Social and Psychological Factors of Methamphetamine Abuse Research Paper

Social and Psychological Factors of Methamphetamine Abuse - Research Paper Example As can be seen, choosing cocaine (and/or methamphetamine) is made without regard for the repercussions of danger or punishment. This information is exceedingly noteworthy when one looks at the effect methamphetamine has on its users. These precarious behaviors described by users as an intense high or euphoria, heightened sexual experiences, and focused attentions have been repeated in further studies and reveal that habit and compulsion overrides the recognition of obvious hazards. Even though there are reports of extreme paranoia and depression for weeks after abuse, users will continue to use making it difficult to hold down a job or take care of a family (American Council on Drug Education, n.d.). Looking at some of the most current theories in clinical and behavioral research, this paper will explore the multifaceted roles which predispose individuals to methamphetamine abuse by evaluating the psychological and social factors of addiction. Generally, peer group is one of the most import social factors leading to Methamphetamine abuse. As friends take this drug, individual finds it cool to use it. This has generally been one of the reasons why people at a young age start using abusive drugs. According to the national institute of health, ‘Monitoring the future survey’, drug abuse in 8th-10th graders is lesser (National Institute of Drug Abuse). However, it does exist, suggesting how ‘trying to be cool’ attitude may have influenced all this young students to take the drug. This is specifically the case with male students as boys are more likely to be aggressive and naughty as compared to girls. The colorless and odorless drug, when taken, increases the cognitive activity and makes the individual feel happier and excited. Hence, when the social surrounding becomes depressing, people tend to divert to such drugs. Due to the satisfaction gained by this drug,

Buffalo, New York Essay Example for Free

Buffalo, New York Essay Nature, in its core function, is the cause and effect relationship offered to things with ascertainable objectivity, happening without cause. From this we can easily conclude that the state of the nature of something that something being an object with â€Å"thing-hood†, as humorously described in class is its beginning purpose and generality. There are a few debatable definitions of nature, which at first glance are very similar. On hand, we have nature that is described as the first, inchoate, thing belonging to it. To put in simply an objects nature is its core material for example, the nature of my Odd Future Fitted tee-shirt is Cotton. As well we have nature described as quote on quote the shape or look. This statement points to nature as the stereo-type or look of an object, for example, my MacBook does not have the nature of a MacBook unless it assumes the look of a generic looking MacBook. When looking at these definitions it is hard to find a large degree of difference as the stereo-typical MacBook is not only composed of parts generally used to construct a MacBook, but also its acceptance and appearance as a MacBook. For clarification we can use Aristotles example of a doctor healing himself. A artisan of medicine does not have the nature of a Healer, as that would imply that he attained this skill naturally, which is not true. For something to have nature said nature must come into being without cause. Therefor it is safe to assume that the Healer, whom is an artisan of medicine, is a Healer, but has the nature of a normal very day human. When speaking of nature Aristotle means the natures of particular things and would perhaps be better translated a nature a things. What causes differences amongst Laptops and people, even between two Healers? This can be answered by looking at chance. By chance variations are made upon things not to its nature, but to its physical or otherwise growth from its nature. For this reason we must assume that all things have a categorical nature, with variations to its structure. The term purpose can be applied to the science of nature because purpose is an integral part of nature its self. One can come to the conclusion that nature, being the first being thing-hood of an object, is parallel to its purpose by definition. Under these thoughts we inclusively described nature as the original cause or purpose of an object, with relation to its makeup, compositions and molecular materials. The grammatically correct sentence â€Å"Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo which means Buffalo New York bison, whom other Buffalo bison bully, themselves bully Buffalo New York Bison. This statement really speaks to the nature of words in the English language. Nature can be defined as living things in the natural world such as Animals, Humans, Plants, Protista, Fungus, and, various others. Theses thing are often associated with the natural world, one thing that is often called unnatural are the actions of humans, such as the making of plastic or unstable isotopes and mechanical constructs. Is it unnatural for humans to fly around in giant metal contraptions, is it natural to be able to cancel or postpone the effects of disease, is it unnatural to stop a potential pregnancy with just one pill, these are questions that one should ask when discussing the definition of nature or even human nature. According to the dictionarys definition of nature, humans are a part of nature. If this is true, then one can ascertain that all acts of the humans behaviors are quote on quote natural and will lead to natural consequences. What is the nature of humankind, many different philosophers during the renaissance have explored this thought. According to Wikipedia the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling acting and reacting, that humans tend to have by their nature, independently of the influence of culture. In the eyes of Merriam-Webster human nature is the fundamental disposition and traits of humans, theories about the nature of humankind form a large part of every culture. It can be said that the nature of humans is that of a selfish, competitive, very social or altruistic. Some may even say that the true nature of humans is that of a selfish yet remarkably smart ape that is bent on destroying itself, or that they are the one true guardians of the planet earth, sent here by some unknown force to protect and safe guard for generations to come. Most people believe that humans were created by God, and can go through immense improvement if economical, and social conditions were reformed so that hunger, death, and disease could be wiped off the face of the earth. There are lots of people that would argue that nature of humans is innately bad. Looking throughout history there are a plethora of accounts in which humans have shown the less admirable side of our nature. It can be said that it is quite natural for humans to kill and degrade the lives of other human (it does happen on a regular bases). Humans in their natural state have a tendency for greed and selfish behavior, a need to satisfy their own wants and desires; which often comes at the expense of other living things, human or animal. Of course since Man is a part of nature, and there for all his action are natural, one can’t really say that these attributes are particularly good or bad they are natural.

Spike Lee Pride and Prejudice :: essays papers

Spike Lee Pride and Prejudice Anyone who would dismiss Spike Lee as a racist is confusing pride with prejudice. Sure, he's abrasive, blunt, unvarnished and maybe egotistical. But he's also got the self-confidence, fearlessness and knowledge of his personal mission that in past years, and some parts of Idaho today, would have gotten him called an uppity N-word, maybe worse. This reaction to him, to him in America today, and on our campus this week, is an illustration of how far whites (yes, whites) in this nation have not come. Lee makes films about various aspects of the African-American experience in America. His debut in 1986, "She's Gotta Have It," was about the man problems and prevails of a young black woman in the big city. "Do the Right Thing," his 1989 incitement of racial strife was a warning flag of urban angers a full three years before the L.A. Riots. "Malcolm X" was a stirring bio-pic about the slain black leader who preached a strident brand of self reliance in an age when most said looking to the government for help was the last best hope of African-Americans. It was also the best film biography since "Gandhi." "Gandhi" may be the best bio-pic ever. Are other filmmakers, like Martin Scorsese or Oliver Stone criticized for telling stories about exclusively white protagonists? Does anyone wave the flag of racism when Woody Allen makes his 100th film about neurotic Jewish men in New York? No, and they shouldn't. Creators work on what they know. The very fact that Lee is labeled and thought of as the "black filmmaker" is an illustration of just how right Lee is when he talks about the largely lily-white nature of Hollywood, and the nation it entertains. And a lot of what he has said, even the supposedly racist comments, have plucked a tone of truth in areas where, frankly, most whites would prefer the strings go unplucked. His most famous comment, that blacks by definition cannot be racist, was right. When he said that, he was talking about institutional racism (a fact adroitly cut from most news accounts of his comments). Blacks, by definition, can't be institutionally racist. They simply don't have the power. Maybe someday they will, but now, you can't point to any institution, and very few corporations, in which African-Americans have enough power to even exercise the thought of implementing institutional racism.

Religion Versus Science in The Scopes Monkey Trial :: American America History

Religion Versus Science in The Scopes Monkey Trial   Ã‚  Ã‚   The stage was set in Dayton, Tennessee.   The leading actor in this show was a twenty five-year-old science teacher named John T. Scopes. Scopes was under the direction of advancing America.   The playbill read The Scopes â€Å"Monkey† Trial.   In 1925 John T. Scopes was encouraged to challenge the Butler Law.   This law had been passed by a small town in Dayton, Tennessee to prohibit teaching contra to those in the Bible. Teaching from an evolutionary text, Scopes broke the law and gained the attention of the National media.   The concentration of the media on the Scopes Trial effectively presented the contrasting ideas of a religious town and an evolving country.   Ã‚  Ã‚   The town in Dayton, Tennessee was both religious and stable.   People in this town were seen holding signs marked with the command to â€Å"Read Your Bible† (Ginger 93). The inhabitants here had adopted the teachings of the Bible in order to feel secure within a time of change.   â€Å"In rural areas, particularly in the South and Midwest, Americans turned to their faith for comfort and stability† (Scopes 12).   The town would hold on to what they knew.   People in Dayton had no desire to travel forward with the roaring twenties.   William Jennings Bryan was the leading defender of the Butler Law as well as heading the prosecution. Bryan was determined to defend as literally true every word of the Bible.   In the deepest sense, he had to defend it; he needed reassurance and certainty, and since childhood had learned to rely on the Bible as the source of reassurance and certainty.   (Ginger 41).   Bryan would be the leader to a people who held on to religion and the past.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast to this small town were the advancing views of America.   The twenties continued to roar towards modernism.   â€Å"Breakthroughs in technology, the increase in material wealth, and the beginning of an empire seemingly heralded the upward march of civilization, with America on the forefront† (Dumenil 6).   In all directions, it was clear that America was moving forward.   Transportation was a prime example of this advancement.   Innovator Henry Ford introduced his â€Å" Ford Miracle† to the public (Dumenil 6).   Economies and the social values also began to advance.   â€Å"Dubious get-rich-quick schemes and fads†¦contributed to a tone of feverish frivolity† (Dumenil 7).   People began to lead fast paced lives with the desire to become rich, quickly.

Outline the argument supermarket power is a zero -sum game

Outline the argument supermarket power is a zero -sum game BY bluebell Outline the argument that supermarket power Is a â€Å"zero-sum†game Before we discuss the argument let us understand first what the terms â€Å"power† and â€Å"zero-sum† mean. Power is a complex term used denote influence, control and domination, (Taylor, et al. 2009,p. 59). The power used by supermarkets includes buying and market power. The big four supermarkets in the U. K. Account for approximately 75% of the food and groceries market therefore giving them significant market power.Their buying power Is the ability they have to negotiate prices with suppliers and the rage chains thus being able to demand discounts when buying In such large quantities. This gives them the ability to influence things such as pricing, for example offering goods at below cost prices. The term zero-sum game is used when one party's gain will be another's loss therefore equaling a zero sum. A good example of th is is slicing a pie, if one person takes a large slice there is less for everyone else.The pro supermarket campaigners argue that the supermarkets use their power for good and all parties Involved benefit to some extent creating a positive sum gain but he the following argues to the contrary__ As shoppers they offer us a wide variety of products at affordable prices, in accessible locations. Additionally they offer employment, boosting local skills and helping to draw in other businesses such as restaurants and retailers to sometimes failing local economies but at what cost to others?Do the low prices mean that somewhere down the supply chain someone else's profits are being squeezed? Has the out of town retail park been a catalyst In the decline of Britain's high streets? In 2006 retail commentator Judi Bean reported hat the big four operated around 3900 stores with Tests alone taking one pound at the tills for every three we spend. Since then they have continued to grow branching out into the corner shop concept and opening an additional 1500 stores in a bid to capture even more trade.In years gone by our towns would have a variety of independent shops made up of butchers, bakers and fishmongers, but these are in decline and we are now dominated by by big chain stores offering us practically Identical goods at very similar prices. If this Is the case are they really offering us any hospice at all? Across the country they monopolies towns and areas where small local businesses are unable to compete on pricing being forced to shut down.Food writer Joann Blackman, (2005) uses Dundee as an example and recalls that in the sass the town had ten bakers; now there are two left, five fishmongers with one remaining and eight or nine butchers only one of which has survived and six grocers where again only one has survived.. In their place are four Testes, two Sad, a Morrison and a Kingsbury. In her pollen there Is a distinct correlation between the arrival of the gig c hains and the demise of the small independents, thus implying a zero-sum game.The supermarkets have an immense buying power and their supply chain stretches across the globe. When dealing with the large conglomerates like Proctor and Gamble, Milliner and Nestle the balance of power is pretty much even, as their global muscle puts them in a strong position to negotiate. However the farmers, such a fortunate position. Small suppliers claim that the supermarkets are continually putting pressure on them, coercing them into prices cuts that push them to the point that there economic livelihood is in doubt.This relationship between the suppliers and supermarkets can be depicted as a David and Goliath affair, with the small independents up against the big multiples Just as the small independent stores on the high street are up against the big chain stores as previously mentioned. With this pressure being applied to suppliers to keep costs down they in turn pass this on to their employees. Here in the I-J we have low paid often migrant workers cutting, sorting and packing vegetables and salads for the big stores.Felicity Lawrence has written about the exploitation of these workers in her book Not on the Label (2004) and in newspaper investigations. She highlights how agency workers, often from eastern European countries such as Romania, Poland and Bulgaria, are employed by â€Å"gang masters† to work on farms and in processing and packing plants and are frequently paid hourly rates below the minimum wage, are subjected to illegal deductions and are bussed from Job to Job at their employers will.These people are not directly employed by the supermarkets but, she claims, that they are aware of the practices and turn a blind eye to it so they can continue to benefit from he situation. Additionally she points out that you will not see any such evidence of this on labels of the packets of salad or bags of chicken pieces which line their shelves. Lawrence implies tha t we as consumers can indulge in cheap products at the expense of those exploited and often vulnerable workers.You could therefore infer that the supermarkets are using their power or dominance to control the labor market. For us to gain from the low prices at the checkout someone else must lose out in the case it is the suppliers and their workforce. With this in mind let us look rather field at the workers in such places as Bangladesh. In 2006 and 2007 The War on Want, a U. K. Based non-governmental organization, made accusations against Sad and Tests that they were boosting profits and the expense of the workers in the sweatshops of Bangladesh.They carried out a survey in six large facilities in Dacha, each employing between 500-1200 workers. The results of the survey showed that the worker, of which the majority are female, had been subjected to overcrowding and unhygienic work conditions along with forced overtime and verbal intimidation, tit access to trade unions being refuse d. All the factories surveyed were known to be supplying cheap clothing to the I-J market, specifically Tests and Sad and all were paying wages below that needed to provide for themselves and their family.The pressure applied by the stores on the factory owners to keep costs down means that they have no room to maneuver. The war on want claim that it the absence of a living wage in such places that keep our Jeans, shoes and other clothing at such low prices. Taking all of the above into account we can conclude that although we as nonusers benefit from low pricing and abundance of choice and the supermarkets continue to increase their profits, there are many within the chain that don't benefit so greatly.We can therefore say that supermarket power is definitely a zero sum game. Word count – 1134 Bean, J. (2006) Trolley Wars: The Battle of the Supermarkets, London, Profile Books Blackman, J (2005): Shopped: The shocking Power of British Supermarkets, London, Profile Books Lawre nce, F (2004) Not on the Label, London, Penguin War on Want (2006), fashion Victims: The true cost of cheap clothes at Primary. Sad and Tests, London,

Post Civil War Times essays

Post Civil War Times essays After the Civil War, many settlers from the East moved west, the new frontier during the 1860-1890 period. Among those settlers were farmers, miners, railroad builders, and cattlemen who all wanted the rich, vast lands of the West. The movement west occurred because of the following reasons: the railroad companies wanted land to establish railways from the East to the West, farmers felt that the Western land would make them rich, miners wanted the land for the rich silver, gold, and other minerals, and cattlemen wanted to establish the profitable "cattle business" by using the long drive method. The Whites wanted this land no matter what, and they refused to let anything stand in the way of their goals. This led to Indians facing drastic consequences which impacted their way of life, Indian Wars, and the policy of Americanization. The Whites wanted to drive the Indians out of their own lands, and they accomplished this through several ways. One was the destruction of the buffalo, the staff of life for the Indians. The Whites' purposes for exterminating the buffalo were to stall railroad construction, kill for their hides, certain body parts, and/or just for the pure enjoyment of killing these beasts. The Indians needed the buffalo since it provided food, shelter, clothing, weapons, and religious rituals. With most of the buffalo dead, the Indians lacked the necessities of life. Therefore there was a decline of the Indian population. Another way was the diseases of the White man. Indians weren't resistant to these diseases like small pox; therefore, it also contributed to the decline of the Indian's population. Another brutal way was by form of violence. The Whites used Calvary or the ARMY to control the Indians. They also used the revolver, the "six-shooter," something that the Indians didn't have in order t o defend themselves. The factor of violence led to the Indian Wars, which took place during the 1860s-1890s. The first ba...

Susan Faludi essays

Susan Faludi essays I AM NOT A BARBIE DOLL. Before you even start reading, these capital letters catch your eye. To add more, she tells us it was held up by a little girl, which plays with our emotions. Susan Faludi uses very great strategies to grab attention. Facts, strong words, emotion, and outside sources. She adds more drama to her subject. When you read the handout, you can hear the sad background music and see the pictures of suffering women. Faludi keeps interest throughout the introduction. She does not leave any spots that allow our minds to wander and think about other subjects. It is very dense, meaning that it is not just a few sentences filled in with repetition and words to drag out the paragraph. The introduction has a great set up. Faludi begins with a fact, something we cannot doubt. Then we get a little history, followed by a quote from another book. She adds another fact, one in which emotion is involved. The finish states her argument when she has our undivided attention. With this great structure, you can hear Faludi on the podium arguing her point to hundreds of audience members. The reading gives facts that cannot be argued with. They are half (in fact, now more then half) of the national population... Faludi lists examples and quotes that get your mind on the subject immediately. She lists things that are real like dates, events, books, and people. Susan Faludi carefully picks strong words and phrases: Feminist, capacity, fighting, independence, free, define, be forced to choose, public justice, private happiness. ...a simply worded sign hoisted by a little girl... If she were to use less colorful words, it would lose interest and sound too informative. Arguments that are stated well with colorful words is what gets people who do not care to start showing some interest. It gets the person who began reading, and would usually end halfway through, to ...

Simple Candy Osmosis Experiment

Simple Candy Osmosis Experiment Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a semipermeable membrane. The water moves from an area of higher to lower solvent concentration (an area of lower to higher solute concentration). Its an important passive transport process in living organisms, with applications to chemistry and other sciences. You dont need fancy lab equipment to observe osmosis. You can experiment with the phenomenon using gummy bears and water. Heres what you do: Osmosis Experiment Materials Basically, all you need for this chemistry project are colored candies and water: Gummy bear candies (or other gummy candy)WaterPlate or shallow bowl The gelatin of the gummy candies acts as a semipermeable membrane. Water can enter the candy, but its much harder for sugar and coloring to leave exit it. What You Do Its easy! Simply place one or more of the candies in the dish and pour in some water. Over time, water will enter the candies, swelling them. Compare the size and squishiness of these candies with how they looked before. Notice the colors of the gummy bears starts to appear lighter. This is because the pigment molecules (solute molecules) are being diluted by the water (solvent molecules) as the process progresses. What do you think would happen if you used a different solvent, such as milk or honey, that already contains some solute molecules? Make a prediction, then try it and see. How do you think osmosis in a gelatin dessert compares with osmosis in candy? Again, make a prediction and then test it!

Movie Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Movie Summary - Essay Example he main purpose of occurrence of the Civil War was eradication of racism from the American society, the amenities and privileges given to the white soldiers have been conventionally denied to the black soldiers. Although the black soldiers were given the most demeaning tasks, yet none of them decided to quit when they were provided with a chance to. Shaw realized that his unit was only being used to do manual labor. Another salient feature of the movie is the fact that it speaks about the bravery and courage of Shaw that is evident from his confrontation of the commanding officers after he finds that the officers are profiting from the war. Shaw threatens the commanding officers that he would notify their corruption to the War Department if his unit is not provided with a chance to combat. When granted an opportunity, the regiment takes part in a battle that happens in South California. In this battle, the regiment puts down a Confederate attack. After that, Shaw directs the regiment to lead an attack upon the Fort Wagner. The men are led in charge on the fort after the nightfall. In his attempt to unite the men forward, Shaw loses his life along with several other soldiers including Thomas, Trip, and Forbes. This movie brings the memories of those courageous black soldiers alive, thus paying a tribute to

BHS 328 B.S. Health Sciences Team Building (Mod 4 SLP) Essay

BHS 328 B.S. Health Sciences Team Building (Mod 4 SLP) - Essay Example When there is no effective communication then conflicts arises between people and we have to manage conflicts. Conflict resolution is the process by which an organization handles and resolves conflicts within the organization and within the organization and the community (Bill Warters 2000). There are various methods to manage conflicts: In health care delivery, team working is very important because you have to coordinate each and every thing. If your work is not coordinated, then their will be less coherence amongst the employees and therefore everyone will be working with their own interest and with their own feasibility. For example in a hospital, when a doctor is doing an operation, he has to work with his colleagues as a team so that a successful operation is done. If for example if the doctor is not communicating with the nurses for example during the operation, then they might do some mistake in understanding the doctors orders and could lead to problems. For resolution of conflicts, first of all you should have the skill to solve problems for example active listening, formulate the desired outcomes, identify the underlying interests and develop and analyze options. Your attitude should be such that it demonstrates knowledge of ethics of collaborative conflict resolution. You should be having the appropriate knowledge to solve conflicts. For example you should be having knowledge of cross cultural considerations when dealing with conflicts because a manager might have to deal differently with a western worker as compared to the south eastern (Bill Warters 2000). Conflicts are handled differently with different types of people but responses to conflicts fall generally under four broad categories including attack, avoid, soften and resolve. It depends on the situation in which you are handling the conflict and you take decision according to that. For example if there is a conflict between the government and the masses and the masses are violently reacting, then the government will also have to take violent reaction in response to it to solve the conflict. Suppose that I am the administrator in charge of oversight for an emergency unit at a hospital. A nurse administers the wrong medication dose to a patient. A second nurse wants to write-up the first nurse immediately. But I don't think so that writing up to her at this stage is a good option to resolve the conflict. In this case it is an emergency situation and writing to her and then getting the reply will take a lot of time and during this time the patient's life can be in danger. The second nurse should directly go to the first nurse and talk to her face to face and tell her that the dose which she gave to the patient

Book review 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Book review 3 - Essay Example The whole idea was conceptualized after a five year teaching of high ranked executives in the world’s best Harvard Entrepreneur program. From her observations, it became evident that majority of her students spent very little time in picturing and actualizing their own companies’ strategies. Leadership and strategy are inseparable. This is a point missed out by many leaders. Clearly as seen, strategies are not ‘how to’ functions in an organization. They cannot be executed on their own, and thus the need for a strong leadership background. There is a very little understanding of the intertwined intimate relationship between leadership and strategy. For this reason, managers keep seeking professional advice from external specialists to help in making company analysis and strategically position them for competitive advantage. This has made strategy a lucrative business for most experts. A question that every business leader must answer is, â€Å"Does your company matter?† (Montgomery pp. 13). For this reason, leaders should not only be willing and ready to learn on how best to be effective managers but also creatively think of possible ways through which their businesses can prosper. In real sense, vey many leaders find it extremely difficult to trace t he existence of their companies and thus cannot even describe or identify the needs in their individual companies. This causes lots of confusion at the lower levels of management because of the colliding decisions at the top. Since leadership and the strategy are inseparable, a question is posed to business leaders; â€Å"Are you a strategist?† (Montgomery pp. 20). A strategist is a leader who wholeheartedly guides the ongoing process from the conception of an idea, its execution, and post convincing results. A strategist carefully watches, identifies, makes decisions, and risks other opportunities for

Conestoga-Rovers and Associates Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conestoga-Rovers and Associates - Case Study Example For that reason, organizations implement strategies that aim at empowering employees to perform their duties with an innate drive and freedom to interact with each other. A company can enhance the productivity of its workers through creating a good environment over which they can interact with their colleagues productively as well as ensure a friendly atmosphere. Conestoga-Rovers and Associates as well as other companies have a purpose in their attempt to facilitate several social events that influence the working environment for their employees. Influencing the working environment has indirect effect on the productivity of an organization as well as a direct one on the morale of employees and therefore, many of them perform with a positivistic attitude. Companies have various reasons why they influence the working environment for employees and that cause them put a lot of investment to achieve it and therefore, improve productivity. Conestoga-Rovers and Associates Company creates a positive working environment so that it can improve the morale of its employees as they deliver their services to the company. The company invests in improving the working environment with the understanding that it is likely to perform well when employees are happy. A moralized employee has high commitment to the activities of the company and takes his or her responsibilities so that he or she can ensure success of the company. In many circumstances, motivated employees are committed to the improvement of the working environments because they develop a sense of ownership to the activities of the company (Nyp, 2007). On the other hand, creating satisfaction mood in employees ensures that all the employees can protect the properties of the company for which they are working and reducing the chances of the company making losses. Creating a positive working environment enhances retention of highly performing employees and builds their loyalty to the management and the administrators of the company. In a company that allows employees freedom, growth and interactive platforms for doing their day to day activities, highly performing workers are likely stay for long. Employees are likely to stay because they feel that the company for which they work values their services by creating an environment for improvement of skills and refreshing their bodies after a period of continuous work. In Conestoga-Rovers and Associates, employees have enough time to spend in social activities on regular bases, which makes employees to break their monotony of regular working (Nyp, 2007). Companies manage its working environment so that it can attract highly qualified employees who are likely to improve its productivity in case of a vacancy. Conestoga-Rovers and Associates Company or any other company improves working environment as way of creating a competitive advantage in the market in the process of acquiring new employees for the company. Employees that work in a company that has a positive working environment act as ambassadors with good information to the labor market for which the company fetches new employees (Nyp, 2007). When there is a vacancy and the company advertises and attracts a large number of candidates, it gives the management an easy time to select the best for a job from a large pool of applicants. Question 2 In order for a company to provide services that are unique from the ones that other companies offer, it has to evaluate the various factors that characterize it workforce. On the other hand, a company may consider its monetary potential to offer motivations to its employee according to their number and the size of the perks they want to provide to them. To achieve the goal of giving perks that its employees value, Conestoga-Rovers

Political Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Political Philosophy - Essay Example ers like others in their times thought deeply about the role of the rulers who were at that time Kings and Queens and whether hereditary rights alone are enough to govern. This reflected in their works on property and man’s right to own property as well as the kind of contract that man had with state in such matters. In this paper, I draw upon the works of these three thinkers to assess their contribution to the issue of private property and man’s right to own such property as well as the fact that we might not have such rights at all. These three thinkers represent different bands in the spectrum about the issue and hence their contributions are worth comparing and contrasting to arrive at an understanding of what their views about the issue were. Among all the three thinkers, Locke was the most vocal exponent of man’s right to own property and the role of the state in facilitating such rights. However, Locke’s views were nuanced as far as owning private property was concerned. For instance, Locke held the view that since we are free in our movements and are owners of our bodies, so, any efforts that we put in to â€Å"pour ourselves† into improving natural objects like land must necessarily belong to us as we have invested significant time and energy in making the land worthwhile for human use. The way in which Locke proposed this in The Second Treatise on Government is by alluding to the investment of labor that one does to improve the land for the use by all. To cite Locke, â€Å"The same principle of appropriation by the investment of labor can be extended to control over the surface of the earth as well, on Lockes view. Individuals who pour themselves into the land—improving its productivity by spending their own time and effort on its cultivation—acquire a property interest in the result. (2nd Treatise  §32) The plowed field is worth more than the virgin prairie precisely because I have invested my labor in plowing it; so even if the prairie was

Conestoga-Rovers and Associates Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conestoga-Rovers and Associates - Case Study Example For that reason, organizations implement strategies that aim at empowering employees to perform their duties with an innate drive and freedom to interact with each other. A company can enhance the productivity of its workers through creating a good environment over which they can interact with their colleagues productively as well as ensure a friendly atmosphere. Conestoga-Rovers and Associates as well as other companies have a purpose in their attempt to facilitate several social events that influence the working environment for their employees. Influencing the working environment has indirect effect on the productivity of an organization as well as a direct one on the morale of employees and therefore, many of them perform with a positivistic attitude. Companies have various reasons why they influence the working environment for employees and that cause them put a lot of investment to achieve it and therefore, improve productivity. Conestoga-Rovers and Associates Company creates a positive working environment so that it can improve the morale of its employees as they deliver their services to the company. The company invests in improving the working environment with the understanding that it is likely to perform well when employees are happy. A moralized employee has high commitment to the activities of the company and takes his or her responsibilities so that he or she can ensure success of the company. In many circumstances, motivated employees are committed to the improvement of the working environments because they develop a sense of ownership to the activities of the company (Nyp, 2007). On the other hand, creating satisfaction mood in employees ensures that all the employees can protect the properties of the company for which they are working and reducing the chances of the company making losses. Creating a positive working environment enhances retention of highly performing employees and builds their loyalty to the management and the administrators of the company. In a company that allows employees freedom, growth and interactive platforms for doing their day to day activities, highly performing workers are likely stay for long. Employees are likely to stay because they feel that the company for which they work values their services by creating an environment for improvement of skills and refreshing their bodies after a period of continuous work. In Conestoga-Rovers and Associates, employees have enough time to spend in social activities on regular bases, which makes employees to break their monotony of regular working (Nyp, 2007). Companies manage its working environment so that it can attract highly qualified employees who are likely to improve its productivity in case of a vacancy. Conestoga-Rovers and Associates Company or any other company improves working environment as way of creating a competitive advantage in the market in the process of acquiring new employees for the company. Employees that work in a company that has a positive working environment act as ambassadors with good information to the labor market for which the company fetches new employees (Nyp, 2007). When there is a vacancy and the company advertises and attracts a large number of candidates, it gives the management an easy time to select the best for a job from a large pool of applicants. Question 2 In order for a company to provide services that are unique from the ones that other companies offer, it has to evaluate the various factors that characterize it workforce. On the other hand, a company may consider its monetary potential to offer motivations to its employee according to their number and the size of the perks they want to provide to them. To achieve the goal of giving perks that its employees value, Conestoga-Rovers

The benefits of employees embracing and understanding the employers Research Paper

The benefits of employees embracing and understanding the employers CORE values - Research Paper Example When employees understand the company core values, they prove aligned with the company’s objectives. Values are long-term drive for mission and goal achievement. When these values are well formulated, stated, and understood, they make a business prosper. Concisely, values have played inevitable roles in a company such as, guiding business processes, articulation what the company stands for, governing and controlling employees relationships and guiding the organization on how to reward employees and the society as a whole (Rossenfield, 2009). They also offer guidelines on how to teach and train employees and decision-making. Values are thus key aspects for every organization focused towards organizational goals and objects as they contribute significantly to these. Benefits of core value It is arguable that, a company with well-set and understood cores value performs excellently. This is for the reason that, the working atmosphere is restricted by those principles; processes ar e conceded out within the standards. This makes sure that employees remain focused on the mission of the company. As a result, assets are well utilized, and high profits are acknowledged. When employees understand and work within the company value, they feel that their working environment is favorable. As such, the employee will show their increased interest to work for the organization for a long time (Blanchard, 2009). In return, there is talent retention and prospective employees with new talents and technology would be very willing to join such an organization. When a company has high employees’ retention, it cuts down on costs associated with recruiting and retraining new employees. Furthermore, core values persuade best people into a company by attracting, advancing, and maintaining the excellent personnel. Values test employees and consequently subject them to a constructive approach towards tribulations and decision-making processes. When employees identify with and h old on to the core values, customers are happy and willing to be linked with the company. As a result, customers have a propensity to purchase more, purchase time after time, and even share the experience amongst friends who come to purchase to have a feel of the company. This tightens the connection between the customer and the business hence a long-term bond between the company and the customers. This guarantees client value formation by remaining receptive and focused to customer needs and value delivery (Rossenfield, 2009). Core values ensure that there is one global network and a standard product. For example, if a company has several branches or outlets, these core values are applicable to all its outlets, therefore, maintaining a standard product quality and services (Blanchard, 2009). This creates a condition whereby customers experience exceptional service. In addition, core values govern employees’ personal relationships as they lay the platform on how interactions are to be done. The explanation of this is that the set code of conduct in the company helps create a healthy relationship. When employees behave as expected, chances of conflicts are minimal, eventually helping each of them to present their expected results towards the company’s growth. The management have smooth running because theirs is a clear cut on how employees should respond to their supervisors therefore, it enhances obedience and respect in a company.

Virtue Ethics Criticsm Essay Example for Free

Virtue Ethics Criticsm Essay The biggest criticism of Virtue Ethics is that it doesnt give clear guidance on how to act in specific circumstances. It cannot tell us what the law should be about abortion, euthanasia, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis etc. It gives no clear answer to questions such as Is the environment intrinsically valuable?. The lack of moral rules or a method of addressing dilemmas is the main conceren here, but there is also uncertainty about how you decide on what the virtues are. Many critics say Virtue Ethics simply doesnt do the job of an ethical theory. There are many responses to this. There are no absolute answers to these questions, MacIntyre takes this view that contemporary ethics has distanced itself from real people and real issues by debating fine legalistic points which they will never agree on. Virtue Ethics asks a much more important question what sort of person should I be? This question may have different answers depending where and when it is asked, but it gives real direction and purpose to people. Nussbaum says that there are absolutes. However, it is virtues that have value, not rules. We should strive for Justice, Wisdom, Temperance etc. rather than looking for absolute rules. When thinking about whether to go to war, there are no absolute rules (You must not kill an innocent person, for example, is seen as impractical as all wars lead to innocent people dying). However, we have elected a leader who we want to act justly, to be temperate, to have wisdom etc. Issues such as Embryo Research depend a lot on answers to questions such as When does an embryo/foetus become a person? These questions cannot be answered by ethical theories. MacIntyre would say that to move forward in these issues, we need to better understand the context. For example, we are a society where thousands of embryos die at various stages of the IVF process. There is therefore a contradiction between our societys comfortable response to IVF and the often violent negative reaction to embryonic stem-cell research. When approaching these issues, we should aim to respond with wisdom, right ambition, temperance etc. Virtue Ethics responds confidently to many of these criticisms by drawing attention to the failings of deontological theories and consequentialist positions (GEM Anscombe coined the phrase consequentialism in her 1958 article Modern Moral Philosophy which attacked contemporary ethical theories for being out of touch with the real world. This article may have been largely responsible for the resurrgence of interest in Virtue Ethics). There are other criticisms, though. For example, Virtue Ethics rejects moral absolutes such as Do not lie, but then values the virtue of honesty. Critics claim that the virtues are really another way of stating moral rules, and that the virtues depend on the existence of these rules. Honesty is precisely a virtue because it is wrong to lie. This sort of criticism can lead to a circular debate, but it is actually the biggest threat to the virtue theorist.

Ganglioneuroblastoma During Pregnancy †Case Report

Ganglioneuroblastoma During Pregnancy – Case Report Rare case of ganglioneuroblastoma during pregnancy – case report Abstract Ganglioneuroblastoma is a very rare tumor, especially in pregnancy. So far the association between this tumor and pregnancy has not been reported. We present a case of ganglioneuroblastoma relapse at a 3rd trimester pregnant woman. Neurological symptoms developed late, increased by the effects of pregnancy on the brain tumor. Therapeutic management in this case represents a medical dilemma regarding mode setting and timing of delivery, taking into account the maternal-fetal risk-benefit. In this case caesarean section under general anesthesia was settled, with the need of postpartum brain tumor excision. Keywords: ganglioneuroblastoma, pregnancy, treatment, caesarean section Introduction Ganglioneuroblastoma is a neuroblastic tumor containing malignant elements characteristic to neuroblastoma and benign elements found in ganglioneurinoma (1). Intracranial tumors are extremely rare in pregnancy (2). By their rarity and their diagnosis in the last trimester of pregnancy, intracranial tumors have an increased risk of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Cranial tumors tend to increase and become symptomatic in the last trimester of pregnancy, the causes not being entirely known. Therefore any woman with an existing neurological condition should consult her obstetrician and her neurologist before she becomes pregnant (3). Management of these cases should evaluate whether the mothers and the fetuss lives are threatened. A multidisciplinary team recommends the optimal timing for the termination of pregnancy, as determined by the fetus maturity and mothers neurological condition (4). The present study reports one case of pregnant women in the third trimester with ganglioneuroblastoma. The patient underwent caesarean section under general anesthesia at 36 weeks gestation with favorable postoperative evolution. So far, there are no well-established protocols regarding the management of intracranial tumors (especially ganglioneuroblastoma) in pregnant women. Case report I.A., 20-year-old woman, G1P1L0, was admitted to our hospital due to weak, irregular uterine contractions in her 36th week of gestation. Patient’s history: in 2005 the patient was diagnosed with right parietal lobe ganglioneuroblastoma. She had undergone surgery followed by radiochemotherapy and anticonvulsive therapy with phenytoin for about one year with favorable outcome. Six years following resection, the patient had no radiologic recurrence. The pregnant woman was taken out by a gynecologist in the first trimester of pregnancy, with the usual analyzes of pregnancy, ultrasound and regular prenatal checkups without objective neurological signs until the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Therapeutic attitude assumed identification of neurological symptoms in order to determine the optimal treatment, maintaining a low fetal risk and continuing uncomplicated pregnancy until birth. Methods Investigation protocol included routine tests and imaging tests. Neurological examination revealed vestibular syndrome and nystagmus which recommended contrast MRI. MRI conclusions: In the right parietal lobe, postcentral, viewed a well-shaped image of 32mm in diameter, nongadolinium-enhanced, sequel looking. An area of oedema with irregular outline in white matter was surrounding it. In the right temporal lobe, adjacent to the sylvian seizure, in hyposignal T2 image showed a nodular-shaped tumor of about 7mm in diameter with discrete central heterogenity (gadolinium-enhanced). No perilesional oedema. Ventricular system located on the midline. MRI based neurosurgical consultation has determined that the tumor was operable and stated the need of postpartum surgery (excision of the brain tumor). All fetal biometric parameters studied were below the 10th percentile for gestational age, showing a linear decrease with gestation until the end of pregnancy. The difference between menstrual age and gestational age determined by ultrasound was 3 weeks and 3 days. Estimated fetal weight was 2420 g, which placed the infant in the 6th percentile. The amniotic fluid index was 7.5 cm, confirming the diagnosis of IUGR. The patient had received dexamethasone treatment with double purpose: fetal lung maturation and reduced perilesional cerebral oedema in order to decrease focal neurological symptoms. The association between IUGR, repeated variable cardiotocography decelerations and brain tumor recurrence with emphasized neurological symptoms imposed urgent caesarean section. Medical committee composed of obstetrician, anesthesiologist, neurosurgeon and neonatologist decided caesarean section under general anesthesia, which was performed 5 days after the admission of the patient. Results A 20 year-old patient, I.A., known with operated and radiochemotreated ganglioneuroblastoma eight years earliar, with ongoing pregnancy (36 weeks) was admitted to our clinic for weak uterine contractions and associated neurological symptoms (vestibular syndrome, nystagmus, slightly right motor deficit). She followed a protocol of blood tests, imaging and interdisciplinary consultations establishing the diagnosis of brain tumor, possible relapse of old pathology. Fetal biometry measurements and fetal biological parameters objectified the existence of fetal distress risk of premature birth or miscarriage. Those set the need for preoperative corticosteroid therapy (Dexamethasone) for lung maturation and perilesional brain oedema control and emergency caesarean under general anesthesia. Caesarean section was performed 5 days after admission, without early nor late intraoperative and postoperative complications. It resulted an unique live female newborn, weighing 2670g, 9 Apgar, with physiological vital functions, not requiring special follow-up. Recovery of the mother was complication-free with persistent, constant postoperative neurological symptoms. When discharged, the patient was recommended ambulatory neurosurgical exam to establish the opportunity of surgery targeting the brain tumor. Discussions Ganglioneuroblastoma is a tumor of the sympathetic nervous system that arises from primitive sympathogonia and is composed of both mature gangliocytes and immature neuroblasts and has intermediate malignant potential (5). These tumors are rare. They occur in fewer than five out of one million children each year (6). Ganglioneuroblastomas are extremely rare in adults, with only about 50 cases documented in people over the age of 20, and only five cases observed in the adult brain (7). There are no reports of ganglioneuroblastoma presenting during pregnancy in medical literature (8). Objectification of brain tumor by contrast MRI was necessary to establish the subsequent therapeutic management, although in literature there are â€Å"not enough studies to determine the safe use of contrast in pregnancy (9). MRI is probably the imaging diagnostic procedure of choice and should be performed when a brain tumor is suspected (10). Before pregnancy the patient was declared cured, as no clinical nor radiological tumor relapse existed for six years. It is likely that pregnancy-induced changes have a tumorigenic effect, due to several factors such as fluid retention, increased blood volume and hormonal changes (11). Pregnancy is an aggravating factor for brain tumours on which it acts by three mechanisms: acceleration of tumor growth, increase of peritumoral oedema and the immunotolerance to foreign tissue antigens that is proper to pregnancy (12). Normal physiological changes during the pregnancy, such as increased levels of gonadotropins and augmented fluid volume status may accelerate the growth of some types of brain tumors (13). The combination of oligohydramnios and IUGR portends a less favorable outcome, and early delivery should be considered (14). Treatment of brain tumor in pregnancy requires an integrated multidisciplinary approach, which includes neurosurgery, ophthalmology, radiology, obstetrics, neonatal pediatrics (15). Indication for type of delivery is controversial. The best moment to recommend the craniotomy and the neurosurgical removal of the tumor will depend of the mothers neurological condition, the histological tumor type as well as the gestational age. In a study published in 2011, performed on 10 patients with brain tumors diagnosed during pregnancy, prior to craniotomy, five patients had caesarean sections, two others had vaginal deliveries, in three patients the delivery took place after the brain tumor treatment(16). The caesarean section was made under general anesthesia. Studies have shown that general anesthesia remains safe and dependable for operative delivery in parturients with intracranial tumor. Tracheal intubation allows maternal hyperventilation thereby controlling raised intracranial pressure. Hemodynamic stability is readily achieved to maintain cerebral perfusion (17). Conclusions Ganglioneuroblastoma is a rare brain tumor in childhood, and appears exceptionally in pregnant women. Pregnancy and brain tumor have mutual negative effect on the patient. Brain tumors that develop in pregnant women have to be diagnosed and assessed through MRI, although the effect of gadolinium contrast on the pregnancy is yet unknown and needs further medical studies. The order of obstetrical an neurosurgical treatment of pregnant women with brain tumors requires an integrated multidisciplinary approach, including neurosurgery, radiology, obstetrics, neonatal pediatrics which have to assess all maternal-fetal risks and benefits. Lack of brain tumor reccurence 6 years after currative neurosurgical treatment was not enough to establish that the patient was cured. The patient suffered a brain tumor relapse 8 years after brain surgery probably due to metabolic and hormonal changes induced by pregnancy. References 1.Robertson H.E. Das Ganglioneuroblastom ein besonederer Typus im System der Neurome. Virchows Arch [Pathol Anat]. 1915;63: 147-168 2. Pavlidis NA. Coexistence of pregnancy and malignancy. The Oncologist 2002;7: 279-87. 3. Carmel Armon, Stephen A Berman. Neurologic Disease and Pregnancy. Medscape reference; 8 nov 2012 4. Ducray F, Colin P, Cartalat-Carel S, et al. Management of malignant gliomas diagnosed during pregnancy. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2006;162: 322–9. 5. Lonergan GJ, Schwab CM, Suarez ES, Carlson CL. Neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroblastoma, and ganglioneuroma: radiologic-pathologic correlation. Radiographics 2002; 22: 911-34. 6. Linda J., Vorvick, MD and Yi-Bin Chen, MD. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD. A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. Ganglioneuroblastoma; Last reviewed: February 7, 2012. 7. Schipper MH, van Duinen SG, Taphoorn MJ, Kloet A, Walchenbach R, Wiggenraad RG, Vecht CJ. Department of Neurology, Medical Center Haaglanden, The Hague, The Netherlands. Cerebral ganglioneuroblastoma of adult onset: two patients and a review of the literature. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2012 Jul;114(6):529-34. 8. Manjusha Sanjay Rathi. Ganglioneuroblastoma: First presentation during pregnancy; Program: Abstracts Orals, Featured Poster Presentations, and Posters Monday, June 17, 2013; Kings Mill Hospital, Sutton in Ashfield, United Kingdom 9. Black P, Morokoff A, Zauberman J, Claus E, Carroll R. Meningiomas: science and surgery. Clin Neurosurg. 2007;54:91-9. 10. Awada A, Watson T, Obeid T. Cavernous angioma presenting as pregnancy-related seizures. Epilepsia, 38 (7): 844-6, 1997. 11. Wlody D: Neurosurgery in the pregnant patient. Newfield P, Cottrell J, editors. Philadelphia: WW Lippincott; 1999. 12. Depret-Mosser S, Jomin M, Monnier JC, Vinatier D, Bouthors-Ducloy AS, Christiaens JL, Krivosic-Horber R. Cerebral tumors and pregnancy. Apropos of 8 cases. J Gynecol Obstet Biol Reprod (Paris). 1993; 22(1):71-80. 13. Poisson M, Pertuiset BF, Hauw JJ, Philippon J, Buge A, Moguilewsky M, et al. Steroid hormone receptors in human meningiomas, gliomas and brain metastases. J Neurooncol 1983;1:179-89. 14. Golan A, Lin G, Evron S, Arieli S, Niv D, David MP. Oligohydramnios: maternal complications and fetal outcome in 145 cases. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 1994;37:91–5. 15. Khalil E Rajab, FRCOG, FFFP Nouf Behzad N, MD, Arab Board. Brain Tumor in Pregnancy. Bahrain Medical Bulletin, Vol 35, No 1, March 2013. 16. Lynch JC, Gouvà ªa F, Emmerich JC, Kokinovrachos G, Pereira C, Welling L, Kislanov S. Management strategy for brain tumour diagnosed during pregnancy. Br J Neurosurg. 2011 Apr;25(2):225-30. doi: 10.3109/02688697.2010.508846. Epub 2010 Sep 8. 17. Lily Chang, Lian Looi-Lyons, Lydia Bartosik, Simon Tindal; Anesthesia for cesarean section in two patients with brain tumours. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia. January 1999, Volume 46, Issue 1, pp 61-65 1

Misconceptions About Homelessness Essay -- homeless poverty Essays Pap

Misconceptions About Homelessness ?Over the past year, over two million men, women, and children were homeless? in America. (NLCHP) Homeless people face an intense struggle just to stay alive despite the fact that society turns its head from the problem. The government makes laws that discriminate against homeless people, which make it, illegal for them to survive. The mistreatment of homeless people is an issue that is often ignored in our community. When you see a homeless person on the streets how do you react? Do you turn your head and ignore them? Do you become angry that they are living on the streets? Do you feel frightened and avoid the situation all together? Or do you see these people as human beings and treat them in that way? Homeless people are ?subjected to alienation and discrimination by mainstream society?. (NLCHP) Most alienation and discrimination comes from the lack of education about homeless people. There are numerous untrue myths about homeless people. Many people believe that homeless people ? commit more violent crimes than housed people.? (NLCHP) The reality is that homeless people actually commit less violent crimes than people with homes do. Dr. Pamela Fischer, of John Hopkins University, studied arrest records in Baltimore and discovered that even though homeless people were more likely to commit non-violent and non-destructive crimes, they were less likely to commit violent crimes against people. (NLCHP) The crimes that these people are committing are necessary to keep them alive. These crimes include sleeping, eating, and panhandling. Making it illegal to perform necessary daily activities in public when homeless people have no where else to go makes it impossible for homeless people to avoid violating the law. (NLCHP) Another myth about homeless people is that they do not work and that they get their money from public assistance programs. A study done in Chicago discovered that ?39% of homeless people interviewed had worked for some time during the previous month? . (NLCHP) Many of the people who do not work are actively trying to find jobs, but are discriminated against by the work force. In an interview done at the River Street Homeless Shelter I found many people who have experienced this discrimination. ?People can?t get a job without an address. When they use the shelter?s address they get turned down.? (Mike) Speaking... ...his Website provided me with many facts on civil rights violations dealing with homeless people as well as basic facts on homelessness and poverty in America. Ott, Jeff. My World. Van Nuys: Sub City. 2000. This is a book written by a former homeless man. He has overcome drug addiction as well as sexual abuse as a child. In this book he describes personal feelings as well as facts about homelessness. Rick. Personal Interview. May 8, 2000. Rick is a homeless man who works at the River Street Homeless Shelter. He has worked with many different homeless shelters in northern California. He feels that the Mayor needs to spend a night with the homeless people of Santa Cruz so that he understands what they go through. Rick is fighting the camping ban as well as working towards receiving funding for a year round shelter. United States. Constitution. First Amendment. United States: 1788. The First Amendment states that ?Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.?

Cervantes Motivation for Writing Don Quixote Essay -- Biography Biogr

Cervantes' Motivation for Writing Don Quixote  Ã‚   Miguel de Cervantes' greatest literary work, Don Quixote, maintains an enduring, if somewhat stereotypical image in the popular culture: the tale of the obsessed knight and his clownish squire who embark on a faith-driven, adventure-seeking quest. However, although this simple premise has survived since the novel's inception, and spawned such universally known concepts or images as quixotic idealism and charging headlong at a group of "giants" which are actually windmills, Cervantes' motivation for writing Don Quixote remains an untold story. Looking at late fifteenth- and early sixteenth-century Spain from the viewpoint of a Renaissance man, Cervantes came to dislike many aspects of the age in which he lived, and decided to satirize what he saw as its failings; however, throughout the writing of what would become his most famous work, Cervantes was torn by a philosophical conflict which pervaded the Renaissance and its intellectuals--the clash of faith and reason.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Cervantes began writing Don Quixote, the most direct target of his satirical intentions was the chivalric romance. He makes this aim clear in his own preface to the novel, stating that "..[his] sole aim in writing..is to invalidate the authority, and ridicule the absurdity of those books of chivalry, which have, as it were, fascinated the eyes and judgment of the world, and in particular of the vulgar.† Immediately after the beginning of the novel, he demonstrates some of the ridiculous and unbelievable writing of these books: as Alonso Quixano--the man who decides to become the knight Don Quixote, after going mad from reading too many of these romances--sits in his study, tirelessly poring over his belo... ...r (Magill 330). In Part II of the novel, however, Don Quixote becomes less of a sadly comic figure, and more heroic (331) after he stoically faces down a lion, leading Sancho to change his master’s previous title--†Knight of the Rueful Countenance†--to â€Å"Knight of the Lions†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although the tale told in Don Quixote, the account of an idealist who embarks on a seemingly impossible quest to rid society of injustice, â€Å"[has] assumed archetypal importance for what [it reveals] of the human mind and emotions (Person 81),† there is another story which remains hidden between the pages of the novel: what was Cervantes’ original intent in writing, and how that simple goal--a humorous parody of chivalric romances--eventually led to the literary embodiment of a tremendous philosophical debate: whether to let the perception of truth be dominated by faith, or by reason.   

Harper’s Bazaar Magazine Communications Report

I spoke with Michael Clinton; Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing officer who works for Hearst Corporation. Hearst Corporation is one of our nation’s leading magazine publishers, including Harper’s Bazaar Magazine. Mr. Clinton responded with enthusiasm to my questions regarding his duties as Chief Marketing Officer for Harper’s Bazaar where he is in charge of all publications that are published in magazines for the Hearst Company. He makes certain that all ads are perfectly laid out and that paying ad customers are happy with their layouts before printing. He clued me in on some vital information which I found extraordinarily useful in my search for knowledge in the marketing and communications field. I began asking Mr. Clinton if he felt that the magazine industry was worthwhile in today’s trying economical hardships and he answered by filling me in on why he felt that his job would always be beneficial, no matter what trying times the country endured. He felt that, in his honest opinion that society would always purchase magazines and his reasons were that magazines are always priced so that consumers are able to afford them since they are almost never priced beyond what reading consumers can afford. He stated that â€Å"The price of Harper’s Bazaar Magazine doesn’t usually go up often† and he also noted that â€Å"with today’s economy on the decline†, he see no reason for any price increases. I feel that Michael Clinton is happy with his marketing position. Mr. Clinton was extremely polite in our conversation as he offered words of encouragement and enthusiasm as he spoke of perfection and eye appeal in approving any magazine ads. Mr. Michael Clinton: I want to personally thank you for taking time from your busy schedule and answering the marketing and communications questions. Your answers about your position with Harper’s Bazaar Magazine helped me decide that a marketing career in fashi on magazines would be a perfect career choice for me and one that would prove exciting and productive. I feel grateful for the fact that you explained that advertising and marketing would be a safe career choice and even during economical hardships for most of your readers, that magazines are always affordable and should never affect the magazine industry. Thank you, again for your time and effort. I appreciate all the advice you have generously offered and I can easily understand why your magazines sell so many copies. Thank you,

Illegal Immigration Issues

Illegal Immigration Issues 1 Marcus Hallett AP Human Geography Immigration Essay 07 February 2011 How Should Politicians Decide on Illegal Immigration Issues? In the United States, immigration policy decisions are capable of gaining or costing this country trillions of dollars. Political choices now could change the future of millions of lives. Choices opposing immigration could cost the U. S. countless jobs, including those of native U. S. citizens and naturalized immigrants. Consider how Texas, Connecticut, Florida, and North Dakota handle this controversial issue. First, consider how Texas, a state on the Mexico-U. S. order, deals with immigration issues. It is estimated that 1. 7 million unauthorized immigrants reside in the state of Texas. (CNN, 2010) The state is currently considering new laws to require all immigrants to have proof of citizenship on their person at all times. This would also allow law enforcement officers to arrest anyone appearing to be from another country ( racial profiling) who do not carry citizenship papers with them. (The Huffington Post, 2010) Judging from local comments on the NBC Dallas-Fort Worth political news page, the overall view from citizens and politicians alike seems to be against immigration. NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, 2010) Now consider the immigration laws in Connecticut. In the city of New Haven, beginning in 2007, illegal immigrants were able to obtain ID cards from the local government. New Haven Illegal Immigration Issues 2 was the first United States city to offer this. (US Immigraton Support)Also in 2007, Connecticut became the eleventh state to offer illegal immigrants that graduate from high school eligibility to pay the in-state resident tuition to attend any of the state’s public colleges. Medina, 2007) This shows that the government in Connecticut seems to be fairly tolerant of illegal immigration and may be inclined to vote for immigration reform in support of increased immigration and naturalization. Next, look at immigration policies in Florida. Due to its proximity to the Caribbean and other Atlantic islands large numbers of immigrants, both legal and illegal, reside in the state. In late 2010 the Florida government proposed a law requiring law enforcement to check for valid citizenship on anyone thought to be an unauthorized immigrant when stopped for violation of another law. Liston, 2010) This shows that Florida’s government is becoming less passive on how it treats illegal immigration issues. Now, consider immigration in North Dakota. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services estimates that there are fewer than 2,500 illegal immigrants in the state. (StateMaster. com)North Dakota, therefore, may have a more open viewpoint on the subject. When making decisions on immigration, politicians should take into consideration how their decisions affect people’s lives. If large scale raids occur it can cause psychological trauma to the families of those ar rested and deported. Notice what one author has to say on the matter: Raids inevitably affect kids†¦ Most of these kids are U. S. citizens and most are 10 and under. After a large-scale raid, community members scramble to find and rearrange care for the children†¦ Some immigrant families hid in their homes and basements for Illegal Immigration Issues 3 days or weeks following the raids because they were afraid†¦[These] experiences induce emotional and psychological problems, and behavioral changes like changing sleep patterns, loss of appetite, and more aggressive behaviors. In the most serious cases, they experience depression, separation anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal thoughts. (Casteneda, 2007) Another thing politicians should consider when voting upon immigration laws is the economy. According to the American Immigration Council if unauthorized immigrants were legalized it could result in the US Gross Domestic Product to increase by at least . 84 percent. This would also INCREASE the number of jobs available in the US. Mass deportation of illegal immigrants could result in the United States Gross Domestic Product being reduced by 1. 6 percent. Over ten years this would amount to a loss of $2. 6 trillion. The Center for American Progress estimates that over a five year timespan the total cost of mass deportation would amount to $206 – 230 billion. (Immigration Policy Center and Center for American Progress, 2010) These choices also affect the workforce. If all immigrant dairy workers in the United States were removed, the U. S. economic output would be reduced by $22 billion, and 133,000 workers would lose their jobs, including legalized and native-born citizens. National Milk Producers Federation, 2009) It is evident that choices made within the next few years can shape the United States population, economy, and culture. If this key issue is not handled properly it could cost trillions of dollars, plunging the United States even deeper into debt. If politicians put aside their xenophobic, prejudice views and overly partisan stances and work together, this country could be Illegal Immigration Issues 4 pulled out of this deep recession and could become a strong, economically powerful force for peace. Illegal Immigration Issues References Casteneda, R. (2007, December 6). Five Questions for Rosa Castaneda. Retrieved from http://www. urban. org/toolkit/fivequestions/RCastaneda. cfm CNN. (2010, February 10). Fewer unauthorized immigrants in U. S. in 2009, government says. News, . Retrieved February 6, 2 011, from http://articles. cnn. com/2010-0210/us/illegal. immigrants_1_unauthorized-population-unauthorized-immigrants-pewhispanic-center-report? _s=PM:US Liston, B. (2010, August 11). Florida AG proposes tougher illegal immigrant curbs. Reuters. Orlando. Retrieved from http://www. euters. com/article/2010/08/11/us-usa-immigrationflorida-idUSTRE67A2XS20100811 Medina, J. (2007, June 2). Bill to Reduce Tuition for Illegal Immigrants Passes in Connecticut. The New York Times. New York. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2007/06/02/nyregion/02conn. html? _r=1 National Milk Producers Federation. (2009). THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF IMMIGRATION ON U. S. DAIRY FARMS (Survey). Retrieved from http://www. nmpf. org/files/file/NMPF%20Immigration%20Survey%20Web. pdf NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. (2010, April 28). Texas Rep Wants to Import AZ Immigration Law. NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. News, . Retrieved February 6, 2011, from http://www. nbcdfw. com/news/politics/Rep-Wants-AZ-Immigration-Law-in-Texas92305354. html StateMaster. com. (n. d. ). Estimated number of Illegal Immigrants (most recent) by state. StateMaster. com. Retrieved February 6, 2011, from Illegal Immigration Issues 6 http://www. statemaster. com/graph/peo_est_num_of_ill_imm-people-estimated-numberillegal-immigrants#source The Huffington Post. (2010, November 10). Texas Immigration Law Under Proposal Would Resemble Arizona? s Hard-Line Approach. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2010/11/10/texas-immigration-law-wou_n_780933. html US Immigraton Support. (n. d. ). Immigration to Connecticut. US Immigraton Support. Retrieved February 6, 2011, from http://www. usimmigrationsupport. org/connecticut. html Marcus Hallett Digitally signed by Marcus Hallett DN: CN = Marcus Hallett, OU = Comodo Trust Network – PERSONA NOT VALIDATED Reason: I am the author of this document Location: Morristown, Tennessee, USA Date: 2011. 02. 06 21:51:47 -05'00'  © 2012 Marcus Hallett. All Rights Reserved.

Ethics and Wealth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics and Wealth - Essay Example Those who own wealth do so area under discussion to a communal mortgage, so to speak. And, in the Catholic social tradition, the lien is held by an authority senior than that of any bank. If wealth is produced by contributing with others in the application of advancing knowledge to further the common good, then its creation does not produce scarceness, but profusion. The significant scope here is contribution and instrumentation. The production of wealth ought to support contribution, not prohibiting; profusion, not scarceness. Wealth is a tool, certainly not an end in itself. Its societal conclusion is communal justice and, "communal justice is essentially communal participation--not only access to the distribution of material goods but also to the very process of wealth creation" (Simona Beretta, pp. 137-38). According to Adam Smith the Creation of wealth includes the four factors of production that are land, labor, capital and organization. The ethical part related to land is that whether the land or resources which are owned by the owner is fairy inherited or owned. There shouldn't be illegal act for obtaining the resource for production of wealth. For example people prepare illegal papers to show ownership of the land and claim to be the owner of such land which doesn't belong to them. This is unethical part. Generally la Generally labor is the mental or physical work which is done for the sake of reward. Ethical part in this factor is that the mental or physical work done to create money should be acceptable by the society and its norms and values. For example the burglars do unethical physical work to create or to produce money. Ethically production of wealth includes labors working in restaurants, shopping malls, hospitals etc. Creation of wealth also includes the capital and organization. Capital is the manmade resource which could be used by the organization to produce goods and services. Now ethics has to do much with it. The capital employed to earn profit is the right of every organization but again it should not commit such illegal actions to earn profit which are not tolerated by the society.Reflection on the Catholic tradition on wealth Robert Kennedy, in "Wealth Creation within the Catholic Social Tradition," indicates the past of Catholic philosophy on wealth from its scriptural sources to the present encyclicals. In this institution, wealth is evaluated ethically in light of the human profession. The resources of the earth are destined to please our desires in society and to create genuine profusion, but they can easily divert us from idol and turn out to be a nuisance to both wealthy and deprived. For example the production of such medicines which are off low quality and can affect the health of the consumer. This is not ethical way to produce wealth. It takes us towards materialistic approach and away from God .Organizations should be careful to avoid unethical activities to create wealth. Role of ethics in distribution of wealth: "Wealth is the same as manure. If you pile it all in one place, you burn the plants under

Youth justice in 2011 is tougher on crime than on the causes of crime Essay

Youth justice in 2011 is tougher on crime than on the causes of crime - Essay Example Youth justice provides justice to juvenile offenders who are legally not old enough or under 18 years of age. The main purpose of Youth justice or juvenile justice is to provide rehabilitation services to the youngsters rather punishing them. The basic aim of providing rehabilitation services to the youngsters is to prohibit them from future crimes and to lower down their criminal activities. Positive assistance is provided them to them by the involvement of their parents, social workers and probation officers in order to bring the positive changes in the behaviors of the young offenders and to prevent them from any other criminal activities in future. Youth justice in 2011 is tougher on crime than on the causes of crime: an analysis As discussed earlier, juvenile criminal activities are becoming the matter of growing concern for all the legal bodies around the world. Governments are taking special care and interest to minimize the causes of crime and to inhibit the criminal behavior in the youngsters. Recent riots in England have clearly showed the mental stability and the growing aggressive behavior in the young generation of England. ... ifferent criminologists, criminal activities involve all the public wrong doings committed by the teenagers falling into the age bracket of 12 to 20 years. There are several factors that sociologists believe are responsible for shaping such delinquent behavior in younger generation such as influence of the society, peer pressure and violation of different societal and moral norms. Some children are observed growing with antisocial behavior which may be the root cause of all the criminal activities. It has been observed that juvenile delinquent behavior is most common in age groups of 14 years while it is least in age groups of 17 years (Gilmore, 1990). Factors Contributing in Juvenile Delinquent Behavior: Our society emphasizes on punishing the offender for his crime rather than the cause that made him commit that crime and unless the root cause of the crime is eliminated; this problem will never be solved. Few of the most important factors that contribute in provoking and creating t he criminal mindset are: 1- Economic and Social Factors: Criminal behavior is the outcome of pessimistic consequences of social and economical development. Economic and political instability and weak state institutions are responsible for giving rise to criminal behavior. Among other factors; high unemployment rates and low incomes are also included. Such circumstances may provoke the involvement of young people in criminal activities. 2- Cultural Factors: Criminal behavior may also be the outcome of extraordinary efforts to fit in the society one is living in and to meet that standard one can be willing to go at any limits at that point in time one may fail to distinguish between the right and the wrong. Just to meet the status quo, one may be willing to commit any crime to any limit. It

The US and European approaches to fighting terrorism Research Paper

The US and European approaches to fighting terrorism - Research Paper Example Terrorism can simply be defined as strategies to coerce or cause terror. The official Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) definition of terrorism takes apart domestic and international terrorism.The FBI (2002) explains, "Domestic terrorism refers to activities that involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any state; appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; to influence the policy of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States." It further says, "International terrorism involves violent acts or acts of dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any state, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or any state." (White p4)The European believes that the security at home and overseas can be accomplished if there is stability and development in the Mediterranean. In France where there is a large population of Muslim and Jews, practically every significant domestic political issue from crimes, immigration, and anti-Semitism, has an imperative Mediterranean dimension. They perceive that the source of terrorism lie in the economic, social and political discriminations that are prevalent on the southern seaside of the Mediterranean and as such can only be addressed through a broad structure that hits at the deepest causes of terrorism. During the time that the Soviet Union crumbled, the members of the European Union no longer saw possible North-South conflicts or nuclear threats. Instead, they saw various south-south conflicts and series of new transnational risks such as illegal trafficking of arms, drugs and even persons; terrorism connected to numerous religious issues; immigration. EU further believes that European security should be less focused on military conditions instead to s ocial and political development of Mediterranean. In the United States, the FBI is a part of vast criminal justice machinery tasked to maintaining legal and political order. They deal with terrorism based on how they perceive acts related to it. According to the FBI, "Terrorist acts are intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping and occur primarily outside the territorial jurisdiction of the United States or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they accomplished, the persons they appear intended to intimidate or coerce, or the locale in which their perpetrators operate or seek asylum." However, other people are apprehensive about the way the US defines terrorism since some in the Muslim countries believe that the values of the Islam are threatened by the materialism of the West. The US focus to fighting terrorism is to strengthen its military cap acities. They are plagued by what had happened during the 9/11 that US became aggressive in terms of fighting terrorism. Even when countries are cooperating fully, there is no way to suppress or prohibit every conceivable terrorist movement or conspiracy. A more realistic situation would be to increase considerably the costs and risks that criminals and terrorists face when they choose to engage in conspiracies. Further than that, more measures can be taken. The United States can work more with European partners to strengthen states in

A Chiling Hike Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Chiling Hike - Essay Example The trails were set aside by the City of Desoto and Dallas County. The Roy Orr Hiking Trail is a 3.6 mile trail nestled in the heart of Desoto, and it consists of five different possible routes: Mirkes Parkway-Town Center, Town Center-Polk Street, Polk Street-Meadows Pkwy, Meadows Parkway-Plantation, and Plantation-Murphy Hills Park. Depending on the season, the trail includes beautiful waterfronts and rolling hills, a few of which are gentle and a few of which are steep. In my opinion, it is one of the best hiking areas in the metro area. I decided to walk the trail in spite of the wintry weather Texas was experiencing. I hadn’t walked the trail in about four months, so I set out to see what new things I would discover during my wintery walk. It was the first time that I had walked the trail during the winter months. Texas is usually seasonable even in winter; people don’t associate it with snow and ice. However, sometimes it does snow in Texas, and during my hike, thi s was one of those times. I wore lots of layers and took a notebook, a pencil, and my thermos full of hot coffee. When I started on the trail at 1PM, it was 17 degrees, and there was no one around. Usually I see a few other people around on the trails, but on this day it was very empty. Also, because the trees had all lost their leaves, I was able to see farther along the sides of the trail.

What and How Human Resources Strategies Can Be Implemented Essay

What and How Human Resources Strategies Can Be Implemented - Essay Example Wal-Mart is one of the largest employers in the world and implements effective human resource practices and strategies to maintain the diverse work culture in the company. The company maintains a detailed database for its human resources and keeps eye to the intricate details of proper recruitment, training and development, compensation and performance management for the employees. The effective management and human resource practices are identified as the key factors for driving the success of Wal-Mart through decades of its operations across the globe. Strategic human resource management plays a critical role in delivering the performance of Wal-Mart. Therefore, the company pays major attention to the human resource practices followed in the organization. 1. Recruitment Wal-Mart over the years of operations has taken various recruitment and staffing policies in order to maximize their outputs with the minimum costs incurred. In 2013 June the company had been hiring only the tempora ry staffs for their U.S. stores. Though the temporary recruitment is one of the popular policies of the retail organizations during the holiday seasons when they would require additional employee strength. However, the company had adopted this policy at a time when there is no such pressure of the holiday season in the US market. According to the managers of the organization that policy was taken to ensure that there is no dearth of employee in Wal-Mart in running their day to day activities. They also claimed that it was not something that the company had taken in order to cut the cost of hiring the employees (Morrison, 2006, pp. 75-91). This is because the cost of hiring a permanent employee is much more than what it takes to hire a temporary worker. But this was denied by the managers of the organization. The Human resources managers has taken this strategy on the ground that the temporary workers would be adequately able to meet up the needs of Wal-Mart on the nights of the week days and on the weekends when the number of footfalls in the stores in the greatest. Thus there would no need for hiring the additional permanent staff that would otherwise be required (Needle, 2010, pp. 112-137). This would however lead to a slackening of the employment in the country of US since the employment in the company is huge and would comprise of the large section of the employed population of the company. This policy may not be considered as a feasible policy considering the long run scenario (Marching ton and Wilkinson, 2012, pp. 45-59). This is because the temporary employees are generally not loyal to the company and therefore if they get better offer they would switch to the other companies from Wal-Mart. There would also be lack of motivation among the employees to do the job because of the lack of loyalty among the employees and the lesser remuneration that they would derive out of the organization. This is also unethical on part of the company to recruit the tempor ary workers in order to dodge the healthcare costs (Kew and Stredwick, 2008, pp. 241-297). This is because the new healthcare laws of the United States demand that the organizations that hire the workers on a permanent basis have to provide them with healthcare benefits. In order to retain the loyalty of the employees and to keep them motivated to the work the company has to provide them with these healthcare benefits as well. They should also be provided with the insurances in order to take care of the ethical aspects of the business. 2. Training and Development In

The Key Political Ideas Essay Example for Free

The Key Political Ideas Essay Over the past 150 years a number of new political ideas have developed and been accepted as normal practice throughout the majority of European and international society, these come from all sectors on the political spectrum; ranging from extreme left to extreme right. Most of these have been manifested in one way or another since as far back as the middle ages, but it is only in very recent history that they have really ‘stolen the limelight’. These ideas are not only responsible for forming the contemporary societies we live in, but also along the way they have influenced some of the most principal and key events history cares to remember. These political ideas that have developed can be classified into two separate categories. The first category includes liberalism and nationalism, both of which are not confined to one country, these are broad ideals and can be found in many ideologies throughout the world we live in today. The second involves the more radical and extreme ideologies such as Fascism, Communism and Nazism. The main school of thought indicates that the first category contains the base ideals for the second categories more extreme politics. For example Nationalism is widely believed to be the basis for Fascism. History is created when something changes and we look back at what it was before. The period of study is full of history, therefore it is also packed full with change and developments. Main areas of change were the specific areas of politics, societal change and economic change. 150 years ago, perhaps the most significant change in recent history was sweeping the world. Industrial revolutions were now seen as the way forward and Britain was at the heart, other countries were beginning to follow suit. Gone were the days of people and animals powering the machines that would draw in the harvest or produce the goods. Now machines would signify a better and more stable economic life for everybody. Or would they? One of the most prominent effects of the industrial revolution was that now people had lost their jobs to machines then surely they would not be needed by the owners of the means of production. It would only take a small number of men to operate the machines, surely the rest would have to look elsewhere for work? Not long before a German Sociologist and Historian named Karl Marx had warned against the dangers of the industrial revolution for the workers. His theory was largely ignored at the time of writing but by the time ten years had passed, his ideas had become widely accepted, cue Socialism. Marx had felt that the industrial revolution would shorten the gap between the owners of the means of production and the upper classes. A bourgeoisie culture would arise, but if these people were getting richer then the poor would only get poorer. The proletariat as he referred to them, would not benefit from this industrial revolution, the new economic age would only heighten the gap between bourgeois and proletariat. Only a small number of workers would benefit with the revolution, the rest left to become the minority, the ‘proles’ who had no influence or power, by the early 1850’s, the Proletariat had become the largest growing class group in Europe, yet they still held the minority status. Only a small number had joined trade unions, but the reason behind this was that they were illegal in a lot of places. For the Proletariat, any benefits the revolution may hold would have to wait in the future. Marx’s ideas would soon become a force in driving the striving proletariat into achieving what they believed to be a healthy state of living. Marx highlighted the fact that throughout the whole of history, the mode of production was decided upon by a small elite who only stood to gain from it, by making themselves in charge and reaping the benefits, whilst the majority of people would tire night and day helping the elite achieve their aims of being richer and more powerful. Marx also wrote on how every system that would take this form would be plagued with conflict, as the rich attempted to exploit the poor. He realised to the people however, that every system that relied so heavily on this exploitation had cracks that could be widened until the system eventually destroyed itself, he felt that Capitalism would eventually ‘Choke on it’s own wealth’. Marx felt that once the Capitalist system had destroyed itself, the system would be replaced by a new ideal, of a government run by, and for the people. The oppressed would turn against the oppressors, private ownership would be abolished, industry and commerce would now not be in the business of profit-making, but more to do with producing what was needed to get by. This was prophesised by Marx, who believed it would occur in the most highly advanced and capitalist countries in the west of Europe. This prophecy by Marx is yet to come true, many have tried and failed to instil the ideals, but pure Marxism has yet to be realised. By the many, it is meant that for example in Russia where the Bolsheviks, a Communist group, came to power, the country that lay before them did not comply with the stringent conditions Marx had laid for the realisation of his theory. Russia at the time of the Bolshevik revolution, was largely a backward country. Many of the citizens were illiterate peasants with no political experience whatsoever, the country had only just shown shades of industrialisation and the economy was in a terrible state. The previous system of government had been the Autocratic Tsarist system, not strictly a Capitalist system, due to the lack of industrialisation. This system of government had weakened after a series of reforms had been demanded, it eventually crumbled away leading a period of political tempest and reformation, this was then succeeded by the revolutions of the Bolsheviks, a group of Russian-Marxist Zealots led by Lenin, they seized power and later became the Communist Party. From the onset the Communist party were faced with a indomitable task, to take a country as backward as Russia and speed up the economy, prepare the people for twentieth century life and later industrialise to a similar level as the rest of Europe, whilst at the same time becoming a military power. Russia had been devastated from World War I and the only way to succeed in bringing any remote prosperity to the land was through a method of rule which involved suppressing individual power and concentrating every into state hands. The result was a term that very much summed up the Communist rule, ‘Totalitarianism’, in a way this was similar to the autocratic rule of the Tsar, but the consequences were promised to be better than the hardship and backwardness of the nineteenth century. The totalitarian system of government was not quite as apparent under Lenin’s rule as his was under his successor’s leadership. Such was the totalitarian extent of Joszef Stalin’s rule that many have substituted the word ‘Totalitarianism’ for ‘Stalinism’. The police state was everything, harsh discipline and economic limitations had to be imposed for success purposes. The government had total power, citizens were basically a tool of the state, used for work and as a catalyst to reach the utopian goal. This form of rule however, was in no way the method of reaching the utopia society that Marx had foreseen, there was absolutely no way forward for the people of Russia. This became apparent by the late 1980’s, when over thirty years after the death of the tyrant Stalin, the USSR was still managed in an authoritarian method, a huge bureaucratic regime where the people were distanced from the management and the communication routes for individual expression lay false and laden with danger. Official word of the Soviet government however was still promoting the false dream that the Socialist state had been achieved and that pure Communism was only a heartbeat away. It would not be fair to say that the Bolshevik system had replaced one evil for greater one. Since the second World War, the state of Russia had made huge strides towards security both economically and socially. By the 1980’s the USSR had become the world’s second highest ranked industrial country, living standards had risen significantly (although still lower than that of the Western Countries), and scientific and technological advances helped illustrate that the government had made good strides into educating a workforce quite capable of intelligent thought. However, coupled with this was the fact that the government was still of totalitarian stock and therefore had only reached the pivotal stage in Marxist theory, the dictatorship of the masses. There was no way that this could have progressed towards the final utopia. By the end of the decade this had finally dawned upon society, Nationalist uprisings throughout the Soviet Bloc, and internal political disagreements led to the final dissolution of the Soviet rule in 1991. The people of the great Soviet Union had been led on too long, they had finally decided that the decades of low economic standards and harsh militarial rule were no longer aimed at reaching the goal, they were just installed now to keep the people quiet. The people were grateful for the changes that had been made but were now impressed by the high standards of living that were rumoured about in the west. When the ‘Iron Curtain’ finally fell, the state of Eastern Europe was not one of complete turmoil, but the picture painted was of one of hardship, violence and oppression. If this was pure Communism then Capitalism need have very few worries. If Communism involved a police state and oppression, then at the other end of the scale was liberalism, a political ideal that was the exact opposite, designed to combat these exact values and create a state that was fit for mankind to live in humanely. European Liberalism can be first documented from the time of the French Revolution. The 1789 revolution draws largely upon liberalism as the reason why they are revolting against the oppression and autocratic rule. The classic quote from the ‘Declaration of the rights of man and the citizen’ reads ‘protection of the unprescriptable rights of liberty, security, property and resistance to oppression.’ These were basic rights that every man should have, it is a kind of humanitarian ‘communism’ whereby everybody is equal as a man and everybody is equal in front of the law, regardless of wealth or status. These ideals recurred in every demand by liberals for reform from that moment on. Following the rise of the new European Middle Classes in the early nineteenth century, a new challenge arose to those who had the power due to being born into the right family. The educated society outside of nobility were tired of being oppressed into accepting the ‘blue blooded’ constitutions that had evolved over centuries. They did not believe in the divine right to rule. They felt that the true way to run a country was through electoral motion, whereby a Parliament of educated and responsible elite took the power away from the ‘blue blood’ and made democratic decisions over what was right for the country they lived in. Yet because they were not committed revolutionaries intent on causing havoc until their demands were met, they were making very few steps towards achieving their goal of the liberal and Parliamentary society, especially when faced with experienced ministers as Metternich, the ‘main man’ in the Hapsburg Dynasty of Austria. Their suggestions were constantly laughed off, that was until 1848 when things finally came to a head. Early in this year the revolutions that had been imminent throughout Europe for almost twenty years finally were set into motion. These revolutions had been expected for a long while, the national revolutionaries were the most recognised groups fighting for change. However this time they were joined by a number of Liberal Revolutionary groups. Most of the liberals came from middle-class backgrounds and were businessmen fighting for the right to self-government and personal liberty, demanding that the servant-culture so apparent throughout the monarchical countries be severed and replaced with a freedom of speech for all policy. They managed to turn a few heads when at the end of the revolutions, their manifesto had been well received, and what seemed like a group of almost revolutionaries had managed to alter the course of political, social and economic history forever. However, with hindsight it is noted by major historians that the 1848 revolutions which had seemed so successful were not quite what they were thought to be. Trevelyan writes ‘1848 was the turning point at which modern history failed to turn.’ Recent historians suggest that 1848 did not bring much social and political change, this however is only apparent when looking from a liberal perspective, not from a nationalist view. In a number of ways liberalism ties in very well with Nationalism and the fact that both had their roots lie in the French Revolution promotes a sense of enormous brotherhood amongst them. The nationalists above all follow the idea that the ‘source of all sovereignty lies in the nation’, whilst the liberals have an intense dislike of Conservative Foreign powers. The nationalists in this sense were not racially orientated, nor were they into any kind of aggression about expansion and power, they basically wanted the same sort of brotherhood that the liberals wanted. One where the nation treats everybody similarly in the eyes of the law, and a nation where the rule of a number of elite intelligentsia will work for the greatness of that nations and not for the greatness of themselves. If liberalism was the glue that helped to initiate the revolutions of 1848, then Nationalism was by far the brush that it was applied with, it was the forerunning catalyst that engaged the need change. It was their campaign that led to the clash with the old orders and eventually caused them to give somewhat. The revolts had started a process of modernisation amongst the European System of governing, some of these changes were not strictly in keeping with the aims of the nationalist idealists. One of the more notable leaps into modernisation was the arrival of the new conservative rulers who realised that to pacify the masses they must appeal to them in a way that would suit their interests. Rulers who had before seen themselves as the divine ruler and kept unquestionable power were now beginning to see the benefits they would receive if they adopted a favourable stance towards nationalism. Before they had been opposed to Nationalism but now they saw it as a way of making the masses accept them as a king or queen, the masses could relate more to a leader if they were seen to be working for the greatness of the country at large, some rulers even went one step further by setting up institution that would now concentrate more power into the citizen’s hands. Whilst this was going on, German and Italian middle class liberalists who had failed to realise unification through the use of liberal tactics now turned away from their allegiance in favour of adopting a more nationalist stance. Middle class militants throughout Europe now grew closer intent on securing the goal of Conservative Liberalism and soon the prospect of two new states of Germany and Italy was shining through the previous dark clouds. In the Italian state of Piedmont, Camillio di Cavour was Prime Minister, he had been implementing economic policies that were proving admirable to the Italians of nearby states. His liberal stance was realised by the calculated leaders of some of the more powerful modernising states throughout Europe. They came to him with a redrawn map of political Europe with an aim of creating a new Kingdom of Italy. He already had the admiration of most nearby Italians, he was then left to use political diplomacy in order to force the Austrians out of Italy, his plans and policies proved successful and the new Italian Kingdom was just about complete when all but two states had joined the kingdom dominated by Piedmont, those two states joined ten years later. His cunning policy had gained him the success in creating a united Italian state, this was the success that had been eluding the more idealistic nationalists that wished for the same result. The same sort of thing was going on in Germany whereby Prussian Minister-President Otto Von Bismarck, was following similar policies to Cavour and soon had initiated the German state. However, in contrast to Cavour, Bismarck had won mass support for his king and together they devised a type of Nationalism that was more conservative and incorporated Bourgeois economics and popular authoritarianism. This conservative Nationalism allowed Bismarck to modernise the economy and constitution in Germany without having to become a liberal. Once these states were achieving political modernity the whole of Europe began a process of economic modernisation. This allowed the already industrialised states to become highly industrial, and also for the rest to join the industrial revolution. These changes in political styles of governing allowed the way for new breakthroughs in science and technology. Major breakthroughs in natural science coincided with the idea that science was now the way to answer all theoretical questions about life, humanity and other relevant topics. No longer the romanticism of the philosophical answers, idealism was now a thing of the past and the stage was set for the realist attitude that had been sweeping European politics to become the new and socially approved way of thinking. Nationalism provided the chance for members of the old order to restructure the way that they governed their lands, the people had called for change and conservative nationalism had provided the answer. However with Nationalism came the patriotic idea, and the danger that lay within this idea was that it could become too fierce. This did indeed happen and the resulting political ideal was perhaps the most dangerous we have seen throughout history, Fascism. The basic concept of Fascism was to ensure a process of regeneration in the areas of the social, economic and cultural ways of life through the concept of ethnic belonging and identity. Fascism was a strictly conflict theory and quite violently rejected liberal ideas such as freedom of expression and individual rights. The way Fascism works is that it is so extremely nationalist that it often leads to wars and destruction. The concept of Fascism really only arose in the early part of the twentieth century, even though it was not widely popular, there was usually a Fascist group operating in every country of any significance. The key to Fascist success lay within the mass destruction and suffering that had occurred in World War I, coupled with this physical devastation a number of countries were also in the middle of political upheaval. The fierce patriotism that resulted would be played upon by the Fascist groups. However it is safe to say that with the quite notable exceptions of Germany and Italy, Fascism in itself never managed to do much in the rest of Europe. In both Italy and Germany the Fascist movements managed to manouvere themselves into power, which would last until the end of World War II. The result as we know is a period of intense totalitarian rule that would lead to the deaths of millions of people. It seems easy to write but it is almost impossible to get across on paper exactly how in tense this Fascist-era was. The major Fascist force throughout Europe was the Nazi Party in Germany, although Mussolini was the founder of the ideal and the first leader, he was in effect extremely weak and ineffective. Hitler’s Germany on the other hand was a well-oiled Fascist bandwagon that kept going from strength to strength. Hitler’s plans to destroy an old and unfit Germany and replace it with the most potent nation in the world was no secret. Through the abolition of democracy and such institutions causing a person to choose, Hitler’s Nazis managed to remove anything that would cause National divisions. The replacement was the implementation of the Third Reich ideal, something that the German’s as a people could work towards, the core and the roots of the new healthy Germany. The Third Reich promoted German culture, youth and it’s importance to securing future strength and above all an allegiance to the Aryan ideal both physically and mentally. Nazism used this ethnic ideal to create it’s foreign policy, this was the same foreign policy that would lead to world war. Firstly it involved the unification of all German’s into a mother country, then once that objective had been fulfilled they would initiate the imperial policy of a Nazified Europe free from all racial enemies. It was this myth of Nazi superiority that really appealed the Germans as a people. Nazi literature would write of scientific proof that Natural Selection had led the Aryan to becoming the most advanced race on Earth, this theory of Social-Darwinism also prescribed that the Jewish race were the ‘primates on the chart’, the least evolved of all races, and it was this that was supposed to excuse the barbaric nature with which they were dealt with. This culturally based belief was one of the two most significant parts of Nazism as a political ideal. The second was the development of a modern economic structure and a modern social stratification system. Even after the devastating terms of the Treaty of Versailles, German society was still one of the most advanced in the world. The Governmental infrastructure was superior and the standards of education and living really were good in context. Coupled with the huge economic potential of industry Germany were still near the top of the power structure in Europe. One advantage that the German’s had, was their deep belief in culture and identity. They respected their history and had utmost respect for great Germans, this is why they were not really ready for democracy. They had been living under Autocratic rule for a long time and to simply adjust is not as easy as it sounds, it was almost inevitable that a dictatorship be formed as the people were more or less crying out for it . Hitler’s take on Fascism was far more extreme and committed than that of Mussolini’s. The German had a great deal more commitment to the Totalitarian principle, the race based ideology. Mussolini on the other hand was a little more liberal and didn’t really have a watertight plan as to his aims. This is not to say that the Italian was not committed, and Italian Fascism is still radical. In Italy Fascism was far less effective than in Germany and it did not really enter into peoples lives as much as the German take on it. However the two ideals came together when it came to overall aims, for Italy the idea was a rebirth of the Roman empire that once had made Italy so great; for Germany the concept was the re-aryanisation of Europe to create the ideal national community. Vitally important to both states were the state economies. Germany’s economy had been struggling since the double impact of the Ruhr crisis and the Wall Street Crash, she had been keeping extremely low reserves of foreign currency and her Balance of Payments was in drastic deficit. However, the Nazis employed Schacht to control the economy, he was a supremely efficient economist and by clever manipulation managed to produce impressive and more than stable results. The Italian economy on the other hand was fluctuating between ‘bad’ and ‘worse’ when Mussolini and his crew took charge. Mussolini took on board his own concept of the ‘corporate state’, whereby socio-economic classes lived and ruled themselves in harmony. The ‘corporate state’ however was merely a myth and the result was that behind it Mussolini was approving economic supremacy for propertied interest. The plan for it to yield prosperity for all was ludicrous. The Nazi party were also in the business of creating a huge social change throughout Germany, this was a plan to create a harmonious people who would stay allied to the cause. This was not quite as important as the economic program but no less effort went into it to ensure that it was successful. The truth is however that no matter how hard they tried the Nazis could not attain the social revolution they wished for. In the end they had to settle for a contented society, not one who were happy all the time with the government. One thing that they did manage though was the near elimination of unemployment, this was a minor miracle in itself, especially considering that in 1929 almost 6 million Germans were receiving no salary at all. The rise in production and sales figures for consumer goods in the early thirties suggest a rise in the standard of living. Because of the lack of commitment in Italy, the Fascist period for them was one of a decline in living standards, researchers have found it hard to put an accurate estimate on the extent of the decline, but one of the best estimates is that a farm labourer lost half of the value of his real wages in the period 1929-1937. One thing that the Fascists did give was a range of benefits for the worker, such as sick pay, holiday pay, severance pay and end of year bonuses. Many of these benefits were important to the Fascists and their success is easy to see as most are still in use today in all industrial countries. Over the past 150 years, it is quite clear that some of the political ideas have in some way or another influenced the change and development that has occurred in society. Some have influenced society in a positive way, whilst others have perhaps added a negativity to society. Socialism has helped highlight the fact that it is easy for Capitalist systems to neglect and exploit the worker. The reaction to this has been to make a number of reforms and draw up a list of workers rights. If Socialism had not been realised then even today we may still see men growing extremely rich upon the exploitative toils of the common worker. As it is men do grow rich off of workers toils but the exploitation is certainly not considered a regular problem in European society. The extremity of Socialism, Communism however has illustrated that attempts to create utopian societies are more or less in vain as human nature dictates that the equality and economic similarity cannot be achieved. Liberalism and Nationalism are perhaps the most influential political ideals that have come about in the last century and a half. They have helped design the standard style of government for contemporary society, whereby democracy prevails and the issues of the masses are dealt with in a way that best suits them by people they have elected to represent them. The Nationalist approach has seen the modernisation of economies and encouraged all European countries to industrialise. This has been for the good of all as a more stable economy creates greater employment and subsequently a better standard of living. The Fascist and Nazi dawns have obviously shed a darker light on the development of society. They have shown how barbaric people can really be, however had they not occurred then society would be a different place. They have helped show that in a multi-cultural society extreme racism is not acceptable, and hopefully with the disastrous consequences they inflicted upon themselves, they will have dissuaded people today who may have the urge to try and take over Europe. The basic underlying theme is that without these ideals then the world as we know it today would be different, our economies have been modernised by them, our living standards have been raised by them and our political influence has been greatened by them, these are the three most significant changes they have influenced and the fact they have covered social, economic and political factors is an example of how important the development of new political theories and ideals is. What these political ideals have left us with is the latest theory, and the one that many societies use today, Liberal-Capitalism is believed to be the end of history. The way in which free market business is encouraged, yet the exploitation of the common worker is not the norm. Whether this is the end of history is yet to be determined, for we don’t know whether Marx’s pure, utopian Communist society will happen, or whether a Fascist regime that has all the appeal to control Europe could occur. In my opinion these ideals have contributed to the development of the fairest society possible today, but tomorrow who knows?