To improve outage times, the company needs to let vendors be able to Research Proposal

To improve outage times, the company needs to let vendors be able to connect to their equipment by the internet - Research Proposal Example As a result, sustaining competition, addressing consumer needs, and remaining relevant in the dynamic market and business environment requires strategic information technology procedures and strategies. Technology in its basic terms has evolved to be the avenue and platform upon which modern businesses possess the ability to succeed or fail (Anonymous, 2006). Therefore, this research project will investigate and evaluate how internet connectivity, specifically with regard to vendor equipment results into improvements and reduction of outage time. Research Questions In order to have clear and well defined research strategy, research questions always act to provide guidance and limits in which the research can be carried out. Therefore, research questions for this project include: What is the importance of internet connectivity in a company? Why is it necessary to integrate and connect vendor equipment to the internet in the organization? What are challenges to this process? How can th e challenges be addressed? Significance of Research It is observed that in order to improve the functionability of companies systems, there is great need to integrate vendor equipment in the entire system of the organization. Such integration calls for internet connectivity of vendor equipment. ... Therefore, in undertaking this research, the aim is to identify and explain how integration of vendor equipment to internet connectivity is necessary and how well the company can benefit from the entire venture. Relevant Literature Internet today is seen to be a necessity, a broad shift from the recent past where internet was seen as an option. For companies and other organizations to navigate through the dynamic business environment, there is religious need to embrace information technology that will connect the companies to the outside world. At the same time, internet connectivity in an organization should not just be in one area or department but it has to incorporate different departments in the organization and also employees should be part of this connectivity (InfoWorld, 2001). Today, communication in most organization is drastically changing where the old forms and tools of communication are being replaced by new communication tools such as e-mails and websites (Silverstein, 2001). In this way, presence of internet and proper internet connectivity provides opportunity for the company to integrate its business activities and processes which in turn enable the company to carry out its functions in the most effective and efficient way. Some benefits of the internet make its usage anywhere regardless of the company, to motivate numerous people and organizations to have desire to adopt it. For example, with internet exchange of e-mails with different people who are stakeholders to the business become easy and at faster rate (Silverstein, 2001). At the same time, company’s employees and other stakeholders can be able to remain in contact with the

Russia as a Threat to the US

Russia as a Threat to the US This essay will examine Russia as the most significant security threat/security challenge confronting the U.S. The grand strategy to address that threat is retaking the offensive. Additionally, the international theory of realism that aligns with the grand strategy will be examined. Next, the essay will explore the historical precedent of the Truman Doctrine in order to support the grand strategy as an example of that evidence.   Last, the essay will discuss the risks, as well as the international relations theory of liberalism, to illustrate this grand strategy. The most significant security threat/security challenge that faces the U.S. today is Russia.[i] â€Å"Russia’s nuclear weapon stockpile and aggressive, unpredictable actions are reasons that country presents the most serious near-term threat to world wide stability.†[ii] One rationale for this security challenge of the threat is that Russia partners with other weaker states, such as Syria, to instigate and supply these states in order to accomplish its own strategic objectives, by â€Å"looking to leverage its military support to the Asad regime†¦and use its military intervention in Syria, in conjunction with efforts to capitalize on fears of a growing ISIS and extremist threat to expand its role in the Middle East.†[iii] With Russia’s weapons capability, and action to create alliances with other weaker states, it offers these partnered states a stronger opportunity to use nuclear proliferation,[iv] or chemical weapons as a strategic rationale against the U.S. to prevent the U.S. from acting against them, as well as an offensive strategy to use to attack the U.S.[v]   These weaker states, like Syria, can present as great a danger as strong states to the U.S.’ national interests.[vi]   For example, weapons of mass destruction could be nuclear or biological.   Biological weapons can be easily accessible; nuclear weapons are more difficult to obtain on its own, but a transnational terrorist organization can secure weapons from a state.[vii]     Ã‚   Another example of Russia’s threat against the U.S., is its defiance of non-state organizations, that Russiain its post-Soviet roleis â€Å"re-surging with authoritarianism and is aggressively contesting liberal norms, by seeking to weaken and divide non-state organizations, such as, NATO and the EU.†[viii] To illustrate this point, Russia created a ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM) that the U.S. claimed Russia violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. That breach enables Russia to continue to produce GLCMs,[ix] thereby perpetuating the nuclear proliferation threat to the U.S. Yet another example is Russia’s cyber threat.   Russia is consistently seeking to use cyberspace to bolster its own status, while attempting to threaten the U.S.’s interests in the areas of: government, military commercial, social and infrastructure.   Recently, Russia used its aggression of cyber to influence the U.S.’s 2016 elections. Further, Russia’s actors conducted disruptive cyber attacks outside the U.S., and has â€Å"leveraged cyber space to seek to influence public opinion across Europe and Eurasia.†[x]   This is another security challenge for the U.S., as Russia continues to seek out weaknesses in the U.S.’s systems as well as partner with other states to build aggression against the U.S. The above discussed Russia security challenges raises the intensity of interest to a level of vital, because of the seriousness of its threats against the U.S. â€Å"Protecting its physical existence when in jeopardy, due to attack or threat of attack is the most important.†[xi] Further, a vital interest is one in which interest is so crucial to a state, it will not compromise. An example of this is to â€Å"prevent the regional proliferation of WMD†¦prevent the emergence of a regional hegemon in regions, promote the well-being of allies and friends and protect them from external aggression.†[xii] The vital level corresponds to the basic interest of defense of the homeland due to those threats and therefore causes the U.S. to employ a strategy that aligns with its national interest of survival.[xiii] The example for this is toâ€Å"prevent, deter and reduce the threat of nuclear, biological and chemical weapon attacks†¦prevent the emergence of hostile major powers or failed states†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [xiv] The evidence discussed above illustrates that Russia rises to the intensity level of vital for the greatest significant security challenge the U.S. faces.      In light of the security threat posed by Russia, the U.S. should pursue the grand strategy of re-taking the offensive. Using this approach for the advancement of the liberal order, serves the U.S.’s global interests. That the â€Å"spread of democracy and market economics, prominence of liberal ideas as the guiding norms of international affairs, preservation of global stability and balance of power†[xv] is the accurate and appropriate direction for the U.S. to take regarding the grand strategy. The re-taking the offensive is important because it must continue sustain the liberal order—to pursue efforts to sustain and invigorate the momentum. To accomplish this, the implications are to provide the U.S. with safety, security and prosperity (U.S. citizens), retain and improve its diplomatic and economic ties with its allies (Germany, France, UK, Japan, India and Australia), reinvest in liberal democratic programs with non-governmental agencies (NATO, UN, EU), but most importantly, to aggressively combat nuclear proliferation (Russia, Syria), as well as other threats (chemical attack, terrorism) to the international order.[xvi] An example of this re-take the offensive approach is the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine, through coalition with each other, cooperate together in order to thwart regional hegemony expansion by Russia. It shows evidence that illustrates how the grand strategy of retaking the offensive addresses the security threat to the U.S. by Russia.    The IR theory that aligns with the grand strategy is realism. Realists view world politics as a power struggle that is conducted with conditions characterized by anarchy, and define a state’s interest in terms of levels of power over other states as a self-help mechanism.[xvii] For example, using hard power as a means by which states advance their national interests to force an enemy or reluctant ally to adhere to a state’s national objectives is the main objective in order to maintain domination over the other states, thereby allowing the stronger state an opportunity to act upon its own agenda. Further, peace is defined as the absence of war, occurs when states adhere to their own singularly defined national interests. Once in place, it becomes an intensive driving force, that states can no longer control its momentum, but becomes engulfed in its movement, and then controlled by it.[xviii] Therefore, as an example, by the US pushing back on China’s significantly growing political, military and economic power, this demonstrates how the U.S. seeks to dominate another state. China’s strategy of its own position of increasing improvement, will motivate China into expanding its regional and global influence, thereby propelling China into the competitive sphere of other major superpowers—the U.S. This endangers the U.S.’s national interests, which must then exert its own power in order to retain its superior position.[xix] Further illustrating domination by using hard power to dominate others, by incorporating soft power thereafter, a state can replace domination by cooperation where diplomatic, military and economic relationships of coalitions can flourish in order to assert against other nations states from becoming important international actors.[xx] The IR theory of realism supports the U.S. grand strategy of retaking the offensive by using levels of power in a self-help method in which to control other states in order to achieve its objectives.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The historical precedent of the Truman Doctrine is an important document for U.S. foreign policy that is considered the start of the Cold War. The doctrine articulated that the United States would provide military, political, and economic aid to threatened states that were under subjugation from outside authoritarian forces.[xxi] Additionally, the Truman Doctrine created a policy for containment and deterrence to thwart further expansion of Russia and its sphere of influence[xxii]. To further illustrate the historical significance of the threat from Russia, the doctrine was created in response to assist Greece and Turkeydemocratic nations which were in danger of becoming overthrown by the Russian regime. This doctrine supports the grand strategy of retaking the offensive, as the U.S. must intervene and maintain its strategic interests in order to safeguard the world against authoritarian/communist attempts to threaten and politically overturn U.S. democratic spheres of influence throughout the world.      The risks, as viewed through the lens of the IR theory of liberalism, and the reliance on intelligence organizations and other actors that play an increasingly important role regarding global affairs. Specifically, the U.S.’s reliance upon its alliances with these states and non-governmental organizations to thwart Russia, illustrates that riskNATO, UN, and WTOin order to follow their liberal mandate for Russia to be thwarted. The question is whether or not these partners â€Å"possess the vigor need to sustain or advance that order.†[xxiii] The risk is the reliance on the influence to shape the environment for the success of the U.S.; it is placing its fate in other organizations’ hands, and therefore relying upon its unknown ability to assist in exercising the U.S.’s strategic objectives. This risk demonstrates the justification of retaking the offensive as the grand strategy regarding Russia’s threat to the U.S.   This essay analyzed Russia as the most significant threat to the U.S. today. In light of this threat, the grand strategy of retaking the offensive is appropriate for the U.S. The IR theory of realism is the foundation for retaking the offensive, as illustrated by the historical precedent of the Truman Doctrine, whereas liberalism increases the risk to this grand strategy of retaking the offensive. ENDNOTES [i] Missy Ryan, â€Å"Pentagon unveils budget priority for next year: Countering Russia and China,† New York Times, February 2, 2016. [ii] Leon Shane, III, â€Å"Incoming Joint Chiefs chairman calls Russia, China top threats, Military Times, July 9, 2015. [iii] Daniel R. Coats, â€Å"World-wide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community†, Senate Select Committee on National Intelligence, May 11, 2017: 1. [iv] Glenn P. Hastedt, â€Å"Military Instruments:   Big Wars,† in American Foreign Policy: Past, Present and Future†, (Rowman and Littlefield, 2015), 334. [v] Ibid. [vi] Liana Sun Wyler, â€Å"Weak and Failing States: Evolving Security Threats and U.S. Policy†, (Washington, D.C.: Congressional research Service, April 18, 2008): 1-8. [vii] Stephen D. Krasner, â€Å"Failed States and American National Security†, Hoover Institution Journal, Hoover Institute, April 16, 2015.   [viii] Hal Brands, â€Å"American Grand Strategy and the Liberal Order: Continuity, Change, and Options for the Future†, Building a Sustainable International Order, A RAND Project to Further Explore U.S. Strategy in a Changing World, Perspective Expert Insights on a Timely Policy Issue, The Rand Corporation, 2016: 11. [ix] Daniel R. Coats, â€Å"Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community†, Senate Select Committee on National Intelligence, May 11, 2017: 6. [x] Daniel R. Coats, â€Å"Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community†, Senate Select Committee on National Intelligence, May 11, 2017: 1. [xi] Dennis M. Drew and Donald M. Snow, â€Å"Making Twenty-First-Century Strategy: An Introduction to Modern National Security Processes and Problems†, Air University Press, (November 2006): 33 [xii] Alan G. Stolberg, â€Å"Crafting National Interests in the 21st Century in U.S. Army War College Guide to National Security Issues, 5th ed. Vol. II, ed. J. Boone Bartholomees, Jr; 13-21.   Carlisle Barracks, PA: U.S. Army War College, June 2012.  Ã‚   [xiii] Dennis M. Drew and Donald M. Snow, â€Å"Making Twenty-First-Century Strategy: An Introduction to Modern National Security Processes and Problems†, Air University Press, (November 2006): 33 [xiv] Alan G. Stolberg, â€Å"Crafting National Interests in the 21st Century in U.S. Army War College Guide to National Security Issues, 5th ed. Vol. II, ed. J. Boone Bartholomees, Jr; 13-21.   Carlisle Barracks, PA: U.S. Army War College, June 2012.  Ã‚   [xv] Hal Brands, â€Å"American Grand Strategy and the Liberal Order: Continuity, Change, and Options for the Future†, Building a Sustainable International Order, A RAND Project to Further Explore U.S. Strategy in a Changing World, Perspective Expert Insights on a Timely Policy Issue, The Rand Corporation, 2016: 13. [xvi] Ibid. [xvii] Dr. Chris Bolan, â€Å"Realism†, lecture, U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA, cited with permission of Dr. Bolan. [xviii] Glenn. P Hastedt, â€Å"Defining American Foreign Policy Problems,† in American Foreign Policy: Past, Present and Future, (Rowman and Littlefield, 2015), 33. [xix] Hal Brands, â€Å"American Grand Strategy and the Liberal Order: Continuity, Change, and Options for the Future†, Building a Sustainable International Order, A RAND Project to Further Explore U.S. Strategy in a Changing World, Perspective Expert Insights on a Timely Policy Issue, The Rand Corporation, 2016: 11. [xx] Ibid. [xxi] Ibid. [xxii] Ibid. [xxiii] Hal Brands, â€Å"American Grand Strategy and the Liberal Order: Continuity, Change, and Options for the Future†, Building a Sustainable International Order, A RAND Project to Further Explore U.S. Strategy in a Changing World, Perspective Expert Insights on a Timely Policy Issue, The Rand Corporation, 2016: 11.

A Critical Study of Media Reaction to September 11 Essay example -- Se

September 11, 2001: A DAY OF INFAMY.  Ã‚   So it was vehemently proclaimed in Time Magazine ¹s special issue dedicated to one of the most tragic events in American History and arguably one of the most brutal acts of terrorism to date.   America, in the spasms of a few hours, has become a changed country.   Perhaps in an attempt to understand this change and come to grips with the ensuing crisis, more and more people are turning to the media for answers.   Now more than ever, the media, namely television, radio, newspapers, and the internet, have become the most powerful tools in disseminating information relevant to this event.   This is a truth we cannot escape.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It would of course be naà ¯ve to say that this information is always reliable and accurate.   Beneath the surface there may be underlying messages which can serve to manipulate the public.   We as individuals need to be aware of this reality.   We need to be discerning with the information we take in, be able to critically analyze it, and eventually make intelligent and informed judgements.   Hence, to do a critical study of media culture with reference to the events transpiring after the September 11 attack, we need Cultural Studies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cultural Studies gives us the methods for analyzing the media.   It gives us the pedagogical tools necessary to critically interpret the media.   It enables us to read cultural text  ³against the grain ² by deconstructing it.   In other words, it allows us to decode the encoded messages.   An example of an encoded message could be the ubiquitous NBC Peacock icon which has changed its rainbow colored wings to red, white and blue.   Prior to this change, the constant presence of the logo at the bottom of the screen had made it almost invisible  ... ...ake a quick buck ² by flaunting the flag on everything from a pin to clothing to various other patriotic paraphernalia.   In many such cases the flag serves as a spectacle.   Many billboards across town are an entire picture of the flag with no caption, thus creating a polysemic visual image evoking endless emotions and feelings in the viewer.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From a cultural studies point of view, if one is to derive a  ³lesson ² from all of this, it would be that we need to be educated in media literacy so that we can discern and discriminate between good media and bad.   We should not be so naà ¯ve as to blindly accept the subliminal or even sometimes overt messages conveyed through media.   Instead, we need to critically decipher media messages and understand their overwhelming impact on our culture.   Only then will we be empowered to make intelligent and informed judgements.

Ethics and Utilitarianism Essay

What is Utilitarianism? Utilitarianism is an ethical framework for effective moral action. It’s a philosophical concept that holds an action to be held right if it tends to promote happiness for the greatest number of people. The essence of utilitarianism is in its concept of pleasure and pain. It defines the morally right actions as those actions that maximize pleasure or happiness and minimize pain or evil. Utilitarianism is all about making the right choices that will consequently promote the greatest amount of happiness. It can be traced all the way back to the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus, but the name most frequently associated with utilitarianism is that of Jeremy Bentham. According to utilitarianism, we should evaluate an action by looking at is consequences, weighing the good effects against the bad effects on all the people affected by it. If the good outweighs the bad, it tends to be a good action; if the bad outweigh the good, it tends to be a bad action. (DeGeorge 45) Ethical principles and theories are the foundations of ethical analysis because bring significant characteristics to the decision-making process. Every single theory shows different points such as predicting the outcome and following one’s duties to others in order to reach an ethical decision. But an ethical theory can only to be useful if the theory is directed towards a common set of goals. Ethical principles are the common goals that each theory tries to achieve in order to be successful. These goals include beneficence, least harm, respect for autonomy and justice. Using utilitarianism in ethical business practice would consider the good and bad consequence for everyone the action would affect, treat everybody as having equal rights, with no bias towards self, and would use it as an objective, quantitative way to make a moral decision. Utilitarianism should be employed in all business decision-making process to maximize effects and minimize negative outcomes. Businesses seek to make a profit. The cost-benefit analysis is a form of utility calculation. Most business often use cost-benefit as a decision making tool. Companies attempt to find out how much something is going to cost them before taking any actions that should result in consequences favorable to everyone involved. Just simply put, the company could make a profit while the consumer benefit from the product. To understand the definitions and concepts of the theory, in relation to business ethics, I will use the Ford Pinto Case as an example. The Ford Pinto was sold with dangerous design faults in the fuel tank in which management knew the problem existed. (bizcovering) In a roll over, the fuel valve had a tendency to leak fuel. That did not stop design and production, they rushed to assemble the vehicle and costs were kept low in order to sell the auto for $2,000. It was successful, until one year four people died and one little boy horribly burned and disfigured. Then there were many other incidents that resulted in Ford being sued and had to pay millions in compensation. The cost-benefit analysis demonstrated an abuse of utilitarian principles to suit their needs, because the engineers were aware of the flaws, yet the company continued to sell the car without safety modifications. Utilitarianism, far from being a self-serving approach to moral issues, demands careful, objective, and impartial evaluation of consequences. This philosophy is based on the belief that the moral and ethical value of one’s action should be judged by the consequence of such action. But utilitarianism states that the morality of an action is best judged by the utility or usefulness of such an action. During the 1980’s, Oliver North had to explain why he lied to congressional committees about his role in the Iran-Contra affair, the sale of U. S. arms to Iran for the release of hostages that were held by Iran, he replied, â€Å"Lying does not come easily to me. But we all had to weigh in the balance the difference between lies and lives. North’s conduct was an example of utilitarianism, his method of justifying his acts of deception is a form of moral reasoning. So long as a course of action produces maximum benefits for everyone, utilitarianism does not care whether the benefits are produced by lies, manipulation, or coercion. Utilitarianism was once a radical philosophy. It attempted to set forth a moral system apart from divine revelation and biblical morality. Utilitarianism focused on results rather than rules. But now has been embraced by so many simply because it seems to make a good deal of sense and seems relatively simple to apply. It provided for a way for people to live moral lives apart from the Bible and its rules. Logic rather than obedience to biblical principles guides the ethical decision-making of utilitarianism. While Jeremy Bentham developed his ethical system around the idea of pleasure and built it on ancient hedonism which pursued physical pleasure and avoided physical pain; John Stuart Mill modified this philosophy and developed it apart from Bentham’s hedonistic foundation. Mill used the same utilitarian calculus but instead focused on maximizing the general happiness by calculating the greatest good for the greatest number. Whereas Bentham established act utilitarianism, Mill established rule utilitarianism. Act utilitarian holds that each individual action, in all its concreteness and in all its details, is what should be to the utilitarian test. (DeGeorge 47) Rule utilitarian holds that utility applies appropriately t classes of actions rant than to given individual actions. (DeGeorge 48) According to Mill, one determines what is right by comparing the consequences of all relevant factors of diffeerent rules for a specific circumstance. In conclusion, utilitarianism is all about making the right choices that will consequently promote the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. Work Cited DeGeorge, Richard T. Business Ethics. 7th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 2010 â€Å"Applying Utilitarianism to Business Ethics: The Ford Pinto Case. † Annie Lundy February 6, 2009 â€Å"Utilitarianism. † utilitarianism. com. Henry R. West. n. d. â€Å"Calculating Consequences: The Utilitarian Approach to Ethics. † Claire Andre and Manuel Velasquez. n. d.

Norse Culture

Norse Culture: A Closer Look| | | Julianne N. Cantu| Intercultural CommunicationsDr. ThibodeauxMarch 7, 2013| From the beginning of civilization, culture has played a crucial role at shaping every society. Culture allows for all that is special about a group of people to be taken into account and be recognized. Norse culture has long been a popular subject in modern societies. Some of the most important characteristics that make Norse culture so unique are their people, their language, their literature, their religion, and their funeral practices.Like most societies, the Norse had a surprisingly lax social hierarchy. The Norse hierarchy was set to where there was a possibility for upward mobility. Individuals in Norse society were not doomed to live out their days in a particular social status, but were free to move from class to class. There were three set social classes in Norse society. Most Norsemen belonged to the middle class known as karls. Karls were the landowners, the farme rs; the smiths (blacksmiths, locksmiths, etc. ), etc (Haywood, 2000).The highest level in the social hierarchy was known as the jarls, or the nobility. These people lived in extravagant houses and halls and lived refined lives. The jarls used their money, wealth, followers, ships, and estates distinguish them from the rest of society. The lowest class of the social hierarchy was known as the pr? ll. This class included slaves and people who were known as bondsmen. If a person, from any class, could not pay their debts, they would become a bondsman and work for another man until his debts were repaid (Guy, 1998).The Scandinavians, during the Viking Age, spoke Old Norse. This language was sometimes referred to as â€Å"Danish Tongue (Page, 1987). † Icelandic, Danish, and Norwegian languages are all descended of Old Norse. There were many different dialects spoken during this time. Many scholars are able to find the differences between East Norse and West Norse. Despite these di fferences, the people during the Viking Age were able to communicate with each other without difficulty because the languages were so similar (Page, 1987). Many Viking cultures were also known to have used runes.A rune is letter or character from the runic alphabet. â€Å"Most of the runic characters consist of straight lines and the alphabet was clearly designed for etching onto wood, stone, or metal with a sharp instrument such as a knife (Page, 1995). † A different version of runes referred to as the â€Å"Younger Futhark† was established by the beginning of the Viking Age. Contrary to popular belief, Vikings did not actually wear helmets with horns on them. This depiction of Vikings warriors is a terrible misrepresentation of their culture.What a Viking wore was determined by their place in their society. If a person was a slave, they were often poorly dressed in things that amounted to rags. Free men wore things like leather boots and clothes made out of finer mat erials, like wool and different furs. Men often wore either pants or tunics, while the women would wear dress like garments that would fasten at the shoulder (Roesdahl, 2001). Only the wealthiest of the Viking society ever wore jewelry, like necklaces, pendants, brooches, and rings because it signified their elevated status to others (Jesch, 1991).Viking literature is uncommon to come by because Norse culture was typically shared through the spoken word rather than the written word. Much of the folklore about Norse culture was written later and compiled into a Edda. Edda is derives from the Old Norse term for poetry (Page, 1995). There are two different types of edda, the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda. The Poetic Edda is a collection of Old Norse poems. This edda contains the most information concerning Norse mythology. The poems contained in the edda tell stories of brave hero and heroines and depict tales of different Norse legends.The Prose Edda also contains many mythological s tories. The Prose Edda, unlike the Poetic Edda, is separated into three different books;the Gylfaginning, the Skaldskaparmal, and the ? gir (Haywood, 2000). On the whole, not much is known about different pagan religious practices in the Viking Age. There is little evidence to vindicate the different pagan rituals conducted by the Vikings. Different Viking sagas were written almost 200 years ago, after the conversion to Christianity. Although there is no definitive record of pagan rituals, much is known about the many different deities worshipped by the Vikings.The most popular and powerful god to the Norse people was Thor, god of thunder and lightning. Thor was the mighty champions of the Norse gods and the people because he was the only one strong enough on his own to slay the giants, the arch nemeses of the gods. Without Thor, the other gods would have to resort to playing clever games in order to slay the giants. Thor’s weapon of choice was his mighty hammer, Mjolnir (Dub ois, 1997). Mjolnir is depicted as one of the most fearsome weapons in Norse culture, and is rumored to be capable of leveling mountains.It was written that, â€Å"[Mjolnir] would be able to strike as firmly as he wanted, whatever his aim, and the hammer would never fail, and if he threw it at something, it would never miss and never fly so far from his hand that it would not find its way back, and when he wanted, it would be so small that it could be carried inside his tunic (Orchard, 1999). † Odin was also one of the most popular gods in Norse culture. Odin was the father of all of the gods and men. He is a god of â€Å"magick, wisdom, with, and learning (Dubois, 1999). Odin has been said to possess the power of reanimating the dead in order to speak to them to gain any wisdom they may possess. Odin’s weapon of choice is his spear, Gungnir, which, supposedly, never misses its target. Odin is always depicted as only having one eye because he traded the other for a dr ink from the Well of Wisdom, where he gained an immense amount of knowledge (Page, 1995). Loki was the â€Å"trickster† of the Norse gods. It was written that he was, â€Å"handsome and fair of face, but has an evil disposition and is very changeable of mood.He excelled all men in the art of cunning, and he always cheats. He was continually involving the Aesir in great difficulties and he often helped them out by guile (Orchard, 1997). † Loki was the son of two giants and step-brother to Odin. Loki had the power of shape shifting and could even change his gender on command. As a woman, Loki gave birth to many of the terrible creatures, like Odin’s eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. When Thor was not around to help destroy the giants, Loki was often sought out by the gods in order to deploy clever tactics to take the giants down.The common misconception concerning Vikings and religion is that many believed they hated Christianity because they were pagan, and that was not the case. The Vikings believed in many different deities. They often targeted and plundered Christian monasteries, however, because they knew they were wealthy and were, often times, poorly defended. The Vikings had many different customs and beliefs when it came to death. They had specific rituals when it came to funerals, but had many different beliefs when it came to things like the soul and where the dead went when they were no longer part of this world.The Vikings had two different beliefs when it came to the soul. First, the Vikings believed that the very last breath a person took before they died was their soul escaping and moving on to become one with nature. The second was that there was a different type of soul; a â€Å"dream soul† that was able to leave the body when a person was in a state of unconsciousness like sleep. This part of the soul is forever trapped inside the body unless the body is destroyed either by decay or a sacrificial burning. Only when the body was broken down would the â€Å"dream soul† be able to make its way to the realm of the dead (Page, 1995).Vikings believed that, when a person dies, they need to be buried or burned with their belongings that will help them to succeed in their next life. People who had certain jobs, like a blacksmith, were often buried with all of their tools so that they would be able to utilize them after they had moved on to their next life. Women were often burned/buried with their jewelry and other tools for â€Å"female household activities (Orchard, 1997). † It was common among Vikings to burn the corpses, as well as their belongings, on a funeral pyre.These pyres were built to large scales because the Vikings believed that the smoke from the fire needed to be as massive as possible in order to assist the soul in reaching the afterlife. After the deceased had been gone for seven days, the Vikings would partake in funeral ale which served as a ritual drinking. The funeral al e was a way in which the families of the deceased could get together to celebrate the person’s life. It wasn’t until after the ale was drunk that issues like inheritances and transitioning of familial power were able to take place (Dubois, 1999).After a person has died, the Vikings believed that their souls partook in an adventure in order to reach the afterlife. The afterlife had many different variations in the culture, like the inside of a mountain, on the other side of the sea, in the heavens, or in the underworld (Dubois, 1999). Helgafjell, or â€Å"Holy Mountain†, is one manifestation of the Norse afterlife. If a person made their way to the holy mountain, they would live out their lives in a manner that was very similar to the one they had in the physical world. Hel, however, is the complete opposite of Helgafjell.Hel, which is ruled by a blue and black giantess named Hel, is the destination for all of those who did not die in battle, but of old age and s ickness. In Hel, the gates that adorn the entrance are heavy, as to give the idea once you enter, you will never again exit. Valhalla is another destination for those who have died. About half of those that die in battle find their way to Valhalla. The halves that were allowed to enter were to remain fit for battle so that they could participate in Ragnork. Valhalla was said to be located in the heavens in Odin’s kingdom.Valkyries, men and women who choose which soldiers die and which live, dwell in the heavens with Odin and those warriors deemed worthy to live again (Page, 1995). The other soldiers who are not chosen to live again reside in Folkvanger with the goddess Freya. The Norse raised many different kinds of domestic animals, like cattle, sheep, pigs, geese, chickens, goats, and ducks. They used their cattle, sheep, and goats in order to make dairy products like milk and cheese. They also harvested eggs from their chickens, ducks, and geese. Fish and deer were also hu nted and added to the myriad of food sources the Norse could choose from.The Norse also were accomplished farmers and were able to grow a plethora of different items, like oats, barley, flax, cabbage, leeks, horseradish, watercress, carrots, celery, peas, and a number of different herbs (Guy, 1995). The Norse were also known to keep bees and to harvest nuts. When it came to cooking their food, the Norse like their meat roasted or boiled and were particularly fond of their stews. The Vikings cured their meat, either by smoking it, bringing it, or drying it. The Vikings usually prepared flat bread for meals (like a pancake), but did produce raised bread when there was some sort of special occasion to cook for.Their drink of choice was mead. Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from honey, but they also made different kinds of beers and ales. The Viking did not grow grapes, so they were unable to partake in wine (Roesdahl, 2001). In short, it is clear that there are many different aspect s of Viking culture that makes them truly unique. It is also clear that there have been many misrepresentations of Viking culture and, because of that, many people can have skewed perceptions when it comes to their outlook concerning Vikings. References Dubois, Thomas A. Nordic Religions in the Viking Age.Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999. Print. Guy, John. Viking Life. Kent: Ticktock, 1998. Print. Haywood, John. Encyclopaedia of the Viking Age. London: Thames & Hudson, 2000. Print. Jesch, Judith. Women in the Viking Age. Haworth: Woodbridge, 1991. Print. Orchard, Andy. Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. London: Cassell, 1997. Print. Page, RI. Reading the Past: Runes. London: British Museum Press, 1987. Print. Page, RKi. Chronicles of the Vikings: Records, Memorials and Myths. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1995. Print. Roesdahl, Else. The Vikings. New York: Penguin, 2001. Print.

Television Violence essays

Television Violence essays With the recent outbreak of school shootings, there has been renewed public concern over how violence is depicted in the media, particularly on television. Studies have shown that a child has witnessed 8,000 murders on television before finishing elementary school. With this statistic in mind, I am going to define television violence, state some facts on how violence causes aggressive behavior in children and give some suggestions on how parents can decrease the amount of media violence in their home. Television violence usually refers to all the violence appearing on TV screens. It includes material broadcast over the air, distributed by cable and satellite systems, and available on videocassettes and disks. A common understanding or definition of what constitutes television violence could be useful in helping to examine and regulate the problem (Alter, pars. 4-5). Extensive viewing of television violences by children causes greater aggressiveness. Sometimes, watching a single violent program can increase aggressiveness. Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, are more likely to imitate what they see. The impact of TV violence may be immediately evident in the childs behavior or may surface years later , and young people can even be affected when the family atmosphere shows no tendency toward violence. This does not mean that violence on television is the only source for aggressive or violent behavior, but it is a significant contributor (Smith, par. 4). The overall pattern of research findings indicates a positive association between television violence and aggressive behavior. A Washington Post article , states that the evidence from more than 3,000 research studies over two decades shows that the violence portrayed on television influences the attitudes and behavior...

The Perspective of Cultural Differences Essays

The Perspective of Cultural Differences Essays The Perspective of Cultural Differences Paper The Perspective of Cultural Differences Paper The Perspective of Cultural Differences The Myth of the Latin Women by Judith Ortiz Cofer, the author states how she has been treated by different people in different countries due to their conception of her as a Latin woman. She points out several incidents where she is viewed, stereotypically, as a woman only capable of being a housewife and as a sexual object. She also shows the cross-cultural conflict Hispanics have to deal with on an everyday basis. This country, the United States is purely dominated by Caucasians, where cultural traditions are seeing in Latin women, mistakenly, something purely sexual. She points out these differences to readers to understand why there should not be racial stereotype and gender in the society. In Cofers essay, she talks about the controversial stereotypes that many Latin American women experienced and are still experiencing. In the article, she is trying to reach a specified audience of Latin American women who might have been exposed to such stereotypes themselves-for example, that of the Hispanic woman as Hot Tamale or sexual firebrand (Cofer 629). Then, she has her larger audience she is going towards, the people in this world who elieve in the stereotypes of Latin American women. A few examples are that all Latin girls are involved in some type of traditional womans work type of Job, cannot pronounce their words are energetic and sexy. She explains a personal situation when she went to a formal dance back in her grade school days. A boy asked her to go with him to dance, and of course she said yes. Throughout the formal dance, the boy leaned in for a kiss, but she quickly turned away, and then his response was, l thought you Latin girls were mature(Cofer 629). One can interpret from this portion ut of the article that an overarching theme to the authors writing style is her past experiences represented in a way that is not too forward on such a touchy subject as racial stereotypes but more in depth and revealing about actual problems experienced on this subject. The author uses very little Spanish in her article, but she used common Spanish language that even non-Spanish speaking people could still pick up on the language intended meaning. The author understands her audience is multi-cultural, therefore has different boundaries she must tip toe around. By giving some example of the words casas [households], bodega [grocery]. She repeats one word throughout the article which is Latin and Latina. She is proving a point, and reminds her audience that she is only talking about the stereotypes of Latinas and no one else. Therefore, she relies heavily on a very simplistic informative tone that expresses her experience clearly, but not in a strictly one culture view. By choosing the Spanish words to help identify the culture that she is describing she ties in people outside of that culture as well and does not use too complicated grammar for non-Spanish speakers. She wants to get her point across to the reader to not think of any other stereotypes that might be prevalent in their cultures due to her inexperience in those cultures. The tone that author created in her work has multiple aspects to it. First of all, the theme of her tone is one of serious information that has been compiled out of her past experiences. However reiterates some of the shameful racist acts she has encountered. Late one evening after the theater, my companion and I listened as the man half-recited, half bellowed Dont Cry for me, Argentina. (Cofer 630). Readers think this is the most crucial aspect f her tone in the paper, due to the fact that it gives her audience time to move away from dry information, and yet as they hear her story, they can also feel a sense of right and wrong, and how terrible these stereotypes really get. The final piece of tone that one notices is an underlying anger. She makes clear recollections of many stereotypical experiences right before she ends each one of these, there is a quick statement or interjection of hard, cold, and remembering anger at these terrible experiences and stereotypes. In retrospect I understand that my anger gave my eading fire, that I have almost always taken doubts in my abilities as a challenge-and that the result is, most times, a feeling of satisfaction at having won a convert when I see the cold, appraising eyes warm to my words, the body language change, the smile that indicates that I have opened some avenue for communication( Cofer 631). The author has made an excellent case to why it is desperately important that racial stereotypes be uprooted and forgotten. That she is a proud Latina woman does not mean she is in some narrow minded manner of thinking that would allow one to excuse her in a stereotypical manner. We are who we make ourselves in this world; the author proved that through all the stereotypes and hardships one might experience. She proved to be a talented, well-educated and expressive writer that represents her life experiences in a relevant method, making one think about the wall of stereotypes that surround these dark bouts of cruelty, which have held together negative cultural boundaries for so long. Cofer, Judith Ortiz. The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria. Steps to Writhing Well with Additional Reading. 9th ed. Ed by Jean Wyrick . Boston: wadsworth Cengage, 2014. 625-627.

What a Hypothesis Is and How to Formulate One

What a Hypothesis Is and How to Formulate One A hypothesis is a prediction of what will be found at the outcome of a research project  and is typically focused on the relationship between two different variables studied in the research. It is usually based on both theoretical expectations about how things work and already existing scientific evidence. Within social science, a hypothesis can take two forms. It can predict that there is no relationship between two variables, in which case it is a null hypothesis. Or, it can predict the existence of a relationship between variables, which is known as an alternative hypothesis. In either case, the variable that is thought to either affect or not affect the outcome is known as the independent variable, and the variable that is thought to either be affected or not is the dependent variable. Researchers seek to determine whether or not their hypothesis, or hypotheses if they have more than one, will prove true. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they do not. Either way, the research is considered successful if one can conclude whether or not a hypothesis is true.   Null Hypothesis A researcher has a null hypothesis when she or he believes, based on theory and existing scientific evidence, that there will not be a relationship between two variables. For example, when examining what factors influence a persons highest level of education within the U.S., a researcher might expect that place of birth, number of siblings, and religion would not have an impact on the level of education. This would mean the researcher has stated three null hypotheses. Alternative Hypothesis Taking the same example, a researcher might expect that the economic class and educational attainment of ones parents, and the race of the person in question are likely to have an effect on ones educational attainment. Existing evidence and social theories that recognize the connections between wealth and cultural resources, and how race affects access to rights and resources in the U.S., would suggest that both economic class and educational attainment of the ones parents would have a positive effect on educational attainment. In this case, economic class and educational attainment of ones parents are independent variables, and ones educational attainment is the dependent variable- it is hypothesized to be dependent on the other two. Conversely, an informed researcher would expect that being a race other than white in the U.S. is likely to have a negative impact on a persons educational attainment. This would be characterized as a negative relationship, wherein being a person of color has a negative effect on ones educational attainment. In reality, this hypothesis proves true, with the exception of Asian Americans, who go to college at a higher rate than whites do. However, Blacks and Hispanics and Latinos are far less likely than whites and Asian Americans to go to college. Formulating a Hypothesis Formulating a hypothesis can take place at the very beginning of a research project, or after a bit of research has already been done. Sometimes a researcher knows right from the start which variables she is interested in studying, and she may already have a hunch about their relationships. Other times, a researcher may have an interest in ​a  particular topic, trend, or phenomenon, but he may not know enough about it to identify variables or formulate a hypothesis. Whenever a hypothesis is formulated, the most important thing is to be precise about what ones variables are, what the nature of the relationship between them might be, and how one can go about conducting a study of them. Updated  by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D

E-retailing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

E-retailing - Assignment Example In 1997, Auto-by-Tel successfully sold their millionth car over the internet. As well, CommerceNet/Nielsen Media stated that they have attained more than 10 million people on the Web. According to Jupiter research the e-tailing has raised to $37 billion by 2002. Moreover, the e-tailing has also allowed the growth of e-tailware, software tools for producing online catalogs as well as dealing with business associates by performing e-tailing. In this scenario, a new movement is the price assessment sites that are able to rapidly compare prices from a number of dissimilar e-tailers as well as establish a connection between you and them (Schappell, 2000). This report will present a detailed analysis of a company that is specialized in e-retailing of business. This report will present a comprehensive analysis of some of main areas and aspects of the business’s e-retailing enhancement and establishment of more effective strategy for the potential management of business in a much better way. For this report I have chosen Maplin Electronics business. In this scenario, the main idea is about developing an expanded internet shopping capability for Maplin Electronics company website. Business Overview I have selected Maplin Electronics Corporation, which needs to improve its web based business and also create a better opportunity for the possible expansion in overall business and working arrangements. Maplin Electronics is one of the UK’s major corporate retailers of consumer electronics. Maplin Electronics business comprises a complete national network of 185 stores those are the main goldmine of valuable consumer technologies and gadgets. Maplin Electronics offers a variety of products including communication, cables, computing, components, music, home & car, power, TV & Satellite systems also Sat Navigational tools (Maplin Electronics2, 2011). In addition, Maplin Electronics is specialized in consumer electronics areas. Maplin Electronics is proud to present the most excellent and the majority informed customer recommendations on the high street. Additionally, the business encompasses a huge team of over 2,000 customer service support officers that facilitate thousands o f customers to make informed selections regarding technology purchases each and every day; from technology fans to the entire novices. Moreover, this business was initiated by two technology devotees in 1972 who were irritated by the lack of high-quality electronics products and components. Soon after the establishment of the business the Maplin Electronics rapidly turned out to be the experts’ preference, with a standing for the most excellent product variety and skills. In fact, Maplin Electronics Corporation has developed with high speed since launching over 30 years ago, its standing as the United Kingdom’s simply true experts in consumer electronics is yet at the heart of Maplin Electronics nowadays (Maplin Electronics2, 2011). Furthermore, Maplin Electronics Corporation allows its customers to buy products from more than 185 stores located in United Kingdom and Ireland. Maplin Electronics also allows its custom

The Unlikely Secret Agent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Unlikely Secret Agent - Essay Example Eleanor is commemorated today as a heroine in the fight of South African people against the apartheid system. This essay tries to analyze Eleanor’s involvement in the anti-apartheid movement, particularly the reasons she decided to take part in the struggle in the first place. Eleanor, as a Scottish-South African militant against the apartheid system, built ANC chambers in Scotland and criticized the UK government’s operations in Africa. In the 1960s, she met her husband after becoming a member of the ANC clandestine group. She â€Å"shared his life on the run from the security forces and in exile in Britain† (Cape Times 5). She was imprisoned without due process. Imprisoned in 1963 she fled from imprisonment and left the country secretly. Eleanor was twenty-five when law enforcers started shooting and killing protesters demanding equality and justice for black South African people, in an event that was infamously called the Sharpeville Massacre. Shocked and revolted, Eleanor took part in the Congress of Democrats, which was affiliated with the ANC, and was one of the female pioneers of the Spear of the Nation (Cape Times 5). Kasrils’s book is a heartwarming, but gripping tribute to his wife of enormous values, talent, and bravery. She was one of the very few white South Africans to secretly take part in the struggle at a time when the ANC had instigated a movement of, exactly, fiery opposition to the racially prejudiced apartheid system. Her opposition to this system and resistance to its violence and injustice were downright courageous. The tale of Eleanor, similar to the tale of the anti-apartheid campaign in general, is emotional, inspiring and remains significant. As Eleanor’s extraordinary story begins in 1963, the White system is under attack and South Africa is facing an imminent disaster. On the 15th of August, the feared security

Strategy for Mega Bastard Corporation - Bionic Limbs Essay

Strategy for Mega Bastard Corporation - Bionic Limbs - Essay Example How fancy is that? The most important factors to consider in the introduction of bionic limbs is the strategic management variable involved in product and business development. Namely; Market entry, research and development, pricing, designing the product and competition prosthetic limbs producers. MBC will most probably benefit from a market segment of people interested in comic books, superhero movies and video games. The macro environment directly related to competition. DEKA is an example of prosthetic limb maker. They have made progress in making bionic arms, which basically gives MBC the advantage of differentiating their market segment to only limb/ legs bionic material. The market analysis will assume that MBC management has taken care of the approval process through the Food and Drug Administration body. MBC has two choices, either to enter the market or not to enter the bionic market. Now does not enter the bionic limbs market, then their competitors will obviously maintain the status quo and barely change the prices of bionic limbs. However, if MBC enters the market, then its potential competitors will definitely start a price war and that may affect the level of sales of bionic limbs. MBC will obviously be a credible threat to existing competitors in this monopolistic market as noted by Baines & Fill (2014). MBC already has the technology for making the bionic limbs, hence labour cost for the business and product development is greatly minimized and the only challenge will be for the management to identify a profitable market segment for their product. Getting a priced contract with competitors can always help MBC avoid any price wars that may emerge after they introduce their bionic limb. This is basically done by MBC paying a premium to a specific competitor and in exchange, the competition won’t start a price war against MBC. For MBC to effectively market the bionic limb, the product must be FDA approved in order to gain considerable favour even in the ‘villain’ market segment.  Ã‚  

Secure Software Testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Secure Software Testing - Essay Example So, it can easily be visualized that the CCQAS is a massive system with multiple sources of data storage as well possible queries for retrieval. Testing phase with the software has been completed in two phases. The first one being the System Integration test (SIT)and in the second phase it's been the System Qualification Test (SQT). The SIT being the first phase of testing i.e., Development Test & Evaluation (DT&E) is performed by The McVey Company, Inc (TMCI). TMCI provided an independent team for this test with sole purpose being the validation of capabilities of the CCQAS system in ensuring technical specification, the rules of business, its various functionalities and other specifications mentioned in the requirement document as well as those defined by the developers and possible end users. The test environment provided for this phase of testing was similar to that of the designed production environment. TMCI role in this phase extends to testing all releases of CCQAS during the duration of SIT. Now in the second phase of DT&E it's the System Qualification Test (SQT)that needs to be performed. Here, the testing is performed by the experts of the subject matter or the service representatives.

Critical Review of a Performance (Luisa Miller by Verdi) with as Essay

Critical Review of a Performance (Luisa Miller by Verdi) with as correlated main theme ''LOVE AND FEAR INTERACTION'' - Essay Example This insurgency brought with it another market economy, in view of new innovation machine devices and machine control rather than human instruments and creature power. Towns blasted into urban focuses and individuals moved to them from homesteads and the farmland to take employments in recently opened plants. With next to zero regulations set up, these occupations could be severe. Men, ladies, and kids worked 14 hour shifts; where they had once read a clock by the sun, now they could go weeks without seeing the light of day. Quick development handled urban areas that were filthy and packed, the working poor regularly existed in filthiness, and smokestacks obscured the air with ash (Baldini, 1980). While industrialization made shopper products less expensive and expanded the preparation of nourishment, there were the individuals who thought over on the past longingly, seeing it as a sentimental period before individuals were commoditised and nature scourged and demolished. In the meantime, there was a developing response against the theory of the Enlightenment, which underscored science, exact confirmation, and sound thought most importantly. Sentimental people tested the thought that reason was the one way to truth, passing judgment on it lacking in understanding the extraordinary secrets of life. These riddles could be uncovered with feeling, creative energy, and instinct. Nature was particularly celebrated as a classroom for divulgence toward oneself and profound taking in, the spot in which secrets could be uncovered to the psyche of man. Sentimental people underscored a life loaded with profound feeling, otherworldly existence, and free outflow, seeing such ethics as a defence against the dehumanizing impacts of industrialization. They additionally lauded the quality of individuals, which they accepted to have endless, divine

Drug and crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Drug and crime - Essay Example These individuals consider as normal vices what their counterparts in the normal society consider as abomination. After locating them and doing the study, it is impossible for a researcher to know if the data from the sample is representative of all the parameters of the population. This is because the official numbers of the people in the drug related issues is unknown (Tanneeru 2011). There are various methods of collecting data related to drug manufacture, distribution, usage and abuse activity as explained by Coomber (1997). First, the researcher may collect data from official records e.g. police reports and treatment records. However, these data sources have their limitations, mostly due to the tendency of the hidden population to keep matters to themselves. For instance, they do not report criminal activity or conflicts among members and, therefore, data collected from police reports do not reflect the real situation, only accounting for few of the cases of drug use and drug related crimes. One outstanding characteristic of the data from police and that collected from treatment records is that the information only covers drug use cases that cause disruption of normal social function and not mild or non-chronic drug users. In addition, collecting treatment data may compromise the profession and ethical codes that ensure patient-doctor confidentiality. Another source of data on drug use is surveys and questionnaires, where researchers find the sample of interest and administer questionnaires among other primary data collection measures. This method has the advantage of the possibility of many people participating in the study, though it is also tedious and time-consuming. Since most drug users keep a low profile and hardly participate in public life, it is difficult to identify and impossible to know the total number of drug users. Therefore, data collected this way may not be representative of the drug-using population since researchers

Critical Review of a Performance (Luisa Miller by Verdi) with as Essay

Critical Review of a Performance (Luisa Miller by Verdi) with as correlated main theme ''LOVE AND FEAR INTERACTION'' - Essay Example This insurgency brought with it another market economy, in view of new innovation machine devices and machine control rather than human instruments and creature power. Towns blasted into urban focuses and individuals moved to them from homesteads and the farmland to take employments in recently opened plants. With next to zero regulations set up, these occupations could be severe. Men, ladies, and kids worked 14 hour shifts; where they had once read a clock by the sun, now they could go weeks without seeing the light of day. Quick development handled urban areas that were filthy and packed, the working poor regularly existed in filthiness, and smokestacks obscured the air with ash (Baldini, 1980). While industrialization made shopper products less expensive and expanded the preparation of nourishment, there were the individuals who thought over on the past longingly, seeing it as a sentimental period before individuals were commoditised and nature scourged and demolished. In the meantime, there was a developing response against the theory of the Enlightenment, which underscored science, exact confirmation, and sound thought most importantly. Sentimental people tested the thought that reason was the one way to truth, passing judgment on it lacking in understanding the extraordinary secrets of life. These riddles could be uncovered with feeling, creative energy, and instinct. Nature was particularly celebrated as a classroom for divulgence toward oneself and profound taking in, the spot in which secrets could be uncovered to the psyche of man. Sentimental people underscored a life loaded with profound feeling, otherworldly existence, and free outflow, seeing such ethics as a defence against the dehumanizing impacts of industrialization. They additionally lauded the quality of individuals, which they accepted to have endless, divine

The Ethical Revolt of Slave Morality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Ethical Revolt of Slave Morality - Essay Example In Friedrich Nietzsche’s On The Genealogy of Morals, he explains how a slave revolt takes place in history, which is emphasized through the predominance of Christian morality. In this essay I shall explain how Nietzsche arrived at such a claim. I shall argue that despite Nietzsche’s criticisms on the dogmas of Christian morality, values, and tradition, he extols principles that contribute to the emancipation of the individual self. It is in this regard that I agree with Nietzsche when he claims that a slave revolt has taken place, for along with this revolt was the degradation of the human subject as powerless, and thus stagnating one’s potentials for self-actualization. However, in order to understand Nietzsche’s contentions, it is important to understand first, what dominated his thoughts. One of the elements which is central to Nietzsche’s thought is illustrated in his famous declaration that, â€Å"God is Dead!† (â€Å"Thus Spoke† 77). This affirms a complete rejection of metaphysical and religious truths as grounds for reality. To Nietzsche, the existence of God, the afterlife, immortality are nothing but imaginary causes. In his view, such are nothing but mere projections of one’s psychological desire for security and calculability in life. In line with this, Nietzsche believed that once the existence of God is unveiled as an illusion, then it follows that God could no longer be implemented as the foundation for human ethical conducts. This leads to the assertion that all morals will be founded on the subjective will of individual self. Thus, Nietzsche affirmed the individual self as the basis of all inquires and norms. Based on this argument, we are led to the question on how can the individual achieve its highest level of affirmation i n a world without a divine providence? The answer to this query is found in the Nietzsche’s theory of the will to power. Nietzsche’s will to power is defined as â€Å"the drive to dominate the environment. This drive, so central is the will to power. This will to power is more than simply the will to survive. It is, rather, an inner drive to express a vigorous affirmation of all a person’s powers† (Stumpf 380). Given this, the will to power can be characterized as the inner propensity to dominate and assert superiority over one’s life. Furthermore, it allows individuals to reach their highest potentials through the overcoming of barriers and constraints. In this manner, individuals increase in power and vitality. However, Nietzsche cautioned us that if one decides to practice a certain code of ethics, the will to power gradually declines. By this, the individual weakens and suffers. Herein, Nietzsche accused Christianity for advocating virtues that undermine and destabilize one’s will to power. But prior to Nietzsche’s presentation of his criticisms towards the teachings of the Christian religion, he first explains how and why Christianity became the dominant religion in human society. Master Morality His explanation is found in his doctrine of the two-fold history of good and evil. This doctrine reveals that there were two types of moralities, which were practiced during the ancient Greeks. These are master morality or aristocratic morality and slave morality. For Nietzsche, Master morality is one that is founded upon the will to power. He claims: â€Å"What is good? – All that heightens the feeling of power, the will to power, power itself in man. What is bad? – All that proceeds from weakness. What is happiness? – the feeling that power increases – that a resistance is overcome† (â€Å"Twilight of† 127). With this in mind, master morality advocates that â€Å"goodâ⠂¬  is identified to that which is powerful and noble. On the other hand, â€Å"evil† is linked to weakness and cowardice. In line with this, In Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche describes the temperament of the noblemen. To begin with, Nietzsche says, â€Å"

Economic Concepts of Vicarious Liability

Economic Concepts of Vicarious Liability a) Explain the economic logic behind laws related to the concept of vicarious liability The simple definition of vicarious liability is where an individual or firm can be held responsible for torts committed by another, the most common case for that is of employers and employees. Vicarious liability differs from secondary liability as it doesnt deal with cases of negligence on the employers behalf, it instead relates to the scope of employment not the respondent superior. Normally when torts are committed the liability lies with the person who authorises the tort, however this is not always enough hence the introduction of vicarious liability. If companies know that they can be held vicariously liable and face the full cost for a tort then they will ensure they minimise the chances of committing a tort, this is done by better monitoring of the employees. This seems fine for large companies who have the money to monitor and the money to be able to pay any compensation. However small firms are far more disadvantaged as they dont have the resources to monitor or pay compen sation, this will mean the risk of accidents is not likely to decrease. Employers will more often than not be held vicariously liable for their employees actions. The Salmond test was developed in the 1930s to check if a tortuous act was part of an unauthorised act authorised by the employer or one the was instigate by the employee only. This was really the first definitions of vicarious liability and has been used as a test in many cases since. However over the years it has become more watered down slightly in favour of the employers. By 1969 the government had introduced a law forcing companies to take out insurance to cover cases of vicarious liability. The Employees Liability Act meant that any company in the UK would have to insure against liability of its employees and of its own actions. This would now mean that even if the company didnt take care the insurance would be able to pay the full social cost of the tort. The act also made it compulsory to have  £5 million of insu rance to make sure it will cover the full liability claim for compensation. It should therefore be in the employers interest to take more care of what they task employees to do knowing that ultimate responsibility can lie with the employer. The law up to the late 1990s stipulated that the employer could only be found vicariously liable if it was found they had authorised the employee to do something that was unauthorised. If however the employer was found not to have authorised any such behaviour the employer himself would be found liable. Since 2001 the House of Lords sees that we should focus on the link between what it is an employee is tasked to do and the nature of the tort committed. In most cases it makes good economic sense that employers should be found to be liable as well as the employees. Not just because they have a greater ability to pay compensation but because they should take more care when overlooking what their employees are tasked to do. b) In the case of an employer/employee relationship, is there a case for extending liability beyond the employer? To analyse this properly it is best to look at some recent case studies. One of the largest rail crashes on the British rail system was the Hatfield rail crash in 2000, it left 4 people dead and 102 injured. After the crash a long and painstaking enquiry took place to see how the crash happened and who the blame lied with. The enquiry found that a section of the track was badly damaged which led to the train derailing, the section of track was found to have been neglected for a period of 21months. The court held the maintenance company (Balfour Beatty) liable and fined them  £10 million pounds, a record amount for the time. The court also gave the parent company of Balfour Beatty a hefty fine, Balfour Beatty was managed by Railtrack who were handed a  £3.5 million fine for breaching safety rules. The judge said it was â€Å"one of the worst examples of sustained industrial negligence in a high risk industry† the crash could have been easily averted if a safety checking pla n was in place and properly followed. In this case liability had to be extended beyond the employer Balfour Beatty as Railtrack were at fault for not properly regulating the maintenance work. There was however no charges brought against the employees as they were only following the orders of the employer Balfour Beatty. In this case Balfour Beatty should take most of the blame as they are mainly at fault for not implementing the correct maintenance procedures. However Railtrack should and rightly took some of the blame as they should have been more closely supervising the what company they controlled was doing as it was in their interests. If a company van driver for example injures a pedestrian on a crossing who is liable? The employer can be liable for hiring a incompetent driver, but also the driver can be held liable as he was careless in his driving. So in a case like this it is right to extend liability as the company cannot be held solely liable due the driver not taking due care in his job. However it is usual that the pedestrian would only sue the company that employs the driver, this is mainly because it is harder to sue on a personal liability claim and also the companies have a greater ability to pay compensation. c) Is there a case for criminal liability in the context of vicarious liability? In most cases firms are vicariously liable in cases of civil liability, however they can also been prosecuted as part of criminal vicarious liability. The conventional thinking is that adding criminal liability to strict vicarious liability is a good thing, it should reduce corporate crime and also be efficient in its prevention. However more recent analysis suggest that in some cases adding vicarious liability to corporate criminal liability does not encourage corporations to be more cautious. It is widely said that trying to add criminal liability to vicariously liability is extremely complicated. Taking the case of Ferguson vs Weaving as an example vicarious liability was trying to be applied to a charge of aiding and abetting. Weaving was the licensee of a hotel, she was charged with aiding and abetting for allowing drinkers to consume alcohol after the hours permitted by the law. The licensee said that it wasnt her fault as she had instructed the waiters and waitresses to collec t up glasses before 10pm, the time at which she was licensed to allow consumption of alcohol. The court did not sympathise with her and were only concerned with the fact that she had broken the law. Therefore ultimate responsibility lay with the licensee and she was charged with aiding and abetting unlawful drinking. In many ways criminal liability should be extended to the vicariously liable firm as ultimately it is the firm that is responsible for its employees, obviously if the employee does some that is completely unauthorised buy the firm, it should be the employee that receives any criminal charges. Vicarious criminal liability however is not always useful as explained by Kraakman firms seem to be immune to criminal sanctions. The criminal penalties on firms are just not large enough to deter torts. In the case of Railtrack and Balfour Beatty the fines were argued to be non efficient, the money they were fined does not do the general public any good. Money they could have spent on improving the rail service was lost through the fine, instead it could have been better to force criminal charges on the two companies and forced them to invest in the rail network. References: Liability in Tort, 3400 Vicarious and corporate civil liability, Reinier H. Kraakman Vicarious Liability in Criminal Law, The Modern Law Review, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Jul., 1951), pp. 334-340, J. Ll. J. Edwards The Potentially Perverse Effects of Corporate Criminal Liability, The Journal of Legal Studies, Vol. 23, No. 2 (Jun., 1994), pp. 833-867, Jennifer Arlen Employers liability (compulsory insurance) act 1969 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article575881.ece http://www.daviddfriedman.com/laws_order/index.shtml http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1524744/Companys-failures-led-to-Hatfield-rail-crash.html http://www.swarb.co.uk/lisc/VicLi19301959.php http://www.lawteacher.net/tort-law/vicarious-liability.php http://www.emplaw.co.uk/content/index?startpage=data/030003.htm http://www.practicallaw.com/0-101-5345 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1998/19982573.htm http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/uk/cases/UKHL/2001/22.html

licensed to kill :: essays research papers

Licensed to Kill   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is there a difference between murder and justifiable murder? By definition, a murder is the unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice. In contrast, the definition of a justifiable murder is a non-criminal homicide, usually committed in self-defense of another. The real question is, is there really a difference between justifiable murder and murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When someone is killed, they are either killed from an accident, natural causes, or an intentional killing. So where does a justifiable murder fit in? In a case where someone is being attacked and forced to use a lethal method to subdue an attacker, such as rape, robbery, or simply, life threatening physical abuse, it could be argued that murder was only used in self defense as a last resort. In this sort of case, for it to be completely justifiable, killing an attacker must only be done if other alternatives had failed. Simply killing someone and saying that they â€Å"could have† hurt them is not justifiable. When there are other methods to subdue an attacker are available in a certain situation, is murder necessarily justifiable simply because it was the easiest way to solve a conflict. For example, if a person is acting hostile towards a police officer, and the police officer resorts to shooting and killing a person, is that justified? In today’s society, there are numerous lesser-lethal alternatives to a pistol. For example, there are paralyzing tazers, gasses, and even rubber or beanbag ammunition for pistols and shotguns. When all of these alternatives are available, how could the use of a firearm be at all necessary? In conclusion, the term justifiable murder has been used so often in cases where it should have been considered a murder. licensed to kill :: essays research papers Licensed to Kill   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is there a difference between murder and justifiable murder? By definition, a murder is the unlawful killing of one human by another, especially with premeditated malice. In contrast, the definition of a justifiable murder is a non-criminal homicide, usually committed in self-defense of another. The real question is, is there really a difference between justifiable murder and murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When someone is killed, they are either killed from an accident, natural causes, or an intentional killing. So where does a justifiable murder fit in? In a case where someone is being attacked and forced to use a lethal method to subdue an attacker, such as rape, robbery, or simply, life threatening physical abuse, it could be argued that murder was only used in self defense as a last resort. In this sort of case, for it to be completely justifiable, killing an attacker must only be done if other alternatives had failed. Simply killing someone and saying that they â€Å"could have† hurt them is not justifiable. When there are other methods to subdue an attacker are available in a certain situation, is murder necessarily justifiable simply because it was the easiest way to solve a conflict. For example, if a person is acting hostile towards a police officer, and the police officer resorts to shooting and killing a person, is that justified? In today’s society, there are numerous lesser-lethal alternatives to a pistol. For example, there are paralyzing tazers, gasses, and even rubber or beanbag ammunition for pistols and shotguns. When all of these alternatives are available, how could the use of a firearm be at all necessary? In conclusion, the term justifiable murder has been used so often in cases where it should have been considered a murder.

History of the Internet Essay -- essays research papers

A very common question that often arises is ‘When was the Internet developed or invented?† That is a good question, one that is hard to define as it has many multiple answers. The Internet, including the World Wide Web (WWW), is perhaps one of the greatest inventions of our time. Without a doubt, it has had a profound effect on almost every aspect of our lives. The formation and implementation of the Internet has changed the way we do business, communicate, entertain, retrieve information, and even educate ourselves. Nevertheless, the Internet might have never materialized if it had not been for some innovated thinkers from the Advanced Research Project Agency, who created "ARPAnet." The Internet began as a proposed plan to interlinked a network of computers at several universities and research laboratories through a project of the United States Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), directed by American engineer Robert Kahn, and American computer scientist Vinton Cerf initially developed protocols for Internet transmission. This network of computers was originally designed in the event of a large-scale nuclear war to protect the information at these institutes. In the beginning there were only 4 computer nodes attached to this fledging network, two years later there were fifteen, and thirty-two in another year. Throughout the '70s, ARPA's network grew. Its decentralized structure made expansion easy. Unlike standard corporate computer net...

A Study of the Badu Mangrove Community Essay

Abstract A investigation took place at a large mangrove community called the ‘Badu Mangroves’. The interactions of organisms and the Badu Mangrove ecosystem were observed. While experiments were carried out to determine the abiotic ( e.g. temperature, humidity, soil pH ) and biotic ( e.g. number of seedlings distributed throughout a certain area, adaptations of animals ) features in the Badu Mangrove community. Aim The aim of this report was to explore the abiotic and biotic features concerning the growth and placement of grey mangroves (Avicennia Marina ) in the Badu Mangrove community at Sydney Olympic Park. The surface area of the Badu Mangroves is approximately 38 hectares, its location is Latitude: 33Ëš51’48.7†³S Longitude: 151Ëš04’32.07†³E Factors that influence the mangroves’ lifestyle were also investigated. Method Abiotic factors The air and water temperature of the Mangrove site was measured by using a thermometer. A thermometer was obtained and it was held in the air for a few minutes until the reading became stable. The temperature was then recorded. When measuring humidity, a psychrometer was used, along with a information chart. The psychrometer contained a wet bulb which measured the wet temperature while the normal thermometer on the psychrometer measured the air temperature. The dry temperature was subtracted from the wet temperature. The result of this subtraction was then interpreted by using a table and this determined the humidity. The light was measured in a spot where there were vegetation which had leaves and long trunks. This was done to observe how much light could penetrate through the vegetation. A light meter was obtained and it was turned face down in a spot were there was moderate light to ensure a fair result. The light meter then showed the light intensity in units of flux. The results were recorded. Wind velocity was recorded by using a wind meter. The meter was placed high up in the air to prevent and sources that could generate or block wind movement. The reading produced on the meter was recorded. A sample of water was taken from a creek. A thermometer was then obtained and placed immediately into the water to prevent any heat loss or transfer of heat from the water. The thermometer was left there until a reading was steady and the temperature was recorded. Turbidity was measured by using a turbidity tube. This tube measures the cloudiness of the water. The sample of creek water was obtained and it was placed into the tube until the lines at the bottom of the tube was no longer visible. The reading of the water level was then recorded, it was interpreted by using a table which determines the turbidity of the water, the units were recorded in NTU ( Nephelometric Turbidity Unit ) The amount of dissolved oxygen in the water was measured by using an Aqua dissolved energy meter. The wire which connected the measuring tube was placed into the water until there was an even reading, the results were recorded. The units of dissolved oxygen were measured in ppM ( parts per million ) . The salinity of the water was measured by using a WP-83 conductivity salinity meter. The wire which connected the measuring tube was placed into the water until there was an even reading, the results were recorded. The units of the salinity was measured in ppK ( parts per thousand). The pH of the soil was measured through the use of a universal indicator. A  small sample of soil was taken and it was placed in a small petri dish, barium sulfate was then added to the soil and then the universal indicator was then added. The colour observed was then interpreted by using a colour pH chart, where the colour observed is matched with the colours on the pH. The pH was then recorded. A soil thermometer was obtained to measure the soil temperature. The apparatus had a metal needle which was placed 5cms into the ground. The apparatus was allowed to stay there for a few minutes until a stable reading was seen on the thermometer. The temperature was then recorded. Soil moisture was measured by using a moisture meter. The meter had a metal needle which was placed 5cms into the ground. The meter was allowed to stay there for a few minutes until a stable reading was seen on the meter. The scaled used were on a scale of 1-10. 1 being the driest and 10 being the wettest. Biotic Factors At the boardwalk. Ten quadrats were randomly placed along the side of the boardwalk. The number of mangroves seedlings and crabholes were counted and recorded. Along the boardwalk, some mangroves and pneumatophores were observed. The underneath of a mangrove leaf was licked. The taste was recorded. Then a pneumatophore was obtained, it as plugged into a pipette. The pipette was then placed into a plastic cup filled with water. The air in the pipette was squeezed and the observations were recorded. A ruler was used to measure the height of pneumatophores at intervals of one metre, when the distance reached ten metres measuring was stopped. The pneumatophores were measured first from the creek and it was then measure on outwards till the distance reached ten metres. This was done to prove if  pneumatophores are longer near creeks and they start to get short as they grow further from the creek. Transect At the FSC Bund there were ten metre intervals which were marked out by poles. At each of these intervals, the height of the mangroves were estimated and sketched out as a transect. This was done until eighty-metres of mangrove forests were covered. Observations of flora and fauna were also noted down. Results Abiotic factors (Air, water and soil factors) Factor Mangrove Forest (10:00am) Dry Forest (1:00pm) Air temperature 26.5ËšC 34ËšC Humidity 64.5% 42% Light Intensity 3300 lux 2710 lux Wind Velocity 0.0m/s 0.5m/s Water Temperature 23.4ËšC n/a Turbidity 40 NTU n/a Dissolved oxygen 33.8 ppm n/a pH (Water) 7 n/a Salinity 23.7 ppk n/a pH (Soil) 6 5.5 Soil Temperature 20ËšC 22ËšC Soil Moisture Wet – 10 Dry – 1 Biotic Factors (Abundance) Quadrats of Mangrove Seedlings and Crab Holes (11:00am) Quadrat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Distance from Creek (m) 25 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Number of seedlings 52 72 38 58 29 36 19 38 1 0 Number of crab holes 0 0 0 0 4 7 13 13 3 25 Biotic Factors (Adaptation) Mangrove Leaf: When the mangrove was licked, it tasted salty. Pneumatophores: When the pipette was squeezed little, tiny air bubbles started to come out from the little lenticals on the surface of the pneumatophore.. Do pneumatophores grow longer as they reach the creek? Distance from Creek (m) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pneumatophore 1 (cm) 31 24 21 21 13 10 13 7 10 7 5 Pneumatophore 2 (cm) 28 16 12 19 10 8 11 7 7 5 7 Transect Discussion Abiotic Factors The places which contained more light had more flora growing there, because the light allows photosynthesis, while the spots where light couldn’t penetrate to the forest floor due to the overhead leaves blocking the sunlight out there were little vegetation growing. This shows that vegetation grow more efficiently in spots that allow photosynthesis to occur. Spots that were more humid made no difference to the placement of mangroves. The spots that have more leaves and less sunlight seems to effect the humidity levels. The mangroves and its leaves acts as a cover to stop all the water vapour from evaporating, while in spots that had less leaves and cover they were less humid. Wind speed could be affected the mangroves act as a barrier and they block all the wind from travelling efficiently throughout the forest, while in places were there were less trees there was a big difference in wind speed. Soil Temperature and Soil Moisture is affected by how close the site is to a water source. In the mangrove forest, the soil temperature is lower because the sunlight is blocked from heating up the soil, and the forest is very close to a creek which could cool down the soil. While in the Dry Forest the soil temperature is higher because it has a direct contact with the sunlight and is no where near a water source. This call also affect the distribution of flora because some vegetations need to have water to grow. This could be affected by the temperature the day before, so this could alter the results into the wrong direction. To improve this we have to find a day  which as a moderate temperature so we can try our best to find the closest possible results. pH of the Soil and Water can effect how the distribution of vegetation occurs. Some plants need a specific pH to live and thrive, if it is to acidic or alkalic the plant will die off. So the pH of Soil and Water is a very important thing concerning the growth of vegetation. Some errors of this experiment is that the soil seemed to be alkalic but with the past tests the soil was neutral so this must have been an error. To improve this it is a good idea to use a good quality indicator that allows us to have an accurate result everytime. Biotic Factors The results of the Mangrove Seedlings shows that in quadrat ten there is no mangrove seedlings while in quadrat two there are seventy-two mangrove seedlings. The tenth quadrat is the closest to the river while the second quadrat is 72 metres away from the quadrat. This relation shows the mangrove seedlings only thrive when they are far away fro the river. This means that mangrove seedlings grow away from the river because the tide is too strong and they don’t have time to root themselves down and be stable. The nutrients found on the soil could be washed away by the current and leaving the seedlings close to the creek without a source of food and they will soon die off, while when they grow farther away from the creek there is no current to wash away the nutrients. In quadrats one to four there are zero Crab Holes while in quadrat ten there are twenty-five crab holes, and once again quadrat ten is the closest to the river. This suggests that the crabs like to be closer to the creek because their food source is there, they eat decaying matter called detritus which is decaying mangrove leaves, they are deposited on the mud flats as the tide pushes it out. Also a possibility is that the crab like the water and it helps them cool down. Quadrat nine is underwater so we are forced to make an estimate the could alter the results. The transect drawn shows that the mangrove grew higher and bigger when the were close to a source of water. Then they started to grow shorter. This information shows that mangroves will live better and grow bigger and taller near the water. This could be used to explain that mangroves need water to thrive, and as the mangroves distant themselves from a water source they will not be able to grow. The water source observed seemed to be the end of the a river, so when the tide comes in they bring in lots of nutrients and many seedlings that have been washed away before. At this point the mangroves closest to the water can use this to their advantage because the can take up all the nutrients and not share it with the other trees, and the nutrients cannot be transported to the other trees because there is no water current. Also the washed away seedlings have a second chance to root themselves down and grow. The Mangrove Leaf which had a salty taste under its leaf is an adaption used by the mangroves. The mangroves live in a salty environment so they have to find ways to exert this unneeded salt. The salt can be removed from the mangrove by the tree sweating out the unneeded salt through under it leaves. Pneumatophores are little sticks that stick out of the ground, these are the roots of the tree. The pneumatophores sucks in oxygen through its tiny lenticals and transfers it throughout the plant. This was proven through the pipette experiment, as tiny air bubbles show that air can be transferred. This is useful because when there is a flood and oxygen is not allowed to the roots of the mangrove the pneumatophores can come in handy as they stick out of the water and take in all the oxygen. Pneumatophores can also act as a filter, they can filter out unneeded salts. Do pneumatophores grow longer as they reach the creek? As the pneumatophores travel further away from the creek there size decreases in height. This happens because the pneumatophores has to be higher than the depth of the water because it needs to suck in the oxygen available and if its under the  water it is useless. As the height of the water decreases as it moves out from the creek the height of the pneumatophores also decreases. There are some examples of commensalism in the Badu Mangrove community. A dew drop spider and a golden orbweavers are an example of commensalism. A dew drop spider lives in the golden orbweavers nest without the orbweaver realising it, because the dew drop spider is very tiny and looks like a normal dew drop hence the name. The dewdrop is the commensal because it uses the host’s ( golden orbweaver) nest and eats the food collected by the orbweaver and doesn’t harm the orbweaver in any way. An example of mutualism in the Badu Mangrove community is lichen which consists of algae and fungi. The algae produces photosynthesis while the fungi provides a place to live. An example of allelopathy is the casuarina (she-oak). It produces chemicals in the soil which are poisonous to other plants and this prevents anything from growing near it, also it has stem and leaves which give off these aromas that detract plants from growing near it. This allows the casuarina to nutrients to itself. Conclusion It can be concluded that the biotic and abiotic features of an ecosystem can effect distribution and population of organisms such as mangroves because they determine where they live and where they cannot live. The biotic and abiotic features of an ecosystem is very important to the many species that depend on it, if it is removed it can cause a chain of detrimental effects.

Dialogue between Beccaria, Lombroso and Durkheim

Criminology, as every science, relies on facts and evidence. This paper is aimed at creating a dialogue between three criminologists of the nineteenth century Beccaria, Lombroso and Durkheim; in this discussion, they will explain their points of view and try to implement their theories into the reality at the end of the twentieth and beginning of the twenty first century.Their doctrines were a response to the processes of industrialization and the modernization in the 18th and 19th centuries; they aimed to promote cohesion and rationality in the society (Vold & Bernard, 1986, p. 101) Lombroso and Beccaria are sitting in a bright living room drinking tea and waiting for Durkheim to join them. While the criminologist has not come yet, they have time to talk and discuss each other’s works: Beccaria: Good afternoon, Mr. Lombroso. How are you doing?Lombroso: Good afternoon, Mr. Beccaria. Fine, thanks. What about you? Beccaria: I’m also fine, thank you. I should compliment yo u: recently I have read your work The Criminal Man (1911) and it appeared to be fantastic; I must admit that your point of view is rather interesting; but I have not understood the way you distinguish those three classes of criminals. Lombroso: I will gladly explain you that. Three types of criminals are: Atavist, Criminaloid and Insane criminal.Atavists are the criminals that reproduce the most ferocious characters of a wild animal or a primitive man, which explains that they are well recognized by large jaws, prominent superciliary arches, solitary lines in the palms, their orbits are of extremely large size, handle-shaped or sessile ears found in criminals, they are insensible to pain, have extremely acute sight, their bodies are covered with tattoos, excessive idleness, they love to participate in orgies and have the irresistible craving for evil for its own sake, the desire not only to extinguish life in the victim but to mutilate the corpse, tear its flesh and drink its blood.   (Lombroso, 2006, p. 101) Becaria: Remember the case of the Op shop vandalism?I suppose that those teenagers, who have robbed this shop, may be classified as Atavists. Am I right? Lombroso: Exactly. Now let me explain you about two other types of criminals. Criminaloids are respectable persons, who carefully and thoroughly hide their criminal nature from society. They enjoy being respected and realizing that nobody knows about their other â€Å"me†. Criminaloids usually connect their occupation with law or they work for government, which makes it easier for them to hide their crimes.Besides, Criminaloids tend to commit misdemeanors rather than felonies. Insane criminals are mentally ill and not born to be criminals as Criminaloids or Atavists. Insane criminals commit crimes because â€Å"of an alteration of the brain, which completely upsets their moral nature† (Lombroso, 2006, pp. 14-15). I would say that to such category belong alcoholics, kleptomaniacs, child mol esters. Beccaria: I must admit that your theory is rather interesting. Knowing what type of criminal a detective faces, he will know how to punish him or her and where to search for an offender. Lombroso: Yes, but it is not as easy as it may seem.Nowadays, it is very popular among teenagers to have piercing and tattoos or behave aggressively; on the other hand, that does not mean that they are Atavists, it is only the way of expressing themselves. Beccaria: To my mind, Mr. Lombroso, your theory is not perfect. I am sure that there are no those, who were born to be criminals; we live in a free country, and every person is willing to choose what he or she wants; therefore, I am sure that if a person is a criminal, he or she has chosen to act so. I do not say that your approach is not right, but it cannot be implemented in life.Lombroso: I have read your book On Crimes and Punishment, where you have presented your own point of view on this issue. I know that you think that there are tw o characteristics to explain a human behavior: rationality and intelligence. However, I cannot understand how this is related to criminology. Beccaria: Let me explain you, my dear Lombroso. Let us take as an example the case, we have discussed before, the case of the Op shop vandalism. Those juveniles, who were committing this misdemeanor, thought that they would have some particular profit out of this robbery.â€Å"Every single individual is said to be not the servant but the master or manipulator of his/her fate. They are more possessed of free will rather than driven by spiritual phenomena† (Vold & Bernard, 1986, pp. 8-9). They were acting according to their free will; they wrongly thought that they will have some benefit after this act of vandalism. Lombroso: I cannot agree to you, my dear friend Beccaria. Some criminals, it does not matter whether they are Atavists, Criminaloids or Insane criminals, commit some crimes driven only by some particular obsession.For example, Atavists are born criminals, they have no other choice, but to commit crimes, it is their nature. I have talked to those criminals who belong to three different types, and those who are Atavists did not even confess that they have committed a crime. To my mind, criminals are not something extraordinary, they are a part of the modern society, and one cannot do anything with this. Those teenagers, as I have already mentioned, looked like Atavists, they act in a different way in order to feel special.How do you think, why do they have tattoos? Because this reflects their inner insensitivity to pain and their love to adornment (Lombroso, 2006, pp. 84). Durkheim: Good afternoon, my dear friends, Mr. Lombroso, Mr. Beccaria. I am sorry for being late. I suppose you have been discussing some interesting issues about modern criminology without me, have not you been? Lombroso: Yes, you are right, Mr. Durkheim. We were trying to explain each other our theories about criminals, and why they be come criminals. I was trying to prove Mr.Beccaria that there are three types of criminals, and that they are not extraordinary, their criminal nature is what they were born with; it is something like a mental disorder. Besides, I cannot agree to Mr. Beccaria that people commit crimes, because they want to do so. Durkheim: I see. I have read your book The Criminal Man, dear Lombroso. Your theory is rather interesting, although I think that in this very discussion you were too much aggressive with Mr. Beccaria. To my mind, criminal conduct is not something ordinary nowadays; I think that everything is determined by society.Social factors are highly significant and they influence the way a person acts. The point is not that a person has some internal or external reasons to commit a crime; sometimes, a person is driven by social factors. â€Å"A social fact is however normal in relation to a given social type at a given phase of its development, when it’s present in the average society of that species at the corresponding phase of its evolution† (Durkheim, 1982, p 65). Beccaria: I suppose that your theory is based predominantly on the way how society influences criminals and not vice versa. Durkheim: Yes, you are right.I suppose that all world’s societies  are of two types, according to how the labor is divided there: Organic societies and Mechanical societies. Organic societies are more complex; people, who live in such social groups, are more differently employed, they have more opportunities to find job. Mechanical societies, on the other hand, are primitive; they are isolated from other social classes and are relatively self-dependent. They have almost identical life conditions, and they do the same job, all they have one occupation. Lombroso: Do you want to say that a person is more likely to commit a crime in a Mechanical society? Durkheim: Yes, you are right, my dear Lombroso.For a mechanic society, crime is normal; besides, I think t hat there are no societies in the world, where people are not significantly different from the collective type (Durkheim, 1982, p. 70). Let me explain you. Imagine a perfect society, for example, a society of saints; it is a mechanical type of social group. If a person in an organic society, which is an ordinary society, the one we live in, commits a cruel crime, there will be a scandal; the same situation will be if somebody from a mechanical society, from a society of saints, does something wrong, which in an organic society will not be even noticed.If we define what crime is and such criminal behaviors subsists no more in a society, the new criminal behaviors will appear and replace the old ones. However, in organic societies, such quick changes, which appear because of the increasing division of labor, may lead to social rules confusion, and a person may feel lost in this particular society. All social norms break down, and it leads to the appearing of the Anomie. (Durkheim, p. 70) Lombroso: Anomie? Do you mean that it can be a kind of disorder of a society? Beccaria: I suppose, it is possible.Durkheim: You both are right. We are not ready for our society to be changed; it does not matter whether changes are high or low. If society is changed, people who live in this society begin to panic, which leads to the increasing quantity of suicides, people are used to stability. Instability means abnormality. Human appetites are excessive; if some of the goal is unreachable, a person may become depressed and unhappy; on the other hand, people can be limited only by one thing. Lombroso: I cannot agree with you that human appetites are excessive.Durkheim: They are, my dear friend Lombroso; the point is that sometimes those appetites are reduced by some social factors, for example, economic crisis. Economic crisis is a kind of disaster, which makes a person not only be unhappy or depressed, but also commit suicides. Thought I should admit that such anomie will be wor se in an abrupt growth or power and wealth. The original needs can no longer remain but they are not able in accustoming to the new condition. The richer situation will always stimulate the appetites and make them more exigent and impatient of control.  (Durkheim, 1997, pp. 246-247).Do you remember the case of three teenagers, who robbed the Op shop? Beccaria: Yes, we have also used this case as an example explaining our theories. Durkheim: That is good. Those three teenagers have committed the crime because of the process of modernization; the society is changing, and teenagers have an unstable state of mind, which makes it more possible that they commit an offence. This act of vandalism is only their way to show how frustrated they are; how frustrated people in our society are because of coming changes.Beccaria: What about punishment for these crimes? Durkheim: First of all, we should understand that in a mechanical society, law is far more oppressive, while in an organic societ y, laws are to restitute. In mechanical societies, people are bound to be punished for violating the law, whereas in organic societies, punishments are meant to restore a normal functioning of the society. Lombroso: Those three teenagers have committed a crime, and they should be penalized; besides they are Atavists, which means that they were born to be criminals.Durkheim: I agree to you that they have violated the law and should receive a penalty. Nevertheless, their punishment should be fair and effective. The role of judges is only to determine guilt, whereas the role of legislators is to determine crimes and punishment. Besides, I think that it is the extent of damage that should determine the seriousness of an offence. Sometimes, the intention itself may cause bad results. Besides, before those boys were punished, nobody said anything about the purpose of those juveniles.The punishment for those teenagers should not be too severe; it will be ridiculous if those juveniles are s entenced to death or life imprisonment (Durkheim, p. 357). One more essential problem is that people suppose that a criminal should be punished as fast as possible; they think it is more effectively. Finally, it is better to forestall a crime than to penalize a perpetrator. My theory is that a crime itself is a disease, an illness; therefore, the punishment should be compensation.What I want to say is that in order to be a relevant compensation, a punishment should fulfill its role. â€Å"If crime is not pathological, the object of punishment cannot be to cure it. † (Durkheim, pp. 72-75) Lombroso: Your ideas are remarkable to a considerable degree, my dear friend. I suppose they will be useful not only for our modern society, but also for future generations. Beccaria: I think that all the ideas we have heard today will be useful for future criminologists. Thank you, my dear friends, for such a pleasant discussion.