Free Will Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Free Will - Essay Example He argues that though indeterminism and freewill are incompatible, human being’s ‘self-forming’ or libertarian actions are essentially the result of freewill. Therefore, they are morally responsible for their actions. Unlike Kane, Derek Pereboom argues that both determinism and libertarianism are incompatible with freewill. Indeed, he remains agnostic about the truth of determinism. But he argues that whether determinism is true or not, freewill is incompatible with it. So, human being should learn to live without freewill. Yet the incompatibility of freewill with determinism does not imply that man is free from moral responsibility. Since, according to him, an agent’s action is either the result of causal determinism (self-forming action) or the manipulation of some external power, in both cases, the agent will remain responsible for his action. It is because though freewill does not exist, man’s action (even though the agent is tricked, by some ext ernal power to perform that action) will seem to be caused by his freewill. In fact, Kane has an impulsive tendency to argue against â€Å"compatibilism† on the ground that man will never be able to learn whether his ‘will’ is determined by some other power or not. Therefore, the question about the compatibility of Freewill and determinism is absurd. Referring to Frazier’s perception of Skinner’s â€Å"Walden Two†, he says that â€Å"the deeper freedom of the will is an illusion in the first place. We do not have it anyway† (Kane 427). This assertion has two meanings simultaneously: first, it can be assumed that he attempts to says that man does not freewill, since it is an illusion. Secondly, it can be assumed that since the concept of freewill is an illusion, man is free to act according to what he calls his will. Kane calls this freedom of man to act on his own at some particular moment as ‘libertarianism’. Indeed, he believes in the agent’s mundane power

Impacts of Cultural Differences Essay Example for Free

Impacts of Cultural Differences Essay College Graduation Thesis Subject: Impacts of Cultural Differences on International Business Negotiation Name: Chen Xiujuan Student No. : 0 8 5 1 0 3 4 0 Specialty and Class: Business English, Class 3 Department: Department of Humanities and Arts Supervisor: Liu Mifan Date: 2011-3-02 Contents Introduction1 1. Types of Cultural Differences2 1. 1Value View2 1. 2. Negotiating Style2 1. 3. Thinking Model2 2. Impact Of Cultural Differences on International Business Negotiations4 . 1Impact of Value Views Differences on International Business Negotiations4 2. 1. 1Impact of Time View Difference on Negotiation. 4 2. 1. 2Impact of Equality View Difference on Negotiation. 5 2. 1. 3 Impact of Objectivity Difference on Negotiation. 6 2. 2 Impact of Negotiating Style Differences on International Business Negotiations. 7 2. 3 Impact of Thinking Model Differences on International Business Negotiation. 8 3. Coping Strategy Of Negotiating Across Cultures. 9 3. 1 Making Preparations before Negotiation. 9 3. 2 Overcoming Cultural Prejudice. 10 3. Conquering Communication Barriers. 10 Conclusion11 Bibliography12 Acknowledgements13 Abstract The business negotiations under different cultural conditions come to cross- cultural negotiations. With the economic globalization and the frequent business contacts, cultural differences seem to be very important; otherwise they could cause unnecessary misunderstanding, even affect the result of the business negotiations. This means it is very important to know the different culture in different countries and the ways to avoid the culture conflicts in the internat ional business negotiations. The article commences from the types of culture differences, then it explains the impacts of these culture differences on international business negotiation and finally it analyzes how to deal with the problem of the cultural differences correctly in negotiation process. Such a standpoint is emphasized: In the business negotiations between different countries, negotiators should accept the other party’s culture, and try to make him be accepted; then make a correct evaluation with the help of valid communication and discover their real benefits between them. Besides, we should know clearly and try to accept the culture differences as possible as we can. It is very important for the success of culture negotiations. Key words: Culture; Cultural differences; Business negotiation; Impact Introduction Along with the advancement globalization and China’s WTO entry, business enterprises in China have to face more and more business negotiations with foreign enterprises, especially with American enterprises. In these negotiations, Chinese negotiators sometimes feel uncomfortable, puzzled, lost, irritated and the alike, because of unfamiliar custom and behaviors demonstrated by American negotiators. Meanwhile, American negotiators confront the same situation. Cult rural differences between China and west countries could cause many problems. Therefore, understanding cultural differences and overcoming them is crucial in international business negotiations. Although the definition of culture is numerous and vague, it is commonly Recognized that culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, values, attitudes and expectations. Culture is a major determinant in business negotiation. So have a clear picture of culture differences if of great significance. . Types of Culture Differences The east countries and west countries have produced different cultures on the different continents. Among the different cultures, value views, negotiating style and thinking model appear more obvious. 1. 1Value View Value view is the standard that people use to asses objective things. It includes time view, equality view and objectivity. People may draw a different or even contradictory conclusion abo ut the same thing. Value view is one of the most important differences among the many factors. It can influence the attitude, needs and behavior of people. The value view varies from nation to nation, people know that the eastern person focus on collectivism, while the western people pay more attention to individualism. 1. 2. Negotiating Style Negotiating style refers to the tolerance and graces which the negotiator shows in the negotiation. The negotiators show their negotiating style through behavior, manners and the method of controlling negotiation process during the negotiation. The negotiator’s negotiating style has a bearing on their culture background. According to the culture differences, negotiating style falls into two types: the east negotiating style pattern and the west negotiating style pattern. 1. 3. Thinking Model Thinking model reflects the culture. Because of the influences of history background, continents, words and living method, different nations generate different thinking models. Surely, there is more than one thinking model of a nation, but one is more obvious compared with others. As a whole, east people, especially Chinese have strong comprehensive thinking, image thinking and curved thinking, while analytical thinking, abstract thinking and direct thinking are possessed by the west people. 2. Impact of Cultural Differences on International Business Negotiations With the rapid development of economy, we need to do business with businessmen under different culture background, so in order to reach trade agreement, it is necessary for us to study the impact of culture differences on international negotiation in global business activities. The impact of culture differences on international negotiation is extensive and deeply. Different cultures divide the people into different group and they are also the obstacles of people’s communication. Accordingly, it is required that the negotiator should accept the culture of each other. Furthermore, through culture differences, it is important that the negotiator reveal and understand the other party’s goal and behavior and make him or herself be accepted by the opponent to reach agreement finally 2. 1Impact of Value Views Differences on International Business Negotiations Value Views Differences on International Business Negotiations fall into three types: time view, negotiation style, thinking model. Each has big influences on business negotiation 2. 1. 1 Impact of Time View Difference on Negotiation. The time view which affects the negotiator’s behavior varies from east countries to west countries. The oriental or the Chinese negotiators are usually cautious and patient. They need to go through the phrases of coming up with proposes, bringing up objections and ending the trade which takes a longer time. And they hope to arrange rich time to go on a negotiation, thus knowing more about the opponent . They are good at long and continuous battle. While west people or we could say American people, consider time is precious. They tend to resolve problems swiftly. So, in business negotiation, American businessmen often complain about the delay and the lack of efficiency of negotiators from other countries, while these countries also make a complaint that the Americans lack patience. There is a popular saying among American negotiators and businessmen: It is prohibited to steal time. That shows the time view of Americans. To them, time means money. The time view of Chinese is cyclic. They use long-term and systematic viewpoints to value the importance of the topic. A famous people classify the time view into two kinds: straight-line time viewand cyclic time view. The former pay more attention to concentration and speed, and the later stress doing many things at one time. That they insist on different time view leads to different negotiating style and method. The American people represent the straight-line time view and they have a strong awareness of modern competition. They look for speed and efficiency. So they value time badly and consider time as a special commodity whose value could be assessed. They often use minute to calculate time . They hope to reduce negotiation time at every phrase and want to complete the negotiation quickly. But the Chinese time view is cyclic and they place emphasis on unity. Moreover, it is necessary to be punctual at negotiations. West people have a strong time view, if you don’t comply with the appointment time, they may give you a punishment and they will regard you as unreliable and irresponsible person. Being late for negotiation will give the west businessmen opportunities to exert pressure onyou, and then you will lose the status of being initiative. 2. 1. 2 Impact of Equality View Difference on Negotiation America went through the bourgeoisie revolution of striving for the equality and freedom, so they take equality into their heart. Americans stick to equality and fairness in business, and hope that both could gain benefit. When introducing the topic or situation, the west people would like to use concrete method, particularly data. Their negotiating method is that they will describe their viewpoint and propose at the beginning in order to get initiative. Under this principle, they would come up with a reasonable resolution which they think is very fair. In business relationship, the sellers from America regard the buyer as a counterpart. Americans are fairer than Japanese is sharing benefits. A lot of American managers think fair division of profits is more important than how much they could get. At this point, the east people are different. Because of the deeply influence of class view, they don’t pay much attention to equality. They usually adopt single-win strategy in business negotiations. When involving economic benefits they think much about their own benefits and profits and don’t give so much attention to the benefit of their partners. The market economic system of developed countries is quite mature, so west countries take win-win strategy more in negotiation; basically, they could take the benefits of both into consideration. 2. 1. 3 Impact of Objectivity Difference on Negotiation The objectivity in international business negotiation reflects the degree to which people treat any things. West people especially Americans have a strong objectivity on the understanding of issues. At negotiation table, Americans don’t care much about relationship between people. They don’t care if the status of the opponent is equal to theirs. They make decision based on facts and data, not people. The saying that public things use public ways is a reflection of American objectivity. Therefore,Americans emphasize that Businessmen should distinguish people and issues, what they are really interested in is the actual problems. But in the other parts of the world, it is impossible for them to distinguish people and issues. . 2 Impact of Negotiating Style Differences on International Business Negotiations The impacts of negotiating style differences on international business negotiation mainly exist in negotiating method and negotiating structure. Take the negotiation between America and China as a example, since the oriental care more about unity in thinking, they method they adopt in negotiation is from unity to parts, from the big to little, from the abstract to the concrete, that is to say they should each agreement on general terms, then begin to talk about the concrete terms. And usually not until the end of the negotiation do they make compromise and promise based on all the items, and then to reach agreement. The west people are influenced by analytic thinking, so pay more attention to logical relations between things. They consider more about concrete things than integrity. And they tend discuss the concrete items at the beginning of negotiation, so they often resolve the price, delivery and issuance respectively at first. And they may make compromise at every detail, so the final contract is the combination of many little agreements. The negotiating structure is linked with cultures. Negotiating structure mostly refers to the number of the participants. In business negotiation, the foreign delegation is usually composed by 3-5 people, while the Chinese one could be more 15 people. The foreign negotiators not only need to negotiate with their counterparts but also need to discuss with related person in charge or the government. When making the final decisions, the Chinese negotiators often discuss the results repeatedly from the workers to the board to avoid being decided by a single person. That results from the influence of collectivism. So they often said to their partners: Let us think about it. Let us discuss it. But the west negotiators could make the final decision without going back for discussion. That because their admire individualism and hard working. They have strong independence. They would carry on according to the best ways after knowing their goals. What’s more, most west people think that they have the ability to deal with the negotiation situation on their own. And truly, they are brave enough to take responsibility. 2. 3 Impact of Thinking Model Differences on International Business Negotiation The thinking model of Chinese tends to be comprehensive, concrete and curved, while the Americans are usually analytic, abstract and straight-line. We Chinese are accustomed to talking about general principles at first and then move onto details. To Chinese negotiators, the core is the general guideline, and the details are subject to the guideline. After figuring out the big picture, other problems are easier to resolve. It is the most obvious feature of Chinese negotiators. But west businessmen, especially Americans are likely to discuss the details first and try to avoid the principle. They value details very much and think noting about the unity. Accordingly, they want to discuss the details at the beginning of negotiation. They are direct and simple in negotiation. As a matter of fact, many facts show that General principles first have impact of constriction on the parts and details. For instance, our government insists on the principle that Hong Kong and Macao are undivided parts of China’s territory. In the important diplomatic negotiations such as Entering into relationship with America, Hong Kong’s and Macao’s Coming back into their motherland. It is under such principle that we established the tone of the negotiation and controlled the skeleton of the negotiation, thus we get the advantage and prompt the success of negotiation. 3. Coping Strategy of Negotiating across Cultures The culture differences in cross-cultural communication have various impacts on operation of enterprises. These differences will influence negotiation and management of transnational operation; what’s more, it may have bad effects on the harmonious relationship between our country and foreign countries. Maybe that will lead to the missing of market opportunities, the increase of trade cost and the low efficiency of company management. So, it is really necessary for us all to eliminate and avoid disadvantageous effects. 3. 1 Making Preparations before Negotiation. The negotiators must make good preparations if they want control the development of negotiation successfully in the complex situation. Only do they make good preparations can they make changes freely according to the situation of negotiation and avoid the happening of conflicts. Because the international business negotiation involves extensive aspects, more preparations are needed. The preparations often include the analysis of the negotiators themselves and the opponents; the constitution of negotiation group, elaborating the negotiating goal and strategy and going on imitation negotiation when necessary. When making preparations, you should try to know the opponents while you analyze yourselves. Analyzing yourselves mainly refers to studying if the project is feasible. To knowing about the opponents means understanding their strength such as credit status, the policy? business customs and regulations of their countries and the conditions of their negotiating members and so on. . 2 Overcoming Cultural Prejudice Tolerating different cultures and overcoming cultural prejudice contribute to better communicating with each other and understanding each other. West people often think that they are powerful, capable and experienced, so sometimes, we need to recognize then and give then some good comments. We should learn about the foreign cultures before negotiation a nd accept and understand their cultures in negotiation, because every country regard their own cultures as a matter of course and hope that their culture could be recognized and accepted. 3. Conquering Communication Barriers Two trains running at different railways in the opposite direction will collide with each other; maybe this is the best arrangement for trains. But to communication between people, there won’t be communications if people go ahead according to their own ways. Trains will collide with each other if they run on the same railway at the opposite direction. But if we measure by the objective of people’s communication, only we meet each other, can we have communication and friendship. In negotiation, sometimes we can’t make much progress although we have talked for long time. And sometimes both parties are not satisfied. After thinking, that is caused by communication barriers which happen easily in cross-cultural negotiation. We should make sure if there appear communication barriers, if so, we must overcome them. Generally speaking, we should pay more attention to the following three communication barriers in cross-cultural negotiation: the communication barriers caused by culture background of both; the ones caused by misunderstanding of the contents and information from the partner; the ones caused by not being willing to accept the opponent’s contents and ideas. Conclusion â€Å"Social Customs varies in different countries†. In a word, cross- cultural communication will meet the problem of culture differences surely. In turn, culture differences also influence all aspects of international business communication. To avoid or to resolve the culture differences is a huge task in international business negotiation. In order to step into the international market successfully, we must have the awareness of culture differences, acknowledge culture differences and understand different cultures. Try to know yourself and know them. What’s more, we should respect different behavior of businessmen under different culture background, and then we could reduce unnecessary conflicts resulting from not respecting the opponents. It is beneficial for both to form an atmosphere of mutual trust and cooperation, reduce culture differences and turn disadvantages into advantages and benefits. Thus, we could avoid conflicts and obstacles, then to promote communication and harmony in international business negotiation. Bibliography 1]George Yule. The study of Language[M]. Cambridge University Press,2000:202-209 [2]Harvey, Paul,,â€Å"The Oxford Companion to English Literature† [M]. London: Oxford University Press. 1978:23-25 [3]Philip R Harris, Managing Cultural Differences [M]. Gulf Publishing Company, 1987:234-260 [4]Wang Cheng fa. A Glimpse of Foreign Land [J]. Kaifeng: Henan Univesity Press, 2000:58-62 [5]. [M]. : ,2000:2-6 [6]  · —— [M]. : ,2004 [7].. [M] : ,2003:340-342 [8]. [M]. : ,2001 Acknowledgements As acknowledgements for my paper, only I — the writer is responsible for the shortcomings. I much acknowledges my thanks to all my teachers, especially to Miss Liu Mifan, my supervisor, who has provides me support, critical ideas and careful suggestions. I also want to thank my family who always give me time, encouragement and secretarial services, especially my parents. Finally, my classmate and friends, who provided thoughtful and thorough reviews of my paper, must be acknowledged.

Essay --

QUESTION 1 Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is a seemingly straightforward analytical tool that is used to assess complex public policy decisions, however CEA does not always account for all intangible benefits. Cost-effectiveness is used to help pinpoint neglected opportunities for improving health and then allotting scarce resources to obtain better health outcomes for society. Since Britain’s has limited resources to concentrate on public health issues that have varying outcomes with regards to survival and quality of life. Cost-Utility Analysis (CUA), part of the cost-effectiveness family is an appropriate technique to utilize when making such decisions because it allows different health outcomes to be transformed to a common unit, known as QALYs (quality-adjusted life year). Yet, societal benefits and costs are often not considered for CUA. Additionally, measuring QALYs is harder than measuring the monetary value of life through improvements in health, as is done with cost–b enefit analysis. Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), also a part of the cost-effectiveness family is used to recognize value in terms of economic efficiency, in that it improves allocation of scarce resources. In addition, some individuals believe that life is invaluable and there are moral problems with assigning a value on human life. The main limitation for CEA, is the weighting of QALYs through trade-offs and specific health outcomes may also make it hard to quantify, thus making it harder to measure all factors that may influence QALY for an individual. Also, QALY’s lack of usefulness to physicians in determining the proper route of treatment for their patients represents another limitation. Additionally, older individuals are presumed to have a lower QALY... ...e surface appears to be a good idea however some individuals may argue that this would interfere with individual liberties. The best approach to find out if providing incentives works or if excise taxes works to decrease obesity is to use the cost-effectiveness analysis tool. Researchers will be able to pinpoint which policies are working and which ones are failing because cost-effectiveness is associated with cost-benefit analysis. This means if the benefits outweigh the costs, then policymakers should implement the policy with the most benefit. I believe the optimum approach to addressing the obesity epidemic is to have government incentivize individuals for maintaining a healthy Body Mass Index and to expand evidence-base school interventions. More effort should be focused on education because behaviors are learned not only in the home but also in the classroom.

One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Woman in the Dunes Essay

Solitude can exist in many ways and can be present in any form in human beings. Each person is eventually alone deep inside themselves, which is why communication and connections are essential in life. In the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Kobo Abe's The Woman in the Dunes, solitude is one of the main dilemmas that the main characters in the novels encounter. In the novels, the main characters are perpetually looking for a way to defeat their loneliness in the world and in many cases try to find it through sexual intercourse. The patriarch Jose Arcadio Buendia, in One Hundred Years of Solitude, is the founder of Macondo. The location of Mocondo is significant as it sits on an isolated place which gives the sense of the Buendia family being surrounded by solitude. It also seems as if solitude is an inherited trait of the Buendia family leading to a pattern of incest, which was started by Jose Arcadio Buendia and his wife, who is also his first cousin, Ursula Iguaran. Sex is probably used in the novel as a way to somehow bond the family together. Sex can be used as a tool to make connections to one another and can create body language which can also be a way of communicating. We see this especially in the second generation of the family, when Colonel Aureliano Buendia has sex during the wars with seventeen different women (which he shows no sign of predilection towards). You can also deduce that he went on a journey to free himself from solitude and overall was unsuccessful as it was shown when he m ade an attempt to get with the adolescent "mulatto" girl enslaved by her grandmother. This shows an effort by one of the Buendia men to try to have a loving relationship with another char... ...here was no particular need to hurry about escaping." (239). Realizing his situation, he becomes one with the dunes and is able to live a purposeful life with the woman he once opposed living with. Without any type of sexual relationship, none of the characters in the novels One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Kobo Abe's The Woman in the Dunes would have been explored thoroughly. Sex usually exposes a hidden hope or apprehension, desire and lust for something. In this case the characters of the novels lust, desire for identity and companionship, and is something they strive to acquire. In order to attain this, they attempt to use sex as a tool to triumph over solitude and gain communication and connection to reach one another. This is why sex is essential in providing two crucial things that are necessary in life to avoid solitude.

Poetry Nothing Is beautiful As Spring

â€Å"Nothing is beautiful as Spring†. This Italian sonnet was written to describe a natural world. God's presence is identified as an electrical current that runs through the earth. God's presence runs like the refracted glinting of light produced by metal foil, whenever it is moved quickly. The sonnet quotes God to be like rich oil. Oil is very rich and thick. Oil is needed every where around the world. If you don't believe it, drive your car month after month without getting an oil change or even oil in general.With God being identified as oil, he is measured as greatness. Given these strong proofs of Gods divine presence the poet that wrote this particular sonnet how and why do humans fail to recognize his presence and his divine authority. God's authority is described as the â€Å"rod†. This sonnet also deals with the state of human life. It also deals with human nature. God crated all things in earth and above heaven. This sonnet talks and deals with human life. W hy don't people recognize the things that God has placed in the world? He gave us these things to use for our needsPermeating the world is a deep â€Å"freshness† that testifies to the continual renewing power of God's creation. The power of renewing is seen during the morning always waits on the other side of the darkness of the night. This final image is one of God guarding the impending of the world and containing within Him the power and assurance of rebirth. Gerard Manley Hopkins is one of the most phenomenal 19th-century poets of religion, of nature, and of inner anguish. His view of nature and the world is like a book written by God himeslf.In this poem God expresses himself completely, and it is y â€Å"reading† the world that humans can approach God and learn about Him. Hopkins therefore sees the environmental crisis of the Victorian period as vitally linked to that era's spiritual crisis, and many of his poems have become man's indifference to the destruction of sacred natural and religious order. This poet harbored an acute interest in the scientific and technological advances of his day; he saw new discoveries as further evidence of God's deliberate hand, rather than as refutations of God's existence.Hopkins wrote mostly in the sonnet form. He preferred the Italian r Petrarchan sonnet, which contains of an octave followed by a sestet, with a turn in argument or change in tone occurring in the second part. Hopkins normally uses the octave to present some account of personal or sensory experience and then employs the sestet for philosophical reflection. While Hopkins enjoyed the structure the sonnet form imposes, with its fixed length and rhyme scheme, he nevertheless he constantly stretched and tested its limitations. One of Hopkins major innovations was a new metrical form, called sprung rhythm.In sprung rhythm, the poet counts the umber of accented syllables in the line, and places no limit on the total number of syllables. As oppose d to syllabic meters (such as the iambic), which count both stresses and syllables, this form allows for greater freedom in the position and proportion of stresses. English verses have traditionally alternated, stressed and unstressed syllables with occasional variation, Hopkins was free to place multiple stressed syllables one atter another or to run a large number ot unstressed syllables together (as in â€Å"Finger of a tender of, O of a feathery delicacy' from Wreck of theDeutschland). This gives Hopkins great control over the speed of his lines and their dramatic effects. Another unusual poetic resource Hopkins favored is â€Å"consonant chiming,† a technique he learned from Welsh poetry. The technique involves detailed use of alliteration and internal rhyme; in Hopkins's eyes this creates an unusual thickness and resonance. The close linking of words through sound and rhythm complements Hopkins's themes of finding a guide and design everywhere.Hopkins's form is also ch aracterized by a stretching of the convention of grammar and sentence structure, o that newcomers to his poetry must often strain to parse his sentences. Deciding which word in a given sentence is the verb, for example, can often involve significant interpretive work. In addition, Hopkins often invents words, and draws his vocabulary freely from a number of different registers of diction. This leads to a surprising mix of neologisms and archaisms throughout his lines. Yet for all his innovation and disregard of convention, Hopkins' goal was always to bring poetry closer to the character of natural, living speech.

The Bureaucracy in the United States Essay Example

The Bureaucracy in the United States Essay Example The Bureaucracy in the United States Paper The Bureaucracy in the United States Paper Some examples of bureaucracy in the United States are: the International Revenue Service, which collects taxes from citizens. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which looks into crimes for American citizens. The Postal Service, which delivers mail to citizens and the Health Care Financing Administration, which reimburses states fro money, spent on health care for the poor. An Iron Triangle is the relationship among an agency, a committee and an interest group. For example the Department of Veterans Affairs is a triangle made up of the house and Senate committees on Veteran Affairs and Veteran’s organizations. These three would make up a strong alliance with each other. The department would do what the committee wanted them to do and in return get political support and budget appropriations and the committee would do what the department wanted and in return get votes and campaign contributions. The Department of Housing and Urban Developing is also and Iron Triangle because it works closely with mayors and real-estate agents. Another example of this is the Department of Agriculture, which works closely with form agencies. The Small Business Administration works closely with congress and loan programs that make it so strong that even the most popular President cannot beat them. The Federal Communications Commission works with broadcasters and heads of cable-television companies. They however are feeling the pressure of separate demands coming from both the television guys as well as the broadcasters. The common government agency today is not an iron triangle but an issue network. An issue network consists of people in Washington based interest groups, on congressional staffs, in universities and think tanks, and in the mass media who regularly debate government policy on a certain subject. The networks are split along political, ideological, and economic lines. When Reagan became president he filled these jobs with people who were from that part of the issue network holding free-market or anti-regulation views. When Bush became president he filled them with more centrists member of the issue network. Clinton then brought back the consumer activist and Bush Jr. will probably follow in his father’s footsteps and fill these positions again with centrist members.

Psycho essays

Psycho essays I dont care about the subject matter, I dont care about the acting, but I do care about the pieces of film and the photography and all the technical ingredients that makes the audience scream. (Alfred Hitchcock). Show How Hitchcock Achieves This In The Shower Scene Of Psycho Alfred Hitchcock, known across the globe for his famously shocking and revolutionary films. Hitchcock had an exceptional talent to make a piece of film, add some techniques and make it the most shocking piece of film in its time. In particular Psycho was an incredibly outrageous film, which with all of its techniques blended together, working like a well-oiled machine, really did make the audience scream. Hitchcock has an intriguing way of bringing the audience through the story line to the Bates Motel. Hitchcock splits the narrative into two plot lines; the first is almost just a means of getting the audience to the action. The second plot line crushes the audiences expectations and leaves them feeling a sense of unknown, and insecurity. The first plot line runs through Marion stealing the money, this creates the audience do not immediately assume Marion is not innocent, and the audience do not empathise with her. She then escapes with the money and after the escape her sister calls a private detective and the search for Marion begins. Marions sisters speech and actions make out that Marion is innocent and that she is running away for her safety, not fleeing from the law. When Marion reaches Bates motel the second plot line kicks in, with Marion, now with the audience empathising with her, meeting the strange Norman Bates. During Marions conversations and scenes with Norman the audience get more and more attached to him. But as the audience learns this is just one of Hitchcocks many twists as he attaches the audience to one character, but then shifts the atten...

Gait Analysis Essay Example

Gait Analysis Essay Example Gait Analysis Essay Gait Analysis Essay Gait Analysis Name: Course: Lecturer: : Date: Gait Analysis Gait analysis in biometrics Gait analysis has been a subject of discussion for many years as to its use. The recognition f gait by computers requires profound knowledge to instill in them the ability to recognize human traits or gait. Gait analysis is a new form of technology that has attracted the attention of computer enthusiasts and the medical fraternity alike, due to the profound abilities of the gait (Li, Miaou, Hung, Sese, 2003). The use of gait falls in two core categories, which are the gait recognition as a biometric and gait use as a means of rehabilitation and sports activity. Gait has attracted a lot of attention in many areas of its abilities. The area, which has attracted most interest, is the visual aspect of recognition by an individual’s gait. Gait analysis in biometrics works in ways that were never thought as possible in earlier periods (Whittle, 1996). . However, this has been enabled by the technological advancements in all aspects aiding research in the topic of gait use. Its use in the field of biometrics has enabled identification of suspicious individuals and restricting entry into various premises such as offices and residences of people. This is done is such a way that the biometric system is set in a way that it has the ability to recognize the bodily features of the people it is allowed to give entry or access into various premises. Biometrics, which involves identification of people by their features, is a new way of doing things, which can be attributed to the presence technological advancements (Razali Manaf, 2007) The common field of biometric is the use of fingerprints in the identification of individuals and facial recognition. These forms of gait analysis are used in numerous countries around the world. This is in areas of ensuring security especially within sensitive areas that are susceptible to criminal acts. Despite the advantages accrued to this forms of gait analysis, they are becoming obsolete in the sense that they are cumbersome in their use. For instance, fingerprint and facial recognition require a lot of effort to identify people. In addition, the gait systems cannot identify all individuals in busy areas such as airports and banks, which are susceptible to criminal, and terror activities. Hence, these vulnerabilities necessitate the creation of new forms of gait, which are able to recognize individuals even in crowded places with ease and adequate speed simultaneously. Gait recognition systems work in identical ways (Li et al., 2003). They rely on information fed to them about the specific individual. This enables the system to have background data and be able to recognize individuals at any vantage points. The individual should provide his features portrayed in background viewpoint. The gait detector is placed on a vantage point in order to allow it to recognize individuals from various positions. The gait detector takes up the features identified and compares them with the existing data in relation to the individual. This is with the hope of attaining positive recognition of the individual. The identification process can be classified into two distinct approaches the motion based approach model based approach. The model based approach focuses on the individual’s bodily features such as posture, walking styles, the height, neck length, feet length and the distance between the pelvis and the feet. Such details are vital in exact body recognition by the gait detector. The motion-based approach is whereby the gait detector recognizes the motion patterns of an individual such as the movement of the hands while walking (Post, 2006). Such movements are put as data and are fed into the gait for future recognition of the individual. Despite the numerous advantages accrued from the use of gait systems as biometric identifiers. The gait data can be manipulated by use of identical height and items such as clothing and shoes to gain identical height or body size. In addition, body movements can be mastered to gain access of individual residences or other premises. Moreover, the use of gait systems can be used with other forms of identifiers, which enhance their ability to recognize individuals with utmost accuracy. Gait analysis in rehabilitation and sport activities Gait analysis systems in the art of rehabilitation treatment and the enhancement of performance of individuals is different is some aspects in relation to gait systems used in biometrics. The gait capture systems are different because they are not invasive in terms of individual privacy, and more so, they do not operate without the consent of the subject. Gait systems because of consent from the subjects are elaborate in study of the gait. They are efficient because of their incorporation of various systems in the evaluation of the subject’s gait. Methods vary in terms of their application and methodology and more so the treatment of various conditions. Several equipments are used in the evaluation of the gait of an individual, they include, electromyography data, magnetic fields, cameras and force plates (Post, 2006). However, notion capture systems are disadvantageous in that they do not allow outdoor movement and mobile motion capture. This inhibits the medical practitioners from getting a clarified answer in relation to the movements of an individual on real terrain in comparison to the evenly shaped and sized floors in the medical institutions. Some gait systems use sensors placed on the subject’s body; these sensors are connected to a transmitter, which generates low electromagnetic forces. The electromagnetic enables the connection to the computer, which is programmed with tracking software for monitoring the different positions and movements of the body locations. Despite the efficiency provided by such methods, the method cannot be used effectively in the presence of other electromagnetic fields provided by other electronic equipment within an area. In addition, the presence of metal, which is attracted to any magnetic force, poses a challenge in the use of this method. Other methods use cameras with infrared capabilities. Cameras are used to monitor the markers placed on the subject’s body and they resonate with each movement of the individual. The primary focus of this system is on the central points and joints of the body in the evaluation of the subject. Artificial neural networks are another form of gait systems in that they use layer feed forward networks to examine the bodily activity of individuals. People with sports injuries, bodily injuries unrelated to sporting activities and those who have ever suffered from stroke require this form of treatment because it focuses on the movement of muscles and other vital body movements (Li et al., 2003). The methods usually use physical assistance from physiotherapists and medical practitioners to assist in the movement and therapy, which might eventually enable movement of the muscles. Gait analysis is extensive in terms of its study and its use. Gait analysis has been a successful subject of study because it has given people hope of achieving treatments in extensive study of body movements. In addition, it has enabled improvements in the methods used to achieve security in people’s areas of residences, premises and other sensitive pubic and private areas such as military barracks, airports, seaports and banks (Lee, 2003). There is adequate room for more inventions in terms of new gait systems. This can only be facilitated by the presence of new technological advancements, which have aided in the formation of new systems. Such systems will eventually transform the way medical practitioners with specific reference to the physiotherapists involved in the treatment of bodily-related ailments and injuries. References Lee, L. (2003). Gait Analysis for Classification. Boston, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Li, Y., Miaou, S., Hung, K. C., Sese, J. T. (2003). A Gait Analysis System Using Two Cameras with Orthogonal View. Chung-Li: Chung Yuan Christian University Post, D. C. (2006). Gait Analysis Review. Washington, DC: Mendeley University Razali, N. S., Manaf, A. A. (2003). Gait Analysis for Criminal Identification Based on Motion Capture. Advanced Informatics School, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Whittle, M. W. (1996). Clinical gait analysis: A review. Human Movement Science, 15(3), 369–387

Charles Schwab Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Charles Schwab - Essay Example The primary tool that should be used to analyze key issues of the case is a SWOT analysis. Since technology is an ever-changing influence on the business world today, and businesses must stay on top of technology in order to provide the best business, the businesses must make sure they analyze these concepts on the terms of a SWOT analysis. There are several strengths in this approach, as the customers feel empowered by their ability to use online interphases to participate in trading and investing. Furthermore, the opportunities continue to allow for better organization and focus for the business. Weaknesses focus around the fact that technology will continue to change, so the interphase will need to be constantly updated and customers may need extra assistance with this. Threats include the ability of other companies to adapt to the same type of interphase, and the fact that the technology will be both costly and expensive for the company. Having used the tools described above, identify the key issues that the company should focus on - relate it to the reading in the Grant text for that week. Tell the reader why those are the root issues and not just symptoms of something deeper. Charles Schwab should continue to focus on technology in order to push its firm to be the most technology-driven company. The name of the brand "Charles Schwab" holds much respect for investors, so the combination of technological advancement with the name should grab the attention of those willing to invest. As Generation X ages, and as they were the generation that showed the first true interest in technology and computers as an everyday resource, it will become important to target them for investment strategy, and a good way to do this is with top-of-the-line technology. Technology grabs the attention of Generation X and also peaks their interest, because most of the individuals that are a part of that generation respect the reliance of computers. Combining this with the respect for the company's name, the company should be able to achieve a large amount of success. Find and cite three benchmark companies that face similar issues or counterpoint issues TODAY. Three companies that face similar issues today are actually three banks that also have to grab the interest of Generation X in order to promote investment in the company. This includes Chase, which recently bought out Washington Mutual, Bank of America, and Citibank. All three banks are becoming more and more interested in the use of technology in order to keep organization clean, and reduce human error. Technology has also allowed these companies to provide customers with more power in their investments with technology like online banking. Like Schwab, these banks are using online interphases to give customers more access to information, and more power overall. Again, technology helps to catch the attention and interest of the aging Generation X population, who have always shown a certain trust in the use of computers.Select and defend a direction for the company. I believe that Charles Schwab should continue with its current strategy of using technology to stay on top of the investment firm business. Technology is a great way to not only interest Generation X, but also show its strength, power, and reliability as an organization, combining its already reliable name with the reliability of technology. The better the technology and the more empowered the customers, the more likely they will be to come to the business, and stay with the business.

Social Media, and how dose it effect the community Research Paper

Social Media, and how dose it effect the community - Research Paper Example Social media have made significant and changes in communication or interactions in the community, among the individuals and organizations. This study examines ways in which social media has influenced the community both negatively and positively. Social media differ from traditional media in the terms of usage, quality, accessibility, permanency, etc. (Piskorski 42). In the modern world people from all diversity spend more time on social media sited such as twitter, Google plus, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc. Studies have established an increased usage of social media in terms of time spent on the social media sites as well as increasing number of users (Dijck 57). The increasing use of portable internet enabled devices such as smartphones are the main contributing factors to increasing use of social media. For example, in 2011 the total time spent on social media by US residents amounted to 66 billion minutes depicting a 99% increase in social media usage to 121 billion minutes in 2012 (Jones 1). Therefore, social media have resulted to the establishment virtual community in which people exchange information more often and are to control content of information that they share. Social media have increased business development and expansion (Piskorski 24). Most companies have set their presence in the social media to enable the clients to comment about the products. Sometimes companies reward customers by awarding points to customers for commenting on their products or referring new customers (Dijck 83). An example of a company that has used social media to reward customers is McDonalds, which issued $5 and $10 gift cards randomly to 100 clients who checked-in one of their restaurants (Dijck 84). The offer increased check-ins from 2,146 to 2,865. The company received several new blog posts, articles and comments from new clients. The Social media have become one of the most effective means on obtaining customer feedback that has helped

Television Interview with Bill Mckibben Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Television Interview with Bill Mckibben - Essay Example Human being shave not left the earth alone. They are carrying out activities that may significantly change not only the earth but also its climate. In this regard, carbon dioxide has been recognized as the main culprit. In fact, the single activity that would be most likely to have a significant impact on climatic conditions is burning of gas, oil, coal and other fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are made up of carbon and therefore burning them would produce carbon dioxide. Since the early 19th century, when the burning of fossil fuels in large quantities began, the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have increased by more than thirty percent. This has led to an increase in global temperatures from 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit. While this may appear to be a minor and even inconsequential increase in temperatures, it has had devastating effects. Numerous books, journals, essays and magazines have been written to this effect and an equally large number of propositions made on how to salv age the situations to save planet earth or even mitigate the effects. No other book captures more graphically the grim picture pertaining to climate change as Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, by Bill McKibben. The following is an excerpt of a television interview in which Bill McKibben talks about the book in particular and climate change in general. With him is a panel of media pundits (Stanley who is hosting the show, Joyce and Craig) and Richard (from Africa), all bound to express their views on the issue as well. Stanley: Bill, thank you for honoring our invitation and welcome to this show. Quite a lot has been said about climate change and your book has extensively touched on the issue. Please enlighten us on the views expressed in the book. Bill: Thank you Stanley. As you have said, climatic changes have been a major concern more so in the recent times. While most of our governments are flirting with the issue, it is important to acknowledge that the implications o f climate change and global warming are quite severe. Look at the changes that have been experienced in many parts of the world. The environmental news has actually deteriorated. Have we not seen ice caps vanishing, oceans acidifying and crops failing more than we have ever seen in the past? Can our forefathers recognize this earth if they were to rise from their graves? I doubt that. We are no longer living in planet earth as they knew it but rather Eaarth. Unfortunately all this has been caused by insensitive human activity. Craig: With all due respect Bill, don’t you think we are overlooking quite a number of things in this respect. I definitely agree that there has been a significant rise in the temperatures as to cause all those things that you have talked of. However, it is important to acknowledge that we know very little about the environment, pertaining to its history, its current state or even how we can protect and conserve it. The debate that we hold actually over states the level of existing knowledge as well as its certainty. Of course I agree that carbon dioxide levels are increasing in the atmosphere and human activity is actually the main culprit. However, how can you be sure that this is the cause of increase in temperature and the consequent changes while we are in the middle of a natural trend of global warming that kicked of around mid 19th century just when we were emerging from the â€Å"Little Ice Age†

Ethical Issue in Advanced Practice Nursing Essay

Ethical Issue in Advanced Practice Nursing - Essay Example They include the Strong model, Manley’s model and Benner’s model. To solve the problems above, the Strong model is the most effective due to its seven encompassing and interrelated domains. The nurses have a role to play in ensuring that the quality of patient care given to patients is high and satisfying. Quality healthcare is paramount for the development of the society and the whole nation at large. The importance of having healthy citizens cannot be understated, and this directly points to the vital and crucial roles played by the nurses. Advanced practice nursing is paramount in ensuring that the nurses who help patients and the general society are not only qualified but also provide the best of services for everyone. The healthcare that nurses provide plays a great role in saving lives, minimizing complications, campaigning and promoting the well being of people, prevention and reduction of suffering and also plays a great role in reducing health related expenditures (Patient-Centered Care, 2013). As a career, nursing has advocated for the frail and the vulnerable and has enlightened the community, all in a bid to improve the quality of life. Suzanne Gordon described the important roles that nurses play (Kelly and Tazbiri, 2013). She described how nurses, with their deep and con siderable knowledge take care of the patients from the dire consequences of diseases and illnesses, infirmity and physical challenges, and the challenges of undergoing some illnesses. They take care of the patients in hospitals and in care homes, or even by caring for them at their homes when the patients lose their ability to perform much of the daily tasks, even the most basic of them such as turning in bed, going for long or short calls, walking around the house or even feeding (Kelly and Tazbiri, 2013). Diagnosis, prescription and

Tegan elects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tegan elects - Essay Example The most important part of determining whether to outsource or not was cost. But in this case, a better solution points to Hrad because Tegan has worked with them in the past. There are many tradeoffs that would be involved if Tegan elects to have the requirements analysis done by one of the first that was involved in bidding. They would have to start over with a new company and this would mean they would probably pay more. Also, because they did not know the newer company, the bidders would probably inflate their original bids to cover what they did not know about Tegan. Tegan needs the project completed by December and it would take more time for a new company to come up with the information. The beginning of Hrad’s work with Tegan was in 2004 when they were looking for new partners and new business. Tegan was impressed with Hrad and decided to give them a small project that both the companies could use. For Tegan it was a way to understand how Hrad worked and for Hrad it wa s a way to get their foot in the door with this company. This project also allowed them to build a rapport with the sponsor/coach (Upton Staats â€Å"Hrad† 2). Hrad was able to give Tegan what they needed on this pilot project and they were able to move forward and do more work with Tegan. The good news was that the project was able to pass all of the â€Å"customer acceptance tests† (Upton Staats â€Å"Hrad† 2) and the functionality was excellent. Unfortunately the bad news was that the performance speed was a problem. They fixed this problem by having the Hrad technicians work with a Tegan architect so they could better learn the process. Hrad also sent to Tegan’s offices one architect who could help them fix the problem; the performance problems were resolved. One of the challenges for the next part in the development was that the Tegan architect who had worked so closely with Hrad and who had been a bridge between the two companies, decided to leave T egan and this meant that information that was understood between two companies was lost. Several projects were given to Tegan after the first one and they were finally given the project to re-vamp the A/P system. The program was to be finished by December of 2008 (Upton Staats â€Å"Hrad† 2) and Hrad received a fixed price contract. However, Hrad would have to bid on the project as all the other bidders. Tegan awarded the contract to Hrad after they presented a ?900,000 bid and Hrad began work in December of 2007. Hrad worked with Dunnock and with Hrad to develop the project. There were other problems that happened along the way as they developed this project and many challenges began to unravel the project. As an example, after two and a half months, Hrad insisted that Tegan had more than one person review LLDs because there were too many problems with only one person reading them. There was good communication between the two companies and they seemed to iron out the problem s as they came about during the development. Unfortunately as they continued into the project, Hrad found that it would cost another ?400,000 to do the work they needed to do to meet the December deadline; Tegan’s CIO, Winston Smith was not happy with this development because Tegan was on a fixed price contract. At this juncture, there had to be negotiations between the two companies for the extra cost. Once the project commenced, Hrad Technika had

Ethical Issue in Advanced Practice Nursing Essay

Ethical Issue in Advanced Practice Nursing - Essay Example They include the Strong model, Manley’s model and Benner’s model. To solve the problems above, the Strong model is the most effective due to its seven encompassing and interrelated domains. The nurses have a role to play in ensuring that the quality of patient care given to patients is high and satisfying. Quality healthcare is paramount for the development of the society and the whole nation at large. The importance of having healthy citizens cannot be understated, and this directly points to the vital and crucial roles played by the nurses. Advanced practice nursing is paramount in ensuring that the nurses who help patients and the general society are not only qualified but also provide the best of services for everyone. The healthcare that nurses provide plays a great role in saving lives, minimizing complications, campaigning and promoting the well being of people, prevention and reduction of suffering and also plays a great role in reducing health related expenditures (Patient-Centered Care, 2013). As a career, nursing has advocated for the frail and the vulnerable and has enlightened the community, all in a bid to improve the quality of life. Suzanne Gordon described the important roles that nurses play (Kelly and Tazbiri, 2013). She described how nurses, with their deep and con siderable knowledge take care of the patients from the dire consequences of diseases and illnesses, infirmity and physical challenges, and the challenges of undergoing some illnesses. They take care of the patients in hospitals and in care homes, or even by caring for them at their homes when the patients lose their ability to perform much of the daily tasks, even the most basic of them such as turning in bed, going for long or short calls, walking around the house or even feeding (Kelly and Tazbiri, 2013). Diagnosis, prescription and

Specification and Design Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Specification and Design - Dissertation Example For instance crime scenes where a person had been shot, when the medics arrive, they had to wait for the police before they could save the individual, therefore the sponsors found the need for a communication system where the information from an emergency scene would reach all the people involved in the emergency simultaneously. The aim of the project, therefore, is to create a communication system where information that originated from a scene of emergency would reach all the people involved at the same time, therefore, hasten the pace of response. In this project, the solution that would enable the integration of all the people involved in response in one call would be the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). In designing the VoIP, a software will be designed that will enable a victim of an emergency to communicate with several departments that are responsible for responding to a certain emergency. The software will be designed in such a way that for instance when it is a fi re emergency, the relevant personnel will be notified which will be different from the case of a crime scene. This will be enabled by the programming which when a person chooses the type of an emergency, the software will direct the calls to the specific departments that are responsible to respond to the emergency. There will be no major modifications, however, due to the sophistication of crime and to avoid tampering of the software by criminals, the security protocol of the software will be improved to match the best practices in the communication sector. Literature survey With the current paces in technology where there is the increasing number of service that is available over a wire and wireless connections, the technology is changing from narrowband such as telephones over wires to the wideband where the services that previously used the narrowband would migrate and use the wideband. According to Bonometti article, â€Å"competitive business advantages in the era of unified s uper convergence† digital convergence will expand by entailing the following. Improved evenness in information flow between the cable and cable-less communication technologies, which will be the outcome of changes in cable-less technology, standards and protocol. Real dependence between gadgets, platforms and the multimedia types that they support. The third thing that digital convergence will entail is the intelligence functions such as the semantic web and other machine-based interactions and embedded applications that enable content searches in rich media (Bonometti, 2009, p 248-257). A study by William and Russell on Huawei, which is a technology firm, based in China where it has always been believed that the country is the greatest copier of technologies that have been developed by other countries. In this study, they found out that despite Huawei being a global leader in the provision of Softswitch platform that is used in VoIP, it has been involved in developing of tech nologies in the next generation networks (NGN) that provide for the multimedia solution across different platforms such as mobile phones, landlines, and television sets. The article â€Å"Customized Executive Learning: a Business Model for the Twenty-First Century† by Jamie Anderson and Gert-Jan.

Cults, Hate Groups and Gangs Essay Example for Free

Cults, Hate Groups and Gangs Essay Society is ripening with the essential antagonisms, where in the agreement with the substitute discipline got enclosed by a classification thought. Inconsistency cannot be recognized efficiently to each consideration or actuality. Nevertheless it is simply historical propositional claims. The content is the way in which simultaneously challenge is suggested with how things could be better, but leaves things practically unchanged. It is also reveals the goal of thought is not to continue the blind domination of nature and humans but to point toward understanding. Cults as an exponent of ethnic identity is thus generally either a remnant of a largely political community which once existed but was destroyed by disunion and colonization. For instance in Myers text in A General History for Colleges and High Schools the case of the â€Å"Delphian Apollo† a product of kulturgemeinschaft brought about by other than purely ethnic conditions, but which in turn gives rise to the belief in blood relationship. All history shows how easily political action can give rise to the belief in blood relationship, unless gross differences of anthropological type impede it. Studies claimed the popular as their domain of educating the trends and cultural formations about which it had very little forehand knowledge such as grunge, raves and dead culture in particular. What they did not have and were uncomfortable about was the high enriching center that would facilitate them to see the dialectic between the popular and the academic. † Society envelops with different levels of analysis that can be well-known as cultural province . The specialty of popular culture production array from micro to macro and they take in differences in the group, indoctrination, and distribution of popular culture. † (Jarvie, 2003) Recruiting members: Society of these groups recruits their members by thinking that conveys precise personality and cultural beliefs and standards. Friends recruits friends, family members each other and neighbors recruits neighbors. In Understanding Early Civilization written by Bruce Trigger says contrary to public in belief and the assertion of many proponents of the brainwashing theory of cult conversion, the figures available support neither the proposition that everyone is equally susceptible to recruitment, nor that most converts are recruited through individual contacts in public places. In The Revolution in Anthropology written by Jarvie this groups interview their aspirants, and conducted by clinicians among cult members, former members and relatives of members, a new member have described their experience of depression, inadequacy, sadness, loneliness and rejection just before joining. The cult as a whole is an extension of the leader’s personality and teachings. The leader’s magnificence as well as his or her association with divinity provides an essential feeling of special ness and importance to cult members. It is consider as one of the significant point in information to recruitment. These groups are suitable in sociological category; it cannot be identified and subjected to empirical study, for it does not exist in objective reality. The people, the popular forces are a shifting set of loyalty that cross all social categories, various individuals belong to different popular formations at different times, often moving between them quite fluidly. â€Å"Native meanings and pleasure can be made only within and against white domination without textual reproduction of the power that is being struggled against, there can be no relevance. † (Freidheim, 1976) Sociological understanding makes is a social process, all meanings of self of social relations all the discourses and texts that play such important cultural roles can circulate only in relationship to the social system in out case that of white patriarchal capitalism. It is the constant process of producing meanings necessarily produces a social identity for the people involved, as well as a constant succession of social practices. Society must then, contain both the forces of domination and the opportunities to speak against them, the opportunities to oppose or evade them from subordinated, but not totally disempowered, positions. This culture is made by the people at the interface between the products of the culture industries and everyday life. These groups are made by the people, not imposed upon them; it stems form within from below not form above. They love the art of making do with what the system provides. Well-liked culture also is eminent by its commonness. It constitute in actual fact all of the movement which people spend on enjoying themselves and providing comfort for themselves The fact that the system provides only commodities, whether cultural or material does not mean that the process of consuming those commodities can be adequately described as one those commodities the people into a homogenized mass at the mercy of the barons of the industry. This is made by various formations of subordinated or disempowered people out of the resources, both discursive and material that are provided by the social system that dis-empowers them. It is therefore contradictory to its core. These cultures rely on method and replication. People require to be reminded of what they consider and popular culture does this my do again definite attitude and principles and organizing them into genres. It is mass media, entertainment and diversions. It is heroes, icons, rituals, psychology and religion. It is a way of life, the voice of a people. How do they function: Every hate groups in society feeds on the energy of condemnation. In that regard, they are not much different from the rest of us. It’s just a matter of degree, it does not matter whether the condemnation is generated by the group or directed at the group. Either way, the organization is sustained by the energy of condemnation. The hate groups by actively trying to eradicate them or reform them, or passively assume there is no truth in them. Any sort of condemnation guarantees their continued existence. The function of the hate groups in society is complete when two thins happen. A culture that is made from within and below not imposed from without or above mass cultural theorists would have it. They are always a culture of conflict; it always involves the struggle to make social meanings that are in the interests of the subordinate and that are not those preferred by the dominant ideology, made in relationship to structures of dominance. This relationship can take two main forms that of resistance or evasion. They have six major fundamental values that summarize its sole place in humankind. The primary is likeness and exploitation. Hate groups reflect the legends, viewpoint, and principles of people, but at the equal moment control those same beliefs. In recent years, however, many people have argued that we are seeing the emergence of a universal worldwide culture. They may have various things in mind. â€Å"First, global culture can refer to a set of economic, social and political ideas, assumptions, and values now widely held among elites throughout the world. † (Bromley, 2002) Almost all these people hold university degrees in the physical sciences, social sciences, business, or law; work with words and/or numbers; speak reasonably fluent English; are employed by governments, corporations, and academic institutions with extensive international involvements; and travel frequently outside their own country. How do they succeed: They generally share beliefs in individualism, market economies, and political democracy, which are also common among people in these groups. Hence is tremendously important. Worldwide, however, only a small portion of the world’s population shares in this culture. It is far from a universal culture, and the leaders who share in it do not necessarily have a secure grip on power in their own societies. As such, these proponents view contemporary society as lax and degenerate, and they argue that high culture is not incompatible with many of the newer ideas which most likely to succeed in forming a cult around his vision if the society contains many other persons suffering from problems similar to those originally faced by the cult founder to whose solution therefore they are likely to respond. Often, conservatives who adhere to these beliefs advocate the reintroduction of cultural depth to modern educational systems. It is nonetheless one immensely significant consequence of the globalization of economic activity that has occurred in recent decades. The culture of the hate gangs is currently undergoing one of the greatest crises in its modern history. The old severe order, so extensive during much of the region, is administration out of condensation and out of time. The ruler and ruled has never been superior, while annoyance and anger among the broad population at accessible situation—economic, social, political, and worldwide—is at new heights. â€Å"Gangs’ societies and cultures, languages and peoples by scholars, these society is now occupied in a argument of the allegation of what income in supporting terms;† (Andersen, 2006) both sides are stressed with how to stay away from any sense of predictability about a clash of civilizations and how to allocate blame for the state of severe anxiety between the two sides that affect all levels of the population. Contemporary popular culture as just the aggregate product of industrial developments; instead, it contemporary culture results from a continuing interaction between those industries and those who consume their products Against the conditions of these dramatic events there lies a less dramatic, but perhaps more significant, experience that may have greater impact over the longer run than even intimidation and war. The emergence of a huge and increasing people of hate groups in the region whose presence will likely shake present administration from within more overwhelmingly than even the forces of global policy, this demographic factor, sometimes designated as a demographic â€Å"youth bulge,† refers to the unusually large percentage of hate groups among the overall population. Discrimination was not even yet being exploited for the political ends, but they were important since they corresponded to characteristics cultures. These sociological groups are constructed as a wasteland which executives of the culture industry internationally create programs that will control and manipulate the masses into doing things that will not be beneficial to their lives. Deep inside our characters are the inscriptions missing by the creative and the individuals whose intuitions or ideas leave others changed. The influenced in the commentaries that focus on alternative approach on popular culture that is more accepting, in which does not mean less critical. The ideologies of these groups are then full of gaps, contradiction and inadequacies. They must offer popular meanings and pleasures are constructed out of the relevance between the text and everyday life; popular pleasures derive from the production of these meanings by the people. They belong to the realm of international culture as not worthy to be trained. Society has its central to the high cultural readings as well but it works differently; the high cultural intertextual relations organized around the scholars are more limiting than ones organized around its policies. These features are in the order we want to cover them, the masses gravitate to forms of sample of popular sociological groups since even if they were exposed in reality they could not comprehend it. Trying to be accepted cultures as intellectuals and only pander to the poor taste of the masses, the masses do not have the intellectual capacities to discern between realities and the created worlds of uniqueness of everyone. Reference: Jarvie, I. C. (2003). The Revolution in Anthropology: International Library of Sociology E: The Sociology of Development. Routledge. London UK. p. 86 Freidheim, E. A. (1976). Sociological Theory in Research Practice. Transaction Publishers. Edison, NJ. p. 20 Bromley, D. G. and Melton, J. G. (2002). Cults, Religion and Violence. Cambridge University Press. Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge. p. 53 Andersen, M. L. and Taylor, H. F. (2006). Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society. Thomson Wadsworth. Belmont, CA. p. 342 Myers, P. V. N. (2004). A General History for Colleges and High Schools. Kessinger Publishing. Whitefish, MT. p. 35 Trigger, B. G. (2003). Understanding Early Civilizations: A Comparative Study. Cambridge University Press. Shaftsbury Road, Cambridge. p. 472

Investigating methods for preventing racial profiling in the field

Investigating methods for preventing racial profiling in the field Racial profiling occurs when law enforcement officers interpret race (specifically minority membership) as an indicator of increased risk of criminal behavior. Most racial profiling is conducted by officers engaged in street-level policing and this practice is generally banned by federal law, state statutes, and police manuals or guidelines (Wu, 2005). According the United States Department of Justice Fact Sheet on racial profiling: Racial profiling sends the dehumanizing message to our citizens that they are judged by the color of their skin and harms the criminal justice system by eviscerating the trust that is necessary if law enforcement is to effectively protect our communities (United States, Department of Justice, 2003). Major stakeholders with an interest towards this problem include the states Attorney General, county commissioners or city council members, agency leadership, law enforcement officers, and the public. In recognition of the problem, various corrective steps have been taken by states. These measures have included the development of statewide anti-racial profiling policies and mandatory demographic data collection to be conducted by law enforcement officers during all stops. This writer recommends the implementation of an early intervention system to compile information including the assignment history of each officer, traffic enforcement data, citizen complaints, and disciplinary actions taken against the officer. This system would be used by supervisors to monitor officer performance and to address potential problems before they escalate to serious racial profiling events. Used regularly, the program would identify potential racial biases more effectively and would place greater accountability upon supervisors to monitor officers performance. Problem Statement The problem is the use of racial profiling in the field of law enforcement. Specifically, the problem is the disproportionate number of minorities that are targeted for investigatory stops in comparison to non-minorities. Historically, African Americans, Hispanics, and since 9/11, Arab Americans have been subjected to higher instances of traffic stops and investigatory detentions. By definition, racial profiling occurs when a law enforcement officer questions, stops, searches, arrests, or investigates and individual because the officer holds a prejudicial notion that members of that persons racial or ethnic group have a greater likelihood than the rest of the population to commit the sort of crime the officer is investigating. (Barnes, Gross, 2002) Officers who practice racial profiling are in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection clause which states, No state shallà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. (Ward, 2002 ) In addition to the violation of civil rights, racial profiling contributes to the greater social problem of public distrust towards law enforcement. Stakeholders Attorney General In most states, the states Attorney General serves as the top law enforcement officer and lawyer for the state. For state-level law enforcement agencies, particularly the highway patrol or state police, the attorney general acts as a supervisor to the agencys director and therefore holds the responsibility for appointing the agency director as well as providing guidance to the agency in regards to the proper application of the law. In the event that a lawsuit is filed against a state law enforcement agency, the attorney general acts as the states legal representative. Furthermore, in a majority of states the attorney general is an elected official and is therefore subject to lose votes if the public is dissatisfied with his job performance. He must therefore stay abreast of any updates or changes to the law and ensure that the states law enforcement officers operate in compliance with these laws. County commissioners and City council members Within counties, cities, and towns, the county commissioners, city or town council members are legislative bodies responsible for passing laws, bills, and ordinances that govern the municipality. In city or town police departments, the police chief is appointed by the council and in county Sheriffs offices, the Sheriff is sometimes appointed by county commissioners (in instances where the position is vacant outside an election year). In the event that citizens are not satisfied with local law enforcements actions, the county commissioner or city council members will hear the complaint and make a final decision on the matter. As decision makers (and citizens) they have an interest in maintaining public safety and order. As elected officials, their performance is subject to public scrutiny and failure to adequately address rights violations is unlikely to get them reelected. Agency Leadership Depending on the level of law enforcement (state or local), the agency Director, the Chief of Police, or the county Sheriff have a direct responsibility in addressing racial profiling. All law enforcement agencies operate using a top-down leadership approach, with the Director, Chief, or Sheriff at the top of the hierarchal ladder, followed by Captains, Lieutenants, Sergeants, and Officers or Deputies. The agencys leader has an interest in making sure the department adheres to the laws and policy standards for law enforcement set forth by the state or local government. The federal government has enacted anti-racial profiling laws and most states have followed suit. Law enforcement agencies that are found to be non-compliant with these laws are held accountable. As the highest ranking employees within their respective agencies, these officials serve as the face of the agency and are often called upon to answer to the aforementioned commissioners or councils when allegations of officer misconduct are made by the public. Law Enforcement Officers Law enforcement officers are stakeholders because the publics perception of the police can have either a positive or negative impact on performance of their duties. Racial profiling is a contributor to the larger social problem of public distrust of the police. In Race, Cops, and Traffic Stops, Angela Davis argued that when minorities experience injustices that are tolerated by criminal justice officials, they develop distrust and disrespect for the justice system. That lack of faith translates into hopelessness, frustration, and sometimes violence (Davis, 2007). For law enforcement officers, public trust and cooperation is essential to their job function. When these two elements are diminished or absent in a community, fewer crimes are solved and officer safety is in jeopardy. Public The public relies on the police to enforce the law and maintain order. As a subgroup of the public, minority populations share these expectations that law enforcement officers will behave ethically. Inability to rely on the police to remain fair and impartial creates a barrier between the police and the minority communities they serve. When this occurs, the public is less likely to report crime and/or provide assistance to the police during criminal investigations. Eventually, some law enforcement officers develop an Us against Them approach towards minorities while minority groups adopt a Them against Us mentality. As a result, fewer crimes are solved and criminals remain on the street. Thus, racial profiling contributes to the perpetual cycle of police ineffectiveness caused by the disconnect between the police and the public. Background of Problem In Analysis of Racial Profiling as Policy Analysis, Samuel Myers, Jr. presents a 1999 report by Knowles, Persico, and Todd that in a stretch of Interstate 95 in Maryland from 1995 to 1999, 63% of all motorists searched were African American. However, only 18% of the motorists on the road were African American. Similar studies have shown patterns of disproportionality in traffic stops conducted by other law enforcement agencies. Allegations of racial profiling have resulted in a number of class action lawsuits and law enforcement agencies response to the problem varies. Some states or police departments have banned racial profiling while others have focused on collecting racial data on stops and searches in order to monitor the ratio of minorities to non-minorities being subjected to these activities. Many have also instituted training and education programs designed to specifically address racial profiling. In 2002, the Minnesota state legislature recommended a voluntary initiative for police departments to address this problem. The preamble to this legislation read in part, Law enforcement policies and training programs must emphasize the need to respect the balance between the rights of all persons to be free from unreasonable governmental intrusions and law enforcements need to enforce the law. Key components of the legislation included: The development of a statewide anti-racial profiling policy that obligated police to provide their name or badge number during routine traffic stops. Providing training to law enforcement officers to adhere to the model policy and dismiss from service any officer who did not complete the training. Collection of data for a 2-year period among participating agencies (Myers, 2002). In its response to racial profiling, the General Assembly of North Carolina enacted a law in 2009 that mandated both state and local law enforcement officers to compile information for each traffic stop to include the race, ethnicity, and sex of the driver along with the alleged traffic violation that led to the stop. The results of these studies and measures taken by state legislatures indicates recognition that the racial profiling does exist and that appropriate measures need to be taken to ban this practice. Alternative Policies In considering alternative ways to address the problem of racial profiling, one could consider a revision to departmental policy to include specific disciplinary action, adjusting training and policy standards to incorporate cultural sensitivity and diversity awareness training, or implementing an early intervention program to monitor officer performance and provide guidance. Alternative Policy #1 Disciplinary Action In an effort to deter officers from racial profiling, one alternative would be to revise departmental policy to include disciplinary guidelines that prescribe specific punishment according to the number and severity of substantiated offenses. For example, the guideline would prescribe counseling for a 1st offense, a written warning to be added to the officers personnel file and possible suspension for a 2nd offense, and termination for a 3rd offense. This method would provide officers with strict guidelines to govern their behavior and would leave no room for misinterpretation. Issuing a punishment-based policy would also give the public the perception that the agency takes the problem seriously and will respond to complaints with appropriate corrective action. The implementation of a zero tolerance policy, in theory, could improve police relations with minority communities and increase public confidence in law enforcement. This alternative could also lead to a decrease in officer morale, higher turnover, and fear of punishment (amongst officers) for doing their jobs. Officers who feel that stops involving minorities will be scrutinized may make an effort to avoid these investigatory stops, meaning that some guilty people will go undetected. This method does not take into account that some officers, by nature of their assignment or job function, will simply have more contacts with minorities and will likewise conduct more stops involving these groups. For example, an officer patrolling an inner city area is more likely to have interaction with minorities than an officer assigned to a rural area because metropolitan areas tend to be more racially and ethnically diverse. This should not serve as a definitive indicator that the officer with a higher percentage of stops involving minorities is guilty of racial profiling. This policy also does not allow for alternative measures such as reassignment, addition al training, or psychological assessment that would give the officer an opportunity to redeem himself. Lastly, punishment-based alternatives are generally ineffective in treating the root cause of the problem. Instead of determining why an officer has more stops involving minorities, this alternative is reactive in nature and only seeks to penalize the officer after this behavior is detected. Alternative #2 Adjust Training and Policy Standards The majority of law enforcement agencies across the nation require officers to complete yearly training to provide legal updates, refresher courses in officer safety, and to renew firearms qualification. In addition to these classes, departments should incorporate mandatory cultural sensitivity/diversity awareness training into the annual in-service training curriculum to specifically address racial profiling. In addition, agency policy could be adjusted to restrict officers to random interdiction and indiscriminate investigatory detentions. Training in cultural sensitivity and diversity awareness would help dispel stereotypes and overcome communication barriers that exist between the police and minority communities. In the District of Columbia for example, the Diversity Awareness and Sensitivity Training Program was developed by the Institute for Public Safety Justice to explore how issues of bias, prejudice, and stereotyping negatively impact effective law enforcement and the relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve. Representatives from cultural and community groups are invited to incorporate culture-specific information into the program (Institute for Public Safety and Justice). While on patrol, police officers often use apparent violations of traffic laws as a pretext to stop and question drivers whom they suspect of involvement in illegal drug or firearm offenses. In actuality, the driver was stopped because of race. (Joh, 2007) With this alternative, agency policy would be adjusted to require officers to use discretionless policing and to prohibit pretextual traffic stops. Police officers would be required to take universal prescribed enforcement measures regardless of the circumstances of the stop. For instance, all drivers stopped for speeding, broken taillights, or seat belt violations would be asked the same questions and issued citations. In addition, officers conducting highway interdiction or running radar would be required to point their patrol vehicles away from traffic in order to eliminate racial identification as a factor in the decision to conduct a traffic stop. Critics of cultural sensitivity training for law enforcement view these efforts as an attempt at political correctness that is discriminatory and demeaning to non-minority officers. Training coordinators could also find it difficult to deciding which cultures should be highlighted in the training program. Some would view the inclusion of only African American and Hispanic cultures as singling out these races (or ethnicities) as having negative interactions with the police. As a result of this training, law enforcement officers may consciously or subconsciously treat these minority groups with kid gloves. Police discretion is an integral part of effective policing. Forbidding the police from considering racial characteristics may reduce this effectiveness. Oftentimes, those who engage in certain criminal activities tend to share certain characteristics relating to specific socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. For instance, because of its low cost, the sale of crack cocaine is more common in poor, predominately African American communities. However, the sale of methamphetamine is more common amongst whites. Forcing the police to disregard such characteristics may lead to less effective policing and to increased crime. (Persico, 2002) Alternative #3 Early Intervention Program Law enforcement agencies could implement an early intervention system that would be used to identify officers who appear to have a tendency towards racial profiling. This system would be a centralized database within the agency that compiles information to include: each officers assignment area (or zone), traffic enforcement data (of all individuals stopped or detained), citizen complaints, and a record of all tentative or final formal disciplinary actions taken against the officer in the past. Early intervention is not to be confused with a formal discipline, which carries a negative connotation. Whereas discipline involves official documented actions toward officers in response to substantiated misconduct allegations, early intervention actions are informal and confidential. Officers flagged by the early intervention system should be addressed in confidential counseling sessions and a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) should be agreed upon between the supervisor and the officer. Recommended Policy An early intervention program represents a proactive approach eliminating racial profiling that tailors corrective measures to fit the individual officer. Early intervention systems are useful in identifying potential problems before they escalate into more serious issues requiring formal disciplinary action. Using this method also places greater accountability upon supervisors to closely monitor the performance of their subordinates. In contrast to traditional performance reviews that involve subjective assessments, this policy is objective in nature, identifying specific areas of performance, such as citizens complaints, and developing an appropriate response to these problems. Implementation and Monitoring An early intervention program should include four basic components: performance indicators, an identification and selection process, intervention, and post-intervention monitoring (Walker, 2005, 108). Performance indicators Include data such as assignment area, racial demographic data of individuals detained (whether citation were issued or not), citizen complaints, and history of disciplinary actions. Identification and Selection Should be treated as two separate stages. This would result in some officers who are initially identified based on compiled data that would not be selected for intervention. Instead, the nature and context of these criteria should be further evaluated before selection is made. An officer working in a high-crime area is likely to receive more complaints than an officer working in a low-crime area. Therefore, officers identified in the system as having relatively high numbers of complaints would be subject to further screening that may reveal a legitimate explanation. Intervention Consists of confidential counseling between the selected officer and supervisor and may include the recommendation for remedial training specific to the officers needs. The counseling session should include a discussion of the performance problems identified by the system and an agreement on the steps that will be taken to correct these issues. Post-intervention monitoring Following the intervention, the supervisor would be required to monitor the selected officers performance for a specified time period. Once the time period has passed without a significant number of additional problem indicators, monitoring frequency may be decreased or discontinued. Funding Funding could be accomplished by reallocating law enforcement grant funds to include a fund that designed to target racial profiling. These funds would be provided to departments as an incentive to voluntarily implement an early intervention strategy. Grants would be used towards assisting in startup, supervisor training, and maintenance of the system along with remedial training materials for officers. Evaluative Criteria Equity Supervisors should analyze officer reports and field interview cards while continuing to monitor the early intervention system to access citizen contacts and the purpose for stops and/or arrests. Using this method of evaluation will ensure that officers are enforcing the law fairly across minority and non-minority populations. Liberty/Freedom Periodic monitoring of the early intervention system would highlight the frequency and type of citizen complaints against an officer and would initiate further inquiry into the officers performance. From there, the department could determine if any civil rights violations have been committed by the officer and take immediate action.

Blade Running to Cyberpunk Essay -- Cyberpunk Fiction Literature Genre

Blade Running to Cyberpunk Labels are a product of too many ideas that describes a field. Cyberpunk fiction is a genre that has only recently received its due respect as an art form. This label is the cause of great controversy when it comes to actually defining cyberpunk. To any definition, there are arguments to its validity and consistency, but there are some generally accepted traits of Cyberpunk (CP). CP is a reflection of the pop-culture of the eighties, an extension of Science Fiction that entangles hard and soft technology, and its stories contain realism. The eighties began the era of the CP movement. CP's early works reflected raw, young ideas of people who "refused the limits offered them by mere custom and habit (Sterling p 3--"Cyberpunk in the Nineties)." Across the world, technology was interfacing with the general population. The underground of New York, Tokyo, and London (Sterling p xii--"Preface to Mirrorshades) was writhing with desire for release. CP was an answer to that. It integrated the rock videos, synthesized music, and new technology of the decade, put it in context with the current social scene and then fast-forwarded it. The writers tended to have disregard and even disrespect for traditional publishing. In the nineties, the edge of the movement has worn off with the acquisition of maturity and success. "Good" CP retains most of those qualities today, with minor adjustments in style, such as having finer narrative, superior character development, and more insightful futurism (Sterling)." The integration of technolog y and narration has always been present. Uneducated readers may see CP as the same thing as Science Fiction. Any Cyberpunk would beg to differ. Though CP is derived from Science Fic... ...berpunk was not visible to most of the literary public. Some of those fantastic components in Bladerunner are realistic in modern day. So many opinions exist about what is and isn't Cyberpunk Fiction. Three elements have been (generally) agreed upon to be traits of the genre. They include reflections of the pop-culture of the eighties, combining of hard and soft technology, and an element of realism. Cyberpunk is more than an extension of Science Fiction, it is a literary movement that is growing and maturing. Though it has lost some of its young rawness, Cyberpunk remains a saucy defiance to the mainstream. Sources and Bibliograpy Bruce Sterling. "Peface to Mirrorshades". New York: Ace Books, 1986 Tonya Browning. "Writing about Cyberpunk Packet" Fall 1995 Bruce Sterling "Cyberpunk in the Nineties" Larry McCaffery's Interview with William Gibson