Moving Image- Films Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Moving Image- Films - Research Paper Example The current outflow of talents from Mexico is as diverse as it is compelling. From the likes of actors such as Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal who have received acclaim internationally through the movie â€Å"Y Tu Mama Tambien† (And Your Mother Too) to the breakthrough of directors Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Alfonso Cuaron and other prominent talents such as screenwriter and director Guillermo Arriaga. The contribution of Mexico to the world of film is more than notable. Quite possibly one of the most influential directos of all time, Luis Buà ±uel, who although was born in Spain worked for most of his life in France and Mexico. Known for his surrealist take into directing and as evident in his films, Buà ±uel was known for being an inspiration to other well-loved directors of all-time such as Alfred Hitchcock and Devid Cronenberg. His style is often attributed to an uncomplicated and elegant touch oscillating back and forth between its unusual intricacies (Walls, par. 3). Known as the film industry’s founder of the Surrealists, Buà ±uel won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1972 for the movie The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. He is also known for collaborating with another famous Spaniard Salvador Dali during the 1920’s. Although he scorned his previous works in comparison to the ones he made in France where he was provided with augmented budgets and an almost complete artistic freedom, the grit of his earlier works makes much for his compelling artistry. Later on in his career, his films had such an aura of complacency about them. Maybe this is due to the artist’s warranted comfort and contentment in his career (Walls, par.4-5). The year 1992 marked an enormous hit to the movie industry of Mexico. Seeing the slump of movie making, former president Carlos Salinas removed the limit on the prices of tickets, gave up control on government-owned theaters and completely opened the market to Hollywood films. Deregulation brought forth three adverse

The Top Ten Major Trading Partners of the United States Assignment

The Top Ten Major Trading Partners of the United States - Assignment Example Ford Motor Company greatly value international business. The company is present on five continents; North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Therefore, it is a multinational company with global interests. The foreign operations of the company are increasing. The percentage of sales export has increased from 45% in 2013 to 50% in 2014. Despite the international economic recession, the sales of products from Ford Motor Company have increased. Walt Disney Company values global business. The entertainment services and related products provided by the company are utilized globally, in almost all countries. Entertainment services offered by the company are commonplace in households across the globe. The increase in foreign operations of the Walt Disney Company is attributed to the increased foreign investments, especially in the areas of amusement and recreational parks. The sales of entertainment products have also improved globally, with the 2014 value being the highest at 54.16B. The foreign operations of General Electric Company have improved as illustrated through the foreign sales operations from 46% to 53% in 2014. The diversified product portfolio of the company has improved presence in almost all developed economies. Unilever Company is a multinational with a presence in over 190 countries. This is because their consumable products are utilized by the citizens of all countries. The export sales have increased by 57% in 2014. The increase in foreign operations is illustrated through the net income earned from foreign operations, which grew to 63% of the total net income in 2014.

Giving Up Smoking in Pregnancy

Giving Up Smoking in Pregnancy Health Promotion:SMOKING Giving up Smoking in Pregnancy Introduction The object of this assignment is to critically appraise a health promotion initiative related to midwifery practice. The initiative chosen Introduction The object of this assignment is to critically appraise a health promotion initiative related to midwifery practice. The initiative chosen is a NHS Health Scotland leaflet entitled Smoking: giving up during pregnancy: a guide for pregnant women who want to stop smoking (NHS Health Scotland 2003). It will be referred to as the initiative or the leaflet throughout this assignment. The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified that health promotion was a way of equipping people to have more power enabling them to make choices in regard to improving their well-being (WHO 1986). Ewles and Simnett (2003) determine from this, that the fundamental elements of health promotion are improving health and empowerment. The Scottish Office paper Towards a Healthier Scotland (1999) recommended making more health promotion available for pregnant smokers. This appraisal will systematically review the literature relating it to the health promotion initiative chosen using Ewles and Simnett (2003) Five Approaches to Health Promotion model. It will furthermore evaluate the midwifes role in promoting the issue highlighted and conclude with a summary and any proposals to improve future practice. Critical Appraisal The Scottish Office paper Towards a Healthier Scotland (Scottish Office 1999) recommends reducing the numbers of women smoking during pregnancy from 29% to 20% in the next 5 years. According to the Health Education Authority (1999) the rate for smoking in pregnancy in the UK was 30% however nearly 90% classified smoking as dangerous to their unborn child. Johnston et al (2003) point out that smoking is the main preventable cause of disease and disability in the fetus and newborn. Around 13 000 individuals die from smoking in Scotland each year (NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland 2004a). This initiative is based on the normative needs concept as it is influenced by expert opinion and government policies (Ewles and Simnett 2003). Epidemiological evidence in its favour allows the initiative to be evaluated by reduction in the mortality and morbidity (Naidoo and Wills 2000). This is cost effective because the initial resources for implementing the smoking cessation will be significantl y less than the cost of hospitalisation later in life (NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland 2003). The leaflet that will be critiqued (appendix 1) is aimed at pregnant women who currently smoke but who want to give up. It is split into five sections titled: pregnancy and smoking; stopping smoking; tips for stopping; stopping smoking is worth it and thinking about your smoking. The Ewles and Simnett (2003) model comprises of five approaches to health promotion; medical approach; behaviour change approach; educational approach; client-centred approach and societal change approach. The behaviour change approach is the main focus for this initiative, although it does utilise aspects of all approaches. The behaviour change approach as described by Ewles and Simnett (2003) is a way of encouraging changes in an individuals attitudes and beliefs to take up a healthier lifestyle. It is, however considered by some, to be more forceful depending on the degree of encouragement and persuasion utilised (Crafter 1997, Norton 1998). The behaviour change approach uses a number of models to guide health promoters to facilitate clients to achieve a positive outcome. The Stages of Change Model (Prochaska and DiClemente 1984 as cited by Ewles and Simnett 2003) is a five stage cyclical model that has been found to be particularly useful in work with addictive behaviours (Naidoo and Wills 2000). This cycle incorporates a pre-contemplation stage where the individual is unaware of any need for change or has no interest in changing (Ewles and Simnett 2003). At this stage the midwife would assess whether the woman is genuinely not interested in stopping smoking at present and respect this decision but inform her she will be asked throughout her pregnancy about her smoking status (Crafter 1997, Dunkley 2000). The leaflet may still be issued as having the information readily at hand may prompt the individual to think about stopping smoking. The advantages of leaflets mean they allow individuals to read through them at their own pace (Ewles and Simnett 2003). The second stage is the contemplation stage where the individual is motivated to consider changing their behaviour, maybe she reads the leaflet and attempts to seek information (Naidoo and Wills 2000). The role of the midwife at this stage would be to determine why the woman smokes and what barriers she may face in stopping smoking (Dunkley 2000). The leaflet facilitates this by allowing the woman to question why she smokes and how she feels about it. It also seeks to establish what the woman feels is good and bad about smoking and how she anticipates changing her behaviour towards smoking. It has been suggested (McLeod et al 2003) that some midwives find it difficult to broach the subject of smoking particularly with women who have no desire to stop and those who are still considering stopping. However McLeod et al (2003) found from their qualitative study that women expected to be asked about smoking during routine antenatal care and indeed they felt it was part of the midwives rol e to ask. The preparation stage is where the woman is committed to giving up smoking. She may seek extra help and is likely to attempt change soon (Dunkley 2000). If the woman is in this planning stage she may benefit from smoking cessation services, which the midwife can offer such as Smokeline, or other local services. Within the leaflet is a free phone number for Smokeline (HEBS 2003) who offer advice and issue the booklet Aspire to Stop Smoking (HEBS and Action on Smoking and Health Scotland 2001). This supporting information helps the woman to discover what she can do to help herself to stop smoking. NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland (2004b) challenge the reliability of answers to questions Midwives and other health promoters may be asking individuals with regard to their interest in stopping smoking as that individual may feel that agreeing is what is expected. Hesitancy in answering may be indicative of reluctance to commit to stopping at present, so ensuring they understand that the re are many options available in the future can enhance the chance of them stopping (NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland 2004b). The midwife would continue to support the individual during this time offering advice and encouragement (Crafter 1997) and also would remind the patient of the importance of social support from partners and friends (NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland 2004b). The findings from a study by McLeod et al (2003) concur with the need to have partner involvement. They found that although the women were supported by the midwives there was a failing in educating the partners to the womens needs while trying to stop smoking (McLeod et al 2003). Moreover Thompson et al (2004) would like to see this expanded out with the antenatal setting. This issue has been addressed in part by the initiative, which encourages the woman to seek partner involvement to support her at this time (HEBS 2003). The penultimate stage is the making the change stage this is when the woman is taking action (Naidoo and Wills 2000). NHS Lothian (2002) supports making a date to stop and sticking to it. One of the options is nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), which has caused debates over its place in smoking cessation during pregnancy (Dunkley 2000, McNeill et al 2001). McNeill et al (2001) found that using NRT, although not recommended in pregnancy, could be beneficial, as all the pollutants from actual cigarettes would not be delivered to the mother or the fetus. The final stage is the maintenance stage. It is vital that the midwife maintains good support through the postnatal period as Pollock (2003) found that 60% of women who give up during pregnancy restart smoking within 1 month of birth. Encouragement from the midwife to eat a sensible a diet (Crafter 1997) and use diversionary tactics like regular brushing of teeth and saving cigarette money up for treats (NHS Lothian) helps the woman to stay stopped. The leaflet in its favour mentions how other smokers managed to stop and what they have done to help themselves. In this final stage there is room for relapse or slipping. The leaflet lets individuals know it is ok to relapse but encourages them to learn from this. It also mentions some of the side effects that women may experience from nicotine withdrawal. The medical approach to health promotion aims to ensure individuals are disease and disability free (Ewles and Simnett 2003). This approach could be viewed as paternalistic, where professionals decide what is best for an individual (Crafter 1997) and as pregnancy is not a state of ill health (Dunkley 2000) it brings into question its validity in midwifery care. However women could jeopardise the health of themselves and their unborn child if they are involved in risk taking behaviour such as smoking during pregnancy. The initiative mentions some of the health risks involved such as miscarriage and low birth weight babies (HEBS 2003) but favourably does not go into detail to avoid victim-blaming. Within the medical approach such initiatives as General Practitioners or other health professionals advocating smoking cessation during consultations is found to be more useful than no mention at all (HEBS 1998) resulting in approximately 2% of smokers stopping long term. Recommendation 1.2 o f the Smoking Cessation Guidelines for Scotland (NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland 2004a) states that a midwife should ascertain a patients smoking status and discourage them from smoking at the earliest opportunity. The midwife should also offer support and treatment to aid cessation (NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland 2004a). Crafter (1997) identifies the need for midwives to give unbiased information, however justifies the obligation to educate women about damaging behaviour such as smoking during pregnancy. Facts specific to smoking in pregnancy are not included in the leaflet such as smoking in the first 3 months of pregnancy accounts for a quarter of low birth weight babies (Scottish Executive 2001). An educational approach to health promotion is giving individuals information to discover the health benefits or detriments for themselves (Ewles and Simnett 2003). Crafter (1997) argues that there can be no true educational approach when it comes to smoking in pregnancy because midwives would be unable to remain neutral due to the fact that evidence is available that clearly shows smoking is detrimental. Naidoo and Wills (2000) explain that the educational approach differs from the behaviour change model, as the educational model does not use encouragement to achieve its aims. NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland (2004b) concur with this view advocating that it is not the role of the midwife to persuade but to inform. They go on to defend the use of facts in conjunction with the leaflet. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2003) also emphasise the need for women to be informed of the risks, which can make a purely educational approach unattainable in relation to smoking cessation. The information could be available to patient who enquire about if for them to discover the advantages and disadvantages for themselves with the midwife advising them of where to find resources. In a study by Pullon et al (2003) it showed how suitable resources helped educate women to stop smoking. Critically however it appeared that the midwives concerned were involved in a more behavioural change role as then conclusion commented on the midwives powerful influence (Pullon et al 2003). The client-centred approach facilitates health promotion of things that the client feels will be of benefit (Ewles and Simnett 2003), this could mean that an individual may not consider that smoking cessation is an issue they want to address and as such the topic may never be discussed. This model is said to facilitate autonomy (Dunkley 2000) but as such the leaflet may never be looked. If however the client felt that smoking cessation was something she was interested in, the midwife would be able to offer any help that was available to her to empower the woman to achieve her objective (Crafter 1997). The societal change approach focuses on changing the whole society not just individuals within it (Ewles and Simnett 2003). Implementation of changes at community level or above looks to bring about changes to the attitudes and beliefs about smoking during pregnancy to the population. This would include laws such as that to be introduced in spring 2006 banning anybody smoking in enclosed public spaces in Scotland (Scottish Executive 2004). The majority of pregnant smokers are age 16-24 and low socio-economic groups highlighting the important fact that deprivation and inequality increase the incidences of smoking and of teen pregnancy (Lazenbatt et al 2000, NHS Health Scotland and ASH Scotland 2003). Conclusion Midwives play an important role in promoting the health and wellbeing of individuals and their families and delivery of health education (Scottish Executive 2001). The initiative appeared to have some weaknesses as a stand-alone leaflet, however as part of a multi-dimensional approach it emerged favourably. The midwife must endeavour to gain trust and support to deliver the required service and promote empowerment (Dunkley 2000). She must take care not to alienate the women that require her help. There must be a trusting relationship built up between the midwife and the woman to achieve a positive outcome. Approximately 20% of smoking mums give up during pregnancy and of them over 50% who gave up attributed it to being pregnant (HEA 1999) this indicates further that women want to stop and indeed manage successfully to stop smoking.

The Relationship Between Political Processes and Science Essay

The political processes involved in the production of scientific facts and technology continues to be misrepresented and underemphasised in contemporary academic and wider public discourse. This is evident when considering the approaches employed by historians, philosophers and commentators when interpreting past revolutions, paradigm shifts and controversies in science. In this failure to account for the intrinsic association of politics, scientific facts and technology, it has led to the problematic distortion of how science relates to society and operates as an institution. Several assumptions are often made about science, for example the existence of an objective ‘scientific method’. Naà ¯ve inductivists who maintain this view claim that â€Å"science starts with observation†, and secondly that â€Å"observation yields a secure basis from which knowledge can be derived† (Chalmers, 1982, p. 22). This standard model of science raises much concern as it negates to account for the complex nature of observation. Firstly, Gestalt imagery demonstrates the variety of distinct meanings which can be extrapolated from one image and so a variety of stimuli. Secondly, the standard story of ‘scientific method’ through observation is weakened when considering the importance of ‘gaps’ within science, shown through the Solar Neutrino case study. Scientists observed the activity of solar neutrinos and in 1967, when data begun to transpire, inconsistencies were noticed which defied their predictions. There were disagr eements concerning the reading of the results and from 1968 to 1978 the scientific community continued in their attempt to resolve the ‘gaps’. A crucial question arises, which interpretation of the image or data is ‘correct’ or ‘legitimate’... ...999, p. 17 - Bishop, J. and Landell-Mills, N., ‘Forest Environmental Services: An Overview’ in Selling Forest Environmental Services: Market-based mechanisms for conservation and development, Earthscan, London 2002, p. 30 - Ede, A. and Cormac, L., A History of Science in Society: From Philosophy to Utility, Broadview Press, Ontario, 2004, p. 209 - Kill, J., ‘The Scientific Uncertainty of Carbon Sinks’ & ‘Why Carbon Sinks Won’t Help Stop Forest Destruction’ in Sinks in the Kyoto Protocol: A dirty deal for forests, forest peoples and the climate, FERN, 2001, p, 9 - Kuhn, T., The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, The University of Chicago Press, 1996, p. 56 - Pinch, T. J. and Bijker, W. E., ‘The Social Construction of Facts and Artefacts’ in The Social Construction of Technological Systems, ed. W. E. Bijker, T. P. Hughes and T. J. Pinch, MIT Press, 1987, p. 19

Paper Three Rough Draft Essay

Languages define a culture itself and every language in the world expresses the heart and spirit of people who speak it. Languages explain the human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication. Everyone has a language that they convey and pursue in everyday activities. Gloria Anzaldua, author of â€Å"How to Tame a Wild Tongue†, is a Mexican American woman who takes great pride in her culture, but struggles to keep the form of Spanish called, â€Å"Chicano Spanish† alive. Born and raised in South Texas, Anzaldua will always have Mexican culture in her blood, but living in such a strict American society, she feels pressured to choose to speak either an English that American society would appreciate, or Castilian that the Mexican society would agree with. Growing up, Anzaldua slowly realized that others mistreated her because her language was poor. She expresses herself in the text through her personal experiences, struggles, and her gender role with in her language and culture. Everyone has a specific role that they associate with when it comes to speaking different languages. Anzaldua describes this by saying, â€Å"My ‘home’ tongues are the languages I speak with my sister and brothers, with my friends† (â€Å"Tongue† 36). With Chicano Spanish and Tex-Mex as some of the most dependent languages for her, she also speaks a total of five different languages that she picked up from school, reading literature, and different cultures. She feels most confident when she speaks in her native tongue, without the distraction of adjusting to another language. She knows how to speak many languages, but is always having to speak differently according to different cultures. As time went on, the Chicano language grew rapidly, and now includes elements from seven different languages, such as Standard English, Working class and slang English, Standard Spanish, Standard Mexican Spanish, North Mexican Spanish dialect, Chicano Spanish, and Tex-Mex. Eventually, the Chicanos started to believe they needed a language that could be identified as their own. According to Anzaldua, Chicanos are â€Å"complex, heterogeneous  people,† and because of that, they speak many different languages (â€Å"Tongue†, 36). Is the way we speak always how others you want to interpret it? Growing up, Chicanos believed they spoke poor Spanish. They would feel uncomfortable talking to others because mainstream American culture discouraged the use of their language. She describes the discrimination, â€Å"It is illegitimate, a bastard language. And because we internalize how our language has been used against us by dominant culture, we use our language differences against each other† (â€Å"Tongue†, 38). Therefore, Chicanos felt obligated to use their own dominant language because they were proud of their culture. In this way, Anzaldua takes pride in herself and the language she speaks. She expresses this pride by saying, â€Å"So, if you want to really hurt me, talk badly about my language. Ethnic identity is twin to linguistic identity- I am my language† (â€Å"Tongue†, 39). Anzaldua believes that even if you live in a country where the language you speak is not accepted, still continue to use your native tongue because it defines who you are as a person. â€Å"I will no longer be made to feel ashamed of existing. I will have my voice: Indian, Spanish, white. I will have my serpent’s tongue- my woman’s voice, my sexual voice, my poet’s voice. I will overcome the tradition of silence† (â€Å"Tongue† 40). Aristotle classifies language by the use of persuasive arguments and using the three different types of persuasive appeals (pathos, logos, and ethos) (Aristotle 489). Whereas Anzaldua believes there are no right or wrong way to use language. Aristotle view of language is more persuasion whereas Anzaldua’s view is more social and applies more to modern day speaking. Many have the difficulties of speaking certain languages, but imagine those not being able to speak words because of the inability to even hear the words being spoken. This is why her view is more relevant to people today. Anzaldua expresses herself throughout her life of having a challenging time speaking her language; similarly, I Jordan Kohl, believe that language is a special device that s hould not be taken for granted. As someone who has sensorineural hearing loss, I know that language can have many complications. If you cannot hear, you cannot speak. Pronouncing words or phrases beginning with certain letters such as a, ‘’S†, â€Å"W†, and â€Å"T†, has taken numerous years for me to conquer. Anzaldua’s way of learning new languages was through listening at school, radio, TV, and reading newspapers  and magazines; mine was through reading lips, speech therapy, wearing hearing aids, and various hearing tests. While Anzaldua’s experiences may have had a struggle to maintain a positive outlook on her language conflicts, mine was to keep track of listening to other people’s words. Aristotle’s view of persuasive arguments obviously does not apply to my life as much as her does. How we communicate with each other is the way we connect. Anzaldua illustrates that the language we speak should not isolate people from each other. Be proud of the language you speak, even if others do not agree. I myself believe that any language should be honored because some cannot even hear the words. Anzaldua’s perspective has helped people have a better understanding of the importance being appreciative of languages. Language cannot be separated from culture as an independent aspect because any language is a culture itself. Work Cited Anzaldua, Gloria. â€Å"How to Tame a Wild Tongue.† Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestize (2007) 33-44. Print. Aristotle. â€Å"Rhetoric† 489-501 Print.

Modules 9 & 10

REFLECTION JOURNALName:Modules 9 & 10 Module 9: Critical Vehicle SystemsAfter reading about the maintenance and safety of your vehicle in Module 9, please answer the following questions (using complete sentences, proper spelling and grammar).Which car system or feature listed in Module 9 do you think is most important? The seat belt is the MOST important feature in the car to me.Why is that particular feature so important? Because it will and can save my life in a car accident or a very sudden stop.How do you benefit from that feature? When I buckle it I know that I’m safe and secure.If we were to come close or get into a car accident I know that I would not be throwing from out of the car.Module 10: Sharing the Road with Others Stops and Starts: Reflect on Module 10 and the entire course. Look back at your journal entries. When explaining, please answer in complete sentences, using proper spelling and grammar.Being the Driver: Stops: Using the information learned in this cour se, name three things you will not do when driving.I will NEVER use drugs or alcohol behind the wheel of the car, drinking and using drugs are irrelevant towards my life. My life is much more than that.I will never text or talk on the phone when driving, the road will always have my undivided attention.I will never show out behind the wheel of a car, I can very much injure myself or a person inside or around the car.Explain why you will not do these things while driving.I will not do these things because I can lose my life or take someone else life, a car is a machine that is controlled by me I am controlling it and if I were to do any of those things I would not be controlling it like I should be.Starts: Using the information learned in this course, name three things you will do when driving.I will watch out for pedestrians and make sure that I am making a complete stop at a stop sign. I will check all the mirrors before driving and put my seat belt on.Make sure that I am paying at tention to the roads and everything that surrounds me.I will make sure that I pay attention to all the signs on the roads and make sure that I read them correctly.Explain why you will do these particular things when driving.These are the rules and regulations of the roads and also laws that will make us become better drivers and respect the roads, other driver and also ourselves.Riding as a Passenger: Write about one thing you will stop doing as a passenger.Bothering the driver while they are driving and let them pay attention to the road. Write about one thing you will start doing as a passenger.Making sure everyone in the car has on their seat belts.

Eva Beem Essays

Eva Beem Essays Eva Beem Paper Eva Beem Paper Essay on Eva Beem Eva Beem in the Context of the Holocaust Eva Beem, a child of the Holocaust. When you think of the Holocaust, you think of Anne Frank, but there are so many more kids we need to acknowledge. One of them is Eva Beem. She was a little child that was a victim of the Holocaust. Therefore, I will discuss the life of this little girl who went through so much. She was eleven years old when she died with her older brother, Abraham. In the article, †Children During The Holocaust† the text states,†The Germans and their collaborators killed as many as 1.5 million children through these ways:Children killed when they arrived in killing centers;children killed immediately after birth or in institutions; children born in ghettos and camps who survived because prisoners hid them;children,usually children over 12,who were used as laborers and as subjects of medical experiments; children killed during reprisal operations or so-called anti-partisan operations.† This shows the many ways that children died including Ev a Beem, Anne Frank and many other Jewish children. Eva Beem: Childhood and Parents Eva Beem was born on May 21,1932 in Leeuwarden, Holland. Eva’s parents’ names were Hartog and Rosette Beem. Eva Beem was eight years old when she first went into hiding in fear of the Nazis killing her. Her brother, Abraham Beem, was also in hiding with her. Her parents had the idea of her going into hiding and posing as a Non-Jew in a rural village. The problem was that the Nazis found out about most of the children hiding through people who were given money for telling them about the Jewish children. When Eva was eleven she was denounced as a Jew in February of 1944. Eva and Abraham were departed to a concentration camp and were immediately murdered. Eva Beem and Anne Frank Eva Beem and Anne Frank are alike in many ways. Anne lived during the Holocaust and so did Eva.They are both at the age of attending school. Eva went into hiding as a Non-Jew and Anne was in hiding so that nobody would find her, but they both went into hiding. Soon afterward, they both were found. They both died at concentration camps, but in different ways. Anne died of a disease and Eva died of murder at her concentration camp. Eva Beem is like me in a ton of ways. Eva was eleven and I am now eleven. We both went and go to school. Eva doesn’t have a pet and I don’t either. We both were born in May. Not the exact date but we are pretty close. She had a brother and I have a brother. Our parents both worry about their kids, and that is how Eva and I are alike. The lesson that comes out of this is that many children died and they are normal, innocent children that couldn’t live the normal life they would have dreamed about. We should be thankful for what we have and that all children who died during the Holocaust should be honored and loved. Eva, Abraham, and Anne are all examples of children who died and that should be honored.

Frankenstein loneliness essay Essays - Fiction, Creative Works

Frankenstein loneliness essay Essays - Fiction, Creative Works NAME: JACK MELVIN TEACHER: TP UNIT 3 / 4 ENGLISH DATE: 20/4/19 FRANKENSTEIN : It is the thirst for knowledge that leads Frankenstein, the creature and Walton astray. Discuss Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: The modern Prometheus is a gothic novel published in 1818. The novel incorporates the theme of knowledge throughout a range of key ideas and characters , Mary Shelley wrote the novel at a time where the world was experiencing industrialization in full effect, this - as well as increasing findings and discoveries by scientists - may have motivated her to include the ideas of knowledge, and ultimately dangerous knowledge that leads Frankenstein, the creature and Walton astray. The pursuit of knowledge leads to a range of consequences in Frankenstein, Shelley includes the thirst of knowledge and the repercussions of it by incorporating similar writers, through literary allusions including the poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner' telling the story of a man who challenges nature and suffers the consequences for doing so. Shelley's novel is a direct reflection on her opinion that the sudden rush of technological improvements brought on by the desir e to gain more knowledge would result in disaster. The full title of Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein: The modern Prometheus emphasises the idea that Victor reaching beyond what man should be capable of and is playing god. In Greek mythology, Prometheus created man , Prometheus loved his creation of man - unlike Victor's relationship with the monster - and steals fire from the gods in order to bless man with this gift. Prometheus challenged the gods and li mitations set by them and was punished for doing so, he was forced to endure the pain of having his liver eaten by an eagle every day, forever. This is similar to Frankenstein, in the pursuit for human advancement and knowledge, Victor challenges the capabilities of man by forming a creature out of dead parts, bringing the dead back to life - a feat that was thought to be unachievable by man and only by the supernatural. This decision to defy the abilities of mankind results in Victor being punished for the rest of his life as the creature murders those who mean mos t to Victor. Victor's pursuit of the monster and obsessive disgust for his creation ultimately leads him to his death. Victor recognises the consequences of acquiring excessive knowledge and becoming "greater than his nature will allow". His reckless choice to pursue the monster destroys himself, his family, and anyone he loves. Victor, once a knowledgeable scientist progresses to a man fu ll of hatred for his own creation, lead from his home town in Geneva to the North Pole , where he was met with death. Incorporating this transition allows the reader to recognise how Victor's thirst of knowledge led him astray. Shelley suggests that the quest for knowledge is often rationalised by the thought that one's actions will benefit humanity. This rationalisation of impromptu decisions poses as a facade for the obsession for greatness and recognition that comes with discovering new things . Something that Walton desired, recognition. Walton, a narcissistic captain of a ship that aim ed to achieve the further discovery of the Arctic regions of the world , delineates his adventure as "one man's life or death [being] a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which [he] sought". This shows his obsession for knowledge, that he is able to overlook the death of someone in pursuit for recognition. Victor knows that Walton's desire discovery is a dangerous commitment and warns Walton of his potential fate. Walton realises the possible consequences of his actions and decides to end his voyage. This shows that Walton has recognised the dangers of know ledge and took action as not to suffer the potential repercussions furthering his voyage. The monster also participates in a quest for knowledge, not in a scientific and exploration way like Victor and Walton but in a philosophical understanding of its own identity. After the bewildering first encounter with Frankenstein, the monster aims to assimilate itself into modern society only to realise it is different and unaccepted universally. As the monster grew in knowledge it came to think that the DeLacey

What Is an Unsubsidized Loan Definition and Explanation

What Is an Unsubsidized Loan Definition and Explanation SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You have a general idea of what it means to take out a loan, but calling a loan "unsubsidized" makes it sound a bit suspicious. What is an unsubsidized loan, and how are they different from subsidized loans? Are they good options if you're considering taking on student debt? Here's the unsubsidized loan definition: a Direct Unsubsidized loan is one type of financial aid provided by the US federal government, or more specifically, the US Department of Education. You can also receive Direct Subsidized loans as part of your financial aid package. In this post, I'll discuss why these loans exist, before talking in more detail about how loans usually work. With this information, you'll be able to get a full understanding of the details of Direct Unsubsidized loans and whether they may be a good option for you. A Brief History of Federal Student Loans In the 1950s, the US government started taking seriousmeasures to encourage the pursuit of post-secondary education. The Department of Education started offering government-backed loans under the National Defense Education Act, or NDEA - as more people pursue college educations, these loan programs have expanded. As of 2012, almost 70% of students graduating from 4-year colleges have taken out some amount of student loans. Because federal loans are government-backed (that is, you're essentially borrowing and repaying taxpayer money to fund your education), interest rates tend to be better than those of private loans. We'll go more into why interest rates are important in the next section. What Does It Mean to Take Out a Loan? The decision to take out a loan is a very personal one, but you should know there's nothing inherently bad about being in student debt. Here, I'll address the logistics of taking on student debt. I hope that with this information, you'll be able to make educated decisions about taking out loans. (If you are already familiar with this information, just jump to the next section). The way that loans work is pretty standard, no matter where you're getting the loan from. You borrow a sum of money, or principal, from some lender - usually a bank (in the case of Direct Unsubsidized loans, the lender is the federal government). You also agree to particular loan terms, including interest rates and length of repayment. When you make loan payments, which usually happens on a monthly basis, you pay back a portion of the principal plus extra money: the interest, or a percentage of the principal that's accrued (accumulated).The longer you take to pay back the loan, the more interest accrues. The bigger your principal, the more interest accrues. You can think about interest as a charge or a fee that you pay to your lender. Interest is how lenders make money on loans. It usually starts accruing as soon as the loan is disbursed (when the money is given out, or provided to you. Sometimes, the interest that has accrued on your loan is added to your principle. When new interest accrues, it will be on this new, larger principle.This is called capitalization - when this happens, you start paying interest on more than your original loan amount, which means more interest. Loans can be really helpful when it comes to paying for school, but as you may have guessed, people generally don't love being in student debt. When thinking about how much student debt you can afford, it may be helpful to consider the amount of debt you plan on taking out in relation to your expected earnings post-graduation. The more questions you have answered about taking out student loans, the more likely you are to make a decision that's right for you. Direct Unsubsidized Loan Details There are some standardized limits, restrictions, and repayment terms for all students who take out Direct Unsubsidized loans. They don't have some of the perks of Direct Subsidized loans, but they do offer more flexibility. First, there are limits to how much money you can take out in subsidized loans. These annual maximums depend on your year in school: Year Dependent Students Independent Students 1st Year Undergrad Annual Limit $5,500 $9,500 2nd Year Undergrad Annual Limit $6,500 $10,500 3rd Year Undergrad Beyond Annual Limit $7,500 $12,500 Graduate/Professional Student Annual Limit Not applicable $20,500 Total Loan Lifetime Max (includes subsidized loan amounts) $31,000 $57,500 for undergrads $138,500 for grad/professional students (includes any federal loans received for undergrad study) A few notes on these maximums: The vast majority of undergraduate students are classified as dependent. You can read more about dependent/independent classifications here These loan maximums include any money you take out in Direct Subsidized loans. For example, if I take $3,500 in subsidized loans my freshman year as a dependent student, I could take out a maximum of $2,000 in unsubsidized loans that year. These maximums do not include any private loans, or loans that your parents may take out. Unlike Direct Subsidized loans, there's no maximum eligibility window or period for Direct Unsubsidized loans. Interest rates are generally pretty competitive, and are standardized (so, personal credit history doesn't affect interest rates).Rates are slightly higher for graduate/professional students than they are for undergraduates. For 2015-2016, the interest rate is 4.29% for undergraduates, 5.84% for graduate/professional students. Finally, repayment plans (including details about the amount you owe every month, and the amount of time you have to pay back your loans) can be customized, and will depend on variables such as your principle balance and your income.Standard repayment plans set up monthly payments so that you pay off your principle + interest in 120 months, or 10 years. How Are Unsubsidized Loans Different From Subsidized Loans? If you've looked into private loans to help pay for school, you probably recognize that Direct Unsubsidized loan terms are pretty good. Subsidized loans are a bit of a different animal, in that they offer certain perks that you won't find elsewhere.I'll use an example here to demonstrate the long-term financial outcomes of a subsidized vs. unsubsidized loan. Say I take outa $3,500 loan to pay for school my freshman year, at an interest rate of 4.29%. The chart below outlines different outcomes based on loan type if I don't make any payments while still in school. UNSUBSIDIZED SUBSIDIZED Amount Borrowed $3,500 $3,500 Interest Rate 4.29% 4.29% Interest Accrued During School (4 years) $640 $0 Balance Owed at Graduation $4,140 $3,500 Time to Payoff at $50/month (Interest accrues for both subsidized and unsubsidized loans during this period) 99 months 81 months Total Amount Paid $4,950 $4,050 Standard repayment plans for federal student loans set a timeline of 120 months until payoff, but the minimum monthly payments are $50.In this example, it would take me much less time (81 months vs. 99 months) and much less money ($4,050 vs. $4,950) to pay back a subsidized loan vs an unsubsidized loan. Many students have some combination of subsidized and unsubsidized loans. If you decide to take out federal student loans, you should max out your Direct Subsidized loan eligibility before taking out any Direct Unsubsidized loans. Who's Eligible for Direct Unsubsidized Loans? If you're looking for aid to bridge the gap between what you have and what you need to pay for college, unsubsidized loans are good options if you meet all the eligibility requirements. Eligibility requirements are not as strict for Direct Unsubsidized loans as they are for Direct Subsidized loans. They're open to both undergraduate and graduate students, and you don't need to demonstrate financial need to be eligible. You do, however, need to meet all federal financial aid requirements. The following charts list these requirements. You must do all of the following: Have ahigh school diploma, GED, or approved homeschool education Be enrolled or accepted to enroll in aneligible degree/certificate program You can check with your school/program’s financial aid office if you want to confirm eligibility Be registered withSelective Service, if you are male and between 18-25 years old If applicable, you canregister on the SS website Have a validSocial Security Number(unless you’re from the Marshall Islands, Federal States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau) Sign statements on the FAFSAstating that (1) you’re not in default, and do not owe refund money, on a federal student loan, and (2) you’ll only use federal aid money to help pay for your education Access the FAFSA Maintain â€Å"satisfactory† progress in school If you’re concerned about your academic performance, or have questions about what is considered â€Å"satisfactory,† set up a meeting with your dean or other school administrator. In addition to the requirements listed in the chart above,you must be able to check one of the following options: Be aUS citizenorUS national Have agreen card Have anarrival-departure record Havebattered immigrant status Have aT-Visa How Do You Apply for a Direct Unsubsidized Loan? All things considered, eligibility requirements aren't too stringent for unsubsidized loans. The next step after meeting requirements would be to actually apply for this great financial aid resource. You can apply for all types of federal financial aid, including Direct Subsidized loans, by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The federal submission deadline to receive aid for the 2015-2016 academic year is June 30, 2016. You can find detailed instructions on submitting a FAFSAhere. What's Next? You can get an estimate of your federal aid eligibility, including the amount you could take out in Direct Subsidized loans, by following steps listed in ourPell Grant Calculator guide. Want more information on federal aid that youdon'thave to pay back? Learn more abouthow to get a Pell Grant, and check out our guide onPell eligibility requirements. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Human Beings are Causing Global Warming Research Paper

Human Beings are Causing Global Warming - Research Paper Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the majority of researchers have concluded that the earth is undergoing major climatic changes. Further, they also agree that carbon dioxide levels are increasing gradually. It is an evident form of satellite images that ice caps are melting quickly, the sea levels are rising in addition to severe weather conditions such as extreme temperatures, floods, drought, etc. This has led to increased water shortages, frequent hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons. It is without a doubt that deserts will expand and the world will eventually experience food shortages and this is why human activities have to be regulated. Few scientists claim that the earth is going on well but for the case of dealing with global warming, we should advocate for the implementation of the precautionary principle which states that â€Å"†¦if any potential consequences of any action are irreversible or severe, in the absence of full scientific c ertainty the burden of proof is blamed on those who advocate taking the action†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The earth has undergone various climatic cycles during its history. The scary part is that human beings are causing unbelievable climatic changes at an abnormal rate. The combustion of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases at a high life-threatening rate thus resulting in global warming. Global Warming, Climate Change, Greenhouse Effect†¦. All are happening just now and this is as a consequence of human activities. After sunrays reach the earth some heat is absorbed by earth while the rest is refracted back to the atmosphere at the longer wavelength. These wavelengths are absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere before they disappear into space. The absorption of these wavelengths increases the atmosphere temperature.

Analysis of qualitative research article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analysis of qualitative research article - Essay Example Inappropriate assessment of patients by nurses may result in high incidences of suicide. Both qualitative and quantitative assessment methods are available for use and the method used may be depend on the setting. Purpose The purpose of the research was to understand how nurses conceptualize suicide among patients in addition to the strategies they use in the process of assessment. Due to the emerging trends in suicide assessment inappropriate assessment might fail to pick potential suicide patients. Research design and research tradition The traditional phenomenography which analyses the different ways in which people experience, conceptualize, identify, and familiarize themselves with various aspects of phenomena in the world around them was used in this study. This method is frequently used in health care research and was utilized in an inductive, qualitative and descriptive approach to help understand the conceptualizations of suicide by psychiatric nurses and the strategies that psychiatric nurses utilize when conducting a suicide evaluation. Sampling A convenience/snowball sampling method was utilized in the study to recruit six psychiatric-mental health nurse participants for the ten months study period. The participants were obtained from two advanced practice nurses agencies in different psychiatric settings and different Northeastern states with the help of nurse managers. One of the settings chosen was a psychiatric hospital's emergency assessment unit while the other was an inpatient psychiatric unit of a general hospital. Five of the six participating nurses were females with four of them having more than 15 years experience while the fifth had nine months experience as a psychiatric mental health nurse and more than five years experience as a mental health worker. The sixth participant was a male nurse with more than 15 years experience. All the participants were white with one having a master’s degree in nursing, three with bachelorâ€℠¢s degree and two with associate degrees in nursing. Data collection The research methods used for data collection were approved by the University of Rhode Island’s Institutional Review Board. Before data collection began consent was sought from both the participating nurses and the patients. The inclusion criteria for the patients included more than 18 years of age, ability to understand and speak English in addition to giving informed consent. The patients were also informed that their participation or non participation in the research would not affect the care they received from the institution. The data in this study was mainly obtained through interviews with the psychiatric nurses after suicide assessment of adult patients. The assessment sessions varied from between 15 minutes to one and a half hours among different patients. The interviews with the psychiatric nurses were recorded in a private room and were guided by a few questions. The nurses were however allowed to express their perceptions, in a clear and systematic manner, of how they conceptualize suicide and the strategies they use in the suicide assessment process. In a bid to obtain as much information and as possible the participating nurses were encouraged to think out aloud, deliberate, and even to pause before answering the questions if they need to. All the participating

The effect of gender minority status on womens experience of Essay

The effect of gender minority status on womens experience of male-dominated work and mens experience of female-dominated work - Essay Example They were established at a time when those roles made sense for the survival of the human race as is realized with the dedicated role of women in child care. But with advancing technology, some of the roles that have been attributed to various gender is becoming obsolete. However, people still make assumptions about roles of men and women through these stereotypical notions that claim to apply to all men and women in the world. Some of the roles associated with women include preparing and serving food but most important, taking care of children. Even with the games that are played at this age, it is evident that women are supposed to stay at home, cook, clean and take care of the children while males are supposed to go to work. From a young age, boys are taught more roles that are considered 'manly' like mowing the lawn and taking out the trash instead of the more 'womanly' roles of cleaning the house (Chodorow, 2004). The stereotypes however do not apply to all men and women in society. Each individual in society is often free to act as they please, a factor that has realized an increase in the number of women who have taken up manly roles and vice versa (Schein, 2005). It is considered normal for a woman to pursue roles that are manlier like construction and men to pursue roles that are more feminine like cooking and cleaning.Gender should not be the basis by which a person's identity is created; it should merely be a part of someone's personality. It is on the basis of this understanding that conflicting roles have come up for both men and women in society. Gender minority status results when a person decides to engage in a profession that is considered less suitable for their gender. (Lupton, 2000). They are thus considered the minority members of the particular profession because they are either less in number or they are simply taking up roles that make them be considered either lesser males or females. This is considered in light of the belittling roles that women have been subjected to over the years because of their gender orientation. In the past, there were certain jobs that were reserved for male gender owing to their intensive nature. It was thus considered as work that women could not engage in and if they did, there would be repercussions. Society would regard them as misfits and socialization with them would be naturally forbidden or undertaken under different scenarios (Chodorow, 2004). Gender minority status results from observed differences in behavior and personality between the genders that result from a person's innate personality. Personality is affected by culture and social interaction with other members of society and is largely not att ributable to physiological and biological differences. There are those who perceive that children learn to orient themselves towards their gender roles as a result of their learned observations and interactions with their environment (Chodorow, 2004). Boys are often provided with tools that are used to manipulate their environment like vehicles, trucks and engines while females are often dressed up with pink frilly dresses and provided with dolls that have pretty hair and makeup. In so doing, girls learn that they are objects to be viewed and as such

Smoking & its Harms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Smoking & its Harms - Research Paper Example ed smoking in the public areas as escalating pollution problems, mounting diseases and increase in death rate of citizens activated healthcare organizations to raise voice. Fine of $50 was imposed on the law violators (Adams and Malarcher, 2012). The movement brought considerable results as huge majority of the individuals immediately stopped smoking in public areas but after few months; people were back on track again. Violation of law started again and smoking scenario can be seen in the city. The amount is not that paramount though but pollution in the city is rising due to this problem. People do not smoke in public parks, public transport, and bars but on pedestrian trails; smokers are found (Patel, Thomson and Wilson, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to highlight the problem of smoking in NYC. What is the importance and significance of this problem and what measures are essential to eradicate this problem. The movement started in the recent years along with public response is illustrated in this paper. Moreover critical analysis is exemplified for precise understanding about the issue. The creation of law of non smoking in 2003 had strong basis of the death of 50,000 individuals per annum. The 14 miles beaches of the city beside 1700 parks were declared non smoking areas. The City Council of New York passed the law by keeping in view casualties of several individuals. Smoking was banned on pedestrian walk through, bars, shopping malls too. Respiratory infections, lungs cancer, asthma and cardio vascular diseases emerged due to cigarette smokers. Smokers lay negative impact on the society too. People are not able to enjoy on public spots due to smoking and even pessimistic message is taken by the children (Ossad, 2011). The law against smoking free NYC was formulated in 1988 but amendments in it continued for three consecutive times. Lately in 2003, the law was enforced vibrantly into the city. The rise of this critical issue was important because of

The choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The choice - Essay Example Book Summary Distracted is a book by Maggie Jackson who is an author and a journalist. The book’s credibility is enhanced by the fact that the content is based on information that is backed by adequate research. Jackson documents her vast travels and describes her meetings and discussions with professionals and researchers in various fields ranging from biological and physical sciences to arts and technology. Jackson’s ideas flow coherently in the book and the smooth read is captivating. Some of the topics in the book stand out and catch the reader by surprise because of their bizarreness. The organization of her thoughts and her ability to summarize them in a way that can be easily understood hints at her experience as a journalist indicating that individuals live in a â€Å"virtual, mobile, split focus world† (129). At the introduction, Jackson expresses her opinion that is the motivation for the book’s content. She believes that society is gradually hea ding towards a bleak future because of a stagnant culture and society. She believes that society is fast losing its ability to focus because of the nature of contemporary life, and that this lack of focus has corroded the ability to be keen and aware. Attention is crucial for intimacy to develop between the members of the society, and this intimacy contributes to cultural development. Jackson’s point that the society is headed towards a dark future because of an attention deficit provokes the reader’s thoughts. All the nine chapters of Jackson’s book are organized under three major parts including lengthening shadows: exploring our landscape of distraction, deepening twilight: pursuing the narrowing path and dark Times†¦or Renaissance of attention. The chapters under the first and second parts of the book are each titled â€Å"Focus,† â€Å"Judgment† and â€Å"Awareness.† In the last part of the book, she reveals that the titles of the chapters in the first and second parts are the three levels of the attention system. Chapter one of Jackson’s book focuses on presenting Jackson’s idea on distraction and the role that technology plays in society’s attention, or lack of it. The second, third and fourth chapters reveal what Jackson sees as the three main settings that shelter the problems that encourage the continued lack of attention. In chapter five, Jackson highlights privacy issues, with arguments that revolve around how social media like Facebook and surveillance impact negatively on trust whereby she indicates, â€Å"†¦we are nurturing a culture of social diffusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (94). Chapter six of the book focuses on the written word concerning interaction with individuals. In chapter seven, Jackson questions the impact of technology on society. She leaves the reader to ponder the thought whether machines are evolving to be more like humans or if humans are evolving to be more like machines. The eighth chapter addresses the idea of preservation and the challenges it faces. In the ninth and last chapter, Jackson focuses on the duty and importance of attention. It is in this last chapter that Jackson explains the three networks of the attention system as she offers the solution to distraction. One could argue that Jackson’s move of dividing the chapters under titles is a forced construction. Jackson’s books focus on individuals in United States of America. Despite her sources and facts being from credible sources, a reader outside of the United

Redevelopment of Ratho Station Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Redevelopment of Ratho Station - Essay Example One such initiative is to link Ratho station region with BAA, Edinburgh. The components of transportation units proposed composed of combination of tram network supported by cycle ways and car ways. Also, the main access to the Ratho station road cannot presently accommodate huge impact. As a result, it is proposed to construct new road which will link the new road to the Glasgow road. Further, to regulate the traffic flow would be by using separate lanes for both entry into the station and also for exist from the station. This one way network would consist of the proposed road to the station to carry vehicles towards the station and the exist and the station road for those moving out of the station. Installation of proper road signs and display boards , road markings and clear way signs all need to be indicated properly. Also, the display signs shall also incorporate better reflective type of materials to improve visibility in the case of winter and foggy days. The thrust for sustainable development initiatives in the Ratho region have forced the authorities to consider different policies that limit the public using large number of private vehicles. This have forced the regional council to decide not to provide extended car parking facility at the station premises (Edinburgh, n.d.). Thus a few spaces need to be earmarked for the disabled for whom such facilities need to be appropriately provided. The best location identified for such cases is at the main entrance of the station itself. It is estimated that nearly 10 numbers of parking spaces shall be provided as the disabled car parking facility at the main Ratho station entrance. And, to easy movement of the disabled passengers from the parking space to the platform separate wide footway along with the ramp need to be constructed. Such facilities would make Ratho station to be accessed by all in the society without much difficulty. Public transportation The existing facilities for public transportation at the Ratho station region is very minimal. The service of the buses is limited to trip generated by single route available in the region. The prevailing route is the network lining Ratho village, Ratho station and Edinburgh Airport. Thus the initiative to reduce private vehicles also makes the administration to look for increased number of public buses along these routes. Another recommendation being presented to the change the trip frequency to 10 to 15 minutes as a result of which better comfort for public would be experienced. Another major development in connection with the public transportation facility is implementing effective tram network in Ratho region. The major drawback often stated against the trams are its very low travel speed and the obstructions caused by their overhead wires. Thus a concept of underground tram network is mooted in the planning discussions. The route proposed as part of the development initiative w ould start from north side of Ratho station. It would then run parallel to the entry road and later separate to move beneath the Glasgow road through the tunnel. The tram way extends further along the Glasgow road and continues up the airport and finally closes at the new tram station. As large number of heavy vehicles are also expected to pass this region necessary facilities are also

The choice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The choice - Essay Example Book Summary Distracted is a book by Maggie Jackson who is an author and a journalist. The book’s credibility is enhanced by the fact that the content is based on information that is backed by adequate research. Jackson documents her vast travels and describes her meetings and discussions with professionals and researchers in various fields ranging from biological and physical sciences to arts and technology. Jackson’s ideas flow coherently in the book and the smooth read is captivating. Some of the topics in the book stand out and catch the reader by surprise because of their bizarreness. The organization of her thoughts and her ability to summarize them in a way that can be easily understood hints at her experience as a journalist indicating that individuals live in a â€Å"virtual, mobile, split focus world† (129). At the introduction, Jackson expresses her opinion that is the motivation for the book’s content. She believes that society is gradually hea ding towards a bleak future because of a stagnant culture and society. She believes that society is fast losing its ability to focus because of the nature of contemporary life, and that this lack of focus has corroded the ability to be keen and aware. Attention is crucial for intimacy to develop between the members of the society, and this intimacy contributes to cultural development. Jackson’s point that the society is headed towards a dark future because of an attention deficit provokes the reader’s thoughts. All the nine chapters of Jackson’s book are organized under three major parts including lengthening shadows: exploring our landscape of distraction, deepening twilight: pursuing the narrowing path and dark Times†¦or Renaissance of attention. The chapters under the first and second parts of the book are each titled â€Å"Focus,† â€Å"Judgment† and â€Å"Awareness.† In the last part of the book, she reveals that the titles of the chapters in the first and second parts are the three levels of the attention system. Chapter one of Jackson’s book focuses on presenting Jackson’s idea on distraction and the role that technology plays in society’s attention, or lack of it. The second, third and fourth chapters reveal what Jackson sees as the three main settings that shelter the problems that encourage the continued lack of attention. In chapter five, Jackson highlights privacy issues, with arguments that revolve around how social media like Facebook and surveillance impact negatively on trust whereby she indicates, â€Å"†¦we are nurturing a culture of social diffusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (94). Chapter six of the book focuses on the written word concerning interaction with individuals. In chapter seven, Jackson questions the impact of technology on society. She leaves the reader to ponder the thought whether machines are evolving to be more like humans or if humans are evolving to be more like machines. The eighth chapter addresses the idea of preservation and the challenges it faces. In the ninth and last chapter, Jackson focuses on the duty and importance of attention. It is in this last chapter that Jackson explains the three networks of the attention system as she offers the solution to distraction. One could argue that Jackson’s move of dividing the chapters under titles is a forced construction. Jackson’s books focus on individuals in United States of America. Despite her sources and facts being from credible sources, a reader outside of the United

Magnesium calcium lithium, Sodium, and Potassium Essay Example for Free

Magnesium calcium lithium, Sodium, and Potassium Essay In this lab, six different metals were tested for their reactivity in water. From less reactive to most reactive, the metals were as follows: Aluminum, Magnesium, Calcium, Lithium, Sodium, and Potassium. A pattern found in the periodic table explaining the reactivity of metals is the further down in a family, and the further left in a period, the more reactive the metal will be. Aluminum and Magnesium were both the less reactive. Neither of the metals produced hydrogen, or not enough to have a positive test to prove it was there. Metals + H O H + Metal Hydroxide Calcium gave off a large amount of Hydrogen gas. Lighting a splint, placing it in the test tube, and hearing a loud pop proved this. When the calcium was placed in the water, it caused the temperature to rise to such a high level it was not possible to hold with bare hands. This could be because the electrons are moving so quickly that it causes the temperature to rise. The calcium formed a white, powder-like precipitate at the bottom of the test tube. Lithium, Sodium, and Potassium all had very violent reactions in water. Phenolphthalein was added to the beakers after the metals had reacted, and the water turned a pink/ purple color proving that these metals make bases, and therefore have a pH between eight and. Common reactions between metals were they all formed hydrogen gas, even if it was a very small amount. Lithium, Sodium, and Potassium all tested positive to be a base with phenolphthalein, and all had an oily surface. A pattern found in the periodic table explaining the reactivity of metals is the further down in a family, and the further left in a period, the more reactive the metal will be. This is because the elements in period I, Lithium, Sodium, and Potassium, only have one valence electron, and it is quite simple to lose it. Also, the further down the family, the more the ionization energy decreases because of the shielding effect (the inner electrons block the attraction of the nucleus for outer electrons) and atomic radius (the greater the distance between the nucleus and the outer electron). However, the further to the right of the periodic table, the more the ionization energy increase because of the nuclear charge, electron arrangement ( an electron in a full of a half full energy level requires additional energy to be removed), and atomic radius. This explains why Aluminum was the least reactive, and Potassium was the most reactive.

Importance of Human Resource Development (HRD)

Importance of Human Resource Development (HRD) INTRODUCTION It is often debated and generally accepted that human resource development (HRD) activities are important in an organisation. But the question lies within to what extent and how much does it contribute. The reason may lie in the facts that it is not easy to show the direct link between the two activities and that it is both difficult to define HRD precisely and its effect may not be experienced in the short run (Torrington et al., 2005, p.357). The purpose of this paper is highlight on the question on the extent to which HRD contributes to the performance of an organisation. ORGANISATIONS AND HRD Swanson and Arnold (1996) asserted that HRD is a sub-system that operated in the main system; the organisation. In order for the organisation to be successful the objectives and goals of the subsystems must be aligned towards achieving the set goals of the main system. For example, the primary objective of the organisation would be to maximise return on shareholder investment. We may find that the objectives of training and development would be a level removed down, that is to maximise the capabilities of the employees, induce innovation, and produce high quality products and service. They may be different but a closer look at each of these objectives reveals that they serve a singular purpose; maximise the return (Swanson Arnold, 1996, p.15). HRD and Motivation Motivation is certainly the key for the people to keep returning to the job. However it must not be viewed through a single window which shows you that rewards and bonuses makes people motivated. In fact rewards and bonuses and all other financial and intrinsic benefits are classified as hygiene factors. These factors acts as motivators up to a certain level, beyond that they become satisfiers. Extrinsic factors such as the pure feeling of achievement, recognition, job enrichment, job enlargement and training and development are motivating factors. Achievement, job enrichment, job enlargement and training and development are essential elements of HRD and as we can see these elements dominate the motivating factors (Cohen, 2008). Training and development According to Mathis and Jackson (1999), Training is a process whereby people acquire capabilities to aid in the achievement of organisational goals. Simply put training facilitates individuals with the knowledge and skills that are required to perform the present job. It differs from development where, development has a broader impact in providing new skills that is required to perform both present and future jobs (Mathis Jackson, 1999). For example Tesco states that when they have well trained employees on the shop flow it benefits Tescos business image as customers are more confident in the competence and knowledge of staff they deal with. Tesco offers a wide range of training and development opportunities both on the job and off the job to its employees. Tesco takes both organisational objectives and individuals training objectives in account. Tesco believes that efficient and effective training and development programs, helps them to create the flexible and committed employees, delivering the highest standard of service, which is crucially required for their growth and success (TheTimes100, 2009). Organisational Learning CIPD defines learning as an environment where individuals learn to learn and possess the capabilities that enable them to do so to help their employers to build and retain competitive advantage (CIPD, 2008). According to CIPD a firm can achieve competitive advantage when individuals actively seek to acquire the knowledge and skills that promote the organisations objectives. In other words organisations must transform into learning environments, where continuous learning is experienced, thus transforming into a Learning Organisation. Learning organisation thrives for continuous improvement of its capacities in order to make the organisation ready to face the future. For example learning and development process at Corus; a Tata Steel company and Europes second largest steel producer with annual revenues of around  £12 billion, employing around 40,000 people worldwide, is moderated by structuring the learning process within their organisation through setting up a Corus Academy. The Corus Academy was based on sharing best practices and maximizing common approaches. Its main objective focus on Constant Improvement was achieved through the sharing of ideas across the entire company, where both individual and organisational learning occurred simultaneously becoming a learning organisation itself. (TheTimes100, 2009). Other Employee Development Approaches Development is the growth or realization of a persons ability and potential through the provision of learning and training experiences (Armstrong, 2006). Different Organisations adopts different activities in order to enhance their learning capabilities. According to Armstrong (2006), a balanced approach is required, making use of the various forms of learning and development to produce a coherent strategy that contains the plans for creating and maintaining a learning climate and developing and implementing complementary and mutually supportive learning activities both formal and informal. Coaching and Mentoring Coaching and mentoring are informal development activities that organisations practice to facilitate learning. Coaching is an approach based on a close relationship between the individual and one other person, usually their immediate manager, who is much experienced (Torrington et al., 2005, p.394). According to Kram (1983) mentoring benefits from two aspects; the career aspects that primarily enhance career advancement and the psychosocial aspects which enhance a sense of competence (Torrington et al., 2005, p.394). The continuously analysis and constructive criticism and guidance received from the coaches and mentors directly contributed to positive performance. Organisation also benefits, saving a great deal of cost using their own senior experienced staff to develop the junior staff. The Annual CIPD Survey Report 2009 on learning and development practices showed that in-house development programmes and coaching by line managers continue to be rated the most effective learning and development practices in UK (CIPD, 2009). This is perhaps why firms such as Baker Tilly, the seventh largest accountancy practice firm in the UK with a turnover in excess of  £200 million a year and 2,500 staff and its international network being the eighth largest accountancy grouping in the world, strategizes its people development activities to focus on more informal programs such as coaching and mentoring. The firm believes that formal training gives the building blocks for development and learning. However coaching and mentoring and other types of informal development schemes helps people understand for themselves what it is they can do to enhance their ability to meet their objectives all stages, and help them eliminate barriers for performance (CIPD, 2009). Talent management Career Development Talent management is often described as a future-focused activity, encompassing the identification, development, engagement and deployment of talent, with organisations using it to develop their workforce to meet the strategic needs of the organisation (CIPD, 2008). Swanson and Holton (2009) argue that career development theories that describe adult career development are important contributors to HRD practice because they describe adult progression through work roles. Charles Handy stress that employees today must look out for themselves to build their own career. He also notes that education will becomes an investment and varied experience will becomes an asset (Stone, 1998), that will eventually give advantage to employee in the form of employability. Although the traditional view on career development is no longer viable, its integration with talent management creates an opportunity for organisations to develop succession plans. Creating and managing talent and career development processes enables companies to nurture talent for the challenges of the future as well as the present (Eigenhuis Dijk, 2008). For example, when Jack Welch retired in 2001 from General Electric, after having served as the CEO and chair of GE since 1981, he was succeeded by Jeffrey Immelt. Immelt was enlisted for the post as early as 1994 including some 24 candidates to replace Jack Welch. GE identified the next best candidate who would replace Jack Welch on his retirement way ahead. Such capabilities of succession planning are rear unless organisations have competent stars who share the same set of objectives as the organisation. This saves the organisations from going into a cultural and psychological shock, yielding costs that are enormous. Having outs ide top managers to replace comes with disruption all across the board (Eigenhuis Dijk, 2008) creating a turmoil in the management. Net Geners: Learning Gets Social Tapscott in his book Grown Up Digital refers to the generation of individuals born between 1977 and 1997 as Net Gens. Tapscott argument was that whatever that applied to the generation before them in terms of management, training, learning and development would not apply to the Net Gens. For Net Gens technology is like the air we breathe. They are never scarce of information. For them social networking and information sharing sites such as Facebook, MySpace and YouTube are both their mentor and coaches asserts Tapscott. He implies that organisations must change their ways of training and development to adopt this wave of informal learning into their mainstream learning programs. Organisations must encourage Net Gens to develop in their own chosen style; perhaps this will be the only way to capture their talent and capacity. These platforms give an enormous advantage with regard to developing the Net Gens and benefiting from their capabilities. Organisations can in other words make work and learn a fun experience for the fun loving Net Gens (Bingham, 2009). Knowledge management Perhaps the most important aspect of HRD is to retain the knowledge invested over the time on individuals. Employment has become more mobile, where individuals change their jobs in pursue of building their career. In other words, as an individual leaves an organisation the knowledge also leaves with him. Finding ways to retain this knowledge in a database or in retrievable form that is accessible by others in the organisation turns information into useful knowledge crucial to improve process and increase profits (Bogardus, 2004). For example Coruss information sharing network is backed up by databases that are shared by firms all over the world. A problem in a firm operating in Canada can get the solution and best practices that was applied for the similar problem in a firm operating in another country. Conclusion The bottom line is that HRD is directly related with improving and enhancing the performance of the employees, which is regarded by many organisations as the only competitive advantage that can be sustained. This competitive edge is achieved by organisations that discover the knowledge, skills and ability of their work force and build them to achieve unique differentiation. Empirical studies on business effectiveness and sustainability from all over the world suggests that, people are the key to the success of the business. For example, a study conducted to find the employee engagement level in pan-European employees showed that the human resource activities as a whole facilitated a 5 percent increase in engagement levels each year. The study also showed that human resource interventions aligned with customer satisfaction correlated by 72 percent and financial performance correlated by 68 percent (Ward, 2008).

Essay --

The Industrial revolution took place during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was a time when America switched from a rural society into an urban society. This was a drastic change in many peoples lifestyle. People moved from their farm homelands into cities. The reason for this was because there were many more job opportunities and availability for a better life. Many new inventions were discovered during the Industrial Revolution but it was a dangerous and harmful time with extremely bad working conditions, especially for women and children but helped improve the way the world is today. One fixation in the Industrial Revolution was the waterpower steam engine. The steam engine was one of the most important technologies during the Industrial Revolution. A man named Hero was the first to devise the steam engine. After Hero devised the steam engine many people experimented with steam-powered devices. In 1712 Thomas Newcomens finally developed the first successful engine. Although it was successful it still had many faults. In 1785 James Watt improved the steam engine based off of what Newcomens had built. In order to power the engines you needed coal. Steam engines became a very important source of power all the way to the 20th century. During the Industrial Revolution, steam power replaced waterpower and muscle power, which usually came from horses. Waterpower was used as a primary source of power in industries. It allowed factories to locate where waterpower was not available. In the beginning it was used to pump water from mines but later on got many more important uses, by using steam engines factories didn’t have to be located close to a water resource, they were able to be located anywhere. Steam engines made a very big impact... ...e limited to working 48 hours a week. There were laws passed to maximum the amount of hours women and children were able to work per day they were called Factory Act of 1844 and Factory Act of 1847. The Act of 1844 stated that women could work a maximum of twelve hours a day. The Factory Act of 1847 stated that women and children could work a maximum of ten hours a day. Three years later they reduced the amount of hours that women could work because twelve hours a day were too many. The Factory Act of 1850 upped the amount of hours women and children could work. They could work upto ten and a half hours, but they are not allowed to work before 6am or after 6pm. The Factory Act of 1850 was an act that stated that no one is allowed to work for more then 56 Â ½ hours per week. The Factory Acts was the first step to help improve working conditions and hours tremendously.

Puritans and Puritanism Essay -- American History

Puritans and Puritanism This essay addresses the questions: What is Puritanism. What is the meaning of puritanism in American history? What is the Covenant as Puritans understood it. How were their ideas about the Covenant applied to their experience in America? Puritanism is one of the most important aspects of the American culture. Many of this country’s beliefs come from puritanism background. What is Puritanism and the meaning of it in American history? Puritanism is a term that originates from the religious group called the Puritans. They were a denomination formed by the great Protestant Reformation in Europe. They were known as nonconformists and dissenters because of their refusal to submit to the Church of England. Because of this, the Puritans and their theology soon died out in Europe. However, the puritan ideas and beliefs flourished in the New World. Puritanism starts with the theology of the Puritans. First they believed in the sovereignty of God. That is, only God had the highest power or rank. This meant that a man did not have the power to hold authority over other men. In essence, this belief coincides with the concept of the divine nature of kings. The English monarchy wanted its people to believe that the king was appointed by God Himself. Therefore, the king was responsible only to God. The first concept of Puritanism states that all Christian men are responsible only to God. Another concept of puritanism and probably the most important is the idea of Salvation by Grace. In Puritan theology, God created mankind and cosmos. He gave mankind a beautiful garden to live, the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, mankind committed sin and was banished. However God, sent His grace to mankind. He gave His... ... was to give African slaves their freedom. Then, there was the westward movement to expand land. During the 20th century, the United States fought to protect the world from the Axis, the Communists, and the Iraqis. In each case, America has always had this special mission which they fulfilled sometimes using questionable methods. We can see how puritanism relates to the beliefs of America by studying the history of America. And we can see the prominent role puritanism has played to American society. Just look at the remnants of the Indian culture. Using the name of God, the Americans stole their land, wiped out their people, and destroyed their culture. Perhaps the sovereignty of God isn’t such a good idea after all. It seems as though with no authority to answer to except God, America was able to do almost anything and state that it was for the â€Å"greater good.†

An Unfortunate Influence and Its Tragic Outcome Essay

In every person’s life there are many factors that occur throughout, both negative and positive influences that alter the path one chooses. In the world renowned play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the tragic outcome is brought about by the lovers’ trusted friend, Friar Lawrence. To begin with, Friar Lawrence is to blame for setting the events into motion by marrying Romeo and Juliet. Then, Friar Lawrence is responsible for Juliet receiving the potion that causes everyone to believe that she is truly dead. Finally, Friar Lawrence could have prevented the two deaths by simply making sure that Romeo gets the message as he assured Juliet he would. So ultimately, Friar Lawrence is responsible for the star crossed lovers’ demise, because they wrongly trust the Friar and his influence causes Romeo and Juliet to make all the wrong decisions thus bringing about their downfall. Before any tragic incidents actually occur in the play, Friar Lawrence sets the entire series of unfortunate events into motion by secretly marrying Romeo and Juliet. When Romeo first arrives at the Friar’s cell to declare the love he now feels for Juliet, Friar Lawrence immediately notes how foolish Romeo is being, for just the day before he had been so in love with Rosaline and devastated that she did not return that love. Friar Lawrence says, â€Å"Is Rosaline, that thou didst love so dear, / So soon forsaken? †¦ And art thou chang’d? Pronounce this sentence then: / Women may fall, when there’s no strength in men† (2.3.66-80). Friar Lawrence right away states that it is ridiculous that Rosaline, with whom Romeo was borderline obsessed, has already been replaced with a girl in a matter of days. However, Friar Lawrence then blatantly turns around and contradicts what he says about Romeo behaving foolishly, by agreeing to marry Romeo and Juliet. Friar Lawrence agrees saying, â€Å"In one respect I’ll thy assistant be. / For this alliance may so happy prove, / To turn your households’ rancour to pure love† (2.3.90-92). Friar Lawrence agrees to secretly wed Romeo and Juliet despite what he says earlier about the proposal. Friar Lawrence could have easily prevented the tragedy if he had just gone with his first instincts. However, he sees the opportunity to stop the feuding between the Capulets and Montagues and jumps at it to become the big hero, therefore making him selfish and irresponsible as well as a bad influence. Friar Lawrence sets Romeo and Juliet’s deaths into motion the second he agrees to Romeo’s plan, and in doing so Friar Lawrence is to blame for the untimely deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Not only does Friar Lawrence trigger Romeo and Juliet’s demise, he also continues the chain of tragic decisions by giving Juliet the sleeping potion that leads Romeo to kill himself. When Juliet runs to Friar Lawrence’s cell in utter desperation, he should have taken the time to advise her against such drastic measures and help her make the responsible choice where Romeo is concerned. Instead, Friar Lawrence hands her a sleeping potion that will create the illusion of death for the drinker: Take thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilling liquor drink thou off,†¦ Now when the bridegroom in the morning comes To rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead (4.1.93-108). Friar Lawrence assures Juliet that everything will be okay and the potion will work in tricking her parents and Paris into believing she is truly dead. He places the vial in her hand and does not do anything to prevent Juliet from making this fatal decision. Friar Lawrence just continues to reassure Juliet by saying, â€Å"And hither shall he come, and he and I /Will watch thy waking, and that very night / Shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua† (4.1.115-117). Friar Lawrence promises Juliet that word of their plans will reach Romeo and when she wakes from her sleep-like trance, Romeo will be there to run away with her to Mantua. Friar Lawrence just keeps on telling Juliet that it will all work out fine, without pausing to think about all the possible dangers and side effects that may come from drinking the vial. Again, Friar Lawrence is being irresponsible and rash, holding two teen’s lives in his hands. Friar Lawrence gets carried away and swept up in Romeo and Julietâ €™s twisted fantasy and helps Juliet make a foolish decision that helps bring about the lover’s demise. Therefore, Friar Lawrence is to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Even after all the irresponsible choices Friar Lawrence makes throughout the play, he still could prevent the tragic outcome by simply making sure that Romeo receives news of the Friar’s and Juliet’s plan. But alas, Friar Lawrence does not follow through and assure that the messenger arrives soundly in Mantua. One of the main reasons Juliet is able to take the potion without many concerns or worries is because she thinks that when she wakes in the monument, Romeo will be there to whisk her away with him. When Juliet is confused and in a highly vulnerable state, Friar Lawrence hands her the vial saying, â€Å"In the mean time, against thou shalt awake, / Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift† (4.1.113-114). Friar Lawrence tells Juliet that while they wait for her to awake, Romeo will receive a letter informing him of their plans. However, the messenger Friar Lawrence sends, Friar John, never makes it to Romeo and by the time Friar Lawrence actually finds out, h e knows that a great mistake has taken place and danger is going to ensue: Unhappy fortune! By my brotherhood, The letter was not nice but full of charge, Of dear import, and the neglecting it May do much danger (5.3.17-20). Friar Lawrence finally realizes the danger that Romeo and Juliet face. He understands that something terrible may happen because the information never reaches Romeo. However, it is too late by the time he arrives at the monument and Romeo, who received false information from Balthasar, is already lying dead beside his stirring wife. When Juliet does officially wake, she is devastated to see her loving Romeo dead, and desperate to be with him again. Instead of calming Juliet down and bringing her to safety, Friar Lawrence selfishly runs away when he hears the Watch coming. He leaves a desperate teenage girl there to stab herself and be with her Romeo for eternity. The incident with the letter leads Romeo to commit suicide and subsequently have Juliet kill herself to be with Romeo. The Friar does not make sure that the letter reaches Romeo and two premature deaths occur instead, conclusively leaving Friar Lawrence to blame. Friar Lawrence is a trusted friend and confident of Romeo and Juliet, yet he negatively influences the two lovers and guides them down a wrong path ending with a double suicide. Friar Lawrence triggers the start of the downfall by irrationally agreeing to wed Romeo and Juliet. Friar Lawrence then gives Juliet bad counsel and advises her to make a catastrophic decision the second he places the vial of sleeping potion into her palm. Friar Lawrence still could evade the entire tragedy, but inadvertently breaks his promise to Juliet and never assures that the letter makes it to Romeo in Mantua. The star crossed lovers’ downfall is caused by the irresponsible and selfish Friar Lawrence because if Romeo and Juliet had not gone to Friar Lawrence for counsel and advice, they would not have been encouraged to follow through with their foolish fantasy and lived. The love between Romeo and Juliet was genuine, and the pain they felt when they heard of the other’s death was real. Kn owing that one person, especially someone as close to them as Friar Lawrence, is to blame for the tragic ending is horrible and tragic in itself, because if Friar Lawrence had just thought through his actions Romeo and Juliet might have lived a long and happy life together.

Case against the Death Penalty

When the then United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan was presented with a petition containing 3. 2 million signatures from 146 countries for a worldwide moratorium on the death sentence, he had commented: â€Å"The forfeiture of life is too absolute, too irreversible, for one human being to inflict it on another, even when backed by legal process. And I believe that future generations, throughout the world, will come to agree. † (Gettings) The words of the former UN Secretary General were in fact an echo of the sentiments of the millions of signatories to the petition that was presented to him.The death sentence strikes at the core of human sensitivity and sensibility. The world is divided into almost two equal camps – one passionately in support and the other equally passionately against this extreme measure of censure in human history. Forty-seven percent Americans support the death penalty, while 48% would rather prefer life without payrole (Death Penalty Inform ation Centre). Both the camps present practical, logical and convincing arguments favoring their stand. Those who are against the death penalty believe that this extreme measure has minimum deterrent effect, violates the most fundamental of human rights, i.e. the right to life, is completely out of sync with civilized society and should be abolished outright and forthwith. Those who support the death penalty, on the other hand, do so because they hold that it acts as a major deterrent to heinous crimes, crimes committed by criminals who, according to them, not only do not deserve a place in society, but also lose the right to life. They have to die so that any chance of them repeating their crime and adding others to their list of victims is eliminated forever. The state, it is reasoned, takes the life to accord protection to future victims of the convicted.An objective analysis of the arguments for and against the death penalty however can only lead to the inevitable conclusion tha t the death penalty has no place in civilized society. Two very undeniable and universal facts override all arguments in support of the death penalty: the fundamental human right to life along with all its critical implications to the individual and to society, and the irrevocability and finality of the death sentence that takes away all probability of redemption or reconsideration at the face of the human nature to err.The Deterrent Factor Those who support the death penalty do so on the basis of the belief that it acts as a strong deterrent to crimes similar to those committed by the condemned. The facts and figures, however, tell a different story. In the United States, the south accounts for 80% of the total executions, yet it has the highest murder rate. However, the northeast, which has less than 1% of all executions, also has the lowest murder rate (Death Penalty Information Centre).The figures lend themselves to very straight forward interpretations: either the death penalty is failing miserably to act as a deterrent in the south or it has to be accepted that the citizenry of the south is inherently more murderous in nature or is simply more susceptible to murder. There are other figures that corroborate the fact that the death penalty does not actually result in a decrease in murder rates. In Canada, the death penalty was abolished in 1976. The homicide rate in the country started declining since 1975, and in 1999 the homicide rate was the lowest since 1967.An analysis by the New York Times in 2000 found that the homicide rates in the US states with the death penalty have been 48% to 101% higher than in states without the death penalty (John Howard Society of Ontario). An overwhelming 84% of the top criminologists of the United States have rejected the notion that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder (Radelet & Akers). The Amnesty International has also failed to find conclusive evidence that the death penalty has any unique capacity to det er others from committing similar crimes.In its survey of research findings on the relation between the death penalty and homicide rates conducted in 1998 and updated in 2002, it concluded that it was â€Å"not prudent to accept the hypothesis that capital punishment deters murder to a marginally greater extent than does the threat and application of the supposedly lesser punishment of life imprisonment. † (Hood 230) If deterrence implies that the condemned is rendered unable to repeat the crime and claim more victim, then it will also have to imply that the condemned would have repeated the crime if allowed to escape the death penalty.That can however be an assumption and an assumption only. And even if we assume that the condemned person would have indeed tried to repeat the crime, it would be possible only if the person is allowed the liberty and the opportunity to do so. Life imprisonment without parole would be a preferred alternative to the death penalty in such a case. Critics would however be quick to point out the financial implications of life imprisonment. Alternative means to incapacitate In practice, however, numerous studies have found that the cost of implementing a death penalty is much higher than the cost of maintaining a prisoner for life.There are many reasons why the death penalty is more expensive than life imprisonment without the possibility of parole (Capital Punishment Project): i. A much higher percentage of cases go to trial in case of death penalties. ii. Murder trials generally take longer when the death penalty is at issue. A capital murder trial lasts over 3. 5 time longer than non-capital murder trials (Cook & Slawson). Certain constitutional safeguards have to be taken in the case of death penalty trials leading to greater time requirement. The Jury selection procedure is also more complex and tedious and takes more time.iii. Death penalty trials require more intense pretrial preparations and more elaborate proceedings. The sentencing phase almost amounts to a second trial. All litigation costs, more often than not, have to be borne by the tax payer. The Joint Legislative Budget Committee of the California Legislature has concluded that â€Å"elimination of the death penalty would result in a net savings to the state of at least several tens of millions of dollars annually, and a net savings to local governments in the millions to tens of millions of dollars on a statewide basis. † (Budget Committee)It is therefore amply clear the life imprisonment without parole is a comparatively cheaper and equally effective alternative to the death penalty, but imposed the same degree of incapacitation on the condemned on the individual level. The May 2006 Gallup Poll (in the United States) found that overall support for the death penalty was 65% (down from 80% in 1994). The same poll revealed that when respondents are given the choice of life without parole as an alternate sentencing option, more choos e life without parole (48%) than the death penalty (47%). (John Howard Society of Ontario)Irreversibility of the Death Penalty The intrinsic weakness of the death penalty as a justifiable measure lies in the fact that it is irreversible and irrevocable. Numerous examples bear testimony to the fact that even the highest judicial system of any country can make mistakes, that innocent persons have been dealt the death penalty time and again, that persons on the death row had been granted last minute reprieve when their innocence had been proved. Studies reveal that more than 200 people have been wrongfully convicted of serious crimes such as murder and rape in California alone since 1989 (Martin).In the United States, 123 persons have been exonerated and released from death row since 1973 (Death Penalty Information Center). A 1980s study in the United States identified 353 cases since the turn of the century of wrongful convictions for offences punishable by death and 25 innocent perso ns were actually executed (John Howard Society of Ontario). The death penalty leaves no scope for errors in judgment. If a person is found to be innocent after the sentence has been carried out, there is no way in which the wrong can be undone.Unlike in other cases, the option for compensation for a wrong done is also completely ruled out in the case of the death penalty. It is therefore assumed that the state and the judicial mechanism are infallible, that there can be no mistakes. The facts have proved this assumption wrong. The core issue of human rights The most damning case against the death penalty is that it is an infringement on the most fundamental of all human rights – the right to life. A death penalty is imposed in the name of the state. But does the state actually have the right to deprive a person of his or her life?It could be a dangerous proposition even to believe so. Hitler’s Germany believed in the absolute right of the state. The consequences mark a very dark period in the history of humankind. Are we tempting fate again by according the state the right to impose and execute the death penalty? In the December 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, nations of the world came together to ensure the fundamental rights of every person. These human rights were not subject to the will of the state, but were declared to be inherent in every human being. It was not the state’s prerogative to grant or withdraw the human rights.The fundamental human rights therefore put limitations on what a state may do to a person. The Universal declaration recognizes each person’s right to life. The death penalty is therefore a fragrant violation of human rights. Human rights preserve the dignity of the individual. There can be no justification inhuman and cruel treatment and punishment that degrades the essence of humanity. The death penalty inflicts the most severe kind of mental and physical torture not only on the condemned, but also on al those who are related to the condemned. Every member of the society also has to own responsibility as a constituent unit of the state.In fact, the broader understanding of human rights issue has been the basis of abolition of the death penalty in many countries. In 1995, Spain abolished the death penalty on the grounds that the death penalty simply could not be fitted into the penal system of advanced and civilized societies, that depriving a person of life was too degrading or afflictive a punishment (Hood 14). The South African Constitutional Court (154) in its historic opinion when banning the death penalty commented that the death penalty violated the right to life and dignity which is the most important of all human rights.And by banning the death penalty, the state was effectively demonstrating the fact. Countries such as Singapore and Trinidad and Tobago have had to deny that the death penalty was a violation of human rights in order to carry on with their practic e of the death penalty. However, the fact that the death penalty is a critical human rights issue has gained increasing acceptance at the international level. In 1997, the U. N. High Commission for Human Rights approved a resolution stating that the â€Å"abolition of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and to the progressive development of human rights.† (12) Subsequent resolutions strengthened this resolution by restricting the offences for which the death penalty could be imposed, eventually leading to abolition. The member states of the Council of Europe have established Protocol 6 to the European Council on Human Rights advocating the abolition of the death penalty. On the same grounds, the European Union had made the abolition of the death penalty a precondition for entry into the Union. This had resulted in the halting of executions in many east European countries such as Russia, Poland, Yugoslavia, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey which had applied for membership to the Union.Not an eye for an eye Proponents of the death penalty attempt to justify their stand on the principle of lex talionis or ‘eye-for-an-eye’ which advocates that violence must in some measure be answered by violence or that the punishment should fit the crime. They believe that such retribution serves justice to murder victims and their survivors. Robert Blecker of the New York Law School testified: â€Å"Naturally grateful, we reward those who bring us pleasure. Instinctively resentful, we punish those who cause us pain. Retributively, society intentionally inflicts pain and suffering on criminals because and to the extent that they deserve it.But only to the extent they deserve it†¦. Justice, a moral imperative in itself, requires deserved punishment. † Just as the individual do not have the right to kill, society also should not be empowered to kill. The retribution theory would dictate that the rapist be raped and the hou se of the arsonist be set on fire. Such a policy would go against the basic tenets of justice. If violence can be justified by violence than it follows that every act of violence whether perpetuated by the state or the individual would be justifiable on some ground or the other.Retribution in kind would bring the state down to the level of the criminal. There would then be no distinction between the dispenser of the law and the one who violates it. Discriminatory Applications The extent of misuse of the death penalty is another reason that calls for its abolition. In the political context, the death penalty has often been used to eliminate opponents and suppress popular uprisings. Here, the question of fairness in making the judgment becomes a very subjective one.What is punishable by death for one political regime could very well be deemed a heroic act of valor for another. The labeling of the act therefore depends very much on the actors and the circumstances and the environment i n which they operate. That is the reason why people who are executed are often subsequently turned into martyrs. It happened in Hitler’s Germany, in India and in South Africa. It is happening in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Serbia and in many other places wherever two groups of people look at the world with conflicting perspectives. Take the example of Saddam Hussien.Richard Dicker’s, director of Human Rights Watch’s International Justice Program, was a rational voice when he said , â€Å"Saddam Hussein was responsible for massive human rights violations, but that can’t justify giving him the death penalty, which is a cruel and inhuman punishment. † (Human Rights Watch) A November 2006 report by Human Rights Watch pointed out numerous serious flaws in the trial of Saddam Hussein. Among other defects, the report found that Iraqi government actions had all along undermined the Iraqi High Tribunal and threatened its independence and perceived impartiality .Handing Saddam Hussein the death penalty has been viewed by a large section of the world as a measure made necessary by the prevailing political and military situation rather than a quest for justice. There is also a very strong view in the United States that the application of the death sentence is racially discriminatory. Studies have been conducted to examine the relationship between race and death penalty in all the states that where the death penalty is still active.The Capital Punishment Project reports that 96% studies found a pattern of either race-of-victim or race-of-defendant discrimination. Of those executed since 1976, approximately 35% have been black, even though blacks constitute only 12% of the population. It has been found that the odds of receiving a death sentence are almost four times higher if the defendant is black. The Amnesty International has also asserted that races does have an impact on capital punishment, and that the judicial system of the United Stat es have been able to do precious little about it.Amnesty International has attributed this failure of the courts and legislatures of the USA to act decisively at the face of evidence that race has an impact on the death sentence to a collective ‘blind faith’ that America will never waver on the ‘non-negotiable’ demands of human dignity including ‘equal justice. ’ Even if the death penalty was justifiable, there is compelling evidence that its implementation falls far short of the standards of fairness expected. There is a tendency to use this extreme measure as an intimidating factor by the powerful forces of the world to assert themselves and to wrongfully dominate and suppress others.The world is coming around The good news is that the world at large is coming together to prove that the death penalty is an unacceptable proposition. The United Nations has declared itself in favour of abolition. Two-thirds of the countries of the world have now abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. In the United States itself, 13 states are now without the death penalty. The latest information from Amnesty International shows that: i. 90 countries and territories have abolished the death penalty for all crimes; ii. 11 countries have abolished the death penalty for all but exceptional crimes such as wartime crimes;iii. 30 countries can be considered abolitionist in practice: they retain the death penalty in law but have not carried out any executions for the past 10 years or more and are believed to have a policy or established practice of not carrying out executions, iv. a total of 131 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, v. 66 other countries and territories retain and use the death penalty, but the number of countries which actually execute prisoners in any one year is much smaller. The debate over capital punishment has raged on long enough. The world is finally showing the door to the death penal ty.In doing so, it is stating in no uncertain terms that the sanctity of life of a fellow human being is above the purview of all man-made laws. That only the giver of life has the right to take it back. Works Cited 1. Amnesty international, â€Å"United States of America, Death by discrimination – the continuing role of race in capital cases†, April 24, 2003. Library, Online Documentation Archive. November 10, 2007 2. Blecker, Robert. Letter to the New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commission supplementing previous testimony, October 24, 2006. 3.Budget Committee, Joint Legislative Budget Committee of the California Legislature, September 9, 1999. 4. Capital Punishment Project, â€Å"Race and the Death Penalty†, American Civil Liberties Union, November 10, 2007 < http://www. aclu. org/death-penalty > 5. Capital Punishment Project, â€Å"The High Costs of the Death Penalty. † American Civil Liberties Union, 2003. 6. Death Penalty Information Center, â€Å"I nnocence and the Death Penalty†, November 9, 2006. 7. Death Penalty Information Centre. November 5, 2007 â€Å"Facts about the Death Penalty. † November 8, 2007.< http://www. deathpenaltyinfo. org/FactSheet. pdf > 8. Gettings, John. â€Å"Death Penalty Update, Here & Abroad. † Infoplease, November 8, 2007. 9. Hood, Roger, â€Å"The Death Penalty: A World-wide Perspective. † 2002. Oxford, Clarendon Press, third edition, 2002. 10. Human Rights Watch, â€Å"Iraq: Saddam Hussein put to Death. Hanging after flawed trial undermines the rule of law. † December 2006. Human Rights News. November 10, 2007 < http://hrw. org/english/docs/2006/12/30/iraq14950. htm > 11. John Howard Society of Ontario, â€Å"The Death Penalty: Any Nation’s Shame.† March, 2001, John Howard Society of Ontario publication. November 8, 2007 < www. johnhowardphd. ca/PDFs/Fact%20Sheets/death%20penalty. pdf > 12. Nina, Martin, â€Å"Innocence Lost†, November 2004, San Francisco Magazine, November 9, 2007, < http://www. sanfran. com/archives/view_story/200/ > 13. Philip J. Cook & Donna B. Slawson, â€Å"The Costs of Prosecuting Murder Cases in North Carolina. † 1993 14. The South African Constitutional Court, â€Å"Makwanyane and Mchunu v. The State†, 16 HRLJ, 1995. 15. United Nations High Commission for Human Rights Resolution, E/CN. 4/1997, April 3, 1997.