Disabled Children and Education Essay

A lot of disabled children nowadays are taking to American schools in the pursuit of quality education. Even if there is some semblance of community support, or even school-wide support, it is alarming to note that there is still much to be done. There is still a lack of good studies and research made on the unique needs of disabled children. Also, there is a continuous threat of non-school intervention in cases that sometimes warrant to the harassment of disabled children within school premises, and even the lack of school facilities that are specially created for the comfort and enjoyment of the school’s disabled student populace. Finally, even a recent study suggests that even given the support the disabled child has in the form of the alignment of IDEA and NCLB, they have to contend with the many changes it could bring to present attitudes, what they believe in, as well as what they hold dear in helping disabled students achieve the best in their educational lives. Introduction Students with physical disabilities – especially those who have opted to enroll themselves in institutions that are meant for â€Å"normal† students – have always been beset with a lot of challenges through every step of their educational process. see more:importance of school facilities to students From the choice of the school, to its environment, and available curricula, physically disabled students have always been limited to what they could choose that also basically suits them. Abend (2001) stresses the importance of the entire school experience for the disabled students and has reported about the current laws and regulations put in place that were meant to protect them. These include the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 that was later renamed as the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act or IDEA in 1990, and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. IDEA is a â€Å"refitted† version of the Education For All Handicapped Children Act, which has made it possible for disabled children to get equal educational rights. It was more concerned with knowing more about disabled children and focused on making special education and other related services available for them. IDEA on the other hand, with its amendments in 1997, made it possible for disabled students to be able to study with non-disabled students, and championed the said cause. Abend also tells of the Americans With Disabilities Act or ADA of 1990 that then enforces laws that made schools safer and more accessible for disabled students. The ADA is put in place for schools to either follow ADA Accessibility Guidelines or ADAAG or the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards or UFAS. Unfortunately, the UFAS and the ADAAG are designed not with the disabled children in mind, especially the disabled students of school age. Giangreco, Dennis, Cloninger, Edelman and Schattman (1993) also noted the issue of teachers who are teaching disabled children as well. It is considered important because, aside from the school environment, disabled students would also have to deal with teachers who could or could not deal with them efficiently like their normal counterparts. As the concept of allowing the disabled children to join their non-disabled classmates in general education courses is supported by a lot of educators, some are rather still doubtful as to what extent should this inclusion would be. Giangreco, Edelman, Luiselli and MacFarland (1997) have also reported about the use of instructional assistants that now serve to support the said implementation of allowing disabled children to be able to study together with their non-disabled counterparts on a classroom. As part of the new efforts of being able to actually complement the increase of disabled children to be accommodated, school administrators, teachers and instructional assistants alike are facing increasing pressure from the parents of such children to provide better care. Aside from making the school actually safe and its environment actually conducive to ensuring equal opportunities for education between disabled and non-disabled children, school administrators would also have to deal with the â€Å"hostility† of the normal students themselves, especially in taking to bullying disabled children in their own classes. Hergert (2004) has reported that bullying has been increasingly getting the nefarious attention that it deserves from the media as well as educational journals. The report does include other factors that lead to bullying aside from the children having been physically impaired in some way, such as being ethnically diverse, the children being bullied of different ages, and live in communities where a lot of the people who live there could single them out from being â€Å"different†, such as small or big cities, and even those living in suburban areas. In light of such problems, the National Council on Disability has taken measures in order to improve the educational opportunities of such disabled students. Frieden (2004) has presented a paper which details all the research that the NCD has undertaken, with the cooperation of several schools as well as integration with IDEA as well as the No Child Left Behind Act or NCLB, one of the most ambitious educational laws that were put in place that sought to enhance American education especially through reading and mathematics, measured by their own respective standardized tests. Statement Of The Issue To Be Investigated Students with physical disabilities are enrolling in public schools all across America at an increasing rate. As is already indicated by the recent studies, American lawmakers are striving to get a better grip of this problem and introduce laws which would enable disabled students to have an equal chance at education like their non-disabled counterparts. Frieden (2004) has created a report that shows how very determined the American educational system is in actually curbing that said issue. The issue in question, giving disabled students a clear chance at education, already has several laws to its credit, but as Frieden also already states, the recent study that they have has its many implications. On one side, a lot of educators and schools are very much concerned in providing better schools for these disabled children, but on another side, they are grappling with the fact that the problem is enormous, and schools and school administrators are still quite daunted by the fact that there simply isn’t enough understanding and readiness as of yet as to handle this unique problem. The schools themselves are also beset with other problems such as meeting the yearly â€Å"report card† on their annual performance, and the impact that it could cause on the students with disabilities if things did not go as planned. The report also focused on the teachers as well as the strategies that they would most likely employ, with respect and with the support of the school administrators in question. It also details current research that the NCD has with regards to how they are coping with the problem at the moment. Despite this however, even if disabled students are afforded opportunities for equal chances for good education right now, they are still beset with a lot of problems. The report entails the findings that they have to a certain point that which still needs to be addressed. Literature Review Abend (2001) reports the various laws that were put in place in order to assure that disabled students, especially children, have the same opportunities just like their non-disabled counterparts when it comes to quality education . These laws and guidelines he discussed included: †¢ Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-142) †¢ Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) †¢ Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) †¢ Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) †¢ ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) There is also Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Public Law 93-112) that worked in close tandem with that of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. Whereas the 1975 Act was more concerned with the services that are given to disabled children, Section 504 deals with whether or not the disabled children would have need of such services. However, as it was already discussed, the use of the UFAS or the ADAAG was more tailored to suit disabled adults more than it can be used for disabled students. Abend goes on to discuss one of the key factors of the success of an overall rehabilitation of the current stand on disabled students bid on education – how the school should be set up. Schools are considered as the second homes to students throughout most of their school lives, and it is important that disabled children should also be comfortable with how they would be willing to spend almost an entire day in such a facility. The school facilities in question should not only be the furniture that could be found inside a classroom – it also deals with the environment of the classroom (if it’s comfortable, too noisy, or too cramped), where the disabled students could go to after school hours (such as playgrounds and the school grounds), and the security of the school. Concerns about air quality are also aired because of the fact that disabled children are highly susceptible to fluctuation in air quality, especially if the child is to go to a general education school. Ensuring that disabled children could actually go around in a school that is also designed for their comfort actually helps a lot in the process of ensuring that they also get quality education. Other important factors that contribute to sound and quality education for disabled children include highly qualified teachers as well as highly qualified instructional assistants. Giangreco et al. (1993) and Giangreco et al. (1997) report on the many benefits that highly qualified teachers and instructional assistants could give to disabled children in the classroom setting. There are educators who feel strongly that disabled children should be able to join their non-disabled classmates in a normal classroom setting, but there are some who are still worried up to what extent should it be made possible. It is also the same with instructional assistants who serve as â€Å"extensions† of the teacher in a classroom, especially when coordinating with the teachers to also include them in class discussion and attending to the special needs of their â€Å"charges†. As they are tasked with the overall management of the classroom, they are also in charge of looking over what happens within that classroom, and sometimes it is more than just staying within the lessons. However, as Hergert (2004) relates, such disabled students’ incidents concerned with bullying by other children are traditionally a â€Å"hands-off† matter when it comes to school affairs. There are cases however that some schools also act upon complaints made by the students who are harassed. Hergert is concerned about, along with the problems of teachers and educational assistants of the best caliber to educate and attend to disabled students’ needs, how the school community still seems to deny the fact that bullying is such a huge problem and dismissing such complaints as overreactions from the students. However, with Frieden’s (2004) report, all such problems are then equated and are meticulously laid out, in response to such problems. Aside from ensuring sound school environments for disabled children to actually find themselves become part of the classroom experience itself, the report has also talks about what the schools can do in order to combat these problems. These are accomplished by strategies that are based upon what typically goes on in a school during their disabled children programs like counseling and the like. Common factors were discovered and goals were also set out, along with the best strategies that could help bring about it. Findings Frieden’s (2004) report has noted several findings on the educational crisis faced by America’s disabled children. Although there is enough reason to believe that disabled children nowadays have better opportunities in getting a better education, it still comes up short. Aside from the overwhelming responsibilities of implementing new and improved means of getting disabled children the education that they deserve, the NCD also has to look over problems of reducing the percentage of disabled children who drop out of schools, ensuring that there are more disabled children who graduate with high school diplomas, and look over available strategies that would ensure the success of a school’s disabled children educational program. Based on Abend and Hergert’s independent studies, the focus on the needs of disabled children through adequate school facilities and the bullying problem are either ill-fit for the children themselves or largely ignored by the school. There is still an inadequacy in trying to solve this problem, and is reflected in Frieden’s report. Also, the problem of finding the best educators for the disabled children themselves counts as another task that needs to be attended to. Lastly, the problem of implementing such improvements on a school-wide basis, mainly through following the guidelines set by the IDEA and NCLB alignment, also needs a lot of attention. Implementing such guidelines is an entirely different thing when it has to be maintained successfully, and this is what the Frieden report has sought to recommend for future studies and research on the matter. Discussion Getting quality education for disabled children is a daunting task. This is more so if the current stakes are too high. In correspondence with the integration of both IDEA and NCLB, the Public Schools of North Carolina (2005) has released guidelines and procedures that schools found statewide would have to implement with regards to the reauthorization of IDEA back in 2004. The guidelines include also the various responsibilities that the test coordinators would have to accomplish in order to disseminate information to North Carolina statewide schools with regards to documentation, job responsibilities, staff training, and other procedures and guidelines. As part of the results that came after the alignment of IDEA and NCLB, the guidelines are a clear sign of, in the given North Carolina example that American education is indeed in an upswing. However, NCLB has, at that time, not actually improved American education as a whole, but mostly benefited schools who were grappling with their own adequate yearly performance or AYP woes. Aside from this, Frieden also noted how it was difficult to keep up with all the assessments that are needed by the NCLB in order to correctly gauge their academic skills. Also, it was very difficult for school leaders to realign assessments as well as other requirements that would allow disabled children to fully become part of the classroom discussion and cope with their own academic performance. Strategies meant to complement disabled children education also come up a little short at that time, because of limited research. The studies that are available are either aimed at younger students not fit for other levels, the studies in themselves where done with limited student participation in numbers, the studies are only concentrated on one kind of disability, or there are no programs available that would help to alleviate the disabled student dropout rate. Also, even if some education programs are set in place, there is still a lot of concern in regards to a lack of support from administrators, the time and effort used in order to implement them, lack of materials, ill-fitting teaching styles, limited teacher understanding of the practice or even not remembering it at all, and ill-fit between what is considered as â€Å"safe† for implementing in a state with regards to their own local guidelines. Conclusion The scope of undertaking the problem of the quality education of disabled children is very different from what one could expect when tackling educational concerns of non-disabled children. This is not to say that one is clearly much more important than the other, but it means that what American education has for now for disabled children is still continuously undergoing a lot of transformation, and is still in serious need of continuous study and research. Frieden’s report basically sums up everything about the problems that disabled children education currently face, and leaves a daunting message that clearly states there is still a lot to be done yet. This concern is not just because of what schools must do in order to make the annual â€Å"report card grade† of their performance – it means that disabled students who are enrolled in their schools need to be attended to, and have different special needs than their non-disabled counterparts. Nurturing such students and giving them equal educational opportunities are the keys in which the school thrives and survives in situations that warrant what â€Å"best education† could be expected from schools. This, alongside with their commitment to bringing the best education and American child could possibly have, should serve as their goal. References Abend, A. C. (2001) Planning and Designing for Students with Disabilities. Retrieved September 15, 2008 from www. edfacilities. org/pubs/disabilities. pdf Frieden, L. (2004) Improving Educational Outcomes for Students With Disabilities. Retrieved September 15, 2008 from www. educationalpolicy. org/pdf/NCD. pdf Giangreco, M. F. , Dennis, R. , Cloninger, C. , Edelman, S. W. & Schattman, R. (1993) â€Å"Experiences of Teachers Educating Students With Disabilities† in Exceptional Children, vol. 5. Retrieved September 15, 2008 from www. uvm. edu/~mgiangre/EC9359(4)359-372. pdf

Jack Daniel’s Social Responsibility Essay

This essay presents some of the very key issues expressed over the time factor and global changes with implications on how society accepts the attitude of the corporation in term of its social responsibility to the demands and expectations. Each era has set new challenges to the Jack Daniel so as to act in accordance with its policy of being socially responsible to sell its products with publicizing of regional marketing trends by also keeping in line with the production and running costs. In this essay, the points that have been discussed are that how consumers are stimulated in buying Jack Daniel products from the social and moral values exemplified by the marketing campaigns in pure responsible way of letting people know their concern to appropriate drinking age and self-accountability. The market trends are shown in this essay to reflect the growth and market strategy exercised by Jack Daniel, a company of Brown-Forman Conglomerate. The essay covers the following areas: Outline 1. Introduction to Social Responsibility 2. Social Responsibility in Entity Form 3. Getting to know Jack Daniel 4. Historical Perspective in Social Responsibility 5. Historical Perspective in Social Responsibility 6. Society Expectations 7. Corporate Social Strategy 8. Closer Look on Jack Daniels’ Social Responsibility 9. Success in the Responsible Attitude 10. Conclusion Introduction to Social Responsibility Social Responsibility appears in the society with two different perspectives as interpreted by the people setting up the norms of that society. Firstly, we act in a positive sense about which we perceive is our social responsibility to do so. Secondly, we renounce from the kind of act that seems to affect negatively to the society that again shows our social responsibility by behaving in such a manner. The evaluation of our act whether in positive or negative is determined by what kind of society we live in and how it is based on some pre-defined values and common understanding among the habitants. So every person, being part of the society, determines how he or she would react to the cultural values of society in form of positive or negative social responsibility, if truly accepting the responsibility. Human psychology has developed in such a pure form of ethical grounds that every consumer of alcohol drink believes to have right of buying a whiskey that is sold on moral standards of a society. Social responsibility speaks itself in both the cases of consumer and the producer that it starts from the producer’s end of responsibility to the consumer’s end to survive in the society with respect and on good grounds. Social Responsibility in Entity Form However in practical aspect, different entities (in form of people or organizations) tend to set their responsibility area as whether the entity is responsible to act for a specific purpose in the society. We can take example of an entity that is socially responsible for child labour rights; or for minority rights protection, justifies its position in society in the form positive responsibility. This also involves some entities that are of corporate nature including organizations, which are responsible to provide better growth prospective and benefits in terms of ethical obligations. Apart from self responsibility captivation, entities socially entitle in concerns of the society having an impact on the welfare and incumbent environment. Here I will discuss the case of Jack Daniel fulfilling the social responsibility by surviving in the global drinking society. Jack Daniel is basically a whiskey distiller based in US, whose founder is known as Jasper Newton â€Å"Jack† Daniel, is an entity of Brown – Forman corporation. Getting to know Jack Daniel Firstly, the company of Jack Daniel earns money by selling alcohol that is legally bought by people who are all willing to pay prices of such intake with their sole responsibility. For that reason, it is beyond the scope of responsibility of Jack Daniel to justify against each individual’s self responsibility to act humane in the society. Secondly, from the existing scenario, the conflict also arises that this all income is dependent entirely on the detriment of the whole lot that happens as a consequence to its sole business operations. So the company takes in no moral, if not social, responsibility for the people to invest or utilize its services/products. What Jack Daniel has adopted now as a promotion campaign in lieu of its social responsibility characteristic and being the sponsor Richard Childress in NASCAR racing; is their slogan of: â€Å"Pace Yourself. Drink Responsibly† Historical Perspective in Social Responsibility By moving through a timeline, we can very easily distinguish as how Jack Daniel has coped with the growing responsibility of surviving in the global industry, and in markets full of social and moral values. In the early stages of organizational restructuring, the company greatly emphasized on enhancing its public picture with acquaints and precautions of use of alcohol as commonly understood meaning of having its whiskey consumable after effects. We can with mutual understanding call it the awareness campaign that taking whiskey while driving or presenting in the society they should be in a judicious competence. The awareness has now spread comprises definitely of the marketing gizmos that more importantly accentuated on having their product (whisky) is solely considered for adults, thereby understanding the fact that they completely agree to the post conditions of drinking, when not being moderate. Drinking dilemmas were discussed during this time to publicly broadcast the facts and figures in this regard. By looking the historical defences, Jack Daniel, as speaking in terms of its parent company Brown-Forman, bears a history of highly approving social responsibility. Society Expectations Now that the consumers around the world are getting more sophisticated on the dynamics influencing their life, Jack Daniel is looking for such corporate strategies that not only comply with the positive attitude to the social norms in their market region, but are also effective in long term basis. No matter how the consumer behaviour changes in terms of the revolutionary or cultural tends, companies tend to mould their attitude, both positive and negative, with the regional social norms in perspective. People now seek out the brands, talking in standpoint of alcohols now, that more naturally agree with the society’s welfare. Specific consumers to a brand, like Jack Daniel, have built expectations vis-a-vis to the manner of addressing social concerns very firmly connected to its products and mode of business rules and policies. The protection of environmental laws and public health awareness campaigns have made Jack Daniel consider on lines of establishing links with the major social outcomes from different regions and cultural civilizations. Corporate Social Strategy However, considering the drivers’ class, Jack Daniel is spreading its straight and particular message around the world to all the civilizations and societies is to drink responsibly enough to drive carefully, as also explained above in Getting to Know Jack Daniel. Both in terms of selling and promotional stratagem, the company responsibly brought out its products bearing a positive gratitude towards its consumers with distilled spirits products. Jack Daniel’s marketing approach is primarily based on the target audience thereby addressing only the adults and consumers of proper legal age to drink. From the current promotional campaigns, it looks obvious that the company is seriously concerned about presenting their image as a corporate that stands on social values of its very varied consumers. Growing amongst global trends in specialized market and branding, Jack Daniel has emerged as a guide to the other entities by selling its products in a very responsible manner. Closer Look on Jack Daniels’ Social Responsibility Taking a look in to the recognition of the company, it is also a founding member of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS). Clint Bowyer, a racing driver on its website, highlights the DISCUS convention in terms of its code of conduct that comprises of a very essential stipulation, which affirms its social responsible approach that â€Å"alcohol advertisements will only appear in media reaching an audience of at least 70 percent above the legal drinking age† (Clint Bowyer, 2006). Apart from the marketing strategies, another key point in brand recognition is to present a picture of the corporate with the most logical way of social awareness, that is to say, is by educating the public rather than only the consumers about the impacts of alcoholism. This approach can be seen in the market designed programs of its parent company Brown-Forman which emphasizes a lot on encouraging the adults and the youth to determine how to likely deal with the implications of drinking thereby surviving in the society with a respectful living. It has been observed that a large amount of investment in terms of funding programs to publicize the message of responsible drinking and consuming the products with their sole responsibility in selling and proper usage of products. Success in the Responsible Attitude As the latest financial statements by Howard Riell, Jack Daniel has clutched a top position as top whiskey brand in America with its national sales to almost another 6. 5% growth and precise selling of more than 45 million 9-liter cases (Howard). Consumers have shown very upbeat response to the brand in terms of speaking about its history of maintaining a tie with social values that are backed by the traditions followed in the forthcoming products and in retail market. Normally young age consumers are seen to be most happy about the distilled products from Jack Daniel, whose most prominent strategy is their employee age history as of ranging from 21-29 years. Also, the key success factor seems to be the relations the company keeps with its distributors and the concerned media in very rightful manner in promoting its products. There always seem to be something common about top most globally selling brands; also speaking of Jack Daniel, the regional popularity of the brand also shows the impinge on consumer buying behaviour. Socially acknowledged brand reveals a marketing niche on the consumers’ attitude to get a drink that is less hard than the competing brands and has successful reputation in the region where it may only be the single available brand. Also considering the media-speak-out to public, people feel that Jack Daniel products seem to be complying with the moral norms of broadcasting. Jack Daniel whiskey ads on the media network are seen as appropriate to be publicized based on the quality criteria of drinks and the company’s shift to liquor with quite handy to be sold on stores selling beer or wine. Conclusion From the evolution of human society in different parts of the world, people have tend to seek the quality in the products that have an impact as stimulating factors on their mind. Drinking of alcohol is prohibited in some cultures or religions in some parts of the world however where people have taken it as a vital element in their lives among earning, living, eating etc. So the competition of whisky (being an alcoholic drink) has emerged to classify whiskey manufacturers in order of their priorities for selling their products to the drinkers having a sense of affects of its usage. Jack Daniel has in these terms has quite successfully managed to enlighten its organizational strengths by recognizing the social responsibilities that entail around the corporate success factor. We can see this success originating from the main factors of social responsibility, as from the statement of â€Å"People recognize that global companies wield extraordinary influence, both positive and negative, on society’s well-being. † (Douglas, John, Earl 2004, p4). This social recognition in terms of its own corporate strategies of brand marketing and consumer attitude toward Jack Daniel products is a very high example of business taking care of human welfare with the condition of accepting the usage responsibility. Bibliography Douglas, John, & Earl, ‘How Global Brands Compete’, Harvard Business Review, p4, Harvard Business School Publishing (2004), Retrieved on November 22, 2006 Clint Bowyer. Official website (2001) Retrieved November 22, 2006, from http://www.clintbowyer.com/

Itm Slp Paper Module

Web browsing has become a popular internet tool in today's society. It has enhanced everyday demands with the click of mouse or keyboard. With technology at your fingertips, no question has been left without an answer. By exploring all the pros and cons that come along with different web browsers, each one play a major role for everyone throughout the world. With this being said, being used, everyone has something different that catches their eye about every browser but having only en favorite browser that is used on a daily basis.The world has changed tremendously. Just a decade ago, the internet was dominated by one browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer (E). By doing this we've selected different internet browsers for information. The information that has been received on a day to day basis through the newspaper is no longer needed The most commonly used browser I personally use is Google. Yahoo and Being are web browsers that I seldom use when it comes to online searches. Google is the channel of communication for all my answers.It is a great public utility but I wouldn't assume it and updates are totally dominant in the near future. Technology is changing everyday and new ideas and updates are being used for every browser. Google provides more relevant information, instant search and connected products provide more background information. Even if you put in something silly, it will give you results, unlike Being. â€Å"Google displays ads across its own search platforms, including Google Shopping, Google Maps, Google Images and more† (Tokomak,2006, p. 2). Yahoo does not have a book search or desktop search feature.It does not incorporate user generated videos, unlike Google Video. Yahoo is slower than Google and it seems that Google is more nimble as far as organization and company structure is concerned. When searching, I discovered that most of the information from Yahoo was information from sites that were not credible sites to use when researching information to. â€Å"Some say that Yahoo's arguably has the best capabilities for appropriate and targeted display advertising† ( Baker ,2011, p. L). Being social integrations are stronger and results are more attractive.This search engine really made me laugh out loud. I typed in black people thinking I had typed black â€Å"famous black people† and to my surprise, Being showed me nothing but porn sites with black women. I was in tears with laughter because how in a million years the best. â€Å"Everyone's search engine use comes down to personal preference† (Baker, 2011 , p. 3). Although there are few comparative studies out there that have subjective viewpoints, with search technology continually evolving, it is worthwhile to explore all Ross and con's of these search engines† (Baker ,2011, p. ). Google will be the most powerful media company in the 21st century. I have learned that the internet is a place where we stay in contact with friends, get th e news, shop, and play games. To some others, it may be used for other importance. Every browser was different and helped me with information. This practical exercise has broadened my insights on web browsing. In the near future, information will always be put out on different sites but it is up to the person reaching to determine which information will be used.Learning something new is a great way to enhance your learning. The lesson gave me insight on web browsing from a different view. References: Baker, L. (2011, October 11). Comparison of the top three search engines: Being +yahoo>and Google. Retrieved from www. Searching]urinal. Com/comparison Arrogantly, J. (n. D. ). Comparison of Google&yahoo advertising. Retrieved from http://hurriedness. Central. Com/comparison-Google-yahoo-advertising-13852. HTML

Criminal Law 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Criminal Law 1 - Essay Example The general rule at common law is that when a defendant has caused a victim's death, and has been proved to have had the necessary mens rea for murder, he may be able to avoid a conviction for murder by establishing that he comes within the scope of the defence of diminished responsibility. In such instance, if the defendant succeeds with the defence, his liability is reduced from murder to manslaughter, the sentence for which is at the discretion of the judge. This form of manslaughter is described as "voluntary" because there will have been evidence that the defendant did intend to kill or cause grievous bodily harm bur certain kinds of extenuating circumstances partially excuse his conduct. In the present case, Arnold had recently been diagnosed, but not treated, with severe depression. This is a ground for diminished responsibility. The rule is that if the defendant can prove on a balance of probabilities a defence of diminished responsibility, he will be guilty of manslaughter rather than murder. The statutory basis for the defence of diminished responsibility is set forth in section 2 (1) of the Homicide Act of 1957 which provides. "Where a person kills or is party to a killing of another, he shall not be convicted of murder if he was suffering from such abnormality of mind (whether arising from a condition of arrested or retarded development of mind or any inherent causes or induced by disease or injury) as substantially impaired his mental responsibility for his acts and omissions in doing or being a party to the killing." An abnormality of mind is a state of mind which the reasonable man would consider abnormal. It is thus defined widely. In R v. Byrne (1960) 2 QB 396, the defendant had strangled a young woman and then mutilated her body. He claimed he was subject to an irresistible or almost irresistible impulse because of violent perverted sexual desires which overcame him and had done so since he was a boy. There was evidence that he was a psychopath, and could exercise but little control over his actions. The defence of diminished responsibility was rejected by the trial judge, and the defendant was convicted of murder. The Court of Appeal allowed the defendant's appeal on the basis that the trial judge had been wrong to exclude, from the scope of the defence, situations where a defendant was simply unable to exercise any self-control over his actions. Lord Parker, CJ said: "Abnormality of mind means a state of mind so different from that of ordinary human beings that the reasonable man would term it abnormal. It appears to us to be wide enough to cover the mind's activities in all its aspects, not only the perception of physical acts and matter, and the ability to form a rational judgement whether an act is right or wrong, but also the ability to exercise will power to control physical acts in accordance with the rational judgment. According to the commentaries of Clarkson and Keating (2003), diminished respon

Strategic Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Operations Management - Essay Example â€Å"Operational activities are central to the provision of services and /or goods. Every organization provides a product and service combination. A meal in restaurant, a visit to the hospital, buying a pair of Levi 501s, making a pair of Levi 501s, insuring an automobile, staying in an hotel, going to the cinema,; all have operations activities and their management is central to the successful provision of goods and services.† 1 In this example, we are examining the operational activities of a small manufacturing company engaged in the production of automotive components. It is a known fact that small scale manufacturing companies undertake many diverse activities in providing different types of products and services. Modern organizations are complex entities, especially the small scale enterprise, and there will be many different types of operation, both in individual firms as well as across different industries. This clearly reveals that the types of operation vary across different sectors, and there are external factors that influence the organization in many ways. Over the past two decades, leaders of virtually all organizations -- big and small -- have come to understand that external forces can exert more influence over an organization than management itself does. Legislation and public opinion, for example, can greatly expand or restrict what an organization can do and how it does it. As a result, many organizations now try to monitor these external forces, looking for signs where new controversies or new opportunities may be brewing on the business horizon. In today’s competitive and highly sophisticated business world, awareness of those external factors is crucial for a business entity. These factors also determine the sustenance of an organization. Generally speaking, these factors exist both at ‘micro’ and ‘macro’ levels. At a closer micro level, the external elements include suppliers, competitors,

International Business Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International Business Finance - Essay Example If you have an existing business that creates a tangible product, exporting is the most common method. Start-up costs and risks are limited, and profits maybe realized early on. For some this may be the beginning a new venture, the other choices are options that may reduce some of the start-up risks. There are two basic ways to export: directly or indirectly. Direct Exporting In direct exporting, your company finds a foreign buyer and then makes all arrangements for shipping your products overseas. This method requires a lot of footwork and infrastructure, and entails more risk, but the potential profit rewards are often higher. If you choose to export directly, you have several options: Sales Representatives or Agents are essentially, the employees that are hired as foreign-based representatives or "agents" who work on a commission basis to locate buyers for your product, the same that is done domestically. Distributors will strike a deal with a foreign distributor, who purchases me rchandise from the organisation and resells it with a mark-up. The distributor maintains inventory and provides after-sales service to the buyer. Indirect Exporting An organisation uses an export intermediary to perform most of the details of the export arrangement. Many small businesses choose this option, at least at the outset. There are several types of export intermediaries: Commissioned agents are brokers who link your product or service with specific foreign buyers, allowing the primary company to fulfil the order, handle packing, shipping, and export documentation. Export Management Companies (EMCs) and Export Trading Companies (ETCs) are companies that operate in the country where the goods export. EMCs generally represent your product to promote it to other prospective overseas purchasers, while ETCs usually work according to demand, finding a need and sourcing your product for foreign buyers. Both types of companies usually take care of all aspects of the export transacti on (including conducting market research, promoting your product overseas, accessing proper distribution channels, and locating foreign distributors), making them a viable option for smaller companies that lack the time and expertise to break into international markets on their own. EMCs and ETCs usually operate on a commission basis, although some work on a retainer basis and some take title to the goods they sell, making a profit on the mark-up. Importing and exporting, on any scale, from a tiny home office or from the World Trade Centre. It is not required to have a license from the United States government in order to do international trade, but the country with which company does business may require a license. There are several issues needed in an international business plan (Rajan, 1998). Discuss the different types of risk that impact on an organisation trading on an international basis. Political risk arises from the possibility that a host government will take actions harm ful to foreign investors or that political turmoil will endanger investments. Political risk are particularly acute in developing countries, where unstable or ideologically motivated governments may attempt to block return of profits by foreign investors or even seize their assets from the host country. An example is Venezuela. President Chavez at the time at a desire to broaden the country's socialist revolution in Venezuela and issued a

Leadership week6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leadership week6 - Essay Example As a leader, one has a role of ensuring there is collaboration in case of conflict and solution to the actual problem, mutual trust, reinforcing respect and one earns a good reputation as a mediator. Besides collaborating, I have realized to manage and solve conflict through withdrawal and compromising. Both parties need to get satisfaction by deliberating on the issue at hand causing the conflict. Similarly, one has to withdraw from the conflict in order to end the disagreement. These are new skills acquired because of the course as the contents provided me with the required knowledge of managing conflict as a leader. Conflict resolutions tips at work place documented by Huff (2008) in his interview are very important in giving a clue of the expected. As a student, I found it educating and would share it in the class for other students to grasp on the process involved in managing and resolving conflict. Despite the challenges, which come because of conflict, it is essential in developing moves forward as it help in realizing the weaknesses leaders have in their

The policy that reduces the poverty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The policy that reduces the poverty - Essay Example It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that all the aspects of economy maintain a stable level so that the country can grow and expand. Government regulates many things in an economy including inflation, exports and imports, prices of many vital commodities, and many important economic aspects. The government of US has entrusted the job of regulating the monetary policy and interest rates along with the margin requirements. Fed was created by an act of Congress and consists of a seven member Board of Governors who is headquartered in Washington DC with operations spread across the major cities of the US. The primary responsibility of the Fed is to set up monetary policy by setting up a FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) together with five other members. (The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) The Fed comes out with the monetary policy in order to ensure a certain key objectives like, delivering price stability with a low inflation level coupled with an objective to support the Government's economic objectives of growth and employment. Price stability is taken care of, by the Government's usual inflation target of around 2 percent. There is a need to contemplate the crucial and critical role played by price stability in achieving the aforesaid economic stability, and in providing just the right conditions for a sustainable and longer living growth in output and employment. The government's intention is definitely not to achieve the lowest possible inflation rate, as a low inflation is supposed to be equally bad as a high one and for that matter inflation below the target of 2% is judged to be as worse as inflation above the predefined target. The inflation target is therefore very symmetrical. (How Monetary Policy Works) Impact of Inflation on the Economy The Fed has a monetary policy and it uses the same to regulate mechanism of the economy. Like when it decides to change the interest rate, the government is trying to check the overall expenditure of the economy. A change in interest rates is mostly used to contain inflation, which is the result of lavish expenditure by the country. The Fed sets a fixed interest rate at which it lends money to financial institutions and depending on this interest rate, individual banks and other financial institutions set up their own interest rates, which apply to the whole economy. This step is of indispensable importance to the economy, as this is very widely used to contain inflation. The only purpose behind such a step is just to contain undue inflationary levels prevailing in an economy. The point to be noted here is that, this interest rate set by the Fed is so effective and powerful that it regulates the whole economy. It affects the stock and bond prices and also influences the asset prices through out the country. This interest rate also regulated the savings in an economy, which eventually results in capital formation and reinvestment. It is note that when interest rates are high, people prefer to invest money in government deposits that are less risky in nature than the stock markets and similarly high interest rates boost up the savings. Lower interest rates make asset and real estate prices go up, as people start ignoring conventional saving instruments and make use of the high growth ventures like shares and houses, which pushes up their

Sources of Resource Risks Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sources of Resource Risks - Assignment Example People as a source of risk may be defined as the risk of not meeting project requirements due to improper human resource management, motivational issues and fraud. It involves the project management having concerns about the availability of enough people to complete the project, availability from the staff of the necessary skills and experience and the belief in the project success by the staff.Some of the underlying concerns related to people as a source of risk include conflict among staff members and lack of or scarcity of certain required skill from the staff and the lack of essential collaboration due to unforeseen events such as job change by project-critical personnel, or lack of project-critical expertise.However, in order to avoid resource risks related to human resource, there is the need for proper planning and credible scheduling of the work well in advance. A histogram analysis of resource requirements will also prove to be of importance in identifying possible staffing. Outsourcing or supplier risks result from the use of people and services outside the project team. It accounts for more than a quarter of the resource risks. It includes delays such as when a supplier fails to complete an outsourced task on schedule.Some common resource assumptions which might eventually result to risks includes assuming that the supplier will provide correct materials when needed, assuming that resources will not be overburdened and that the sole-source resource will be available when needed.

Comparison Of Hobbes’ And Locke’s Political Philosophies Essay Example for Free

Comparison Of Hobbes’ And Locke’s Political Philosophies Essay Thomas Hobbes and John Locke are both contemporary philosophers who were made famous for their political philosophies especially on areas of government and the community. Although Hobbes was born forty one years ahead of Locke, both have agreed on certain ideas but remained in contrast with others. In this paper we will try to compare the main philosophies held by Hobbes and Locke, focusing on their opinions on government, community, leadership and the concept of social contract or covenant. This paper will also attempt to align the said philosophies in contemporary events particularly in the American life after September 11 attack. At the end of this paper, this author aims to establish the fact that Locke’s political philosophies are more practical, consistent and acceptable over that of Hobbes. Hobbes and Locke are particularly interested in human beings and how they interact with the world. Both believing in the existence of God, they both insist that human beings need a leader- a feature of human community that is a vital element of their survival. 1â€Å"Without a leader, the country would fall away into nothing†. They however differ on the type of leader that a community should have in order to survive. For Hobbes, there’s only one man that should rule or govern the people, and that is a king (Hobbes, Thomas 1994, p. 83). Hobbes maintains that it is only this king who should be given the authority and the responsibility to write laws, make decision and consequently of controlling the people. In order for people to survive, people are therefore compelled to obey the commands of the ruler, both in religious and government matters. Locke however believes the other way around. For John Locke, it is rather the people who should run the government and not the king. Consequently, Locke points to the idea that the responsibility of uniting and taking care of the needs of the whole community lies in the hands of the people and not on the sole control of one person. Unlike Hobbes, Locke somehow points to a democratic form of government wherein the people are given the right to participate in all affairs of the government including the responsibility of deciding what is best for the general public. Locke also suggests that the people should rather have to decide on who they wanted to rule over them. Moreover, since the power lies on the people, they have the right to overthrow a wicked ruler in the same way as they have decided to have him seated in the position (Locke, John 1997, p. 22). Because Hobbes maintains authoritarian form of government, he insists that 1â€Å"society could not exist except by the power of the state†. This is directly contrary to Locke’s view that man is inherently a social being and thus has the need and the ability to interact with others. Hobbes idea then simply would suggest that man is necessarily a creature that cannot decide for him nor does he has the ability to discern what is good and what is evil because he needs a ruler in order to establish a society. Moreover the statement suggests that man has to submit to an authority and after which all individual rights are gone and so man is compelled to obey. It is also important to note that Hobbes, in this aspect believes that man does not have the right to rebel against the ruler since the latter is assumed to be someone who does all things good and lawful. For Hobbes, the right thing for man to do is to shut up and obey and once this is done, anyone does not have the right to kill the obedient one. Because the state is the supreme ruler in the society, the ruler then is assumed to be wise enough to the point that all his affairs, his views and decisions are deemed just. Hobbes also assumes that 1â€Å"all of society is a direct creation of the state and a reflection of the will of the ruler†. Locke however has a better and more practical idea that is obviously been the basis of most governments, especially those that employ the democratic form of government. On the concept of social contract, Locke believes that by giving up our rights to â€Å"exact retribution for crimes†, we are in return given the right to just, impartial protection of our properties and out lives (Harris, Ian 1994). Relative to this, man still retain his rights to life and liberty. The state, according to Locke has only one role, and that is 1â€Å"to ensure that justice is seen to be done†. The ruler therefore is necessarily not the sole decision maker in the society, rather he is just an instrument appointed by the general public to serve justice and maintain peace. The government therefore, as peacemakers should not be involved in any form of injustice or any act that may disturb peace in the society. Otherwise, Locke believes that the people are given the right to kill or overthrow the ruler. Although Hobbes is in favor of the unlimited power of the state, he justified his point well by stating that the purpose of such unlimited power is to end all conflict and contention. Because he regarded people as creatures who are incapable of knowing what is good and evil, Hobbes believes that people have the tendency to freely live a material life which would result into conflict. Thus the avoid this, the state is given the sole and unlimited power over them. 1Both Hobbes and Locke believe that there is an implied contract between the state and the people as soon as a ruler is being placed in power. The difference however is that Locke regard that contract as something that impliedly sets the ruler as a judge over the affairs of the people while Hobbes set that contract as something that sets the ruler as a master of the people. Hobbes points out â€Å"all contracts are binding, even if entered into from fear of violence or pain of death† (Hobbes, 1994 p. 86). Hobbes does maintains that man does not have the ability to recognize good from evil because he believes that good and evil are established and defined by the will of the state (Hobbes, 1994 p. 28). This means that good and evil exist only because something or things are defined as such by the ruler. Hobbes then points to the idea that there exist no definite standard or basis for man to know what is the right thing to do and what is wrong. As with the idea of property and its ownership, Hobbes believes that the state is the one defining the property of somebody. Because man cannot discern good from evil, human beings without the state or the ruler cannot live in peace. Hobbes further assumes that peace can only exist and reign in a society when its people subject themselves to one absolute and common master. From here Hobbes might be suggesting that it is impossible for the world to experience peace since the world does have different rulers. On the other hand, Locke believes that humans inherently has the capacity to discern what is good from evil and are therefore capable of knowing what is lawful and what is not. â€Å"Most importantly, they are capable of telling the difference between what is theirs and what belongs to someone else† (Locke, John 2002, p. 87). Locke however recognizes the fact that despite this inherent capacity and ability, humans act the other way around. In Locke’s view, the only norm should be peace and nothing else (Cox, R. H. 1960, p. 32). Unlike Hobbes, Locke believes that man has the capacity to live in peace by refraining from hurting other and from molesting or invading their properties. Since man has the inherent capacity to discern what is good from evil, it not therefore impossible for the world to achieve peace even with the existence of different rulers. All rulers of different countries in the world are human beings who are supposed to be mature and wise enough to know what is best for their people. Because most of these rulers are elected by the people, then it is likely that it is the general preference of the people that dominates the government affairs. I also agree with Locke that when the ruler placed by the people on the seat of power abused his political powers, then the people have all the right to overthrow him and replace with somebody deserving. In the contemporary world, Hobbes and Locke’s political theories can still be relevant especially that these have, in bulk, something to do with rights and liberties of the people and the role of the government on managing the lives of its people. After the September 11 attack, the American government has been very vigilant and has somehow gone beyond the normal process of ensuring the security of the Americans. Such security measures are so rigid and strict to the point that the freedom-loving Americans thought there are losing much of their liberties. The government in defense ensures the public that such implementation of security measures plainly for national security. As for me, such measures are preferred because my security, that of my family and all Americans is of higher importance than my liberties. Let us remember that the role of the state is to ensure that justice is being served at all times, as Locke maintains. Part of serving justice is for the state to implement measures that see to it that nobody in its jurisdiction is being oppressed or hurt. To set up surveillance cameras, place military men in public places, have everyone’s baggage inspected in airports, hotels or malls are part of security measures and I do not see anything that suggests these things to be invading anyone’s liberties. Besides what is liberty if we will all die under crumbles of another attack? The President has been elected by the people and it is assumed that his rule has the consent of the majority. The American people are wise enough to discern who the best person at the Presidential seat is. By casting our votes, we are entrusting our security and the general condition of the American people in the hands on the person we voted upon. To entrust our security to the elected President does not mean we are being robots who have nothing more to do but to shut up and obey as what Hobbes suggest. To have security measures implemented in public places does not at all violate our liberties and thus we do not need to regain them. I believe that the American government still acts within the limits of justice and that I still regard all measures to be actions wherein human security rather than vengeance is of higher priority. I believe that the American government has not yet failed with its task of protecting its people so we as citizens do not have yet the right to rebel or withdraw our support. Let us remember that failure to take its primary responsibility is the only requisite Locke has provided in order for the people to have reasons to rebel. We still have our full liberties with us and security measures are implemented in order to regain one thing we have lost in the 911 attack: justice. BIBLIOGRAPHY Cox, R. H. Locke on War and Peace. OUP: Oxford, 1960. Harris, Ian. The Mind of John Locke. CUP: Cambridge, 1994. An excellent contextual analysis of the political and religious mindset of Locke’s Britain. Hobbes, Thomas. The Leviathan. Ed. Edwin Curley. Indianapolis: Hacket. 1994. Locke, John. â€Å"Essay on the Law of Nature. † In Political Writings. Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought. Ed. Mark Goldie. CUP: Cambridge, 2002. 1Locke versus Hobbes. 24 November 2007. http://www. jim. com/hobbes. htm Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought. Ed. Peter Laslett. CUP: Cambridge, 1997. Locke, John. â€Å"Two Tracts on Government. † In Political Writings. Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought. Ed. Mark Goldie. CUP: Cambridge, 2002.

Looking At The Exploitation Of Women To Men English Literature Essay

Looking At The Exploitation Of Women To Men English Literature Essay Selden states that, Rhys presents the idea of a woman as an imprisoned victim oppressed by the standards and ideals prevailing in the patriarchal, phallogecentric society dominated by the male form of logos, language (selden139). Rhys female protagonist is the victim of domination and humiliation due to the system of patriarchal and colonial oppression which is prevalent in England and Jamaica. In Wide Sargasso Sea Jean Rhys reveals patriarchal power as dominating and unhealthy. These patriarchal power structures are present in economic, legal, family and educational systems in Rhyss novel. This patriarchal power affects the lives of all the characters in Rhyss novel because they all belong to a patriarchal society. This is the story of Antoinettes Cosway who is isolated by her Victorian husband who locked her up and drives her mad. She is left alone by her husband in the patriarchal society and become helpless and trapped like a ship struck in Sargasso Sea by the British. Through her portrayal of female characters in her novel, Rhys exposes how women are legally and financially dependent on men around them. When we consider the situation of Antoinettes mother, Annette, who is economically dependent upon men, we can at once notice that in patriarchal society economic inequality exist. When Annettes first husband died, she thinks that her second marriage is the chance for her to escape from her life at Coulibri where she is rejected by blacks because of her Creole heritage and may be able to retrieve status among her peers. Maria olaussen states that, Annette signifies the gender ideology in the patriarchal economic system, since she need to be provided for by men. She uses her beauty as her only means to compete with other women in search for English protection and economic support (Olausen103). When Wide Sargasso Sea was written it was that time when marriage was considered as a mean to get economic support. Antoinette is not able to free herself from Rochesters brutality and cruelty because she has no financial independence. All of the money was given to her husband, Mr. Rochester when she married him. In Victorian times, there was a law that women could not held property in their names, even if they inherited that property from their parents. It was still in the custody of their husbands. Patriarchal law prohibits women from inheriting money if there is a son in the family, the inheritance runs in the male line. Mr. Masons son, Richard Mason, represents patriarchal law, since, he after his fathers death, become the lawful provider and protector of Antoinette. He makes her decisions and arranges her marriage to Mr. Rochester, without consent (olaussen108-9). The feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, who wrote in 1972 about patriarchal education systems in Vindications of the Rights of women, questioned why only men were prepared for professions and not women. She believed that, this was the reason for womens needs for marriage; they had to marry in order to be economically supported (wollstonecraft150). But Jean Rhys in Wide Sargasso Sea denies Wollstonecraft theories in one aspect, that marriage with Antoinette is necessary for Mr. Rochester because he will not inherit from his father as he is the youngest son in the family. By marrying Antoinette, he saves her wealth and in this way she becomes completely economically dependent upon Mr. Rochester. In the patriarchal family structures of Victorian era, father has authority over his wife and his children. Women and children are legally and economically dependent upon their fathers or husbands. Mr. Rochester uses his patriarchal power to drive Antoinette crazy. She is dependent upon him because of the patriarchal power structures in society (both legally and economically) and therefore, it is not possible for her to leave Mr. Rochester. In Wide Sargasso Sea, marriage increases the wealth of men by allowing them power to possess their wives inheritance. If we critically examine the condition of Annette and Antoinette womanhood is similar to a kind of child like dependence on the nearest men. In fact, it is the dependence that contributes to the tragic end of both Annette and Antoinette. Both women marry white English men in the hopes of assuaging their fears as vulnerable outsiders, but both men betray and abandon them. As Teresa OConnor puts it, the level of betrayal ranges from the cultural and historical implicit in the relationship between blacks and whites to the familical and filial levels. In Wide Sargasso Sea, it appears that the one quality of Antoinette that best express her through out the novel is her dependency in others. From her friendship with Tia, to her marriage with Rochester, Antoinette is just in search for happiness. After the burning down of her house by the slaves in part one, Antoinette has no one in her life, and she is all alone. Her brother Perrie dies and her mother gets mad, therefore, she marries Rochester because she wants to feel safe again. She needs someone to protect her from the ill-treatment that her mother experiences through out her life as a single woman. You are safe, Id say. Shed like that-to be told you are safe. Or Id touch her gently and touch her tears (pg.78). These lines from Mr. Rochester shows that Antoinette wants to be feel safe and secure. Since Rhys is a West-Indian, she wants to reveal a truth about the limit of literary standards that supposes a shared white heritage in its audience. She draws an unflattering picture of patriarchal society in the characterization of Mr. Mason. When Annette describes the troubles of her sisters married life to and specially describes her husbands oppressive and dominating behavior to Mr. Mason, his answer to Annette was, thats her story. I dont believe it. He successfully and unsympathetically silences the Creole womens voice. Rhys wanted to give voice to this silent woman and raise this silent women voice in her novel Wide Sargasso Sea. In patriarchal society the man is the superior and educated being. Mr. Rochester gets irritated by Antoinette when he tries to teach her about England and she denies the beauty of industrialized England in comparison with West Indies. Is it true, she said, that England is like a dream? Well, I answered annoyed, that is precisely how your beautiful island seems to me, quite unreal and like a dream. But how can rivers and mountains and the sea be unreal? And how can millions of people, their houses and their streets be unreal? More easily, she said, much more easily. Yes a big city must be like a dream (pg67) Mr. Rochester feels embarrassment in accepting his wifes superior knowledge about the West Indies, as he is completely a Victorian, patriarchal Englishman. Antoinette tries to teach about the nature and life of West Indies because he is a new comer in her island. But Mr. Rochester is that kind of a person who believes that to be taught by a woman is a sign of weakness and inferiority. He belongs to that category of men who wants to maintain their superiority over women. This is the reason that Mr. Rochester opposes his wifes concepts about England and West Indies. The patriarchal educational system of the 18th century was criticized by Mary Wollstonecraft, who wrote that men preserved womens innocence by keeping them ignorant (131). If she was a child she was not a stupid child but an obstinate one. She often questioned me about England and listened attentively to my answers, but I was certain that nothing I said made much difference. Her mind was already made up. Some romantic novel, a star remark never forgotten, a sketch, a picture, a song, a waltz, some note of music, and her ideas were fixed. About England and about Europe. I could not change them and probably nothing would. Reality might discontent her, bewilder her, hurt her, but it would not be reality. It would be only a mistake, a misfortune, a wrong path taken, her fixed ideas would never change. Nothing that I told her influenced her at all (pg78). This statement shows that Antoinettes resistance in his attempt to educate her annoys him. He feels that he can not influence her thoughts and ideas. Thus, he is scared to accept his lack of knowledge because it would lead to his loss of control over her. Teresa F. O Connor explains that Mr. Rochester, who comes from the male-identified England, is protected by Antoinette when he lives in her female identified West Indies. I agree with Teresa F. O Connor that their roles are reversed and that Mr. Rochester is afraid of finding himself in a female role in a female world (148-49). Personal tragedies which are founded in patriarchal societies are expressed through dramatization, imagery and characterization right from the opening pages. All the characters in Wide Sargasso Sea are imprisoned in patriarchal social structure and it lead to their tragic end. In suggesting, the common working of fascism, racism and bourgeois patriarchy, the persecutory power of the modern religion of intolerance (carr12). Rhys echoes Virginia Woolf, who argued in Three Guineas that, patriarchy, racism, pomposity, militarism, economic exploitation, autocracy and fascism are all part of the same process (carr51). Rhys reveals the hidden working of patriarchy by explaining how both Antoinette and Rochester are trapped and conditioned by the dominant patriarchal law. The marriage of Antoinette and Rochester is set in the patriarchal world. If we read Wide Sargasso Sea on deeper level we can see that Rochesters marriage to Antoinette is parallel to a business contract. His statement that, I will trust you if you trust me? Would appear to demonstrate that he does not want to give the unconditional security and love which she desires. However, by uttering the line, is it a bargain? It gives us a clue that what are the real motives of Rochester for marrying Antoinette. Everyone knows that Bargain is an economic term and it does not exist in the marriage of two people. But this marriage is like a bargain for Rochester, because he is able to gain wealth which he desired for and Antoinette is able to feel safe after all the sufferings which she faces in part one of the Wide Sargasso Sea. Rhys portrays Rochester as a person who implies the patriarchal set of laws (sexism, colonialism, the English law and the law which the patriarchal society imposes and which creates sanity and insanity) that trapped Antoinette Cosway. Both the female characters Annette and Antoinette are sexually exploited in this patriarchal world. Men in the patriarchal society can be seen as tyrants having every right to deprive women from their innocence. They demoralized womens sexuality and innocence in the same way as falcon hunts its prey. As Rhys writes, the men did as they liked. The women-never. In Wide Sargasso Sea, Rhys illustrates that men consider women as a pieces of sexual pleasure. They take women for granted and consider them as a life less creature, not having feelings and emotions like a doll. The most important episode in the novel is the scene of Antoinettes mother with the black man. It also contains the motifs of race and sex which are central in the novel. As Antoinette says in the text remembering the helplessness and pain of her mother, I remember the dress she was wearing-an evening dress cut very low, and she was barefooted. There was a fat black man with a glass of rum in his hand. He said drink it and you will forget. She drank it without stopping. I saw his mouth fasten on hers and she went all soft and limp in his arms and he laughed. This incident happened when Annette was under the take care of black couple. After the burning down of her house and death of her son Perrie she starts exhibiting the signs of emotionally unbalanced woman. Therefore, Mr. Mason assigned black couple to take care of her. This scene depicts the subjugation of women by male authority in a patriarchal world. This scene has also its roots grounded in racial conflicts. The mothers dreadful condition is clearly the result of revenge on the owners of Coulibri by the black slaves. After the emancipation act black slaves wants to take revenge on their ex-slaves owners because of the brutal treatment which they receive from the hands of white people. In Victorian society, men treat women cruelly. They think women are only there for them to provide sexual pleasures. Antoinette and Rochesters marriage can be seen in this perspective. Mr. Rochester only appreciates Antoinette for her external beauty. I wonder why I never realized how beautiful she was. This statement shows that Mr. Rochester is only sexually attracted towards his wife. He has only a sexual lust for her and this yearn does not show a true feeling of love for her. Even Mr. Rochester confesses this kind of feeling for her wife. He states, I did not love her. I was thirsty for her, but that is not love. I felt very little tenderness for her, she was a stranger to me, a stranger who did not think or feel as I did (pg78). According to Howells, Rochester belongs to that patriarchal world where women are luxury items to be bought, enjoyed and discarded. Through out the novel, Mr. Rochester is consistently shown as being hostile, cruel and unloving towards her wife. Christophine tells Antoinette, that he is hard as a board. He belongs to that patriarchal world where men substitutes love with sex and domination. He wants to break Antoinette up like an aggressive warrior. As Christophine keeps repeating to him, all you want is to break her up (126). In all of Rhyss works sexuality is the most important theme. It was mostly due to the idea that men dominate women in all aspects. They want control and repress womens sexually. And Rochester here is not only shown as a patriarchal husband but he is also shown as a Victorian who believes that women sexuality should be repressed. Here Rhys illustrates that men want to link women with death, just for the reason to control and suppress them. They kill women to repress them and here Rochester does the same thing to Antoinette. Die then! Die! I watched her die many times. In my way, not in hers. In sunlight, in shadow, by moonlight, by candle light. In the long afternoons, when the house was empty. Only the sun was there to keep us company (Rhys pg.77). Angier indicate Rhyss idea about men and love, men rob love with sex (Angier543). In the Victorian patriarchal society, men think about sex equivalent to love. They believed that feeling of love and sex is alike. Therefore, when Antoinette offers herself to love her, Rochester replies her only with sexual desires because has no feeling of love for her. He is cold in his feelings of love for Antoinette and therefore, he is emotionally a stone. This shows Mr. Rochesters patriarchal and unloving attitude towards her which kills Antoinette emotionally and she transforms into a Zombie, a living dead, in Voodoo or Obeah. In Wide Sargasso Sea, Mr. Rochester has been shown as the ultimate in patriarchal tyranny, but other male characters in this novel also exhibit deep-rooted feelings of misogyny, including Mr. Mason and Daniel. Rhys undoubtedly laments these men who deprived all of the female characters in this novel from their agency. Conventional aspects are traditionally associated with women, such as having propensity to mental illness, or being illogical, frivolous, depended, decorative, subordinate, scheming, manipulative, weak, jealous, gossiping, vulnerable and deceitful. Marriage of Antoinette and Rochester is marked with suspicion, betrayal and misunderstanding right from the beginning of their marriage. When Mr. Rochester receives the letter from Antoinettes half brother, Daniel Cosway, in which Daniel has written about Antoinettes mad mother and her drunkard father, he is not surprised. And when he came to know about Antoinettes love affair with her cousin Sandy, he became more aggressive and cruel towards her. The feeling of jealousy takes control of him. Thus the issue of trust is play out between Rochester and Antoinettes relationship. Although Mr. Rochester is only concerned with material success as Christophine says to Rochester, Everybody know that you marry her for her money and you take it all. And then you want to break her up, because you jealous of her (pg125). This statement reveals the fact that Rochester married Antoinette only for her money and does not love her. But still he wants to possess her in order to show his patriarchal power over her. He believes that she belongs to him and is therefore not allowed to leave him and love someone else. I tell you she loves no one, anyone. I could not touch her. Expecting as the hurricane will touch that tree-and break it. You say I did? No. that was loves fierce play. Now Ill do it. She ill not laugh in the sun again. Shell not dress up and smile at herself in that damnable looking glass. So pleased, so satisfied. Vain, silly creature. Made for loving? Yes, but shell have no lover, for I dont want her and shell see no other (Rhys 136). Though, Mr. Rochester feel hatred towards Antoinette, he still feels that she belongs to him. He does not want Antoinette to lead an independent life, because it would result in loosing his patriarchal power and dominance over his wife. Therefore, he refuses to let her leave him. Despite the fact that Mr. Rochester married Antoinette only for her money, he still feels that he is attracted towards her wifes exotic beauty and the beauty of her island. He does not want to fall for their charms and magnificence and thus he denies the attraction he feels towards the island and his wife. I hated the mountains and the hills, the rivers and the rains. I hated the sunsets of whatever color, I hated its beauty and its magic and the secret I would never know. I hated its indifference and the cruelty which was part of its loveliness. Above all I hated her. For she belonged to the magic and the loveliness. She had left me thirsty and all my life would be thirst and longing for what I had lost before I found it (Rhys). This quotation describes Mr. Rochester as a colonizer. As an Englishman, he wants to colonize both his wife and her island. His strict Victorian breeding and patriarchal values makes him obsessed with control and dominance. He does not want to fall love with her wife and her island, even though he is attracted towards them, because of the fact that he wants to maintain his patriarchal power to control and dominate them. Thus, by acting blindly to the attractions he feels towards his wife and her island, he condemns Antoinette and her world and in this way he tries to protect himself. All the sufferings and miseries which Antoinette suffers through out her life are due to the fact that in Victorian patriarchal society women were considered to be the source to bring sexual pleasures to their husbands. Men treat women in the same manner as somebody treat the servant or an animal. Women in Victorian societies are thought to be weak, helpless creatures that are unable to think for themselves. Men believed that it was the law of bible that males are superior to females, therefore they have a right to treat them as they like.

The Changing Face of Education Essay example -- Teaching Education Phi

The Changing Face of Education America has shifted from an agricultural society to an industrial society, and is in the process of transcending into the computer age. Though the progression of technology has made life simpler for the average person in many respects, this convenience does have drawbacks. To illustrate, in the current informational age, much less manual labor is needed. Citizens having a quality education are essential in the workplace. In light of this, schools must make adjustments that help to prepare students with the type of knowledge and skills that will be required of them in today’s job market. Capable and caring teachers are crucial in accomplishing this task. In times past, children were thought of as â€Å"little adults† and were treated as though they should be able to think and act on an adult level, impaired only by the physical limitations of being smaller and weaker. Rousseau was useful in establishing that children are not merely â€Å"smaller adults,† but are special citizens in need of special consideration. I agree with Rousseau in that children’s minds are not mature enough to allow them to think on an adult level, nor have they had the opportunity to experience and learn things that seem very basic to adults. As a future teacher, I identify well with the pragmatic philosophy, which applies democratic methods and encourages problem solving. Rewards of an intrinsic nature have drawn me to the teaching profession. These include imparting knowledge, seeing the students make connections, and making a difference in the lives of many. I am aware of a certain degree of unpredictability in the teaching profession, and I find this aspect appealing. Each day will be unique, with its own set ... ...er enhanced. I plan to get to know my students; to encourage them while using their names, showing them that I recognize and value their individuality. I believe that educational reform is necessary to the effective schools movement. Also, the implementation of technology in the classroom is essential if students and teachers are to keep up with the advances of the world. Not only will exposure to such advances better enable students to function in an increasingly technical society, but also the equipment available may provide for an enhanced, more diverse curriculum. My role as an educator during these reform initiatives is simply to stay current and be informed. I plan to do this by continuing to take classes upon graduation, pursuing a master’s degree. Through various means of professional development, I, as a teacher, will remain a lifelong learner.

Competitive Advantage Essay -- essays research papers fc

Corporate Strategy "Sources of competitive advantage rarely yield added value that can be sustained over time." The following essay is going to attempt to assess the above proposition and try to find if it is possible to add value continually over a period of time. I will first discuss what competitive advantage is and what it means to a firm. Then I will explain the sources of competitive advantage and how the distinctive capabilities of a firm allow it to sustain added value. The discussion is based on a number of viewpoints from different authors who will be clearly indicated and acknowledged. I begin with explaining what competitive advantage is. So, what is Competitive Advantage? In a number of industries, the average performance of the industry is usually no better than the average performance of industries' as a whole. However particular firms or groups of firms manage to do considerably better than average. In this case, the high performing firm or sub-group has something special and difficult to imitate to offer which allows it to outperform it's rivals. Porter (1985) refers to such special assets as the firm's competitive advantage. "A firm's competitive advantage are those characteristics that allow it to do well even in the face of mediocre industry wide performance and free entry into the industry as a whole." The firm has certain capabilities which allow it to be different from the other firms in the industry. It has certain distinctive capabilities which cannot be reproduced by competitors. However, it is not enough for that characteristic to be distinctive. It is also necessary for it to be sustainable over a period of time. As Oster (1994) points out, " The key success factors in an industry are those assets that allow a firm to outperform it's rivals for a sustained period of time." Competitive advantages are always relative. For example, Sainsbury's has a very slight competitive advantage over Tesco. These firms serve similar markets and they see themselves as members of the same industry and strategic group. Tesco has a competitive advantage over Argyll. In a paired comparison one firm will have a relative competitive advantage over another. The resource based theory of the firm indicates, " If all firms in a market have the same stock of resources and capabilities, no strategy for value creation is... ...ge a firm has in the market. Word Count: 1450 words Bibliography Combined Bibliography for essay an related case study. Firm Resources & Sustained Competitive Advantage, 1991 J. Barney Foundations Of Corporate Success, 1995 J. Kay Modern Competitive Analysis, 1994 S.M. Oster Competitive Advantage, 1985 Micheal Porter Other sources: Exploring Corporate Strategy, 1989 G. Johnson & K. Scholes IBM website on the Internet, http:/www.ibm.com Newspaper articles and CD ROM Combined Word Count: 2500 words

The Patriarchal Roots of Evil: Mass Rape and its Implications :: Free Essays Online

The Patriarchal Roots of Evil: Mass Rape and its Implications Imagine this scene. A woman is being brought through the forest. Someone had, very tactically, tied her to a cross in a vertical manner, and by the painful look on her face, the worst is yet to come. The woman is being carried by what is soon to become her audience. It consists mostly of other women by looks very similar to their friend on the cross: malnourished, zombie-like, bodies painted with blood of the bruises that never were given a chance to heal. Most of their clothes are ripped, and this is but one indication of the things that happen in a repeated motion night, after night, after night. When they arrive at the clearing area, the audience is ordered to sit down and watch, by very well armed, male guards who were following them the entire way. Only now do we see that the woman on the cross is pregnant. In any other case it would possibly be less noticeable, but that woman, at that exact moment, was cut open with a knife. In her belly, a baby could be seen moving. The audien ce does not move, nor protest. They know better. The only difference between them, and the woman on the cross, is that they, if stayed quiet, still have a chance of survival. The guards react differently. In trance-like excitement they clap, screaming, "Die, Muslim Whore! Die before you pollute the world with your bastard! If you gave birth to a Chetnik you?d be let go." Fifteen minutes later, both, the baby and its mother were dead. The above example is an interpretation of a roughly similar scene told to Catherine MacKinnon by one of the survivors in the audience. This event specifically occurred in the aggression over Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the 1992 to 1995 war, but it is not very different from the crimes inflicted onto women during other political conflicts, out of which mass rape used as a weapon of war is the most often occurring scenario. Since the beginning of recorded history, when the conflict arises women are raped, and some are then killed, regardless if conflict be on a local, national or an international level. (In this essay, war will be the example of conflict.) While Bosnia offers an example most known to today's generations this type of violence is not a new phenomena: a slight change of a year and tragedies of women of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Germany, India, Kenya, Peru, Rwanda, Somalia (and many, many more) do not seem as foreign.

Hris Replacement Essay

Cost Plan Part of project management is the estimation of the project cost. The budget can be derived from the project plan by looking at the following criteria (Marchewka, 2009): * estimated duration of activities, * resources identified and assigned to tasks, and * wages and overtime rate for resources. In addition to hard numbers resource leveling is important. Resource leveling helps with accurately planning a project and will help identify if people are scheduled to have more work than hours in a day. Having too much work assigned to one person is a risk to the project. Figure 2 – Riordan Budget Report illustrates the Riordan HRIS replacement project budget based on the resources allocated to tasks in the project plan. The budget report will be monitored weekly at the beginning of the project and daily as the project progresses. Additional cost factors such as material, facility cost, insurance, and other administrative costs will be added to the project budget cost to establish the overall project budget. Figure 2 – Riordan Budget Report Performance Measurement It is important to not only to establish critical tasks and sub-tasks, but also to identify a means to measure current progress against estimated progress. Without a clear understanding of where the project is in regards to the timeline management is unable to identify potential trouble spots and delays that can drive up costs and derail the project. What Is Performance Measurement The U. S. General Accounting Office (GAO) provides the following definition of Performance Measurement: â€Å"Performance measurement is the ongoing monitoring and reporting of program accomplishments, particularly progress towards pre-established goals. It is typically conducted by program or agency management. Performance measures may address the type or level of program activities conducted (process), the direct products and services delivered by a program (outputs), and/or the results of those products and services (outcomes). A program† may be any activity, project, function, or policy that has an identifiable purpose or set of objectives. †(Performance-Based Management Special Interest Group [(PBM SIG)], 2001, p. 3). When undergoing a project or process there must be a method in place to judge or measure the progress and outcome, which will allow management to make intelligent decisions. Performance Measurement delivers that data management requires by applying a method of evaluating progress toward accomplishing predetermined goals, including information on the efficiency with which resources are transformed into goods and services (PM Solutions Center for Business Practices, 2005). Performance Measurement vs. Value Measurement In measuring performance, program management is trying to gather information to help them make decisions to affect change that, with any luck, will improve that performance. For example, project performance measures are initiated to provide crucial information to managers in order to provide purpose and direction over the project. Those measures must be pertinent and applicable to the organizational level that can immediately effect change based on information it learns in order to control the performance of the project. In measuring value, you are trying to demonstrate that decisions you made to implement change, through project management improvement initiatives, has indeed added value to the organization. This is actually measuring value rather than performance, which may not be the same. While improved performance can be translated into value, value measurement, provide information on the performance of the organization rather than performance of the project. Riordan Project Performance Measures Measurement Construct The Measurement Construct utilized in the Riordan Project is based on the adherence to estimate. Accurate project estimation is crucial in keeping project costs down and stakeholders happy. The Key Performance Indicator project managers want to minimize is expressed by the formula [(E-A)/E], where E = estimated Value to complete project and A = actual Value used to complete project. Project managers can substitute any value into the equation, such as hours or cost, to determine adherence to estimate. This will allow the project management team to spot trends early on during the project and then make the necessary adjustments. To better illustrate this concept figure 2 depicts the subtasks identified as Milestones. The project management has estimated the time required to complete the 1st phase of the project (Project Preparation) would require 10 days. Completion of the phase is signaled by the development of the Statement Of Works. The project management team could measure the performance of the project resources or team members by comparing the actual time required to complete the Milestone against the estimated time to complete the Milestone. Figure 3 – Milestones Figure 2 depicts that the estimated time to complete phase 1 was 10 days. If the actual time required to complete phase 1 was recorded at 12. 5 days the performance measure would be as follows: [(10-12. 5)/12. 5]= -20% This value describes a value of -20% of efficiency of the performance of this task. Ideally the task performance would be 0%; the milestone would have been completed within the time estimated during the project inception. While many may feel it is better to come in under the original estimate, the goal is to optimize resources and organizational assets throughout the project. Over committing assets and resources on one project may have undesirable effects in other areas of the organization. The key is to have exactly the required assets and resources available when required and only when required. Project Baseline The project baseline is set when all of the details for the planned project are set. The project baseline in MS Project ® is set by selecting View > Gantt Chart > Tools > Tracking > Set Baseline > Entire Project (eHow, 2011). The Riordan HRIS replacement project baseline is illustrated in Figure 3 – Riordan HRIS Project Baseline Illustration. Figure 4 – Riordan HRIS Project Baseline Illustration Evaluation Figure 5 – Riordan HRIS Replacement Tracking Sheet Risk Analysis Reporting Project Evaluation and Reporting takes a key role in the process and collection of project information for all members involved in the project to track changes, maintain budgetary requirements, and complete objectives on-time. â€Å"Monitoring the progress of the project allows you to adapt the program as needed to ensure that you attain your objectives.

Animal Rights Issue Research question

Topic: Animal Rights Issue Research question: Has animal rights issue gone too far? Working thesis statement: Do animal rights organization take it too far, when it actively encourages a vegetarian diet as a way of life? Yes it’s taking it too far by ignoring the value of nutrients that meat can offer our bodies. Research plan: I plan to conduct my research on the issue if animal rights organizations have gone too far in promoting a vegetarian diet. But also on those who do not encourage this and the importance that meat has.Some of the sites I will be using are http://www. prairie. org/, http://digitalcommons. csbsju. edu, and other resources. Timetable for Research Project Assignments| Assignment related to the research paper| Description of and points for the assignment:| Due date as indicated in course syllabus:| Exact Date and time in MST:| Research Proposal and Outline| Four part proposal and six part outline (60 pts. ). | Week 4 in Dropbox| 8/9/2012 at 3:00pm| Annotated Bibliography| List and summary of at least five sources (100 pts). Week 5 in Dropbox| 8/16/2012 at 3:00pm| First Draft of Research Paper| Draft of first three sections of final paper, including introduction, thesis statement, and problem section (60 pts). | Week 6 in Dropbox| 8/22/2012 at 3:00pm| Second Draft of Research Paper| Draft of final three sections of final paper, including solution and call to action sections | Week Discussion topic 2 | 8/27/2012 at 5:00pm| Research Paper Presentation| The format presentation of the entire paper (50 pts). Week 7 in Dropbox| 8/29/2012 at 6:00pm| Final Research Paper| Entire paper addressing feedback on first two drafts. It must have all six sections and include a References page (150 pts). | Week 8 in Dropbox| 9/4/2012 at 3:00pm| Research Outline I. I plan to conduct my research on and if animal rights organizations have gone too far in promoting a vegetarian diet? And those who do not encourage this and the importance that meat has. Is an imal rights organization taking it too far, when it actively encourages a vegetarian diet as a way of life?Of course it’s taking it too far by ignoring the value of nutrients that meat can offer our bodies. II. Of course it’s taking it too far by promoting a diet that should have nothing to do with animal abuse. III. Secondly, they ignore the value of nutrients that meat can offer our bodies that can lead to healthier muscle growth. IV. A solution to this would be to find a different method that is least painful for the animals we kill to eat. V. A second solution would be to let others eat what they want, and focus more on stricter laws.To actually putting a stop those who are abusing these animals. VI. I agree that everything on earth is for the utility of humanity. But that doesn’t give any one the right to abuse, or be cruel towards an animal. We should focus more on stricter policies, and stopping does who make these animals suffer pain. Just because an ani mal is killed to provide meat, is no reason to turn vegetarian. Humans have a right to eat meat. The abuse has to stop, so that we are provided with a healthier meat.

HSA 515 Dealing with Fraud Essay

As the Chief Nursing Officer of the state’s largest Obstetric Health Care Center, this author is responsible for complaints regarding fraudulent behavior in the center. The purpose of this report is to (1) evaluate how the Healthcare Qui tam affects health care organizations, (2) provide four examples of Qui Tam cases that exist in a variety of health care organizations, (3) devise a procedure for admission into a health care facility that upholds the law about the required number of Medicare and Medicaid referrals, (4) recommend a corporate integrity program that will mitigate incidents of fraud and assess how the recommendation will impact issues of reproduction and birth, and (5) Devise a plan to protect patient information that complies with all necessary laws. Qui Tam (from the Latin phrase â€Å"he who sues on behalf of the king†) is a well-known mechanism used by private individual to assist the government in enforcing specific laws (Ruhnka, Gac, & Boerstler, 2000). The False Claims Act of 1863 is one of the most important examples of the Qui Tam mechanism that was enacted during the Civil War to prosecute war profiteers who were caught overcharging the Union Army (Ruhnka, Gac, & Boerstler, 2000). Showalter (2012) states that the whistle-blower (aka relator) files the suit as a kind of â€Å"private attorney general† on behalf of the government in a qui tam case. Evaluate how the Healthcare Qui tam affects health care organizations. Healthcare qui tam affects health care organizations in many ways. The most popular and inconvenient way is financial losses. If an organization is accused of qui tam, a suit is filed and if the company is found guilty of fraud, they stand to incur a financial loss due to having to repay money to the government. Ruhnka, Gac, & Boerstler (2000) state that intentionally fraudulent activities such as billing for services not provided, billing for services or equipment that is not medically appropriate, or violating clearly stated billing rules are unacceptable and should be prosecuted whenever they occur. Qui tam effect on health care organizations has not been a positive one. Cruise (2003) state that qui tam actions has forced organizations to develop a new cadre of operating guidelines and procedures collectively called â€Å"compliance programs† resulting in organizations having to pay $600 – 700 million per year to a consultant industry to advise them on the intricacies of this new era. Health care organizations have adopted Federal Sentencing Guidelines as a part of their compliance programs due to the laws governing Medicare fraud and abuse (Cruise, 2003). Examples of Qui Tam cases that exist in a variety of health care organizations. Healthcare is on the rise in the United States. Medicare and Medicaid is the largest of the government sponsored healthcare plans and provide health care coverage for as many as 95 million Americans, at an estimated cost in 2012 of more than $900 billion (Raspanti, n.d.). Raspanti (n.d.) state that the primary reason for the rise in healthcare cost has been the large degree of fraud committed against these two major government health care programs. Raspanti (n.d.) state the following are examples of qui tam cases, but not limited to: â€Å"Kickbacks: The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits any offer, payment, solicitation or receipt of money, property or remuneration to induce or reward the referral of patients or healthcare services payable by a government health care program, including Medicare or Medicaid. These improper payments can come in many different forms, including, but not limited to: referral fees; finder’s fees; productivity bonuses; discounted leases; discounted equipment rentals; research grants; speaker’s fees; excessive compensation; and free or discounted travel or entertainment. The  offer, payment, solicitation or receipt of any such monies or remuneration can be a violation of the Federal Anti-Kickback statute, 42 U.S.C.  §1328-7b(b), the Federal False Claims Act, as well as various other federal and state laws and regulations. Ghost Patients: The submission of a claim for health care services, treatments, diagnostic tests, medical devices or pharmaceuticals provided to a patient who either does not exist or who never received the service or item billed for in the claim. Up-Coding Services: Billing of government and private insurance programs is done using a complex series of numerical codes that identify the specific procedure or service being performed. These code sets can include: the American Medical Association’s Current Procedural Terminology (â€Å"CPT†) codes; Evaluation and Management (â€Å"E&M†) codes; Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (â€Å"HCPCS†) codes; and International Classification of Disease (â€Å"ICD-9†) codes. Government health care programs assign a dollar amount it will pay for each procedure code. Up coding occurs when a health care provider submits of a claim for health care services, treatments, diagnostic tests or items that represent a more serious and more expensive procedure than that which actually was performed. Up coding can be a violation of the Federal False Claims Act. Bundling and Unbundling: In many cases, government health care programs have special reimbursement rates for groups of procedures that are typically performed together, such as laboratory tests. One common type of fraud has been to â€Å"unbundle† these procedures or tests and bill each one separately, which results in greater reimbursement than the group reimbursement rate. Attorneys in the national qui tam whistleblower practice of Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti successfully represented the lead relator in one of the largest cases of â€Å"unbundling† in the history of false claims litigation, United States ex rel. Merena v. Smithkline Beecham Clinical Labs, which resulted in a recovery of $328 million for federal taxpayers. False Certification: When physicians, hospitals and other health care providers submit bills to government health care programs they are required to include a number of important certifications, including that the services were medically necessary, were actually performed, and were performed in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations. Additionally, health care companies such as pharmaceutical companies and pharmacy benefits managers that provide products or services to government  health care programs are required to certify that they are satisfying all obligations under their contracts with the government. One common type of fraud has been to falsify these certifications in order to get a health care claim paid or to obtain additional business† (Raspanti, n.d.). Stanton (2001) acknowledges that in a healthcare facility, with Medicare, each false claim is considered an individual billing whether for a specific medical item or service. Penalties can rise quickly with suspension or delay payment of future claims for a facility if it has been accused of submitting false claims (Stanton, 2001). Devise a procedure for admission into a health care facility that upholds the law about the required number of Medicare and Medicaid referrals. In order to avoid health care qui tam, healthcare organizations must stay abreast and compliant with Medicare and Medicaid laws. When a patient enters a facility for illness or an appointment, there are steps to follow. At check-in, the patient gives insurance card and pertinent information to nurse. The nurse enters the information into the system. The patient waits for the doctor to assess the illness to determine the needs of the patient. â€Å"Physician inputs information into the system and system codes the treatment based on Medicare or Medicaid protocols; system confirms and red flags any treatment or medication that is not allowed; patient is discharged and Medicare or Medicaid is billed for services rendered by the hospital, physician, and for medication† (Burnaby, Hass, & O’Reilly, 2011). If for some reason, items billed are questioned or denied, the items are reviewed and resubmitted to Medicare or Medicaid for payment. Recommend a corporate integrity program that will mitigate incidents of fraud and assess how the recommendation will impact issues of reproduction and birth. Corporate Integrity Agreements (CIAs) are considered second chances for healthcare organizations. By using CIAs, the organization avoids exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid, or other Federal healthcare programs by establishing and implementing a compliance program per CIA regulations and guidelines (MetricStream, n.d.). Implementing CIAs is challenging and can cause financial strain; however it can â€Å"protect stakeholders and customers from risk, and build brand value† (MetricStream, n.d.) CIAs are implemented  for healthcare organizations to uphold certain standards and to fulfill the organizations’ missions and goals. CIAs are usually proposed due to allegations of fraud or abuse which are found to be true through audits or self-disclosures; and are drawn up for a period of three to five years and can extend up to eight years (MetricStream, n.d.). Ramsey (2002) suggests that a recommended integrity program should include stipulations such as â€Å"designation of a compliance officer and a compliance committee† – to ensure that the needed changes will be made; â€Å"a required code of conduct, mandated compliance policies and procedures† – stating that the organization is committed to complying with the laws; â€Å"training requirements† – to ensure that staff and physicians are knowledgeable and up-to-date on all requirements and processes required by the organization, the government and vendors; â€Å"review and auditing procedures† – to help reduce errors when reporting claims; and a â€Å"confidential disclosure program where employees internally may report possible violations of the law† . Once a CIA is implemented, to deter employees from committing fraud, a stern disciplinary action process should be enforced and followed. Devise a plan to protect patient information that complies with all necessary laws. Protecting patient information is a responsibility of all healthcare organizations and a plan or process must be in place to do so. In any situation, whether in an office, clinic, or in the field, there are important procedures that can be followed to protect a patient’s information and confidentiality (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). As a health care worker, you must â€Å"confirm the patient’s identity at first encounter, never discuss the patient’s case with anyone without the patient’s permission, never leave hard copies of forms or records where unauthorized persons may access them, and use only secure routes to send patient information and always mark confidential† (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). When in healthcare settings â€Å"conduct patient interviews in private rooms, never discuss cases or use patient’s names in public area, and always obtain patient’s permission before distributing his/her information to a staff member or healthcare worker† (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Always keep medical records and  computers used in a locked or secure box to prohibit unauthorized persons access. Creation and implementation of a protection and privacy plan can reduce legal actions under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Qui Tam cases impact healthcare organizations in various ways to include high penalties if found guilty, payback of monies received, and a negative image for the organization. Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases are the most common qui tam cases. In order to reduce fraud and abuse cases, healthcare organizations must improve their current admission procedure, their corporate integrity program, and their patient information protection system. Reference: Burnaby, P., Hass, S., & O’Reilly, A. (2011). Generic health care hospital: The road to an integrated risk management system. Issues in Accounting Education, 26(2), 305-319. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Measures to protect patient confidentiality. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tb/education/ssmodules/module7/ss7reading4.htm Cruise, P. L. (2003). Deregulating health care ethics education: A curriculum proposal. Global Virtue Ethics Review, 4(3-4). MetricStream. (n.d.). Corporate integrity agreements. Retrieved from http://www.metricstream.com/solution_briefs/corporate-integrity-agreements.htm Ramsey, R. B. (2002). Corporate integrity agreements: Making the best of a tough situation. Healthcare Financial Management, 56(3), 58-62. Raspanti, M. S. (n.d.). Health care fraud and false claims. Retrieved from http://www.falseclaimsact.com Ruhnka, J. C., Gac, E. J., & Boerstler, H. (2000). Qui tam claims: Threat to voluntary compliance programs in health care o rganizations. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 25(2), 283-308. Showalter, J. S. (2012). The law of healthcare administration (6th ed.). Chicago: Health Administration Press. Stanton, T. H. (2001). Fraud-and-abuse enforcement in Medicare: Finding middle ground. Health Affairs, 20(4), 28-42.