Zlata`s Diary Essays - Diaries, Siege Of Sarajevo, Zlata Filipovi

Zlata`s Diary Zlata's Diary is a book about a young girl's life during a war in Sarajevo. As the book begins, Zlata Filipovic is a normal little girl going to school and having fun. She has lots of friends, does well in school, has a wonderful family life, and is as happy as any little girl could want to be. Slowly, throughout the book, things start to get worse. She starts out talking about her grades and how happy she had been with school, and how the biggest of her worries is that she is sick on her birthday. Then she moves on to talk about the war in Dunbrovnik and how she is praying for them. Slowly, the war starts to move to Sarajevo. The book goes from, "I am tired, but happy," to, "My life is one of no electricity, no water, no gas, no school which isn't school, rice, macaroni, a bit of green beans from Meleca's garden, the occasional sweets, my piano, and of course you, Mimmy." I really enjoyed the begining of the book, but I felt that after awhile it was the same thing over, and over again. For example, June 23, "The electricity went out at eight o'clock last night." July 7, "There was no water yesterday, or the day befor, or the day befor that."She goes on to say the same thing repetitivly only days later and throughout the whole book. I think the book would have been better for younger kids. I think kids that were more around Zlata's age could have related to her better. I was also dissapointed about the emotion she had, To explain that she was sad she would simply say, "Boo-Hoo." Her friends would die ir her family members would leave and that was the only emotion she would express. She didn't really write how she felt in a way we could relate to. I think, if she would have had more emotion, and also not so much repetitive writing, we could have understood her better and I believe I would have enjoyed the book more.

History Research Paper Sample

History Research Paper Sample History Research Paper Sample Research paper: History (Memoir value and problem as a way of recount) Introduction Recounting the past is an important aspect of human survival in finding answers and solutions to different problems. As such, it is important that humans consider the past as they chart their way forward as to avoid repeating past mistakes in order build a conceivable future, in all aspects of human lives, be it social, political, or economic aspects. This essay focuses on two memoirs by two female writers that recount past activities that shaped human destiny significantly. The memoirs are Wild Swan by, Jung Chang, and Testament of Youth by Vera Britain. The Wild Swan memoir describes the Cultural Revolution that took place in China in a narrative that compares the experiences of her grandmother, her mother, and hers to explain China’s transformation into the modern world. In the Testament of Youth memoir, Brittain focuses on the effects of the First World War on the British middle class citizens. It further highlights the plight of women during, after the war, and in a compa ssionate manner that appeals to all. The memoir is given in a narrative manner that recounts the harsh experiences of Brittain that pushed her into writing the memoir as a way of expressing herself. The two memoirs are important historical aspects that reveals the past in a captivating manner and are valuable in solving current and future problems that affect humanity. Findings Wild swan memoir by Jung Chang was first published in 1991, whereby, Chang notes that the wild swan event changed his life significantly considering that it’s the book that led him into being a writer. Chang had for long dreamt of being a writer, but his dreams had been quashed by the tyrannical rule of Mao, which threatened the lives of many writers who suffered in endless political persecutions. Chang’s memoir is a story of three generations of the 20th century China highlighting the then Presidents Mao’s impact of his tyrannical rule in China, and touching on the experiences of females in the modern world. Chang describes the life of her grandmother, who was a warlord concubine; the struggles that her mother went through as a young idealistic communist, and about the ordeals, her parents went through during the Cultural Revolution. During the Cultural Revolution, Mao’s failures led Chang’s parents into opposing the president’s policies. They were consequently targeted together with other opposing high-ranking officials during the revolution. The criticizing of Mao by Chang’s father made Chang’s family be exposed to retaliation from Mao’s supporters. This was further followed by her father’s imprisonment, and her family was forced to leave home. All this made Chang lose the respect she had for Mao as she writes, to the extent that when Mao died, she had to hide her head under the shoulder of another student to pretend that she was grieving. Chang left to study in Britain in 1978 on a government scholarship, where she found life there interesting to the extent that she came to love her new country so much, and especially its diverge culture. The publication the first book Wild Swan made Chang a celebrity due to her unique style of using a personal description of the lives of three generations of Chinese women as a way of highlighting the many changes her country went through that proved extremely successful. The relation of these three stories starts with Chang’s grandmother being sold as a concubine to a Beijing’s police chief in order to increase her father’s power and status in their society. Chang describes her grandmother’s early life, her time as the concubine of a warlord, and the escape with her baby daughter following the death of her husband. This was then followed by the marriage of Chang’s mother to a reputable middle class doctor, making it possible for Chang to give a vivi d picture of the traditional china, in addition to the place of women in the society before the communist revolution took place. The testament of youth memoir describes the impact that the First World War had on the middle class citizens in Britain. The memoir shows the impacts of this war that prolonged into post war years, hence its huge impacts on the citizens. The memoir is further a kind of feminist literature due to their depiction of pioneer women forging their way into independent careers on a society that was sluggishly forbearing of learned women. The memoirs start with Brittains plans of getting into Oxford University, and her love life with Roland Leighton, who was a friend to her brother. The narrative goes through the deaths of her fiancà ©e brother and her two closest male friends during the First World War. It ends with Brittain meeting her Husband and the ensuing marriage in 1925. Brittain was left physically exhausted and grief striken, yet amidst the entire trauma, an idea was planted in Brittains mind of immortalizing her story in a book. The idea of the book came later to be the testament of the youth, which is one of the most celebrated memoirs of the twentieth century. The words in these memoirs appear to pour out of her, a strong mixture of both loss and fury that are reinforced by intelligence and pacifist beliefs. As a woman, Brittain was able to account the female experiences in the war with an instinctive dynamism. The literary memorialization of world war one was a preserve of the male until the testament of the youth was derived. Brittain was thus able to balance emotional resonance with intellectual precision. She was able to relay her own story that of being the daughter of the proprietor of a provincial paper factory, and then as a young woman in the path towards making sense of the personal effects that were wrecked by war. By so doing, she was able to lay out her political beliefs. According to the memoirs, she was able to learn that no one can live in isolation form public events. Having grown up in a conservative middle class family, she is able to write boldly concerning her own ambitions as a means of progressing her life and those of other women, despite the traditional ideas by her parents that a woman’s place belongs in the home. What gives Brittain’s memoirs such a great influence is the refusal by Brittain to cling on to accepted norms that continue to diminish the place of a woman in the society. The memoir weaves around political issues into her personal life that makes Brittain’s memoir so fascinating. This is because any person does not have to be interested in pacifism or feminism to understand Brittain’s viewpoint. The powerful memoir, however, did not come without experiencing of personal by Brittain. Though she belived thaty she would never be find any joy of being in a relationship, she did eventually marry George Caltin, a philosopher which following a courtship that was instigated by a letter. Writing of the testament of youth, together with its publication not only affected Brittain, but also had wider implications. Her husband had to cope reading the emotional nostalgic writing of his wife’s’ former lover. The deaths of her closest friends and father forced Brittain to shoulder the weight if this tragedy. She consequently poured out her energies into campaigning against colonialism, apartheid, and nuclear proliferation. Britttain’s political activism had a lasting impact on her daughter, in that; she led the opposition against the invasion of Iraq in the House of Lords in 2003. Value Following the revolution, the position of women in the society rose significantly with Chang’s mother being a civil servant and later the wife of an official. Chang, therefore, gives a historical viewpoint on the effect of Mao’s rule on the culture of traditional China, as well as the unusual opening of women in today’s world. Chang’s account is an inspiring one of courage, intelligence, love, loyalty, and sensitivity that is told in an objective manner without guilt or accusations. Though Brittain is now dead and cannot witness the success the memoirs, the impacts are still felt even today in, for instance, how her book has helped in shaping the consciousness of modern feminists. In a period of six years, the memoirs had sold over 120, 000 copies. The outbreak of World War II, however, meant that Brittain’s pacifist philosophy became less popular. It was not until the late 1970s that the Virago, the feminist publisher reprinted Testament of Youth which was followed by a popular TV series brought Brittain’s work to a bigger audience. The book up to today remains considerably influential 8 decades after its publication, and continues to inspire new generations. The book was able to convey the personal devastation that followed World War I, especially from the perspective of a young woman who experienced the wrath of war to the fullest. Many other concurrent accounts depicted women as victims who bore the devastating effect of world events, rather th an as the means of their own change. Her story is an empathetic one that gives the experiences of women a voice considering that many other female writers struggled to bring their accounts into the limelight. Problem as a way to recount past Using the problem as a way of recounting the past is that the story is prone to be relayed in a subjective manner that focuses more on the problem than on the solutions, and the historical aspects of the story. By using the problem approach method to highlight various past historical events we are expected to learn from may be one directional, in that, the author may only view matters that personally problematic to him/her. In these two memoirs, for instance, Brittain in the Testament of Youth focuses only on the plight of women during the First World War and consequently calls for the idealization of feminist ideas. In this line, the memoir gives us a one directional view of the problem in the war hence making it problematic to recount the past from a personal basis. Chang also focuses only on the problems of women in her memoirs hence; giving us a one directional approach to China’s cultural civilization, which is also subjective in nature. Conclusion These two memoirs present to us the various conditions the two writers went through that led to their writing of these memoirs. The memoirs present to us the story of these two writers in a narrative form that makes it interesting for one to read and consequently grasp the message. The memoirs present to us the significance of recounting the past using the problem approach, in that, individuals are able to identify with the stories and consequently comprehend their precepts. The problem method is however compounded with its shortcomings, though they are not big enough to warrant using this approach as ineffective. Through the memoirs, we are able to learn the Cultural Revolution that ushered it into the modern world. We also learn the plight of women during the First World War, and the effects of the war. The memoirs are, therefore, in the very essence significant in recounting the past as we build the future. Visit the following link to get professional History research paper help from our highly qualified writers: https://www./history-papers/history-research-paper.html.

Retail management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Retail management - Research Paper Example This enterprise would deal in alcoholic and non alcoholic wines, and also offers wine testing. It is to be located in the Souk Al Bahaar, an Arabesque shopping mall and entertainment destination located at the epicenter of Downtown Dubai, on The Old Town Island. Reasons for having chosen Souk Al Bahaar (which opened its doors in December 2007), as our most preferred business site is because of it is rapidly coming up and would soon become Dubai’s most vibrant and a must-see destination for tourists, shopping and entertainment center, and waterside dining. All these characteristics of the site would be positive towards our business expansion and ensured reach to quite a large number of customers whom we wish to serve diligently and to their levels of satisfaction. Souk Al Bahaar, meaning market of the sailor, is a name derived from the traditional souk architecture of natural stone corridors, unique sea-side location on the Burj Lake, and the subdue lighting. This cultural them e flows throughout the mall and into our business point, showcasing the Arabian heritage through mixed authentic handcrafts, accessories, traditional drinks (alcoholic and non alcoholic), and fashion. Thus, a place that everyone would ever wish to be. 1.2. Customer analysis Our customer analysis/profile techniques play very critical roles in aiding the development of our business and marketing plans. Through our target market analysis, we are effectively in a position to identify target clients, ascertain their needs, and set benchmarks on how our products and services will best satisfy their needs. Through our customer analysis tools, we will have advanced understanding of the marketing terminologies in Dubai, our current and potential customers, an aid in developing working target marketing plans and ensuring that our products and services do meet the needs of our intended audience. Hence, we will have a full demographic profile (a breakdown of our clients into age, income, cultur e, and geographical categories) and behavior analysis (identification of the main reasons why our clients make choices in buying one product instead of the other). The behavior analysis of the purchase processes and patterns of our customers entails the actual and in-depth understanding of the whole concept of decision-making during our customers’ purchase. In this regard, we will check in to the steps involved in their decision making process, types of information (alcoholic or non alcoholic) they seek before purchase, timelines for their purchases, occasions and reasons for purchases, and how frequently they are able to buy the products. Age, gender, geography, income and ethnicity are considered are the market-segmenting criteria upon which to base the customer demographics. 1.3. Strategic Retail Planning Process Cool-Bar is a retail business that is built on the strategy aimed at successful strategic planning, monitoring, implementation and evaluation of the ultimately av ailable data for consistency in the current and future planning and implementation efforts. This step is essential in the development of a result-based accountability system for this retail enterprise. Our strategic retail planning process will assist our enterprise in addressing the questions of where we are presently, the write types of tools we have to use to achieve the pre-set

Role of NGO's Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Role of NGO's - Research Paper Example The island was claimed by Spain in 1492. In 200 years later, France forced the Spanish out and practiced farming there, which was aided by slave laborers, most of whom came from Guinea in West Africa. By 1791, the slaves pulled efforts together to oppose colonial rule. Towards the end of 1803, the French armies under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte ceded power and Haiti became independent in 1804. Immediately after the independence, the nation experienced serious problems of leadership and governance that has continued to destabilize the country up to date. The United States and other international community kept shifting between periods of engagement and non-engagement, but they did not offer Haiti any long-term solution its problems (Schwartz, 2008: 235). One of the most memorable leaders who have played a remarkable role in the country’s history is Aristide, who was ousted out of power in a coup by General Cedras Raoul in February 2004. Afterwards, a U.N. Security fore seen installation of interim force to restore order and form transitional government. Later, in 2006, Haiti held elections, but they were marred by violence after a run-off was called. In view of this background, it is clear that the crisis that is experienced in Haiti is mostly as a result of poor governance. This is especially as a result of lack of governmental capacity to serve the public effectively and efficiently. In particular, the government is left without the capacity to fight poverty or address the country’s most harmful impacts such as education and health, entrusting most of these functions to NGOs (Schwartz, 2008: 236). 1.2 Statement of Research Problem Most of Haitians are very poor, living on less than $2 a day, a situation that has been worsened by the inability of the Haitian government to provide basic services such as health care and education. This level of inefficiency by Haitian government was made evident in 2006, when the World Bank biennial ranked i t in the bottom 6 percent on government effectiveness and bottom 2 percent of countries on corruption (Buss, 2008: 256). Many NGOs commissioned by the international development community have attempted to bring Haiti on its foot, though they lack confidence in the government in performing its mandate especially regarding alleviation of poverty and improving the lives of Haitians. Similarly, the government circles raise complains that they are not consulted by the NGOs when choosing their projects. Most critics argue that many NGOs have failed to provide a long-term solution with their development projects, and rather opted to operate as relief agencies, providing temporary solutions such as giving poor citizens food on a daily basis (Haggerty, 1989: 25). With so many NGOs operating in Haiti, the role of government has been ignored, and the Haitian people have over relied on organizations that they did not elect into office. More so, the relationships between the NGOs and their donor s has continued to challenge the rights of the people of Haiti, yet these organizations have continued to amass a lot of wealth in the name of fighting poverty. One of the reasons given for the donors not dealing directly with NGOs rather than the government is the perception of widespread corruption in Haiti. There has been a discussion that the ongoing impression of widespread of corruption in the government can only be eliminated through promotion of good

Constitutional and Administrative Law (UK) Essay

Constitutional and Administrative Law (UK) - Essay Example The Cabinet is selected by the Prime Minister and is made up f between 20-24 government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy. The most senior members f the Cabinet are the Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor f the Exchequer and Home Secretary. Also, Members of parliament who are 'Parliamentary Private Secretaries' - unpaid assistants to ministers - there are about 110 members f the Government in all. With this in mind, the Cabinet represents about one-fifth f the whole Government. All Cabinet ministers must be members f parliament, either the Commons or the Lords. Most come from the Commons, but there must be some members from the Lords who can represent Cabinet there. Since the Lord Chancellor and Leader f the House f Lords are automatic members, there can be no fewer than two representatives from the Lords. The framework f the cabinet can be described as, " to take or review the major decisions (f Government), to consider (though not necessarily at the formative stage) any proposals which might affect the future of the Government, and to ensure that no departmental interests are overlooked, thus giving the work f the government a measure f unity" (Mackintosh, J.1977). The United Kingdom can be seen as a Cabinet government in that the Cabinet m

The Relationship between Substance abuse and Criminal Behaviour

The Relationship between Substance abuse and Criminal Behaviour Substance abuse in adolescents is a serious problem that can lead to deviant acts that create problems in adulthood. Mental problems that develop from substance abuse and drug issues may be one of the factors that affect human behaviour in society. Substance abuse and criminal behaviour in adolescents, and later in adulthood, is affected by the environment setting in which they were raised. Parental influence is the main factor that causes teenagers to use drugs and alcohol, ultimately, causing many other problems associated with it. Factors such as negative issues with family and friends is a disadvantage for teenagers because they do not have the support that they need and so, they often turn to friends who negatively influence them, causing them to start using drugs and drinking excessively in order to help them cope with their personal issues. Problems increase if they are not able to deal with their drug and alcohol problems. There is direct research that links substance abuse a nd associative problems with negative family issues, the effects of substance abuse and childhood and adolescent problems that may be due to environmental factors. Psychological problems that are associated with substance abuse that could lead to criminal behaviour are part of a series of effects that can arise from drugs and alcohol use. (Bartol 1999) discussed how teens can become so addicted to these substances, that they need them to make themselves feel satisfied with themselves, the persons life is permeated with thoughts of procuring and using the drug, and he or she may resort to crime to obtain it (362). The dangerous drugs, such as heroin can lead to both the youth and adult populations to behave differently. Research has shown that drugs that a youth takes has a direct effect on what kinds of deviant acts they will be more likely to be involved with, the level of juvenile crime closely parallel to the drug use (Blumstein et al.,1986, 55). The severity of the effect of drug and alcohol taken has an impact on the seriousness of the criminal act performed. A connection of certain drugs can effect the type of behaviour because of the aft er effect of the drug, Highest crime rates were found for youths who reported the use of cocaineà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦separating the youths into offender groups based on the seriousness and number of crimes committed showed that even within these relatively homogenous groups, youths who used pills or cocaine had the highest crime rates (55).   This evidence shows that the drugs that adolescents are using has a serious impact on their behaviour . This is due to the negative impression that drugs can make on a person who is not conscious of what they are doing. Also adolescents who are addicted to drugs are more likely to start committing crimes but, this addiction could also affect them later on in a mental capacity, causing them to commit other crimes because they have been able to convince themselves that it is acceptable, through faulty mental processes. Pills, Marijuana, and Cocaine were, in fact, shown as the most dangerous drugs because they showed the highest number of associations related to number of crimes, Youth who used marijuana had overall rates of crime that were three times higheryouths who used pills but not cocaine, in turn had higher crime rates than the users of marijuana or alcohol, particularly for index offenses or drug sales (55). The effects of these crimes may be the consequence of not having anyon e positive to guide these troubled teens through tough times, leaving them unable to cope with their emotions because they are not able to talk to anyone about them. In the absence of positive role models, they are influenced by negative people who tell them that the path of drug and alcohol use is the one that will help them the most. The effects of cocaine allow for a changed state of mind, It has acquired notoriety as the cash drug for crime syndicates, the drug for temporary personal pleasure and unimaginable individual psychological craving (Gullotta Blau, 1994, p.7). This shows that pleasure can be a factor that makes a persons behaviour unpredictable. The effects of how substance abuse can mentally affect adolescents to behave in a certain way might be related to their childhood experiences. The personality that has been shaped in the child has an impact on what they may be like when they grow older. Less adaptable personalities may be the consequence of not having crucial support from friends and parents. Gullota Blau (1994) research showed that childrens negative emotions are associated with the likelihood of using drugs and alcohol, Continuing behavior problem most usually hyperactive, aggressive, and seemingly rebellious activity that reflects poor impulse control; an inability to delay gratification; sensation seeking (16). The problem with behaviour in children is that learning lack of self control is a problem because they do not properly learn what is wrong and right. All the anger that they are not able to channel appropriately leads to negative behaviour in the teen years which is a critical period in their development. During this time, they make important decisions that affect the rest of their lives namely, who they choose to be friends with. The negative result of this decision predicts the negative outcome of being on the street, involved with the wrong people, leading to getting into drug and alcohol trouble, Choosing to associate with drug-using peers and having attitude favorable to use are additional risk factors for any adolescent (16). Allowing these people into their lives can affect their problems. Another factor could be the problem of self-esteem, being friends who are using drugs, they are not being able to find any friends, so they think that it is that they are part of a group, they feel that they are part of something to make them feel better, adolescent may have been prone to frequent antisocial behaviour prior to association with delinquent friends. (Bartol, 1999, p.32). The feeling of being alone can cause an individual to make wrong decisions, Finally, alienation from, nonacceptance of, or outright rejection of the dominant values of the society have been shown to be associated with greater risk of alcohol and other drug-use problems (16). All deviant behaviours that are not easily fixed will be likely to effect future consequences such as problems within their home environments and any crimes that they may commit may intensify in terms of severity. Other factors come into play with the consequence of substance abuse; teens are ultimately harming their own lives, in t he student study, the rates of reported health problems, parasuicides(suicide attempts) and law violations increase with progressive involvement with licit and more especially illicit drug use (KokkeviStefanis,1990,p.116). This shows that there are other factors that are involved and that the victims go beyond the individual and effect the society. Environmental factors and family influence are also big issues that lead to deviant acts because of the family problems that are constantly occurring, incorporating negative stimulus into the childs mind, early on. The most important factor is parental guidance and support. When this is lacking, children do not feel that they are wanted, Membership in a family where there is little warmth, support or positive bonding, and there is parental, nondirectiveness and permissiveness and not adequate supervision (Turner, 1994, p.51). It also has to do with the level of self confidence that they have, but if they have the support they need, they are provided with healthy attitudes. children who are attached to their parents and involved in family activities, whatever they may be are less likely to initiate substance abuse and less likely to associate with drug users. If parents are involved in their adolescents lives in ways such as influencing peer choice and prosocial activities (46). Durin g the teenage years, it is important that reassurance and encouragement is being shown by parents and friends so that they are able to discover themselves, which builds character. Those who are excessive drinkers and drug users show that they do not have a goal and they simply turn to what makes them feel good on a short term basis. When parents show their child hatred, it leads to emotion problems within the relationship. It has been shown that when children are exposed to family problems, drugs and alcohol use by the parents it causes a negative environment. They may also be exposed to drugs and alcohol biologically which effects their growth once they are born, Prenatal drug exposure is a complex phenomenon that must be understood within an ecological context, including the uterine, familial, social, and economic environments in which the fetus, infant, and child develop (Harden, 1998, p.20). With all the factors that the child has to live with while growing up, there is a big probability that they will lack in decision making skills, because the parents are setting bad examples when they use drugs and alcohol as part of their lifestyle, this also effects the parents behaviour toward the children, Having a parent or sibling who abuses alcohol or other drugs. As social learning theory, predicts, adolescents gr owing up in families where drug use is the behaviour that is modeled will have a tendency to adopt that behavior (Turner,1994,p.41). Also, when the parent is not taking responsibility to teach the child, the consequence is seen in negative behaviour, any kind of parental nondirectiveness and permissiveness are risk factors for adolescent drug misuse (41). Parents who are not able to give their children boundaries have a disadvantage because they are unable to teach their children what is right and wrong. Being mistreated at a younger age is also a precursor to the problems that can develop over time. Violence in the household is a definite factor because children can easily absorb information by watching what others are doing and also by being a victim a parental abuse. All these things can directly lead to problems with substance abuse, physical abuse in child hood was significantly related to current illicit drug use in adulthood(Huang et al.,2010, p.95-96). This is the consequence of an unhappy childhood life. It has been shown that parents who use drugs turn their anger on to their children and the outcome is seen in negative child behaviour, cases involving cocaine using parent was reported due to child neglect. In this same study, sexual maltreatment of children by one of the parents. (Harden, 1998, p. 35). This would probably be the same when they reach adulthood and the likelihood of abusing innocent victims and even their own family remains high. Childhood and adolescent psychological problems have been shown with the development of their personality and with the people they were involved with. As they get older, situations get more complicated because they play a more dominant role in society. It is easier for them to get into other kinds of trouble. Serious crimes will be likely to happen, violent predators, i.e. persons reported committing robbery, assault and drug dealing and who had very high crime rates, had extensive histories of drug use (Blumstein et al., 1986, p.56). This links back to the drug use in the teen years when they start to become criminals. The crime history increases as substance abuse increases. There has also been research done with alcohol, demonstrating that the crimes are just as serious with alcohol as they are with drugs, alcohol and homicide are intimately and intricately related phenomena The fact is that most homicide offenders have been drinking or are intoxicated when they kill (ForrestGordo n,1990, p.15). There is also research that shows that drugs, such as heroin, have been associated with crime in adults, study indicate that for each offender group high-cost heroin users had the highest crime rate (Blumstein et al., 1986, p.57). This is another type of drug that they are exposed to. (ForrestGordon,1990) have found that crimes associated with drugs have also been found in those who drink excessive amounts of alcohol, alcohol involvement on the part of the victim is associated with increasing seriousness of injury in assaults, robberies, and rapes (12). This shows that when people who do not get the help that they need, their problems escalate to the point when their deviant acts get worse while they are still incorporating drugs and alcohol into their lifestyle. The effect of drug and alcohol usage has a different effect that leads to explain why adolescents and adults act with uncontrollable behaviour. Criminals who are under the effect of alcohol experience a disruption in the persons thinking, Very often, self confidence increases and the person becomes more daring, sometimes foolishly so (Bartol,1999, p.375). This goes back to (ForrestGordon,1990) research and how alcohol is related to crimes. Since alcohol gives teens self esteem and makes them unafraid of being subjected to situations that provide harsh consequence. This leads to acts of criminal behaviour that was associated with alcohol, assaults, robberies, and rapes. The level of drinking also effect the individual act of how severe it consequences will be. Violence frequently occurs in social situations where drinking is heavy, physiological arousal is high (such as anger), interpersonal conflict is evident, and cognitive processes-especially judgement and abstract reasoning- are impaired (Bartol,1999, p.377). This shows that the emotions and their state of mind is effected by the drinking. The emotion that is incorporated with the drinking is shown that it is correlated with each other, Research in the psychology laboratory also finds strong evidence that drinking alcohol facilitates physical aggression (377). Alcohol not only associates with crime but it also interferes with personal life such as family problems. Drugs that create mental problems can lead to criminal behaviour. There is research findings in drugs such as cocaine and heroin which is related to crime that affects the individuals criminal acts. Cocaine can lead to serious mental problems and other affects that also come along with, a syndrome with many of the psychotic features of the paranoid schizophrenia. This mental problem can alter persons state of mind, which can lead to issues but the correlation between the drug and the crime is not strong, because there is not enough research to support it, no study has shown that stimulants or cocaine facilitate either property crime of violent crime (Bartol,1999, p.370). This does not mean that the research that been discussed with the association of cocaine and criminal behaviour does not exist; there may be other reasons that they were involved in the crime, excluding rape or murder. Even though there was not enough research found that cocaine is not as strongly related to crime, the effects of it should be a red flag indicating that it could be a factor that it is related to crime behaviour, There is generally an elevation of mood, mild euphoria, increased sociability and a belief that one can do just about anything (370). This relates to how alcohol can raise a persons self esteem and they are able to do anything when they are not fully aware of what they are doing. Heroin was used to demonstrate the fact that people who take more intense drugs will commit the most crimes. It is known as a narcotic drug and it has been shown that it highly effects crime, The word narcotics usually provokes intense negative reactions and very often is quickly associated with crime (Bartol,1999, p.371). This links back to the research that (Blumstein et. al, 1986) found how people who used heroin had high crime rates. The effects of heroin has some effects that signal severeness of the criminal act, it is assumed that the heroin user is bizarre, unpredictable, and therefore dangerous (Bartol,1999, p.373). The actions that they are not aware of is a big concerns for how adolescents do things to harm themselves from taking heroin, Research have been shown that the effect of heroin is also that even though the persons can become deviant, the level of drug taken can make the person not as dangerous, However, high doses of narcotics produce sleep rather than the psyc hotic or paranoid panic states sometimes produced by high doses of amphetamines. Therefore, narcotics users rarely become violent or dangerous (373). We should not exclude that the fact that even though some drugs say that they will makes a person drowsy. There are many factors of symptoms that lead to crime, even though there is research that stated people take drugs are not usually dangerous, Research strongly indicates that addicts do not, as a general rule, participate in violent crimes such as assault, rape or homicide (373). Just like alcohol, the negative emotions that (Bartol, 1990) discussed and excessive drinking which leads to criminal acts, which can also be the same with drugs, whether they are going through depression or peer pressure, can be a factor that causes crime to happen. It may not ne just the drug alone. Substance abuse and criminal behaviour is a serious issue because it can harm victims, loved ones and ourselves. If treatment is not available to treat the youth population, it can lead to the next generation of criminals which can increase crime rates. As we can see, the effects of drugs and alcohol does lead to criminal behaviour and the personal aspect of it also tell us that people who are not stable with emotional problems who are not being able to do deal with issues, may place that anger and use violence to deal with their temperament issues. Children who have been witnesses to violence or who have been directly a part of it give way to a predictive factor that they will become deviant individuals because they are negatively influenced by people such as parents and friends because they look up to them as a guides. Even though it is not possible to keep drugs and alcohol out of peoples reach, it is important that adolescents learn the consequences of their addictions.

Batman :: essays research papers

The best part of Batman Begins was its ending... and I'm not being sarcastic. As I was watching the last scene of the movie, I wanted to jump out of my seat and cheer when Jim Gordon handed Batman the Joker playing card. It's been a while since I reacted with such glee at the promise of a sequel (usually it's more of, "hay nako, may part two pa yan!"). Yes, the movie was that good. Without question this is the best Batman movie ever made. Finally we have a film adaptation that shows the essence of who Batman is: not a superhero, but an ordinary guy (as ordinary as a billionaire playboy can be) doing extraordinary things in the name of justice. This is what sets Batman apart from all the Supermans and Spidermans out there (and what makes him my favorite comic book hero of all time): he is human, so very human, which makes him, and his fight for right, all the more real. That, and his perennial angst, which I can totally relate to. Haha. I wish I could meet director Chris Nolan so I could shake his hand for rescuing the Batman franchise from its shlock purgatory that was Schumacher-Land. Hats (and cowls) off to underappreciated actor Christian Bale, who filled in the Batsuit quite nicely (and his gravelly Batman voice was spot on!), but more importantly, he gave both Bruce Wayne and Batman true character. And of course I also applaud the excellent supporting cast of acting greats: Liam Neeson shows that he's not just wise old mentor material (the twist at the end surprised and impressed me-- who would have thunk it? Ra's al Ghul is IRISH!:p), Michael Caine shows why he's the obvious and really only choice to play wry, reliable Alfred, Morgan Freeman shows how an understated, classy performance can be memorable, and Gary Oldman shows an entirely new (at least new to me) facet of his acting prowess by turning in what I think is the real breakthrough performance in the movie. It was kind of freaky seeing someone who usu ally plays scary, psycho villains transform into gruff, kindly, future-commissioner Gordon. My only complaint about Batman Begins is that Katie Holmes is in it. Every time I see that infuriatingly irritating smirk on her face I want to slap her silly. I hated her as early as her Dawson's Creek days, and I hate her even more now that she and that jackass Tom what's-his-name are shoving their icky May-December romance in our faces.

Legitimacy Theory Essay

â€Å"Legitimacy is a generalized perception or assumption that the actions of an entity are desirable, proper, or appropriate within some socially constructed system of norms, values, beliefs, and definitions† (Suchman, 1995, p. 574, emphasis in original) Legitimacy theory has become one of the most cited theories within the social and environmental accounting area. Yet there remains deep scepticism amongst many researchers that it offers any real insight into the voluntary disclosures of corporations. This brief paper outlines responses to two specific concerns identified in the literature. It will eventually form part of a much larger project addressing a range of issues associated with legitimacy theory. First, the paper brings some of the more recent developments in the management and ethical literature on legitimacy and corporations to the accounting table. Second, there are contributions to the theory that have already been made by accounting researchers that are yet to be fully recognised. The author believes that legitimacy theory does offer a powerful mechanism for understanding voluntary social and environmental disclosures made by corporations, and that this understanding would provide a vehicle for engaging in critical public debate. The problem for legitimacy theory in contributing to our understanding of accounting disclosure specifically, and as a theory in general, is that the term has on occasion been used fairly loosely. This is not a problem of the theory itself, and the observation could be equally applied to a range of theories in a range of disciplines (see for example Caudill (1997) on the abuse of Evolutionary Theory). Failure to adequately specify the theory has been identified by Suchman (1995, p. 572, emphasis in original), who observed that â€Å"Many researchers employ the term legitimacy, but few define it†. Hybels (1995, p. 241) comments that â€Å"As the tradesmen [sic] of social science have groped to build elaborate theoretical structures with which to shelter their careers and  disciplines, legitimation has been a blind man’s hammer.† This paper begins to address these issues. Not One Theory but Two (at least) An important issue which needs to be acknowledged is that there are in fact two major classes of legitimacy theory. These are graphically presented in Figure 1 below. The ‘macro-theory’ of legitimation, known as Institutional Legitimacy Theory, deals with how organisational structures as a whole (capitalism for example, or government) have gained acceptance from society at large. â€Å"Within this tradition, legitimacy and institutionalization are virtually synonymous. Both phenomena empower organizations primarily by making them seem natural and meaningful† (Suchman, 1995, p. 576, emphasis in original). In terms of accounting research, given the time frames involved and questions generally being considered, the current business environment, including the capitalist structure, democratic government, etc. are generally taken as a given, a static context within which the research is situated. This assumption would, however, need to be carefully considered for a longitudinal study of any significant length. Figure 1: Layers of Legitimacy Theory INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL GOVERNMENT RELIGION SOCIETY CAPITALISM ORGANISATIONAL LEVEL (IN THIS CASE: COMPANY LTD BY SHARE) Establishment Defence Extension Maintenance From the Moral to the Measurable One layer down from the Institutional Level is what in Figure 1 is called the â€Å"Organisational Level† (sometimes referred to as Strategic Legitimacy Theory). â€Å"Underlying organizational legitimacy is a process, legitimation, by which an organization seeks approval (or avoidance of sanction) from groups in society† (Kaplan and Ruland, 1991, p. 370). It is from this level  that most accounting research tends to draw its understanding of legitimacy. Mathews (1993, p. 350) provides a good definition of legitimacy at this level: Organisations seek to establish congruence between the social values associated with or implied by their activities and the norms of acceptable behaviour in the larger social system in which they are a part. In so far as these two value systems are congruent we can speak of organisational legitimacy. When an actual or potential disparity exists between the two value systems there will exist a threat to organisational legitimacy. At its simplest, within the Organisational view â€Å"legitimacy [is] an operational resource †¦ that organizations extract – often competitively – from their cultural environments and that they employ in pursuit of their goals† (Suchman, 1995, p. 575 6, emphasis in original). Legitimacy, just like money, is a resource a business requires in order to operate. Certain actions and events increase that legitimacy, and others decrease it. Low legitimacy will have particularly dire consequences for an organisation, which could ultimately lead to the forfeiture of their right to operate. Although we can describe a firm as being legitimate, and conceive of ‘amounts’ of legitimacy, it becomes a very subjective exercise to try and directly measure legitimacy. Although it has concrete consequences, legitimacy itself is an abstract concept, given reality by multiple actors in the social environment. For a researcher to try and directly establish, or even rank, the legitimacy of various organisations would seem to be a necessarily subjective undertaking, preferencing the researcher’s own views. As Hybels (1995, p. 243) argues, â€Å"I reject this view because it is based on a conflation of the roles of observer and participant in social science†. As an alternative, rather than trying to subjectively measure a firm’s legitimacy directly it can instead be inferred from the fact that being legitimate â€Å"enables organizations to attract resources necessary for survival (e.g., scarce materials, patronage, political approval)† (Hearit, 1995, p. 2). Hybels (1995, p. 243) develops this in some detail: Legitimacy often has been conceptualized as simply one of many resources that organizations must obtain from their environments. But rather than viewing legitimacy as something that is exchanged among institutions, legitimacy is better conceived as both part of the context for exchange and  a by-product of exchange. Legitimacy itself has no material form. It exists only as a symbolic representation of the collective evaluation of an institution, as evidenced to both observers and participants perhaps most convincingly by the flow of resources. †¦ resources must have symbolic import to function as value in social exchange. But legitimacy is a higher-order representation of that symbolism – a representation of representations. Hybels (1995, p. 243) argues that good models in legitimacy theory must examine the relevant stakeholders, and how â€Å"Each influences the flow of resources crucial to the organizations’ establishment, growth, and survival, either through direct control or by the communication of good will†. He identifies (p. 244) four critical organisational stakeholders, each of which control a number of resources. These are summarised in Table 1 below. Table 1: Critical Organisational Stakeholder STAKEHOLDER RESOURCES CONTROLLED Contracts, grants, legislation, regulation, tax (Note that the (1) The state last three of these could be either a ‘negative’ or ‘positive’ depending on the implementation) (2) The public (3) The financial community (4) The media Few ‘direct resources’; however, can substantially influence the decisions of stakeholders (2) & (3) (if not (1)) Patronage (as customer), support (as community interest), labour Investment The last of these has received considerable attention. The power of the media has been noted by a number of researchers, including Patten (2002, p. 153), who states â€Å"that while increased media attention can certainly lead to the potential for increased pressures from any of the three sources [dissatisfaction of public; new or proposed political action; increased regulatory oversight], increases in pressure can  also arise, particularly with respect to regulatory oversight.† See also Deegan et al. (2000, 2002). Companies try to manage their legitimacy because it â€Å"helps to ensure the continued inflow of capital, labour and customers necessary for viability†¦ It also forestalls regulatory activities by the state that might occur in the absence of legitimacy†¦ and pre-empts product boycotts or other disruptive actions by external parties†¦ By mitigating these potential problems, organizational legitimacy provides managers with a degree of autonomy to decide how and where business will be conducted† (Neu  et al., 1998, p. 265). Researchers need to move away from trying to directly assess legitimacy, and instead focus on measuring it in terms of the resources relevant stakeholders provide. â€Å"Rather than engage in the further development of entirely abstract constructions of the legitimation process†¦ researchers should investigate the flow of resources from organizational constituencies as well as the pattern and content of communications† (Hybels, 1995, p. 244). But Wait†¦ There’s More As shown in Figure 1 Organisational Legitimacy Theory suggests that a firm may be in one of four phases with regard to its legitimacy. These phases are outlined below, some examples of industries/firms that might be considered to be operating in each of these phases are included (further research needs to be undertaken in this area). Establishing Legitimacy. (E.g. Stem Cell based bio-tech). This first phase represents the early stages of a firm’s development and tends to revolve around issues of competence, particularly financial, but the organisation must be aware of â€Å"socially constructed standards of quality and desirability as well as perform in accordance with accepted standards of professionalism† (Hearit, 1995, p. 2). Maintaining Legitimacy. (The majority of organisations). This is the phase that most firms would generally expect to be operating in, where their â€Å"activities include: (1) ongoing role performance and symbolic assurances that all is well, and (2) attempts to anticipate and prevent or forestall potential challenges to legitimacy† (Ashford and Gibbs, 1990, p. 183). However the maintenance of legitimacy is not as easy as it may at first appear. Legitimacy is a dynamic construct. â€Å"Community expectations are not considered static, but rather, change across time thereby requiring organisations to be responsive to the environment in which they operate. An organisation could, accepting this view, lose its legitimacy even if it has not changed its activities from activities which were previously deemed acceptable (legitimate)† (Deegan et al., 2002, p. 319 – 20). Extending Legitimacy. (E.g. Alternative Health Providers). There may come a point where an organisation enters new markets or changes the way it relates to its current market. This can give rise to a need to extend  legitimacy which is â€Å"apt to be intense and proactive as management attempts to win the confidence and support of wary potential constituents† (Ashford and Gibbs, 1990, p. 180). Defending Legitimacy. (E.g. Uranium Mining). Legitimacy may be threatened by an incident (internal or external), and therefore require defence. â€Å"Legitimation activities tend to be intense and reactive as management attempts to counter the threat† (Ashford and Gibbs, 1990, p. 183). Even barring a major incident it is likely in the Western Capitalist system that almost every corporation will regularly need to defend its legitimacy, by the mere fact that â€Å"corporations must fulfil both a competence and community requirement to realize legitimacy†¦ Satisfaction of stockholder interests often occurs at the expense of community concerns (e.g., the despoiling of the environment, the use of labour) while, conversely, responsibility to the larger community often occurs at the expense of the stockholder† (Hearit, 1995, p. 3). It is this last phase that has tended to be the main focus of accounting researchers. It also provides us with the clearest opportunity to examine the crucial link between legitimacy and resources. Lindblom (1994), a key paper cited by many Social and Environmental Accounting researchers, also seems relevant specifically to this phase only. An example of work in this area is Deegan et al.’s (2000) study of five major incidents (including the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Bhopal Disaster) which provided a context to examine the annual reports of related (in industrial terms) Australian firms to see if there had been a significant change in their social or environmental reporting. They concluded: The results of this study are consistent with legitimacy theory and show that companies do appear to change their disclosure policies around the time of major company and industry related social events. †¦ These results highlight the strategic nature of voluntary social disclosures and are consistent with a view that management considers that annual report social disclosures are a useful device to reduce the effects upon a corporation of events that are perceived to be unfavourable to a corporation’s image (Deegan et al., 2000, p. 127). The Diagnosis Needs Refinement This is where the traditional legitimacy model stops. However my own  research, into the tobacco industry, Tilling (2004), and that of other researchers, including experimental research undertaken by O’Donovan (2002), suggest a further development of the Organisational Legitimacy Level, as depicted in Figure 2 below. Added to the model is the possibility that a firm may not successfully (or may be unable to) defend the threat to its legitimacy and actually start to lose legitimacy. Figure 2: Refinement of the Organisational Level of Legitimacy Theory Establishment Loss Defence Disestablishment Extension Maintenance In this model the defence phase is usually entered by an organisation after some form of one-off ‘incident’ or ‘accident’ which threatens its legitimacy. This phase could be characterised as being ‘acute’, it can be serious, some times even fatal, but usually, with proper management, the organisation can maintain, or at least recover, its legitimacy. However should there be an ongoing series of events, indicative of a systemic issue, e.g. the nuclear power industry, or a single event with permanent consequences which cannot be effectively managed, e.g. realisation that the organisation’s product is not safe such as the tobacco industry, an organisation is likely to have its legitimacy eroded over a period of time (the ‘loss’ phase), which can be characterised as ‘chronic’. The issue can be difficult to manage, and generally leads to declining legitimacy, however the loss may be managed and slowed over a long period of time, or significant change could lead to reestablishment of legitimacy. The ‘loss’ phase is most likely to be preceded by sustained media and NGO scrutiny, and accompanied by increasing government regulation, monitoring and possibly taxation. Within this phase there are likely to be periods where the company will increase its voluntary social and environmental disclosure in an effort to meet specific threats (such as to postpone or defeat proposed regulations) or to communicate systemic corporate change  (similar to the defence phase). However, with each new restriction average total disclosure can be expected to decrease. This idea is alluded to by O’Donovan (2002) who argues, based on experimental evidence, that the lower the perceived legitimacy of the organisation, the less likely it is to bother providing social and environmental disclosure. Watch This Space Legitimacy theory offers researchers, and the wider public, a way to critically unpack corporate disclosures. However the understanding and study of the theory must become more sophisticated, drawing on developments both within the accounting literature and beyond. Only then will the full potential of legitimacy theory for examining a wide range of disclosures be fully realised. Areas that would provide useful insights include at the moment the asbestos industry (as it goes through the disestablisment phase), brothels (as they become much more legitimate within the Australian context), and the forestry industry (as it tries to defend its legitimacy), to name but a few. The knowledge gained will then be used to provide better and more useful information to inform decision making by stakeholders. In this way society is empowered to have greater control and oversight over the way resources are allocated. References: Ashford, B. E. and B. W. Gibbs (1990) â€Å"The Double-Edge of Organizational Legitimation†, Organization Science, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 177 – 194. Caudill, E. (1997) Darwinian Myths: The Legends and Misuses of a Theory, Knoxville, University of Tennessee Press. Deegan, C., M. Rankin and J. Tobin (2002) â€Å"An Examination of the Corporate Social and Environmental Disclosures of BHP from 1983-1997: A Test of Legitimacy Theory†, Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 312 – 343. Deegan, C., M. Rankin and P. Voght (2000) â€Å"Firms’ Disclosure Reactions to Major Social Incidents: Australian Evidence†, Accounting Forum, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 101 – 130. Hearit, K. M. (1995) â€Å"‘Mistakes Were Made’: Organizations, Apologia, and Crises of Social Legitimacy†, Communication Studies, Vol. 46, No. 1-2, pp. 1 – 17. Hybels, R. C. (1995) â€Å"On Legitimacy, Legitimation, and Organizations: A Critical Review and Integrative Theoretical Model†, Academy of Management  Journal, Special Issue: Best Papers Proceedings, 1995, pp. 241 – 245. Kaplan, S. E. and R. G. Ruland (1991) â€Å"Positive Theory, Rationality and Accounting Regulation†, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 361 374. Lindblom, C. K. (1994), â€Å"The Implications of Organizational Legitimacy for Corporate Social Performance and Disclosure†, Critical Perspectives on Accounting Conference, New York. Mathews, M. R. (1993) Socially Responsible Accounting, UK, Chapman & Hall. Neu, D., H. Warsame and K. Pedwell (1998) â€Å"Managing Public Impressions: Environmental Disclosures in Annual Reports†, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 265 – 282. O’Donovan, G. (2002) â€Å"Environmental Disclosures in the Annual Report: Extending the Applicability and Predictive Power of Legitimacy Theory†, Accounting, Auditing and Accountability, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 344 – 371. Patten, D. M. (2002) â€Å"Media Exposure, Public Policy Pressure, and Environmental Disclosure: An Examination of the Impact of Tri Data Availability†, Accounting Forum, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 152 – 171. Suchman, M. C. (1995) â€Å"Managing Legitimacy: Strategic and Institutional Approaches†, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 571 610. Tilling, M. (2004), â€Å"Communication at the Edge: Voluntary Social and Environmental Reporting in the Annual Report of a Legitimacy Threatened Corporation†. APIRA Conference Proceedings, Singapore, July.

Existentialism in Literature Essay

Existentialism in literature is a movement or tendency that emphasizes individual existence, freedom, and choice. While Existentialism was never an organized literary movement, the tenets of this philosophy have influenced many diverse writers around the world and readers can detect existential elements in their fiction. Americans writers like William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck reveal existential elements in their writing. Perhaps the most prominent theme in existentialist writing is that of choice. Humanity’s primary distinction, in the view of most existentialists, is the freedom to choose. Because we are free to choose our own paths, existentialists have argued, we must accept the risk and responsibility of following our commitments wherever they lead. American writers Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson often wrote about these concepts. Existentialism is not dark. It is not depressing. Existentialism is about life. Existentialists believe in living—and in fighting for life. The politics of existentialist writers around the world varies widely, but each seeks the most individual freedom for people within a society. Despite encompassing this wide range of philosophical, religious, and political ideologies, the underlying concepts of existentialism are constant: ? Mankind has free will ? Life is a series of choices ? Few decisions are without any negative consequences ? Some events and occurrences are irrational or absurd, without explanation. ? If one makes a decision, he or she must follow through. So existentialism, broadly defined, is a set of philosophical systems concerned with free will, choice, and personal responsibility. Because we make choices based on our experiences, beliefs, and biases, those choices are unique to us—and made without an objective form of truth. There are no â€Å"universal† guidelines for most decisions, existentialists believe. Even trusting science is often a â€Å"leap of faith. † The existentialists conclude that human choice is subjective, because individuals finally must make their own choices without help from such external standards as laws, ethical rules, or traditions. Because individuals make their own choices, they are free; but because they freely choose, they are completely responsible for their choices. The existentialists emphasize that freedom is necessarily accompanied by responsibility. Furthermore, since individuals are forced to choose for themselves, they have their freedom—and therefore their responsibility—thrust upon them. They are â€Å"condemned to be free. † Many existentialist writers stress the importance of passionate individual action in deciding questions of both personal morality and truth. Personal experience and acting on one’s own convictions are essential in arriving at the truth. 17th-century French philosopher and existentialist Blaise Pascal saw human existence in terms of paradoxes. He believed that â€Å"We know truth, not only by reason, but also by the heart. † And as many existentialists, he acknowledges that â€Å"It is the fight alone that pleases us, not the victory. † The modern adage that the journey is more important than the final destination applies to this idea. Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, who was the first writer to call himself existential, reacted against traditional thoughts by insisting that the highest good for the individual is to find his or her own unique vocation. As he wrote in his journal, â€Å"I must find a truth that is true for me . . . the idea for which I can live or die. † Existentialists have argued that no objective, rational basis can be found for moral decisions. The 19th-century German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche contended that the individual using free will must decide which situations are to count as moral situations. He believed that â€Å"There are no facts, only interpretations. † . . . and he is famous for this well known adage:â€Å"That which does not kill me, makes me stronger. † The 19th-century Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky is probably the most well-known existentialist literary figure. In his book Notes from the Underground the alienated anti-hero questions experiences in life that are unpredictable and sometimes self-destructive. French writer, Jean Paul Sartre wrote that man can will nothing unless he has first understood that he must count on no one but himself; that he is alone, abandoned on earth in the midst of his infinite responsibilities, without help, with no other aim than the one he sets himself, with no other destiny than the one he forges for himself on this earth. There is no ultimate meaning or purpose inherent in human life; in this sense life is absurd. We are forlorn, abandoned in the world to look after ourselves completely. The only foundation for values is human freedom, and that there can be no external or objective justification for the values anyone chooses to adopt. † When the Swedish Academy granted the Nobel Prize in Literature to Sartre for his work which, they recognized as â€Å"rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth, [that] has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age,† Sartre made it known that he did not wish to accept the prize. In a public announcement, in1964, Sartre expressed his regret that his refusal of the prize had given rise to a scandal, and he wished it to be known that his refusal was not meant to slight the Swedish Academy but was rather based on personal and objective reasons. Sartre pointed out that due to his conception of the writer’s task he had always declined official honors so this act was not unprecedented. He had similarly refused other awards offered to him. He stated that a writer’s acceptance of such an honor would be to associate his personal commitments with the awarding institution, and that, above all, a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution.

Free Essays on Guardians

Guardians have to have education. Education creates experiences that are crucial in developing a person’s morals and characters. As a person is educated on right from wrong, he will cautiously do such actions that give him either right or wrong because that is what he learned. Guardians can be taught to do the right thing for citizens and they will. Education also creates conscious which also means they will use their own good judgment to determine what they should do as guardians to best serve the public. This education of right and wrong will keep the guardians in their respective place and not abuse the powers given to them by the government. Education of the Guardians must be monitored and censored. Since education shapes morals and characters the teachers (government) must be careful what they teach because if they teach the wrong thing to guardians, the guardians will develop bad behavior and abuse their power. With bad behavior and bad character the guardians will not be able to perform their function well. Censorship is crucial because with the wrong teachings people with a lot of brute power like the Guardians can easily abuse it. Traditional stories taught to children are dangerous. Children are easily influenced and typically if they hear something they will try it. Verbal communication like stories are the main way in which morals and characters are taught in the time of Socrates and these stories have messages in them like cowardice of humans and/or Gods. The concern is if children are taught these types of stories that they will do such cowardice things or want to be such immoral cowards and overall repeat the action s taught to them in the stories. Stories that are told to young children sometimes become part of them and then are tempted to repeat such deeds. This is especially bad if these children grow up to be guardians and have been influenced by bad character, so children should not be taught traditio... Free Essays on Guardians Free Essays on Guardians Guardians have to have education. Education creates experiences that are crucial in developing a person’s morals and characters. As a person is educated on right from wrong, he will cautiously do such actions that give him either right or wrong because that is what he learned. Guardians can be taught to do the right thing for citizens and they will. Education also creates conscious which also means they will use their own good judgment to determine what they should do as guardians to best serve the public. This education of right and wrong will keep the guardians in their respective place and not abuse the powers given to them by the government. Education of the Guardians must be monitored and censored. Since education shapes morals and characters the teachers (government) must be careful what they teach because if they teach the wrong thing to guardians, the guardians will develop bad behavior and abuse their power. With bad behavior and bad character the guardians will not be able to perform their function well. Censorship is crucial because with the wrong teachings people with a lot of brute power like the Guardians can easily abuse it. Traditional stories taught to children are dangerous. Children are easily influenced and typically if they hear something they will try it. Verbal communication like stories are the main way in which morals and characters are taught in the time of Socrates and these stories have messages in them like cowardice of humans and/or Gods. The concern is if children are taught these types of stories that they will do such cowardice things or want to be such immoral cowards and overall repeat the action s taught to them in the stories. Stories that are told to young children sometimes become part of them and then are tempted to repeat such deeds. This is especially bad if these children grow up to be guardians and have been influenced by bad character, so children should not be taught traditio...

TO WHAT EXTEND CAN FAMINE BE PREVENTED Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

TO WHAT EXTEND CAN FAMINE BE PREVENTED - Essay Example Prevention of famine has been a major concern for both international organizations and academic institutions. Several strategies have been employed to counter famine and its effects throughout affected regions. Prevention of famine has always attracted the attention of various disciplines, with historians giving account of its occurrence in the past. Famine situations are complex and when it hits a region, the response can be daunting to the people and institutions involved. Various researchers have attempted to develop theoretical as well as comparative interdisciplinary approach to understanding the preventive measures. In order to understand the interlink ages between starvation, disease and starvation and death. Most researchers acknowledge that famine is preventable, compared against other issues such as poverty and food insecurity. This paper will look into the extent to which famine can be prevented and the strategies that can be used to fruitful. Extent to which Famine can be Prevented Famine has been attributed as a massive social failure, and should not be perceived merely as a natural tragedy. Stated differently, famine signals that institutions, organizations, governments and policies have failed. According to Dre?ze & Sen (1989), there should be people who are criminally liable to deaths of millions. Prevention, however, is essentially concerned with the protection of entitlements (Fine, 1997) Most institutions and governments develop policies and programs that minimize the impacts of famines. The most important though should be those that lay enough groundwork for future development. The policies should ensure both famine prevention and long-term food security assurances. The policies must promote and enhance agricultural growth, especially among small-scale farmers. In addition, infrastructural development should take centre stage in the global efforts to combat famine. Environmental rehabilitation programs and effective markets should be develop ed in the fight against famine alleviation. More importantly, each political geographical region must develop capacity to design and implement proper food policies and programs at all levels. Widespread famines have ravaged Ireland, China, India, and the horn of Africa. Famine situations are very complex and to mitigate against them requires a great deal of human commitment across several institutions and individuals. This is often a regional, short-term extreme food shortage, thought of as caused by drought, ecological extinction, and a sometimes accompanied by conflicts. A number of factors including poverty, inequality, commerce that is not regulated, and insufficient food schemes often fuels famine. Malthusian theory predicts that food will grow at a much lower rate than the growth in population, which will put a strain on the existing stocks of food (Madeley, 2000). However, there are writers who have faulted this theory by asserting that modern technology can actually lead to food increasing by more than the proportional increase in population. Dre?ze & Sen (1990) who wondered why in world where certain regions produced food that is more than enough yet other regions experienced severe food situations noted this paradox. Environments are increasingly becoming with the movement of people in the form of rural to urban migration, catalysing

Letter to the Editor about Airport Security Assignment

Letter to the Editor about Airport Security - Assignment Example Mr. Schneier’s statement â€Å"There are two classes of contraband at airport security checkpoints: the class that will get you in trouble if you try to bring it on an airplane, and the class that will cheerily be taken away from you if you try to bring it on an airplane† is true. The news reports on incidents regarding bombs, guns, and explosives confiscated at airports, but rarely are airports shut down over a passenger carrying pasta sauce, fingernail clippers, water, or shampoo. If the items in the class of being taken away with the passenger still being allowed to board the plane are so dangerous, why are they stored in big bins out in the open? The answer is simple, these items are not dangerous. If these items are not dangerous, why does airport security take them? Airport security takes these simple items because it makes them feel safe. Not only does it make the airport security feel safe, but the airline passengers as well. We might all complain about the long lines and inconvenience, but figure that all that fuss must make us safe. The question becomes do we really want to be safe, or do we want to feel safe? I believe the answer subconsciously is Americans want to feel safe. Feeling safe is not only better for the peace of mind, but can be used as an excuse if anything does happen. After 9/11, Americans looked back at the warning signs. What if we would have taken the Russian warning more seriously, what if we would have taken Osama bin Laden more seriously, what if we would have never gotten involved in the first Gulf War, what if we would have had stricter airport security? All of these doubts gnawed at the American public. Today if the same events as 9/11 happened, A mericans could say that they are doing everything possible to prevent terrorism. The feeling of safety is more important than actual safety.