Thursday, October 31, 2019
Documenting the media revolution Research Paper
Documenting the media revolution - Research Paper Example Nonetheless, the Internet began spreading in 1983 as university and research center networks. The Internet got its first significant boost in 1990 following the invention of the web by Tim Berners-Lee. The second boost of the Internet was witnessed in 1993 following the release of the first browser Mosaic. At the time, the Internet was only accessible in few developed countries. The Internet, however, began spreading rapidly from 1994 onwards. Today, almost every part of the world is internet accessible (Kozlowski 2). Nevertheless, the spread of the Internet did not bring an end to the traditional print media, radio, movies, or television. Instead, it created its own space as a new form of media to access documents, obtain information, broaden knowledge, and communicate across the world and languages (Kozlowski 3). With the invention and spread of the Internet, booksellers began selling books online both within and outside the home country. Libraries also began developing websites as ââ¬Ëvirtualââ¬â¢ window and digital libraries stemming from their print collections. The website made it possible for patrons to surf information they needed at a period search engines were less accurate and unreliable. With time, library catalogues went online. This was followed by the availability of online magazines and newspapers, as well as their archives. Lebert notes that, with the spread of the Internet, authors began developing websites for their works online (3). Today there are several online books making it possible for people to read online without having to buy a printed book. Libert reveals that the Internet has become a common mode of communication and interaction since 2009. It offers people the opportunity to work, communicate, study, and entertain through the Internet (Primary Research Group 48). This paper will discuss the history of e-books, as well as the various devices where e-books are read. It will also explore how e-books e-magazines and e-newspaper reading may become more of internet connective or group activity. Finally, the paper will provide a prediction of how books will be read in the next decade. 1.1. History of e-books The history of e-books dates back to 1971 following the invention of the e-text #1by Michael Hart in his Project Gutenberg. Lebert reveals that, after the invention of the e-book, Hart disseminated the e-books to the rest of the world (5). The project Gutenberg allowed people of the twentieth century to have a digital library free of charge. Despite skepticism from many people who criticized Hart for his idea, he went ahead to prove them wrong by inventing an e-book. Hart with the assistance of volunteers began by creating online Bibles, which became a huge success. This was followed by the creating Shakespeare online book. Lebert indicate that, by 1989, Project Gutenberg had completed its tenth e-book. Among the books are The King James Bible (1769) both New and Old testaments and 5M for the entire file s. Research indicates that there were only about 250,000 internet users by 1990. This stage is considered an infant stage of the Internet where the standard was just 360 k disks. Later on in 1991, Hart typed Lewis Carrollââ¬â¢s, Aliceââ¬â¢s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) followed by Peter Pan (1904) by James M. Barrie. Lebert reveals t
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Originality and shock value Essay Example for Free
Originality and shock value Essay Dead animals, elephant dung, unmade beds and rice all seem like everyday objects but should we be calling them art? When we were growing up we were taught that art was a beautiful painting like Van Goghs Sunflowers, or a perfect sculpture of a human like Michelangelos David, but we were never really taught that conceptual and contemporary art were proper forms of art, even though it was established in the sixties. It made us think and challenge our own assumptions of what art should really look like. People didnt understand the idea of cows cut in half (Damien Hirst), wire mesh lockers (Mona Hatoum), rubble (Richard Long) or rubbish (Tomoko Takahashi) being called art unless you could frame it nicely on your living room wall. The fact that this type of art didnt fit neatly into peoples ideas of what art should be was the reason it was called conceptual. Conceptual and contemporary art got a huge reaction out of people because they felt conned and marginally embarrassed when, for example, they looked at Martin Creeds light going on and off and didnt get it. They didnt like the fact that they couldnt work out the true meaning of what the artist was trying to get across. It also got a reaction for another reason which was the simplicity of some of the art. Im sure that when all the people who were working long hours every week looked at the well-paid artist Tracey Emins unmade bed they were desperately screaming to themselves, BUT I COULD DO THAT! and thinking whether conceptual art is even worth looking at. Maybe some of us are completely missing the point they are trying to get across. Maybe instead of drowning in the depression of how easy, and perhaps pointless, the art is we should be fresh-eyed and open minded and celebrate the fact that these ideas and possibilites have been opened for us. Maybe thats the point. This art definitely has originality and shock value. Artists dont want to repeat whats been done before in the same way no one wants to hear old jokes. Their use of new technology adds to the quality of some of their work. Using a computer isnt a cop-out of drawing, its just another tool. The originality and shock value go hand-in-hand and afterall, arent those the two things we want when we look at art? We as viewers dont want to stand there looking at something so bland, tasteless and overrated; If we wanted that then we could just as easily stick a slice of bread on the wall and call that art. The artists look for new challenges and ways for us to see their art. This type of art makes us challenge ourselves to find beauty in the everyday things in life. My opinion of Modern Art is a very balanced one because even though some of the examples of conceptual and contemporary art are sometimes ridiculous, they also challenge you to find the true meaning of what it stands for. The shock factor aswell hypnotizes us and keeps our attention locked on the beauty of the art. One thing that fascinates me though is that if artist Chris Ofili paints with elephant dung he is seen as a Turner Prize winning genius, but if I tried to paint with elephant dung would I be seen as an artistic genius? Probably not.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Globalization Theory on Welfare Provision
Globalization Theory on Welfare Provision Globalization theory implies that the nation has little autonomy in organizing itsà welfare provision. Evaluate this statement, referring to at least two welfare regimes. At first glance this statement appears to be true when applied to the welfare states of both Germany and Sweden. For nearly a century the Swedish welfare system was the worldââ¬â¢s pre-eminent example of the ââ¬Ësocial-democraticââ¬â¢ model of welfare provision; likewise Germanyââ¬â¢s welfare regime was a classic instance of the ââ¬ËConservativeââ¬â¢ model. Yet in the late 1980ââ¬â¢s and early 1990ââ¬â¢s both models were aggressively assailed by serious economic difficulties. These difficulties have been attributed to the effects of globalization and they have been cited as evidence that idiosyncratic and distinctive national welfare schemes cannot resist world economic and social forces. Economic evidence appears to uphold this statement. Swedenââ¬â¢s unemployment figures rose for instance from less that 1% in the late 1980ââ¬â¢s to over 12.5% in 1993. In Germany workers contributed 26% of their income to welfare in 1970 and over 40% by 1990. Faced with such figures Swedish and German governments have felt massive pressure to cut back on systems of benefits that their accustomed citizens have deemed essential for more than fifty years. Authors such as Esping Anderson argue however that ââ¬â at least in the case of Sweden and other ââ¬Ësocial-democraciesââ¬â¢ ââ¬â the present economic difficulties of these systems are temporary phenomenon made more severe by a combination of unfortunate events in the world economy in the 1990ââ¬â¢s. These pressures are ephemeral and when they pass away it will be possible to maintain the universal level of welfare guaranteed by the social-democratic model. Less optimism can be expressed for the German model which faces the enormous difficulties with its ageing population, rising tax-burdens and assimilation of East Germany. The term ââ¬Ëglobalizationââ¬â¢ has become something of a bloated monster with many different heads each meaning for the people who use them slightly or considerably different things from the others. Even a casual glance at the literature will show that the term is associated with the spread of each of the following: internationalization, liberalization, universalization, westernization, modernization or deterritorialization (Held, 1999). There is little space in this essay to discuss these terms in depth, and so it is best here to give a consensus definition that draws from each of them. When referred to welfare regimes globalization signifies an economic and social compression and condensing of the world whereby financial and social interaction between states is intensified. The World Bank for example defines globalization as the ââ¬Å"Freedom and ability of individuals and firms to initiate voluntary economic transactions with residents of other countriesâ⬠[1]. Globali zation means that there is a greater flow of commodities and influence across the borders of countries. Economically, this means that free trade, migration, capital and technology have a far greater power to influence individual states and nations than they had before. National economies and institutions (such as welfare systems) are more susceptible to international pressures and are often forced to conform or modify themselves so as to be competitive with these general trends. In social terms, globalization imposes upon individual nations the need to conform to international attitudes, for instance, towards the rights of women. Acceptance of such impositions often requires profound changes to the structure of traditional national institutions or ways of life. Authors on globalization have been equally vociferous in their support and condemnation of the movement. Noam Chomsky, for instance, is publicly critical of the tendency of globalization to remove freedom and choice from the individual and to transfer it to transnational corporations. Chomsky argues that global organizations such as the Bretton Wood institutions, the IMF and the World Bank, have promoted the ââ¬ËWashington Consensusââ¬â¢ whereby poor countries have to reduce welfare provisions to meet debt payments to richer nations (Chomsky, 1999). Accordingly, the WTO, GATT and NAFTA are agencies that seek to acquire privileges for elites rather than those of the third-world. In contrast, those who promote globalization, such as the leaders of the institutions listed above, argue that globalization means a golden opportunity to build a platform for worldwide and universal democracy, healthcare, pension provision and all of the other basic rights expected by citizens of Western welfare regimes. Esping Andersonââ¬â¢s The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism (Esping-Anderson, 1990) is a seminal text in the literature of welfare states. As its title suggest, Espingââ¬â¢s book divides the various kinds of welfare regimes in developed nations into three types: Liberal, Conservative (Corporate), and Social Democratic. Examples of countries with Liberal welfare regimes are the United States, Canada and Australia. These systems support means-measured-assistance that issue benefits for mainly the poor or those incapable of self-assistance. Government intervention in the welfare system is limited since government institutions are seen as unsuited for the dispersal of benefits; private welfare initiatives are as such much encouraged. The liberal model is predominantly individualistic and market-orientated. Examples of the Conservative type include Germany, France and Italy. In this model welfare benefits are related to social position and employment status. This model depends heav ily upon the work of the Church which is intimately linked to the distribution of welfare ââ¬â particularly provision for the poor. So too the family is a vital source welfare. Sweden, Denmark and Norway are examples of countries that practice the Social Democratic model of welfare provision. Referred to also as the ââ¬ËScandinavian Modelââ¬â¢ or the ââ¬ËSwedish Modelââ¬â¢, this type of provision demands the intimate public involvement of its citizens in the economy and society of the nation. In such models the welfare state is an umbrella that protects the whole nation. For instance, education is universally free (or very cheap) and of such a uniformly excellent level that it is unnecessary to maintain private schools. Healthcare, childcare allowances and old-age pensions are available to all citizens. The philosophy of the social democratic model is that its institutions should be egalitarian whereby the standard of living for the whole nation is leveled as much as possible. Espingââ¬â¢s model has been highly influential upon the thought of scholars writing about the welfare state and upon practitioners within it. Espingââ¬â¢s work is also significant because he suggests that the social-democratic model may be able to weather the difficulties it has undergone by globalization since the early 1990ââ¬â¢s. These ideas are now discussed with reference to the particular welfare regimes of Sweden and Germany. The German welfare regime is a classic example of the conservative model of welfare provision. Originating with Chancellor Otto von Bismarck during the 1880ââ¬â¢s the German welfare regime gradually established compulsory insurance schemes for healthcare, accidents, disability and old-age. After Bismarck the German welfare state was further expanded during the years of the Weimar Republic and the Nazi dictatorship. In 1957 Chancellor Adenauer passed the Pension Reform Law which aimed to distribute on an egalitarian basis the wealth of the ââ¬Ëeconomic miracleââ¬â¢ that Germany was experiencing at the time. This was a momentous and controversial decision that would lead to successive German chancellorââ¬â¢s competing to offer better and better ââ¬â and more unrealistic and more unrealistic! ââ¬â welfare provisions and retirement packages to German workers. Adenauer replaced Bismarckââ¬â¢s limited system of helping only the elderly or desperately poor with pensio n schemes linked to wages referred to as ââ¬Ëpay-as-you-goââ¬â¢ (Beck, 1995). These schemes were highly successful during the boom times of the 1950ââ¬â¢s and 1960ââ¬â¢s and up until the 1970ââ¬â¢s. The 1980ââ¬â¢s and 1990ââ¬â¢s however saw the beginning of a series of serious economic challenges to the German welfare model: the German economy began to slow, the re-unification of East Germany meant huge extra burdens for the system and the German population was ageing quickly. In these years pension contributions for German workers went up from 26% in 1970 to 40% in 1990 (Crew, 1998). German politicians failed to see and so prepare for these events. Chancellors Helmut Schmidt and Helmut Kohl sought to improve things by extravagant pensions promises that they knew they could not could not fulfill. Chancellor Kohl for instance famously claimed in his 1990 Unity Campaign that ââ¬ËWhen I say that we will not increase taxes, it means we will not increase taxesâ⠬⢠(Bleses, 2004). Within a year gasoline, tobacco and insurance taxes had been raised as well as the solidarity surcharge added. Globalization became a major problem for the German welfare system in the early 1990ââ¬â¢s when the world-recession hit Germanyââ¬â¢s economy hard and made it difficult for her to sustain her generous welfare provision. Germany initially responded to the pressures of globalization by raising taxes steeply. Chancellor Gerhard Schroederââ¬â¢s has recently sought to introduce comprehensive reforms of the welfare system ââ¬â Hartz 1V[2] for instance to respond to globalization. German trade unions are intractably opposed to such reforms and have staged huge street protests against them. The ââ¬ËSwedish modelââ¬â¢ of welfare provision is a classic example of the social-democratic type. The history of the Swedish model is closely bound to the aims of the Swedish Social Democratic Party which was founded in 1889. The SDP was set up by industrial workers who aimed to guarantee every Swedish worker (and later every Swede) medical insurance, pensions in old-age, redundancy protection and various other benefits that guarded them against poverty and hunger. The SDP based the Swedish welfare system upon very high taxation (as it remains today) and Swedes pay up to 60% of their total income to the government. 90% of businesses in Sweden are privately owned and pay large corporate taxes to the government also. The SDPââ¬â¢s interpretation of the welfare state was based upon high taxation and was referred to as the ââ¬ËPeopleââ¬â¢s Homeââ¬â¢. The SDP became the dominant political force in Sweden in the 1930ââ¬â¢s (lasting in power for sixty years) and in 19 37 the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) passed a pensions scheme for the elderly that continues to the present. After World War II the SDP extensively enlarged the welfare regime. This extension included mandatory health insurance, dental insurance, child-care subsidies, five-week vacation periods and so on. Thus by the 1970ââ¬â¢s the dream of the ââ¬ËPeopleââ¬â¢s Homeââ¬â¢ had been substantially realized. Nearly sixty years of near blissful conditions in Swedenââ¬â¢s welfare system were seriously threatened in the 1990ââ¬â¢s by a series of economic difficulties which were attributed to globalization and adduced as evidence that individual national monetary policies cannot survive the effects of globalization (Rydenfelt, 1981). Sweden is the classic example of the social-democratic model ââ¬Ëthird-wayââ¬â¢ between conservatism and laissez-faire and so if Sweden fails to protect its distinctive system then all others of this type are likely to fail also. Globalization is seen to have forced Sweden to reduce full-employment provisions and to slash benefits in its welfare regime. The electoral defeat of the SDP for the first time in sixty years was seen as further evidence of the ability of globalization to affect well-rooted national institutions. Evidence for the crisis caused by globalization appears convincing. Between 1990-1995 national growth was viscous at 0.4% GDP, une mployment soared from 1.6% in 1990 to 12.5% in 1993. Government expenditure measured in GDP climbed from 60% in 1989 to 74.1% in 1993 (Crew, 1993). These events had three principal causes. Firstly, the volatility of Swedish currency internationally in expectation of the finalization of the European Single Market and also the act of Swedenââ¬â¢s joining the EU. Second, the far-stretched depression of the early 1990ââ¬â¢s that reached globally. Thirdly, the difficulties of maintaining the level of the Krona next to the Deutschmark after competitive devaluations were ditched in the 1980ââ¬â¢s. This evidence can be interpreted in two ways. Some argue that the Swedish crisis is an inevitable consequence of lavish public spending and impossibly high welfare provisions. The other school, represented by Esping-Anderson for instance, argues that the Swedish crisis is temporary and that its welfare state is capable of surviving present economic difficulties. Events for this school ar e conjunctural (Esping-Anderson, 1990). Sweden is not the victim of globalization, but of a particularly unlucky set of economic coincidences. Finally it must be said that neither Sweden nor Germany has yet determined with certainty whether they will be able to resist the pressure of globalization to modify or replace their idiosyncratic national welfare models. Sweden and Germany face pressure from within and without. Globalization from the outside, and the absolute demand of their citizens for a continuation of the present generosity of their respective welfare systems. If Esping Anderson is right, Sweden may weather the storm and preserve its social-democratic model. For Germany the external pressures are greater and the rescue of its conservative model far less certain. Bibliography Beck, H. (1995) The Origins of the Authoritarian Welfare State in Prussia. Ann Arbor,à University of Michigan Press. Bleses, P. (2004) The Dual Transformation of the German Welfare State. Palgrave Macmillan,à Basingstoke. Castells, M. (1996). Information Technology and Global Capitalismââ¬â¢ in W. Hutton A.à Giddens (eds.) On the Edge: Living with Global Capitalism. Vintage, London. Crew, D. F. (1998). Germans on Welfare. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Chomsky, N. (2003). Hegemony or Survival. Metropolitan Books, New York. Chomsky, N. (1999). Profit Over People. Seven Stories Press, New York. Chossudovsky, M. (1997). The Globalization of Poverty. Impacts of the IMF and World Bankà Reforms. Zed Books, London. Esping-Anderson, G. (1990). The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. Polity Press,à Cambridge. Hajighasemi, A. N. (2002). The Transformation of the Swedish Welfare System: Fact orà Fiction? University of Durham, Durham. Held, D (et al.). (1999). Global Transformations ââ¬â Politics, Economics and Culture. Polityà Press, Cambridge. Kelner, D. (1997). Globalization and the Postmodern Turn. UCLA, Los Angeles. Kuttner, R. (2002). Globalization and Poverty. The American Prospect Online.à www.prospect.org./print/V13/1/global-intro.html/ Liebfried, S. (2003). Limits to Globalization: Welfare States and the World Economy. Polityà Press, Cambridge. Rydenfelt, S. (1981). The Rise and Decline of the Swedish Welfare State. Lund Universityà Press, Lund. Rydenfelt, S. (1980). The Limits of Taxation: Lessons from the Swedish Welfare State. Lundà University Press, Lund. [1] www.worldbank.org/globalization/definition [2] Hartz IV, Federal Agency for Labour: a law that offers reduced unemployment benefits at different levels in East and West Germany.
Friday, October 25, 2019
A Man For All Seasons Essay example -- essays research papers
For a truly Christian man, nothing is more important than preparing the immortal soul for the next life. In the play, ââ¬Å"A Man For All Seasons,â⬠Sir Thomas Moore is a devout Christianââ¬âapparent due to his unceasing prayers, vast humbleness, devotion to his family, and his ardency in maintaining the truth. His refusal to obey King Henry VIII shows that he believes strongly in life after death, for going against the King of England in Renaissance Era ensured swift, lethal retribution. The only way that Sir Thomas might have remained alive was to swear to the Act of Succession, which violated his deepest convictions about religion. Being a Christian, Sir Thomas decided to let God be the judge of those who endorsed the oath to avoid the wrath of King Henry and remain on earth for an amount of time that would surely pass. Fearing not for his life but for the verdict on his immortal soul, Sir Thomas Moore decided to defend the truth. à à à à à à à à à à The corruption of Renaissance England is obvious all the way from the church to the monarchyââ¬âclutching cardinals, lords, bishops, and even kings in its nearly inescapable grasp. Wishing to gain greater material wealth, those in high places often bent the rules, told lies, and threatened underlings to attain that which they desired. Sir Thomas Moore, however, made no false pretensesââ¬âhe truly believed in Christianity and its siblings honesty, charity, and integrity. He was not one to compromise hi...
Thursday, October 24, 2019
The Broad Communications
The broad communications as methods of correspondence produces messages which are intended to achieve countless with the objective of expanding a benefit (as refered to in Thompson and Heinberg, 1999). Because of the mass medias tremendous expansion all through society, Willinge, Touyz and Charles (2006), contend that it is likely the absolute most capable and compelling transmitter of the admired self-perception for females. In the past pictures of magnificence and gentility were generally depicted using craftsmanship, music and writing. However the media and its impact have radically changed and developed from that point forward, and it is the present print and electronic media that have gone under much feedback for their portrayal of the glorified self-perception (Thompson and Heinberg, 1999). Johnson, Tobin and Steinberg (1989) express that the thin perfect self-perception which is depicted in the media is normally 15% underneath the normal weight of a ladies (as refered to in Hawkins, Richards, MacGranley and Stein, 2004). While Wiseman, Gray, Mosimann and Ahrens (1992) express that while the normal American ladies is in actuality getting heavier, the media pictures of ladies are to be sure getting more slender (as refered to in Cory and Burns, 2007). Thompson and Heinberg (1999) keep on adding to this contention. They express that lone 10% of ladies depicted on TV are overweight. This isn't a genuine portrayal of our general public today. Willinge et al (2006) states that 75% of individuals met trusted that the media advances slimness as a perfect to endeavor towards for ladies. Hawkins et al (2004) concur with these announcements and contend that while the media picture of ladies ends up more slender it is making the perfect body significantly more hard to accomplish and is making included weight ladies. Gordon (2008) keeps on noticing the media offer little decent variety in the depiction of ladies. In a report completed by Dove healthy skin about ââ¬Ëgenuine' ladies' demeanor towards the pictures appeared in the media, 75% of ladies expressed that they might want to see greater decent variety of ladies in the media. This included ladies of various shape, size and age (Etcoff, Orbach, Scott and D'Agostino, 2004). In later years the size zero pattern has been underlined and supported in numerous parts of Western culture. Willinge et al. (2006) states that females are urged to endeavor towards this picture, in spite of the fact that this perfect is at last extraordinary and hazardous and unattainable for most. Berel and Irving (1998) expressed in a report that female understudies revealed that the media connected the most weight on the possibility of slimness than some other source (as refered to in Robles, 2011). While Bedford and Johnson (2006) express that more youthful ladies are frequently more delicate to the multidimensional idea of the media and subsequently this regularly brings about diminished levels of control levels. McKinley and Hyde (1996) report that the media portray men and ladies in various structures which may add to the sexual externalization as talked about already. All through the media pictures that speak to men by and large focus all over and head, while pictures speaking to ladies tend to center around their body. McKinley and Hyde (1996) contend this is unmistakable all through every visual type of media, specifically music recordings, commercial and ladies' magazines. This accentuation on the thin romanticized self-perception frequently builds the sentiment sexual typification. They assert that proceeded with presentation to these pictures brings about numerous ladies wanting to change their appearance trying to ââ¬Ëfit in'. Bessenoff (2006) claims that nonstop presentation to these pictures of the thin admired body in the media can have numerous negative consequences for ladies including; a reduction in selfesteem, melancholy and dietary problems. While McKinley and Hyde (1996) remark that one of the most noticeably bad impacts that rehashed introduction to the media can have on ladies is that of self externalization, that will be that ladies start to regard themselves as a body that is there for evalution. McKinley and Hyde (1996) concur with the conclusion from Bessenoff (2006) and keep on stating that this thus prompts a lessening in confidence and discouragement and most pessimistic scenario dietary problems.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Acer Case
Acer. Inc | Taiwanââ¬â¢s Rampaging Dragon | 9/26/2012 | How would you account for Acerââ¬â¢s outstanding start-up? What caused this company to outpace scores of other Taiwanese PC companies? Acer is a company that was founded by Shih, his wife and a couple of other people. It was founded in the 1976 and the electronic market at that time was still small. This time cellphones where not yet even invented so the market was pretty good for a starter. This is I believe one of the reasons why Acerââ¬â¢s startup was outstanding.One of the other many reasons is because of their willingness to try everything that came their way. They dared to do everything, from providing engineering to publishing trade journals. They were not hesitant and were very hungry to succeed. Acers CEO Shih was also a very charismatic leader, transferring very important philosophies to his employees hence creating a strong foundation. He paid his employees modest salaries and offered them equity. The employe es in turn felt a sense of ownership and this had a very good impact on their performances.They were very loyal and followed Shihââ¬â¢s leadership. Shi did not only offer key employees equity but also delegated substantial decision-making responsibility to them. Empowering his employees in such a way only made them more loyal and committed to the company. Shih also believed and valued his employeeââ¬â¢s education and created an environment where people were ready to learn and improve themselves. Joint ventures also cut down costs and developed good relationships with suppliers. The whole work environment was like a family and everyone there was very comfortable and happy.When employees are happy, the companyââ¬â¢s customers are also happy. All of these reasons and more made Acer then known as Multitech outscore the other Taiwanese PC companies. After a strong decade of growth, why did Acerââ¬â¢s growth and profitability tumble in the late 1980ââ¬â¢s? How do you evalua te Leonard Liuââ¬â¢s performance? Acers was founded in the mid 70ââ¬â¢s and at that time the market was small. At the end of the 80ââ¬â¢s there was a lot of competition and Acer had to struggle with these forces. Its competitors were producing PCââ¬â¢s at very low prices and Acer had to match that.One of the other reasons why Acer struggled is because it had expanded rapidly. This growth caused a shortage in management and some outside help ââ¬ËParatroopersââ¬â¢ had to be brought in. Because of Acers overseas expansion these newcomers were supposed to help with the transition since they knew something about the international market. This however caused confusion in the company because of the culture clashes. The family culture was intruded by outside cultures and the working environments were no longer splendid. As mentioned before, happy employees lead to happy customers.Unhappy employeeââ¬â¢s in turn lead to unhappy customers. Acer was also struggling financia lly. Expansion needs resources and these were not available. In order to solve this Acer had to go public and create equity by selling its stock on the market. As if this was not enough, Acer also had to deal with rebranding. This took up a lot of Shihââ¬â¢s valuable time. I look at Leu in different ways. First of all; he was just a man given a big responsibility and was trying to do the best he could. Some of his transformations were in the long run effective.He reorganized the company and this was very effective. Leu also gave some responsibility to the managers for the outcomes of their work, this made them work harder and they were careful in their decision making. However this changed the whole atmosphere in the company, the culture was changing and this was not appreciated. Culture is something one cannot change overnight but Leu tried to do that and it backfired. He tried to change everything overnight and this was never going to work with a company like Acer that was happ y with their current culture and comfortable with it.Leu also spending a lot of money did not help and employees in the end lost faith in him. How effective was Shih in rebuilding Acer in the early/mid 90ââ¬â¢s? What do you think of his new business concept (ââ¬Å"fast foodâ⬠model, Uniload, Smiling Curve, etc. ) and his new organization model (Client-Server, 21 in 21, etc. )? Is this a visionary framework for Acerââ¬â¢s future competitiveness, or a random series of ill-conceived top-down initiatives? Shih came back with some lessons learnt. Some of which came from Leu despite him leaving in a bad way. He found Acers organization was better and this helped him achieve his goals.He brought in new philosophies which lifted up the company and he communicated his ideas to Acer employees making sure they got the message and then acted upon it. The philosophy like ââ¬Ëfast food businessesââ¬â¢ helped Acer to lower its costs and in the end make more profits. I believe thr ough these philosophies Shih managed to get the attention of its employees and the message was therefore well communicated. Despite these strategies being vague I believe they were visionary. Acer needed to be redeemed to its old position and be given back its power. Its employees needed to be encouraged and be motivated to work.These strategies did the trick and created a turnaround for Acer. As Stan, what action would you take on Aspire? Should he approve its continued development? Should he allow AAC to continue to lead the project? With all of the changes Acer underwent, I would say Aspire was a good innovation and it is a chance not to pass. Aspire is a revolutionary innovation and if Shih lets it go, it will go to his competitors and he will loose out on a good opportunity. Him blessing this innovation will mean that he does what he preaches. He was always encouraging his employees to use their knowledge and skills and do something innovative.This was a chance to prove that he would support those innovations. I also think since AAC came up with the innovation they should be the ones to lead the project. This may even be an opportunity for Acer to expand deeply into other regions. Should Aspire become a global product? If so, who should manage the worldwide? Of course Aspire should go global!!! If the product is successful in one region they could try it in other regions and see how it performs there. In my opinion Taiwan should manage it because it is after the mother company and they have more experience in managing new products.
Free Essays on Longfellow And His Poetry
These are many great poets. Longfellow is one of the few poets that put together novel type works. He created some of the best poetry ever written. Longfellowââ¬â¢s narrative poems, such as Evangeline, The song of Hiawatha, and The Courtship of Miles Standish, gave a romanticized view of Americaââ¬â¢s early history and democratic ideals. Evangeline is one of the best long poems ever written by any author. Itââ¬â¢s popularity at through all class distinctions. It was read and loved and pondered over in humble cottages (Wagonknecht P.85). Evangeline was the first long poem in America literature to live beyond its own time, and it would be impossible to exaggerate its vogue, either at home or abroad (Wagonknecht P.85). The historical basis of the story was supplied in 1755 by the expulsion of the French settlers from the vicinity of the boy of Minas in Acadie as an incident of the conflict between France and England for possession of the North American continent (Wagonknecht P.86). In the poem Evangeline they are unable to find Gabriel. Evangelines party arrives at a village and finds Gabrielââ¬â¢s father Basil, who tells Evangeline that Gabriel had left only the day before with a party going to the Ozark Mountains to trade for moles with the Spaniards. The priest assures her, however, that the party will return to the mission in autumn when the hunting season is over. Evangeline decides to accept the priestââ¬â¢s advice to await her lover at the mission. But the autumn comes and passes, with no Gabriel, so she again resumes her pursuit (Williams P.153 ). Gabriel Lajeunesse, in his passiuity and elusiveness, is unconsciously fleeing from Evangeline rather than seeking her out. Certainly he is no dominating and aggressive Odysseus, anymore than Evangeline is a merely stead fast and long-waiting Penelope; and the poem, in itself and in the popular imagination, is hers, not Gabrie... Free Essays on Longfellow And His Poetry Free Essays on Longfellow And His Poetry These are many great poets. Longfellow is one of the few poets that put together novel type works. He created some of the best poetry ever written. Longfellowââ¬â¢s narrative poems, such as Evangeline, The song of Hiawatha, and The Courtship of Miles Standish, gave a romanticized view of Americaââ¬â¢s early history and democratic ideals. Evangeline is one of the best long poems ever written by any author. Itââ¬â¢s popularity at through all class distinctions. It was read and loved and pondered over in humble cottages (Wagonknecht P.85). Evangeline was the first long poem in America literature to live beyond its own time, and it would be impossible to exaggerate its vogue, either at home or abroad (Wagonknecht P.85). The historical basis of the story was supplied in 1755 by the expulsion of the French settlers from the vicinity of the boy of Minas in Acadie as an incident of the conflict between France and England for possession of the North American continent (Wagonknecht P.86). In the poem Evangeline they are unable to find Gabriel. Evangelines party arrives at a village and finds Gabrielââ¬â¢s father Basil, who tells Evangeline that Gabriel had left only the day before with a party going to the Ozark Mountains to trade for moles with the Spaniards. The priest assures her, however, that the party will return to the mission in autumn when the hunting season is over. Evangeline decides to accept the priestââ¬â¢s advice to await her lover at the mission. But the autumn comes and passes, with no Gabriel, so she again resumes her pursuit (Williams P.153 ). Gabriel Lajeunesse, in his passiuity and elusiveness, is unconsciously fleeing from Evangeline rather than seeking her out. Certainly he is no dominating and aggressive Odysseus, anymore than Evangeline is a merely stead fast and long-waiting Penelope; and the poem, in itself and in the popular imagination, is hers, not Gabrie...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Free Essays on Educational Pratices in Colonial America
America prides itself on the fact that every child in this nation is entitled to a free and well rounded education. This was not always the case. The establishment of schooling systems within America, was an evolutionary process. Each region in the country began with a system which suited them, whether that meant that children only learned what was necessary for survival or just basic reading and writing. Eventually, America began to realize that its children needed to educated. It then became a public issue, and the emergence of institutionalized learning centers originated. This still did not ensure that all children were educated, especially when it came to girls. Up until the aftermath of the American Revolution, education for girls was not a priority and not deemed very important. Only with the new ideology that emerged from that war, did the amendment of womenââ¬â¢s educational rights become considerable. Very few colonial children received formal educations in the early years. ââ¬Å"As members of the family workforce, children were vocational apprentices of the parent of their own sex: fathers trained sons in agriculture or in the family trade, while mothers taught housewifery to their girls.â⬠Children were to be prepared for the immediate world of their upbringing, if reading and writing skills were not needed to tend to tobacco, then they were last to be taught. The attitude that prevailed, consisted of the idea that book learning, as a part of educational preparation for those headed for a career in the family trade or for girls destined to be housewives, was audacious, although this form of learning may have been present. However, male children were more likely to be literate and possess a variety of training in comparison to their sisters, who usually only acquired skills through everyday life activities. Often neighbors (usually a indigent widow) would teach children reading, writing and spelling, due to par... Free Essays on Educational Pratices in Colonial America Free Essays on Educational Pratices in Colonial America America prides itself on the fact that every child in this nation is entitled to a free and well rounded education. This was not always the case. The establishment of schooling systems within America, was an evolutionary process. Each region in the country began with a system which suited them, whether that meant that children only learned what was necessary for survival or just basic reading and writing. Eventually, America began to realize that its children needed to educated. It then became a public issue, and the emergence of institutionalized learning centers originated. This still did not ensure that all children were educated, especially when it came to girls. Up until the aftermath of the American Revolution, education for girls was not a priority and not deemed very important. Only with the new ideology that emerged from that war, did the amendment of womenââ¬â¢s educational rights become considerable. Very few colonial children received formal educations in the early years. ââ¬Å"As members of the family workforce, children were vocational apprentices of the parent of their own sex: fathers trained sons in agriculture or in the family trade, while mothers taught housewifery to their girls.â⬠Children were to be prepared for the immediate world of their upbringing, if reading and writing skills were not needed to tend to tobacco, then they were last to be taught. The attitude that prevailed, consisted of the idea that book learning, as a part of educational preparation for those headed for a career in the family trade or for girls destined to be housewives, was audacious, although this form of learning may have been present. However, male children were more likely to be literate and possess a variety of training in comparison to their sisters, who usually only acquired skills through everyday life activities. Often neighbors (usually a indigent widow) would teach children reading, writing and spelling, due to par...
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3
Assignment Example This programmed cell death is called apoptosis; where cells deliberately destroy themselves. The events around the death are controlled by the nuclear genes. It begins with the breaking of the chromosomal DNA into fragments then the breakdown of the nucleus. Ultimately after time the cell shrinks and is fed on by the neighboring cells and macrophages. Cells that are damaged for some reason like DNA alteration or infection undergo programmed death. The process removes lethal cells which could lead to undesired mutation or viral spread. The cell might as well die for reasons like starvation, trauma, or asphyxiate. (Geoffrey and Robert, 97 ) Programmed cell death plays a very major role in maintaining the life and health of organisms. It is a normal part of embryonic development. For instance, the fingers and toes of a human are webbed when in the embryonic stage. Through cell death, the webbing is removed through apoptosis. The immune and nervous systems are also largely developed thro ugh the same process. (Wayne, 24) The process of apoptosis involves a variety of intra and extra cellular stimuli. When it is induced by extra-cellular factors, it is triggered by cell surface death receptors. These death receptors have cytoplasmic death domains (FADD and TRADD). They are typified by the tumor necrosis receptor superfamily which includes tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR-1), TNF related apoptosis ââ¬â inducing ligand recptor 1 (TRAILR-1), death receptor 3ectodermal dysplasia receptor (EDAR), nerve growth receptor and the cytotoxic T-cell proteins like perforin and granzyme-B. The FAS receptor is found on the surface of the cell (on the chromosome) and it leads to programmed cell death. Apoptosis uses it as a pathway. It also uses the mitochondrial pathway (Geoffrey and Cooper, 46) Apoptosis is driven by the impetus of enzymes from the regulated family proteolytic enzymes called caspases. Caspases are made up of upstream (initiator) caspases which are normal ly activated by death receptor signalosomes, casase 9, activated by the mitochondrial cytochrome derived apoptosome; downstream caspases (effectors) which cleave the involved proteins. Interaction with death receptor cytoplasmic death inducing signaling complexes that contain FAS-associating death domain activates caspases 2, 8 and 10. The receptors are activated by ligands involved in signaling cell death hence supporting cell selection, homeostasis, and morphogenesis and host defense (Carlo, 16) Death receptor ligands include Fas ligand, tumor necrosis factor alpha, NF-related apoptosis inducing ligand, TNF-related weak inducer of apoptosis, TNF-related molecule 1 and nerve growth factor. The ligand is a homotrimetic type II transmembrane protein of the TNF family. It induces apoptosis through trimetization hence playing an important role in the regulation of immune system. It also has a role in the progression of cancer. It is the Fas ligand that forms the death inducing signalin g complex (DISC). Caspase-8 is released from DISC to the cytosol and it cleaves the other effector caspases. This leads to DNA degradation, membrane blebbing and other events that are associated with apoptosis. It is suggested that the extrinsic Fas pathway on its own can induce apoptosis in certain cell types. These cells are dubbed Type 1 cells and are characterized by the inability of the anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2
Friday, October 18, 2019
How Christianity Contributes to Patriarchy-Research Paper Essay
How Christianity Contributes to Patriarchy-Research Paper - Essay Example Once theyââ¬â¢ve entered into that ââ¬Ëhappily ever afterââ¬â¢ world following the wedding at the end of the story, the patriarchal concept of women has them managing the household, caring for the children and entirely confined within the boundaries of the husbandââ¬â¢s property. While the fairy tale suggests this life will be full of fancy dresses, grand parties, leisure and pleasure in domestic felicity within the grand castle of the prince ââ¬â the songbird in the golden cage ââ¬â the reality is all too often a life dominated by the dragon. When the story takes this turn, women find themselves as the beaten-down house slave forced to bend all of her effort to someone elseââ¬â¢s thoughtless whims and desires regardless of the harm this might bring upon herself. It is only with the assistance of other women that they are finally able to break the vision of the fairy tale to understand their realities and find a new means of approaching life. An understanding o f how this patriarchy has affected the female psyche, whether it is the actual fairy tale presented or merely stories couched on a similar theme, provides a great deal of insight into the feminist issues illuminated through Sandra Cisnerosââ¬â¢ stories ââ¬Å"Woman Hollering Creekâ⬠and ââ¬Å"One Holy Night.â⬠In ââ¬Å"Woman Hollering Creek,â⬠Sandra Cisnerosââ¬â¢ main character, Cleofilas, grows up watching telenovelas on TV, which are like soap operas, in which the classic Cinderella themes are played out over and over, reinforcing Cleofilasââ¬â¢ fantasies regarding what her future life will be and the patriarchal vision of womenââ¬â¢s approved roles in society. In the telenovelas, life was seen to be full of ââ¬Å"all kinds of hardship of the heart, separation and betrayalâ⬠(220), but a loving woman, always patient and always kind, could expect happiness in the end. ââ¬Å"Cleofilas
Philosophy1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Philosophy1 - Essay Example That means that there are still limits to human will. In this paper, I will be arguing for the contradictory nature of self-identity that establishes itself through choice, as Existentialists assert (Solomon, Higgins and Martin, 2011, p. 303), but necessarily encounters the opposition to its choice from the parts of the larger context (ââ¬Å"Othersâ⬠). I believe that the working momentary compromise between the assertions of human will (internal factors) and such external factors as natural circumstances, or the will of other(s), is a possible solution of the problem of self-identity. Such thinkers as Locke and Sartre strictly associated self with consciousness: Locke believed this because he relied on the separation of mind and substance (Solomon, Higgins and Martin, 2011, p. 291) while Sartre emphasized such act of consciousness as choice. This notion is very controversial for a number of reasons. Firstly, there are states of mind in which the present of self is either not re gistered or not controlled by ââ¬Ëconsciousnessââ¬â¢, the ones that are conceptualized as different brain waves in contemporary neurology (Hall, 1998). Beta wave is associated with awake condition while alpha (relaxed) or theta (sleep) waves are slower in frequency, which prevents humans from performing the whole scope of actions they would be capable of in an awake state (Hall, 1998). However, a given brain remains the same in these conditions. Secondly, returning to the domain of philosophy, it is still unclear what is the entity that is responsible for the conscious decision (Solomon, Higgins and Martin, 2011, p. 2
MercadoLibre Case Study Management Report Essay
MercadoLibre Case Study Management Report - Essay Example Introduction MercadolLibre is a Portuguese website company which is dedicated to online auctions and to e-commerce. It is basically eBayââ¬â¢s Latin American Partner. In Latin America it is the number one e-commerce site. It has its headquarters located in Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. The literal market of MercadoLibre is free market in Spanish. Anyone can register in this site and use it to do online auction. The organisational culture in MercadoLibre is an open one. It serves as their backbone. Their IT infrastructure is also an open source one. It uses Varnish cache to enhance the web experience of their user. Such infrastructure gives a better performance as compared to their competing products. Basically varnish stores the web pages in the memory and hence they get loaded faster. Discussion This part of the study will discuss about the business environment and strategy of the organization. In addition to this, the strategy of MercadoLibre has been critically evaluated i n this part of the study. Business Environment Analysis Porterââ¬â¢s five force model and PESTLE analysis has been implemented in this study to determine the effect of environmental factors on the business process of MercadoLibre. Porterââ¬â¢s Five Force Analysis This analytical tool will help the organization to determine the industry opportunities and threats that can help the organization to develop future strategies. Buyersââ¬â¢ bargaining power Each and every Latin American country is achieving significant economic growth rate due to the globalization, technological advancement and growth of several domestic organizations. MercadoLibre is one of the emerging online trading and payment platforms in Latin America. This internet auction site has gain huge popularity due to its effective business operation strategies. Recent financial crisis and economic downturn affected the purchasing power of the people (Belz and Peattie, 2010, p. 224). Therefore, the online selling and purchasing activities in these countries have reduced. Although the organizations offers huge ranges of differentiated products for buying and selling, but affected purchasing power of people increased the threat of high bargaining power of customers or buyers for organizations within this particular industry. Suppliersââ¬â¢ bargaining power Suppliersââ¬â¢ bargaining power is quite low as the industry has reached to the growth stage of the industry life cycle recently. The business operation of this organization highly depends on the effectiveness of the supply chain network (Blenkhorn and Fleisher, 2005, p. 115). Huge availability of the suppliers can give cost effective supply chain options for the organizations. Therefore, it can be stated that the threat of suppliersââ¬â¢ bargaining power is not high. Threat of Substitutes Threat of substitute for MercadoLibre is quite low as the market demand for online purchasing and selling or internet auction is significantly incre asing among the target customers. This virtual market place gained huge popularity in recent past due to technological advancement. The demand for traditional purchasing and selling process is reducing. Therefore, it can be stated that the threat of substitute is low for the suppliers (Etzel, Stanton and Walker, 1997, p. 74). Threat of New Entrants Threat of
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Woman and Social Oppression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words
Woman and Social Oppression - Essay Example Even with laws to prevent this sort of treatment of women, we suffer from this deep-rooted system that allows for men to hold a dominant position. The God of Small Things also explores the oppression of women, but it is present in a much more flagrant manner in this novel. Ammu is not even given a chance to succeed in life, as she is not permitted to pursue an education and her only realistic goal in life is to marry someone and do what he wants. When Ammu divorces, she becomes an outcast and she spends the rest of her life waiting to die. These works show that women are oppressed in a variety of ways in different cultures and that gender constructs are causing this oppression. The essay ââ¬Å"Oppressionâ⬠, by Marilyn Frye, examines how women are oppressed in society. Often times, this oppression is not flagrant, but is rather a series of small privileges that are taken away from women in order to benefit other social groups. The author makes the claim that women live within a birdcage, where each of the individual wires is meaningless but when they are all put together, it is impossible for the bird to escape. The oppression of women has two main features, according to Frye. First of all, they are place in positions of power where they hold a great deal of responsibility, but they are not given enough power to effectively use this position. Also, women know that they are limited in these positions of power, so they make sure that they do not exceed the limits that society has placed upon them. The system is in place, according to Frye, to privilege men and oppress women. In Judith Lorberââ¬â¢s essay, entitled ââ¬Å"The Social Construction of Genderâ⬠, the author agrees that the roles of each gender are defined by society and there is very little that can be done to alleviate these constructs. Lorber traces these constructs back to
Descriptive Statistics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Descriptive Statistics - Coursework Example Another group of data was collected using nominal scale. This was data on the marital status of respondents. The researcher thought it prudent to collect data on the marital status of respondents because it is common knowledge that the marital status of a person may affect his or her learning in one way or the other. The reason why this is so, is that marriage changes the usual personal roles of a person in one way or the other (Fuchs et al, 1997). The data collected on the marital status of respondents was computed and have been displayed below. From the data presented above, it can be seen that majority of the respondents are not married. Their percentage is 58%, which is more than half of the total sample size. This was followed by 14% who were married and 5% who were widows. The least percentage was 2% representing those who are divorced. Using a likert scale, the researcher collected a nominal data (Danielle 2009; Cheng, 2009) on the impact of a 2-tier curriculum on student performance. Respondents were given closed ended alternatives to select their responses from. It would be noted that a close ended question gives respondents specific answers from which they have to make a choice (Choi et al, 2008). The choice of answers given to respondents were indicated as insignificant, slightly significant, significant and very significant. In order to be able to use the SPSS in finding the mean of the responses, the answers were scored as 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. The over all responses have been represented in the table below. Judging from the responses in the table and as computed with the SPSS, it can be said that there are many respondents who root for the use of 2-tier curriculum as an intervention for improving the academic performance of students. This is judged from the fact that the mean score as computed was more than the average score (Gardener, 2008). Choi, K., Hoff, C.,
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
MercadoLibre Case Study Management Report Essay
MercadoLibre Case Study Management Report - Essay Example Introduction MercadolLibre is a Portuguese website company which is dedicated to online auctions and to e-commerce. It is basically eBayââ¬â¢s Latin American Partner. In Latin America it is the number one e-commerce site. It has its headquarters located in Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. The literal market of MercadoLibre is free market in Spanish. Anyone can register in this site and use it to do online auction. The organisational culture in MercadoLibre is an open one. It serves as their backbone. Their IT infrastructure is also an open source one. It uses Varnish cache to enhance the web experience of their user. Such infrastructure gives a better performance as compared to their competing products. Basically varnish stores the web pages in the memory and hence they get loaded faster. Discussion This part of the study will discuss about the business environment and strategy of the organization. In addition to this, the strategy of MercadoLibre has been critically evaluated i n this part of the study. Business Environment Analysis Porterââ¬â¢s five force model and PESTLE analysis has been implemented in this study to determine the effect of environmental factors on the business process of MercadoLibre. Porterââ¬â¢s Five Force Analysis This analytical tool will help the organization to determine the industry opportunities and threats that can help the organization to develop future strategies. Buyersââ¬â¢ bargaining power Each and every Latin American country is achieving significant economic growth rate due to the globalization, technological advancement and growth of several domestic organizations. MercadoLibre is one of the emerging online trading and payment platforms in Latin America. This internet auction site has gain huge popularity due to its effective business operation strategies. Recent financial crisis and economic downturn affected the purchasing power of the people (Belz and Peattie, 2010, p. 224). Therefore, the online selling and purchasing activities in these countries have reduced. Although the organizations offers huge ranges of differentiated products for buying and selling, but affected purchasing power of people increased the threat of high bargaining power of customers or buyers for organizations within this particular industry. Suppliersââ¬â¢ bargaining power Suppliersââ¬â¢ bargaining power is quite low as the industry has reached to the growth stage of the industry life cycle recently. The business operation of this organization highly depends on the effectiveness of the supply chain network (Blenkhorn and Fleisher, 2005, p. 115). Huge availability of the suppliers can give cost effective supply chain options for the organizations. Therefore, it can be stated that the threat of suppliersââ¬â¢ bargaining power is not high. Threat of Substitutes Threat of substitute for MercadoLibre is quite low as the market demand for online purchasing and selling or internet auction is significantly incre asing among the target customers. This virtual market place gained huge popularity in recent past due to technological advancement. The demand for traditional purchasing and selling process is reducing. Therefore, it can be stated that the threat of substitute is low for the suppliers (Etzel, Stanton and Walker, 1997, p. 74). Threat of New Entrants Threat of
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Descriptive Statistics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Descriptive Statistics - Coursework Example Another group of data was collected using nominal scale. This was data on the marital status of respondents. The researcher thought it prudent to collect data on the marital status of respondents because it is common knowledge that the marital status of a person may affect his or her learning in one way or the other. The reason why this is so, is that marriage changes the usual personal roles of a person in one way or the other (Fuchs et al, 1997). The data collected on the marital status of respondents was computed and have been displayed below. From the data presented above, it can be seen that majority of the respondents are not married. Their percentage is 58%, which is more than half of the total sample size. This was followed by 14% who were married and 5% who were widows. The least percentage was 2% representing those who are divorced. Using a likert scale, the researcher collected a nominal data (Danielle 2009; Cheng, 2009) on the impact of a 2-tier curriculum on student performance. Respondents were given closed ended alternatives to select their responses from. It would be noted that a close ended question gives respondents specific answers from which they have to make a choice (Choi et al, 2008). The choice of answers given to respondents were indicated as insignificant, slightly significant, significant and very significant. In order to be able to use the SPSS in finding the mean of the responses, the answers were scored as 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. The over all responses have been represented in the table below. Judging from the responses in the table and as computed with the SPSS, it can be said that there are many respondents who root for the use of 2-tier curriculum as an intervention for improving the academic performance of students. This is judged from the fact that the mean score as computed was more than the average score (Gardener, 2008). Choi, K., Hoff, C.,
Utilitarianism Essay Essay Example for Free
Utilitarianism Essay Essay Utilitarianism is a theory in ethics regarding actions that maximize utility. Utilitarianism is human- centered and has a foundation of morality. One could say this theory holds to happiness as the principle, at least that is what John Mill proposes. Mills is well known for being not only a great philosopher of his time, but also an advocate for utilitarianism, in so much that Mills believed and even improved upon Benthamââ¬â¢s views. John Stuart Mill was the most famous and influential British philosopher of the nineteenth century (Clark, 2003). Mill felt that the foundation of morals, ââ¬Å"utilityâ⬠or the greatest happiness principle, holds actions are right in a certain proportion because they tend to promote happiness; and wrong because they produce just the opposite of happiness. Happiness is pleasure, with the absence of pain; unhappiness, equals pain and the absence of pleasure. Mill felt that higher pleasures are more valuable than lower ones and also better (Peck, 2006). Pleasure to Millââ¬â¢s differs in quality and quantity. Mill felt that a personââ¬â¢s achievements and goals such as virtuous living should be recognized as a part of their happiness. Mill believed that happiness is the only basis of morality, and that happiness is the only thing people truly desire. Millââ¬â¢s take on justice was that it is based on utility and happiness and that rights only exist because they are necessary for a personââ¬â¢s happiness (Peck, 2006). When speaking of qualitative and quantitative utilitarianism there are differences within the two. They both measure the value of different levels of happiness (Ring, 2010). Qualitative utilitarianism entails that mental pleasures are different and also superior to physical pleasures. Quantitative utilitarianism entails that all types of happiness are equal or the same. In quantitative utilitarianism what matters most is the quantity or amount of happiness, not what type (Ring, 2010). When speaking of Mills and his approach one would need to consider the strengths and weaknesses of what Mills proposes. The strengths of Mills approach to utilitarianism would be the fact of the only thing of substance or that matters is what happens in oneââ¬â¢s life regardless of the intentions (Qizilbash, 2006). One weakness would be the proposal that oneââ¬â¢s intentions do Running head: UTILITARIANISM ESSAY 1 not matter or hold any substantial repercussions. Oneââ¬â¢s intentions can have a very negative affect on themselves but more important on otherââ¬â¢s especially innocent by standers. Oneââ¬â¢s intentions could be of utmost importance to the good of the majority. Another strength of Mills approach is the fact that Mill considers emotions a form of great pleasure (Qizilbash, 2006). This point of the theory shows some impartiality. Mills also mentions general rules, which in turn would allow for the use of universal rules, and this is a strength for sure. In Mills approach one more weakness would be the ability for one to predict the outcome or consequences. More weaknesses than strengths exist in Mills approach, for instance, to get the greatest good for the greatest number can sometimes make the simplest of actions become immoral- for instance buying something for oneself that is not necessarily needed but none the less something desired, but if that money spent could have been spent elsewhere and been more beneficial to a greater number of people then one is considered immoral or acting immoral. Another weakness in Mills approach is a competent person will always pick a higher pleasure over a lower one (Qizilbash, 2006) yet this is neither feasible nor true in all situations. And the major weakness in Mills theory is the assumption that one should pursue something just because it is desirable and produces pleasure, this can have many negative consequences. Thought experiments have been used in every field from mathematics to philosophy. In this thought experiment four people play a question and answer game. There is a score rewarded for each correct answer, and at the end of the game the two highest scoring people will get the chance to walk away with either a large amount of cash for themselves, half of the cash or unfortunately empty handed. In this particular game one will decide to share and divide the cash, or be greedy and try to walk away with all of the cash, but there is that chance of walking away with nothing. Imagine one chooses share and the other chooses keep, then the one who chose keep gets it all, if both choose share then the cash will be divided evenly and both benefit, after Running head: UTILITARIANISM ESSAY 1 all they both worked equally towards this opportunity. But if both choose keep, they will both walk away empty handed with nothing. In this thought experiment we will assume that both people chose share, considering this is the only sure way of walking away with at least half of the cash. This experiment would defend Mills version of utilitarianism on one hand because both people have done what is best for the greater good (Clark, 2003) so what works for the whole and is better for all involved is best. But when considering Mills part of the version that speaks to one always choosing the higher pleasure over the lower one (Qizilbash, 2006) this scenario would critique- the higher pleasure would have been winning all of the cash for oneself, not having to share it and one knows that this is what each person desired, what would give them each much more pleasure, but instead they went for a lower zone of pleasure when deciding to at least walk away with some rather than no cash. In this experiment one can say it defends and critiques Millââ¬â¢s because Millââ¬â¢s was contradicting in his approach and views. Mill was known to improve Benthamââ¬â¢s views, and not agree with them, but yet Mill leans towards Benthamââ¬â¢s views in a lot of his approach to utilitarianism. References Clark, K. J. , Poortenga, A. (2003). The story of ethics, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Peck, L. A. (2006). A ââ¬Å"Fool Satisfiedâ⬠? Journalists and Millââ¬â¢s Principle of Utility. Running head: UTILITARIANISM ESSAY 1 Journalism Mass Communication Educator, 61(2), 205-213 Qizilbash, M. (2006). Capability, Happiness and Adaption in Sen and J. S. Mill. Utilitas, 18(1), 20-32. doi:10. 1017/SO953820805001809 Ring, L. , Gross, C. R. , McColl, E. (2010, June). Putting the text back into context: toward increased use of mixed methods for quality of life research. Quality of Life Research. pp. 613-615. doi: 10. 1007/S11136-010-9647-z.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Health Issues of Homeless Population
Health Issues of Homeless Population Introduction A person is contemplated homeless if there is no roof over his head to live. The statistics, which prevail only, relate to masses that are counted as homeless and meet the requirements for local government aid. The quota of households proclaimed in need of urgent housing in United Kingdom increased by about 25% over the last four years. The enormous numbers of people classified have complicated social, health and psychological requirements, and in the past years a great number of centres have been set up to dispense foremost care to people belonging to homeless group. Importance of public health Personal medical services regulation body has made this practicable; earlier, the network of general practitioner (GP) fundholding was a hurdle to chief care for vagrant people with complicated and unsolved issues. The nationally increased general practitioner (GP) agreement will in all likelihood put forward inducements for supervision of vagrant people. The existing obstacles for this group can be seen in suc a way that In a report to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, they incorporated the appointment procedures, opening times of surgery, financial disincentives, location and discrimination. Causes for differentiation comprise of impressions that they are violent, antisocial, migrant, or ââ¬Ëundeservingââ¬â¢. Furthermore, the situation was dealt with some vagrant people face even more risk of being excluded due to their gender, age, sexual orientation or ethnic background. In primary safekeeping, demanding conduct can be a matter of question, but classification of an i ndividual as ââ¬Ëundeservingââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëdeservingââ¬â¢ takes no description of the social elements for example poverty and unemployment, which can conduct to homelessness. Doctors are encouraged by the general media council to permit personal views about patientsââ¬â¢ gender, culture, race, age or sexuality to preconceive the idea the safekeeping they get. Because of it a challenge is being placed on clinicians not to eliminate people from health centers because of homelessness or possible drug culture. (Anne, 2005). Common health problems Drugs People without home have a larger proportion of dangerous morbidity and humanity than the other general population. The major health requirement is drug reliance,and the use of illegal drugs, which cause numerous morbidity (including viral hepatitis B and C), septicemia, HIV infection, deep vein thrombosis, abscesses, endocarditis, cellulitis and encephalitis. Adjacent to this, many will be using numerous drugs, mainly heroin and cocaine.Typically for drugs users, principles make these rules. Controlled drugs should be authorized to those patients only who have actually accepted GP, drugs worker and patient. Now there are nations approved results of drug cure,and the policy will rely on those who use drugs independent situations, for example, some drug users will insisted to detoxify from opioids (clearly it is then reasonable to work to an outcome of cessation of drug use). For disorganized drug users, this outcome is not much sensible at first demonstration and the goal must be to establish health and social obligatingââ¬â¢s. This (harm reduction) will involve a reduction in the amount of the drugs used, upgrading in physical health, less sinful action and improved relationships (personal/family). (Phill, 2003) Alcohol Many vagrant people have a persistent history of serious alcohol dependence with hepatobiliary, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neurological, or metabolic complications. Not to forget that the risk of suicide because of depression is still there. Frequently the vagrant users of alcohol will come to the extensive practitioner with an appeal for urgent detoxification. This should not be undertaken without sufficient preparatory support and assessment. Particularly, uncontrolled detoxification can conduct to convulsions (mainly in the initial 24 hours), which can cause death. The drug of choice to accomplish removal is chlordiazepoxide. Earlier Clomethiazole (Heminevrin) was taken, but this is more toxic when excessively taken and has larger causing dependency capacity. A treatment of vitamins is used instead which also requires to be recommended large dose of thiamine for a single week followed by prolongation vitamin B blend strong. (Phil, 2003) Smoking In the regular population, smoking have decreases since last 30 years. As stated by the General Household Survey, 27% of adult population smokes. One of the government investigation carried out about smoking (among homeless people) was managed in 1996 by Gill. They found that the levels of the smoking were: 90% of homeless people 85% of public in night shelters 68% of hostel inhabitants 49% of private sector leased residence. Current research in England (southwest) and Wales noted that 94% of Big Issue vendors reported smoking cigarettes. (Hellen, 2003). Mental Health The most common health issue in homeless people is drug-induced, psychosis, schizophrenia, depression and anxiety states.The direction of the link with homelessness is uncertain; mental ill health can be a cause and also can be an effect. As compared with the usual population, mental illness is overrepresented in young people (typically rough sleepers), the principal conditions being schizophrenia, affective disorder, psychoses and substance misuse (including alcohol).Dual diagnosis is common and many of the homeless people who are mentally ill have a history of illegal actions. The crimes mainly consist of acquisitive crime or alcohol habit, damage to property or mischief while drunken. A very less men have a history of violent crime. Almost less than 1/3 of homeless people.For some old people, mental illness is the excess to homelessness.(Richard Michael, 2008). Practice organizations There has many debates conducted on whether primary care is better provided through specialized general activities working with homeless people than through common activities.It has been talked that a specialized extensive pursuit for vagrant people is best to put on these vagrant drug users in doomsday with an excess of health troubles. And as well as stabilizing the severe medical states such applications can direct the vagrant person in right use of basic care. When these results have been attained the patient is motivated to lodge with a normal practice. This change can be hard not just for patients but also for medical practitioners when there is a powerful personal liability. Consequently, we ponder that a specialized performance requires the assistance of a committed GP liaison worker. Specialized common practices for vagrant people are only possible in large areas of the city. For village vagrant inhabitants, the answer lays in increment of existing normal basic healthcare se rvices. Another problem in basic care provision for vagrant people is the tightness between practice-based work and outreach work. The quarrel for outreach is depended mainly on a wrong supposition that vagrant people are short-lived and do not approach basic care.(James, 1994) Working with primary care organizations Historically the organized multiagency functioning for the advantage of vagrant people has been hard to attain, for causes comprising lack of lucidity about the correct responsibilities and employments given by differing agencies, problems in sharing information, and nonfulfillment to answer in a coordinated manner. The Royal College of General Practitioners suggests that homelessness problems should be considered as component of the basic primary care organization (PCO) agenda. In a Statement on Homelessness and Primary Care it says that PCOs should give services for in progress homelessness woks, obtain a fine understanding of the numbers of vagrant people in their region and the issues they face, and should encourage multiagency connections and the sharing of conventions and operating ways that make coordinated care and integrated working easier. Working with hospitals When sick, vagrant people look for the help later than other people. They are over-symbolized in presence at emergency departments and hospital accidents. Whether their lodged complaints would be managed in a better manner in basic care is not evident; the reason behind most of the attendances is intentional self-harm or overdose of medication, so the elevated attendance speed could cast back the high commonness of serious ailment in this category of vagrant people. The GP will wish a vagrant patient with acute disease to stay in the medical care center until fully healthy for discharge, and in vagrant users of drugs this may be assisted by instruction of substitute medication on the hospital rooms. The chief purpose should be to keep the users of drugs in a hospital room and not allow them take their own discharge because of acquiring minimal substitute medication. Because the GP may wish to press on these instructions of doctors even after discharge, practices working with users of drugs require evenly matched connections with services to the inpatients. Present day many users of the drugs taking methadone are liberated out either in the absence of medication or with adequate amount of medicine for just a single day. This puts excessive pressure upon basic care. (Healthy Life, healthy people) Working with other stakeholders Joint working not only consisted of healthcare associates but also other services providers to vagrant people incorporating social services departments, housing departments, and non-statutory companies. Lastly, and most significantly, GPs should search for to work in association with vagrant people themselves, the ââ¬Ëconsumers. User involvement: active or passive? In trivialized categories, involvement of patients can be an efficient means to better healthcare. In the case of vagrant people, stigmatization, isolation and absence of choice show large hurdles. By implying these patients we can recognize pauses in the work and alter training correspondingly. Similar efforts go some way to respond to the social exclusion, which subscribes to sick-health. The fundamental principle is that all individuals, regardless of status, must be permitted chances to take part in resolutions influencing them. To this end, advocacy groups and self-help will sometimes be of help in finding out the essential requirements. An experimental study carried out at the NFA (No Fixed Abode) Health Centre for Homeless People, Leeds, focused to decide the most efficient and suitable ways to facilitate and encourage the involvement of patient. 30 patients attending by random selections, appointments fulfilled a structured questionnaire investigating their behaviors to becoming actively counted in the service. The solutions showed that most of them were keenly interested in impacting the run of the health care center and desired to be a part of the decisions, which could change the recipients of future regarding the service. They depicted interest in making a contrast, to pass on their practical knowledge, or to restore something. Some candidates, specifically the ones who were trying to lower their use of drugs, revealed a feeling that participation in the NFA would dispense a perfect chance to focus their lives again. But the desire for participation was not accepted everywhere: some contemplated no requirement for modification or judged the NFA plainly as a service to provide their medical requirements, and a small number of people said they did not get the time.(Health Development Agency) Health Promotion And Psychological behavior change Propaganda of health to vagrant people is feared with problemsââ¬ânot because the masses are so diverse. When asked, sellers of theBig Issue(who themselves are vagrant) gave some prime concern to lessening of uncertainty from the injection of drug. Here are few practical means of promotion of health in primary healthcare: Offer immunization of hepatitis B to that vagrant who inject drug. A speeded up program (0, 7, 21 days) outcomes in immensely better fulfillment charges than the customary (0, 1, 6 month) program. A booster should be given at twelve months Urge vagrant users of drugs to avail needle exchange programs, which may lower the commonness of hepatitis C. Injecting instruments should not be shared. Be alert of death from overdosing of heroin. Recommend the patient not to self-inject when alone and guide in opposition to the use of other drugs, including alcohol or benzodiazepines, with heroin; be alert of deficiency of tolerance after voluntary or enforced sobriety. In the time ahead, courses for vagrant people may consist of peer management of naloxone for excessive drug dose. (Bengt Monica, 2006) Conclusion In a nutshell, there are few great models of the foremost care service donation to notify the healthcare of on the streets people. These models have been originated from labouring with vagrant masses as well as composing the best performance evolved from associated fields for instance the use of substance. Basic care health service providers seeking to propose healthcare to vagrant populations have the chance to be the part of swiftly developing circle of healthcare with complexes to carry both the practices of the clinic and continue the development of the professionals. References Anne, R. (2005). Health visiting. UK: Elsevier. Bengt, L. Monica, E. (2006). Contextualizing Salutogenesis and antonovasky in public health development. Health Promtion International Vol. 21, No. 3. Healthy Lives, Healthy People. Accessed from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/216096/dh_127424.pdf. Health Development Agency. Accessed from: http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/documents/homelessness_smoking.pdf Hellen, G. (2003). People in society: Modern studies. UK: Nelson Thornes Ltd. James, C. (1994). Homelessness and Ill-Health. UK: Royal College of Physicians Phil, R. (2008). Working with young homeless people. UK: Jessica Kingsley Richard, W Michael, M. (2003). Social Determinants of Health. UK: WHO library.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Alexander Ghram Bell :: essays research papers
Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone grew out of his research into ways to improve the telegraph. His soul purpose was to help the deaf hear again. Alexander Graham Bell was not trying to invent the telephone, he was just trying to help out people in need. Young Alexander Graham Bell, Aleck as his family knew him, took to reading and writing at a precociously young age. Bell family lore told of his insistence upon mailing a letter to a family friend well before he had grasped any understanding of the alphabet. As he matured, Aleck displayed what came to be known as a Bell family trademark--an expressive, flexible, and resonant speaking voice. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the inventor spent one year at a private school, two years at Edinburgh's Royal High School (from which he graduated at 14), and attended a few lectures at Edinburgh University and at University College in London, but he was largely family-trained and self-taught. He moved to the United States, settling in Boston, before beginning his career as an inventor. With each passing year, Alexander Graham Bell's intellectual horizons broadened. By the time he was 16, he was teaching music and elocution at a boy's boarding school. He and his brothers, Melville and Edward, traveled throughout Scotland impressing audiences with demonstrations of their father's Visible Speech techniques. Visible Speech was invented by their father but he didnââ¬â¢t have much luck with it. It is a technique were ever sound that comes out of a persons mouth can be represented with a visual character. In 1871, Bell began giving instruction in Visible Speech at the Boston School for Deaf Mutes. Attempting to teach deaf children to speak was considered revolutionary. Bell's work with his deaf students in Boston would prove to be a watershed event in his life. One of his pupils, Mabel Hubbard, was the daughter of a man--Gardiner Greene Hubbard-- who would go on to play a vital role in Bell's life and work. While Mabel herself would one day become his wife. Bell felt that a course had been set and he would go on to consider himself, above all else, a teacher of the deaf Bell had the good fortune to discover and inspire Thomas Watson, a young repair mechanic and model maker, who assisted him enthusiastically in devising an apparatus for transmitting sound by electricity. As the two collaborated on ways to refine Bell's "harmonic telegraph," Bell shared with Watson his vision of what would become the telephone.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Comunist China And Civil Rights Violations Essay -- essays research pa
China is famous throughout history for both Tieneman square, and capitol punishment . These are each examples of human rights violations. Communist China's one child policy Is yet another example. China's one child policy was stared in 1979 as an attempt to solve their overpopulation problem. The policy states that every couple in China is allowed only one child. In order for a couple to have a child they must first have a birth coupon issued by the government before giving birth to the child. "Birth Quotas" are determined in order to have surveillance of the people who have all ready had their single child allowed to them born. The women of China must deal with their menstrual cycle being monitored publicly to stop the possibility of having a second child. They also must face pelvic examinations if they are even suspected of being impregnated. Any unauthoized pregnancies are terminated by an aboution regardless of the pregnancies progression. Graphically, The baby's head is crushed and then pulled out of the woman, just to name one of the many grusome abortion practices, killing the baby, and torturing the woman. The Chinese law has horrible effect's on the country's major population. Many Infant's are abandoned, or brutally killed at home to cut down upon expenses and fines issued by the government. In 1993 ultrasound machines were in mas importation to China, however in 1993 the use of these machines ...
Friday, October 11, 2019
Cell Phone Advertisement
Cell phones nowadays have become symbol of independence ââ¬â for our youth that mobile phone helps them to develop their own language and social groups away from the prying eyes of their parents. It has become Status Symbol or what people say Fashion statement ââ¬â It is a way that people wear their phone in a style, color, cost and features and feel that a phone can enhance their looks. Although mobile phones have long been a part of the business community, they are quietly becoming entrenched in personal lives. Cell phones play a crucial role in relationships among a group of young people, Mobile phones also influence the trend toward relaxing the traditional amount of contact permitted before marriage. Cell phone is also in the use of people who are working 24/7 environment and always remain on the go. It is privacy and not mobility that matters. Most youth have cell phone conversations in their bedroom. Lets have a look on few needs of new breed (Youth) that have been forcing them to get addicted to this cell phone night packages, the need to make their identity and to build ââ¬Å"social and emotional tiesâ⬠. The shrinking size of present day families explain why the youth today feel the need to communicate with virtual brothers and sisters. Youngsters have been using cell phones to form friendships and social groups away from their families, feeling that these phones give them privacy that they would not otherwise have. As cell phone use becomes even more widespread, communication between parents and their kids may become even more impersonal. The saying ââ¬Å"romance is in the airâ⬠appears to be true. In todayââ¬â¢s world, it is mobile phones which are carrying the messages of love. Youngsters are using mobile phones to maintain personal and romantic relationships. Grabbing our new generation, these free night packages services provided by our Cellular Companies have become a great pleasure/encouragement to people like who arenââ¬â¢t responsible at all, it seems they are announced to spoil the future of our youth, just give it a thought which kind a people avail these services and what they do? Whole night they spent in useless, ungraceful conversation itââ¬â¢s all beyond morals. The immature generation has become addicted to avail these kind a packages. These kind portable platform providers are taking away our youth from family/Cultural/Traditional/Religious values, they donââ¬â¢t even care about their health though they know how these RF radiation would be harmful as for as continuous use is concerned. The Cellular Companies should make some standards so they can provide such services which can be of use to make the youths future bright and should consider the social impact before announcing any such service, they should offer some M-Learning (Mobile Learning) services they are behind the race of announcing free night packages, low rates for one special number. No doubt most of the parents are equally responsible for this attitude in our new generation, in previous era what kind of environment we have had at homes ââ¬â-sitting together in TV-Lounges , One time/place to sit and eat together no friends/outings in late night, but this fast life where people are to avail luxurious lifestyle parents themselves arrange separate rooms equipped with individual TV, personal Computer with high speed Internet connection and a latest model of any famous brand of Mobile handset though its of no use to them at around certain age , yup parents are equally responsible they should be responsible they should keep eye on their childrenââ¬â¢s activities, what kind a friends they are making how they are progressing academically how they are spending time. The youth is less responsible than their parents is what I think, they are availing what they have in their access and they have no one over them to restrict or make them understand what is good to go for and what is wrong to avail. The generation gap between parents and childrenââ¬â¢s is not the main issue because its more than the gap, its about basics of raising good children. True that bad habits or friendships existed before this direct and private source of communication too but its all starts right from your basic education that our youth is getting at Home. So the message goes to parents: make your kids to avail good morals and talk to them on every matter to give them better understandings of what is right and what is wrong.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
How Far Should We Curb The Freedom Of Individuals? Essay
There are many facets of freedom, and in my essay, I will discuss many of these such as freedom of speech, freedom of beliefs and freedom of actions. When it comes to rights and freedoms there is a paradox because without responsibilities we have no rights and without restrictions we have no freedom. But what exactly is freedom? The dictionary defines freedom as; ââ¬Ë1. personal liberty, as from slavery, serfdom etc. 2. liberation, as from confinement or bondage, 3. the quality or state of being free, esp. to enjoy political and civil liberties, 4. exemption or immunity: freedom from taxation, 5. the right or privilege of unrestricted use or access: the freedom of a city, 6. autonomy, self-government, or independence, 7. the power or liberty to order ones own actions, 8. Philosophy, the quality esp. of the will or the individual of being unrestrained, 9, ease or frankness of manner: she talked with complete freedom, 10. excessive familiarity of manner, 11. ease and grace, as of mo vement. I will begin with the individual right to freedom of speech. We all take for granted that we have freedom of speech, but some places such as Communist China have heavy limits on the freedom the individual has to express their opinion. For example, in 1991, in Tiananme Square, many Chinese students objected to this heavily censored regime and there was uproar that led to the death of many students, one even being ran over by a tank. All that for freedom of speech. In Britain, we have freedom of speech to an extent, in fact compared to China, we have huge freedom, it is a liberty we take for granted. But should we have that much freedom of speech? Here is an example; there is a political party that has headquarters near you. The leaders of this party believe that all people whose lineage goes back to other countries should be returned to that country and only white Christians should remain living in Britain. Members of this party pass out leaflets to students from the local secondary school on their way home. Should these individuals freedom of speech be maintained? The answer is that we canââ¬â¢t stop people expressing their opinion. If their freedom is maintained and they continue to spread their racist propaganda, then the leaflets could persuade the children who read them to be violent towards other races. (Scenario came from AS Guru website). If the freedom of speech is taken from these individuals then how do we ensure our own freedom of speech will be maintained? What if someone disagrees with us? The reality is that we do have freedom of speech and we canââ¬â¢t be stopped expressing our opinions, but in some circumstances, the freedom should be curbed to ensure people arenââ¬â¢t offended or hurt by another person. Another individual freedom we take for granted in Britain is freedom to choose what religion we are part of or to what extent we take our beliefs. For example, Hindus have no choice about their religion because they are born into Hinduism. But most people living in Britain can decide whether they want to be Christian, Jewish, Buddhist etc. But should we be allowed to do that? Many people join cults in this country and other ââ¬Ëfreeââ¬â¢ states such as America and as a result can be convinced to commit suicide in extreme cases. For example, there have been many mass suicides as a result of cult leaders instructing their vulnerable followers to do so. An example of this sort of incident is the megalomaniac Reverend Jim Jones case. In November 1978 he ordered the 911 members of his cult to drink cyanide poison after brainwashing them. In cases such as this, should the right of the individual be maintained to allow them to join a cult, or should we intervene and stop them joining in the first place? We can argue that in this kind of case the freedom of the individual should be curbed for their own safety, but in reality if we heavily curbed the freedom for one thing, maybe it would have to be curbed for other individuals for different rights they hold. I believe that everybody has the right to freedom of conscience; freedom of religion and spiritual practice, and to exercise them both publicly and privately because everyone is different and the extent and exact details of their beliefs as a result will be different. I do think though that when it becomes as obsessive as cults that perhaps somebody should intervene, if only for the individualsââ¬â¢ safety. When we think of our freedom to act however we feel, we think we have full freedom to conduct ourselves however we please. This is not the case though. We do not have the freedom to murder, rape or beat other people whenever we please. If we commit an offence such as this then we are charged and in some cases, imprisoned. Should offenders have their personal freedom removed as a punishment? My personal opinion is that if somebody has committed an offence severe enough to be placed in prison, then yes, their physical freedom should be taken from them. A personal liberty such as being able to walk down the street being removed, to me, is a good enough punishment. However, sometimes, people have their freedom removed against their will. For example, they are taken hostage. Their liberty is forcefully taken away and so their freedom is curbed. This links to terrorists, because it is usually terrorists who take hostages. What gives terrorists the right to remove a personââ¬â¢s freedom? What gives a terrorist the right to fly a plane into a building full of people, knowing they are going to cause mass devastation such as in the recent attack on the USA? Shouldnââ¬â¢t their freedom have been curbed to prevent such a huge loss of life such as in that attack? But there is only an extent as to how much we can curb their freedom to express their opinion. The fact that they chose to express their feelings in such a violent and extravagant manner suggests that individual freedom should be curbed to avoid anything such as horrific happening again, but most people, no matter how they felt, wouldnââ¬â¢t show their opinion like that. Perhaps people should feel that they donââ¬â¢t have the individual freedom to commit such a terrible act and then nothing like such as the American attacks. On the subject of freedom of actions, we donââ¬â¢t have the freedom to decide whether or not we pay taxes. For example, where would we finance all of the public services that taxes pay for if they didnââ¬â¢t exist or if individuals decided not to pay them? Taxes are spent on the National Health Service, the Police Force, Fire Service and Roadwork for example. If people didnââ¬â¢t pay these taxes then we would have to pay for hospital treatment and to see a doctor etc like in Europe. Street lighting would not be funded and weââ¬â¢d walk down dark streets and roads would be full of potholes and have other problems. Peoplesââ¬â¢ freedom of choice therefore is curbed, and I think rightly so because otherwise the services we take for granted would simply not exist. So after looking at the arguments for and against the curbing of individual freedom, I personally believe that it should be curbed in a lot of ways for both the good of the individual and the others around them. Yes, we should be able to freely express our opinion, but in a civilised manner, and we should be free to conduct ourselves in our own ways as long as those methods we use donââ¬â¢t hurt other people.
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