Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Raymond Carver, Cathedral Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Raymond Carver, Cathedral - Essay Example Indeed ââ¬Å"blindness and sightâ⬠is embedded within both the structure and the content of the story. The author essentially propounds that, though blessed with eyesight; the crust of individualism does not let modern man see what lies beneath the surface or appearance. Indeed Carverââ¬â¢s narrator is one of those commoners who never want to go through the stress to interpret mindfully what they are attached to. Ingenue Simplicity in the storyââ¬â¢s Plot Indeed the plot of Carverââ¬â¢s story is ironically simple. It is endowed with a great fluidity of expression that enables the readers to read the story palatably. Apparently it details a homely dialogue between a narrator and his guest Richard, a blind man who is paying visit to Richardââ¬â¢s house. Like any other homely conversation the storyââ¬â¢s plot also continues having no apparent predestined goal. But elements like the blind guestââ¬â¢s success in bonding a relationship, in opposition the narratorâ⠬â¢s failure, etc make this apparent simplicity ironical and provoke Carverââ¬â¢s readers to delve deep in what lies beneath the surface level of the story. Regarding the ironical simplicity of the story, Carol Simpson Stern says that like other stories of Carver, the Cathedralââ¬â¢s plot is ââ¬Å"about people who work mindlessly, drink, have broken marriages, and take in life, not directly, but through an immersion in mediated imagesâ⬠(1). Indeed the ââ¬Ëblindnessââ¬â¢ of the narrator has been used as an irony in the structure of the whole story. The narrator relates the story in his own way that provides the readers with the opportunities to look into the communicational incapability in his character. Analysis of Major characters All the two major characters of the ââ¬Å"Cathedralâ⬠are those who do not stand alone in the society; rather they are submerged in the society and fraught with all the characteristics of a modern man. In the story, the unnamed narrator, the only developing character, is self-doubting, introvert, and self-absorbed. At the beginning of the story, he lacks communication skills. But as the story progresses, he, breaking his comfort zone of ââ¬Å"nonchalant detachmentâ⬠, gradually learns to decode the unfathomable meaning of the blind manââ¬â¢s long-lasting relationship with his wife and eventually forges a true connection with him. One of the storiesââ¬â¢ themes is to unearth and uphold the root cause of modern manââ¬â¢s failure to forge a successful relationship and to perceive what lies beneath the materialistic existence, coming out the crust of individualism induced by materialism. This theme has prudently been applied in the literary relationship that exists among the three characters of the blind man, Robert and Robertââ¬â¢s wife who are the characters in focus. These three characters uphold the three themes of religion, public relations and composition. The author cautiously and sensi bly engages these characters to explicate and, at the same time, explain the theme. Internal and External Conflicts in the Story In the story the narrator is in conflict with his blind guest Richard. He is quite annoyed at the blind manââ¬â¢s visit and a bit jealous of his relation (Richardââ¬â¢
Monday, October 28, 2019
Management Case Study Essay Example for Free
Management Case Study Essay The case study below takes place at the Sir Charles Wilberforce Hospitalââ¬â¢s cafeteria, which is experiencing problems with the change management. Due to the new management undertaken by Keith Davis, there was a major issue of inadequate communication channels, as Keith told his employees what to do rather than consult them, especially with the decision-making. The best alternative to rectify this problem is for Keith to adapt to a consultative management style, in order for employees to take ownership in their workplace through expressing their opinions and feel more valued, however still allowing Keith to still make the final decision. Another major issue addressed in the Cafeteria was the amount of unmotivated staff. As employees feel unsatisfied with their work, the best solution to this issue is Goal Setting. Through employees setting strategic goals they will increase their motivation through achievement of these goals which will lead them to set more challenging ones. Lastly, the third major issue recognised was Keithââ¬â¢s poor leadership skills which made it difficult for employees to fulfil expectations and find enjoyment in the workplace. The best alternative solution for this problem is to retrain Keithââ¬â¢s leadership abilities so he is able to adopt all the qualities needed to become a better leader in his managing role. Although this may be an expensive method, the new leadership qualities Keith will learn will make a happier work environment for his employees and build a better employer/employee relationship. 3. Problem identification Poor communication channels Keith focuses on top down communication channels, providing a one way communication which is from him to his employees, rather than two-way which provides his employees to communicate ideas with him. This negatively impacts the hospital as the Keith is unable to discuss problems or ask questions amongst employees to see if there are any problems going on amongst the workers and therefore leading to job dissatisfaction employees. Although Keith tried to soothe Julia when the issue between her and Madison was brought to his attention, he did not follow it up or treat it as an importance. Lack of staff motivation Prior to Keithââ¬â¢s managing, Anneââ¬â¢s original foundations of self-satisfaction and close family ties seemed to motivate the employees at Sir Charles Wilberforce hospital. Keithââ¬â¢s changes were made to become more efficient, employees were left struggling to gain satisfaction and motivation in order for themselves to achieve their hierarchy of needs (Maslow, 1954). In this hierarchy of needs Maslow developed, employees have five needs, physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualisation, once they fulfil one of their needs they can graduate to the next one to fulfil it and so on. Without fulfilling the social needs of forming social ties or self-actualisation of gaining enough experience within the kitchen to become a supervisor, it became unknown to the employees of what they are capable of and decreased their enticements to complete tasks and feel satisfied. Insufficient leadership abilities Keith lacks major leadership qualities, as the organisational layout he uses is to tell employees what to do, depriving them of guidance and support. The Hersey Situations leadership model suggests that leadership focuses on followerââ¬â¢s readiness (Hersey, Blanchard Johnson, 2001). This theory suggests that at Sir Charles Wilberforce, if the employees feel they are unable to complete a task Keith should give those clear and specific instructions. If they are willing and confident Keith needs to provide them display high task orientation, and if employees feel able but are unwilling Keith would need to use a supportive approach. Lack of teamwork The teamwork environment of delegating tasks amongst of employees was not addressed by Keith. He believed that employees needed to finish work on time, plan menus monthly and take on cleaning responsibilities, whereas, the use of team work would have provided a better suited time managed system. Through having each employee assist with cleaning duties, planning menus, helping out another if time was short as well as assisting each other to get all food out and made the kitchen would be less chaotic. This would have assisted with issues if someone was ill, allowing more than one person to prepare greater portions of meals. 4. Statement of Major Problems The three major problems that are brought to the attention at Sir Charles Wilberforce Hospital are: Inadequate communication channels Unmotivated staff Insufficient leadership abilities The poor communication channel Keith utilises is top-down communication from Keith to his employees. As this is a workplace that depends on seeking ideas from others and support from each other, two way communications between Keith and his employees is necessary. This will allow employees to feel part of the decision making and feel they can share their ideas to improve the workplace. Following this Keith must then improve his leadership skills, putting his employees first and assisting them with any help and support they need in order to achieve a positive workplace. This may involve Keith revising the organisationââ¬â¢s culture, or distinguishing the strength and weakness of each employee so he knows how to assist each of them. Once Keithââ¬â¢s leadership abilities are improved, staff motivation must be identified and given, in order for employees to become productive within the kitchen and gain job satisfaction, increasing their abilities and allowing them to feel the want to work. 5. Generation and Evaluation of Alternative Solutions Inadequate communication channels Regular work meetings Set regular meetings within the kitchen, in order to concerns amongst employees to be discussed as we as evaluation on how the business is going and openly discuss ways to improve or maintain it. Advantages Allows for feedback Employees can listen to each personââ¬â¢s idea and encourages discussion openly Evaluate the earnings to the previous week and that time the previous year, allowing each person to suggest ways to improve or maintain their profit margins. Disadvantages Some employees may not attend May be time consuming to discuss all ideas Consultative management style Implement a Consultative management style in order to increase two-way and open communication between Keith and the employees. Advantages Allows employees to feel ownership in decision making Allows employees to share their ideas and opinions Gives confidence to employees Disadvantages Employees may feel held back to express their opinions because they do not feel comfortable Employees may feel offended if their ideas are not taken into consideration Time consuming Unmotivated staff Goal setting Implement setting goals, which involve employees setting goals that motivate them to improve their capabilities. Advantages Gives self-satisfaction Increases productivity and performance levels Disadvantages Time consuming to distinguish appropriate and achievable goals Goals ay appear as unattainable and lead to employees to give up Job design Mr Dev can alter the job design to assist in identifying and correcting any deficiencies that affect performance and motivation. Advantages Job enlargement, can be used to increase motivation by giving employees more and varied tasks so the employee is motivation to try new tasks Job rotation allows an employee to work in different departments or jobs in an organization to gain better insight into operations motivating the employee to increase his/her skills and knowledge about other jobs. Disadvantages Job enrichment may lead the employee transferred too much responsibility in the kitchen and independence in the planning and control aspects of the job which may suppress motivation levels Reward and Recognition Evaluating each employee to identify which people are performing to their maximum, and rewarding them financially or non-financially for their hard work, therefore motivating other employees to improve their work standards. Advantages Employees will increase performance to obtain more rewards Will produce higher standards amongst the employees Self- enrichment Disadvantages Expensive to keep purchasing rewards and reassess each employee to recognise After a while employees may feel that rewards may not motivate them anymore Keith may not want to undertake the idea of rewarding and recognising employees Insufficient leadership abilities Retrain Keith Retraining programs for Keith within the company or externally will allow Keith to develop better leadership qualities and create a happier workplace. Advantages Positively effects employees to feel trust and support from Keith Keith can evaluate themselves as to what skills are expected to lead the employees Disadvantages May take a while for Keith to learn and adapt to these skills May be expensive Dismiss Keith Dismissing Keith will demolish the issue of poor leadership abilities and will allow the business to replace him with a more experienced manager. Advantages Re-appoint a new manager who possess all correct leadership skills Employees are in a happier environment where they can get the support they need More time appropriate and efficient than retraining Disadvantages May be hard to find a replacement Employees may find it hard to adapt to a new manager and may be resistant to give them a chance due to their bad experience with Keith 6. Recommendation Consultative management style A Consultative management style is the recommended alternative for Keith to address to his employees. The type of management style used by Keith at this point is autocratic, which involves him making decisions for the hospital kitchen unilaterally. Although regular meetings are a good alternative by providing mediation and assistant towards employees, the consultative management style involves a permanent change to the organisation. The consultative style would involve Keith discussing ideas of possible changes to be made within the kitchen, as well as employees being able to give their opinions and ideas. By implementing a consultative management style, employees at the cafeteria will be able to perform to their optimum level, concentrating on increasing common sense approach for Keith to meet the needs and wants of the employees, as well as making employees realise their own abilities and capabilities in performing tasks, (McClelland, 1987). Similarly to regular meetings, the consultative approach gives open communication, however unlike meetings the consultative approach is more permanent in the workplace and is used daily, for example in decision making, gaining assistance with a task or getting support with a concern. This will benefit the kitchen, as the employees will respond more positively to any changes to feel more a part of the workplace and a sense of belonging. Keith will benefit from this style, as he will be given a broader range of ideas as well as maintain his authority to make the final decision. Goal Setting Setting goals is the preferred alternative for Keith to use within the kitchen. Despite the fact being rewarded motivates someone to maintain if not improve performance to be rewarded again, goal setting gives motivation. Goal setting enables employees to measure their processes and work performance. This enables employees to gain feedback on their results, unlike rewards and recognition which just motivates employees to try harder to gain another reward rather than possessing the want to gain the self-satisfaction that they have improved. Edward Lockeââ¬â¢s theory of goal setting outlines that in setting specific and challenging goals it enables process and outcome improvement (Locke ; Latham, 1990). Similarly, job design suggests a different form of motivating to increase their skills of different tasks, however it also does hold the ability to measure the improvement that setting goals do. If goal setting is adapted by Keith, his employees would be able to achieve towards a higher performance, as well as motivating them to set higher goals with increasingly difficult tasks, once they have been achieved. Through Maslowââ¬â¢s hierarchy of needs, this can assist in setting goals with Locke and Lathamââ¬â¢s theory. Maslow theory suggests that ââ¬Ëalthough no need is every fully satisfied, a substantially satisfied need no longer motivates an individual to satisfy that needââ¬â¢ (Robbins, Bergmann, Stagg and Coulter, 2012, p559). This suggests that in identifying each need, physiological safety social esteem and self-actualisation, employees at sir Charles Wilberforce can pinpoint what tasks they need to complete in order to graduate to the next level. For example one of the employees may find that they feel they donââ¬â¢t belong, in order to achieve this level they can set a goal to form relations with other employees on a professional basis. Once this goal is achieved they can move on to develop their esteem needs. Retraining Keith Although, retraining Keith may be considered a time consuming process, compared to the alternative of dismissing Keith, it appears to be a more logical approach. Through retraining, Keith is able to gain leadership skills that he may not be aware are essential skills he needs in order to be a manager. This will transform him from telling his employees what to do, to instead assisting and guiding them through changes. Despite the expenses of this method, it may also be difficult for Keith to cooperate as well as understand the concept of these skills however unlike dismissing, he will be able to improve and allow for a happier work. The trait theory suggests that it is impossible to identify and isolate characteristics from leaders from non-leaders. However there are seven traits associated with leadership, these being ââ¬Ëdrive, the desire to lead, honesty and integrity, self-confidence, intelligence, job-relevant knowledge and extraversionââ¬â¢, (Robbins, 2012, p605). Eventually with the retraining, Keith may possess these seven leadership abilities to involve his employees in decision making process and form a trust bond.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Standardized Testing Essay -- Standardized Testing Essays
Standardized Testing President Bush is promoting annual standardized testing for all students in grades three through eight in order to assess their academic achievements. This bill is currently being considered in Congress, and has garnered much support from individuals in the community. As of right now, fifteen states test students in those grades, and more than twenty have high school exit exams. Exit exams look only at the test score of a student, not at his or her academic achievements throughout High School, and in many cases, people are either over- or underrepresented by their test scores. This occurs partly because America does not currently have the capabilities of fairly scoring the increasing number of tests, even though the companies creating and scoring the tests enjoy a large profit. The number of companies creating these tests is pitifully small. Adding to the lack of validity of the scores of these tests is the fact that many students today are not native English speakers, and their capabilities could be grossly underestimated by these types of exams, and there is a strong racial bias involved in most major tests. But, the biggest and most troubling problem with standardized testing is how it affects the learning that takes place in the classroom. This leads to the question of just how standardized we want our schools to be. Standardized tests are nothing but hurtful, and America should make a move away from them, especially since they are expensive and ineffective. We cannot expect to solve the problems in our educational system this way. We want our children to leave school with knowledge and understanding that will allow them to be successful. That is not currently the case. ... ...l only be a loose assessment of the criteria and not of the school, students or teachers, it would not be a major crisis if the tests were not representative of the studentsââ¬â¢ knowledge. That is a far more acceptable option than one of watching capable students being denied diplomas or college educations due to exams that they did poorly on. It is not in Americaââ¬â¢s best interest to pass the proposal to require standardized testing at elementary school levels, or to force students to pass exit exams to earn their diplomas. If we wish for our children to be informed, educated, and ready to survive on their own in the real world, we need to give them the tools that will get them there. These tests are not accurate, and they are detrimental to the education of children. There should be no debate over how our representatives in Congress should vote on this bill.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Bubble Gum :: essays research papers
Have you ever wondered who invented bubble gum, or why itââ¬â¢s pink? How do you go about getting the answers to these questions? Easy. Think way, way back, not to prehistoric times but close, 1928. Popular With Children, Unpopular with Parents and Teachers. The first known bubble gum appeared in 1906, and was a dud. Known as Blibber Blubber, it was sticky, brittle, and insufficiently cohesive. In 1928, an accountant, Walter Diemer, invented an improved version of bubble gum. The only food coloring he had on hand was pink, so for many years, pink was the common color of bubble gums. Diemer arranged to market the bubble gum in Philadelphia candy stores and the product became wildly popular with children. Fleer Company purchased the recipe, and named the product Dubble Bubble. By World War II, the sales of bubble gum in the United States reached about $4.5 million annually. The war caused a shortage of Siamese jelutong, a latex secreted by the jelutong tree. The domestic production of bubble gums needed to be curtailed, but production resumed in the post-war years and surged to new heights. By 2000, children in North America spent about a half billion dollars annually on bubble gums, and used some 40 million pieces daily. Bubble gum made the Guinness Book of World Records, with the largest bubble ever made measuring 22 inches in diameter. The greater the molecular weight of the gum, the stronger is the film, and the larger the bubble that can be blown. On the other hand, increasing the molecular weight or size also tends to make the gum more difficult to chew. A technical breakthrough in 1999 allowed manufacturers to create uniquely textured bubble gum by using soft candy or toffee manufacturing equipment. The resulting bubble gum is similar to chewy candy, but lacking the stickiness. In the late 1970s, popular interactive candies for children were Pop Rocks and Space Dust. As children chewed these candies, tiny bubbles of pressurized carbon dioxide popped and fizzled, and resonated thunderously in the inner ear in a series of explosions that took place in the mouth. As described by children "it sounds like a storm in your mouth. If you swallow them fast, they crackle all the way down." Later, General Foods rejuvenated its carbonated-candy technology and created carbonated bubble gum. This product also provided the crackling sensation of the original Pop Rocks and Space Dust.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Religious views on death penalty Essay
This is issue of death penalty has been talked of the town since it was started. All religious groups are not silent about such issue whether they are against on it or not but instead, they really demonstrated their strong conviction to disagree or agree on such act. Other religious groups consider it as inhumane and see ourselves having no right to stop the lives of others while other religious groups are on the opposite side. But most of the religious groups around the world have one cry which is to stop the death penalty practiced. In connection of this issue, there are sixteen principal religious organizations in the United States of America which have more than 1 million advocates that consists twelve Christian faith organizations, Atheism, Islam, Judaism and the group of people who do not have the religious identification. However, Christian groups have different perceptions regarding the death penalty issue. Below are the perceptions they projected regarding the death penalty: ? Some of the Evangelical congregations and Fundamentalist are showing support on death penalty which named as the ââ¬Å"retentionist positionâ⬠, while the Mennonites and Amish are on the different direction. The Conservative Protestants are known to be pro-life and even fight the idea of abortion yet in general; they are in favor on death penalty which comprises the taking of lives of those convicts. But they justified their being pro-life by opposing taking oneââ¬â¢s life of innocent human being like embryo, fetus, newborn, child and others. But an individual who sits on the death row is guilty of offensive crimes and deserves to be punished of what he did (see ââ¬Å"Present-Day Religious Groupââ¬â¢s Policies Concerning the death Penaltyâ⬠. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. org). ? The mainline & liberal denominations and the Roman Catholic Church are against on death penalty (see ââ¬Å"Present-Day Religious Groupââ¬â¢s Policies Concerning the death Penaltyâ⬠. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. org). a. 1 Religious grounds. There are several passages in the Hebrew Scriptures that sentenced individuals to death if they go along with other spiritual path. From the King James Version of the Bible, Jehovah declared such execution for: a. 1. 1 following another religion: Exodus chapter 22 verse 20 says: ââ¬Å"He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyedâ⬠(see ââ¬Å"The Death Penalty/Capital Punishment in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org). a. 1. 2 a stranger entering the temple: Numbers chapter 1 verse 51 says: ââ¬Å"â⬠¦when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to deathâ⬠(see ââ¬Å"The Death Penalty/Capital Punishment in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org). a. 1. 3 proselytizing: Deuteronomy chapter 13 verses 1-10 says that if an individual who attempts to persuade an Israelite to change his belief should be put to death (see ââ¬Å"The Death Penalty/Capital Punishment in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org). d. 1. 4 communicating with the dead: Leviticus chapter 20 verse 27 medium and spiritists whether male or female are executed by stoning (see ââ¬Å"The Death Penalty/Capital Punishment in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org). a. 1. 5 black magic: Exodus chapter 22 verse 18 says: ââ¬Å"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live (see ââ¬Å"The Death Penalty/Capital Punishment in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org). B. Problems arise due to death penalty a) Racism Wherever we go, racism is always present. The worst thing is, when racism also exists in giving a death penalty sentence to an accused. Does this ââ¬Å"extreme penalizationâ⬠applied fairly regardless to the class or race? Obvious and manifest racism is observed and witness too in courtrooms around the nation. In death penalty circumstances, the practice of pejorative and critical disgrace stirs up the flames of bias and partiality and to some extent permits the jury to adjudge unsympathetically and insensitively those they desire to incriminate for the said dilemma of the offense. There are several illustrations that can be given as examples: 1. ââ¬Å"One of you two is going to hang for this. Since youââ¬â¢re the nigger, youââ¬â¢re elected. â⬠These were the words enunciated by a Texas police officer to Clarence Brandley who was penalized in murdering of a white high school girl. And in 1990, Brandley was found guiltless after ten years on death row (Bailey, Harris, & Jones, 2005). 2. Another circumstance was when there was a preparation going on for the penalty phase of an African-American defendantââ¬â¢s trial, a white judge from Florida stated in an open court: ââ¬Å"Since the nigger mom and dad are here anyway, why donââ¬â¢t we go ahead and do the penalty phase today instead of having to subpoena them back at cost to the state. â⬠Anthony Peek received a death penalty sentence from the court and in 1986; the Florida Supreme Court established and confirmed the sentenced for a review due to his claim of racial bias (Bailey, Harris, & Jones, 2005). 3. A certain prosecutor from Alabama provided his justification and cause for striking number possible jurors the verity that they were associated with Alabama State University, mainly black organization. The said excuse and ground were deliberated race neutral by the said reviewing court. 4. An election campaign happened in 1997 for Philadelphiaââ¬â¢s Distinct Attorney; it was divulged and made known that one of the said candidates had wrought ââ¬â serves as an Assistant D. A. ââ¬â a preparation video for recent prosecuting attorneys in which he commanded them about whom to keep out and leave out in the cold from the adjudicators which noted that ââ¬Å"young black women are very badâ⬠on the adjudicators for a prosecuting attorney and further stated ââ¬Å"blacks from low-income areas are less likely to convict. â⬠5. Judge Earl Blackwell in Missouri gave out a signed press release all about his jurisdictional election proclaiming his recent association with the Republican Party at the same time ruling over a death penalty circumstance in opposition to a jobless African-American perpetrator. The mentioned press release specified and indicated that: [T]he Democrat party places far too much emphasis on representing minorities . . . people who donââ¬â¢tââ¬â¢ (sic) want to work, and people with a skin thatââ¬â¢s any color but white . . . . The magistrate has repudiated a motion to rescue himself from the said trial. Brian Kinder-the perpetrator- was found guilty and punished to death and in 1996, Missouriââ¬â¢s Supreme Court asserted it (Bailey, Harris, & Jones, 2005). These were just the illustrations given which are figurative of a more methodical and orderly racism and they give us the scenarios of how racism and insensitivity occurred when somebody is facing an execution. According to Richard C. Dieter in his article entitled ââ¬Å"The Death Penalty in Black and White: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decidesâ⬠stated that ââ¬Å"In Philadelphia, the death sentencesââ¬â¢ raw data in the middle of 1983 and 1993 gives the primary piece of alarming and distressing indication that racism is still happening. The rate mentioned of qualified black defendants who were penalize to death reached about 40 percent compared to the rates for other qualified defendants. Below is chart taken from http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? scid=45&did=539. There is another statistical data in Death Penalty States which shows a risk of Racial Discrimination and was taken again from http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? scid=45&did=539. ** The state which has no death penalty race data is accessible. *** The state which has no death sentences enforced as of January 1, 1998. =Solitary findings whose calculations were statistically important and substantial, or where the ratio amongst death sentencing -or prosecutorial charging- rates (example amongst black victim and white victim circumstances) was 1. 5 or greater and having an example dimension of at least 10 cases in every group, were contained within. The differences and inequalities in nine states-SC, MS, GA, KY, CA, NJ, NC, PA and CO-are based on well-controlled investigation and analysis. The calculations in different states are from less well-controlled findings and are lone evocative. =The total race of victim difference apart from solitary, Delaware, were in the route of more death sentences in white victim cases. =the total race of defendant difference apart from two, Tennessee and Florida, were in the route of more death sentences for black defendants or accused. Another article written by Dudley Sharp advocated that ââ¬Å"despite the fact that whites and blacks include about an equal number of murder victims, the relation or proportion of white-to-black injured parties in death-penalty situations is about 7-to-1. â⬠b) Myth of Racism in Death Penalty In an article entitled ââ¬Å"Myth of racism in Death Penaltyâ⬠published in one of the websites in the internet explained that ââ¬Å"regardless of the assertions of death penalty adversaries, there is still slight indication and confirmation that prejudiced prosecuting attorneys are more obsessive and fervent on the order of pursuing the death penalty in opposition to the African-Americans- commented by the legal observers- or which adjudicators are directing blacks to death row frequently. The substantiation implies black murder perpetrators are no supplementary like to get death sentences compared to whites even though at the end part of the year 1996, there was about 42 percent of death row convicts were African-Americans. According to federal statistics in 1996, there were 43. 2 percent of pugnacious offense cases and 54. 9 percent of all offense cases, and the criminals involved were African-Americans, predominantly due to the fact that young black males perpetrate an inconsistent number of offenses mainly in opposition to other blacks. On the other hand, according to the U. S. Justice Departmentââ¬â¢s Bureau of Justice Statistics whites took into custody for manslaughter or homicide- other than inattentive homicide- are more susceptible to death sentence compared to blacks, about 1. 6 percent of whites against 1. 2 percent of blacks. And white death-sentence convicts are supplementary like to be put to death since 1977 until 1996; about 7. 2 percent of white convicts were put to death in comparison to 5. 9 percent of blacks. Another study presents that the federal death penalty is exercised excessively and unreasonably in opposition to minorities most especially to African Americans and which it is put into practiced in a topographically random and subjective way-with several states such as Texas and Virginia- reporting for an enormous share of death penalty trials and hearings. According to DOJ information and statistics that it is approximately 80 percent of prisoners on federal death row are Hispanic, Black or from other smaller or lesser group. Smaller groups report and explain for 74 percent of the cases in which federal prosecuting attorneys search and strive for death penalty. The worst scenario is when racism also presents in giving death sentence to a defendant. Does this ââ¬Å"intense penalizationâ⬠practiced justly regardless to its race? In death penalty situations, the practice of critical and pejorative disgrace stirs up the flames of bias and partiality and to some extent allows the jury to convict insensitively and unsympathetically to those who they wish implicate such punishment (see Dieter, R. C. ââ¬Å"The Death Penalty in Black and White: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decidesâ⬠. June 1998). The newest exoneration is of John Ballard, no. 123 of Florida on the 23rd day of February 2006. The table below shows the exonerations by race and was taken from ââ¬Å"Innocence and the Death Penalty: DPIC (http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? did=412&scid=6#inn-yr-rc). Race Number of Exonerations Black 62 White 48 Latino 12 Other 1 c. ) Who Gets the Death Sentence? According to an article entitled ââ¬Å"How Racism Riddles the U. S. Death Penaltyâ⬠explained that ââ¬Å"in 1972, the U. S. Supreme Court was stricken down almost altogether death penalization in the state due to its reason that found them to be unpredictable and capricious and intensely not fair-Furman v. Georgia. In a cracked 5-4 judgment, every Justice wrote his own point of view and several cited indications of racial prejudices. In Gregg v. Georgia, the Court has proven and established a recent generation of capital decrees which assure and guarantee equal impartiality. At present, there are 38 states that practiced death penalty. Since Greg, there was about 5,000 people have been sentenced to death and about 682 executions have been performed. Most of those on the death row are the people who have different races. There was about 42 percent solely for the Black men of all death row prisoners even though they report for only 6 percent of people who live in the United States of America. Racism is found not only in the Southern part where most of the United States implementation and execution are taking place. In a study made by George Woodwort and David Baldus showed that blacks who reside in Philadelphia are four times more likely to receive the death penalty compared to other defendants or accused who execute the same murders. The Philadelphia has put 133 people on the death row which is more than most southern states. About 89 percent of the said qualified defendants or accused for death sentence are people of color. d. ) Who Receives an Execution? Since 1976, approximately half of the executed have been people of different race together with sole blacksââ¬â¢ record for about 35 percent. Everybody said that about 82 percent have been executed to death for the murder of a white person. And compared to white, only 1. 8 percent was executed because the defendant was convicted of killing of an African, an Asian, or Latin descent. In every two persons executed, one is a black since 1930. Since the conception of death penalty, problems regarding such punishment have never ended. The questions start popping up from different walks of life whether death penalty involves racism or not, the risks in executing the innocent and the debates of pro and anti. However, as we can see the chart below, it simply shows that the death penalty penalization to Black Americans lessens for almost four decades (chart below was taken from http://www. ojp. usdoj. gov/bjs/glance/drrace. htm). e.) Risks on executing the innocent Another problem that arises is the risk of executing an innocent man. We cannot say how many of the 1,000 individuals sentenced with capital punishment since 1976 may possibly innocent. The courts will not think about and entertain the claims of innocence if the accused is already executed. The defense attorneys of the defendant, who is still alive, will move on other cases to save his/her client from such punishment. An example of case was of Ruben Cantu of Texas. He was convicted in 1985 and executed in 1993. The accused Ruben Cantu determinedly and insistently claimed that he was innocent from the crime and was 17 years of age when accused with capital murder for killing a man from San Antonio and attempted robbery cases. After the execution, the jury and the prosecutor have shown their doubts regarding the case. In addition, the witness against Cantu and the co-defendant of Cantu have come into conclusion that Cantu was an innocent man (see ââ¬Å"Additional Innocence Information: Executed but Possibly Innocentâ⬠. Death penalty information Center). If this scenario continuously happens, it is not surprising why we still have rallies against death penalty. f. ) The debates of pro and anti This issue between the anti and pro regarding death penalty practice never dies because of different beliefs, principles and experiences and both sides have an argument and stand points. The anti and pro both want justice for people they are defending. F. Public opinion polls on the death penalty In a survey conducted by Harris poll in 1965, there was approximately 38% of United States poll respondents are pro and supported death penalty while there were about 47% who are against of it. But in 2001, the atmosphere changed. From 38% of death penalty advocates, it increased up to 67% while the anti decreased from 47% down to 26%. But just this year of 2006, there was a great increased on the side of those who believed on death penalty. A census made by Sam Houston State University discovered that there were approximately 73. 4% of respondents countrywide that are in favored on death penalty for individuals charged with murder while for those 20. 1% anti-death penalty believed on life imprisonment without parole (see ââ¬Å"Public Opinion Polls on the Death Penaltyâ⬠. Death Penalty Statistics, March 24, 2005). G. Death penalty statistics From the 23rd day of February 2006, there have been 123 exonerations in different states in the United States of America. The chart below shows the denominations of convicts sentenced by death penalty (see ââ¬Å"Exonerations by Stateâ⬠. Innocence and the Death Penalty. DPIC). STATE NO. STATE NO. Florida 22 Massachusetts 3 Illinois 18 Missouri 3 Louisiana 8 Indiana 2 Texas 8 So. Carolina 2 Arizona 8 Idaho 1 Oklahoma 7 Kentucky 1 Pennsylvania 6 Maryland 1 Georgia 5 Mississippi 2 No. Carolina 5 Nebraska 1 Alabama 5 Nevada 1 Ohio 5 Virginia 1 New Mexico 4 Washington 1 California 3. Every year, the rate of exonerations rose drastically. But the irony is that, the more it is practiced and applied, the more the people commit crimes and offenses. The more they are aware of such act, the more they become ââ¬Å"rebelliousâ⬠and commit crimes without hesitation. From 1973 up to 1998, the average of exonerations every year was 2. 96. But since 1998 up until 2003, the average has increased from 2. 96 to 7. 60 exonerations. In 2004, there were about 6 exonerations. The graph below is accurate as of 11th of July 2006 and shows the number of exonerations every year (see ââ¬Å"Exonerations by Yearâ⬠. Innocence and the Death Penalty. DPIC). III. Recommendations A. Possible remedies or alternatives to abolish death penalty. There are several remedies on how to abolish death penalty. One of these is life imprisonment. The anti-death penalty group views and believes that life imprisonment is an efficient alternative for capital punishment, that death penalty will just lead to insufficient of justice and violates the rights of the convicts (Bumiller, 1999). Moreover, death penalty is more costly than having life imprisonment. In a 1993 Duke University study presented that the capital punishment in North Carolina amounts more than 2. 16 million dollars in every execution compared to life imprisonment. The New Mexico State Republic Defender Department approximated the state in 1996 that if there will be no death penalty; there will be a saving of 1 to 2. 5 USD million dollars on the Public Defender (see ââ¬Å"Murder Victimsââ¬â¢ Families for Reconciliation, Inc. May 24, 2006). Additionally, the Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP) acknowledges and advocates the societyââ¬â¢s responsibility to defend every person from individuals who are treacherous especially those who are convicts. Not only that, FDAP also looks after the welfare of the convicts. FADP views death penalty as a negative public policy. The organization suggested a practical and worthwhile alternative for capital punishment. This is when an individual charged with capital murder, he must serve in the prison for 25 years before he can receive the possible reconsideration for parole. And while the convict is in prison, he should be given a job that is dignified. And a fraction of his earnings must be used to pay for his incarceration and another fraction will go to a funding for the victims of ferocious crimes. The funds also give financial assistance to those families that have lost their ââ¬Å"bread winnerâ⬠because of crimes (see ââ¬Å"Yes Friends, there is an alternative to the death penalty! â⬠Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP). IV. Conclusion We should always remember that every action we do have a consequence, whether it is good or bad. As I study this issue, I learned that I should not be one sided but be opened for any different views regarding death penalty issue. My views were widened that both pro and anti are having valid reasons why they fight and stand out for their beliefs and principles. But, I have noticed that the more death penalty is practiced, the crime rates increase instead of decreasing. So, as my conclusion, it is better to stop death penalty not because I am against or pro but because the crime rates did not lessen as what others think of. Moreover, if in case death penalty will not be abolished, I would suggest that the judge must be careful in giving such punishment. They must review the death sentence they have given to the accused to avoid mistakes and spare the lives of the innocence. And for the legislators, they should think-through the laws they make. They should not make laws which are always in favor in their race or color. References 1. ââ¬Å"Human Rights: Death Penaltyâ⬠. Derechos Human Rights. http://www. derechos. org/dp/ 2. ââ¬Å"Early Death Penalty Lawsâ⬠. History of the Death Penalty, p. 1. http://deathpenaltyinfo. msu. edu/c/about/history/history-1. htm 3. Executions in the U. S. 1608-1978: The Espy File. DPIC, 2006 http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? scid=8&did=269 4. ââ¬Å"Methods used to execute peopleâ⬠. Facts about capital punishment: Part 1: Data and Trends. Religious Tolerance. org. http://www. religioustolerance. org/execut3. htm#met 5. ââ¬Å"Present-Day Religious Groupââ¬â¢s Policies Concerning the death Penaltyâ⬠. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. org). http://www. religioustolerance. org/execut7. htm 6. ââ¬Å"The Death Penalty/Capital Punishment in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Religious Tolerance. Org. http://www. religioustolerance. org/exe_bibl1. htm 7. Dieter, R. C. ââ¬Å"The Death Penalty in Black and White: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Decidesâ⬠. June 1998. http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? scid=45&did=539 8. ââ¬Å"Additional Innocence Information: Executed but Possibly Innocentâ⬠. Death penalty information Center. http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? scid=6&did=111#executed 9. ââ¬Å"Public Opinion Polls on the Death Penaltyâ⬠. Death Penalty Statistics, March 24, 2005. http://justice. uaa. alaska. edu/death/stats. html 10. ââ¬Å"Exonerations by Stateâ⬠. Innocence and the Death Penalty. DPIC. http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? did=412&scid=6 11. ââ¬Å"Exonerations by Yearâ⬠. Innocence and the Death Penalty. DPIC. http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/article. php? did=412&scid=6 12. ââ¬Å"Murder Victimsââ¬â¢ Families for Reconciliation, Inc. May 24, 2006. http://www. mvfr. org/DeathPenaltyFacts. htm 13. ââ¬Å"Yes Friends, there is an alternative to the death penalty! â⬠Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP). http://72. 14. 253. 104/search? q=cache: YUqcUlOTl9MJ:www. fadp. org/docs/alternatives. pdf+Alternative+for+death+ penalty&hl=en&gl=ph&ct=clnk&cd=4&client=firefox-a 14. Bailey, S. H. , Harris, D. J. , and Jones, B. L. Civil Liberties: Cases and Materials. 2d ed. , 2005. London: Butterworths. Standard legal textbook referring principally to British law. 15. Bumiller, Kristin. The Civil Rights Society: the Social Construction of Victims. Baltimore; London: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999. Concise scholarly study.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Impact of Academic Preparation in Online High Schools on College Admission
Impact of Academic Preparation in Online High Schools on College Admission Introduction Virtual space provides students with unlimited opportunities for self-development and learning. The World Wide Web has become a global phenomenon with a strong presence in Western Europe, North American and East Asian. The online network, thus, has a potent impact on social, cultural, and economic development of education (Bach, Haynes, Smith, 2006, p. 8).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of Academic Preparation in Online High Schools on College Admission specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Distant learning, therefore, has influenced studentsââ¬â¢ opinion about the conventional systems of academic learning. The virtual high schooling has been of a particular concern to students with disabilities who have expanded their opportunities for continuing their education. However, rapid expansion of online study has led to discussing the effectiveness and reliability of virtual learning (Heirdsfield, Walk er, Tambyah, Beutel, 2011). At this point, there is no unanimous opinion if online high schools meet the academic standards and are acceptable for students in terms of their chance for college admission (Barrett, 2011). In addition, little evidence is presented about online courses as a sufficient basis for continuing traditional education. Therefore, it is necessary to define how online preparation in virtual schools influence college admission and evaluate the gap between online and traditional types of learning. Background Online education first appeared in middle of the 90s to gradually become the common technique of distant learning used in the K-12 educational system. The definition of online education is often presented as ââ¬Å"entity approved by a state or governing body that offers courses through distance delivery ââ¬â most commonly using the Internetâ⬠(Barbour Reeves, 2009, p. 402). In contrast, a traditional outlook on schooling is confined to face-to-face communication and open discussions. Currently, online high schools provide alternative solutions to education for students who can take advantage of all opportunities offered online. In fact, virtual high schools can dominate over the traditional system of educations, especially if students search for flexibility and comfortableness (Reid, Aqui, Putney, 2009). However, it has been defined that online learning can be effective in case students are endowed with such characteristics as high motivation, independence in learning, sufficient time management skills, ambition to ask questions, and strong support of family (Reid et al., 2009). More importantly, online learners should depend on face-to-face communication.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, success of distant learning is largely influenced by the quality of teaching (Baran, 2011; Scagnoli, Buki, Johnson, 2009). In particular, online education can be challenged because of lack of qualified teachers who can introduce effective strategies of online learning (Harper Boggan, 2011). To gain a fresh insight into the primary advantages and disadvantages of virtual environment, as compared to the physical one, an in-depth evaluation of both is required from perspective of teachers and students (Murphy Manzanares, 2008). Most importantly, it is important to consider the benefits for students with disabilities to learn distantly (Repetto, Cavanaugh, Wayer, Feng, 2010, p. 91). Overall, the discussion provides incentives to focus on specific groups of student for whom online education is the best solution to receive education. Statement of Problem Little research exists concerning the influence of online preparation on college admission. Specifically, literature provides a review of online learning development as a separate field of education that fails to intertwine with traditional educational sy stems. In addition, no connection is drawn between the requirements for online learners and the ones presented to traditional learners. Finally, the problem of online teaching techniques is discussed, but with little emphasis on its applicability to physical environment. Purpose Statement The purpose of the research is to conduct a quantitative analysis about the impact of academic preparation in a virtual environment on college admission for online high school students. At this point, it is necessary to analyze the benefits and educational programs provided by online courses and compare those to academic curriculum offered in a physical environment. The independent variable, therefore, is online preparation of high school students whereas the dependent variable will be number of online learners admitted to college.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of Academic Preparation in Online High Schools on College Admission specifically for you for only $16. 05 $11/page Learn More By design, the research should be based on a qualitative analysis of interviews and observations, as well as supported materials, including evaluation of online programs in several online high schools and their comparison with traditional high schools programs (Creswell, 2009). The primary data will be collected from the participants who take online courses, as well as teachers offering virtual services. References Bach, S., Haynes, P., Smith, J. L. (2006). Online Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. UK: McGraw-Hill International. Baran, E. (2011). Transforming online teaching practice: critical analysis of the literature on the roles and competencies of online teachers. Distance Education, 32(3), 421-439. Barbour, M. K., Reeves, C. T. (2009). The reality of virtual schools: A review of the literature. Computers Education, 52, 402-416. Barrett, B. (2010). Virtual Teaching and Strategies: Transitioning From Teaching Traditional Classes to Online Classes. Contemporary Issues In Education Research, 3(12), 17-20. Creswell, J. W. (Eds). (2009). Research Design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Harper, S., Boggan, M. (2011). Opinions, Benefits, and Weaknesses of Virtual High School and Compressed Video Courses in a Rural Mississippi High School. Journal Of Technology Integration In The Classroom, 3(2), 37-39.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Heirdsfield, A., Walker, S., Tambyah, M., Beutel, D. (2011). Blackboard as an Online Learning Environment: What Do Teacher Education Students and Staff Think?. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(7), 1-16. Murphy, E., Manzanares, M. (2008). Contradictions between the Virtual and Physical High School Classroom: A Third-Generation Activity Theory Perspective. British Journal Of Educational Technology, 39(6), 1061-1072. Reid, K. M., Aqui, Y., Putney, L. G. (2009). Evaluation of an evolving virtual high school. Educational Media International, 46(4), 281-294. Repetto, J., Cavanaugh, C., Wayer, N., Feng, L. (2010). VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOLS: Improving Outcomes for Students with Disabilities. Quarterly Review Of Distance Education, 11(2), 91-104. Scagnoli, N. I., Buki, L. P., Johnson, S. D. (2009). The Influence of Online Teaching on Face-to-Face Teaching Practices. Journal Of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 13(2), 115-128.
Monday, October 21, 2019
Alice Munro, Canadian Short Story Writer
Alice Munro, Canadian Short Story Writer Alice Munro Facts Known for:à short stories; Nobel Laureate in Literature, 2013Occupation:à writerDates:à July 10, 1931 -Also known as: Alice Laidlaw Munro Background, Family: Mother: Ann Clarke Chamney Laidlaw; schoolteacherFather: Robert Eric Laidlaw; fox and turkey farmer, watchman Education: University of Western Ontario, B.A. 1952 Marriage, Children: husband: James Armstrong Munro à (married December 29, 1951; bookstore owner)children:3 daughters: Sheila, Jenny, Andreahusband: Gerald Fremlin (married 1976; geographer) Alice Munro Biography: Born Alice Laidlaw in 1931, Alice loved reading from an early age.à Her father had published a novel, and Alice began writing at age 11, pursuing that passion from that point on. Her parents expected her to grow up to be a farmerââ¬â¢s wife.à Her mother was diagnosed with Parkinsonââ¬â¢s when Alice was 12. Her first short story sale was in 1950, while she was attending the University of Western Ontario, where she was a journalism major.à She had to support herself through college, including selling her blood to a blood bank. Her early years of marriage were focused on raising her three daughters in Vancouver, where she had moved with husband, James, after their marriage in December, 1951.à She continued writing, mostly privately, publishing a few articles in Canadian magazines. In 1963, the Munros moved to Victoria and opened a bookstore, Munroââ¬â¢s. After their third daughter was born in 1966, Munro began to focus again on her writing, publishing in magazines, with some stories broadcast on radio. Her first collection of short stories, Dance of the Happy Shades, went to print in 1969.à She received the Governor Generalââ¬â¢s Literary Award for that collection. Her only novel, Lies of Girls and Women, was published in 1971. This book won the Canadian Booksellers Association Book Award. In 1972, Alice and James Munro divorced, and Alice moved back to Ontario.à Her Dance of the Happy Shades saw publication in the United States in 1973, leading to wider recognition of her work. A second collection of stories was published in 1974. In 1976, after reconnecting with college friend Gerald Fremlin, Alice Munro remarried, keeping her first married name for professional reasons. She continued to get recognition and wider publication. After 1977, the New Yorker had first publication rights for her short stories.à She published collections more and more frequently, her work becoming more popular, and often recognized with literary awards.à In 2013, she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Many of her stories have been set in either Ontario or in western Canada, and many deal with the relationships of men and women. Books by Alice Munro: Dance of the Happy Shades, 1969Lies of Girls and Women, 1971à (only novel published)Something Ive Been Meaning to Tell You, 1974Who Do You Think You Are?, 1978The Moons of Jupiter, 1982The Progress of Love, 1986Friend of My Youth, 1990Open Secrets, 1994Selected Stories, 1996 (28 of Munroââ¬â¢s previously published stories, including many of her best known to that point)The Love of a Good Woman, 1998Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage Stories, 2002Runaway: Stories, 2004The View from Castle Rock, 2006Away From Her, 2007Alice Munros Best: Selected Stories, 2008Too Much Happiness: Stories, 2009Courting Johanna, 2009New Selected Stories, 2011Dear Life, 2012 Teleplays: A Trip to the Coast, in To See Ourselves, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), 1973Thanks for the Ride, in To See Ourselves, CBC, 1973.How I Met My Husband, (broadcast in The Plays the Thing, CBC, 1974), Macmillan (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1976.1847: The Irish, in The Newcomers: Inhabiting a New Land, CBC, 1978. Awards Governor-Generals award, 1969, 1978, 1987B.C. Library Association Outstanding Fiction Writers award, 1972Great Lakes Colleges Association award, 1974Province of Ontario Council for the Arts award, 1974Canada-Australia literary prize, 1977National Magazine Awards Foundation Gold Medal award, 1977, 1982Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters and Periodical Distributors of Canada Authors award, 1980Marian Engel award, 1986Canada Council Molson prize, 1991Commonwealth Writers prize (Canada and Caribbean Region), 1991Trillium Book award, 1991Order of Ontario medal, 1994Canada-Australia Literary Prize, 1994Canadian Booksellers Association Author of the Year award, 1995Giller Prize, 1998, 2004D. Litt.: University of Western Ontario, 1976Medal of Honor for Literature, National Arts Club (New York), 2005Lifetime Achievement Award, Vancouver Public Library, 2005
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Quick Facts About the Element Uranium
Quick Facts About the Element Uranium You probably know uranium is an element and that its radioactive. Here are some other uranium facts for you. You can find detailed information about uranium by visiting the uranium facts page. 11 Uranium Facts Pure uranium is a silvery-white metal.The atomic number of uranium is 92, meaning uranium atoms have 92 protons and usually 92 electrons. The isotope of uranium depends on how many neutrons it has.Because uranium is radioactive and always decaying, radium is always found with uranium ores.Uranium is slightly paramagnetic.Uranium is named after the planet Uranus.Uranium is used to fuel nuclear power plants and in high-density penetrating ammunition. A single kilogram of uranium-235 theoretically could produce ~80 terajoules of energy, which is equivalent to the energy that could be produced by 3000 tons of coal.Natural uranium ore has been known to fission spontaneously. The Oklo Fossil Reactors of Gabon, West Africa, contain 15 ancient inactive natural nuclear fission reactors. The natural ore fissioned back at a prehistoric time when 3% of the natural uranium existed as uranium-235, which was a high enough percentage to support a sustained nuclear fission chain reaction.The density of uranium is about 70% higher than lead, but less than that of gold or tungsten, even though uranium has the second-highest atomic weight of the naturally occurring elements (second to plutonium-244). Uranium usually has a valence of either 4 or 6.Health effects of uranium typically are not related to the elements radioactivity, since the alpha particles emitted by uranium cannot even penetrate the skin. Rather, the health impact is related to the toxicity of uranium and its compounds. Ingestion of hexavalent uranium compounds can cause birth defects and immune system damage.Finely divided uranium powder is pyrophoric, meaning it will ignite spontaneously at room temperature.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
PROBATION PRACTICE IN ENGLAND Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1
PROBATION PRACTICE IN ENGLAND - Essay Example Racism produces its effects through segregation, socioeconomic stratification, and marginalization as well as through the individual experience. Institutionalized racism produces discriminatory effects on health through public policy, the physical environment, social and medical services and preventive health policy. The studies conducted by various organizations and individuals shows that the practice of racism is prevails in the criminal justice system also. There is recent evidence (from the 2000 British Crime Survey) that black and particularly Asian people are more likely than whites to say that the criminal justice system is effective in bringing offenders to justice, dealing with cases promptly and efficiently, and meeting the needs of crime victims. But at the same time Minority ethnic people were less confident that the system respected the rights of suspects and treated them fairly, and black respondents especially were less likely than whites to believe that the police treated witnesses well (Mirrlees-Black, 2001)(1). Whatever it is, it is important to explore the field of probation practice and the treatment of minority ethnic groups in the criminal justice system, to identify the criminogenic needs of black and Asian offenders, and to explore their views about probation supervision, and to inform decisions about appropriate service provision. Thereby we can have a deep look into the probation practice to diversity in working with these Black and Asians .Moreover we can corroborate the possibility that people from minority ethnic groups may be subject to disadvantageous treatment at all stages of the criminal justice process, even if this does not result from overt racist discrimination (Phillips and B rown, 1998).(2) Before going to explore the areas of diversities in the probation practice regarding the black and Asian offenders, it will be helpful to have look on the scope of probation practices and criminal justice
Friday, October 18, 2019
Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of in corporating a Essay
Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of in corporating a business., and Concept of Limited Liability - Essay Example The reason that corporations are able to offer limited liability is because a corporation is considered a separate legal entity (Weygand & Kieso & Kimmel, 2002). Choosing the corporation over other types of business structures has other advantages. The corporation is the best business structure for entrepreneurs that are looking to raise capital. The way that the corporation allows its owners to raise large sums of capital in shorts amounts of time is through the sale of common stocks. In order for a corporation to sell common stocks it must become a public corporation registered in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Once a corporation becomes public its common stocks become a very liquid asset that is traded in open markets such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or in the over the counter market known as NASDAQ. Choosing the corporate form can also help managers obtain better benefits from governmental institutions in the form of incentives. One of the main disadvanta ges of the corporate form is double taxation. References Allbusiness.com (2011). Advantages and Disadvantages of Owning a Corporation. Retrieved June 28, 2011 from http://www.allbusiness.com/business-planning/business-structures-corporations/686-1.html Weygandt, J., Kieso, D., Kimmel (2002). Accounting Principles (6th ed.).
DOES AUDIT REGULATION ENSURE AUDITOR INDEPENDANCE Essay
DOES AUDIT REGULATION ENSURE AUDITOR INDEPENDANCE - Essay Example The objective of the present research is to define the UK auditorââ¬â¢s independence in the regulation of audit, the scope of competences and responsibilities of various professionals, and to evaluate who and what can be the best practice in auditor independence. The writer will define and analyse the concept of auditor independence in the audit regulation and will investigate effectiveness of audit regulation in the current state of UK auditorsââ¬â¢ independence. Specialized accounting corporations and various government authoritarian organizations throughout the globe have accentuated that auditor autonomy is both an ethical and a professional matter, essential to auditors. Independence has been examined as ââ¬Å"an intensely felt professional philosophyâ⬠. It is supposed that part of the solution in deciphering ethical impasses regarding potential and identified risks to assessor independence is to put more stress on professional beliefs (Mednick, 1990). The Ethics Committee of the International Federation of Accountants has also highlighted the notion of independence as an ethical subject in its principles on assessor independence covenanting with veracity, neutrality, and secrecy. Many writers have turn up with behavioural, theoretical, sociological and officially authorized definitions of independence and what makes up a mutilation to auditorââ¬â¢s independence. Elijah Watts Sells (1908) emphasized the significance of the auditorââ¬â¢s independence in relation to the auditor: The place of the public accountant in regard to corporations and their management is at all times an independent one. Unlike the legal representatives, he is not projected to make out a case. The nature of the service he provides is impersonal (Sells, 1908). Near the beginning of 1928, a perspective in the Paper of Accountancy emphasized the subsistence of a clash of interest when an auditor is a stockowner, executive,
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Writers Inventory Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Writers Inventory Letter - Essay Example Also, I have discovered that choosing topics is not as difficult as I initially found it to be ââ¬â it needs creativity in many cases. One thing that I have never quite learned is how to make transitions when introducing new ideas. The use of connectors such as ââ¬Å"so â⬠¦ that, although, no sooner â⬠¦than and thoughtâ⬠have proved to be quite challenging. Similarly, incorporating quotes and citing other peopleââ¬â¢s works in my writing has remained a challenge ââ¬â maybe because I havenââ¬â¢t learned how to use some punctuations marks. Although my grammar has improved, I know I have quite a lot to do still. For example many times I misspell words that look so simple. Because my grammar is still inadequate, I often lack words to use in place of others. I will try reading more literature to learn more words and how to use them. I need to learn how to keep to the topic as I write. In many occasions, I have presented irrelevant information and far exceeded or presented inadequate material. I may start writing well but somewhere along the line I go off topic. I tend to use so many words to explain even simple concepts. I hope to work on these weaknesses. I will have to practice more to stick to the topic. I also want to thank you for being so helpful to me and to the whole of our class.
Pakistan National Conservation Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Pakistan National Conservation Strategy - Essay Example The design of the Institute was initiated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature-Pakistan (IUCN-P) with significant support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), gratefully acknowledged as the Institute's key source of institutional support. The committee formulated for the constitution of SDPI consulted government officials, academics, intellectuals, NGOs and journalists while formulating the by-laws and identifying the first Board of Governors. During eleven years of SDPI's existence, there have been six changes in government. SDPI, as a policy-oriented research institute, has had to re-establish relationships with government each time the administration has changed. Despite this relatively unstable political environment, SDPI has, and intends to continue to produce quality policy research and advocate democratic governance and pro-people initiatives. to contribute to strengthening the social and physical infrastructure for research in Pakistan including the construction and dissemination of databases and research indices and the improvement of library systems There has been little amendment to the existing mandate and goals of the Institute. However, there has been a process of clarification and prioritization. We are keen to retain the strengths that have made SDPI the highly respected Institute it is. We are also aware that a process of restructuring and changing priorities is essential to maximize our comparative advantage and ensure we continue to improve our effectiveness. The strategies below reflect these needs and desires: strengthen linkages between policy, research, advocacy and training maintain the transparent, participatory, 'moral
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Writers Inventory Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Writers Inventory Letter - Essay Example Also, I have discovered that choosing topics is not as difficult as I initially found it to be ââ¬â it needs creativity in many cases. One thing that I have never quite learned is how to make transitions when introducing new ideas. The use of connectors such as ââ¬Å"so â⬠¦ that, although, no sooner â⬠¦than and thoughtâ⬠have proved to be quite challenging. Similarly, incorporating quotes and citing other peopleââ¬â¢s works in my writing has remained a challenge ââ¬â maybe because I havenââ¬â¢t learned how to use some punctuations marks. Although my grammar has improved, I know I have quite a lot to do still. For example many times I misspell words that look so simple. Because my grammar is still inadequate, I often lack words to use in place of others. I will try reading more literature to learn more words and how to use them. I need to learn how to keep to the topic as I write. In many occasions, I have presented irrelevant information and far exceeded or presented inadequate material. I may start writing well but somewhere along the line I go off topic. I tend to use so many words to explain even simple concepts. I hope to work on these weaknesses. I will have to practice more to stick to the topic. I also want to thank you for being so helpful to me and to the whole of our class.
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Explanation of Security Breach and Request for Formal Apology Essay
Explanation of Security Breach and Request for Formal Apology - Essay Example A month ago, the lock manufacturer sent me an email to warn me of the possibility that the lock could malfunction and to schedule for a technician to come and fix the lockââ¬â¢s firmware. No further queries were made on this issue following the current measures on cost-cutting, and the fact that the Head of Security was dismissed six weeks ago. I apologize for not informing you of the problem with the system on time. I am heavily involved in planning for the launch of the Bionic Leg event, a project that is critical to the companyââ¬â¢s ongoing success, and that is why I have not had time to resolve the issue. Linda is an important employee to our company because she is the most knowledgeable person in Canada in the field of bionics. Bob Loblaw is the only other person in the company who possesses similar expertise. Since they work together, there is a chance that if Linda were to leave then Bob would also leave. This would be a great loss for the company. Without the service o f these two key employees, the Bionics Division would be forced to close. In the last three years, the company has been surviving on the revenues generated from the Bionics Division. Furthermore, we risk losing Linda to our main competitor, Bionic Works Co., which has been trying to poach her from us for quite some time. Her decision to stay is based on her loyalty to my leadership and because she enjoys working with our team. To prevent Linda from leaving the company, we need to compromise company policy and fulfill her terms.
Social Movements Essay Example for Free
Social Movements Essay All societies undergo changes. In some cases these may be gradual, i.e., spread over a long period of time. In others they may be rapid. Social change, as we know by now, does not take place merely by chance or due to some factors predetermined by fate. There are several forces operating simultaneously in society, which bring about change. Some of these may be external to social institutions. Changes caused by a change in the economy or the production relations are one such instance. At the same time, there are change- producing agents inside a society as well. Social movements are one of these internal forces, which contribute to changes. A social movement is defined as ââ¬Å"sustained collective actionâ⬠over time. * Such action is often directed against the state and takes the form of demanding changes in state policy or practice. * Such collective action is often marked by organisation. Spontaneous, disorganised protest cannot be called a social movement. * This organisation may include a leadership and a structure that defines how the members relate to one another, make decisions and carry them out. Those participating in a social movement have shared objectives and ideologies. * The social movements are designed to promote change or resist change in the society in which the attempt is made. So collective attempt may be to alter, inaugurate, supplant, restore or reinstate all or some aspects of the social order. In the recent literature, a distinction is often made between old and new social movements. This distinction is often stipulated on the ground that while old social movements are generally class-based and concerned with issues of economic redistribution, the new social movements (NSMs) are commonly a feature of post-industrial or ââ¬Å"postmodernâ⬠societies. They are not narrowly caste based and generally raise questions like ecological protection and climate change or hitherto neglected issues of gender, justice, sexuality etc. However this distinction is neither precise nor universally valid. Old social movements were class based such as working class movements and peasant movements or anti-colonial movements. NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENTS (NSMs) New social movements are the products of a post-industrial social formation where the welfare state had made classic forms of exploitation and deprivation obsolete but where modern society created new forms of alienation. These movements demonstrated that class had become redundant as organising form of social identity and action. Some of the recent movements particularly in and after the 1960s in Europe such as peace movement, ecological movement, womenââ¬â¢s movement etc. are called ââ¬Ënewââ¬â¢ social movement. In India, enormous increase of middle class and in student population as well as a surge of political activism in the 1970s and 1980s engendered a new phenomenon, described as new social movements. These movements revolve around the issue of identity ââ¬â dalit, adivasi, women, human rights, environment etc. They are called ââ¬Ënewââ¬â¢ social movements because they have raised the issues related to identity and autonomy which are non-class issues and do not confront with the state. Issues that animate NSMs are less concerned with economic production and redistribution than with removal of corruption, protection of environment, provision of civic utilities, gender equality and child rights, employment , rights of the most vulnerable and marginalised section of population like those living in hilly and forest areas and victims of big dams. Good governance and human rights generally are other areas where NSMs are much in evidence. Characteristics of New Social Movements are described below: 1. The New Social Movements (NSM) are not directing their collective action to state power. They are concerned with individual and collective morality. Individual membership or participation and motivation in all sorts of social movements contain a strong moral component and defensive concern with justice in the social and world order. These movements are primarily social and are more concerned with cultural sphere and mobilisation of civil society on socio-cultural issues than with the political issues like seizure of power. 2. The new social movements are not classââ¬âbased. They are multi-class. In fact, they do not subscribe to the theory that society is divided on class line and the classes are antagonistic. The new social movements are either ethnic or nationalist and plural. Womenââ¬â¢s movement is an example. NSMs are not concerned for the benefit of one class or group. They are concerned for the good of every one irrespective of class. 3. The new social movements are confined to and concerned with civil society. NSMs raise the issue of the ââ¬Ëself-defenceââ¬â¢ of the community and society against the increasing expansion of the state apparatuses: agencies of surveillance and social control. 4. NSMs are not around economic issues of land, wages or property. They are primarily concerned with self- identity and autonomy of an individual and community against the state, market and social institutions. Therefore, dalit movement for dignity and adivasis movement for their autonomy are treated as NSM. 5. These movements tend to focus on single issues, transient questions, regional and local issues and even sectional interests (which are aimed towards narrow identities than larger objective interests) for this reason they are often called ââ¬Å"micro movementsâ⬠. they catch on the long felt needs of locals and masses at the disempowered grassroots in the top heavy political and economic systems of India. 6. NSM organisations tend to be segmented, diffuse and decentralised. 7. New social movements tend to focus on issues that cross national boundaries, and hence they become internationalist. Environmental movements, LGBT Movement are examples of NSMs that transcend international borders. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and New Social Movements on the national and Global planes have flourished as never before. Various New social Movements in India Environmental Movement The Indian environmental movement is critical of the colonial model of development pursued by the postââ¬âcolonial state. The postââ¬âindependent state failed to build up a development agenda based on the needs of the people and continued to advocate the modern capitalist agenda which led to the destruction of environment, poverty and marginalisation of rural communities. The environmental movement in India advocated the ideology of ââ¬Ëenvironmentalism of the poorââ¬â¢. It not only critised modern developmentalism but also strongly advocated the revival of traditional ââ¬Ëself ââ¬âsufficient village economyââ¬â¢. The environmentalist stated that local communities were best suited to conserve natural resources as their survival depended in the sustainable use of such resources. A significant characteristic of environmental movements in India is that they have mainly involved the women, the poor and disadvantaged masses who have been directly affected by or are victims of environmental degradation. Thus, these movements are primarily political expressions of the struggle of local communities and people who are victims of environmental degradation or abuse of resources. The origin of modern environmentalism and environmental movements in India can be ascribed to the Chipko movement in the central Himalayan region. Chipko as a spontaneous movement started in the early 70s and got organized under the able leadership of Sunderlal Bahuguna. It was ignited by the opposition of the people of the Tehri-Garhwal region to the felling of trees by outside contractors. In the Himalayan regions, forests form an indispensable source of livelihood for the tribal population living there. Chipko literally means ââ¬Ëhuggingââ¬â¢ the trees. The movement articulated the concerns of forest-based communities such as depletion of forests, erosion of soil and consequent landslides, drying up of local streams and other water resources and shortages of fuel and fodder for domestic consumption. It also fought against the construction of the Tehri dam which threatened the eviction of around 25,000 hilly residents. Though the movement has not succeeded in all its endeavours, it has achieved some commendable victories. Getting ban on felling trees above an altitude of 1000m and forcing the government to announce certain forest areas as protected regions are some of the successes of the movement. Chipko, being a non-violent resistance movement, embodies the Gandhian spirit of struggle. Chipko movement inspired green cover movements elsewhere in the country, the most important being the Appiko movement in the Western Ghats against the over-felling of trees and covering forest lands with commercial trees replacing the natural ones. Like the Chipko, the Appiko movement revived the Gandhian way of protest and mobilisation for sustainable society in which there is a balance between man and nature. The other popular movements of importance in India, which have environmental protection as one of their objectives, relate to major dams. Notable among them are Tehri Dam, Silent Valley Project and Narmada Valley Projects. In fact, the most popular movement in the environmental history of India is the movement against the Narmada River Valley Project called Narmada Bachao Andolan. Though the movement started as early as late 1970s, along with the clearance of the project, it received momentum only during late 1980s. To start with, this movement was cantered around the issue of human rights. Due to improper implementation of the rehabilitation programmes by the State the human rights activists have become the articulators of anti-dam protests. Their demands included complete stopping of the dam, resettlement and rehabilitation benefits to the oustees. These demands were aptly supported by environmentalists who oppose construction of large dams for ecological reasons. The movement, however, gained wider public attention with mobilization and organization of oustees (mostly tribals ) and the joining of the eminent social workers like Baba Amte, Sunderlal Bahuguna and Medha Patkar. Though its wider public attention is due to its coverage (impact) in three states, the most notable feature of this movement is the international support it has received. The campaign forced international financial agencies like World Bank and USAID to withdraw funding for the project. While this Gandhian movement could not stop the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, it did force the states concerned- Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh- to address the issue of rehabilitation of the displaced more seriously than before. Thus environmental and ecological movements became prominent in India since the 1970s.The issues raised by them concern all sections of society in varying degrees. These issues are also related to peopleââ¬â¢s dignity, environmental rights and their decision-making rights on the issues concerning them. Womenââ¬â¢s Movement Throughout the period after independence the prevailing view was that development, industrialization and economic growth would deliver the results as they had been seen elsewhere in the developed world; all would be beneficiaries of development, women included. This soon proved not to hold true in the Indian society. A report from the Committee on the Status of Women in India released in 1974 showed that not only had the conditions for women in India not improved, for many women, especially the poor, the conditions had worsened. Gender differences had become greater in political participation, education, health and employment. The 1970s and 1980s witnessed the growth of numerous womenââ¬â¢s groups that took up issues such as dowry deaths, bride burning, rape and sati and focused on violence against women. They stressed the sexual oppression of women in a way previous reform or feminist groups had never done. Some of the earliest autonomous womenââ¬â¢s groups were the Progressive Organization of Women (POW, Hyderabad), the Forum Against Rape (now redefined as Forum Against Oppression of Women), Stree Sangharsh and Samata (Delhi). Among the first campaigns that womenââ¬â¢s groups took up was the struggle against rape in 1980. This was triggered by the judgment of the Supreme Court to acquit two policemen who were accused of raping a minor tribal girl, Mathura, despite the fact that the High Court had indicted them. This led to country- wide demonstrations. Several other rape cases became part of this campaign that culminated after several years of protest in Government agreeing to change the existing rape law. The amended law was enacted in 1983 after long discussions with womenââ¬â¢s groups. The POW in Hyderabad organized new and fresh protests against dowry. In the late 1970s, Delhi became the focus of the movement against dowry and the violence inflicted on women in the marital home. Groups, which took up the campaign, included ââ¬ËStree Sangharshââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËMahila Dakshita Samitiââ¬â¢. Later, a joint front called the ââ¬ËDahej Virodhi Chetna Mandalââ¬â¢ (organization for creating consciousness against dowry) was formed under whose umbrella a large number of organizations worked. The anti-dowry campaign attempted to bring social pressure to bear on offenders so that they would be isolated in the community in which they lived. Womenââ¬â¢s organizations also succeeded in getting the dowry law changed. There were several campaigns in the eighties relating to womenââ¬â¢s rights. Among them was a campaign, in 1985, in support of the Supreme Court judgment in the divorce case where Shah Bano, a Muslim woman, had petitioned the Court for maintenance from her husband under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Act and the Court granted her demand. The orthodox Muslims, however, protested against interference with their personal law. In 1986, the government introduced the Muslim Womenââ¬â¢s (Protection of Rights in Divorce) Bill denying Muslim women redress under Section 125. Womenââ¬â¢s associations protested against this outside Parliament. The Committee of the Status of Women also stated in its report that seats should be reserved for women in municipalities, and proposed that panchayats should include women to secure a minimum percentage of female participation. In 1993 this was adopted nationally when the Constitution Act 1992 (73rd Amendment) and The Constitution Act 1992 (74th Amendment) were passed, relating reservations for women to panchayats and municipalities. One-third of seats in all panchayats and municipalities nationwide, as well as one-third of the position of being chairpersons in the bodies, were reserved for women .The reservations acts were passed without any opposition in the Parliament, and with only a minor debate. However, the bill on Womenââ¬â¢s reservation in Parliament has not yet been passed. Over the years it has become clear that changing laws alone means little unless there is a will to implement them and unless there is education and literacy which makes women aware of their rights and allows them to exercise them effectively. It was this realization that has led the womenââ¬â¢s movement to take up, in a more concerted manner, programmes of legal literacy and education, gender sensitization of textbooks and media. The issues today are sexual harassment at the work place, the violence of development, caste and communal violence, lobbying for increased political participation of women in the highest levels of decision-making, etc. The success of the womenââ¬â¢s movement has not been in the number of women appointed to office or in the number of laws passed but in the fact that it has brought about a new consciousness on the entire question of women in Indian society.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Changing attitudes toward death and dying
Changing attitudes toward death and dying The death process is permanent and predictable and it is known as the personal event that the person can never think. The history of deaths has been looked upon events of social importance and each and every culture has defined some rules and regulations to define death as an extraordinary passage and the way to deal with the outcomes. At the time of twentieth century, the terminology death along with its social definition has transformed and prepared extraordinary opportunities for the purpose of getting sociological inquiry. The decline in the mortality rate has been identified as most common feature within the social histories. Life expectancy rate the time of birth has increased from last 30 years in 1900 to 50 years.à à It has been stated that almost two third part of longevity from ancient times to the present times has occurred in the short period from 1900 (Preston, 1976).à à Death has been an inevitable event since the inception of mankind in this universe. There is always the worry among individuals towards the life and well being. The individuals are worried at one or the other instance for living their lives. Therefore, it becomes crucial to understand what are the exact factors related to death and dying of humanity. An individual, if not dies, can result in disturbance of life cycle of this globe. This is not under the control of anyone to make amendments in this life cycle. The report here titled as, Death and dying: Changing attitudes through the ages; discusses about various factors that are affecting the lives of individuals. Report begins here with a clear focus laid on the aims of the report followed by research questions to understand the topic thoroughly. Various factors had been found of importance to be studied. There has always been a question in mind whether and how an individual behaves towards death and is it considered a positive aspect or not. How the individuals are are fear of death and what the right time of death is. These all aspects are explored in the report in below sections to have a thorough control over the research topic. 2 Aims and Research Question The research report here aims to understand the struggle that human being is facing since centuries. The change in philosophy associated with life is the main cause of change in attitude of human beings towards death. One can explore further this death on relating it with the time period in the life of human history. The western world has increasingly shifted towards change in conception for death due to rise in Christianity and the way it has affected lives (Aries, 1974). Therefore, the below are few stated research questions to explore further the concept of death and dying and the changing attitude:- Is death good or bad? How the attitude of individuals has changed towards death and dying? Is the man of today more worried against death? What is the right time of death? The discussion in this report would analyze various associated concepts to explore further the concept of death and dying in todays life. 3 Discussion Most of the deaths have occurred among the old aged ones but not among young generation people. The studies in United States reveal that people at the age of 85 years and above has accounted for almost one percent of entire population and they account for 17% of death (J. Brody, 1983). So the deaths have taken new meanings for the society and individual both. Death is not known as an adventitious part of life (Parson, 1963). Smaller number of lives has cut before completing education, work and social life (Preston, 1977). Fatalism provides a higher degree of control as well as predictability (Cf. Lofland, 1978). The delay in the death process has come up with the speed. The social institutions and norms have delayed it. It is not much surprising that death and its social meaning has gone off and the proper understanding of death has been reassessed by sociologists. From past two decades, a considerable literature as a quasi popular and scholarly type has been generated by number of p eople such as journalists, nurses, psychologists, philosophers, theologians, historians, ethicists, sociologists, social critics and thanatologists (cf. Fulton 1976, 1981; Pollak 1979-80).à à à à à The word dying is called as the ultimate shortage of time by Moore (1963) and it has taken a most important point that it has the power to threaten an individual self.à à A famous person has given hisà view on the sociological study of death that death always asks for an identity of an individual (Robert Fulton, 1976a).à Dying is known as the social process that focuses on the sociological issues thatà are concerned with the process of dying and self. Researches have not clearly shown the actual conditions of dying. But one British study has talked about the dying among the patients who are living in this world and among the people who are known of their own attitude (Cartwright, Hockey Anderson, 1973).à à The attitude of people towards death varies according to the ages and stages of life. Most of the people are living into later years and they have their own predicted on time deaths. A growing number of people are present at the position to consider the sense of thei r own deaths. Some sociologists have identified themselves engaged in the questions which are related to the death and its social meaning and its relation with the process of dying that how the topic of death is of great importance. What type of attitudes about death people have in their mind? What type of preparations they make for anticipating death (Riley, 1968)? The first survey in United States have found the attitude of people towards death and that survey was conducted in 1960s (Riley, 1970). That study has assessed the thought about deaths that most of the people at the all ages have non-threatening images of death in their mind. It has found that death is a blessing and it is not dreadful event for the person who dies but it is very sad for the survivors. The study also has revealed that death comes very quickly and few people have argued that death means the people have to suffer a lot. There was significant increase found in the degree to which the deaths process imposed upon the everyday lives of people. People were asked about an uncertainty of deaths or their lives. It has been found that death as a part of thoughts increased among the person at all ages and it increased in the later years of the lives of people. The researchers have found that people are unwilling meet with these realities. In 1970s, people agreed that each person die with the dignity and if the person has died, then the person has to tell it to doctors. Some studies have also taken place within the topic of anticipation of death. There was one question asked that do the people feel good to avoid the deaths and not try to make plans for anticipating deaths? Do they feel to make plans for death?à à 3.1 Self destruction The case of the sociological relationships of the person to the death which is known as suicide was taken. There were some sociological studies conducted on the topic dying and death (Cavan 1928; Halbwachs 1930; Henry Short 1954; Dublin 1963; Gibbs Martin 1964; Douglas 1967). Several studies have taken place on the social factors that are related with the rates of suicide. Several measures were taken such as industrialization which was identified by the gross national product and the status of integration. It has been founds that status integration was negatively correlated with the suicide rates.à à Other study revealed about the suicide rates which were related with the family and their marital status and it was based on Durkheim theory.à à à à 3.2 Self management of death time It has been stated by several studies that people who are concerned with the relationship of themselves to the society are self motivated for managing the time of their deaths. It has assumed that the determination to live the life without identifying any biological linkages. It must b involved within thistopic (Marshall, 1980).à à The people who are separated from the society always commit suicide and the people who are attached with it, delay the death or try to observe the time of getting social significance (Kalish, 1970). It has been proposed that deaths can be expected at the time of social occasions such as the Jewish day of compensation (Yom Kippur; Phillips Feldman, 1973).à From the year 1904-1968, researcher had found the difference between the deaths in non election as well as election years. They found that there was significant difference in the mortality rates of US people before electing US president. Some researchers have shown the fact about the low mortality rates just before to ceremonial occasions and the researcher found strong relationships between the death and the birthdays. The theory was that the people at their birthdays receive attention from the people (Philips, 1972).à à 3.3 Social Stressors and the Self Several sociological studies have talked about the social outcome for the lives of people along with fundamental changes during the period of industrial relocations, retirement, and institutionalization and at the time of economic depression. The mortality rates depend on these variables. It has been predicted that retirement is known as a stressful event which lead the higher rates of death for retirees as compared to the people who works. Life long work is considered as the stressor and retirement variable acts as the moderator that increases longevity. It has been revealed by the studies that mortality rate among the early and normal retirees within the major industries are different. The mortality rate of early retiree was higher than the predicted rates. The mortality rate in case of normal retirees was no different between the normal and expected rates. Some data was taken out from the companies such as pension, medical records, personnel etc. 4 Findings 4.1 Death is good? If you are born to this world, you are probable completely to experience death at one time or the other because death is inevitable. The point is whether death is a good thing to experience or is it a bad one? Everyone living in this society faces death at one or the other instance. No one is born eternal. An individual dies and ends his or her life at certain age due to natural or accidental death (Lynch, 1997). There are thousands of ways in which a human being can die. This death adds to the fear in mind of humanity. Human beings fear of this uneven cause at one or the other time. Death is acceptable for some people, while others fear against death (Nagel, 1970). The pain and fear of death can be dangerous. At such an instance, it becomes important to result in an approach to ensure that a person lives for long; however, the human beings have no control over this mandatory part of life that results into end of life. A human being feels comfortable considering death is for all and there is no loss of it if anyone faces it. All the human beings have to face death one or the other day. The human beings shall live their days and take complete enjoyment of it. One shall not be worried for his death at the entire instance, but shall be aware of comfort and enjoyment throughout his life. Humanity has to take due interest of this and live his life. While on looking at other side, people consider life as most important asset for them. Life is of supreme importance and there is the life is priceless. Therefore, it brings into attention whether life is most important for one? Yes it is as per the point that life is everything for a human being and the loss of life means the greatest loss that can be in ones life. There is no positive or negative aspect associated with it though. Human beings give away everything for the sake of life. This brings into attention the importance of life. Shall we live our life without any tension or shall we keep on worrying because of no importance of life? It is true that all the human beings want to live more and more. But, can one live for eternity? None of the human beings is here to be here. The life cycle keeps on rotating and the human beings die. Thus, from the above discussion it can be noted that the point whether death is good is a complex point to be cleared. It is not easy to find the right way in which we can consider whether death is good for a person or if it is not. There comes the need to assist in the way to come up to know whether death is good or not (Nagel, 1970). If the age has gone for an individual to live, the death could be a favourable point for him. However, it is still tough to say that death can be good. On the other hand, in case someone dies due to an accident or any uncertain reason, it is an unfavourable act for him. 4.2 Death- A change in Perception Death has been a point of sorrow since long when the conceptual designs by Holbein demonstrated the paintings of dead Christ with a sorrowful act (Julia, 1989). The perception of individual towards the death changes with the passage of time. For a child, death is not defined. However, in the adulthood, it becomes a fear factor for most of the human beings. The human beings consider it as the real cause of danger at their stage when the love to live. Therefore, individuals perception is quite conservative at this stage. However, the old aged people are not usually worried of death due to the reason that they already lived their life. Nagel (1970) has argued that people do not fear for death because of non existence for long term because of this. One does not consider life as suspended for a short period of time because this is considered as a misfortune. It can be a pity for those who get out of the circulation of life. One is not conceived, but is born for once. The point always exists in mind for the fear of death in humanity. Being dead is not an event but a curse as per the humanity. The consideration is laid on living for the whole life without any risk. However, the risks are always related with the life. One cannot be at a state of complete risk free life. The time does not demonstrate whether the state of life would be at complete risk free state. Therefore, the need exists at such an instance to life for the society. As per the interviews conducted by Barnes (2008), responses were collected with regard to existence of God. These provided the details of self reflection along with clarifying important them es of writings. Barnes (2008) says that he does not trust for existence of God, but he misses God. 4.3 Man of today- Worried of death The man in todays life is more worried of death (Julian, 2008). On looking at the past records of Renaissance and mediaeval times, it can be noted that death was amongst the community events. The family members band together with each other to share the moments of sorrow at such an instance. This helps them be with each other at typical instances. This was considered as the reason for being together. However, the concept has changed into a religion in todays time. None of the character is rigid in itself right from the beginning to the end, as there are continuous changes in thought process (Troyer, 2007). Today, it is usual to share the moments of sorrow with each other at hospital to share the tough times with each other. This helps in confining the complex situation with each other to give some support in these times. However, the fear of death is one and the same on comparing time of past and that of present. The death is such an instance which gets out of the scope of an understanding of human being. This even can occur anytime and anywhere with anyone, no matter what the situation and setting is with the surrounding. An individual conceives death as a complex phenomenon. The death has been a point of worry right from the time it was recorded long- long ago when the humanity started. It is a simple concept in everyones mind that life is the cause of joys and death is the cause of sorrows. There is a paradigm shift in the concept associated with death. This was the concept quite personal in historic times, but has become individualistic at present instance. This raises the need for higher degree of need for maintaining and regulating the tough situations to assure that the mankind is out of danger. If an individual gets ready to face the time of death, he can do so. The human psychology is the main factor that can result in death or life of a human being (Michel, 2003). The perception of an individual depends on his life and profession with regard to death. Doctors and nurses who are operating surrounded by death of people all around one or the other day, consider this as the normal phenomenon at usual instance, while others take it as a tough one. The main factor is the relatedness of death with the person who is suffering from it. This characteristic affects the humanity in one or the other way. 4.4 Dreadful act- Is there right time for it There has always been a conception in mind, what is the right age for death? One considers life as an important part right from his birth to the time the human being leaves his life (Nagel, 1970). Therefore, the life of humanity is always a good opt for individuals. But, one looking at the real life, we can note a number of events when the individual wishes to leave his life due to some or the other reason. This acts against the humanity and the living being gives up against his life. This may be at early stages of life or might take place at later stages. When an individual feels uncomfortable of his body and physique, the chances are there for taking an interest of ending ones life. However, these chances even increases more when the human being is not comfortable mentally due to some or the other reason. This acts quite badly against the humanity and the life is at risk. The death is an imminent part of ones life as one cannot survive always. The most common components associated with life are death, vision, and premonitions (Crissman, 1994). The situation of promotions are not easy to be faced as it is the time when one knows that he is going to die within short span. This is the main factor that acts against the life and well being. The person gets worried due to this factor. This knowing of the situation can be due to some magical reason, or be supernatural, or through the natural sign or inner conviction (Crissman, 1994). The condition rises to take due care of such an instance; else the chances are there for risk against life and well being. Thereon, the humanity survives only due to the situational success (Bryant, 2003). However, historic people were during the Appalachian culture focused more depending on superstition. 5 Conclusion For the topic titled as, Death and dying: Changing attitudes through the age, the topic was noted to be highly complex in actual sense. It was found that the researchers are contributing well to the research topic since the last century. This demonstrates high degree of interest among the individuals towards this concept. The death is always under the consideration to postpone because of increasing awareness and interest among individuals to live their lives. There is always the moral dilemma related to the euthanasia among individuals. However, the case of fear is increasingly getting over the lives. Increasingly individuals get involved in wrongful act. This has raised the accidents of suicides to a higher degree. The death in todays time has shifted towards being more and more deadly. Individuals take more interest in being attracted towards enlarged life. However, the change in attitude of man is still not much different as compared to that of historic times. There is still the importance laid on lives and humanity. This raised the attention among individuals to live for longer duration. On the other hand, the complex lives in todays time has resulted in increased the complexity of humanity. This further adds to the pressure on the mind of individuals leading them to depression and thus resulting in wrongful acts. There is no time for death until the end of hope of an individual. This point out increasing interest among individuals to live and enjoy their lives with not much interest laid on the other factors. The fear against death is therefore a phenomenon which does not seem to decrease even after decades. Individuals would be keeping living their lives for more and more years, in spite of this being an uncontrollable variable for individuals.
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