran away from India and entered the United States as a refugee. He has encountered many cases of discrimination but none of them can be compared to what he encountered in India under the cast system. While in India his race was not allowed to interact with others freely in the public. This social seclusion drove him to be an introvert who hardly speaks of his problems. In the United States, clients especially young white females are fond of accusing him of being in the United States illegally. “Go back to your country” is one of the commonest phrases he is told often. However, he keeps quiet because “he knows where he belongs”; the minority class.

Role of Social stratifiers

Social stratifiers play a major role in deciding whom to promote in a place of work. My first interviewee works with white majority staff and is among the few people of color who hold minor positions in the company. She was once told to stop complaining of harassment every time because the company is not a “charity” organization. This means her social stratification was not allowed to report any form of harassment because their value was not worth to be taken serious. According to Salah (2016), both social environment and rewards motivate workers to pursue occupational positions at higher levels. However, my interviewee does not see the point struggling to reach higher managerial positions in the company because no one will even notice her effort. Being one of the minorities in the company they are disregarded by the majority whites whose decisions matter in the company.

My second responded who works as a taxi driver says that social stratification determines the attitude of a client towards him as the driver. Some clients leave the car without paying. He is hardly listened when he reports confrontational matters to the police. Some tell him that there is little they can do if he cannot properly identify the client and his/her residence. In some cases, he ends up getting no money in a whole day, a situation that drives him more to edges of poverty.  

Applied a sociological Perspective to each subject

One of the most common sociological perspectives among the black minorities is social-conflict perspective. According to Savur & Fradue (2015), conflict theory is a tendency where people of a stratified community develop a perpetual conflict across social classes due to competition for the limited resources. I chose this perspective because it encompasses the struggles the minority groups in the society go through as they try to gain a recognizable position in the society. My interviewee pointed out that the only way to become competitive in higher positions in the job was to exceptionally excel in education. This will narrow down the reasons that are often cited by the top managers of why she does not qualify for certain job positions.

Social-conflict perspective is also a sociological perspective in the case of the second respondent. Now that he has to compete for the limited opportunities within the city, the interviewee revealed that his white counterparts are likely to be earning twice as he does because clients prefer white drivers to non- American drivers. During the interview session, he revealed that the police force sometimes falsely accuse them of conniving with wrong doers to break the law. Even though the accusations are not always true, they are left with little chance to fight for their rights because the systemic discrimination always views them as “second citizens”. He added that the minority groups in the transport industry have little chance to rise financially and become more independent. “We are easily associated with crime because the society thinks there is little we can do to earn decent wages”.

Benefits and Limitations of Interview as a Research Methodology

Interview is one of the commonest research methodology used by many researchers to collect data. The first benefit of using interviews is allowing participants to express their own ideas at length (Jick & Todd, 2019). Contrary to other research methodologies like questionnaires that would have had predefined range of answers, I gave my respondents a chance to explain their thoughts about the subject, which eventually helped me to collect more information from them. Secondly, interview is flexible. In this case, I was able to adjust my questions based on the prevailing environment so that the interview remains relevant to the subject matter of what I was trying to find out. For instance, my first interviewee seemed professional, so I changed my tone to appear more serious. The second interviewee who was a taxi driver did not need many forms of professionalism.  Thirdly, it allows the researchers to reveal hidden behaviors through talking and observations. Through talking, I was able to determine whether or not the respondent was honest with her answers.

One of the limitations of interview as a research methodology is small sample size because of time and costs involved to carry out an interview with an individual. The results of a research with small sample size are likely to yield skewed results (Vasileiou, et al., 2018). In my interview, the first respondent spoke ill of the company she was working for and said there is joy of being in America. As a researcher, I needed someone in the company to substantiate her claims so that I come up with credible findings. Secondly, it is difficult to organize results, especially when more than one person has been interviewed. In my case it was difficult to organize conflicting responses of the same questions from both respondents.

Components of Culture in Relation to Stratified Positions in the Society

The specific components of the first respondent include her Mexican-American behavior and her good command in English language. The interviewee still admires the Mexican culture like dressing in sombrero clothing with bright colored ribbons to show modesty. However, she has completely transformed to American dressing culture to conform to the Company dressing code. She revealed that keeping time was one of the challenges she encountered in her early days in United States. Spanish is her first language while English is her second. She is now eloquent in English language that gives her advantage to integrate with other staff members. In my assessment, she feels there is no reason why she should be denied promotional opportunities. She concluded that all her tribulations are associated with her skin color. This proves that she is still struggling to have equal opportunities with the majority in her place of work.  

The second respondent has also mastered English language which gives him a good opportunity to serve many clients within the city. However, his Indian pronunciation is still a reason why many clients quickly realize he is not a Native American. As a result, many clients, especially whites handle him with little respect. Since he belongs to the lower class, those who bully him understand he has a little chance of building a case against them because the systemic racism that is embedded in laws and regulations in American society gives the minority a little chance of merit.

Conclusion

Systemic racism is still undeniable problem that has divided the American society in to social classes. People of low class struggle to access basic services like education, which those of high class find easy to access. The first responded concluded that all her tribulations are associated with her skin color. This proves that she is still struggling to have equal opportunities with the majority in her place of work.  The second interviewee said his working environment has been reduced to fight for survival. They are not heard by authorities because they do not matter in the society.

References

Jick, A & Todd, J . (2019). Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Methods: Triangulation in Action. Administrative Science Quarterly, 24(4), 602-611. doi:10.2307/2392366.

Nyborg, H. (2019). Race as Social Construct. Psych. 1. 139-165. 10.3390/psych1010011.

Salah, M. (2016). The Influence of Rewards on Employees Performance. British Journal of Economics, Management & Trade. 13. 1-25. 10.9734/BJEMT/2016/25822.

Savur, M & Fradue, P. (2015). Sociology of Conflict Theory. Social Scientist, 3(12), 29-42. doi:10.2307/3516428.

Vasileiou, K., Barnett, J., Thorpe, S., & Young, T. (2018). Characterising and justifying sample size sufficiency in interview-based studies: systematic analysis of qualitative health research over a 15-year period. BMC medical research methodology, 18(1), 148. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0594-7

Wimmer, A. (2008). The Making and Unmaking of Ethnic Boundaries: A MultilevelProcess Theory. American Journal of Sociology, 113~4: 970–1022.

Modern therapy approaches came to play during the 19th century and were common in the European culture where communication was regarded as the primary aspect of socialization. These models majorly focused on individuality and self-conscience. Satir’s Process Model of Family Therapy became one of the major communication approaches that were used to carry out self-assessment. The model became widely acceptable because of its underlying communication therapy approach with both structural and strategic models that acknowledged the importance of effective communication within family circles. It was initially intended to address credible details of unspoken thoughts of family members while taping into their strengths.  This essay describes both the historical and characteristics of Satir’s Process Model of Family Therapy and how well it can be used to treat an alcohol troubled couple.

Modern model – Satir’s Process Model of Family Therapy
Introduction  
Modern therapy approaches came to play during 19th century and was common in the European culture where communication was regarded as the primary aspect of socialization. These models majorly focused on individuality and self-conscience. Satir’s Process Model of Family Therapy became one of the major communication approaches that were used to carry out self-assessment. The model became widely acceptable because of its underlying communication therapy approach with both structural and strategic models that acknowledged the importance of effective communication within family circles. It was initially intended to address credible details of unspoken thoughts of family members while taping into their strengths.  This essay describes both historical and characteristics of Satir’s Process Model of Family Therapy and how well it can be used to treat an alcohol troubled couple. 
History, Founders, and Essential Ideas of Satir’s Process Therapy
Virginia Satir found research boring and decided to engage in family therapy through education and social work (Becvar & Becvar, 2012, p. 199). She was active in meeting new families and began to teach her students about family therapy in early 1960s. Satir published her first major book in 1964 titled, “Conjoint Family Therapy” that highlighted the importance of thinking positive to overcome social troubles while paying little attention to the hurtful history.  The book also underlined the evolving nature of mankind and factors that cause behavioral change (Roslyn & Nathan, 2004). Satir emphasized the role of parents in observing children patterns and having complete awareness of their children behaviors for ease diagnosis, especially when their strengths are well known. She later became the director of residential program at Esalen growth center.
Having learnt a lot from family challenges in her social work, Satir came to learn that life of a person can be turned around through instilling self-confidence. The therapist noted that humans are able to develop and transform to better individuals in the society when they are reminded of what they are capable of despite their weaknesses (Hanna, 2018).  The therapy differs with therapeutic procedures that tend to standardize treatment guidelines since humans can take different approaches to solve similar problems. This model pays attention to behavioral change through replacing negative aspects of the behavior with positive facets without worrying about the past misconducts of the client. This humanistic approach uses the basic principle of altering the attitude of a person so that he or she begins thinking about what is good rather than trying to fix the bad behaviors of the client. In her book, Satir said that everyone in the society is healable and has an honorable motive (Roslyn & Nathan, 2004).
Characteristics of the Satir’s Process Model of Family Therapy
Satir’s process model of family therapy is widely used in families and clients that exhibit characteristics of low self-esteem. It is commonly associated with sculpting process which is used to reveal hidden emotions of a client through communication cues. The family life tree is used to depict important events in the family that might be associated with the problem the client presents. Chronological arrangement is sometimes important where the client is required to arrange his/her family members with their notable traits.  This genogram technique is used to reconstruct a family tree for the therapist to conceptualize how certain symptoms emerged from intergenerational family patterns.  Apart from sculpting and genograms, a therapist can also use metaphorical and humor techniques to implement moments of intervention to “allow something to happen” (Becvar & Becvar, 2012, p. 203).
The role of a therapist in Satir’s process model of family therapy is to create a good environment for family communication and facilitate the transformational process that will help clients to view themselves as resourceful beings rather than seeing themselves as failures. He takes into account client’s fears and feelings of hopelessness and transforms them to a feeling of purposefulness in the community. By understanding clients’ strengths and weaknesses, a therapist is able to revive the confidence of a client through encouragement while strengthening the perception of self-checking. In this model a therapist aims to make contact with each family member and get the feeling of each member rather than relying on reported information from other family members. The therapist then evaluates client’s feelings and come up with emotional state that is worth to acknowledge and advices the client to adopt the new way of dealing with the problem. The therapist should be impulsive and ready to experiment various approaches aimed to impact the behavior of a client in a positive way. Flexibility on time, place and fashion remain vital parameters that bring change in the clients’ life (Becvar & Becvar, 2012, p. 203).
The theory of change of this approach is to transform the communication styles of a family that will help it realize its humanistic goals. This change is highly influenced how one feels, behaves and thinks at that particular moment when he presents a problem. According to Satir, every human being is struggling to become complete out of “unwhole” person he was while growing (Becvar & Becvar, 2012, p. 204). The main treatment target is a therefore a family whose member(s) are striving to become “whole” and explore their full potential to heal. Satir’s therapy approach is famous with a phrase,” I own me”, which means everyone has self-control and is able to do what is good without coercion. In this approach, a patient is treated through self-influence without involving the third party in the treatment process.
Satir’s model is assessed based on how effective a family can communicate. A therapist concludes a successful treatment when a client responds to a crisis or a problem in a more creative and effective way rather than blaming others for the problem. As such successful treatments, a therapist needs to put in place long-term resources to maintain the healthy communication within the family. The resources will also help the affected members keep their heads high to the desired goals and avoid sliding back to the initial predicament. The therapy effectively works in a sensitive diverse cultural since a therapist does not directly take part in the treatment of the client. He is consulted as an expert and leaves the client to take autonomous decision whether to follow the recommended treatment guidelines or not. In other words, a lot of weight is put on the patient to treat himself/herself. Since it is used to normalize abusive behavior while investing in positive energy, it disables any forms of discrimination; which makes it to work in culturally sensible community. For instance, Satir’s model theory discourages parents and therapists from using rhetoric like, “Whom do you think you are?” since they bring about discriminatory atmospheres (Hannah, 2001). Such discriminations cause low self-esteem.
Underlying assumptions and tenets of this model align with it being a modern approach to therapy since it connects to the first and second generations that emphasized the importance of positivity in the society. During the period, transformational theories paid keen attention to self-esteem and the right of every person on earth. Satir’s model assumes that everyone has unlimited resources to grow and become whatever they want. The therapist urged therapists to not only consider physical wellbeing of a person but social part is also a vital component of human race. She also introduced the concept of attachment theory that advises parents to spend time with their children and enhance confidence among the family circle (McLeod, 2017). In case of a loss in a family member or separation, the family significantly suffers emotionally, which may eventually lead to low self-esteem (Bowlby, 1969). This model is a strength-based technique that explores clients’ strength rather than their weaknesses when treating them. It was precisely constructed to direct a therapist on transformational path that aims at addressing clients’ problems through exploiting what they are good at without exploring the history of their problems.
Case Analysis
Drinking habit of Robert is nearly destroying his marriage with Patricia. This model is well suited for this case because it will help Robert understand his strengths and try his best to work on his drinking behavior. Similarly, Patricia will learn to contain herself and avoid nagging behavior after realizing the importance of maintaining a state of tranquility in the family. To intervene Robert’s drinking behavior, this model shall tap into Robert’s feelings without considering his downfalls. While focusing on the positive aspects of a good union, Robert shall be asked to pay attention on spending quality time with his wife and family. This will limit his drinking time and eventually spend the surplus time with his family. Patricia will also come to understand that her misunderstanding behavior and endless accusations inadvertently keep Robert’s addiction alive. She will also be advised to focus on the positive things that her husband does for her, which may eventually turn his behavior around.
   The therapist should also use a genogram to determine similar drinking traits across the family tree of Robert and come up with treatment measures (Gehart, 2017, p.186). This will help the therapist to understand if the drinking behavior was associated with any family member. Through exploring functional family patterns in genogram, the therapist can have a reason to enforce communication between members of a troubled couple and trust shall be restored. 
Conclusion
The effect of Virginia Satir’s model has had a significant impact in the therapeutic industry. It was introduced in 1960s when Virginia Satir realized that self-confidence had a healing power rather than over-relying on fixing the source of problems. Satir’s model assumes that anyone is able to change and become acceptable in the society through emotional growth. While focusing on my case study, this therapy is appropriate in the case of Robert and Patricia whose companion is troubled due to Robert’s drinking behavior. Since this approach promotes the positive aspects of a patient, Robert and Patricia are likely to be well treated using the guidelines of restoring self-confidence in both of them. By rejuvenating hope and reducing the feeling of self-guilt, a therapist is able to impart self-acceptance and advise both members of the family to take charge of their lives in a responsible way.
References
Becvar D. S., & Becvar R. J. (2012). Family Therapy: A Systemic Integration for Capella University. [Capella]. Retrieved from https://capella.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781256944188/.
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment. Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Loss. New York: Basic Books.
Gehart, D. R. (2017). Mastering Competencies in Family Therapy: A Practical Approach to Theory and Clinical Case Documentation. [Capella]. Retrieved from https://capella.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781337678285/.
Hanna, S. M. (2018). The Practice of Family Therapy. [Capella]. Retrieved from https://capella.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781351051446/.
Hannah, D. (2001). The Correspondence of Sigmund Freud and Sandor Ferenczi. Vol. 3, 1920-1933 (review). Bulletin of The History of Medicine – BULL HIST MED. 75. 811-812. 10.1353/bhm.2001.0167.
McLeod, S. A. (2017, Febuary 05). Bowlby’s attachment theory. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.html#:~:text=John%20Bowlby%20believed%20that%20the,emotional%20difficulties%2C%20and%20antisocial%20behavior.
Roslyn, M, & Nathan,J . (2004). Process and Outcome in Conjoint Family Therapy. Family Process. 10. 451 – 473. 10.1111/j.1545-5300.1971.00451.

Elections

The year 2021, being the election year of Somalia, is critical for its quest for nation-building, peace, and stability. For the better part of it, the country has worked on unveiling the election plans that are expected to be completed before the year ends.  The elections will be governed by an agreement between the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and the Federal Member States (FMS) that allows for a clan-based delegate voting model.

The role of the next government and president is crucial for the development and democracy of the country, especially at security levels. This will translate in the reconstruction process as well as stability within the horn of Africa (Otieno, 2020).

Elections

The year 2021, being the election year of Somalia, is critical for its quest for nation-building, peace, and stability. For the better part of it, the country has worked on unveiling the election plans that are expected to be completed before the year ends.  The elections will be governed by an agreement between the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and the Federal Member States (FMS) that allows for a clan-based delegate voting model.

The role of the next government and president is crucial for the development and democracy of the country, especially at security levels. This will translate into the reconstruction process as well as stability within the horn of Africa (Otieno, 2020).

Elections and Development?

Economic Development

Rebuilding of an economy is continuous, sustaining the growth is what requires working systems and policies, no matter which changes of government. Somalia continues to develop herself economically and in governance, despite the circumstantial challenges.  There have been noted to be ongoing reforms such as being granted debt relief that has allowed them to acquire international community reengagement. The country has been able to reduce its external debt by 78 percent as of March 2020 (World Bank, 2021). Despite this economic transition, the political settlement and other key challenges especially in their climatic area, threaten the recovery progress.  

Policy Documents

The most pressing needs of Somalia as a country are security and political stability which require proper working systems and policies governed by a working constitution. Despite these needs, it is important to note that Somalia’s current constitution, the 2011 Provisional Constitution, is yet to allow for proper working policies for development. There is, therefore, a need to develop a new constitution that will address nation-building through working policies.

Insecurity and Nation Building Deficits

Somalia continues to be convulsed with tensions between FGS and FMS as concerns control of states. This created battles that have increased insecurities and allowed for an increase in al Shabab attacks. It has been noted that under the previous government, al Shabab attacks were noted to have increased, especially within the last two years. Al Shabab has gone further to reclaim regions in the Lower Shebelle (Otieno, 2020). This kind of insecurity is considered a threat to the nation’s growth and current progress.

Conclusion

Despite these challenges, Somalia continues to be committed to institutional reforms and engagements that create opportunities for rebuilding human capital and economic growth. It is important to note that Somalia’s private sector is a major source of suppleness, innovation, and relations in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea regions. They create potential opportunities for Somalia as a country to benefit from trade and regional interaction bloc activities.  Reference

Joel O. Otieno, O.J (2020): Somalia: Why Upcoming Elections Are Critical for the Country and Horn of Africa. HORN Institute. November 6th 2020.

World Bank (2021): Somalia at a Glance. August 30th 2021

The bacteria Escherichia coli, shortened as E. coli, is famous for causing food poisoning and diarrhea. It is perhaps one of the most studied bacteria throughout the world. It was first discovered in 1886 by Theodor Escherich, who realized the bacteria’s mutualistic relationship with their hosts. The bacterium belongs to a group called coliforms, which majorly reside in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and other animals. The bacterium lives in healthy human intestines and other animals. Most E. coli are harmless, but others like O157:H7 may cause acute abdominal pains, traveler’s diarrhea, and vomiting. The bacterium may be ingested through contaminated water, cooked food, raw beef, or vegetables. Healthy adults can recover from E. coli in a week or two. However, children are at risk of developing health complications, leading to kidney failure. Unlike other bacteria that affect humans when ingested in large amounts, E. coli can cause infections even when taken in small amounts. For instance, slightly cooked hamburgers or contaminated pool water are potential sources of E. coli infections.

While E. coli is associated with fatal effects in the human body, most strains do not cause diseases. Most of the E. coli bacterium strains are mutualistic and help humans digest food as humans provide an excellent environment to multiply and food for their survival. Transformed E. coli, like malleated bacteria, release chemicals essential in fighting against pathogenic microbes (Noda et al., 2017). Humans derive vitamin K from the E. coli K-12 strain, essential in the blood clotting process. This strain is also helpful in the production of phylloquinone (K1), menaquinone (K2), and menadione (K3), which are essential for growth in humans and animals (Bentley & Meganathan, 1982).

In contrast, some strains release a fatal toxin called Shiga toxin. When the poison enters the cells, it interacts with ribosomes and halts the production of proteins. When proteins are not synthesized, the cells cannot replace worn-out or spoilt cells leading to death hemorrhagic colitis of the intestinal cells (Kijewski et al., 2020). This condition leads to inflammation of the intestinal tract and diarrheal fecal matter that contains blood. In severe cases, patients can have hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a condition characterized by damaging blood vessels in the kidneys when they become inflamed. 

Treatment of E. coli is carried out using preventative measures since E. coli does not respond to antibiotics. They are resistant to the general use of antibiotics like cephalosporins and tetracyclines. Medicines are taken when a patient is having an E. coli infection to alleviate the levels of toxicity caused by the bacteria. Antibiotics increase toxicity levels to an E. coli patient, which risks a patient suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome. Given the broad spectrum of the bacteria, Sirsat, Almanza, and Neal (2013) propose that people should adopt preventative culture rather than seeking treatment on infections that may have been preventable. Serious illness of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) may require blood transfusion and kidney dialysis.

In order to reduce the risks associated with infections of the bacteria, preventive measures can be observed. Having known that raw foods and uncooked meat are the bacteria’s common carriers, it is essential to cook meat well. Milk should be pasteurized to kill the bacteria before it is ingested. Raw fruits and vegetables should be washed properly before eating to wash away the E. coli bacteria on the surface. Proper washing of hands after handling tools, other animals, and other materials helps squash the bacteria from hands that would have been otherwise ingested while eating. Utensils should also be washed appropriately to reduce the carriage of bacteria from host to host. Children bear higher health risks compared to adults. They should therefore be kept away from environments suspected to have the bacteria.

Similarly, people with a weakened immune system and terminal illnesses are more likely to be affected by the bacteria. Therefore, they should avoid environments with bacteria (Parker et al., 2016). Decreased stomach acid levels may become a suitable environment for E. coli to multiply. Therefore, people should avoid prolonged antiacids like esomeprazole (Nexium) and pantoprazole (Protonix).

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlines basic principles that people should use to prevent infections caused by toxic E. coli. Food should be prepared through four steps to food safety: clean, separate, cook, and chill. The organization also recommends that beef steaks be boiled to an internal temperature of at least 145°F (62.6˚C). The meat should be exposed to this heat for at least three minutes to kill potential germs associated with E. coli. It is also notable that the organization records more children patients than adults suffering from E. coli infections each year. This is attributed to children’s susceptibility to E. coli because of their tender gastrointestinal tracts that cannot withstand the bacteria’s effects (CDC, 2022).

The largest outbreak of this bacterium was in 1982 when E. coli O157:H7 caused numerous cases of diarrhea throughout the world. Undercooked hamburgers became the prime suspected source of the infection. Even though it accounts for only 33% of food-borne diseases, subsequent outbreaks after the first epidemic were studied and discovered that food-related infections peak during the summer (Rangel et al., 2005). The outbreaks were frequent at community-wide levels, where a few community members like camping or picnic community would experience a sharp increase of diarrhea cases related to E. coli O157:H7.

In conclusion, E. coli bacteria is one of the most studied bacteria worldwide. It is majorly found in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals. Some strains are mutualistic to humans and animals since they help produce Vitamin K. However, strain O157:H7 is harmful as it produces Shiga toxin that is fatal to human health. Toxic E. coli bacteria may cause diarrhea and acute abdominal pain. The bacteria is majorly ingested through food and has no proper known antibiotics for its treatment. CDC organization advocates for preventative measures like proper cooking and washing hands properly to curb its effects.

References

Bentley, R., & Meganathan, R. (1982). Biosynthesis of vitamin K (menaquinone) in bacteria. Microbiological Reviews, 46(3), 241–280.

CDC. (2022). E. coli (Escherichia coli). Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/ecoli-prevention.html

Kijewski, A., Witsø, I. L., Iversen, H., Rønning, H. T., L’Abée-Lund, T., Wasteson, Y., Lindbäck, T., & Aspholm, M. (2020). Vitamin K Analogs Influence the Growth and Virulence Potential of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. Applied and environmental microbiology, 86(24), e00583-20.

Noda, S., Shirai, T., Mori, Y., Oyama, S. & Kondo, A. (2017). Engineering a synthetic pathway for maleate in Escherichia coli. Nature Communications. 8, 1153 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01233-9

Parker, N., Schneegurt, M., Tu, A., Forster, B., & Lister, P. (2016). Microbiology (4th ed.). OpenStax.

Rangel, J. M., Sparling, P. H., Crowe, C., Griffin, P. M., & Swerdlow, D. L. (2005). Epidemiology of Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreaks, United States, 1982-2002. Emerging infectious diseases, 11(4), 603–609. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1104.040739.

Sirsat, S. A., Almanza, B. A., & Neal, J. A. (2013). Persistence of Salmonella and E. Coli on the Surface of Restaurant menus. Journal of Environmental Health, 75(7), 8–15.