AF Environmental Threats Essay Example

AF Environmental Threats Essay What are the greatest environmental threats that have immediate implications for AF? Firebombed Fitch has been known for not being very diverse. They were striving for a certain look and style. It was mainly consisted of young white male and females with nice bodies, beautiful hair and shapes that fit their tiny clothes. If a customer were to walk into any AF store and look on the walls, they would notice that the models all have the same look. Not only do the models look the same, but was known for hiring associates that also fit that look. Firebombed has admitted to recruiting employees from sororities and fraternities and customers who looked the part. There were not many minorities working in the stores and even fewer minority models on the walls. If minorities were hired, they were working in the back, in stock. Or only coming in right before closing. Actions like these have opened the door for lawsuits for discrimination. Racial profiling, has also limited the type of clientele that frequents the stores. While this was exactly what AF was owing for Initially, It Limits the potential Income that the company could be earning. By not being as diverse as many other clothing companies, AF could stand the chance of losing business. Many customers do not care for discrimination and the misrepresentation of cultures. Firebombed and Fitch have four brands such as Hollister, Ruler, Firebombed and Giggly Hicks. A negative mark on one brand can possibly negatively affect all brands. 2. What are the greatest opportunities available in the marketplace for AF to pursue? We will write a custom essay sample on AF Environmental Threats specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on AF Environmental Threats specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on AF Environmental Threats specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In light of the economy decreasing due to the housing market taking a dive and the unemployment rate rising everyday, people are not as willing to spend a large amount of money on clothes. Now is the time for many to become conservative, save money and shop for bargains. To maintain their customers and possibly gain more, AF could take advantage of the bargain 2. What are the greatest opportunities available In the marketplace for AF to pursue? AF could take advantage of the bargain Identify and describe the greatest environmental threats that have immediate implications for AF. Firebombed Fitch has been known for its lack of diversity. They have always strives for a particular look and style. Their staff mainly consists of young white attractive male and females. Store Managers are encouraged to ask attractive shoppers If they want to apply for a sales position. AF has outlined a strict dress policy that the employees hair have to be neat and attractive, make up Is to be worn to en hance natural features along with many other demands. In the stores there are posters of attractive went models wearing trademark clotting wanly represents ten look they wanted to capture when hiring employees. AF recruits employees from sororities and fraternities who look the part and fit their mold of the all American male and female. AF ran into legal issues when lawsuits were filed alleging that they discriminated against minorities. It was said that in an effort to cultivate a white workforce minority applicants were steered into less visible Jobs such as stock

The Large, Meat-Eating Dinosaurs

The Large, Meat-Eating Dinosaurs Few issues in paleontology are as confusing as the classification of theropodsthe bipedal, mostly carnivorous dinosaurs that evolved from archosaurs during the late Triassic period and persisted until the end of the Cretaceous (when the dinosaurs went extinct). The problem is, theropods were extremely numerous, and at a distance of 100 million years, it can be hard to distinguish one genus from another based on fossil evidence, much less to determine their evolutionary relationships.   For this reason, the way paleontologists classify theropods is in a state of constant flux. So, Im going to add fuel to the Jurassic fire by creating my own informal sorting system. Ive already addressed tyrannosaurs, raptors, therizinosaurs, ornithomimids and dino-birdsthe more evolved theropods of the Cretaceous periodin separate articles on this site. This piece will mostly discuss the big theropods (excluding tyrannosaurs and raptors) that Ive dubbed the saurs: allosaurs, ceratosaurs, carnosaurs, and abelisaurs, to name just four sub-classifications. Here are brief descriptions of the classifications of large theropods currently in (or out of) vogue: Abelisaurs. Sometimes included under the ceratosaur umbrella (see below), abelisaurs were characterized by their large sizes, short arms, and (in a few genera) horned and crested heads. What makes the abelisaurs a useful group is that they all lived on the southern supercontinent of Gondwana, hence the numerous fossil remains found in South America and Africa. The most notable abelisaurs were Abelisaurus (of course), Majungatholus and Carnotaurus. Allosaurs. It probably wont seem very helpful, but paleontologists define an allosaur as any theropod more closely related to Allosaurus than to any other dinosaur (a system that applies equally well to all the theropod groups listed below; just substitute Ceratosaurus, Megalosaurus, etc.) In general, allosaurs had large, ornate heads, threes of allosaurs include Carcharodontosaurus, Giganotosaurus, and the huge Spinosaurus. Carnosaurs. Confusingly, the carnosaurs (Greek for flesh-eating lizards) includes the allosaurs, above, and is sometimes taken to embrace the megalosaurs (below) as well. The definition of an allosaur pretty much applies to a carnosaur, though this broader group includes such relatively small (and sometimes feathered) predators as Sinraptor, Fukuiraptor, and Monolophosaurus. (Oddly enough, as yet theres no genus of dinosaur named Carnosaurus!) Ceratosaurs. This designation of theropods is in even greater flux than the others on this list. Today, the ceratosaurs are defined as early, horned theropods related to (but not ancestral to) later, more evolved theropods like tyrannosaurs. The two most famous ceratosaurs are Dilophosaurus and, you guessed it, Ceratosaurus. Megalosaurs. Of all the groups on this list, megalosaurs are the oldest and least respected. This is because, early in the 19th century, pretty much every new carnivorous dinosaur was assumed to be a megalosaur, Megalosaurus being the first theropod ever officially named (before the word theropod was even coined). Today, megalosaurs are rarely invoked, and when they are, its usually as a subgroup of carnosaurs alongside the allosaurs. Tetanurans. This is one of those groups thats so all-inclusive as to be practically meaningless; taken literally, it includes everything from carnosaurs to tyrannosaurs to modern birds. Some paleontologists consider the first tetanuran (the word means stiff tail) to have been Cryolophosaurus, one of the few dinosaurs to be discovered in modern Antarctica. The Behavior of Large Theropods As with all carnivores, the main consideration driving the behavior of large theropods like allosaurs and abelisaurs was the availability of prey. As a rule, carnivorous dinosaurs were much less common than herbivorous dinosaurs (since it requires a large population of herbivores to feed a smaller population of carnivores). Since some of the  hadrosaurs  and  sauropods  of the  Jurassic  and  Cretaceous  periods grew to extreme sizes, its reasonable to conclude that even the bigger theropods learned to hunt in packs of at least two or three members. One major topic of debate is whether large theropods actively hunted their prey, or feasted on already dead carcasses. Although this debate has crystallized around  Tyrannosaurus Rex, it has ramifications for smaller predators like  Allosaurus  and  Carcharodontosaurus  as well. Today, the weight of the evidence appears to be that theropod dinosaurs (like most carnivores) were opportunistic: they chased down juvenile sauropods when they had the chance, but wouldnt turn up their noses at a huge  Diplodocus  that died of old age. Hunting in packs was one form of theropod socialization, at least for some genera; another may have been  raising young. The evidence is sparse at best, but its possible that larger theropods protected their newborns for the first couple of years, until they were big enough not to attract the attention of other hungry carnivores. (However, its also possible that some theropod kids were left to fend for themselves from birth!). Finally, one aspect of theropod behavior that has received a lot of attention in the popular media is cannibalism. Based on the discovery of the bones of some carnivores (such as  Majungasaurus) bearing the tooth marks of adults of the same genus, its believed that some theropods may have cannibalized their own kind. Despite what youve seen on TV, though, its much more likely that the average allosaur ate its already-dead family members rather than actively hunting them down for an easy meal!

The difference between the roles of the prosecutor and the defense Research Paper

The difference between the roles of the prosecutor and the defense attorney - Research Paper Example This paper is a critical evaluation of the differences between the roles of a prosecutor and those of a defense attorney in the course of administrating justice. Differences in the Roles of the Prosecutor and the Defense Attorney Once a crime has been committed and brought to the attention of the prosecutor, it is his role and responsibility to ensure that justice to the victim, whether an individual or the state, is achieved by ensuring that the offender is convicted through a fair court process. To achieve this, the prosecutor embarks on a mission to create a strong case, which is free of loopholes, so as to establish whether the offender deserves to face trial or not. In this context, he has to conduct thorough investigation, which may involve questioning and securing witnesses, collecting all the incriminating evidence for example by acquiring the services of experts such as those dealing with forensics, ballistics among others, depending on the type of crime in question, so as t o support his or her case once the trial begins (Grant, 2002). This service may be provided by the investigative arm of the police, which is of high importance to the prosecutor. This is essential based on the fact that there are people in the society, who may wish to subject others to torture such that they will utilize their democratic rights to demand rogue justice through unfair means such as planting of evidence. Others may be motivated to do such things by political ambitions, whereby the prosecution may be used as a tool to discredit a person by displaying him as corrupt or inefficient. In this context, it is important to insist that a prosecutor is not always out to ensure that suspects are put to jail but also acts as an agent of truth. In fact, Rosenthal (n.d) indicates that the prosecutor has the role of ensuring that innocent people are not convicted. It is therefore the reason why he will not go ahead to prosecute a person if the evidence shows that the case is motivate d by malice. However, it is important to note that this does not imply that the prosecutor has the authority to declare one innocent as that is the prerogative of the judge, but truth be told, if the case in his hands goes to court and he does not believe in its admissibility, then, he has the powers to convince the judge by declining to persuade him to find the suspect guilty of the offences. In the US criminal justice system, the prosecutors are considered to be so powerful due to the powers vested in them, which allows prosecutorial discretion and plea bargaining. This means that they can convince the defendant to plead guilty either as charged or to a charge of lesser magnitude after which he would plead with the judge for a lighter penalty than what is recommended (Fionda, 1995). This is a circumstance that has created controversy such that critics indicate the intention of proposing mandatory prosecution instead of what is currently in operation. The international criminal cou rt (ICC), for example, is mandated through the Rome statute to prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity, genocide, and other war crimes, which may be perpetrated by individuals or

Topic Proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Topic - Research Proposal Example I am proud to understand that my grandfather was part of Second World War which a historical event changed the face of my home country. Having a multiple ancestry root is admirable fact, but my grandparent’s engagement in World War II changed my persona to a great extend† (Thesis)â€Å"Developing one’s self consists mainly in trend to self-development†3 Second World War is an historical event which has a great importance in political and social terms. This is a war which had all the superpowers of the world participating in it and winning this war was a crucial for all. This Second World War has enhanced the innovative dynamics of America and has built in them a sense of citizenship and patriotism. This war shows the dedication, sincerity and devotion of veteran Americans had for their country. â€Å"The Americans supplied us with 450,000 lorries.Of course, in the final stages of the war this significantly increased our armed forces mobility, decreased our losses and brought us, perhaps, greater success than if we had not such help†7 The Second World War is immensely connected to my family as my maternal and paternal side is linked to this historical event. Firstly, my Granddad was a war veteran which showed the patriotism he had for his country. â€Å"Over time in the United States, this necessary war has been transformed into a good war, the best war the country ever had† 1.Apart from this, on my maternal side, her Irish ancestors took part as British military men in Second World War. Moreover, as we moved to Connecticut after World War II, our life took a positive course â€Å"At the outbreak of the Second World War southern Ireland declared itself neutral while the six counties of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom became involved†5. Understanding one’s family heritage is of great value as it allows one to grow emotionally and personally as an individual. â€Å"The family is usually considered

Buddhism and Hinduism in comparision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buddhism and Hinduism in comparision - Essay Example It highly reflects the prevailing theme at the time in which Japan took pride in its genius through the fields of religion, philosophy, art, and rich literature. While the fundamental color of brilliance is perceived through the coating to designate in equilibrium the simplicity of brightness through wood carving, the Hindu sculpture has, among the revered gods Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, and some others, on the contrary been worked using stone or hard rock medium to enhance the proper locus of the aspects with light. A rare sculpture of ‘Vishnu’ seated on a Naga coil under the five hoods of the serpent deity is stone-made. Found at the Nithyakalyanaswamy temple at Thiruvidanthai, the statue is said to date from the Vijayanagara period during the 17th century. Contrary to the standing position of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Vishnu is depicted sitting in a relaxed posture to signify an aura of meditative heights achieved. This ‘Vishnu on Naga Coil’ is well-ado rned as opposed to the plain appearance of the Buddhist sculpture. Being considered as the ‘Supreme god’ in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism, the symbolic statue reflects him as the all-pervading essence of all beings and this is a strong ground for sculpting Vishnu in a manner that exhibits details rich in adornments and are defined under perfect human features, except for bearing four arms. Not having any earth-related object by him suggests how Vishnu’s state is one that is severely distant from men and this further indicates no sign of humility unlike in the case of the bodhisattva. Though his divinity radiates opulence of things by which he could sustain and govern the universe as the ‘Preserver’, the sculpture seemingly lacks the essence of purity. In one of the modifications made for the structure of Vishnu with the same serpent deity, the presence of Lakshmi, his consort, heavily coated with gold altogether gives a manifestation of extre me wealth and power. Its lavish creation of curves and lines inlaid on the golden stone medium occur to characterize immortal possession of authority and matter, transcending the significant idea behind misery or suffering, a major part in Buddhist principle of attaining pure divinity. Such design with Vishnu and similar Hindu gods mirrors the equivalent aspect in Indian culture of observing colorful festive traditions abounding in food, clothing, ceremonies, and other stuffs of various kinds. On the other hand, Though the ‘Eleven-Headed Bodhisattva of Compassion’ primarily consists of wood, the sophisticated carvings and the countenance which appears to possess a blend of gold and bronze external coating, aimed to bring about a wholly essential color, suggests subtle prominence while depicting the purpose of identifying a bodhisattva by nature. The smooth lines of the sculpture were fashioned such that the strokes exude a character with humble gesture, one with which n o trace of rigidity can be detected. In the absence of conspicuous edges in its shape all throughout, the eleven-headed Kannon may be readily claimed to have been so intentionally brought to the gentlest of forms. ‘Eleven-Headed Bo

Indias Culture, History and Economy

Indias Culture, History and Economy Executive Summary Historical/Geographical background With traces of Human life dating back over 9000 years, India can be described as one of the oldest nations in the world. This brief analysis looks at the construction of a major European trading post and the downfall of the colonies as well as looking at how the current trends in populace are helping India develop into one of the worlds newest major powers. Type of government and State system employed Indian politics are described as a very grey area. What is construed as a democracy by the constitution is in reality a democracy where the people repeatedly vote in the same corrupt leaders. It is a country run by money and its idea of democracy needs to change drastically if India has any chance of catching up with the powerful G8 nations. Relationship with neighbouring countries Indias relationship with neighbouring countries varies completely from Pakistan their arch rival due to different aspects from religion to ownership of land. To their relationship with China which has dramatically changed from warring neighbouring countries to making friends with each other and co-operating with one and other. Judicial system Indias court system appears to be at fault. Terrorism is becoming increasingly frequent but punishment for such crimes is minimal. Although the court system is attempting to pass laws to eliminate crime, the government is failing to implement them efficiently and the corrupt police forces overlook these laws. Religion Religion within India is widely spread and very important to the people of India. Instead of having the usual class system, India has a caste system and as soon as somebody is born they are put into rankings according to the caste system. Culture Indias culture is one of the oldest and most unique. It is unlike any other culture in the world and each region of the country possesses its own distinctive cultural niche. Cultural diversity is reflected through Indias exciting traditional clothing and highly respectful family values. Health, welfare and education The healthcare in India has developed dramatically over the years from hardly any at all to a national health service; even though this is available many of the higher class population choose to seek private centres. Welfare in India differs from the cities where tourism is popular to the villages were at particular months, times can be a struggle. Education is very popular in the cities where the government can provide help, on the other hand, in the outer villages education is scarce. Government and Media Indian Press, TV, Radio and Internet media are all explored in this section. It explains quick growth of Indian media sector and how it came across Governments will to control it. Economic climate Currently India is doing very well itself and is in a boom state rather than a bust in comparison with many other countries. India has many imports and exports e.g. diamonds and fuel. India has some main trading partners that are America and China. Political Diplomacy India is a powerhouse in terms of their involvement in European relations. Relationships with neighbouring countries such as Pakistan are hostile but Bhutan and China are both working closely with India to improve trade routes. Introduction In our group assignment, the question we were given to answer was How can we accurately define the 21st century nation state with regards to the country India. This report consists of research into many different aspects of India including, Historical/geographical background and demographics, The type of government and state system employed, The nation state, relationship with neighbours, Judicial system, Importance of religion/class/caste, Culture and Ideology, Provision of welfare/education, Relationship of media and the Indian government, The modern economy. During this project, we will explore deep in to India as a country, to gain extensive knowledge, to help us to understand more about their life and culture enabling us to complete our report. Each section of the report will be researched in depth and the most important and relevant parts picked out and used to show our understanding and knowledge of India. This will then enable us to piece together everyones individual work and produce an overall project. The report will be created to the best of all our abilities, as it is a group project we will obviously be working together to complete the work. However, not only will we have to work together but we will also each have to do our own individual piece regarding our country, India. The information and the images e.g. diagrams that we will use in the report will be appropriately referenced in the bibliography along with any other relevant information we find. Historical background of India The Earliest know traces of life in India can be found as Stone Age rock shelters with paintings. These can be found in Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh. The first known settlement was traced back to over 9000 years ago. This settlement developed into the Indus Valley Civilization, which dates back to 3300 BCE in the western province of India. (http://www.harappa.com/indus/indus1.html) During the 16th Century India was used a major trading post to the far east by the Major European powers such as; the UK, Portugal, the Netherlands and France. During the later half of the 16th century colonies were set up in India aided by the countries internal conflicts. By 1856, India was mostly under the control of the British East India Company. (http://india.gov.in/knowindia/history_freedom_struggle.php) Within a year India would be brought under direct rule of the British Crown. These events are some of the major factors, which have helped India to develop into a developing nation faster than a lot of its surrounding 3rd world neighbors. In my opinion India would not have been considered a developing nation for some time without the early introduction to European trading and industry, which are now the foundation to a thriving economy along with other factors such as the huge population and modern investment. By the 20th Century India was ready for freedom and a struggle for nationwide independence ensued. The Indian National Congress as well as some other political organizations led the struggle. Infamous Indian Leader Mahatma Gandhi led millions of Indian people through non-violent campaigns for freedom. (http://www.kamat.com/mmgandhi/mkgtimeline.htm) On 15 August 1947, the nation of India was declared as free from British rule. At the same time as the gained there independence, some mostly Muslim areas where partitioned to Pakistan. (http://english.emory.edu/Bahri/Part.html) India became a republic on the 26th of January 1950 and the new constitution came into power. (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html) Geographical background of India The seventh largest country in the world India is guarded from the rest of Asia by ranges of mountains and vast seas. This gives India a palatable geographical actuality. Spanning an area of 32,87,2631 Km square, India shares its borders with Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Burma, Bhutan, China and Kashmir. India has Borders with the Indian Ocean to the South West and Bay of Bengal to the South East with a coastline including non-mainland islands of 7,516.5 km. http://www.indiabook.com/india-information/indian-geography.html A lot of Indias strengths today can be attributed to its size. With size come resources and the power to export. Demographical background of India India has an estimated population of 1.2million people. (http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2008/wpp2008_text_tables.pdf) This Makes India the 2nd most populated country in the world. I believe that we can attribute some of Indias success and a growing nation to this. For example, their massive GDP that has been climbing steadily could be accredited to the cheap work force that they are able to get their hands on. With the labor cost in India being cheaper India has found that Developed nations have taken an interest in using that cheap labor. This Investment from other countries has also helped India leave its neighbors behind. In recent years the population has risen sharply. It has been claimed that this is due to the recent advancements in medicine. I agree that this is an attributing factor and Indias aging population could be a problem for the in the very foreseeable future. But as it stands with its huge population India can only become more powerful as they adva nce technologically and strive to catch up with Western nation. Indian Politics There isnt a more populated democracy in the entire world than India. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1154019.stm) India also boasts the longest constitution by any independent nation. This exhaustive constitution was initiated on the 26th of January in 1950. The constitution outlines India as a Secular, Socialist, Sovereign and Democratic republic. (Identities and the Indian state: An overview) India adopted, beneficially, a parliamentary government but has shifted to a much more federal style in the 1990s due to internal social and economical change. The constitutional head of the Indian government is the president. He is elected by an electoral college and should serve a maximum of five years with out being re-elected. All real power in the country is shared between the President of India and the Council of Ministers. (http://www.tradechakra.com/india-political-system.html) On paper India is considered a very typical democracy. In reality voters keep voting for corrupt leaders. Democracy in India faces threats from leaders such as Abu Salem, who has recently requested to contest in elections. Abu Salem, and extradite of Portugal would almost certainly use his position of power to initiate hate campaigns against Hindus backed by his pseudo-secular followers. This puts forward the question, does democracy ever work? Thomas Jefferson once said, A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. Is the majority decision the correct one? Some people would say that Indian politics doesnt work as a democracy, but if you were to compare them with Pakistan who have a very similar democracy to India, On Paper. In reality you would find that Pakistan has a much more corrupt government than India. This would suggest that the Indian system is a working democracy to some extent; to the extent perhaps that any democracy works. Relationship with Neighbouring countries Pakistan India Ever since 1947 when the British government went in and dismantled India as a country they have been arch rivals and even over the many years it has shown that they still do not get along. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/south_asia/2002/india_pakistan/timeline/default.stm These arguments go deep into religion and history the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and whom they actually belong to. Pakistan and India have not yet managed to agree on power over the equal equation in south Asia. An undeclared war broke out in 1947 between the two countries over the state of Kashmir; this was the first of three extreme conflicts that the countries have had with each other. On July 18th, both of the countries signed the Karachi Agreement establishing a ceasefire line that was supervised by the United Nations. This left Pakistan, India and China part of the land. Most of the tension between the two nations comes from a long history of conflict, through religion and ownership of land, ending up as a nuclear competition. http://www.ignca.nic.in/ks_41061.htm Each trying to push the other country to back down, one of the countries needs to take the first step to a harmonious relationship or things seem set to only get worse for themselves. China India China and India have had a completely different relationship with one and other, they are very similar in many different ways, both of the countries had to fight for their countries freedom and have been allies in war. However, the change in new world has managed to alter Indias perspective of China and their true intentions. Chinas military has had a rapid growth and this begins to worry India in several ways. China has always used their military forces to gain control of different aspects of their culture, for example for the fight for their freedom they used their armed forces to complete a gruelling task to fight until the end to obtain their goal. India went down the opposite route of using non-violent demonstrations to gain their achievements. So naturally, the development of the Chinese army has begun to worry India. Although these http://iaps.cass.cn/xueshuwz/showcontent.asp?id=262two approaches are completely different, both have seen success in their relationship, with one and other and other countries. By keeping there tactics the same, they now in the 21st century are aiming for the same goals of maintaining Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence around the world. I believe that India and china will continue to keep a harmonious relationship with one and other even with their different views on appropriate action so far they have managed to keep a friendship going and will continue this, using each others strengths to help themselves. Indian Judicial System How does it work? The Supreme Court of India is the uppermost part in the Indian legal system, consisting of a Chief Justice and 25 associate justices, who are appointed by the President. Under The Supreme Court of India, each state or group of states possesses High Courts and there are several subordinate courts under these High Courts. As of the 1960s, Indian eliminated the use of juries for most trials as they were deemed ineffective and corrupt and opted for the majority of trials to be conducted by judges (www.indiafacts.headlinesinindia.com www.wikepedia.com). Does India have a fair and working police and court system? From research, I have found much primary data that shows me Indias police and court system appears to be working ineffectively. Terrorism is rife in India and the most recent attack was the Mumbai bombings in November 2008. These were a series of attacks, lasting three days, on some of Indias most famous landmarks, notably the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. The attacks resulted in the death of more than 170 people. According to the Amnesty International Report the government tightened security legislation and set up a federal agency to investigate terrorist attacks. However, the laws put in place failed to materialize and despite 70 death sentences, no executions took place. This suggests to me that the court system is failing in their attempts to improve the country and perhaps not enough effort is being put on important laws, such as punishing terrorists. (http://thereport.amnesty.org/en/regions/asia-pacific/india) Furthermore, a report released by Human Rights Watch on August 4th 2009 gives an in-depth 118-page account of a range of human violations committed by the police in India. The report is based on interviews with police officers and over 60 members on the public who have first-hand experience of the police forces unprovoked and unnecessary violence. One individual describes how he was tortured in an attempt to force a confession out of him. He describes how he was repeatedly beaten with a wooden stick until he nearly fainted. India is modernizing rapidly, but the police continue to use their old methods: abuse and threats. It is time for the government to stop talking about reform and fix the system. (http://thereport.amnesty.org/en/regions/asia-pacific/india) This quote from Brad Adams, the Asia Director at Human Rights Watch shows how feels that the police system is not working and that the government need to do something about it. Is the court system to blame for the corrupt police system? According to the report, in 2006, The Supreme Court of India judgment attempted to improve police laws. However, the implications of these laws were poorly put into practice. The article implies that officials do not view the need for police and human rights reforms at an urgent matter and are satisfied for it to continue as it is. Indias status as the worlds largest democracy is undermined by a police force that thinks it is above the law. This is another quote from Brad Adams, revealing that the Supreme Court of Indias efforts have been overlooked by a policing system that chooses to ignore the law. (http://www.hrw.org/node/84730) From research, I have learnt that Indias police and court system appears to be failing. Although there seems be attempts to make new laws the process of putting them into practice is poor and ineffective. Religion India is a very religious country and the main religion that is followed in this country is Hinduism, 83% of the population of India is Hindu (http://www.incredibleindia.org/newsite/cms_Page.asp) and therefore obviously it is a very important subject. Religion in India plays a huge part and is often a way of life for the people who live in India and is something they relate to every day. Although Hinduism is the main religion there are many others with Islam been the second biggest religious group in India, Muslims number over a billion globally, spread among many different countries, ranging from the Middle East and Africa to areas now part of Russia and extending as far as China and Malaysia in East Asia. They make up the majority of the population in 30 countries and large minorities in other (Book-The international Business Environment, 2nd Ed. Janet Morrison 2006, Palgrave, Macmillan Page 182) and others including Christianity, Sikhism and Buddhism. As religion is a way of life for the average person living in India they eat, sleep and breathe their religion because it is very important to them and this is what they live for. There are aspects of all religions within India that have become very common, the most recent of these aspects is the food and dance festivals that the people have to celebrate certain timesof the year within each religion. However because a large population of India go to these festivals regardless of their religion each actual religion has its own beliefs, heroes and culinary specialties (http://www.squidoo.com/indian-religions). This shows that no religion is the same despite the fact that they celebrate the same religious and cultural events. India has a caste system that is a hierarchical system within their society http://www.indianchild.com/caste_system_in_india.htm, the system is used for almost everything and puts people in a ranking order depending on certain qualities which each individual has e.g. wealth, relatives. This system seems very important because it is used to help identify who is of more worth and who should be looked at differently with regards to the caste system. It becomes easy to see who is where in the ranking and if you are at the lower end of the hierarchical caste system it is likely that people will act differently towards that person compared to if they were of a higher ranking. The extent of the impact will depend upon how severe the caste system is and how much people judge each other in relation to the system. I dont believe it is fair to judge and make opinions on people just based on the caste system that they use in India, however it happens and so the people of India have to cope with it. As there is a caste system the Indian people obviously class people according to things like wealth and power. This in my opinion shows that they have a class system and there will be a lower class who have the basic job and basic wages, the middle class who have the better paid jobs and the better power and then there is the ultimate higher class who most people will aspire to be because they are the wealthiest people among the classes and they have the power and the most powerful contacts and relationships. However most countries do class people according to how much money and power they have and this is unlikely to change any time soon. Culture India is renowned for possessing one of the richest and most unique cultures in the world. Each regions culture enjoys its own individual features, demonstrating great cultural diversity throughout the country. It would be difficult to identify any culture in the world that possesses the variation and individuality that Indian culture does. In this section of the assignment, I intend to explore some of the distinctive features of Indian culture, namely family values, clothing and dance. So what is culture? The term culture refers to a state of intellectual development or manners. The social and political forces that influence the growth of a human being are defined as culture. (www.indianchild.com) Distinctive features of Indian culture Family Values Traditional family values remain similar in all regions of India, despite the rich cultural diversity. A common belief among Indians is that children are a gift from God, boys being the more favourable sex as they can earn money to support the family. (www.essortment.com/all/familyindianli_rvuy.htm) Traditional family values are highly respected and a vast majority of Indians have their marriages arranged for them by their parents or other highly regarded family members. In India, marriage is thought to be for life and therefore the divorce rate is extremely low. According to statistics, (www.divorcemag.com) the divorce rate in the United Kingdom was 42.6% as a percentage of marriages, whereas India was only 1.1%; this huge difference reiterates that Indian family values believe marriage is for life. Clothing Traditional Indian attire exudes ethnic charm through the bright, rich colours and style and material can vary depending on the geographical location. For women, a draped garment called a sari is popular and an embroidered dress called a salwar kameez. Similarly, men wear a draped garment called a dhoti or a lungi. Also popular for men are European-style trousers and shirts. From research, when I think of Indian clothing I instantly visualise radiant and exciting colours. I think this is reflective of Indias rich and unique culture as there are not many other countries in which traditional clothing is so exciting. The picture shows a woman in traditional Indian salwar kameez, the embroidery detail on the dress along with the vibrant colours suggests to me a lot of effort goes into their clothing and shows that clothing is a significant part of their culture. Dance Dance forms are divided into two categories; classical and folk. Classical usually aim to convey a spiritual message, whereas, folk dances are mainly used as part of celebrations. Like other aspects of Indian culture, dance forms are equally unique and vary across the regions. Bharatnatyam is the most renowned dance from the South, as significant as a dance form it is viewed almost as a religion to many who revere it. I get the sense that dance is a highly significant part of Indian culture if it can be regarded to some people as important as religion. From family values, clothing and dance to their unique monuments and religions, I have found the culture of India to be diverse among regions and extremely interesting to learn about. It is notably dissimilar to any other country I am familiar with. Healthcare Health care was changed substantially between the 1950s and the 1980s; however, this managed to cause a large boost in population growth causing the number of practises per person to be at an extreme low. In 1991, India had about 22,400 primary health centres, 11,200 hospitals and 27,400 dispensaries. (http://www.indianchild.com/health_care_in_india.htm) They managed to produce a tiered health care system that placed more difficult cases into the urban hospitals while attempting to provide medical care for most of the cases in the countryside; this seems quite significant because most of the Indian population live in villages in the outer areas. Many of the hospitals were owned and managed by charitable trusts, and received some payment from the government, while the rest of the hospitals were managed by private trusts. Many of the medical equipment needed for the hospitals was limited as the money needed to by the products was scarce in the early 1990s. By 1992, however, most of the privately owned hospitals were part of the government scheme for colleges and contained enough medical equipment to treat all major types of diseases including cancer. (http://www.indianchild.com/health_care_in_india.htm) India has a free treatment at public health centres on the other hand however most of the public prefer to pay money for treatment by private physicians. This seems interesting as India is not known as a rich country so paying for treatment rather than take the free care seems to be a bit of a luxury, on the other hand, it shows that the standard of national free health care must be at a poor standard. Welfare In the case of welfare India is the same as everywhere else depending on its income to help it succeed. However, in India there are two scenarios with the richer parts of Indias population have no problem at all maintaining healthy living constantly all year round, however in the small villages of the less developed parts of India this can be an increasing problem with hot summers and no constant flow of tourists, times can seem very hard. (http://giik.net/blog/india-welfare/)With an enormous population in the billions many people live out of the main cities and even further into the country this can make it hard for them to access medical centres and other vital aid that they may need. This contributes to the high death rate, lowering the average life expectancy. Education Indias recent economic growth rates have helped them progress in the educational department. The story of Indias educational achievements is one of mixed success. On the negative side, India has 22 per cent of the worlds population and is home to a high proportion of the worlds out of school children and youths. On the positive side, it has made encouraging recent progress in raising schooling participation. While the base of Indias education may be weak, it has emerged as an important player in the worldwide information technology revolution due to the substantial numbers of well educated computing and other graduates. However it was not always this way in 1854, Sir Charles Woods introduced a new policy into Indias government, this was made to help those who have not got enough money to send their children to school, for help to be provided for them, so that all children would be treated equally. (Crisis and Change in Contemporary India)On the other hand, due to the enormous population of the country they could not make the school scheme compulsory, as the government did not have enough money for all of the children that needed their help and support. Media and government of India Relationships between the media and the government in India is not very different to the West European democratic model, however some historical and demographical aspects drove this relation in its own specification and pace. Recent changes in regulations of freedom and speech seems to follow global concept of independent media production and broadcasting news. The history of media in India began in the eighteenth century when the first prints were published. Indian media has been relatively independent throughout most of their history, however, over the period of 1975-1977 Prime Minister Gandhi declared the period of emergency with potential government retribution. This incident has not changed freedom of Indian media in the long term. (http://india.mapsofindia.com/india-forum/media-in-india.html) Nowadays Indian media markets with over 99 million newspaper copies in 2007, 60 million internet users in 2008 and large amounts of TV channels is one of the leading media markets in the world. With a population of over one billion the Indian market is a lot to fight for. Major newspapers like The India Gazette, The Calcutta Gazette, The Madras Courier were initially carried under the British rule, however same as The Bombay Times most Indian publishers are now independent. The Press Council is a statutory body of journalists, publishers, academics and politicians, with a chairman appointed by the Government. Designed to be a self-regulating mechanism for the press, it investigates complaints of irresponsible journalism and sets a code of conduct for publishers. This code includes a commitment not to publish articles or details that might incite caste or communal violence. Radio broadcasting became state responsibility in 1930. AM broadcasting remained a government monopoly. Private FM radio station ownership was legalized during 2000, but licenses only authorized entertainment and educational content. Although there were privately owned radio stations, they were not permitted to broadcast news. Major radio stations nowadays in India like All India Radio, Radio City, Big FM, Radio Mirchi are important informational channels all over the country. Some channels are more recognized as of the language dialect, but Hindi spoken media with over 422 million speakers are the most popular. Complete television broadcasting was initiated in 1965. The Government of India owned and maintained audio-visual apparatus and played a significant role in increasing mass education and publishing information. Some TV projects were specifically designed to educate village population. Following the economic reforms of the 90s, satellite TV channels from around the world including BBC, CNN, CNBC and other foreign television channels gained a foothold in the country. In 1993 there were over 47 million registered TV users. Private satellite television was distributed widely by cable or satellite dish. These channels provided substantial competition for Doordarshan, the government-owned television network, in both presentation and credibility. Doordarshan frequently was accused of manipulating the news in the Governments favour; however, in some parts of the country satellite channel owners used their medium to promote the platforms of the political parties that they supported. In addit ion, citizens had access to uncensored Cable News Network, the British Broadcasting Company and a variety of other foreign programs. Recently, with 562 television stations, the country ranked eighth in the list of countries by number of television broadcast stations as of 1997. Star Plus, Colors, Zee TV, DD1 are the top TV channels in 2009. Internet as the newest and the quickest growing media nowadays is the one that seems to be less influenced by Government regulations, however, some radical acts have also taken place in the past. The Government imposed limited access to the Internet. The Informational Technology Act provides for censoring information on the Internet on public morality grounds, and it considers unauthorized access to electronic information a crime. According to Reporters Without Borders, this law allowed police officers to search the homes or offices of Internet users, at any time and without a warrant. But it was another way to fight against crime and allowing legal acts against those who are breaking the law. In practice, the internet is the most popular media worldwide and is the most powerful source of information in India, same as the rest of the world. The Constituti

Business ethics Essay -- essays research papers

Current Trends and Implications: Achieving Organizational Goals Using A Systems Approach ( Information Technology as a part of Your Competitive Strategy) Introduction to Seminar Welcome ladies and gentlemen, there are many of you here today from great distances and backgrounds of all sorts. I would like to start off first by thanking you for your time. New technologies everyday are radically changing existing industrys and creating new ones. This seminar focuses on these changes and understanding how they can help you achieve success or failure in the marketplace. Soon you will learn that your time here will give you great insight into current emerging and leading edge information and trends in using IS and IT as your competive strategy and advantage in growing your business. Beyond that your employees and other attendees will be addressed with the challenges and issuses of the many different aspects of how these systems can help you implement strategys to make your existing systems more efficient. There are pros and cons with these technologys and systems, as is expected and everything here is not for everyone. What you can expect is that you will find some thing there for you and your firm to further explore and possibly implement into operations. The seminar is set up for everyone, there is insight and much more to gain from the knowledge that we have amassed for you. Following will be how our seminar will run, summarizing and giving you a preview with how we implement the information to you and your clients. The Seminar will take place Friday and Saturday. It will be structured with breaks, your clients can choose which sections to attend, although we encourage the whole seminar, we know you and your clients may be issue specific. We highly recommend the seminar section on VoIP and RFID technology. Friday: 10:00 a.m. – Meet and greet brunch, seminar attendees will be treated to a five star brunch to start the day off on a good foot. Here your clients can meet and mingle with business minds from all over the world. The experience and networking alone is wonderful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  11:00 – Seminar will begin, attendees will receive seminar materials, phamplets and packets, to go along with the seminar. Also will be included is workbooks that provide material for the seminar and for practice and referecnce later. Go over schedule for t... ...bsp;How Stocks And The Stock Market Work You hear about Stocks on the news every day -- now you can understand what they are talking about! http://money.howstuffworks.com/stock.htm D  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wal-Mart, DoD clarify RFID plans: suppliers begin race to present plans for RFID implementation. (RFID/ADC) Frontline Solutions, Jan, 2004, by Brian Albright http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0DIS/1_5/112563026/p1/article.jhtml Military Orders Suppliers to Use RFID Technology http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2003/0,4814,85978,00.html E  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sidebar: Glossary http://www.computerworld.com/printthis/2004/0,4814,93615,00.html - Systems Approach / Systems model Hardware / Software / Communications Applying information systems for competitive advantage Information as a strategic resource that supports or shapes an organization’s competitive strategy. Socio-technical Change strategies Technology Competition  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Legal Hardware/Software Productivity Ethics / Privacy Resource/Asset allocation Information systems development strategies (Outsourcing, prototyping, off-the-shelf, etc) Security / Ethics / Privacy Value Chain

Child Abuse Cases in US

Many children suffer at the hands of adults – often their own parents. They are beaten, kicked, thrown into walls, and/or burned with cigarettes. They have their heads held under the water of toilet bowls, are scalded by hot water or they are forced to stand in freezing showers until they pass out. A child could be stuffed into running washing machines or sexually molested, suffer from neglect in the forms of starvation and lack of medical attention, and still go unnoticed by outsiders. In fact, it is estimated that three children die every day in the U. S. alone from one form of child abuse or another. It is a sickening practice that has no set standard of rules to finish off the persisting problem. Different states have different methods and agencies to help prevent abuse in the home, some work quite well while others bomb – a dangerous gamble when it comes to the life or mental state of a child. The precise number of deaths each year is not known because of the extent of most fatality investigations that could be suspected as child abuse but are seen as open and shut death cases. A report from the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, however, depicts more than three million reports of alleged child maltreatment practices in the year of 1995 alone. Many more children are living with abuse rather than dying from it, too. So what steps are being taken to protect our nation's children? All states have a Child Protective Services (or CPS) system. This is the governmental system responsible for investigating reports of child abuse or neglect. In state after state, the CPS agency lacks the resources to respond adequately to the overwhelming number of reports it is legislatively mandated to investigate. All fifty states have child abuse reporting laws requiring reports of suspected abuse to be made by specified professionals and others whose work brings them into regular contact with children. Any citizen may report suspected abuse as state laws provide for reports to be made to the CPS agency or its equivalent, or to a law enforcement agency. In most states, investigations are conducted by CPS personnel, although law enforcement officers may also be involved. The basic concern of child welfare workers is for the safety of the child. Assessment of the risks involved in leaving a child with its family must be made quickly because children cannot be removed from their families arbitrarily. Once a child has been removed, the goal of child welfare agencies is to return the child to the family. Ideally, caseworkers develop a plan to provide parents with the education of the care that children need, free from abuse or neglect. This plan is not always carried out to its full intention. No state has the financial resources to provide all the services to the children and families who need them. A problem is that in state after state, CPS workers have excessive caseloads, are paid low salaries, and lack adequate training for the sensitive work involved in investigating abuse reports, and participating in decisions to remove children from their families then placing them in foster care. The turnover rate among child welfare workers is exceptionally high. A report done by the United States Department of Health and Human Services showed the rate of 30 percent to be the norm, annually. Whatever the reason – inadequate funding, unavailable services for children and families, high turnover rates, lack of training, overwhelming numbers of reports – questions are being raised about the CPS system. The system is based on the assumption that removal from a troubled family, followed by a return to the family when that can be done safely, is best for the child. A different approach to the problems created by child abuse involves Family Preservation Services (FPS). Removal of the risk, rather than the child, is the goal of Family Preservation Services. FPS programs seek to modify the home environment or behavior of other family members so that it is at least as safe for the child to remain in the household as to be removed. Family preservation is based on the assumption that out of home care hurts children, and on the recognition that most families referred to Child Protective Service can and want to learn new ways of coping with stress. Rather than breaking families apart in order to treat them, intensive family preservation services seek to protect children and heal families by keeping them whole. Specifically, FPS provides intensive services in the home to all the members of a troubled family for a relatively short time – four to six weeks. Professional staffs are usually assigned two, but no more than four, families at a time. Caseworkers are available to families twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. A worker can stay as long as necessary to stabilize the household, whether that means six, ten, or twelve hours. Ten states have initiated FPS programs by legislation including: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. Homebuilders, an FPS program based in Tacoma, Washington, provides the longest running assessment of the effectiveness of family preservation services. From 1981 to 1994, Homebuilders saw 3,497 children. Evaluation data indicted that three months after completing the program, an average of 94 percent of the families had avoided out of home placement. Twelve-month follow up data showed that placement had been averted in 88 percent of the cases. Furthermore, the cost for Homebuilders' family services was only $3000 per case while the costs for an average foster family home placement in the state was $7586. There is a down side to the Family Preservation Service, though. The track record of FPS seems impressive, but a closer look at another side reveals it's not doing such a great job. According to the Clarke Foundation, there has never been a case of parental abuse or neglect causing serious injury or the death of a child while receiving family preservation services. But since the FPS provides services for a relatively short period of just a few weeks, there is no way of accurately predicting if after that short amount of observation that the parents are suddenly fit to care for a child. A worker only stays in the house for a maximum of twelve hours – that is not long enough to assess whether the child is in danger and the true nature of the parents. Of course no one is going to kill or seriously injure a child in front of a human services official. No studies are available that show whether the abuse reoccurred after the Family Preservation Service's four to six weeks with the family was finished. The Division of Family Services takes another approach to preventing child abuse. The staff is divided into units, working a variety of shifts and functions to best provide the services needed by the children and families. The response unit is responsible for receiving all reports of child abuse, neglect, and dependency. They determine the nature of the allegations and the appropriate response time for initiating investigation of the allegations. Once abuse or neglect is found or significant risk of its occurrence is identified, cases are transferred to the treatment unit. Workers in these units are responsible for assessing family needs and connecting the family with appropriate resources and services to address those identified areas. They are also responsible for monitoring the family's success at utilizing the available services, and communicating with various service providers to assess the ongoing safety of the children and the progress of the family. They close cases when significant progress has been achieved to eliminate or minimize the ongoing risk of abuse to the children. The Statewide Unification Unit is responsible for providing intensive reunification services for children who can potentially return home within six months. Staff work closely with the children, their natural family, and the care provider to facilitate smooth transitions and successful reunification. When the goal of returning children to their natural families is no longer appropriate, the social workers write Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) petitions, which, once approved by Family Court, allow children to become free for adoption. They develop long term foster care plans for those children whose parental rights have been terminated, but for whom adoption or returning them to the home is not an appropriate goal. They are also responsible for providing assistance throughout the adoption process to support successful adoptive placements. It has been shown that through most personal accounts, that parents never really learn to take care of their children without using abuse. Because of this, it seems quite logical to make the main focus on protecting the child, then if returning them to their family is assessed as being completely logical, that is the way to go. I propose that a system of â€Å"three strikes-your out† be implemented. With this, the parent will lose rights to the child for a short time while they go through training and counseling. If they are deemed not insane, then they may care for the child again with the warning of what will happen to them. They will have a sort of parole officer that will check up on the family annually. On the second offense, there will be further counseling, jail time, and other means of reform. If they are granted custody again, they will be checked on frequently and unscheduled. If they can not handle the child without abuse from there, the child will be put up for adoption. There are very long waiting lists for parents who would love to adopt a child and will provide a loving family that should be utilized. The state would let the new parents take care of the child financially, but would pay for counseling of that child and training for the rest of the family on how to love on the abused. If in later years, the parent has redeemed him/herself, then they will be allowed to visit and take the child on trips and be allowed to be a friend. After the child has reached the age of eight-teen the will be allowed to decide who they would like to stay with. No system for child protection is going to be full-proof. There are steps that can be taken to improve them. Any system is only as good as the people who implement it. Representative Kaye Steinmetz of Missouri is proposing legislation to require additional training for Child Protective Services workers, establish a state team to assist with investigations of difficult cases, and provide for statewide protocols to ensure proper investigations. Representative Debbie Stabenow of Michigan advocates early identification of parents at risk of becoming abusers. Michigan Perinatal Coaching project is an example of this. Developed by the state's Children's Trust Fund, the project matches parent volunteers with parents of newborns. Through the child's first year, the volunteer provides support to the parents, whether that involves advice about discipline or other areas that new parents may find difficult. A similar program called Family Skill-Builder is offered in the state of Massachusetts. It offers an in home case management series for families who are at risk of abusing and neglecting their children. It's designed to prevent child abuse and neglect and to help families function independently. Deborah Daro, director of research for the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse, has several suggestions for legislators to consider. She maintains that states need to provide more services for victims of abuse, especially therapeutic, remedial and support services. She says, â€Å"States also need to look at the quality of foster care. Foster care ought to be more than just giving a child a place to live. † The goal in preventing child abuse should be permanency and stability for the child, whether that means a return to the family or, in some cases, termination of parental rights and adoption. The sooner that can be achieved the better. This can be accomplished by setting up time tables for review of foster care cases, and by establishing specific criteria for permanency planning and termination of parental rights. Another key in preventing child abuse is evaluating each situation case by case. Placing a child in foster care may be the best decision for that particular case, while intensive family preservation services might be best for another. The best answer may lie in a combination of the ideas of different organizations. Individual attention to each case would personalize a plan to get each family on the road to a good, stable, and loving family life in less time.

Durkheims study of suicide

Durkheims study of suicide Introduction Emile Durkheim was born from a Jewish family in the village of Epinal near Strasbourg, France. He lost faith in God at a tender age and turned to secular view on religion. His work was based on two themes, control of collectivism over individualism.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Durkheims study of suicide specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He also dealt with application of scientific methods to study social phenomenon (Alun, 2005). Many scholars from France, England and Germany (Durkheim, 2001) influenced him. His first monumental work was on the social division of labor. He later published a book on rules of sociological methods. He completed his trilogy by publishing a book on sociological theory of suicide in 1897(Durkheim, 2001). In his book on suicide, he used statistical ingenuity to reject previous theories for giving extra social factors such as heredity, climate as causes of suicide. He came up with the sociological theory on suicide, at the end of 19th century. He established a causal relationship between suicide and social cohesion. He maintains that two social factors: integration and regulation determines the rate of suicide (Alun, 2005). He defines social facts as things external to, and coercive of the actor. He used data collected from different cultures and societies, to support his own findings. He carried the study of suicide in statistical and qualitative approach. He used the theory to explain the scientific method of sociology. Durkheim argues that, suicide is a social phenomenon, and the main causes of suicide were social: the end of overpowering of social relationship. He was concerned with element of a group or structures in the society rather individuals. In order to describe, varying rates among different religious and other groups, he studied the characters of these groups. He was not concerned on psychological traits of the component individuals (Watts, 2006). According to his study, he explores the difference in rates of suicide among Catholics and Protestants (Alun, 2005).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He argues that Catholics have stronger social controls than Protestants hence lower suicide rates. He talked about collective currents draining down the channels of social structure. The strength of the social current determines the volume of suicide (Watts, 2006). He talked of factors such as depression, which is an independent non-social cause of suicide. Durkheim established various causes and types of suicide. He argued that suicide was because of social causes. One of the social factors he established is religion. According to him, the rate of suicide was different among different religions. He collected data among Catholics and Protestants. He found out that suicide was low among Catholics as compared to Prot estants. This attributes to Catholics having stronger social controls than Protestants (Durkheim, 2001). The freedom given to the Protestants also attributed to high suicide rate among them. He was concerned about geographical issues in relation to a certain religion. He found that, where a religion was the minority in a particular geographical area the suicide rate was low. In cases where religion was majority in a region, the suicide rate was high (Krieken Smith, 2010). According to him, the value of education was high among Protestants and most of the learned people were associated with suicide. He argues that high education did not directly cause suicide but if it causes shaking of traditional values it may be a source of suicide. The cause of more suicide in protestant was not that they were staunch believers than Catholics. It is because the solidarity among Protestants was weaker than that of Catholics (Thomson, 2002). Durkheim also established the role of marriage in relati on to suicide. He found that suicide was high among bachelors than in married men. According to him, being a bachelor increased the likelihood of committing suicide by 160%, while being married reduces the chance of suicide by 50 % (Fenton, 2006). He also did a research on widows and suicide. He discovered that, widows who were 65 years of age committed more suicide as compared to elderly men at the age of 65(Fenton, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Durkheims study of suicide specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He also noted that although widows were more likely to commit suicide than married people were. They were less likely to kill themselves, as compared to bachelors or maiden. Durkheim found that families with children have a lower rate of suicide than families without children. He argues that it is the family cohesion, which is a factor causing suicide rather than marriage. He also established the relations hip between wars or crisis and suicide. During the time, of war and disaster, the rate of suicide was found to be lower than periods without war (Roger, 2000). Durkheim concludes that: society that is more religious has low suicide rate, the stronger the family in society the lower the suicide rate. He also argued that the more integrated the society was the lower the rate of suicide. He referred to this suicide, which is influenced by religion and family as egoistic suicide (Krieken Smith, 2010). This suicide arises because of break down or decreases in social integration and he called it excessive individuation. It occurs when there is poor social integration. This causes people having differences in the value of their lives leading to dissatisfaction. In this case, individuals who are not integrated into social groups are likely to commit suicide. Individuals who are strongly integrated in family structure and social groups do not face such problems hence low suicide rate (Turne r, 2003). Factors leading to egoistic suicide are social facts or currents such as depression and disillusionment. Durkheim also carried a research on altruistic suicide among the less civilized society. This occurs where social integration is too strong hence; a person is forced into committing suicide. It is not the absolute integration that causes suicide, the social forces that go along with it may cause suicide (Turner, 2003). This is where individual needs were considered less valuable than that of a society as a whole. In this case, individuals are not expected to commit suicide. Durkheim cited suicide, such as suicide by old and sick, a widow after death of her husband, a servant after death of a master. This suicide is derived, by believing in large prospective beyond this life (Roger, 2000).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Durkheim also talked about suicide in the military. He discovered that the rate of suicide was high in the military service as compared to other ordinary people. According to him, he did not expect this result, as there is unity and strong integration in the military. The rate of suicide in the military increases the length of service. According to him, it cannot be due to lack of interest or inability to adapt to military routines. In addition, rate of suicide was higher among NCOS and officers than among the privates. He also observed that, suicide was higher among the elite unit than among the normal unit. Consequently, he found that the weaker the military spirit in a unit, the lower the rate of suicide. He argues that military officers had given so much of individuality in order to adjust to the routine requirements in the military (Thomson, 2002). He also talked about Fatalistic suicide, which occurs where regulation is too strong such as in an oppressive society. People in th is situation will feel no future improvement of their condition. When they are in that state of melancholy, they are subject to social current of fatalistic suicide. They will choose to die rather than to continue languishing in suppression. For instance, people may prefer to commit suicide instead of staying in prison. He argues that individuals who are in an exceptionally strong regulation are likely to commit suicide compared to those in a normal situation (Durkheim, 2001). According to him, there is also Anomic suicide, which is caused by a decline in regulation or disruption of standards and values. It may arise where normal division of labor is interfered. The regulative system is weakened, causing an individual to feel disrupted. In this situation, a person is affected by anomic social currents. He established that, during economic recession, the rate of suicide increased. Also during periods of high growth rate in the economy there was an increase in the rate of suicide. He argued that poverty did not cause people to commit suicide. These situations weaken social values and norms or make people unsure of the future. This in turn, reduces integration and cohesion in the society, leading to increase in rate of suicide (Alun, 2005). Anomic suicide, involves lack of clarity of aspirations, through restricting social ethics. This indicates a failure of economic growth and division of labor, to produce solidarity in the society. In this case, people do not know their roles and position in society. According to Durkheim, social changes may also cause people to commit suicide. During his time, he established that there were strong correlation between suicide and divorce. The rate of suicide tends to increase with an increase in the rate of divorce. He found out that divorced people are likely to commit suicide three times more than married people. He established that divorced people mostly men are left depressed promoting them to commit suicide. This is becaus e; divorcees are not strongly integrated in the family structure and the society (Turner, 2003). Durkheim also established different types of suicide with their characteristics. He identified three basic types. Egoistic suicide is characterized by apathy, lazy melancholy and disappointment of the skeptic person. For Altruistic suicide, he came up with characteristics, such as energy of passion, calm bravery and mystic enthusiasm. Anomic suicide is characterized by disgust, passionately blaming life in general, or even blaming a person (Durkheim, 2001). He also established mixed types of suicide. Ego-anomic is a combination of egoistic and anomic suicide and are characterized by, mixture of excitement, apathy action and daydreaming. He also identified a mixture of anomic and altruist suicide and called it Anomic-Altruist suicide. Its characteristics are internal despair or disguise and calm feeling of responsibility. Finally, he came up with ego-altruist suicide, which is a combinati on of egoistic and altruistic suicide. This is another mixed suicide and, it is characterized by, melancholy by moral strength, apathy and mystic enthusiasm (Durkheim, 2001). Durkheim in his social theory developed the above types of suicide and their causes, to prove that social factors influence suicide. These types of suicide depend on the level of imbalance between two social currents that are social integration and moral regulation. He described the influence, crisis have on society, for instance war leading to increase altruism, economic boom or disasters leading to anomie (Krieken Smith, 2010). Summary and conclusion Emile Durkheim was concerned, with the effect of social factors on suicide. He had a strong view on society, as well as how individuals are influenced by social factors. He sorts to establish the role of social factors, as opposed to economic, biological and psychological factors. The factors that he established were the level of integration and regulation in th e society. Durkheim argues that, division of labor does not lead to society disintegration but changes forms of solidarity. He argues that freedom should not be mistaken with liberation from all restraints, as it will lead to anomie. Freedom is achieved within a set of rules and discipline. Determination of social factors and their influence on individuals may be considered as work of Durkheim (Durkheim, 2001). Criticism Although Durkheim made a significant contribution to sociology, his suicide theory has some problems. He had a particular perspective on human freedom. In this case, it is difficult to establish the basis of human action and motivation. Social factors more or less influence human behavior. He considers deviation from this being abnormal, and this has to be corrected. In his theory, he has little concern about human motivation, and he is highly concerned about large structural issues. His theory has limited possibility for human action. The theory of model of action, by max Weber or more recent approaches such as symbolic interaction may be useful here. He is concerned about ideas relating to sources of human or society solidarity. He totally ignores conflict and power differences among individuals in the society. He ignores anomic and forced division of labor and considers them as unusual. He also uses little time in their analysis. He assumes that, the sense of self is totally influenced by the society around. He fails to recognize anything inherent within an individual (Watts, 2006). His study of suicide has been termed as logical error. He argues that individual behaviors, such as suicide are influenced by aggregate statistic. Some argues that he explains suicide sociologically within a holistic perspective. In this case, he explains variation among social movements in incidences of suicide, not the suicide of an individual (Durkheim, 2001). Introducing psychological factors such as depression, which is an independent non-social cause of su icide, overlooks his argument that social forces affect these variables, and without these forces individuals may not commit suicide. Berk (2006) criticizes micro-macro relations underlying Durkheim suicide theory. Durkheim also assumes that suicide is affected by social forces and ignores natural factors. He is challenged for being positivist. He ignores the subjective interpretation, that social actors may be of different phenomenon, and individuals to influence social forces. His understanding about the relationship between sociology and morality has been termed as conservative. Finally, his argument that individuals are driven by passion for gratification, which cannot be satisfied, is not fully substantiated in his work (Durkheim, 2001). Reference List Alun, R. (2005). The development of Durkheims Social Realism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Durkheim, E. (2001). Suicide: A study in sociology. New York: The Free Press. Fenton, S. (2006). Durkheim and modern Society. Ne w York: CUP Archive. Krieken, V., Smith, D. (2010). Sociology. French’s Forest NSW: Pearson. Roger, M. (2000). Emile Durkheim: law in a moral domain. California: Stanford University Press. Thomson, K. (2002). Emile Durkheim: A study in philosophy. New York: Routledge. Turner, S. (2003). Durkheim: sociologist and moralist. New York: Routledge. Watts, W. (2006). Durkheim, morals and morality. London: UCL Press.

Homeland security has changed in the past years since 9-11 essays

Homeland security has changed in the past years since 9-11 essays Homeland security has changed in the past years since 9-11 dramatically. There has been four main changes; Law Enforcement, Border and port security, Transportation, environmental and energy security. Now these changes are not the only ones that have taken place but are merely the ones that effect us as citizens in the state of Massachusetts. As far as the Law Enforcement goes, the state of MA was a direct effected by this change. Established were 56 Joint Terrorism Task Forces and nearly 100 Anti-Terrorism Task Forces to coordinate the investigations and improve communications among federal, state, and local law enforcement. Border and Port security changed in MA also by Increased National Park Service personnel and upgraded security equipment and the procedures at highly visible national monuments, such as the Statue of Liberty in New York, the National Mall in Washington, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and other sites in the 384-unit National Park System. Transportation Security change the most visibly. New passenger boarding procedures were developed and they trained pilots and flight crews for hijacking scenarios. Now all airport personnel are to undergo background checks. There are also limited airport access points. There are also more than 9,000 National Guardsmen to help secure the nations airports. Now environmental and energy security seemed to effect me the most because I see it ever time I go anywhere. In Plymouth we have a nuclear power plant and all plants across the nation were put on the highest level of security. ...

The heart of darkness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The heart of darkness - Essay Example As for the â€Å"Financial Crisis Inquiry Report,† it examines the roots of America’s financial crisis. Kurtz and the people involved in the financial crisis underwent a process of dehumanization, because the power of capitalism and imperialism consumed them and turned their hearts into a dark shade of greed and arrogance. Kurtz loses his humanity, because capitalism and imperialism provided him with God-like powers. His main purpose was to deliver the goods back to the company through leading the natives. Marlow hates the â€Å"physical† and material foundations of imperialism: â€Å"The conquest of the earth, which mostly means taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look at it too much† (Conrad 69). But Kurtz found imperialism appealing, because he had self-interests to look after. In the story, Kurtz has changed from a simple human being into a savage beast. He y earned for the best and the most number of ivories, since he wanted to become rich and be fitting for his â€Å"Intended.† His economic goals became political, as the hunt for ivories turned into a power game.

The Relationship Between Institutions and Economic Development Essay

The Relationship Between Institutions and Economic Development - Essay Example Neoclassical growth theory limits to identify the prerequisites of economic performance, such as capital accumulation and technical progress. To explain why people save, invest, learn and seek knowledge, different institutional systems and values that success or failures are based on must be paid special attention. The relationship between institutions and economic growth has been a central debate of the economic arena for a long time. A century ago, the free society realized that the institutional system plays a fundamental role in economic development-no longer seen as an inevitable gradual transition from local autarky to specialization and division of labor. The establishment and the functioning of institutions reflect the transition from chaos to order by the creation and enforcement of rules or procedures guiding economic and social life. Thus, the institutional system ensures the normal course of real and nominal economy. However, only efficient institutions are growth-promoti ng (Milo, 2007, p.23). There is a vast empirical literature that studies the impact of institutions on economic performance, particularly on growth (Easterly and Levine (2003), Acemoglu et al. (2001), Fukuyama (2006)). From the reverse connection perspective, the first hypothesis stating that economic growth enhances the good functioning of institutions is associated with the name of Martin Lipset, who argued that increased income and human capital accumulation are the best ways to have effective institutions. The second hypothesis states that limited central authorities and therefore, good institutions, lead to superior economic performance. This point of view is also included in the works of Montesquieu and Adam Smith and, later, in those of the ambassadors of neo-institutionalism (Buchanan, Coase, North, and Williamson). In short, the basic idea of institutionalism is that institutions create the rules of economic game; the latter provide economic incentives and thus influence th e behavior of economic agents. Competition, productivity, innovation and private firms develop in an institutional environment that fosters efficient behaviors and penalizes inefficiency. If economic performance is unsatisfactory, ultimately, institutions will be changed. Reformulated, economic and social changes are institutional changes. One of the most important issues that influence the analyses of linkages between institutions and economic development is that there is no general consensus on the definition of institutions. Chang (2005) highlights three key functions of institution in fostering economic performance: Coordination and administration; Learning and innovation; Income redistribution and social cohesion. In some Asian economies in transition from socialism to capitalism, the rapid progress of free market institutions has reduced the transaction costs. In other situations, they have remained high as a result of insufficient knowledge of market mechanisms, of ambiguous rules and bureaucracy, weak legal system and corruption. Stable political structures, well-defined and recognized property rights and legal enforcement of contracts have reduced transaction costs, explaining the success of the world’s most powerful economies. Transaction cost theory was used in the analysis of general interest issues such as the role and governance practices, definition of market institutions or in explaining the differences between economic performances of nations. Related to the last element mentioned, the theory developed in close connection with the role of institutions in fostering economic efficiency by reducing trading costs. North concluded that capitalist and democratic institutions (free market, state, justice) are the result of efforts to minimize transaction costs (North 1991,