A report on two options for David Mackenzie & Co

David Mackenzie’s case is that of a typical entrepreneur started and family run business that experiences success and outgrows its existing set-up. Hitherto, Mackenzie thrived on one-off contracts and other local businesses, and his two other companies ran more or less the way it did before he acquired them.All three diverse companies have done financially well, but problems arise when David Mackenzie tries to integrate the operations of these three diverse companies to secure a wider range of orders. The problems relate to the diverse structures and problem of co-ordination among between, hindering the implementation of projects in a smooth and seamless manner.The options mulled by David Mackenzie is first, float a group of companies in the stock exchange, and second merge the three companies into one company. Both these options have their advantages and disadvantages.Advantages and disadvantages of floating the companies in the stock exchangeThe major advantage of floating t he Mackenzie group of companies in the stock exchange, which entails converting the hitherto private limited company into a public limited company (plc), is the ability to raise funds and capital through the sale of securities.The company would be able to sell their shares in the market, and secure large loans easily. Although Mackenzie does not have cash-flow problems at present, it might need infusion of finance as it expands and secures more large overseas orders. Mackenzie could purchase Clyde Electric Ltd only because the company lacked sufficient capital to sustain its growth, and there is every chance that the situation can repeat itself. Mackenzie does not seem to have huge cash reserves to finance possible expansions through internal accruals.Another advantage of listing the company in the stock exchange is infusion of professional corporate governance that Mackenzie group of companies hitherto lacked. Most of Mackenzie’s existing orders were possibly on the basis on personal efforts and one-off relationships, and highly centralized on the David Mackenzie.As the company grows and secures more international and large orders such a structure would not only fail to appeal to large institutional clients, but also fail to sustain the enhanced requirements such as professional decision-making, autonomy, responsibility and the likes.In the present set up all operations would most likely come to a standstill and the company might even fold up in David Mackenzie is not able to involve himself in the active running of the company for a length of time for any reason.A listed company becomes an independent entity and the board of directors would run the company even in the absence of the Managing Director. An added advantage of listing the company in the stock exchange is better visibility for the company, which in turn might lead to more orders. An increase in share prices would also add to the wealth of the shareholders, which would include David Mackenz ie.Floating the David Mackenzie group of companies in the stock exchange has its set of disadvantages also. In the present set up, Mackenzie is under no obligation to disclose financial information. A public listed company would have to publish its financial statements on a regular basis, and this can lure in competition to Mackenzie’s lucrative market.The need to disclose financial records and other compliance policies requires certified public accountants, and entails a lot of bureaucratic paperwork.The time, money and effort spend on such activities could be better spend on marketing and operations if the company is not made public. Share values tend to reflect the current financial gains, and most public listed companies thereby tend to take decisions that lead to short-term gains even at the cost of long-term interests. The Mackenzie group of companies may also fall into this trap once it goes public.In the initial stages of floating a public listed company, David Macken zie is likely to retain a huge majority of shares. As the requirement for cash to fund expansions and large scale operations increases, he might be tempted to sell more of his shares in the open market. This raises the possibility of a hostile takeover, or another party who has purchased a large number of shares from interfering and trying to influence the operations and decision making of the company.The advantages and disadvantages of merging the three companies into a single entityThe second option before David Mackenzie is to merge the three companies into one single entity. The main advantage of such a merger is removing duplication in works and efforts. At present, each of the three companies has their own marketing, human resource and finance departments, and the administrative functions and expenses duplicate.A merger could avoid such duplications and not only result in significant savings, but also increase efficiency and better coordination. A single marketing department t hat takes care of the three units, for instance means that the complaints regarding customers having to contact two or three separate marketing departments for a single project would cease.The marketing department would be able to tap into clients in a more effective manner, without duplicating efforts and providing a wider range of service and commitments. An integrated accounts department would likewise solve the issue of duplicate or missing invoices, and lead to better financial control and analysis of profitability of each project.The merger would likely result in the retrenchment of some redundant staff, but this also gives an opportunity to cut down on low-performers, and redeploy performers in a better manner.Another major advantage of mergers is the ability of these three companies to pool in their resources in the form of client database, office space, infrastructure and the like, all of which would facilitate growth.Mergers however come with their own disadvantages. Altho ugh there would be savings on fixed costs, a merged monolith is likely to have a higher per unit operational cost compared to the per unit operating cost of three separate entities.This will not be a cause for concern when times are good and there are plenty of orders, but when economic times go bad and orders diminish, this will have a negative effect and the higher unit cost could make the organization uncompetitive.The merger would also make it difficult to hive off a unit if, in future the unit becomes non-profitable and cuts into the profitability of the entire organization. Three different entities ensure that failure, mismanagement or shortcomings of one unit would not have a significant impact on the other two units. Merger will ensure that activities of one unit would have a significant on the other two units.The administrative act of effecting a merger is relatively easy. The main challenge in the case of the Mackenzie group of companies would relate to integrating the thr ee diverse companies, with three different modes of operations and internal systems.Another challenge is ensuing integration and co-ordinations of the operations of the three diverse units. While a merger would reduce duplication, unless the operational activities re-orient towards the three different sub-units of the new company working towards a common goal, the redundancies and delays in commissioning are likely to persist.

Managing Customer Perceptions of the Business Environment

Per Bendapudi and Berry, the environmental influences consumer behavior but does not influence consumers’ trust. Organizations have to research extent of how their marketing environment creates customers’ perceived behavior and also how individual factors of given environment add to that perception. While many other researchers and authors suggest that functional behavior requires perception of trust, authors of this article are suggesting that this may not be obsolete condition. Some organizational environments are more likely to result in dysfunctional or functional behaviors as a result of larger customer perception of dependency. If customer is perceiving dependence in continuity, competitive advantage is than probably gained through managing customer perceptions of the organizational environment to reduce perceptions of high dependency. This may then reduce the negative impact arising from dependence based dysfunctional behaviors. If customers exhibit functional behaviors when they perceive themselves to have a low dependency upon a service organization then the findings suggest practical steps that those organizations can take to influence customer perceptions of the business environment (Hilton&Jones, 2010). Analysis Hilton and Jones wrote this article because of the fact that customer perceptions of the organizational environment and its influence on customer behavior is an area that is not researched enough. Customer behavior is a concept of a response to perceptions of organizational environment and they are categorized as functional or dysfunctional behavior based on potential impact on the firm. Authors are arguing that some organizational environments are more likely to result in functional or dysfunctional customer behavior. Per Hilton and Jones, that is result of greater perceived dependency, irrespective of whether customers trust their service providers, or business partners. There are numerous findings that consumer imagery extends beyond perceived price and company image to the business environment. Businesses that enjoy favorable image generally find that their products are accepted more readily than those from businesses that have less favorable or even neutral image in customers’ perception. This study focuses on the environmental antecedents of dependence. If a characteristic of the business environment is that it generates customer dependence upon a business partner then it is important for organizations to understand which aspects of their business environment contribute towards the perception of dependence (Hilton&Jones, 2010). Consumers’ selections of stimuli from the environment are based on interactions of their expectations and motives with the stimulus itself. People usually perceive things they need or want, and block the perception of unnecessary, unfavorable, or painful stimuli. This study was designed to identify, compare and contrast the experiences of commercial and private clients to determine whether the environmental variables identified by Bendapudi and Berry were applicable to the legal service context and, if so, were they also relevant to individual consumers as well as business customers. It is more difficult for consumers to evaluate the quality of services than the quality of products because of certain distinctive characteristics of services (in this case legal service provided by a law firm). Legal services are intangible, variable and perishable. Customers are usually not capable of comparing services side-by-side. Therefore other significant factors play role in shaping perception and dependence such as quality of office, room furnishing, number of framed degrees and rewards on the wall, pleasantness of the receptionist, all contribute to the evaluation of the organization that provides legal services. Result of the study finds that commercial clients think that their organizations live in turbulent times where outcomes are uncertain but also where decisions, actions and opportunities are time-dependent. In contrast, private clients do not appear to perceive the legal services environment as dynamic. They suggest that legal matters take a long time, often longer than they expect. These findings cannot be taken for granted. Actual quantity of services can vary from day to day, from service employee to service employee and from customer to customer or case to case. When marketers try to standardize their services in order to provide consistency of quality, downside is the loss of customized services, which many consumers value. Major issue with legal services is that they are first sold and then produced and consumed simultaneously. An inferior legal service is consumed as it is being produced. There is little opportunity to correct it, negative impression caused by legal services representative is difficult to correct. Consumer evaluation of service quality is usually reflection of magnitude and direction of the gap between the customer’s expectations and customer’s assessment (perception) of service quality. That perception of service quality includes segments of the business environment and built up dependence. We can see completely different research results between commercial and private customers. This is happening because the expectations of a given service vary widely among different consumers of that same legal service. These expectations stem from word-of-mouth, their past experiences, the promises made about the service in ads and by legal services representatives, available alternatives, and other behavioral factors. In individual customers respond I see significantly increased likelihood of lower perceived service quality due to raised customer’s expectations. Legal services environment serves to influence perceived quality of services and decisions of consumers. Conclusion Consumer motivation is a highly dynamic construct that is constantly changing in reaction to life experiences. Needs and goals change and grow in response to individual physical condition, environment, interaction with others, and experiences. As individuals attain their goals, they develop new ones. Many needs are never fully satisfied, they continually impel actions designed to attain or maintain satisfaction. And also, people who achieve their goals set new and higher goals for themselves. Expectations of success or failure in reaching certain goals often influence the nature and persistence of individual's behavior. Expectations are often based on past experience. Effects of success and failure on goal selection have influence on the marketer. Goal should be reasonable. Advertisement should not promise more than product will deliver. Even solid product will not be approached if it fails to live up to expectations. Law firms’ aggressive advertising is in fact creating dependency. Some of the consumers are attracted by word-of-mouth legal services’ positive (or negative) image created in media and based on their results in previous cases.

Disorders of the Blood

In the human body there are two important types of blood cells, these are red blood cells and the white blood cells. Red blood cells operate in effort of carrying oxygen to the lungs. White blood cells serve to defend tissues in the body that have the capability of setting up infections in the body. There are many different blood disorders that people have. Blood disorders may be the cause of serious illnesses and some deaths. Disorders may begin to affect an individual as early as in their childhood. Anemia, Sickle cell, and Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia are the disorders that I will be explaining and discussing in the below scenarios. Lily, a 4-year-old Caucasian female, has she been complaining of being tired all the time. She is pale and is a picky eater. Her mother is a single mom with a small budget to feed a large family. Lily eats only pasta, breads, and hot dogs, and she drinks only artificial fruit punch. Lily has iron deficiency anemia. Anemia is when the blood lacks the proper amount of healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells are the main transporters of oxygen to organs. Some symptoms of anemia are fatigue because organs do not get enough oxygen and this is when fatigue happens. Certain forms of anemia are hereditary and infants can be affected from time of birth. Girls who do not have the proper amount of iron in their diet may become iron deficient due to inadequate dietary iron, inadequate growth requirements, and the start of menstruation. The most common symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia include eating or craving ice, swelling of the tongue, and very dry lips. The mother can not afford many groceries. This is a critical part in bad eating habits. Lily’s mom should try to buy her some food and drinks that has a lot of vitamin C. Davon is a 5-year-old African American male who has just moved to Chicago, and he is visiting his new pediatrician for a kindergarten physical. His mother tells the nurse that she carries the sickle cell trait and wants Davon screened for it. Davon may have the sickle cell trait. Sickle cell is a disease that changes normal blood cells to round red blood cells. Red blood cells pass through blood vessels easily. A person that has sickle cell means that it very hard for red blood cells to pass through the blood vessels, and that is because it is in a different form. The oxygen is stopped. This can cause a lot of pain for the person. Sickle cell causes a lifelong battle against many health problems. This can cause infections and erious illnesses, even a stroke. Symptoms for someone who has Sickle cell are often painful and are caused in the event of the sickled cells getting stuck in the blood vessels. When this happens then the blood flow is prevented from carrying out the normal function. If the blood flow is blocked it causes pain in the feet, hands, back, chest, or belly. The pain may last for a few hours or even days. People who have Sickle cell usually have anemia. People that have Sickle cell anemia, have an abnormal skin color.

Influence of the media on politics in the society Research Paper

Influence of the media on politics in the society - Research Paper Example Journalism entails collection of information from the scenes, recording of the information and transfer of the information to the targeted group. Mass media is understood to be an organization of the journalists and communication tools which are used together to convey information in the most effective, efficient and convenient manner. There are various interpretations that are offered to communication and so does the crisis in communication. Crisis communication is understood to be a sub-specialty that is incorporated in the public relations field, and is purposely designed to help in protecting and shielding organizations and individuals who are faced by public challenge to their standing (Ulmer, npag). According to the understanding drawn from some professionals, communication crisis is the assumption or viewpoint of changeable situations that are observed to have a negative threat to the expectations of individuals. This is especially directed to business organizations where the stakeholders are faced by unpredictable situations in the sense that they cannot determine the future of an organization in terms of the financial status or stand. There are various issues that have been confirmed to be influenced by mass media, and these are with inclusion of the public sectors, private sectors and the political systems among others. The cultural and societal expectations from people are also affected by the mass media due to the communication approaches that are used. This results to communication crisis, which negatively alters the performance of people or organizations in a given community. Considering the elements that need to be considered in ensuring that the communication crisis plan is effective, it is essential to consider the content, the mood, the language and the design of the communication approaches that are

Macro-3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Macro-3 - Essay Example because aside from transportation costs, and other costs that are related to international trade which are included in the price of goods when they enter another market is not present when it is bought where it is produced. Second, the prices in the United States are affected by stiff competition, which is influenced by information about book prices on the internet, which causes book prices to drop. While I cannot assume that this is not happening in the Philippines, the fact that the United States is one of the countries that utilizes the internet heavily as for the information regarding prices, in order to regulate competition can be one of my solid bases. Thus, generally, I could expect that book prices in other countries such as the Philippines would be higher. This case proves to be inconsistent with the purchasing-power parity. While the theory assumes that the purchasing power parity can equalize the prices over the long-run, during the years because of market influences such as competition in one country which lowers down the price, or economic influences such as trade costs in another country which increases the price can cause divergence in prices. This purchase situation therefore, is inconsistent with the purchasing power parity if gauged for many years before prices generally equalize. 2. What is the importance of trade agreements and how is international trade related to the standard of living of the United States (as opposed to that of a small industrial nation or to a developing nation)? What significance do trade agreements have to your own company? Trade agreements are important in such a way that dealing with other countries regarding trade has significant economic impacts to a firm conducting the agreement. Different countries have different restrictions and economic policies as regards trade, which can impact the firm’s operations in that country. Trade agreements are made depending on the restriction of the country and the chosen mode of

Haas 19970 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Haas 19970 - Essay Example Since the neighbors often intended to solve problems emotionally rather than rationally, it complicated the situation further still. As I gained good experience in this field through a lot of mediation, I began to conjure up creative solutions that could solve these problems from the root. A good example of this is when one day my roommate quarreled with our neighbor for a dead rabbit in the public corridor. I not only solved the problem, but also taught them how to resolve their conflicts in a peaceful manner. During the rabbit episode, my neighbor had blamed my roommate for placing a smelly dead rabbit in the corridor, while my roommate accused him for opening her personal belongings, as the rabbit was held in her box. The heated argument led to them threatening to call the police and this is where I stepped into the picture, calmed them down and guided them to see that they both violated the other’s rights. I also told them that the best way to solve conflicts was to sort them out rationally with mutual respect for each other. Taking my bit of advice to heart, my neighbors gradually learnt the art of reasoning and duly made use of it in times of conflict. So, when another conflict arose between my roommate and the landlord, they managed to resolve it successfully in harmony, as this time they had learnt how to resolve conflicts. Therefore, teaching people how to handle conflicts, I fulfilled my ‘Mission Impossible’! My first impression of Berkeley was reflected through the eyes of my admirable uncle, a seasoned entrepreneur, who had rebuilt his company after the earthquake in Los Angeles in 1971. With his high recommendation due to his entrepreneurship at Berkeley, I started to carry out a critical research and consulted other Berkeley alumni. From the interaction, I found out that all the alumni were most proud and indebted to be part of such a distinguished university.

Organizational development and strategies common to Essay

Organizational development and strategies common to technology-intensive enterprises - Essay Example The procedure of organizational improvement starts with an intensive association-wide examination of the current circumstance and of future necessities. The principle motivation behind the change is the obtaining of new markets, innovation and directions by the association because of the requesting outside condition. Organizational techniques are normal approach utilized by associations to motivate the improvement culture to the proposed representatives. Prior to the advancement happens, determination of the entire circumstance ought to be done to help the association call attention to the conceivable issues. This can be accomplished through the sourcing of an outer master who can inspect the association's objectives, plans, structures, mission, and advances to decide the adequacy of the action. The association can in this way proceed with tending to the principal intercessions through the action plan. Intercession comes in where change stages are sequenced, advance is observed and r esponsibility of partner is supported. The last stride of assessment will be actualized to gage the achievement and effect of the change grasped. To aggregate it all, the achievement of an association relying upon the organizational improvement is exceptionally considered. Organizational advancement is subsequently an analytical procedure that prompts to enhanced efficiency, practices or execution through a plan of group exercises and organized individual concentrating on how and what workers do in the association.

The history of alphabet in Israel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The history of alphabet in Israel - Essay Example A limestone boulder was found in Jerusalem, some letters written in Hebrew were found on it, the same led to more research in the same and produced results. "Archaeologists digging in July at the site, Tel Zayit, found the inscribed stone in the wall of an ancient building. After an analysis of the layers of ruins, the discoverers concluded that this was the earliest known specimen of the Hebrew alphabet and an important benchmark in the history of writing, they said this week." (A is for Ancient, 23 September 2008). The results produced in this research has been supported by many a scholar, they believe that the stones found hold the most oldest and at the same time reliable data written in Hebrew language. It was also found that when the research was made, the Hebrew letters were still in transition from its roots. The stone was discovered by American Researchers and it is believed that the stone is 3000 years old. The stone is supposed to have the oldest form of Hebrew written on it. The weight of the stone is 38 pounds and the alphabets found on it were in proper order, if the scholars are t be believed. "The stone was discovered July 15 in an excavation at TelZayit, Israel, about 35 miles southwest of Jerusalem on the outskirtsof ancient Judah, by a team led by archeologist Ron E. Tappy ofthe Pittsburgh TheologicalSeminary." (Team Digs, 23 September 2008). The whole research by archeologists is regarded as a very big very big breakthrough, scholars highly value the stone found by the archeologists. It is also believed that Tel Zayit is quite close to another city by the name Timnah, the biblical strong man Samson married a woman who was philistine by origin. Scholars suggest that the stone found would have been used to train scribes but there is no concrete proof to support this statement. "The Israelites adopted a variation of the Canaanite alphabet and began writing down their historical myths. By around 700 BC, innovative priests had collected the best of these myths and woven them together to form a detailed history of the nation of Israel, intended to convince the Israelites that they were God's chosen people. (The history of ancient Israel, 23 September 2008). The myths which they came up with were followed by the people and they firmly believed in the myths. Earlier in Israel each word or phrase was very beautifully projected as pictures. This also created a problem because the expressions were many and the pictures were less, so people had to come up with new pictures day and day out in order to meet the requirement of the expressions. Around 3000 BC, a group of people by the name of Phoenicians came up, these people did a lot of work in the development of Israel even at that time when there were very less resources known to man. They were highly skilled people and knew works like construction of boats, building of ports along the coasts etc. These people gradually had inherited writing from the Sumerians and all this was around 1200 BC. They brought in tremendous changes for better by decreasing the number of symbols in the language, the reduced number was 30 of many symbols. Each symbol carries a meaning and represented a different sound. They believed that putting the symbols into sound conveyed their message better. "The invention o f the Phoenician alphabet allowed written words to better

Cloning and Expression of the Peanut Allergen, Ara h2.02 in E.coli Thesis

Cloning and Expression of the Peanut Allergen, Ara h2.02 in E.coli - Thesis Example allergic reaction is influenced by some factors such as genetic predisposition (atopy), age, type of food allergen, nature of any food processing, environmental, and physiological conditions (Taylor and Hefle 2001). Sampson (2005) claims that exercise, medications, alcohol consumption, and asthma may increase the severity of an allergic reaction. The majority of severe and fatal allergic reactions to foods have appeared in adolescents and teens that were highly atopic and had a history of asthma (Sampson 2003b; Pumphrey 2004). In general, it is assumed that the history of severe allergic reaction indicates an increased danger of imminent severe reactions. However, a history of mild responses does not prevent the risk of a future severe reaction. Sicherer et al. (1998) note that mild reactions to peanut during childhood can be more severe during adulthood and later childhood. This may be caused by tendency of the children to develop asthma later in life (Sampson 2005). Pumphrey (2004) shows in his review article on anaphylactic fatalities in United Kingdom that 85 percent of fatal food reactions on the patient did not experience a severe reaction. The author also states that the severity of past responses is not a possibility for having a fatal reaction in nut allergic patients. Studies also implied that an individual that has a clinical history of IgE-specific food allergy may be inclined to anaphylaxis or severe reaction. Estimate shows that 35 percent of the children are affected by allergy III and IV and the most common signs of allergy in children are: (1) food allergy, (2) atopic dermatitis, (3) asthma, and (4) allergic rhinitis or conjunctivitis. Allergic diseases are carried on in families. If the parents have allergies, the child has a 40 to 60 percent chance of developing allergies. Also, if only one of the parents has an allergy the risk is about 20 to 40 percent. However, if both parents do not have allergies, there still exists a risk for the child to

Comparing of two corpora from a linguistic journal and a transcribed Essay

Comparing of two corpora from a linguistic journal and a transcribed interview - Essay Example This study compared two differing corpora, each 300 words in length, for four different linguistic variables. The corpora were extracted from a linguistic journal and a transcribed interview and the linguistic variables were number of sentences, average length of sentences, number and type of dependent clauses and number of contractions. Results supported Hypotheses 1 and 4, wherein more and shorter sentences and more contractions were found in the transcribed interview corpus than in the linguistic journal extract. The findings did not support Hypothesis 2 because even though the linguistic extract provided less and longer sentences it was the interview extract that provided more dependent clauses within the 300 words. Hypothesis 3 was only partly supported because the linguistic journal corpus did not provide evidence of more dependent noun clauses than other types of dependent clauses.

Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Global Warming Essay Global warming is a pressing problem that is faced not only by a number of communities and a few countries. It is a major problem that is faced by the whole of mankind such that its impacts and effects have tremendous implications that endanger the existence of mankind and even the primary dwelling of the living, the Earth. United States Vice President Albert Gore himself said that global warming will be the greatest environmental challenge in the 21st century. As such, this issue is one that calls for attention, concern and solution. What is Global Warming? Global warming is an increase in global average surface temperature resulting from an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide, methane, and certain other trace gases in the atmosphere (Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 2006). Natural occurring phenomena such as volcanic eruptions are said to contribute to the release of gases that results to global warming. However, human activities and innovations are said to have contributed greatly to the increase of the concentration of the greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide and methane in the Earths atmosphere. These activities include the operation of coal-burning power plants and use of automobiles which become sources of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone; the use of air-conditioning units and refrigerators that utilize chlorofluorocarbons; deforestation that creates more heat and increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as trees play a significant role in removing carbon dioxide from the air; increased cattle production such that methane gas is released from animal waste; and the use of fossil fuels as the burning of fossil fuels is considered the largest source of emissions of carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases that allows radiative forcing and contributes to global warming. Why is Global Warming a Problem? Global warming is a problem because the direct and indirect effects and consequences of the increasing heat in the earth’s atmosphere have diverse and oftentimes dangerous effects that can affect man. Global warming affects the environment, economies, health and well being of man. Its impact is also significantly destructive that it threatens the very existence of mankind and that of the unborn and coming generations.   Global warming has been linked with intensifying hurricanes. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) research suggests that hurricanes will only get more powerful and last longer as global warming increases ocean temperatures (Warren, 2006). The increasing global temperature also effects change in the ecosystem such that some species especially those that cannot survive on warm regions may be forced out of their habitats which may possibly lead to their extinction.   Economically, global warming also has its implications such that changes in temperature can lead to several effects on agriculture and hence, affect the livelihood of farmers. These changes include new variations in pest and disease problems; damaged crops at extreme temperatures; and an increased need for ventilation in animal accommodation. As such, more than a third (36%) of around 100 National Farmers Union members in the United Kingdom saw climate change as a threat to livelihoods (Global Warming Fears for, 2005, p. 43). Too much rise in sea level will also affect the densely populated coastal plains by making the areas uninhabitable, creating refugee problems and hampering economic activities. The occurrence of these situations among coastal cities in the world will create potential impacts on world wide trade and economy Global warming also has its health implications. Expanded tropical weather is likely to increase tropical diseases. As such, global warming will accelerate the spread of many diseases and increase instances of mosquito-borne diseases that include malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, and viral encephalitis (Johansen, 2002, p. 210). The warming of air temperature also increases the concentration of ozone at ground level. In lower atmosphere, ozone is a harmful pollutant that can damage lung tissue, and can bring about serious problems for those with asthma and other lung diseases. Other effects of global warming are the melting of glaciers which can cause water shortages, loss of habitat, flooding of rivers and the rise of sea level; water scarcity as rise in sea level can contaminate groundwater affecting drinking water and agriculture in coastal zones; Drought and wildfire as warmer temperatures can increase the probability of drought. Greater evaporation, particularly during summer and fall, can worsen drought conditions and increase the risk of wildfires. Who is Responsible in Solving this Problem? It has been earlier mentioned that man’s activities and innovations have primarily increased and worsened global warming. As such, man should also be responsible in mitigating this problem. Moreover man has no option such that when he fails to do something to mitigate the situation, the effects of global warming will endanger his very existence. It is therefore best for everyone to act and cooperate in doing something for this global problem. What can be Done? Everyone has his own share that he can contribute to help alleviate the worsening situation. There are numerous ways that can be done to help mitigate global warming. World leaders should acknowledge their crucial responsibilities to the issue of global warming. This is for reason that they can effect great change in the international community. World leaders can strengthen international responses to the risks of global warming. They can cooperate and enter into international treaties and agreements that can help reduce the dangers of the substances that contribute to global warming by banning the production, trade and use of these particular substances. When trading of these substances between countries becomes illegal, their production will eventually decline, bringing to an end their production and thereby prevent further release of substances that contribute to global warming. World leaders can also sanction the countries that fail to meet clean air standards by refusing to engage in international trade with them. With countries cooperating to achieve a common goal in combating global warming, the ill effects of global warming may be alleviated. Politicians among national governments on the other hand, can implement policies that can help reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. They can also support technological alternatives to air- polluting technologies like coal power plants and impose upon power utilities policies and regulations to improve the energy efficiency of power plants and increase the use of renewable energy sources. They can also impose upon their citizens measures such as proper segregation of wastes so as to prevent the burning of materials that contribute to global warming. They can also reward citizens who are innovative enough in coming up with new ways of helping to curb global warming. Policy makers can also promote and support bills that pertain to regulating activities that contribute to global warming. These bills for example may include those that will protect rainforests and more severe punishments for illegal loggers. They can also consider passing legislations such as those that encourage the development of new and alternative technologies that will replace technologies that worsen global warming. Electricity consumers should opt to buying electricity that is generated from renewable sources. They can also help in reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that accumulate in the atmosphere by utilizing lesser energies. They can do this by investing in highly efficient, energy- saving appliances.   Educators can instill in their students the value of protecting the environment, giving their students the necessary knowledge why global warming is a problem and provide them with the necessary skills to help mitigate the situation such as giving them the basic knowledge on the proper waste segregation and waste disposal. Even ordinary citizens can help by engaging in activities that help curb the situation. These activities may include proper disposal of wastes. Planting trees in the backyard can help such that trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas from the air. People can reduce energy utilization by using public transport and car pooling; switching off appliances instead of leaving them on stand by; and patronizing recycled products or doing the practice of reducing, reusing and recycling of waste and other unnecessary materials. More importantly, they can encourage others to have the same conviction in helping to mitigate global warming. Conclusion Global warming is a pressing problem faced not only by a number of communities and a few countries but faced by the whole of mankind. It is a global problem such that its impacts can negatively affect the environment, economy and even the wellbeing and safety of mankind. As such, it is best that man himself should do something to help mitigate the situation. References Global warming. (2006). In Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved August 12, 2006, from Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online: http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9037044 Global Warming Fears for Crops. (2005, November 30). The Journal (Newcastle, England), p. 43. Retrieved August 12, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5011583331 Johansen, B. E. (2002). The Global Warming Desk Reference. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Retrieved August 12, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=101544284 Warren, Luke. (2005, December/2006, January). Global Warming and Hurricanes. Mother Earth News. Retrieved August 12, 2006, from http://www.search.eb.com/magazine/article?query=global%20warmingid=3minGrade=maxGrade=

A White Heron Essay Example for Free

A White Heron Essay A White Heron is a short story about a city girl who came to live with her grandmother in the country. She met a young ornithologist hunter looking for a rare white heron he heard that was seen in the area and to stuff it for his collection. She discovers her infatuation for country life and her love and values for the animals that are living there. She became part of nature and loved it. Sylvia is so overcome by nature’s beauty. When she went home, she could not tell of what she found. She knew she would be awarded with money for telling of the bird’s location, but she determined that it was more important to save the bird’s life. Sylvia was overwhelmed with the fact that it was more than a beautiful bird, she realized it had every right to continue to live in its own innocent world. The story gives us better understanding about the relationship among men, women, and nature. We can see women’s involvement with nature, men’s domination over women and nature, and the return of women’s unity with nature. The relation between men and nature was seen as men dominate nature because men saw nature as a supply for free enterprise, while the relation between women and nature was seen as women were closer to nature than men. Women and nature were valuable companions. And because nature was dominated by men, women and nature help each other and were enlightened from men’s domination. Women understand how to live harmoniously with the world. It was seen in the beginning of the story that Sylvia lives cordially with the nature near her even if she is new to the community in the countryside. Before being disrupted by men, women have good relationship with nature. The story represents the relation between women and nature, which is very close to each other and are seen as close friends. Even though Sylvia and nature are harmonious, they do not feel they are forced to be united. Nature gives her a warm welcome to be an important part of it. It is also seen that the animal is eager to be Sylvia’s friend and presents her a tour in the woods. The bird takes care of the girl with compassion because the bird considers her as a valued companion. This shows that nature welcomes Sylvia as a member of the countryside. This short story recommends that when women stay close to nature, women can greatly understand nature through their senses. In the story, Sylvia takes in nature when she is on her way home. Sylvia’s admiration of nature reveals that Sylvia can deeply understand and grasp nature through seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. This short story totally expresses how women are a valuable friend of nature. It shows the importance of being friends. Without Sylvia, the old cow would be an ordinary cow in the farm. The story articulates that Sylvia treats the cow very well. Nature helps Sylvia at first by being her friend in the woodlands because she’s new in the countryside and a life in her grandmother’s isolated house, the girl doesn’t have any friends. The relation of women and nature, without men’s interruption, is absolutely compatible. Sylvia and her grandmother live contentedly in the countryside because they have great admiration and value for nature. The women in the story have good understandings of nature and nature can be good companions without men’s interference. In the beginning of the story, Sylvia and her grandmother symbolize women who live in harmony with nature. But when the young man arrives at the countryside, both of them become gradually influenced by him. Even though Sylvia thinks that the young man is not as friendly as her old cow, she shows warm hospitality to him. It is seen when he asks her for accommodation and some food and Sylvia eventually takes the young man to her grandmother’s home. While at her house, the young man exhibits men’s approach towards women and he positions himself higher than women. His experiences from the city shape his views and lead him to offend the countryside. He believes that he is from a better group of people because â€Å"The young man had known the horrors of its most primitive housekeeping, and the dreary squalor of that level of society which does not rebel at the companionship of hens (14). † Opposite to his expectation, he found that Sylvia’s house very clean and comfortable. In the story, the view toward natural science is demonstrated in a different way through the young man and Sylvia. Sylvia’s attention and the young man’s curiosity in birds are also different. The girl sees the birds as her friends and becomes their caretaker. Though the young man was influenced by the patriarch and industrialization, he doesn’t perceive the close relation between women and nature. He tells the real purpose of his travel as he tracks a white heron flying three miles away from Sylvia’s house. Sylvia and the white heron are influenced and exploited by the young man as the girl becomes his worker by helping him look for the white heron. The bird is stimulated like it is one type of the resources which provide for the growth of capitalism. Because of temptation, Sylvia came to a decision to go into the woods alone to find the white heron’s nesting ground. Her voyage into the woods demonstrates that Sylvia is captivated by the young man’s charm and money. The trip exemplify that women are dominated by men to take advantage of nature. As Sylvia becomes the young mans worker, her knowledge and bravery are oppressed to provide the young man’s demand. Although Sylvia is familiar with the woods, she abandons her unity with nature. It is obvious that Sylvia’s sensitivity about wild creatures changed and when she started to climb the tree top, she is not unified with nature. The girl destroys nests as she climbs and her attitude to nature changed. Instead of being a caretaker of animals, the girl is illustrated as a housebreaker (31). Nature and Sylvia become divided from each other. As Sylvia go up to the top of the tree, she absorbs a natural feeling again as nature tend to bring her awareness back. The white heron makes his entrance almost at the end of the story. This is to remind her that the bird is still her good friend. Sylvia has realized pain and fatigue of being inferior to the young man. She also recognized that nature is her true friend and not the young man. She experienced the world from a different point of view as: Yes, there was the sea with the dawning sun making a golden dazzle over it, and toward that glorious east flew two hawks with slow-moving pinions. How low they looked in the air from that height when one had only seen them before far up, and dark against the blue sky. Their gray feathers were as soft as moths; they seemed only a little way from the tree, and Sylvia felt as if she too could go flying away among the clouds. Westward, the woodlands and farms reached miles and miles into the distance; here and there were church steeples, and white villages, truly it was a vast and awesome world (34). It stated how she was impressed by nature and her attraction with the young man gradually lessens. These show that even though the relation of women and nature is interrupted by men, the relation can be easily brought back together because women are close to nature. In the end, the story suggests that women will be powerful when they work in assistance with nature. Sylvia makes a decision not to tell the young man about the white heron making them free from exploitation of the young man. People cannot sit around expecting to achieve a goal. They have to follow and do something in order to achieve it. The story relates to sustainability as Sylvia managed to overcome the influence of the young man with the help of nature. Sylvia starts to understand what it means to have maturity and to overcome her self-centeredness. Her experience in putting the bird first before taking money shows how Sylvia has matured. The Power of nature bears out to be much greater for her tough most people would have told the location of the bird and ran away with the money. Her relationship with nature was much stronger than any human relations she had, and she knows she gain more satisfaction from nature than from money. She saved not just the bird, but also herself. It relates to conservation of the environment so much. It made us realize how important the role of nature is for all of us. We take nature for granted. We experience calamities because of our own doings to nature. We should learn to appreciate the things nature gives us. It is not that hard to conserve our environment even if it is our source of livelihood. We should remember that it is also the source of our lives. The forest where Sylvia lives is second-growth forest, where the land was highest, great pine-tree stood, the last of its generation (28). And she finds knowledge in: Whether it was left for a boundary mark, or for what reason, no one could say; the woodchoppers who had felled its mates were dead and gone long ago (28). The rare old tree had emphasized the value of preserving the land. Without the help of nature, how do you think we could ever survive? So, the short story tells us how important it is to conserve our environment for it will benefit us so much for so many centuries to come. The conservation of animals is also simple like with the conservation of the environment. There are so many animals now that we can’t appreciate their beauty because of extinction and there are so many animals that are endangered of becoming extinct. We should appreciate their beauty and respect their right to live as part of nature. They belong to the open wide spaces of nature and not as a stuffed animal that hangs in our walls or as fur coats people wear. Works Cited Jewett, Sarah Orne. (1886). A White Heron Houghton-Mifflin http://andromeda. rutgers. edu/~ehrlich/224/w_heron. htm

Different Scientific Theories For Drugs And Crime Criminology Essay

Different Scientific Theories For Drugs And Crime Criminology Essay There are many different social scientific theories about the ever debated issue of the relationship between drugs and crime. The book highlights a few of the major social scientific theoretical perspectives. Although there are many different arguments as to the nature of the correlation, the one thing that is certain is that there is a significant relationship between drug use and crime. The first group of perspectives are from ethnographic and role theory analyses. They see the drug and crime relationship as being associated with subcultures more than directly causal of each other. Society would term these subculture behaviors as extremely deviant. This includes high frequencies of drug use, high crime rates, and high-risk sexual behavior. These are viewed as an integral part of the societal role of a typical street level drug-user. This perspective argues that drug use and crime are mutually reinforcing, not directly linear in cause. Another perspective comes from the ecological theoretical analysis. It argues that the relationship between drugs and crime are because the two activities happen in similar environmental conditions. These conditions include lack of social control, poverty, and economic opportunity. This perspective argues that crime is spuriously related to drug use. The final interpretation is the radical theory. This perspective says that the relationship between drugs and crime is a production of governmental legal policy since 1914, which criminalized many drug using behaviors. These theorists argue that the drug-crime relationship can be fought with the decriminalization of drugs, as well as treating drug use and addictions through social help programs. It is impossible to pinpoint the exact cause of the drug-crime relationship. But by using several different theories, such as the previous mentioned ones, it is possible to begin to develop an idea of the root cause. It is important to remember that one theory may not fit every single situation, but a group of well thought out theories can help us better explain the overall relationship of a particular problem. Chapter 1: Question 3 The Goldstein model is a framework for the linkage between drugs and crime. It attempts to explain the three different causes of violence that is linked with drugs. These three different classifications are; the psychopharmacological explanation, the economic-compulsive explanation, and the systematic explanation. Drug use is proven to be a major factor in crime in many cases. The majority of prisoners in the United States are there because of drugs, whether that be selling or using. The Goldstein model gets down to the bare minimum of how drugs affect violent crime. The first classification is the psychopharmacological violence. In this group, the violence that is committed happens because of the direct effects of a psychoactive drug on a user. This is not motivated by anything except for the compulsive effects of the drug. Drugs cause the body to act differently than normal. Some drugs cause the body to become mellow and calm, while others cause the body to lash out in fits of rage. The majority of people view psychopharmacological violence as mainly due to alcohol rather than any other drugs. The next classification for the drug-crime connection is the economic-compulsive violence. This happens when offenders commit an offense for the purpose of raising money to support their drug habit. Studies show that this classification is especially true for heroin addicts, but that it can be prevalent in other drugs as well. One of the major economic crimes committed for these drug addicts is drug dealing. Drug dealing is an easy way for the addicts to make enough money to support their habit, and at the same time they can keep some of the drugs for themselves. The final classification is the systematic violence. This violence happens in the course of struggles for market power. These drug markets have a high propensity for violence, whether that be from other dealers (turf war) or the buyers. A more in depth view of the violence in drug markets reveals that there are four factors that contribute to the violence. These are: the youth of the participants (youths are naturally more violent), the value of the drugs themselves (killing the buyer allows you to keep their money and still have your drugs), the intensity of law enforcement (potential police informants), and the indirect consequence of drug use (drug users are inclined to more violence due to the drug use). Chapter 2: Question 3 According to Andrew Golub and Bruce D. Johnson there are four phases of epidemics. They argue that drug epidemics usually will follow predictable steps. Their model was originally used to study the Crack Epidemic, but has gone on to be used to study the Heroin Injection Epidemic and the Marijuana Epidemic as well. The four steps are: the incubation phase, the expansion phase, the plateau phase, and the decline phase. The incubation phase is based on the idea that drug epidemics usually grow out of an individual social context (heroin from the jazz era and crack from inner-city drug dealers). During this incubation phase, the new drug practice is developed and perfected among a small group of adult drug users. Research suggests that the new fascination with marijuana was because of the youth inner-city hip-hop movement. They praised marijuana use in songs, clothing, and other venues. The next phase is the expansion phase. In this phase, the drug use spreads rapidly among subcultures. These subcultures are usually newly emerging who embrace the new drug use as hip and their thing. In the crack and heroin epidemics, this expansion phase took place among adults. Only after it spread through the adults was it embraced by youth. In contrast, the marijuana epidemic was first spread among youth. Next is the plateau phase of the drug epidemic. This stage is defined by youths becoming adults and wanting to get involved with the widespread drug of choice, currently that is marijuana. The rate of use of the drug of choice would be at high levels. The rate would be stable at this high rate and even slowly increasing. The final phase is the decline phase. This is just how it sounds. The rate of use for the specific drug would be declining overall, even rapidly declining. These four phases give an outline for the life of a drug epidemic. It is not necessarily a rule, but a general guideline for these epidemics. Chapter 2: Question 4 The gateway theory is a popular theory of drug addiction. It is widely accepted as true in many circles. It is based on the fact that a lot of research has shown that many American youths, who are involved in substance use and abuse, usually have a progression to their substance abuse. This progression of substance use involves four stages: the nonuse stage, alcohol/tobacco stage, marijuana stage, and finally harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin. The research shows that youths who do not use certain substances in one stage, rarely use the harder drugs in the later stages. However it does not say that every single user at one stage will necessarily progress to the next. This theory has produced the label of gateway drugs for substances such as alcohol, marijuana, and even tobacco. Current policies seek to prevent, or at least delay as long as possible, the youth from using gateway drugs. This is in hopes that if youth do not use gateway drugs, they wont move on to harder, more seri ous, drugs. This theory is not necessarily a strong theory. There have been several studies suggesting that this gateway progression may not be very relevant to mainstream youth of today or to inner-city populations. A study from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse found that youths coming of age during the 1990s were highly unlikely to progress from the gateway drug, marijuana, to cocaine (powder and crack) or heroin. This was compared to youths born previously in decades before. This leads researchers to believe that substance abuse among youth reflects cultural, or even subcultural, norms among the youth. It suggests that substance abuse is acceptable or unacceptable among youth cultures, and that this cultural norm will reflect substance abuse. These cultural norms vary over time and locations as well. This theory has some credibility, but it is important to realize that theories may be strong one year, but may be weakened by cultural influences the next. Cultures progress and change over time, so it is impossible to assume that trends and patterns will not change as well. Chapter 3: Question 2 According to Lisa Maher and Kathleen Daly, the basic structure of New York City crack markets is an organized system of distribution. This is in contrast to the commonly characterized unregulated markets of individual crack dealers trying to get rich by themselves as crack entrepreneurs. The research suggests that as soon as there is a high enough demand for the crack, the individual freelancers are taken over by a more organized system for distribution. This is evidenced by the crack epidemic in New York City during the late 1980s. During that time many of the neighborhoods had highly organized street-level drug markets. These markets were dependent on each other and they had a hierarchical structure of organization. The organizational structure is much like that of the mafia, a highly organized street gang, or a Fortune-500 business. The drug business owners had many different crew bosses and managers or lieutenants. These managers were in charge of relaying orders from the owners to the street-level employees. They had the responsibility to organize and deliver all the necessary supplies and also for collecting the money made by the street-level workers. These managers could hire, fire, and pay the workers as they saw fit. They also handled problems the lower level employees had with each other or even the upper management. The next level down in the organizational structure, after the managers, crew bosses, or lieutenants; was the street-level drug dealers. These dealers had a specific area that they were in charge of selling to. The dealers were assisted in any way needed by the lower-level members; such as the runners, look-outs, and enforcers. The runners are responsible for having a continuous supply going to the dealers. The look-outs were in charge of warning the dealer of immanent threats (i.e. cops). And the enforcers were in charge of maintaining order, whether by force or presence. This system of drug dealing was extremely organized and sophisticated. It made it a serious problem for law enforcement officials to fight the already impossible war on drugs. This system made it possible for the drug companies to run smoothly and efficiently. Chapter 4: Question 3 In the article Street Youth and Criminal Violence Stephen W. Baron and Timothy F. Hartnagel offer three possible theories that explain youth violence. It is important to understand different possible explanations of youth violence because the criminal justice system needs to know the root cause in order to develop prevention strategies. The theories are the street subculture and lifestyle theory, the economic deprivation theory, and the routine activities theory. The street subculture and lifestyle theory is a popular explanation for violence among youths. It says that peer groups and role models glorify violent behavior rather than shunning it. The highest rates of violence are located in neighborhoods where violent role models are everywhere, such as inner-city neighborhoods with high rates of gang violence. This perspective argues that criminal acts are almost essential to the cultures and subcultures of the street, which slowly make violence more and more acceptable in youths. The economic deprivation theory argues that violent behavior is rooted in inequality, uneven distribution of wealth, and the deprivation of the have-nots compared to the haves. The degree of inequality is all a matter of perception by the individual. If the individual has a negative view of others compared to himself, this will create feelings of resentment and bitterness. These feelings can be manifested in expressions of violence and crime. The routine activities theory suggests that just presenting someone with the opportunity to commit crime can lead to increase in crime, completely dependent of social or structural conditions. This perspective says that violent street crime is merely a product opportunities that are presented to individuals in the daily life on the street. These perspectives differ because they each attribute the root cause of crime to different factors. In the street subculture theory, the crime is attributed to cultural norms, role models, and peer influence. In the economic deprivation theory, crime is attributed to financial unhappiness. In the routine activities theory, crime is attributed to the availability to commit the crime. All three of these perspectives probably are mostly truth, so it is wise to look at all three of them from a broad encompassing perspective. Chapter 4: Question 1 There are many etiological factors that predict young adult drug use and delinquency. These factors are not 100% accurate all of the time, but they serve as a means to help direct prevention and detection efforts. The causal factors are concluded from survey data taken of youth in high school. There are some obvious causal factors to youth delinquency and drug use and some not so obvious ones. There is a gender gap that is noticeable in this data as well. In the data, one of the obvious results was that a significantly smaller proportion of youth had committed a delinquent act in the twelve months prior to the survey than compared to their lifetimes. It also found that women were less likely to get involved in delinquent activities initially, but that after they were involved they were just as likely as men to remain persistent in delinquent acts. Another interesting finding was that about 50% of the individuals who admitted to committing an offense in their lifetime also did so in the previous twelve months leading up to the interview. One consistent finding was the persistence of participation in delinquent acts. If an individual committed an act once, they were much more likely to commit more delinquent acts in the future. The trend of committing delinquent acts differs from the trend of involvement in illegal drugs among youth. For example, persistent use of illegal drugs is much more likely than persistent commission of delinquent acts. Also, the proportion of continual illegal drug users is much lower for women than for men. Women are also much less likely to become initially involved and then to remain persistent users of illegal drugs than men. The disparity between men and women has always been large when it comes to crime. This can be due to a number of reasons. The first potential explanation for the disparity could be that the Criminal Justice System is more lenient on women than on men. Another possible, and statistically proven, explanation is that men are just proportionately over involved in crime compared to women. Whatever the reason, we know for sure that women are less likely to be involved in crime and illegal drugs. Chapter 5: Question 1 An interesting phenomenon has developed over the past twenty to thirty years in the Criminal Justice System. The prison population has more than tripled since the 1980s, while the crime rate has gone down drastically. It has especially dropped significantly since the early 1990s, yet the number of prisoners has steadily grown. There are a few different explanations for this seemingly out of control trend. Lana D. Harrison offers a well researched explanation of this phenomenon. She suggests that this wild rise in prison numbers can be attributed to policy changes and the war on drugs. In the early 2000s, over 2 million people were imprisoned in the United States. This is more than three times the number of prisoners that the United States had in the 1980s. Harrison argues that the majority of these drug prisoners were incarcerated in the 1980s at the beginning of the war on drugs. By 1996, 60% of the federal prisoners were imprisoned for drug offenses, 23% of state prisoners, and 22% of jail prisoners. The changing criminal justice process and new policies have contributed to this rise, including mandatory minimum sentences and the three-strikes laws. In the 1980s, the moral drug panics caused lawmakers to pass extremely strict drug laws. This in turn caused the dramatic increase in the numbers of drug prisoners across the board at all levels. Drug users who were incarcerated because of these stricter penalties went into prison addicted to drugs, and many times they also left prison addicted to drugs. These drug addicts returning to the communities returned no better than when they had gone to prison, still the same person, just older. Since these drug addicts had been to prison beforehand, they were much more likely to be convicted again for crimes they committed. This is a self perpetuating cycle which may be another explanation to the rising prison population. The rising prison population coupled with the decreasing crime rate is a much studied phenomenon in the criminal justice world. Harrison offers the explanation that it is due to the changing policies and the changes that took place in the criminal justice system itself. The war on drugs had far reaching consequences that caused a major crack down on drugs of all kinds, from the lowest of users to the most organized cartels. Chapter 5: Question 3 Douglas Longshore and his colleagues pose five different dimensions of the conceptual framework of drug courts. These dimensions include leverage, population severity, program intensity, predictability, and rehabilitation emphasis. Longshore suggests that the first two dimensions (leverage and population severity) of drug courts are structural characteristics. He says that the final three dimensions (program intensity, predictability, and rehabilitation emphasis) are characteristics of the process, which describe what occurs while offenders are processed through the drug courts. Leverage refers to the seriousness of penalties that offenders face who do not meet the requirements of programs and are dismissed from drug courts. When the participant completes all of the program requirements, the charge is reduced and even sometimes dropped completely. If the offender fails to complete the program, he or she may be sentenced and possibly incarcerated. Longshore suggests that the outcomes will be better when drug courts have more leverage (whether that be actual or just perceived) over the participants. The next structural characteristic is population severity, which refers to the difference in drug courts which are established to handle serious offenders as opposed to minor offenders, or the other way around. Other indicators of severity may include age, gender, or even employment history. Longshore says that courts set up to handle the more serious offenders will have less favorable outcomes. He does say however that there might be other less obvious dimensions that impact population severity as well. Program intensity refers to the requirements set out by the court for the completion of the drug court. These include urine tests, appearing in court, drug abuse classes and treatment. Optional requirements may be imposed as well such as employment, suitable living quarters, education, and paying fines. The next process characteristic is predictability, which refers to how the participant thinks the court will respond to their compliance or noncompliance. Predictability indicators may be drawn from court statistics and records. The final characteristic is rehabilitation emphasis. This is important when viewing the criminal justice system as rehabilitative instead of punishment focused. Rehabilitation is the focus of most drug courts. This emphasis can include how often the judge talks directly to and listens to the participant, time spent with the participant by all parties involved, and how close the participants sit in relationship to the bench. Longshore suggests that outcomes are better when drug courts are emphasized more on rehabilitation. Chapter 6: Question 1 Harm reduction is a goal for some policies and programs concerning drug abuse and other criminal issues. It is not a program in and of itself, but simply a goal of the programs. The two conflicting goals that divide peoples opinions are harm reduction and prohibition (demand and supply reduction). While prohibition seeks to completely do away with the illegal activity (alcohol, drugs, prostitution, etc.), harm reduction seeks to make those activities safer for the people who choose to participate in them. Harm reduction is seen by some people as the lesser of two evils. Peter Reuter and Robert J. MacCoun discuss the attempt at harm reduction with illegal drugs. People who hold the harm reduction point of view believe that it is more beneficial to reduce the harm done by illegal drugs than to try and do away with them altogether. The belief is that people will always be harming their bodies with drugs. The idea of harm reduction accepts this fact that people will always do drugs, and thus tries to make it safer for the people who choose to do so. This is a controversial policy, but may have more merit than it seems to have at face value. For example, in some countries public health services provide prescriptions for heroin users to obtain heroin legally. In some places, there are designated locations where heroin addicts can obtain and use heroin in a controlled and safe environment. Another example of harm reduction is needle exchange programs. These programs allow heroin addicts to exchange dirty needles for clean ones. This is in hopes of reducing the spreading of diseases, such as HIV and Hepatitis C, from one user to another. Proponents of harm reduction policies argue that it is much cheaper to provide these drug services to every single addict than to imprison the addict. They also say that by providing the drugs for the addicts, they reduce crime that the addict would need to commit in order to purchase the drugs for themselves. Opponents of harm reduction policies argue that making it safer (and thus easier) for addicts to use drugs will cause an increase in drug use. Chapter 6: Question 6 According to Philippe Bourgeois there are many different regional variations in using methadone as treatment. Methadone is a drug that is used to treat opiate (such as morphine or heroin) addicts. The addicts are given the methadone in small doses to help reduce withdrawal symptoms, and in large doses to block the high that opiates give the user. This method of treatment is not accepted 100% in the United States. For example, in eight states methadone is illegal to use in the treatment of opiate addicts. Even in the rest of the states where it is legal, there are still many divergent opinions about the treatment. Bourgeois argues that this difference in opinions depends on the focus of medical and criminal justice establishments in an area, the amount of street addicts in an area, and the overall culture and politics of the region. Along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, the overwhelming cultural view is that substance abuse is a biological disease that requires medical intervention. Methadone treatment is fairly easy to obtain in these areas. It is also a multi-million dollar industry (for both treatment and research) and has dozens of locations throughout the region. Many of these methadone clinics and research facilities are paid for by the government. San Francisco is in stark contrast to the Eastern Seaboard. This city is dominated by a more New Age type thinking. This culture honors a healthy and drug free person. Some people (conspiracy theorists) even argue that methadone treatment is genocide against non-white people. Because of these viewpoints held by a majority of the culture, methadone clinics are few and far between. The few clinics that are in this region have very strict entrance requirements to be admitted into their programs. Some of the facilities require proof (from medical, police, or other record) that the user has been addicted for over a year with previous failed detox attempts. They fear that some people who really arent addicted to opiates will sneak their way into the program, and consequentially become methadone addicts. Chapter 7: Question 7 According to Lise-Marie VanNostrand and Richard Tewksbury, individuals desire to operate illegal drug enterprises for three reasons. They discovered these three motives by interviewing 20 dealers who were in drug court program. The three reasons are financial need, greed, and addition to the lifestyle. Most of the drug dealers interviewed in this study began their dealing career with a single one of these motives, but slowly over time the three motives began to overtake them. Financial need is a very motivating need. This is what motivated some of the individuals to begin their life of dealing drugs. Many people feel like they have no other option to provide for their responsibilities than drug dealing. Some of the people interviewed said that they had a job, but that it just wasnt able to pay for all of their needs and so they began dealing drugs. The majority of people who said that financial need was their motivation to deal drugs had kids and a family to take care of. These individuals saw drug dealing as the fastest and sometimes the only way to provide their familys needs. Greed is also a strong motivation in some people. These people do not necessarily need more money to take care of their needs, but they crave more money to take care of luxuries. Many of the dealers in the study conducted said that drug dealing appealed to them because of the opportunity to make fast and easy money. They often had legitimate employment or even ran businesses, but the desire for money overtook them and led them down a road to drug dealing. These individuals usually did not need to maintain normal jobs for the money, but they maintained normal jobs as a front or sometimes just to have something to fall back on. An addiction to the drug dealing lifestyle is a unique motivation. Some dealers simply want to live a fast paced lifestyle or have popularity and power. These desires seemingly cannot be filled by legitimate jobs. Many of these individuals believe that they cannot achieve recognition or respect due to their perceived lack of skills or respectable attributes, and so they turn to dealing drugs as a means to earn that respect. After they begin their drug selling careers, they begin to have a self perception that everyone respects and admires them. This, coupled with the immense financial gains, is a self perpetuating cycle that leads them farther and farther into a life of drug dealing.

The Problem of Teen Alcoholism in the United States Essay -- essays re

General View: It's very interesting that I find myself writing about something that not only is commonsense, but what is more, something that every one knows about in general but may not in particular. Alcohol use among teenagers is a serious problem and is responsible for death and injury in automobile accidents, physical and emotional disability, deterioration of academic performances, aggressive behavior that causes a number of other sociological problems in families and among friends. It is also the primary cause of criminal behavior and a leading cause of broken marriages. As we know it's a broad topic therefore I'll look at the role that alcohol plays in the society and it's impact on teenage addiction. MATTER OF CONCERN (Causes and effects) The age when young people are taking their first drink is becoming lower each year. Many studies show that preteens are experimenting with alcohol and many are already heavy drinkers (Cahalan 1997). It may be difficult for parents and teachers to believe that a seventh grade student can have an alcohol problem, but a study of student drinking practices shows that 5% of seventh-grade boys and 4.4% of seventh-grade girls are seriously abusing alcohol (Royce 1996). That's why we see the consequences in terms of antisocial behavior, school failure, attention deficit, learning disabilities and road accidents among the teenagers. THE MAIN CAUSE †¦..MEDIA. Despite the problems caused to young and old by alcohol, society sends mixed signals to its youth. Media presents alcohol drinking with peers as not only acceptable but also to insure friendship and as a romantic beverage. Movies present a realistic picture of alcohol abuse. A report by "scientific analysis corporation" examined drinking practices on television and found that out of 225 programs 701 alcoholic drinking acts were recorded which were against the voluntary code (Jean Lennane,1995) of the liquor industry. The code states that: a) Any actor shown drinking must be over the age sixty. a) Any drinking shown should be natural, sensible and responsible. a) Ads should not suggest that drinking alcohol contributes toward social, sexual or supporting success or as being a pre-requisite of relaxation. a) Ads should not challenge or dare people to consume alcohol. We can see the ads any night and judge rather how many don't... ...ries in traffic accidents, loss of productivity, child abuse, broken homes and other serious societal problems linked to alcohol. REMEDY: In my suggestion, an intensive education program supported by the community with qualified persons and also supported by the government in terms of financial support can positively change the attitudes and cause significant change in knowledge about alcohol. Schools can play an important role to initiate education and preventive efforts because they reach more students than any other place. It also involves complete commitment with extensive planning. ********************************************************************* REFERENCES  · Grant 1996,adolescent drug abuse, vol 76, pgg 84,85.  · Cahalan 1997, underage use and abuse of alcohol, pg 87  · Royce 1996, alcohol,the national hangover, pg 44  · Jean Lennane 1995, alcohol, pg 56  · Alcohol, the facts, 1997, Australian government publishing service,pg148  · Key Healey, 1997,Alcohol, The facts, pg 176 ADDITIONAL READINGS  · Gall T.L., 1996 , Statistics on alcohol use,gale research inc.  · Alcoholism, 1998,vol 64, Neil kessel and Henry Walton.

The Role of Women in Marjane Satrapis Persepolis Essay -- Muslim Wom

Throughout Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi displays the vital role that the women around her have in developing her character and becoming the woman she is today. Women such as her mother, her grandmother, her school teachers, the maid, the neighbors, and even the guardians of the revolution influenced Marjane and caused her to develop into an independent, educated, and ambitious woman. Throughout the novel, Marjane never completely conforms or lets go of her roots, this is primarily due to the women who have influenced her. Marjane’s mother was one of the most influential people in her life, her mother taught her to be strong and independent. By introducing her mother through the story of her mother getting photographed at a demonstration, Marjane presents her mother as being independent and rebellious (Satrapi 5). Later in the novel Marjane’s mother argues with her father to allow Marji to come to a demonstration with them, she claims it is Marji’s time to â€Å"defend her rights as a woman† (76). Because her mother taught Marji that it is okay for a woman to rebel and speak her mind, Marji never hesitates to speak up and will not conform and allow herself to become just another veiled, female traditionalist. Marjane’s mother shows her acceptance of Marjane as an independent woman when she visits her in Austria and asks her for a cigarette (204). Marjane’s mother is not ignorant, nor does she hold her daughter back to the rules of society. She knows Marji is grown up and treats her as an adult, allowing Marji not only to view their relationship in a different way but also to view herself in a different way: an independent adult who can make her own choices. Another major role model in Marjane’s life was her grandm... ...Marji to realize that the culture’s idolization of martyrs is completely warped. Throughout the rest of the novel Marji never truly escapes the pain that witnessing so much death has caused her, in Austria she tires drugs and love to comfort her, but nothing works the gruesome picture is never able to escape her mind. Marji is impacted be the courageous women came before her, the women that die unjustly, and even the women who attempt to take away her individuality. Throughout the novel Marji is constantly trying to figure out who she is and who she is going to become. But by the end of the novel Marji evolves into an independent woman who does what she wants with her life to make her happy, something that would never have happened without the influence of women throughout her life. Works Cited Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Pantheon; First Edition, 2004

The Italian Wars :: History

The Italian Wars Italy was the background for outside powers between the French invasion of 1494 and the accession of Francis 1 in 1515 for different reasons. Between these years, the States of Italy were invaded on a number occasions by armies from France, Spain and other countries. At this time, the Italian States were very vulnerable; there were conflicts in Italy itself, they had out of date military equipment and Italy had insecure frontiers and unreliable allies – â€Å"That Italy failed to organise herself against invaders was due to the selfish policies.† This gave outside powers reason to use Italy as their battleground. Italy was a very wealthy country, showing this wealth, a Florentine Historian, Guicciardini said â€Å"Italy has never enjoyed such prosperity or known so favourable a situation† Also, because the Pope lived in Italy, it gave enemies more incentive to fight in Italy as opposed to any other country. Another reason for Italy being the battleground was that foreign powers felt they had dynastic claims to certain states and therefore felt obliged to fight for them. I feel the most important reason why outside powers chose Italy to fight in was basically because they ‘could.’ Italy was divided, unstable and disunited; there were even civil disputes e.g. when Venice and its neighbour Ferrara went to war. It was hard to keep foreign powers out of their country because they weren’t working together; each state was not strong enough to protect Italy on its own. The Papacy also didn’t help in keeping enemies out – â€Å"there was always scope for dissension between them (Orsini and Colonna); and while they remained armed before the very eyes of the pontiff, they kept the papacy weak and insecure.† Also, it was playing its usual game of self interest. Pope Leo X in 1513 set about promoting the interests of himself and his family. He was prepared to negotiate for French aid to further his ambitions – this lead to more foreign powers (especially France), being able to easily use Italy as the main battleground. It can be disputed that the most important reason for Italy being the battle ground was that it was wealthy, but I feel that even though it was wealthy, there were certainly other wealthy states which could have been the battleground, had Italy not been such an easy target, with certain assets other countries did not have. This leads me to the next important reason why Italy was the battle ground; wealth.

Analysis of the “Doctor in the house” by Richard Gordon

This text is an extract from the book â€Å"Doctor in the house† written by Richard Gordon. He was born in 1921. He has been an anaesthetist at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, a ship's surgeon and an assistant editor of the British Medical Journal. He left medical practice in 1952 and started writing his â€Å"Doctor† series. The novels were very successful in Britain during the 1960s and 1970s. â€Å"Doctor in the House† is one of Gordon's twelve â€Å"Doctor† books and is noted for witty description of a medical student's years of professional training.The text under analysis belong to the psychological type and description type as it is concerned mainly with the emotional actions of the characters. This text is narration with elements of dialogues. The style of written prose is formal. Author mainly uses past tenses, but present – in dialogues. The events in the text refer to the real world and the author seeks to judge the text subjectively. The tex t under consideration is a witty and humorous description of such a hard and important thing in students’ life as their final exams.The author shows us the condition of students before, during and after exams, therefore, the aim of the text is to describe the students’ feelings, emotion and preparations for them. The subject-matter of this text is about sitting for examinations. The author tries to show the reader different actions and feelings during the passing the examinations. The composition of this text consists of the following components: exposition, when the author gives the concept of an examination. narration, when the author describes passing the examinations, an interesting story about passing an examination at Cambridge.climax, when the author shows the examination results. The ending is absent it means that the structure is opened. In that text Author shows us in detail the process of examination, but tries to show it through different actions and feelin gs of students during the passing the exams. The main character is medical student R. Gordon and his student-colleagues. The story takes place at the examination room when their fate is being decided. The atmosphere in the text is filled with tension and pressure that is drawn on hero by the situation and conflict he is facing.We learn about the students well, because the author has created true-to-life characters, even more so the Author was passing the examinations himself. The author proves to be a real master. And he employs a lot of expressive means and stylistic devices to make the story vivid and bright. The text is emotionally moving, and some details produce an emotional reaction. The conflict is to be considered as tension in the story. This particular extract of the book gives us the idea of uncontrollable force impersonated by examinations against the student whose fate is in their hands.At some point oral exam becomes some kind of a lottery for the hero â€Å"to winâ⠂¬  the question he know answer to. However the real answer here is with the hero himself, struggling against his lack of self-confidence which marks the inner conflict and the unfairness of life The type of conflict here is Person and Self. The story is told from first person narration and we can see the situation with his own eyes. The main character – medical student R. Gordon is round and dynamic character. Author tells us about him nothing, because he wants to say that Gordon is an ordinary student.Author uses indirect method of characterization, and we can learn something of him only through his feelings. The general slant of the text, judging from the peculiar usage of epithets and metaphors with intentionally tragic coloring towards common life situations is comic. Let`s simply remember the comparison of written papers exam room with the court hall, the doors of which are flanked by dispassionate porters and the judge sits above all, just the way the invigilator was placed.Another vivid example is the simile of viva waiting room to the condemned cell, which seemed incredibly accurate to the student but to the reader it only proved how very afraid of viva the narrator was. For example by a simile â€Å"the final examinations are something like death† the author shows condition of a student before an examination as close to death, â€Å"like a prize-fighter† also shows a contest, then the author compares, using the simile, the students that want to produce a certain impression and looking at professor like the â€Å"impressionable music enthusiasts gazing at the solo violinist†.Author uses a lot of very bright and vivid similes in order to give us a chance to feel the nerves and stress characters felt – â€Å"My palms were as wet as sponges†. Medical textbooks compared through metaphor to a â€Å"well-trodden paths†. Also the usage of hyperbolas lets us to understand how the hero felt while expecting the results â€Å"room had suddenly come to a frightening, unexpected silence and stillness, like an unexploded bomb†. The author brilliantly uses the allusion referring to the Bible’s Judgment day. We discover that final exams are death and the Secretary as an archangel corresponds where they would go to the paradise or to hell.â€Å"The candidate would step up closely to the Secretary, who would say simply â€Å"Pass† or â€Å"Failed†. Successful men would go upstairs to receive the congratulations and handshakes of the examiners and failures would slink miserably out of the exit to seek the opiate oblivion. † This extract is constructed around the single theme which can be formulated as procedure of the exams. The author uses numerous thematic words, such as: the student, the final examinations, the exams, to prepare, the examiners, cheating, textbooks, to swot up, the written papers, uniformed, examinees, knowledge, tripos, viva, marking, grading, to pass and so on.Besides the basic theme the text touches upon many very important secondary themes: the psychological types of students, cheating at the exams, students’ prejudice, disadvantage of women student at the exams, the psychological pressure of the process of the examination on the students. The main idea conveyed by the author may be expressed as: the final examinations are reason for a great psychological pressure and a real challenge for the students. The following key words can prove it: student, exams, viva, writing papers, contest, prize-fighter, fighting spirit, to hope, to hit, depressing and others.Thanks to an interesting subject this story occupies the reader’s attention. It makes us to empathize with the students and feel their psychological state. But despite of numerous frightful similes we may see ironical slant of text which make it interesting to read. Having read only one fragment from the â€Å"Doctor in the house†, I found that Ri chard Gordon is a talented writer, who could perfectly reflect the students’ emotion avoided usage of cliches and shown the common issue of young people with self-confidence and self-esteem from the angle of irony.

Nelson Mandela Essay

In order to achieve something great, you must have desire, you must truly want it from the bottom of your heart. Born July 18, 1918, in a small town in South Africa, Nelson Mandela had the greatest passion to do anything to win his country’s independence. He fought for the rights of blacks in South Africa and for helpless people around the world. Motivated by his actions, the president of South Africa, P.W. Botha, imprisoned Mandela for twenty-seven years. When he was released in 1990, he immediately came back into the fight he had left for so long. He was elected president by the people of South Africa in 1994. His term in office ended in 1999, however, he still fought for racial equality and peace. Mandela died on December 5, 2013, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Although he has passed, his legacy still exists around the world today. Nelson Mandela should be the man of the century because he helped bring an end to apartheid in South Africa and his leadership not only affected the people of his country, but also people all around the world. According to Biography in Context, at the age of 24, Mandela joined the African National Congress which was a group who worked to establish social and political rights for blacks in South Africa. Mandela’s actions in the ANC caused him to be put in prison. Mandela stated that, â€Å"his organization only wanted equal rights for South Africans of all races, and added that the only way they would show their unhappiness was by nonviolent disruptive tactics† (Contemporary Black Biography 2). The ANC became illegal causing Mandela to form the Spear of the Nation which was a group that directed sabotage actions against government installations and other symbols of apartheid. These acts of violence resulted in life in prison for Mandela. Although he was cut-off from the entire world, he never lost hope, and the people never forgot this courageous leader. On February 11, 1990, one of the most prodigious events of the year, Mandela was free for the first time in twenty-seven yea rs. In 1993, the nation was moving closer to free and  fair elections. On Election Day, in the first-ever democratic election, Mandela had been victorious, and became the first ever black president of the Republic of South Africa. During his presidency, Mandela focused on issues such as, â€Å"health, housing, education, and the development of public utilities and economic stability. The government also introduced legislation requiring workplace safety, overtime pay, and minimum wages† (Contemporary Black Biography 5). Mandela improved his countries living just in the short years that he was in office. The words that once came out of young Mandela’s mouth, â€Å"I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die† (Contemporary Black Biography 3). These words show the power and passion behind the heart of Mandela. He was willing to die for the freedom of his people like Christ died for our sins. The love he had for his country was like the love a mother and father have for their children. His courage, strength, and dedication changed the world forever. Mandela’s actions were too tremendous to only affect the little country of South Africa. His actions affected many places around the world. He encouraged many people to stand up for their rights of freedom. Although people such as President Reagan, according to NBC News, said the ANC was a terrorist group and they should not be praised and represented around the world because it engaged in, â€Å"calculated terror†¦the mining of roads, the bombing of public places, designed to bring about further repression† (Robert Windrem). I, along with many other people, do not believe this is true. Mandela was only fighting for the freedom which his country deserved, fighting for the happiness of his people, and fighting for the generations to come. The actions that Mandela took were only caused by the first sight of violence from the British police. If you were being controlled, and forced to live your life the way certain people wanted, wouldn’t you do whatever you co uld to stop it? Nelson Mandela left a legacy that will last for hundreds of years. The  apartheid movement that he led in South Africa, not only affected South Africans, but also affected nations on the other side of the globe. He is a man who will stand out from any other in the past and upcoming centuries. I believe that Nelson Mandela is the man of the century because the world, today, would not be the same if he had never fought for the rights that we all deserve. Works Cited Contemporary Black Biography, . â€Å"Biography in Context.† Nelson Mandela. Contemporary Black Biography, 05 Dec 2013. Web. 13 Apr 2014. Windrem, Robert. â€Å"NBC News.† Nelson Mandela a terrorist until 2008. NBC News, 07 Dec 2013. Web. 13 Apr 2014.