Friday, November 29, 2019

Ethical Dilemmas Associated with Corporate Bribery free essay sample

Ethical Dilemmas Associated With Corporate Bribery ABSTRACT In today’s business world, bribery has become an everyday problem. Some people consider it to be a fair business tactic, others consider it to be an unethical act. This paper focuses on a particular bribery case and uses three different ethical theories, Utilitarianism, Kant, and virtue ethics to determine whether or not bribery is an ethical or unethical act. The Case A former partner of a prominent New Jersey law firm has been indicted on bribery charges in exchange for legislation and other favors intended to benefit the attorney’s land-developer clients. Eric Wisler is charged with making regular payments to Democratic, New Jersey Senator Wayne Bryant totaling $192,000 from 2004 to 2006. Currently, Wisler faces a total of 37 counts of mail and wire fraud, as well as one count of offering a bribe. The stakeholders in this case involve a large scope of individuals and businesses. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Dilemmas Associated with Corporate Bribery or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Eric Wisler, Wisler’s land developer clients, and Senator Bryant were the biggest stakeholders in this case. However, there certainly were many more affected by these illegal acts. All other land-developers and stockholders were unknowing stakeholders. They were losing business as a direct result of not participating in bribery. Other stakeholders in this case were lawyers and clients in Wisler’s law firm. Some people may also argue that all lawyers in general were stakeholders. Due to the unlawful actions of one lawyer, all other lawyers lose a hint of credibility as a result of this case. The same can be said with politicians. As a result of one Senator’s criminal acts, people’s distrust of politicians builds. Utilitarian Consideration Utilitarianism is considered a teleological theory, meaning that the rightness of actions is determined solely be the amount of good consequences they produce. According to utilitarianism, morality is about producing good consequences, not having good intentions. The utilitarian argument is broken down into two distinct groups, rule and act utilitarianism. Act utilitarianism looks at the consequences of each individual act and calculates utility each time the act is performed. In order to determine if an act is ethical, the action must produce more hedons than dolors. In the case of Eric Wisler, the consequences do not demand that the rule should be broken. Before the scandal was uncovered by authorities, Wisler, Wisler’s land-developer clients, and Senator Bryant would have been identified as hedons. As a lawyer, Wisler was fulfilling his obligations to his land-developer clients, although illegally, by obtaining legislation to support their cause. Wisler’s land-developer clients would also be considered hedons in the scandal before it was revealed. The bribes were made in exchange for legislation and other favors intended to benefit this group of people. Lastly, Senator Bryant would have been recognized as a hedon. Over a two-year period, Bryant was able to accumulate $192,000 simply for influencing legislation. After this scandal was uncovered, all of these players were quickly categorized as dolors. The dolors in this case were other land-developers who were not clients of Wisler, Wisler’s law firm, businesses in the area, and politicians. Unfortunately, due to Wisler’s bribery other land developers who were not clients of his lost business. During 2004 and 2006, during Wisler and Senator Bryant’s arrangement, Wisler was a partner at DeCotiis, FitzPatrick Cole. Although the firm was not aware of the illegal activities, the practice has lost its credibility, causing them to lose a great deal of clients. Other businesses in the area are also potential dolors in this case. Some local businesses were hurt by the legislation passed by Senator Bryant and as a result, have not been as successful. Lastly, on a much broader scope, politicians in general can be considered dolors. Citizens have been known to be untrusting of politicians. This scandal gives people another reason be suspicious of them. When this case is analyzed before authorities uncovered it, there is a split between hedons and dolors. However, when it is studied after the scandal is revealed, it is hard to find any hedons in the case. The harm done as a direct result of the bribery, provides many dolors and very few, if any, hedons. In addition, the dolors in this case are greatly affected. Wisler faces jail time, Senator Bryant is currently serving a jail sentence due to accepting bribes, and the land-developers who were not clients of Wisler had lost business as a result of the bribery. An alternative to the situation would have been for Wisler to never offer bribes to Senator Bryant. When tilitarian calculus is performed on this situation, many more hedons emerge. Wisler would not be facing criminal charges, Senator Bryant would not be serving jail time for the bribes accepted from Wisler, and the land-developers who were not clients of Wisler would not be put at a disadvantage and would not lose business. The land-developer clients of Wisler are the only group of people who may be considered dolors if the brib ery had never taken place. As a direct result of the bribery, they had legislation passed in their favor and gained business over the competition. After looking at both situations, Wisler should have chosen not to offer Senator Bryant bribes. When the utilitarian calculus was done on the current situation, where bribes were offered and they were caught, the amount of dolors far outweigh the number of hedons. However, when looking at the available alternative to not participate in the bribes, there are many more hedons produced. In conclusion, act utilitarians would consider Wisler’s actions unethical. Rule utilitarianism looks at the consequences of having everyone follow a particular rule and calculates the overall utility of accepting or rejecting the rule. No one could approve a general rule that allows companies to use bribery to help further their agenda. The consequences of such a rule would be highly negative and would create a barrier to entry in the market because companies starting out would not have the funds to use bribery and would therefore not earn business. Act and rule utilitarians do not always agree with one another. Rule utilitarians claim that act utilitarianism can justify disobeying important moral rules and violating individual rights. In addition, act utilitarians take too much time calculating in each and every case. On the other hand, act utilitarians argue that by following a rule in a particular situation when the overall utility demands that we violate the rule is just rule-worship. In conclusion, act utilitarians believe that if the consequences demand it, the rule should be violated. Although, these two sides have their disputes, in the Wisler case, rule and act utilitarians are in agreement that bribery is unethical. Kantian Consideration The Kantian theory is deontological, meaning that people have a duty to perform certain acts not because of some benefit to themselves or others, ut because of the nature of these actions or the rules from which they follow. According to Kant’s views, moral obligation has nothing to do with consequences, but the motives of the person who carries out the action. In order to determine whether an action is ethical or unethical according to Kant three criteria should be analyzed, reversibility, universalizability, and respect/free consent. The first cr iterion for deciding if an action is ethical is the categorical imperative of reversibility. Reversibility means that if the situation were reversed, the person would be willing to be treated the same way. In the case of Eric Wisler bribing Senator Bryant in exchange for legislation and other favors for his land-developer clients, reversibility could certainly be used to show that this was an unethical decision. If Wisler’s land-developer clients put themselves in the reverse situation, they would not like losing potential clients to companies who were bribing officials to earn business. As a result, due to the categorical imperative of reversibility, corporate bribery is unethical. Universalizability is a second categorical imperative used to determining moral right and wrong. According to universalizability, if an act is deemed acceptable for one person, it is must be acceptable for all other relevantly similar persons in relevantly similar circumstances. In other words, universalizability enforces the belief that people must be consistent in the judgments they make. In regards to the case described above, the principle of universalizability would argue that it was an unethical decision simply because, I can’t imagine a world in which all business transactions were based on which company is offering the most enticing bribe. Lastly, according to Kantian arguments corporate bribery is unethical because it does not create a fair playing field. The companies that are not participating in bribery are not being treated with respect. Furthermore, these companies have not given consent to bribery. Therefore there is no moral right to engage in bribery. Instead people have a moral right to conduct business free from bribery, which creates the moral duty not to engage in these actions. According to every aspect of Kant, corporate bribery is unethical. The principle of reversibility proves that people participating in bribery would not want to reverse the situation and be put at a disadvantage. In regards to the principle of universalizability, there cannot be a world in which business transactions are based on which company is offering the most enticing briber. Lastly, people are disrespected by bribery and certainly do not provide consent to be financially hurt as a result of competitors participating in bribery. According to Kant, people must be treated as ends not means, unfortunately this is not the case when bribery is involved. Virtue Ethics While Utilitarianism and Kant deal with the rightness and wrongness of actions, virtue ethics focuses on what kind of person should an individual be. The concept of the â€Å"golden mean† applies to virtue ethics. This concept involves choosing the middle ground between two extremes. A person who engages in bribery can be described as a cheater or as someone who does not play by the rules. These are vices, not virtues, Wisler possesses when it relates to his actions with Senator Bryant. Exemplifying these vices are not becoming of an upstanding individual, therefore, corporate bribery is unethical. Virtue ethics focuses on what kind of person an individual should be. It is easy to determine that according to this theory, bribery would be considered unethical. Conclusion Unfortunately, in today’s society bribery has become a common practice in the business world. In nearly every case, more dolors than hedons are created. According to all three theories analyzed in this paper, Utilitarianism, Kant, and Virtue ethics, corporate bribery is unethical.

Monday, November 25, 2019

A Brief History of Terrorism in The United States

A Brief History of Terrorism in The United States Ever since the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 several new words have been created by or assimilated into everyday dialect. "Jihad", "Anthrax", and "Taliban" are now words which are part of every American's dialect, however, no word has reemerged more often than the one which describes all of the events of that day; "terrorism". While not a new word, it was not one thrown around all that commonly before 9/11, and as no word could better describe the actions of that day, it was the most popular word chosen by the media and the people for the acts of violence. The definition of terrorism is not a clearly described one however. The term terrorism comes from the French word "terrorisme", which is based on the Latin verb "terrere" (to frighten). The first use of the word dates to 1792, when the Jacobins came to power in France and initiated what we call the Reign of Terror and what the French call simply "La Terreur".English: I took photo at National Portrait Gallery...One of the first writers to use the word "terrorist" in English was Edmund Burke, an opponent of the French Revolution, who in 1795 described the revolutionaries with "those hell-hounds called terrorists are let loose on the people". Since then the term has been far generalized. Webster's Dictionary describes terrorism as "The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons". Throughout the course of United States history several acts of terrorism have been used to make political stands, inflict fear into people, one even considered to be a domino in the chain leading to the declaration of independence showing that one person's act of...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Election of Barak Obama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Election of Barak Obama - Essay Example Sen. Obama is for 'affordable, accessible health care for all Americans, builds on the existing health care system, and uses existing providers, doctors and plans to implement the plan'. Economy: He plans to simplify the tax code, so that it provides greater opportunity and relief to Americans, thus resulting in benefits to American workers and export potential of America. To assist in this venture, he plans to increase investments in infrastructure, energy independence, education, research and development. His contention is, while the wages are stagnant for the middle class, the tax cuts are being implemented only for the wealthy and not for providing any relief to the middle class. Foreign Wars: Iraq war epitomizes the differing foreign war policies of the Bush administration and that of opposition. Sen. Obama termed the very concept of Iraq war as wrong in 2002. His contention was, such an invasion would lead to occupation for undetermined length at undermined cost, with undetermined consequences. That's exactly what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sen. Obama plans to adopt a policy based on the bipartisan Iraq Study Group led by James Baker and Lee Hamilton. Energy Plan and the Environment: Sen. Obama has taken a lead in pushing ahead a comprehensive energy policy. Having found common ground on CAFE, renewable fuels, and clean coal, the duo of Obama-Biden plan to provide short-term relief to American families facing pain at the pump, put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars and ensure 10 percent of US electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025, amongst many other initiatives. Illegal Immigration: Sen. Obama has been instrumental in crafting comprehensive immigration reforms in the country. As per the studies undertaken, since 2000 there has been an increase of about 40 percent in undocumented immigration in US. This proves not only a threat for safety and security of the country, but it also proves to be a big drain on the resources of the country. Sen. Obama's contention is, 'politicians have used the immigration issue to divide the country instead of finding a permanent solution'. This is resulted in an increase in cases of illegal immigration. Sen. Obama plans to have secure borders by working in close coordination with countries like Mexico, improving the immigration system remove the apparent incentives for entering illegally. The political impacts that might happen on the following three demographic groups are; Social: Though it might not be a big issue in the elections, but the fact that Sen. Obama is set to become the first black President of US. This is bound to translate in better social status for minorities. Endorsement of Sen. Obama by the erstwhile Bush Confident Collin Powell signifies the importance of this emerging social equation once the elections are over. Being a youthful president (certainly so, as compared to Sen. John McCain), Sen. Obama could prove to be a role model for the youth in the country. Having an unblemished record is bound to help the new incumbent to the top post in bringing about a harmonious social order in the country. If Obama is able to make it, he will be one of the youngest persons with the responsibility. The age factor has made him the favorite candidate for the top slot. Obama has also made it a point to see that the job losses experienced by the youth on account of

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Geotechnical Properties & Construction Methods Coursework

Geotechnical Properties & Construction Methods - Coursework Example At this stage, Engineer will be collecting data from Geological survey, topographic maps, photogeology (aerial) , digital data, borehole records, national survey, mining records in order to understand the geology, compressive soils, drift thickness, landslides, soluble rocks, made ground, etc.†¦ The main importance of the desk study is to understand the geological condition of the site in order to analyse its implication during any stage of the planned engineering activity. This means that for a difficult ground condition, either the foundation design has to be adequate or a reduction of the actual superstructure loads has to be considered. In the given site, the points below can be listed as evidence of desk study as an element of site investigation: Borehole data: the presence of made ground and building debris with patches of old oil spillages; this has been found at a thickness of 1m above the ground level. Soft silt up to a depth of 10m then compacted sand and gravel at 18m . This is the exact composition of the soil beneath and will allow for adequate selection of foundation design. Knowing that up to a depth of1m below the ground level, the soil has almost no strength. This layer will have no importance in the overall bearing capacity of the soil. The Borehole data will enable Engineers to be aware of possible soil contamination of the top soil, weak soil up to a depth of 10m and that strong strata can be seen only after 18m below the ground level. One can argue that Strip foundation; defined as shallow foundation (Maheshwari, 2009) will never be ideal for this type of soil. Topographic map. For the considered site, a topographic map has been obtained. This gives the large-scale detail as well as the relief of the site. It consists of measuring the ground level with respect to a benchmark (Mellow, 2010). On map has shown latitude, which is the level of a given point on site with respect to the ground level. For the fact that two points of the same si te are not always at the same level with respect to the sea level, while a building requires a level terrain, topographic map will be important to give the ground profile, and enable engineers to quantity earthwork; this is the volume of cutting and filling in order to level the site before construction begins. Ground water table: as an element of the site investigation, the desk study will give enable to locate the ground water. For the proposed site, this is 1.5m below the ground level. McLean and Rible (1985) explained that the water table is a very important factor influencing the overall strength of the soil. In an undrained condition, where the water pressure has been taken into account, the total strength of the soil is much higher than the drained condition, without water; keeping in mind that the latter will give the actual strength parameters of the soil. Overestimating the strength of the soil can lead to structural failure as the foundation will not be under-designed the refore will not be able to support the imposed load from the superstructure. Also, as the required construction has taken into account a basement, deep excavation will be required. Knowing the ground water level, will be very important for the fact that, if it is above the required depth of excavation, flooding will occur and the exaction, representing the working environment will be against the health and safety. It can be seen that the desk study wi

Monday, November 18, 2019

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Business law - Essay Example It is suitable in a business environment in which the party are able come together and the party values a relationship that they have enjoyed. An example is the case in which one party to a contract has breached terms of a contract. The parties can come together with the aim of reconstructing the contract or finding a suitable remedy to the injured party. The negotiation process will involve the elements of the Bloom’s Taxonomy as the parties consider available alternatives. The parties will remember terms of the contract and reasons for the breach in order to understand their positions. They can then use the information to generate possible solutions. An evaluation of the possible solutions can then inform the parties’ decision into formulation of a remedy or a collection of remedies to the dispute. In implementing the Bloom’s taxonomy in negotiation, the party can reach a solution that is acceptable to both of them and one that can sustain their existing relati onship (Miller and Jentz 75; Overbaugh and Schultz 1). Mediation is another form of alternative dispute resolution system that parties in a business environment can use. The method involves the role of a third party that tries to bring the parties together in order to reach a solution. The party is always neutral to the dispute and does not impose any solution to the parties. The third party may however propose solutions and try to enlighten the conflicting parties of the benefits of the solution. The parties to the conflict however reserve the power to make a decision on whether to resolve the conflict or not and the solution to accept. Unfair business practice, such as blackmailing advertisement, is an example of a situation in which mediation can be used. In case, the parties may have a tense inter-business relationship that makes it hard for them to come together and agree. A third party can however bring them together and help them to reflect on the problem and understand its root

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Australian Indigenous and Non-indigenous Health Issues

Australian Indigenous and Non-indigenous Health Issues Introduction: The aim of this paper is to compare and contrast the health issues of Australian indigenous and non-indigenous people. It will also provide an overview of comparison of with Australian immigrants and the strategy used to close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous people will be summarized. In this paper the contribution of non-indigenous people, which include all the communities such as Europeans and religious based organizations, to the current conditions of Australian aboriginals regarding current health issues and psychological concerns will be discussed. In other words it will show how the health of indigenous people is disadvantaged in relation to non-indigenous population. The health issues of Australians indigenous people will be compared with indigenous people of other countries. Health promotion strategies used to improve the health outcomes in aboriginal community will be identified and some other interventions will be proposed. Closing the gap: There is a gap of health and life expectancy between indigenous and non-indigenous people of Australia and some of the aboriginal communities experience unacceptable levels of disadvantage in living standards. It is unquestionably assured that the health of Indigenous people after the trauma of colonisation, has been significantly under threat. To achieve a significant improvement in health status of Indigenous Australians, a campaign is built by an Australian government which is called ‘Closing the Gap’. It was approved by Australian Government in 2008 in response to social justice report 2005. According to this strategy, Council of Australian government has six set targets to achieve in particular time frame that are related to life expectancy, health, housing, employment, education and early childhood development in aboriginal people. In other words ‘closing the gap’ strategy is an effort of the government to engage with indigenous community and help them to find effective solutions to the withstanding issue and change their living condition to maintain health. Mortality and morbidity rates among indigenous and non-indigenous Australians: There is an unacceptable gap in health status between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Aboriginal community in Australia faces the poor health status than other Australians mainly due to the lack of equal access to primary health care which affects their health outcomes negatively. The death rate in indigenous people was 1.9 times higher than non-indigenous in 2006-2010. Estimated life expectancy of aboriginals who were born in 2005-2007 was around 11 years less than non-indigenous people. The death rate of indigenous people due to cardiovascular disease was 1.7 times higher than for non-indigenous in 2006-2010 and in following two years 1.6 times of aboriginals were admitted to hospitals for heart diseases than other Australians. The rate of indigenous people who suffered and died because of cancer was higher in indigenous community as well. The prevalence of other diseases such as diabetes, respiratory disorders, kidney problems and eye or ear health issues is higher in i ndigenous people versus non-indigenous population. In respect to communicable diseases, indigenous people suffered from tuberculosis, hepatitis C, and influenza 11.1, 3.6 and 20 times respectively higher than non-indigenous people in the time period of 2005-2011. Comparison of health issues with Australian Immigrants: In shaping Australian society, immigration has been a major factor who represent one quarter of the population of Australia. Most of the Australians who are born overseas have risk factors for a lot of long term health conditions such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular conditions and lung cancer. According to Australian institute of health and welfare the health behaviors of concerns for immigrants are less exercise, be obese, unhealthy diet and more likely to smoke. Recent immigrants from under developed countries are likely to have tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, parasites disease, malaria and leprosy which might means that their health outcomes is poorer than indigenous people in Australia. Inadequate vaccination, vitamin D and nutritional deficiency, dental diseases and infectious diseases are commonly found in Australian immigrants. People from Asian background especially Chinese and Indian have high chances of developing coeliac diseases. Large amount of Immigrants from United Kingdom and Ireland suffer from lung and breast cancer. Due to low rates of Pap smear testing in Asian women there are high chances of cervical cancer. Immigrants from Southern Europe and North Africa had high diabetes mortality rates. Africa born Australians are known to suffer with high rates of active tuberculosis, especially in the first year of migration, than Australian indigenous and non-indigenous people. Refugees are known to have poorer health than other immigrants. They have shorter life expectancy than indigenous people in Australia. Poor mental health, post-traumatic stress, grief, infectious and communicable diseases are some of the common concerns in Afghani refugees immigrants. On the other hand there are some overseas born Australian who has less mortality rates than people born in Australia like Vietnams have 50% lower rates, Chinese 30 % and Italian 13 % lower rates. However immigrants from UK, Germany and Ireland have similar rates of mortality as Australian born people. Effect of colonization on indigenous community: Psychological and physical health, social position and economic situation of aboriginal people deteriorated significantly after the colonization of Australia. Due to European colonization their traditional spiritual beliefs which were their identity started disappearing. Trying to adjust in a new lifestyle which was different from their way of life was stressful. European people at the time of arrival in Australia did not even consider indigenous people ‘human beings’ or equal to them. They moved aboriginals to those areas where natural resources were insufficient. Living in a poor condition away from their land affected their life mentally as well as physically. A lot of actions of European people affected psychological health of indigenous people. Aboriginal people were moved to reserves and they were not allowed to practice their own culture or speak their language. Their children were taken away from them to teach them European lifestyle in institutions where they lost their language and cultural identity in order to adopt new cultural values. Aboriginal people suffered a trauma of stolen generation as a result of assimilation policies of the Australian government that had direst relevance to the psychological issues of Australian indigenous. European colonization, family separation, loss of culture and land and racism are the main factors contributed to poor health and other issues in Australian aboriginal people. The social and cultural trouble experienced by Australian Aboriginals has had an intense effect on Aboriginals mental well-being. Indigenous Australians have had decades of transformations forced on them. Majority of indigenous people were facing poor living condition, unemployment and poverty which affected their overall health and well-being that resulted in chronic stress. Within few weeks of colonization aboriginal people start suffering from disease, like smallpox, that European people bought in Australia and it was one of the most immediate consequences which killed 50 % of aboriginal population. Introduction of a lot of diseases, loss of land and food and water resources, stolen generation and violence reduced their population by 90% in following years. Aboriginals were thousands in number before colonization but after that their number dropped down really quickly due to which they lost their culture and history. The health status and wellbeing of indigenous people was affected greatly by colonization and it still has a significant part in their health outcomes. Today diabetes, infectious diseases and renal failure are wide spread conditions in indigenous people which are linked to colonization somehow. Eating habits and life style of indigenous people is considered healthier before the colonization due to which they did not have all these epidemic diseases. They were physically strong even though they must have had some health concerns but the new and disrupted lifestyle worsens their health. Due to poor social and emotional health aboriginal people had to face disadvantage and poor outcomes lead them to intergenerational trauma. To deal with the symptoms of this trauma most of them adopted alcohol and substance abuse which according to them was a quick and short term solution. Alcohol and substance abuse and use to illicit drugs were one of the most negative impacts that European colonization has bought to indigenous Australians. Comparison of health in Indigenous people in other countries: Experiences of loss of traditional roles, a history of conflict and dispossession and failed assimilation are not isolated to indigenous Australians but have been experienced by indigenous peoples of other countries like who have been colonized. The history of Indigenous Australians is similar to the Indigenous populations of Canada, New Zeeland and the United States. Traditional life of Indigenous cultures was affected by the arrival of European settlers. It is unquestionably assured that the health of all aboriginal people around the world, after the trauma of colonization, has been significantly under threat to better maintain health. Out of all these countries, Canada, the United States and New Zeeland have somehow managed to improve the health status of indigenous communities but Australian aboriginal people are still suffering from worse condition. (Comparing aUstralian and conadian) As it has been established that health can be a reflection social determinants, it would be fair to say that the social status and relations of international indigenous people are further along than Australia. Canada, New Zealand and the United States all have specifically designed treaties of political, legal and cultural significance which were designed in consultation with the Indigenous people that have established indigenous and nonindigenous relations with ‘governments using treaties and treaty-making as part of a wider approach to developing a better relationship with and addressing the socio-economic problems of indigenous peoples’. The United Nations has estimated that there are about 370 million Indigenous people in the world today living in at least 70 countries (Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues 2009). An estimated seven million of these people live within the high income countries of the United States, Canada, Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. These four nations share a colonial history associated primarily with the British that commenced between 400 and 500 years ago in the Northern hemisphere (US, Canada) and just over 220 years ago in the Southern hemisphere (Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand). Despite the vast difference in time and place, familiar stories of the colonisation experience and its lasting impact on the health status and challenges faced today in striving for recovery emerge as a shared legacy of unfinished business. Profound health and social inequities persist between Indigenous and non-indigenous populations of all four nations, as this paper and other evidence documents extensively.( Artilce ) https://www.lowitja.org.au/sites/default/files/docs/AustIndigneousHealthReport.pdf Health Promotion strategies and their effectiveness: Additional Interventions: A health impact assessment of the current governments Northern territory Emergency Response (NTER) points out that the Aboriginal understanding of health as having f ive dimensions ‘cultural, spiritual, social, emotional and physical-within which are a number of layers that ref lect historical, traditional and contemporary inf luences on health’ (O’Mara 2010,p.547). It is needed that Indigenous people have greater control over these dimension of their daily lives in order f or the indigenous disadvantage to be improved (Maddison 2009). O’Mara, P 2010, ‘Health Impacts of the Northern Territory Intervention: Af ter the Intervention Editorial’, The Medical Journal of Australia, vol .192, no.10, viewed 8 October 2010, pp.546-548, http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/192_10_170510/oma10307_f m.pdf . Brennan, S, Behrendt, L, Strelein, L Williams, G 2005, Treaty, The Federation Press, Sydney, NSW. In conclusion, it is clear that indigenous people are disadvantaged in relation to non-indigenous people’s health care. Health standard of indigenous people is not equally the same with non-indigenous people. The current disparity between the health of indigenous and non-indigenous people could be reduce by access and equity in health care, greater connectivity between indigenous people and their advocates, cultural sensitivity and cultural saf ety in all health care practices, community self -determinism and self empowerment on the basis of capacity building, public recognition of the unique needs and sensitivities of indigenous people, public awareness of the implications of environmental degradation and globalisation on indigenous people, and reconciliation with other people of the world . In order to promote Indigenous health in Australia, governments must work cooperatively with Indigenous elders and communities, in order to achieve effective results. http://scu.edu.au/schools/nhcp/aejne/archive/vol3-2/lmacervol3_2.html

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Compare and contrast the view that ‘An Arrest’ is a tale of nature Essa

Compare and contrast the view that An Arrest is a tale of nature rejecting a human villain with the view that it is concerned only with a vengeful superego ‘An Arrest’ is an ambiguous story. You can look at it in different ways. One way to see it is as a tale of nature rejecting a human villain. This view is put forward right from the beginning. When the narrator uses words such as â€Å"confined† and â€Å"fugitive† to describe the state of Orrin Brower, he creates the image of an animal isolated from human society. This is because ‘confined’ is usually a word to do with animals or mad people who are not allowed to be in contact with humans Further evidence to support the argument of Orrin Brower being portrayed as a savage beast comes when the author writes that he had, â€Å"recovered liberty,† which is like an animal being released into the wild. Orrin Brower does not feel guilty for beating Burton Duff or think of the consequences of his actions, as a human would; he only feels and acknowledges his freedom which is an animal-like thing to do. When he is on the run he decides to escape to the forest which may be as he is treated like an animal he starts to believe that he is one. The fact that the narrator states ‘he had the folly to enter a forest’ suggests that even though he thinks of himself as an animal, Brower is not and therefore does not belong in the forest- this proves that nature will inevitably try to discard him. As he enters the forest, we are told that ‘the night was pretty dark with neither moon nor stars visible’ which could be seen as a nature trying to confuse Brower. We begin to doubt Brower’s animal-like image when Bierce writes, â€Å"Brower had never dwelt thereabout, and knew nothing of the lay ... ...re following him to the prison was not human at all. As I mentioned earlier Brower has committed some serious crimes which are the result of the id part of his brain taking over. The id is the part of our brain which wants all our basic needs- our Inner Desires- such as sleep, food and sex. However our superego stops us from becoming lazy, greedy or rapists. What happened to Brower is that his id took over and his superego was shunned so he committed these crimes without any guilt. At the clearing in the forest, Brower’s superego suddenly starts operating again and conjures up the image to make the guilty conscience, which comes with it, disappear by sending him back to justice. Bierce seems to have dropped many hints to leave both views arguably correct. Personally, I think Bierce has done this deliberately to leave the story as ambiguous as the title.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Research Methodology Essay

This research work is an action research investigating into the issues of illiteracy in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). An action research is a type of qualitative research of cyclical nature which is used to improve practice (Parsons and Brown, 2002). In other words, the work is meant to aid in executing an action program that will help reduce illiteracy in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. It is meant to be cyclical in nature in that it is also intended to improve the provision of adult literacy with time by providing a means by which the program can be adequately implemented and improved upon with time. The results of this work identified the specific areas that call for attention in the provision of education for Abu Dhabi adults that are forty years old and over. It also suggested ways of assessing progress and improving upon the program with time. At the end, the research work became a useful resource for Abu Dhabi’s Western Region Development Council (WRDC) and other organizations who are stakeholders in improving adult learning in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. This chapter describes the stages and processes that were involved in carrying out the research work. It presented the data gathering processes, describing also, the target research participants, the research locations, involvements of the main stakeholder organization, other stakeholders’ roles, and action plan towards the adoption, implementation, evaluation, and review of the research results. Research Design and Procedure The research approach involved data gathering activities aimed at obtaining all the relevant information about illiteracy in the target region for this research. Multiple sources and research instruments were used for the data gathering process. These includes, previous socio-economic studies in the Western Region, the statistics of adult students in the literacy classes as obtained from the Family Development Foundation and Abu Dhabi Education Council, surveys and interviews with illiterate adults (forty years and over), and so on. The research made use of research samples of adults who are forty years and above in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. The samples of necessity consisted mostly of illiterates within the region. In addition, other sources were employed in gathering information and these shall be discussed further in the sections following. The data were thereafter analyzed to draw out workable solutions for the adult literacy program in the Western Region. Interviews with a Sample of Illiterate Adults Aged Forty Years and Over. The interviews were conducted shortly after establishing initial contacts and discussing with parties that are of interest in the illiteracy issue. The interviews aim at establishing the attitudes of the old illiterates in the Western Region (40 years and over) towards the remedial measures being taken to reduce illiteracy and how they have come to accept the current adult literacy program arranged by WRDC. Though the interviews were not formal or structured, questions were set to serve as guidelines during the interviews. A sample of the set of questions that were asked is as presented in Appendix A. For a proper geographical representation, the interviewees were picked from across the cities within the Western Region of Abu Dhabi and not just located from one city. The six cities from which the interviewees were drawn are Madinat Zayed, Al Mirfa, Ghayathi, Sila, Dalma, and Peda Al Mutawa. There was no strict pattern for the selection of the sample. Rather, convenience sample approach was used. The interviews spanned over a period of two months. In order to make it more flexible, the interviews were conducted through different means. This included personal face-to-face interviews, informal chatting during family and social gatherings, informal or semi formal phone chatting, and so on. The general strategy for the interviews was to start with broad questions and then follow up on the interviewee’s responses. Efforts were made to gain a full understanding of how each of the respondents captured the meaning of each question. This helped to avoid imposing meanings on the interviewee. Rather, it helped the interview process to achieve its target of obtaining information purely as reflected by the adult illiterates. In addition, the interviews were done in a language that each interviewee understood rather than conducting exclusively in English or other unfamiliar languages. Most especially, the approach of adopting a mixture of languages was employed to ensure that each interviewee feels at home in responding to the questions. This is necessary in order to obtain a feedback that is not influenced by any adverse or embarrassing conditions during the interview and this includes the effects that language barrier may have on the respondents if unfamiliar languages were used. Survey to Investigate the Reasons Behind Illiteracy for Adults Forty Years Old and Above. This is another research instrument that was used in addition to the interview. This is also more like the interview but is more formal in nature and administration. The intention of this was to obtain information from the illiterate adults as regards the reasons behind their illiteracy. In other words, it intends to establish the reasons for the occurrence of high illiteracy rates in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. While the interviews responses will establish that there are indeed illiterate adults in this region and provide clues as regards the attitudes of the illiterates towards adult literacy, the survey results will explain the reasons behind the occurrence of high illiteracy rate. As it was for the interview, the survey was conducted using a research sample of adult illiterates (forty years and over) obtained across the cities of the Western Region. The sample was drawn from Madinat Zayed, Al Mirfa, Ghayathi, Sila, and Dalma. In addition, the language was such that the respondents understood the questions being asked except in cases where this was a measure of the illiteracy levels of the respondents. The sample of the survey questions are as presented in appendix B below. Need Assessment Survey – to know the learning needs of adult learners at the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. The ultimate objectives of this work are to ensure that the reasons behind high illiteracy rates are unearthed in the Western Region, and to enhance a high rate of patronage of the adult literacy classes. Thus, it will be necessary to gain insight into the learning needs of these illiterate adults so that the program may not continue to disappoint their expectations. In other words, there is a need to make the program all encompassing, meeting the expectations and the learning needs of the adults for who the program has been established. Moreover, the program should also be able to meet the needs of anticipating learners. In this light, a survey was also conducted to assess the learning needs of the illiterate adults at the Western Region. The sample of the survey instrument for this assessment is as included in appendix C. The survey sample at this time cut across the cities in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. However, the age range of the survey sample was deliberately chosen to be below 40 years. This is due to the fact it is not exclusively those above 40 years of age that has learning needs and it will be advantageous to set up a program that will be all encompassing, taking care of the needs of learners from age grades lower than 40 years. The sample age range was fixed between 20 and 70 years. It is to be noted that the assessment was not limited only to adults who have been enrolled in the program and are still part of the training. The sample also included those who were enrolled but could not continue as well as those who did not enroll at any time. Again, the language of the survey was that which the respondents understand well and did not influence their responses in any way. Equipments Need Assessment. After obtaining the results of the three earlier mentioned surveys, an assessment of the equipments need for the present adult learning centers in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi was carried out. Precisely, the five Family Development Foundation (FDF) female adult learning centers in the Western Region’s cities (one each in five cities of Abu Dhabi Western Region – Madinat Zayed, Al Mirfa, Ghayathi, Sila, and Dalma) were assessed. This was carried out in conjunction with the FDF to give weight to the exercise and ensure detailed responses. A formal letter was sent to each of the centers asking them to identify and state their needs in terms of the facilities, resources and other materials for their adult education classes, as it is peculiar to each center. These responses could also be used to infer what the needs of the corresponding evening male classes are to an appreciable degree of accuracy. The male classes are also five (one in each of the five cities earlier mentioned). In addition, in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) a survey of the current enrollment in each of these male and female centers was taken. This provided a baseline for comparison with the current situation in adult literacy efforts across other cities and regions of Abu Dhabi. Adoption and Implementation of Research Results This research work was carried out to establish practical solutions for illiterate people in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi especially those who are not interesting in the current official adult education program. The results of this work is to aid the main stakeholder organization, (WRDC) establish flexible adult learning program for adults who are 40 years or older but are not interested in the mainstream adult education options. In addition, the program would adopt lifelong learning approach towards literacy. On the long run, the outcome of the program, through the facilitation of the research, will improve on the social, health and economic conditions of the beneficiaries. After the fieldwork, the data were analyzed and the results obtained. Thereafter, in conjunction with WRDC and based on the results of the analysis, a strategic proposal/plan was drawn to provide a more workable and lasting solution in handling the peculiarities of adult learning in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region. This was then presented for discussions with other stakeholders whose support had been enlisted in the research work. The stakeholders are the Family Development Foundation (FDF) and Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC). At the end of the stakeholders’ discussions, the proposal was reviewed and modified with the specific roles of each of the partners in the proposal clearly defined. The discussions also involved the program cost breakdown and budget. The funding for the program was then shared among the three parties involved in the program. Thereafter, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was drafted and signed by the three parties. The Roles of the Partners in Program Planning and Execution. The WRDC was to conduct needs assessment for Western Region’s illiterate participants. Information to be gathered include their age, gender, willingness to participate in the program and for how many days or hours per week, preferred period of the day for lectures (wither morning or evening), preferred program duration (how many months or year), preferred location for lectures (whether in a Family Development Foundation’s learning center, a nearby school or other preferred locations), transportation needs, preferred subjects, how they want to learn, and so on. This has been carried out earlier in the fieldwork as described in the previous sections. ADEC’s role was to identify needed learning materials (e. g. extbooks, copybooks, teacher guidebook, hand outs, etc) in addition to other similar roles. In addition, FDF has the role of clarifying learning environment characteristics and needs. These needs are mainly related to the equipments and furniture needs at the learning centers. These roles had been carried out as described earlier as well. ADEC and FDF also specified manpower plan and provided human recourses for the program. These include program managers and teachers (qualified and well trained from both sexes), class cleaners and so on. Moreover, ADEC worked on the provision of the program instructional design and development. This role involves specification of the program goals and objectives, analysis of task components of the program goals and purposes, identification of learners characteristics that will influence instructional design, drawing up of program curriculum and subjects contents, alignment of subjects contents within each instructional unit for logical learning, design of instructional strategies (putting in mind the needs of learners), selection of resources to achieve the instructional objectives, and the development of evaluation instruments to measure the achievement of objectives. WRDC carried out the program awareness campaigns. The WRDC designed the promotional materials, displayed posters, signs and similar campaign materials talking about the adult learning program at designated areas, arranged and coordinated public lectures with illiterate adults (the target audience), and produced articles for newsletter campaigns. FDF handles the execution and management of the program. That is, the foundation was saddled with the responsibility of running the program. This includes registration and admission into classes, appointment of teachers, delivery and management of lectures and so on. The main subjects taught are basic reading and writing, the Holy Quran and mathematics. The Roles of the Partners in Program Evaluation and Monitoring. ADEC conducted formative written and verbal tests for the participants in each stream of lectures and WRDC conducted learners’ satisfaction survey asking them to rate the adult learning program schedule, learning materials, the classes and the quality of learning facilities. Then, the three parties met again to review the program and seek for ways of modifying it to be more result achieving. The results of tests and surveys were useful in informing on the necessary modifications. The modes and strategies for implementing the recommended changes were further discussed. Thus, this set the stage for the implementation of the refined program. Furthermore, semi-annual meetings were arranged to discuss further periodic reviews of the program. The results of the fieldwork and the progress made in the course of implementation and evaluation shall be discussion in the next chapter.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Discuss imagery of Dulce est Doreum

Wilfred Owen's Dolce et Decorum Est uses effective imagery to uncover the hidden realities of the World War. The appalling cruelties soldiers were left to face were captivated to the reader through his dramatic use of expressive imagery. The compelling images drawn in this poem are so graphic, that it carries the ability for the reader to perfectly compose the authors intended scenery in their minds. Bent, double, like old beggars under sacks†(line 1) â€Å"knock kneed, coughing like hags†(line 2). This gives the reader a more realistic view on the appearances of the soldiers as they are normally portrayed to be strong bulky figures. The comparison of the men to â€Å"beggars† or â€Å"hags† show the effect the war has had on them, causing premature ageing and exhaustion within them from the war life for which they cannot even maintain a straight posture and is why they look so beggar like.The exhaustion is further conveyed in the lines â€Å"and towards o ur distance rest began to trudge† (line 4). The use of â€Å"trudge† expresses the slow and crucifying progress of the army. â€Å"Flound'ring like a man in 12). â€Å"He plunges at me guttering,choking,drowning† (line 16) indicates that men drowned helplessly in the toxic gasses, tragically in front of the eyes of fellow soldiers. Despite being so disturbingly graphic, it shows the reader the extent of pain soldiers are to bear.Orwell brilliantly showcases the fatality of the soldiers deaths in the lines â€Å"†It you could near, at every Jolt, odl Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs/ Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud,†(line 21-23) Another powerful use of imagery Mle, incurable sores on innocent tongues†(line 24) suggests the pain and misery of the soldiers were unforgettable and scars left on them both externally and internally were permanent. These graphic images play a very effective role to draw the reader to the poem, and to generate a way to show the gruesome, heartless, and horrifying effects of war.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

politics 17th century europe essays

politics 17th century europe essays The two journals that I chose to use for my reviews were History and Theory: Studies in the Philosophy of History published at Wesleyan University, and Renaissance Forum. I will be looking at two reviews of historical Books written about two very different places and themes. The first Book entitled Marxist Historians and the Question of Class in the French Revolution by Jack Amariglio and Bruce Norton, looks at life before during and after the French revolution tries to explain the causes and Dynamics of the Revolution itself. The article evaluates the importance of the Classes in defining the revolution. The reviewer says that the book while taking care consideration to explain the nature of the revolution could have used a much more respectable and justified foundation for its research than Marxist theory. The reviewer states that the complexity of their explanations while admirable causes much confusion throughout the book. This complexity stems from their loose, multiple, and often contradictory notions of class influenced partly by Joseph Barnaves stage theory of pre revolutionary France and by Vulgar Marxism. This review would be useful in deciding whether or not the book is worth reading. It does not however, provide enough background or synopses of the book itself to be used as a research tool. The review of the Book Political Culture and Cultural Politics in Early Modern Europe, takes quite a different approach to the task of criticism. It gives a lengthy background on the book itself and provides in detail many of the theories upon which the book is based. The review breaks the book down almost by chapter and theory discussing each one for validity. The author of the review Mark Stoyle of University of South Hampton takes a fresh approach to the often-monotonous task of Book reviewing. His opening line Whenever I hear the word culture...I ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Symbolism in The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe Essay

Symbolism in The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example As he tells his frequently bizarre and frightening tales, Poe presents his readers with symbol-rich imagery and descriptions based on binary oppositions to help build the suspense and horror of his tale. As Mowery explains, binary oppositions are things such as hot and cold, male and female, dark and light. â€Å"It is in the subtle shifts in our expectations of the character that tension and conflict are developed† (1997). This concept is frequently illustrated in terms of the madness that comes upon characters as they experience deep feelings that had potential to overwhelm. In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† Edgar Allan Poe uses madness and symbolism to convey love and hate. Poe employs two primary objects in â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart† to illustrate the cause of his narrator’s madness. The old man’s eye is the first of these symbols to appear within the text of the story. As the narrator attempts to explain why he felt led to murder, he says, It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture – a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees – very gradually – I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever. (156). Basic medical knowledge to the modern reader quickly identifies this condition as symptoms of a cataract, a film that gradually creeps over the eye of an elderly person, eventually rendering him or her blind while also changing the color of the eye to a pale bluish color. It is this encroachment that seems to so bother the narrator, â€Å"it was not the old man who vexed

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 130

Discussion - Essay Example The 2014 advertisement presents chicken & shrimp asApplebees’s major selling product. Bourbon street is mentioned as the place and the price is set at $20 for 2. The restaurant promotes the use of its delicacies as birthday specials and appeals to the middle-age group of people. The motto â€Å"Where fans know the best† is also used as a promotion strategy. The restaurant should consider establishing an exterior environment to connect more with the an audience (Lamb, Hair, & McDaniel, 2012). Both advertisements expose the products and services that California offers to its visitors. Some of the services include yoga, surfing, skateboards, and wineries. The California place is also established expansively to cater for the different services. Price estimates are not defined, but the advertisements target a group of visitors interested in enjoying these services in Calfornia. The motto â€Å"Find yourself here† is a promotion strategy that has been consistent. Both advertisements expose the products and services which constitute the events of the Olympics. But, the 2016 advert shows more events including athletics, karate, golf, volleyball, swimming, tennis and gymnastics among other games. The advertisement also establishes the place in Rio de Janeiro Brazil by showing an overview of the landscape. Also, the Rio 2016 Olympics logo is used for promotion purposes. However, the Portugese language used in the 2016 advert segments the market as compared to the 2008 advert that uses