Philosophy “Divergent Currents of Humanism” Essay

The nationalities rooted in different traditions and perhaps owed something to old trunks differences Latinos and barbarians, took shape especially the divergence of economic interests and natural conditions of Italy and Germany. Italian Humanism meant more than a break with the past, Italy was consumed in glorious extravagance and soon returned to agriculture and to the spirit of medieval life. Life essentially offered the Italian humanist enjoyment and creation, the Christian scheme gave way to a Greek morality, in which life was an art, freed from any sense of obligation. The religious interest was not very present at least we want to talk about a religion of beauty. His ideal was universal man fully rounded personality of a Leonardo. I tried to absorb everything and became syncretistic culture, retaining the opposing elements of Roman and Greek Christians in reconciling universal symbolism. Zeus, Jupiter, and God really meant it. This ideal was bound to remain aristocratic, without much anchor in popular sentiment and produced a high class and cosmopolitan artist who took easily to the envestida of the counter. The north, however, seemed to have the old spirit was however felt the north where an impulse of the forces would dominate the new era, the north broke with the church and turned to industry trade, science . Life offered the German humanist work and self-discipline, the German turned rather to the moral Roman life was a stoic discipline, a job and a vocation remained deeply religious obligations became even more ethical than supernatural. It is dedicated to education and scholarship. More democratic, seeking her ideal as a member of an ordered society and not as an independent personality. Before him stood flight ahead fraternal society work, could not combine the various elements and see the universal in the multiplication of symbols: multiplicity of symbols is a big difference between the imagination of the great Italian painters and Durer, the Dutch and Flemish. Humanists Nordic passed gradual stages of faith illustrated medieval cosmopolitanism and urban. Touched by the Italian scholarship, dropped out and worked for a scholastic education reform without criticizing the church system. Modernity and tragedy of Erasmus The modern spirit sympathize more with the second group, and especially with Erasmus, representative ideals, having been shriveled by 200 years due to the reform, finally flourished in naturalism and humanism of the eighteenth century. Erasmo was definitely the humanistic ideal both their faults as virtues. Its narrower interests reflect limitations of humanistic attitude to the deeper forces of the time. Unconcerned by the wonderful art of his generation, without interest in the new world that would in the eyes of men, and very hostile to the scientific interest because it shifted the spirits of the human problems of morality. His biggest concern heading into the past, not the future, rather represented tolerance, conciliation and meditation. It was witty and urban, with a charming conservatism. Finished destroying old prejudices, demolishing the medieval order, had nothing to offer except a rather negative spiritual liberalism.

Othello Essay

In the play of â€Å"Othello†, Shakespeare skillfully uses the opposition of light and darkness to express the ironic conflict of race and Othello’s internal conflict propelled by his sense of otherness and jealousy. By doing so, Shakespeare challenges the audience’s traditional associations of light and darkness. He also allows us to see the how internal conflict could lead to one’s complete destruction. Shakespeare uses the opposition of light and darkness to express the racial conflict in â€Å"Othello†. Literally, light and darkness can be represented as white and black. The time period during which the play is set has an Elizabethan audience who made general associations with these two colours. White was generally associated with fairness and nobility; whereas black was usually assigned to negative connotations such as evil and corruption. However in this play, Iago and Othello are portrayed inversely against this traditional generalization. Othello has a black physical appearance but inside, he’s a fair and noble hero at the beginning of the play. This is supported when the Duke of Venice comforts Brabantio about the marriage of Othello and Desdemona by saying that â€Å"Your son-in-law is far more fair than black†. In contrast of Othello, Iago is a white man in the Venetian society with an absolute black soul. He plots against Othello throughout the play for his own benefits and to satisfy his professional jealousy. In his revenge plan, Iago remarks that Othello â€Å"will as tenderly be led by th’nose/ As asses are†. Iago’s duplicity is also proved by his confession to Roderigo. He states he belongs to the kind of people who â€Å"trimmed in forms and visages of duty. Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves†. Through the traditional associations around light and darkness as well as black and white, Shakespeare shows us the ironic contrast between Othello and Iago, while the black-skinned Othello is pure and the white- skinned Iago is corrupt, a Machiavellian, a personality type, someone who was not true to their word, and it’s the one that the Elizabethan audience feared. In this manner, Shakespeare challenged the general ideas of the Elizabethan society which ranked black people racially to be lower. Shakespeare also allows us to consider the representation of appearance versus reality. What we see with our own eyes is not always the truth, so it’s not necessary for anyone to have racial bias. Shakespeare also employs the opposition of light and darkness to express Othello’s internal conflict. Figuratively, light can be associated with love and honesty, whilst darkness can be used to represent suspicion and jealousy. Throughout the play, Othello always views himself honourable, as the light, and so is his love for Desdemona, which is also associated with light. However, after Iago has manipulated him into believing Desdemona is unfaithful, he starts to suspect his wife’s fidelity, â€Å"I think my wife be honest, and think she is not†. His solution to his internal conflict is to kill Desdemona. But the metaphor â€Å"put out the light, and then put out the light† suggests that he still doubts whether his wife is truly unfaithful or not, as he refers to Desdemona as the light. Ultimately, he regrets his commitment of killing Desdemona by referring to her as a â€Å"pearl† and himself â€Å"the base Judean† who throws it away. Yet in his final speech, Othello presents to the audience his insistence that he is â€Å"not easily jealous†. This brings us, the audience, to see the tragedy of the play, the power that Iago wielded, and the great loss of love. Through the use of the opposition of light and darkness, Shakespeare expresses how Othello has kept switching his belief and judgment from rightness to falseness. The fact that Othello is a black man being in a white world is vital. His sense of feeling himself as â€Å"other† exacerbates his insecurity. This dark side of Othello’s character as a result causes him to lose self-control and commit a series of irrational actions. We witness his shift away from his original lightness. Shakespeare therefore shows us that the Moor has become internally darkened through his internal conflict in terms of feeling jealous and his sense of otherness. In conclusion, Shakespeare uses the opposition of light and darkness to show us the racial conflict in the Elizabethan society and the internal conflict of Othello. He inverts Iago, a white man, as evil, and Othello, a black good man who does wrong because of Iago. Shakespeare therefore challenges the Elizabethan audience’s traditional associations of black and white. â€Å"Othello† is the play that allows us to connect with Othello’s action. We are shown how people can complete an absolute destruction when they are caught by their internal conflict, just as the noble Othello has been darkened by his sense of insecurity and jealousy.

Legalizing same-sex marriage Essay

Eliyahu Stiefel Mr.Hong English 1A 02/02/2012 Legalizing same-sex marriage has been a debate going on for quite some time. The recognition of such marriages is a civil rights, political, social, moral, and religious issue in many nations. Since 2001, ten countries have begun allowing same-sex couples to marry nationwide. In the United States the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage, but such marriages are recognized by some individual states. Proposition 8 in November 2008 state elections, was a ballot proposition passed in California eliminating the right of same sex couples to marry. The measure added a new provision, Section 7.5 of the Declaration of Rights, to the California Constitution, which provides that â€Å"only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. I will argue that same-sex marriage should be legalized as it does nothing to impede on heterosexuals and that same-sex marriage can possibly have very positive effects on society. I will also suggest that perhaps decisions such as same-sex marriage should not be under government jurisdiction and perhaps marriage altogether should be privatized. Legalizing same-sex marriage according to some opinions can have a very positive effect on society. Jonathan Rauch an avid proponent of same-sex marriage and author of Gay Marriage writes, †For gay couples, it will bring the stability and healthiness and happiness that marriage uniquely provides. For straight people it will bring all of the benefits of social stability that goes with marriage.†(Rauch) According to Rauch legalizing same-sex marriage can bring great benefits to society. Marriage causes people stay in more committed relationships, and when people are in committed relationships there is less promiscuity. A culture of marriage for gay people might not have stopped the [AIDS] virus altogether, but it certainly would have slowed the virus down, and saved who knows how many lives and who knows how much money and agony. Aside from the benefits that same-sex marriage can have on our society, the benefits that will reach the children of same-sex couples is also an important factor. Rauch estimates the number of children being raised in gay households to be around half a million. If society cares about marriage only for the sake of children, this is a large enough number to mean that, it ought to care about the many thousands of children in gay households. Children now being raised in gay households, feel left out because they don’t feel like a family since their parents are not permitted to be married. This is why many people feel that legalizing same-sex marriage will have no negative effect on society, and can in fact have a very positive effect on society. A great solution to the same-sex marriage debate would be to privatize marriage. Marriage contracts should not be written by the government, rather they should be written and agreed upon by the parties involved, and they should be enforceable by law. Lawrence Stone a historian noted for his work on marriage writes: â€Å"In the early Middle Ages all that marriage implied in the eyes of the laity seems to have been a private contract between two families. †¦ For those without property, it was a private contract between two individuals, enforced by the community sense of what was right.† (qtd Boaz) According to Lawrence Stone, marriage was always a contract between two individuals or two families that was created by them and enforced by the community based on what they felt was right or wrong. Privatizing marriage would therefore bring us back to the traditional way of marriage and would allow people to make decisions based on what they feel is right or wrong. In our society where the dissolution of a marriage is treated in much the same way as the dissolution of a business partnership; why not make the creation of marriage similar to the creation of a business partnership; agreed upon by parties involved and enforceable by law. Colin P.A. Jones a U.S. lawyer and professor at Doshisha University Law School in Kyoto, Japan suggested an idea on privatizing marriage: â€Å"Even greater efficiencies might be achieved through the establishment of marital corporations (MCs), each having hundreds or thousands of couples as stockholders, all sharing common values about marriage. Couples getting married would subscribe to the shares of an existing MC, whose charter documents would set forth the terms of the type of marriage to which the subscribing couples agree.† With this system all types of marriages would be available based on what MC you decided fits your moral standards. For some it may be a corporation that accepts same-sex marriage and for some it may be a marriage without any divorce solution. Governments and corporations may limit the types of MCs that they recognize for benefits purposes; however these decisions of what corporations to accept for benefits, would be based solely on what would benefit the economy and society. Also in 2006, Jewish libertarian Michael R. Paley author of When Secularism Becomes a Religion advocates the privatization of marriage, saying that the expression â€Å"holy matrimony†, ought to place marriage in the sphere of community, not state† Judaism agrees with the separation of community and state, at least until the Messianic Era; religious matters such as marriage ought to be within the jurisdiction of private religious officials, not public, civil ones. According to these opinions the same-sex marriage debate can be easily solved by privatizing marriage. According to some, legalizing same-sex marriage can have longtime negative effects on society. In today’s society we already experience the negative effects from unhealthy heterosexual marriages and divorces. By legalizing same-sex marriage we will just add to the instability that already exists in marriages. Legalizing same sex-marriage would tell society that marriage in general is â€Å"optional.† Giving people the option of same-sex marriage would change the definition of marriage. Marriage used to mean two people getting together in order to create a family, marriage will no longer be the creation of a family, but simply a confirmation of a relationship, or a commitment ceremony, with little meaning, and that would therefore cause fewer people to marry. With fewer marriages, the number of children being raised by single parents would increase. Research shows that children tend to do better when being raised by their two biological parents. While gay marriage would encourage adoption of children by homosexual couples, which may be preferable to foster care, some lesbian couples want to have children through anonymous sperm donations; this means that some children will be created purposely without knowledge of one of their biological parents. According to these opinions, legalizing same-sex marriage can therefore possibly cause negative effects on society. According to many opinions marriage privatization will not solve the debate on same-sex marriage. Opponents of marriage privatization argue that such a policy will simply shift the current debate over same-sex marriage to what kind of marriages the government should accept for benefit related purposes. Religious opponents of same-sex marriage feel that privatizing marriage and allowing people to create their own marriage contracts would be an endorsement of what they consider to be immoral unions between homosexual couples. Thus many of the same religious arguments aimed against same-sex marriage will still be applied to marriage privatization as well. Even if marriage contract were exclusively agreed upon between consenting adults, the vast types of contracts and corporations that administer these contracts would be so enormous, that it would be impossible for government to enforce these many different types of marriage contracts that would come about. This is why many people would agree that marriage privatization would not be the solution for the same-sex marriage debate. I would argue that these people that say that gay marriage will have a bad effect on society are wrong. We find these days those children who grow up in homes where they weren’t raised by their biological parents still end up growing up just as normal as children who are raised by their non-biological parents. The number of children that would benefit from legalizing gay-marriage by far outweighs the hypothetical negative effects that some say legalizing same-sex marriage would do. In a study by various pediatricians in 2005 on the effect that gay parenting has on their children. â€Å"In a Specific Census 2000 there are findings that in 96% of counties across the U.S., gay couples are raising children†, (Pediatrics Vol. 118) children raised by homosexual parents typically develop in ways that cannot be distinguished from their peers raised by heterosexual parents. In the study’s own words, â€Å"in fact, growing up with parents who are lesbian or gay may confer some advantages to children. (Pediatrics Vol. 118) They are described as more tolerant of diversity and more nurturing towards younger children than children raised by parents that are heterosexual. The benefit to the children is of primary, and the benefits of coming from a stable, committed, loving home are incredible and un-doubtable. Other aspects reviewed include the effect on the economy, which are startlingly positive. By allowing same sex couples to marry, the federal government would receive an additional $400 million in federal income tax revenue. With this study we can see that those who try to say that legalizing same-sex marriage will have a negative effect on society are wrong. I would like to conclude with saying that as a Jewish religious person it would be very easy for me to point out that the Torah forbids homosexuality and therefore my opinion would be that gay marriage should be absolutely unacceptable. However in America where we have many cultures and many different types of people with different ways of thinking their needs to be room for more than one way of life. Ethnocentrism throughout time has caused many hateful wars and there needs to be a way for people to reach agreement on issues like same-sex marriage which is a very strong issue in America. I would therefore hold the opinion that legalizing same-sex marriage does nothing to interfere with the rest of society. Ultimately the best thing that could happen to solve the same-sex marriage debate would be government taking itself completely out of the marriage business, and handing it over to the private sector.

Women in Psychology

Abstract It is safe to infer that the study of psychology is ever changing and advancing in many facets. This advancement is due to the many physiologist, theorist, psychologist, and scientist that have dedicated their beings to studying of the human mind and human behavior. Amongst these professionals, stand some very influential women. These women have played very important and often key roles in the development of psychology as we know it today.I will highlight the contributions of some major roles females have played in psychology, and conclude by discussing the contributions of Americans first female psychologist Christine Ladd-Franklin, her background, and theoretical perspectives of psychology. Women in Psychology Psychology as we know it today is the study or science of the human mind and behavior. Psychology up until 1870 was a branch of philosophy and then developed as an independent scientific discipline. In 1879 began the study of experimental science with Wilhelm Wundt i n Leipzig.This marked a historic and very important moment in psychology. Though Wundt is the first to experiment with psychology, there were also others who followed very closely. Charles Peirce, particularly, who was the first American experimental psychologist, also had a major contribution. In Charles Peirce journey in psychology, he worked very closely with Christine Ladd-Franklin, who later became the first woman involved in the three disciplines: logic, psychology, and mathematics.Although we don’t hear much about women and their involvement in psychology, some women offered some major contributions to the field of psychology between 1850 to present day. Psychology as we know is the study or science of the human mind and behavior. Although we don’t hear much about women and their involvement in psychology, some women offered some major contributions to the field of psychology between 1850 to present day. Women such as Mary Whiton Calkins, Maria Montessori, Marga ret Floy Washburn, Karey Horney, Christine Ladd-Franklin, and Anna Freud had significant contributions to the field of psychology.Some contributions include, but are not limited to such as paired associate techniques, â€Å"Children’s House† for â€Å" psych- pedagogy,† which is an educational method for child psychology, the founding of â€Å"The Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis† as well as the Hampstead Clinic, a treatment center for child psychology. These women had great accomplishments in the world of psychology. However, for the purposes of this paper, I will be discussing the workings and contributions of Christine Ladd-Franklin.Christina Ladd-Franklin was born in 1847. She attended Vassar studying mathematics, since the field of physics (her primary interest) was not available to women. She later attended John Hopkins University, where she completed the requirements for her PH. D, but due to the fact that women were not allowed to graduate from the University, she was not given her PhD until years later. Ladd’s dissertation paper was written on the â€Å"Algebra of Logic,† and she became the very first women involved in psychology, mathematics, and logic.Once Ladd left Hopkins, she worked side by side with G. E. Mà ¼ller who worked on memory activity, the mathematical prodigy, color vision, and also his analysis of the method of introspection. Ladd was very interested in Mà ¼ller’s study on color vision, and in turn proposed her own color vision theory. In part she suggested that â€Å"some animals are color blind and assumed that achromatic vision appeared first in evolution and color vision came later. She assumed further that the human eye carries vestiges of its earlier evolutionary development.She observed that the most highly evolved part of the eye is the fovea, where, at least in daylight, visual acuity and color sensitivity are greatest. Ladd-Franklin assumed that peripheral vision (provided by the rods of the retina) was more primitive than fovea vision (provided by the cones of the retina) because night vision and movement detection are crucial for survival ( Hergenhahn, B. R. 2009.. † She further stated that color vision evolved in three stages, the black and white stage, the blue -yellow stage, nd the red –green stage. She suggested that more people suffered with red-green color blindness because it was the last to develop. Her theory was controversial, but it slowly gained partial acceptance. Ladd reportedly had involvement in the â€Å"Purkinje phenomenon,† that was developed by Hermann Ebbinghaus when she was working in his laboratory. In her later years, Ladd became an advocate for women’s suffrage and assisted in the development of the Sarah Berliner and other research fellowships for women.Women in the 18th and 19th had very difficult times attaining a career in fields such as psychology, physics, and mathematics Due to the lack of women’s rights, their ideas, studies, theories, and works were often unwelcomed. However, despite all powers against Christine Ladd-Franklin, she continued to push on and accomplish exceptional feats. She died in 1930, but her legacy lives on in women psychologist and historians of psychology today.

Everyday Poor Vs. Everyday Financially and Socially Stable Families Essay

Everyday Poor Vs. Everyday Financially and Socially Stable Families - Essay Example ic reasons behind their financial instability, if addressed appropriately by the ordinary poor, employers and the government will yield a good solution. They can make applicable solutions to the problems affecting the poor and bridging the gap between them and the financially and socially stable families, long-term solution. The rich families have been able to earn incomes that are sufficient to support their families’ basic needs with no financial constraints. The poor families’ breadwinners, have a hard time sustaining three meals a day for their families due to poor wages and salaries earned per month. With most rich people working on white collar jobs by either owning or working in big companies, the poor are employed and work in large and small companies on manual jobs that pay them poorly for work done in long working hours. Jamal and Latoya work very hard at the Burger Barn, but they are still unable to earn enough income to reach financial stability (Newman 3-38). Jamal even takes a 5:00 a.m. bus to work every day, and he does his work with much passion, but the returns in the form of wages cannot be reflected on his hourly wage that pays him less than $5 (Newman 5). The economy has been very unfair to women for a long time with women being paid less than 65 percent of what their male counterparts are paid on an hourly basis, inconsiderate of the fact that the women have more financial duties to their families as compared to men. There are higher chances of women being left alone with the task of bringing up the children if the marriage fails among the poor. The converse applies to the rich families who have a lesser chance to separate or divorce, but in case of that, the woman can sue the man for child support. Financially stable men value their families very much, and they work very hard to ensure that they provide for their families. This effort ensures their family remains intact, and they are able to fit in their social class. Family togetherness

Critical evaluation of lean strategy (strength and weaknesses) Essay - 1

Critical evaluation of lean strategy (strength and weaknesses) - Essay Example Critical success factors that improve the execution procedure are distinguished through human asset reviews, administration style, hierarchical vision of organizations, cultural aspects of the organization and external forces. Lean strategy directs the company to reduce or remove waste along with whole value creation channels. This makes operations that require less human exertion, less space, fewer assets and capital, and less time to manufacture items and deliver services. This process undertakes fewer expenses and with much fewer discards and operational errors as compared to traditional business frameworks. The main objective of the lean strategy is to give perfect and ideal worth to the customer through a sound value formation process that supports no waste. Further, the paper also outlines the difficulties that organizations experience when they change their plan of action towards executing another strategy and innovative system to the organization framework that is lean strategy. For superior understanding of the lean strategy, the paper proposes definitions from the developers of the system recognized in the field. As the world is turning into a global village, internationalization and globalization have taken up the majority space in the corporate world. Now business processes have developed into more efficient and effective processes. This has made the businesses more complicated and has created the vigorous competition in every industry. In such case, strategy lends a helpful thought to corporate to efficiently adjust their business operations while remain aligned with corporate mission and vision, in order to run their successfully and gain competitive edge over others. Pace, effectiveness, and client worth are basic concerns in driving productive outcomes in company. Lean strategy is also one of the strategies that seek to manage and incorporate the operations of the different

Alternatives to the Erection of Additional Transmission Lines Assignment

Alternatives to the Erection of Additional Transmission Lines - Assignment Example These poles are made of either wood or metal. Introduction The erection of transmission lines is usually a very disadvantageous affair. It is very essential for an alternative means to be sort after. Most power generation sites are usually put up in places far away from the points of consumption of electricity. These are places like riverbanks, sea shores, lake side and waterfalls. This makes it necessary for the transmission lines to be very long. In this regard, it becomes a very expensive activity to carry out. Considering that the lines also carry high voltages, they are themselves a hub of danger cutting across community land. The lines also hamper transportation in certain areas. In addition, a lot of the generated power is lost in the long transmission lines as heat energy leading to unnecessary loss to the society. It is therefore important where possible to avoid additional transmission lines and employ the use of alternative means. Discussion One of the major ways of avoidi ng the erection of additional transmission lines is effective management of the mode of consumption of electric energy. This should be aimed at reducing the dependence on electric energy. It should also be aimed at reducing the wastage of electric energy. By so doing, the magnitude of electric power consumed by the community is reduced. In turn, the need to transmit more electric power or install additional transmission lines is alleviated. ... There are new Light Emitting Diode bulbs that have been developed which consume only 15 Watts each. If a mechanism can be put in place to ensure that every house hold installs these new bulbs, the energy consumption shall be tremendously reduced. It shall with no doubt follow that there will be absolutely no need to erect additional transmission lines. Another mechanism that can be used to reduce the amount of electric energy that is consumed by the community is radical sensitization. A sensitization and awareness program can be held that educates the community on the importance of conserving electric power. Most consumers of electricity usually put electric power into waste simply because they are ignorant of the implications of their actions. They simply use electric power haphazardly without much care. Electricity is wasted out of ignorance in numerous ways. These include leaving electrically powered lights on in rooms that are not used; leaving electrically powered appliances suc h as radios and televisions running while one is out on a journey or at work; plugging in and powering electric irons while one is still engaged in other activities such as showering or choosing the items of clothing to wear before finally embarking on ironing; reheating food several times using an electric source of heat before finally deciding to eat. These ignorant and avoidable ways of life can be eliminated. They are practiced out of ignorance and shear irresponsibility. They lead to huge wastage of electric power consumption in overall. Upon raising of awareness, these behaviors can be completely done away with. There are several ways in which awareness can be enhanced. Public rallies can be held where high profiled and popular personalities are

CASE 3 ETHICS - Physical Privacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CASE 3 ETHICS - Physical Privacy - Essay Example Utilitarianism focuses on the consequences of actions, and the consequences of suspending these two players are generally good, while Deontology understands that although people have rights to enhance themselves, they should do so within the bounds of law and integrity, to which they have duties of following. Utilitarians assert that an action is good, if it results to a net good for the greatest number of people, and severe penalties for artificially enhancing performance have widespread benefits to numerous stakeholders (Brooks & Dunn, 2010, p.183). First, the penalty respects the hard work of majority of athletes who do not use these enhancers. Using testosterone has been documented to have immediate physical and functioning effects on athletes, such as increased strength, agility, and speed (Lumpkin, Stoll, & Beller, 2012, p.154). Their former manager, Brian Cashman, says that he is not surprised that these athletes used testosterone. He said: â€Å"In Bartolo’s case, as well as he has done last year as well through this year, at his age, after coming back from that surgery, makes you scratch your head† (DelVecchio, 2012). As for Cabrera, Cashman’s comments were: â€Å"When we traded him to Atlanta we had him as a low-end, everyday regular or an excellent fourth outfielder† (DelVecchio, 2012). ... Sports must be about natural abilities that are improved through regular practice, discipline, and other â€Å"natural† efforts. If everyone followed the same practice of using enhancers, people would no longer know if the performance they see is â€Å"natural† or a product of drug enhancement. The â€Å"truth† and â€Å"reality† of sports will be shattered. This means that using testosterone can have negative effects on the perceptions of both athletes and sports. The penalties are just because they ensure that athletes would not succumb to similar practices and that the sports industry’s image will not be marred. With such a high penalty, other athletes will be discouraged of using enhancers. They will know that the harms to their income and career will outweigh the benefits. Third, using these enhancers has side effects (Lumpkin et al., 2012, p.154). They can experience â€Å"life-threatening problems such as extreme psychoses, heart disease, li ver and kidney damage, and cancer (Lumpkin et al., 2012, p.155). Other side effects are mood swings and uncontrollable aggression (Lumpkin et al., 2012, p.155). With these negative effects on athletes, it means that Cabrera and Colon are harming themselves. If the youth follows their enhancement practices, they will also be in peril. Thus, as role models who can detrimentally affect the sports industry and other athletes, Cabrera and Colon deserve a steep punishment. Deontology focuses on duty, not consequences, and Cabrera and Colon have duties to the sports industry, fellow athletes, and audience to follow rules and regulations (Ferrell et al., 2011, p.159). The sports industry has already banned the use of testosterone and other artificial enhancers because they are unethical. Cabrera and Colon are aware of these

Nike Sweatshops Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nike Sweatshops - Case Study Example According to the paper the suffering was based on working long hours some up to 13 hours in a day, the overtime was forced upon the employees and not compensated, and there were higher case of child labor encompassing children of even 8 years working for around 9 hours in a day. This was in addition to the extra low wages they were being given which was way lower than the recommended minimum wages in the country as well as being physically punished by the supervisors. From this paper it is clear   that the ethical framework approach ensures a reduction of the suffering mentioned above and increases the benefits that the workers can accrue by working in Nike Inc. especially in the Asian nations of Vietnam, Taiwan where the suffering was in excess. This means starting with the issue of how workers are being treated where they are physically abused by the supervisors. This should be followed by the issue of eliminating completely child labor as this is morally wrong. The issue of working hours and overtime should be addressed according to the international labor laws. This should be followed by the wages being paid to be raised to at least the minimum wage required. In the end, the workers will be happy working for the organization which will in turn increase their productivity as well as save the company from having to use large sums of money paying off the politicians and other health officials to avoid being exposed or inspection of the factorie s. Nike should have first paid the employees for the pain they have caused them all this long. This should have been followed by a public apology from the top management of Nike Inc. who would express their unethical behavior and the changes that would follow.

How might a large multinational clothing retailer ensure its workers Essay

How might a large multinational clothing retailer ensure its workers and its suppliers are acting ethically at all times in all the countries in which it operates - Essay Example Formulation of the special code of ethics would demonstrate sensitivity of the corporation to the local traditions. The companywide code of conduct should be supplemented by the internal business units of the corporation. Formulation of the special code of ethics should be a teamwork effort by the different functional areas of the corporation. â€Å"Enlisting the support of these local functions is important in shaping acceptable policies and dispelling notions that people at the home office dictate standards of behavior without respecting cultural differences† (LRN, 2007, p. 2). Top management assumes great responsibility for developing ethically responsible culture in multinational corporations. They should frequently conduct meetings to identify any lapses and temptations of unethical business conduct by the employees (Godiwalla, 2012). Multinational corporations should have an efficient communication and reporting system in place to timely identify and control ethical

Technical description of the Slvador Dali painting metamorphose de Essay

Technical description of the Slvador Dali painting metamorphose de narcisse - Essay Example The essay "Salvador Dali - Metamorphose de Narcisse" explores the painting of Salvador Dali, Metamorphose de Narcisse. He deliberately cultivated delusions similar to those of paranoiacs in the cause of wresting hallucinatory images from his conscious mind. Dali's images - his bent watches, his figures, halfhuman, half chest of drawers – have made him the most famous of all Surrealist painters†. Typically painting images he saw in dreams or nightmares and consistently pushing the envelope in terms of subject matter, Dali had a wide range of interests that became reflected in his artwork. These characteristics can be more fully understood by examining one of his better-known paintings such as â€Å"Metamorphose de Narcisse† which translates to â€Å"Metamorphosis of Narcissus† in English. Created in 1937, this painting falls without question into the Surrealist style. Part of the definition of Surrealism relies upon a heavy fantasy content, typically as it i s revealed through the images of the subconscious, as well as an established connection with the world of which we are all aware. â€Å"The Surrealists tried to create a new art mythology by fusing conscious with unconscious levels of the mind". Through this terminology, it becomes immediately apparent that the work of Sigmund Freud, who had but recently published his ideas regarding the three-tiered nature of the human mind, was tremendously important to the creation of Surrealist art. As the above definition indicates, most artists, including Dali.

Cause and Effect Essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Cause and Effect Assignment - Essay Example This paper intends to discuss trust as the cause of development of self-esteem in children; and, the development of self-esteem, confidence and emotional competence as effects. The thesis statement of the paper is: When parents rely on trust as a major disciplinary measure, it results in the development of self-esteem and emotional competence in children. Parents who trust their children use many strategies that spare their need for using secret surveillance tools. Communication is the biggest technique. Keeping the channels of communication open awakens the sense of self-confidence and emotional competence in children. Nelson (qtd. in Rutherford 410) states that â€Å"elite parents today rely on constant communication and a set of shifting possibilities rather than either confinement or pre-established rules when dealing with their children.† Clear-set rules and no communication about flexibility in rules leads to mistrust. In an article, Parenting: The Case for Keeping Out, Nancy Gibbs talks about her relationship with her daughters. She discusses that she belongs to the generation of parents who are extra worrisome about their kids’ hygiene, food, and security, when the kids are exposing themselves over the internet without parents ever knowing it. This extra worry leads to lack of trust between the two generations. Although it is a very good thing to be concerned with kids’ activities, however it is of no use securing them under helmets, and making them stay wrapped up in hypoallergenic sheets all the while. The need for securing the children brings with it different gadgets that help parents make sure that they are protecting their children from danger. Nelson (qtd. in Rutherford 410) mentions that parents use automobile tracking devices, key stroke recorders and drug-testing kits to maintain surveillance upon their children. They use these techniques until their trust is broken. Moreover, There is a tool that â€Å"lets you sneak a few strands of hair

Choose a criminal case that has been covered by the media Research Paper

Choose a criminal case that has been covered by the media - Research Paper Example However, it is essential to highlight here that the paper also dissects the case as well as theoretically analyzes it. Introduction Sexual abuse has existed since time immemorial. What is intriguing about the molesters is that they have crept in to church molesting innumerable people. The media reveals that while selecting a new pope, Archdiocese of Los Angeles reached a $10 million defrayal after four men accused the former priest of sexually abusing them. It was also highlighted that the former priest was also criminally convicted in another case (Medina, 2013). It is essential to highlight here that Michael Baker was accused of molestation of minimum 23 boys over a period of 30 years. Moreover, in 2007 he was convicted for sexually abusing two boys. Certain internal documents revealed that Cardinal Mahony and some of his assistants helped the accused priests by protecting them against law enforcement. Priests accused of such a hideous act were sent to treatment centers and were la ter allowed to take by ministry (Medina, 2013). After the release of the internal document additional proofs surfaced that unveiled that the Archdiocese in 1987, signed a plan proposed by one of his most earnest of advisors that emphasized on sending Baker to a psychiatrist to which he agreed. Many officials such as Mr. Fanaldi expressed that such a minor action was taken so that they would know that Baker was in safe hands. He also highlighted that Mahony was apparently aware of the Mr. Baker’ crime than he seemed to acknowledge it. Nevertheless, the lawyer of church, Mr. Hennigan accepted that Mr. Baker was perhaps one of the most serious offenders and that the church should not have given him the ministry back he was accused of such heinous crimes (Medina, 2013). Theoretical Analysis of the Case The case has been presented in the paper time again until the people were thoroughly aware of the case and the justice was done with the molested victims. Basing on the manner of m entioning the case in the article, it is not incorrect in saying that the writer uses a liberation theory through the coverage of the case. However, before the case theoretically explained it is imperative to under the theory journalism. In accord with libertarian theory, the articles usually reflect the truth bearing in mind that individuals are very well aware of it. Hence, the theory implies that individuals are rational beings and it is not easy to cover a crime from them (Biagi, 2010). If the example of the mentioned case is taken, the New York Times presents the article in a libertarian manner to its readers. Like in the article, the writer quotes the lawyer of the church who accepts the crime and quotes the plaintiff Mr. Fanaldi. Both people quoted in the article were very direct and suggestive of the fact that the church’s ministry was involved in the case to the extent where they were able to influence the charges against the accused priest. Moreover, it can also be said that the writer felt that it is the social responsibility to provide the people with a true picture of the case. Perhaps because it will make them aware of the fact that such pedophiles are not only limited to the streets but are present everywhere (Biagi, 2010). Media Involvement in the Case The media generally plays a vital role in the coverage of events

Disaster Recovery Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disaster Recovery - Assignment Example The malware was discovered by Kaspersky lab technicians and who unearthed the stream of bank robberies through hacking that have been going on (Sanger & Perlroth, 2015). This banking disaster in several banks online is an indication of the lack of a disaster recovery plan in place and especially the one which acts as a preventive plan. If any of the hacked banks had enacted a preventive disaster recovery plan in place, this incidence would not have affected them. It would also have been detected earlier than it was and much of the already lost money would have been prevented. A disaster recovery prevention plan ensures that any attempt at hacking of the banking systems let alone hacking for a period of two to four months to simply get feedback through video feeds from employees’ computers would have been detected and prevented or dealt with (Whitman & Mattord 148). There is dire need to correct this is the banks hope to beat this gang as well as prevent such future incidences. Sanger, David & Nicole Perlroth. Bank Hackers Steal Millions via Malware. The New York Times, February 14th 2015. Retrieved from

Finance report on Engro Corporation (Pakistan) Essay

Finance report on Engro Corporation (Pakistan) - Essay Example The overall per capita income is approximately $1250 with low literacy rates and high population growth rates. Pakistan is considered as a developing country due to different factors such as higher mortality rates, low literacy ratio, high population growth rates, higher levels of poverty, lack of health care facilities, poor education system etc. It is however, important to note that Pakistan’s economy has suffered a lot in recent times due to war on terror which has created significant law and order situation. (CIA The World Factbook 2011) Pakistan has its own Institute of Chartered Accountants which is also affiliated with the major international accountancy bodies. Over the period of time, accountancy as a profession has evolved in the country and Pakistan also exports its accountants to GCC countries especially due to overall quality and strength of its accountancy profession. Engro Corporation is a diversified company engaged in fertilizer, food as well as energy sector. The primary markets of the firm are Pakistan where it mostly sells its output however, it also plans to expand its food business in North America also. (Najeeb 2011). Major competitors of firm include Fauji Fertilizer Limited, Nestle Limited, and Unilever Pakistan etc. Company Industry Assets Market Cap Employees Engro Corp Conglomerate 132,105M 55748.035M2 32023 Pak Packages Food, Beverage 39,625.0M 8.800Bn4 300 Unilever 5Pakistan FMCG 13,554.00M 75.2Bn NA Fauji Fertilizer6 Fertilizer 74,016.94M 131.8Bn 100-500 PSO7 Oil Marketing 202,247.7M 40.90Bn 2000 Lotte Pak8 Chemical 22,896.00M 16.80Bn 2279 The above data about the companies are present on the official website of the Karachi Stock Exchange where all these firms are listed. 2(a) Engro Corp is required to publish its annual audited report in compliance of various domestic as well as international legislation requirements. It prepares following financial statements10: 1. Balance Sheet 2. Profit and Loss Account ( along with statement of comprehensive income) 3. Cash flow statement 4. Statement of changes in equity The first three notes to the accounts discuss following: Legal Status and Operations: In this note the firm has discussed its legal status and operations while at the same time giving a bifurcation of its balance sheet to outline different segments of its business. Note 2 provides the summary of the significant accounting policies adapted by the firm and discusses different policies such as basis of preparation of the accounts, application and interpretation of different accounting standards etc. Note 3 provides critical accounting estimates and judgments and provides a comprehensive understanding of firm’s policies regarding depreciation, impairments, income taxes, fair values of employees investments etc. Appendix Attached 2(b) The basis of preparation of the accounts are the historical cost c onvention however, firm has disclosed that it also records some financial assets and financial liabilities based on their fair value. It is also to be noted that the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the approved

Two Men Arrested for String of Thefts from U.S. Mail Research Paper

Two Men Arrested for String of Thefts from U.S. Mail - Research Paper Example mails that occurred between January 12, 2012 and March 16, 2012 (U.S. Attorney’s Office 1). These men do not work as United States postal employees, but as employees of a private mail- handling firm, which delivers air parcels to the JFK Post Office. Earlier, during the year, there were several cases of missing items reported to the postal inspectors. The postal inspectors, alongside other FBI agents, launched a thorough investigation on mail handlers, which lasted for several weeks. Their investigation revealed several instances where Wilson and Bennett occasionally moved express mail bags to private locations, where they searched the parcels and stole valuable items and other merchandizes (U.S. Attorney’s Office 1). Police then issued a warrant of arrest for both men. On March 20, 2012, FBI agents arrested both men, and upon being searched, several items, whose descriptions match the missing items, were recovered at their premises. Airmail theft is one of the ways of derailing the lifeblood of the U.S. economy, and stifling personal communication (U.S. Attorney’s Office 1). Airmailing is a significant means of communication between traders, through which they move goods and other items from one region to another, within a short period. When individuals and companies do not receive their mails, they lose trust in the services offered by U.S. postal corporation, which in turn, damages the company’s reputation, thus reducing its market strength against its key rivals, especially from the private sector like the DHL Inc. Additionally, lost items inconvenience businesses by increasing their cost of productions, which make them register significant loses. It is, therefore, necessary to investigate and combat airmail thefts, not only in the U.S., but also in other nations. Mail theft significantly inconveniences both businesses and individuals. This is because they lose their valuable items, which are worth $1

Literature and History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literature and History - Essay Example ause literature provides the future with specific interpretations of these events, it can be equally argued that history is subordinate to literature. Knowledge of history helps to inform on stories such as â€Å"Amy Foster† by Joseph Conrad. With the knowledge of how colonialism affected other parts of the world during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, this story is more easily understood as a person from a less developed country suddenly finds himself completely out of his context when he is shipwrecked on a foreign shore. This same effect, to different conclusions, is found in Kafka’s story about an ape who becomes human as a means of surviving his new surroundings. However, in their approach, these stories also serve to illustrate relatively universal human themes that remain applicable throughout time. While an understanding of history helps to inform the meaning of the work to a greater degree, this information also serves to help make the work more meaning ful personally to the reader. The nineteenth century began with the Regency period, during which sailors and merchants were beginning to overtake the ruling elite class in terms of economic success. This began to break down the rigid class systems of western society, particularly as these wealthy sailors and merchants began buying up the properties of the wealthy who had squandered all their available funds in trying to maintain the appearance of a properly genteel idle life. This was followed by the Victorian period, which is a period of great contradictions. It is considered to be the age of change and social advances as well as the age of strict social structure and a severe regard for the customs of the past. During this period, the Industrial Revolution came of age, blossomed and brought sweeping change across the country and the world. Life switched from being primarily dictated by the land one owned to a social structure based on commerce and manufacturing in the cities. In this

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 6

Globalization - Essay Example n has led to creation of new social networks and activities that have increasingly overcome traditional cultural, political, economic and geographic boundaries. This has played a critical role in the intensification and acceleration of social exchanges and activities hence increasing human consciousness and interdependence. Steger (23) brings the concepts together and defines globalization as â€Å"a multidimensional set of social processes that create, multiply, stretch and intensify worldwide social interdependencies and exchanges while at the same time fostering in people a growing awareness of deepening connections between the local and the distant.† According to Appuradai (1), it only takes the merest acquaintance with the facts of the modern world to note that it is now an interactive system in a sense which is strikingly new. Hughes (34) states that historians and sociologists, especially those concerned with translocal processes and with the world systems associated with capitalism have long been aware that the world has been a congeries of large scale interactions for many centuries. Yet today’s world involves interactions of a new order and intensity. According to Hansen (34), cultural transactions between social groups in the past have generally been restricted, sometimes by the facts of geography and ecology, and at other times by active resistance to interactions with the other. Appuradai (6) has proposed an elementary framework for exploring various disjunctures applied in globalization. The framework looks at five dimensions of global cultural flow which includes: ethnoscapes, mediascapes, technoscapes, financescapes and ideoscapes. The suffix scape points out to the fluid, irregular shapes of the landscapes, shapes which characterize international capital as deeply as they do to international clothing styles. The landscapes are therefore the building blocks of the imagined worlds of persons and groups To start with, ethnoscape refers to the

Large Female Nude by Pablo Picasso Research Paper

Large Female Nude by Pablo Picasso - Research Paper Example The paper "Large Female Nude by Pablo Picasso" analyzes one of the most important artworks of the cubist Pablo Picasso. The picture this artwork shows is the outline of an overweight woman. The outline is filled with smaller lines that follow the lines of her muscles except in the area of her stomach. In this area, the lines move horizontal across her middle. The way these lines are drawn makes it look like the woman is moving and add energy to the art. The lines on the right side of the painting are light-colored and the lines on the left side of the painting are darker which makes the woman seem like she is not so flat, because the light is shading her. It looks like the woman is dancing because she has her hands held up on top of her head and one leg is positioned behind her with the knee bent. The other leg is straight, but it looks like it is facing me because the toes are in front. This makes me think I can see her from the front and from the side at the same time. The woman's face is turned toward the darker side of the painting and she has long, dark hair that falls over her shoulder and between her breasts. One of her breasts is straight toward me but the other is seen from the side but the one that is straight toward me is not on the side with the leg that is straight toward me. There is a light area of brown around the body of the woman, but it is wider along her dark side. This same solid brown color fills the area between her legs and the space between her face and her dark arm. There is a floor under her feet which is a wavy light line, but the rest of the artwork space is black. This artwork is described as a reduction linocut, which means that it was made in a special way. Instead of painting like most of his work, Picasso cut the image into a block and then paint was put on the block and a piece of paper was put on top of that and rubbed until the design moved onto the paper. To make this have more than one color, Picasso had to cut the block t o make the background brown color of the woman and print it. The black parts would be the part of the block that he cut away and the brown part that outlines the woman would be the parts that stayed. Then he would need to cut out more of the block to show more details of the woman like the lighter color lines. If you look carefully, you can see that some of these lines go over the darker brown lines which means that they were printed after the darker lines. It is called reduction linocut because the artist has to keep reducing, or cutting away, the block in order to make the print. Even though these lines were already there in the darker brown, having to pull the block away in order to cut more of the lines away would have meant that it wouldn't be put in exactly the same place the next time when the lighter lines were being made. There is another tricky thing about this way of making art. Even though the woman is facing one way when I look at her, Picasso had to cut her like a mirr or image in order to make her look the direction he wanted her to look. One of the reasons artists might use this way of making art is that they can make more than one copy of an image quickly, but they can still limit the number of artworks they print. Once the block has been carved the second time, no more new prints can be made. The style of the artwork that Picasso uses for this woman is the primitive style, which was a style that he made popular. In his work, Picasso wanted to show emotions without

Terrorism and the News Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Terrorism and the News Media - Essay Example The UK government, considering the enormity of the previous terror attacks and potential threats has developed extensive plans and framed regulations to fight terror. The claims made by the news media and the politicians that the world is becoming more and more unsafe due to terrorist activities cannot be refuted. With a spate of terrorist activities since the last ten years, with the American tragedy of the twin towers, the gruesome subway bombing in London and the recent Mumbai massacre being some of the ugliest terror strikes, common people can hardly think otherwise. The sophistication of the 21st century terrorism in terms of weapons, training, logistic support and strategy planning has made it a deadly game of mass destruction. It is alarming how the agents of terror spare not even children leave aside civilians. They target common innocent people to cause maximum casualty. The past records show that the terrorists aim their strike at business and entertainment hub which also indicate that killing people is not the only motive but there is a hidden agenda and that is to bring a blow to the economy and stability of the nation. It is pretty e vident that an international terror nexus is operative establishing terror modules and sleeper cells across the world and in different nations. There is huge cash flow from the underworlds which is another reason to worry. Hackers and cyber criminals have joined in and given terrorism a new and fatal dimension. With this kind of an agenda and ruthless mentality there is no stopping them from wrecking havoc worldwide unless some very strong measures are adopted and successfully implemented. It does not remain for the news media and the politicians to pronounce the threats to humankind and to the environment of peace caused by terrorism. Terrorism is no longer a distant fear but fear that accompanies one at every step of one’s daily life. The

The Use of Polygraph Tests by Law Enforcement Essay Example for Free

The Use of Polygraph Tests by Law Enforcement Essay Research Question:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How Reliable are Lie Detectors? Thesis Statement:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lie detectors are not completely reliable. 1st Source: White Jr., R. D. (2001). Ask me no questions, tell me no lies: examining the uses and misuses of the polygraph. Public Personnel Management, 30(4), 483+. This article discusses the different ways by which the polygraph is used and misused, and recommends certain guidelines for the proper use of polygraphs.   It presents both sides of what appears to be a long standing debate on the reliability of lie-detector tests, integrating significant legal developments in the discussion.    This is a good article because it outlines the history of polygraph development and use, and contrasts the pros and the cons of using polygraphs in the public sector and in law enforcement.   The article, however, may be considered a bit flawed in the sense that it seems to imply that there is nothing wrong with using polygraphs.    In this connection, it must be pointed out that the author only prescribes the use of the polygraph in narrowly-tailored, tightly circumscribed instances, which, upon a deeper analysis, means that the author is against the wholesale, indiscriminate use of polygraphs.   In other words, the author seems to imply that as a general proposition, the use of polygraphs or the results taken therefrom are not completely reliable, and may only be considered as such in certain instances.   Another strength of the article is that it discusses not only the technical aspects of polygraph use, i.e., its validity and reliability, but also its legal and ethical or moral implications. The article is relevant to the above topic because it discusses the use of polygraphs not only against criminals, but as against the individuals that compose the public sector.   It lays down the premise that despite the controversy regarding the use of polygraphs in the past, at present, its use has become more widespread and is applied not only to criminals or suspected criminals, but also to government employees and in government agencies, who are on the right side of the law. With respect to the article’s relevance to the question on the reliability of lie detectors and the statement that lie detectors are not completely reliable, as mentioned, the article presents both sides of the argument, and the conclusion implies that, in fact, lie detectors are not completely reliable because if they were, they could be used at any given instance, at any given time, without having to prescribe specific parameters for its use. The main argument for the continued use of polygraphs is that in numerous cases, the physiological responses elicited by questioning indicate the guilt or innocence of a person, because of the way people are supposed to react when they are lying or telling the truth.   The easiest criticism against the reliability of characterizing outcomes such as increase in pulse is that each person reacts differently to a particular situation. Hence, the person may be telling the truth, but he may feel nervous at being questioned and being strapped to a machine, so his pulse may be uneven.   Studies conducted, particularly by the Office of Technology Assessment or OTA, show that there is a large variance in the cases where the individual who was tested via polygraph was held to have been telling the truth when he was actually lying, or when he was found to be lying when he was actually telling the truth. Also assailed is the lack of training of the people who operate polygraphs, and the lack of operational guidelines in the actual use of the machines, as well as the use of what are called countermeasures that enable certain individuals to â€Å"beat† the polygraph.   In conclusion, the author concedes that reliable or not, polygraphs will still be used, and thus proposes several tests or criteria by which to determine whether or not a polygraph should be used, such as the existence of a compelling public interest, the presence of independently corroborating evidence, and the imposition of stricter controls with respect to actual testing.   The use of such criteria could mitigate the inherent unreliability of polygraph testing. 2nd Source:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dripps, D. A. (1996). Police, plus perjury, equals polygraphy. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 86(3), 693 to 716.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article presents the author’s theory that making polygraph examination results admissible in evidence as a general proposition will ward off the evil of perjury committed by law enforcement agents.   The arguments presented by the proponent are very structured and organized.   The author paints a very convincing picture of the disadvantages and prejudice brought about by the current general rule on the inadmissibility of polygraph test results vis-à  -vis police testimony with respect to suppression hearings. The only weakness of the article is that it concedes, even if merely for the sake of argument, that polygraph testing results are generally unreliable, but they should be used anyway to at least ensure that policemen do not commit perjury on the stand when they testify as to the factual milieu of the case and the seizure of evidence.   It is a good article to contrast with the first because the arguments are similar but the conclusions and implications are different, and the details should be examined more closely to determine why, despite the similarities, there still exists a discrepancy or difference in opinion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article is relevant to the above-mentioned topic, because it relates to the use of polygraph tests by and against law enforcement officers.   Like the first article, it presents the use of polygraphs not only as against suspected criminals, but even against those on the other side of the law.   It is relevant to the question on the reliability of polygraph testing and on the thesis that polygraph tests are not completely reliable because it argues against the thesis by citing the rules on evidence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the case of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, the Supreme Court held that the use of expert testimony based on valid science is admissible in evidence.   Despite the controversy as to its reliability, several scientific agencies have attested to the valuable use of polygraphs and have provided for acceptable margins of error; after all, nothing is perfect, and to expect that polygraph results are a hundred percent reliable would be an exercise in futility.   With the allowable margin of error, polygraph results are made more reliable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The article points out the background behind the OTA study; it was undertaken at the behest of the legislature on a move to be more stringent in regulating the use of polygraphs.   Many government institutions and agencies rely on polygraphs to help them ferret out the truth, such as the CIA, the FBI, and the Department of Defense. The article stresses that in general, polygraph test results can be relied upon, because it involves a science that has been empirically and objectively tested, and when the testing is done properly, the margin for error is acceptably low. In the specific context of suppression hearings, the admissibility of polygraph results as explained through expert testimony would better protect the rights of the accused, as many policemen are unfortunately wont to lie even under oath to ensure that crucial evidence does not get thrown out and the case against the accused does not fall apart.   At the very least, the admission of polygraph results would make law enforcement officers, and criminals, think twice about lying on or off the stand, and would contribute in some way to the proper administration of justice.

Enders Game Essay Example for Free

Enders Game Essay Human beings are free except when humanity needs them. Maybe humanity needs you. To do something. Maybe humanity needs me—to find out what youre good for. We might both do despicable things, Ender, but if humankind survives, then we were good tools. Graff is explaining to Ender the philosophy behind everything they are doing. Although Ender does not know it at the time, this is the same reasoning that the adults will use to manipulate the children time and time again. Ender objects to this idea, because he believes that people are more than just tools, but nevertheless it is the pervading ideology of the I.F. throughout the book. This philosophy justifies doing terrible things in the name of humanity, and it also means that individuals will have to make awful sacrifices for their species. In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think its impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves. Ender is telling Valentine why he hates himself. He is able to understand his enemies better than anyone else, but once he understands them he destroys them. With such tremendous empathy, even in coming to understand his worst enemies Ender loves them. This means that when he crushes them he is hurting himself in the process. Ender does not want to have enemies, so that he will not be forced to hurt anybody. He will love even those who seem to be his most bitter enemies when he properly understands them. But in the situations Ender has been in he has no choice other than destroying those enemies. At the end of the book, when Ender comes to truly understand the buggers, he is able to try to help them. He has already done them great harm, but now he can be happy because he has a chance to undo what he did to them. So the whole war is because we cant talk to each other. If the other fellow cant tell you his story, you can never be sure he isnt trying to kill you. What if we just left them alone? Ender, we didnt go to them first, they came to us. If they were going to leave us alone, they could have done it a hundred years ago, before the First Invasion. Maybe they didnt know we were intelligent life. Maybe— This conversation occurs when Graff tells Ender his theory of why they are at war with the buggers. Graff tells Ender that since the buggers communicate through thought, they probably cannot understand that humans are thinking beings. Ender therefore wants to know why this cannot be remedied.

Eth125 R8 Diversity Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Eth125 R8 Diversity Worksheet Essay Answer each question in 50 to 150 words. Provide citations for all the sources you use. 1. What is diversity? Why is diversity valued? Diversity means different. This can be a difference in cultures, goals, values, lifestyles, and ideas. There is not two people that will think or live alike. We need to learn to accept that others will do things and think different then we do. It is important to value our diversity in order to be able to work together. 2. What is ethnocentrism? In what ways can ethnocentrism be detrimental to a society? Ethnocentrism is where people believe that they are better than others in an ethnic group, but it can also develop from racial or religious differences. This can cause problem by leading to false opinions about different cultures, maybe causing communication problems. 3. Define emigration and immigration. Emigration is where people are exported from a country whether it is voluntary or not. Immigration is where people are coming into a new country to live as a permanent resident. Reasons that people might leave a country for one to another is that there may not be jobs there and even war can make people want to leave. 4. What are some of the ways groups of people are identified? There are four ways that groups are identified and they are race, religion, gender, and ethnicity. Racial group refers to minorities that are socially set apart because of obvious physical differences. Some examples would be the color of skin, the color of hair and maybe even the amount hair on the body. Religion groups vary worldwide. People should not be judged on the religion that they believe in. With gender it is said that males are the social majority and the women are the social minority. Ethnic groups are different because of the way cultural differences such as the food that they eat, the way that they raise their children, the language that they speak ,and even the way that they look at being married to somebody. 5. Why do people label and group other people? I would think that the reasons why people put others down would be that they want to make themselves look better and feel better about themselves. This can have a positive or negative effect on the person and the one that it is directed at. If it is positive it can help lead to the person or the group getting more confidence. If it is negative then it can lead to the group or individual becoming withdrawn from shame or bullying. 6. Define culture. Is culture limited to racial and ethnic backgrounds? Explain. The definition of culture is the characteristics of a certain group of people defined by everything such as the language they speak, the types of music that they listen to, the type of food that they eat, and the religion that they practice and believe in. I do not believe that it is limited to racial and ethnic backgrounds because every group is different in the way that they live and there is not right way or wrong way to live. Racial and Ethnic Groups (13th ed.) (Schaefer) chapter 1.

Teaching Art To Young Children Essay Example for Free

Teaching Art To Young Children Essay Some of the children stuck the squares of material outside the shoe outline at first but through discussion and questioning they understood that the material needed to go inside the outline. One child went to the Shoe Shop in nursery a got a shoe to copy a pattern on the side and the colour of the shoe, she had remembered from playing in their that the shoe was different from the others and had a pattern on it. Some of the children chose different colours and materials, whilst other children stuck to one colour or one type of material. One child that stood out chose red paper and ribbed card and she did a pattern repeating it over the shoe shape, she needs more opportunities to make patterns using a range of materials. All of the children were able to put glue onto their material and stick it down, but some children put the glue on the wrong side of the paper. A target was set for these children to practise gluing on the opposite side to the side they want to show/see.  The activity went well and the children enjoyed designing their own shoe. All the children met three out of the four learning objectives, they were able to choose colours and materials, use their own ideas when placing materials and they practised their gluing skills. The objective that most of the children found it difficult to describe was how things felt. They had a limited range of vocabulary, even though we had previously covered the subject. Suggesting describing words and asking the children if I was correct worked well as it helped some of them to recall words from previous lessons, other children were still unable to answer. In order for children to move further up the stepping-stones towards the Early Learning Goal for exploring media and materials they must begin to describe the texture of things. For the children who find this difficult more opportunities are needed for them to develop their ideas and vocabulary. Again the introduction and organisation of the activity worked well as the routine was used as in the previous activity. The children knew what to do and I was able to work well with three children at a time. My role during this activity was to explain the task again, to model what the children were to do by showing them a shoe I had designed. I continually asked the children about why they were choosing a certain colour or type of material and what it felt like, and if they were unsure I would tell them what I thought it felt like using describing words. The lesson was extremely appropriate as it linked well to the topic Hands and Feet and to the mini topic of the week The Elves and the Shoe Maker. Again the objective, like the previous activity, related well to the stepping-stones and the early learning goals. Through the collage the children were carrying out an effective and useful activity, which Morgan (1988) suggests is a link between visual and tactile experience. (p. 74) Through this activity the children were not only exploring and experimenting with ideas and materials, but also developing practical and essential skills that are the basis for the rest of their education. These activities have shown that the experience of art (creative development) contributes to the education of young children in many ways. It provides essential links and connections to help children develop life skills. Through art children can develop the ability and confidence to bring practical skills to a range of problems, sometimes in other subject areas. Whilst I was on my placement a child who really enjoyed the creative aspect of learning, who was still at the scribbling stage, worked extremely hard on a piece of work and was continually praised throughout the day. As her confidence grew, due to being praised for her artwork, her confidence and interest in other areas of learning grew. Children are able to develop and assess their own and others ideas, and choose what materials tools would best fit a job/task. Children are able to build up knowledge about the world around them through their senses by trial and error in art, using their own ideas and methods what ever their abilities/needs. Overall children enjoy art because it is fun, there are no rules to follow, they are free to explore, experiment, express themselves and learn by discovering things for themselves. Barnes (1987) suggested just how important art is,  To be involved in creative activity is to confront how we feel about things. Expressing a mood, emotion, or temperament through art becomes as valid as responding to another person, a moving sight, or a meaningful experience. Both responding and expressing through art puts us in touch with qualities, which are part of what make us human. As such they give special significance and meaning to what we see with our eyes and the inner of the mind. They touch on part of us that nothing else can. (p. 1) Bibliography Barnes, R (1987) Teaching Art To Young Children 4-9. Boston, Sydney and London. Allen and Unwin.  Bruce, T (1997) Early Childhood Education. Hodder and Stoughton.  Lewis, H (1966) Child Art. Publisher not known.

Reasons for Divorce in the UAE

Reasons for Divorce in the UAE Abstract The aim behind conducting this research is to shed light on some of the major reasons of the divorce phenomenon in UAE, which is drastically soaring in rate. This writing attempts to explore ideas about the factors of divorce and its catalysts in the society. This research also provides a detailed description of such factors and presents the most common reasons that led to the emergence of the factors behind divorce. In general, this writing logically outlines the reasons that led to divorce. This research is still in progress; thus, this paper only serves as a blueprint to a final draft, which shall cover the issue in a more comprehensive approach and provide broader detail about the phenomena. Since time constraint delimits the researcher to obtain more information about the issue, only a partial coverage of the phenomenon is tackled in this research paper. The major issues tackled in the succeeding text as contributory to the escalating rate of divorce in the Emirates include early marriage, financial issues, culture/tradition, polygamy, and adultery. All of these reasons suggest poor marriage foundation which maybe due to a lack of understanding about the reality of married life and a lack of regard for the value of marriage. At the end of this research, an accurate picture of the social issue shall be presented in the conclusion. Possible solutions will also be recommended to curb the rising rate of divorce in the form of formal and informal education to create awareness about responsible decision-making on matters concerning marriage thru the use of various media whether thru print, radio, or the internet, and by reinforcing existing government initiatives to address this social issue. Introduction Since the primitive ages of mankind, couples have chosen to be either together or separated. Divorce is a legitimate separation process imposed by religion; however, sophistication of the human beings by means of different religious beliefs, education and experiences in life could not put an end to the obstacle of divorce. Furthermore, the common reasons of divorce are shared worldwide and have general characteristics. Whether the reasons rely on both/ or either of the spouses, divorce is a substance of causes and effects-chains that should be seriously taken into consideration. Unlike worldwide countries, the divorce rate in the U.A.E. is increasing for many different scenarios. In this paper, the major reasons of why married couples resort to breaking the bonds of marriage thru a divorce will be discussed in further detail. Additionally, this paper shall comprehensively tackle how such scenarios have contributed to the alarming rise of divorce rate in UAE. At the end of this resear ch, we shall be able to acquire a good picture of how serious is this social issue, and suggest ways on how the society and the government can effectively address this. As a country known to the world to uphold high morals and regard the sanctity of marriage with high valuation, it is but essential that social authorities look into this social issue and initiate actions to control the rising rate. The escalating rate of divorce in the country has been attributed to early marriage, financial issues, culture/tradition, polygamy, and adultery. Body of the Essay Early Marriage Early marriage is one of the main causes of divorce. According to one study, 13.5% of divorced women and 23.7% of divorced men married early (Nazzal, 2001). At the beginning, according to Jamal Al Bah, director of the Marriage Fund in the U.A.E, many marriage cases end up in divorce because couples lack experience regarding the problems they face when they start their new lives. For example, some couples think that marriage is as smooth as the previous life they used to live with their families where there were neither responsibilities nor obligations to assume. Nevertheless, marriage is an infinite chain of new and different duties that each and every new married couple should take into consideration before they step into it. Furthermore, because some couples do not have mature experience about marital life and spousal obligations, they will not be able to react properly or take proper decisions for different obstacles they face (Gessner, 2000). Dr. Fatma Sayegh, a professor at the UAE University in Al Ain who is specializing in womens issues, have the same stand. According to her, young people get into marriage without an understanding of its significance. This is the reason why these relationships dont last, especially when faced with the challenges of married life. Moreover, problems that face early marriages may be aggravated by the fact that the couple had not had much time to know each other well before getting married; thus compatibility issues arise which may result into misunderstandings between the couple thats difficult to resolve (Chilton, 2009). Second, many families force their daughters to marry men who are of an age that is very different to their own. For example, girls who are in their late teens or early twenties, get married to men who are in their forties or even older that causes a clash of thinking and other forms of problems. In other words, these girls are not mature enough to cope with the new difficulties of the spousal life. In shor t, girls in such situations are always victims of their families inappropriate choice to the right partner for them (Gessner, 2000). Apart from that compatibility problems may also arise primarily due to age gap and differences in interests, attitudes, beliefs, and values. Financial Problems Financial problems are another main cause for divorce. Firstly, it is widely known what precedes a marriage; its all about the expenditures made by grooms, which may lead to huge financial difficulties that would shortly threaten a couples life (Chilton, 2009). For instance, in order for the grooms to please their brides and make them enjoy their wedding day, they have to do many things. Furthermore, some grooms spend more than they can afford by taking huge loans from banks. Moreover, other families may ask for a dowry which is known in most cases among U.A.E nationals as a huge amount that a groom is required to pay for his bride. Although these expenses make newly-wed couples happy on their wedding day, they might contribute later on to ruining their life that has not started yet, a life in debt. Secondly, the rent sky rocketing constitutes a new factor that causes divorce. For example, according to Jasem Mekki, head of the Family Guidance Committee, studies revealed that the spou se couldnt afford the appropriate accommodation for his wife as the rents are soaring, and he added, â€Å"The problem affected the newly married couples more†. With such calamity, one wonders why the government has not so far taken the appropriate measures to curb the spread of the rent hikes within the country, knowing that the latter provokes serious social problems in the U.A.E community (Nazzal, 2009). Thirdly, an unsatisfactory salary tears some couples marital life. As a part of Mekkis work, â€Å"The income of young people does not give them the chance to get a house and start a family†. Recently, this becomes obvious with the increasing cost of living (Nazzal, 2009). Polygamy The diagram below shows the result of a study by the UAE Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs on the most important reasons of divorce among Emirati couples. From the data, it can be inferred that it is often the man who initiates the divorce, and the most prevalent reason for this is polygamy or the desire to marry another woman (Hammad, 2003). Reasons of Divorce among UAE Couples In addition to the early marriage and the financial problems, polygamy is considered as a crucial motive for divorce. First of all, the inability of women to have children could be considered as a primary reason for polygamy. According to an article published in Islam Online in year 2006, twenty-three percent (23%) of women are deprived of having children. Although these women inability to have children is beyond their will (or in other words, it is their fate), their husbands blame it on them and take advantage of the situation to seek another partner who will be able to give them what the first one had deprived them of. Second, some women become victims of age as they grow older, so men tend to use that as an excuse to find another younger wife. Based on the same survey in the article mentioned above, thirty-one percent (31%) of divorces is due to the mans desire to marry another woman. Third, family duties negligence is a factor that leads to divorce as well. This, including overi ndulgence to alcohol, accounts for thirteen (13%) of responses for divorce reasons. In other words, a man might fail to fulfill his duties as a husband or a father by staying out late, missing family functions, or not being there for his wife or kids needs. This means the wife has to compensate and carries out the fathers responsibilities as well. This increase in responsibility overburdens her and eventually makes her unwillingly neglecting her duties as a wife. In many cases this is an adequate reason for the man to go and marry again. Thus, such study concluded that in most cases, it is the man that most likely initiates the divorce (Hammad, 2003). Cultural/Traditional Habits Cultural/Traditional habits are another major cause of elevated divorce rates in the UAE. First, fixed marriages might have influenced the rate of divorced nationals. For instance, many couples go into marriage just to fulfill their families desires, and they get failed expectations or unmet needs (Gessner, 2000). Second, Middle Eastern male sexism and women liberation are a huge factor in the chain of divorce. Women fight to be financially independent clashed with men rejection of allowing their wives working in an atmosphere that will put them in contact with other men. This is because men prefer them to stay home to look after their children. Women see that as a sexist act that is discriminating against them and violating their right of equalization. Dr. Hassan Ismael Obaid, social advisor to the UAE marriage fund stated that the changing attitudes of many national women had also played a big role in the rising divorce rates. They were resisting the social structures that rendered them faceless and voiceless, and bound them socially and financially to male relative (Gessner, 2000). Third, sometimes family interference is another factor that leads couples to divorce. A recent study on divorce conducted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs stressed in many cases couples were divorced after they chose to share accommodation with their families. According to this study, thirty-four percent (34%) of divorced women have lived with their spouses families and around eight percent of divorced men have lived with their wives families (Nazzal, 2001). Such a setup contributes to making the situation between the young spouses worse. For instance, some couples who get married might have small misunderstandings between each other, and because they are sharing their accommodation usually with either family, they get to seek advice by involving them in every misunderstanding they face whether shallow or serious. Such interference could sometimes make matters worse bet ween the spouses instead of simplifying them. Ultimately, this can automatically cause divorce for a couple. Adultery Last but not least, adultery is one of the worst ways of causing divorce. This happens when one of the spouses in a marriage has an affair and been unfaithful to the other. In the beginning, â€Å"Islam views adultery as a violation of a marital contract and one of the major sins†; yet in this day and age, many of married Moslems are in lack of the religious factor, which comes between them and between committing the act of infidelity (Adultery). Second, there is the blind negative imitation of foreigners via exposure to all types of media whether it is TV, magazine and internet. This influences the community to adapt to new behavior patterns of openness that contradicts with the native culture (Gessner, 2000). Moreover, this blind imitation made many members of the society see adultery as a normal thing to do, a conduct that is overlooked, forgivable, and not a taboo as long as it remained an unmentioned little secret. Third, the psychological effect on the behavior and perso nality is a reason among the others. For example, it is said that the way a person is raised as a child plus the way he/she was treated, shapes his/her personality. In addition, how a person interacts with the community is traced back to his/her early stages of development, so some couples face problems with trust and honesty that cause marital difficulties. Yet, instead of working on them, they go on and have affairs on the side to seek attention and satisfaction. â€Å"The way couples are brought up affects their ability to face the reality were raised during childhood, when they were prevented from expressing themselves freely and clearly, is considered one of the reasons for the increasing divorce rate† (Survey reveals 46pc divorce rate in UAE, 2005). The brining up system therefore affects the couples ability to face and deal with the reality later on their lives. Conclusion In conclusion, the divorce rate in the United Arab Emirates is soaring due to diverse reasons. Although, there is no official statistics on how rampant divorce cases are in the country, it is estimated that one in three Emirati couples end up in divorce (UAE steps in to curb rising divorce rate, 2009). Primarily, most cases of divorce are due to improper reason for the decision to get tied up in marriage such as what happens in early marriages and arranged marriages as dictated by culture and tradition. Such marriages have shown to have poor foundation, which is why it is not lasting and thus forcing both parties to culminate the marriage bond thru a divorce. And because of compatibility issues and poor bond, these couples find it difficult to bring the relationship across tides that maybe normally encountered by married couples like financial problems. Other reasons which also account a large percentage of the reasons why couples in UAE end up in divorce are rooted on morality. One author of The Emirates Economist commented that with the currently soaring rate of divorce in UAE, the United States is far from being morally inferior to UAE in such terms (Chilton, 2008). This assertion can be more justified with the fact that polygamy and adultery are among the major reasons why UAE couples end up breaking bonds of marriage. The community structure and culture provides an appropriate environment that fosters the tremendous spread of this phenomenon. A solution might not be easily obtained but, with proper formal and informal education combined and further religious-based awareness thru the use of various media among the new generation, eventually such phenomenon would significantly be reduced. It is suggested that education about marriage be started early on and integrated with formal sex education courses in schools. This is potentially beneficial especially among our youth to create an awareness of the reality of marriage life in their young minds and prepare t hem to make wiser decisions for their future. Such awareness may not only be taught in schools; the vast array of media tools that modern technology has created may be utilized to spread information about the right motivation for marriage. Other than that, the television, audio media, newspapers, and the internet maybe utilized by authorities to promote and reinforce good values and morals about the sanctity of marriage among the Emiratis especially the younger generation. Currently, there is a government drive to curb the rising rate of divorce among Emirate couples and such is directed among the youth. A council was created which will look into new trends and the youths attitudes towards marriage. This nationwide survey will be conducted by the UAE Ministry of Social Affairs (UAE steps in to curb rising divorce rate, 2009). Moreover, government initiatives such as monitoring divorce rates, tax incentives for couples and their children, conduct of mass discussion about the negative effects of divorce thru awareness campaigns, and founding social leagues to save families and settle disputes may also curb the rising rate of divorce (UAE has one of the highest divorce rates in the Middle East, 2009). Apart from these moves, one cause of why UAE couples find it easy to resort to divorce is its cheap cost; thus, the government and authorities might as well consider increasing its cost for the benefit of making Emiratis more responsible in deciding regarding marriage matters. The rising rate of divorce in the UAE society must be a cause of concern for the government and the Emirates society as a whole. Steps to curb its rise must be seriously initiated. After all, marriage is a serious social matter; it is not like chewing gum that one can just simply spit when it loses taste. And as a nation that upholds a reputation of high morals, we dont want to be known as a country of broken homes. References Adultery. (n.d.). Retrieved Dec 31, 2009, from Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adultery#Islam. Chilton, J. (2008, Mar 24). Divorce. Retrieved Jan 05, 2010, from The Emirates Economist: Economic Analysis of Events in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf: http://emirateseconomist.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html. Chilton, J. (2009, Jan 26). Divorce: UAE Style. Retrieved Jan 05, 2010, from The Emirates Economist: Economic Analysis of Events in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf: http://emirateseconomist.blogspot.com/2009/01/divorce-uae-style.html. Gessner, L. (2000, Mar 17). Marriage and the challenge of modern development. Retrieved Jan 05, 2010, from gulfnews.com: http://www.gulfnews.com/archives/17032000/friday/fri.htm. Hammad, R. (2003, May 15). Divorce Costs UAE $220 Million Annually. Retrieved Dec 2009, 31, from Islamonline.net: http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2003-05/15/article05.shtml. Nazzal, N. (2001, Sept 02). Early marriage likely cause of divorce-study. Retrieved Jan 05, 2010, from gulfnews.com: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/early-marriage-likely-cause-of-divorce-study-1.424031. Nazzal, N. (2009, May 03). Soaring rents spawn marital discord in RAK. Retrieved Jan 04, 2010, from gulfnews.com: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/soaring-rents-spawn-marital-discord-in-rak-1.272362. Survey reveals 46pc divorce rate in UAE. (2005, Sept 16). Retrieved Jan 05, 2010, from Khaleej Times Online: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2005/September/theuae_September502.xml §ion=theuaecol. UAE has one of the highest divorce rates in the Middle East. (2009 Mar 19). Retrieved Jan 05, 2010, from Fudzail: http://1426.blogspot.com/2009/05/uae-has-one-of-highest-divorce-rates-in.html. UAE steps in to curb rising divorce rate. (2009, Dec 31). Retrieved Jan 05, 2010, from Maktoob News: http://business.maktoob.com/20090000413242/UAE_steps_in_to_curb_rising_divorce_rate_/Article.htm.

Ethics of Gene Mapping for Personalized Treatment

Ethics of Gene Mapping for Personalized Treatment There are many concerns about the future of the use of gene mapping for the personalisation of medicine. Whilst there are many benefits to the use of genetic testing to allow a more precise diagnosis and tailored treatments for various illnesses there is a risk of the information being abused to harm the patients. The information could be used to harm the patient’s future career prospects or lead to an increase in premiums for health insurance, possibly even an outright denial of coverage. However the US government has introduced legislation to protect the rights of the people and the concerns are outweighed by the benefits to the patient’s quality of life in terms of medical care. Introduction Mainstream medicine’s always had the differential diagnosis of patients decided primarily by generalisations made from a population of patients suffering from similar symptoms. The treatment is then found by knowledge acquired by research done over the entire population of people with similar symptoms(Torrey2013). The personalisation of medicine aims to have diagnosis and treatment tailored to patients to ensure they receive the best quality care possible. This will be done by the studying of their genetic framework to find out early if they have the genes for certain diseases. However, whilst it’ll be beneficial to the treatment of the patient, this has some ethical implications which this paper will aim to discuss throughout this paper and present a balanced argument to each concern as well as coming to a clear conclusion as to whether the benefits outweigh the ethical issues Method Relevant papers were found using medical journal databases subscribed to by both the University of Exeter and the University of Plymouth, the Google Scholar search engine, the BMJ, the NICE database for statistics and MEDLINE(PubMed). I also used Google to find relevant news articles relevant to my case to ensure I included public opinion as well as my own. The key words and phrases I used to search online for papers were various combinations of; â€Å"genes†, â€Å"gene mapping†, â€Å"personalized treatment†, â€Å"discrimination†, â€Å"cost to† and â€Å"NHS†. I then narrowed my search to recent papers and news articles that were relevant to both the United Kingdom and the United States. Discussion What is gene mapping and how can it be used to personalize treatment? The Human Genome Project mapped the approximately 25,000 human genes, determining what genes exist in human DNA and what their roles are in a healthy human being. Knowledge of what those genes look and behave like when they’re normal means that they can be compared with the genes of patients with medical problems to determine whether those patients genes are abnormal(Haga2009). Gene mapping is the process of finding the locations of genes on the chromosomes of patients(Haga2009). It used to be done by a process called linkage analysis, where the closer two genes are to each other, the more likely that they’ll be inherited together(U.S. National Library of Medicine ®2013). From this, patterns can be found, which can be used to determine their location on the chromosome(U.S. National Library of Medicine ®2013). The more modern approach is by the use of small tags achieved by two methods. The first is by the use of genetic markers such as the products of a Polymerase Chain Reaction, where single piece of DNA can be amplified by the production of up to millions of copies of the DNA fragment(Bartlett Stirling2003). The second method is by use of enzymes specialised to bind to and cut very specific areas of DNA called restriction enzymes. The resulting fragments are separated by the process of electrophoresis and overlaps in the genetic information called contigs can be used to find consensus sequences which can be used to figure out which parts of the DNA strand it was originally from, which added together gives a map of the entire sequence(Gregory2005). Once gene mapping’s occurred, it can be used to several ways to personalise treatment for the patients. It can be used to further distinguish between various diseases to insure the patient receives the highest quality and most efficient care available. For example, research done at University College London’s found that there are three different locations on the DNA of patients afflicted with the disease Chrons Disease that were found to be coded for by genes(Elding et al.,2011). The three genes have different functions but were all found to be involved with the patient eventually developing Chrons Disease. This allows for further distinction between different types of Chrohns disease, meaning a further personalised course of treatment. This is similar to a result of the genomic profiling of breast cancer tumours. Four distinct types of breast cancer were found by were found by a research team at Cleveland University Hospital, meaning the cells of each subtype can be broken down and studied(University Hospitals Case Medical Center2013). By knowing the molecular underpinnings of a particular kind of breast cancer, the cure rates and, in the advanced disease setting quality of life and length of life can be improved.(University Hospitals Case Medical Center2013). Another way gene mapping can be used to personalise medicine is by the study of pharmacogenetics, the study of the impact of genetic variation and drug responses(Galas Hood2009). This is to customize the drug treatment and dosage to individual patients to get the most efficient and effective treatment possible. It’d mean the treatment could work faster, cheaper, and fail less often, as there’ll be no need to go through multiple treatments until they work(U.S. Department of Energy Human Genome Project2003). The use of personalised genetic medicine could save the NHS millions of pounds per year. Just purely with the disease of neonatal diabetes a reduce in cost was found as, $30,437 at 30 years, $12,528 at 10 years, and $23,227 at20 years compared to no genetic testing(Greeley et al.,2011). This is just one disease but putting into account all of the diseases this could be used for, overall millions could be saved for the NHS. Healthcare providers can personalise medicine to have more precise diagnoses, higher quality care, better therapies, and access to more precise patient information. Furthermore the genetic information taken can be added to large databases which can be shared with researchers and scientists worldwide.(The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act2008) They can use this information to take research forward at greater rates and will be beneficial. Ethical concerns Whilst there are many ways gene mapping can be beneficial to the treatment of patients, there are many concerns regarding how the process can be abused to violate the rights of the patients as well as have an overall negative result for the well being of the patient. One concern is how the genetic tests will be evaluated and regulated for accuracy, reliability, and utility.(Haga2009) Whilst the treatments will be tailored to the patients to a certain degree it can never be completely specialized. The human population that this treatment will be used for will still be quite a lot of people instead of just that specific person. This will mean the tests will still have some degree of generalisations made for populations leading to less accuracy and reliability in the treatments. There could be factors leading patients to no longer fit the assumptions such as underlying conditions or lifestyle that could reduce the effectiveness of the treatments. Furthermore whilst the populations will be large enough to have generalisations made, they’ll be small enough to mean less reliable results. The sample size will be small meaning the results could be less accurate as smaller populations would be more unpredictable and less stable. Another concern is whether testing should be performed on patients suffering from incurable diseases. Pharmacogenetic testing could find gene expressions associated with an unknown disease for which no known treatment is known, or a disease that’s known to be incurable(Guttmacher Collins2003). This could lead to the patient being upset about something they’ve no control over and becoming depressed(Guttmacher Collins2003). There’s potential for a large amount of decrease in mental well-being for the patient as well as a decrease in quality of life due to this depression. However, whilst the disease is currently unknown, and no treatment has yet been formulated, it doesnt mean there wont be one found in the future. Despite there being no known treatment, or information at all, for diseases the genetic mapping could be useful in the future once a treatment’s been found. Lastly the process of genetic mapping may be vital in identifying or finding a treatment for the disease. In fact, some people were found to be willing to undergo testing simply to further science, in hopes it’ll benefit their descendants.(G.I.N.A. 2008) Another major concern of the use of gene mapping is how the information gathered will be used and who has access to it. One fear that’s commonly expressed is that the information could be used to harm people, for example, deny them access to health insurance, employment, education, and even loans. The information could be used to discriminate between patients seeking medical insurance by increasing the price of insurance if they’re found to be susceptible to diseases, or completely deny them coverage. Insurers insist that they don’t currently perform genetic tests to obtain information, but the information should become available to them, citing the need to avoid moral hazard- the risk that patients who know they’re susceptible to certain diseases will try and get insurance before they die at normal rates.(Torrey2010) Employers may deny jobs to potential employees or restrict hours they can work if they’re found to be susceptible to diseases. They m ay even go as far as force early retirement on them if the potential for diseases are found whilst they’re already working for them. However the US government’s put in place certain legislations to protect the rights of the people. The Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act (G.I.N.A.) of 2008 is an Act of Congress of the U.S.A. designed to stop the use of genetic information in health insurance and employment(Boston Business Journal2008) The act stops insurers from denying coverage, or charging unfair amounts based solely on information found via genetic testing showing a predisposition to developing the disease in the future(Boston Business Journal2008) The legislation also stops employers from being able to use information found from genetic testing when making decisions to do with the initial hiring of employees, the firing of employees, or any decisions concerning the employees position in the company such as promotions and demotions.(Boston Business Journal2008) The National Human Genome Research Institute(NHGRI) states that NHGRI believes that legislation that gives comprehensive protection against all forms of genetic discrimination is necessary to ensure that biomedical research continues to advance. Similarly, it believes that such legislation is necessary so that patients are comfortable availing themselves to genetic diagnostic tests. (Godfrey2012). Whilst the legislation is slightly overly broad and may lead to an increase in frivolous law suits, it can be made less ambiguous and protect the rights of the people to lessen concerns over the future of the use of genetic mapping to personalise medicine(Godfrey2012). Conclusion However despite these concerns I feel that the government, especially in the USA, is on the right tracks to providing clear legislation that’ll protect the rights of people seeking to have genetic testing done with no repercussions on their lives. The legislations are fairly vague on some points but as the personalisation of medicine becomes more commonplace, a better idea of what the legislation will require can be formed and the legislation can be adjusted accordingly. I conclude that I feel cost benefits as well as the increase on quality of life for patients outweigh any major concerns about the genetic testing and concerns regarding how the information will be used and who has access to it is currently well established and there are currently measures put in place that protect the rights of people that can be adjusted as the use of gene mapping becomes more common. References