Monday, September 30, 2019

Comparison of Wuthering Heights & Madame Bovary on the Conventions of Popular Romantic Fiction.

The novels, Charlotte Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary both vary on the conventions of popular romantic fiction. Wuthering Heights does this in several ways. For example, in the ever standing issue of social standing in novels of Bronte's era. Catherine is of a much higher social standing than Heathcliff, whose social standing was first elevated by his adoption by Catherine father, Mr Earnshaw, and then degraded after the death of Mr Earnshaw by Hindley. This aspect of the novel is relatively conventional.Social standing has always been a big issue for the couples of the fiction of that era. What made the situation between Catherine and Heathcliff different, however, is that they didn't triumph over it as is the convention of other romantic novels, like Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Instead, Catherine married the man who was of better social standing, and who would elevate hers as well, Edgar Linton, instead of Heathcliff, whom she is quoted to say ing that it would â€Å"degrade [her] to marry Heathcliff now. â€Å"Another way, a more significant way, that Wuthering Heights varies on convention is the characters. The characters of Wuthering Heights are far from the conventional characters in romantic fiction. Catherine, as the novel's lead female character, is conventionally beautiful and strong willed, is also conflicted, violent and temperamental, much unlike the conventional heroine, who is usually more moral. Edgar, who is the ‘rival' of the story, is a far cry from the conventional rival, who is usually so obviously wrong for the heroine.Edgar Linton, instead, is a well-mannered and virtuous gentleman, who truly loves and cares about Catherine. After her death, he buries her in a spot overlooking the moors, a place he knew Catherine loved, and was even buried beside her after his death. Heathcliff is probably the best example of this point. He is possibly the most unconventional male lead in fiction history. The conventional character being a man of virtue and grace, a person more like Edgar Linton. Heathcliff, on the other hand is a hard man, cruel and vengeful. He vows and exacts revenge on many occasions in the novel.He punishes Hindley for his own cruelty towards him over the years when he returns successful and wealthy. He punishes innocent Isabella, in place of Edgar, who he blames for Catherine's illness. He even punishes Catherine by eloping with Isabella, for her betraying him by marrying Edgar. He holds on to his hatred, and his plan for revenge extended to next generation. He is cruel and threatening, even threatening to hold Nelly prisoner when she stopped him from seeing Catherine, scaring her into agreeing to bring her a letter from him.Of course, the most significant way that this novel varies on convention is the extent of Catherine and Heathcliff's love for each other. It is, after all, their love that has made Wuthering Heights one of the greatest love stories in history. They loved each other their entire lives, loved to a point where they felt like they were the same person. A feeling Catherine expressed more than once in the novels, â€Å"It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am.Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire. † when speaking about her decision to marry Edgar Linton instead of Heathcliff, and again, â€Å"My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being† when speaking to Nelly about being separated from Heathcliff.Their love for each other that went to such an extent is unconventional by all means. Heathc liff on the other hand, showed the extent of his love for Catherine numerous times in the novel, for example, when she lay sick before him, and he told her that while he could forgive her for causing him pain, he could never forgive her for the pain she had caused herself. Even in this way, their love is shown to be unconventional from the love between other couples in popular fiction. Heathcliff's love for her is not the conventional fluff, and instead is something that ran much deeper.He could forgive her for the years of torment he had endured, but could not come to forgive her for being the cause of her own pain. This brings us to the second novel at hand, Flaubert's Madame Bovary. In contrast to Heathcliff and Catherine's deep love for each other, the situation in Madame Bovary is quite different. Emma's feelings for Charles Bovary is hardly passionate, first based on her own fantasies about marriage and then practically non-existent. Instead, she is disgusted by him, seeing hi m as inferior, unattractive and less than she deserves.A feeling made clear by Flaubert's description of a mealtime in the Bovary household from Emma's point of view early in the story, â€Å"But it was above all at mealtimes that she could bear it no longer, in that little room on the ground floor, with the smoking stove, the creaking door, the oozing walls, the damp floor-tiles; all the bitterness of life seemed to be served to her on her plate, and, with the steam from the boiled beef, there rose from the depths of her soul other exhalations as it were of disgust.Charles was a slow eater; she would nibble a few hazel-nuts, or else, leaning on her elbow, would amuse herself making marks on the oilcloth with the point of her table-knife. † Charles' adoration of her, on the other hand, is overwhelming and blind. He adores her to a point where he doesn't see the obvious signs of her infidelity. The man Emma really adored, Rodolphe, is enraptured only by her beauty, and he grew tired of her.A polar opposite to Heathcliff and Catherine's love, the relationships between Emma and her lovers are lustful, selfish, and lacks any regard for the other person. This lack of real love or passion, and Emma's infidelity is what makes Madame Bovary a unique read in terms of romantic fiction. Romantic fiction is conventionally a love story between two people. Madame Bovary, instead, in the story of a young woman who is desperate to fulfil her impossible fantasy of love, and the men who becomes involved in her search in making that fantasy real.Flaubert explains her misconception of love and expectation with â€Å"Love, [Emma] felt, ought to come at once, with great thunderclaps and flashes of lightning; it was like a storm bursting upon life from the sky, uprooting it, overwhelming the will and sweeping the heart into the abyss. It did not occur to her that the rain forms puddles on a flat roof when drainpipes are clogged, and she would have continued to feel secure if she had not suddenly discovered a crack in the wall. The presence of Heathcliff and Catherine's unending and unconditional love for each other, or Emma's utter lack of real love in her relationship with her husband, or Rodolphe's towards her, makes Wuthering Heights a more conventional love story in comparison. Madame Bovary sets itself apart even more with the constant presence of Emma's infidelity and the lust that surrounds her. Similarly to Wuthering Heights, the characters of Madame Bovary are also very unconventional compared to the characters of popular romantic fiction.Emma, the story's heroine, much like Catherine, made the choices in her life that would be the cause of her own pain. Emma, although like Catherine, is beautiful as is the convention, unlike the conventional image of a female lead in a romantic fiction novel, is instead, selfish, morally corrupt and unappreciative of her life's blessings. Charles is also a character that is very unconventional.He is portrayed to be a weak and pathetic man, madly in lot with a woman who is disgusted by him, and yet so blinding is his adoration of her that he cannot see it. He is incompetent, stupid and unimaginative. The first time he says something meaningful in the novel, is toward the end, when he is speaking to Rodolphe, he blames fate for the sad life he has, earning him only Rodolphe's disdain, certainly a far cry from the conventional male lead, masculine, strong and charming.A far cry also from the Heathcliff's character, who although was cruel, was also intelligent, competent and strong willed. Rodolphe, himself, is world's away from the rival of Wuthering Heights, Edgar Linton. Rodolphe is shrewd and manipulative, seducing Emma with an almost strategic precision, only to abandon her when she falls into debt. These two books are obviously, far from the conventional love story, and it is the fact that they are so far from conventional that makes them the classics they are today.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Forward the Foundation Chapter 21

25 Hari Seldon knocked gently with an old-fashioned code and Yugo Amaryl looked up. â€Å"Hari, how nice of you to drop around.† â€Å"I should do it more often. In the old days we were together all the time. Now there are hundreds of people to worry about-here, there, and everywhere-and they get between us. Have you heard the news?† â€Å"What news?† â€Å"The junta is going to set up a poll tax-a nice substantial one. It will be announced on TrantorVision tomorrow. It will be just Trantor for now and the Outer Worlds will have to wait. That's a little disappointing. I had hoped it would be Empire-wide all at once, but apparently I didn't give the General enough credit for caution.† Amaryl said, â€Å"Trantor will be enough. The Outer Worlds will know that their turn will follow in not too long a time.† â€Å"Now we'll have to see what happens.† â€Å"What will happen is that the shouting will start the instant the announcement is out and the riots will begin, even before the new tax goes into effect.† â€Å"Are you sure of it?† Amaryl put his Prime Radiant into action at once and expanded the appropriate section. â€Å"See for yourself, Hari. I don't see how that can be misinterpreted and that's the prediction under the particular circumstances that now exist. If it doesn't happen, it means that everything we've worked out in psychohistory is wrong and I refuse to believe that.† â€Å"I'll try to have courage,† said Seldon, smiling. Then â€Å"How do you feel lately, Yugo?† â€Å"Well enough. Reasonably well. And how are you, by the way? I've heard rumors that you're thinking of resigning. Even Dors said something about that.† â€Å"Pay no attention to Dors. These days she's saying all sorts of things. She has a bug in her head about some sort of danger permeating the Project.† â€Å"What kind of danger?† â€Å"It's better not to ask. She's just gone off on one of her tangents and, as always, that makes her uncontrollable.† Amaryl said, â€Å"See the advantage I have in being single?† Then, in a lower voice, â€Å"If you do resign, Hari, what are your plans for the future?† Seldon said, â€Å"You'll take over. What other plans can I possibly have?† And Amaryl smiled. 26 In the small conference room in the main building, Tamwile Elar listened to Dors Venabili with a gathering look of confusion and anger on his face. Finally he burst out, â€Å"Impossible!† He rubbed his chin, then went on cautiously, â€Å"I don't mean to offend you, Dr. Venabili, but your suggestions are ridic-cannot be right. There's no way in which anyone can think that there are, in this Psychohistory Project, any feelings so deadly as to justify your suspicions. I would certainly know if there were and I assure you there are not. Don't think it.† â€Å"I do think it,† said Dors stubbornly, â€Å"and I can find evidence for it.† Elar said, â€Å"I don't know how to say this without offense, Dr. Venabili, but if a person is ingenious enough and intent enough on proving something, he or she can find all the evidence he or she wants-or, at least, something he or she believes is evidence.† â€Å"Do you think I'm paranoid?† â€Å"I think that in your concern for the Maestro-something in which I'm with you all the way-you're, shall we say, overheated.† Dors paused and considered Elar's statement. â€Å"At least you're right that a person with sufficient ingenuity can find evidence anywhere. I can build a case against you, for instance.† Elar's eyes widened as he stared at her in total astonishment. â€Å"Against me? I would like to hear what case you can possibly have against me.† â€Å"Very well. You shall. The birthday party was your idea, wasn't it?† Elar said, â€Å"I thought of it, yes, but I'm sure others did, too. With the Maestro moaning about his advancing years, it seemed a natural way of cheering him up.† â€Å"I'm sure others may have thought of it, but it was you who actually pressed the issue and got my daughter-in-law fired up about it. She took over the details and you persuaded her that it was possible to put together a really large celebration. Isn't that so?† â€Å"I don't know if I had any influence on her, but even if I did, what's wrong with that?† â€Å"In itself, nothing, but in setting up so large and widespread and prolonged a celebration, were we not advertising to the rather unstable and suspicious men of the junta that Hari was too popular and might be a danger to them?† â€Å"No one could possibly believe such a thing was in my mind.† Dors said, â€Å"I am merely pointing out the possibility. In planning the birthday celebration, you insisted that the central offices be cleared out-â€Å" â€Å"Temporarily. For obvious reasons.† â€Å"-and insisted that they remain totally unoccupied for a while. No work was done-except by Yugo Amaryl-during that time.† â€Å"I didn't think it would hurt if the Maestro had some rest in advance of the party. Surely you can't complain about that.† â€Å"But it meant that you could consult with other people in the empty offices and do so in total privacy. The offices are, of course, well shielded.† â€Å"I did consult there-with your daughter-in-law, with caterers, suppliers, and other tradesmen. It was absolutely necessary, wouldn't you say?† â€Å"And if one of those you consulted with was a member of the junta?† Elar looked as though Dors had hit him. â€Å"I resent that, Dr. Venabili. What do you take me for?† Dors did not answer directly. She said, â€Å"You went on to talk to Dr. Seldon about his forthcoming meeting with the General and urged him-rather pressingly-to let you take his place and run the risks that might follow. The result was, of course, that Dr. Seldon insisted rather vehemently on seeing the General himself, which one can argue was precisely what you wanted him to do.† Elar emitted a short nervous laugh. â€Å"With all due respect, this does sound like paranoia, Doctor.† Dors pressed on. â€Å"And then, after the party, it was you, wasn't it, who was the first to suggest that a group of us go to the Dome's Edge Hotel?† â€Å"Yes and I remember you saying it was a good idea.† â€Å"Might it not have been suggested in order to make the junta uneasy, as yet another example of Hari's popularity? And might it not have been arranged to tempt me into invading the Palace grounds?† â€Å"Could I have stopped you?† said Elar, his incredulity giving way to anger. â€Å"You had made up your own mind about that.† Dors paid no attention. â€Å"And, of course, you hoped that by entering the Palace grounds I might make sufficient trouble to turn the junta even further against Hari.† â€Å"But why, Dr. Venabili? Why would I be doing this?† â€Å"One might say it was to get rid of Dr. Seldon and to succeed him as director of the Project.† â€Å"How can you possibly think this of me? I can't believe you are serious. You're just doing what you said you would at the start of this exercise just showing me what can be done by an ingenious mind intent on finding so-called evidence.† â€Å"Let's turn to something else. I said that you were in a position to use the empty rooms for private conversations and that you may have been there with a member of the junta.† â€Å"That is not even worth a denial.† â€Å"But you were overheard. A little girl wandered into the room, curled up in a chair out of sight, and overheard your conversation.† Elar frowned. â€Å"What did she hear?† â€Å"She reported that two men were talking about death. She was only a child and could not repeat anything in detail, but two words did impress her and they were ‘lemonade death.' â€Å" â€Å"Now you seem to be changing from fantasy to-if you'll excuse me -madness. What can ‘lemonade death' mean and what would it have to do with me?† â€Å"My first thought was to take it literally. The girl in question is very fond of lemonade and there was a good deal of it at the party, but no one had poisoned it.† â€Å"Thanks for granting sanity that much.† â€Å"Then I realized the girl had heard something else, which her imperfect command of the language and her love of the beverage had perverted into ‘lemonade.'† â€Å"And have you invented a distortion?† Elar snorted. â€Å"It did seem to me for a while that what she might have heard was laymen-aided death.'† â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"An assassination carried through by laymen-by nonmathematicians.† Dors stopped and frowned. Her hand clutched her chest. Elar said with sudden concern, â€Å"Is something wrong, Dr. Venabili?† â€Å"No,† said Dors, seeming to shake herself. For a few moments she said nothing further and Elar cleared his throat. There was no sign of amusement on his face any longer, as he said, â€Å"Your comments, Dr. Venabili, are growing steadily more ridiculous and-well, I don't care if I do offend you, but I have grown tired of them. Shall we put an end to this?† â€Å"We are almost at an end, Dr. Elar. Layman-aided may indeed be ridiculous, as you say. I had decided that in my own mind, too. You are, in part, responsible for the development of the Electro-Clarifier, aren't you?† Elar seemed to stand straighter as he said with a touch of pride, â€Å"Entirely responsible.† â€Å"Surely not entirely. I understand it was designed by Cinda Monay.† â€Å"A designer. She followed my instructions.† â€Å"A layman. The Electro-Clarifier is a layman-aided device.† With suppressed violence Elar said, â€Å"I don't think I want to hear that phrase again. Once more, shall we put an end to this?† Dors forged on, as if she hadn't heard his request. â€Å"Though you give her no credit now, you gave Cinda credit to her face-to keep her working eagerly, I suppose. She said you gave her credit and she was very grateful because of it. She said you even called the device by her name and yours, though that's not the official name.† â€Å"Of course not. It's the Electro-Clarifier.† â€Å"And she said she was designing improvements, intensifiers, and so on-and that you had the prototype of an advanced version of the new device for testing.† â€Å"What has all this to do with anything?† â€Å"Since Dr. Seldon and Dr. Amaryl have been working with the Electro-Clarifier, both have in some ways deteriorated. Yugo, who works with it more, has also suffered more.† â€Å"The Electro-Clarifier can, in no way, do that kind of damage.† Dors put her hand to her forehead and momentarily winced. She said, â€Å"And now you have a more intense Electro-Clarifier that might do more damage, that might kill quickly, rather than slowly.† â€Å"Absolute nonsense.† â€Å"Now consider the name of the device, a name which, according to the woman who designed it, you are the only one to use. I presume you called it the Elar-Monay Clarifier.† â€Å"I don't ever recall using that phrase,† said Elar uneasily. â€Å"Surely you did. And the new intensified Elar-Monay Clarifies could he used to kill with no blame to be attached to anyone just a sad accident through a new and untried device. It would be the ‘Elar-Monay death' and a little girl heard it as `lemonade death.' â€Å" Dors's hand groped at her side. Elar said softly, â€Å"You are not well, Dr. Venabili.† â€Å"I am perfectly well. Am I not correct?† â€Å"Look, it doesn't matter what you can twist into lemonade. Who knows what the little girl may have heard? It all boils down to the deadliness of the Electro-Clarifier. Bring me into court or before a scientific investigating board and let experts-as many as you like-check the effect of the Electro-Clarifier, even the new intensified one, on human beings. They will find it has no measurable effect.† â€Å"I don't believe that,† muttered Venabili. Her hands were now at her forehead and her eyes were closed. She swayed slightly. Elar said, â€Å"It is clear that you are not well, Dr. Venabili. Perhaps that means it is my turn to talk. May I?† Dors's eyes opened and she simply stared. â€Å"I'll take your silence for consent, Doctor. Of what use would it be for me to try to to get rid of Dr. Seldon and Dr. Amaryl in order to take my place as director? You would prevent any attempt I made at assassination, as you now think you are doing. In the unlikely case that I succeeded in such a project and was rid of the two great men, you would tear me to pieces afterward. You're a very unusual woman-strong and fast beyond belief-and while you are alive, the Maestro is safe.† â€Å"Yes,† said Dors, glowering. â€Å"I told this to the men of the junta. Why should they not consult me on matters involving the Project? They are very interested in psychohistory, as well they ought to be. It was difficult for them to believe what I told them about you-until you made your foray into the Palace grounds. That convinced them, you can be sure, and they agreed with my plan.† â€Å"Aha. Now we come to it,† Dors said weakly. â€Å"I told you the Electro-Clarifier cannot harm human beings. It cannot. Amaryl and your precious Hari are just getting old, though you refuse to accept it. So what? They are fine-perfectly human. The electromagnetic field has no effect of any importance on organic materials. Of course, it may have adverse effects on sensitive electromagnetic machinery and, if we could imagine a human being built of metal and electronics, it might have an effect on it. Legends tell us of such artificial human beings. The Mycogenians have based their religion on them and they call such beings â€Å"robots.† If there were such a thing as a robot, one would imagine it would be stronger and faster by far than an ordinary human being, that it would have properties, in fact, resembling those you have, Dr. Venabili. And such a robot could, indeed, be stopped, hurt, even destroyed by an intense Electro-Clarifier, such as the one that I have here, one that has been operating at low energy since we began our conversation. That is why you are feeling ill, Dr. Venabili-and for the first time in your existence, I'm sure.† Dors said nothing, merely stared at the man. Slowly she sank into a chair. Elar smiled and went on, â€Å"Of course, with you taken care of, there will be no problem with the Maestro and with Amaryl. The Maestro, in fact, without you, may fade out at once and resign in grief, while Amaryl is merely a child in his mind. In all likelihood, neither will have to be killed. How does it feel, Dr. Venabili, to be unmasked after all these years? I must admit, you were very good at concealing your true nature. It's almost surprising that no one else discovered the truth before now. But then, I am a brilliant mathematician-an observer, a thinker, a deducer. Even I would not have figured it out were it not for your fanatical devotion to the Maestro and the occasional bursts of superhuman power you seemed to summon at will-when he was threatened. â€Å"Say good-bye, Dr. Venabili. All I have to do now is to turn the device to full power and you will be history.† Dors seemed to collect herself and rose slowly from her seat, mumbling, â€Å"I may be better shielded than you think.† Then, with a grunt, she threw herself at Elar. Elar, his eyes widening, shrieked and reeled back. Then Dors was on him, her hand flashing. Its side struck Elar's neck, smashing the vertebrae and shattering the nerve cord. He fell dead on the floor. Dors straightened with an effort and staggered toward the door. She had to find Hari. He had to know what had happened. 27 Hari Seldon rose from his seat in horror. He had never seen Dors look so, her face twisted, her body canted, staggering as though she were drunk. â€Å"Dors! What happened! What's wrong!† He ran to her and grasped her around the waist, even as her body gave way and collapsed in his arms. He lifted her (she weighed more than am ordinary woman her size would have, but Seldon was unaware of that at ** the moment) and placed her on the couch. â€Å"What happened?† he said. She told him, gasping, her voice breaking now and then, while he cradled her head and tried to force himself to believe what was happening. â€Å"Elar is dead,† she said. â€Å"I finally killed a human being. First time. Makes it worse.† â€Å"How badly are you damaged, Dors?† â€Å"Badly. Elar turned on his device-full-when I rushed him.† â€Å"You can be readjusted.† â€Å"How? There's no one-on Trantor-who knows how. I need Daneel.† Daneel. Demerzel. Somehow, deep inside, Hari had always known. His friend-a robot-had provided him with a protector-a robot-to ensure that psychohistory and the seeds of the Foundations were given a chance to take root. The only problem was, Hari had fallen in love with his protector-a robot. It all made sense now. All the nagging doubts and the questions could be answered. And somehow, it didn't matter one bit. All that mattered was Dors. â€Å"We can't let this happen.† â€Å"It must.† Dors's eyes fluttered open and looked at Seldon. â€Å"Must. Tried to save you, but missed-vital point-who will protect you now?† Seldon couldn't see her clearly. There was something wrong with his eyes. â€Å"Don't worry about me, Dors. It's you-It's you-â€Å" â€Å"No. You, Hari. Tell Manella-Manella-I forgive her now. She did better than I. Explain to Wanda. You and Raych-take care of each other.† â€Å"No no no,† said Seldon, rocking back and forth. â€Å"You can't do this. Hang on, Dors. Please. Please, my love.† Dors's head shook feebly and she smiled even more feebly. â€Å"Goodbye, Hari, my love. Remember always-all you did for me.† â€Å"I did nothing for you.† â€Å"You loved me and your love made me-human.† Her eyes remained open, but Dors had ceased functioning. Yugo Amaryl came storming into Seldon's office. â€Å"Hari, the riots are beginning, sooner and harder even than exp-â€Å" And then he stared at Seldon and Dors and whispered, â€Å"What happened?† Seldon looked up at him in agony. â€Å"Riots! What do I care about riots now? What do I care about anything now?†

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Social Class and Inequality

Social Class and Inequality Social inequality has been defined as a conflicting status within a society with regards to the individual, property rights, and access to education, medical care, and welfare programs. Much of society’s inequality can be attributed to the class status of a particular group, which has usually been largely determined by the group’s ethnicity or race (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). The conflict perspective is an attempt to understand the group conflict that occurs by the protection of one’s status at the expense of the other.One group will resort to various means to preserve a ideal social status through socioeconomic prestige, consolidation of power (political and financial), and control of resources. In Canada, even though its impact is frequently minimized, social inequality exists, but because the majority of citizens associate exclusively with members of their own class, they are often unaware of the significant role social inequality co ntinues to play (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). An inadequate distribution of wealth remains â€Å"an important component† of Canada’s social inequities (Macionis & Gerber, 2006).Wealth can be defined as the amount of money or material items that an individual, family, or group controls and ultimately determines the status of a particular class (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). Canada’s social classes can be divided into four, and the wealth is not distributed equally between them. First, there is the predominantly Anglo upper class, in which most of the wealth has been inherited; and they comprise of approximately 3-to-5 percent of the Canadian population (Macionis & Gerber, 2006).Next, there is the middle class, which is made up of the greatest number of Canadians, nearly 50 percent with ‘upper-middle’ class subdivisions generating white-collar incomes of between $50,000 and $100,000 while the rest are earning reasonable livings in less prestigious white- col lar jobs or as skilled blue-collar laborers (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). The working class represents about 33 percent of the Canadian population, and their lower incomes leave little in the way of savings (Macionis & Gerber, 2006).Finally, there is the lower class, which is represented by about 20 percent of the population (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). Among these are the so-called working poor whose incomes alone are not sufficient enough for adequate food or shelter (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). Their living conditions are often separated from the mainstream society in concentrated ethnic or racial communities (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). The most impoverished members of this class are unable to generate any income and are completely reliant upon government welfare programs.One of the primary deciding factors as to what determines wealth, power, and social status is occupational prestige (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). For example, in Canada, physicians and lawyers continue to reside at the top of the social ladder while newspaper delivery persons or hospitality staff rank at the bottom (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). The growing disparity in income is beginning to resemble that of the United States with approximately 43. percent of the Canadian income being concentrated within the top 20 percent of social spectrum while those in the bottom 20 percent are receiving a mere 5. 2 percent of that income (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). Nearly 16 percent of Canadians were categorized as being â€Å"below the poverty line† in the mid-1990s, and every month, close to a million people rely upon food banks to feed their families (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). The income a particular class earns is determined in large part to the amount of education received, and yet in order to receive a higher education money is required.There is also a strong correlation between income and healthcare. The higher the income, the greater the number of quality medical services there are available (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). The wealthy or upper middle classes can afford specialized care that isn’t typically covered by a provinces general health care plan, thus widening the gap of equality between the social classes. Within the boundary of the Canadian border we can see the separation between ethnicity, and wealth which determines class.Studies show that predominately the British and French Canadians earn the highest levels of income whereas the Africans, certain Asian groups, Latin Americans, and Aboriginals consistently rank near the bottom (Macionis & Gerber, 2006). In recent years, there has been an increase in income inequality with the 14 percent of impoverished Canadians in the lower social classes of families headed by single mothers, female senior citizens, indigenous peoples, and the recent influx of immigrants (Reutter, Veenstra, Stewart, Raphael, Love, Makwarimba, and McMurray, 2006).Because of social exclusion, poverty is perpetuated with certain groups consistently shut out of the opportunities that might better equalize the social scales (Reutter et al, 2006). Canadian sociologist John Porter’s focused nearly entirely on power and class, his breakthrough research was published as The Vertical Mosaic: An Analysis of Social Class and Power in Canada in 1965 (Driedger, 2001).Porter explored the impact of race and ethnicity upon social mobility and noted that Canadian social history has been determined by ‘charter groups,’ mainly the English and the French situated in Ontario and Quebec, while the English were widely dispersed in both rural and urban locales, becoming increasingly urbanized as a result of industrialization and the fortunes being made, the Quebecois group was nearly exclusively rural in geography and philosophy (Driedger, 2001).Power examined how power relationships developed along social class lines and how the conflict among these charter groups influenced differences in social classes (Driedger, 2001). Acco rding to Hier & Walby (2006), Porter presented the argument that â€Å"an ‘entrance status’ is assigned to less preferred immigrant groups (particularly southern and eastern Europeans†¦ that restricts collective gains in education, income, and membership among Canada's elite† (p. 83). This entrance status was, in Porter’s view, strong enough to create a social barrier not unlike India’s caste system (Hier ; Walby, 2006).A decade later, Porter drew similar conclusions when he noted that his Canadian census job stratification study revealed, â€Å"Ethnicity serves as a deterrent to social mobility† (as cited in Driedger, 2001, p. 421). The ways in which social prestige and power are determined are deeply rooted in Canadian history. For instance, 1867’s British North America Act gave the British and the French the distinction of being a charter group that entitled them to a power, prestige (and of course wealth) that other groups wer e automatically denied unless they displayed a similar pedigree Driedger, 2001). The charter languages and cultures, though separate, would afford these members with exclusive privileges (Driedger, 2001). They would have automatic access to society, while other groups would have to battle for entrance and to secure status. Therefore, while a few managed to break through, most ethnic groups were consistently refused entrance. For this reason, they were forced to take jobs of low class status and their degree of assimilation into Canadian society would be determined by the charter members (Driedger, 2001).There is a sharp distinction between industry and finance in terms of ownership of financial resources. The bankers exert the most social control, and because they have been historically more interested in protecting their own interests, the indigenous industrialized groups have been discouraged (Panitch, 1985). Southern Ontario remains the wealthy hub of the Canada’s industri al sector, while the indigenous groups and other lower classes remain both regionally and socially isolated (Panitch, 1985).Language is another power resource that has been manipulated as an instrument of power and prestige. While the French have long been a charter of Canadian society, as in the United States, being culturally separate has not meant equality in terms of class status. In the years following World War II, the French Canadians of Quebec have sought greater independence (Driedger, 2001). Their discontent resulted in the establishment of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism in 1963, which emphasized the notion of an â€Å"equal partnership† (Driedger, 2001, p. 21). Even though charter dualism is not articulated in the Canadian constitution, the Quebec provincials believed that their one-third French-speaking status along with the growing number of languages spoken by non-charter members warranted a reclassification to at the very least bilingual ism and at the most, an acknowledgement of multiculturalism that would remove existing cultural barriers and provide greater social access. These efforts have thus fall fallen short, and therefore Quebec annexation may one day become a reality.Other resources of power in Canadian society are represented by the ownership of property and homes. In Canada as in most parts of North America, homes represent wealth because of the â€Å"forced savings, investment appreciation, and protection against inflation† it represents (Gyimah, Walters, ; Phythian, 2005, p. 338). Owning a home offers â€Å"a sense of belonging† or inclusion for immigrant classes that is unlike anything else (Gyimah, Walters, ; Phythian, 2005, p. 338).But not surprisingly, Gyimah et al (2005) have discovered, â€Å"Rates of ownership have been found to vary considerably by ethnicity and immigration status† (p. 338). There is, interestingly, a structure among immigrant classes that impacts on the ac cess to these resources with the immigrants who settled in Canada earlier enjoying much higher rates of home ownership than new immigrant arrivals (Gyimah et al, 2005). The lone exception is the Hong Kong business entrepreneurs that relocated to Canada when the Chinese regained control of the area (Gyimah et al, 2005).They had accumulated enough wealth in Hong Kong to bypass traditional barriers and secure housing usually reserved for charter members. On the opposite end of the spectrum, home ownership rates are lowest among the Blacks and Aboriginal classes (Gyimah et al, 2005). According to a study Henry, Tator, Mattis, and Rees conducted in 2002, â€Å"In spite of the historical and contemporary evidence of racism as a pervasive and intractable reality in Canada †¦ itizens and institutions function in a state of collective denial† (as cited in Hier ; Walby, 2006, p. 83). Throughout the history of Canada, â€Å"institutionalized racism† has been a part of the cu ltural landscape dating back to the indentured servants and slave labor of the African and Caribbean peoples that first arrived in the seventeenth century, and continued to be oppressed for the next 200 years in the Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Quebec provinces (Hier ; Walby, 2006).The fur trade justified this enslavement and the Federal Indian Act revisions of the mid-twentieth century continued to treat certain races in a subordinate manner (Hier ; Walby, 2006). Those deemed more primitive were oppressed because of social perceptions of their â€Å"savagery, inferiority, and cultural weakness† (Hier ; Walby, 2006, p. 83). Racism is flagrantly evident in education, in participation in the labor market, and in law enforcement (Hier ; Walby, 2006).When Ruck and Wortley studied the perceptions of high school students regarding school discipline through a questionnaire issued to nearly 2,000 Toronto students in grades 10 through 12, the ethnic groupings of Black/Afri can, Asian/South Asian, White European, and Other revealed that their perceptions of discipline discrimination were significantly higher than those students of White European backgrounds (Hier ; Walby, 2006). Therefore, not surprisingly, these students were more likely to drop out of school and be denied any hope of receiving a well-paying job.Lower social classes were also relegated to low-paying jobs because of purportedly lacking â€Å"‘Canadian’ work experience† and a lack of English language comprehension (Hier ; Walby, 2006, p. 83). In a 2001 study by Austin and Este, the immigrant males they interviewed reported that because the power and resources are so tightly controlled by the White Canadian majority, their foreign employment experiences were minimized and they were blocked from taking the training programs that would have improved their language proficiency (Hier ; Walby, 2006).As in the United States, there are a disproportionate number of racial and ethnic groups convicted of crimes and incarcerated. This is believed to be due to racial profiling in law enforcement that tips the scales of justice away from people of color. According to a Royal Commission survey, the majority of respondents believe police are prejudiced against Black Canadians (Hier ; Walby, 2006). Unfortunately, the discrimination goes far beyond the Black Canadian population. The Aboriginal population provides a contemporary case study that reflects the impact of racism upon social inequality of Canada.The 2001 Canadian census lists a total of 976,310 Aboriginal peoples throughout the territories and provinces (Adelson, 2005). Of those, more than 600,000 are Native Americans – referred to as First Nations – and live mostly in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan (Adelson, 2005). The Metis group live in the western sections of these provinces and total around 292,000 (Adelson, 2005). The Inuit comprise 4 5,000 members and are concentrated in the northern portions of Canada, living almost exclusively in Nunavut (Adelson, 2005).These peoples have been the victims of racist social attitudes dating back to 1876’s Indian Act, in which colonization was officially determined through First Nations recognition status (Adelson, 2005). This affects the Native Americans and the Inuit (as a result of a 1939 amendment to the Act), but the Metis are not forced to register to achieve a â€Å"recognition of status† (Adelson, 2005, p . 45). What this means is that those Aboriginal groups that live on government controlled reserves continue to receive government services while those who decide to venture off of these reserves do not (Adelson, 2005).Those groups are deprived of the education and basic skills that would enable them to improve their status. In comparison to non-Aborigines, the Aboriginal groups often fail to complete their education at every level, which further reduces the ir opportunities (Adelson, 2005). In a 2002 study of off-reserve Aboriginals, less than half percent of these children complete the twelfth grade (Adelson, 2005). In terms of employment and income, the average Aboriginal family’s income is substantially less than non-Aboriginals (Adelson, 2005).In 1991, the average Aboriginal income was $12,800, which was about half of the income of Canada’s non-Aboriginals (Adelson, 2005). Sociologists attribute the disparities in employment and income due to ethnic discrimination in the workplace, the lack of education accorded indigenous groups, the loss of property, and the â€Å"cultural genocide† they are forced to commit if they wish to assimilate (Adelson, 2005, p. 45). This â€Å"circle of disadvantage† results in the Aboriginals being mired in poverty and forced to take low- paying migrant jobs that are often seasonal and provide nothing in the way of employment security (Adelson, 2005, p. 5). Solely on the basi s of their ethnicity, these peoples are relegated to the social periphery and are deprived of anything remotely resembling power, prestige, or wealth. In terms of their living conditions, many of the Aboriginal peoples are overcrowded, with 53 percent of the Inuit peoples and 17 percent of the Aboriginals living off-reserve living more than one person per room (Adelson, 2005). This is in comparison to 7 percent of white Canadians of European origin (Adelson, 2005).In addition, Aboriginal homes are; twice as likely to be sorely in need of major repairs; about 90 times more likely to have no access to safe water supplied by pipes; five times more likely to have no type of bathroom facilities; and ten times more likely to have a toilet that does not flush (Adelson, 2005, p. 45). The Aborigines that do not live in government housing are exposed to appalling threats to their health and hygiene resulting from inferior housing, which has adversely affected their life expectancies (Adelson, 2005).Despite their high adult mortality, the aboriginal population also has a high birth rate (Adelson, 2005). However, this also means their infant mortality rate is also higher than the national average. According to 1999 statistics, infant mortality rates were 8 out of 100 among First Nations’ peoples, which is 1. 5 times higher than the overall Canadian rate of infant mortality (Adelson, 2005). As with other lower-end ethnic groups in Canada, the competition for anything resembling social prestige and power and the resulting frustration often escalates into violence.Within the Aboriginal groups, substance abuse, physical and sexual violence, and suicides are all too Common place (Adelson, 2005). Domestic violence statistics are high, with 39 percent of this population reporting such instances (Adelson, 2005). According to the 1999 published statistics 38 percent of reported deaths between young people ages 10 to 19 are due to suicide caused by the hopelessness of povert y and lack of social power (Adelson, 2005).Although the Aboriginal groups that still live on-reserve are receiving government healthcare services, these services are not necessarily of the quality the rest of the population is getting due to the government’s inability to control First Nation treaty resources and the seemingly endless â€Å"bureaucratic maze† regarding Aboriginal healthcare policy and insufficient funding (Adelson, 2005, p. 45). Within the past three decades, there has been a notable shift in the Canadian population.While the charter groups still comprised about 50 percent of the population, numerous other non-charter groups were rapidly combining to represent about one-third of the overall population (Driedger, 2001). Immigration pattern changes that began following the Second World War are largely responsible for a greater number of Southeast Asians and Latin Americans to relocate to Canada (Driedger, 2001). By the 1980s, the number of British Canadia ns began to rapidly slip and by 2001, while the British ranked ninth in population, 73 percent of immigrant settlers were either Asian, Latin American, or African (Gyimah et al, 2005).Meanwhile, despite Canadian policymakers’ best intentions, social inequality persists because many of these immigrant classes are being denied their rightful participation in society. Although the French charter remains strong albeit geographically and culturally segregated and the British majority is floundering, the class determinants of charter membership and its perks that enable social inequality to continue are still in place.The British population decrease has in no way adversely impacted their prestigious position or political influence. English is still the dominant language and European ancestry determines esteemed class status. Unfortunately, as long as access to prestige, power, and wealth remain limited to the charter few at the expense of the multicultural many, Canada’s soc ial classes will sadly remain unequal. References Adelson, N. (2005). The embodiment of inequity: Health disparities in Aboriginal Canada.Canadian Journal of Public Health, 96(2), 45-61. Driedger, L. (2001). Changing visions in ethnic relations. Canadian Journal of Sociology, 26(3), 421-451. Gyimah, S. O. , Walters, D. , ; Phythian, K. L. (2005). Ethnicity, immigration and housing wealth in Toronto. Canadian Journal of Urban Research, 14(2), 338-363. Hier, S. P. , ; Walby, K. (2006). Competing analytical paradigms in the sociological study of racism in Canada. Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal, 26(1), 83-104.Macionis, J. J. , ; Gerber, L. M. (2006). Sociology (6th Canadian Ed. ). Retrieved May 21, 2008, from http://wps. pearsoned. ca/ca_ph_macionis_sociology_6/73/18923/4844438. cw/index. html. Panitch, L. (1985, April). Class and power in Canada. Monthly Review, 36(11), 1-13. Reutter, L. I. , Veenstra, G. , Stewart, M. J. , Raphael, D. , Love, R. , Makwarimba, E. , ; McMurray, S. (200 6). Attributions for poverty in Canada. The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 43(1), 1-22.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Simulation Planning Document Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Simulation Planning Document - Essay Example Exercise i. Mediator Role Having in mind that both parties are involved in the dispute as a mediator it would be important to: a. Get information from each party about their real interests from the case b. Understanding the case and thinking of the best solution to offer c. Setting a date for the hearing to be conducted between the two parties d. Providing a satisfying solution to both parties after the hearing Exercise ii. Plaintiff Role a. Approaching the mediator b. Gathering the relevant documents to file a claim using them c. Explaining to the mediator the interests’ one need d. Informing Pollard about the case e. Making an agreement on the date of the hearing and how to conduct them f. Presenting claims Exercise iii. Defendant Role a. Getting relevant documents such as agreements initially signed b. Look for witnesses c. Agree on the date of hearing the case d. Present the defense. Question 2 Exercise ii BATNA- Compensation for $5000 Reservation price- $2400 (to be saved as the security deposit) Target- creating a good rapport with other tenants. Exercise iii BATNA- Maintain good reputation. Reservation- Harper having back the job. Target- Harper being fired officially

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Nation-State Boundaries are Becoming Obsolete Essay

Nation-State Boundaries are Becoming Obsolete - Essay Example 1997, p.1). Many professionals ranging from commentators to journalists, from politicians to scholars across all disciplines, have tried to describe and analyze this phenomenon and tend to agree that "globalization," along with the halt of the Cold War, has radically changed the basic "rules of the game" for a variety of key factors, particularly states (Smith et al. 1997, p.1). With the onset of this "globalization" and transnational companies, there have been long debates about the relationship of so-called sovereign states to each other (Wallerstein 1999, p.20). Wallerstein (1999) states that views range from those who emphasize the effective sovereignty of the various states to those who are cynical about the ability of so-called weak states to resist the pressures (and blandishments) of so-called strong states. Krasner (1999, p.34), on the other hand, reports that some analysts argue to the point that the world is entering into a new era, one in which the existing institutional structures, especially the sovereign state (by which they often mean several different things) is being undermined weakened, marginalized, or transmuted, by globalization. According to Krasner (1999, p.34-35), globalization can mean some mix of developments that might include the legitimization of human rights, the digitalization of transactions, the speed of communication, the density of global non-governmental organization (NGO) networks, the transmission of diseases, the growth of international capital markets, the surge of manufacturing in geographically dispersed areas, the universal availability of MTV, the increase in illegal migration, legal migration, and the like. Most analyses that emphasize the growing importance of globalization point to the transformatory nature of modern technology e.g. costs of communication and transportation have plummeted. Kelleher and Klein (1999, p.146) defines sovereignty in that "states accept no political authority as superseding their own." According to the principle, no international institution has the right to determine the laws and policies that apply to people within the borders of any sovereign state. Sovereignty, then, has the effect of designating government as the sole representative of the population of a state (Kelleher and Klein 1999, p.146). Krasner (1999, p.35) also provided that the term sovereignty has been commonly used in at least four different ways: 1. Interdependence sovereignty has referred to the ability of a government to actually control activities within and across its borders (including the movement of goods, capital, ideas, and disease vectors). 2. Domestic sovereignty has referred to the organization of authority within a given polity. 3. Westphalian sovereignty has referred to the exclusion of external authority; the right of a government to be independent of external authority structures. 4. International legal sovereignty has referred to the recognition of one state by another; some entities have been recognized by other states; others have not. Recognition has been associated with diplomatic immunity and the right to sign treaties and join international organizations. Globalization: A Threat to Sovereignty According to Krasner (1999, p.36), many observers have suggested that the increase in

Discuss 3 beliefs of hinduism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discuss 3 beliefs of hinduism - Essay Example The Hindus believe in one supreme power. The supreme power is called Brahman and it inspires life. Hindu deity is not limited to Brahman only. Many gods and goddesses exist in Hinduism and are responsible for different aspects of Brahman. An important element with Hindu deity is that there is a trinity. Brahman, Vishnu, and Shiva are godheads that make up the trinity. Dvaita provides that the Supreme Being have a nature of soul and matter. Samsara is the Hinduism belief in the continuous cycle of life. Hindus believe that life repeats itself in a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. According to this belief, the soul (atman) goes through many lives across different species. The ultimate end of this continuous life cycle is moksha, a state of freedom and salvation united with God. Finally, in Hinduism, an individual’s destiny depends on their karma, the law of causality that stipulates that actions draw proportional

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The History About Saudi Arabia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The History About Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example During its earlier stages, Saudi Arabia came up with strategies such as legalizing international scholarships in besides allowing foreign workers into the nation (Denman & Hilal, 2011). It was due to this move that saw the nation rise to become one of the most developed states in the Middle East. The discovery of oil in the nation was one of the main reasons the Saudi Arabia quickly developed economically despite its located in a desert. The essay will relay more information on the history of Saudi Arabia in terms of its kingdom and culture. This is Saudi Arabia’s ruling family whereby studies contend although it comprised of thousands members, the most influential of all was Saudi Arabia’s kings, who were normally descendants of Muhammad bin Saud. Studies show that the House of Saud is the translation of Al Saud, whereby the latter implies â€Å"family of† hence referring to the kingdom’s founder, Muhammad Bin Saud (Saudi Arabia, 2013). To date, the term Al Saud is a common reference carried by any descendant of Muhammad bin Saud or his brothers who are Mishari, Farhan and Thunayyan. The other family branches of Al Saud the reference is â€Å"Cadet Branches† and its members, just like those of Al Saud, hold high positions in the government. The only difference between Al Saud and cadet branches is that whereas the Al Saud’s are in a position to succeed the line of throne, Cadet Branches do not stand a chance (Saudi Arabia, 2013). Al Saud and cadet members have been close to one another to the extent that they intermarry in a move to reestablish their lineage hence continue wielding influence in the government. Studies contend that Mani’ibn Rabiah Al-Muraydi was the first ancestor of Al Saud, he alongside his clan, Mrudah, settled in Diriyah. For decades, the Mrudah ruled al-Diriyah, which rapidly prospered to become an important settlement for the Nadji. Gradually as the clan grew,

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Being Digital - Social Networking Platform Coursework

Being Digital - Social Networking Platform - Coursework Example Best practice # 1: objectives of the media Identifying the objectives of the social media is the first best practice when developing a social media. This is a critical phase the help in deciding what the social media will do. This objective is the main thrust of the House party, therefore, shaping all subsequent practices. Objectives of a social media have more influence on the features and the operations of the social media under development (Evans, 2010 p. 291). To refine this objective, the task of keeping all students informed about parties in campus must be broken down into simpler tasks that students can achieve using the social media. For instance, students can use messaging, chats, and writing notes on their walls. Best practice # 2: Knowing the target audience Understanding the target audience forms a critical part of the developing the House Party social media. To understand the audience, it is critical to evaluate the characteristics of students, and tailor the services ac cording to their needs. For instance, most students use their cell phones to access social sites. In addition, student prefers sharing content such as photos or video clips with one another. Segmentation of the audience is a necessary step in defining the audience and meeting their needs (Powell, Groves, & Dimos, 2011, p.114). It is also valuable to determine the average age, location and gender of students, and how they access internet. Most important, it is essential to understand how students communicate with other student about parties and how these parties are organized. This information will be helpful in deciding on the strategy. Best practice # 3: Applying a strategy Selecting a proven strategy is one of the essential tasks of building a reliable and efficient social media (Golden, 2011, p. 56). With consideration of the users of House Party, the strategy will centre on the development of a social tool that will accomplish the above-identified objectives, and for a specific audience (University students). The social media must allow other students to create party events and other to join them. Typically, the strategy will be to mimic the usual activities that university student engage in relation to parties. Best practice # 4: implementation-picking the right tools With a well-defined social media—House Party, it is essential to select the right tools to implement the above strategy. Successful implementation require both software and hardware resources to design, build and run House Party giving it an online presence. The required are:- a) Computers: The developers of House party will require 3PC and 2 Macs. In addition, one Server will be required, as well. Developers will use two PCs will be used to develop the social media using website authoring tool selected for this project. These PCs will have all software using in building House Party. The Mac’s will also help in creating stunning images that will form part of House Party. Dell P recision workstation with Dual Core i3, Windows 7 professional, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard drive, and Intel graphics will cost with 17† LCD screen will cost$ 1169. Two Macs each with 2.5Gz speed, 4 GB RAM, AMD Radeon graphics adapter with 511MB, 500 GB hard drive will cost $ 1199 apiece. These Macs will help in producing graphics for the website. For a server, Dell Power Edge

Monday, September 23, 2019

If a company sells its products only from an online website, which is Essay

If a company sells its products only from an online website, which is accessible to customers all over the world, does it still need to worry about having a specific target market. Explain your answer - Essay Example The paper therefore focuses on whether a company that makes online sales through a website that is accessible to clients across the world still needs to focus on maintaining a particular target market. Like it happens in life that an individual will never appeal all human beings, the same is witnessed with businesses. Despite having a website accessible to customers around the world, an organization needs to create value for defining who it requires using the goods or services it provides. Defining expected buyers remains important due the following reasons. First, through identification of a target market, a company becomes precise in its marketing as well as advertising efforts. Having an ideal client helps in strategizing specific tactics of reaching them. Specific strategies remain important during the decision-making process as decision making becomes easier and more focused saving in time as well as resources (Mooradian and Matzlerz 2012). Secondly, customers will find the business quickly. Although the website serves a global purpose where everyone can learn about the existence of an individual company, majority of individuals may fail to learn about the enterprise’s life. Customers need to have greater assurance from products and service providers that their needs and desires, as well as challenges, will be considered once they arise. The aspect of developing a virtual or physical location where customers will meet the providers of goods and services creates more confidence in customers prompting more use of products and services offered. Lastly, although referrals are made through the internet, having a particular target market establishes close association with existing clients making it easier for them to make referrals. Consequently, irrespective of the above benefits of having a target market, reaching customers throughout the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Lighting a cigarette Essay Example for Free

Lighting a cigarette Essay Girlish looking woman, in her late twenties, a little overweight, lost in thought. She is wearing jeans, a white jumper and trainers. Her dark hair is tied back. Scene is set up in the upper right stage corner. It is an airport arrivals lounge. There is luggage around her. She is nervously lighting a cigarette. Lights are directed towards her, the background is in shadow. How many times can you start again? I havent got a job, I dont know the language, and whats most important Ive never been here before. After two years in the Italian sun, grey and cloudy England will be a big change. At least, thats what Ive always heard about the island. Oh! I wish I could call this place home in a few years time. English people sound alright actually. Not that I have met many of them, but the few in the airplane were really nice to me. Their Italian wasnt as good as mine but certainly better than my English. (Silence. She looks around obviously waiting for someone). I left this life behind me and I am not going to regret it. Not much to miss, except the weather, the sea view from the balcony and the food. There was nothing else to stop me from leaving. Martin wasnt Italian and after the last few months I cant even think about him as someone close to my heart. I wish he had said something, anything, but he simply let me leave without a word. It wasnt easy. (Her eyes are filling with tears). I really dont know what I was expecting. After two years together you would have thought that we both would know that it is not how we wanted to live, and certainly not in each others company. But perhaps for Martin everything was great. After only two months we stopped going anywhere. One day I asked him to go to the beach. He said Im tired. You just want to go on the beach all the time. He was tired for the next two years. We met in the Czech Republic where our parents live. None of us was living there on a regular basis any more. Martin had already been in Italy for about two years. His sister had married an Italian, Roberto, and they helped him start a new life there. For most people in the small village where we were born, he was the lucky one. They could only dream about living in Italy. At the time my life wasnt bad, it was very different however. I was working in Germany taking care of an elderly woman. At the beginning it was really tough; I knew hardly any German and had no one there. The first three months I spent in tears, but there was no chance of a job nearer home and I could save a lot of money. The work was live in so I had few expenses. And to be honest it wasnt a hard job at all. Muksi was eighty-eight, but she was in very good health. I was doing some cooking and cleaning, but not much more. They treated me as a part of the family and after while I started to feel it. (Half closed eyes, recalling memories) I think it was Christmas time when I started going out with Martin. He asked me Do you have someone special? I said no quite emphatically! I hadnt thought about starting a new relationship at all, not after my last mistake. But somehow, when I was meeting my friends, Martin was always there and a few weeks later we were celebrating New Years Eve together. It was a distance relationship, he was living in Italy and I was in Germany. He flew to me in Frankfurt for our first Valentines Day! I was so in love. I thought I had found the one. Martin said Maybe we could go back to Italy together. Im going to change flats so I thought that maybe you I loved him even more then! Just a few weeks later I flew to him to start a completely new life on the East coast of Italy. And now I am flying to start a new life again! How many times can you do it? Is there a limit? My mom was really worried that Im moving yet again and of course sad that it hadnt worked out. But I couldnt stay there any longer and she calmed down when I told her that I was going to Tania. I think it took me too long to realise that Martin was not the one. What a waste of time! I should have known long ago. Sadness on her face. Sometimes, without any reason, he didnt talk to me for weeks. It was killing me. I was always there for him, his mate, but I hardly ever got anything back. I was spending all my money on the rent, the food, the bills and he he bought a new car, a plasma TV, some other gadgets. How naive I was thinking that it would all be ours. (Sigh). Towards the end his friend Matej lived with us for two months so it cost me even more. Matej never gave me any money and never said anything. Looking nervously around and checking what time it is. I didnt tell Martin that Tania had bought me a ticket. I didnt ask her for it. She has been my best friend for over fifteen years. I was so ashamed! I didnt have the courage to call her and tell her that Id got it wrong again. After about a month of silence she rang me and said Whats the matter? I know you well enough to know when somethings not right. I told her that life was not perfect. She knew it had to be much worse. She had met Martin once when she and Nick came to Italy for a weeks holiday and they stayed with us. She never said anything and because of this I guessed what she thought, but now she just said Ill send you a ticket to come and visit us. You can stay if you want or you can go back. How did she know that I didnt have any money? That same week Martin reverted to the great guy he could be. We were talking a lot and one night believing he would understand, I told him that I was going to visit Tania. I didnt say it was a one way ticket and that it was really in his hands if I came back or not. He started shouting, Do you really think that she wants you there? She is just trying to be nice. People have got their own problems. That was so nasty of him. (Sigh).

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Compounding Of Offences Under Criminal Procedure Law Essay

Compounding Of Offences Under Criminal Procedure Law Essay The compounding of offences is an act on the part of the victim whereby he/she decides to pardon the offence committed by the accused and request the court to exonerate him of all charges. The compounding of an offence does not mean that the offence has not been committed; it only means that the victim is willing to pardon it, or has accepted some form of a solatium as some form of compensation or redressal for what he has suffered  [1]  . This, however, does not mean that there can be no composition without the passing of any consideration or gratification. All that the law requires is that there must be some arrangement between the parties settling their differences  [2]  . The compounding of offences should not be confused with plea-bargaining, which is against public policy. Section 320 of the CrPC is exhaustive as to the law of compounding in India. Section 320 is almost a verbatim reproduction of S 345 of the 1898 Code of Criminal Procedure, with the addition of some new provisions. It contains- The persons who may compound The criminal offences that may be compounded, either on the volition of the complainant or in certain cases with the additional backing of the court. The stage of the criminal proceedings at which the composition is sought to be made. Compounding of offences terminates the legal proceedings against the offender and the offender is entitled to an acquittal. When the law has allowed the compounding of offence as per the protocol laid down by the CrPC, there can be no question of such compounding being opposed to public policy within the meaning of Section 23 of the ICA, 1872. Any agreement between an injured person and the offender to terminate criminal proceedings where recourse has not been had to this section immediately falls foul of Sec 23 of the ICA as it does not possess the sanction of the law. Except for Section 320, the concept of negotiated settlement of criminal cases is not permissible, as it is settled law that a case has to be decided on its merits alone and not on the basis of plea bargaining . The Rationale Of Compounding Of Offences- Ordinarily it is the state that has the right or power to punish offenders, although individuals might be directly and personally aggrieved by the commission of the offence. Criminal law regards the punishment imposed by the law at the instance of the state on the offender as the proper and sufficient satisfaction, not only for the society as a whole but also for individuals personally aggrieved by the offence. But in the case of certain offences the law permits the aggrieved person himself to receive satisfaction other than actual punishment in the substitution of the punishment. It is for such offences, which can be labelled as offences which are not very grave or serious in the eyes of a reasonable individual, that the law allows the offences to be compounded. The express policy of the law of Section 320 is to promote friendliness between the parties so that peace is restored  [3]  . The rationale of compounding can be better understood through an analysis of those cases where compounding is not permissible. Offences under Section 143, 147 and 148 of the IPC are not compoundable under any circumstances, because the legislature views them as offences concerning persons other than those immediately involved; such cases cannot be concluded because of a reconciliation of the immediate parties involved as they are not private offences .but offences which affect the public at large  [4]  . From an assessment of this, it is not difficult to understand the basis of the classification of compoundable offences, offences compoundable with the sanction of the court and offences not compoundable at all. It is the degree of wrong done to the state by the commission of the offence that appears to be the basis of the distinction between compoundable offences and offences compoundable only with the permission of the court. The petty wrongs done to citizens, which do not seriously affect the interests of the community or the state are compoundable by the injured party without any reference to the state. The next class of offences, where sanction of the court is necessary to compound, consists of cases where the injury to the state is recognised, but the state considers it expedient in given cases, on the basis of the discretion exercised by a judicial authority, to permit the aggrieved party to compound the offence. The Distinction Between Withdrawal And Composition- Although the end effect of a withdrawal and a composition is essentially the same i.e acquittal of the accused at any time before a judgment is passed, there are certain differences between the two. Firstly, a withdrawal must be by intimation to the magistrate holding the trial whereas in several instances enumerated in Section 320(1) composition can be effected without the permission of the court. Secondly, withdrawal is a unilateral act of the complainant alone whereas composition presupposes some kind of arrangement between the complainant and the accused  [5]  . Thirdly, on withdrawal of the complaint the magistrate can award compensation to the accused but compensation cannot be awarded when a case is compounded. In a nutshell, whether the petition praying that the case be struck off the file is a withdrawal or a composition, is to be judged from the fact whether the accused consented to it or not. The Settlement Of Disputes At Sebi Incorporating The Concept of Compounding- At the Securities and Exchange Board of India, in Administrative/Civil enforcement actions  [6]  before the Securities Courts or the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT), a settlement may be reached between the regulator and a person (Party) who may prima facie be found to have violated securities laws. Such a settlement is known as a consent order and through the process of compounding the accused pays compounding charges in lieu of undergoing consequences of prosecution. It has been stated through SEBI circulars that such an arrangement provides flexibility of wider array of enforcement and remedial actions which will achieve the twin goals of an appropriate sanction, remedy and deterrance without resorting to litigation, lengthy proceedings and consequent delays. Scope Of Compounding In The CrPC Certain Permissible Actions Within The Ambit of Section 320- If the accused brings to the notice of the courts that there has been an agreement between the two parties, then the complainant is questioned by the magistrate and on his affirmation of the claims made the accused is acquitted. In case of a disagreement between the parties as to whether the composition took place or not, although there is no provision for the same, the magistrate will initiate an evidence-finding enquiry to determine the veracity of the accuseds claims  [7]  . The controversy over whether an offence under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881 could be compounded with conflicting judgments of the Madhya Pradesh  [8]  and Andhra Pradesh High Courts  [9]  has been resolved by the Parliament when it amended Section 147 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, making all offences under the Act compoundable. A matter may be compounded at any stage under this section before a sentence is pronounced and a magistrate cannot refuse to accept a petition of compromise even if it is filed at a time when the judgment was being written  [10]  . Actions Which Outside the Scope of Section 320- A compromise has the immediate effect of acquittal so as to deprive the magistrate of his jurisdiction to try the case, the subsequent withdrawal from it by either of the two parties can neither affect the acquittal nor revive the jurisdiction of the magistrate to proceed with the case  [11]  . It has been held that the discretion granted to magistrates must be exercised by them with caution, especially in those cases where the offences are of a serious nature  [12]  . A composition has the effect of acquittal only in respect of the offence which has been compounded, and not of any other offence or offences for which the accused is charged in the same case  [13]  . It is established law since pre-independence that the compounding of offences is a judicial act, the discretion of which lies with the magistrate, and the police has no authority to interfere in these matters, and the magistrate should not take the opinion of the police in such matters  [14]  . It has been held in the case of Mangilal V. State  [15]  , that acquittal under Section 320(8) can follow only when it was a lawful compromise not made under coercion or duress or other similar circumstances vitiating the compromise. If the accused is charged with two offences, one of which is compoundable and the other is non-compoundable, a composition in respect of the compoundable offence will not acquit the accused of the non-compoundable offence  [16]  . Contentious Areas In The Implementation Of Section 320 Ambiguity in the law over the compounding of certain non-compoundable offences- One set of decisions suggests that Section 320 (9) is very explicit in its understanding and the HC, under the exercise of its statutory jurisdiction cannot vary or amend this statutory provision under Section 482. Those offences not mentioned in the section cannot be compounded, as the section is exhaustive of the law of composition  [17]  . Thus, the composition of one offence will not bar prosecution for a distinct offence which the accused might have been charged with on the same facts  [18]  . Another set of decisions hold that in the matrimonial disputes between husband and wife, it is the duty of the court to encourage genuine settlement between them and after the initiation of proceedings under Section 498-A of the IPC, if the wife wishes to settle the dispute, then her petition to quash proceedings under Section 482 should be allowed as Section 320 does not affect or limit the power of the High Court to quash criminal proceedings  [19]  . There have been very many instances where non-compoundable offences have been compounded by Indian courts on the reasoning that natural justice would demand in those cases that the offences be compounded in light of the peculiar facts and circumstances. As an illustration, an offence under Section 307, which is neither listed under 320(1) nor 320(2), was allowed to be compounded by the Supreme Court in Mahesh Chand V. State  [20]  . The Malimath Committee Report The suggestion of pre-trial sittings. The Committee is in favour of giving a role to the victim in the negotiation leading to settlement of criminal cases either through courts, Lok Adalats or Plea-bargaining. The Committee is of the opinion that there should be pre-trial sittings, which would in turn facilitate compounding of offences. This calls for the court to adopt a more interventionist and authoritative role than has been traditionally observed in identifying the issues for trial and in securing the proper preparation by both parties to deal efficiently with them. This in turn requires adequate preparation, not only by the parties and their advocates, but also by the Judge with the benefit of sufficient time out of court in which to do it. Provisions for such pretrial sittings have been made in several countries. The suggestion of an arrears eradication scheme The committee also suggested the setting up of the arrears eradication scheme, whereby the services of the appointed judge, ideally a dynamic problem solving person, could be utilized for the compounding or quick settlement of cases. The committee feels that plea-bargaining is a very viable alternative when it comes to the quick settlement of cases where the accused is penitent, and its usage and success in the USA suggests the same. Also it is felt that Section 360 of the CrPC (Order to release on probation of good conduct or after admonition) is underutilized. The caveat would be that unlike the USA where it is available for all offences, it not be extended for offences against women and children. Also it has to be well administered to prevent misuses, so that the taint of legalizing a crime not be attached to it. Another recommendation as part of the arrears eradication scheme is that part time courts may also sit on holidays. Part time courts can conveniently be assigned compoundable cases for settlement. The benefit of compounding of offences recommended by this Committee is advised to be extended to pending cases as well. A concerted effort should be made to dispose of the cases by compounding or settlement wherever that is permissible in law, it has been suggested. If the compounding offences is there in the statute even under old Cr.P.C. there is no reason why, when the accused is not let off but he is sentenced for a lesser sentence plea bargaining should not be included in the Criminal Justice System, so that the object of securing conviction and also reducing the period of trial can be achieved and reduced pendency can also be achieved in one go. Primary recommendation with regards to compounding of offences However, the Committee is of the view that in addition to the offences prescribed in the Code as compoundable with or without the order of the court there are many other offences which deserve to be included in the list of compoundable offences. Where the offences are not of a serious character and the impact is mainly on the victim and not on the values of the society, it is desirable to encourage settlement without trial. The Committee feels that many offences should be added to the table in 320(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The Committee further recommends offences which are compoundable with the leave of the court, may be made compoundable without the leave of the court. These are matters which should be entrusted to the Committee. In certain cases, the committee has suggested that certain acts be given only a minor punishment as meting out imprisonment leads to social stigma, which can further lead to more offences by that individual. Hence even in this regard of the rec lassification of offences into major and minor offences, the compounding of offences plays a major role. Specific recommendation to address the ambiguity over section 498-A Section 498-A of the IPC is provision which is intended to protect the wife from being subjected by the husband or his relatives to cruelty. But what has bothered the Committee are the provisions which make this offence non-bailable and non-compoundable. As this offence is made non-bailable and not compoundable it make reconciliation and returning to marital home almost impossible This view of the Malimath committee finds support in the judgment of the Bombay HC in the case of Suresh V. State  [21]  where the learned judge recommended that the parliament amend article 320 to include 498 A in the list compoundable offences. Reasoning of the committee The woman victim lodges an F.I.R alleging commission of offence under Section 498A, her husband, in-laws and other relatives of the husband would be arrested immediately. If she has no independent source of income she has to return to her natal family where also support may not be forthcoming. Her claim for maintenance would be honoured more in default than in payment especially if the husband has lost his job or suspended from his job due to the arrest. Where maintenance is given, it is often a paltry sum. (Thus the woman is neither here nor there. She has just fallen from the frying pan into the fire.) Even when there is a divorce, or reconciliation, the criminal case continues as Section 498A is non compoundable. If the wife feels that she was very impulsive when she made the complaint, and she wants to withdraw it, there are several legal obstacles in the way owing to the offence being non-compoundable.- She may change her mind and get into the mood to forget and forgive. The husband may realize the mistakes committed and come forward to turn a new leaf for a loving and cordial relationship. The woman may like to seek reconciliation. But this may not be possible due to the legal obstacles. Even if she wishes to make amends by withdrawing the complaint, she can not do so as the offence is non compoundable. The doors for returning to family life stand closed. She is thus left at the mercy of her natal family The committees conclusion This section, therefore, helps neither the wife nor the husband. The offence being non-bailable and non-compoundable makes an innocent person undergo stigmatization and hardship. Heartless provisions that make the offence non-bailable and non-compoundable operate against reconciliations. It is therefore necessary to make this offence (a) bailable and (b) compoundable to give a chance to the spouses to come together. The committee report mentions at several places that the list of compoundable offences be enlarged, for the purposes of speedy justice and its belief that such modes of settlement of cases do not offend any principles of criminal lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦although it fails to mention what these offences are. All these recommendations have been incorporated into the crpc through the latest amendments. Conclusion

Friday, September 20, 2019

Wildlife on and Around Airfields :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The danger of wildlife, particularly birds, on and around airfields has become a major issue on military bases. Hour upon hour is spent researching and testing methods to protect the wildlife, personnel, and aircraft. Despite these gallant efforts there are thousands of mishaps every year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past, the effect on the environment and its living creatures wasn’t a top issue when building military bases. Unquestionably, it has been a concern though. Since flying first became a reality, documented safety reports go back as far as eighty-eighty years. As a result of not making it a number one priority, today we have problems with environmental organizations under the Endangered Species Act and millions of dollars are spent on scientific systems and even more lost to accidents and fines. There was no way obviously when airfields were being constructed that the significance of this matter could have been predicted. However, with a little more effort years ago and not just within the last twenty, many hazards could have been avoided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of the numerous wildlife strikes to aircraft, literally millions of dollars in damaged parts are spent and millions are lost to complete destruction to aircraft. On the average, 3,126 strikes are reported each year by the military at nearly an average cost of $12,000 per case. This has led to over $700 million dollars lost or spent on aircraft over the past 20 years. Over all, the United States alone has lost $300 million annually, so you can tell the problem is not a small matter. Equally important are the fines handed out. Such as the case involving an international airport in France, where a flock of birds that was feasting on a carcass was neither reported nor removed before a jetliner was to depart. The plane received damage when it attempted to take-off but avoided serious consequences by shutting down just before the end of the runway. The airport was fined $3,000,000. Along with the financial losses, there have been several injuries and, more importantly, human fatalities. Possibly the most dramatic military incident was one in which several birds flew into a plane cruising at a high altitude. Damage was done to the engines and cockpit windows, causing the plane to crash and kill all 24 passengers. Over the past 30 years, a total of 37 Air Force aircraft have been completely destroyed, bringing along with it 35 fatalities. Wildlife on and Around Airfields :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The danger of wildlife, particularly birds, on and around airfields has become a major issue on military bases. Hour upon hour is spent researching and testing methods to protect the wildlife, personnel, and aircraft. Despite these gallant efforts there are thousands of mishaps every year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past, the effect on the environment and its living creatures wasn’t a top issue when building military bases. Unquestionably, it has been a concern though. Since flying first became a reality, documented safety reports go back as far as eighty-eighty years. As a result of not making it a number one priority, today we have problems with environmental organizations under the Endangered Species Act and millions of dollars are spent on scientific systems and even more lost to accidents and fines. There was no way obviously when airfields were being constructed that the significance of this matter could have been predicted. However, with a little more effort years ago and not just within the last twenty, many hazards could have been avoided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Because of the numerous wildlife strikes to aircraft, literally millions of dollars in damaged parts are spent and millions are lost to complete destruction to aircraft. On the average, 3,126 strikes are reported each year by the military at nearly an average cost of $12,000 per case. This has led to over $700 million dollars lost or spent on aircraft over the past 20 years. Over all, the United States alone has lost $300 million annually, so you can tell the problem is not a small matter. Equally important are the fines handed out. Such as the case involving an international airport in France, where a flock of birds that was feasting on a carcass was neither reported nor removed before a jetliner was to depart. The plane received damage when it attempted to take-off but avoided serious consequences by shutting down just before the end of the runway. The airport was fined $3,000,000. Along with the financial losses, there have been several injuries and, more importantly, human fatalities. Possibly the most dramatic military incident was one in which several birds flew into a plane cruising at a high altitude. Damage was done to the engines and cockpit windows, causing the plane to crash and kill all 24 passengers. Over the past 30 years, a total of 37 Air Force aircraft have been completely destroyed, bringing along with it 35 fatalities.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Sleep, Dreams and REM Sleep Behavior Disorder :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Sleep, Dreams and REM Sleep Behavior Disorder The discovery of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep suggested that sleep was not, as it was thought to be, a dormant state but rather a mentally dynamic one. Your brain is, in fact, very active in this state, almost to the level at which it is when a person is awake. Yet during this active stage in which most dreams occur, the movements of the rest of the body are completely stilled. To imagine this paralysis during dreams not occurring is a frightful image, since in many cases dreams are violent and active. When the neurotransmitters that control the movement of the body do not work properly the person develops REM sleep behavioral disorder (RBD). While we are sleeping the sensory world is essentially revolving around us without our knowledge. Our senses of hearing, touch, taste, sight, and smell no longer function as they do when we are awake. Except for the threshold for each of these senses that each of us has while we sleep, our inner systems are working essentially free of input from the outside world. And yet people are able to have vivid dreams. The cortex can only pass into sleep mode with the help of the are of the brain called the thalamus. The thalamus is one of the two structures that make up the diencephalon, the lower part of the fore brain. Its main function in mammals is as the relay station of sensory information its way to the cortical center. Specific regions of the thalamus, as well as different nuclei process different sensory information on its way to the cortex. In normal sleeping patterns a person usually passes through five phases of sleep, the fifth being REM. The sleeping human passes cyclically through these five phases throughout a night's rest. These phases can be defined in electrical activity of the brain; much like the activity of the heart is often defined. The technique of measuring the electrical activity of the brain is call Electro-encephalogram, or EEG. When the electrical events of a person's brain are graphed on a electrical magnitude versus time axis the graph of a person who is in different stages of being asleep or awake appear to have different levels of electrical activity occurring in the brain. (See (14)) During the cycle of the phases each lasts for a different period of time during the time we are sleeping.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Teaching Philosophy :: Education Teachers Reflective Writing Essays

Teaching Philosophy I believe the main purpose of teaching any subject is to encourage students to think critically and appreciate knowledge. Thinking critically is a skill students, no matter where their lives lead them, will need. A teacher should be dedicated to the content they are teaching and should love what they are doing. The fact that students are learning the subject is not enough; a teacher also has an obligation to foster an enjoyment of learning in their students and to show them how they can apply it to their own lives. Teachers should be able to show students that what they are learning in the classroom is relevant to their own lives. The subject material and the students’ response to the subject material should be helping them learn about themselves, and the people they want to be. As for the actual methods of teaching, the students should always be actively involved in everything they are learning. No student wants to sit in a desk for forty-five minutes listening to their teacher lecture. Discussion and having students solve problems for themselves should be main components of the classroom. I believe facilitating discussion, especially in an English classroom, is one of the most important aspects of a child’s learning experience. By discussing their ideas with the teacher and other students, they are learning to effectively express their opinions and think further about what they are learning. The teacher needs to play an important role in ensuring students feel comfortable about speaking about their ideas and encouraging them to give voice to their opinions. A teacher’s work should not be confined to inside the classroom but should extend outside as well. The students they are teaching are the ones in whose hands the future of the world lies, and so a teacher’s responsibility is to demonstrate to students that they need to have a commitment to the world they are living in. A teacher should help their students to know more their world and community through the subject matter they are teaching. This should manifest itself in teaching about tolerance, respect and fostering a desire to better the world they are living in.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Lin Article Critique Essay

However, when splitting the forty patients into two treatment groups, the clients were split randomly. This places twenty participants in each subgroup. Pyrczak (2008) suggests that number of participants can be so small that generalizing would be inappropriate. At the conclusion of the study caution was given to the small sample size provided, but it was noted that â€Å"the sample size was more than sufficient to detect meaningful statistical differences, a major goal of all treatment studies† (Lin et al. , 2004). This indicates that a generalization was drawn from the target group of residential drug rehabilitation clients and was not drawn from a diverse source. Some participant dropped out of the study resulting in a 35% completion rate (Lin et al. , 2004). This low rate does effect generalizing the findings of the study. The participants were similar on relevant variables in that all of the patients were diagnosed with a mental disorder, had a history of a chronic addiction, a poor response to treatment and relapse, legal issue related to addiction and little motivation to change (Lin et al. 2004). Critique of Procedures The procedures followed in acquiring participants in this study initially were not chosen at random. The forty-three patients selected for the study were from a residential drug treatment center that had specific criteria preferred by the researchers. However, when the patients were separated into treatment groups, â€Å"they were randomly assigned to FT or ADC† (Linn et al. , 2004). The treatments described in this study are sufficiently explained in detail. The researchers describe ADC, alcohol and drug counseling as a common treatment plan for substance abuse. The article is written in more descriptive detail about forgiveness therapy for the reason that its effectiveness is being tested. The treatments were administered by a therapist trained in both FT and ADC therapy with more than twenty years of therapeutic counseling experience. The treatments that were administered were monitored by taping the therapy sessions with a member of the team arbitrarily selecting the tapings for review of â€Å"consistency between expected and delivered treatments† (Linn et al. 2004). The same therapist conducted all the therapy sessions so that the personal effect is eliminated as a factor from this study. The therapist used the same methodology in both types of treatment programs. The setting for the experiment was a natural setting in the sense that it was not conducted in a laboratory. The therapy sessions took place within the current living environment of the rehabilitation residential facility. The researcher considered attrition in this study stating that, â€Å"given the high levels of mobility and chaos that characterize the lives of this client population, this dropout rate is not unusual. However, the sample size was more than sufficient to detect meaningful statistical differences, a major goal of all treatment studies† (Linn et al. , 2004). Critique of Instrumentation The evaluating instruments for the research did not include actual items in the research, but did explain in great detail the description of each instrument. The researchers also included research that supported validity of each assessment. Specialized formatting and detail was used when the instruments were administered in random order and the response format was provided. Restrictions were placed upon the research when the patience were initially chosen with the three dispositions of a chronic addiction with relapse, psychiatric diagnoses, poor response to treatment with low motivation to change, and legal issues dealing with substance abuse (Linn et al. , 2004). Multiple methods are used to collect information on each variable within this research. The EFI, BDI-II, CSEI, STAI, SSTAEI and vulnerability to drug use scale were used to obtain data on each patient and use for statistical analysis (Linn et al. , 2004). The researchers provided sources and well researched information for each published instrument. The self-report assessments were not administered anonymously, therefore, there is some reason of doubt that information obtained from patients could have been influenced by â€Å"social desirability or response-style biases† (Linn et al. , 2004). This researcher believes steps were taken to keep the instrumentation from influencing any overt behaviors due to the fact that all patients were exposed to the same therapist as a constant, expected occurrence, causing little deviation from the expected schedule.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Should Parents Be Responsible If Their Children Behave Badly?

Many crimes and social problems are caused by children. Despite the damage these teenage criminals cause, parents are not held responsible in most countries. This essay will discuss whether parents should be forced to pay for their children's crimes. There are many reasons why parents should not be responsible for crimes committed by teenage children. First of all, teenagers today are independent. They often move out of the parent's house at 18 years of age or younger. They are expected to learn to take care of themselves and make their own decisions, and not stay like small children attached to their parents. Secondly, parents are working. They cannot watch their adolescent children all the time. Parents have done their job A third point is that even children from good families can sometimes commit crimes. Parents should not be responsible if they have worked hard to raise their children properly. However, because of the many problems young troublemakers cause, I feel we should make parents responsible. Firstly, most juvenile crimes are committed by adolescents whose parents do not care or make any effort to control their children. If parents had to pay fines, they might make more effort. Another point is that even though the children may seem mature, they are not really able to make good decisions. Parents should be responsible for raising and teaching their children until they are fully grown. Furthermore, if children know that their parents will have to pay, they will think carefully before doing getting into trouble In summary, there are good reasons both for and against making parents pay for acts committed by their children. However, I feel strongly that if we want to reduce the number of such crimes, we need to make parents take more responsibility.