Education of Girl Child Is Burden Essay

The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad[2] and commonly known as London 2012, was a major international multi-sport eventcelebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games, as governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It took place in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The first event, the group stage in women’s football, began two days earlier, on 25 July.[3][4] More than 10,000 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated.[5] Following a bid headed by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe and then-Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, London was selected as the host city on 6 July 2005 during the 117th IOC Session in Singapore, defeating bids from Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris.[6] London was the first city to host the modern Olympic Games three times,[7][8] having previously done so in 1908 and in 1948.[9][10] Construction for the Games involved considerable redevelopment, with an emphasis on sustainability.[11] The main focus was a new 200-hectare (490-acre) Olympic Park, constructed on a former industrial site at Stratford, East London.[12] The Games also made use of venues that already existed before the bid.[13] The Games received widespread acclaim for their organisation, with the volunteers, the British military, and public enthusiasm praised particularly highly.[14][15][16] Theopening ceremony, directed by Danny Boyle, received widespread acclaim.[17][18] During the Games, Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, winning his 22nd medal.[19] Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei entered female athletes for the first time, so that every currently eligible country has sent a female competitor to at least one Olympic Games.[20] Women’s boxing was included for the first time; thus, the Games became the first at which every sport had female competitors.[21] By 15 July 2003, the deadline for interested cities to submit bids to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), nine cities had submitted bids to host the 2012 Summer Olympics: Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig,London, Madrid, Moscow, New York City, Paris and Rio de Janeiro.[22] On 18 May 2004, as a result of a scored technical evaluation, the IOC reduced the number of cities to five: London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris.[23] All five submitted their candidate files by 19 November 2004 and were visited by the IOC inspection team during February and March 2005. The Paris bid suffered two setbacks during the IOC inspection visit: a number of strikes and demonstrations coinciding with the visits, and a report that a key member of the bid team, Guy Drut, would face charges over alleged corrupt party political finances.[24] Throughout the process, Paris was widely seen as the favourite, particularly as this was its third bid in recent years. London was seen at first as lagging Paris by a considerable margin. Its position began to improve after the appointment of Lord Coe as the new head of London 2012 on 19 May 2004.[25] In late August 2004, reports predicted a tie between London and Paris.[26] On 6 June 2005 the IOC released its evaluation reports for the five candidate cities. They did not contain any scores or rankings, but the report for Paris was considered the most positive. London was close behind, having closed most of the gap observed by the initial evaluation in 2004. New York and Madrid also received very positive evaluations.[27] On 1 July 2005, when asked who would win, Jacques Rogge said, â€Å"I cannot predict it since I don’t know how the IOC members will vote. But my gut feeling tells me that it will be very close. Perhaps it will come down to a difference of say ten votes, or maybe less.†[28] On 6 July 2005, the final selection was announced at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. Moscow was the first city to be eliminated, followed by New York and Madrid. The final two contenders were London and Paris. At the end of the fourth round of voting, London won the right to host the 2012 Games with 54 votes to Paris’s 50.[29] The celebrations in London were short-lived, being overshadowed by bombings on London’s transport system less than 24 hours after the announcement.[30] The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games used a mixture of new venues, existing and historic facilities, and temporary facilities, some of them in well-known locations such as Hyde Park and Horse Guards Parade. After the Games, some of the new facilities will be reused in their Olympic form, while others will be resized or relocated.[38] The majority of venues have been divided into three zones within Greater London: the Olympic Zone, the River Zone and the Central Zone. In addition there are a few venues that, by necessity, are outside the boundaries of Greater London, such as the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy some 125 miles (200 km) southwest of London, which hosted the sailing events. The football tournament was staged at several grounds around the UK.[39] Work began on the Park in December 2006, when a sports hall in Eton Manor was pulled down.[40] The athletes’ village in Portland was completed in September 2011.[41] In November 2004, the 200-hectare (500-acre) Olympic Park plans were revealed.[42] The plans for the site were approved in September 2004 by Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney and Waltham Forest.[43] The redevelopment of the area to build the Olympic Park required compulsory purchase orders of property. The London Development Agency was in dispute with London and Continental Railways about the orders in November 2005. By May 2006, 86% of the land had been bought as businesses fought eviction.[44] Residents who opposed the eviction tried to find ways to stop it by setting up campaigns, but they had to leave as 94% of land was bought and the other 6% bought as a  £9 billion regeneration project started.[45]

Anti-Globalization different

â€Å"Globalization† means different things to many people.   Some think of it positively, while others don’t.   Some view it with hope and confidence, others with fear, sometimes with hostility.Globalization, according to the definition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is a historical process, the result of human innovation and technological process.   It refers to the increasing integration of economies around the world, particularly trade and financial flows.The term sometimes also refers to the movement of people (labor) and knowledge (technology) across international borders† (IMF Staff, 2002).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A more simplistic definition of globalization refers to it as the â€Å"process of increasing the connectivity and interdependence of the world's markets and businesses† (Investor Words, 2007).   Such a process has sped up dramatically in the last two decades as technological advances make it easier for people to travel, communicate, and do business globally.Globalization is not entirely a new concept.   Analysts argued that the world economy became global as early as during the height of the rivalry between Spain and Portugal for world supremacy in the 15th Century.   Commerce and financial services are just far more developed and deeply entrenched now than they were at that time because of the availability of modern electronic communication.Moreover, commerce and trade among countries have been simplified with the establishment in 1995 of the World Trade Organization, a powerful international body composed of 150 countries, mandated to mediate trade disputes among member nations.While the WTO is relatively young, its trading system is over half a century old because its predecessor was the General Agreement on Tariff and Tax (GATT) which was founded in 1948.   The old GATT evolved through several rounds of negotiation until it was renamed into the present WTO with expanded powers and respons ibilities that now cover trade in services and traded inventions, creations, and designs – collectively known as intellectual property.Officials of   IMF, World Bank and WTO have high hopes for globalization to improve the impoverished lives of people across the globe, particularly those from Africa.  They take credit for the improvement of Third World economies, including that of India, in recent years.   Developed countries such as the United States, EU, Japan, and Canada have bonded together to collectively endorse trade globalization through the WTO as a means to liberalize trade   (IMF Staff, 2000).Unfortunately not everyone is happy with globalization, particularly developing countries.   Some view the WTO with distrust and have rejected it altogether.   Others with suspicion and misgiving, but joined it nevertheless as a necessary evil.   They feel globalization is the handiwork of multinational companies out to dictate their terms to the hapless Third Wo rld.In general, those who oppose globalization as institutionalized by the WTO, World Bank, and other similar institutions, believe that it undermines the sovereign will of poor and developing countries in favor of multinational corporations from developed countries. They claim that corporations are given too much privilege to move freely across borders, extracting desired natural resources from poor countries and claiming them as their â€Å"intellectual property.†For example, a multinational company could secure a certain plant or organism with medicinal value endemic to a particular country and claim to own it under the rules of intellectual property.Because of the stringent, or rather lopsided, rules on intellectual property rights by the WTO in favor of multinational companies, countries are becoming more and more subservient to multinational pharmaceutical companies for the treatment of dreaded diseases like AIDs.Despite the availability of cheaper generic drugs, many c ountries in Africa stricken with the AIDS pandemic are unable to secure them â€Å"because countries must jump through multiple hoops to prove they are truly in need, unable to afford patented drugs and incapable of producing the medicines domestically. Meanwhile, there is no guarantee that there will be a sufficient supply of drugs for them to buy, since the deal also puts up hurdles for countries wanting to export† (Klein, 2001).Poor agricultural countries are likewise at the losing end of the bargain in so far as globalization is concerned.   Aside from their access to cheap agricultural inputs, including mechanized equipment, developed countries provide heavy subsidies not just in terms in farm inputs but also in terms export subsidies that make their agricultural products more attractive on the international market.Farm products such as vegetables, beef, and poultry are practically being dumped in poorer countries at prices that cause declines in the agricultural secto r of many developing nations.â€Å"The current inequities of the global trading system are being perpetuated rather than resolved under the WTO, given the unequal balance of power between member countries, according to Jean Ziegler, UN Special rapporteur on the Right to Food† (Wikipedia, 2007).   Such inequality is evident in the refusal of the United States to sign and honor the Tokyo Protocol, which compels countries to reduce the use of fossil fuel to reduce global warming, and still get away with it.Using their rights as WTO members and drawing support from the academe and non-government organizations, insider critics of the International Property Rights have openly criticized trade liberation as a bad policy that â€Å"move money from people in developing countries† (Intellectual Property Rights, Wikipedia).  Ã‚   They have demonstrated their opposition to many WTO policies in various fora, including mass rallies and demonstrations during important WTO meeting s.The first international anti-globalization protest was organized simultaneously in many cities around the world on June 18, 1999.   The movement was called the Carnival Against Capitalism, or J18 for short.  Ã‚   The day was marked by organizers as an international of protest to coincide with the 25th G8 Summit in Koln, Germany.   The protest in Eugene, Oregon turned into a riot when rallyists drove the police out of a small park.The second major mobilization of the anti-globalization movement was held on November 30, 1999, and was known as N30.   It is by far the most unsettling protest action against globalization, with protesters blocking delegates’ entrance to the WTO meetings in Seattle, USA.The protesters and Seattle riot police clashed in the streets after police fired tear gas at demonstrators who blocked the streets and refused to disperse. Over 600 protesters were arrested and thousands were injured.The protest movement was inextricably anti-globalization and anti-multinational corporation (MNC), but was unclear over the alternatives and new directions it wished to offer.   Nevertheless, the movement,   including the less eventful A16 Movement in Washington D.C., cannot be ignored as it spelled out in no uncertain terms the widespread anguish about the direction that globalization has taken and a sense of loss of democratic control by developing countries over their options.The protest also demonstrated lack of faith in the legitimacy of international institutions to objectively mediate trade disputes among nations because of a perceived notion that rules are loaded in favor developed countries.The protest movement debunks First World perception that it has the answers to problems being encountered by their Third World neighbors over issues of trade, health, food supply, poverty, environment, etc.  Ã‚   It does not, especially given our global history of abuse by wealthy nations to amass wealth and power at the expenses of poor er nations.BIBLIOGRAPHYBarnet, Richard J. & Ronald E. Muller. 1974. Global Reach: The Power of the Multinational Corporations. New York: Simon and Schuster.Berry, Jeffrey M. 1999. The New Liberalism: The Rising Power of Citizen Groups.Washington: The Brookings Institution.Gill, Stephen. 2000. Towards a Postmodern Prince? The Battle in Seattle as a Moment in the New Politics of Globalization. Millennium, 29(1): 131-40.IMF Staff. 2000.   Globalization:   Threat or Opportunity?Investor Words. 2007.   Globalization.Kanbur, Ravi. 2001. Economic Policy, Distribution and Poverty: The Nature of Disagreements. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University.Keohane, Robert. O and Joseph S. Nye. 1977 Power and Interdependence: WorldPolitics in Transition. Boston: Little Brown.Klein, Naomi. 2001. No Logo. New York: Picador.Lichbach, Mark I and Paul Almeida. 2001 â€Å"Global Order and Local Resistance: TheNeoliberal Institutional Trilemma and the Battle of Seattle.† Working Paper: Universityof C alifornia, Riverside, February 26.   

Athletes and Financial Investment Firms

The goal for a large majority of individuals in today†s society is to achieve maximum financial stability in the shortest period of time possible. However, most do not achieve this goal as expeditiously as they once had hoped. It is for this reason that a majority of individuals view their success in relation to what one obtains in the form of both material goods and financial acquisitions. Does the acquisition of material goods or financial gains insure financial stability? Is there peace of mind for an individual once these goals of procurement are achieved? Is there anyway to insure financial peace of mind? The simple answer would be to become a professional athlete, to win the lottery, or marry into Bill Gate†s family. However, these are all long shots for a majority of the world. But even these do not guarantee long-term financial stability. That is why it is becoming increasingly important to possess a high level of competency in the area of wealth management. What exactly is wealth management? Wealth management is the proficient administration of one†s total assets through financial planning and accurately allocating wealth to achieve a financial goal. Financial planning integrates the execution of various financial services, which promote growth, and stability of an investor†s wealth. Planning is differentiated according to the specific needs and focus of individuals. A high-net-worth individual would bear distinct goals that differentiate from that of a small-time investor. Albeit that these investors may have unique objectives, the necessity for a competent provider of such financial services is evident. The world of finance is unpredictable and continuously shifting. Investors find themselves overwhelmed by intimidation caused by the perception that investment firms are bottom-line oriented with no regard to their personal financial goals. As a result, investment firms are making resilient efforts to educate investors and offer them extended financial services. These services are specifically designed through a financial plan, which caters to the individual investor.

Microbiology Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

Microbiology - Lab Report Example We went through intricate aseptic techniques for preparing microbial cultures from the commensal population of microbes in the GI tract isolated from the diabetic and normal rats for recording their count from the extent of lactate, acetate, and glucose production based on four kinds of bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacteriaceae sp, Lactobacillus sp, and Enterococcus sp. The basic kinds of agar displays that were used included, Mannitol Salt Agar for Staphylococcus aureus, MacConkey Agar for Enterobacteriaceae sp, Slanetz & Bartley agar for Enterococcus sp and MRS Agar for Lactobacillus sp. Subsequently we observed the commensal microbial growth in 4 and 8 week diabetic rats along with that in normal rats for obtaining comparative figures through a number of confirmation tests including Catalase test, Coagulase Test, RAPIDEC Staph Test, Oxidase test and API 20E Test. Significant findings showed that the diabetic rats weighed more than the normal rats. The stool of the Ileum and colon of normal and diabetic rats were sent to investigate the microbial aberrancies, after the induction of streptozotocin. Consequently there was an incidental increase in GI tract microbes. The results showed that diabetes in rats were caused 3 days after streptozotocin. Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)is a condition where the level of blood glucose rises due to absence of insulin. Here either insulin is not formed or if formed then the amount is very little. This condition usually occurs under the age of 30 and the patient requires insulin injections for life. Type 1 Diabetes is known as insulin dependent and juvenile onset diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is associated with a number of autoimmune conditions. The strongest association is with Celiac disease, Hashimoto's disease, or hypothyroidism; Graves' disease, or hyperthyroidism; Addison's disease, or adrenal failure, and Pernicious anemia The link between the GI tract immune system and T1D has been suggested by studies that have demonstrated that dietary factors modify the disease in animal models of autoimmune diabetes(Vaarala, 2004). These microbial organisms play an essential role in the anerobic breakdown of carbohydrates and protein molecules, thereby affecting the energy storage mechanism in the hosts. Indigestible dietary fibers are broken into Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) by these commensal microbes and polysaccharides are efficiently broken down to monosaccharide units prior to be absorbed from the lumen of the gastro intestinal tract for subsequent hepatic lipogenesis (Backhed et al., 2004). These metabolites that are end products of bacterial degradation are important for colonal activity causing motility and secretion during digestive processes (Scheppach, 1994). The commensal microbes in the GI tract also induce the expression of certain genes coding proteins necessary for cellular functions in the system. There are significant evidences to prove that the Ang4 expression in the small intestine is controlled by the microbial flora. The GI tract bacteria are also responsible for causing faster Ang4 processes in the intestine, which results in innate immune

(Alcohol) Cause and Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

(Alcohol) Cause and Effect - Essay Example They want to feel grown up. Another cause is that, strictly forbidding kids to touch alcohol increases the curiosity inside them. They turn out breaking the laws and standing liable for penalties. Studies have suggested that most teens drink out of their excitement that they get in breaking the law. Some disastrous effects of alcohol include affected brain activity, memory and concentration; increased emotional mood swings; inability to perceive the direction of sound; dysfunctional reproductive system; and, increased risk of breast cancer (Doheny). It also leads to affected driving leading to accidents, and family violence. Consumption of alcohol at a young age badly affects learning, memory, thinking capacity, judgment, and decision-making capability (StarTribune). To conclude, alcoholism starts due to peer pressure. It also tarts due to the fantasy that evokes due to strict prohibition. However, considering so many bad effects associated with drinking, it is wise to prohibit the consumption of alcohol at a very young

Shakespearean Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Shakespearean Drama - Essay Example Jews were only allowed to be money lenders or peddlers. It was common that they didnt charge interest but only took property if the debt was not honored. Jews were stereotyped as very few people actually met a Jew in his life time. It was humorous to say that Shylock wanted a pound of flesh as payment, knowing that it would never be done. This is ironic symbolism of being circumcised which is one of the steps of conversion towards Judaism. At the end of the play he is being forced to convert to Christianity. Secondly, murder would never be accepted. Antonio had been rude and nasty. Why should Shylock have ever done anything nice for him as giving him the 3000 Ducats. They had a love hate relationship. This is something which one only does for a friend. Something else was making him furious and had changed in their relationship. Perhaps losing his daughter to his Christian Servant where they both run away to get married. Then Lorenzio goes to work for Antonios friend Basanio. Shylock has a lot to be angry for. It is no longer a question of money thus the stereotype of money no longer is applicable. "The quality of mercy is not strained †¦ it blesseth him that gives and him that takes." (Portia, IV, i)  Portia is saying that mercy is higher that demanding justice. Shylock recognizes the contract with Antonio but if he gives him mercy, it ends there. If he demands justice, the court of Venice takes over and it will be Shylock who looses his life. Her logic is excellent and surprising. There is no reference to Judaism but to humanity itself. Mercy takes precedence over justice. "How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world." (Portia, V, i)  Portia follows later in the same seen to explain that "Nothing is good, I see, without respect. " Is she making reference to Shylock that he is indeed a good man who was wronged by Antonio. He has lost his daughter to Lorenzo who is a friend of Antonio.

U.S. Legal System and ADR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U.S. Legal System and ADR - Essay Example With regard to long arm statue, it relates to a situation where court can exercise jurisdiction over person within another state so long as that person has sufficient contact with that state. On the same note, the sufficient contact relates to such matters as if the person has contact with that states, has businesses in that state or has products that have contact with that state. Relating above to the case study, it follows that the Indiana client can bring suit in Indiana since Perry and Della have sufficient contact given that they did business with client in Indiana and by extension the court has personam jurisdiction over them. A suit could be brought to federal court if certain facts are sufficient within the case study. If the Indiana client can for example prove that the cause of action relates to suits touching on things like patent, copy right issues or bankruptcy. But the federal courts would be keen to ensure that fairness and justice is adduced to both parties given that the courts are interest in just and fair determinations. In the final pretrial conference the parties would square out the issues within the suit that would be discussed during the trial. During the pretrial session, parties will have to agree on the modalities that would be used during the trial process. Q2. The moment a determination is made that the suit can continue the parties to the legal suit could make certain discoveries. The first would come through deposition that could be done orally to interrogate the deponent. The parties could also make use of interrogatories that entail use of certain questions that are directed to the opposite party so as to request for certain discoveries of materials that relate to the suit and that which can help the court. However, they must entail only those materials and facts that relate to the case in question. Production and inspection of certain materials could also be requested as well as

Starting Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Starting Business - Essay Example Technology-based start-ups are generally strategically and operationally agile which give rise to innovation. On the other hand, start-ups ventures have scarcity of resources and often struggle to arrange funds and other operational requirements that they need to get their ideas to market. Establishing a new company presents a lot of challenges especially in its early stage. Principal reasons of opening a company in 2002, according to National Institute of statistics and economic surveys (INSEE) were: Buyout of a company, though less riskier task, involves a lot of intricacies. Raising the funds is major challenge of any buyout. Following elements make a buyout a cumbersome and time consuming business process: Finance: Financing a buyout involves various issues such as the true value of the company and evaluation of the companies involved and the market credibility of buying company which determines the amount they can raise from market and as debts from banks. There are various ways to raise finances for funding a buyout such as debt funding, private equity financing and vendor financing. A buyout involves complex taxation issues. No two buyouts are quite the same and their tax implications vary correspondingly. The buyout benefits will diminish if proper consideration is not given for its tax consequences for individual investors, the buyout company, and the vendor. Cultural assimilation: adoption of employees to the management owner plays an important role in success of a buyout. These issues become starker if an established company is buying an already established company. Retaining existing competent workforce Retaining key personnel of the company being purchased is also an important issue which needs to be addressed in an urgent basis. Rumors may spread that the business is about to close, in this case some of the capable workforce may leave the company. Assuring workforce that their interests will be taken care of requires a clear communication with employees and their associations. Employee's protests, in several cases, can stall the buyout process. Some of the other concerns related to buyout of an existing business include the potential for inheriting: An obsolete product or mature market: If a proper assessment is not done there are chances that you purchase a company whose products are not in demand or market for the product that company is producing is mature. This makes the purpose of a buyout obsolete. Existing operational inefficiencies, obsolete equipment, or a bad optimal location for the business: This issue again adversely affects the purpose of a

Individual Operations Management Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Individual Operations Management Report - Essay Example After conducting an analysis using Statistical process control tools, the company found that there processes are out of control and they are not meeting the quality standards. Table of Contents Introduction & Problem Description: 3 Methodology: 3 Results: 4 Types of Data: 4 3 Sigma control for the processes: 4 Discussion and recommendations: 7 Conclusion: 8 Bibliography: 9 Appendix: 10 Introduction & Problem Description: RTP Industries is one of the most renowned manufacturers of steel and aluminum products. The company holds its footstep in the major countries of the world and operates globally. Due to stiff competition in the recent years from Chinese and Indian manufacturers, the company has lost a significant portion of its market share. To reestablish itself, the company is emphasizing on research and development program in order to innovate new products. Quality has remained the top priority since then as the company expects that through quality assurance and control it can aga in boost its sales. Total Quality management has been at the heart of company’s vision and it has been introducing tools and techniques to maintain the quality of its products. One of the tools it has recently deployed is Statistical Process Control for measuring the performance of the manufacturing process and to let identify it there are any weaknesses in the process. Recently, the company has received a lot of complaints regarding the hydraulic products. It was believed that the discrepancies in the size and surface quality of the steel rods are causing leakages in hydraulic products. Methodology: In order to meet the required standards and improve its quality, the quality manager has planned to run a Statistical Process Control Analysis. A Statistical process control involves a random sampling of the output of the process which determines whether the process is meeting the quality standards or not. For the above purpose, the quality manager has randomly collected data on samples of three steel rods daily. The quality manager collected two types of data The diameter of the selected steel rods was measured and recorded in centimeters over a 25 day period. The number of surface errors in the selected steel rods was calculated and recorded over a 25 day period. Results: Types of Data: There are two different types of data given to us in this scenario. The first data is concerned with the diameters of the selected steel rods. As we know that diameter is a continuous variables and it can take any value therefore we will use an x chart as a Statistical process control chart to monitor the process. The second set of data contains information about the number of surface errors in the selected steel rods. The second type of data has used sampling through attributes measure for the collection purpose. Since it contains information about whether there are surface errors in the steel rod therefore it is measuring the attributes of the steel rods. We will use a c chart as a Statistical Process Control tool for monitoring this process since there are more than one surface errors in some steel rods so we will count number of errors per steel rod. 3 Sigma control for the processes: Size of diameters of rods: For the first sample of data regarding the diameter of the

Marketing Information Of Slip Safe Australia Essay

Marketing Information Of Slip Safe Australia - Essay Example   The product is available in different colors such as and dark gray. The backing materials of the product include color bound stainless steel and zinc aluminum (Slip Safe Australia, 2015a).   Customers  The organization mainly deals with other business locations. The major consumers of the product are the tile shops, health care locations, old age care locations, shopping malls, residential apartments and hotels and restaurants such as Blue Nursing Service, Tweed Heads & Kingscliffe, John Flynn Hospital, and Grand Mercure Hotel. The product is highly considered by various local councils. A number of schools, clubs, pubs and swimming pool locations also prefer to utilize the Safety Plates and Step Edges product of the organization (Slip Safe Australia, 2015b). Competitors  The market of Australia possesses a number of slip prevention service organizations that have increased the competition for the Safety Plates and Step Edges product line of the organization. The competitors within the market include Anti Slip, General Staircase and Stair Care.   There are few stair designing companies which are also providing stair nosing facility such as OzStairs. The price competition is very high within the industry as most of the leading players are providing competitive prices. In this scenario, Safety Plates and Step Edges of Slip Safe can be considered to be higher priced which restricts the organization to achieve a competitive position (Riazi, et al., 2012).

Fashion marketing Prada and Zara Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fashion marketing Prada and Zara - Essay Example The paper "Fashion marketing Prada and Zara" analyzes the fashion brand of Prada and Zara and its marketing. Zara is a brand of fashion under the Inditex Group. Amancio Ortega created the brand in 1975 from when it has used clear strategies to beat the tight competition and gain world recognition. The company thrives on innovation, mostly coming up with new concepts that pioneer the industry trends. The company uses lucrative strategies, choosing not to advertise its products and channel the funds to other projects. Since its inception, the company has experienced tremendous growth and has a tremendous market share in the fashion industry. Most market researchers call the brand a devastating competitor and the coverage of this product is wide, serving markets all over the world. Zara and Prada have major differences in operation and organizations, which individually lead to their success. Zara is an independent retailer, preferring to open stores in most of the cities where they thin k they can get the most customers. The company does not use any advertisements for the products or stores, unlike Prada, mostly preferring to utilize the resources to open more stores and develop the business to meet the ever-changing demands in the fashion industry. However, the company may also prefer to use franchising techniques as the route of expansion when the legal requirements forbid the company to open independently owned stores. The franchised stores operate just like the other company owned stores.

Levi Strauss Essay Example for Free

Levi Strauss Essay As one attempts to assess the business ethics of Levi Strauss and Nike in this writing assignment, we are again compelled to revisit the critical distinction of conduct that is legal, yet still unethical. In both instances, Levi Strauss and Nike behaved with the parameters of legal conduct, yet few would argue that profiting from exploitive work conditions is an ethical behavior of any socially responsible organization (broad view social responsibility). Obviously, it’s very tempting to just condense this argument to the point of â€Å"bad companies boosting profits from lower labor costs via exploiting foreign workers in sweatshops†. I am going to take a much broader approach here in my assessment, as complete fairness to the two corporations here requires a bit of an indictment of the legal, regulatory, political, and socioeconomic environment that they operate in. So, let’s start there †¦ how is it that both of these large corporations are permitted (and driven) to outsource (with relative impunity) labor to countries with poor labor laws? In order to fairly assess their conduct, one must first examine the system under which they operate. How has corporate America gone down this path? Why do so many large U. S. corporations outsource labor en masse, which costs the U. S. economy so many jobs domestically? Let’s start by looking in the mirror and by that I mean you and I †¦ the U. S. consumer. Our thirst for cheap merchandise made overseas knows no limits. Do any of us look at the country of origin for goods, and if it’s non-U. S. do we even pause for a second to consider boycotting said goods due to loss of American jobs? Or boycott due to the nation of origin’s reputation for worker abuse? Of course we don’t. We want that Japanese high definition television from Wal-Mart that costs $100 less. We want the clothing from China or Indonesia that is 30% cheaper than similar brands made here. So, my first premise in this entire argument is that American consumers are NOT socially responsible in their purchasing habits. This lack of social responsibility on the demand side is a catalyst for Levi Strauss and Nike to seek cheaper labor overseas – for if they do not, their competitors assuredly will and they will be at a competitive disadvantage. Now, let’s assess the legal and regulatory environment under which both entities operate in the United States. Has Congress made it illegal to outsource labor to countries that they know are abusing their labor forces? In general, of course not. Congress maintains a blind eye to the problem, debating it over the years here and there in a politically motivated, half-hearted effort to occasionally placate certain voting segments (labor unions; displaced workers). Do they tougher their stance? Do they for one minute say to themselves, â€Å"this is really wrong, and socially irresponsible†? By inaction Congress is tacitly approving this practice, which of course is what powerful corporate lobbyists want. The profit motive has large U. S. corporations addicted to cheap labor now; Pandora’s Box has been opened and no one has the political will to attempt to close it. So let’s recap so far: we’ve indicted the U. S. consumer and our lawmakers in the legislative branch of the U. S. government (Congress) as major cultivators of the pro-outsourcing environment for which Levi Strauss and Nike must successfully operate under. Next on our list of socially irresponsible contributing parties – the judicial branch of the U.S. government. When the U. S. Supreme Court found in 2010 that the formation of so called â€Å"Super PACs† for campaign donations was legal, this gave corporations new powers under the law to, in effect, buy our government via opulent and obscene campaign spend funneled to candidates. The end result of this ruling is that corporations that profit greatly from outsourced labor are now able to pay for the elections of our Congressmen – and gee, wonder how this economic â€Å"favor† will be repaid when attempts to rein in outsourcing come up in Congress? Let’s move on to our two protagonists in this debate: Levi Strauss and Nike. Now that we’ve got the backdrop well in hand, and a reasonable person would agree that a massive systemic failure in the U. S. has allowed and promoted unchecked outsourcing of jobs, it’s time to discuss these two corporate giants and their respective behaviors here. Do these two corporations have a responsibility to monitor the conduct of the companies they do business within particular, their contractors and suppliers? As a personal believer in the broader view of corporate social  responsibility, I believe that they do. Notwithstanding the fact that all of this outsourcing is legal, and despite the mitigating factors that I’ve argued above that do alleviate these two companies of all of the blame – I still believe that they need to take the higher moral ground. Levi Strauss overall has conducted itself with far greater corporate social responsibility than Nike has, in my judgment. Strauss for many years withdrew from China due to their notoriety as a non-democratic country with abusive labor conditions. Regrettably, it had to re-enter China eventually to keep pace with competitors. Also, witness the way that Strauss treated its displaced U. S. workers as it (with some remorse) eventually had to close all its U. S. plants due to competition from outsourcers. Strauss gave generous severance and retraining dollars to the affected workers. In my estimation, Strauss has had to compromise its socially responsible corporate culture due to pressures from the warped competitive environment that was designed around them. It became a matter of survival for their corporation; their management had to adapt or risk failure and loss of the shareholders’ investments in the company. That is why I authored the overview above – I think it’s highly relevant to assessing Strauss’s conduct here. The system failed Levi Strauss – they wanted to behave under the broad definition of corporate social responsibility, but the demand for cheaper outsourced goods by consumers and the legality of outsourcing jobs (Congressional oversight failure) forced an adaptive change against their moral grain. Nike, however, is no apologist when it comes to their outsourcing. In fact, they are proud of it – even boasting that they pay outsourced workers higher than average wages for their region. To me, this is tantamount to bragging that â€Å"we don’t abuse those workers as badly as others do†. Frankly, that attitude offends my sensibilities and my personal set of ethical standards. I also deem it to be in direct conflict with the broader definition of corporate social responsibility. Lastly, I think that corporations have the obligation to take the ethical high ground and behave in a socially responsible manner (broad definition). That said, however, I do not believe that it’s a fair expectation to demand that high standard if adhering to same places the company’s very existence at risk due to systemic failures beyond their control. Levi Strauss attempted to â€Å"do the right thing†, but poor rules and oversight make competing in a broad ethical manner quite dangerous to its ultimate survival. Strauss’s example should serve as a wakeup call to U. S. consumers and our Congress: systemic change is needed, and it’s needed NOW.

International Accounting Developments in Egypt

International Accounting Developments in Egypt Identify the nature of the accounting system used in the country and give supporting evidence to justify the reasons for your decision. As a country, Egypt has experienced a dramatic change towards democracy and transparency. This has further been exposed within the financial statements produced in the country. Through the development of the Egyptian Accounting Standards, the country has transformed from a centralised economy, branded by secrecy to an economy based around the global market, providing full disclosure for its stakeholders (Dahawy, Merino and Conover, 2002. pp. 203,204). The setting of accounting standards in Egypt since January 2016 has been a combined effort of a committee of experts from The Egyptian Society of Accountants Auditors, the Central Auditing Agency, the General Authority for Investment and the Egyptian Institute of Accountants. The Egyptian Accounting Standards follow a principle based accounting policy, like that of the IFRS. External factors have a direct influence on the financial reports of a firm, based on where it is operating. Whilst Egypt develops into a more democratic nation, t he social, economic and political factors will develop the accounting standard. As (Adela, D. 2011) states, many specialists believe this is not possible using a rules-based accounting policy, and instead these rules should reinforce a principle, rather than rending it meaningless. Explain any differences between the accounting standards/system used in the country under review and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). From 2006, the Egyptian Accounting Standards have released an entire set of Standards, with 35 of those based on the IASs. Only EAS 1, 10, 19 and 20 are the exceptions. EAS 1 focuses on the presentation of the financial statements, like that of IAS 1. The Egyptian Accounting Standard requires the distribution of profits to employees and board of the directors to decrease the retained earnings directly, without effecting the income figure in the income statement. This has an immediate effect on the Earnings per Share calculation. EAS 10, fixed assets and depreciation, shows a distinct difference to IAS 16. EAS 10 prevents the re-evaluation of a fixed asset, unless the situation is one approved by the Egyptian law. Under IAS 16, the asset is carried at a revalued amount, being the fair value at that date less depreciation and impairment, thus providing a fair value that can be measured reliably (Iasplus.com, n.d.). EAS 19 emphases the disclosure in the financial statements. It necessit ates that the accumulation of general provisions for loans, is fashioned through a decrease of income in the income statement, rather that the IFRS 7 requirement of decreasing the sum from owners equity. Although EAS 10 does not directly affect the owners equity, as net income is included in calculating the owners equity, a reduction in income would in effect reduce the owners equity. One substantial change that does occur for the business through the difference is that of the profit margin. EAS 20 surrounds a companys use of leasing. The requirement of the Egyptian Accounting Standard is that while the asset is leased, the lessor must keep the asset in their accounting books, and will depreciate it whilst the lessee reports the rental payments as expenses, contradicting the requirements of IAS 17 where leased assets are treated in the balance sheet as a receivable, at an amount equal to the total investment in the lease (Iasplus.com, n.d.). Critically discuss whether you believe these differences cause major issues from the viewpoint of global stakeholders. Global stakeholders, such as World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have had a major influence on the Egyptian economy since 1991, when an economic reform was launched by the government (Khlif and Samaha, 2013). Since taking an interest in Egypt, major stakeholders such as WB and IMF have pressured Egypt towards adopting the International Accounting Standards, assuring that the application and implementations of the accounting standards are necessary to the confidence of external investors supplying the economy with funding (reference). To an extent, with the exception of four standards, the EAS has been built on this influence, developing on the International standards and applying the standards suitable to the Egyptian environment. The difference in EAS 1 to that of IAS 1 directly effects the earnings per share of the company. This could cause confusion for foreign investors, expecting that the company is in a significantly healthier position, as the earnings per share is o ften used as a tool to evaluate a companys profitability. Revaluation of fixed assets allows investors and the business to accurately view the true market value of a fixed asset. The difference between EAS 10 and IAS 16 could cause a difficulty to foreign investors in evaluating the true value of a companys assets. Without re-evaluating these assets, a companys financial reports will show their fixed assets as a much higher amount than their assets are currently worth in the market. This is especially true for technology based fixed assets which have a rapid decrease in value over time. A higher fixed asset amount causes difficulty in calculating a companys true net assets as well as the companys fixed asset turnover ratio. The main concern for stakeholders through the differences of EAS 19 and IFRS 7 would be the effect on the profit margins of the company. The profit margin of a company is calculated as net income divided by sales. With EAS 19 reducing income from the accumulation of general provisions for loans the numerator of the equation will reduce, causing the business to appear less profitable, discouraging foreign investors. EAS 20, unlike EAS 1,10 and 19, can give confidence in the financial reports to stakeholders. Unlike IAS 17, under EAS 20, a leased asset remains in the financial reports of the lessor, allowing a clearer understanding to stakeholders the value of the assets and liabilities of the company. As a developing country, Egypt had a lack of alternative information sources for investors, such as earnings forecasts, since the introduction of the standards in Egypt, this information has become easier to obtain (Ragab and Omran, 2006). These differences in standards hasnt been the only difficulty for the view of foreign investors, (Salem. 2001. p.112) has also described the difficulty caused through the existence of multiple descriptions of the accounting standards, provided by the ECM, CAA and Egyptian accounting profession, forcing invest ors rely on their intuitiveness, rather than the information provided in the financial reports of Egyptian organisations. Evaluate whether the current position, and any near future changes are likely to lead to issues regarding the country achieving full convergence with IFRS as issued by the IASB Throughout the development of the EAS, there has always been a connection to the standards of the International Accounting Standard. In 1997, the EAS was characterised of 19 standards, primarily based on that of the International Accounting Standard (Dahawy, Merino and Conover, 2002). The main concern on the standard, although stated by the EIAA that the EAS was essentially an Arabic Version of the International Accounting Standard, (Hassan. 2008) acknowledged that two interviewees stated that the translations of the standards included some mistakes, in addition (Hassan. 2008) continues to pronounce the descriptions as similar, yet do not mirror that of the IASs. An official translation of the standards arrived in 2002, with the introduction of three new standards, by the Arab Society of Certified Accountants, based in Jordan. (Carruthers, 1995) has debated that building the standards through a combined effort, these organisations have contributed further in avoiding the adoption of the IAS in Egypt. This is due to each organisation providing similar, yet slightly different descriptions for the standard allowing business managers the discretion to choose a suitable description for their desires, and not conforming to the framework provided by the IAS. As (Hassan. 2008) presented in a case study on financial reporting in Egypt, harmonisation between the EAS and IFRS would not entirely meet the needs of stakeholders, as the country has developed standards to better suit the environment in which the firms providing the reports are operating in. Although a previously centralised economy, since 1997 the Egyptian Capital Market set laws to ensure to legally enforce that joint stock companies and partnerships limited by shares that their financial statements must be in harmony with the standards set by the IAS. While there is some harmony between the two accounting standards, (Hassan. 2008) clarifies in his findings that the Egyptian Accounting Standards were designed solely to overcome the pre-existing socialist accounting practises, whilst also increasing the adherence to the process of privatisation. Full convergence is a very difficult task due to political, economic, social and cultural factors that differ between each country. One possible route for the country to obtain this convergence would be to follow the FASB in the creation of the Memorandum of Understanding (Fasb.org,2014) and work together with the IASB to rather than trying to eliminate the differences between the standard develop a new common standard, to improve the quality of the financial reporting. References Adela, D 2011, Principles- and rules-based accounting debate. implications for an emergent country, Annals Of The University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 20, 1, pp. 602-608, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost. Alexander, D. and Jermakowicz, E. (2006). A true and fair view of the principles/rules debate. Abacus, 42(2), pp.132-164. Carruthers, B. (1995). Accounting, ambiguity, and the new institutionalism. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 20(4), pp.313-328. Dahawy, K., Merino, B. and Conover, T. (2002). The conflict between IAS disclosure requirements and the secretive culture in Egypt. Advances in International Accounting, 15, pp.203-228. Dahawy, K., Shehata, N. and Ransopher, T. (2011). The State of Accounting in Egypt: A Case. pp.2-8. Iasplus.com. (n.d.). IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment. [online] Available at: https://www.iasplus.com/en/standards/ias/ias16 [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017]. Iasplus.com. (n.d.). IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment. [online] Available at: https://www.iasplus.com/en/standards/ias/ias16 [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017]. Kamal Hassan, M. (2008). The development of accounting regulations in Egypt. Managerial Auditing Journal, 23(5), pp.467-484. Khlif, H. and Samaha, K. (2013). Internal Control Quality, Egyptian Standards on Auditing and External Audit Delays: Evidence from the Egyptian Stock Exchange. International Journal of Auditing, 18(2), pp.139-154. Mostafa Kamal Hassan, (2008) Financial accounting regulations and organizational change: a Habermasian perspective, Journal of Accounting Organizational Change, Vol. 4 Iss: 3, pp.289 317 Ragab, A. and Omran, M. (2006). Accounting information, value relevance, and investors behavior in the Egyptian equity market. Review of Accounting and Finance, 5(3), pp.279-297. Salem, A.K. (2001). The role of financial disclosure in serving the needs of investors decision-making processes under the economic liberalisation policy in Egypt. Unpublished Ph.D dissertation. Alexandria University.

book report- my sister my sorrow Essay -- essays research papers

Book Report â€Å"My Sister, My Sorrow† by Bebe Faas Rice, explores the natural human reactions to death, sickness and love. It delves into sibling rivalry, adolescent fear and stereotypes and gives insight into how beautiful the world seems when your life is on the line. â€Å"Leukemia is one of those diseases that creep up on you suddenly and catch you by surprise† ‘The story revolves around her thoughts and feelings towards friends, family, the meaning of life, depression, love, jealousy, cancer, etc. During the course of the book, the reader begins to understand much about what type of Leukemia it is that Beth has. Explained by the author in lame-mans terms, it becomes simple and enjoyable. Facts and story line fuse together to make an interesting chapter. â€Å"My toothbrush in the morning looked like an accessory to a suicide attempt† the signs of cancer are explained to the reader in an interesting, informative way. Beth explains all the emotions that she feels, she doesn’t leave anything out. As the reader goes through the pages they actually understanding the feelings and the emotions that are being explained. The way she tries to explain grief to the reader is through what she sees â€Å"I’ll never forget that night, with Mum out in the kitchen, sobbing as she scraped the carrots for dinner. Artists and sculptors usually depict grief as a heavily veiled figure leaning on a tombstone, but they’re wrong. What grief really is, is a middle-aged woma n with a carrot parer in one hand, la...

Hiroshima Bomb :: essays research papers

Hiroshima A-Bomb The United States concealed a project to develop an atomic bomb under the name "Manhattan Engineer District." Popularly known as the Manhattan Project, it carried out the first successful atomic explosion on July 16, 1945, in a deserted area called Jornada del Muerto near Alamagordo, New Mexico. At 2:45 A.M. local time, the Enola Gay, a B-29 bomber loaded with an atomic bomb, took off from the US air base on Tinian Island in the western Pacific. Six and a half hours later, at 8:15 A.M. Japan time, the bomb was dropped and it exploded a minute later at about 560 to 600 meters over central Hiroshima. Radioactive debris was deposited by "black rain" that fell heavily for over an hour over a wide area. Thermal Hear is intense thermal heat emitted by the fireball and it caused severe burns and loss of eyesight. Thermal burns of bare skin occurred as far as 3.5 kilometers from ground zero. Most people exposed to thermal rays within 1-kilometer radius of ground zero died. The explosion melted tile and glass and all combustible materials were consumed. An atomic explosion that caused an enormous shock wave followed instantaneously by a rapid expansion of air called is the blast. This represents roughly half the explosion's released energy. Maximum wind pressure of the blast was 35 tons per square meter. Maximum wind velocity was 440 meters per second. Wooden houses within 2.3 kilometers of ground zero collapsed. Concrete buildings near ground zero (thus hit by the blast from above) had ceilings crushed and windows and doors blown off. Many people were trapped under fallen structures and burned to death. People exposure within 500 meters of ground zero was fatal. People exposed at distances of 3 to 5 kilometers later showed symptoms of aftereffects, including radiation-induced cancers. Symptoms appearing in the first four months were called acute. Besides burns and wounds, they included general malaise, fatigue, headaches, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, abnormally low white blood cell count, bloody discharge, anemia, and loss of hair. Prolonged injuries were associated with aftereffects. The most serious in this category were keloids, cataracts, leukemia and other cancers. The estimated pre-bomb population was 300,000 to 400,000. Because official documents were burned, the exact population is uncertain. With an uncertain population figure, the death toll could only be estimated. According to data submitted to the United Nations by Hiroshima City in 1976, the death count reached 140,000 by the end of December, 1945.

The Runaway Pilgrim Point essay :: essays research papers

In the poem, The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Browning based the poem on past experience due to the fact her family had owned slaves in Jamaica for several generations. Once these slaves were set free in 1833; sixteen years later abolitionist repudiated the â€Å" unjust- power of the white slave owners.† ( Stephenson, 43). With Browning rejection of her once slave owning father’s irrational authority to refuse his children to marry and leave home, this poem empowered the rage she had suppressed by years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Foremost, The Runaway Slave at Pilgrims Point is a dramatic monologue in ballad form. The speaker is a young black slave woman who has escaped from the plantation the day before her narrative begins and has to run to Pilgrim’s Point where â€Å" exile turned to ancestors† ( Cooper, 43). Browning breaks the story into three parts. The first two parts the speaker dresses to â€Å"the pilgrims soul† at pilgrim point, (those who first come to the America as a and of freedom). In the last part of the poem the speaker addresses the â€Å"hunter sons† of the original pilgrims who have perused her to stone her to death (Cooper 44).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Furthermore, the opening â€Å"I stand† sets e assertive tone in the [poem. The speaker never falters in presenting the complexity of her situation, as a woman, a black [person], and a slave. The tone set at the beginning also aid the audience to recognize that the speaker in the â€Å"white man’s violent system† is divided by women, and black by whites. The slave employs metaphors, which Barrett use to dramatized imprisonment behind a dark skin in a world where God’s work of creating black people has been cast away. To further illustrate this she described the bird as â€Å" little dark bird†, she also describes the frogs and streams as â€Å" dark frogs† and â€Å" dark stream ripple† Through the use of her diction she convey to readers that in the natural world unlike the human one, there is no dark with bad and light with good, and no discrimination between black and white people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In essence, Elizabeth Barrett Browning dramatic monologue proved a powerful medium for Barrett Browning. Taking her need to produce a public poem about slavery to her own developing poetics, Barrett Browning include rape and infanticide into the slave’s denunciation of patriarchy. She felt bound by women’s silence concerning their bodies and the belief that â€Å" a man’s private life was beyond the pale of political scrutiny† (Cooper, 46).

B.F. Skinner’s Contribution to Psychology

B. F. Skinner’s Contribution to Modern Psychology Ian K. Connelly Oklahoma State University B. F. Skinner’s Contribution to Modern Psychology As I began to study the history and beginning of psychology there was one man who stood out to me clearly as a powerful force of influence and contributor to the direction psychology has taken in its still very young life. What does it mean to be a major influential contributor to the science of psychology? This man shows us with his groundbreaking theories, inventions and experiments as well as his over 200 books and articles on the field of psychology.He is Burrhus Frederic Skinner and he is one of the reasons psychology is the profound and crucial science that it is today. (New World Encyclopedia contributors, 2008) B. F. Skinner was born in 1904 in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. His early life consisted of his efforts to become a fictional writer. He attended Hamilton College where he received a B. A. in English literature in 1926 . Afterward he spent some time living with his parents attempting to write fictional books. Cherry, 2013) It was during this time that he began to wonder about how an author was supposed to understand the behaviors of the characters he portrayed without knowing what psychological processes and thoughts lie beneath. His research led him to discover the work of John Broadus Watson who proposed behaviorism for the first time. (Shacter, Gilbert & Wegner, 2011) This seemed to interest him much more than fictional writing did so he applied for the psychology graduate program at Harvard University where he received a doctorate in experimental psychology in 1931.In 1936 he began his teaching career at Michigan University and was married in the same year. He finished his first book, â€Å"Behavior of Organisms† two years later. (Browse Biography, 2011) Throughout the rest of his life Skinner made breakthrough after breakthrough in the field of psychology and behaviorism. In 1945 he be came the Psychology Department Chair at the University of Indiana and in 1948 joined the psychology department at Harvard where he remained for the rest of his life. (Cherry, 2013) Throughout his impressive career he received many more outstanding honors and awards such as theNational Medal of Science, the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation Award and the Albert Einstein School of Medicine award for excellence in psychiatry as well as many more books and a few inventions. He eventually passed away in 1990 after contributing countless knowledge to the science of psychology. B. F. Skinner is perhaps best recognized for his study and contribution to a particular type of psychology called behaviorism. Behaviorism was first proposed by John Watson who believed that studying the private experience a person has in their mind was too hard of a thing to observe and speculate.He believed psychology had to be studied more as something an organism does that is physically observable by anyone watc hing. Watson, as well as Skinner, was influenced greatly by the experiments done by Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov observed that the dogs he had were becoming accustomed to salivating at the sound of a bell he rang each time he fed them. Eventually he didn’t even have to have food to observe the dogs salivating every time he rang the bell because they had learned to respond a certain way to stimulus.The studies done by Pavlov as well as the work of Watson built the foundation upon which Skinner based the rest of his career in the field of psychology. Skinner observed that in the wild, animals have learned ways to find shelter, food and mates all because they have been conditioned by stimuli to do so. He famously tested this theory by inventing something called an â€Å"operant conditioning chamber†. In this chamber he placed a rat and fixed a lever so that when the rat pressed on the lever it received a pellet of food.He found that after a short time in the c hamber, the rat learned that he was given food each time he pressed the lever so he began pressing it over and over until he was no longer hungry. This experiment furthered his approach towards behaviorism and also added to what Watson had proposed. (Shacter, Gilbert & Wegner, 2011) Also slightly contrary to what Watson and Pavlov believed, he proposed that the behavior of an organism did not depend upon the preceding stimulus but on the reward that occurred after the behavior took place. Cherry, 2013) This led Skinner to state in his book, â€Å"The Behavior of Organisms†, what he called the principle of reinforcement. Reinforcement basically stated that when an organism does something that causes it to benefit in some way, it is likely to repeat the action in order to receive the benefit again. This allows organisms to adapt to their environments and the conditions they live in, in order to survive. (Shacter, Gilbert & Wegner, 2011) Skinner went on to use his ability to inv ent and his interest in behaviorism to try and benefit society in many different ways.He invented such things as the â€Å"Air crib† which was an enclosed chamber to put a baby inside that would allow you to closely monitor and modify the temperature and humidity of the environment. Unfortunately this didn’t quite catch on after people started to compare it to his earlier invention, the operant conditioning chamber, and wonder whether or not it was too cruel for a child. Another quite interesting invention that he proposed was a pigeon guided missile. During world war two, before the U. S. Navy had a practical way to guide a missile, Skinner found an interesting, almost unbelievable method to guide the missiles.He proposed they incased pigeons within parts of the missile. The pigeons would have a screen in front of them showing the view in front of the missile and they would be able to peck towards the target, therefore guiding the missile in that direction. Amazingly this idea proved to be successful in testing, however, the military found it too eccentric and impractical to be used and never took the idea seriously. (New World Encyclopedia contributors, 2008) Not only was Skinner known for his strange, ingenious inventions but he was also known for proposing an idea which gained him much criticism.In his books â€Å"Beyond Freedom and Dignity† and â€Å"Walden II† Skinner talked about a society completely controlled via behaviorism principles such as reinforcement. Theoretically this society would be made perfect using scientific planning to reinforce all the individuals do behave in the correct ways. In these books he claimed that free will is subjective and only an illusion because we are all accustomed to behaving in the ways we do because we have been reinforced by society over the years to behave that way.This was not a popular statement among critics who said he was giving away humanities free will and thought his goal was t o use his science to manipulate people. These claims seemed to be taken to the extreme however; Skinner merely meant to emphasize the importance reinforcement could have on society. (Shacter, Gilbert & Wegner, 2011) Although behaviorism is no longer looked at as the most important way to view psychology, Skinner had a great impact on society and what we know as psychology today.His work with the conditioning chamber is still considered vital information to psychology today. Professionals in the field of mental health still use his operant techniques today on their clients. (Cherry, 2013) The information in his book â€Å"Verbal Behavior† is still a topic of interest in experimental and applied settings currently. (New World Encyclopedia contributors, 2008) Even teachers and animal trainers use his concept of reinforcement and punishment every day to shape the way kids in their classroom or the animals they train behave. (Cherry, 2013)In a 2002 survey, Skinner was voted to be the number one most influential psychologist of the 20th century by psychologists. His honors, awards, positions, titles and honorary degrees are almost too numerous to even count. I think the evidence as well as the opinions of other psychologists show just how much of an impact this man made on the psychological science. There is no doubt psychology is the science that intro to psych students such as myself are learning about today because of the numerous contributions and influence of B. F. Skinner. (Shacter, Gilbert & Wegner, 2011)References Browse Biography. (2011, January 25). B. f. skinner biography. Retrieved from http://www. browsebiography. com/bio-b_f_skinner. html Cherry, K. (2013). B. f. skinner biography (1904-1990) . Retrieved from http://psychology. about. com/od/profilesofmajorthinkers/p/bio_skinner. htm New World Encyclopedia contributors. (2008, April 4). B. f. skinner. Retrieved from http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/p/index. php? title=B. _F. _Skinner&oldid= 687766 Shacter, D. , Gilbert, D. , & Wegner, D. (2011). Psychology. (2nd ed. , pp. 16-18). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

The Purpose of Performing Environmental Monitoring Programs

Describe the intent for executing environmental monitoring plans and the importance of good experimental design and quality confidence in these plans Introduction Monitoring is a common tool everyone uses in mundane life may it be to maintain path of conditions, stocks, traffic forms, or lodging costs. Decisions are so made based on the information we accumulate through this procedure. Monitoring keeps us informed, it helps us with determinations and qui vives us to any possible jobs that may originate in the hereafter or may hold occurred in the yesteryear. Environmental monitoring explains the processs and projects that need to take topographic point to supervise the quality of the environment. Although environmental monitoring plans over the old ages, have been criticized for â€Å"costing excessively much while presenting excessively little† , it operates as an indispensable scientific process/step by uncovering any kind of tendencies that may take to new cognition and/or better apprehension of the environment. Aimfor executing environmental monitoring plans The intent for executing environmental monitoring is to mensurate the positive/negative impacts of homo or natural impact on the environment. It can be used in the readying of Environmental Impact Statement ( EIA ) and in any environmental scene where human influences on the natural environment may or may non be apparent, or has the possibility of negative or positive alteration that may originate over clip. The intent for executing any kind of plans and policies would frequently be designed around the current province of the environment and will seek to determine tendencies in environmental parametric quantities centred on current or baseline informations sets. Examples of these supervising plans can be seen in the instance survey of the Investigation of shadowings H2O leak at the Ranger U mine and the Australia Pacific LNG- Receiving Environment Monitoring Program: Condamine River. The intent of the monitoring plan at the Ranger U mine was for the Supervising Scientist to find the sum to which the environment ( affecting people ) have been effected by the possible impacts of U excavation due to a leak which occurred in one of the shadowings H2O return pipe at the Ranger U mine during the 1999–2000 moisture season. The ERA predicted that approximately 2000 three-dimensional meters of procedure shadowing H2O had seeped from a pipe. However the flow rate of the pipe was non measured hence taking to uncertainness in the appraisal of the entire volume of the leak as some of the shadowings H2O may non hold entered the disused pipe section. The plan aims to find if the redress work were successful and whether the escape had impacted the Kakuda National Park, which is located downstream from the site. In the 2nd instance survey on the Australia Pacific LNG- Receiving Environment Monitoring Program: Condamine River, the intent of the monitoring plans was for research workers to place and depict the extent of any unfavorable environmental impacts on the local waterways of the already ill conditioned Condamine Catchment. Agricultural development and H2O resource development within the part have contributed to the hapless wellness in the part. Furthermore, the profusion and copiousness of macroinvertebrate communities in the part is lower compared with the expected natural status due to the hapless H2O quality. Therefore the plan aims to find if the increased discharge of treated coal seam gas ( CSG ) H2O to natural waterways as a portion of the Australia Pacific LNG Project will hold further negative effects on the part and to supervise any alterations in the receiving H2O among many other purposes. The importance of good experimental designs Experimental designs are frequently calculated but controlled nosiness of the natural order of events by research workers. Experimental designs refer to a â€Å"structured, planned method, which is used to happen the relationship between different factors ( X variables ) that affect a undertaking and the different results of a undertaking ( Y variables ) .† A method created by Sir Ronald A Fisher in the 1920s and 1930s. The importance of experimental design comes from the chase for illation sing grounds or relationships as opposed to merely depicting why an event occurred, as research workers are seldom content to merely explicate the events they observe. They want to do tax write-offs as to what created, contributed to, or triggered events. In order to obtain dependable information, some signifier of intricate experimental design is required. The intent of the design is to govern out option or irrelevant relationships, effects and causes, in order to deduce the existent and existent factor. Seen in the Ranger U mine instance survey where a leak occurred, the informations that instigated the probes were non everyday monitoring informations but research informations. The statutory monitoring informations, which were conveyed to the governments before the incident, did non supply any suggestion of the leak because there were no systematic monitoring plans designed to supervise the unity of the secondary containment system. Therefore a new monitoring plan was initiated to quantify the tonss and concentrations of pollutants that were go forthing the Ranger Project Area which were attributable to mining processs on the site. This allows the appraisal of H2O quality informations with suited benchmarks and besides permits the designation of tendencies in H2O quality. This will let direction to take appropriate actions in a timely mode. In the instance of Australia Pacific LNG, good experimental design is of import in this survey because the watercourse H2O was non merely for imbibing intents, the H2O quality is besides a major factor in the control of fish motion and H2O irrigation for agribusiness intents in the part. Irrespective of whether the CSG discharge was being released into the river or non, the quality of the H2O in the river at the different receiving environment and background sites were monitored throughout the monitoring plan. The consequences were so reviewed to find the most appropriate location for the extra CSG discharge, as the Department of Environment and Resource Management ( DERM ) had non yet identified the location of the discharge. Interim and one-year interpretative studies depicting the consequences was completed after each monitoring event, which allows the analysis of spacial and temporal tendencies. This provided recommendations sing the definition of the receiving environment, super vising plan design and direction of discharges if required. The consequences of any monitoring instances will ever be evaluated and scrutinized, as research workers ever want to sort ideal conditions in which certain factors would hold the most influence on the consequences and every bit good as those that do non. This is to observe interfaces and interactions amongst the factors. Effective environmental monitoring plan, frequently adhere to some basic yet of import constructs. Some illustrations include puting good aims, holding a grade of preciseness, reproduction and generalization ; controls, ‘Blind’ Designs and ideally the experimental method should be both accurate ( i.e. , give the true mean ) and precise ( i.e. , have a low criterion divergence ) , although sometimes one is more of import than the other for their plans. The choice of any experimental design depends on your aim as seen in the above illustrations. The pattern of invariably updating the hypothesis and comparing the inferred provinces of nature with existent informations may take on to the right replies because good experimental design allows the ‘quantification of uncertainty.’ Quality Assurance ( QA ) In monitoring plans, quality assurance/quality control steps are of import constituents of the plans because these activities demonstrate the truth and preciseness ( how near to the existent consequence you are vs. how consistent your consequences are ) of the monitoring plans. Quality Assurance ( QA ) by and large refers to the procedure to guarantee that dependable consequences are obtained and recorded. It starts prior to try aggregation ( method proof and certification ) , is indispensable for forensic intents & A ; legal conformity and is highly utile for long-run informations analysis. QA should depict how researches would get down their monitoring attempt from accurate recording of all processs, preparation of voluntaries, survey design, informations organisation and analysis to specific quality control measures. Quality Control ( QC ) entails all the stairss researches will take to standardise the legitimacy of specific sampling and analytical processs. QA plans should affect internal cheques for quality control and appraisal. Spaces are typically used as they are intended to bring out taints that may lend to inaccuracy and the biasness of consequences. For illustration, filtration spaces cheques for possible cross-contamination through deficient field filtration techniques while travel spaces detect any prevailing pollution ensuing from the container during conveyance and storage. Other spaces include equipment space which consequences include entire field and laboratory beginnings of taint and instrument spaces consequences, which show merely laboratory beginnings of taint. The analysis of Standard Reference Material ( SRM ) is besides an of import as it measures the methods truth, as SRM are prepared from reagents of highest pureness, or samples that have been spiked with analyte. It is an confidence that the consequences attained in the monitoring plan are comparable with consequences from other research labs. At the Ranger U mine, to attest that the consequences of the uninterrupted monitoring informations are valid, extended sets of quality control ( QC ) substructure are in topographic point i.e. equipment and construction direction, care and standardization enfranchisement, along with in-built dorsum up systems to vouch that the sets of QC substructures remain functional at all times. Two multiprobe and an car sampling station were installed at each site and were attached to informations lumbermans that collect the measured informations and controlled the operation of the instruments through a elaborate and comprehensive logging plan. This logging plan ensures the immediate polish of any issue in the instrument or detector through trying triggers every bit good as a figure of dismaies. In the Australia Pacific LNG instance survey, H2O quality monitoring of samples were done at deepnesss of about 30cm from the surface at each site. Field sampling was done by a suitably trained and experient individual in conformity with Australian StandardWater Quality Sampling, and in conformity with theMonitoring and Sampling Guidelines 2009.Which in sum-up:Samples were collected directly into the sample bottle wherever possible, and the bottles were non rinsed prior to try collectionaˆ?Powderless baseball mitts were used when roll uping all H2O samples, and attention will was taken non to touch the interior of any trying containers, or to put unfastened bottles / jars or their palpebras onto the land or other contaminated surfacesA field space was collected from one site during each trying event, to measure sample handling processsSamples were placed in an esky and maintain under the appropriate retention conditions for each parametric quantity until it was delivered to the r esearch lab within the appropriate retention clip ( as advised by the analytical research lab ) in conformity with the security and conveyance protocols outlined in theMonitoring and Sampling Manual( DERM 2009a )A concatenation of detention signifier was completed for all samples sent to the research lab for analysis, andaˆ?A NATA-accredited research lab analyzed samples, and research lab extras and spaces were analyzed in conformity with NATA-accredited protocols.The consequences from the QA were crosschecked with a 2nd lab and an mistake rate of & lt ; 10 % will be considered acceptable ( in conformity with the National River Health Program protocols, DERM 2009a ) . If consequences were deemed unacceptable & gt ; 10 % , it will ensue in a farther 10 % of samples being checked by a 2nd lab, and so on. ConcluZion The intent for executing environmental monitoring plans is frequently to set up tendencies in environmental parametric quantities based on current or baseline informations sets. The chief end for executing environmental monitoring is to supervising informations from legion spacial and temporal graduated tables ; interpret informations into ratings of current ecological status and forecasts the hereafter hazards and benefits to our natural resources. Although H2O quality records can be extremely variable in footings of temporal and spacial frequence of sampling, good experimental design and good quality confidence plans can guarantee a monitoring plan is successful and the consequences dependable. However, supervising plans can non be run indefinitely. At some point researches would necessitate to inquire if the monitoring plan is still relevant and have we learnt all we needed. Mention

A Study about The Impact of Parental Separation

This study explores the impact of parental separation/divorce can have on a child's learning and development in the primary school classroom. The broad aim of the study was to explore teachers' classroom experiences of parental separation/divorce and its effect on teaching learning and development. The researcher aimed to gather an in depth and rich account of these experiences in the primary school classroom. This current chapter critically explores the most appropriate methods and tools that were used to gather data for this study. The researcher evaluates and outlines the design method undertaken, the participants that were involved and the materials that were used to gather the information and data relating to this study. Ethical considerations are also outlined in this chapter.3.2 Aims of the studyHaving reviewed the literature on the topic of ‘the effect parental separation/divorce can have on a child's learning and development' it is evident that there is a lack of Irish research conducted on the area. A breakdown in a family structure is becoming more common with 1 in every 10 marriages in Ireland ending in separation/divorce (Rainbow, 2018) with the figure of marriage separation rising from 116,194 in 2011 to 118,178 in 2016 (CSO, 2016). For this reason this study aims to provide an insight into the effect this breakdown in family structure is having on a child's learning and development. This study aims to investigate to what extent does parental/separation divorce has on a child's learning and development and if it has an effect on a child's emotions, behaviour, capacity to learn and concentration in the classroom and whether teacher's feel they have the adequate training to aid and help children during this change in their lives.3.3 Research DesignIn deciding on a research design for the study, the researcher considered both quantitative and qualitative approaches. According to (Patton ; Cochran, 2002) qualitative research ‘is characterised by its aims, which relate to understanding some aspect of social life, and its methods which (in general) generate words, rather than numbers, as data for analysis and seeks to build a holistic and narrative description of a social or cultural phenomenon (Gall, Borg & Gall, 1996). Qualitative approaches to research involve emerging questions and procedures, typically collecting data in the participants' setting, and analysing data inductively (Creswell, 2014). However, quantitative research ‘generally produces objective numerical data that are generated without influence on behalf of the researcher' (Denscombe, 2010). It emphasises precision and sets out to explain phenomena by collecting numerical data that are analysed using mathematically based methods, and seeks to minimise bias and maximise objectivity (Rubin ; Babbie, 2010). Therefore taking both methodologies into account the researcher decided on a mixed- methods methodology approach for the purpose of this research. The qualitative data provided an insight into the various ways children may be impacted by parental separation/divorce and the teachers own experiences and views in this area. On the other hand the quantitative data provided a numerical data insight into the extent of the way a child may be impacted by parental separation/divorce and the teachers own views and opinion's on the key area it can have an impact on and how prepared they feel they are to help a child through this change in their lives. In conclusion a mixed method approach enabled the researcher to gain rich and valuable information for the research and facilitated the research to achieve a full picture of the impact parental separation/divorce may be having on a child's learning and development in the primary school classroom.3.4 Data collectionIn order to collect the data the researcher interviewed 3 teachers who each taught different levels in the school; junior, middle and senior ends of the school. The interviews were face to face and semi-structured using open ended questions and all 3 interviews were voice recorded. In order for the research to be fully representative of the sample the researcher conducted the interviews on teachers who taught in 3 different schools incorporating both town and country schools. One participant was a teacher in a country school in 5th and 6th class, another participant was a teacher in a populated town school in 3rd and 4th class and the final participant was a junior and senior infant teacher in a small country school. The class sizes varied from 21 pupils to 32 pupils with each participant stating they had a variety of ethnicities and learning support needs in the class. The aim of the interviews was to focus on the participants' own experiences of the impact of parental separation in the classroom, and the researcher decided on an unstructured interview approach. The intention of the researcher was to build a rapport with the participants create a narrative about their subjective experiences of this area. During the interviews, many of the questions were spontaneous and built on the experiences of the teachers and their own opinions surrounding the area of parental separation/divorce and its effects it can have on a child's learning and development and the questions came as part of the natural interaction between researcher and participants. The unstructured approach allowed the researcher to ask questions as and when they were appropriate, and to further explore particular themes of interest the participant had. In order for the researcher to encourage a degree of consistency during the interview process among the 3 participants the researcher employed the use of an aide memoire to help guide the focus of the interview without disrupting the natural course of the discussion. The interviews were recorded and were later transcribed for analysis. The recording of the interviews enabled the researcher to interact fully with the participant through the full interview and also permitted the researcher to provide a full textual account of the entire interview and everything that was said and highlighted. In the same context the survey's created employed a non bias approach, using a broad array of questions in order to not direct or lead the participant and also to ensure that a full rich picture of the teacher's opinions and experiences are gathered. The survey was created online and included 8 questions. These 8 questions ensured to not be misleading and aimed to reflect a teacher's own views understanding and knowledge around the area of parental separation/divorce and the impact it can have on a child's learning and development.3.5 Data analysisThematic analysis was used in this study to analyse and interpret the data. This section provides an overview of th e thematic analytical method and outlines its procedural application to the data collected in this study. Thematic analysis is a comprehensive process where researchers are enabled to identify numerous cross references between the data and the research's evolving themes (Hayes, 1997). An inductive approach was therefore used to identify the themes. Similarly, (Marshall and Rossman, 2006) recommended that immersion in and familiarity with the research is an essential stage. Following this recommendation, the researcher transcribed each interview, thus familiarising herself with the data. Inductive analysis involved the process of discovering patterns and codes in the data (Patton, 2002). The researcher developed patterns by keeping notes on the transcripts that related to a fascinating and relevant point and used highlighters to link these codes together. It was important for the researcher to not have pre conceptions when conducting the interviews and analysing the surveys, consequently the researcher â€Å"has to explore and understand the social world through the participants' and their own perspectives; and explanations can only be offered at the level of meaning rather than cause† (Snape and Spencer as cited in Ritchie and Lewis, 2003, p. 23). As a result the researcher ensured that all the data collected was reliable and dependable to provide clear, concise and meaningful conclusions from the data.3.6 Ethical considerationsPrior to undertaking this study, ethical approval was sought and granted by the HiberniaCollege Ethics Committee. This study was therefore conducted to the highest ethical standards in line with the Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research (BERA, 2011). When considering the ethical considerations, data protection guidelines were taken into account by the researcher. The researcher ensured that all data will be stored safely and securely in encrypted data files and hard copies of transcripts will be kept in a locked filing cabinet and all other identifiable data such as the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of participants will be stored separate from other data collected in order to ensure anonymity and confidentiality is upheld. The participants were also informed in their consent letter that they had access to the data. Keeping in line with the guidelines the researcher ensured that each participant received a clear information letter about the research area and their role. It stated that anonymity and confidentiality will be ascertained at all times. Before each interview, the participants signed a consent form and also informed that they were permitted to end the interview process at any time they wished. The prospective participants were then given time to consider their participation, without any duress, and were later contacted by the researcher for their decision. Throughout the data collection process, all interactions were carried out in a respectful and considerate manner. Interviews were conducted in the spirit of partnership, without manipulation. The names participants were not used on interview recordings and transcripts, and any identifiable information was stored separate from this data. Throughout the data collection and data analysis the researcher ensured complete commitment, reliability and integrity. In accordance to Hibernia College Dublin the data will be kept for three years after the completion of the dissertation. The researcher will ensure that the data collected is only used for the purpose for which it was gathered and will not be shared with a third person.3.7 LimitationsFirstly, the lack of experience the researcher had on conducting interviews arose as a possible limitation for conducting the research and collecting the data. In order for the researcher to gain experience and confidence in conducting interviews the researcher performed mock interviews with 3 student teachers. The mock interviews ensured that the researcher would not highlight opinions or response through facial expression and also show no bias towards the interview questions and topic (Bryman, 2004; Cohen et al., 2005 ; Reynolds, 1979). This aided the researcher when conducting the interviews with the 3 teachers to collect the data. Secondly, the interviews were semi-structured and conducted with teachers from 3 different schools. This took up a lot of time and had additional drawback on travel costs. Finally the online surveys also had its disadvantages. As the surveys were online a lot of people (teachers) tend not to take the time to complete them in comparison to a hardcopy. As a result it took longer than expected for the researcher to get back the quota of answers that was needed to give an accurate representation of the data.3.8 ConclusionIn conclusion, this chapter provided an analysis on how the researcher collected the data, taking into consideration the most appropriate methodology for this study. The researcher chose to use a mixed methods approach to collect and analysis the data collect during this research as it gives a layer of depth and validity to the research. The data collection methods complimented each other and provided valuable findings which will be presented in the next chapter. The interview process and survey analysis will allow the researcher to gain an insight into the opinions and experiences of teachers from different backgrounds, various areas and different class levels. Following the chosen appropriate methodology, the researcher took into consideration the participants, materials, method design, ethical considerations and data analysis. The participants in the study gave their informed consent to the research, their anonymity and confidentiality maintained, and they will have access to the data and findings if desired. The participants of the interview were made feel comfortable during the interview process using the appropriate interview skills. The next chapter will outline the main findings of the present research which utilised a mixed-methods approach.

General Knowledge in Criminal Justice

Every country is governed by a set of laws designed to maintain order within it. There are laws that govern the political relations with its citizens while there are also laws that regulate the civil rights of its citizens. There are a set of rules that define what acts or omissions are considered felonies or offenses and prescribes punishment for violations of these rules. The latter is called the criminal justice system of a country. This criminal justice system is manifested by the enactment of penal laws of the state. Penal laws define what acts are considered crime and determine the proper penalty for its commission. Because of the enactment of penal laws, each state is able to enforce and maintain law and order within its jurisdiction. Society is a complex structure which does not simply function harmoniously by accident. There must be a conscious effort on the part of the state to regulate the behavior of its members. It is because of this reason that the system of punishment was institutionalized and legitimized in our society. Punishment is the action taken by the State for every violation of its laws. Punishment can be considered as a response by the society to any offense or felony committed against it. It may range from the deprivation of liberty of the convicted individual or the payment of fine for the reparation of injury caused. The deprivation of liberty can last from several days or it may extend to several years depending on the nature of the crime committed. If the crime however is heinous capital punishment may be imposed. Classical Theory There are many theories on which our criminal justice system is based. One of the foundations for imposition of the criminal justice system is the Classical Theory. It attempts to give an explanation on the root cause of crime for the purpose of controlling it or preventing it from happening. It argues that man is by nature a moral creature with a free will. This free will gives him the capacity to choose between right and wrong. When man performs an act, the assumption is that the same is a rational and conscious decision arising from a careful calculation of its possible consequences. It is to be presumed that the doer of the act has carefully weighed the consequences of his action so that he will achieve his end-goal which is to maximize pleasure and to minimize pain. Thus, when a person engages in deviant behavior and commits a crime it is to be presumed that he voluntarily and willfully committed it after a careful calculation of both the benefits and risks of its commission. Crime is therefore a product of rational and conscious choice deliberately performed by an individual and not the result of the external forces surrounding him. There are those who hold that crime is a social and natural phenomenon as contradistinguished from the Classical Theory. According to the Positivist Theory, man at times is subdued by a strange and morbid phenomenon which constrains and impels him to do wrong. Though man is by nature good, there are forces around him that makes him commit a wrongful act. Thus, contrary to the Classical School, crime is not a product of a rational and conscious decision that results from carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the act rather it results from interplay of social and external forces that heavily influence the individual. It is because of this reason that the criminal justice system should not be a mere function of strict and inflexible application of the abstract principles of law. Rather, it is the task of the judge to take into consideration such other facts and circumstances that attend the commission of the crime. Retributivism Theory There are those who adhere to the Retributivism Theory. According to this theory, punishment is allowed, whether it is imprisonment or death, because the convicted prisoner deserves it. This is otherwise known as the doctrine of ‘just desert’ which is founded on the ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth† philosophy. When an injury is done to another, an unfair situation is created between the offender and the victim. The imposition of punishment against the wrongdoer removes the unfair advantage and restores the balance. (Anthony Duff, Sec 5) In essence, this theory states that certain actions in the society that are injurious to other people will merit the imposition of imprisonment. When these acts are done willfully and voluntarily by any individual then it is but proper that he be punished for his acts to restore the moral balance and address the moral culpability which are essential in restoring harmony in the society. (Deligitimizing Retribution†2) UtilitarianTheory On the other hand, there are those who believe in the Utilitarian Theory. It argues that state- sanctioned punishment is justified because of its utility. Based on the principle of utility, acts are pursued depending on the desirability of its consequences. If punishment will most likely produce the greatest balance of happiness over unhappiness then the punishment is justified. But if there are other options that would produce a greater balance of happiness over unhappiness, then that option should be chosen and punishment is unjustified. Kevin Murtagh, Sec 1a) In simpler terms, the idea is if we are to weigh the positive effects of punishment as against its negative effects and the positive effects outweighs the negative ones then that punishment has to be imposed. This theory somewhat looks forward and considers the consequences of punishment to the society. Unlike the Retributivist theory which focuses on the benefits to the victim, in Utilitarian Theory the oth er members of the society is considered to benefit from the imprisonment of the convicted prisoner. Deterrence Theory. For example, capital punishment is considered beneficial for the society because it deters the commission of more crimes by other persons. Under the Deterrence Theory, the imposition of the criminal justice system sends a strong message that it is tough on crime. Once a convicted prisoner is imprisoned or sentenced to death it is as if we are saying to the rest of the society that this will happen to those who will violate our laws. It is also an open declaration that there is a war against crime and that any violation of its laws will be seriously dealt with by the state. Once society sees that the violation of a law will have serious consequences to the wrong-doers then this will have a positive effect to the society by deterring criminality. Incapacitation Theory According to Incapacitation Theory, society is also benefited from the imprisonment of the convicted prisoner because it incapacitates him from further committing crimes and reduces recidivism rate. (Lynch and Sabol) Experience shows that those who have previously committed crimes are more likely to commit another crime. There is no more effective way of incapacitating the offender except by removing them from the society. Thus, in the case of imposition of death penalty, a person who is sentenced to death can no longer commit further crimes because he is permanently incapacitated to perform the same. The society is also benefited when wrong-doers are incarcerated or sentenced to death. We also prevent the possibility of these people escaping from prison and committing further crimes. (Thoughts on the Death Penalty p 2) The purpose of this is the protection of the other members of the society. Restorative Justice Theory The Restorative Justice theory is another aspect of the Utilitarian Theory which gives emphasis on the restoration of the criminal offender as one of the purposes of criminal justice system. It seeks to promote the objective of restoring the offender to the mainstream society by making him perform community service, requiring reimbursement and other worthwhile activities while in prison. This is based on the theory that a criminal offender is a socially sick individual. The other members of the society have the moral obligation to give aid and assistance to them.