Application of Criminological Theory Essay

This paper will focus on the application of criminological theory in the following scenario: As the vice principal in charge of discipline at a prestigious school, I need to determine what actions to take in dealing with a deviant eighth grade male student. This student comes from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background and has now been caught in a physical altercation with another student. My direct supervisor, the principal, believes it is in the student’s best interest to remain at our school. As I am in charge of discipline, I will suggest several possible courses of action, incorporating criminological theories, to be used either singly or in tandem. The first course of action would be to speak to both of the students involved in the altercation and in turn, their parents. Although it is not an excuse, it is possible that there was some instigation preceding the altercation. Speaking with both students may paint a picture as to the nature of what transpired and how it could have been avoided. In any case, both students will be reprimanded as we have a zero tolerance policy for such acts here at the school. To properly understand the deviant student, let’s call him David, it will be necessary to find out more about his background, social and family ties, peer influences, general demeanor, and any goals or hopes he has. I cannot simply classify David as a juvenile delinquent or a future criminal. To label him may do more harm than good. Labeling Theory The labeling theory asserts that once an individual has deviated from the social norms of society, they are labeled as a delinquent or a criminal, and begin to behave as such (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011). In other words, if David is continuously labeled by the school, his peers, and society in general as a juvenile delinquent then he will begin to believe it himself. His self-esteem and self-worth will go down and he will begin viewing himself as a juvenile delinquent. Once David has accepted his label, he will begin to engage in more and more deviant acts. So it is important here that I am sensitive to his situation and avoid putting a label on him for one discretionary act. Social Disorganization Theory We know that David comes from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background. It is likely that he lives in an environment where social ties are poor and delinquent peer groups are abundant. Such communities have a higher crime rate and a higher rate of delinquency, as explained by their weak social bonds. Socially organized and tight-knit communities are more likely to supervise and control teenage peer groups where socially disorganized communities are not (McCord, 1992). External factors such as lack of supervision and a weak social bond may be contributing to David’s delinquency. Unfortunately, the school can do little in the way of helping him and his family out of their community. However, creating a social bond of sorts here at the school may help David move from a perhaps delinquent peer group to one more conscientious of social norms and societal laws. I would suggest trying to get David involved in a sport or another social club at the school. Again, finding out what he is interested in is an important part of helping him. We want David to feel socially accepted and increase his self-esteem. Learning Theories Learning theories suggest that antisocial, deviant, and criminal behavior is not instilled in an individual, but learned through interactions with their environment and peers. Because of their individual circumstances, some people learn and practice behaviors that the larger society condemns. Not surprisingly, children growing up in neighborhoods rife with crime often end up committing crime themselves† (Barkan, 2009). It is essential that David associate with peers that follow and respect societies rules. The theory of differential association attributes an individual’s attitudes and views of crime and deviance to that of their immediate social groups. In other words, if David’s peer group is deviant, he will be deviant as well. Another explanation for that follows the theory of differential identification; David may feel the need to â€Å"fit in† and be accepted as a member of a group. By acting like the group he has chosen to fit in to; dressing like they do, speaking the way they speak, and engaging in the same deviant activities they engage in, he gains their approval and is accepted as part of the group. In the same manner, David is learning deviant behavior because he is exposed to it on a regular basis. He may see violence and deviance as a social norm (and therefore acceptable) because in his immediate environment it is a normal occurrence. Finally, through differential reinforcement, this learned behavior is reinforced through reward or praise from his peer group. Perhaps he see’s frequent violence in which the person committing the violence is never reprimanded. If David believes he can commit these acts with little fear of reprimand or with the encouragement of his peer group, he is more likely to do so and not even feel like he has done anything wrong. School is a place with many rules and many types of interactions with different people. Clearly what is acceptable in David’s home environment and peer group is not acceptable here. It is important that he understand what is right and wrong in this setting and furthermore, in society. I will likely suggest that David speak with the school’s psychologist to determine how much learned deviant behavior he has experienced. This will also give him an opportunity to bond with someone who respects social norms and laws. Control Theories Unlike other criminological theories, control theories set out to learn not why individuals commit crime, but why they do not commit crime (Akers & Sellers, 2004). David’s meeting with the school psychologist will also shed some light on where he measures using some of the control theories. The containment theory introduces the possibility that there are internal and external influences that guide an individual away from committing crime. Internally, that individual’s positive self-image and tolerance for frustration help sway them from becoming deviant. On the other side, external influences like positive role models and a close family bond will do the same (Barkan, 2009). Travis Hirshi’s social bonding theory had several explanations for the behavior of juveniles. These explanations included supported research that found that â€Å"youth’s who were strongly attached to their parents were less likely to commit criminal acts† and â€Å"youths who maintained weak and distant relationships with people tended toward delinquency† (Evans, n. d. ) One final addition to control theories, although there are several more, is the coercive control and social support theory. This theory, in short, states that an individual is coerced into crime either through fear or through other means, such as poverty. Whether that individual has strong social support from family, their community, and social institutions such as school, has a large impact on the likelihood that the individual with commit crime. While each of these control theories introduce several ideas about why individual’s may or may not commit crime, one similarity is present throughout. The presence of a strong social bond with friends, family, and community encourages a crime free existence. To encourage David to head down the right path, so to speak, we need to fortify his social bonds. Life-Course Theories Life-course theories focus on what factors occur during different stages of one’s life that may promote delinquency or crime. These factors include: socioeconomic status, poor and inconsistent parenting, weak social bonds, poor school performance, and delinquent peers. (Barkan, 2009). The recurring theme across the life-course theories is that it is weak social bonds, poor parenting, and the influence of delinquent peers that determine an individual’s susceptibility to deviant behavior. Strain, or stress, result from an individual’s perceived inadequacies making them even more susceptible. Such strain can be caused by any number of the causal factors of delinquency listed above. A young and impressionable individual such as David may experience strain because of his socioeconomic status, his difficulty at the school, or many other reasons. The more strain one experiences, the more likely they are to display deviant behavior. Conclusion I fully support the principal’s decision to keep David at the school as it truly is in his best interest. My final disciplinary decision regarding the physical altercation between David and the other student will include several days of in-school suspension where both boys will be able to serve out their punishment while still completing school assignments, separated from the rest of the students of course. I am compelled to reach out to David and give him every opportunity to reform. I will be speaking with the teacher who made the initial complaint regarding David to explain to them that he is in need of a positive role model and positive reinforcement. A visit with the school’s psychologist will also be made. Not only will this give David an outlet to perhaps discuss his problems, it will also expose him to another positive influence and someone who can help him cope with any anger issues he may have. Introducing David to positive and close social bonds is already decreasing the chance that he will engage in more deviant behavior. Suggestions will be made that he engage in a sport or other social clubs at the school. This will encourage David to interact with a less deviant peer group. There will also be a meeting between David and myself. I will explain to David that his current behaviors are unacceptable here at school and any further infractions will be dealt with swift and more severe punishments. Once that has been discussed, I would like to find out more about what goals David has. In doing so, I can help motivate him to obtain these goals. My intention is to make it clear to him that I am there to help with any issues he has and that he can feel comfortable coming to me, or any other school staff, if he needs to. In closing, the main goal here is to help David by introducing positive role models, making him feel socially accepted to increase his self-esteem, strengthen his social bonds, and encourage him to interact with people in a more positive way. If nowhere else, a school should foster these values to reduce a child’s likelihood of delinquency. ? References Akers, R. , & Sellers, C. (2004). Student Study Guide for Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Application (4th ed. ). Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Publishing Company.

Hawaiian Punch Short-Cycle Essay

How will two distinct manufacturing, sales, and distribution networks to stock and sever an identical beverage for the same customers fare? 3. Determining the roles each will play in sales, profitability, and equity of the Hawaiian punch brand. 4. Will Cadbury Schweppes restructure for growth take focus away from maintain market leadership? 5. Can they achieve sales need to capture an attractive profit margin? 6. What are the potential competitor reactions? Why now? The 2005 business marketing plan is one of the key factors to ensure successful growth with the newly consolidated corporations. We are currently towards the end of 2004. By when must the key person make this decision? (Include your reason for this time frame)To allow sufficient time for the plan to be properly implemented, Hoedebeck should have it complete by September 1st, 2004. Stakes: what does the organization stand to gain or lose if it makes a good or bad decision? Potential benefits of a good decisionPotential costs of a bad decision Increased profitsDecreased profits Maintained market leadershipFailed product line Diversified promotion strategyLoss of focus from core competencies Expanded product lineBankruptcy Larger target marketLost jobs Happy retailers and foodservice customersFailed marketing strategy Competitive sustainability Over/under estimation of product or brand line More convenient for distribution and retailersWrong information in her analysis Questions you should ask yourself as you complete the Long Cycle: 1. Who are Hawaiian Punch’s competitors? 2. What stage of the product life style is their fruit punch beverage in? 3. What pricing/promotion strategy should they use for their product? 4. How will the consolidation impact growth? 5. What is their brand positioning? 6. What is their product line and pricing?

A Functionalist Perspective On Prison Sociology Essay

A Functionalist Perspective On Prison Sociology Essay Choose a social institution (i.e. family, education, religion, prison, economy, mass media) and explain it using the three major sociological perspectives: Functionalist Perspective Conflict Perspective Interactionist Perspective Sociological Perspectives 3 Abstract The social institution that I chose is prison; I chose the prison system because I wanted to see how prisoners are seen by society and why according to these three major perspectives. Functionalist Perspective – Functionalists such as Charles Darwin and Emile Durkheim view society as a system of highly interrelated structures or parts that operate harmoniously. (Tischler, pg. 21) The functionalist, interactionists they more so are subjective to the aspects of social life, instead of the objective structural aspects of social systems. The interactionists, is shifted away from stable norms and values, and toward continually readjusting the social process. Conflict theorists, on the other hand, such as Karl Marx and David Hume, view society as constantly changing in response to social inequality and social conflict. (Tischler, pg. 21) Sociological Perspectives 4 Crime-Functionalist Theory Functionalists believe that crime and deviance are inevitable and necessary for a society. Crime shows other member of the society what is right and wrong. Social consensus decides how right and wrong is determined. Crime can lead to social change, say the functionalists, because the existence of crime proves to the people in society that the government does not overly control the citizens. Crime can also help the economy of a society by creating jobs for law enforcement officers, psychiatrists, probation officers and the like. Even in the functionalist society, too much crime can be bad for the group, causing it to lose the standard harmony and eventually causing the society to collapse. (www.criminology.fsu.edu) Crime-Conflict Theory How conflict theorists see crime, and the laws governing them, are products of a struggle for power and control. According to the conflict theorist, a select few powerful individuals and groups make the laws, and those laws are enforced to outlaw any behavior that threatens their interests. The poor and powerless are much more likely to be arrested and convicted for serious crimes such as rape and murder, than the more powerful and wealthy. The crime rate among the poor is very high because of a lack of opportunities that were meant to improve the economical status and living conditions. The poor also lack education, skills, and a strong support system that is necessary for individuals to become productive, valued members of society (www.unc.edu).) Sociological Perspectives 5 Symbolic Interactionist Theory Sociology has another theory that could also explain race relations according to dominant and subordinate groups like whites and blacks in America is the Symbolic Interactionist theory. This theory focuses on how we â€Å"learn conceptions and meanings of racial and ethnic distinctions through interactions with others and how meanings, labels, and definitions affect racial and ethnic groups† (Mooney 176). One example the author uses is simply the difference in terms that use the word white and black and the difference in the connotations of these terms. For example, typically words that contain the word black are negative, such as blacklist, blackball, and black sheep. Studies clearly still demonstrate that whites are seen as more intelligent, harder working and more self-supporting than blacks. This labeling helps lead to the very thoughts we have about minorities, which in turn helps perpetuate their subordinate place in society.

Organisational Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 4

Organisational Change Management - Essay Example Whatever kind of change in an organisation, people end up being affected because an organisation is made of people. Moreover, people are afraid of change even in the rare cases where change may actually be directly beneficial to them. This can be seen in instances where an organisation wants to buy a new system to make work for the employees easier, yet the employees get sceptical about change. This paper is a case study analysis about an auto manufacturing firm that is about to go through a process of change. The 5D Appreciative Inquiry will be used to determine the issues in the case study and also in developing possible solutions. A closer look at the case reveals a number of issues that are directly linked to change management. These problems can be classified into two main categories as follows; Issues leading to a need to change; Competition According to the case study, it becomes clear that the firm is suffering from increase competition in the market. Competition has intensif ied in the market, thus making it harder for the organisation to restructure its operations in order to absorb the shock waves caused by this increased competition from the market. This issue, combined with the next discussed issue has made the organisation to have no choice but to restructure its business model. ... One such issue is the fact that the firm has in the past failed to have a futuristic strategy that can help it to overcome such issues when they do show up. In a modern business world, it is important for such organisations to be always ready to deal with such issues because such issues are inevitable (Todnem, 2005). One mistake that the D2 has done in the past is the fact that it continued having distributed manufacturing while multinational manufacturers have in the past flowed towards centralised manufacturing in order to increase economies of scale and economies of efficiency. Issues that may make the change management harder for D2 No information With regard to change management, D2 is having a few issues that it needs to take care of. One of these issues is the fact that information sharing has not been achieved in the organisation. According to the case study, it becomes open that the junior managers and the workers are hardly aware of the imminent change and that even most of the managers are not yet aware it. This is a major error by D2, and it will lead to the negative impact on the change process. Any change process requires that all participants be well informed about the change way before the change is implemented (Poole and Andrew, 2004). Change process is always met with protest and resistance, and the more the change management process is informed to all the stakeholders, the easier it is for the firm to be able to overcome these issues of resistance (Kerr and Slocum, 2009). In this case, the fact that D2 top management has chosen to not inform the managers and employees in good time will mean that the employees are more likely to be angry about the issues. Involvement of the individuals The other eminent issues in the case study

How to attract women customers and target market in beverage operation Assignment

How to attract women customers and target market in beverage operation - Assignment Example his paper is to explore the aspect of women customers in association with the aforementioned criteria, with close reference to beverage business operations. Detailed examinations of the three determinants of establishing a beverage business operation targeting women customers are hereby discussed. As a point of departure, the location of a beverage site concerning female customers can be approached via a different dimension since the tastes and preferences for females are dissimilar with those of male customers. Consequently, distance, space, proximity to other businesses and reputation of the business itself are among the key considerations in this regard (Jorge and LoÃŒ pe, 64). The place to serve as a location to the beverage operation should consider the customers’ accessibility. The business should therefore located in such a manner that the customers can walk or drive for short distances to access whatever they are in need of as this will facilitate efficiency, avoid too much time consumption on the side of the target market, as well as reduce the costs incurred in travelling all the way to the facility. Thus, this will ensure that the whole exercise will be bearable and cost effective to all (Jorge and LoÃŒ pe, 64). Female customers are by nature adventurous. Thus, any effort to locate a business of this caliber entails an in-depth understanding of the site. For instance, if the customers are to drive to the facility, a parking space and a perfect cool atmosphere for relaxation should be guaranteed (Theodore, 32). The beverage supplying business should as well ensure that the location is an isolated picturesque but rather a place in which other products are retailing because women customer are a sort of people who cannot move from one place to another to look for a single product at a time. They always prefer a one-stop shop, thus the need to be in proximate distance from other preferable women goodies, is something inevitable for any entrepreneur who

Stategic Management of Human Resources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Stategic Management of Human Resources - Essay Example But today, personnel departments are replaced or merged with the human resources departments; (Is there a difference between human resources and the personnel department) hence the demarcation between the two functions has been eliminated. Therefore, now personnel departments in addition to recruiting and selecting personnel, it maintains employee records, helps in career development and training of employees, handles and enforce all kinds of laws and regulations as put forward by the state administration, and moreover, also deals with individual and unionized employees in their personnel actions. The staffing function of personnel department has three parts to it namely, selecting, hiring and training. After the organizing function of the management determines the places and the jobs that are critical for the organization performance of its functions, the role of staffing comes into play. Thus, personnel managers recruit a new pool of individuals from outside if they see no internal fillings can be done. The recruiting may begin with the ad for a job vacancy, referral etc. The short listed applicants are screened through interview and other tools that are used t evaluate such as projective techniques etc. Management discharges, dismissals, transfers are also a part of it. The handling of personnel records help the company generate weekly or monthly activity records for these to be monitored, in light of all the rules, regulations and the ordinance requirements put forth. Various documentation that is required as a part of daily operating process such as subpoenas, employment verifications and also the unemployment compensation is handled. Besides, evaluation of employees and the maintenance of data is also handled as a part of record and data base of the employees by this department. In short, it has all the classified information of all the employees that are a part of the company be it temporary, permanent, seasonal, or part time etc. Another issue that relates to the function of the personnel department is the workers compensation. Normally, under the worker compensations acts as different states' requirements puts responsibility on the personnel department. This requires the personnel department to determine the compensation - weekly, monthly or the daily wage basis. Besides, benefits such as compensation for permanent or temporary disabilities, work related injuries, other than that medical, vocational rehabilitation, insurance, or other kind of benefits for the family members of the workers is also managed by the personnel managers. It also handles workers' compensation claims, issues related to sick or annual leave, etc. Fringe benefits are also administered under this role. One of the primary functions of the personnel department is the training of employees and the workers. This helps the employees achieve the maximum level of competency and assist employees that lack in certain areas to polish and brush up their skills. The training may be aimed at conducting work out sessions for employees at the entry level position and also the managers as they climb up the ladder. The

Self-organization in complex systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Self-organization in complex systems - Essay Example The changes in the business environment have constantly altered the ways companies do businesses nowadays. Because of the advancement of technology, environmental factors such as political, economic and the social landscape have been altered, which has caused a drastic shift in terms of the rules of the marketplace. Information Technology plays a huge role in this shift of trends in the market, especially the Internet. The Internet has created numerous possibilities in terms of interactions between many stakeholders of the company, most notably, the consumers. The Internet has enabled the consumers to interact with the company in many ways, making them the most important co-creator of value in the process. Gone are the days when consumers are just a passive group in the past to whom a company offers its products. With the interactivity of the Internet, consumers have been given ways to affect the value-creation in terms of the products that a company offers. Consumers also participat e actively in many areas of the value chain such as marketing, with the creation of online communities and greater networking being made possible by the Internet. This creates a shift in terms of the balance of power, where consumers are active determinants of value.

Accounting for leases is problematic and the current standard (IAS 17) Essay

Accounting for leases is problematic and the current standard (IAS 17) does not always reflect the substance of transactions - Essay Example These arrangements have become increasingly unique and complex, both as stand-alone arrangements (i.e., leases only) and as part of more complicated contracts (i.e., power purchase contracts). Such uniqueness and complexity place enormous pressure on companies to capture and report these arrangements in their financial statements in such a way that the financial statement users understand these transactions and their impact on the companies’ balances. With such a demand for transparency and complete financial reporting, the companies and the rest of the business world have focused their attention on the accounting standards for leases as such standards set the tone for how these leases should be accounted for in the financial statements. One such standard formulated for leases is International Accounting Standards 17. International Accounting Standards (IAS) 17, Leases, the accounting standard for leases, was formulated by the IAS Board or IASB to stipulate the proper accounting policies and disclosures applicable to leases. Paragraph 4 of IAS 17 describes a lease as an arrangement or a contract wherein the lessee is given the right by the lessor to use a certain property for a given period of time. In return, under the same arrangement, the lessee will pay the lessor for the use of such property. Lease accounting and the related disclosures, for both the lessor and the lessee, are covered by IAS 17. According to IAS 17, there are two kinds of leases: the finance lease and the operating lease. A finance lease, as defined by IAS 17, is a lease wherein majority of â€Å"all the risks and rewards incidental to ownership of the asset† being leased is transferred by the lessor to the lessee. The substance of this kind of leasing arrangement is that the lessee, according to Alexander, et. al., â€Å"would be in the same position, both economically and in terms of production and

Surrealism and psychoanalysis in modernist poetry Essay

Surrealism and psychoanalysis in modernist poetry - Essay Example The essay "Surrealism and psychoanalysis in modernist poetry" states the surrealism and psychoanalysis. duration, and finally modern periods through literary advancements. Psychoanalysis involves a network of psychotherapeutic and psychological theories, originally explained by Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has continuously expanded, revised and developed in many different directions. In psychoanalysis; there are many theoretical dimensions explaining the mental development of humans, hence this leads to many psychoanalysis treatments. Psychoanalysis is also used to refer to the study method of child development. Surrealism refers to cultural movement which began in the beginning of 1920s; the movement is best identified with its unique writings and artworks. Surrealism developed through the activities of Dada in the course of World War One, and Paris was the major venue for the movement. After the 1920s the cultural movement went global, and further affected countries’ litera ture, visual arts, music, language and social theory. Psychoanalysis has certain tenets: development of a person is through early childhood events in addition to inherited aspects of personality; irrational motivations influence human experience, attitude and mannerisms; irrational motivations are unconscious; psychological resistance is a defense mechanism, which develops when motivations or drives are turned into awareness; conflicts involving the conscious and the unconscious manifests through emotional disturbance.

Thomas Kuhn Vs Jacques Derrida Essay Example for Free

Thomas Kuhn Vs Jacques Derrida Essay Thomas Samuel Kuhn (1922-1996) name is remembered for his enduring work in the philosophy of Science. Born on 18th July 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, his thoughts on the History of Science became most influential doctrine for the scientists. In his most famous book â€Å"The Structure of Scientific Revolutions†, Kuhn brought about the main essence of Scientific Revolutions through the ages. As a graduate student in theoretical physics at Harvard, he conceptualized the evolution of scientific thoughts and studies as periodic revolutions since ages, which he named as â€Å"paradigm shifts†. (Kuhn 1996) Kuhn says that, â€Å"Science is not a steady, cumulative acquisition of knowledge. Instead, science is â€Å"a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions.† (Thomas Kuhn, Online Edition) This implies that aspiring Scientists tend to follow the accepted norms and patterns and act and are trained within these â€Å"Received Beliefs† (Kuhn 1996) but these accepted beliefs tend to undergo through transitional phases. One set of belief takes the place of another set of belief and then scientists come forward with their own assumptions through these set of beliefs. This trend takes the form of revolution, which carries the world forward periodically. In other words, we can see the revolution in the scientific world every now and then. Kuhn’s theory is all about the sociological presumptions of science as seen or perceived by humans. This Paradigm shift is not about just the theories but the perceived beliefs or thought processes that go along with the changes in theory. This paradigm shift or scientific discoveries make its appearance in three phases. The first one is in the pre-scientific phase, whereby scientists have never arrived on any one consensus on any propounded theory. There have been criticism and contradictions resulting in several contrary and incomplete theories, and this leads to second phase which is Normal Science and scientists undergoing discoveries in this phase set their own assumptions right by their own several theories which they call as paradigms and explain their discovery within that paradigm in detail. But here too criticism can crop up and so scientists now give space to their experiments and explain their theory or Paradigm with the help of their experimental evidence. And again if some one comes out with the whole new definition of the theory then new stage of beliefs start. In all the arena of the scientific world, when new takes the place of old bestowing among the aspiring scientist’s new waves of thoughts, this according to Kuhn is paradigm shift. In these complexities of the world we find our-self facing number of paradoxes and complexities of life. On one hand, scientific philosophy has given us new lease of life on other hand philosophers like Jacques Derrida shows us the mirror of the sociological aspects of our daily principles and experiences that we face. Jacques Derrida argues that all human beings have to pass through different experiences according to the time. In other words, time is a big factor for the life experiences that human beings have to face. The experiences that human beings face arise in present time only, which do not have any link to the past. These experiences are a type of events, which are totally different from the experiences felt in the past. But, these experiences do make us remember our past and enable us to make anticipation about the future. And this remembrance about the past due to our experiences in the present and our anticipation for our future take place in continuity and is repeated. In other words whatever sequence of events have taken place now though do not have any connection in the past but there are certain cords or threads that have shades in our past that make our present experiences link to our past. Jacques Derrida is a French philosopher of today who conceptualized the school of deconstruction with a vision that has been applied to literature and linguistic writing and is a historical continuous cultural process of writing leaving the old conventional paradigm and moving into new. Both the Jacques Derrida and Kuhn are contemporary philosophers, two sides of same coin. Both are the philosophers of genre capturing the essence of what makes the true meaning of our lives, and what is basic truth about life. Kuhn, by delving into the history of science gives us the theory of our existence. He believes that whatever in our life if not scientifically proved, then it has no existence and no value. We are caught in the web of the accepted paradigms which keep on changing periodically but whose roots are same. One paradigm gives the way to another paradigm, scientifically yet true and scientists make the discovery on the set paradigm. In Kuhn own words, â€Å"the historian of science may be tempted to exclaim that when paradigms change, the world itself changes with them. Led by a new paradigm, scientists adopt new instruments and look in new places. Even more important, during revolutions scientists see new and different things when looking with familiar instruments in places they have looked before. It is rather as if the professional community had been suddenly transported to another planet where familiar objects are seen in a different light and are joined by unfamiliar ones as well†. (Kuhn 1996) On the other hand, Jacques Derrida is a philosopher of different mood and artistic soul. He too says old paves the wave for new but roots of the new still lies in the old. There are some traces of old in new. According to Helen Cixus, he belongs to â€Å"The Incorruptible† (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 2006), the whole new generation of writers whose writings will always remain fresh and enticing for the readers. No other thinker in last 100 years has astounded and had an impact on philosophers, theologians, literary and art critics, psychologists, writers and artists than Jacques Derrida and it is also true about him that no other thinker than him has been greatly misunderstood. Kuhn’s vision was scientific and how science has constructed and deconstructed the world around us since centuries and Jacques Derrida interpreted writers, philosophers and sociologists to bring out the problem of current sociological interests. He gave us entirely new and hidden interpretations of writers from Plato to Joyce. He delves on the fact that from every structure like any literary, psychological, social, economic, political or religious device, which captures within our soul, our experiences of life makes us face the world through the process of â€Å"Exclusion.†(Direk Lawlor 2002) And it is absolutely sure that in the process of newly found creation, there is always something, which is left out. There is some missing cord or missing link, which we never able to make out but they make their appearance felt. Kuhn and Jacques Derrida were philosophers of different dimensions but gave us same reflection of life. Kuhn analyzed the works of scientists and Derrida analyzed the works for writers. He breathes and mourns through the eyes and souls of different writers whereas Kuhn breathes through the heart and soul of scientists and their discoveries that are giving our lives new directions. Derrida writes through the works of other writers that is his voice is a voice of other writers whereas Kuhn reflects the voice of scientific revolution through the ages. Reference List Direk Z. Lawlor L. 2002. Jacques Derrida: Critical Assessments of Leading. Published by Routledge. Kuhn, T. (1996). The structure of scientific revolutions (3rd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Butler J. 2004. Jacques Derrida. Retrieved on January 12, 2008 from W.W.W: http://www.lrb.co.uk/v26/n21/butl02_.html Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2006. Jacques Derrida. Retrieved on January 12, 2008 from W.W.W: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/derrida/#Inc Thomas Kuhn. Online Edition. Retrieved on January 12, 2008 from W.W.W: http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/Kuhnsnap.html

Libyan Islamic Fighting Group

Libyan Islamic Fighting Group Introduction: The world is a place of diverse beings. The differences of each human civilization have been observed ever since the ancient times. As of today many terrorist groups are very evident from the West to the East. One of the most prominent terrorist groups is the Al Qaeda network but was debunked in the early days of 2011-2012. They are the proprietor of the 9-11 attack in the United States’ World Trade Center that has caused a worldwide uproar in the year 2001. Meanwhile, a distant relative of this Al Qaeda Network is the LIFG (or the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group). They have different views with the Al-Qaeda but some allegations say that they are connected. The objectives of this paper are to undermine the history of the terrorist group LIFG as well as the victims, and other conceptions of their attacks. The essay is limited to the entity and will not discuss any conspiracy theories further. History: The group was founded in year 1995 by the Libya nationals that are fighting against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan (in the 1980’s). Moreover, the group has a concrete objective of establishing an Islamic Government in Libya and is against the administration of Gaddafi and considers him as an anti-Muslim. This is based on a report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. In 1996, it was allegedly reported that LIFG was behind the assassination of Gaddafi; it was later admitted by the group later that month of February. It was later found out by David Shayler that MI6 funded the assassination. The group has been continuously attacking the Libyan security forces unitl the 1990s (NTC, 2011). They are also behind on many attacks in UK in 2002 and were allegedly included in the attacks of 2012 in America. The name change of the militant group is constant over the years. Nevertheless, they are still the same group in Libya and has the same mission with the predecessor. Acts done by the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group The LIFG is an Islamic militant organization that contradicts Colonel Muammar Qaddafis administration and is seen in action ever since in the year 1995. The militant group is very visible (in numbers) in eastern Libya, drawing upon an in number Islamic base that bolstered the Sanussi government, which governed Libya somewhere around 1951 and 1969. The Islamic group was erased after Qaddafis powers ousted the government in 1969, as Qaddafi saw them as a potential test to his control. Several senior individuals from the LIFG are accounted for to have battled in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union in the 1980s, including previous LIFG part and al-Qaeda field officer Abu Laith al-Libi and LIFG profound pioneer Sami al Saadi. It was also known that the LIFG has accepted to have been the proprietor of viciousness in eastern Libya – a district generally known as Cyrenaica – in the mid to late 1990s. Additionally, it guaranteed obligation regarding brutality against the police force in Benghazi amid July and September 1995, and were included in the wicked mobs at Abu Salim jail close to Benghazi in 1996 are 1,200 prisoners. The U.S. Bureau of the Treasury assigned the LIFG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on December 8, 2004, referring to the bunchs contribution in a progression of suicide bombings in Casablanca in May 2003 and close linkages to al-Qaeda. The LIFG had bolster systems dynamic in the United Kingdom in the mid 2000s. In the months of February and May of 2006, British police captured nine individuals included in giving money related and logistical backing to the LIFG in Libya. It is not clear in open source reporting if such bolster systems stayed operational; while there are practically no reports of LIFG movement in the UK since the May 2006 captures, a double British-Libyan national who was captured in Libya in March 2011 asserted to have raised cash for the LIFG while living in the UK amid the last fourteen years. Al-Qaeda second-in-order Ayman al-Zawahiri discharged a sound tape declaring that the LIFG had joined al-Qaeda in the November of 2007. Abu Laith al-Libi is likewise heard on the tape, announcing his partnership with the al-Qaeda network. Several high positioning al-Qaeda individuals are connected with the LIFG, most remarkably Abu Yahya al-Libi, al-Qaedas publicity boss, and Abu Laith al-Libi, who was killed by an automaton strike in January 2008. The LIFG had all the earmarks of being generally outdated by the mid-2000s, until reports caught in Sinjar, Iraq demonstrated that more than 100 Libyans from LIFG fortresses in eastern Libya had joined al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) somewhere around 2006 and 2007. In year 2007, Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, Colonel Qaddafis second most established child, approached detained LIFG pioneers and offered to discharge LIFG contenders in return for people in general disavowal of Islamic radicalism. Saif al-Islam was worried that the late LIFG collusion with al-Qaeda and the disclosure of far reaching Libyan association in AQI demonstrated that Libya was progressively debilitated by Islamic radicalism. Starting in 2007, more than 250 LIFG individuals were discharged from jail and other implicit r ules negating al-Qaedas vicious standards was distributed by current administration (Witter, 2011). LIFG participated with the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group in planning the May 2003 bombings in Morocco, Casablanca that killed over 40 people and injured more than a hundred wounded. The Group was also involved to the 2004 attacks in Spain’s capital Madrid. Al-Faqih was tried and found guilty in the said case for his involvement in the series of suicide bombings in Casablanca, Morocco by the Morocco Rabat Criminal Court of Appeals in May 2003. It was known that the Morrocan Group initiated it and was tried in court. In March 2011, individuals from the LIFG in Ajdabiya proclaimed to the press that the gathering backings the rebellion against Gaddafis standard, and had set themselves under the administration of the National Transitional Council. They likewise expressed that the gathering had transformed its name to Libyan Islamic Movement (al-Harakat al-Islamiya al-Libiya), had around 500–600 armed men from correctional facility lately, and denied any past or present connection with Al-Qaeda. A pioneer of the LIFG, Abdelhakim Belhadj, turned into the leader of the Tripoli Military Council after the radicals assumed control Tripoli amid the 2011’s Tripoli War. Abdel-Hakim from the gathering, admit to the Italian daily paper Il Sole 24 Ore that his contenders had al-Qaeda links on March 2011. Al-Hasidi was caught in 2002 in Peshwar, Pakistan, later gave over to the US, and afterward held in Libya before being discharged in 2008. He concedes in the same meeting that he had prior battled against the remote attack of Afghanistan. Victims of the LIFG Attacks: Most victims of the group are civilians of the Libyan nation. They are considered as suspects to many bombings in the year 2003. Moreover, they have also killed many policemen in the year 1996 to issue a stronghold against the Qaddafi/Gadaffi administration. The killings are subject to debate because for the Islamic movement to kill (in the name of Almighty) is to glorify Allah. But this part of the essay aims to describe the entity of the victims by the Islamic militants’ warfare. It is evident that the attacks are in lined with their mission as an independent organization that wants to establish an Islamic State in Libya. They have been killing innocent civilians to prove that they are doing these things to have a sovereign power. This is also as an act of rebellion to the Qadaffi government. Moreover, they are reiterating that the current administration is an Anti-Muslim. The killings are quite awful in the eyes of the reporter. Several Bombings of the year 2003 which has killed over a hundred people has caused a huge uproar in the United Nations congregation. Moreover, the victims are mutilated, severely injured or died on the spot. It is not a pleasing sight according to John Mint (2004). They have also joined forces with Moroccan Islamic Group and have caused a casualty of 140 individuals There are also allegations that the group has gang raped a woman in Libya (Veritas, 2011). The woman has been severely injured (mutilated) and could not be identified in the hospital where she was taken. The face of the woman is full of carvings allegedly by a knife. The relatives of the victims most probably are devastated with what their loved ones experienced before their death. Mitigation of threat: The group has been very dynamic to its mission to establish an Islamic State that is not governed by Qadaffi. Moreover, there expansion to the international scene as having ties with high ranking officials of the Al Qaeda is very alarming. The world is now suffering from many Islamic extremist groups that has caused a huge uproar to the international scene. Just last January 2015, a Japanese national has been beheaded by the ISIS. They are an Islamic group that is all behind the uproar in Syria, Iraq and Jordan. In the early days of February another individual has been brutally killed by the ISIS a Jordanian Pilot. Whether, the LIFG is a part or associated with the ISIS the group is still bringing unfair brutal killings in Libya. It is not fair for innocent people to die in the midst of a bias conflict. However, if the group is fighting for their rights, they could have made a peaceful move rather than killing innocent people. It is quite a disgrace to their religion; for Islam is a religion of peace. All in all, the attacks of the terrorist group are condemned by many including the proponent of this essay. No one has the right to kill anybody regardless of religion or race or whatsoever. If somebody is killing because of extreme advocacy, they are not only blind but they also lack empathy. References: Witter, David B., (2011). â€Å"Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.† A Fact Sheet: Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved from: [http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/FactSheet_LIFG.pdf] Mint, John., (2004). â€Å"Victims of the Libyan 2003 Bombing.† Archived Daily Esquire News. Retrieved from:[http:www. esquirenews.com/files/2003libya.html] Veritas, V., (2011). â€Å"Woman Gang Raped and Mutilated by Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.† Retrieved from: [http://www.bestgore.com/execution/woman-gang-raped-mutilated-libyan-islamic-fighting-group/] â€Å"Foreign Terrorist Organizations-Multimedia Counterterrorism Calendar†. Nctc.gov. Retrieved2011-11-08. [http://www.nctc.gov/site/other/fto.html]

Pie in the Sky :: Essays Papers

Pie in the Sky Among the oddballs and exhibitionists who clustered around Andy Warhol in the 1960's and 70's perhaps the scariest was Brigid Berlin, a chubby, motormouthed rebel from an upper-crust New York City family who relished the way her "underground" celebrity embarrassed her proper conservative parents. Her father, Richard Berlin, a friend of Richard M. Nixon and an admirer of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, ran the Hearst Corporation, which he had helped save from bankruptcy in the 40's. Her mother, Honey, was an elegant, ladies-who-lunch-style socialite of the old school. Ms. Berlin was one of Warhol's favorite telephone companions, and she taped hundreds of hours of their conversations, some of which were adapted into a play called "Pork" that flaunted the Berlin family strife. Like many of Warhol's acolytes, she fancied herself an artist and was one of the first art world personages to work with a portable tape recorder and Polaroid snapshots (she specialized in double exposures). Her more notorious antics included a theatrical performance in which she telephoned her parents from the stage without their knowledge and broadcast live her mother's furious tirade about her lifestyle and choice of friends. That lifestyle included an addiction to speed (in the 1966 Warhol movie, "The Chelsea Girls," she played a pill-pushing lesbian who shoots up in front of the camera) as well as an eating disorder that pushed her weight to 260 pounds. Despite her obesity, Ms. Berlin often appeared nude in Warhol's movies, displaying not a trace of self-consciousness. Excerpts from her taped conversations with Warhol and with her mother run through "Pie in the Sky: The Brigid Berlin Story," Shelly Dunn Fremont and Vincent Fremont's unsettling close-up portrait of Ms. Berlin, which opens today at the Film Forum. This fascinating but somewhat repellent documentary repeatedly contrasts interviews with Ms. Berlin filmed two years ago when she turned 60 with excerpts from the mostly black-and-white Warhol films in which she radiated the aggressive ferocity of a B-movie prison matron. Much slimmer today than in the Warhol years, Ms. Berlin, who lives on the East Side of Manhattan with two dogs, looks sleek and matronly at 60. But when she reminisces, it becomes clear that she retains a lust for the spotlight along with a continuing inability to edit what comes out of her mouth. As she chattily recounts a life of squandered privilege and wasted opportunity, the movie casts a bitter chill.

A Report on Lifeline for Children’s Choir Directors Essay -- Choir Cho

Mrs. Bartle employs a little bit of four of each of the methods shared in (the vocal pedagogy) class. She uses a lot of the Westminister method but borrows from the others. The others she borrows from are Christiansen, Fred Warning and Wilson/Klein. Much of what she writes, is from her own life’s career experiences as a choral director. The first subject she deals with is the director’s attitude. A director should have a positive attitude. (p. 3, Bartle) In chapter two she discusses the development of a child’s voice in a mechanistic way. She wants the ’flutety’ sound of a child’s voice developed, between the ages 6-8. (ps. 7-9) This reminds me of the Westminister method. She tells how to help a child that has problems sing on ’center’. (ps. 13-15.) She tells how to help children pronounce their vowels when they sing. She does this by demonstrating the position of the jaw with a rubber band. She also teaches children how to form vowels and diphthongs with their mouths. (ps. 19-21) She gives some mechanistic methods on how to develop good diction with nonsense word drills and by exaggerating consonants as they whisper words. (ps. 22-3) This reminds me of the Fred Warning emphasis on good pronunciation. She gives some reasons why a children’s choir may sing flat or sharp, and then gives some mechanistic ways to fix them. (p. 27) A choir director must fix his own hearing, before they can get to ’first base’, with their choir members. They can do this by listening to some Bach chorales, then leave them for a week, come back and play them several times, then write them down on a manuscript. (p. 27) She discusses the many ways of teaching children rhythm, but she also advises, †let us not disregard the old†. (ps. 28-9) She a... ...aguar the loyalty of a Dog the charm of a Kitten and the appearance of a Sea It would also be helpful if he has: a bag full of tricks a head full of Tools a lifetime of Ideas a background of a few failures as well as success and a heart full of hope and faith in people.† (ps. 155-6) At the very end of the book, she has a bibliography of twenty-six sources, and six commentators of note such as Sir David Willcocks. (ps.157-9) I enjoyed reading this book. This book would be a handy aid in assisting any Children’s Choir Director. I like the way she borrows from a lot of methodologies to develop her own. By burrowing she has developed a very good way to direct choirs. Work Cited. Bartle, Jean Ashworth Lifeline for Children’s Choir Directors. Published by Gordon V. Thompson Music, a Division of Canada Publishing Corporation. Toronto, Canada. 1988.

racism Essay -- essays research papers

One sentence that summarizes economics is, â€Å"there’s no such thing as a free lunch.† Sure, anyone can have a lunch and not pay for it, but it still is not free. Everything costs something to someone. Even if you don’t pay for your lunch, someone will, whether it be your lunch partner, the restaurant manager, the owner, or the people who supply the raw materials to make that food. Everything acquired by a person or a community is accompanied by a price, monetary or not. Jaime Fox said, â€Å"Ain’t nothing in this world for free, and it blows my mind how many fools just don’t get that.† I agree with this statement. Many forms of literature, such as Martin Luther King’s speech â€Å"I Have a Dream† and â€Å"Learning to Read and Write† by Fredrick Douglas, have documented the high price paid for freedom and basic human rights; they show that even freedom, where the root word is â€Å"free†, has an expensive tag.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Usually, when we think of something as being free, we associate it with money. I believe Jaime Fox’s statement can be applied to so much more than â€Å"bought† materials. For many years, African Americans and other minorities have been fighting for freedom, a right that has been won with hard work, spilled blood, broken bones, and tears. This is the ultimate price tag. In Dr. King’s speech he claimed that by signing the Constitution and the Declaration of independence, the â€Å"architects of our republic wrote a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men—yes, Black men as well as white men—would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned† (447). He urges his audience, of both white and black citizens, to fight fo r these rights promised to all Americans. â€Å"We have come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice† (448). He insists that they fight with their minds and not their force. Dr. King and all those who listened to him, who fought with him, who put their lives in danger with him, they, put the down payment on endless lease we have taken out on freedom. Although Dr. King’s discussion of freedom has affected everyone in America personally, his address of freedom was on a larg... ...w York (147). Nothing he gained was free, he has to fail, be beaten, learn to write, and then devise a life-threatening plan to be able to have the most basic of freedoms. During his time, it wasn’t a right, it was a privilege he was legally denied. New generations seem to have forgotten that high costs were stapled to the back of liberty. We think that basic human rights is something that everyone should have immediately. Some believe that these rights should be imposed as early as conception. People sometimes forget that although we are now only paying â€Å"maintenance fees,† our ancestors had to buy it with the currency they had. In order for all of us to enjoy the same civil rights, people before us had to suffer without them. Like Fox said, â€Å"many fools just don’t get that.† Today, many Americans still believe we are fighting for freedom in our country. We still fight for freedom of expression, freedom from segregation, and freedom to be who we are. Jaime Fox did say that nothing in this world is free. He was right. No one can feed a person for free because it will impose a cost on someone else. The funny thing is, that even the things that don’t cost anything to give to someone

History of Healthcare and Economics

This paper will discuss the history and evolution of healthcare economics and healthcare funding timelines. In the 21st Century healthcare has proven to be one the largest industries world. The healthcare industry has changed dramatically in the last hundred years. As changes and progression are examined, it becomes clearer that healthcare and the economy it has created, is an important part of American life. The way the funds flow in the healthcare system allows financial managers to track the money through the health care system. The initial flow of funds has drastically changed throughout the years. The economics of healthcare, â€Å"the study of how scarce resources are allocated among alternative uses for the care of sickness and the promotion, maintenance and improvement of health, including the study of how healthcare and health-related services, their costs and benefits, and health itself are distributed among individuals and groups in society†, according to The journal of Mental Health Policy and Economy (2006). There are records as early as the turn of twentieth century that show that healthcare providers charged for services including surgeries such as tumor removal, appendectomies and gynecological operations. Services may have been exchanged for items such as livestock, food items, or cotton. The patient or his or her family may have exchanged services for patient care. No form of health care insurance was available; prices were not set by any organization or person. Physicians of the early twentieth century were tradesmen and essentially businessman. Patients paid the full price for the medical services offered by the physician. According to PBS (n. d. ), in the 1910’s some reformers argue that there should be some sort of health insurance. Although the idea seemed to have some support, many physicians and other interest groups did not approve. War World One took place in 1917 and for the moment healthcare reform was put on the back burner. The lack of technology and inadequate health centers raise the amount of cost needed for medical care. The current economic and war state of the country took priority over healthcare reform. General Motors offers life insurance for 180,000 workers through Metropolitan Life. The same time doctors’ wages increased. During the Great Depression, it became apparent that there should be some sort of benefits for individuals as they reached retirement age. Instead of health insurance, the Social Security Act was passed. During the Roosevelt Administration, many reformers pushed for health insurance again, but conflicts within the country once again pushed for health care insurance. Blue Cross started offering private insurance for hospital care in many states even though it was considered a bad idea by many insurance professionals. The timeline from the PBS (n. d. ), website in the 1940’s a radical reformation took place. War World Two wages were capped and controlled on American employers. Companies began offering health benefits to compete with other employers. This idea has sparked the employer-based system that is used by employers today. A Universal Healthcare plan is introduced by President Truman, but is never used. The American Medical Association (AMA) believes the plan is Communist in nature. As the Korean War approached, healthcare reform was once again a low priority. The government established a policy that would make the federal government responsible for sick poor. Many people in 1950’s can no longer afford health care insurance, especially those who do not work. The price of hospital care doubled. President Johnson signs Medicare and Medicaid into law. During the 60’s, more than 700 insurance companies are selling health insurance. During the 1980’s Medicare begins charging insurance by the diagnosis and not the treatment of the patient. Technology, vaccinations, medications, and a rise in hospital expenses raise healthcare costs tremendously. Medicare’s high expenditure rates and rapid inflation of the economy also affected the higher cost of healthcare. Health care has seen many changes over the past years, but all the changes have created the health care system and the economics of the system to this point. As the gross domestic product (GDP) , which is the total market of healthcare, started to increase annually, the private sectors of healthcare, government controlled entities, and insurance companies profit and change policies, which in turn increases the (GDP). An increase in population, aging population and communicable diseases such as Hepatitis, HIV, AIDS, and Tuberculosis has increased the cost of health care even in recent years. Small deductibles, low copayments, and employer-based healthcare insurance have molded the idea in many patients’ minds that the patient should use medical services often to â€Å"get what they pay for. † This has created an imbalance of supply and demand. There are numerous reports that there is a shortage of providers. Rapid training of Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are being educated and trained to help fill the gap of the numerous amounts of patients that need medical attention. The elasticity in health care has forced changes to be made in healthcare billing and insurance. The increased amounts of patients that need medical attention have increased the amount of providers needed. The increased costs of healthcare, technology, research, drugs, and lack of funds available for Medicare have forced a price increase for patients. Many employers find it more difficult to provide costly insurance to employees. Elasticity of services might normally demand a decrease in price, but prices have been inelastic in nature. Elasticity can also have a direct impact on when the government intervenes to set a fair price for services according to Tutor2U (2006). The insurance companies play a huge role in determining the amount of money that is needed for medical care. Supply and demand differ so greatly in the health care community than any other service or industry, making supply and demand a very different story than simply buying milk or a computer. Macroeconomics is the branch of economics that deals with the economy as a whole, such as unemployment rates, deflation and inflation. Microeconomics deals with the insurance companies and other health care related aspects that are affected by the economy fall into a more specific category known as microeconomics. As the whole economy changes, families, patients and individuals must choose to make decisions based on the economy. Healthcare decisions within communities and household are examples of microeconomics. As advances in healthcare are introduced, government regulations are introduced and the economy faces multiple challenges in the future, healthcare will likely see more changes to come.

Racism: a Raisin in the Sun and Family

Man Walter Lee Is a desperate man, shackled by poverty and prejudice, and obsessed with a business Idea that he thinks will solve all of his economic and social problems. He thought the novel Is looking for ways to carry his family on and give them every material thing they want. He Is desperate because he sees the other people with economic resources while his family is struggling to move on.He is the perfect example of the mid twentieth-century men who believe they are the ones who have o carry their families with the economic resources and struggle to achieve it, that's why he gets desperate because although he tries he seems he is not getting it. Sometime these men get blind and don't realized what really they are doing because the will to help their family is too big. Throughout the novel Walter looks for ways to give the family what they want.He works on liquor store and he thinks that will provide him the financial security needed to boost them out of poverty, but sometimes he gets desperate and thinks none of this will help him. â€Å"Sometimes It's eke I can see the future stretched out In front of me – Just plain as day. The future, Mama. Hanging over there at the edge of my days. Just waling for me – a big, looming blank space – full of 522). One can clearly see how Walter fears that his life will always be a life of nothing. He is overwhelmed by a sense of dread and fears that his suffering will continue on and on forever.Walter was so desperate he often fights and argues with Ruth, Mama, and Beneath. Also a thing that makes him like that is the racism at that time he often see who the White people from high social status had everything they want, kids attended different schools, neighborhoods were separate from the other, that also made him be like that. He was so desperate he inks to a new low and calls Mr.. Lender back, saying that he'll accept the Money, a think his family was not agree with. This is really Walter's lowest point In the whole play. He's prepared to totally shame himself for the money.In the end, though, Walter Is redeemed when he eventually refuses to take the money from Mr.. Lender. Once he begins to listen to Mama and Ruth express their dreams of owning a house, he realizes that buying the house is more important for the family's welfare than getting rich quickly. Walter finally becomes a man when he stands up to Mr.. Lender and refuses the money that Mr.. Lender offers the family not to move in to its dream house in a white neighborhood. â€Å"Talking 'bout life, Mama†¦. Mama, you know it's all divided up. Life is. Sure enough. Between the takers and the â€Å"token. † I've figured it out finally. Yeah.Some of us always getting â€Å"token. â€Å"(Handlebars 570). What Walter did here was correct because he was making horrible mistakes for him and his family instead of helping them; he was making the wrong thing. He looked to much the other things and envy what the wh ite people had; made him almost took the wrong decision, but because he listen Mama and Ruth he realized that accomplishing a family dream will fulfill them more the Glenn them material things. Having a house was always Mama's dream. Although undergoes the greatest transformation. His Journey takes him from total Jerk, obsessed with get-rich-quick schemes, to a man worthy of respect.In Walter Younger, Lorraine Handlebars shows how poverty and racism can twist and depress people, turning them against those that they most love. Of course throughout Walter, Handlebars shows us how these social barriers can be overcome through personal determination and staying true to one's own beliefs. Sometimes one care too much about the things other people had and the willing of getting them make you think in wrong way, and instead of helping the ones you one to help you end making and error for yourself and the people you wanted to help.

Dr Pepper Essay

I. Factual Summary: Dr. Pepper is the main contender in the non-alcoholic beverage industry. Their wide range of products is the key to their continued success; by giving consumers variety. Dr. Pepper also remains profitable by maintaining a strong brand images and relationship with its consumers. Their main customers are large retails stores like Wal-Mart and Target; as well as convenient stores. II. Problem/ Opportunity: Dr. Pepper has the opportunity to branch out in the sports/energy drink market. The problem is the high level of competition. Red Bull and Monster already possess a great deal of the market and are well-known through branding and advertisement. III. Alternative Solutions: a.) Launch an energy drink and rely on the already existing relationships with vendors and consumers to make a profit. Use creative advertisements and slogans to compete against the competition. b.) Create an entirely new niche of product to stand out above the crowd. The product would need to be focused around the 18-25 age range; since that is where the market is seeing the most sales. Also, it will need to designed to fit into the â€Å"on-the go† lifestyle. c.) Focus on current products; and not venture into the sports drink genre. To avoid a potential loss of profit; Dr. Pepper could forgo launching a new line in an already competitive market. IV. Selection Solution: Dr. Pepper can launch a new drink that is protein filled. New to the shelves this product will attract the athletic consumer as well as those on the go lifestyles that are looking for a healthier drink choice. Dr. Pepper can still charge a higher price than Gatorade, and reach the same target market; since this is an entirely new concept. V. Conclusion The U.S. sports drink market posted total retail sales of $7.5 billion in 2006 and a year-over-year growth rate of about 13%. Dr. Pepper definitely needs to be part of this product category. By sticking out above the crowd with the protein filled drink, Dr. Pepper will not be directly competing against Red Bull or Monster, but will still have a presence in the health conscious market. Dr. Pepper can use in place relationships and strong brand image to its advantage while launching this new drink. It is important to target the right market with this product; which would be the 18 to 25 age range.

John adams

John Adams had more positive characteristics than negative. John Adams of Brainteaser Massachusetts was a lawyer, farmer, Harvard graduate, husband of Abigail Smith Adams, father of four children, and a revolutionary. By the look of things, he seemed Like a pretty lovable man considering he was his wife's tenderness of husbands and her good man. He had many great qualities that everyone around him would appreciate his presence. As for the negative traits, he was fiercely stubborn and quick to anger. 2)John Adams thought his biggest flaw was his tendency to talk too much.When he was twenty years old, he worried over never having any bright ideas, or being too bright for his own good and show off to others who would befriend him. He hated that he was overly proud and conceited and wanted to change that about himself. 3) Abigail Adams had views on nearly everything and people. She was always quick to express what she was thinking. She was an independent woman who took responsibility of all her duties as a wife and a mother. She had the positive quality of being such a loving and caring wife, and made John Adams' life Infinitely fuller. It's almost as If she was the missing piece to his puzzle.His marriage to Abigail was the most Important decision of his life. 4) John Adams was asked to defend the soldiers and their captain when they came to trial. He was informed that no one else would take the case, but he accepted regardless what judgment he would soon be getting. He said that no man in a free country should be denied the right to counsel and a fair trial, and convinced, on principle, that the case was of utmost importance. He put law above his personal beliefs and knew it was his duty to accept the case. Eventually, his fellow patriots came to respect him for what he had done. John Adams said, â€Å"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. â €  He said this during his successful defense of the British soldiers who fired upon the crowd during the Boston Massacre. His actions to represent the British soldiers proved that despite all differences, men of principle can act Justly under the rule of law. This statement about facts, like many truths, Is universal and teaches that we must face truths, even when we don't Like them. 6) Briefly describe each of the followingGeorge Washington: Commander of Virginia militia, Continental arrant commander in chief during Revolutionary War, first president James Otis: Also a leader with John Adams of a new generation of political activist, a group called Sons of Liberty. The Sons of Liberty united otherwise adversary groups taking opposition to the Stamp Act to the streets, organizing riots and intimidating tax collectors. Sam Adams: Ben Franklin: Philadelphia first citizen, the most famous American alive, printer, establishing the American philosophical Society resulting in Philadel phia becoming he recognized center of American thought and ideas.Thomas Jefferson: Be]main Rush: John Dickinson: 7) Describe the role Adams played in each of the following: Boston Massacre: March 5th. Stamp Act: Last week of May 1765, Starting in November, nearly everything written or printed on paper other than private correspondence and books were required to carry revenue stamps. This helped pay for the cost of the French and Indian war and to meet the expense of maintaining a colonial military force to prevent Indian wars. Adams remained cautious with his involvement in political activities involving the Stamp Act.He was worried that this might hurt his reputation. This Act marks the beginning of the struggle for freedom and independence. His involvement started in August 1765 when he published an essay in the Boston Gazette entitled â€Å"A Dissertation on Canon and Feudal LaW'. The Stamp Act was hardly mentioned, however it discussed British Law and how certain liberties and freedom Americans enjoyed was earned by many generations of Americans.

Global Enterprise and Innovation individual report Essay

Global Enterprise and Innovation individual report - Essay Example This report will have various segments such as the analysis of main features of business environment within the US, role of government in promoting innovation, credit facilities and resources to the firms, scientific and technological capacity of the nation as well as general analysis of the national innovation systems within the US. Discussion Science and technology has increasingly been sighted to be a direct or indirect factor influencing the living of people within US. Various features define the business environment within the US with innovation as well as job creation being the major. Sustained investments within scientific research as well as strong system of education have been commended for great influence on general economic performance of the country. However, according to a 2011-2014 public policy statement by the ACS specific policies are critical in ensuring favorable business environment. Such policy recommendations include that appropriate tax and trade policies in ta rget of innovation and research should be adopted, encourage innovations through patenting as well as property rights and efficient commercialization and transfer of technological innovation within the country. Besides, the report shows a business environment that is in need of proper framework to encourage investment in research and innovation by small and large firms through such incentives as credit facilities and ensuring favorable business environment by the government (American Chemical Society, nd, 1-2). On the other hand, environmental awareness and conservation is a critical feature within business operations in the US where the government and other agencies increasingly regulate business operations on matters of environmental policies. According to a report by Esty and Charnovitz innovation is increasingly being influenced by policies and rules that are being adopted on environmental management and conservation. The report points to the poor performance of the government i n US to implement policies that are favorable to innovation concerning the environment effectively. This has therefore been a hindrance to operations of many firms, which are dependent on environmental policy frameworks (Esty and Charnovitz, 2012, para 1-4). Other factors that continuously have a direct impact on business performances within the US are social, political as well as economic factors. The social impact on business environment in the US is emanating from such aspects as the development of social platform and media, which all business operators must be aware of. Despite the great benefits that arise from social media, equally many shortcomings result from the improper application of the media into the business world within the US. Economic influences in the business environment within US are best examined from the perspective of economic growth of the country. Political factors on the other hand come in as political set up defines policy formulations as well as legal fra meworks within the nation (Sviokla and Gutstein, 2012-2013, para 1-5). Increased productivity through innovation by firms lead to improved standards of living of people. Through the design of appropriate policies and effective decision-making, the US government has continually created innovative environment, which has been attractive to such firms as Sony, which wholly rely on

Fossil Inc. clothing and accessorys Legal Structure Essay

Fossil Inc. clothing and accessorys Legal Structure - Essay Example a  partnership  ran by two or more people.  Also, another option is an incorporated company where business activities  are incorporated  into a company, which bestows  life  on business as a separate legal person (Mancuso 4). The Fossil inc. Clothing and Accessory is a  design, development, marketing and distribution, company that focuses on consumer products predicated on fashion and  value  such as sunglasses, watches, and leather goods among others, for retail sale on an international basis. Fossil Inc. is an incorporated  business  since it  is formed  on a corporation. Incorporating a business provides a liability  protection  and  considerable  tax advantages. The business can  move  on despite the death or bankruptcy of shareholders or  management. Moreover, it offers the best  means  of  expansion  and the provision of  outside  investors. Fossil Inc.  is under the ownership  of two brothers; Tom and Kosta Kartsotis who own about 30% of Fossil stock. In 1993, the Fossil Inc. sold 20% of the company to investors, but Tom retained 40.5% control over the  company  while his brother retained 18.8% ownership. According to Richardson (1), initial public offering of  stock  (public ownership) yielded $19 million, which Fossil Inc. used half of it to reduce the company’s  debt  and the other half to be kept as working capital. Additionally, in 1993, Fossil Inc. had  several  subsidiaries in Europe, led by Fossil Europe GmbH i.e. the company’s  primary  European  operation  in Germany. Other subsidiary companies of Fossil Inc. included Fossil Italia SRL and Fossil France SARL, which served as Fossil’s marketing, as well as distribution entities in those countries.  In addition, Fossil B.V., formed in 1993, stood as a company holding for the three European subsidiaries, where Texas-based Fossil Inc. controlled 70 per cent of the newly formed European holding Company (International Directory of Company Histories 1). In 1994, Fossil Inc. was able

Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Case Analysis - Essay Example One another importance service provided by BizRate was research on the market performance of the companies. The web portal made use of the customized survey forms filed by the customers to tabulate the research findings. These research findings acquired much market demand as it helped the companies to analyse their market performance and strategies. In October 1999, BizRate released a new website which had added features like merchandising and referral services. The company along with its listed merchants gained remarkably huge response for this innovation. The pace of market involvement and revenue generation was accelerated through this creative effort. This prophesied the scope that the company would have in ecommerce. However a concentration on ecommerce would mean that the company will have to drop out its research services as managing both effectively would not be possible within the capacity of the company. BizRate is thus in a very important stage where they are to take a cru cial management decision pertaining to the primary focus of the company. Given the advantage that the company gained after lodging newer features like merchandising and referral services, the company and its management has felt the scope that its holds as a ecommerce company. There had been substantial increase in the revenue as well, after the implementation of the new features. However so as to concentrate more on ecommerce, the company will have to completely drop out the research services for which it was renowned for. As the manpower had attained optimal exploration for the sake of research services, it was not possible for the company to equally concentrate on both research and ecommerce with the existing facilities. The company had to fix their primary focus on either of the business operations. The case study does not provide data

QD1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

QD1 - Essay Example The principal stakeholders within any business include the shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, executives, board of directors, and the community in essence. It is a fact that business governance is a multi-faceted subject which takes into consideration the roles of all these pertinent positions (Suppert 2007). A business governance model consists of a number of broad categories which might include auditing, board and management structure and process, corporate responsibility and compliance, ownership structure and exercise of control rights, and financial transparency and information disclosure. The business governance plan is therefore exclusive and is very elaborate in its own right. The business governance regimes are deemed as important because these outline the need for understanding how a business is governed and what steps are necessary to undertake so that the business can bring about a great of deal for all the relevant stakeholders and for its own existence in th e future. The business governance tangents are therefore treated with a great amount of respect because it embodies the basis of achieving strategic objectives and goals. The different components of a business governance plan aim to study the basics related with the business realms. What this means is the fact that businesses will grow and expand further if the different components within their folds are taken care of in an amicable fashion. More than anything else, there is a dire need to understand how business governance would tie up the different stakeholders with the internal publics of the organization. It would also aim to touch upon the significant grey areas which are present within the business, and which might bring some sort of problems in the coming times. One must be sure that the business governance regimes are geared to bring in long term profits more than anything else, and there should be serious efforts and undertakings to make sure that success is guaranteed at t he end of the day. There must not be any compromise on this pointer at all, as has been demonstrated through research and evidence of related study. The business governance plan is a comprehensive one because it lists down the advantages of realizing new business opportunities as well as highlights the shortfalls and how these come about in the first place. What is most important is to know how work domains are manifested within the real sense of the word, and what the organizations are doing to bring success within their realms. The business governance realms require that the communication is done in such a way that there are no loopholes and shortcomings within the length of the corporations and the government. What this suggests is the fact that the business governance matters must have a very set hierarchical setting in place so that any issues that might arise within the future are taken care of in an adequate way. The two-tier boards are usually not very appreciable since thes e give some of the directors the right to vote, while others being at the same level still, are disallowed from the voting quarters. Then again, unitary boards are better since these have a single line of command which means that the decisions are taken by people whilst knowing beforehand who is the head and

Tuesdays with Morrie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tuesdays with Morrie - Essay Example Therefore, Morrie’s point is that once one learns and accepts that death is a reality that is going to happen at some point in life, one learns to live life fully enjoying every moment as it comes without any regrets (Albom, 2005). Throughout the chapter on death, Morrie makes frequent reference to this quote emphasizing the importance for all humanity to accept death, and the subsequent benefits generated from such acceptance for the remainder of one’s life. Morrie emphasize acceptance of death and learning to live with this reality so that Mitch can understand how Morrie is able to value the smaller, more genuine aspects of life bearing in mind that death was approaching. Although Morrie made this statement when he was terminally ill, this it can be generalized to the lives of every human being since death is a reality that is bound to occur to everyone who is still alive. Therefore, healthy individuals can enjoy a life full of happiness and contentment when they live each day as if it were the last. This approach to life will result in a state where each life experience is embraced memorably, passionately and powerfully. People will be able to experience living as a gift to be seized and taken advantage of fully. Morrie points out that â€Å"everybody knows they are going to die," he said again, "but nobody believes it† (Pg 91 M) and that most people are busy doing their activities but they are actually â€Å"half asleep† (Pg 43 M). These statements relate to being prepared for death as it illustrates people’s attitude towards death. There are people who live like robots without having a personal goal in life while taking everything that life has to offer for granted. This can also be said of people who are used to routine and habitual way of life by doing the same things daily to the extent that it has becomes a tradition to them. For such people, accepting the limited nature of life will go a long way in making them enjoy life by

Iraq in the post-Hashemite era & Saddam Hussein and the Ba'th party Essay

Iraq in the post-Hashemite era & Saddam Hussein and the Ba'th party - Essay Example The US led by George Bush invaded Iraq leading to destruction of property and people. The country was in shambles. Consequently, Iran got an opportunity to help its longtime partner in trade and diplomatic ties. Iran responded by provision of goods and service to Iraq to help in the reconstruction of the nation. However, the two nations fought due to the territorial conflicts. The territory between the two nations is oil-rich. This situation led to war between the two nations. According to Tripp, the US had assumed the crucial part in the toppling of the authoritarian government in Iraq by expelling Saddam Hussein from the steerage of the state2. It was assumed as an issue of grave risk to the United States around then focused around discernment reports of Iraq assembling weapons of mass decimation. The results of the Iraq War ought to be looked upon all things considered so as to accept our assumption about sensible clarification3. It respects Americas change of conciliatory connection in the national governmental issues of any country under the impact of the tumultuous times of the Arab

The Increased Need for Digital Forensics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Increased Need for Digital Forensics - Essay Example es, especially cyber crime, there has been a heightened demand for digital forensic professionals to support law enforcement and judicial systems at all levels in order to prosecute these crimes successfully. Digital forensics, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is a specialized private detective who examines various items of technology in the pursuit of locating evidence related to a criminal act (Tucker, 9). Digital forensics are also utilized in the business world as a means to provide solutions to certain business issues, however digital forensics for business is far less prevalent than in criminal analysis. Digital forensics requires the technician to examine devices such as the PDA, laptop or cellular phone in the pursuit of various digital clues which lead to either support or refute claims of suspected criminal activity. A digital forensic scientist, searching the digital contents of a computer printer, would look for potential evidence such as time and date stamps, images still retrievable on the printer’s paper roller, or even the specific network identity of the printer if it was, indeed, attached to an online network (Ashcroft, 18). If the owner of this hypot hetical printer was alleged to have been involved in a child pornography ring, as one example, residual ink images left on the roller or various computer files buried in the printer’s hard disk might indicate whether a given alibi is valid or whether the individual has actually been distributing sexually explicit, youth materials. The personal computer and the laptop provide a myriad of potential forensic evidence in the event that a crime has been perpetrated. In this situation, forensic experts examine personal email, image/graphics files, calendars, address books and document files (Ashcroft, 10) as a means to find out whether the individual (or group) can be linked to the criminal behavior. Computer-created files, such as cookies, back-up files, temporary files and hidden files

Most serious hindrance to international cooperation regarding human Essay

Most serious hindrance to international cooperation regarding human development, climate change, and resource depletion - Essay Example At one end China is becoming the manufacturing hub of world’s big industries and at the other end, the role of China regarding climate change has become more important on international screen. In fact the process of internationalization and globalization has made the international cooperation through suitable channels a necessity for the economies. However, international cooperation which deals with the development in different fields of life has itself become a global issue. There are various concerns and problems which hinder the progress of international cooperation especially regarding human development, climate change and resource depletion. Much has been achieved through international cooperation however, many economies remain off track. It is very significant to learn the factors which have been contributing to hinder the progress of international cooperation especially in the area of human development, climate change and resource depletion. The world economy is a build ing block of various social classes which differ based on their income levels, races, religions etc. To reduce the conflicts and to ensure the sovereignty of every nation, the nation-state system has been introduced however; the increasing globalization is contributing to the unification of world. The major reason which is generally considered to be the major source of hindrance in international cooperation is the self-interest of every nation. When these interests conflict, the issues of inequalities and sovereignty become dominant. The developing countries in the pursuit of expanding their economic activities give very low priority to climate change and environment conservation. Therefore, the approaches which are being used by developed states cannot be used in the developing states and the collaboration gap expands. Dvorsky (2010) has identified the five reasons because of which the Copenhagen Climate Conference failed. He has identified that nation states do not like to be told what to do. Therefore, the economies who consider â€Å"maintaining trade balance† as their top priority and â€Å"climate change† as their last priority cannot change their priorities after an international conference on climate change. The cultural conflicts between the developed and developing states largely hinders the international cooperation especially regarding human development. Japan is actively involved in international cooperation regarding human development through technical cooperation and educational cooperation. From Japan’s perspective international cooperation in education is important because education shapes the foundation of an individual and at large foundation of a nation thereby, contributes to economic and social development. On the other hand, Kenya society identifies the various differences between modern education introduced by colonial government and traditional education formed by tribal societies. These differences are related to objectives, methods, contents and attitudes between two educational systems. The government of Kenya took this matter very seriously as it was increasing cultural conflict in the society. Like Kenya, the other countries which have been forced to adapt the modern education system have faced such cultural conflicts

Types Of Grants And Scholarships Essay Example for Free

Types Of Grants And Scholarships Essay The Pell Grant Program basically provides need-based grants to students belonging to low-income families.   This grant is primarily for undergraduate and certain postgraduate students who do not have adequate finances and access to graduate degree programs.   The current institutions that participate in this program approximate nearly 5,400.   The grants generally cover expenses such as allowances and basic education costs. The grant amount is determined by a number of factors such as the contribution from the family (EFC), the cost of basic education, whether the student is full-time or part-time and the entire attendance during the school year.    An eligible student may not receive more than one Pell Grant from more than a single academic institution at a time.   According to the FSA handbook, direct grants may be awarded with the aid of participating schools to students who fit the financial need qualifications and who have not received their bachelor’s degrees. The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) is a relatively new program that was granted during the 2006-2007 academic year.   The main purpose of this grant is to encourage students in the United States to enroll in more challenging high school courses and also to eventually pursue college degrees.   This grant is awarded to students who are first-year undergraduate students who were able to graduate from high-school in 2006, and to second-year students who graduated in January 1, 2005 from their high school. This can be awarded to a student over and above the Pell grant award that a deserving student receives.   There is currently over US $4.5 billion that has been earmarked for this program over the next five (5) years and this will continue on until the 2010-2011 academic calendars.   In order to be qualified to receive this grant, applicants must be full-time students (unlike the Pell Grant) and must be United States citizens. Works Cited: ACG Grant Information from http://www.acggrant.com/ last accessed on March 20, 2008 Federal Pell Grant Program from http://www.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html last accessed on March 20, 2008

Three categories to Aging

Three categories to Aging 1. Introduction What is old? What is ageing? There are three categories for older adults ages, â€Å"young old†, â€Å"old old† and â€Å"oldest old† (Papalia et al., 2009). Young old is suggested as the age from 65 to 74; old old is suggested as the age from 75 to 84 whereas oldest old is suggested as the age of 85 and the above. Ageing is a natural process in which it can be described in two dimensions. Primary aging is the gradual, inevitable process of ageing. It is unavoidable. It occurs throughout years even with efforts/ technology which are used to help to slow the ageing process down. The secondary aging is avoidable, as it results from disease, abuse. For instance, having a healthy lifestyle might help to reduce the risks of entering secondary ageing or delay the entering. In a rapid developing society like Hong Kong, people seem to avoid talking about aging and view ageing as a negative process rather than a natural process. Therefore, ageism becomes one of the social problems in Hong Kong. Traxler has given the definition that if a person or a group of people who are subordinated because of the age by any means (e.g. action, attitude or by an institution) it would be classified as ageism. Ageing situation in Hong Kong According to the U.S. Census Bureau, International Database, the Hong Kong population pyramids 2010 has predicted that the dominant age group would be the 45-49 year-old people in which it would be close to 400 000 among the whole population in Hong Kong. The population of other age groups, 40-44 and 50-54 would be similar and close to the 45-49 group. By 2050, the leading age group would be the 80+ where the female 80+ population would get close to 700 000 while other age groups would remain similar and stay under 300 000 (National Master, 2003). The longevity is one of the possible reasons of the change of the population pyramids with the enhancement on medical technologies, the better prevention or prediction of diseases, the higher standard of living and so on. Ageing is unavoidable and it is an inevitable process for life. Because of this reason, I believe it is important to understand ageing in terms of theories and from that to develop possible solutions to tackle the problem or to smoothen the adaptation of the demographic changes in Hong Kong. Objectives The objectives of this paper are: (1) To overview aging and ageism in terms of different theories, (2) To offer some possible solutions to promote positive images of ageing 2. Theoretical Perspectives Disengagement Theory This is a psychosocial concept to state that older adults will gradually disengage in a society (The Medical Dictionary, 2009). They are said to be inactive and being uninterested towards their possible participation in the society. This theory has bias towards ageism and has given people the negative point of view of aging. Work/ job related disengagement When older adults retire, the primarily disengagement is caused by their functions in society. Some of them stop working when they retire and are said to be â€Å"non-functional† towards the working field. Some would continue their work (part time or full time). However, some older adults that wish to continue their work always suffer in difficult job-seeking process. Employability for them seems to be low or lower in Hong Kong. It might be possible that some of them have accumulated much experience and in return the current wages would not be satisfied for them. It would end up that retirement would become a transition for them with a reduction in their incomes. In contrast, some less educated older adults might not be able to compete with younger jobseekers. Such two diverse reasons could use to explain why the employability for older adults is low. Family relationship related disengagement One of the reasons of the demographic changes would be the delay of marriage and it could possibly delay the life-transitions (Harper, 2004). For example, entering late adulthood later than the expected age, there are people confusing about the term â€Å"middle age† in which they believe that middle age could mean people that are 65+ in age (Papalia et al., 2009)) Because of that reason, there is potential that older adults experience disengagement with their children who leave home. Alternatively, disengagement theory assumes that older adults have a tendency to get involve with people with similar ages forming a so called â€Å"homogenous group† (The Medical Dictionary, 2009). In my own point of view, I would believe that older adults are disengaging and from that new engagement is needed. While engaging with â€Å"new people† in which they are of similar ages with the older adults, they create or regain something that is meaningful or of value to them. There seems to be a contradiction between the assumption of the theory and its pessimistic explanation of ageing. In addition, there is also criticism for disengagement theory as it provides a negative point of view of ageing; it tends to reinforce the stereotypes of older adults. For instances, older adults are useless, inactive, withdrawn, etc (Palmore, 1999). Clinical Frameworks These are represented by medical, biological and naturalist theories. The main emphasize would be that the physical changes on the older adults. The physical changes are referred in term of biological perspectives. The nature of the framework seems not to be focused on the sociological perspective. However, the frameworks highlight a present change or sometimes viewed as an issue by people the higher life expectancies. Dozois has stated that the advancement of medicine have led to greater longevity. When people have noticed the change in proportion of older adults over the population in the last century, ageism is worsen (2006). People raise concerns and accentuate that older adults are non-productive. Non-productive in this case claims that older adults consume lots of resources but in return they do not contribute toward what they have consumed. The large number of non-productive people might affect the society (mainly the economic side) in which the vast majority people would con sider as a concern (Dozois, 2006) Relating such frameworks to Hong Kong, some people believe that the government would need to pay more attention to the aging society. As a result, the welfare system in Hong Kong might experience a high demand situation in the coming next 10 years onward while the Hong Kong population is changing. Simultaneously, when Hong Kong is facing so many different economic crises, the rapidly evolving economic relationships with China and other countries, ageing would serve as a factor that affects the Hong Kong economy. In the future, the government might need to increase tax rate when dealing with the large population of older adults who are eligible to applying the old age allowance (OAA) in Hong Kong as one of the social welfare services. Consequently, the society might put forward a more negative image for the older adults in Hong Kong. It is like a circular causality to boost ageism. Activity Theory In my opinion, activity theory is the opposite of the disengagement theory as it describe ageing in a much more positive viewpoint. It basically says that how a person is being constructed in two major focused sources, (1) What they do and (2) The roles they have in their lives (Roy and Russel, 2005). Similar to disengagement theory, activity theory claimed that people â€Å"give up† or â€Å"force to give up† roles as they age. When they retire from work, when they lose their partners, drop out of professional, clubs, unions and so on. Those are the parts that holding a person together as w whole. The sudden changes cause by the retirement might become the cue of why older adults would reduce their sense of identity. According to the humanistic theory, there are two selves, the actual self and the ideal self (Nolen-Hoeksema et al., 2009). The actual self is referred as how people understand one person in which the person recognize himself or herself from his/her surrounding and some personal perspectives. The ideal self is what the person wants himself or herself to be. The reduced sense of identity might be caused by the changing or losing of roles enlarge the discrepancy between the actual self and the ideal self. Roy and Russel suggest that activity theory should come to place that older adult should engage in activities (E.g. joining clubs or developing new hobbies). Older adults could develop new roles to substitute or replace those old and force-to-be-given-up roles. The theory has concluded the importance of late life activities in which to restore, maintain or enhance the well-being of the older adults (2005). Rather than pinpointing the negative impact of ageing like disengagement theory, the activity theory could be served as evidence on why there is a need to promote the community participation for older adults Exchange Theory The exchange theory simply states that people should end the relationship with another person if nothing can be gained or exchanged from that person. This theory has shown its capitalistic point of view. The assumption of the theory is that people operate in order to gain material or non-material rewards and also people would try to keep the gained benefits (Moberg, 2001). There are many exchanges in which that could affect ones 3Ps (3Ps are referred as power, prestige and possessions). The 3Ps are the three element derived from the social stratification. Social goods might not be concrete like material possessions, but also including other abstract items like psychological satisfaction and experiential pleasure (Moberg, 2001). Older adults that could afford their own living could have relatives that would want to rely on them and putting the relatives or family in a dependent situation. Accordingly, those older adults seem to keep their personal power in which they could influence on others as well as controlling their own activities with their affordability such as financial wealth. They provide e.g. financial support to the relatives in return to keep their power. Older adults that could not provide valuable things to their family or relatives might gain only little power within or outside the family. As they lose the power because of being a lower class, when they retire, they would find fulfilling the 3Ps as a hard process for them in which they are said to be oppressed because of social stratification. They would have nothing to exchange. Some hidden older adults in Hong Kong could well be a case of losing the 3Ps. 3. Possible Solutions to tackle the current situation Extend the retirement ages Providing chances according to the demographic changes There is no statutory retirement age in Hong Kong but people that turning to their middle age would find it hard to seek for a job, so do the older adults. To provide more changes and focus on promoting job opportunities for older adults could reduce chances for older adults to suffer in poverty and financial difficulties. Moreover, it can also extend the older adults engagement with the society and rejecting the clinical framework that older adults could not contribute to the society. Hopefully, it could help to change the biased perception of ageing and it might help Hong Kong to adapt the demographic changes. Information technology (IT) for older adults Getting older adults to involve Possible work could be done in IT with older adults that could serve as a diversification as it is society oriented or situational. With the support from the activity theory, there is a need to get the older adults to be involved. However, with the changing society, it has become a heavily technology-based society. Isolating the older adults might not be the best solution and it has also deteriorated ageism in Hong Kong. As a result, IT should be considered and be served as a tool to help the older adults to regain their identity in the society. Lets start with introducing two existing technologies: a. Personal Emergency Link One of the popular technologies that are related to older adults in Hong Kong would be the â€Å"Personal Emergency Link (PE link)†. Such technology has been used since 1996. The service operates by connecting the PE link users through a so-called advanced communication system to a 24-hour PE link centre. By pressing the portable remote trigger, the PE link users would be connected and be able to talk to someone in the PE link call centre. In addition, the medical history of the user would be saved within the PE link organisation database and would send to the hospital when there is an emergency. However, such service can only be used at home and only benefit to those that can afford or can apply for funding. This service is not universal and might act as a burden for older adults in Hong Kong. If such service could not cover the vast majority of older adults in Hong Kong, how do we evaluate the effectiveness of such service? Furthermore, as the PE link could only use at home, it cannot help when the older adults go out. It also requires the pressing action in order to help notifying the people in the PE link call centre. b. Global Positioning System Global Positioning System (GPS) is well-known among the mobile users as GPS is integrated into the mobile phone for ease of search different locations. Recently, there is investigation of GPS in Hong Kong. Assisted Global Positioning System based (AGPS-based) Elderly tracking system is being implemented in Hong Kong in an experimental level (Wong et al., 2009). Such system utilizes the mature technology GPS in order to track and position a person in outdoor environment. In this experimental stage, the tested older individual needs to carry the device out with them in which some of the participants would find it â€Å"awkward†. Further development of such technology is needed with possible integration of AGPS-based elderly tracking system within the mobile phone. In addition, there is a need to improve its usability in indoor settings (Wong et al., 2009). Both systems have shown how technology could help to improve older adults lives and there are many different assistive technologies to help improving older adults lives. But how we could make older adults participate in the IT-based communication society that is one of the dimensions that social worker should need to consider. It seems that the two technologies have their advantages and disadvantages; however they alert the society, the government or the people that it is very important to have careful planning when dealing with older adults. Whats more, sometimes, it is essential to change older adults perception towards ageing as well as the general public. To compete with the fast growing technology, the perception shaping towards â€Å"IT for older adults† would need to be studies to allow useful means of intervention. However, it takes time for the society to be â€Å"reshaped†. With the possible increasing uses of internet in the future, social security for older adults could become a concern. Older adults might become a target for crimes in which they might expose their personal information. A long-term approach of applying IT for older adults might be more suitable with proper education with any safety issues. There is always difficult to have a balance between the advantages and disadvantages of technology. â€Å"IT for older adults† might become a future trend in Hong Kong with the ageing society and the need of the evolving information society. However, the cooperation between the government, social workers, older adults and any other stakeholders would be challenging. It is important to understand and to update the knowledge while implementing programmes as well as developing some unique technologies for older adults in Hong Kong. Last but not least, to assess the possible issues or problems that could cause by the advancement of IT. Social workers should try to intervene in different levels and understand their responsibilities in helping older adults to establish social networks or their status in the information society. Referred to the social stratifications, the three elements are crucial and one of them would be the status. The status that would be established in the information society might have an important effect in confirming older adults social status in the society. Consequently, to redefine older adults as worthies as other people in different age group and to reduce the possible status declining situation. Micro level Counselling online, in which internet would become a platform for older adults to express their opinions and to find social worker to talk to. There is no doubt that some older adults tend not to seek for help from social workers as sometimes they believe that social workers are working for those that are in poverty or disables. Some older adults do not understand the nature of social work profession. By using IT, social workers might be able to develop a more diverse social function in the society. Mezzo level IT programmes for older adults could allow older adults to have access to computers and also to build up social networks through the use of computers as well as being involved in the classes satisfying the description of activity theory. In addition, older adults who join the IT programmes would exchange something of valuable to them, for example new relationship (friendships). Macro level Social worker might need to consider and assess the accessibility of IT to older adults. Because of that, social workers would need to understand and equip themselves with the up-to-dated technologies. In addition, there is a need for better communication between social workers and the Hong Kong government, because when the society is changing and developing into an â€Å"information society†, there is a need for the government to consider evolving the welfare. By developing welfare services with IT for the older adults, social workers might need to raise the importance of this new concept. Social Movement and Social Campaign Changing the stereotyped perceptions Following the previous part the macro level intervention for IT, social workers should act as a helping professional to help organising social movement to fight for the welfare for older adults. At the same time, they should highlight the importance of such movement or campaign to the government and the general public. It is not only the responsibility of the government to provide adequate resources to the older adults; it is also the responsibility for the society. The Hong Kong society seems to neglect the special needs of older adults with the limited facilities that the society has provided for older adults. I believe by changing the perceptions and consolidate the understanding of demographic change and ageing to the general public, the awareness could be raised. Social movement and social campaign could serve as a form of community education and a catalyst to influence policy development in Hong Kong. 4. Conclusion Theories help to explain ageism however they could also be served as an emphasis of ageism and providing the negative image of ageing. Social workers should always equip themselves with related theories to understand such inequality in a long term perspective. Furthermore, social workers should also have up-to-date information on such social phenomenon which allows them to integrate theories with current situations. Consequently, social workers would provide precise or related intervention. For this paper, one of the main conclusions is that social workers in Hong Kong should try to change the present negative perception of ageing for both the older adults and the general public as a primary step to solve ageism. Providing job opportunities for older adults, integrating older adults with IT as well as organising social movement and campaign could be some possible area in which social worker could work on cooperating with theories. 5. References Currey, R. (2008). Ageism in healthcare: Time for a change. Aging Well, 1(1), 16. Dozois, E. (2006). Ageism: A review of the literature . 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