Sociology

In the past two decades plastic surgery has become one of the largest and fastest growing medical specialties in the world. Initially, plastic surgeons used to practice reconstructive surgery only but with the turn of events cosmetic surgery engulfed it all. (Envy, 1997, p.2). The recent proliferation of reality based programmes highlighting cosmetic surgery has raised concerns that such programming promotes unrealistic expectations of plastic surgery and increases the desire of viewers to undergo such procedures. Its at no doubt that a hundreds of women are undergoing plastic surgery in search for either a smoother skin or a super  cinched waistline. In the current world where extra, extra small and even 00 sizes and shapes are hailed, it explains why all these women, in their quest to attain these glamorous looks, are turning to plastic surgery to meet the thin, sleek and sculpted standard of beauty the media has imposed on us (Loftus, p.76).
Citing from a wide array of resources - individual accounts, personal medical records, magazines, books and journals, beauty guides and even articles in newspapers, it has come to dawn on us that our culture has come to highlight cosmetic surgery as a panacea for the body mind and spirit and a requirement for individual persons and the society as a whole. Medical practitioners and plastic surgeons have linked the need for normal standards of beauty and style to social class ratings and economic success in the society. They have also related the most undesirable physical characteristics in terms of looks and appearance to psychological condition of the mind such as the inferiority complex to which cosmetic surgery has managed to offer a remedy to. Cosmetic surgery is perceived as a practical and structural solution for the never ending problems raging from low self-esteem to lost careers. (Envy, 1997, p. 56)


The theoretical analysis of plastic surgery
In exploring the similarity experienced in the development of cosmetic surgery and human physicality, researchers has managed to highlight a number of philosophical and psychological queries that underpins the practical ideas given by surgeons or doctors to potential individuals considering carrying out this forms of surgery.
In analyzing this incorporation some theories were put across by theorists like Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Karl Menninger, Paul Schilder and other contemporary feminists, its considered that there is a high and unstable form of cultural notions of health, happiness, and beauty. Revelations of ideas relating to race and gender have structured early understandings of aesthetic surgery, discussing both the abnormality of the Jewish nose and the historical requirement that healthy and virtuous females look normal thereby enabling them to achieve invisibility. (Gilman, 1998, p 16).
Upon reflecting on matters like the widespread prejudices caused by either ones physical appearance or looks, the functionalist theory highlights and describes how cosmetic surgery can save us from the persecutions, persecutions, physical attacks, and even killings that continue to occur due to bodily difference. It educates us in thinking about the cultural assumptions which continue to suppress the increasing adoption and acceptability of this helpful form of psychotherapy.
              Let nothing or no one impair your success thats what the theory of functionalism advocates for. If one feels that by changing hisher physical appearance will bring make things good for him then let him do so.


Critical analysis
A significant percentage of people from around the world seem to concur with this theory. Adoption of change is starting to dawn on people. A survey carried out in the United States by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2005 indicated that in the year 2004, the total number of people who undertook cosmetic surgery procedures nearly clocked 12 million. This represented 17 rise in all forms of surgeries and 51 increase in cosmetic surgery compared to the previous year. This kind of drastic change meant that people are getting more enlightened about this form of surgery. However, research showed that this was mostly influenced by makeover programs depicting cosmetic procedures.
          The criticism about this programmes are true, they present invasive cosmetic procedures as of relatively low risk. They only highlights the positive impacts of these procedures leaving the negativities for one to find out incase it fails.
 They generally suggest that these are a common and acceptable ways of lifting ones physical appearance leading to satisfaction. Lets assume that the audience blindly buy these ideas and adopt these dangerous views, the repercussions are unknown. They can either be positive or negative.
          Again, these assertions are based on the assumptions that there has never been strong proven empirical evidence. This also does not imply that these arguments are not consistent with theoretical principles. This argument was not based on one theory only. The theories of cultivation, social comparison, and social cognitive have all been used to evaluate on the effects of the media content on body image generally. The results implied that with all the damage the media has caused, we are still to blame for our actions. The decisions we make are not supposed to be influenced by all the hype these form of practices get from the media.

 Structured inequality means that people can be ranked differently depending upon their social importance or status in the society. The concept of inequality in a structured context entails that this kind of differentiation or classification among groups of people are recognized as acceptable and even legal. Due to this, the presence of inequality in the society, which is observable in the existence of social class greatly influence the decisions and actions of people.
 The field of sociology is responsible in studying the human societies, which includes giving due attention to the behavior and interaction of people. In line with this, the emergence of sociological theories has the purpose of explaining the human action and relation among each other. The concept of structured inequality is considered as an important issue or problem in sociological theory because of the very reason that it affects the behavior and relationship of individuals among each other. As described in the different sociological theories, structured inequality affects the development of societies because the way by which people arte group or stratified in the society affects their respective behavior as well as the development of the society as a whole.
 This kind of adage is observable in the theory of Karl Marx wherein he asserts that the main basis for the existence of social class is the means of production. The group pf people who owns the means of production is placed in a higher level in the social status. Due to this, the behavior of the people are affected wherein those who own the mean of productions acts as landlords while those who do not have such resources end up to be the servants of these landlords. In addition, the society as whole changes because as Marx described it, the social struggle among different classes brought about the development or evolution in the society.
Being the case, sociological theories give emphasis in structured inequality because it acts as an important factor, which greatly impacts and even direct the behavior of people and how they will relate among each other. Sociological theories are created as a means by which the phenomena that are happening in the human society could be explained. Structured inequality becomes an important concern because they have to carefully study this factor in order to explain why certain groups of people act the way they did and how this contributes in the formation of the human society.

State of Inequality
    The concept of social class has an essential part in the theories of Marx, Durkheim, and Weber because they use it in order to explain the respective role of the presence of social class in explaining the inequality that is happening in the society together with its respective implications.
Karl Marx uses the idea of social class when he asserted that the cause of inequality in the society is because of the idea that human is a material being. One of the most important purposes of humans is to produce the necessary material needs that they have to use. Due to this, they enter in a relationship with other people because this a way by which they could be able to get their needs. The kind of relationship that Marx is pertaining to is characterized by inequality. The idea of social class is related to the means of production because those who own the means of production is recognized to be in the upper level of the social class as compared to the mere laborers who are in the lower class. Due to the importance of means of production to the life of people, social inequality exists as well as social class because people are identified and differentiated based on the means of production that they have or do not have (Rummel n.p.). Thus, the concepts presented by Marx are merely focused on the problem that people are capable of production however due to provided aspects of the laws and norms of society inequality is not present.
Social class fit in the theory of Emile Durkheim in the part wherein people need a new way to relate to each other during this modern society. Durkheim argues that the society is bound together by shared values. However, in this modern society, anomie had been observable because the lack of norms and the weakening social value no longer enable the people to be bounded together. Due to this, a new means of cohesion is necessary, which is seen in the division of labor that exists during this time of industrialization. The source of cohesion in this modern time is seen in the idea of interdependency because an individual needs other people to sustain his or her needs because people work in a cooperative network of social exchange in order to get his or her daily subsistence. The presence of mutual dependence leads to cooperation that resulted to organic solidarity. Organic solidarity is dynamic and regarded as a living process that continuously related to differentiation. Differentiation is the one responsible for individual development, which leads to inequality. As such, inequality causes the establishment of social class because people are group in accordance to the differentiation that they have (Jones n.p.).
    In the case of Max Weber, social class is brought about by economic action because the social action that is involved is based on utilitarianism. In this context, the people who belong or constitute a certain class have the same market and money economy. In this sense, social class is based on the money or economic utility that a group of people have wherein those who possess abundant goods and opportunities for income as compared with others belong in a higher social class than others (Elwell n.p.).  Accordingly, Weber highlights the important of continuous production of goods because stability is promoted to the company. Furthermore, Weber had seen parties as the most important branch of the society to attain  equity for people who are not heard by the government.
    In the current situation of United States, people are seemingly very equal with individuals. The societal structure is very lenient in which no one is truly rich or poor in the eyes of the government.  However, changes are occurring drastically in the social structure of the United States. Thus, the concept rich and poor is prevalent. In the concept of Karl Marx, he explains that social inequality is a manifestation of the economic capabilities of the people in terms of acquiring products and the likes. In addition to this, the view of Marx relating to the current situation of the United States is seen through the economic capabilities of people. But in reflection, the capabilities of people to attain goods are less than what the earn due to the situation of recession.
Moreover, the problem of society is much reliant to the ethnicity of the people. In many studies the problem of poverty is attached to the ethnicity of the individual. One of these examples is the poverty among Asian minorities in the United States. On the other hand, African-Americans are also having difficulties in availing health care. Thus, the issues with regards to the concept of equality are not reliant to the economic background of the people but in the ethnicity they have. Therefore, stereotyping is not only a situation but a reality faced by the American society. Through the concept of Weber of parties, such situation could be addressed through collaboration of different groups that advocates such concerns.
      Thus, the problem of equity underlies in the historical background of United States. Reflecting back to the earlier centuries of United States, African-Americans were not given any rights and liberty, instead they are made to be slaves in different farms and plantations. Although there were freedoms for the African Americans, opportunities to development of individuals are limited. For monetary means are important in order to have further education, the ethnic minorities not capable of advancing their education thus, they do not have higher opportunities to have a better life (Jarrett 192).
    Due to the lesser opportunities many of the ethnic minorities and those people in poverty fail to gain to advancement in their lifestyles. Thus, unlike other classes in the society those that in the poverty line are struggling to gain opportunities to study and have good jobs that provide higher compensation. Moreover less opportunities means less capability to help in the economic gain of the government. Reflecting on Max Webers perception of the society and equity, people need to have opportunities in order for them to be equal with other people. For the current society is providing different aspects of opportunities for people, the case of inequity is also underlying to the concern where opportunities are given. Hence, unequal distribution of opportunities to chosen societies is also a great concern (Gerth and Wright Millswith 187). Due to the unequal distribution, inequity is continuously working within the society which leads to a much problematic nation and government.

Prescient Account
    Inequality within the society is known to be prevalent during the earlier times. Different social strata are important in order to predict a persons stance in life as well as his or her capabilities. Thus, social status is important to the social structure of different societies of various nations. Moreover, the issue of inequality is further experienced by the laborers and the lower classed individuals in the society. On the other hand, the bourgeoisies become much richer through the course and sacrifice of the laborers. Thus, the concept of the rich becoming much richer and the poor becoming much poorer is promoted.
    In viewing the three concepts available from Emil Durkheim, Max Weber and Karl Marx, I viewed that the concept of Max Weber is much accessible and applicable to the current society. The perspective of Max Weber unlike Emil Durkheim and Karl Marx are much applicable to how the systems of society are currently working. Further, Marx was able to highlight different aspects of social actions regarding society. It is stated that the consciousness of the people is not communal. Given that the aspect of social consciousness is known to individuals, Weber suggests that the concept provided by class status is more related to the concept of an individuals perception of the situation. Furthermore, Max highlighted that a communitys consciousness is the responsibility of the people. Through a communal way of realizing that there is a need for social equity, the movement of issue is heightened to a higher level of acknowledgment. Thus, there are the creations of political parties within the nation. Moreover, the presence of political parties is a manifestation that the people through a community of people are now much aware of the situation of inequity within the area.   
    Through high level of having parties system, the community is creating a society that manifest consciousness and relativism in terms of the needs of the nation is important. In the current situation of the society, parties are needed in order for the nation to have awareness to different kinds of issues. Through parties, different issues are given attention unlike only focusing on a sole government or organization.
    The current world is now focusing different problems due to various factors of society. Through the manifestation of parties within the society, there are no minor or major issues that is placed to be important than others. Therefore, the parties do not represent any type of social class but addresses different aspects of the society. Some of the most common themed political parties (Hamilton 119) are those that represent the LGBTs, Labor workers, migrant workers and many others.
    In addition to this the party system is also providing the people a source of check and balanced system. The political party such that of the opposition is often aware of the actions being made by the government whether it is for the public interest or a personal interest. Through this, the people see the action of the government even when they do not see it literally. Thus, there is a feeling of security and equity in the provide information.
    Moreover, the concept of Equity by Max Weber addresses the needs of the current society. The peoples of the current times are not unlike before. Individuals are much knowledgeable and wise which results to methods of questioning, assessing and analyzing the situation. Thus, political parties provide the society a branch where in their priorities would be similar to others and these priorities would be addressed equally and accordingly. Hence, the process of equity in the United States is a desire that is needed to be attained by the government and the nation. Through parties and the recognition of different issues at hand, the concept of Weber is strongly supporting the claims of such need. Thus, the theory of Weber is a reminder that peoples need other institutions in the private sector to uphold their rights and desires.

Countries and economic regions in the former Soviet Union have had mixed, but very separate fortunes in their economies since the disbandment of the Union and its replacement with individual governments. A common thing with the economic regions here is that most of them have a wealth of natural resources.  The differences in how the economies have fared depends largely on how the governance structures managed their different economies.

Moscow, Georgia, Western Siberia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan
The 2000 election in Russia saw Vladimir Putin take over from Boris Yeltsin. With the entrant of the new president came some political semblance in the country. Most of the wealth in the new Russia was and is still concentrated in Moscow. The city accounts for approximately 25 percent of all the countrys tax revenues (Vorhees and Berkmoes 18), despite it being only 0.006 percent of the Russian Federations landmass.  Moscow also has the highest concentration of businesses, commercial banks, high-end retailers and commodity exchanges.  Starting in the mid-1990s, Moscow has also become among the priciest cities in the world.
According to Vorhees and Berkmoes, the newly found economic and social freedom has led to Moscow becoming a free city where everything goes (19). As such indulgence, libation, liberation and defiance are in open display. More to this, corporate decadence is for sale in the city. This means that Moscow has no surprises for the cynics, and no limits for the ambitious.
The location of Moscow in Europe further gives it economic advantage over other cities in Russia. The city is located in the central region of Russia. The entire Moscow region has a large enough population (especially in the northwest side) to drive the economy of the region. 
According to 2003 statistic published by Belov, the Moscow region alone accounted for 5.6 indutrial production in the entire country, while accounting for 16.2 percent of fixed assets in it. Further, Moscow accounted for 28.7 percent of all retail trade turnovers in Russia.
Some of the indicators cited by Belov as the main contributors of the superior economic performance of Moscow include the citys well-developed infrastructure, a wide range of real estate facilities and the accumulation of financial resources in the region. People in the region have managed to combine intellect, cultural and their administrative potential to create an economically thriving city.
According to 2002 statistics, the Gross Domestic Product in Moscow was estimated at 70 billion (2217.9 rubles). This amounted to a 20 percent of the entire countrys GDP.   Considering that the regions population accounts for only 6 percent of the countrys population. This means that a lot of the countrys wealth is concentrated on a few people.
 Economists have found a link between GDP growth in Moscow and the same in the entire country. In 2000 for example, Moscows GDP was at 7.7 percent growth, while Russia registered a 7.5 growth. In 2001, Moscows GDP was lower at 4.5 percent and so was Russias GDP at 5.1 percent. When Moscow registered 3.0 percent GDP in 2002, Russia registered 4.1 percent.  This means that although seen to thrive as a separate entity from the bigger country, Moscows growth usually corresponds to economic growth patterns in the whole of Russia
Statistics obtained from the Department of Economic Policy and Development in Moscow indicates that the food industry, power generation and machine building remain the leading economic industries in Moscow. In 2001, the food industry accounted for 29.3 percent economic productivity, while power generation accounted for 9.1 percent. Machine building on the other hand accounted for 27.6 percent economic productivity. Other contributors included the production of construction materials (4.7 ), clothing, textile and footwear (2.9 ), chemical industry (5.1 ) and other small industries (21.3 ).
In Moscow, the small industries play a significant role in the regions economy. In 2002 alone, the small industries grew by three percent and as a result, their contribution to the Gross Regional Product (GRP) accounted for 10.9 percent.  The St. Petersburg is second in Russia having 12 percent of the regions businesses in the small industry classification.  Moscow and St. Petersburg are the only two regions in Russia that meet the small businesses development criteria in developed countries. Moscow has 20 small companies per every one thousand people, while St. Petersburg has 23 such companies for every thousand people.
The city has also managed to attract foreign investment from different countries across the world. The biggest foreign investors are Germans accounting for 18.0 percent, Great Britain with 17.0 percent, Luxembourg and Cyprus each with 12.0 percent and France with 10.0 percent. Others include USA (6 percent), Switzerland (4.3 percent), the Netherlands (6.0 percent) and Italy (3.0 percent) (Dept. of economic Policy  development in Moscow).
The concentration of wealth in Moscow also means any interruption in the economy, like the just ending financial crises, is likely to have a bigger impact on the city too. However, the ripple effect will most likely be felt in the entire country, especially considering its contribution to the countrys GDP.  According to Murchie, the global economic downturn hit Russias businesspersons quite hard. Most of the super rich people in Russia have thriving businesses in Moscow, mainly because the city is the epitome of business expansion and growth in the entire country.
Like any region experiencing economical expansion, Moscow has its fair share of challenges.  According to information provided by the president of Russian Shito-Ryu Karatedo Federation, environmental pollution is becoming a major concern not only to the citizens, but also to the Russian government.  Of concern is the rate of water and air pollution by heavy chemicals. According to Dubinin, this is especially true in the south and southeastern parts of the Moscow region. Several sites have also been discovered as having been polluted with radioactive material. For Moscow unfortunately, the pollution is not selective and it is suspected that the pollution could easily penetrate the densely populated residential areas and even public gardens (Dubinin).
Moscow and Western Seberia have some economic commonalities. This mainly relates to the two regional economies dependencies of extractive industries. According to Minakir and others, Western Siberia is the only region in the Far East that beats Russia in its share of extractive industries, which stands at 16.7 percent in Russia compared to 36 percent in Western Siberia (45).
Unlike Moscow, which has something of everything, Minakir and others note that the economic development of Western Siberia is more specific in industrial material production rather than in processing industries, as is the case in Moscow (45).  As the main economic region in the Far East, Western Siberia accounts for at least 8.7 percent of food industry production, with fish and seafood forming the bulk of this sector.  The region also relies heavily on the logging industry, it accounts for 7.9 of the countrys timber, cellulose paper and wood processing output. 
The region also produces rolled metal and pig iron for sale to the Far East, and depends on this as a main source of revenue (Minakir et al 53). More to this, the region has vast oil fields and is home to the largest oil refinery in Russia. Other natural resources in Western Siberia include coal and steel, which are used for the production of chemicals and machinery. Moreover, agriculture is also practiced in the region and as such, products such as wheat, oats, sugar beets, rice and dairy are exported from this region to other parts of the country.
The social-economic indicators released in a 1999 survey gave Western Siberia a positive profile for its contribution to the countrys GDP. This was mainly from a combination of factors, which include a substantial population.  The survey further indicated that the regions gross product and the industrial productivity rates were half the mean rate recorded in the entire Russia. Because of this, people working in this region were more likely to earn more than other workers in other regions in Russia. In fact, the wage levels in the 1999 statistics were above the national average by one-third (University of Aberdeen). 
Like Moscow city in the Moscow region, the Kemerovo region has a predominant role in Western Siberias economy.  Kemerovo occupies only 7 percent of the western Siberias land mass. However, the area is home to 25 percent of the regions total population. It also accounts for 30 percent of the regions urban population (Kommersant). Some of the regions exports include coke, coal, cast iron, rolled metal cement, glass, plastic materials, electrical products, synthetic fibers and heavy machinery among others. Like Moscow, Kemerovo and the entire Western Siberia are facing immense challenges in environmental conservation.  There is deep-seated concern among environmentalists that Western Siberia may be trading the welfare of their environment for wealth.
According to Wiget and Balalaeva, the wetlands in Western Siberia are threatened by the constant oil spills that trap water therefore causing flooding and the subsequent destruction of forests, in addition to fires that easily start where the oil has been spilled causing acid rain.
Siberia region lies in the northern part of Asia, with huge parts of the eastern and central Russian Federation lying within the regions boundaries. Unlike Moscow, Siberia is not restricted by size, since its total landmass encompasses an approximate seventy-five percent of Russias territory (Hill 324). The geospatial position of Siberia places it across the Eurasian landmass thus contributing significantly to Russias economic development.  The Siberia region is a primary repository of Russias natural gas resources, and is therefore critical in the economic development of the country. Others resources from the region which contribute significantly to the national kitty include fur, salts, minerals and timber.  The oil reserves in the Western Siberia region remain the economical backbone of Russia today despite having served the same role in the past.  This is because the region holds 80  of the countrys oil reserves, 85  of natural gas reserves and 80  of the coal deposits. In addition, the area accounts for 40  of the countrys timber resources among other precious minerals (Hill 324).
According to Hill, Siberias vastness and natural resources wealth does not contribute to the national kitty as much as it should. In fact, the region suffering from decaying industries, forbidding climate and vast distances accounts for a major drain in the Russian budget (324).  The absence of significant private investors means that the economic future of Siberia lies squarely on the hands of the government. However, in the past, the government has failed to make the Siberian region economically viable, and thus its sustainability has always been pegged on increased federal subsidies.
According to Hill, the federal government has failed to sustain capital investment in the oil rich areas in Siberia (326). This means that in the past, government explored and got as much oil resources as possible without re-investing enough capital to ensure sustainability.  The government especially continued lifting oil from wells developed in the Soviet era without drilling new ones. As a result, it is estimated that most oil are nearing the extinction of resources, and their production capacities are either at a plateau, or is tapering off.  Hope for the region however remains with the huge untapped potential in resources. This however requires a great deal of investment, especially in the infrastructure that will enable government to access the untapped mineral deposits (Hill 327).
According to Shen, Ukraines economy has been a casualty of planned imbalances that were perpetuated for decades soon after the Soviet rule was over (33). Despite the countrys agricultural and industrial potential, lack of responsible economical guidance was largely to blame for this state of affairs. The great potential for Ukraine remains its proximity to Eastern Europe on the west and the continued growth of the black sea ports.
According to Subtelny, agriculture remains the biggest single occupation in Ukraine. As such, the country continues serving as a breadbasket for the entire region. The agricultural production in the country alone is sufficient to feed the entire population of what used to be the Soviet Union. In recognition of the great potential that the sector has, the Ukraines government has invested heavily in farm inputs and machinery in order to boost production.
Unlike Moscow and Western Siberia, Ukraine does not have sufficient natural deposits to fuel in its economy. This is especially so because its natural gas and oil reserves are largely exhausted. However, it is relatively wealthy in mineral deposits. In 2007, the government admitted that it was facing challenges in almost all sectors of its economy. According to Kinakh and Medish, 70 percent of all energy used in the country was imported from other countries. The government also admitted that the investment climate in the country was not appealing to foreign investors and neither was it good enough for small businesses. In this aspect, Ukraine was beaten by Moscow, which as observed elsewhere in this paper has at least 20 small businesses for every one thousand people.
 The over involvement of government in businesses has also had the economy of Ukraine lagging behind as compared to other economies in the region (Kinakh and Medish). This is because too stringent measures by the government kill the spirit of entrepreneurship. The Ukrainian government has been fretting with the idea of a free-market economy, yet the same government contradicts itself by applying some price limits on products on services. This means that investors cannot trust the government with the concept of a free market economy and thus many of them choose not to invest in the country.
According to information released in 2009 by FutureBrand, investors are starting to show interest in Ukraine, especially in the banking, agro-industries and the real estate sectors. Some of the strong areas cited by investors as desirable in Ukraine include effective job markets, macroeconomic stability, strong education system, and a large marketing scope. However, the country also has noticeable drawbacks such as an ineffective commodity market, unstable government policies, unstable government institutions, a weak financial sector and the slow adoption of new technologies by the government and the business community at large (FutureBrand).
Despite the shortcomings in Ukraine, its economy is fairing quite impressively. According to 2008 estimations, the economy was ranked number 45 among other economies in the world with an estimated GDP of USD 399, 866 billion.  Ukraine also has a ferrous metal industry, just like Moscow and Western Siberia. The countrys metal industry produces steel, cast iron and pipes. In 2005, the country was ranked as the eighth largest producer of steel. The chemical industry in the country is also vibrant, producing sulfuric acid, coke and mineral fertilizers. Like other economies relying on industrial development, Ukraine is also faced with immense environmental challenges.
Like Ukraine, Georgias economy has suffered significantly from the mismanagement in the 1990s. However, Georgias economic destabilization had more to do with civil strife in the country as opposed to lack of proper economical guidance. According to information obtained from CIA fact book, the country relies heavily on agriculture and industry to drive its economy.  Like other economic regions and countries analyzed in this paper, Georgia has a generous amount of natural resources and therefore the mining industry plays an important role in the countrys economy.  The mining industry is reliant in copper and manganese.
Like Moscow, the Georgian economy has developed a strong link with private investors who have introduced liberalism in trade, investment and the business sector at large. Unlike Ukraine and West Siberia, Georgias central government believes in the creation of government-formulated policies, which must be effective in enhancing economic performance in the country.  The financed services on the other hand are relegated to the private sector, whose activities and service delivery must meet set governing standards (World Bank).  Because of these measures, Georgias economy grew by 10.5 percent in 2008.
Although Georgia does not have a wealth of natural gas or oil deposits as some of the regions or countries analyzed in this paper, its proximity to the Black Sea means that the country is able to benefit as a transit point. The countrys strategic position on the Silk Road also offers it undue advantage as a transit point for goods being shipped between Asia and Europe.  More economic potential as described by the World Bank is in the countrys tourism sector. Tourists are attracted to the country by the mountainous terrain and the rich culture (World Bank).
Kazakhstans economy is the largest in Central Asia. Like other economies in the post-Soviet region, it also relies heavily on gas and oil industries. After the countrys independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has been a large supplier of gas and oil to countries that used to be the Soviet Union. At independence, the country has four economic pillars  manufacturing, mining, agriculture and gas and oil (OECD, 28).  According to Karatnycky and others, Kazakhstans economy was dependent on the production and export of a few commodities (220). This includes metals, natural gas and crude oil. These three commodities accounted for 70 percent of all the countrys industrial output. The situation has not changed much to date.  Kazakhstan has been hailed by the International Monetary Fund as being among countries with an impressive banking sector, which scored highest among the post-Soviet states in 1999 (Karatnycky et al 220).
In the past few years, Kazakhstan has benefited immensely from the steep increase in world prices in some of its main exports. This includes the rise in oil prices, metals and grain. The country has healthy trade relations with China and Russia.  The difference between Western Siberia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan is that the latter has invited international investors to the major economic sectors (Encyclopedia of the Nations). This means that in spite of the government being a major stakeholder in oil exploration and marketing, international oil marketers like Exxon Mobil and Chevron Texaco have invested in the country as well. As a result, the potential of the country to be a world class exporter of oil are looking good in the short-term. 

Social and economic conditions and environmental problems in Estonia and Latvia
Estonia and Latvia have both had social, economic and environmental problems as individual nations since the collapse of the Soviet Union.  For the two countries, the social, economic and environmental conditions all seem to play a vital role in the development of the countries. Of importance in the two countries are the problems involved in the transition from economies under the Soviet Union to independent economies.
Under Soviet Rule, both Latvias and Estonias environments and infrastructure were in near ruin (Laar).  Worse, the Estonians did not believe much in the countrys capacity to be a better state.  The Latvians on the other hand had serious economic shocks to contend with in their bid to transition from the Communist rule to the free market environment (Encyclopedia of the nations). Environment was thus not among the first priorities that the Latvian government focused on.   With a radical government taking over in Estonia in 1992, Estonians were promised of drastic reforms from the countrys past came into place. The new government started the reform agenda with monetary reforms and macro economic stabilization efforts. Under this, the country introduced its own currency, while emphasizing the need for transparency in all government transactions.  To ensure a steady regional environment, Estonia needed the involvement of other Baltic countries in the environment agenda.
    According to Laar, the Estonian government still suffers challenges to date in getting its people to think independently. This is mainly because the socialism imposed during the Soviet Union era had instilled in them the dependency mentality. The social fabric therefore had to be restructured in order to encourage people to do businesses and therefore create opportunities for the economy to grow.  The need to foster competition by encouraging foreign investors has also been important to the government. However, the conservatives are afraid of such openness, therefore leaving requiring the government once again to show the way. 
    Auer notes that Estonians have deep-seated sentiments about how the environment should be handles (353). Estonians have a specific perception about the unique nature of their countries environment.  However, Estonians have different perceptions of how the environment should be handled. These disagreements usually take a political perspective. Latvians do not however seem to care much about their environment and it is only through the intervention of the government that the society is starting to learn the importance of environment conservation.  Statistics from a 2005 survey revealed that Latvia is farming more and getting 2.6 percent GDP from farming (Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs). This was gotten from 133,000 farms. Estonia on the other hand, had 27, 700 farms and managed to get 2.4 percent GDP from farming (Stonkule et al 3).

Unemployments Definition as given in the Census Bureau of Measurement defines the unemployed as people who were not working at all in the time of the survey week and were thus looking for work. The definition exemplifies further that other persons who are defined to be unemployed are those that would be in search of employment just but for the fact that they were unwell or they were expecting to resume working in the same situation that they were in before they were laid off for an undefined period of time. Such people held the thought that no work within their scope of skill and knowledge was available for them. The questions raised in this definition are thus those of objectivity as the definition is formulated to determine whether a person worked or did not and whether he was in search of a job (Hauser 1949).
How it affects those living in poverty
There is tremendous amount of proof that posits unemployment as the major cause of increase of poverty contributing to the major divide between the poor and the rich. In company to contributing towards increased poverty, unemployment also incites a host of debilitating effects that are social in nature on the unemployed people as well as their families and the surrounding community. As such this calls for welfare reform that will stress the need for formulation of sound policies that will generate employment opportunities. Despite the importance of employment opportunities as a solution to unemployment it should not be the only motivation and goal for the welfare system. The welfare system should formulate a model that guards against distortion in the income structure.
Extent of  problem
There are two myths in the fundamental welfare debate regarding the effects of unemployment and the poor (Saunders 2002).  The problem is that on the left side of the debate there is reluctance to reckon the central role that incentives play on actions that are deemed to be economic in nature. To the right the mystical assumption that is often assumed by those in positions of influence is that attempts to redistribute wealth so as to make tentative improvements within the circles of the poor are always wrought with disaster. The slippery slope of alleviating poverty through wealth redistribution results into an inescapable trend exhibited in the web of poverty (Gruen 1982). Assessing the cost of alleviating unemployment and thus poverty should be a primary goal of the welfare system.
Historical changes
Poverty rates became de-linked from the status of the economy in the nineteen seventies and particularly in the eighties (Haveman, 2000). According to the indexes that were brought before The State of Working America in the period starting from 1998-1999, the seventies experienced elevated poverty levels regardless of the fact that unemployment was dropping in America. In the first half of the nineties, the situation was only fairly improved (Mishel, Bernstein and Schmitt, 1999). In America, economic growth and falling unemployment ran in tandem with poverty. The predominant cause of this scenario is the discrepancies that characterized incomes with high disparities. 
Understanding the problem.
Public Opinion
In America, inequalities within the market directly result into increased poverty. This is because of the weak commitment to formulate policies and assume enterprise frameworks that motivate and enhance equality and redistribution
Views of the unemployed
Among the poor, unemployment exposes one to a heightened risk of poverty. This is because the lack of income to support one in meeting hisher living expenses such as food and housing as well as other costs like education and house bills is a sign of inability to support oneself. In a situation where two adults are living together as a married couple, having one of the two adults in employment is stressed (Miller 1997).
Effectiveness of past solutions
What reduced the risk of people languishing in poverty in the past was not the paid work itself but was as a result of the availability of fulltime work. Poverty can be managed when in a family of two grownups constituting a mother and a father there is at least one parent that is working full time. As such accessibility to full time work schedules is a major factor in alleviating poverty.
Viable Solutions
Programs that work and dont work
    Primarily, the debate against unemployment is that it inhibits accessibility to earning income with the resultant effect of increased poverty.  A point worth observing is that the welfare systems response of alleviating poverty by giving benefits to the poor work against them in the end. This is because the corporate world that is supposed to sustain these benefits is burdened by them and thus can not remain competitive enough to expand and create more employment opportunities to meet the demands of those who come into the employment market.
New programs and visions.
One program that is likely to work in solving the issue of unemployment and poverty is the raising and indexing of the minimum earnings to half the average earnings per hour. The center has also proposed that the government extends Pell Grants and at the same time put clear mechanisms in place that will make tertiary level of education readily available to the residents of each state. The federal government has also been advised to enhance the reintroduction and entrenchment of ex-convicts back into the society by finding stable working opportunities for them. Lastly, the federal government has been advised to reformulate its insurance legislation in a way that will see the insurance companies promote equity when dealing with workers on low wage. 
Which will work Why
A practice that is likely to bear fruit as stated in the new programs and visions as engendered in the policy is the raising and indexing of the minimum earnings to half the average earnings per hour. This is because in the present times, it is as a result of the casual system of employment with increased trends among employers to diminish wages that is leading to a new trend in the society that are creating the working poor (Richardson and Harding 1999)
Discussion of the policy that will work, why will it work
    (Bradbury and Jntti 1999) conclude that, one of the lead causes of divergent tendencies among children living in poverty is accessibility to market incomes. As such by linking disadvantaged and disconnected young Americans with an opportunity to attend school and work at the same time will access them to market opportunities that would have excluded them as a result of lack of skill.
Goals
Goodness of Fit
    The center in a bid to promote education among young Americans has also guaranteed child care assistance to families with low incomes.
Do the goals actually contribute to the greater social good
Alleviating the problem of bringing up a society full of uneducated children who grow up to be juvenile delinquents is absolutely critical as the uneducated lead up to societys detriment by engaging in criminal activities for survival as they lack the necessary skills to sustain them.
Who supports goals Who opposes
The centers proposal to promote formation of workers unions by legislating and enforcing of the employee free choice act by congress is a policy that has been criticized by those in the circles of big corporate ownership. This is because employees as a result of this act will be able to go on paid long leaves of absence and thus will not be productive and cost effective to the respective firms. Despite this fact, employees have received the measure well as it grants them liberty to break the monotony of work.
Feasibility
Does Funding exist
The centers proposal to provide 2,000,000 housing vouchers and enhance same level development in areas that include the outskirts and the inner core of the cities is portrayed in the governments supplementary efforts in ensuring that strained Americans do not loose their houses. 
Discussion of strengths and limitations of policy.
The housing policy is a strong measure towards making sure that poor families can access housing needs but it is questionable as to how the federal government will recover back the funds and more specifically will protect its loan portfolio.

Gender roles of masculine    Gender is a concept that is very difficult to pinpoint an exact definition on, as it tends to have several different meanings and origins. Some cultures may view gender as a strict idea that one is born with and others may view it as a culturally constructed concept that varies greatly. For many gender extends beyond one either being born male or female and includes the traits of being either masculine or feminine.
    For those who believe that genders have rigid guidelines and should behave in a certain way there is not such a broad definition. There are many people who tend to believe that males should act masculine and be tough, unemotional, and sporty or active for example. Men are generally seen as the dominant sex and gender in both the workforce and at the home. Even in the Catholic faith, it is men who are only able to become the ever powerful priests. This then means that females should act feminine and be emotional, sensitive, weak, and very into their appearances. These definitions are probably more so believed by a generation of the past and those of an older age. It seems now that younger members of society and those of a newer generation are beginning to veer away from these strict ideas and allowing gender roles to take on a more free definition. It is now becoming more acceptable for males to portray some  feminine  traits, perhaps being into their appearance or to not enjoy partaking in sports. Men can also express there emotions more now than before and no longer have to be stoic and unemotional. It is also more socially acceptable for females to be  masculine , enjoying playing sports and preferring to wear jeans and t-shirt rather than a feminine dress. In particular, it is becoming more common to see women in the work force doing what was presplm.

In todays world, the issue of the multiple cultures and races co-habiting in a single nation and the problems faced thereof is becoming increasingly relevant as boundaries are fading and the phenomena of immigration is turning into a rule rather than the exception. This essay examines how this concern has affected the environment in Canadian schools. In doing so it aims at exploring the question, Have the attempts made by the state and academic managements towards multiculturalism in Canadian schools been effective in easing out differences between the various  ethnic groups, offering them equal opportunities and treatment and if so, are the resultant academic environment conducive to a positive, common cultural identity for Canadian students.

The essay intends to be a critical analysis of how issues of racism, anti-racism, loss of cultural identity and problem stemming form them, like increase of crime and drop-out rates have been tackled in the past in Canadian schools. 

As the essay proceeds, it will present arguments offered by Dian Million in Telling Secrets Sex, Power and Narratives in Indian Residential School Histories, which demonstrates the trauma caused by the implementing of certain ill-thought of state policies by studying the narratives of aboriginal victims of abuse of residential schools (Million, D., 1999.). As a counter-thesis, the essay presents the views of Daniel Yon as published in Discursive Space of Schooling, which through an analysis of the state of affairs at Maple Heights, a secondary school in Toronto, illustrates how in an active attempt of tolerance and acceptance towards immigrant students, the school has lost the its strong identity and vibrant academic spirit. (Yon. D. A., 2000.)

Multiculturalism in Canadian Schools A Successful Reality

Canada with its reputation of being a good nation has always strived at achieving fair human policies compared to rest of the countries around the world (Alexander, L. M., 2000.). Since its colonization in the 1700s immigrants have flooded to the country from all corners of the world. Besides its original English and French settlers immigrants today include Italians, Jews, Vietnamese and Indians to name a few. With such a mix of ethnicity issues of racism and unequal treatment are bound to crop up but Canada as a nation has made conscious attempts to curb this at a very early stage when in October 1971 the government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau delivered its Announcement of the Implementation of a Policy of Multiculturalism within the Bilingual Framework.. (Brown, M., 2007.)

However one particular policy adopted by the state has been proven to have resulted in devastating effects. Full residential Schooling, which was implemented in Canada in the late 1800s, hoped to benefit the Aboriginal people. Considering their unfortunate positioning in the community, it was anticipated that residential schooling would help Aboriginal children to gain a footing in white European society. (Conde, B., Kabgani, S., 200.)

However in the late 1980s narratives emerged from former students of these schools which described how they had faced sexual and physical abuse during their tenure at the residential schools. And on January 7, 1998, when the federal government of Canada announced the creation of a 350- million-dollar healing fund in an attempt to support redress the effects of the trauma faced by the residential school victims, formally acknowledging its role in tragic happenings, faith of the citizens in the states ability to do good was compromised. This was worsened by the fact that it was not the government that was accountable but also four Church denominations. (Million, D., 1999.) Such an incident is bound to raise doubts in the minds of Academic authorities regarding the validity of accepted notions of what is the right path towards multiculturalism.

On September 2009, in yet another attempt at uplifting people from a minority group, the Toronto district School Board (TDBS), established an Afro-centric Alternative School for elementary students. This was in response to their recent research findings showed the drop-out rate of Black students to be as high as 40 (particularly for the male students)  Considering this high drop-out and crime rates of Black students in the regular schools, the move aimed at providing specialized education, tailored to their needs and abilities. The school intends to include the histories, cultures, experiences and contributions of people of African descent and other racial groups into the curriculum, teaching methodologies and social environment of the schools (James, C.E., 2009.)

Though this move has been attacked by considerable criticisms it is hard to ignore the fact such kind of segregation manages to avoid altogether racial issues that is bound to arise in an otherwise multi-ethnic environment.
The modus-operandi behind the residential school regulation was to dominate the up-bringing of the children from minority-group families so that their cultural identity conforms to that of a whiteEnglish child. The establishment of a segregated school for African-Canadians will result in alienating the students of the school from other ethnic groups. The ultimate outcome, nevertheless, remains the same. Both schools were intended to possess a single dominant cultural identity.

However the majority of schools in Canada today function on a different principle all together. Rather than a melting pot, it would be best described as a mosaic of cultures (Yon. D. A., 2000.) These schools have students that hail from various backgrounds, each ethnic-group bringing with it its own language, customs, and culture. In an attempt to be politically correct and uphold human rights, the policy adopted by the schools was that of tolerance and acceptance. It was the teachers that adapted to the students cultures, learning their language and altering teaching methods, rather than the other way around. The identity of the schools, more than influencing that of the students, continuously changed in order to conform to their cultures.

Maple Heights, at Toronto, the school studied by Daniel Yon, was founded as a 1955, to cater to the more affluent population residing in its surrounding areas. Today it is converted into a secondary school that also teaches traditional trades and not just concentrated on academic pursuits. This was done because of the shift in demographic around the area as more immigrants settled in.

This phenomenon, created by the consistent practice of conscious anti-racism in the school, while helping to preserve the cultural identities of the minority groups by generating a sense of belonging within them, have sprung fears of not having a single united motivation and spirit. The school is more definable as a collection of groups, which turn inwards for strength and companionship. Though this maybe a positive aspect for the minority group it is apprehended to be a danger to the National spirit.

The dominance of immigrants over the school has reached to the extent that it has created some sense of resentment among the non-immigrant students making them feel like outsiders.

The increase of crime-rate in schools has also generated some cause for concern among the citizens of the Nation. Due to negative stereo-typing, crime is generally attributed to certain ethnic groups, which in turn leads to reinforcing its reputation. This has a negative impact on teenagers belonging to  close-knit minority groups, such as those that are prevalent in schools today, since they tend to modify their behavior to keep up to these reputations (whether real or imagined).

The answer to how one can create a healthy atmosphere of multiculturalism in schools seems to lie more within the second model rather than the first. Canada is blessed with a rich tapestry of cultures and much good can come out of tapping into the potential of each culture. Hence it is essential that one does not, in the pursuit of a singular National spirit, lose that of numerous ethnic groups prevalent in the country, mainly since Canada today is defined as a collective of these cultures.

The key is to make the minority groups feel secure enough in the school to be able to let go of their apprehensions and accept Canadian identities. It is essential therefore to not give importance to any one particular group, minority or otherwise (a common complaint these days is that Blacks tend to get all the attention) but have equal treatment for all.

From Daniel Yons essay it is evident that the academic community is only too eager to follow this path. Suggestions came from the teachers he interviewed at the school to not just celebrate African History Month but one for every ethnic group. This seems like a particularly good idea since tolerance after all stems on awareness.
Patriotism, represented by role models from varying cultural backgrounds should be inculcated into the curriculum. A more relatable image of what it means to be Canadian would be more acceptable to young minds.

The trends in todays youth is also helping to blur boundaries between communities as inter- racial-dating is more and more becoming a norm. Music and media (especially close to the heart of the young) are also crossing borders.

As mentioned before, Canada has always been a role model of sorts in the sphere of human rights and to adopt policies like that of imposing a culture on a minority group or segregating them from the rest should be considered un-Canadian.

One of the worst social problems that have hit humankind is the prevalence of the HIVAIDS disaster. According to statistics provided by the World Bank in 2002, the statistics of people affected by the scourge are staggering.  By 2002, around 25 million people had died of AIDS, and around 40 million people were estimated to be living with HIV or AIDS. According to the World Bank, these figures rose by about 50 percent between 1991 and 2002 as projected by the World Health Organization (WHO) (World Bank, 2008).
It is generally known from media and sociological researches that third world countries, and especially Africa have the highest prevalence of HIVAIDS, yet there are also conflicting reports of deaths associated with HIVAIDS in different continents. For instance, India is reported to have the highest number of death cases related to AIDS, yet ironically, the country is considered to have a low prevalence of the scourge (World Bank, 2008). Could this difference be attributed to differences in sociological perspectives and what the media generally report 
This paper will analyze various perspectives regarding the HIVAIDS scourge. In particular, the paper will focus on the sources of in regarding HIV and AIDS with particular focus on the crisis as it is in Africa an in the United States. The paper will focus on access to medication as well as the cost effectiveness of treatment of HIV and AIDS in these two regions. In addition, the paper will evaluate the popular media sources and considerations concerning HIV and AIDS. The other section of the paper will entail an analysis of attitudes about AIDS, perceptions and facts. In line with this, the paper will address the impact to the media in disseminating information about HIV and AIDS, in particular how this compares with sociological perspectives on HIV and AIDS.
Availability of academic sources regarding HIV and AIDS
Availability of information about HIV and AIDS has been considered the most effective approach to dealing with the pandemic.  It cannot be gainsaid that people need to be informed in order to understand the reality. There is much evidence the education helps people to protect themselves against HIV infections.  For instance, data obtained in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the period when the scourge was just emerging showed that there was a positive correlation between the peoples level of education and the rates of infection of the disease. This could be attributed to the point that the more educated people were of as higher economic status   and had greater mobility, enabling them to interact with and have a higher number of sexual partners. This was exacerbated by the fact that at the time of the onset of the HIV and AIDS pandemic education was devoid of topics on prevention of HIV and AIDS as well as behavior change (World Bank, 2008).
When means to prevent infections were better known people were empowered with ways to reduce further infections and adopt safer sexual behavior. With this, sociological studies later revealed that there was a reversal in the trend of infection - the uneducated people now being infected more.  This can confirmed by a study that was done in Zambia in which it was noted that there was a marked decline rates of infection of HIV among youths aged between 15 and 19 (having medium to high-level education), but there was a marked increase in the number of infections among people of lower education levels. That would imply that the prevalence of HIV and AIDS has been very high in Africa especially in the sub-Saharan region.
The next section focuses on access to medication in Africa as well as the United States
Access to medication
There is mixed opinion over the sociological views and what the media reports about HIV and AIDS as well as access to medication for the condition. In many regions, the prevalence of HIV and AIDS is estimated using local conditions that are not well suited for determining of the real prevalence in entire populations. Such estimates therefore fail to address issues such as monitoring the efficiency and patterns of transmission in many regions of the world.
There are also difficulties in obtaining accurate projections for new HIV infections if the prevalence rate is relatively low. This leads to a creation of two scenarios one, a case whereby sociological studies may reveal statistics that are inflated leading to more media attention in one given area and two a situation whereby the statistics are underreported, leading to diversion of media attention from areas that would otherwise have needed more focus. A key problem here is that when the statistics are overly alarmist, they tend to encourage either popular skepticism or even fatalism. On the other hand, overly low estimates rouse international suspicion (Van Niekerk  Kopelman, 2009).
The AIDS crisis in Africa and other international communities
In Ethics  AIDS in Africa the challenge to our thinking, Van Niekerk and Kopelman note that the vast majority of HIV and AIDS patients in developing countries have no access to life saving drugs (Van Niekerk  Kopelman, 2009).  Thus, the authors suggest that compulsory licensing of HIV and AIDS is preferable, both in moral and pragmatic terms. In line with this, the two authors suggest that   aspects subsidizing the availability of HIV and AIDS medication such as price cuts and donation schemes are imperative (Van Niekerk  Kopelman, 2009).
In Africa, studies have revealed that South Africa has the highest prevalence of the HIVAIDS pandemic. The prevalence rate was 10.8 percent of the general population in the year 2004 (Rohleder, Swartz,  Kalichman, 2009). The impact of the scourge is enormous if one considers factors such as access to drugs needed to combat opportunistic infections associated with the disease. The magnitude of the devastation caused by HIV and AIDS is exacerbated by the stigma associated with the conditions. Usually families have to spend fortunes caring for those affected with HIV and those in the AIDS stage. Significant costs are also incurred in funeral expenses the people who die of AIDS as well as supporting children who are orphaned due to the scourge. This implies that access to medication for those who are infected with HIVAIDS is a Herculean task (Rohleder, Swartz,  Kalichman, 2009).
There have been many attempts to deal with the spread of HIV but they are hampered by social perspectives about HIV and AIDS. Many considerations have been about employing vaccination trial programs in a bid to step infections. But any sociologist would view vaccine trial on human being as one of the most mind-boggling activities to be done by human beings. This cannot be gainsaid. According to Rohleder, Swartz, and Kalichman (2009), community participation in HIV vaccine trail is often times assumed to be a wide social good, particularly for communities that whose members are at very high risk if contracting HIV. Nevertheless, it has been noted that perception about participation in HIV vaccine trials may pose a significant personal risk for the participants as a result of the social stigma that the participants may be subjected to as a result of their participation in HIV related research (Rohleder, Swartz, and Kalichman, 2009). Most of the concerns are related to the side effects of the HIV vaccines. As such, many projects in HIV management in Africa are hampered by diverse sociological perspectives.
Media reports about HIV and AIDS in Africa are usually focused on one or few issues. For instance, a report published on the Voice of America website on 16 November 2009 cited the government of South Africa for not providing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to the people who need them (Taylor, 2009). As such, the report says, supply of HIV and Aids support drugs has been left to non-governmental organizations such as Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) which strives to have patients afford the drugs (Taylor, 2009).  But can media reports be trusted Readers who commented on the VOA report had mixed opinions. One reader noted that the article was just an illustration of there United States media interest in Africa, given that there are also HIV and AIDS patients in the United States but their plight is not highlighted as much as it is in Africa (the comments can be accessed at httpwww1.voanews.comenglishnewsafricasouthernSouth-Africa-AIDS-PT1-Taylor-16Nov09-69963137.html)
AIDS in the United States
With better systems to check the prevalence of HIV and AIDS among its population, the United States is faced with a rather unique problem. Studies done in 2005 revealed that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) causes HIV patient to live longer healthier lives, but this poses another sociological problem (Mooney, Knox  Schacht 2008).    Patients under the therapy engage more in unprotected sex with the belief that they have lower HIV load and are less likely to infect their partners (Mooney, Knox  Schacht 2008).  The implication of implication of this is that any high prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the United States is disguised by the highly effective medication that is available.
Media reports in the United States focus on revised HIV treatment as opposed to Africa where most reports concern inaccessibility of drugs, high cost of ARVs and so forth. Web sites such as aegic.com provide detailed information on how to treat HIV in the initial stages (Highleyman, 2009).
Cost and effectiveness of medication in the treatment of AIDS
Much attention on treatment of HIV and AIDS in developed countries is paid to cost cutting agenda as well as quality care. The situation developing countries different many people cannot have access to basic needs not mention the expensive medication for HIV and AIDS. But this varies among various target groups.
HIV and Black women
Studies by Centers for Disease Control have revealed that 64 percent of the women living with HIV and AIDS in the United States are African-American (Ho, 2009).   This means that there is need for more intervention on the social as well as other factors that cause variations in the prevalence rated between black women and white women (Ho, 2009). 
Gay men and AIDS
The gay marriages have been a source of controversy in recent years. Gays were initially viewed to be a group disconnected from the entire society recently they have gained recognition in many countries such as the United States and Australia. In the media, there are many newspapers that address their plight especially with respect to transmission of HIV through sexual acts (Moore, 2001).

Popular media sources and considerations concerning HIV and AIDS
Sociological studies on HIV and AIDS rely on findings obtained from sample populations. As mentioned earlier, the finding may be overly representative of facts or be overly under representative of the actual truth. Yet in many instances, media reports rely on these biased findings.  Hence, media houses that are generally trusted such as VOA may be sources of unreliable information. Report from developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa have generally indicates a high prevalence of HIV but if analyzed keenly, the information could indicate a generally high risk rate in a all populations around the world save for the better information and access to resources that that come countries have  (Moore, 2001).
Attitudes about AIDS
The fact that perceptions and facts surround the issue of HIV and AIDS presents mixed opinion about the condition. Perceptions about AIDS are rife given the nature of spread of the disease. Media such as newspapers often carry what is perceived to be the position about HIV and AIDS prevalence, but the figures may not necessarily be true. According to Landau-Stanton and Clements (1993), even professional  may deny the validity of scientific data due areas that have not been understood or well studied about HIV and AIDS such as risk guideline, routes of transmission, as well as personal risk assessment. There have many media report focusing on HIV among Hispanic American as well as African Americans, who perceived to be among the high-risk communities. The problem is that such groups are minorities and prevalence of HIV in any group is generalized to the entire minority populations.