The Public Policy Of The Country Essay - 1619 Words

In many instances elections will influence a specific policy but will not influence the public policy of the country. The fundamental cause is that the majority of voters do not have the minimal and basic knowledge requirements to control public policy. People make decisions about what they know, for instance higher taxes leave a person with less money and they will as they say vote their wallet. In that instance tax policy may be changed but the overall public policy of foreign affairs, education, housing will not change because the electorate is not knowledgeable about many of those issues. In many ways voters are very ignorant about politics and do not know what is in their best interest. How do people compensate for their lack of knowledge? Many people use information shortcuts to help them make decisions on how to vote. An information shortcut is voting for a party because they know the beliefs of the party but not the specific facts of the issue or the specific candidate. Vot ers use information shortcuts in order to learn about a topic without spending more time. For example, author Ilya Somin wrote that 57 percent of the population did not know who Newt Gingrich was in 1994. Somin also stated, â€Å"70 percent cannot name either of their states senators. Overall, close to a third of Americans can be categorized as ‘know-nothings’ who are almost completely ignorant of relevant political information† (Somin 416-417). What are the reasons that cause the lack of knowledgeShow MoreRelatedPublic Policy Is An Objective Oriented Action Plan1646 Words   |  7 PagesPublic policy is an objective-oriented action plan that the government pursues in handling various problems facing the country. The design and application of public policy in the country derives its rationale from the laws. Despite this feature, individuals that are not legislators often set public policy. The government agencies, individuals, and groups that fail to comply with public policies are subject to legal penalties. The power of formulating public policy incorporates division between vastRead MorePublic Policy Vs. Administration863 Words   |  4 PagesPublic Policy and Administration is an interesting and important knowledge for all people. Every one on this earth, regardless of his profession, hobbies, or religious views, faces these concepts. This paper is going to describe the concepts of public policy and administration and an importance of this area for effective and efficient management. A public policy is an activity that has a good combination between politics and administrative activities. The major goal of public administration areRead MoreFlood Policies In The United States And The Netherlands Case Study1502 Words   |  7 PagesThis paper is about comparing flood policies in the United States and the Netherlands. How both countries are taking different approaches to a similar situation that both faces. Especially with the rising waters from global warming. This paper looks at what is causing these two different approaches. Is something domestic going on in the United States and the Netherlands that is leading to this result such as economics or public opinion? The research in this paper is intended to help solve this importantRead MoreSocial Welfare Policies During The Transition Countries Of Central Asia732 Words   |  3 PagesSince graduation from National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, I have gained considerable research experience in Public finance and management. Specifically, I am interested in study of social welfare policies in transition countries of central Asia. I am concerned with the status of vulnerable groups of population-particularly, the aged, women, children, the disabled, and the poor. In most transition countries, the political and economic collapse of 90s had the devastating effects on theRead MorePublic Policy And Public Policies1331 Words   |  6 Pagesassignment.† What is Public Policy? Public policy refers to an initiative by the government to address public problems. The term government may refer to the governing authority at the federal, state or city level. Public policy, therefore, exists in the form of regulations, actions, decisions, laws, and actions. When the government formulates public policy, it addresses the three fundamental parts of the government policies, which are the problem, the players, and the policy (DiNitto 36). The problemRead MoreInformation Security In Zanziabar Public Sector1465 Words   |  6 PagesThe information security challenges faced in Zanzibar are persistent in transitional countries as could be seen in the case study â€Å"state of Information Security in Zanzibar’s public sector† (Shaaban, et al., 2012). Most of these challenges are partly attributed to lack of proper budgeting for ICT infrastructures, cultural gap awareness, political instability, trust, business continuity plan, and inadequate human resource management to effectively manage this technology (Dada, 2006). The applicationRead MoreForeign Policy, Reformed, And The United States1437 Words   |  6 PagesPaper 1, Prompt 1 October 18, 2015 Foreign Policy, Reformed Looking back at the history of the United States, we find ourselves in the midst of a revelation. The country of grandiose influence and excessive wealth, that we have come to know during our lifetimes, actually had quite humble beginnings. At a time when most of us are used to having most countries come to the US to inquire for help and assistance, we may not be all too aware that our own country was once asking for assistance as well. YesRead MoreThe Impact Of Exceptionalism On The United States944 Words   |  4 PagesBrits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism† (Obama, cited in Ceaser, 2012, p.4). However, exceptionalism purposed by the U.S. is different from those of other countries. Firstly, although each countries believe in their own uniqueness (Hoffmann, 2005), no country but the U.S. claims and attempts to discharge its missionary duty in international affairs. Regarding this point, Ignatieff (2005, p.13) states that the U.S .’s â€Å"desire for moral leadership is somethingRead MoreResearch on the Impact of Economic Growth : Case Study of Malaysia998 Words   |  4 PagesPUBLIC EXPENDITURE POLICIES SHAPE THE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN MALAYSIA Public Expenditure/Public Spending can be defined as any expenses made by government particularly to improve certain areas and discipline. For instance, improving public goods and services, welfare and well-being of the people, government defense forces and civil servants, maintaining our economic stability, reducing inequality of income and reallocation of resources. Bose,Haque,Osborn (2003) where I do believe in their argumentsRead MoreForeign Policies Big And Small Affect Our Lives1413 Words   |  6 Pages Foreign policies big and small affect our lives in many seemingly unconnected ways. War and military interventions may grab headlines, but our actions in the international political system are much more wide reaching. Almost everyday there are trade agreements between countries and international political candidates being elected that affect our lives as US citizens as much or even more than the military actions we always see on CNN and the New York Times. Foreign policy is much more extensive than

Mojado Brothers Product Entry into Australian Market Research Proposal

Essays on Mojado Brothers Product Entry into Australian Market Research Proposal The paper â€Å"Mojado Brothers Product Entry into Australian Market† is a  thrilling variant of research proposal on marketing. Mojado Brothers are involved with designing and production of large scale screening of T-shirts, hooded sweaters, baseball hats, and wool/leather jackets. This marketing research report is purposed to discuss one of the key issues that the Mojado Brothers Organisation will observe while collecting their additional information regarding the further release of its products into the Australian market.The paper proposes the use of an interview guide as a tool for data collection and the use of a computer program (SPSS) to analyze the data. It further discusses the steps followed in marketing research in relation to marketing research at Mojado Brothers. Looking at the market needs in the Australian market, it gives the organization great ideas about concerning the laws to be observed to conduct their business in the country successfully. The paper reco mmends an effective research team to be selected to enhance the results of the research.This marketing research report is purposed to discuss key issues that the Mojado Brothers Organisation will observe while collecting their additional information regarding the further release of its products into the Australian market. Mojado Brothers are involved with designing and large scale screening of T-shirts, hooded sweaters, baseball hats and wool/leather jackets (Kotler et al 1996). Some of the key areas to be discussed include, proposed data collection method, a business requirement for the organization, proposed research method to be used during the process, proposed data recording method, market need in Australia together with proposed ways to implement the research plan. Other than that, the report also seeks to look at the benefits that Mojado Brother Clients’ get from t-shirt usage. This will enable the organization to determine whether or not their products meet the client s’ expectations in the market. Purpose of the ReportAt the end of the report, the paper aims to achieve the following: To identifying; method of data collection to be used during the marketing researchTo identify the relationship between the research and marketing research processTo identify the research method to be implementedTo identify the ways to implement the research plan in the organizationTo come up with the data recording method to be used during the researchTo identify Australian market needs and opportunitiesTo identify a method to be used to confirm the business requirements of Mojado BrothersMissionMojado Brothers have been the leading company in screen printing T-shirts all over the world. Their productions have got their access to the Australian market together with another international market. Thus, the paper seeks to find better ways to be implemented at the organization to enhance better penetration into the Australian market. Mojado Brothers Organisation presents companies, NGOs, reliable individuals, and government institutions with cost-effective and high-quality products as we ll as services (Kotler et al 1996). Some of Mojado Brothers' services include market intelligence, business development, channel development, market development, and industrial sector analysis on a global scale together with sales assistance for global companies in the Australia market.The Australian market is characterized by low investment appetite, cutting costs among industries, slashed the budget and tough times in the market. With this knowledge, Mojado Brothers will come up with a proper strategy that will enable them to expand their entry into the Australian market and make good profits. To this, they will have to practice all the marketing research processes offering them good opportunities for ways to handle their clients in the market.

Sickness in Ssi Sector Is Attributed to a Number of Factors Like Inefficiency free essay sample

Sickness in SSI sector is attributed to a number of factors like inefficiency in management, over ambitious projects, dispute among partners and non-availability of credit which is one of the major factors responsible for rendering SSI units sick. Government of India has taken various measures from time to time to detect sickness at the incipient stage and rehabilitation of sick units in the small scale sector. Nayak Committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India in 1991 dealing with aspects of adequacy and timeliness of credit to SSIs had gone into the issue of sickness in detail. Reserve Bank of India has taken action on its recommendations which relate to modified definition of sick SSI units, reduced rate of interest for rehabilitation, prompt viability studies/nursing programmes of identified sick units, setting up of cells at important regional centres and Head Office to deal with sick industrial units and provision of expert staff, including technical personnel to look into technical aspects. We will write a custom essay sample on Sickness in Ssi Sector Is Attributed to a Number of Factors Like Inefficiency or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page RBI is also advising its officers from time to time to activate State Level Inter-Institutional Committee. The other main decisions such as: to set up Sub-Committee of SLIIC in all the States/ UTs, to invite SSI Entrepreneurs, Bankers and other concerned Government Departments to discuss and arrive at the rehabilitation package. meeting of Sub-Committee to be held every two months and that of SLIIC every quarter, to set up district level committee of SLIIC in districts having SSI concentration, have been conveyed to all State Governments for implementation. Though Budget 1998-99 does not spell out measures or revival of sick units directly, there are measures announced in the Budget aimed at the overall growth of SSI sector which, inter-alia, will be instrumental in combating the incidence of sickness. It is a fact that inadequacy and delay in credit to SSI sector ultimately renders the SSI units sick. There is erosion in the net worth due to accumulated losses to the extent of minimum 50% of peak net worth during the previous accounting year and 3. The unit has been in commercial production for at least three years. SLIICs should be converted into Statutory Bodies under a special Statute and given adequate statutory and administrative powers to enforce their decision on bankers and financial institutions and other agencies concerned with the rehabilitation of potentially viable SSI units. Branches/benches of SLIICs could be established in Districts having large concentration of SSIs. It is reckoned that as of today there are more than 2 lakhs sick units with an outstanding bank credit of over Rs 7000 crore nearly 29000 units are added to sick list every year. It seems that the deterioration of the sick industries appears to be faster than the growth of sick industries. Industrial sickness especially in small-scale Industry has been always a demerit for the Indian economy, because more and more industries like – cotton, Jute, Sugar, Textile small steel and engineering industries are being affected by this sickness problem. Loss making industries, both in the private sector and public sector are contributing for the downfall of industrial economy. There has been an increase in industrial sickness, both in the large and small sectors, in India. By consoling that this is, to some extent, a corollary of industrial growth, one shall not belittle the seriousness of the problem. Industrial sickness affects not only the owners, employees and creditors but also causes wastage of national resources and social unrest. It is, therefore, considered very much essential to devise suitable measures for dealing with sick units as well as to make suitable arrangements for detecting symptoms of industrial sickness at an early stage so as to take measures to prevent sickness. The progress of industrial sickness has been highlighted from the period before Independence to the present prevailing condition. The Rehabilitation given to sick industrial companies is not the answer and solution for them.

Standards of Measure and Access an Example by

Standards of Measure and Access An easy and a quality access to health care delivery system are very important to a country specifically in the United States. These will save time, effort, energy and money. Quality has four components. These are composed of the following, effectiveness, patient safety, timeliness, and patient centeredness. On the other hand, access has also four components; these are composed of entry into the health care system, structural barriers within the system, ability of provider to address patient needs, and utilization of care ("National Healthcare Disparities Report ", 2003). Need essay sample on "Standards of Measure and Access" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed In the United States, one of the significant barriers for the people in accessing an easy and quality health care delivery is the distance of a health care facilities and the health care provider as well. Most of the people in the United States who encountered problems in acquiring an easy and quality access to health care services are the people living in the rural areas. This is due to the fact that most health care providers are living in urban areas where affluent families reside. Health care providers usually chose to reside in an urban area because most of the people living there are affluent families that can afford even very expensive health care expenses. For these following reasons, there is an obvious inequality in the distribution of providing health care services in the United States. (Bagheri, Benwell, & Holt, 2005) There are five types of barriers of accessibility in Primary Health Care (PHC). These are composed of the following; availability, accessibility, affordability, acceptability, and accommodation. The last three types are known as non-spatial barriers and involve socio-economic factors. The first two types are generally spatial in nature. Availability refers to the existing health care services which the people can choose from different options or alternatives. Accessibility is the distance of the people from their residential place to the health care facilities or to the primary health care providers. Availability and accessibility are considered as spatial accessibility and the goal is to determine if Primary Health Care (PHC) services are equally distributed within the community or country based on World Health Organization (WHO) rules and country health policies. Affordability is the capability of an inpidual to pay for the costs of rendering health care. In this case, the people who belong to affluent families are the ones who can afford to pay even the most expensive health care so that they have an easy access to quality health care compare to the poor people. Acceptability refers to the way an inpidual acknowledge a treatment from a health care provider or vice versa. And lastly, accommodation is the way the patient is being treated by the health care provider during the treatment period. These five factors mentioned above greatly affect the proper rendering of primary health care to an inpidual by health care providers (Guagliardo, 2004). There are three levels of access measurement. These are the following: inpidual, health plan and delivery system. An inpidual or a patient is the primary recipient of health care provided by the health care providers. A health plan is the amount of money or energy being reserved by an inpidual for the next years in case he will eventually seek for health care. And lastly, the delivery system is the way health care services are being rendered to the inpiduals or patients in the community or country depending on the availability, accessibility, and affordability. Primary health care services are very important to an inpidual, family, community, and country. It is a way of prolonging the life of an inpidual and preventing the aggravation of ones illness. Hence, primary health care services should be available, accessible, and affordable to all the people regardless of their societal status. For this reason, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the United States of America funds programs to improve health by expanding access to comprehensive, quality health care for all Americans.(Gruwell, 2003). REFERENCES: Bagheri, N., Benwell, G., & Holt, A. (2005). Measuring spatial accessibility to primary health care [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 27 February from http://eprints.otago.ac.nz/349/01/12_bagheri.pdf Gruwell, C. (2003). Health Care Delivery Systems. Retrieved February 27, 2007, from http://www.biomed.lib.umn.edu/help/guides/HSM3521 Guagliardo, M. F. (2004). Spatial accessibility of primary care: concepts, methods and challenges [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 27 February from http://www.ij-healthgeographics.com/content/3/1/3. National Healthcare Disparities Report (2003, February 27). Retrieved February 24, 2007, from http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr03/nhdr03.htm

Community and Public Health Reflection Essay Example

Community and Public Health Reflection Paper In the Young’s neighborhood the community is family and community centered. The community nurse and their partners and the individuals of the community come together for the greater good of the community. The neighborhood health clinic offers free immunizations as long as he individuals bring a copy of their shot records. The community also holds annual health fairs to update and provide any services needed. Various annual events are held and citizens participate, this allows them to better them-selves and the community. The community deals with cultural diversity on a day to day basis. A young mother’s 3-month old son dies after a week of suffering from pertussis. Due to her medical phobia, she has refused vaccinations for her child, because she had negative feelings toward them. She believed that certain vaccinations could cause her child to develop autism. Thimerosal is a vaccination that has been connected to the rising incidence of autism. That particular vaccination has been removed from vaccinations except the flu vaccine. Because of time constraints for obtaining a court order, to overturn her decision, her wishes had to be honored. If the mother had had a better understanding of the vaccinations her child could have had the chance to survive. During my investigations of the community there were no epidemiological influences evident within the Young’s’ community. According to Stanhope Lancaster (2012), Periodic health surveys as well as examinations are conducted periodically. Health status and behaviors of the population are provided by these surveys. We will write a custom essay sample on Community and Public Health Reflection specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Community and Public Health Reflection specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Community and Public Health Reflection specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There are a variety of surveys, for example there is the â€Å"National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and several National Health Care Surveys including the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS), the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), and the National Nursing Home Survey (NNHS). The CDC also conducts or contracts for surveys such as the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)†. One Healthy People 2020 Leading Health Indicator (LHI) that relates to the Young’s community is Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Obesity is a growing problem in the community. The community has put forth great efforts to assist its members in decreasing this problem. The neighborhood community has offered cooking class that will incorporate healthy eating that will be aimed at modifying diets as well as teaching them how to prepare the meals. Three community or public nursing diagnoses and there interventions that were developed to help the Young’s community combat the ever growing problem of obesity: Diagnosis and Intervention. 1. Nutrition: imbalanced more than body requirements A. Implement/review daily food diary, e. g. , caloric intake, types and amounts of food, eating habits. Rational: Provides the opportunity for the individual to focus on/internalize a realistic picture of the amount of food ingested and corresponding eating habits/feelings. Identifies patterns requiring change, and/or a base on which to tailor the dietary program (â€Å"Obesity Nursing Care Plan (NCP)-Nutrition: imbalanced more than body requirements,† 2012). B. Determine current activity levels and plan progressive exercise program (e.g. , walking) tailored to the individual’s goals and choice. Rational: Exercise furthers weight loss by reducing appetite; increasing energy; toning muscles; and enhancing cardiac fitness, sense of well-being, and accomplishment. Commitment on the part of the patient enables the setting of more realistic goals and adherence to the plan (â€Å"Obesity Nursing Care Plan (NCP)-Nutrition: imbalanced more than body requirements,† 2012). 2. Sedentary Lifestyle related to lack of knowledge of specific exercise needs A. Review necessity for and benefits of regular exercise. Rationale: Exercise promotes weight loss by reducing appetite, increasing energy, toning muscles, and enhancing cardiac fitness and sense of well-being and accomplishment (Enurse Careplan, 2011). B. Identify perceived and actual barriers to exercise. Rationale: Lack of resources, including proper apparel such as supportive shoes and comfortable clothing, a safe place to walk, or facility membership for water aerobics, reduces the likelihood of individual adhering to specific program. In addition, fear of discrimination or ridicule by others may limit client’s willingness to exercise in public (Enurse Careplan, 2011). 3. Risk for ineffective therapeutic regimen management, related to knowledge deficit A. Teach to keep a food diary to examine and change eating habits. Rationale: identifies behavior modification strategies to avoid overeating (Nursing Care Plan A Client With Obesity, n. d. ). B. Discuss lifestyle and behavior modification strategies to promote successful weight loss and control. Rationale: Identifies support systems and behavior modifications (Nursing Care Plan A Client With Obesity, n. d. ). According to Healthy People. gov (2012), the Community Health Center would be a good selection for a partnership. The community health center can hold meetings discussing the problem with obesity. Through such meetings educational strategies will be developed aimed at helping those in the community overcome this problem. The center will provide technical assistance with training programs, as well as planning and evaluation of those programs. Any funding needed is raised through community fund raisers. References eNurse CarePlan. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. enurse-careplan. com/2011/03/sedentary- lifestyle-nursing-care-plan. html Healthy People. gov. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. healthypeople.gov/2020/implement/BrainstormPotenial. pdf Nursing Care Plan: A Client With Obesity. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://wps. prenhall. com/wps/media/objects/737/755395/obesity. pdf Obesity Nursing Care Plan (NCP)-Nutrition: imbalanced more than body requirements. (2012, March). RNspeak. com. Retrieved from http://rnspeak. com/nursing-care-plan/obesity- nursing-care-plans-nutrition-imbalanced-more-than-body-requirements/ Stanhope, M. , Lancaster, J. (2012). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (8th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Spell Checker Poem by Mark Eckman and Jerrold H. Zar

Spell Checker Poem by Mark Eckman and Jerrold H. Zar At one time or another, youve probably run across some version of whats commonly known as The Spell Checker Poem. Originally composed in 1991, its first official appearance was in The Journal of Irreproducible Results in 1994. Since then, it has made its way around the Internet under various titles, including Spell Checker Blues, Owed to a Spelling Checker, and Spellbound. Almost always the poem is attributed to Anonymous or, more playfully, Sauce unknown. Lets set the record straight. The title of the poem as we know it today is Candidate for a Pullet Surprise, and the expanded version was composed in 1992 by Dr. Jerrold H. Zar, professor emeritus of biology and retired dean of the graduate school at Northern Illinois University. According to Dr. Zar, the title was suggested by Pamela Brown, the opening lines were drafted by Mark Eckman, and 123 of the poems 225 words are faulty, although all are correctly spelled. Update From Mr. Mark Eckman Early in March 2007, Mark Eckman was kind enough to provide us with additional information about his role in creating the spell-checker poem. Back in 1991, when Mr. Eckman was working for ATT, e-mail was becoming a rage, he writes, but it was also changing rapidly: . . . Somehow the software discussion became two camps of thought. On one side was the marketing staff saying we should have a spelling checker in the software since most users of e-mail were not skilled typists. On the polar opposite was the group that believed you should not be writing e-mails if you cant spell. After about two weeks of this give and take, I sent off the first two verses. My intent was to see if people would return to thinking rather than arguing, and after the ditty appeared in ATT Today [a daily e-mail of news updates], the discussion came to a grinding halt. Shortly after this I received an e-mail from someone I had not contacted before with pages and pages of additional verses. . . . In 1994 or 1995 I was doing a presentation on search engines, entered my name and Dr. Zars article came up. I was stunned. Lost in all that has passed was the intent and the original two verses. I like to think the original was more subtle.I have a spelling checkerIt came with my PCIt highlights for my reviewMistakes I cannot sea.I ran this poem thru itIm sure your pleased to noIts letter perfect in its weighMy checker told me sew. I never dreamed what happened after I deleted the file. At least I did not start text messaging shorthand. Our thanks to Mr. Eckman for helping us set the record straight. The Spell-Checker Poem More than an exercise in homophonous humor, Candidate for a Pullet Surprise endures as a cautionary tale for all those who place too much trust in spell checkers. Candidate for a Pullet Surpriseby Mark Eckman and Jerrold H. ZarI have a spelling checker,It came with my PC.It plane lee marks four my revueMiss steaks aye can knot sea.Eye ran this poem threw it,Your sure reel glad two no.Its vary polished in its weigh.My checker tolled me sew.A checker is a bless sing,It freeze yew lodes of thyme.It helps me right awl stiles two reed,And aides me when eye rime.Each frays come posed up on my screenEye trussed too bee a joule.The checker pours oer every wordTo cheque sum spelling rule.Bee fore a veiling checkersHour spelling mite decline,And if were lacks oar have a laps,We wood bee maid too wine.Butt now bee cause my spellingIs checked with such grate flare,Their are know faults with in my cite,Of nun eye am a wear.Now spelling does knot phase me,It does knot bring a tier.My pay purrs awl due glad denWith wrapped words fare as hear.To rite with care is quite a feetOf witch won should bee proud,And wee mussed dew the best wee can,Sew flaws are knot aloud.Sow ewe can sea why aye dew praysSuch soft wear four pea seas,And why eye brake in two averseBuy righting want too pleas.

Business process management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business process management - Essay Example These recommendations were fully accepted by the Trust Board and the Department of Health. There were shortcomings in different aspects in the Trust that are explained below. Failures in Operations management The hospitals lacked well established protocols and pathways for the management of patients admitted in A&E (Accident and emergency) as expressed by (Francis 2010a). This department was understaffed and lacked proper equipment such as defibrillators for resuscitation trolleys. This left very few nurses to conduct urgent assessment of patients and receptionists who had no medical training were forced to take up this job. Nurses in the A&E did not have enough training and the hospital had weak leadership. The number of consultants to provide daily on call cover was insufficient and there were only few middle level doctors. The middle level doctors and junior medical practitioners were not adequately supervised. They were frequently under pressure to make prompt decisions in order to meet the set target of attending all patients in four hours and go through the A&E. This had resulted to a situation whereby patients are taken to the EAU (Emergency Assessment Unit) without necessary diagnosis and assessment. The situation of the EAU was not any different from that of the A&E. The EAU was outsized and had a poor layout and this made it difficult for nurses to tend to patients. This was aggravated by poor communication between patients and the medical staff as well as inadequate staff (Francis 2010b). The situation in this department can be simply described as hectic and chaotic. There was poor compliance with the accepted standards of practice in infection control. There was poor handover from the A&E to the EAU. This notwithstanding the care for patients from heart related conditions was reported to be excellent. The management had failed to attend to serious issues and monitor performance in the hospital. This had led to poor treatment of patients in the emerg ency department. There is poor recording and documentation of the patients’ activity and outcomes and the hospital does not have any reliable historical account of their past patients. The medical team generally lacked proper training to handle different complications. Most of the doctors and nurses admitted that the staff in the EAU lacked the skills to take care of surgical patients (Francis 2010b). There were poor procedures in surgery and the surgeons did not work as a team. Measurements to be taken by the hospital and stake holders There have been improvements on various areas in the trust after the shocking revelation by the investigation (Care Quality Commission 2009). The hospital has hired a greater number of qualified staff to improve the quality of care in the hospital. Training programmes have been set up for different staff to ensure their competence in handling equipment such as monitors and equip them with skills to handle patients. The trust deserves recogniti on for the measures it has undertaken to improve the quality of care in the hospital. There has been increased funding to the trust to hire more staff, purchase equipment and the necessary medication. The regulatory bodies have increased the number of inspections in the hospital to ensure strict adherence to quality standards. Stakeholder groups The DHS (Department of Health Services) works in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders including community sector, government, voluntary sector, regional

Superfund sites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Superfund sites - Essay Example Elfring and Gordon (n.d.) generally define the phrase â€Å"superfund program† as a long string of â€Å"interacting issues, conditions, and decisions† (p. 67). By issues and conditions, they mean to speak of the potential number of physical sites that are harmful, in the biological sense, to the surrounding community. Within this stage of in the many series of interacting issues, the data are also gathered in order to determine the state or condition of health and environmental effects of a particular potential superfund site. And by decisions, Elfring and Gorden imply the discretion or judgment of the superfund program management to categorize a specific/potential site for its eligibility or non-eligibility in the inclusion of NPL or National Priority List. That is, if the identified site has a high level of pollution and that it causes great harm to the social environment. Finally, the relatively last part of the series of the interacting decisions heavily comprises the program goals and evaluation criteria. According to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office (1994), the superfund program is tasked mainly to clean-up the waste hazards apparent in a site â€Å"contaminated with hazardous substances† which is administered markedly by the EPA or Environmental Protection Agency (pp. 1-2). A particular example of a superfund site is the Claremont Polychemical (CP) Superfund Site. Located in Old Bethpage, New York, this Superfund Site greatly spans 10 acres of land area (Environmental Protection Agency[EPA], 2002). In Figure 1-1 (Please see Appendix A), Claremont Polychemical Superfund Site is situated at the northern portion of the Bethpage State Park and at the northwestern direction of the Gold Course visible in the said region of New York. At the southwestern side of the Claremont Polychemical Superfund Site is the Old Bethpage Landfill (OBL) Superfund Site. Farther away from the OBL in the southwestern direction is the Nassau County Firemen ’s Training Center. In terms of the hydro geologic setting, the Cretaceous Magothy Formation is placed underneath the CP Superfund Site. The only aquifer found in the Long Island, this formation -- which is located near the Claremont Site -- has the vertical length of roughly 300 feet below the ground surface. As characterized in the Cretaceous Magothy Formation, it is composed of unconsolidated sand, silt, and clay materials (Environmental Protection Agency, 2002). The sand material is largely found in the southern boundary of the site while the silt and clay are situated in its northwestern part. Further, Old Bethpage Landfill has an up gradient slope with respect to the Claremont Site. The Claremont Site was where the Claremont Polychemical Company (CPC) was formerly erected. The CPC was a manufacturing company in the late 1960s that widely produced chemicals or pigments of plastics, dyes, among other substances. Through tank and basin leakage, the company had contaminated the site with VOCs or volatile organic compounds (Environmental Protection Agency, 2002). In particular, tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene are chemical elements that spread out into the landscape. Not just the land mass salient in Old Bethpage, its groundwater was also affected by the sheer operation of the CPC from the 1960s to the 1980s. In 1979, it was discovered that the site was contaminated by hazardous chemicals. The environmental problem was complicated by the fact that Old Bethpage was composed of numerous wells.

Budgets and Budgeting Process Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Budgets and Budgeting Process - Math Problem Example For this it is important that the company take an initiative to put in place proper systems for tracing costs and allocation of budget. By installing these systems, we will be in a stronger position to generate true financial statements. And as you must be aware that strong systems of a company play a vital role in determine the share price of the initial public offering and the future share performance when the company shares are traded in the secondary market, therefore, it is important that we as a company, focused on growth, should concentrate on developing strong systems for our company. Recent researches conduct on the importance of setting up a budget for a company has revealed new and intriguing utility or a budget document. A budget of a company enables it to limit its expenditures, predict future income, profits and potential return on investment. Company budget has become a mean by which a company can exert control over its processes, and decide form of bonuses for its emp loyees. However, in order to have an accurate budget, it is important that the company’s management takes input from every process owner. It is of utmost importance that every process owner understands the corporate goals and objectives, and aligns their activities in accordance with these goals and objectives. By setting up benchmarks in place by means of a budget, we would be in a better position to assess the performance of a process owner and set his reward for his job accordingly. Moreover, by forming a budget, we would be in a better position to set future goals for our company and tailor our current business model in accordance with the dynamics of our business environment. This utility of a budget will help us to ensure that our company is in... From this study it is clear that a budget of a company enables it to limit its expenditures, predict future income, profits and potential return on investment. Company budget has become a mean by which a company can exert control over its processes, and decide form of bonuses for its employees. However, in order to have an accurate budget, it is important that the company’s management takes input from every process owner. It is of utmost importance that every process owner understands the corporate goals and objectives, and aligns their activities in accordance with these goals and objectives. By setting up benchmarks in place by means of a budget, we would be in a better position to assess the performance of a process owner and set his reward for his job accordingly. We need to be sure that every penny that we are investing in our operations is producing a substantial return, therefore, it is important that we take an initiative to generate an internal company budget.As the d iscussion highlights by forming a budget, we would be in a better position to set future goals for our company and tailor our current business model in accordance with the dynamics of our business environment. This utility of a budget will help us to ensure that our company is in a position to face unprecedented business circumstances. And since our current environment is extremely volatile, therefore, it would be a good idea to take precautionary measures that will ensure the survival this enterprise.

No Universally Agreed Definition Of Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay

No Universally Agreed Definition Of Corporate Social Responsibility Management Essay With no universally agreed definition of Corporate Social Responsibility, myriad of terms Corporate accountability, Corporate sustainability, Corporate citizenship or Sustainable responsible business have been used interchangeably to describe the practice of CSR. Basically, CSR is a discharge of duty towards society. Business and society are interrelated rather than being distinct entities and therefore, society has certain expectations for appropriate business behaviour and outcomes (Wood, 1991). According to Mallen Baker (2004), CSR is about how companies manage business operations to produce positive impact on society. Consequently, companies need to account for the quality of their management (both in terms of people and process) and the nature of and quantity of their impact on society in various areas.1 In the 1950s, Howard Bowen first published a seminal book Social responsibilities of businessman in which he famously posed the question What responsibilities to society may businessman reasonably be expected to assume. This publication evidently marked the beginning of a modern era of CSR as it we know it today (Carroll, 1999). Since then, the notion of CSR has come to dominate the society-business interface and various theories and concepts have been proposed. According to Bowen (1953), social responsibilities refer to the obligation of businessman to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action which are desirable in terms of objectives and values of our society. The most applied definition of CSR comes from Archie Carroll (1979) who argues that the social responsibility of business encompasses economic, legal, ethical and discretionary expectations that society has of organisations at a given point in time. This approach encompasses a whole range of responsibilities of a firm. In the same vein, Lichtenstein et al. (2004) and Lindgreen et al. (2008) consider that an organisation needs to define its role within the society and implement the necessary ethical, responsible, legal and social standards to their firm. Conversely, GÓssling and Vocht (2007) described CSR from a different viewpoint as an obligation of the business world to be accountable to its entire stakeholder customers, employees, shareholders, communities and ecological consideration in all aspects of their operations (Gokulsing, 2001). 2.1.1 Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate Social Performance The current globalisation trend and growing demand from stakeholders towards companies to adopt CSR practices within their business strategy have indeed encouraged companies involvement in such practices (Chapple and Moon, 2005). Therefore, companies that are considered as socially responsible are experiencing triple bottom line benefits associated with such social initiatives. Additionally, companies are not only assessed via traditional performance indicators but also by the way they interact with broad set of social demands. However, CSR being impossible to measure (Van Beurden Gossling, 2008), an observable and measurable outcome of CSR term Corporate Social Performance (CSP) is used to capture the performance of CSR strategies within the society. Carroll (1979) vaguely defines CSP construct as a three dimensional model that consisted of social responsibility categories, social issues and philosophies of social responsiveness. Building on Carrolls attempt to define CSP, Wartick and Cochran (1985) offer a general framework of CSP by defining CSP model as the underlying interaction among the principle of social responsibility, the process of social responsiveness and the policies developed to address social issues and show how several competing perspectives (economic responsibility, public responsibility, social responsiveness) can be incorporated into his framework. Nevertheless, Wood (1991) argues that although Wartick and Cochran (1985) model is innovative, it is still incomplete. Wood (1991) asserts that the term performance relates to actions and outcomes and not interaction and integration. Consequently, Wood (1991) refine Wartick and Cochrans (1985) model to integrate various theoretical perspectives into a coherent CSP model and as such, he defines CSP as a business organisations configuration of principles of social responsibility, process of social responsiveness and policies, programs and observable outcomes as they relate to the firms societal relationships. Wood (1991) affirms that the principles of social responsibility operates at three levels specifically; institutional, organizational and individuals. Conversely, Gond and Crane (2010) define CSP as an umbrella concept which includes organisational process of environmental assessment, stakeholder management and various measures of its external output and societal manifestations (Orlitzky, 2008). 2.1.2 Forms of CSR initiatives Basically, CSR includes a variety of socially responsible activities. Kotler and Lee (2005) identified six major initiatives under which most CSR related activities fall generating a positive impact on the company. The six different forms of CSR initiatives are as follows: 2.1.3 Main approaches of CSR In response to the question to whom an organisation has a responsibility, Marrewijk (2003) presents a sequence review of three corporate responsibility approaches Shareholder approach, Stakeholder approach and Societal approach. 2.1.4 Factors influencing level of CSR activities Review of prior literature indicates that companies actually differ in how they implement their CSR strategies. This can normally be explained using a range of company level attributes that influence the companys CSR participation. These attributes entail: Company size Waddock and Graves (1997) and Itkonen (2003) provide that company size is related to CSP since bigger companies have been found to be more socially responsible than smaller ones. Type of industry McGuire et al. (2003) argues that the type of industry plays an important role in identifying the level of CSR activities. For instance, the CSR activities differ from manufacturing sector to service sector (Kolk, 2003). Financial risk Orlitzky and Benjamin (2001) assert that a company with low CSP shall consider and manage its social responsibility since such a company will have an adverse impact in terms of risk. 2.1.5 Social Responsibility Models The Pyramid of CSR The professor Archie Carroll is one of the first academics to make a distinction between different kinds of organisational responsibilities. This distinction is referred to as a firms pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility. The pyramid implies a hierarchy of responsibilities moving from economic and legal through more socially oriented ones of ethical and philanthropic responsibilities (Carroll, 1979; 1991). http://www.witszen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/carrollCSR.jpg Source: (http://www.witszen.com/how-companies-should-use-social-media-for-better-corporate-social-responsibility/) Economic Responsibilities Carroll (1979) argues that business institutions are basic economic unit in society and have a responsibility that is economic in nature or kind. The economic responsibility is the most fundamental responsibility of a company which reflects the essence of a company as a profit-making business organisation. The remaining three kinds of social responsibility are based on the economic responsibilities. The economic responsibility implies that society expects business to produce those goods and services demanded and make a profit as an incentive or reward for the business efficiency and effectiveness. Legal Responsibilities The legal responsibilities entail expectations of legal compliance and playing the rules of the games. From this perspective, society expects business to fulfill its economic mission within the framework set forth by the societys legal system (Jamali, 2008). Crane and Matten (2004) further adds that all companies attempting to be socially responsible are required to follow the law. Ethical Responsibilities According to Schwartz (2011), the ethical responsibilities embody those standards, norms or expectations that reflect a concern for what consumers, employees, shareholders and the community regards as fair, just or in keeping with the respect or protection of stakeholders moral rights. Therefore, society expects corporations to act ethically towards its stakeholders (Crane and Matten, 2004). Philanthropic Responsibilities These responsibilities which represents the smallest layer of the pyramid, involves the corporations willingness to enhance the quality of living of their stakeholders through charitable donations and organisational support that are entirely voluntary and seen as desirable by society. The philanthropic responsibilities are sometimes on the same level as ethical. However, the difference is that it is not seen as unethical behaviour if business does not contribute their money to humanitarian programmes (Carroll, 1991). Carrolls CSR Pyramid in Developing Countries In a review of CSR in developing countries, Visser (2006) bases himself on the empirical studies undertaken by Pinkston and Carroll (1994), Edmondson and Carroll (1999) and Burton et al. (2000) to underline the fact that culture may have an important influence on perceived CSR priorities. As such, the widely accepted Carrolls pyramid is revisited in the context of developing countries as shown below: Source: Visser, W. (2006)  Revisiting Carrolls CSR Pyramid: An African Perspective, In E.R. Pedersen M. Huniche (eds.),  Corporate Citizenship in Developing Countries, Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School Press Visser (2006) contends that the order of CSR layers in developing countries taken as relative emphasis assigned to various responsibilities differs from Carrolls classic pyramid. Hence, in developing countries, even if economic responsibilities still get the most emphasis, philanthropy is given the second highest priority followed by legal and then ethical responsibilities. This is explained partly by the traditional attachment to philanthropy by the fact that it is most direct way to improve living conditions in their immediate surroundings and also by a traditional culture of fatalism, dependence and assistance in developing countries (Ragodoo, 2009). Conversely, the pressure to comply with existing legislation is less as compared to the developed countries. Three Domain Model of CSR Schwartz and Carroll (2003) highlight certain limitations in Carrolls CSR pyramid. Firstly, the pyramid suggests a hierarchy of CSR domains whereby one may conclude that the domain at the top is more important than the domain at the base. This is clearly not the kind of CSR priorities that Carroll intended in his CSR pyramid. Secondly, the pyramid framework cannot fully capture the overlapping nature of CSR domains. Hence, extrapolating from Carrolls model, Schwartz and Carroll (2003) proposed an alternative approach to conceptualise CSR a three-domain model. The three-domain model is presented with three core domains of economic, legal and ethical responsibilities that are depicted in a venn model framework. Initially, it suggests that none of the CSR domains is prima facie more important or significant relative to the others. The venn model framework actually yields seven CSR categories from an overlap of the three core domains. However, the exception with this model is that the philanthropic category, if exist, is subsumed under the ethical and/or economic domains. The figure below illustrates the venn model framework originated from Schwartz and Carroll (2003) research: Source: Management for Social Enterprise, Bob Doherty,  George Foster,  Chris Mason,  John Meehan,  Karon Meehan,  Neil Rotheroe,  Maureen Royce 2.2 CSR Reporting Based on their research on CSR disclosure, Holder-Webb et al. (2009) assert that it is not enough for corporations to simply engage in CSR activities but it is also important and desirable to make information about these activities available to stakeholders. Additionally, the call for disclosure of non-financial information has grown in response to the awareness that financial statement omits salient information about the company (Adams et al. 2011). The financial statement actually portrays a limited picture of the company through providing merely financial metrics. Therefore, the relevance of non-financial information has increased markedly over the years. The emergence of non-financial reporting can be seen as an attempt to increase transparency with respect to corporate actions concerning social and environmental issues (Nielsen Thomsen, 2007). Further, it is acknowledged that the disclosure of non-financial information is essential to reduce information asymmetry that exists be tween management and key stakeholders (Narayanan et al. 2000) as well as to allow investors to better assess key areas of performance and support a broader view of corporate performance that encompasses society at large (Holder-Webb et al. 2009). 2.2.1 Motivation for CSR Reporting Along with the increased interest to engage in CSR activities, today corporations across the world are more voluntarily disclosing information about their CSR performance. Undeniably, numerous motivational bases can explain companies involvement in CSR reporting practices. Threat to the organisations legitimacy The legitimacy theory posits that there is a social contract between companies and the society in which they operate (Deegan 2002; Mathew 1993; Patten 1992). Therefore, corporation try to legitimise their corporate actions by engaging in CSR reporting to get the approval from society and thus, ensuring their continuing existence (Belal, 2008). Increase access to capital and shareholder value Roberts (1992) assert that one way that firms consider CSR disclosure is to increase access to capital and shareholder value by satisfying stakeholders expectation. Investors are choosing to invest in organisation that is demonstrating a high level of CSR (Baron, 2008). Enhance corporate reputation Branco and Rodrigues (2008) argue that CSR disclosure (CSRD) is an important mechanism to enhance the effect of CSR on corporate reputation as well as representing a signal of improved social and environmental conduct. In their research on CSRD and corporate reputation, Bayoud et al. (2012) confirms that a high level of CSRD is strongly associated with corporate reputation for stakeholder group. Risk Management According to Kytle et al. (2005), reporting practices have become a key management tool to the growing complexity to multinational business management. He further argues that reporting helps to integrate CSR activities into companies strategic risk management so that the impact of CSR activities can be maximised. Employee attraction, motivation and retention Waddock et al (2002) argue that employees perceptions about how a corporation accepts and manages its responsibilities are often part of the employees decision about where to work. Therefore, publication of sustainability related information can play a role of positioning a company as an employer of choice and as such, this status can enhance loyalty, reduce staff turnover and increase a companys ability to attract and retain high quality employees (Group of 100 KPMG, 2008). Financial performance Margolis and Walsh (2003) claim that corporations engagement in CSR activities and its disclosure can foster corporate performance and as such their research conclude a positive relationship between CSR performance and financial performance. Similarly, Balbanis, Philips and Lyall (1998) find that economic performance is related to both CSR performance and disclosure although having a weak relationship and lack of overall consistency. 2.3 Theories on CSR Various theories have been used over the years to demonstrate the behavior of economic units related to CSR issues. The relevant theories are: Agency theory Proponents of economic theories are among the first to write about corporate social involvement although considering it as a flaw in corporate thinking. Stewardship theory Social contract theory The social contract theory begins in the classic period of history and takes its modern form in the 16th and 18th centuries with best known philosophers like Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. Legitimacy theory Deegan and Unerman (2006) assert that the legitimacy theory relies upon the notion that there is a social contract between an organisation and the society in which it operates. The social contract as explained by Deegan (2000), represents myriad of expectations that society has about how an organisation should conduct its operations. Stakeholder theory Freeman (1984) argues that managers should not just focus on stockholders need, but rather must satisfy a variety of stakeholders. As such, the stakeholder theory is used to analyse those groups to whom a firm should be responsible (Moir, 2001). 2.4 Corporate Financial Performance Price and Mueller (1986) assert that corporate financial performance (CFP) depicts the financial viability of an organisation. Therefore, corporations need to disseminate information about their financial performance as an account of managements stewardship as well as a means of assessing the entitys capacity to generate cashflows (Stein, 2000). Additionally, the financial performance is a subjective measure of the effectiveness with which an organisation makes use of its resources to attain its economic or financial goals. Basically, an organisations financial performance can be measured using three alternative approaches market-based measure, accounting-based measure and perceptual-based measure (Orlitzky, 2003). The market measure focuses on the firms stock price to evaluate its financial performance. McGuire et al (1998) argue that the market measure represents investors evaluation of the ability of a firm to generate future economic earnings. Alternatively, the accounting-based measure captures the firms competitive effectiveness and internal efficiency as well as optimal utilisation of assets. This measure represents financial performance using three divisions: (i) Return on Asset (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) (Waddock and Graves, 1997); (ii) profitability in absolute terms (Stanwick and Stanwick, 1998) and (iii) multiple accounting based measure with the overall index score of 0-10 (Moore, 2001). Finally, the perceptual measure uses subjective judgment about the firms financial performance wh ich is provided by survey respondents (Wartick, 1988). 2.4.1 Relationship between CSP and CFP The nature of the relationship between a firms socially responsible behaviour and its financial performance has extensively been debated till today and yet it remains unsolved (Margolis and Walsh, 2003). Preston and OBannon (1997) actually highlights two important issues in the relationship between CSP and CFP: Direction and Causality of the relationship. The direction of the relationship can be positive, neutral or even negative. The positive direction of the relationship can be explained using the instrumental stakeholder theory. This theory suggests that the satisfaction of various stakeholder groups is instrumental for the organisational financial performance (Donaldson and Preston, 1995). Conversely, the negative relationship is based on the neoclassical economic theory which argues that a socially responsible firms costs are considered unnecessary and thus can lead to a competitive disadvantage such that a decrease in firms profit and shareholder wealth (Preston and OBannon, 1997). Finally, the neutral relationship between the two constructs, as provided by Waddock and Graves (1997) exists by coincidence. McWilliam and Siegel (2001) further explain that a company acting responsibly to customers can have different demand curve as compared to a less responsible one. Therefore, the CSR activities are only a way to attain differentiation and thus, do not impact on companys profit. The causality of the relationship as pointed out by Preston and OBannon (1997) actually denotes whether CSP or CFP is an independent or dependent variable. Therefore, in such a case, if CSP is an independent variable, it comes first to affect CFP while if CSP is a dependent variable, CFP comes first to affect CSP. Such an argument is also raised by Griffin and Mahon (1997) who question whether a company is better off focusing on CSP or CFP first. In view of explaining the causality of the relationship, Waddock and Graves (1997) and Dean (1999) proposes two theories such as the slack resource theory and good management theory. The slack resource theory explains that a firm shall have good financial performance to contribute to the corporate social performance. It further posits that a company conducting social performance requires some funds that may result from the success of financial performance. Therefore, this theory argues that financial performance comes first and is an indepen dent variable to affect CSP. Conversely, the good management theory argues that social performance actually comes first. This theory provides that CSP is an independent variable resulting in CFP and companies having good reputation achieve good financial position through market mechanism. 2.5 Empirical review

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen Essay -- Women Roles, Children, Analysis

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is a 19th century realist play that was the first of its kind to analyze women’s roles in the typical household in such a stressed manner. Ibsen created this play for his audiences to become observers to observe his characters interact. As the play progresses, it is apparent that the characters mingle with one another in a very childish manner. Ibsen uses this childlike action in A Dolls House in order to convey the image that he sees to the observers. Ibsen uses childishness in the characters of A Dolls House to compare gender roles in 19th century Europe and ridicule the common household marriage of his day. A Doll’s House is based around the relationship of Torvald Helmer, the chief of a local bank, and his wife, Nora. The foolishness in the relationship between the two is evident early on. â€Å"Is that my little lark twittering out there† (Ibsen 1), said Torvald to Nora. By the use of the pet name â€Å"little lark†, it is clear that Torvald does not have an incredible amount of respect for his wife, and her response â€Å"Yes, it is!† (Ibid) shows that Nora has little respect for herself as well. The quotes show the insincere passion the two characters have for each other. Torvald uses other pet names for Nora throughout the play like â€Å"little squirrel,† (Ibsen 2), â€Å"featherhead,† (Ibid), â€Å"Miss Sweet Tooth,† (Ibsen 4), â€Å"spendthrift,† (Ibid) and â€Å"little person† (Ibid). Torvald’s use of pet names and insincere compliments show an inequality between the spouses. Each of these names show Torv ald’s incredible lack of respect for Nora and creates a sense that Nora is less of a wife and more of pet, toy, or doll to Torvald. On page 2, Torvald takes Nora â€Å"playfully by the ear,† again demonstrating the relation... ...ss. She does what she deems best and leaves her husband and kids. In A Doll’s House, the characters are simplified into childish representations that are motivated only by self-interest; George Orwell would be proud. The metaphor of a doll house is effective in Ibsen’s satire of the typical European marriage of the 19th century. Ibsen’s parallels between the Helmer household and an actual dolls house gives the play more depth, and the thought of women being treated like pets was effectively ridiculed. The characters’ immaturity is a subtle twist to this play that enables it to get Ibsen’s point across in a unique way; through his characters’ childishness, Ibsen gets the point across that the average housewife did not deserve to be treated like property with no respect. Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll's House. Mineola, N.Y.|: Dover Publications,, 1992. Print.

“Death Of Constable Scanlon” †Sidney Nolan Essay

When Sidney Nolan painted the Ned Kelly series, he was interested in an ‘authentic national vision’. The first series was made up of 27 paintings from 1946-1947. The paintings all-together form a storyboard, telling the legend of Ned Kelly. One of them in particular is ‘Death of Constable Scanlon’. The series, including this one, were all painted with Ripolin enamel on hardboard. You can see the many brushstrokes but some objects are painted completely solid for example Ned Kelly himself and the clothes of the constable. The painting is full of things, and it is a scene from the bush land. No buildings can be seen but there are many trees and shrubs on a bare, yellow ground. The constable has fallen from his horse and they both are in mid air, while Ned Kelly is standing to the left holding a smoking rifle. The painting is very out of proportion, this is evident in how the constable is placed. If you look at the two rifles, the constable is in front and therefore should be larger than Ned’s, but isn’t. Ned is the largest object, followed closely by the constable and the horse to the right, they together make up the foreground. Going back further into the painting there is a fence, distant trees, a tent and another horse and policeman. The figures themselves are very oddly shaped, like 2D objects cut out from paper. Ned is a simple, black silhouette with his eyes closed and hand holding the rifle. The trees and objects in the background seem to have more shape to them and show shadows that help. The painting is made up of very warm colours, of browns, yellows and oranges. There is an interesting patch of blue sky in the to right hand corner, and definitely doesn’t match the rest of the sky which is very dark and almost like a sunset. The constable looks very out of place with his formal uniform, quite opposite to Ned Kelly who seems like a natural part of the scenery. The focal point of this painting is the Constable falling to his death. Ned  Kelly though is considered the main focus of all the paintings, and all the events that happened around him. The painting is very flat and you are lead into the work by first observing the falling man. The foreground is the first focus and then you go backwards and notice the smaller objects and people in the background. The mood is quite hard to describe, even though it shows the last few seconds of Constable Scanlon’s life before hitting the ground and dying instantly, its almost comical in its appearance. Nolan was trying to capture a moment in Australian History. The legend of Ned Kelly and his gang is well known and the series followed their story. He was trying to ‘depict a national myth’. He portrays Ned Kelly as a legend, not the man himself. Nolan talked of this particular painting, he said, â€Å"In a sudden, violent accident time seems to stand still. I have exaggerated, the bridle must have been long, but that at the levitated horse and constable increase the unreality of violent events. Kelly seems to be present only as a force of destiny.† The Ned Kelly series now belong to the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. They are a perfect example of the once then growing Expressionism and emerging Modernism. They would best fit into the Expressivism category as Nolan interpreted the legend into his own personal style.

Free Essays on Plato And Aristotle On Women And Society

In The Politics, Aristotle devotes much of the text to criticizing many of Plato’s views contained in Republic. These criticisms range from the over-unified state to the perpetual happiness of Plato’s farming and merchant class including every notion of Plato’s in between. However, Plato did not right Republic to tell the ancient world what government should be like. He wrote it to say something about morality and goodness. As with many readers of Republic, Aristotle misunderstands the nature and purpose of Plato’s text. To the reader, many of Plato’s ideas appear radical and rather unorthodox and even contradicting, and are quite obviously satirical. When one reads Republic in this way, he or she may be accustomed to ignoring Plato’s messages. Sure, Plato was attempting a stab at humor, however, that does necessarily imply all of his ideas with respect to community structure are necessarily bad or wrong. A clear example of this is women’s role in the community. Plato, of course, proposes that women, while being inferior to men, shall still participate in the same professions and activities that men do. This sentiment is further supported by ideas proposed in The Laws. Furthermore, this consistency further supports his seemingly radical and wacky arguments in Republic. Aristotle of course finds this course of thought ridiculous. He undoubtedly has no problem agreeing with Plato’s comments that men are physically stronger and altogether by nature superior to women. The problem here lies in that, like men, each woman has a purpose and a job they are best suited for in life. Aristotle, though the majority of his ideas are sound, is incorrect in his dispositions on women, because, as Plato implies, the diversity offered by an equal share in the state between the sexes creates a stronger body. Plato’s most apt pupil, Aristotle, while agreeing with his master that women are by nature inferior to men, disa... Free Essays on Plato And Aristotle On Women And Society Free Essays on Plato And Aristotle On Women And Society In The Politics, Aristotle devotes much of the text to criticizing many of Plato’s views contained in Republic. These criticisms range from the over-unified state to the perpetual happiness of Plato’s farming and merchant class including every notion of Plato’s in between. However, Plato did not right Republic to tell the ancient world what government should be like. He wrote it to say something about morality and goodness. As with many readers of Republic, Aristotle misunderstands the nature and purpose of Plato’s text. To the reader, many of Plato’s ideas appear radical and rather unorthodox and even contradicting, and are quite obviously satirical. When one reads Republic in this way, he or she may be accustomed to ignoring Plato’s messages. Sure, Plato was attempting a stab at humor, however, that does necessarily imply all of his ideas with respect to community structure are necessarily bad or wrong. A clear example of this is women’s role in the community. Plato, of course, proposes that women, while being inferior to men, shall still participate in the same professions and activities that men do. This sentiment is further supported by ideas proposed in The Laws. Furthermore, this consistency further supports his seemingly radical and wacky arguments in Republic. Aristotle of course finds this course of thought ridiculous. He undoubtedly has no problem agreeing with Plato’s comments that men are physically stronger and altogether by nature superior to women. The problem here lies in that, like men, each woman has a purpose and a job they are best suited for in life. Aristotle, though the majority of his ideas are sound, is incorrect in his dispositions on women, because, as Plato implies, the diversity offered by an equal share in the state between the sexes creates a stronger body. Plato’s most apt pupil, Aristotle, while agreeing with his master that women are by nature inferior to men, disa...

Evaluating Causal Reasoning Example

Evaluating Causal Reasoning Example Evaluating Causal Reasoning – Coursework Example Task: Evaluating Casual Reasoning Transcendental meditation causes peace as proven when crime rate rose after the Maharishi’s School of Natural Law shifted from Washington to Iowa in 1987. Nevertheless, the proof is weak since there is no alternative causal hypothesis that has been shown. The identified error is the single cause error. What shows that the evidence is weak is the assumption that transcended alone can cause peace. Perhaps there exist other causes of peace (Govier 304). Bisphenol A causes human disease, and reduction of human contact to it can reduce diseases. This was verified by a research that was conducted using the 60-year-old American males who had the highest quantity of bisphenol A in their urine. 45percent of the males had higher possibility of getting cardiovascular illness compared to men of the same age with lesser contact to the plastic compound. The error that has been committed is post hoc. This is because, it was assumed that the cardiovascular di sease was caused after the exposure to the bisphenol A. Exposure to the compound is not the only source of the cardiovascular illness. More experiments were necessary before establishing the cause (Govier 304). Regular hugs, cause improved health as proven by the outcome of the research that was done by comparing the Canadians who got hugs frequently with the ones who did not get hugs. Those who got hugs regularly were twice likely to say their psychological health had upgraded than those who hug irregularly. Nevertheless, the proof of the causal claim is weak because of error committed by the writer. The writer committed a single cause error. There could be more causes for the improved mental health apart from hugs. The writer has neglected the likelihood that other factors can result into the improvement mental health (Govier 304).Work citedGovier, Trudy. A practical Study of Argument. Boston: MA. Cengage Learning. 2009. Print.

Discuss the reforms made by SCAP and their legac Essay

Discuss the reforms made by SCAP and their legac - Essay Example At the same time, the demilitarization issue became so controversial because; despite the fact that military empowerment was banned by Article 9 of the constitution, Japan continued to sustain a strong military budget (Buckley 4). The reforms not only demilitarized Japan but also aimed to enhance democracy and the rule of law in the country. They influenced Japan to shift away from the Meiji Constitution and the Prewar forces and policies. An important pillar of the reforms was the introduction of the initiative that sovereignty comes from the citizens because it eliminates the higher privilege of autocracy. At the same time, the reforms aimed to protect the rights of women. The latter gave the Japanese women the power to vote. The endorsement of clause 9 of the constitution by the reforms helped to prevent Japan from becoming a violent military power. However, the United States later pressurized Japan to rebuilt its military power for self-defense against other outside ideologies such as communism in other parts of the world, including Asia. This came soon after the Korean War and the Chinese Civil War. During the war in Korea, the US military forces withdrew from Japan. This left the country almost defenseless. A national police reserve was also created that was armed with massive weaponry equivalent to the army. The reforms also led to the formation of the Japan Self-defense Forces that acted as an extension of the police force. Another reform was liberalization. The priorities of the US towards Japan gradually shifted from the liberal policies to a change in the political stability as well as economic recovery. Democratization and demilitarization lost their momentum and seemed to stall. For example, economic decentralization was uncompleted as the country responded to new imperatives. The US also encouraged industrial policies and business activities that have now become sources of

Final Examination Employment Law Research Paper

Final Examination Employment Law - Research Paper Example In recent times, the business had determined to go â€Å"public† and became qualified for selling stocks and debentures on the S & P exchange. However, with this new move, the company gained the attention of the local labor union representatives, who further decided to interact with the employees of the company. In this regard, they seek permission from Ms. Clark for their interaction with the employees, which they are not required to do so as they possess legal authority for performing the same. Owing to their professional approach, Ms. Clark permits the union representatives to enter the premises of the company for which she had to face criticism and threat of termination from the top level management of the company. This instance was followed by an offer from the management, which depicted a forceful retirement package with the exclusion of several normal retirement benefits. She did not response to the offer of the management, which eventually resulted in her termination. THESIS STATEMENT In context to the aforementioned case, this research paper will identify and explain the law that will be applicable to assist Ms. Clark to deal with the misconduct of the company made towards her. A few of the law that will be considered in this paper will include EIRSA (Title VII), the NLRB and Tort law of the United States among others. Accordingly, a conclusion will be made about the position of Ms. Clark in the entire scenario. DISCUSSION From the above analysis, it is quite apparent that Ms Clark had certain issues with her disability in Danskin Inc. However, the approach of the company made towards her with regard to promotion and decision of contacting the union representatives can be countered as per the EIRSA (Title VII), the NLRB and state Torts law in order to reach an ultimate conclusion on her rights and stands in the entire scenario. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is a federal law of the United States, enacted in the year 1974 wit h the intention of protecting the rights of pension plan standards of the employees in the workplace. Contextually, title VII of the Act deals with the aspect of employee discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sex, race, age and other related factor. However, in the case, Ms Clark was restrained from the post of Senior Vice president in the organization due to the reason that she was legally blind and deemed not fit to face the challenges along with the responsibilities involved in that particular designation. Contextually, it can be stated that the approach of company could not be countered or questioned in this regard as its conduct was not discriminatory as per title VII of the ERISA. However, as per the Age Discrimination Employment Act (ADEA), employers should not discriminate the employees on grounds of their age and deprive them from gaining employment opportunities. Accordingly, the approach of the company in terms of not promoting Ms. Clark also has the association of her age factor as a reason. Furthermore, in this similar regard, Ms. Clark can also counter the approach made by the company towards her on the basis of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) 1990, which states that employers will have the responsibility to treat all the employees on the basis of their competency and not their disability. In this case, Ms. Clark’s promotion was solely restrained on the basis of her legal blindness (Auburn University, â€Å"

Essay 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

2 - Essay Example Type II diabetes makes up 90-95% of diabetes cases. It is caused by a combination of lifestyle and genetic factors. Predisposing factors of this disease include old age, obesity, physical unfitness, genetic factors and sometimes previous gestation diabetes. Obesity is considered to be the primary cause of type II diabetes, with increased cases among children and the youth. Factors such as diet and obesity can be controlled while others like increasing age, gender, and genetics are not. Lack of sleep has also been linked to type II diabetes, believed to have effect on metabolism. High sugar and starch foods and uptake of saturated fats are associated with an increased risk. Genetically there is increased risk of offspring becoming diabetic if parents were diabetic. The abnormal genes can be passed to offspring. The main symptoms of the disease are excess thirst, constant hunger, and frequent urination. Other symptoms include weight loss, blurred vision and slow healing of wounds. Vari ous complications have been associated with type II Diabetes. Diabetes II has been associated with heart disease and stroke, increasing chances by almost twice. Diabetic people are more likely to suffer them at an earlier age than other people. High glucose levels in the blood increases the deposition of fats and cholesterol in blood vessels narrowing them, affecting blood flow and increasing blood pressure. It has also been related with neural disorders. This is when nerve cells are damaged leading to lack of sensation. Most diabetic patients have some form of nerve problem, which can occur in any organ. It has been associated to abnormal cholesterol levels in blood, and the poor absorption of insulin. When blood vessels narrow due to fat deposition, the nerve cells suffer blood supply and may be damaged. Symptoms of nerve damage include numbness, tingling or muscle wasting. Diabetic neuropathy may be peripheral, autonomic, proximal and even focal depending on the nerves affected. Diabetes II can also cause eye damage such as cataracts and glaucoma. The high glucose levels in blood and increased blood pressure can damage various parts of the eye- retina, vitreous, lens, optic nerve. Symptoms of damage to any of this affected include blurred vision, flashing lights, pain or pressure in the eyes, even total blindness. Diabetes II has also been associated with sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction in men. This is the inability to sustain an erection or having no erection at all. Vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and decreased libido in women can also occur in women suffering Diabetes type II. These problems occur due to nerve damage, hormonal changes or reduced blood flow to the genital and vaginal tissues, associated with diabetes. There are various ways of preventing diabetes II. For genetically predisposed individuals, it is critical to maintain proper lifestyles and reduce exposure to risk factors. Weight is a major risk factor of this disease and prevention concentrates on maintaining proper body health. Constant blood sugar testing and monitoring enables early detection of any problem. Blood sugar levels can be tested using home-kits or at a doctors clinic. Overweight people should work on weight reduction in healthy ways. This involves a diet change from high starch and sugars to low starch foods. Their meals should be made using unsaturated fats or even no fat at all. Reduced proportions of starch served and increases proteins and vegetables also ensure

The Rise and Fall of bin Laden, or a Dissent into Cyber-terrorism Essay Example for Free

The Rise and Fall of bin Laden, or a Dissent into Cyber-terrorism Essay Osama bin Muhammad bin ‘Awad bin Laden, best known as Osama bin Laden in the west, is a militant Islamist and the reported founder of the terrorist organization known as al-Qaeda. He stepped on to the global arena in 2001 with his broadcasts on Al Jazeera in direct relation to the September 11th attacks. Since then his faction has had a downfall through the western war on terror, but it is widely believed that this is only a ploy, and that al-Qaeda, along with many other radical Muslim groups are planning to continue their reign of terror on the net. The media has deemed the term for this cyberterrorism, and it is the current threat Osama is expected to pose, but some argue that this is merely western propaganda. Bin Laden has been described as a tall and thin man by the FBI. He is said to be between 6’4’’ and 6’6’’ (193-198cm) in height and weighing about 165 pounds. Left-handed with an olive complexion, he usually walks with a cane, and wears a white turban. He is considered to have a mild mannered temperament and to be very soft spoken. He is thought to only be able to speak Arabic. Never the less, he is believed to be the leader and founder of one of the most heinously acting terrorist groups, known as Al Qaeda Osama was born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Al Jazeera referenced his birthday as being March 10, 1957. Osama is a member of the prestigious bin Laden family. His father Muhammed Awd bin Laden had known ties to the Saudi royal family, as well as a prominent business. His father, poor and uneducated before World War I, he immigrated from Hadhramaut to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was here, where he began to work as a porter. In 1930, Muhammed started his own business; he built his fortune as a building contractor for the Saudi royal family during the 1950’s. It is estimated that Muhammed bin Laden has as many as 55 sons, of which Osama is assumed to be his seventeenth son, but the only from his tenth wife. This led to an upbringing that kept him unfamiliar with his father. Bin Laden attended the secular Al-Thager Model secondary school from 1968 to 1976 where he was raised as a devout Sunni Muslim. The largest denomination of Islam, Sunni Muslims are also refered to as Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jamaa’h which basically means people of the example, or of Muhammad. As a result of King Faisal welcoming exiled teachers from Syria, Egypt and Jordan to Saudi Arabia in the 60’s, it was not too uncommon for members of the Muslim Brotherhood to be found teaching at Saudi schools and universities. During this time, Osama is believed to have been influenced by many of the teachings promoted by these exiles. It is also thought that Osama might have studied economics and business administration at King Abdulaziz University, and that he might have earned a degree in civil engineering in 1979. He is also said to never have graduated from college. Whatever his collegiate experience entails, it is now known that he spent the last 30 years since his college days contributing to the growth of the Muslim Brotherhood known as al-Qaeda, which performed its first military act in 1994. The Talibans first large military operation took place in October 1994 when it seized the Pasha munitions depot and the town of Spin Boldak on the Pakistani border, held at the time by Hizb-i Islami commanders. The capture of the arms dump provided them with an enormous quantity of military materiel, including rockets, ammunition, artillery, and small arms. Green, 2002) These attacks were the beginning of Osama’s reign. Later he would lead al-Qaeda to what they would deem to be the greatest statement of their western disapproval. Osama grew notorious through Al Jazeera, which gained its fame following the September 11th attacks, when the network broadcasted video statements by Osama bin Laden and other members of al-Qaeda. Al Jazeera, which in Arabic means The Island is a television network headquarters located in Doha, Qatar. The networks satellite capabilities enabled it to change the social landscape of the Middle East. Prior to its emergence, Middle Eastern citizens were only able to watch TV channels of stat-censored national stations. Al Jazeera introduced an unprecedented level of freedom of speech for most countries. On September 11th, 2001 Al Jazeera gained worldwide recognition with its broadcasts of al-Qaeda. Osama bin Laden gained an unprecedented level of global familiarity as well. The western fear of terrorism can entirely be credited as a product of his hate, which has complicated the western perception of rightful civil liberty. In her article Al Qaeda, Terrorism, and Military Comissions, Ruth Wedgwood proves that though most American citizens consider terrorism to be a federal and national problem, it is very much a local one. Al Qaeda’s published doctrine maintains that there are no innocent civilians in Western society (Wedgwood, 2002)†¦ She later goes on to analyze the psychological foundation they use to form their tenet and she says †¦this tenet leads it to the gravest of international crime (Wedgwood, 2002). Despite the fear bin Laden has been able to instill in the American people, there are many rumors that his financial backing is not as strong as it was in 2001. This could be the mark of his downfall, or just a shift in the types of terrorist acts al-Qaeda performs. The attacks on 9/11 and the ideology of the Taliban adhere to the power inherent in fear, and exploiting fear is not always a costly venture. The twin towers, the White House and the Pentagon are all symbols of American security and their presence provides a certain level of comfort for our society. Though security officials are trained to counter attacks on our civilization, there was a false faith formed over time that attacks such as 9/11 were inconceivable, nor possible to carryout. Now our country has grown impervious to this type of thought. Western civilization has waged war on the Jihad; securities are enhanced, and we are less likely to be vulnerable to the same form of attacks. Even still, western as well as eastern societies still have a major vulnerability that can exploited through the internet. In his Washington Post article Consultant Hacks FBI’s Computer System Martin H. Bosworth reports on an outside consultant hired by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) who breached the agency’s computer network and gained access to over 38,000 employee’s passwords. The hacker, known as Joseph Colon claimed he used run-of-the-mill hacker techniques that can be easily found on the internet. He gained access to such information as the Witness Protection Program, but can this be defined as terrorism? The United States Department of State defines terrorism as premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub national groups or clandestine agents (Gordon, 2003). This interpretation of terrorism becomes a very vague one when the internet is merged with this definition. The product of the two is cyberterrorism, but their have been a wide range of definitions posed since the terms advent in the 1980’s by Barry Collins (Gordon, 2003). Dorothy Denning is a computer science professor at Georgetown University, and one of the country’s foremost respected cyber-security experts. Her views are referred to numerous times in more than a few articles reviewed in this paper. In Denning’s Testimony before the Special Oversight Panel on Terrorism, the most widely cited paper on Cyberterrorism, she defines the term as an act carried out on the internet with the intention to do major, or significant damage to society, the likes of which would impede the process of a community’s civil liberty (Denning, 2000). Denning’s definition is very clarifying because it identifies the difference between a cyberterrorist and a hacker. Where a cyberterrorist acts with the intent of severely impacting the economy or civil morale of the country, a hacker merely causes nonessential or at the most costly damage. For every publication produced that argues cyber-terrorism is a major threat, there is another arguing that it is a hoax. Many of these authors who hold this position argue it is a form of presidential propaganda. In his article, Cyberterrorism: There are many ways terrorists can kill you—computers aren’t one of them, Joshua Green argues that the Bush administration’s infatuation with preaching the dangers of cyberterrorism is one that has become a pattern since September 11th. None are more exemplary of exploiting the public’s misunderstanding of the term, along with their fears, than Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, which Green proves with this quote by Ridge: Terrorists can sit at one computer connected to one network and can create worldwide havoc, warned Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge in a representative observation last April. [They] dont necessarily need a bomb or explosives to cripple a sector of the economy, or shut down a power grid. (Green, 2002) Green further points out that Ridge’s propaganda is not without merit considering that a survey of 725 cities conducted by the National League of Cities for the Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks s howed that cyberterrorism ranked with biological and chemical weapons at the top of a list made by officials of the single most feared threats (2002). Despite this, it must be remembered that Green’s article was published in The Washington Monthly a little more than a year after the 9/11 attacks. At this particular point information was scarce and Bush’s scare tactics were still at the height of their influence; and yet, Green has enough sense to question the motives behind those who use cyberterrorism as a way to instill fear in the fear in the American public. Green points out that the federal government requested $4. 5 billion in cyber investigative security; Bush appointed Richard Clarke to his created position of cybersecurity czar assigning him an office in the White House, and The Washington Post developed a habit of publishing first page headlines like: Cyber-Attacks by Al Qaeda Feared, Terrorists at Threshold of Using Internet as Tool of Bloodshed, Experts Say (Green, 2002). Green recognizes that all of these actions would be reasonable responses to an actual looming threat, but they fail to muster any sort of rationale considering that, as he states, there is no such thing as cyberterrorismno instance of anyone ever having been killed by a terrorist (or anyone else) using a computer (2002). In sum, despite the lack of proof of the potential threat which cyber terrorism poses. It is agreed by most political and military analysts that al-Qaeda’s next step is in the cyber arena. Never the less, this could also be deemed as a sign of bin Laden’s downfall. There are many rumors that al-Qeada lacks the same sufficient funding they had in 2001, that Osama has grown broke, and that the Jihad will eventually be a distant memory. If this is true, the internet would make for a more affordable method of terrorist attacks. These arguments will potentially prove foolish if bin Laden finds a way to continue his terror through the web. The potential for more tragedy is at the finger tips of al-Qeada literally and figuratively.

The Morality of Lying in Contrast to the Philosophies of Kant Essay

The young girl gazes at you helplessly from within the tangled wreckage. You witnessed the crash – a massive truck careened into a minivan as it passed on the highway, killing the driver on impact, and virtually tearing the girl in half. Now she hangs from the car, held together by the seatbelt. Her nervous system critically damaged, she can’t feel much pain, but she knows that her situation is not optimal, to say the least. She is six years old – she probably doesn’t understand the concept of death. As you stare equally helplessly into her fear stricken eyes, the only words that you can muster are: â€Å"Don’t worry, everything will be okay.† This is obviously a lie – there is absolutely no chance that the dying girl will indeed survive and have no cause for worry – but this lie contains ideas to sooth her fear, allowing a comparatively peaceful passage out of this life. Surely few would argue that the little girl did not deserve to be comforted, as the alternative seems somewhat heartless – â€Å"Why should I help you? You’re not worth my time, you’ll be dead in a minute.† Indeed, telling the truth, in this case, appears even less moral than the lie. There is, however, at least one who would disagree with this scenario: a certain Immanuel Kant, whose philosophy insists that lying is wrong in every circumstance. But despite Kant’s fervent belief, it is not hard to see how lying can be a beneficial, mutually advantageous, and in fact moral act that still consistently complies with Kant’s own moral imperatives. Because Kant’s philosophy does not specifically define what a â€Å"lie† is, we are led to believe that speaking an untruth, no matter what the context, is strictly immoral. But speaking untruth does not necessitate the negative conno... ...lf to a degree, allowing room for leniency. Lies can be perfectly acceptable, selfless, and moral in the face of a greater evil, or when no harm is being done on any side. Bibliography Gass, R. H., & Seiter, J. S. (1999). Persuasion, Social Influence, and Compliance Gaining. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Henningsen, D. D., Cruz, M. G., & Morr, M. C. (2000). â€Å"Pattern Violations and Perception of Deception.† Communication Reports. Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 1-9. http://www.allwords.com/word-white%20lie.html Kant, Immanuel. "The Foundations of Ethics." Moral Philosophy: a Reader. Ed. Louis P. Pojman. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Company, 1993. 194-213. Pruss, Alexander R. "Lying, Deception and Kant." Alexander R. Pruss Ethics Blog. 30 Aug. 2001. Baylor U. 8 Mar. 2008 .

Japanese Literature Essay

2. Individualism has been seen as a characteristic feature of the modern world. How do we see the issue of individualism being dealt with in the works we have read? Discuss examples of individualism in both modern and pre-modern texts. In the works we have read, the characteristic of individualism has played a strong role in the lives and decisions of three characters in particular. The characters Basho, Chockichi, and Okada all display similar acts of individualism in their own stories as they depart not only from their homes but also the traditions that have helped shape their lives for many years. These characters leave behind the familial and societal values that were vastly present in Japanese tradition. With their decisions to be individuals, they obtain new attitudes and standards that relate to, money, education and security. The new values attitudes are what brought Japan into a modern way of thinking and left old values and traditions behind. Individualism is the belief in the primary importance of the individual and the virtues of self reliance and personal dependence. Basho shows his independence by leaving his home front and traveling north. He does this in order to see new places, visit sites of earlier poets, and to spread his views. For Basho traveling is a way of life, and because he travels alone one could say that Basho is very much an independent individual. Throughout Basho’s Narrow Road it seems as if there is a lack of people he encounters on such a long journey. The reader does not know if this is because Basho chooses to leave out the people he meets from his story or because he truly does not encounter many. In any way, the lack of people in the story puts the spotlight solely on the main character, Basho. With this, Basho rejoices in his individualism by going against traditional Japanese values and the unknown. Basho can be described as a pre-modern individual. His journeys are not for money or to enhance his social status; they are for his own personal benefit in order to see more of Japan and to become inspired by nature and its beautiful surroundings. Traveling for Basho is his life, unlike many traditions of Japan where supporting a family and working are a way of life, he chooses a different path. By this Basho chooses a life that is centered around himself and based on personal dependence and happiness. This makes him an individual in all of the things that he does because he bases his decisions solely on himself. Being an individual Basho puts himself somewhat before his time in terms of Japanese culture. The worries of money and social expectation do not concern him, he is more concerned with being at one with nature and finding inspiration within Japanese surroundings which truly set him apart from his fellow citizens. In The River Sumida, Chokichi plays the role of an individual. He does this in more of a modern context rather than Basho did in Basho’s Narrow Road. Chockichi aspires to be an actor and wants to follow his dreams of doing so. His conflict comes when his mother demands him to go to school in order for him to be an office worker. She does this because she knows the importance of money and that Chokichi having a stable job it will ensure their future. Throughout the story Chokichi strives to be an individual and not let money and the other stresses of society hinder his dreams. Though he hated school, â€Å"? could he really bare it, all this learning? School was not the place to give him happiness he wished for. Learning was quite unrelated happiness-it came to Chokichi for the first time(193),† he knew that he had to follow his mothers orders. Therefore he decided to leave his surroundings and attend school. By this Chokichi had made a decision to be an individual and, instead of following his dreams, he pursued a different career. Chokichi’s act of leaving home and going to school in order to make money for his family he went against the traditional Japanese values. By choosing to go to school he also chose the path of being an individual. Most people would have followed their dreams and done what they wanted with life. Chokichi, in contention with his mothers direction, chose a different path. Though he greatly disliked school he still decided to attend. With this decision Chokichi should be deemed as an individual. He made a decision that not only went against Japanese values but also his own dreams. In the story Wild Geese, Okada plays the role of a strong individual who, throughout the story, follows traditional Japanese values and is a good citizen. With the changing times and changing traditions of Japan Okada is faced with the decision of leaving his love Otama in order to go to Europe and pursue a career translating Chinese medical texts. Though the decision was hard, Okada decided to go to Europe alone and pursue his career. With this decision Okada stepped out of the traditions of Japan and became an individual. He leaves all of his values and knowledge of life at home and embarks on a new journey. This decision truly makes him an individual. It also makes the changes of attitudes and standards of old Japan a reality. In earlier times Okada would not have left his home or his love to pursue a career. His future would have already been planned out for him; he would have followed not only the traditions of his family and their work, but also the early traditions of Japan. Okada’s individualistic attitude and decisions make it clear that he wants to be on his own and follow a rarely traveled road. Okada provides a great example of people changing their values and traditions and following the path of the individual. Throughout the lives of Basho, Chokichi, and Okada it is evident that they have taken upon values of the modern world and become individuals. With this they leave behind a mark of change and a shift in values, attitudes and standards that have been present for century’s among Japanese culture.