The Public Health Campaigns Health And Social Care Essay

Even though the relationship between cervical malignant neoplastic disease and sexual activity has proved by surveies to be near and the function of the HPV virus in the development of cervical malignant neoplastic disease is well-known, the reviewed articles showed that there have n't been emphasized plenty by the public wellness runs ( Waller, McCaffery and Wardle 2004 ) . Specifically in the NHS, the information provided is limited. Some surveies demonstrated that the medical cusps highlight the taking behavioural hazard factors such as the early age of first intercourse, the high figure of sexual spouses or the deficiency of usage of rubbers, nevertheless, the relationship between a sexual transmitted virus and cervical malignant neoplastic disease is n't presented clearly ( Waller, McCaffery and Wardle 2004 ) . Sexual activity of adolescents could be characterized as either a milepost of their development or a field of unsafe behaviour. During pubescence, gender becomes active as adolescents experiment, seeking for ‘sexual individuality ‘ . Merely one article ( [ 13 ] ) refering Greece high spot that to day of the month Greece competes with the highest abortion incidence rates worldwide and sexually transmitted diseases are the most common public wellness job among striplings. The deficiency of information on how to protect themselves for unintended gestation of STIs could be ruinous ( Iliadou and Palaska 2008 ) . Harmonizing to this survey, sexual instruction is limited and unsatisfactory among striplings in Greece because conservative positions claim that sexual wellness instruction shows new patterns to the immature people which otherwise they would n't follow. Specifically the chief beginnings of information on contraceptive method are friends ( 66 % ) , household ( 60 % ) a nd books or magazines ( 59 % ) whereas the wellness professional apply merely the 3.3 % of the replies ( Iliadou and Palaska 2008 ) . Contrary to the immature Greek population, research workers examined striplings of other states such as Denmark and they concluded that they have equal cognition on how to protect themselves while adult females and work forces are considered every bit responsible for the transmittal of STIs ( Mortensen 2010 ) . In add-on, most surprising is that besides the UK provides limited cognition on the STIs and HPV infection in both work forces and adult females. Five of the surveies ( [ 20 ] , [ 30 ] , [ 31 ] , [ 32 ] , [ 33 ] ) provided studies which proved that 67 % of the people responded that ‘many sexual spouses ‘ is a major cause of cervical malignant neoplastic disease whereas merely 31 % replied ‘viruses or infection ‘ . Merely 1 % of the respondents answered that HPV virus is a causal factor of cervical malignant neoplastic disease ( Waller, McCaffery and Wardle 2004 ) . The same surveies demonstrated that the form of cognition seems to divert across different age groups. For illustration, adult females of 55-64 old ages old are most likely to cognize hazard factors such as the sexual activity and holding many sexual spouses. On the other manus, younger adult females of 16-24 old ages old and people holding hapless instruction showed the lowest consciousness of the hazard factors ( Waller, McCaffery and Wardle 2004 ) ( Wardle, et Al. 2001 ) . This study raises the inquiry on the cognition British adult females have, sing the sexual behaviour. Furthermore, the overall cognition on sexually transmitted infections ( STI ) is surprisingly low among pupils. British female pupils were familiar with the smear trial as a preventative cervical malignant neoplastic disease testing step and they replied that they had ne'er considered themselves to be examined but they expressed an involvement in the HPV vaccinum. On the other manus, work forces were n't certain what smear trial is ( Martin, et Al. 2011 ) . Hence, what is revealed is that the recent high cervical malignant neoplastic disease incidence rates are the result of a wellness instruction system where the cognition of the sexual behaviour is limited and it is n't concentrated on the self-management and the subject of the organic structure. All these findings, in add-on to the 14 % increased incidence rates in the last four old ages ( Cancer Research UK, 2012 ) demonstrate that the current wellness instruction peculiarly in school-based undertakings in the UK is hapless and one-sided. It focuses largely on the unintended gestation and contributes to the position that sexual wellness is merely adult female ‘s duty. These surveies ( [ 30 ] , [ 32 ] , [ 33 ] ) show that school based programmes in the UK fail to understand that betterment of misbehaviour is required to set up self-discipline. Alternatively, these school-based programmes should intent to increase the cognition of the adolescences to supervise themselves, produce the consciousness of the hazard factors and make the sense of personal duty in take parting on a regular basis in the showing trials. Hence, wellness instruction would finally make adept disciplined organic structures. This manner, the organic structure becomes cardinal. The construct of bio-po wer is placed to exert non merely the organic structure but besides the psyche. For that ground, there was ever been a argument on whether the UK should present unfastened treatments about sex in a school-based programme and educate adolescents on proper sexual behaviour and their engagement to testing trials in order to cut down the sexually familial infections ( Martin, et Al. 2011 ) . Overall, it is dismaying that most people in Britain consider household medical history as most noteworthy factor for cervical malignant neoplastic disease than the infection by STIs ( Waller, McCaffery and Wardle 2004 ) . However, acceptance and execution of wellness instruction programmes outside school, has been a topic of research. Contrary to what Nettleton claims there is besides the belief provided chiefly by Annemarie Mol that wellness instruction of public wellness is n't adequate to do people move rationally and give up unhealthy life styles. Public wellness runs are accused for being really general and that they address the full population without taking into consideration the differences among people ‘s wellness position and the stipulations for disease. Every educational run focuses on the population as a entire and as all being equal and they do n't acknowledge that when the educational programmes address the whole population, there is a portion of it, that ca n't hold entree to the healthy life style they suggest and people do n't see themselves reflecting in this state of affairs ( Mol 2008 ) . Furthermore, gender is a sensitive field that most adult females feel uncomfortable and diffident to discourse about publically. Any public statement that emphasizes on the nexus between cervical malignant neoplastic disease, sexual activity and smear trial, sounds to be about the adult female ‘s ‘ ain gender ( Braun and Gavey 1999 ) . This is the ground why the wellness instruction even in public wellness runs should be targeted to specific age groups. School is a promising manner. Harmonizing to the undermentioned surveies ( [ 20 ] , [ 30 ] , [ 31 ] ) school is the lone establishment in our society where many immature people attend before their first intercourse. Given proper and sufficient wellness instruction, it is cardinal that the self-management of the adolescences is improved and the informed pick is activated. Health instruction finally creates to the adult females the sense of power and subject on their ain organic structure. Self-discipline is considered as a moral behaviour which is motivated by intrinsic factors. The school-based programmes aim to better these factors and make a sense of cognizing ego and lead to active agents of the society where people control themselves unconsciously ; that is, school- based programmes create what Foucault has defined as docile organic structures. Harmonizing to su rveies conducted in the '90s and 2000, there is no grounds that sexual instruction increases the sexual activity. Alternatively, the sexual instruction specifically in school-based programmes delays the first intercourse, increases the usage of prophylactic methods and reduces the figure of sexual spouses ( Kirby, et Al. 1994 ) ( Dolan Mullen, et Al. 1995 ) ( Iliadou and Palaska 2008 ) . Most significantly, through the wellness instruction course of study there were important positive consequences sing the decrease of unhealthy wonts ( Glanz, Rimer and Viswanath 2008 ) ( Dolan Mullen, et Al. 1995 ) such as smoke, and a important addition in the inoculation rates. In add-on, in the 1980s research surveies was found out that among simple and secondary school kids, wellness instruction really improved kids ‘s wellness attitude and behaviour ( Dolan Mullen, et Al. 1995 ) . Therefore, it is a great chance to turn to wellness instruction programmes particularly sing the decrease of hazardous sexual behaviour ( Kirby, et Al. 1994 ) and the regular engagement in diagnostic trials because most HPV instances are reported in immature ages of 20-24 old ages old. There are many ways to believe that public policy can forbid hazardous activities and advance healthy manner of life. Recreation countries and rigorous nutrient statute law are some public intercessions Mol suggests through which, people can switch into rational mundane wonts ( Mol 2008 ) . Information runs on the HPV inoculation is another 1. Some articles consider Denmark as a important illustration that makes a important attempt since the debut of the HPV vaccinum in 2006, to educate the female population with HPV information runs. These runs are concentrated on the safety, the cost, the efficiency and possible side effects of the vaccinums ( Mortensen 2010 ) . Besides, in the same model, the two vaccinum makers organized a media-based run meaning to inform the female population on the benefits of the inoculation ( Mortensen 2010 ) . The engagement of adult females in these events can increase their cognition on the disease and the possible hazard factors and they can do informed picks on showing or inoculation. Not surprisingly, in most of the developed states the cervical malignant neoplastic disease testing system is advanced, nevertheless as surveies show, adult females still develop cervical malignant neoplastic disease ( Bosh and Harper 2006 ) . So, primary bar has a double function ; in the first topographic point, the end of the wellness instruction is to supply information through a non-threatening, easy and accessible manner and raise the consciousness of persons about organic structure care and lifestyle alteration to forestall disease through assorted programmes. Through nonsubjective and progressive information, people can go rational histrions for them and they can acknowledge easy the hazard factors and the dangers of specific activities. For illustration, research analyzing the attitude of adult females and parents for the HPV vaccinum demonstrated that given the right information on the safety and efficaciousness of the vaccinum, they promote its usage ( Raffle, 2007 ) ( Bun n 2008 ) . Hence, a wide and complete educational programme is indispensable to trip an informed pick. Most of the articles pointed out that it is cardinal that adult females have the ability to do their ain wellness picks. Additionally, another end of the wellness instruction is to stress the personal duty for wellness and promote the engagement of adult females on wellness services ( Scambler 2005 ) . Women should experience that go toing the cervical malignant neoplastic disease testing scrutinies is a personal determination. In Western societies, people are an ideal illustration of docile organic structures as they are encouraged to take attention of their organic structure through preventative interventions and they are induced to command their wellness. Namely, protection of their organic structures is a portion of their duty as being members of the society ( Braun and Gavey 1999 ) ( Petersen and Lupton 2000 ) . As Mol agrees, it is better to promote people to take part in suc h intercessions instead than compel them ( Mol 2008 ) . No power system has of all time survived with the fright and coercion as the lone arms.

Hobbes: Human Nature and Political Philosophy Essay

Thomas Hobbes writes in his 1651 masterpiece Leviathan of his interpretations of the inherent qualities of mankind, and the covenants through which they enter in order to secure a peaceful existence. His book is divided up into two separate sections; Of Man, in which Hobbes describes characteristics of humans coexisting without the protection of a superior earthly authority, and Of Commonwealth, which explains how humans trapped in that primal ?state of nature’ may escape and, through agreements, be able to live peaceably among one another without fear of unjust actions being taken against them. I too will discuss these elements of society as Hobbes intended them to be, with special emphasis on how human nature played a role in determining most of Hobbes’ basis for his political theories. In the introduction to Leviathan, Hobbes casts a highly mechanized view of humans by theorizing that they are simply a motion of limbs and simple machines that come together to produce a living, breathing, working human. â€Å"For what is the heart, but a spring; and the nerves, but so many strings; and the joints, but so many wheels, giving motion to the whole body, such as was intended by the Artificer? † (Leviathan, Introduction) Although this is a depiction of how Hobbes views the dynamics of the human body, he contends that human actions work in a similar, mechanistic way. According to the text, specific wants and appetites produce within the human body and are experienced as discomforts or pains (or to be more general, degrees of happiness or sadness) which must be overcome. Thus, each person is geared to act in such ways as we believe likely to relieve our discomfort, to preserve and promote our own well-being. (Leviathan, Pt. I Ch. 6) Thus, basically everything we decide to do is determined by a natural desire to avoid things that give our bodies negative feedback responses, and the opposite for things which our body tells us is good. Essentially, in this aspect Hobbes asserts that human decisions in this environment are guided only by our strongest desires at that given time and place. The idea being introduced here is pivotal. It is the notion of self-preservation; that in a state of nature in which there is no rule of law, and each man answers only to himself, people will do (an are fully entitled to do) anything they deem necessary to further their own existence. This animalistic view of human interaction yields Hobbes to conclude that each person (or grouping, such as a family) lives independently from every other person or group, and acts in their own self-interest without regard for others. Hobbes calls this a â€Å"state of war†, in which life is â€Å"solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. † (Leviathan, Pt. I Ch.13) Hobbes later identifies three main causes of conflict in the state of nature which prevent man from entering into peace with one another. The first is competition, which makes people invade for their personal gain. The second is diffidence (distrust) which makes people invade out of fear; a mutual sense of insecurity forces one to anticipate an attack from someone they cannot trust (who likewise feels the same way), so pre-emptive measures are taken. This makes sense because one renders it better to be a surprisor, and not a surprisee, since being surprised meant an almost certain death. The last cause of conflict is glory, which makes people invade others for their own merit. Knowing these sources of problems, Hobbes then declares; â€Å"Hereby it is manifest, that during the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against every man. † (Leviathan, Pt. I Ch. 13) Therefore, at this point it is safe to conclude that human nature in this sense is essentially dangerous and evil. However, assuming that all humans are rational individuals, Hobbes believes that mankind would naturally want to escape this hellish state of existence and live under agreements that ensure the rational causes of quarrel could be avoided (albeit the third cause of quarrel, glory, is noted as an irrational cause of conflict). By establishing a commonwealth, contends Hobbes, we essentially remove the structural causes of conflict and foster the conditions for humankind to prosper under its own benevolence through mutually beneficial agreements. (Leviathan, Pt. I Ch.14) Although Hobbes had indicated that the state of nature is horrific, he acknowledges the counter-argument that people might not want to leave it because they would have to surrender certain rights granted to them solely while in the state of nature. But Hobbes’ response is rather simple; for it is â€Å"the foresight of their own preservation, and of a more contented life thereby; that is to say, of getting themselves out from that miserable condition of war which is necessarily consequent, as hath been shown, to the natural passions of men when there is no visible power to keep them in awe, and tie them by fear of punishment to the performance of their covenants. † (Leviathan, Pt. 2 Ch. 17) What he is saying is that rational individuals would understand that life under a common authority would allow for better means of self-preservation, because it creates an entity that can punish people who do not play by the game fairly. Also, people would be unable to rely on their individual autonomous powers in the effort to secure livelihood and happiness. Hobbes calls the necessary central authority the Sovereign (the institutional embodiment of an orderly government), and those over whom it presides are the Subjects. Thus, Hobbes’ perception of human nature led him to develop his vision of an ideal form of rule that would govern these autonomous individuals. He believed that a sovereign power was required to keep men united, who would work to maintain the peace among the people as well as protect them from foreign enemies. The people would have to make an agreement among themselves to all submit to this ruler. The people would then submit their wills to the will of their ruler who would in turn assure their self-preservation, giving the ruler absolute control over his or her subjects. Assuming the people all do submit to this higher authority, the next step is determining the most appropriate form this sovereign entity must undertake. Hobbes offers three examples of governance in the text: a monarchy, an aristocracy, and a democracy. Although the sovereign can be a legislature or an assembly of citizens or a monarch, claims Hobbes, the commonwealth will run smoothest under a hereditary monarch, which to the reader sounds like an unusual choice given all the conditions of human nature previously mentioned. Hobbes defends this notion though, by explaining that investing power in a single person who can choose advisors and rule consistently without fear of internal conflicts yields the best fulfillment of our social needs. (Leviathan, Pt. II Ch. 19) With a hereditary monarch there is hardly any internal conflict, whereas in a democracy, aristocracy, or any other assembly of citizens there is constant conflict among individuals trying to advance their own private agendas. Logistically, Hobbes says the sovereign will exercise its authority over its subjects in the form of civil laws that are either decreed or implicitly accepted. (Leviathan, Pt. II Ch. 26) Those who violate the laws handed down will be appropriately punished by the sovereign authority. The end result of it all is the creation of the actual Leviathan; biblically, a monstrous sea creature, but in Hobbes’ scope, it was a metaphor for a fully functioning, healthy society. Just as he previously used references to the mechanistic view of how man functions to further explain the conditions of how humankind and society work in general, Hobbes employs the use of metaphor to tie it all together. Imagine the sovereign ruler as literally the head of a man, not only the point at which the ideals of the society are created, but the commander of the rest of the body. The hands and limbs are the administrators of the law, whoever they may be under the various examples of government Hobbes previously offered. The subjects of the sovereign are the cells of the body that basically construct it and make it what it is, and allow for everything else to take place. There’s no doubt that Hobbes’ view on human nature shaped the way his political theories were formed. His works were, and still are highly influential to political philosophers that followed after him, which allowed for further, more concise theories to be generated and debated. And despite the shortcomings of some of Hobbes’ philosophies (such as the feasibility of installing such a government under the premises offered), his work was revolutionary for its time and laid the foundation on which other later significant philosophers built their political ideologies.

Improve Concentration Essay

It is mostly due to peer pressure. In such a situation, parents are often seen questioning the counsellors as what can be done to encourage their child to concentrate and also have good social skills at the same time. Well, here are a few answers. The key to having good concentration is being smart. The child should be smart enough to concentrate while having fun. This can be done in many ways. While in class, if he/she is finding it hard to concentrate, here are a few tips they can adopt in order to improve their concentration skills. . Sit in the front row. Sitting in the front row helps you steer away from distractions like speaking to your friends, whispering or even passing notes. The closer you sit to the teacher, the better you understand. 2. Participate in class. The people who concentrate, know that the key to good concentration is participation. Ask questions, start a discussion, debate with the teacher. It might sound to be geeky, but once you get the hang of it, it’s hard to get out. It is a lot of fun and you also learn extra. . Strategize your notes. Jotting down the points the teacher says is something which every child in class does. Don’t be stereotypical. Don’t make notes, instead make learning strategies. It’s fun and at the same time it’ll make you stand out and you also will be entitled to think out of the box. 4. Turn off your phone. Having a phone is a major distraction. In class, make sure your phone is turned off. Don’t cheat yourself by profiling it to vibrate or silent. Turn it off, be honest to yourself. Nothing will jar your concentration more than getting a text from your friend during a class. 5. Get some good breakfast. It can be really hard to concentrate when your stomach is growling away the hunger. It’s hard to concentrate on what is being taught when you’re raiding a buffet in your mind. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast. But ensure that you don’t fill your stomach to an extent where it will make you sleepy. 6. Have props while studying. Having a prop to play with while studying can make studying so much fun. For example : If you are studying about the earth, have a globe in your hand. Turn it around, see where the countries are located, play with the globe. This will make studying easier. 7. Use gadgets for studying. If you are bored of using the same old paper and books, use e-books. Buy an iPad or simply make notes on your laptop. 8. Have group study parties. Invite a bunch of friends over to your house and call it a â€Å"study party†. This not only sounds cool but is also beneficial. It will help you to study and will also improve your social status. But all you have to ensure is that you actually study with those friends and not just waste time in talking, dancing and playing around. 9. Exercise everyday. Yoga and meditation is the best way of improving one’s concentration skills. Even 10 minutes of meditation will calm your mind and will help you concentrate with a clear mind. I have been practicing these tips for a long time. And it has helped me achieve a lot of things in my life. I suggest the readers to follow these guidelines and be successful in your life.

Video review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Video review - Assignment Example Another thing that stood out for me in the video was the idea that we no longer need to select fonts anymore in the quest of trying to separate format from content. The video looks at Helvetica in a way that tries to explain how typeface affects our lives. I previously believed that san-serif type of font was related in some way to the old serif font that was used in the early twentieth century. It is amazing how the font represents an approach with no embellishments, no-nonsense font that simply shows figure of symbols, directly giving the message. The video confirmed that the use of san-serif saves some ink when used as opposed to old serifs. Now, I understand why, most often than not, Helvetica font has been used in utilitarian contexts. One thing that is still circling in my mind is how graphic design, typography, and global visual culture relate. This is issue is still unresolved because I still don’t clearly understand how typeface affects our lives. a. The first thing that stood out for me in this documentary is how it tries to trace the history of how the need of mass production came to exist. Especially, where it explains how the t Chinese armies needed their arrows standardized, and as such, mass production of the arrows. b. Secondly, the way the video looks at different designers from different countries irrespective of their status, whether eccentric showoffs or serious thinkers in the quest of trying to illustrate designer’s role really stood out for me in this video. c. The way the video tries to explain why things are or feel the way they are, from a toothbrush, potato peeler or a computer really stood out for me. For instance, the video explains that the invention and the design of the modern potato peeler was so as to help people with arthritis (Hustwit, Objectified). One feature regarding the role of designers in the design process is how they are expected to ensure that products are aesthetically pleasing, useful, easy to understand,

Best practices in health and safety communication Essay

Best practices in health and safety communication - Essay Example This manual addresses the following topics which are outlined below. The information seen on the web page indicates that the best practices manual is â€Å"not a standard or regulation and it creates no legal obligation.† It is basically advisory in nature. The web page indicates that the Occupational Safety and Health act as enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) or an OSHA-approved State Plan requires that employers are in compliance with safety and health standards that are hazard specific. It also requires that the employer provides safe working environment that are free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical injury. Employers can be treated as violating or disregarding their general duties if any recognized hazards exist and the necessary steps are not taken to address them. Information on the web page further indicates that failure to implement any of the guidelines in the Act is not in itself a violation of the â€Å"General Duty Clause†. The web page indicates that there is a Metalworking Fluids Standard Advisory Committee (MWFSAC) which appears to be part of OSHA.

'Mass education has not brought a decline in religious observance. It Essay

'Mass education has not brought a decline in religious observance. It has, instead, reconfigured the ways in which Muslims kno - Essay Example With time, some of the traditional ways of people have faded away all thanks to the changes that the world has undergone. Everything has taken a turn to a certain direction. The economy has changed; the social lives of people have changed, and the cultural life of people and political atmosphere are different from the past. Whether all this changed have happened all for the positive reasons is yet unknown, but one thing is clear in all this; individuals have become more aware of their surroundings. They have come to see that the world around them is changing. They have acquired the knowledge and are literate enough to distinguish between things. This is one of the major developments that have occurred. Individuals have become more literate. They have come to learn more, and this brings them closer to understanding the changes that have occurred. Literacy has been something that has been taken seriously and it is considered a necessary aspect in the development of an individual. Peopl e now value the aspect of education more than they did a time ago (Kaplan, 10, 2006). They have become literate, and all this is because of development and change. Literacy has brought change in politics, economy, culture and tradition and the social lives of people. ... Much to the contrary, mass schooling and literacy have heightened the public interest in Islam and widened access to Islamic texts. This increasing demand for Islamic knowledge has created a highly charged educational field, where different interest groups and institutions vie for the hearts and minds of Muslims. The main focus will be turned on to two countries that have Muslim influence; Egypt and Turkey (Eickelman, 45, 1992). A number of ethnographic and historical studies that examine the place and politics of Islam in public education will be reviewed in order to give the basis of educational influence on Muslims. By the end of this essay, questions will be answered that relate to literacy and Islam. Questions like, â€Å"What happens to religious socialization when it becomes formalised (set curricula) and centralized (state-controlled)?† will be answered. Another area of interest that will be looked into is the Eickelman’s (1992) suggestion that states that, â₠¬Å"mass education has led to an â€Å"objectification† of Islam†. Also there will be a discussion of Starrett’s (1998) notion of â€Å"functionalization† of Islam – â€Å"putting it consciously to work for various types of political and social projects†. There is also another area of interest that relates to the discussion; Kaplan’s (2006) thesis that the religious nationalists of post-1980 Turkey have promoted an â€Å"Islamic secularity† through school curricula. All this will be put into consideration in order to test whether literacy has brought Muslims closer to them realizing their true heritage and embracing it. Public education is not, of course, confined to formal schooling. Saba Mahmood (2005), for example,

HR Policy Manual Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

HR Policy Manual - Assignment Example They provide automobile and hybrid-electric batteries and systems engineering. Johnson Controls vision statement is simple: to provide a more "comfortable, safe and sustainable world" (Johnson Controls Website "Vision Statement"). They are located in Glendale, WI and have another office in San Francisco. Johnson Controls is structure as a Corporation. The Equal Employment Opportunity statement tells employees and people outside the organization how the company feels about employing a diversity of people. These statements often include not only the legal definitions of diversity like race, ethnicity or disability, but they also involve statements that are important to the company like sexual orientation, amnesty, marital status or age. Each company will have a different idea of what they should put into their EEO statements. Johnson Controls is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We believe that in order to be sure that our products and services are doing their jobs that we need to be a part of the community. We provide products and services that represent the diversity in the workplace. We look for people in every region who will work well as a team and who are involved in the global marketplace. We are dedicated to attracting, training and developing the best talent that we can find all over the world. Affirmative action is similar to EEO in that it tells what the business plans to do about discrimination. This statement will generally tell the groups of people that the company will cover under their anti-discrimination clause. According to Wordnet, an affirmative action policy is "a policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities". We work to eliminate discrimination and harassment in all its forms, and we are committed to providing equal opportunity in all of our employment practices. By valuing diversity, all our employees can fully

Curriculum and Instructional Adaptations, Attitudes and Collaboration Research Paper - 1

Curriculum and Instructional Adaptations, Attitudes and Collaboration for Students with ADHD in an Inclusive Setting - Research Paper Example Curriculum and Instructional Adaptations, Attitudes and Collaboration for Students with ADHD in an Inclusive Setting ADHD is characterized by poor attention spans, being fidgety and restless, heightened variability of task performance, impulsiveness, distinctly observable hyperactivity and inability to exhibit compliance with rule-governed behavior. Such children are easily identifiable and the usual reporting party is either the parents or the teachers’ at the primary level of education of such children. Unless special strategies and instructional adaptations are made for such children at the right stages of their life, they run the risk of being school dropouts and slipping into an abyss of psychological disorders in their adult life. The primary focus of a teacher should therefore be to be well equipped to identify behaviors associated with ADHD in the classroom environment. The classroom has been adjudged as the best environment where such students’ can be recognized. Ready availability of children for developmental comparisons in the classroom and special demands placed on them for attention, learning and self-control elucidate the differences between them, if any. Multiple criteria for diagnosis of such children are described in the American Psychiatrist Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and a well trained and informed teacher is the best candidate to identify such children due to the close proximity, consistent contact and direct observation/evaluation of task handling abilities by them.

Explain the matching principle as it relates to pre-paid expenses, Essay

Explain the matching principle as it relates to pre-paid expenses, unearned revenue, and operating assets - Essay Example They provide benefit for a long period of time so it will be necessary to apportion those expenses between more than one periods. For example prepaid insurance is paid for a longer period than one year so, only the expired portion of the prepaid insurance is charged in the income statement. Matching principle states that the prepaid expenses should be apportioned in the period to which they belong or in other words expenses should be recognized not when they are paid but when they are used to generate revenue (Stahl, 2004). The remaining balance of the prepaid expenses should appear in the balance sheet until they are recognized in the income statements. Unearned revenues are the revenue of the prepaid expenses. Every entity which prepays an expense before the benefit is actually realized, another entity receives the revenue for which the services have not been rendered these are called unearned revenues or deferred revenue (Jay S. RiJefferson P Jones, 2011). For example the courier services receive the payment in advance and they record it as deferred revenue until the delivery of the courier. The matching principle regarding the unearned income states that the only those revenues should be recognized for which the entity has incurred expenses and the rest should be shown as a liability because the company is not yet untitled to recognize them. Operating assets are expected to benefit the organization in more than one accounting period that is why they are classified under long term/fixed assets in the balance sheet. The most common examples of the operating assets are building, tools, furniture and equipments etc. Matching principle states that the benefit obtained from the operating assets should be realized on some logical basis over the asset’s useful life. The application of the matching principle on operating assets is little more complex than the prepaid assets and unearned revenue because the

Medical Insurance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medical Insurance - Research Paper Example The exceptions include: smoking cessation drugs, over the counter drugs, fertility drugs, birth control, and non-prescription drugs. The dental plan covers 70% of fillings, cleanings, scalings, exams, and polishing on the first $575 and this will grant the client a maximum of $400 in coverage each year. Recall visits are included in that every nine months per person. The other benefits that are included are listed below. Extended health care (starter) which provides a maximum of $250000 per person. Best Doctors Solutions Services includes protection if a serious illness or injury is suspected. An evaluation of the client's medical records by world class specialists who can confirm the first diagnosis. They will also determine steps for the best treatment options. This protection is great when a misdiagnosis occurs and the local physician can then take the appropriate steps at that point. Additional services include: treatment planning, determination of best service provider, and mana gement of the client's care. Chiropractor, Chiropodist, Osteopath, Naturopath, Podiatrist, Registered Massage Therapist, and Acupuncturist coverage is also included. The maximum that is covered is $20 per visit for 20 visits each year. Chiropractic X-ray for $35 maximum per person per year is covered.

Improving the processes of patient care to improve outcomes Essay Example for Free

Improving the processes of patient care to improve outcomes Essay Improving the processes of patient care to improve outcomes is fundamental to quality patient care and requires skills in change management. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 3). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. The term innovation, rather than change, is often used to gain attention and infer that something new and special is happening. One of Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 4). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. the reasons there are significant variations in the descriptions of change and innovation can be attributed to the various underlying assumptions about the environment and the nature of change. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 4). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. Linear change does not recognize the multiple, unanticipated human actions and communications that occur and the dynamic context in which the change is occurring. As a consequence, the linear perspective often becomes rigid, control driven, frustrating, and unsuccessful. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 5). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. The world is in continual motion, and movement occurs in more than linear ways. A change in one area can result in numerous, unanticipated changes in areas not considered. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 5). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. Interactions in a complexity perspective are characterized by creativity, interdependence, unpredictability, and collective knowledge. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 6). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. Change is †¦ †¢ Something new or different †¢ To make or become different †¢ To alter; to make different; to cause to pass from one state to another; as, to change the position, character, or Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 6). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. appearance of a thing; to change the countenance †¢ To alter by substituting something else for, or by giving up for something else; as, to change the clothes; to change one’s occupation; to change one’s intention †¢ To give and take reciprocally; to exchange; followed by with; as, to change place, or hats, or money, with another Source: Webster’s Dictionary (1991). Innovation is †¦ †¢ Anything that creates new resources, processes, or values or improves a company’s existing resources, processes, or values (Christensen, Anthony, Roth, 2004) †¢ The power to define the industry; the effort to create purposefully focused changed in Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 6). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. an enterprise’s economic or social potential Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 6). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. evidence-based practice, linkages between clinical practice and scientific standards, the quest for consistency, minimizing idiosyncrasies, and providing a scientific basis for policy construction are the basic reasons for a change in health care. Using an evidence-driven model serves to provide focus and organization of change initiatives; evidence-based practice is the platform for nurses’ work. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 10). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. chaos is normative in health care. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 14). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. Personal knowledge and accountability for one’s own strengths and limitations specific to change and innovation, including technical capability and computer literacy †¢ Understanding the essence of change and innovation concepts as well as the tools of innovation †¢ The ability to collaborate and fully engage team members— that is, relational competencies Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 14). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. †¢ Competence in embracing vulnerability and risk taking Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 14). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition.

Alcohol Summary Essay Example for Free

Alcohol Summary Essay In 2001 spirit makers ended a long standing volunteer policy against aggressive alcohol advertising (Steiner and Steiner, 2009). Since that time, there has been an unprecedented shift toward increased alcoholic advertisements in an effort to increase market share and raise profits. This shift brings into light the challenge alcoholic companies face in balancing their fiduciary duties to their shareholders and their corporate and social responsibility to society. This report focuses on the issues surrounding Anheuser Busch’s Spykes beverage and the corporate and social issues similarly faced by other alcoholic beverage companies. Introduction There is growing public pressure for alcoholic beverage companies to meet their social and ethical duties to balance efforts to increase profits to their shareholders whilst protecting society from the harmful effects of excessive alcohol consumption. Anheuser Busch (AB) is one of the largest alcoholic beverage companies in the world. In 2005 AB manufactured an alcoholic beverage called Spykes It is a spirit based beverage that was intended to target their 21-30 year old legal age drinkers. Following a successful soft launch, AB was hopeful that Spykes would help increase market share and profits. Unfortunately, growing public pressure forced AB to stop selling Spykes (Steiner and Steiner, 2009). This report looks at specific issues surrounding Spykes and its potential harm to society, considers AB’s ethical duties to society, discusses the affect of alcoholic advertising in society and addresses potential reforms to help ensure alcoholic beverage companies fulfil their ethical duties to protect society of undue harm. Is Spykes Bad? Spykes could be considered bad in the sense that it was likely targeted at underage drinkers. It is well accepted that alcoholic beverages are no ordinary commodity (Babor et al, 2003) and Spykes could be classified as part of the Alcopops group of beverages which are primarily consumed by underage or young drinkers. These Alcopops negatively affect the health and well being of young people (Robinson and Kenyon, 2009). Accordingly, Spykes may be considered bad for the health and well being of underage drinkers and society in general. The World Health Organisation believes that alcohol consumption is one of the leading causes of death among young people (World Health Organisation, 2002). AB elected to stop selling Spykes in response to negative public pressure. This negative pressure primarily came from Center for Science in the Public Interest who believed Spykes was being marketed and consumed by underage drinkers. This belief was formed on the basis that AB used strategic marketing incorporating the latest technology to produce interactive arenas with impressive graphics, eye catching animation and a fancy website (Riley, 2005). This online content is generally appealing to a young audience. As Riley (2005) stated that young people are the biggest users of the internet and of advanced mobile phone technology. The alcohol industry has been quick to grasp the resulting marketing opportunities. Accordingly, stopping the sale of Spykes was the right thing to do in the context of reducing harm to underage drinkers as well as right thing to do in the context of protecting AB’s brand and public relations efforts as a socially responsible corporation. Anheuser Busch’s Ethical Duties. Ethics refers to the concept of judgment; what is right and wrong, moral and immoral in society. It is ethically accepted that organisations run to make a profit (Steiner and Steiner 2009). Alcoholic beverage companies would argue that advertising is a promotional activity used to enhance their profit, not to attract under age drinkers to consume alcohol. Anderson (2009) argued that alcohol advertising influences young people to consume more alcohol, especially teenagers due to the sexually arousing images in the advertisements. Jones (2005) acknowledged that alcoholic beverage companies who don’t provide correct information or hide information in their advertisements are acting unethically. From society’s perspective, any activities conducted by the alcohol beverage companies to remove alcohol related problems like violence, decreased morality and intoxication related problems like drinking driving are seldom advertised and marketed. In this sense, society is only seeing advertisements related to increased consumption leading to increased profits. Accordingly alcohol industries fail to fulfill their ethical duty to be informative and truthful in their advertising efforts. At present, alcohol beverage companies create a brand image by sponsoring sports and cultural activities that attract drinkers, first starting as a social drinker and then becoming regular drinkers (Munro De Wever, 2008). The current alcohol advertising regulatory system in Australia should aim to minimize exposure and appeal to children (VAADA, 2010). In Australia, advertising activities are regulated by legislation and a code of practice such as the Advertiser Code of Ethics and Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC). This code is based on a voluntary system of self-regulation which is funded and administered by the alcohol beverage companies. Currently there are no penalties for non-compliance (Jones, Hall Munro 2008). Additionally, the organisation is partly funded by alcoholic beverage companies. This presents a conflict of interest as in most instances, their fiduciary duties are act in the best interests of their shareholders and not necessarily society at large. In order to offset this conflict of interest, it is necessary for an Australian Federal regulatory body to be established to independently control alcohol advertising in society in the hopes of minimising the attraction of alcohol to underage drinkers. Misleading Advertisements Studies have proved that there is a strong relationship between alcohol advertising and consumption rates among under age drinkers (Snyder, Milici, Slater, Sun and Strizhakova, 2006; Collins, Ellickson, McCaffrey and Hambarsoomians, 2007). In addition, evidence suggests that alcohol ads influence youth perceptions of drinking. Some advertisements contain misleading messages that drinking alcohol will make consumers more sociable and outgoing; help them have a great time; help them feel more confident and less nervous; succeed with the opposite sex or it would make them feel more attractive (Jones and Gregory, 2007). These messages are highly attractive to today’s youth. Some ads portray drinking as distinctive and prestigious. These ads suggest that by drinking their product you will enjoy the finer things in life. As an example some beer ads depict attractive people on yachts, in luxury restaurants or luxury establishments (Fig 1, 2 and 3). Other ads propagate that drinking increases your status and differentiates you from others (Fig 4). Whilst other ads imply that sports and alcohol go together (Fig 5, 6). These ads are commonly aired during sporting events and through alcoholic beverage company sponsorship of such events. Wealth, happiness and sex tied to drinking are also common themes portrayed in ads (Fig 7 and 8). In some measure, each of these images appeal to under age drinkers and the investment in advertisements is on the rise. Table 1 shows the substantial investment by alcoholic companies in magazines alone. According to The Center on Alcohol, alcohol companies spent $2billion on alcoholic advertisement in magazines alone between 2001 and 2006 (The center on alcohol marketing and youth, 2008). In Australia during 2008, alcoholic beverage companies spent in $109million on advertisements (Nielsen Australia, 2008). Many of these messages are appealing to under age drinkers. Accordingly, alcohol companies should attempt to market their products in such a way that ensures their ads do not convey misleading messages. One way is to focus the ad on the product rather than the misleading images of wealth, sex and status. In addition, local governments should also promote responsible drinking and spread awareness in society adopting similar advertisements strategies. Regulating Alcohol Advertising The need for further regulation depends upon weather it can be proven that advertising alcohol increases consumption. In 2006 Teinowitz (2006) undertook a study of randomly sampled 15-26 year olds. The study found they drank more after seeing alcohol ads, and that each additional ad viewed increased the number of drinks consumed by 1%. The study also established that in markets with more alcohol ads, spending on alcohol was up over markets with fewer ads (Teinowitz, 2006). Accordingly, there is further need for regulation of alcoholic advertising. Further regulation could be in the form of the creation of a regulator body that enforced restrictions against alcoholic beverage companies adopting marketing strategies that primarily appeal to young persons. In AB’s case, they admittedly targeted young people with a brightly colored web site allowing visitors to download music mixes, ring tones, screen savers, and instant messaging icons (Steiner Steiner, 2009). These activities catered around youth culture. Regulators could determine that such marketing strategies, directed at young persons, could constitute advertisements that appeal to under age drinkers and therefore ban such ads. This ban could extend to bans on advertisements in public places and bans against alcoholic companies sponsoring public or sporting events. In order to determine if the suggested restrictions above meet The Central Hudson guidelines, a four part test may be applied as follows (Steiner and Steiner, 2009):- (a) the ad in question should promote a lawful product: (b) the government interest in restricting the particular commercial speech must be substantial; (c) the restriction must directly further the interest of the government; and (d) the restriction should not be more extensive than is necessary to achieve the government’s purpose. As outlined above, young people are influenced by alcohol advertising (Teinowitz, 2006). This interest is therefore substantial and the suggested bans will further protect the interest of the government. Although the suggested restriction may seem excessive, industries need to appreciate that a â€Å"business firm is more likely to gain public approval and social legitimacy if it adheres to basic ethical principles and society’s laws† (Post, Lawrence and Weber, 2002). Accordingly, the suggested restriction would meet the purposes of the Central Hudson guidelines. Conclusion Anheuser Busch is a good example of an alcohol beverage company that struggled to find a balance between increasing market share and profit whilst fulfilling its ethical duty to be a socially responsible corporation. As a result of this case, the information and ideas presented in this report suggests there is much needed reform and the establishment of a regulatory body to deal with alcohol advertisements. This need is driven by the significant interest in protecting young people from harm. Alcohol beverage companies and government should work together and do all they can to reduce harm to young people by restricting marketing and advertisements that appeal to young people. * Appendix A * Table 1 * Appendix B * Figures Fig 1: Skyy Blue, Entertainment Weekly, Apr 11, 2003| Fig 2 : Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky, Sports Illustrated, Nov 15, 2004, Nov 29, 2004, Feb 14, 2005| Fig3 : Captain Morgan Parrot Bay, Stuff, Aug 2002| Fig 4 : http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1P2-18802608. html, www. whiskyfun. com/archivemay05-2. html| Fig 5: www. funkydragon. org/en/fe/page. asp? n1=950n2=2207| Fig 6: http://www. swimmingworldmagazine. com/media/Michelob_Ad4. JPG| Fig 7 : Molson Canadian, FHM, Aug 2005| Fig 8 : http://katiehann. wordpress. com/2008/11/06/advertising-alcohol/| References Babor, T, Caetano, B, Casswell, S, Edwards, G, Giesbrecht, P, Graham, K, Grube, J, Grveneward, P, Hill, L, Holder, G, Homel, R, Osterberg, E, Rehm, J, Room, R and Rossow, I (eds), 2003, Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodit, Research and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Brian, J. (2000) Youth, Alcohol, and the Emergence of the Post-modern Alcohol Order, Occasional Paper No. 1 New Series, Institute of Alcohol Studies, London. Riley, L. (2005) ‘Drinking It In: Finding of the Valencia Meeting on Marketing and Promotion of Alcohol to Young People’ in G Marcus J O’Connor (eds), Corporate Social responsibility and Alcohol: The Need and Potential for Partnership, Guilford Press, Hoboken. Robertson, S and Kenyon, A, 2009, Ethics in the Alcohol Industry, Palgrave Macmillan, New York. World Health Organisation (WHO), (2002) The World Health Report 2002: Reducing risk, promoting healthy life, Geneva. Anderson, P. (2009) ‘Is it time to ban alcohol advertising? ’, Clinical Medicine, 9, 2 April 2009: 121-124 Jones, S. C. , Hall, D. Munro, G. (2008) ‘How effective is the revised regulatory code for alcohol advertising in Australia? ’, Drug and Alcohol Review, 27: 29-38 Munro, G. and De Wever, J. (2008) ‘Culture clash: alcohol marketing and public health aspirations’, Drug and Alcohol Review, 27(2): 204-211 Steiner, J. F, Steiner, G. A. (2009) ‘Business, Government, and Society’ McGraw-Hill Irwin, 12ED Sandra C. Jones (2005) ‘Beer, Boats and Breasts: Responses to a controversial alcohol advertising campaign’ ANZMAC Conference, University of Western Australia, P 77-81 Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association, 2010, Position Paper: Alcohol advertising, marketing and promotion, viewed 16 June 2010, http://www. vaada. org. au/resources/items/314236-upload-00001.pdf. Post. J. E. , Lawrence. A. T. and Weber. J. , (2002) Business Society: Corporate Strategy, Public Policy, Ethics, Tenth Edition, Irwin McGraw-Hill, Boston. Teinowitz. I. (2006) Do booze ads drive youth to drink? Advertising Age (Midwest Region Edition) Chicago. Vol 77, Iss 35, p8. viewed 24/06/10 http://0-proquest. umi. com. library. newcastle. edu. au/pqdweb? index=28did=1118136211SrchMode=1sid=1Fmt=3VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1277385716clientId=29744.

Reconciliation Of Autonomy And Legitimate Authority Philosophy Essay

Reconciliation Of Autonomy And Legitimate Authority Philosophy Essay Political thought is deeply divided about the relationship between the individual and the community. The problem of the reconciliation of autonomy and legitimate authority is a moral one. Either I possess and am obliged to maintain my authority or I am not. Either I am totally part of my community and am obliged to serve it or I am not. Nobody ever doubted that in order to submit to some sort of authority it is necessary to sacrifice some of a persons personal autonomy  [2]  . However, many theorists argue that autonomy and the duty to obey someones commands can never co-exist. The greatest supporter of this conflict between authority and autonomy among the years has been Robert Paul Wolff. In his work In Defense of Anarchism he has insisted that there can never be a resolution between the conflict of autonomy and authority and that the only justifiable political system in virtue of autonomy is anarchism. But what exactly do these notions mean and how far is it true that the two theories can never be compatible? The Issue of Autonomy Autonomy is the right of a person to be free and the ability to choose his own actions without any constraints. For Wolff the fundamental assumption of moral philosophy is that men are responsible for their actions  [3]  . This responsibility means that a person should be responsible for taking the final decision for what she should do. Therefore, the autonomous person being autonomous does not accept commands from anyone and does not recognize any authority over him by anyone. His acts are based on his independent assessment of the situation and on nobody elses orders; has a self-regulating capacity and has a duty to take control of ones conduct. This responsibility of action means that people are metaphysically free and therefore the maintenance of autonomy is a duty. Non-interference is the most important element in political autonomy. In fact, Gaus specifies that the fundamental liberal principle is that all interferences with action stand in need of justification  [4]  . The idea of individual liberty for anarchists is inseparable fused with the theological doctrine that man has free will and can chose good or evil. Bakunin  [5]  defined freedom as following ones own reason and understanding justice. Therefore, law is rejected by anarchists because it is based on a false conception of free will and it usurps individual reason and morality. How far this statement is correct will be discussed later. The Issue of Political Obligation The central concept of political science is that of the state  [6]  . State legitimacy (or authority) is viewed as the logical correlate of the obligation of citizens to obey the law (or the state). This obligation is usually referred to as political obligation. Several questions arise from the issue of political obligation such as whether there is actually a prima facie obligation to obey the rules or why should we obey the law in general. However, this analysis is not the purpose of this essay and therefore these issues will not be further analyzed. An obligation is a requirement or duty to act in a particular way. The possession of a right usually places someone else under an obligation to uphold or respect that right  [7]  . The only theorists who are willing to reject completely the notion of political obligation are philosophical anarchists who insist on absolute respect for autonomy. Political obligation is a presumptive moral duty placed upon each and every individual in a given territory to obey all the laws enacted by the political institutions ruling the country. Political and legal institutions are authoritative institutions. Authority is the right to command, namely to order and therefore the right to be obeyed  [8]  ; it is the right to tell someone what to believe and how to act. The Conflict Theorists who support the conflict between autonomy and authority base their view on the fact that freedom is subordinated to an authority which creates regulations meant for protecting the bigger society. Therefore, people have to follow certain organizational ethics which may not be similar to their personal ethics. In order to have autonomy, individuals would just have to resort to choosing a company which holds values similar to their own. Taking responsibility means making the final decision about what to do, therefore there is no such thing as a command for the autonomous person. Political authority runs along with obligation to obey its rules, to follow it and disregard free will. But is this really true? There is a claim that political authority aims to impose its own judgement upon ours and that is illegitimate. When our judgment is incompatible with the law then, there is no obligation to obey the law and therefore, there can be no authority upon us. As long as a man fulfil ls his obligation to make himself the author of his decisions he will not accept any authority over him therefore, he will deny that he has a duty to obey the laws of the state simply because they are the laws. It has been said that we have the capacity to choose how to act. Still, this is not enough for one to take responsibility for his actions. Obligation to take responsibility for ones actions does not derive from the actors freedom of choice. Only because the actor has the capacity to reason about his choices can be said that he is held under a continuous obligation to take responsibility for them. For Kant moral autonomy is a combination of freedom and responsibility  [9]  . Hence a responsible person is bound by any moral constraints he only should be the judge of them. It is possible to listen to the advice of others but in the end he will make the decision on his own by making sure for himself that it is a good advice  [10]  . Therefore, there may be moral reasons for obeying the law but this does not imply a duty to obey the laws just because they are the laws. It rather shows a prima facie duty to obey the laws like that of keeping promises. The Anarchists Argument Following the neo-Kantian argument that people have a responsibility and a duty to act autonomously, political obligation is consistently illegitimate because it claims to replace any individual judgment. Kant supported that private judgment is more important than anything else and the welfare of single individuals should be above the need for some sort of authority. Based on this argument Robert Wolff in his work In Defense of Anarchism analyses the issue of how can moral autonomy ever be made compatible with political authority. He concludes that no comprehensive claim to political authority can be justified since it is incompatible with the requirement to act autonomously. Therefore according to Wolff, autonomy and political authority are genuinely incompatible. Yet, Kant himself does not imply in his use of the word autonomy any denial of the authoritativeness of the law. Wolff believes that the most appropriate model of society is where there are mutual agreements between indivi duals who are doing something because they want to do it and not by submitting to authority. Anarchism opposes the belief that authority and hierarchy are necessary in social relationships and argues for a society where authority and hierarchy are not needed. The most basic distinction between anarchist theories is that between a priori anarchism, which maintains that all possible states are morally illegitimate and a posteriori anarchism, which maintains that while all existing state are illegitimate this is not because it is impossible for there to be a legitimate state  [11]  . There are two forms of anarchism. Political anarchism is divided into anarcho-collectivism, which focuses on the basic criteria of justice such as equality, fraternity and solidarity, and anarcho- individualism supports individual sovereignty and insists that no institution is entitled to restrict individual freedom. On the other hand philosophical anarchism does not only attack the state but follows the view that the very idea of legitimate political authority is inexistent. Therefore, no huma n being can rightfully exercise any authority over another individual and everyone should act based on their assessment of the situation. Wolffs philosophical anarchism supports that no authority possessed by a de facto authority is legitimate and therefore there is no way to establish any political obligation  [12]  . Anarchists attack the idea of legitimate authority in order to satisfy the statement of no compatibility. Wolffs version of philosophical anarchism is a good example of a priori anarchism. Wolff maintains that the authority which states must exercise is inconsistent with the autonomy of individuals that any legitimate state would have to respect  [13]  . They would have to comply with the law because it is the law but when someone complies with the law because it is the law then he forfeits his moral freedom; the liberty that each of us has to make his own mind about what he ought to do. Hence, the concept of a de jure legitimate state would appear to be vacuous  [14]  . Anarchist judgments of state illegitimacy are typically taken to entail that subjects of those illegitimate states have no political obligations. Accordingly, all subjects of all states are at moral liberty to treat laws as non-binding and governments as non-authoritative  [15]  . Anarchists reach the con clusion that no government can be legitimate. Either we must be anarchists, or we must surrender our autonomy to whatever authority seems best at the moment. On Wolffs view contractual democracies are legitimate states but they gain their legitimacy through their citizens sacrifice of their autonomy. Henry Thoreau insisted that no individual should sacrifice his or her conscience to the judgment of politicians, elected or otherwise. This position denies that government can ever exercise rightful authority over the individual. In fact for Wolff no government is inherently or a priori better than another one, therefore, there is no reason why people should prefer a democracy to a dictatorship. In either case they lose their autonomy  [16]  . However, this view is not supported by everyone. As mentioned above doing something because it is the law (like arguing for a prima facie obligation to obey the law) is not sufficient reason of obedience. Then how about democracy? In a democratic society the citizen is both law giver and law maker, therefore autonomy is preserved as it is the citizen who authorizes the laws to which later he is required to submit to  [17]  . Wolff claims that democracy has no claim in the conflict because the person who finds himself in the minority rejects the alternative [when he voted] to find it forced upon him by a superior power. His will to be autonomous is frustrated because the will of the majority is placed upon him. However, the individual may recognize a moral obligation to obey the law but consider it to be a prima facie obligation. Since he reserves to himself in every case the decision whether the prima facie obligation is conclusive, then it can be said that he has reserved to himself the final decision as to whether to cooperat e  [18]  . On the other hand, Robert Nozick in his work Anarchy, State and Utopia welcomes an argument in favour of a minimal state  limited to the narrow functions of protection against theft, fraud, enforcement of contracts, and so on. When a State takes on more responsibilities than these, Nozick says, rights will be violated.  In an effort  to  make a case for  the idea of a minimal State, Nozick illustrates that the minimalist State arises naturally from anarchy and that any expansion of State power  beyond this minimalist threshold is unjustified.   Legitimate authority and political obligation are considered to be two sides of the same coin. For a state to be legitimate means that it has the right to issue and enforce directives. However, this is only possible if citizens are under a political obligation. As Simmons stated, if citizens do not have a prima facie obligation to obey the law then their governments do not have a right to promulgate and enforce it  [19]  . However, it does not follow that when a person is under political obligation that he should always obey the law. If this political obligation is prima facie then, does not this mean that moral considerations should always be taken into account when assessing the right course of action? If this is acceptable then there is not necessarily a conflict between political obligation and free will as a person must take into account his own considerations. One can have strong moral reasons for complying with directives issued by his government without owing any obligati ons to that government. But if we suppose that political obligation does not exist then what follows? A person can have moral constraints but as an autonomous man he should be the one deciding on these constraints. For example he can do what someone tells him but not because he told him; he must not submit to the will of others. In the same sense he may obey the law but not because it is the law  [20]  . The duty to support the commonwealth implies a state of servitude which essentially is the requirement to obey commands, the nature of which is not known at the time the obligation is undertaken  [21]  . John Stuart Mill in his work On Liberty asserted that the only purpose for which power can rightfully be exercised over any member of a civilised community against his will is to prevent harm to other  [22]  . In Mills view the law has no right to interfere with self-regarding actions; in his realm individuals are entitled to exercise unrestrained liberty. Lord Acton in his essays stated that liberty alone demands for its realization the limitation of public authority, fo r liberty is the only object which benefits all alike and provokes sincere opposition. Of course he was not an anarchist and this distinction is obvious as he speaks of limiting authority; an anarchist would speak of abolishing authority. When Wolff says constrained only by the dictated of his own will he means bound only by any prior commitments. Bakunin, an anarchist, stresses that the absence of any restraints or interferences is essential to liberty; that a persons human right consist in not obeying any other human being and not allow his actions to be determined by anyone but his own convictions  [23]  . For him the state is the evil but it was historically necessary. Socrates suggested that there is a need to obey the commands (laws) of the polis. The commonwealth made Socrates free and he was arguing that he had a duty not to destroy or injure institutions which had made him free. However, even if the state made him free some flexibility is required by an institution in order for the individual to learn making the right choices and look for alternatives. Socrates argued that the duty to be autonomous and take responsibility for our actions does not abrogate our duty to be loyal to the state. Instead, our du ty of loyalty to the laws is valid only if our duty to be autonomous is. However, as long as the sphere of authority expands, liberty is necessarily constrained. Authority can be seen as a threat to reason and critical understanding since it demands unconditional, unquestioning obedience  [24]  . The critics and a solution to the problem There are a number of critics who have argued that there is no necessary conflict between autonomy and authority. According to these critics, a morally autonomous individual takes responsibility for his actions by entering a reflective process in which he takes the final decision. But, individuals can still do this and then decide that they ought to follow the legitimate authorities. Therefore, there is no necessary conflict between the two. Plamenatz argued about a solution of the conflict  [25]  . He gave a modern version of consent as justification of political obligation. More concretely, he argued that in voting people consent to obey whoever is elected and that a vote constitutes a promise of obedience to the next government. Therefore, basically he argued for free will in deciding who to vote and taking responsibility of actions by accepting the result of the voting. An argument against this theory would be that it is irrational to consent in advance to whatever a government might do unless it was strictly specified in a manifesto whose terms would not be exceeded  [26]  . By accepting the democratic system Plamenatz argues people also undertake the obligation to obey a government they have not voted for. Some could argue that it would be better to have free conscience rather than voting. The consent theory tries to make political obligation a result of free choice but then it over-interprets our act as vo ters to fill us with extensive moral obligations  [27]  . Joseph Raz argues than an individual could have a duty to obey the law without having been bound himself to obey it. He argues that a person would have a duty to obey the law if it is most likely that he would do what he ought by obeying the law rather than following his independent judgment  [28]  . However, by doing this it is not necessarily taking responsibility of his action but rather following someone else abdicated responsibility for his own actions  [29]  . Individuals should act autonomously and since obeying someone else means he sees himself and his actions as someone elses responsibility, then someone would assume that no one could have a duty to obey anyone else. On the other hand, it could be argued that, this argument is not entirely correct. While someone obeying the law in this way is not exactly acting autonomously in doing so he may act responsibly. Although the individual does not judge for himself what the right thing to do is, he may judge if he should obey the law because by doing that he will be able to come closer to doing what he ought to do. Therefore, one could conclude that, a responsible subject follows the law not only for moral reasons but also as a result of his own deliberation  [30]  . Wolff, as well as other anarchists, would argue that by acting against your own evaluations is like doing what you believe to be wrong and that is impermissible. However, since any judgment about what to do rely on judgments about the likely consequences of ones possible actions, one may regard others as more competent than oneself at determining the consequences. Since he regards other evaluations better than his own then, one may rea sonably act on these instead of his own. Therefore, it is reasonable for an individual to obey someone elses dictates (i.e. the states) when they conflict with his own judgment. Otherwise, would it mean that when there is a clash between the demands of the state and the private interests or moral convictions of the people that disobedience should occur  [31]  ? Rawls in his work A theory of Justice he stated that sometimes civil disobedience may be justified since it depends upon the theory of political obligation  [32]  . There is an obligation to support just and efficient institutions which arises from our voluntary acts. Rawls assumes the social contract as a basis of political obligation and expresses that principles of justice should be those which free and rational men would agree to in an original position of equal liberty. Civil disobedience is non-violent and is justified as an attempt addressed to those holding the political power to correct any injustice. The exercise of authority is only appropriate when exercised in accordance with a constitution capable of being reasonably endorsed by the citizens. So can moral autonomy be compatible with political authority? Can the conflict be resolved and a solution be found? Since authority is the right to command and be obeyed and autonomy is the capacity to self-regulate ones actions there seems to be no compatibility between them. For Rousseau, human beings want to be free but at the same time they want the benefits of living in a society. But is it possible to find a form of association that defends and protects with all common forces the person and goods of each associate and by means of uniting with all, nevertheless obeys only himself and remains as free as before?  [33]   For Rousseau his theory of Social Contract is a solution for this conflict. Since the whole citizen is the sovereign it cannot have any interests contrary to the interests of the individuals who comprise it.  [34]  Jeffrey Reiman in an attempt to prove Wolff wrong by arguing for the legitimacy of classical democracy, he also supports the social contract arg ument. Classical anarchists such as Proudhon, Bakunin and Kropotkin rejected the claims of political obligation; however, they recognized that a healthy society demands sociable, cooperative and respectful behaviour from its members  [35]  . Jean-Jacques Rousseau viewed democracy as the most important means through which humans can achieve freedom or autonomy in the sense of obedience to a law one subscribes to oneself  [36]  . He insisted that citizens are only free when they participate directly and continuously in their communities. Individuals are only free when they make the laws which they obey. Is the conflict and incompatibility real? In conclusion, it appears that when autonomy is the duty of free will and responsibility of actions and political obligation is the duty to obey the law and therefore the obligatory imposition of rules upon citizens, there can be no co-existence between the two. By being autonomous it means to not accept any form of authority upon you and therefore no authority can be seen to be legitimate. Although, anarchists support this idea, many theorists are of the view that there can be compatibility between the two even if a level of autonomy needs to be sacrificed in order to accept authority and ensure security. If a state was not necessary then it would not have been created since every state is the creation of man. Political obligation is only a theory developed in order for a state to exist and function in a proper way. When even the greatest supporters of the conflict between the two theories such as Wolff depart from this long-supported theory of antinomy  [37]  it seems difficul t to support this anarchistic view of incompatibility and it is considered as an over-exaggeration of the issue.

clear channel :: essays research papers

Clear Channel   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever turn on the radio and hear the same five songs over and over again? You can thank clear channel for that. According to a study conducted last summer the top songs are played more than 85 times between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and only add around 15 songs a week giving the most air time to the largest sum accepted in the promotional payment contract. In blunt terms it is the illegal practice of payola which allows goods and/or money to be exchanged for air time. But Clear channel has managed to cut corners through indies who are hired by a record label to get stations to play certain songs. Included in their promotional payment contract the musical artist must agree to perform at a Clear Channel concert with in a certain time frame such as Jingle ball held in Philadelphia. This practice leaves little room for an independent artist to be heard on air because of their lack of a middle man; an indie, as well as, the money needed upfront to form a promotional payment contract that ranges around six figures. The abandonment of independent artists is an example of negative synergy. In regards to the contract, the record label’s client not only agrees to perform but also to advertise clear channel stations through voice tracking. Wit the help of a computer assisted voice segments the listener is fooled into believeing the program is locally produced when it is not because the same basic phrase is broadcasted to seventy five other stations. For example you will hear your favorite musician say a phrase like â€Å" Hello Allentown† on one station and in California the same musician is broadcasted to be saying â€Å"Hello L.A.† Voice tracking is not only evident through celebrities but also from radio personalities and their programs. For example Rush Limbaugh is not only broadcasted in Pennsylvania but also Texas. This however violates the communication Act of 1934 where the FCC encourages a diversity of voices so as to promote a vibrant democracy. The multi broadcasted programs such as Limbaugh and Dr. Laura leave their audience with a one sid ed republican view. Born from the same state Enron and Clear Channel both faced the Department of Justice investigation, lawsuits for inappropriate business practices, and they both currently have a bill in Congress to border their impact on their industry. The only difference is that Clear Channel is getting away with their monopolistic corporation and scandals. clear channel :: essays research papers Clear Channel   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever turn on the radio and hear the same five songs over and over again? You can thank clear channel for that. According to a study conducted last summer the top songs are played more than 85 times between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. and only add around 15 songs a week giving the most air time to the largest sum accepted in the promotional payment contract. In blunt terms it is the illegal practice of payola which allows goods and/or money to be exchanged for air time. But Clear channel has managed to cut corners through indies who are hired by a record label to get stations to play certain songs. Included in their promotional payment contract the musical artist must agree to perform at a Clear Channel concert with in a certain time frame such as Jingle ball held in Philadelphia. This practice leaves little room for an independent artist to be heard on air because of their lack of a middle man; an indie, as well as, the money needed upfront to form a promotional payment contract that ranges around six figures. The abandonment of independent artists is an example of negative synergy. In regards to the contract, the record label’s client not only agrees to perform but also to advertise clear channel stations through voice tracking. Wit the help of a computer assisted voice segments the listener is fooled into believeing the program is locally produced when it is not because the same basic phrase is broadcasted to seventy five other stations. For example you will hear your favorite musician say a phrase like â€Å" Hello Allentown† on one station and in California the same musician is broadcasted to be saying â€Å"Hello L.A.† Voice tracking is not only evident through celebrities but also from radio personalities and their programs. For example Rush Limbaugh is not only broadcasted in Pennsylvania but also Texas. This however violates the communication Act of 1934 where the FCC encourages a diversity of voices so as to promote a vibrant democracy. The multi broadcasted programs such as Limbaugh and Dr. Laura leave their audience with a one sid ed republican view. Born from the same state Enron and Clear Channel both faced the Department of Justice investigation, lawsuits for inappropriate business practices, and they both currently have a bill in Congress to border their impact on their industry. The only difference is that Clear Channel is getting away with their monopolistic corporation and scandals.

Grapes of Wrath Essay: Prejudice Against Immigrants Exposed :: Grapes Wrath essays

The Grapes of Wrath: The Californians Prejudice Against Immigrants Prejudice is a strong word. It is the kind of word that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. One of Steinbeck's themes in the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, is the prejudice against the migrant workers by the financially established Californians. Steinbeck provides four clear examples of prejudice; the man whose children died of starvation, the fishing story, the California police officer and the history of the Californians. On the way to California, the Joad's encountered other people that had already been to California and were now returning. One of these encounters, with the ragged man with the sunburned face, is described on page 242. The ragged man had children that died because wages were too low and work was too scarce to afford food for his children and wife. His story was one of pain and despair and was evidence of the cruel and inhumane treatment which resulted from the California farmers prejudice towards the migrant workers. Later, the Joads stop by a river where Tom and his Father find a spot to go swimming. Two men, a man and his son, who asked if they might also join them in swimming, promptly join them. The men start talking and it turns out that the other two men have just come from California. They tell a story describing the conditions as very unsafe and uncomfortable and mention the prejudice against the workers. Subsequently the Joads paid no head to this warning either. Hence, they traveled on, only to meet up with a very dispassionate police officer. The police officer gave the Joads a first hand experience of the prejudice that Californians had against the migrant workers. The policeman treated the migrants with no respect. This officer, who undoubtedly had taken an oath to uphold the law and promote the public good, would have been more happy see the Joads drop off the face of the earth than see them in California. The Corollary chapter Nineteen deals with the history of California. How it was settled by the feverish Americans. Through these descriptions we can start to understand the Californians prejudice against the migrant workers. The chapter describes the initial owners of the land, the Mexicans, as being "weak and fed". This description would suggest that the Mexican's were like well fed livestock. Grapes of Wrath Essay: Prejudice Against Immigrants Exposed :: Grapes Wrath essays The Grapes of Wrath: The Californians Prejudice Against Immigrants Prejudice is a strong word. It is the kind of word that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. One of Steinbeck's themes in the novel, The Grapes of Wrath, is the prejudice against the migrant workers by the financially established Californians. Steinbeck provides four clear examples of prejudice; the man whose children died of starvation, the fishing story, the California police officer and the history of the Californians. On the way to California, the Joad's encountered other people that had already been to California and were now returning. One of these encounters, with the ragged man with the sunburned face, is described on page 242. The ragged man had children that died because wages were too low and work was too scarce to afford food for his children and wife. His story was one of pain and despair and was evidence of the cruel and inhumane treatment which resulted from the California farmers prejudice towards the migrant workers. Later, the Joads stop by a river where Tom and his Father find a spot to go swimming. Two men, a man and his son, who asked if they might also join them in swimming, promptly join them. The men start talking and it turns out that the other two men have just come from California. They tell a story describing the conditions as very unsafe and uncomfortable and mention the prejudice against the workers. Subsequently the Joads paid no head to this warning either. Hence, they traveled on, only to meet up with a very dispassionate police officer. The police officer gave the Joads a first hand experience of the prejudice that Californians had against the migrant workers. The policeman treated the migrants with no respect. This officer, who undoubtedly had taken an oath to uphold the law and promote the public good, would have been more happy see the Joads drop off the face of the earth than see them in California. The Corollary chapter Nineteen deals with the history of California. How it was settled by the feverish Americans. Through these descriptions we can start to understand the Californians prejudice against the migrant workers. The chapter describes the initial owners of the land, the Mexicans, as being "weak and fed". This description would suggest that the Mexican's were like well fed livestock.

Romeo and Juliet Movie versus Play :: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

One of the most celebrated plays in history, â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, was written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century. It is a story about two lovers that have to meet in secret because of an ongoing family feud. Tragically, because of their forbidden love Romeo and Juliet take their lives so they can be together. In 1997, a movie was adapted from the play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, directed by Baz Lurhmann. However, as alike as the movie and the play are, they are also relatively different. Paramount aspect of the movie and the play, the theme, were the same, and the overall messages in both were the same. For example, one main message in the stories was that love conquers all. This was demonstrated in both the play and the film when Romeo and Juliet kept secretly meeting each other even though they knew it was against their families’ wishes. In one scene of both the movie and the play Romeo and Juliet even got married and died together so that even if they could not be together on earth they would be together in death. Another message you learn from watching the movie and the play was that fighting solves nothing. In the play, when the two feuding families, the Montague’s and the Caplets, find their children dead they resolve their differences and agree to build a gold statue of Romeo and Juliet made out of gold after they state that their fighting only brought suffering. In the movie, although the families didn’t make up, you can infer that it wa s if the families and not been fighting that Romeo and Juliet would not have killed themselves, because they would not have to meet in secret and have Friar Lawrence devise a complicated plan so they could be together without their parents knowledge . Even though the themes were similar, the plot of the movie and the play were rather different. In the movie, Mercutio, Romeo’s friend, got an invitation to Lord Caplet’s ball where Romeo and Juliet meet, but in the movie Romeo and this friends go to Lord Capulet’s party uninvited. What's more, is that when Romeo was at the ball he was recognized by Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, from the sound of his voice in the play, but in the movie Tybalt sees him. In addition to that one scene where Juliet was hysterical because she thought Romeo was dead was completely absent in the movie.

Lifestyle Segmentation

Cryptographic segmentation Consumer Attitudes Behaviors Perceptions Interests Reasoning: Pricing, Location of dealers, advertising all suggests that the car buying experience can be divided into demographics of lifestyle segmentation of the area. Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes and BMW dealers tend to be located in areas where people care what they drive and perceive the nicer the car shows status. I live In Climate Falls. We have snow and they put rocks down when It snows.I have en two Mercedes since have lived here 7 years. People don't hold status In cars the way they do In Orange County. This Is a cow town. People use trucks. They haul things, they tow things. They hit deer in the road. When they have the dealer showcase at the Fairgrounds all of the nice diesel trucks are right up front, all shiny and polished. If you don't drive a truck, you drive some sort of more economical family car, whether it be a minivan, or a sedan, or SUB. The billboards here in town all have Trucks or Subs on them.You go to our parking lot at work and almost half re trucks. There are no luxury car dealers here in town. We have Ford, Honda, Toyota, Suburb, Jeep and Dodge. The trucks are very nice though and even have the newest features. You go to a parking lot In Southern California, and you find a myriad of sedans. They even hold opening parties at the Mercedes Benz dealers to showcase the newest cars. People spend more time in traffic in Southern California than they do here in Climate Falls. They want a cushy luxury car that they can spend that time. The parking spaces are smaller.They are more people, less room for big huge trucks. People in Southern California are also more concerned with their looks and how other perceive each other. Their nice vehicle is a status symbol. (If you don't believe that, look at all the tanned skinny people at the beaches and tell me they aren't into looks) Where I grew up in Southern California, we had all the luxury dealers within 15 miles. And the b illboards? Those showed the latest and greatest luxury car. Even the less expensive cars such as the Haunted have modeled their cars to look like luxuryThis segmentation model has been successful for each group. I would Like to say having a car is not a necessity, but in today's world it is in most places. People who and find a vehicle that will fit their lifestyle. Segmenting in this manner allows them to choose which cars to market in that area. I would market a Jaguar in Climate Falls, and I wouldn't market an 850 with a huge cow guard and diesel engine in Southern California. This allows them to also make sure their inventory backs the demand in the area.

By Choice or Chance Essay

By Choice or Chance? The Boat English 12 Alex McDonald The Boat written by Alistair MacLeod, is a story told from the perspective of a man looking back on his life. It’s about the difficult lifestyle that fishermen in Nova Scotia lead. The story is told about the man’s childhood, focusing on this father and the fishing lifestyle he has grown up in. The story really focuses in on the father-son relationship, where the father would prefer his son getting an education and not having to live the dangerous lifestyle he does, which in the end kills him. The father in the story commits suicide at the end of the story by jumping off his boat durning a storm. Many things contribute to his death such as the fact that he no longer wanted his son to follow in his footsteps as a fisherman, he was never really meant to be a fisherman in general and all together the father was just not happy with his life. The father never wanted his son to follow in his footsteps and become a fisherman. He had always wanted his son to be able to go and get an education, unlike him. He burned and reburied over and over again and his lips still cracked so that they bled when he smiled, and his arms, especially the left, still broke out into the oozing salt-water boils as they did ever since as a child I had first watched him soaking and bathing them in a variety of ineffectual solutions. The chafe-preventing brackets of brass kinked chain that all the men wore about their wrists in early spring were his full season and he shaved but painfully and only once a week. â€Å"(Page 121). The father is obviously unhappy and cannot find any other way out of his lifestyle. In this story the father does not lead a very happy life, from the disappointment of his career, to his family. All of his children except his son no longer lived at home, or even visit, his wife was constantly unhappy with her own life which took a toll on him and the two other reasons already discussed made the father unhappy. â€Å"He had to marry my mother and checked the dates on the flyleaf of the Bible where I learned that my oldest sister had been born a prosaic eleven months after the marriage, and I felt myself then very dirty and debased for my lack of faith and for what I had thought and done. And then there came into my heart a very great love for my father and I thought it was very much braver to spend a life doing what you really do not want rather than selfishly following forever your own dreams and inclinations. And I knew then that I could never leave him alone to suffer the iron-tipped harpoons which my mother would forever hurl into his soul because he was a failure as a husband and a father who had retained none of his own. And I felt that I had been very small in a little secret place within me and that even the completion of high school was for me a silly shallow selfish dream. So I told him one night very resolutely and very powerfully that I would remain with his as lng as he lived and we would fish the sea together. And he made no protest but only smiled through the cigarette smoke that wreathed his bed and replied,† â€Å"I hope you will remember what you’ve said†(121-122) This quote is where you start to realize that the author is foreshadowing the suicide of the father, so at the end it is no wonder he finial decides to end his life of suffering through a job he hated and his son’s. The father is just so unhappy with his life that he cannot deal with it anymore. He hates seeing his son become the man he is. The perfect place to end his life in his eyes is on the boat he was bound to for so many years. The father commits suicide because he no longer wants his son to have to follow in is footsteps as a fisherman, he was never meant to be a fishermen, and in general he was just not happy with his life.

Law Enforcement, Prison, and Race Essay

The facts are indisputable and have been widely published for years. People of color in the United States are extremely over-represented in the prison population as well as in the number of arrests. While the facts are not in question, what is under debate is the reason why these numbers exist. Just as in a legal case, both sides of the issue have their own experts who provide testimony to support their viewpoint. On one side – which is by far the most publicized – is the belief that the reason why more minorities (especially African Americans) are arrested and imprisoned is a result of racial prejudice. However, the opposing viewpoint states that there is a very logical reason why more African Americans are involved with the judicial system – they simply commit more crimes than whites. Both sides provide mounds of data and studies to support their argument. Although it is not scientific, I believe where there is smoke there is probably fire. More than likely, there is some form of prejudice involved. Thinking the sides of this issue are divided strictly by color lines would be a mistake. Walter Williams (who is black) used the following figures in The Washington Times to prove his point that police are not prejudice, â€Å"†¦ 63 percent of the 65,624 drug arrests were minorities (50 percent blacks and 13 percent Hispanics). Since blacks are only 13 percent of the total population, it means law enforcement officials can assign a higher probability that a drug trafficker is a black more so than other racial groups† (Williams). Indeed, Mr. Williams – as well as many others – believe that such statistics show that police are simply doing their jobs by stopping black motorists more often than whites, since more of them are probably drug dealers. But does such reasoning hold up in the light of other statistics that are just as telling? For example, studies by Human Rights Watch have shown that most drug offenders are white and that five times as many whites use drugs as blacks. However, blacks comprise the great majority of drug offenders sent to prison (â€Å"Racial Disparitiesâ€Å"). So, which set of numbers do you accept? The answer is, you do not have to choose since both can be used – and should be – to find the truth. Considering that whites make up some 75% of the population, while blacks comprise 13%, the fact that five times as many whites use drugs as blacks seems logical. If that is the case, then how can the excessive number of blacks arrested on drug charges be anything other than racially prejudiced? The very terminology used by some to describe the theories used by each side seems to sound judgmental. For instance, according to D’Alessio, Stewart, and Stolzenberg, the term ‘conflict theory’ is used to describe the belief that the elevated arrest rate for black citizens is the consequence of discrimination by police (1381). However, they use the term ‘normative theory’ to describe the belief that those numbers are simply the result of social issues that affect blacks more than whites. Whatever name it is given, the idea that blacks are more likely to commit crimes due to experiencing more difficult social conditions is becoming more widely popular. Writing for Social Forces, a University of North Carolina publication, D’Alessio, Stewart, and Stolzenberg asserted regarding their study of racial bias, â€Å"The results of this study suggest that the disproportionately high arrest rate for black citizens is most likely ascribable to differential criminal participation in reported crime rather than to racially biased law enforcement practicesâ€Å" (1381). Once again – just as with the study involving drug arrests cited earlier – blacks are arrested more because they commit more crimes. Their findings were based on data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System of 1999. Studies such as these invariably cast a large portion of blame on the media for perpetrating what they believe to be the ’myth’ of racial prejudice in law enforcement. Certainly it is true that a higher percentage of blacks suffer from the poor social conditions that often lead to delinquent behavior, such as unemployment, crowded housing conditions, poor health care, and less access to preventative social services. But, while that is true it does not explain other disparities in the criminal justice system that cannot be explained away so easily. Based on the results of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Report of 1999, a black youthful offender is six times more likely to be jailed than a youthful offender who is white, even if they commit the same crimes and have the same criminal backgrounds, according to a nationwide study (â€Å"Study Revealsâ€Å"). The following comment is typical of the response to the report. â€Å"We find that this report leaves no doubt that we are faced with a very serious national civil rights issue, virtually making our system juvenile injustice,† said Hugh B. Price, President and CEO of the National Urban League (Crowley). No matter what set of statistics are used, the reality is that minorities are treated differently at every level in the justice system. Beginning as juveniles, with their first contact with police, minorities can be sent down one of two paths. They can be sent into some type of counseling, or they can be processed into the system. According to a report in The Cincinnati Enquirer, institutional bias regarding who will be referred to private treatment (i. e. ; counseling services) instead of being formally processed also disfavors minorities. Even when other variables are accounted for, minority young males – particularly African Americans – are significantly more likely to be detained than white youths (Crowley). Such reports continue to beg the question: even if we accept that the reason more blacks are originally arrested is simply because they commit more crimes and not due to any police bias, how do we explain the irregularities in the sentencing process? Whether it is blatant prejudice or some other reason, it is clear that something is happening in the courts that cannot easily be explained away. Another issue that needs to be addressed is regarding the purpose for certain laws being passed in the first place. In The New American Apartheid, it is asserted, â€Å"Many sentencing structures have a built-in class and racial bias. This is especially the case with drug laws, which have always targeted mainly the drugs used by minorities and the poor throughout history† (Sheldon and Brown). If the police are simply doing their jobs by enforcing drug laws, and innocently arrest mostly blacks, I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that some laws have been passed that target blacks. The evidence of discrimination even extends to the ultimate punishment – the death penalty. It has been widely assumed by the general public that the rationale for pursuing the death penalty in cases – and an execution being ordered – is based primarily on the brutality of the crime or number of victims. If that were true, the death penalty would seem far less arbitrary. However, there is no consistent pattern that can be found in any state or federal court to make that case. Instead, it is just as likely – in fact more so – that a poor black man will be executed for the murder of one white person than a white man receiving the death penalty for serial murders. A perfect example is Gary Leon Ridgeway (who is white), known as the ’Green River Killer’. Although he has acknowledged killing over 48 people, he pleaded guilty to escape the death penalty. Contrast that with the case of Gerald Lee Mitchell (who was black), executed in 2001 for a murder he committed when he was 17 years old. The attorney for Mitchell argued that at the time of the murder Mitchell had an IQ of 75 and had been diagnosed as functioning on the borderline level of retardation. He was put to death in spite of calls for clemency from numerous countries, world leaders, and even the president of the American Bar Association. (â€Å"Execution of Child Offenderâ€Å") One of the few exceptions to this trend was Timothy McVeigh, who was executed for the terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City. However, I believe he is the exception that proves the rule. While much data that has been collected is hardly productive, there are places where meaningful progress has been made against racial prejudice. This is generally areas where comprehensive data collection and reporting has occurred. Without data, every complaint of discrimination inevitably boils down to one person’s word against a police officer’s. This is the reason that civil rights advocates are demanding that police be required to keep racial and ethnic data on who is stopped and searched as a basis for eliminating the biased police behavior. Unfortunately, a person can still choose to see his or her own side of the issue despite evidence to the contrary. Prejudice comes in many forms. While it is hard to imagine many judges consciously weighing a decision of whether to have someone executed or not based solely on race, the fact remains that such decisions have been, and are being made. Bias or prejudice can also be a subtle, even subconscious motivation that a person may not even aware of. A judicial system can be only as just and dependable as the people who design and administer it. People are prone to error, dishonesty, and prejudice. Although the blatantly racist cops that used to be around many years ago are no doubt few and far between today, there still is something at work in the legal system that seems to be detrimental to blacks. From laws that target ethnic neighborhoods and individuals, to how decisions are made regarding arrests and prosecutions, a racially biased trail of evidence does emerge. From who gets sentenced to probation to who gets sent to prison, blacks are unfairly being targeted. From length of sentences to who lives or dies, it cannot be denied that prejudice exists in the legal system of this country. Despite arguments to the contrary, and no matter what type of research or studies the supporters of ‘normative theory’ conduct, the facts speak for themselves. Clearly, it has been shown that people of color in the United States are extremely over-represented in the prison population as well as in the number of arrests due, in large part, to biased or prejudicial attitudes and perceptions of many people in law enforcement and the judicial system. Such practices have no place in a country that promises justice for all people – regardless of color. Efforts should continue at every level of government to change this pervasive mindset, until race has absolutely no bearing on how an individual is treated in America. Works Cited D’Alessio, S. J. and Stolzenberg, L. â€Å"Race and the Probability of Arrest† Social Forces. Vol. 81 Issue 4, p1381 June 2001 Crowley, Patrick . â€Å"Study reveals ‘juvenile injustice’, Minorities are jailed more often†. The Cincinnati Enquirer. 26 April 2000 â€Å"Racial Disparities in the War on Drugs† Human Rights Watch. Online. 9 Nov. 2005 Shelden, R. and Brown, W. B. â€Å"The New American Apartheid Part I†. 22 June 2004 Williams, Walter. â€Å"Racial Profiling Puzzle†. The Washington Times. Creators Syndicate, Inc. 14 March 1999