Gregor Mendel

Who was Gregor Mendel? Mendel was a scientist who gained a substantial amount of fame from his study of genetics. He studied the pea plant and its inheritance of certain traits. 2. What contributions did he make to science? His study of genetics led to an increase interest in the study of genetics. His biggest contribution to the study of science was his discovery of particulate inheritance, dominant and recessive traits, genotype and phenotype, and the concept of heterozygous and homozygous. . Which species did he work with? Mendel worked with the simple pea pod plant in his 8 year science experiment 4. State his 4 hypothesisThe first part, or law, states that, â€Å"Alternative versions of genes account for variations in inherited characters. † The second law states that, â€Å"For each character trait, like height, color, texture, etc an organism inherits two genes, one from each parent. The third law declares that, â€Å"If the two alleles differ, then one, the dominant allele, is fully expressed in the organism's appearance; the other, the recessive allele, has no noticeable effect on the organism's appearance. † The fourth law states that, â€Å"The two genes for each character segregate during gamete production. † 5. Explain the concept of independent assortment The concept of independent assortment states that the emergence of one trait will not affect the emergence of another.For example, a pea plant's inheritance of the ability to produce purple flowers instead of white ones does not make it more likely that it would also inherit the ability to produce yellow peas in contrast to green ones. 6. What conditions were overlooked by Mendel? Darwin’s theory that â€Å"if the wide variation observable in cultivated plants were caused by the changed conditions and increased nourishment experienced on being brought into cultivation, then this cause of variation must continue to act. †

Energy Drinks Essay

The strategically relevant components for the global and U. S. beverage industry macro-environment are market growth rate, market size, segmentation and scope of rivalry. Economic characteristics of alternative beverage segment differ from other beverage categories in several ways. The market size for alternative beverage was $40. 2 billion globally and $17 billion in the United States, while the market size for other beverages was $ 1,548. 3 and $28. 9 billion globally. Market growth rate for alternative beverages between 2005 and 2009 was 9. 8 percent while for other beverages it was 2. 6 percent. Question two The competition in the alternative beverage market was strong. Pepsi and Coca-Cola were competing for the top spot in the production and distribution of their beverages. The strongest competitive force was bargaining power and leverage of buyers. Most stores were negotiating for lower prices since they bought the beverages in large quantities. Since Pepsi and Coke had an established brand, their alternative beverages found automatic shelf space in most stores and wholesale clubs. The weakest of the five competitive forces was the bargaining power and leverage of suppliers. The reason is that the packaging from different suppliers was similar, thus it was easy to substitute the packaging from most suppliers, and thus they had weak bargaining power. The competitive force that seems to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness is competition from substitutes. This is why there were many substitutes to alternative beverages that were sold at lower prices. The competitive force with the greatest effect on profitability of new entrants is a threat of entry. Question three The market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced drinks is changing in several ways. There is innovation of products with the rise of drinks containing additional nutrients and introduction of energy shots. Furthermore, the industry is also considering consolidation options in an attempt of reducing distribution costs, for example Coca-Cola distributed Hansen’s Monster energy drink. The drivers of change are changes in the long-term growth rate, industry consolidation and introduction of new innovative products into the industry. The forces individually or collectively may not cause big changes in the attractiveness of the industry. The reason for that is there is no evidence that the big companies of alternative beverages will practice unhealthy and aggressive competition for market dominance. Question Four My strategic group map of energy drinks, sports drink and vitamin enhanced beverage industry is categorized by considering the scope of geographic distribution of producers and brand portfolio. Pepsi and Coca-Cola are positioned favorably since they compete internationally and have a strong brand portfolio. Hansen Natural is a dominant brand company since Monster energy drink accounts for 90 percent of its sales. The success of this company is mainly contributed by strong supply chain due to its partnership with Coca-Cola and Anheurser-Busch distributions. Rockstar Inc is also successful in this map since it has a strong distribution chain offered by Pepsi. However, Dream Water and Living Essentials are positioned poorly in this map since their distributions are only regionally located and they only offer a single brand. Question five Several key success factors determine the success of alternative beverage producers. One of these factors is the brand image. Producers with a strong brand image created by extensive advertisement campaigns and endorsement from celebrity athletes enjoyed big sales. Furthermore, products with strong supply chain and distribution network, for example Coca-Cola and Pepsi, had bigger market share. Companies with good innovative skills due to extensive research and product development had more sales since they developed new categories such as energy shots. Companies with huge sales volume enjoyed economies of scale and thus they were able to cover their sales and distribution costs. Question six Coca-Cola should adopt several recommendations to improve its competitiveness in the alternative beverage industry. It should consider increasing its sales in Europe and Asia by conducting extensive market campaigns in these regions. Moreover, it should consider increasing its innovation efforts in order to regain its market share in energy drinks. Another recommendation is considering 5-Hour energy in an attempt of increasing its overall brand portfolio. Pepsi should consider adopting image building campaigns brands such as Amp and Double Shot since their overall market share in Europe has been declining. The company should also consider developing its own energy shot brand in order to diversify its brand portfolio; It would be a good idea to consider introducing energy shots to Europe, Middle East and Austria, since these markets are feasible. Red Bull GmbH should increase its innovation efforts in an attempt to increase its market share in Europe and United States. It should also improve its performance in the new energy shots it introduced in the market.

Ethical Issues in Psychology

Ethical Issues in Psychology Psychologists often work with vulnerable individuals in sensitive situations. An important step in becoming a mental health professional or consumer of psychological services is to be aware of the ethical issues faced by psychologists. If you are providing psychological services you are obligated to remain informed regarding current ethical standards or issues. If you are a consumer of psychological services, the professional should keep you informed regarding your rights.If you find yourself in a situation where ethical standards are being violated or have doubts regarding the correct course of action, consult with a colleague. The faculty of the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University joint Psychology Department have identified several key ethical issues with which we believe our students should be familiar. This list is not complete and students will learn much more about ethical issues while going through the psychology curriculum. Near the end of their study, students are asked to demonstrate knowledge of these ethical issues as they apply them in their senior integrative experiences.COMPETENCE: Consumers of psychological services have the right to expect that the practitioner is competent to provide the services offered. Generally, competence is established through training, experience, supervised practice, or a combination of these activities. Any practitioner should be willing to discuss their competencies with any consumer of services and be ready to make referrals to others when an administration of tests like the MMPI or the Wechsler intelligence scales requires understanding of the intricacies of both administration and interpretation.Graduate course work and many hours of supervised practice are needed to acquire the necessary skills. The practitioner is also obligated to keep skills up to date with formal course work, reading, or other professional development activities. CONFIDENTIALITY: Psychologists and co nsumers of psychological services are frequently concerned about the issue of who is allowed to see and use information about individuals generated during research, consultation, or therapy.In most circumstances private information must be kept confidential, that is, it is not revealed to others. However, there are important exceptions to this, mandated by state law and court decisions, and it is important to be aware of them. These exceptions tend to concern situations in which information that is normally confidential can be used to prevent harm to another person. For example, if a client describes abusive behavior toward their children, the therapist is mandated to file a report with social services.Clients, themselves, need to be aware of both the requirements and the limits of confidentiality. INFORMED CONSENT: In their roles as researchers, therapists, and consultants, psychologists offer a variety of services. Informed consent is a central principle in these actions. This mea ns that consumers of psychological services have the right to know precisely what services are being offered, what benefits can be expected, and what risks are involved. After being so informed, consumers then have the right to refuse the services or terminate participation.In research, therapy, or other activities accompanied by some identifiable risk, consent needs to be in writing. When individuals, for some reason, can't give their consent, a surrogate or guardian may be allowed to consent for them. RELATIONSHIPS WITH VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS: Psychologists frequently interact professionally with clients who are less powerful than themselves because of their age, species, emotional insecurities, intellectual ability, legal status, or other attributes.As a general rule, psychologists are expected to act in the best interests of such individuals, to avoid taking advantage of the vulnerabilities of clients, and to treat animal subjects humanely in accordance with accepted practice. A romantic relationship between a therapist and client is one way that this ethical principle may be violated and is one of the most common causes of lawsuits against therapists. A GENERAL CONCERN FOR ETHICAL PRACTICE: The issues outlined here provide a broad outline of ethical practice in psychology. Specific courses will elaborate on these issues and help you identify situations in which they apply.However, each individual, whether a practitioner or consumer of psychological services, needs to be aware of the role that ethical guidelines play in directing the application of psychology to the problems of the real world. We hope that awareness of specific ethical issues in psychology will broaden your view of the meaning of ethical behavior as it applies to any endeavor. Whether you go into politics, education, business, manufacturing, law, medicine, or any other vocation, you will need to take the time and effort to examine what you are doing in terms of its ethical implications and have the courage to confront unethical behavior.

Palliative Sedation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Palliative Sedation - Essay Example Palliative sedation is a  beneficial  therapy  as it provides comfort and dignified death. The key  value  of palliative medicine is to  relieve  suffering (Braun,  Hagen  & Clark, 2003). It is an accepted and effective symptom  control  method  for patients with intractable physical symptoms. Palliative sedation  get  supported by beneficence,  autonomy  and double  effect  doctrine. According to  autonomy  every person has a right to  decide to regard  health status based on the beliefs, values and goals. Suffering being a personal experience, a person should be given a  chance  to choose the options they  wish  to use to relieve pain (Quill, Dresser & Brock, 1997). Based on beneficence principle, health care practitioners should  offer  care that is beneficial to patients. Relief of suffering whether physical or  emotional  is their  duty. Clinicians should  weigh  all the options and bear in mind that palliative sedation is  beneficial  to the caregivers and family  too. The double effect doctrine deals with the intention of treatment. In this case, the intention is to  relieve  suffering as the patient nears death. Before administering palliative sedation, it is necessary to ensure all other options  are exhausted, and the symptoms are  unmanageable.  Consider different options such as  intermittent, continuous and respite sedation. Caution must be exercised, and administering should be done on informed consent (Hallenbeck, 2000). Shaver, W. & Rousseau, P. (2005). A challenge to the ethical validity of palliative sedation. Program and abstracts of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine/Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association Annual Assembly. New Orleans,

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Essay Example Bennets] views of domestic happiness were overthrown† (Austen 358). Mr. Bennet hides behind his irony: â€Å"†¦ you [Mrs. Bennet] are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley may like you the best of the party† (Austen 3). At the beginning relationship of Elizabeth, who is as sharp-tongued as her father is, and Darcy also lack respect. In short, meeting at a ball, she finds him cold, proud and arrogant which she concludes after the refusal to dance: â€Å"I could easily forgive HIS pride, if he had not mortified MINE† (Austen 26). Meanwhile, Elizabeth is not good enough for him: â€Å"she is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt ME† (Austen 14). Even though some tension appears between them, later it changes. Initially it seems that there are too many gaps between both couples. The most fundamental virtue for any type of relationship is respect but it can be gained in certain situations. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet failed it: â€Å"Your mother will never see you again if you do NOT marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you DO† (Austen 171). At first Lizzy also has little respect to Darcy because of "objections which made him prevent his friends marrying her sister †¦ and the unfeeling manner in which he had mentioned Mr. Wickham, his cruelty towards whom he had not attempted to deny" (Austen 294). But the proposal at Hunsford is a crucial moment of a change in their story because Darcy’s emotions occur to be stronger than his pride, and he takes a chance to explain himself in the letter written for her. Additionally, Elizabeth’s refusal awakes humility in him and makes him get sure that she is not hunting for his money. As a result, they both find compati bility which Lizzys parents lack because Mr. Bennet cares for personalities of her daughters couples more than their financial state that is Mrs. Bennets priority. Furthermore, to

Ethical Dimensions Of Medicine Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Dimensions Of Medicine - Research Paper Example There are different philosophical theories that can be used to describe or interpret the dfferent views concerning controversial subjects in medical ethics. David Hume lived in the 18th century and was a Scottish philosopher. Philosophical Theories on Issues in Medical Ethics Hume believed that reason, by itself cannot be presumed to be a motive of the will, but instead is subject to human passions(Mason and Laurie, 2010). He was of the opinion that in normal circumstances, moral distinctions are not the direct result of reason but of moral sentiments such as the emotions of blame or praise. Hume supported the view that there are intrinsic human sentiments such as the expression of vice or virtue; and also simulated actions like the human demonstration of justice. ones like the While some virtues and vices are natural, others, including justice, are artificial. According to Hume’s view, God formed the universe through different cycles; and He enabled man to be able to carry on his creative work. Moreover, He also gave free will to man. People, therefore, have the power to enact things that may not be a part of God’s will. The subject of medical ethics falls under this interpretation of what is right or wrong. The right to euthanasia, for instance, can be said to be an example of man’s ‘artificial’ justice which is not God-given but is the warped result man’s misuse of the free will that was extended to him by God. Immanuel Kant's theory, on the other hand, states that what guides the actions of man is 'rationality' (Mason and Laurie, 2010). According to Kant, human beings have the responsibility to perform what can be said to be 'reasonable' and not inconsistent. Kant stated that it was impractical to extend this responsibility in handling knowledge to the metaphysical arena. Kant stated that any moral obligation has to be applicable to all individuals in any circumstances and at any time. This means that any type of mor ality has to give evidence of a sound moral path in all circumstances and has to be useable to all people. From this view, a doctor’s care for his or her patient is basically a duty that has virtue. Immanuel Kant stated that, â€Å"only those actions which are performed for the sake of duty have moral worth† (Mason and Laurie, 2010). This definition alludes to a difference between inclination and duty. Kant’s views indicate a distinction between inclination and duty. If an individual has inclinations that support his or her duty, they have attained a higher moral development (Mason and Laurie, 2010). This means that Kant was of the view that it is a sacred duty to preserve life. However, if misfortune and hopelessness due to illness or manic depression life have removed all zest for life, the decision to euthanize has moral worth. Conversely, moral duty can be descriptive of preserving life in spite of adverse circumstances, not because of sentimental reasons, b ut because of a sense of duty. From the Kantian theory, one can surmise that the ‘rightness’ or ‘wrongness’ of controversial subjects in medical ethics such as euthanasia is dependent on the morality of the agent. For instance, if the motive of the child of a terminally ill patient who wishes to end his or her life is in line with his or her sense of duty to assist the patient, the child’s assisting of the patient to kill him oe herself becomes a moral act due to the fact that the child ignored his or her

Climate change effects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Climate change effects - Essay Example P.S. Two of the studies have been carried out and findings under such are communicated this is done to give deep insight in to the relationship of ocean and atmosphere and how such interactions affectsin light of the questions given below Ocean circulation often called oceanography is a system of movement of the surface water between the oceans, caused by the wind, temperature or the salinity. (Science Dictionary) An ocean covers almost more than two thirds of our clear blue planet. The waters move in the global circulation system, driven by a subtle density difference and transporting then huge amounts of heat. The ocean circulation is therefore an active and highly non-linear player in this global climate game. Increasingly there is the clear evidence implicates that ocean circulation in abrupt and the dramatic climate shifts, such as uncertain temperature changes in Greenland on the order of the 5–10  °C and massive surges of the icebergs into North Atlantic Ocean — events that have occurred more often during the last glacial cycle. Oceans and our atmosphere constantly interact with one another, especially in transferring the energy; for instance, evaporation from warmer oceans removes the latent heat from atmosphere as it introduces water vapor, and the condensation of this vapor at height releases latent heat. Additionally, the surface winds drive the oceanic currents, moving warmer water pole-wards and cold water equator-wards. Since conditions in atmosphere changes much more rapidly than in oceanic, the atmosphere and oceans change continuously, in response to one another. Ocean-atmosphere oscillations are the ocean-atmosphere interaction responses which switch suddenly from one of the phases to another. Currently, the five major ocean atmosphere oscillations have been recognized: the Pacific Decadal, the El Nià ±o-Southern, the North Atlantic, the Arctic, and the Antarctic Polar Wave. Each of such

Management Strategy and Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Strategy and Policy - Research Paper Example UAE based Emaar Properties is a Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) focusing on property development as well as lifestyles related services. Established in 1997, it has grown to become one of the largest property developers in the whole of Middle-East Asia. (â€Å"About Emaar†). It became a PJSC in 2007, after Dubai government garnered around 32% equity stake in Emaar, by exchanging with the sizable prime land. Although its prime focus is property development, it has over 60 companies under its wings, with each company operating in different business sectors, offering varied services including in the sectors like hospitality & leisure, shopping malls, healthcare, education and financial services. (â€Å"Board of Directors†). Apart from its main operations in UAE, EMAAR has expanded geographically doing projects and offering services in many key Asian countries like Saudi Arabia, India, Syria, Pakistan, etc., African countries like Egypt, Morocco, etc., as well as the Unit ed States and Canada. It has developed some of the globally well-known and prominent landmarks of UAE. The list includes Downtown Dubai, â€Å"the 500-acre mega-project, home of Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building which features the world’s first Armani Hotel Dubai and the world’s highest restaurant, At.mosphere† and also Dubai Mall, which is regarded as the â€Å"world’s largest shopping and entertainment destination†. (â€Å"About Emaar†). By diversifying into new sectors, it is posed to tap many opportunities in other sectors as well. Porter’s five force analysis Degree of rivalry Construction is a segmented industry implying there are many firms at various levels. EMAAR also has its rivals specifically Nakheel, ALDAR and Dubai properties etc. However, EMAAR enjoys a unique brand image as compared to its peers as it has emerged as a luxury brand. It has been associated with high quality construction catering t o higher end groups. It has created an exclusive position for itself by building the world’s tallest building called Burj Khalifa in Dubai which was completed in 2010 despite the world financial meltdown post its launch in 2008 (Oxford Business Group). Hence, the degree of rivalry is low for this group in UAE. Threat of substitutes The group has targeted high end real estate development. Hence within this segment there are usually very few substitutes as a customer is generally looking at a particular type of property and location which cannot be replaced easily. However, during economic

The Big Data Challenges Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Big Data Challenges - Case Study Example ral platform referred to as data ware house that helps integrate data from different sources such as; customers and dealers to name just but a few (Strader, 2011). The CIO chair at Volvo asserted that, through the establishment of a central platform, the company can be able to prevent potential losses and inherent risk that might occur in the future (Strader, 2011). The corporation captures data from vehicles sold to their customers through sensors and central processing units installed during car manufacturing (Strader, 2011). The data captured is then used to make necessary improvements on the model vehicles being manufactured (Verganti, 2009).This improvement has not only helped to meet customer satisfactions but also has helped to prevent mechanical problems that might occur in the future (Strader, 2011). Real time information systems are computer responsive systems that help to detect and give out responses after updating the computer master files with the detected information (Chaki, Nabendu & Cortesi, 2011). For instance, Volvo Corporation installed their vehicles with numerous sensors and central processing units in order to detect information about the performance of the vehicles when the vehicle is in the hands of a customer (Strader, 2011). Whereby, any impending mechanical problems or threat detected is sent back to Volvo Corporation and necessary improvements are made thereafter (Chaki, Nabendu & Cortesi, 2011). In above connection, the implementation of real time information system has enabled the corporation to make continuous quality improvements on the quality of vehicles manufactured (Strader, 2011). This in turn has increased customer satisfactions by responding accordingly to customers needs through utilization of real time information (Chaki, Nabendu & Cortesi, 2011). The company utilizes big data strategy to identify any potential flows that may occur in the future and provide a remedy to the problem before it happens (Strader, 2011). This

Breakfast Club Essay Example for Free

Breakfast Club Essay 1. Brian is a perfectionist when it comes to school. Only once has he got any grade under an â€Å"A†. Brian’s parents but a ton of pressure on Brian to perform exceptionally in school. 2. Brian is profiled as a nerd. After he got an â€Å"F† on a shop project he brought a gun into school to kill himself. However, the gun went off while in Brian’s locker so he was given a detention. 3. Brian shows a form of Denial in that when he got the bad grade he wasn’t able to accept it and was going to kill himself. 4. A) I feel that I could trust Brian because he seems like an honest, trustworthy kid. B) If Brian was at CBA I don’t think we would be friends because we don’t have many common interests but it’s possible we might be if we had a lot of classes because Brian is a nice kid. C) On Monday I think Brian will be friends with everyone but Clare. By the end of the year I think he will have had a lot of scholarship offers. In 20 years I think he will have a family and a great job. Andy 1. Andy is a very competitive person who wants to be accepted by his father. In fact the reason he’s so competitive is his father who pushes him to be the absolute best in athletics. 2. Andy is profiled as a jock. One day in the locker room Andy was taping his knee and a smaller weaker kid was getting undressed a few lockers down. Andy thought of his father always talking about how he was so bad in school so Andy beats the kid up and tapes is butt together so he gets detention. 3. Andy uses regression as a defense mechanism by taking his anger and stress out by using physical violence on another smaller kid. 4. A) I don’t think I could trust Andy because stress cause’s him to do dumb things. B) If Andy was at CBA I think we would be friends because we are both involved in sports. However, we might not be because he seems a little weird to me. C) I think on Monday Andy will still hang out with his normal group but also talk to the rest of his detention mates. By t he end of the year I think Andy will be going to college to wrestle. In 20 years I think Andy will have a family of his own, he won’t be talking to his father, and he’ll have a bad knee. John 1. John has a very outgoing but sometimes mean personality. The way he is treated at his own house is what causes john to come across harsh and mean sometimes. 2. John is profiled as a Trouble maker/ Criminal. He pulled the fire alarm in school and that’s his reason for being in detention. 3. Like Andy, John also uses regression as a defense mechanism. For example when the principle takes him out of the room he acts like a little kid and knocks books and papers all over the floor. John has no one to discipline him and tell him not to do this. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if John’s parents did when they got mad. 4. A) I don’t think I could trust john with things such as school work but I do think he would be a person it’s ok to tell things too. B) If John went to CBA I think I would want to be friends with him because he’s very funny. However, we might not be friends because we have different interests. C) I think John will go back to scho ol on Monday and cause trouble as usual but I also think him and Clare will have some sort of a relationship. At the end of the year I think John will leave his home and get a job and living place of his own. In 20 years I think John will have a wife and a low income job.

Media Violence Causing Social Violence Sociology Essay

Media Violence Causing Social Violence Sociology Essay The above statistics alone should immediately indicate that the negative effects of media violence on the minds of young people cannot help but be substantial, and may in fact lead to social violence on the part of those exposed. However, the fact is that even after decades of ongoing research, there remains a debate as to whether media violence substantially contributes to social violence (Haugen Musser, 2008). To provide context to the ongoing debate, it is helpful to first define the two key terms discussed in this essay, namely media violence and social violence. As noted by North, Wallis and Weingast (2009), the term social violence technically refers to violent activities engaged in by people as a group. This would include violence associated with riots, revolutions, and gang warfare. However, for the purposes of this essay, the term is defined far more broadly as behavior that is aggressive and/or abusive and which results in, or has the potential to result in, some form of injury to one or more others. This is the definition used in most of the existing studies of media violence and social violence. Haugen and Musser (2008) note that there are differing views as to what precisely is meant by the term media violence, but that typically it refers to various gradations of violence presented by differing forms of electronic or film media such as television programs, computer games, and movies. The gradations considered to be within the domain of media violence can and do differ from research study to research study. However, the authors inform that a good deal of the decades long debate over media violence and social violence is more political than scientific. Specifically, Haugen and Musser (2008) state that there are two schools of sociopolitical thought as to whether or not media violence actually causes real-life violenceand these are both trying to use research on media violence to advance their particular perspective. One school of thought blames media violence for social violence and wants to censor certain content in order to protect children. The other side views censorship, even if relatively weak in scope, as a slippery slope to increasingly levels of censorship not only of violence but many other types of expressions within society. It is important to keep this in mind when evaluating the existing research. It can be noted here that the central thesis of this paper is that there is sufficient evidence of a substantial relationship between media violence and social violence; however, social violence is multi-causal and media violence is likely to exert maximal effects if additional causal and contributory factors are operative. This thesis is supported in this paper by an extensive review of the existing research on media violence demonstrating exposure to be followed by engagement in antisocial behavior and aggression. The Connection Between Media Violence and Social Violence Effects on Children and Adolescents Browne and Hamilton-Giachritsis (2005) compiled a comprehensive review of the literature on the effects of media violence on the social violence and aggression of both children and adolescents using the findings of five meta-analytic reviews and one quasi-systematic review, all of which were from North America. The studies covered television violence, film violence, and video and computer game violence. Some of the most important of their findings were: 1. In the average home, childrens television programming exposes a child to 20 to 25 violent actions each hour; moreover, violent offenders in childrens programming sometimes go without punishment and the offenders themselves seldom show any remorse for the violence. 2. During both childhood and adolescence, the amount of time watching television violence is positively related to several antisocial behaviors such as threatening aggression, assault or physical fights resulting in injury, and to robbery. In general, the review presented by Browne and Hamilton-Giachritsis (2005) led the authors to conclude that violent images in the media can substantially affect children and adolescents thoughts and emotions in a manner that makes them both more fearful and more aggressive. Browne and Hamilton-Giachritsis also reported that several other factors figure into the commission of social violence which makes the link between social violence and media violence significant but small. However, they point out that the effect sizes observed in meta-analytic studies of media violence and subsequent social violence show that even this small relationship exerts a substantial effect on the general public health in terms of the consequences of social violence to the victim and to the families of both the victim and the perpetrator of the violence. Regarding the point made by Hamilton-Giachritsis (2005), it is helpful to briefly look at the statistics associated with social violence. In this regard, Santamour (2008) reports that acts of violence are associated with heavy human and economic costs. In his study, Santamour examined violence-related hospitalizations in the United States. He observed that hospital costs as a result of social violence totaled $2.3 billion dollars per year and were primarily the result of assaults and/or physical and emotional abuse. A clear gender difference was also noted which Santamour reports as follows: Boys and men accounted for 82.4 percent of hospital stays resulting from assaults; girls and women accounted for 63.9 percent related to maltreatment and 58.5 percent resulting from self-inflicted violence. Young adults, 18 to 44 years old, made up 68.3 percent of assault-related stays and 62 percent associated with self-inflicted violence. (p. 1) When considering that media violence contributes to statistics such as these, it is difficult to think of any connection between it and social violence is weak. In another study of media violence and social violence, Bushman and Huesmann (2006) found that exposure to media violence was positively related to aggressive behavior, anger, and aggressive ideas in children, teens, and adults. It was also found that media violence had a negative effect on the helping behaviors of all groups, making them far less likely to help others in need. However, it was also found that the group most vulnerable to the effects of media violence were young children. This was said to be because young children were more easily impressionable; also, they had a harder time telling the difference between fantasy and reality. In addition, young children learn best by observing and then imitating behavior, making them more apt to engage in violent behavior. Adding to the idea that media violence is directly related to social violence, Haugen and Musser (2008) report that the connection between media violence and social violence has already been accepted as fairly substantial by six major medical groups. These groups are the: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, American Psychological Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Psychiatric Association. Further, the authors also noted that each of these medical organizations hold that media violence leads children to increase their levels of antisocial behavior and to become less sensitive to violence as well as victims of violence. Haugen and Musser (2008) also states that these medical groups warn that children exposed to long-term and frequent media violence are likely to develop a view of the world as violent and mean and to become more fearful of being a victim of the worlds violence than children who are not exposed to frequent/long-term media violence. Even more alarming is that the children who are exposed to frequent media violence over a lengthy period of time often show a desire to see yet more violence in their entertainment as well as in real life, and they come to see violence as a legitimate way to settle conflicts. These desires and attitudes, in turn, make them more likely to engage in social violence both as children and as adolescents and, in some cases, even as adults. The foregoing literature provides fairly strong support for the idea that even a weak causal contribution between media violence and social violence can be viewed as substantial in terms of its costs and its escalating effects on people over time. However, this effect does have to be considered in light of all of the factors that drive people to commit violent acts against others. The next section of this essay considers the effects of media violence in relation to the other contributors of social violence. Multifactorial Nature of Social Violence and Contribution of Media Violence Kirsh (2006) reports that many factors are involved in the commission of social violence and as just demonstrated in the above review, one of these factors is media violence. However, its effects can vary depending upon the manner in which the violence is presented. If the violence presented in the media lacks consequences and/or is justified, and/or is associated with reward, it can have a very negative effect on children and teens, making them more likely to engage in such behavior. However, if the presented media violence shows that the offender is punished for the violence, then it can lessen childrens tendencies toward aggressive behavior. In addition, the type of character or personality that engages in the presented violence can also have an effect. According to Kirsh (2006), if the violence is undertaken by an attractive person or by a charismatic heroand the child or adolescent identifies with the perpetratorthen it is likely that the negative effect of the violence will be stronger, making the viewer more likely to engage in similar behavior. Furthermore, Kirsh reports that if the childs full attention is focused on the screen presenting the violence with minimal or no distractions breaking this focus, the impact will be greater. Finally, if the child views the show and its violence as realistic and reflective of real life, then the effects will be stronger. In what is now considered a seminal study of media violence, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Surgeon General (2001) concluded that there is a relationship between media violence and some social violence including homicide, forcible rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. However, it was also noted that there is a problem with the research that makes knowing whether there is a causal connection between media violence and social violence difficult to scientifically report. Regarding the nature of the problem, it is stated that: Although there is clear scientific evidence of a correlation between exposure to media violence and some violent behaviors, randomized experiments-the research methodology best suited to determining causality-cannot ethically be used in studies of violent behavior. (p. 1) It was stated that the best that could be done is to study the effects of media violence and how it affects certain aggressive behaviors in children and adolescence. These studies were said to provide at least indirect evidence of causality. For example, the Surgeon General (2001) reports that longitudinal studies reliably show that if children are exposed to media violence, as they grow older they become more likely to exhibit aggressiveness due to the increase in the amount of media violence exposure. This connection makes it seem very reasonable to believe that there is also some causal contribution of media violence to social violence in various forms of violent antisocial behavior and crime. But if there is a causal connection, how strong is it and what other factors also contribute to social violence? According to the Surgeon Generals (2001) early study of youth violence, as well as a more recent study by Coyne (2007), what makes media violence likely to impact on any given child is its relationship to a host of several social violence risk factors. These risk factors include: individual risk factors; family risk factors; school risk factors; peer group risk factors; and neighborhood and community risk factors. Specifically, to the extent that one or more of these factors is present in a childs life, they are likely to make the child more prone to both violent behavior as well as the negative effects of media violence. The social violence risk factors discussed by both the Surgeon General (2001) and Coyne (2007) can be delineated as follows: 1. Individual factors A child and/or adolescent is most likely to be at risk for the negative effects of media violence and social violence if the child is male, if there is substance use, if the childs personality or temperament is already somewhat aggressive possibly as a result of a health condition such as hyperactivity, if the IQ is low, and if the child is generally antisocial in attitudes and beliefs. One point that can be noted here is that the Council on Communications and Media (2009) states that individual factors can also protect a child from the negative effects of media violence. These protective factors include the child having a high IQ, and a positive social orientation. Further, if the child shows a low tolerance for deviance and views transgressions as usually punished, this also would reduce or even eradicate any negative effects of media violence. 2. Neighborhood and Community Factors Living in a deteriorating community or neighborhood can put a child or adolescent more at risk for the negative effects of media violence. For example, poor neighborhoods where drugs and gangs are present increase the risk. High crime areas also place a child at risk for social violence that is exacerbated by exposure to media violence. 3. Family Risk Factors If the childs family is poor, he or she is more at risk for the negative effects of media violence. If his/her parents are antisocial and/or have a poor relationship with the child, these factors can also increase the risk. Other family factors that place children at risk for the negative effects of media violence include: parental separation (broken home), abusive parents, neglect, harsh discipline and/or a lack of discipline, poor mental health of parents, and the presence of a good deal of conflict in the home. As with individual factors, there are some familial/parental factors that can give the child some protection from the negative effects of media violence (as well as other forms of violence). According to Ferguson, San Miguel and Hartley (2009), these protective family factors include having good relationships with parents, and positive evaluations from peers. Steady and consistent, but not overly harsh, parental monitoring and discipline can also be protective. 4. School Factors How a child feels about school can also affect the impact of media violence on the child. If his or her attitude is positive, the child will be less likely to be impacted; but if the attitude is negative, the risk is increased. Academic performance operates in a similar manner. School failure and low grades make a child more vulnerable to the negative effects of media violence, while good school performance has the opposite effects. Lee and Kim (2004) points out that one of the strongest school risk factors is bullying. If a child is bullied, he becomes very vulnerable to seeing some form of retributive violence as the answer to his problem and this tendency can be strongly exacerbated by media violence. 5. Peer Risk Factors The nature of a child or adolescents peers can have a significant impact on the effects of media violence. If the child has strong ties to antisocial peers, then the impact is more negative. However, if most of the childs friends behave in prosocial ways, then this will act as a protective factor. Media Violence and Crime The foregoing section of the review indicated that media violence operates conjointly with other factors to elevate a childs risk for social violence. However, there are many forms of social violence, one of which is violent crime. This section of the essay examines the question: Is media violence directly related to the commission of violent crime? According to Coyne (2007), while many studies of media violence and violent crime do show at least a weak connection, they suffer from the fact that they are, in large part, laboratory-based investigations. Furthermore, such studies primarily rest on studies of aggressive urges or tendencies rather than examining real criminal behavior to see if those engaging in it have a history of watching violence in the media. Coyne (2007) attempted to remedy the forgoing problem by examining longitudinal research with offender populations. It was stated that, When integrated with other long-term studies on the development of crime, it is concluded that the link between media violence and crime is weak after other environmental factors are taken into account. However, the fact remains that until there can be some good control for other contributors to criminal violence, it will remain difficult to know the extent to which there is a direct causal relationship between media violence and criminal violence. Failure to definitively establish a causal link is due to the fact that in studies which are significant statistically, these other factors often act as confounding variables. Nonetheless, it seems reasonable to state that the ongoing, now decades long, findings of elevations in aggressiveness in relation to media violence strongly suggest that there may be more than a weak connection. Conclusions The central thesis of this essay was that media violence substantially contributes to social violence where social violence was defined in the broad sense of aggressive and/or antisocial behavior that results in or can result in injury to one or more others. The key question that must be asked is whether the reviewed literature on media violence supported this thesis? The answer to the above question is somewhat complex. The literature clearly indicated that media violence can lead to children and adolescents engaging in aggression and violent behavior. Moreover, it also showed that the degree to which said behavior is engaged in can differ depending on length of media violence exposure. The reviewed literature also demonstrated that the nature of the violence presentation and the strength of distracted focus can both operate to make it more likely that social violence will be engaged in by children and/or adolescents. This indicates that there is a real effect being exerted by media violence on children. However this conclusion needs some modification. Social violence, as defined in this essay, is multi-determined which means that there are many contributors which, taken together or in part, operate to make a child and/or adolescent engage in social violence. Media violence is one of these and indications are that it can substantially contribute to social violence in the sense that it exacerbates the effects on social violence caused by other factors such as having conflict in the family, living in a gang ridden and poor neighborhood, doing poorly in school, and so forth. Media violence not only exerts a substantial contribution to social violence in this manner, it also exerts an effect in terms of the negative outcomes of social violence on the lives of the people who are involved in it. Thus, it seems reasonable to conclude that based on all of the reviewed findings, media violence does exert a substantial effect on social violence even though it is not the only contributor.

Analysis of Structuralism in 47 Ronin

Analysis of Structuralism in 47 Ronin THE ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURALISM IN A WESTERN FILM ENTITLED 47 RONIN DIRECTED BY CARL RINSCH AS THE IMAGING OF AMERICAN DREAM Capritia Dirgantari ABSTRACT Media or medium in singular form is the main means of mass communication that addressed to society. The author chooses 47 Ronin directed by Carl Rinsch to be the focus of this analysis which specified to discuss the ‘American dream’ that reflecting from this film. The objectives of this analysis are to identify, describe and analyze influences that given by media to the society. The author uses descriptive as the method of this analysis and applies Structuralism theory to examine the scenes of this film that represents the ‘American dream’. Structuralism theory emphasizes how films deliver its meaning by the utilization of languages that are used to establish purposes in communication. The result findings show that film as one of media represents ‘American dream’ that related to the society mindset, unconsciously or consciously. The author hopes the readers get better understanding of Structuralism theory in analyzing a film and comprehend the m eaning of ‘American dream’ that influencing the societies. Keywords: Media, Film, American dream, Structuralism INTRODUCTION The influence of mass media has grown exponentially with the advance of technology. First there were books, newspapers, magazines, photography, sound recordings, films, radio, television, and internet.Nowadays, everyone depends on information and communication to keep their lives moving through their daily activities like work, education, entertainment, personal relationships, and the other stuff with which we are involved.Societies gather much information that they needed from those media sources. Raymond Williams estimates that media can be defined in three senses: historical sense; technical sense; and etymological sense. Historical sense is an intervening substance or agency and technical sense means medium as communicating message to public. Williams also defines etymological sense of the media as a capitalist sense which developed during the nineteenth century (Williams, 1983). Media became profitable enterprises during this era because its commercials features produce generati ng business for example like advertisements, video clips, and films. America was one of the capitalist states that introduce the famous term of ‘American Dream’ and tons of films have been made in here. The author chooses a western film entitled 47 Ronin directed by Carl Rinsch as the main focus of this analysis to interpret how big ‘American Dream’ influences the public from the structure of this film. 47 Ronin is a 2013 American fantasy action film representing a fictional account of the real group of ronin—a samurai with no master—in 18th era of Japan, who revenged the death of their lord commonly called as ChÃ…Â «shingura. This film was directed by Carl Rinsch and produced by Universal Studios. 47 Ronin costs $152 million for making all scenes and visuals which crowned as the second most expensive box office ever behind The 13th Warrior film (Kit, 2012). Another favored feature of this film is the protagonist character was acted by famous actor Keanu Reeves and other five Japanese actors: Sanada Hiroyuki; Rinko Kikuchi; Tadanobu Asano; Jin Akanishi; and Kou Shibasaki. Universal Studios chooses those five Japanese actors to create better storyline and more genuine than choosing actors who was too mainstream in the United States, even though the scenario in this film giving no resemblance to the origin story of ChÃ…Â «shingura. This film broadly tells about a group of ronin who revenge to the death of their master. The story begins when Lord Asano accompany with samurai of Ako, find an unknown boy—Kai—and allow him to stay in province of Ako. Years later, Lord Asano arranges welcoming event dedicated to the arrival of the Shogun and Lord Kira in Ako. After that, conflicts emerge until Lord Asano penalized to obligating suicide by the Shogun’s order, called as Lord Ieayashu. Time after time the groups of ronin realize this tragedy happened because of Lord Kira, then the group of ronin led by Oishi and Kai sets up for revenge against the Shoguns order (Dresner, 2013). The author chooses this film because it reflects the definition of ‘American Dream’. The definition of ‘American dream’ in this analysis is someone’s struggle for achieving a high position to become recognizable by other people and it has triggered the passion of people from generation to generation (americanradioworks.publicradio.org, 2015). American dream popularized by American people and it is also valid for everyone from other countries to find their opportunities in foreign countries. The American dream offers the freedom of each people to make decisions that render better life; the freedom to wish better dreams; the freedom to gaining prosperity; and the opportunity to lead a dignified life (Adams, 1931). Hence, the author uses Structuralism theory in order to find out the main purpose of this analysis. The structuralism film theory explains in what manner films deliver its meaning by the utilization of languages that are used to establish purp oses in communication (Storey, 2009). An example of this is to understand how combination of scenes can create an additional idea, in this case ‘the American Dream’ portrayed in this film and affecting the societies. ANALYSIS This chapter intends to analyze the implicit meanings from ‘American Dream’ in scenes of 47 Ronin by using Structuralism theory. Structuralism assumes a film or any other kind of media as a signifying system, a set of patterns or relationships within the society. First of all, the author gives a brief explanation about Structuralism theory used in media. Ferdinand de Saussure, the founder of modern structural linguistics in the 1960s, in his essay ‘Object of Study’ theorized his structuralism assessment of language and he also shows the basis of structuralism theory (Eagleton 84). This essay states the role of communication tracts which substituted from one person to other person. Saussure explains that someone must omit the individual act to understand this communication tract, which he has concluded it as social phenomenon (Saussure, 1959). This study related to Claude Levi-Strauss’ the ‘unconscious foundations’ of culture, he argues th at to understand this structure we could correctly comprehend the meaning by discovering the value of myths (Levi-Strauss, 1968: 209). Myths purpose to provide stories that bring peace towards the existence of people. To understand the social meaning of a myth, Will Wright introduces the power of Western which symbolizes deep conceptualization of American social beliefs that contain of three stages: ‘classic’; ‘transition theme’; and ‘professional’ (Wright, 1975). The author describes each stage that mentioned above by proving some scenes taken from 47 Ronin film. According to Wright, the ‘classic’ stage divided into sixteen narrative ‘functions’ (Propp, 1968) which are: The hero enters a social group This happens in the prologue of 47 ronin film when Lord Asano the leader of Ako province saved Kai the protagonist character to live along with Ako society. The hero is unknown to the society In the early beginning of this film, there are scenes that explain the unknown background of the protagonist character. The narrator said, â€Å"No one knows where is he come from or how he arrived in Ako province†. The hero is revealed to have an exceptional ability After Lord Asano takes Kai to his territory, he said that he saw something special inside Kai that no one has seen before. The society recognizes a difference between themselves and the hero. The hero is given a special status This occurs when Oishi, a ronin who asked help from Kai which at the first time Oishi underestimates him. And this recognition continues when Oishi gave him a sword which is inherited from Basho, a comrade who died. The society does not completely accept the hero Unfortunately, one of the other ronin did not accept Kai’s existence in this group. He assumed that Kai is not a samurai and have no clear background of his life. There is a conflict of interests between the villain and the society Meanwhile the antagonist character, Lord Kira has ulterior motive to reigns the Ako province by using witchcraft. The villains are stronger than society. The society is weak In this film, Lord Kira has stronger troops and supernatural beings that can give adverse spells to Ako society. Contrast with Ako society who does not accept any witchcraft and they just rely on human strength. There is a strong respect between the hero and the villain Both Lord Asano and Lord Kira has mutual respect as the leader of province and each year they arrange a friendly competition. The villains threaten the society After Lord Kira made Lord Asano committed suicide—in this context commonly known as hara-kiri, Ako society has no power to avenge his death because it has a big risk to their future. The hero avoids involvement in the conflict When Oishi asked Kai for help, Kai denied it because he feels underestimate at the first time. But then Oishi gives explanation that he was wrong. The villains endanger a friend of the hero Lord Kira launched his second attack by trapping the ronin in a village. This raid laid to two victims of ronin. The hero fights the villains In climax, Kai fight the supernatural beings and Oishi fight Lord Kira. The hero defeats villains The result is the protagonist wins this battle. The society is safe After beheaded Lord Kira’s head, ronin come home and Ako society is safe. The society accepts the hero Ako society and other provinces are accepting Kai as one of the hero who saved Ako province. It is more visible again when Lord Ieyashu gives salute and respect Kai and other ronin as samurai. The hero loses or gives up his special status In the final scene shows that Kai doing hara-kiri as well as the other ronin does in order to uphold the honor as a samurai. These entire sixteen narrative functions give important role to finding the ‘American Dream’ that contains in this film. The author found that entire narrative functions represent the steps of someone’s struggle to achieve recognizable position within the society. And the second stage is ‘transition theme.’ According to Wright, ‘transition theme’ describes about the transition that happened in the protagonist character (Wright, 1975). For example in 47 Ronin, after Kai got banished to a foreign ship, he adapted with his surroundings by keep fighting with other bandits which contrast with his first personality in Ako province. The last is ‘professional’ stage which means as the official position of the protagonist that gives professional identity. This is happened when Kai got recognizable position from the society of Ako province as samurai. Each of the stages that mentioned by Will Wright are interrelated and what has been e xperienced by the protagonist symbolize the definition of ‘American dream.’ According to James Truslow Adams’ book entitled The Epic of America, he states that the American dream is â€Å"a dream which life should be better for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement† (Adams, 1931: 214-215). That is to say, anyone have their right for having big dreams which led them strive to realizing their dreams and how fast they could achieve it depends on the ability of each person. CONCLUSION This conclusion intends to follow up the result of this analysis. Structuralism theory that used to analyze a film entitled 47 Ronin is capable in revealing how the western film industries influence the viewers through the three stages mentioned by Will Wright. Each type of these stages articulates its own mythic version of how to achieve the American dream. The first stage is classical plot, it defines the structure of human achievement by bestowing the relationship, respect, and dignity to differentiate yourself from others. The second stage transition theme argues that companionship and love are alongside with the social status of someone and this stage also reveals how someone’s life change and get a different social status. The last stage is professional plot. This stage argues that respect and companionship are to be achieved only by becoming one of the professional groups. The member of professional group must accept any obligation, responsible of the task that is offer ed, has solidarity to the team, and not competing with the same comrades in any social values. These three stages are representing the ‘American dream’ that is influencing the society nowadays. According to Levi-Strauss, he mentioned that the myth of a society through their structure reveals the communication of a theoretical demand to the members of that society (Wright, 1975: 17). Film portrays reality and reality portrays films. Moreover, the readers should notice that the world is the stage itself and everyone is merely the player. People have their own way to achieve their goals whether they become villain to the society like in ‘transitional theme’, become the professional’ group of the society or maybe become both of them. Hopefully, this analysis can give deeper insight to the readers by knowing influences given by the media especially in a film like 47 Ronin. REFERENCES Adams, James Truslow. The Epic of America. New York: Simon Publications, 2001. Dresner, Jonathan. The Many Things 47 Ronin Gets Wrong About Shogun-Era Japan (And the One Thing It Gets Right). http://www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/154304 USA: 2013. Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. Minnesota: The University of Minnesota Press, 2001. Ellis, Kate, Ellen Guettler. A Better Life: Creating The American Dream. http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/americandream/ USA: American Public Media, 2015. Kit, Borys. Universal Pushes Back Keanu Reeves 47 Ronin. New York: The Hollywood Reporter, 2012. Levi-Strauss, Claude. Structural Anthropology. Hammondsworth: Penguin Books, 1968. Saussure, Ferdinand. Course in General Linguistics. New York: Philosophical Library, 1959. Storey, John. Cultural Theories and Popular Culture: An Introduction. 5th Ed. Pearson, 2009. Williams, Raymond. A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. Rev. Ed. New York: Oxford University Press,1983. Wright, Will. Sixguns and Society: A Structural Study of the Western. California: University of California Press, 1975.

Late Anglo-saxon Period Kings :: essays research papers fc

Late Anglo-Saxon Period Kings of Wessex By the time Edward the Martyr took the throne in 975, Christianity was widespread throughout England and the rest of Britain. Edward was born in 963, and was just entering his teenage years when his father, Edgar, died. He made a claim to the throne, as the first son of the king. His half-brother Aethelred, son of the third wife, made another claim (qtd in Britannia 1). Edward was murdered when he rode to visit Aethelred at Corfe is Dorset. Aethelred’s vassals pretended to welcome Edward, and in doing so, stabbed him. It is safe to assume that Aethelred would not have instigated this incident, being a mere seven years of age at the time. Edward was later canonized by his brother and was known as King Edward the Martyr.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Following the assassination of his brother, Edward, Aethelred was forced upon the English throne at the age of ten. Aethelred was married twice. His first wife, Elfigfu of Mercia, bore him no less than eleven children. His second marriage to Emma of Normandy produced three children. Throughout his reign as King, he was hindered by the fact that he could not fully trust the support of his generals at a time when the Danish invaders were a constant threat to the English. In an act of futile appeasement, Aethelred attempted to stop Danish cravings by paying what was known as Danegeld. Danegeld was an annual tax believed to have been imposed originally to buy off Danish invaders in England (m-w 1). In 1009, however, the King of the Danes, Sweyn, decided that as well as keeping the territory, and monies he had taken from the English, that he would now take the whole country. Four years later, in 1013, Sweyn had control of England and Aethelred had fled to Normandy to s eek protection from Emma’s brother, Robert the Good. Sweyn died in 1014 and Aethelred reclaimed the English crown for another 2 years before his death at the age of 48 in 1016.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Following the death of Aethelred, there was a bloody war of succession expected to take place between Sweyn’s son, Cnut, and Edmund II, Aethelred’s son. This war, didn’t take place, however, simply because Cnut figured he could made do with Denmark and Norway.

The Death Penalty :: essays research papers

The Death Penalty Is the death penalty just or unjust? It has been argued that capitol punishment is imposed merely to gratify a desire for revenge. Whether or not a punishment is legal depends upon whether or not it serves a valid goal or purpose of a policy. The death penalty is usually defended on two grounds; is useful and that is just . Is capitol punishment moral or immoral? Is the death penalty moral? Capitol punishment is imposed to spare future victims of murder by carrying out the threat of execution upon convicted murderers. The death penalty punishes them not for what they may or may not do in the future but what they have already done. It's unclear that the murderer has the same right to live as their victim. " Our ancestors... purged their guilt by banishment, not death. And by so doing they stopped that endless vicious cycle of murder and revenge." (Euripedes, Orestes 408 B.C.) By 1500 in England only major felonies carried the death penalty. Reform of the death penalty began in Europe by the 1750's. By the 1850's these reform efforts bore fruit. Michigan first abolished the death penalty in 1847. Various public opinion polls report that more than 70% of Americans favor the death penalty for murder. By 1991, some 2,350 persons were under the death sentence in 36 states. The death penalty should be moral because, " a life for a life." Is the death penalty immoral? Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is a realistic alternative for the small number of offenders who are likely to be executed in any given year. Justice does not demand death but justice does demand that murderers be punished. If punishment is justifiable as for restoring justice and the moral order, it does not necessarily follow that capitol punishment is moral. " The death penalty only allows us to extend the pain. It allows us to continue to blame one another, to turn against one another, to learn to hate better" . Many people think that by executing some criminals, we will deter others. The cost to send a murderer to a death penalty is about 3 million dollars. The cost is dramatically lower to keep a criminal in for life imprisonment without the possibility for parole. The death penalty is just " cruel and unusual punishment." Personally, the death penalty is moral and just. If you take a life you should have yours taken. It is here to show that the death penalty punishes the murderer for what they have already done.

How Effective Was Elizabeth’s Government Essay

Elizabeth needed to win support of her people including nobles at court and ordering people in the country. She needed to do this in order to gain respect and run the government successfully form everyone, and good publicity was a good way of doing this. Elizabeth’s first chance to achieve goods publicity was at her coronation. She held it in London on the 15th January 1559. Elizabeth was determined to make it as impressive as possible. There were colourful procession and a royal journey by barge along the river Thames. The streets were lined with people and many important visitors attended. There was also grand for them that lasted ten days and all the costs led up to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½16000 a huge sum of money in those days. Also, Elizabeth used portraits to let ordinary people see what she looked like and for publicity. In these portraits, she made the artists paint her powerfully. In her portrait of Elizabeth’s coronation, she was painted holding an orb and a sceptre, the symbols of a monarch’s power and authority. Elizabeth’s portraits were very important and she wanted them to show five main things: * Strength and power: She wanted to show than she was ruling the country wisely and successfully. * Wealth: It was important to distinguish Queen’s financial difficulties. * Ageless: As Elizabeth grew older, it was important to hide signs of age because this is a sign of weakness. * Success and wisdom: Elizabeth wanted her paintings to show that she was strong and powerful. She often had symbols of strength in her paintings such as pillars. * Legitimacy and purity: Roman Catholics thought that Queen Elizabeth had no right tot be Queen and was illegitimate. Therefore, to show her purity her face and clothes were usually white. Elizabeth’s portraits and coronation showed her as a successful ruler but even good publicity cold not distinguish failures. In addition, Elizabeth’s success would depend on how well she governed the country. She also needed to win the support of her wealthy and powerful. The Queen was the most important member of the court. Elizabeth used patronage, which is the power to appoint people to important jobs. This is how she attracted the loyalty and support of her most important subjects. I think that Queen Elizabeth’s ways of peoples support were very successful. For example, the system of patronage was effective as this gave people jobs, which was what they wanted, she made them respect her by making herself the most important person in court and the person with the most power over decisions. Elizabeth chose and controlled her privy council. By January 1559, Elizabeth had appointed nineteen experienced men to her privy council. None were strong Catholics and she appointed William Cecil as her secretary of state the most important position on the Privy Council. Sir William Cecil (secretary of state): He was hard working and he knew about all government business. He was not afraid to disagree with the Queen or others on the Privy Council. Queen Elizabeth trusted him completely and he was a loyal adviser to her for forty years. Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester): He disliked Cecil and often disagreed with him. He was a loyal advisor to the Queen but they had several quarrels. Sir Christopher Hatton (Parliament): Organised the Queen’s progresses and was elected into parliament several times. Helped Elizabeth to pass laws and control MP’s. Also made lord councillor, in charge of judges and law courts. Sir Francis Walsingham (Secretary of State): Worked mainly on foreign affairs. He was put in charge of Elizabeth’s secret service – controlled a number of spies all over Europe. Also often disagreed with Cecil, and he often made Elizabeth angry but she knew he was completely loyal. He found evidence in 1586 Mary Queen of Scots was involved in a plot to kill the Queen. Robert Devereux: commanded attacks on Spain and Ireland. Often argued with Elizabeth. In 1601, he led a rebellion and was executed for treason. The Privy Council met nearly every day and although Elizabeth didn’t go to all meetings. She was determined to show that she was a cautious ruler. She didn’t like making big changes or being rushed into making decisions. This often frustrated her councillors but they were completely loyal to her apart for two exceptions: Duke of Norfolk Earl of Essex I think that this aspect of the government was very effective and successful as they helped Elizabeth and they were nearly all completely loyal to her apart from two people (mentioned above). I think that this was successful because she let all the members know who was boss and was not rushed into anything. She also chose her members very wisely and each member had their own speciality. Parliament in the sixteenth century was much less powerful than it was today. It could only meet when the monarch called it. Although Elizabeth didn’t have to call the call parliament at all and she could close it whenever she liked. She chose to call in only thirteen times in her forty-five year reign. Elizabeth only called parliament for three main reasons: * To help pass ACTS OF PARLIAMENT laws which were approved by both house of parliament and the monarch. * To approve taxes, which could only be collected if parliament agreed to them? * To provide her with support and advice – It was very useful for monarchs to know the opinion of MP’s and win there support. This part of the government was not as important to Elizabeth as the Privy Council. I think that she did not like opening and going to parliament but she had to in order to get what she wanted. I think she just used parliament for her own needs. Although she was pretty, effective at getting what she wanted from them. Elizabeth never explained why she didn’t marry. Although there were some rumours that she was in love with Robert Dudley and wanted to marry him, there is no evidence to prove this. Elizabeth kept her thought on marriage private. Parliament asked her to marry several times but she only gave a vague answer. Later in the reign, when her MP’s asked who was her successor, she always refused. A few things that may have caused her not to marry are: * Marriage might have been unpopular and cause a rebellion * Lose friendship with other countries and become enemies. * If she married an English nobleman her other nobles would be disappointed and start a rebellion. * That she thought her husband would try to take control. Why Elizabeth didn’t marry became a mystery and although parliament tried to force the issue of her marrying, she never did. If Elizabeth was going to govern the country successfully, she had to control all her people. This wasn’t easy. Elizabeth didn’t have a permanent army or a police force to help her. However, Elizabeth appointed officers around the country, to help her control local areas. Also in towns wealthy citizens elected councils to look after the town’s affairs and keep the law in order. The local officials with whom most people met were the Justice of the Peace (JP’s). Elizabeth elected about forty of them in every county. They were usually landowners who knew there area well. This work was voluntary, however many landowners still wanted to become a JP as it meant that they were the most important person in the area. The Queen expected her Justice of the peace to carry out a range of duties. JP were given more and more work to do during Elizabeth’s reign. They were often given instruction form the Privy Council to carry out new laws form parliament to enforce. I think that this method was an effective way of keeping the country in order. However, it became less efficient as Elizabeth’s reign progressed. In addition, Elizabeth had a big enough reputation to persuade people to become JP’s voluntarily. Overall, I think that Elizabeth’s government was very effective. I think she controlled the country well and thorough out her reign there were no wars or rebellions in England and she had a good relationship with other countries. In addition, Elizabeth knew how to get her point across and she made herself the most important person in court and made sure that she was in control and never let anyone take control away for her. Maybe that was the reason that she never married because she was afraid that her husband would try to do so. Also Elizabeth publicised herself well and let people know what qualities she had and let people know that she was suitable for queen as was the right person to run the country.

Explain why women failed to gain the right to vote between 1900 and 1914?

At the beginning of the twentieth century British women were seen as second-class citizens. This started to change in 1900, as women desired the right to vote and they were prepared to do anything it required to obtain it. Their goal was prolonged because of the many hurdles along the way and they didn't get the vote for many years. Many of the hurdles they faced were cultural. It was believed that women couldn't have their own views; they would only do as their husbands told them. Most people thought that women couldn't make political decisions as they weren't intelligent enough and they shouldn't because politics was ‘a man's game'. Another cultural barrier was the roles women played in the society. One on hand, due to poor education and limited opportunities working-class women had low status, low paid jobs. They had long working hours and didn't have sufficient time to get involved in the struggle for the vote. On the other hand, most middle and upper-class women felt that their duty was at home, and didn't want to get implicated. A reason why women didn't get the vote was ‘their own fault'. The women who wanted the vote were united in their aim but divided in approach. The main women's society groups had very different methods of getting what they wanted. Most people thought that if the women couldn't agree then perhaps they didn't deserve the vote. The Suffragists were a peaceful group who believed that protests should be carried out without violence. They thought that the vote would come in due time, after all New Zealand had already given the vote to women who had used their techniques. The second group, the Women's Freedom League accepted breaking the law as long as protests didn't become violent. A protest they organised was refusing to participate in a census. The final group, the Suffragettes, believed in law breaking and violent protests. An infamous protest they organised was when all members produced bricks and hammers from their handbags and broke windows in Oxford Street. It is often said that the Suffragettes were a main obstacle in getting the vote as the government refused to be perceived as succumbing to violence. Many other hurdles in the path of success were the political situations. The conservative government came into power in 1900 and this was a major setback for the women's suffrage movement. This government was steadfast in its conviction that women should never get the vote. 1906 saw the liberal government come into power as the conservatives became old-fashioned. The contemporary government was in favour of women getting the vote but was reluctant to make this possible in case upper-class women voted conservative. There were more pressing political issues to resolve than the issue of women's suffrage. The arms race with Germany was at its peak from 1908-1911 and the government had to make sure that Britain stayed ahead. The state of affairs in Ireland was a main concern; Ireland was on the rink of civil war. The government was in the process of laying down the foundations of the welfare state, this included benefits like old age pensions and national insurance. The House of Lords could block any laws that it did not want, this needed to be changed before women's vote bill was put through as the conservative majority would veto it. In the 1911 Parliament Act the House of Lord's blocking power was stopped and they were permitted to delay laws by a maximum of two years. The House of Lords still managed to use the new law to their advantage and managed to delay the votes for women bill from 1912 to 1914. In conclusion, there were many factors preventing women from getting the vote whether political or cultural. The most influential factors were the political as they prolonged the struggle for the vote for many years. But even though the political reasons were the most important, no individual factor could have caused women to abstain from receiving the vote without the others. Explain why women failed to gain the right to vote between 1900 and 1914 Women was trying to get the vote many years before 1900. At this period of time women lived in a male dominated society. It was thought by the men that, women would vote for who their friends were voting for, and vote for irelivent issues. Many thought that women didn't have a political mind to vote. Also many men thought there wasn't enough women to vote to make a difference to the result. Rich men could influence the female family members into voting in the way of their opinion. They got more votes than normal people. The law had been changing slowly, in womens favour. The law kept changing, until women could own their own property. But only if the women where married. After 1900, there was a more active period of campaigning by the National Union of Women's Sufferage Societies. These societies were created by Millicent Fawcett in 1887. Many women wanted action earlier than later, so the suffragette movement was born. Also with the formation of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) by Emmeline Pankhurst, and her two daughters Christabel and Sylvia. These women was not happy with the cautious approach that the National Union took. Women protests didn't change anything. Some politics had changed in women's favour, but this was nothing major. The protests never changed the goverments mind. As the goverment did nothing the suffergettes started using criminal acts as sign of protest. This started as petty as breaking windows, then got serious as arson and creating explosions. Herbert Asquith, the current prime minister at that time wasn't a supporter of women getting the vote. He said that â€Å"I do not think you will bring this change about until you have satisfied the country that the majority of women are in favour of it†. His position made a difference as whatever he said went. To prevent a the law going through, he called a general election. So whatever the suffragettes did had go through the goverment again. The acts of the suffergettes were peaceful. Many of them being of criminal nature. Emily davison, being one of the most famous sufferegettes, by throwing herself under the king's horse at the derby, in 1913. She died four days later. Many of the criminal acts were ploted at meetings through out the country. When some of the sufferegettes were sent to prison, they went on hunger strike. So they where able to be released from prison. Eventhough in some prisons many wome where subjected to torture, through force feeding. The women had no other ideas to get the vote. None of the acedemic writings had not worked for 150 years. This changed at the outbreak of world war one. Many women had to work, and they showed patratism for their country. These were dramatic changes in the attitudes and rights by 1918.

Hardball Essay

Hardball Essay The political game is a dog eat dog world, there are several factors that determined weather a politician will be successful or not. Having alliances, enemies, and deals is all part of it. In the book â€Å"Hardball: How Politics is Played† written by Chris Mathews explains what it takes to get ahead in politics and how to avoid disasters techniques previously used by others. â€Å"It’s not who you know; it’s who you get to know. † Forming alliances is very important when trying to climb the ladder higher in politics. In 1949 LBJ joined the senate and by the end of 1952 he had won the job of top Democratic leader. Before anything of this happened LBJ had a plan to achieve this, and it is called the â€Å"Johnson treatment†. It is when one goes one customer at a time, in order to feel the customer’s important. This in turn got LBJ a lot of support because of all the people he was able to communicate with on a personal level. The smaller the group to retail is always better. Clinton wasted no time getting to know as many as possible. He began to run for freshman class president on his first of campus, started networking at Oxford and Yale law school. He also volunteered in the 1972 presidential campaign of George McGovern, by the time Clinton ran for US Congress in 1974 he already had many connections under his belt. Niccolo Machiavelli warned future politicians in 1513 to stay close to people they are ruling. Three centuries later, Tomas P â€Å"Tip† O’ Neill coined the term, â€Å"all politics are local†. He understood that in order to be a successful politician, he had to appeal to  the simple, mundane and everyday concerns of those who elect them into office. Those personal issues, rather than big and intangible ideas, are often what voters care most about, according to this principle. In 1950 when Congressman Richard Nixon was running for the US Senate from California, he was running up against actress Helen Gahagan Douglas. Nixon needed to form an alliance with Earl Warren but he was against the idea. Mrs. Douglas was encouraging Warren’s neutrality by not endorsing the Democratic candidate. Nixon’s people saw an opening, they would appeal not to his party but to his heart: Earl Warren. Nixon set up a trap and worked, he would never win Warren’s friendship but nonetheless won his help and that’s what was most important. â€Å"It matters little what terrain you are competing on; the key to winning over allies is to focus on their sensitive points†. A politician will have enemies because of their different point of view on certain issue. Good politicians shake hands with their enemies and easily talk with them. LBJ once said, â€Å"Better to have ‘em inside the tent pissin’ out than outside pissin in. During the time Lincoln was president he had an entire administration filled with people who were angry and all felt that they’d make a better president him. This is smart because once you have your enemies working with you they can’t bad mouth you and their interests collide with yours. Having enemies work for you makes people trust you, because it gives off the impression you’re open minded. Politician use ridicul e in order to bring down their opponent, so it’s best if one come up with a quick witty remark because ignoring it is the worst possible thing one can do. It proves to people that the statement is true. Jimmy Carter ignored the â€Å"Keep you enemies in front of you† rule and paid for it dearly. Having defeated the Democratic establishment on his way to the Oval Office, carter soon found out that same establishment was rooting for his downfall. His own administration had cut off. Frustration and anger is a factor that can deter a politician from getting ahead in the world of politics. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in jail and later became president of South Africa. When Nelson Mandela was made prime minister of South America, he didn’t hold a grudge that he had been imprisoned but rather worked past it. Francis Patrick Sullivan was a whole different story. He had the goal to one day land a job on Capitol Hill, his problem was that he thought that be meeting with congressmen at nightspot would charm them. Professionals like to keep their private and office life separated. He was managing a House campaign, make Herbie a win ner. A day later Herbie told Sullivan that he wasn’t cut out for politic. This ruined Sullivan; he spent years drinking and even changed political parties in order to go against Herbie. A lot of politician their lives have been obsessively focused on a single bad break, in order to survive and grown as a professional one should use those bad experience and use them to avoid a future mishap. Revenge never leads to anything good. Once again never ignore an insult, to the public that can be seen as an admission of guilt. Respond to attacks immediately and don’t let them get away with anything. Dukakis was accused of being a bleeding heart liberal and then went to an interview and said he wouldn’t push the death penalty on someone who raped and killed a girl. Since he didn’t respond to the attack, it made if worse he had to pay the price. There are three tactics to ruin someone. 1) Catch ‘em in a lie Daniel Moynihan won an election by catching inconsistancies in his opponents’ stories. 2) Ridicule When FDR was accused of sending a military destroyer to find his dog Fala, he gave his famous â€Å"Fala† speech that made his opponents look stupid 3) Jujitsu, â€Å"Force of the opponents own attack to bring him down. When Texan Jack Brooks was accused of being a Communist, he said he’d shoot the next man who called him a Red. Silence is the ultimate weapon of power. You should always have your ears open and ask everyone around you to tell you everything. There are several different example where silence proves topple sound. Tip Oâ€℠¢Neill was a big fan of this rule. Newt Gingrich, his successor, failed to do this and allowed press in conferences, which led to his name being associated with bad news amongst the public. Lyndon Johnson said â€Å"I ain’t never learned nothing’ talkin. Churchill became prime minister because he remained silent and forced the previous prime minister to speak freely about his wanting Churchill to advance. JFK’s silence helped him in the missile crisis. Sometime when you give someone the satisfaction of telling them they’re right, you can get them to concede on the more important tangible issues. Being able to survive and being a good politician are to completely different things. Chris Matthews explained this in his book. The game of politics has a lot of different strategies not sometime work and other times don’t. Only a good politician would know what to do.

Orwell Analysis Essay

In the story from â€Å"Shooting an Elephant†, the author George Orwell employs irony and simile(s) to develop a nostalgic yet relieved attitude regarding shooting the elephant in order to comment about imperialism. The author’s choice in the usage of irony reveals his sense of imperialism. In paragraph 11 the author George Orwell reports â€Å"—but I heard the devilish roar of glee that went up from the crowd†. The use of irony emphasizes the peer pressure that the author felt by the Native people. The fact that the author has mixed feelings about the shooting of the elephant indicates that he doesn’t know what to do. With the crowd roaring with excitement and happiness, they are expecting something to happen and in return he wants to achieve their happiness. Although he doesn’t want to kill the elephant, he also doesn’t want to disappoint the Natives. More so, he wants to gain their respect not only for himself, but for the white men as well. Therefore, he must kill the elephant to do so to contribute to his sense of imperialism in the village. The author’s choice in the usage of similes to describe the death of the elephant also reveals his sense of imperialism. In paragraph 12 the author George Orwell reports â€Å"The thick blood welled out of him like red velvet, but still he did not die†. Additionally later on after the shootings â€Å"The tortured gasps continued as steadily as the ticking of a clock†. The use of similes emphasizes the alleviating feeling that the author felt after he finally shot the elephant. The fact the author feels relieved indicates that he no longer has confusion about the decision that he had to make. If he was to kill the elephant he would have power and feel superior. If he didn’t kill the elephant, he would probably be despised even more than he already was. In some way he feels happy that he finally got it over with but yet sympathetic at the same time because he is watching the elephant die slowly in crucial pain. In conclusion, Orwell’s attitude toward the shooting of the elephant revolves around the idea that peer pressure and decision making is a hard thing to overcome. He didn’t shoot the elephant for his own self or for his own satisfaction. He did it for the Natives so he could gain superiority, acknowledgment, and domination for the white men. With all of that the Natives finally respect him. However, they don’t respect him for who he is, but what he had done and accomplished.

Comparative Analysis of Two Teachers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Comparative Analysis of Two Teachers - Essay Example To begin with, this teacher, whose class was supposed to start after our lunch period, always started her class not on time, but 30 minutes early. Meaning that rather than having an hour to rest between classes, on the days that I had this particular science class, my classmates and I ended up wolfing down our lunches and running to class, sometimes while still chewing, in order not to miss the start of the session. I hated the days when I had this class specifically for this reason. It was bad enough that all she did was have us draw diagrams and jot down notes as she wrote it on the board, but she oftentimes failed to accurately explain the science lesson as well. To make matters even worse, this teacher warned us that if we failed 2 short quizzes and her single long exam, we could forget the quarterly exams, fail the standard quizzes and we got an automatic fail in her class.   This was in stark contrast to my teacher in English whom we all adored because of her compassion for h er students. She knew that our class could be boring because of all the text that we had to read and understand so she developed ways to keep us interested in her class. She used role-playing activities, student oral presentations, and film viewings to her advantage. There was not a student who did not love her because she treated her students as equals rather than subordinate students. She allowed us to have an opinion and she always encouraged open discussion of the class topic. She never said a student had a wrong answer.

Employment Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employment Law - Assignment Example There exist instances when such rules may be acceptable without being discriminative. An English-only rule may only apply under justification of business necessity. That means that the employer may only use such a rule in as far as the employee needs to communicate in English to operate efficiently and to ensure safety. According to the Equal employment opportunities Commission, EEOC, English-only rules are justifiable in limited instances. According to EEOC, some of these circumstances that warrant the application of such rules include; a paid speaking position where one is meant to continuously speak to and English speaking audience, when communicating with customers and fellow employees who only speak English, during emergencies where there is need for a common language to ensure safety, where a supervisor needs to monitor employee’s performance, and for cooperative assignments that require workers to speak a common language for efficiency (Rutherglen, 2007). An employer may be allowed to prohibit employees from using any other language apart from English when speaking to customers who speak only English. That would be to enhance communication with clients and ensure flawless business transactions. Also, the employer may require employees to speak English when addressing their colleagues who speak only English or who may not understand the language that such employees may be comfortable using (Rutherglen, 2007). During emergencies, there is need for there to be a common language that can be understood by all. That is to ensure safety for everyone. That also includes those working on or operating machinery, chemicals or items that may cause harm if not handled with care. In such circumstances, the employer may apply English-only rules as they would help safeguard everyone’s safety. For cooperative duty that requires employees to work in teams, English-only rules may come into application especially if some

Apples directional strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Apples directional strategy - Essay Example In advancing through future markets it’s clear that these aspects will constitute the backbone of Apple’s directional strategy. Within this context of understanding, it’s further necessary for the company to implement leverage as a means of retaining their competitive advantage. Sales of the Apple Macintosh as well as iPod and iTunes technology are such that the company is given access to many new segments of the population. In these regards, it’s necessary for the company to implement their consumer access as permitted in this software as a means of promoting innovative software design and industry leading brand. The following years will be a telling period for Apple in terms of whether they are able to continue this innovate product development after the death of company CEO Jobs, but with the corporation’s significant leverage and brand identity there exists plentiful opportunity for the continuation of the success the company has enjoyed in the previous

Trend in Architecture in the Past Research Paper

Trend in Architecture in the Past - Research Paper Example The research paper "Trend in Architecture in the Past" focuses on a detail discussion about four distinct structure of the ancient time, these are Arch, Dome, vault, and Roof. In this paper, the main discussion is about the structure and method of development of the above four construction in Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia. Some of the key structures of ancient Egypt were arch, vault, roof etc. All these three structures were closely related to one another as there is a number of great architectural work in Egypt based on the above three elements. A vault is associated with the architecture of an arch. There is a pair of the arch at both ends of the structure. Between both the arches, there is a long arched tunnel which is generally made up of concrete. To overcome this issue people in Greece, Egypt used to build a vault in. In order to provide support to one part or the finished part people used to take help of the process of centering, the support was at the place until the other sections were finished. In order to ensure strong support to the finished side people also took help of Buttresses which were known for providing all the heavy concrete vaults some extra support. â€Å"Architects would lay layers of light tiles directly on the centering. When the tiles were finished, it gave the centering ex tra support until they laid the final layer of concrete. When all of the concrete was dry and the tiles were laid, the Roman architects would pour concrete onto the vaults until they reached the desired thickness†.