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Saturday, March 26, 2011

argallon millan chap 1

Chapter 1
1. In the local arena, the frequency of HIV positive patients are considerably low compared to that (“those” referring to patients) of other countries.
2. health, specifically their physical health (express in better words, don’t repeat words)
3. the rest is okay.
4. Very good presentation of the problem


Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
Rationale of the Study
No other aspect of the human life is more essential than the health of a person. It is only with a perfect health that a person can fully do and accomplish his/her activities and do his/her job well. Hence, every person strives to accommodate all the opportunities possible and enters into different kinds of work in order to make ends meet, making him/her vulnerable to diseases and certain health risks.
Yet, with some certain changes in the international scene, particularly the discovery of the HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) epidemic, health problem has become a prevailing issue in the world especially in over unprotected and ill-prepared societies and communities. It is in these communities in Africa that HIV/AIDS was believed to have originated (Jones, 2009).
Eventually, most people believe that HIV/AIDS can only be spread through sexual means since this disease has been categorized as one of the many Sexually Transmitted Diseases or STD’s present in our society. But unfortunately, one of the newest discovery regarding HIV/AIDS is that it can now be transferred through an indirect contact with an HIV positive patient (Nevid, 1998, pp. 29-36). The increase of HIV/AIDS cases in the world has produced a great impact on the global arena and has made the world different from the past (Greenwood, Kircher, & Tertilt, 2009).
According to the UNAIDS (United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS) report released on June, 1998, HIV was a “latecomer” to Asia (Stephenson, 1998). Stephenson stressed that although it came late in Asian regions, the spread of the virus was incredibly swift (par. 7). And when we speak of Asian regions, that basically includes our country – the Philippines.
As time passed and the discovery of technology came, a very peculiar point was raised. Interestingly, the rise of the cases of the HIV positive in the country has proportionally increased together with the fast arrival and settling of the Business Process Outsourcing or BPO industries here in the country. Although studies regarding the issue have not proven this idea to be true, but coincidentally, that was the incident.
The BPO industry has been heralded as the newest “sunshine industry” here in the country (Alava, 2006, p. 1). Alava also added that with the high expectations from the market, it cannot be denied that it has been employing thousands of Filipino college graduates, which doubles every year (par. 1).
And with the emergence of globalization and the rapidly evolving information technology, life has become easier yet more complex and, at certain times, incomprehensible (Ogena, 1999).
In the local arena, the frequency of HIV positive patients are considerably low compared to that of other countries. We, Filipinos, still preserve our values of being “the conservative ones” as compared to those of the western cultures such as the Americans who are known to be “the liberated ones”. But with the arrival of the BPO industries coming from the west, it cannot be denied that many call center agents have somehow adapted to the western-like lifestyle of being liberated.
The reason why we chose the topic of this research, focusing on the lifestyle of the call center agents is that many teenagers and even those older than the teens are becoming inclined to work in call center industries because of the high compensation or salary and the benefits that an agent can get from the industry. Basically, being employed in a call center industry has become a trend especially to those people who have not found their luck in getting a job. Their inclinations of working in call center industries have affected their lifestyle in such a way that it somehow affects their health, specifically their physical health.
With the increase of the occurrence rate of the call center agents being HIV positive, studies have been conducted in order to ensure the health of the workers and also the protection of the people from acquiring the virus. This study does not intend to discriminate call center agents as the call center agents are not being labeled to as HIV carriers. This research is made to fully know the things that make a call center agent vulnerable to this disease. This study is conducted in order to really know the reason behind the call center agents being a prone victim of HIV/AIDS.

Statement of the Problem
The objective of the study is to identify the reason behind the vulnerability of call center agents to HIV/AIDS. This study also aims to identify which activity of a call center agent makes him/her prone to acquiring such disease. And in order for this objective to be achieved the researchers need to:

1. Present the activities that a call center agent does that make a call center agent prone to HIV/AIDS.
2. Show how a call center agent’s nature of work affects his/her lifestyle.
3. Prove whether the frequency of engaging in sexual activities is the main reason for the acquisition of HIV/AIDS among call center agents.

Significance of the Study
Eventually, the main benefactors of this research are the main subjects of this research – the call center agents themselves. Since this study focuses on their nature of work and their lifestyle that somehow affects their health, they will be able to know better their working environment. Through this research, they will be aware of the consequences of the activities that they do in order to relieve themselves from the stress brought by their workplace.
This study on the lifestyle and the activities done by call center agents in their work is an informative research since it allows the readers to know the real deal and the reality of the life of a call center agent. That aside from the high salary they get from attending calls from other countries, they also have to adjust their biological clock in order to attend to customers from the other side of the world. And by doing so, they risk their health and the activities they normally do.
Aside from the call center agents, future researchers who will be doing studies regarding HIV/AIDS will be able to learn from this study since this study presents data that will be useful especially as basis for their research. Although they may focus their study on another aspect of HIV/AIDS, they will still be able to use this research as a guide and as basis also on what particular angle of the issue to tackle on.
This research will also benefit the call center companies in the country because through this research, they will be more aware on this issue regarding call center agents being vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. In doing so, they will implement strict medical and health rules so that they can avoid HIV positive employees in their industry.
Aside from those mentioned institutions, this will also benefit the Philippine government in such a way that they will implement policies regarding regular medical check-up on these industries in order to ensure the safety of the people in industries such as that of call center companies. And that they also become stricter in allowing foreign investors in the country in order to avoid the spread of “liberated mentality” among the people in our country.
This will also benefit all the people since there are many facts presented in this research about methods in which HIV/AIDS is being transmitted. As what our Biology teacher told us, “No matter how many gallons of saliva from an HIV positive a person drinks, he/she will not be infected by the virus.” Though it may sound gross but that is the truth. With the information shown in this research, a person will be aware of the things that he/she must not do in order not to acquire this certain virus. With the information presented in this research, the public or the people will be fully aware of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to dealing with HIV/AIDS.

1 Comments:

Blogger signifiersignified said...

29/30

7:33 AM

 

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