Arguing for Drug Testing Policy

This memo is in response to your recent e-mail in regards to random drug testing. I believe that implementing this policy would be extremely beneficial to our company as a whole. This is for the following reasons: financial savings, workplace safety, and to maintain our reputation. Financial Savings It is important that we strive to maintain a safe and effective work environment for every single one of our employees.It is estimated that workplace accidents related to drugs have costs employers in the United States $75 to 100 billion dollars per year. Those who abuse are also six times more likely to file worker's compensation claim and use 16 times the amount of health benefits as their fellow employees who do not use drugs. (http://www. employmentdrugtesting. com/screening. html_) Not ensuring that our employees are drug-free could end up costing our company a great deal of money in the long run if an employee under the influence injures themself or nother employee while on the Job here at Life Support, Inc.One might argue that implementing this drug-testing policy would actually cost our company more money due to the cost of the drug tests. However, the cost of a drug test cannot compare to the higher cost of worker's compensation or lawsuits to this company that could potentially occur due to an employee under the influence while on the Job. Spending money on these drug tests is a preventative measure to keep our company from spending more money in the long run. Workplace Safety It is absolutely vital that Life Support, Inc. rovides an environment in which our employees come to work knowing that we value their safety. The facts and figures mentioned above suggest that employees under the influence of drugs are extremely likely to cause and produce accidents in the workplace. The drug users are not the only ones at risk. Employees under the influence of drugs are clearly not performing to the best of their ability; their impaired state can cause them to make careless mistakes or exercise poor Judgment that they normally would not if they were in a ober state of mind.This can cause injury not only to them, but their fellow co- workers. By â€Å"weeding out† the employees who choose to use drugs, we will be providing a safer place for our workers and also show them that we truly value their safety. Maintain Reputation It is important for Life Support, Inc. to maintain a reputable image. By not tolerating drug abuse by our employees we present ourselves as a company that really cares about their people and also the quality of their products. https://donemyessay.com/unit-5-review/Our products will continue o be made of impeccable quality and be held to the highest standards in the industry. Our clients and those who use our products will know that Life Support, Inc. is a name to be trusted. This kind of quality and standards will reduce any possible liability for any malfunctioning equipment. I urge you to consider the potential savings, workplace safety, and our reputation as you continue to make your decision in regards to this matter. As always, please feel free to contact me if I can be of any other assistance to you.

Sexual Harassment in Global Human Resource Management

â€Å"Sexual Harassment has been pointed out as the most increasing, widespread problem faced by women in the workforce (Kadue & Lindeman, 1997). † Therefore, I will write to you about what sexual harassment is and what constitutes it, where the United States and other countries stand on this issue (the global view), types of sexual harassment, how to identify it, major problems related to sexual harassment, disciplinary actions the offender may face, and affects sexual harassment may have on the victim. Sexual Harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct that is of a sexual nature. â€Å"Women bring about 85 percent of all sexual harassment charges (Scarborough & Zimmerer, 2006). † â€Å"A recent study found that retaliation claims occur in 47 percent of sexual harassment cases (Scarborough & Zimmerer, 2006). Following are a few items that constitute sexual harassment: submitting to or rejecting conduct is an explicit or implicit term or condition of employment; submitting to or rejecting the conduct is a basis for employment decisions affecting the individual; the conduct unreasonably interferes with an individuals work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment (Fisher, Schoenfeldt, Shaw, 1999). In the past, the things that constituted sexual harassment were very vague. Due to this, when attorneys were in pursuit of their evidence, they had to be very aggressive. The behaviors associated with sexual harassment include threats or coercion which are linked to tangible job benefits and/ or those which involve unwanted gestures, unwanted touching or physical contact (Backstrom & McDonald, 2008). † Looking at sexual harassment globally, cultures differ in the type of behavior that is acceptable between the sexes and there seems to be considerable possibility of misunderstanding when employees of diverse cultures and genders meet in the workplace (Hardman, Heidelberg and Talbot, 1996). Behavior that Americans consider unacceptable is likely to occur in countries where the sexes are not equal under the law in society (Hardman et al. , 1996). † There are just a few countries that have laws against sexual harassment. â€Å"As of 1992, only Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and the United States had regulations in place (Hardman et al. , 1996). † â€Å"One of the things mitigating the workplace a pproach to harassment in Germany was the structure of labor relations (Dobbin, 2006). â€Å"There the industrial relations system was collaborative rather than top-down, which meant that directives have to be worked out at the level of workplace Works Council (Dobbins, 2006). † In America’s legal system, companies banned flirting and office romance because they were concerned about the courts banning them. â€Å"The French saw excessive Puritanism in the American approach, and so French feminists first won a law with a limited definition of harassment as abuse of power by someone in an official capacity (Dobbins, 2006)†. France made a 2002 revision of the law that made sexual harassment equal to moral harassment and violence, but they didn’t do it by inheriting American ideas. France separated harassment from Puritanism and then connected it with other types of psychological violence. â€Å"Employees in Germany and Italy do not necessarily have to have cause to fire employees who engage in sexual harassment, even if employees violate company policy (Maatman, 2000). † â€Å"Employers who terminate harassers may be forced to pay them termination indemnities (Maatman, 2000). â€Å"In Spain and Thailand, labor law concepts based on termination indemnity provisions allow employees to terminate their employment relationships due to sexual harassment. In turn, termination indemnity laws require employers to pay employees substantial severance pay if the cause of their termination is sexual harassment (Maatman, 2000). † â€Å"Venezuelan law prohibits sexual harassment by virtue of enac tment of the Law on Violence against Women and Family. The new law establishes the crime of sexual harassment, as well as penalties for its violation (Maatman, 2000). The crime that someone might serve for sexual harassment is three to 12 months in prison. Also, the offender has to pay the victim double the amount of accumulative damage that caused the sexual harassment along with access to positions and promotions. Employers are held responsible for monetary penalties; individual supervisors could go to jail. â€Å"Executives are potentially liable, and the company may have to cover a harasser's costs (Maatman, 2000). † â€Å"The mandatory termination indemnity laws of many foreign countries–as well as the potential for steep fines and even jail terms for employees who cross he line–should give employers entering the international arena some pause. Businesses that establish offices overseas can face extensive liability exposure for ill-advised personnel decisi ons and unsound loss-control protocols (Maatman, 2000). â€Å"Sound implementation of personnel policies and practices aimed at combating sexual harassment can help minimize these risks. Proactive HR administration can preserve corporate reputation and brand image, enhance recruiting and retention of a competitive workforce and avoid violation of international sexual harassment laws (Maatman, 2000). To reduce incidents, companies should brief expatriates on regulations in regards to male and female behavior at work. When harassment takes place in an overseas establishment, it is less clear whose standards should apply – those of the host country or those of the home country (Hardman et al. , 1996). â€Å"If freedom from unwanted sexual advances or overtly discriminatory behavior is considered a universal human right, then firms should protect this right in their operations worldwide (Hardman et al. , 1996). † â€Å"U. S. ased corporations must be aware that their American employees have the statutory right to sue for this discrimination occurring throughout the world (Maatman, 2000). † â€Å"Applicants, workers and terminated employees who are U. S. citizens and are subjected to discriminatory practices anywhere in the world may file a discrimination charge against their U. S. employers (Maatman, 2000). † There is no easy answer to the problem of sexu al harassment and the misunderstanding that can occur across many different cultures. There are two types of sexual harassment that are recognized by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the courts (Philips, 1997). They are as follows: Quid Pro quo and hostile environment sexual harassment. Quid Pro quo (this for that) happens when an employee makes it clear to a manager or supervisor that his or her sexual demands are unwanted and as a result of that loses an economic benefit, such as employment, an increase in salary or employment. Only managers and supervisors, not coworkers, can engage in quid pro quo harassment (Scarborough & Zimmerer, 2006). A hostile environment sexual harassment is a sexual discrimination and the harassment must be harsh enough to alter the victim’s employment conditions and create an abusive work area. A hostile environment usually requires a pattern of offensive sexual behavior rather than a single, isolated remark or display (Scarborough & Zimmerer, 2006). â€Å"Most sexual harassment charges arise from claims of a hostile environment (Scarborough & Zimmerer, 2006). † â€Å"Some experts believe male-dominated workplaces are likely to be the most hostile to women (Zwettler, 1997). Management can enforce a policy against sexual harassment. This policy should first, clearly define what behaviors constitute sexual harassment, secondly, State in clear language that harassment will not be tolerated in the workplace, thirdly, identify the responsibilities of supervisors and employees in preventing harassment and lastly, spell out steps to take in reporting an incident of sexual harassment (S carbourough and Zimmerer, 2006). The effects of sexual harassment differ from person to person. It depends on how severe and how long the harassment went on. Victims of severe or chronic sexual harassment can suffer the same mental effects as someone who has been raped. Some of the health and psychological effects of sexual harassment are relocating to another city, another job, or another school, loss of career, absenteeism, and stress in relationships, decreasing work and school performance, guilt, headaches, feeling violated, eating disorders, having angry feelings towards the harasser and many more. In summary, some things you need to remember if you are being harassed is don’t quit your job, act quickly, get support from your coworkers, ridicule the harasser, use your union grievance procedures, notify the company, keep a diary, and find other victims (Moore & White, 1997). Preventing sexual harassment is the best solution, and the key to prevention is educating employees about what constitutes sexual harassment (Scarbourough and Zimmerer, 2006). Training programs are designed to raise employees’ awareness of what might be offensive to other workers and how to avoid sexual harassment altogether (Scarbourough and Zimmerer, 2006).

How do Hardy and Wordsworth explore The theme of Nature and Childhood? Essay

Nature is beautiful. This is views of people in the 18th century. Nature was loved and appreciated back in time, true life based poems were written about it, two of them were Thomas hardy & William Wordsworth. These two poets were in love with nature not only did they write about it they fell in deep love with nature that they expressed their feelings within their poetry to the world. There is a quote in Hardy’s poem â€Å"I could live on thus till end†, point is that he could live with/sacrifice all his life for nature, just like a man sacrifices his life to women when he takes a marriage vow quote is â€Å"until death do us part† this shows the personification from nature to a human being Whereas Wordsworth has a different way of expressing his feelings which is describing nature with obsession such as â€Å"Small circles glittering idly in the moon,† Hardy’s poem ‘Childhood among ferns’ shows six different sides to nature which are: Beauty (â€Å"ferns spread out luxuriantly†), power (â€Å"The rain gained strength†); it acts like a: parent (â€Å"tall ferns sheltered me†) and friend (â€Å"brought forth a sweet breath†), and also he is at one with nature. William and hardy use a wide range of punctuation and description for effect and also for description of their wonderful nature. This is a very strong quote showing the beautiful side of nature â€Å"The sun then burst, and brought forth a sweet breath†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this quote is a personification of a human breathing and usually its friends that are sweet to you so it is also showing 2 faces to nature the other side is power â€Å"burst† this is a very strong word to use to explain the power of nature which gives a dramatic effect clearly shown to the reader as in Wordsworth poem he also shows the power of nature in his words â€Å"with voluntary power instinct† as if using a lot of its own power is sounds like a lot of power is being used by nature on its own. Childhood is also exposed by both poets but in individual ways such a Hardy wishes to go back to his childhood whereas William just has memories on his childhood â€Å"A schoolboy traveller at the holidays† and Hardy’s quote showing the point is â€Å"making pretence I was not rained upon†. This is showing Hardy’s childish acts for example when a child is having fun in the rain he does not want to go in the house just the same Thomas is pretending that there is no rain because he is refusing to take cover. In the prelude the childish act that the schoolboy does is he finds a boat on his way and immediately starts to own the boat and call it his possession. â€Å"A skiff that to a willow tree was tied within a rocky cave, its usual home†¦discovered thus by unexpected chance,† and soon after â€Å"my little boat mov’d on†. The personification used in ‘The Prelude’ is the boat which he says â€Å"surely I was led by her†, the her is the boat and it also shows the relationship of nature, well usually at one glance her could be a mother which usually would be first thoughts, because a boy is usually only led one women; his mother. After Thomas Hardy expresses his feelings at the end he also wants to stay in his childhood and live with nature for the rest of his living life â€Å"Why should I have to grow to man’s estate, And this afar-noises World perambulate?†. This quote shapes the writer telling us that he still hasn’t left his childhood he wants old memories back and he still has as much love for nature as he did as a child. Thomas also ha a view that he is at one with nature, the last side of nature where quoted â€Å"I sat on† which also compare William Wordsworth where he is also at one with nature when â€Å"went heaving through the water like a swan†. William calls himself a swan, the way he pushed his boat with difficulty through the water on his journey.

Philosophical Analysis of Terrorism and Torture Essay

Philosophical Analysis of Terrorism and Torture - Essay Example Modern wars are by design, not in alignment with the Just War Doctrine. Justification to initiate and continue a war is dependent upon the propaganda that starts before a war, continues and evolves according to the circumstances during this heinous act and subsides long after the war is over. It is therefore safe to assert that the Just War Doctrine does not in any way provide the control required to limit the violence related to war; instead it functions to guide the powerful forces to seek suitable justifications regarding initiation of the war process; no matter how misaligned the justifications. War conventions fail to substantiate in cases where the powerful forces regard their opponents as being â€Å"less than humans†. US attack on Iraq for eradication of weapons of mass-destruction can be regarded as a recent example of this scenario. Despite inflicting immense damage to the target country, no such weapons were recovered; the justification of war was hence flawed. Judging torture in the light of ethical theories can bring forth variable outcomes. The proponents of torture present it as the only available means for revelation of information that is essential to provide protection to other humans. An example in this regard is the ‘ticking bomb’ scenario that is often presented to convince people about the importance of torture as a means of ensuring the safety of masses. Judging torture from the deontological perspective brings forth the fact that torture should be avoided at all costs (Gordon 62). Since the proponents of deontological approach are inclined towards highlighting the importance of ‘duty’ without regard to the ‘outcome’; this approach demands that the general approach of treating the suspects be in accordance to the ethical principles and hence torture should be avoided at all costs. This is in contradiction to other ethical approaches which take into account the

Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Civil War - Essay Example Ideally they championed the theory where each state was to uphold the rights in establishing a set of codes within its perimeters and that none was to be coerced to adherer to the mandates of the federal hegemony unless extremely compulsory. No sooner than soon, state rights would more often crash with various procedures the federal system was taking. Divergent view points emerged over taxes, levy, interior enhancement, the martial as well as slavery culminated into mayhem. Time and time again the North and the South faced off. Tangible reasons for doing this were purely on monetary grounds. The south relied on plantations and slaves while the north was heavily dependant on massive industrialization. The north abolished slavery whereas the south needed farm manpower; so the idea of abolishing slaves would otherwise threaten the very existence of the southern state. In 1860, the antagonism flanking the northern as well as the southern interests grew so strong. Lincoln was then elected the president and consequently South Carolina seceded from the Union to govern itself. Thereafter 10 more state followed suit constituting the Confederate States with Jefferson Davis as the Captain. (Stephen B. Oates 300-301)

Leadership Communication Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership Communication - Research Paper Example From the essay it is clear that the concept of leadership communication comprises of two terms such as ‘leadership’ and ‘communication’. The term leadership has been defined in a number of ways. However, generally it is agreed that a leader is an individual who coordinates, guides, directs, motivates, and controls others. A leader persuades his followers to work for achieving the predefined goals and objectives of the organization. In order to influence his followers, leaders may adopt a wide variety of leadership strategies including simple structure, machine bureaucracy, and adhocracy. Through the application of those leadership models, leaders motivate and command his subordinates and control various situations in different manner. This discussion declares that every leader obtains better or poor results based on the efficiency of his operations. A leader cannot influence his followers and hence achieve desired goals if he lacks proper communication skills. Effective flow of leadership communication may be often interrupted by either the sender or the receiver even though other external factors can have also an influence on this process. Better communication ability would be a key tool for a leader to create and maintain well understanding and trust that are essential to foster his subordinates so that they may follow his operational tactics. A leader with good communication skills can maintain a healthy relationship with his followers.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Arizona immigration law Research Paper

The U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Arizona immigration law - Research Paper Example Governors across the state and lawmakers introduced many immigration bills. The law required non-citizens to carry authorization papers which gave Arizonans to sue state and localities for non compliance. The Arizona law specifically drew the greatest national attention due to its racial profiling2. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court released an order that invalidated most sections of the Arizona immigration law. It was declared a success for Obama administration, a challenge for the constitutionality of the law. A number of issues were considered invalid and unconstitutional3. The congress specified the type of aliens to be evicted from the United States following laid down procedures. A brief by former commissioner of the United States immigration and naturalization services covers some aspects concerning alien eviction. According to him, aliens are subject to eviction if they could not be admitted at the time of entry or have had committed certain crimes. Eviction is civil and not criminal. The officials of the federal government have a voice on what credits an eviction. Aliens too have the right to seek asylum and other permit to remain in the country or leave without official eviction. Alien workers supporting their families are les likely to pose threat and are allowed to stay on humanitarian grounds. Returning an alien back to his country is also considered inappropriate regardless of whether they have committed crimes or have not met the admission requirements4. Unlike the Arizona law on field preemption, the federal law provides guidelines for alien registration and punishment for refusal. The aliens within the state borders are kept on track by a comprehensive and strong system. The Arizona law ignored the basic rules of field preemption that nations are banned from entering an area preserved by the federal government itself. Also,

Negotiation Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Negotiation Paper - Assignment Example To begin with, however, the nurse stated her primary concern that she would only work with $X per month. The organization was planning to pay $Y per month, however, the amount stated by $X was significantly less. In this way, by falsely anchoring her self, the nurse was now in a weak position to get only what she had asked for. The hospital had a BATNA now. It was able to see that should it state an amount of $Z that was near to the amount X that the nurse had wanted, that organization would be able to reach an agreement at a much lower price than what it intended to pay. Here the focus now shifted more towards material interests of getting the nurse to agree for the new amount. If the nurse did not agree, the organization could simply walk away with it. When faced with the new amount, the nurse realized that she had been made an offer that in fact was not much to her liking. At this point she got emotional, since she felt that the organization was using her. Here the organization was only pressing on a statement given by the nurse to them before. However, the nurse now realizing her mistake was now feeling emotional. The organization here realized that her needs were mostly for material needs and to satisfy the physical needs of food, hunger and material safety. At this point the nurse was not interested in achieving a sense of personal well being. Here the organization thought of providing certain material gains to her to generate her interest. It offered her free lunch and commute and highlighted how it would help reduce her costs from her pay. In this way, it tried to highlight a common ground for both the organization and the nurse. By providing the nurse with her basic needs as per Maslow’s hierarchy, the organization w as able to convince the nurse to take up the position at a rate that was much less than the original amount the organization had planned in the first place. The art of negotiation therefore, relies heavily

Financial accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial accounting - Essay Example This contingent liability has to be explained in detail in the notes section with references to the law suit, failed bid and the estimated trial date. a. In the light of the information in the article, do you believe that it is appropriate for Santos to utilize a contingent liability note as the vehicle to provide information about the organization’s potential liability in relation to the mudflow claims? From the information provided in the article, it is evident that there is a big uncertainty associated with future claims and settlements. It is imperative to note that Santos has already agreed to make a payout of $ US 22.5 million to Minarak in order to protect itself from past, present and future claims. This reduces the possibilities of Santos being held responsible for claims, though the amount paid to Minarak is very low compared to the damage caused by the mudflows. The deal has also reduced the potential risks for a third party buyer indicating that the company is protected from future claims. As the chances for possible obligations are remote, it is not necessary for Santos to disclose contingent liability. Santos can set aside a certain sun to provide as a relief measure to the affected people of the villages in East Java and establishing new homes for them. Santos can avoid future claims by dealing with the affected directly and providing relief measures. This will reduce the uncertainty regarding the future claims, but at the same time will increase the current obligations. This will reduce the risk for Santos for being taken over by another company. This step also has the added benefit of repairing the company’s brand image in the minds of the people and the government of Indonesia. Hence this cost can be recognized as a provision in the financial statement, as the present obligation as a result of an

The consumption of ice cream increases, so do the instances of Essay

The consumption of ice cream increases, so do the instances of drowning - Essay Example Ice-cream consumption (first variable) and the incidence of drowning (second variable) may show a positive correlation, but the consumption does not cause the incidence. This may be common sense, but this simple example demonstrates the issue of spurious correlation being taken as evidence for implying causality. In Correlation Theory, the coefficient of correlation simply measures the ‘goodness of fit’ of sample of the data for the two variables i.e. how well they correlate together. It â€Å"does not necessarily indicate a direct dependence of the variables† (Spiegel, M). â€Å"The problem of interpretation is always very much more difficult to deal with than the statistical manipulations, and for this side of the work there is no substitute for detailed practical acquaintance with every aspect of the problem.† (Moroney, M) Conclusions based on the correlation findings are only good as the interpretative ability of the analyst and his or her acquaintance with every detail or aspect of the problem. The possibility of other variables affecting the ones being compared should always be considered to account for the relationship being tested if there is any inkling of a spurious correlation. In our example, a third variable of temperature relates to both the existing variables of ice-cream consumption and instances of drowning and better explains the phenomenon. More ice-cream is consumed in hot weather especially during the summer heat. This tendency to consume more during hot weather is understandable my most people, and can easily be ascertained by examining the sales figures of ice-cream parlours. These are well known to show seasonal fluctuations being higher in summer and lower in winter. As for drowning, this too can be explained as being a more common occurrence in summer simply because more people like to and do spend more time either in or near water. This can be near lakes, rivers, seasides, and

Madame Bovary and Written on the body Essay Example for Free

Madame Bovary and Written on the body Essay Madame Bovary and Written on the body, penned by Gustave Flaubert and Jeanette Winterson respectively, encapsulate the essence of gender while breaking free of the stigma attached to it. The actions of both the protagonists from these works reflect a complete divorce of the influence of their genders from the course of action they took. The ambiguity of the sex of Winterson’s character along with the Volatile nature of Flaubert’s Emma twist many facets of gender and society together into solid plots. Both are narratives of the highest order and equally reflect ideas which are considered radical. Both novels place sexual structures and explanations of gender into question, i. e. is the male sex really superior? Are woman really constricted by their femininity? Through the narrative on Emma we get a taste of a woman who goes again societal norms and at times acts more masculine than feminine. Then we have the I-narrator in Winterson’s novel that continually transcends boundaries set for sexes because of his/her own unidentified and undefined gender. Similarly, one would have to notice that Winterson’s novel shuns sexes completely. Instead of working within a space where there is a fixed gender, which is further placed into a categorically constructed culture and society in order to pinpoint the wants and needs of an individual, we are left with imagery that shows us a being, which has an identity and subsequently wants and needs things based on that identity. (Sonnenberg 3) Typical to this fact both the characters tip toe around the limitations of the sexes. This is the reason Winterson’s character is easy to compare to Emma. The novels’ negate the traditional roles of the sexes, in particular they negate the role of women as passive object of exploration by following masculine paradigms, but also in ultimately rejecting such models in favor of reciprocity, they becomes an almost perfect illustration of a refusal of the role of woman and also the refusal of the economic, ideological, and political power of a man. The actions of both characters set them apart from normal behavior (Maynard, Purvis 151). One has to wonder whether Emma is a victim in the traditional sense or has the author deliberately downplayed the masculinity of the three main male characters i. e. Charles, Leon and Rodolphe. (Porter 263). The character does not follow the norms of one gender. This was the reason that Flaubert’s novel was greatly protested. On one hand she is extremely feminine but on the other hand she has extremely masculine markers in her personality. It was Charles Baudelaire who pointed out that Emma’s desires masculinized her, and he labeled her a â€Å"bizarre androgyne. † In reality, in the background of the 19th-century French anticipations about women’s conduct, Emma’s blatant sexuality and far-reaching aspiration did stand out as alien and unacceptable, as the trial of Madame Bovary on allegations of violating public morals showed. (Porter 124). She is definitely feminine in many ways, but very easily slips into the lead of forefront of her relationships which is usually reserved for the male counterparts. An example of this would be her relationship with Leon and also the fact that she wore monocles which was highly unlikely for a woman of that day and age. Likewise the I-narrator in â€Å"Written on the body† seems to be neither male nor female. As tempting as it would be, it does not work for the reader to search for the gender clues in this character, the mention of a shirt, a nipple, a motorcycle – for none of these provides conclusive evidence, there are however, many hints that suggest that the character is in fact female such as the description s/he awards to the objective of his/her affection i. e. Louise. It is that very fact which throws the plot into controversy; a plain tale of adultery would have been rather poetic, one which is filled with ambiguity and revolves around a woman stealing another mans wife is highly bizarre (Farwell 187). Explaining Emma’s character, Laurence porter writes, â€Å"Naomi Schor described Emma as a woman who desired to break the chain of passive femininity but who fails to accede to the phallic writing state. Roger Huss centers similarly on the impossibility of Emma’s incorporation of the masculine, the impossibility of gender plentitude, and the problem of the different itself. † (Porter 125). In a world where men ruled supreme, Emma’s charm stemmed from her education which had taken away some parts of her femininity because of the knowledge she had gained. She was now a part of the male world whether anyone admitted her into that world or not was not even a question. In the same way as the protagonist in â€Å"Written on the body,† who, if indeed a lesbian, failed to separate herself from the masculine side of her personality, and if a man, fell short of acting like the traditional Alpha. Another comparison could be the ideology of love and in fact the myth of romance. The protagonists of both novels have a very cliched understanding of love. They are deluded with their preconceived notions about love and how it is meant to play out in their lives. Emma becomes depressed with her life and her marriage because of this very fact. The narrator in ‘Written on the body’ also feels the same, which is reflected in the following words, â€Å"I was trapped in a cliche every bit as redundant as my parents’ roses round the door, I was looking for the perfect coupling, the never-sleep-non-stop mighty orgasm. Ecstasy without end. I was deep in the slop-bucket of romance,† (Written on the body 21). They are both looking for something which is basically too idealistic and utopian in nature to really exist. One more front on which both the novels collide is adultery. Both the protagonists wholeheartedly indulge. Emma does it by cheating on her husband not once but twice. She craves the kind of love that she had read about in her books and goes around looking for it till she finds it in Leon and Rodolphe. Winterson’s character is also infatuated with the idea of love and goes looking for it in the arms of another man’s wife. There seems to be nothing that can stop the two and their own selfish motives are the only ones they care about. The character in ‘Written on the body’ seems to be a narcissist who cares for no one but him/herself. Emma is indeed selfish in the same way because she cares only for her own self-satisfaction and disregards the pain she could cause her husband when she finds out about her affairs. Madame Bovary reflects the 19th century French society, while Winterson’s expose is from more recent times. What the works show us is that sexuality and gender have been conflicted since a long time and continue to stay so. Society will always gape and be appalled at such pieces of literature because they go against the dead rules that have been constructed for the existence of mankind. Traditionally men and women have both been assigned their places in the world and those places are not to be tampered with; one of the most sensitive areas one can go experimenting with is sexuality. In some ways both works reflect how anyone from a particular gender cannot stay happy once it has tasted the waters from the other side. The knowledge of the other side gives them an insane desire to climb onto it repeatedly, thereby causing friction and in fact a chaotic contradiction the roles that society had already laid out for them. Work Cited Farwell, Marilyn R: Heterosexual Plots and Lesbian Narratives: 1996 Flaubert, Gustave: Madame Bovary: 2004 Maynard, Mary Purvis, June: Hetero) sexual Politics: 1995 Porter, Laurence M: A Gustave Flaubert encyclopaedia: 2001 Sonnenberg: Body Image and Identity in Jeanette Wintersons Written on the Body†: 2007 Winterson, Jeanette: Written on the Body: 1994

Ethical And Legal Implications Of Euthanasia Essay Example for Free

Ethical And Legal Implications Of Euthanasia Essay The term euthanasia is derived from the Greek words â€Å"eu† which means good and â€Å"thanatos† which means death. Hence the literal translation of euthanasia is good death. Majority of countries around the world has prohibited euthanasia yet particular countries and states still apply this concept without much regard to the laws governing this issue. Unfortunately, cases of euthanasia still flourish because the physician conducting euthanasia is often left unharmed. Among all the countries around the world, the Netherlands has been identified as the prime country that allows the application of euthanasia in hospital cases. The topic of euthanasia is a controversial topic in human health. Euthanasia has been associated with medical issues, as well as ethical, legal, cultural and religious issues. Euthanasia has been originally defined as a method of accelerating death of a patient in order for the patient to avoid additional pain and misery due to his current medical condition. Since this classical definition is very sketchy, it is important that the different forms of euthanasia be described in detail. Voluntary euthanasia pertains to the hastening of death based on the consent that has been provided by the patient. It is a common situation in voluntary euthanasia that the patient signifies his wish to end his life because of the hardships he is currently experiencing as a consequence of his medical illness and another individual accomplishes euthanasia to fulfill the patient’s wishes. In the case of involuntary euthanasia, the patient remains competent is signifying his wishes and even decide what he wants to happen to himself, but euthanasia is still performed on the patient without even discussing this option with him. There are also cases wherein the patient is not able to express his wishes because he has lost his ability to communicate and non-voluntary euthanasia is conducted on the patient. The loss of ability to communicate is often observed among adult patients who are in a comatose or mentally deficient condition. The condition of not being able to communicate may also be observed among newborn babies that have congenital anomalies. There are also different forms of euthanasia that is based on how it is conducted. Active euthanasia pertains to the accelerating of the death process through the act of injecting a toxic substance that would result in death of the patient. Passive euthanasia, on the other hand, refers to euthanasia that involves the removal of treatment or the refusal in providing treatment to the patient. This type of euthanasia entails giving up the use of any life support systems or treatments and reflects an individual’s intention that the patient die after soon after the act is performed. The word passive often confuses the public because the word connotes not performing any particular act but the phrase passive euthanasia technically means the induction of death through the removal of supportive systems to the patient. Several other phrases have been used interchangeably to denote euthanasia. These are physician-assisted suicide of killing, withholding treatment, mercy killing or medical futility. In physician-assisted suicide, the medical practitioner supplies the patient with a lethal substance which the patient himself administers on himself in order to end his life (Materstvedt et al. 2003). In the case of withholding life-sustaining treatment, the physician attending to the patient decides that the use of further medical equipment and medications will not benefit the patient. In addition, the decision of withholding life-sustaining treatment is also based on the patient’s and the family’s request. Most of the hospital cases that withhold life-sustaining treatment are also futile in terms of medical procedures and treatments. There is much controversy with regards to the use of euthanasia around the world. It has been reported that majority of the physicians would support the authorization of euthanasia in medical practice. Particular countries and states have actually rejection or overturned earlier promulgations that are related to the conduct of euthanasia. In Australia, the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act was disallowed in 1997. In the state of Oregon in the United States, the Oregon Death and Dignity Act was discarded in 1999 (Miller et al. , 2004). These Acts were denied based on a number of ethical implications. One of the major issues related to euthanasia is that the suffering of the patient was not alleviated correctly. It has been pointed out that there is a possibility that the appropriate palliative care was not provided to the patient hence the patient would experience pain and discomfort. The availability of euthanasia thus influences the decisions of the physician wherein the physician would not look into the patient’s condition in detail because he is aware that there will always be the option of performing euthanasia in case the patient does not feel better as soon as expected. It is also possible that the amount of pain medications were below the optimal concentration that would be needed to eradicate the pain the patient is experiencing. There are also instances when a patient with a terminally ill condition is also suffering from a second medical disorder. Co-morbidities often occur with cancer patients, wherein they also suffer from major depression or another form of mental health disorder. Clinical research has also showed that patients with terminally ill conditions are more likely to request euthanasia in order to end of his suffering and frustration. It is thus important to determine whether the suffering of a patient continues due to patient negligence or mainly due to the illness itself. Another ethical issue related to euthanasia is that patients generally change their mind with regards to their requested treatment and wishes during the course of their ailment. It has been observed that among the patients who initially request for euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide, only approximately one-third of the patients remained with their decision of using euthanasia. As for the rest of the patients, they eventually changed their minds with regards to requesting euthanasia because an alternative method was provided to them that changed their perception of their terminal conditions. The alternative option actually made their conditions and current lives tolerable and still worth living. If euthanasia were legalized, it would be a great loss to the human population to see a significant number of patients that would instantly resort to giving up their lives just because of the idea that there is suffering and pain due to their illness. The value of life is also questioned in the act of euthanasia. Christianity has taught that only God will provide and take away life hence any person does not have the right to end an individual’s life, regards of his medical condition or state. The ethical issue of the patient’s and the physician’s rights to life are also questioned in euthanasia. In the medical Oath of Hippocrates, it is stated that a physician will do no harm to the patient and this should not be confused with the patient’s decision to die because this does not automatically mean that the physician has the right to kill the patient that signified his intent to receive euthanasia. The slippery slope phenomenon has been strongly linked with the issue of euthanasia, resulting in the need for a thorough sociological review of the act. Initial cases that employed euthanasia often involved hastening death among terminally ill patients. Euthanasia is secondarily provided to patients diagnosed to be chronically ill. The slippery slope phenomenon pertains to the application of euthanasia on other medical cases that show vague definitions with regards to futility and recovery. These medical conditions include the persistent vegetative state, which involves a patient that had undergone an episode of coma and then reawakened with a destructed brain stem. A patient in a persistent vegetative state thus presents with the inability to communicate but is actually conscious and can only perform the gag reflex. The persistent vegetative state is an exception to the definition of brain death, because only one of the two major components of the central nervous system is affected by the condition. Brain death has been classically defined as the shutting down of the entire central nervous system, including the cerebral cortex and the brain stem, resulting in the loss of breathing and stoppage of beating of the heart. In the case of persistent vegetative state, the patient remains awake yet has lost the capacity to perform any other motor activities. If euthanasia were legalized, this would provide physicians and family members of the patient an option to decide on whether it is right to end the life of a patient if he is in a persistent vegetative state. Other patients suffering from AIDS would also be given a quick solution to get away from their suffering of AIDS-related complications and would not learn to live the rest of their lives with AIDS. It is also alarming to imagine that if euthanasia were legalized, any elderly person may be subjected to euthanasia in order to circumvent the responsibility of caring for a senior individual. The issue of euthanasia also affects the patient’s trust in a physician. These medical professionals have long been perceived as skilled individuals that have a great knowledge in saving and prolonging the life of an individual. It is thus a normal implication that these medical professionals also have the expertise in hastening and terminating the life of an individual should he be asked to perform this or should he decide that ending a life of a person is the right thing to do. Hence if euthanasia is legalized, patients would feel that the physician carries the option of whether he shall or shall not live. Another sociological issue related to euthanasia is that the patient may be pressured to decide on euthanasia because of his family’s treatment on him (Ganzini et al. 2002). If euthanasia were legalized, any patient that feels that his illness is becoming a burden to his family members may easily pick the option of euthanasia to avoid the disappointment and anguish that his family is experiencing due to his illness. As for other elderly patients who are chronically or terminally ill, they would rather avoid being a burden to their families hence they would most likely request for euthanasia. Euthanasia is also implicated with sociological issues such as the eradication of unwanted ethnic groups. The historical incident of the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis during World War II is an extreme example of the use of euthanasia. The decision to eradicate Jews was then a political move that was performed using a medical procedure. The incident of mass murdering of Jews by the German Nazis is also strongly associated with the concept of eugenics, or the biased selection of individuals that are allowed or accepted by society. Eugenics has also been linked with the eradication of criminals in society during the earlier centuries.

Conditions that have led to global market development

Conditions that have led to global market development The development of international or global market itself is an interesting historical sketch that details all the relevant aspect of the developmental phase that have been going on since capitalism and the concepts of it took centre stage in redefining the way people do business across international borders and the course of industrialization that shaped and changed the facial outlook of global economic process. Though industrialization at its nascent stage originated in Europe, however; the latent force of commercialization or to say global commerce and international business stem from US in particular post world wars era. What is particular to the development of international market in the early part of 1990s or to say in the 20th century can be laid emphasis to the notion of growing influence of USA and its democratic capitalism. And the process of industrialization in the face of growing trade, commerce, also marked a way towards internationalization or the development of global market, which economist have often termed as globalization and its phenomena. In all fronts, there is no denying the facts that USA has been a major influence to the development of international market. One pertinent fact is the changing face of US business environment notable in the early part of 1990s. Add to it, the staggering $16.3 trillion in investment in the US alone speaks volume about the normative forms that conditioned the origination and development of international market. Moreover, post world war era, people affluence grew, so does the demands for goods and services, which are increasingly difficult for domestic market to sustain or to meet the demands. In that sense, international commerce and cross-border trade became the norms. Apart from that apparent fact that account to USA influence and growing dominance in the expansion of international market, the origination of World Trade Organization (WTO) in that period, that is to say during the nineties also have been prominent to mark the development of global market. In addition, the trend that is also catching up during the early part of the nineties especially business trends can be looked to the pertinent case of free trade agreements that opened up a way for cross-national trade and business. Specific to these types of condition, acceptance of free market system among developing countries added to the steam of international market and its conditioning. Explain the four risk of International Business? Business as we know is bounded by risks, given the nature of international business environment itself. One peculiar face of business risks is the uncertainty factor, and when it comes to international business it is rather looked upon as the primary risks elements in general. Apart from uncertainty, there are other things as well that seems risky. And the more prevalent risks elements to international or the primary factor of it can be laid emphasis to the following: Political Technological risks Economic risks Socio-cultural risks Political risks: There is no denying the fact that international business in any circumstance is bounded by political risks. Political risks can be understood as the factor that makes up the political features of a country. Thus, political climate at times have a greater force to play a part in international business. Take for instance, political uncertainty itself. That means when political climate is rather stable, international business also take the same course. However, most of the times political stability is rather an exaggerated term; given that there can be no sure shot method to predict nations political makeup, or to say the nature of its stability that hangs in the edge. As a matter of fact, with lesser political stability, the impact it have on business is also paramount, which in due course can change the direction and strategic makeup of business. Thus, political risks are one primary factor of international business. Technological risks: As we are aware, technology and the marvel of it have brought along a bundle of benefits, which have took the societal developmental phase one notch above the ground. Add to it, technology and its advancement is also ever increasing, which means each day and in the cycle of economic process, technological domination and its impact in international business is felt with greater force. International business are thus faced with the abject notion that less of technological awareness or outdated technological application in international business can hamper the way things work or are predicted. Thus, the risky elements can be looked to depreciating cost factor that technology posed or the security to international business. Economic Risks: What define economic risks are the financial elements that may its way to it. In simple sense, it can be broadened to the changing face of international business itself, which also defines the investment factors or nations inability to meet its own financial obligations. With the idea of international business and increasing trade barrier or free market trade can have a dominant role to play its part in international business cycle and thus, it comes as a risk. Socio-cultural risks: Civilization is always in a stage of development, and one factor that socio-cultural forms take its course can be laid emphasis to the notion that no particular nation and its culture are dormant. That is to say, cultural difference is wide spread, and when that element is accounted to international business, the marketing process also is posed with the uncertainty factors. Thus, organizational operational and strategic process is also challenged in such environment. Thus, marketer needs to be way ahead in understanding culture and society itself, which we can bracketed as socio-cultural risks. Why do firm Internationalize? The simple facts remains that firm internationalize for many reasons or the other; be it, profit motive, the expansion to new horizon, exploring and tapping new markets or for reasons less known, that is to say for competitive advantage or labor mobilization and last but not the least, the cost factors. Moreover, by going international, firm can also take centre stage to reaps the benefits of global exposure, and the opportunity cost that can be reaped from international business is also rather more in a sense that diversity is also exemplified, plus the means that internationalization provides towards new markets beyond national boundaries is also whats excites and interest organizations in going international. Add to it, supply chain and its management is also more broadened when firm indulge themselves in international business. Thus, the above mentioned facts in brief list some of the factors and the notion as to why firm internationalize. What are the different participants in International Business? Write in detail about the MNEs, Small and Medium Sized Enterprise, the Born Global firm. International business and its arena is a bundle of flourishing economic activities and the cycle of its repeats day in and day out. The simple facts are that without corporations and business houses, plus participants, economic activities are rather on the back foot or to say, it makes no sense at all. It is common knowledge that global economic process today defines the notion as to what constitutes participants in international business. Thus, the different participants are the following: Focal Firm Distribution channel intermediaries Facilitators. Agents or contractors, etc. Thus, these participants in international business forms the cycle of economic activities carried out in the background of each one participants dependent upon one another in international business scenario. Multinational Enterprise: Multinational Enterprise defines organizations that have set shop in more than one particular market, where its business expose is international, with a global aspirations and goals. Add to it, Multinational Enterprise also details the object of its ownership, which means that that part of the ownership is either owned by parties or more than single ownership take course. Moreover, Multinational Enterprise also posits special characteristics that mirror forms of nationality mix among its staff and managers. Hence, very often Multinational Enterprise is also known as MNC (Multinational companies). The best example can be looked to subsidiaries firms or American firms with their bases in foreign nations where operations and organizational control are decentralized, and the marketing strategy also is rather different from parent company or the likes. Small and Medium Enterprise: As the term denotes to, small and medium enterprise are organization with a business object and turn over that is rather small. And most importantly, employee counts are also small in numbers and counts, let say 20-30 employees for the starts. Add to it, company assets are also small in comparison to global firms or MNEs. But that does not mean that such organization cannot go global, given that globalization and notion of free trade provides a formidable leverage for small and medium sized enterprise to go global and can be looked upon as a competitor. Born Global Firm: Born global forms and its concepts is a rather mostly used term in the contemporary adage to mean the process of internationalization and its influence that is taking shape in local or national organizations with a potentialities to go international in due course. Such organization can be looked upon as startups, with lesser assets and turn over. Why do firms internationalize? The simple notion why firms internationalize can be laid emphasis to the globalization and its influences. The channelizing networked partnership possibilities, the opportunities in such a scenario, or to position themselves and influence partners or subsidiary firm who are either based in foreign shores also constitutes some of the sole components why firms internationalize. The idea of comparative management is also one main reason. Chapter 2 What are the Societal Consequences of Market Globalization? Explain Positive and Negative Consequences? As we can observe in and around the materialistic world that we live in today, commercialization and international business at times have provided a bundle of baggage or paved a way towards progression and development in economic sense of the term. However, consequences also can be translated and laid emphasis to the good the bad and ugly features that market globalization have brought along. Nonetheless, the economic reality and humans wants also should be acknowledged, and the fact that no nation is self reliant and self sufficient. Moreover, in order to meet the ever increasing demands for goods and services, global corporation fits the bill accordingly in facilitating the societal needs in one aspect and form of life in the societal sphere. Hence, the notable face of the negative societal consequences from a comparative and contemporary context can be laid emphasis to the following: Environmental or Ecological consequences. Depreciating and depleting natural resources reserve. The question of sustainability Climatic effects that have worsened. The positive effects of market globalization are: Avenue for employment generation Facilitates economic cycle Technological advancement Good and services are made available Cultural growth Socio-political growth, etc. Thus, it can be argued that the societal consequences or the effect of market globalization translate itself to have redefined the way people do business in simple sense of the term, which can be look as a positive aspects. Economic demands in the regional and global economy taken together are ever increasing, and market of globalization facilitates in meeting these demands. In that effect, more of the resources are utilized. However, natural resources and the likes also deplete with increasing use, plus scarcity of resources, which is a known fact add up to the compounding negative societal consequences that is generated out of market globalization, which is pointed above. What are the firm levels Consequences of Market Globalization? We cant deny the facts that firms benefits tremendously from market globalization and its effect. Thus, the phenomenon of market globalization has added an object that can never be thought of or imagined without market globalization in the course of civilization. Thus, the positive features can be addressed to the following points: Marketing process is impacted Business process and its management also exudes international outlook Diversity of business process Cultural mix and global awareness Production tactics and its cycle also is impacted Standardization, quality or products and services. Brand image. And finally, market globalization means a widow of free trade barrier for companies across international borders. However, when it matter to negative aspects of globalization and its impact on firms the following are some of the pertinent facts: Competition is also greater among firms due to market globalization and its consequences. Barrier to entry and exit in a particular market or industry also posits one of the negative consequences of market globalization. Resource utilization also often goes above the shelf Thus, when it matter to firms and the level of consequence that stem from market globalization also translate itself into the negative and positive features as detailed above. Chapter 3 Explain the three types of participants in International Business? The three types of participants in international business constitute the following: Focal Firm Distribution Intermediaries Facilitators Focal Firm: What defines focal firm as one participants is the fact that, focal firm itself is looked upon as an initiator to international business in real sense of the term. It means that focal firms constitute Multination Enterprise, Small and Medium Enterprise, where the actual economic and production process take shapes. Thus focal firms are looked upon as the centre and stage of international business and its cycle at the primary level. Distribution Channel: Distribution channel intermediaries and their roles are consumed in facilitating the distribution cycle common to international trade and businesses. In simple sense and meaning of term, distribution channel intermediaries defines organization that specializes in the distribution channel, that is to say, logistic support, marketing etc, which are the sole constituent of distribution channel intermediaries. Facilitators: Third is the facilitators, and includes firms and individuals, where the object of their roles and functions as participants in international business is broadened and exemplified to facilitating legal advice, financing and in between the interrelated business transaction is made possible. Furthermore, participants also can includes, licensor, joint venture partners and the likes of foreign distributors, foreign agents and all in between. What are the common characteristics of Born Global firm? The common characteristics of Born Global firm can be laid emphasis to the following: Bounded by national boundaries with a scope for internationalization Expertise services and products in regional market Start-up corporation or small and medium sized organization Though market is defined in fixed national boundaries and operations is also often constituted and headquartered in one particular location, however; that does not means that their role in globalization and its economic process is limited in a sense. The idea of born global firm and in characteristic in particular can be laid emphasis to the object that internationalization and its impact is a favorable foreground for born global firms. That is to say, born global firms are very likely to make way and expand its business scope beyond the national boundaries, as and when it senses the opportunities knocking its doorway. Hence, born global firms defines regional organization that have set up shop in foreign shape simply by assimilating the idea of acquisition, partnership and creating subsidiaries, etc, in foreign location, however, are headquartered in regional market, or in location where they originated. Thus, the trends in the face of globalization initiates Small and Medium sized corporation to explore such domains that open up new horizon to do business in the international arena to tap the potentialities of international business. What are the Foreign Market Entry Strategies of Focal Firms? Explain in Detail. Foreign market entry strategies of Focal Firms is rather a complex features and step wisely strategies initiated by organizations with the sole purpose to tap the opportunities of internationalization in the most beneficial course. What defines focal firms foreign entry strategy can also be laid emphasis to the notion that going international is no child task and requires an extensive attention to details and understanding the peculiar facet of international business environment. In that context, the development of strategies when it matter to focal firm entry in foreign shores take into account the involvement in greater degree to what defines international management itself and the creation of networks that should assist the firm movement and its entry into foreign shores smoothly. Thus, focal firms bring internationalization right at the outset by establishing a connected links or channel of networks and building relationship with firms in the foreign shores. Thus, strategy in such course is at a nascent stage that does not involve control of production or the likes of direct intervention into the other firm, especially in matter of internal control. And most importantly, relationships that are building up with foreign firm take its course and position themselves from the notional boundaries and all form of exchanges also take shape in that forms and to position itself in different network or the moves towards continuous development processes that should a lso aid and future action to take shape in the most feasible forms. (Ford, 2003, p. 189) In short, strategy of focal firm entry into foreign market can be classified as follows: Entry is indirect, where its course takes shapes initially to build a network channel or a relationship that should get in the way for smooth transition and movements in the future. Strategies most importantly come as a matter for influence and to drive home the idea of foreign market entry in the most feasible means. Creating a relationship channels that can assists in future course of actions. Position themselves in foreign shores and also establishing new contacts and the likes. Thus, these are some of the strategies that covers up, or some aspects that detail the normative standards, when it matter to foreign market entry strategies of Focal Firms in its discourse.

Cigarettes Should Be Made Illegal Essay -- Argumentative, Persuasive,

The sale of cigarettes and tobacco is a multi-billion dollar industry, but is it truly worth all the problems that stem from their use. Health care costs are extremely high due to all the health problems associated with cigarettes and tobacco. Even though research has proven time and time again the harmful effects of cigarettes, and the rising cost of health care caused by cigarettes our government will not take a stand and stop all manufacturing of the horrible toxins. Every year new medical reports are issued regarding the harmful effects of smoking cigarettes. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world die every year from diseases caused by smoking. Approximately one in two lifetime smokers will die from their habit. Half of these deaths will occur in middle age. The most common of the diseases caused by smoking is cancer, of course. Not only is it a cause of lung cancer, but cancer of the larynx, and the esophagus, and it contributes to the development of cancers of the bladder, pancreas, and kidney. Lung cancer comes from the tar in the cigarettes. The tar coats your lungs like soot in a chimney. It does not make a difference if a smoker changes to low-tar cigarettes because smokers will take a deeper puff to get the same affect as a regular cigarette. This causes them to draw the tar deeper into their lungs causing even more damage. The Surgeon General requires that every package of cigarettes has one of the following statemen ts: SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy. SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide. Despite these warnings most of the population is not aware of the other illnesses that can develop... ...is vicious cycle? They have taken a stand to control the nicotine in the cigarettes; why not take that stand even further? Do they not realize by making these wicked things illegal and shutting down manufacturers, not only will they save on health care, they will save lives? Works Cited http://www.quit-smoking-stop.com/smoking-diseases.html, http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/culture-society/articles/cigarette-manufacturers-developed-candy-flavored-brands-target-youth, Carrie Carpenter, Harvard School of Public Health, November, 2005 http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1889469,00.html, Fixing Health Care Cheaply, Haig, Scott, April, 2009 "FDA bans flavored cigarettes as part of new tobacco control act." Hem/Onc Today 25 Oct. 2009: 2. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 23 Nov. 2009. Wilkes, Gwen, Personal Interview, 27 November 2009.

The Critical Period Hypothesis of Language Acquisition Essay -- Neurol

The Critical Period Hypothesis of Language Acquisition "Ahhhhh!" I yell in frustration. "I've been studying Spanish for seven years, and I still can't speak it fluently." "Well, honey, it's not your fault. You didn't start young enough," my mom says, trying to comfort me. Although she doesn't know it, she is basing her statement on the Critical Period Hypothesis. The Critical Period Hypothesis proposes that the human brain is only malleable, in terms of language, for a limited time. This can be compared to the critical period referred to in to the imprinting seen in some species, such as geese. During a short period of time after a gosling hatches, it begins to follow the first moving object that it sees. This is its critical period for imprinting. (1) The theory of a critical period of language acquisition is influenced by this phenomenon. This hypothetical period is thought to last from birth to puberty. During this time, the brain is receptive to language, learning rules of grammar quickly through a relatively small number of examples. After puberty, language learning becomes more difficult. The Critical Period Hypothesis attributes this difficulty to a drastic change in the way that the brain processes language after puberty. This makes reaching fluency during adulthood much more difficult than it is in childhood. The field of language acquisition is very experimental because scientists still do not completely understand how the brain deals with language. Broca's area and Wernicke's area are two parts of the brain that have long been identified as areas important for language. Broca's area is the left frontal cortex, while Wernicke's area is the left posterior temporal lobe. These areas are co... ...ar [Part 1] Forum area of Gene Expression websight. http://www.gnxp.com/ 5) The Biological Foundations of Language, Does Empirical Evidence Support Innateness of Language? by Bora Lee. http://www.duke.edu/~pk10/language/neuro.htm 6) Evolution of Universal Grammar by Martin A. Nowak, Natalia L. Komarova, and Partha Niyogi. http://www.ptb.ias.edu/nowak/pdf/Science01.pdf 7) Universal Grammar by Charles Henry. http://www.ptb.ias.edu/nowak/pdf/Science01.pdf 8) A concept of 'critical period' for language acquisition, Its implication for adult language learning by Katsumi Nagai. http://www.tsuyama-ct.ac.jp/kats/papers/kn7/kn7.htm 9) Brain signatures of artificial language processing: Evidence challenging the critical language hypothesis by Angela Friederici, Karsten Steinhauer, and Erdmut Pfeifer. http://www.giccs.georgetown.edu/~steinhau/pnas2002.pdf

My Big Sister :: College Admissions Essays

My Big Sister She was so concentrated on her task that at first she did not hear the quiet voice behind her. In one hand she held an enormous clear plastic bag, and with the other she was picking scarves off a display rack and haphazardly stuffing them into the bag. She worked quickly because after an hour in the town hall, she was ready to head home. An hour of speeches read in a passionate monotone had left her feeling a strange apathy. She usually enjoyed the annual Homeless Vigil, and had worked very hard to collect the hats and scarves she now treated with such indifference. Standing alone on the now empty stage and gazing out into the rows of decaying wooden chairs, she tried to imagine the people her work would help, but found she didn't really care. All she could think about was getting out of that old building and going somewhere with central heating. With a sudden clarity, she realized that she didn't want to be a part of this farce anymore. What did it mean if a few middle class families got together once a year to be preached at by a bunch of tired social service workers? They listened patiently for an hour, then donated a few bucks to assuage their consciences. They drove home in their foreign cars to their nice two story houses and ate a hot meal, confident that they had paid their dues to humanity. If they could be so easily satisfied, so could she. "Excuse me, ma'am?" Finally the voice got her attention, and she turned around. The small voice belonged to an equally small boy shifting nervously from foot to foot. "What is it, Hon?" she managed a tired smile. "I heard your speech tonight, about all those kids who don't have anywhere to live. You said that you were collecting clothes and stuff to keep them warm." "That's right. This time of year it is especially hard for them.

The wise judge

Anna and Her Toys Once there was a little girl named Anna who is very active in her class. She participates in all the contests and she always wins. She always perfects her quizzes and she always recites in their discussions. She is the top of their class. Her parents are very proud of her achievements and as a reward they give everything that she wants. She demanded for toys and for new gadgets. They gave her everything she asked for.So she played all day long and forgotten all her assignments. She didn't want to study because she is so distracted with her toys and gadgets. She didn't even want to go to school anymore. She Just wanted to stay at home and play. Because of that, her grades became low and she's not the top of her class anymore. Her parents even scolded her but she didn't care because she loves her toys and gadgets so much. One night, the little girl dreamt about her toys.They became bigger than she is and they were holding her parents taking them away from her, she tri ed to chase them and save them but she was way too small to keep up. Anna woke up crying and went running to the room of her parents. She hugged them and promised them that she will study very well again and be the top of her class. She then kept her toys In a box and only played with them when she finishes her home works and at weekends.

Age of Imperialism

Imperialism (1850~1914) * Imperial refers to * Empire * Royalty * Extending powers * Age of Imperialism  (http://www. smplanet. com/teaching/imperialism/#SAW1) * Main Events * 1823 –  Monroe Doctrine reflected special U. S. interest in Americas * 1850 –  European trading with Africa becomes well established * 1852 –  Napoleon III (Louis Napoleon) proclaimed himself emperor of France * 1869  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Suez Canal opens (Egypt) 1871  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Bismark completed unification of German Empire * 1884~1885  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Berlin Congress sets rules for African colonization * 1898 * United States acquired Philippines, annexed Hawaii * United States won Spanish-American War * 1899  Boer War began in South Africa * 1910 –  Mexican Revolution began * 1914 * Most of Africa is under European control * World War I began * 1918  World War I ended Industrialism  Imperialism  Nationalism Industrialism * Profit maximization England – Factory s ystem * Resources from colonies * Mass production goods = sell & export to the colonies * Profit maximization * Industrialization stirred ambitions in many European countries * Competed new markets for own goods * Saw Africa as a source for materials and a market * Colonial power seized lots of areas in Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries * Imperialism * Colonization * World market * England as the world power in the 1820s. * Power – World standing â€Å"the sun never sets on the England Empire† * Usually through military might and sometimes economics * Seizure of a territory by a stronger country * * Throughout out most Africa, stronger countries dominated in many areas * * Europeans ignored the claims of African ethnic groups, kingdoms, and city-states * * African nations continue to fell the effects of the colonial presence more than 100 years later * Europeans established colonies. * 1823  Monroe Doctrine A reaction to the independence Latin America+ Mexico +Central America    * * After 1823, only Bolivia is still under spanish control * It warned European nations that continuing to be in the Americas is going to be seen as an act of aggression    * Claimed to help the Latin Americas, but it actually restrained and threatened them to follow rules from the United States * The United States  had the right to intervene problems in the western hemisphere * White Man's Burden * Nationalism and social Darwinism Racist patronizing that preached that â€Å"superior† Westerners had an obligation to bring their culture to â€Å"uncivilized† people in other pars of the world   * Germany and Russia especially used imperialistic drives to divert popular attention from the class struggle at home and to create a false sense of national unity. Causes of Imperialism * Nationalism * British colonized Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland * Colonists wanted their freedom (1800s) * To gain power, European nations compete for coloni es and trade * European Migration Between 1815 and 1932 more than 60 million people left Europe * Migrants went primarily to European inhabited areas * North and South America * Australia * New Zealand * Siberia * European migration provided further impetus for Western expansion (Westernization) * More were poor from rural areas, though seldom from the poorest classes (due to oppressive land policies) * Economic Competition * Search for new markets and raw materials * Missionary works * more successful in African and Asian areas Europeans believe they must spread their Christian teachings to the world * New military and naval bases to protect one's interests against other European powers * British concerned by French and German land grabs in 1880s * might seal off their empires with high tariffs and restrictions * future economic opportunities might be lost * Increases tensions between the â€Å"haves† (British Empire) and the â€Å"have nots† (Germany & Italy) who cam e in latte to the Imperialist * Dr. David Livingston 1st white man to do humanitarian and religious work in south and central Africa Old & New Imperialism * Europe's influence continued to expand in the 19th century, and for all the same old reasons * European imperialism became global in nature, with Britain the world leader (â€Å"The sun never sets on the British Empire†) * Contradictory: Many European nations explored nationalism, liberalism†¦Ã‚   * Old Imperialism * 15th ~ 16th century * Didn't penetrate into Africa or Asia * No substantial influences on lives of people European powers did not usually acquire territory except for Spain in Americas and Portugal in Brazil, but rather built a series of trading stations * Respected and frequently cooperated with local rulers in India, china, Japan, Indonesia, another areas where trade flourished between locals and european coastal trading centers * New Imperialism * A policy in which one country seeks to extend its auth ority by conquering other countries or by establishing economic and political dominance over other countries. European nations conquers with armies * New military and naval bases to protect their interest * Raising taxes to restrain land grab * 18th ~ 19th century * Influences over economic, political and socials lives of people * People were used to benefit the European   economies * Forms of Imperialism * Colony * A country or territory governed internally by a foreign power * Protectorate * A country of territory with its own internal government but under the control of an outside power * Sphere of Influence An area in which an outside power claims exclusive investment or trading privileges * Economic Imperialism * An independent but less-developed country controlled by private business interest tauter than other governments   Imperial Management Methods * Indirect Control * Local government officials used * Limited self-rule * Develop future leaders * Government institutions are based on European styles but may have local rules * Direct Control * Foreign officials brought in to rule * No self-rule Paternalism – Europeans governed people in a parietal way by providing for their needs but not giving them rights * Assimilation – based on the idea that in time, the local populations would adopt French culture and become like the French * Government institutions are based only on European style * Legacy of Colonial Rule * Positive * Colonization * Europeans control lands and people in areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America * Reduced local warfare (variety in ethnic groups) * Humanitarians provided schools and hospitals (better living conditions) * Colonial Economics Europeans control trade in the colonies and set up dependent cash-crop economies * African products came to be valued on international market * Christianization * Christianity spreads to Africa, India and Asia * Negative * Africa lost its independence and its land * Contempt for the traditional culture and admiration of European life undermined stable societies and caused identity problems for Africans * Division of African continent * created problems that plagued African colonies during European occupation Africa 1880  Europeans controlled 10% of Africa (mainly on the coast) * Scramble for African Territory because of the discoveries of diamonds in South Africa * By 1914  Europeans controlled all Africa  except Liberia and Ethiopia * late 1860s  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Congo Sparks Interest * David Livingstone traveled with a group of Africans to central Africa to promote Christianity * 1871  Henry Stanley  found Livingston (whom westerners thought to be dead) * his newspaper reports created European interest in Africa * Stanley sought aid of king of Belgium to dominate the Congo region. 1879 ~ 1882  Ã‚  Stanley signed treaties with local chief of the Congo River Valley * Gave King Leopold II of Belgium the control of these lands * He claimed that his moti ve in establishing colony was to abolish the slavery and promote Christianity * But he exploited Africans brutally (collect sap from rubber plants) * At least 10 million Congolese died due to his abuses * 1908  Belgian Government took over power of the colony * Belgian Congo (80 times larger than Belgium) This action alarmed France * Soon Britain, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain claimed parts of Africa * Berlin Conference * 1884~1885 * 14 European Nations established the â€Å"rules† for conquest of Africa * PAPER PARTITION * Sponsored by Bismarck & Jules Ferry * Sought to precent conflict over imperialism * Coincided with German's rise as an imperial power * Agreed to stop slavery and slave trade in Africa * No African rulers were invited to attend these meetings * Factors promoting Imperialism in Africa European technical superiority * 1884  Maxim Gun (world's 1st auto machine gun) * Invention of steam-boat, made it easy to travel (for Europeans) * Susceptible to mal aria (disease carries by dense swarms of mosquitoes in Africa's interior * 1829  perfection of drug protected Europeans from malaria * Various languages and cultures in Africa * Discouraged the unity in Africa * Africans, Dutch and British  Clashed over South Africa for resources and lands * Zulus & British * 1816  Shaka, a Zulu chief created a large centralized state by isciplined warriors and good military organization * 1879  Zulu king Cetshwayo refused to dismiss the Zulu army * Not accepting British Rules * British invaded Zulu nation * July 1879  Battle of Ulundi * The Zulus lost the Battle and their Kingdom * 1887  Under British control * Boers & British in Cape * 1st Europeans settle in South Africa were the Dutch * 1625  Dutch came to the Cape of Good Hope * established way station for sailing between Dutch East Indies and the Netherlands * Those Dutch settlers were known as the  Boers 1880s  British took over the Cape Colony PERMANENTLY   * Boers clashe d over British policy (land & slaves) * 1830s  Great Trek * Boers moved to North in order to escape the British African Colonization & Independence * 1884  Western leaders met to divide Africa into colonial holdings * 1914  nearly all of Africa is under European controls * European imperial powers set national borders in Afirca without regard for local ethnic or political divisions 1898 Fashoda Incident * France & Britain nearly went to war over Sudan France backed down in the face of the Dreyfus Affair * Wanted to connect Cape to Cairo by railroads 1899 ~ 1902 The Boer War (South Africa War) * Boers blamed British bringing the â€Å"outsiders† into Africa (for minerals†¦ diamonds and gold) * 1st modern â€Å"total† war * British countered by burning Boer lands and imprisoning women and children * Black South Africans were involved in the war * British won * 1910  Boer republics joined Union of South Africa, which was controlled by the British * Cecil Rhod es * Prime Minister of Cape Colony Principal sponsor of the Cape-to-Cairo (British wanted to control over the continent) * Rhodes wanted to extend his influence there after the diamonds and gold were discovered in the Transvaal but rein controlled by Boers (Dutch settlers) * Kruger Telegram (1902) * Kaiser Wilhelm II (starter of WWI) * Congratulated Boers on defeating British invaders without need of German assistance * Anger swept through Britain and targeted at Germany Asia 1898 Spanish-American War * Mid-1890s  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the United States had developed substantial business holdings in Cuba. It had an economic stake in the fate of the country. * Objected to the Spanish brutality. * Helped Cuban war for independence. * Lasted about four months. * U. S. forces launched their first attack not on Cuba but on the Philippine Islands   * Unprepared for a war on two fronts, the Spanish military quickly collapsed. * U. S. defeated Spain (took Philippines, Guam, Hawaii & Cuba) * 1901   – Cuba became an independent nation * BUT United States installed a military government and continued to exert control over Cuban affairs. -; caused tensions * American had become the dominate imperial power in Latin America 1898 ~ 1901 Boxer Rebellion * Anti-foreign pro to nationalist movement by the Righteous Harmony in China * Took place against a background of serious drought and economic disruption in response to foreign influence * Opposing Imperialism and Christianity from the foreigners * June 20th  A German minister stationed in China (Klemens Freiferr von Kettler) represented various countries' going zongli yamen and demanded protection, is ambushed by the clear soldier on the way * Led to war 904 ~ 1905 Russo-Japanese War * Sino-Japanese War * Japanese Victory, China lost Manchuria * 1903  They had a war over Manchuria * Japan claimed they will recognize the right of Russian in Manchuria if Russian stayed out of Korea. Russian refused * Japan launched a surpris e attaching on Russian ships at Manchuria, which this action resulted in Russo-Japanese War

Problems Related to Population Growth

Population growth is a major issue within today’s world, with the rapid and exponentially increasing rate of population growth causing problems with overcrowded areas affecting the business environment as well as everyday life. The world’s population is at an estimated 7 billion people (BBC, 2011) and ‘at today’s rate, population would skyrocket by 2100, to 27 billion from today’s 7 billion’. (Harvard Gazette, 2012). Sourced from BBC (2013)The above diagram shows the extent of the increase in the rate of population growth from the year 500B.C. to a forecasted 8. 5 billion people in 2025. This highlights that, by 2025 the world’s population is on track to more than treble since 1950. This increase in population growth over the last 200 years could be attributed to an increase in fertility, for example, ‘just over 723,000 babies were born in England and Wales in 2010, up from fewer than 600,000 in 2000. The average number of childre n each woman is likely to have has gone up from 1. 64 to 1. 98. ’ (Daily Mail, 2012).This increase in fertility has not been coupled with an increase in the death rate which, due to factors such as ‘better medicines and improved sanitation’ (Brooks, Weatherstone and Wilkinson, 2011, p. 169) and more stringent health and safety procedures, has actually declined as ‘many of the once incurable diseases have cures today. ’(Buzzle, 2012). The increased population growth has brought with it many problems, for example in China the necessity for increased production to satisfy demand from a higher population has put strain on resources as well as producing high levels of pollution which is a negative externality.This has resulted in a law being passed restricting the number of children a family can have to 1 per couple. Another problem with population growth is that more housing is necessary to accommodate increased numbers of people. This has resulted in la nd that is used or could be used for farming being converted into housing. This is particularly disadvantageous because as Malthus’ theory suggests, the population is growing faster than the food supply.He theorises that the extra people must die, whereas Ester Boserup argued that ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ and asserted that the increase in population pressure acts as an incentive to developing new technology such as genetically modified crops (Rogers, Jalal & Boyd, 2008, p. 20). This has given rise to ethical debates concerning the use of disease-resistant, higher yielding modified crops which have been produced to cope with the increased population’s demand.Also with this loss of land comes extinction of species due to their natural habitats being destroyed. A further issue with fast population growth is that with increased population comes increased poverty and inequality. The poorest most impoverished of the population don’t have acc ess to adequate birth control which means they are continuing to reproduce whilst having the same small amount of resources, this is leading to malnutrition and infant mortality, as well as adding strain to the already inadequate educational and healthcare systems.

Comparing Ancient and Classical Art Paper Essay

Through each culture, art is created even it wasn’t meant to be used for it. The Stonehenge and the Great Stupa are two of the oldest known structures in our history. The European civilization, based in the southern part of the United Kingdom, is one of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument. The ancient Indian civilization is in India, is one of the three stupas in India. Many similarities and differences existed between these two civilizations, as even though they co-existed during a certain timeframe and in two different geographical areas. The differences in geography are both these civilizations were subjected to different kinds of exposure, which may have included contact with other civilization and cultural inheritance. The European civilization had a stronger emphasis on a central authority, while the Indians had a more decentralized structure, where powers were distributed over the cities and the states as well. The Art the Europeans created were more involved into making great monumental and gaudy structures while the Indians were more involved in creating smaller, more literary pieces of art. The Great Stupa’ at Sanchi is one of the most sophisticated and well-known monuments of all time; the marvelous icon is considered to be a cornerstone of Buddhist art, architecture, and religion. It stands tall and holds a powerful presence that is very symptomatic of its historical context. India is home to one the most symbolic and oldest stone structures known to man. This astonishing marvel built around 3rd century B.C by one of the most powerful and influential rulers of ancient India, Emperor Ashoka the Great. Asoka was the emperor of the Maurya Dynasty and ruled the Indian subcontinent from ca. 269 BCE to 232 B.C and during his reign, Ashoka converted to Buddhism and spread his Buddhist teachings through India, as well as having the great stupa erected to glorify and harbor the sacred Bu ddhist relics. This incredible  monument is majestic & unique in more ways than one. It has been said that the structure symbolizes the world mountain and â€Å"despite having the most perfect and well-preserved stupa, Buddhist art and architecture, it’s also surrounded by numerous other stupas, pillars, temples and living quarters for monks, the greater part of which had been buried.† Upon first recognition one could be lead to believe that because there are many other alluring attractions in India, it would be hard for this stupa to stand out and get its proper avowal. But this remarkable stone masterpiece has a wide range of spectacular things to offer, and tells us a very detailed story about early Buddhist life in India. Although the Great Stupa is among one of the many ancient monuments of India, few are of more interest than the tops of the stupas at Sanchi–Kanakheda. (Sayre, 2010) In the late Neolithic period, the megaliths at Stonehenge were erected. These stones were believed to be built anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC and placed by the community just one hundred miles to the west of London, England. Nobody knows the initial purpose of Stonehenge; however, there are theories of what it may have meant to this culture of the Neolithic era. There have been discoveries of human remains found at Stonehenge that have been dated back to the time of its creation. This discovery advises that all of these stones put in place as a burial ground for this culture’s ancestors. The five trilithons that form a horseshoe are located in the center of a full circle of what looks like multiple, attached trilithons. This circular enclosure, much like the stone circular wall around The Great Stupa, is designed to increase the sacredness of what is inside. Another similarity of these structures is that they both serve as burial grounds. Stonehenge appears to be an organized grouping of stones; and The Great Stupa, appearing to be flawlessly symmetrical, were both created as complete perfection in the eyes of each of the respective cultures who created them (Sayre, 2010). The similarities and differences between the Stonehenge and the Great Stupa at Stanchi are interesting and more similarities than expected. The Stonehenge was built surrounding several thousand burial mounds which are very similar to the Great Stupa in a sense that the center circular brick formation was built over the relics of the Buddha. The Stonehenge and the Great Stupa were both built in a circular formation. The Stonehenge and the Great Stupa both are built with large pillars as well as differ in that sense because the  Stonehenge’s pillars have/had a rough, more natural/raw material for their standing pillars. The Stupa’s pillars had polished the pillars they had built and also covered them with narrative scenes from the life of the Buddha. The narratives scenes were for onlookers to be able to see. Although the Stupa had polished their pillars, they had also carved them to look like carved wood. Unlike the Stupa, the Stonehenge is believed to have shrunk in size over time as years passed. The Stupa expanded after a believed vandalism, which then led to the son of the emperor to expand the Stupa with stone slabs making it almost twice in size. Although the Stupa was expanded over time, numerous different times and the Stonehenge was not they were both however believed to be built in stages. The Stupa was built with stone carved to look like wood in some spots while the Stonehenge was built with wood timbers. Even though now it looks as though it’s just stone the opposite of the Stupa that looks as though it’s built with wood, as well as stone. The purpose of the Great Stupa at Sanchi is believed to be for religious purposes. For example, Emperor Asoka believed power rested within religious virtues and not military forces. The stupas also housed important relics of Buddha and the remains of Buddhist holy monks. The Great Stupa holds great cultural value because it is revered by the people because it is a place of worship and prayer. The purpose of the Stonehenge is set to be unknown, however there are a set of theories and out of the many there was one which stood out the most. Based on hundreds of human bones that were found at the site, the bones were over 1,000 years old. The human bones show a human burial cremation took place at the site. The cultural value of the Stonehenge could be it held a significant amount of information on when it was time for the people to harvest. The ancient artifacts created philosophers, great artwork, and great writing, which we find extremely useful to our daily education today. Reference Sayre, H. M. (2010). A World of Art. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. A guide to Sanchi† John Marshall. These â€Å"Greek-looking foreigners† are also described in Susan Huntington, â€Å"The art of ancient India†, p. 100 Lacy, Norris J, ed., The Arthurian Encyclopedia, New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1986, article by Geoffrey Ashe, p. 529.