Alcohol as an acceptable adjunct for occasions in our society Essay

There are approximately 50% or 126 million of Americans whom are past month alcohol drinkers, or also known as current drinkers. Also, approximately 23% or 55 million of Americans binge drink, and 6.6% or 16 million Americans reported heavy drinking. The estimated spending for healthcare services to treat alcohol problems, and its medical consequences of alcohol is 18.8 billion dollars a year. Alcohol is also officially linked to at least over half of all highway fatalities. To date, alcohol has been tried by 41% of 8th graders, 63% of 10th graders, 75% of 12th graders, and 87% of college students. Also there was an estimated 82 billion dollars lost in potential productivity due to alcohol and other drug use. We all know that alcohol is offered almost everywhere we go. At parties, in bars, in clubs, in stores, and restaurants. People consume alcohol for every occasion they can think of, or just to make their problems go away and to make them feel better, even though it is just for a limited amount of time. We all know what alcohol does, and can do. Why do we always chose alcohol at a party, in a bar, at a restaurant, or in a store? People can have fun without it. Alcohol is used to socialize better, but why cant people socialize without it? Why is alcohol used as an acceptable, unnecessary addition to celebrations such as parties, weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries, and as a way of relaxing and relieving stress and anxiety? People know what alcohol is about but yet continue drinking massively into more disasters. Reference: Drugs and Society Tenth Edition Chapter 8 p.182-191, U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alcoholconsumption.html#cat1 People use alcoholic beverages to enjoy while chatting with friends. Thinking about the effects of alcohol on the health of a person using it is never apparent. The holidays are the time when alcoholic beverages are mostly abused of which includes parties and small gatherings of friends and families. In this case, the people responsible in that activity such as hosts and party organizers must think of the safety of every drinking pattern. Any risky of harmful pattern must be regulated and prevented. I am not saying that it is acceptable to use alcohol during parties. What I am trying to say is that when drinking alcoholic beverages cannot be prevented during holidays, proper caution must be used in doing so to prevent untoward incidents.

Controversial Aspects of Waldorf School Education Essay

Waldorf schools are a fairly new phenomenon in our country. They first appeared in our educational system in the school year1992/1993 and since their foundation have expanded. Nowadays, we can see a Waldorf school or at least its scion almost in every city. Their popularity among parents increases and although they struggle for their existence, they somehow manage to keep their status of a state school. To an uninitiated observer, such a school type seems very creative and child friendly. Many positive aspects cannot be denied but there are always two sides to everything. Unfortunately, not many critical essays were written on the topic of Waldorf education, although some aspects are fundamental and should be publicly disclosed. The aim of this paper is to focus on the aspects and help parents as well as the teachers themselves to direct their attention to Waldorf thought context which is not openly presented. If parents consider enrolling their child in a Waldorf school, they should be highly aware of the fact that it is not only the school itself and its nice methods that are apparent and very alluring at first glance, but principally, it is the lifestyle that accompanies it. Waldorf schooling is not for everyone, especially not in the 21st century. Their rejection of technological devices or even of some scientific theories of knowledge should be transparent. People often choose it on account of their own often unhappy childhood but such a decision is not for us but for the children we love and want the best for. According to one Czech proverb which declares that â€Å"It is never too late for a rectification†, the child psychologists do not agree in the case of Waldorf education. When there appears a serious problem, parents along with the psychologist are to react speedily. It is too late to start thinking about a change of school in primary class five. In such case, the best solution, according to specialists, is to stay and complete the whole Waldorf school. A child would have too many problems and serious difficulties to adapt to an ordinary school system. Such a decision could even worsen the whole situation. If the result of an elementary school choice, which is crucial for the future studying attitude of our children fails, it can lead into a disaster. If, (especially Waldorf) schooling fails due to either misunderstanding and misuse of the philosophy or due to insufficient education of teachers who explain certain aspects in the wrong way, the result equals psychological problems of the child, the reluctance of education, thus school in general and as the icing on the cake could be the sleepless nights and nausea of the whole family. One should always get the opportunity to learn the pros and cons of the matter as we are all aware of the great vulnerability of children. Historical background  Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the first Waldorf school in Germany in 1919, based the curriculum of Waldorf school on unique elements of art in which the students learn subject matters stimulate through an amount of different representations. His pedagogy is designed for the students’ developmental growth. He created a whole system in which teachers themselves govern the school and along with the parents and supporters of the school, they create a community based on the aspects of Anthroposophy (a school of thought that grew out of Theosophy), a spiritual path from which Waldorf school springs and is devoted to. Steiner himself describes the initial process of the whole idea of Waldorf school as follows. â€Å"The first idea was to provide an education for children whose parents were working in the Waldorf Astoria Factory, and as the Director was a member of the Anthroposophical Society, he asked me to arrange this education †¦ and so, in the first place, the Waldorf School arose as a school for humanity as such, fashioned, it could in fact be said, out of the working-class†¦ ere then, we have an educational institution arising on a social basis, that seeks to found the whole spirit and method of its teaching upon Anthroposophy. † (Rudolf Steiner, A Modern Art of Education p. 88) Waldorf Schools and Religion Waldorf schools are often called free Waldorf schools and they are also said to be non-religious. Such facts do not entirely correspond with the definition of Anthroposophy – a philosophy created by Steiner. Waldorf education itself is grounded on Anthroposophy al though such a fact is not often publicly proclaimed. The definition of Anthroposophy given by Rudolf Steiner in 1923 is following: â€Å"an association of people who would foster the life of the soul, both in the individual and in human society, on the basis of a true knowledge of the spiritual world. †(Rudolf Steiner lecture on Color and the Races of Humankind 1923, London) Such a definition discloses the religious implication of Anthroposophy. â€Å"The life of the soul† could be also suggested as a religious term as well as the â€Å"spiritual world†. Steiner’s allegation of â€Å"true knowledgeâ€Å"in the definition evokes the idea that no other philosophy might be true and thus can Anthroposophy be viewed as a sect according to some definitions. Despite the fact that Waldorf schools deny being religious or occultist, many common sources define Anthroposophy as a religious movement. Encyclopedia Britannica defines Anthroposophy as â€Å"a movement based on the notion that there is a spiritual world comprehensible to pure but accessible only to the highest faculties of mental knowledge† (http://www. ritannica. com, 20/11/12) The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines Anthroposophy as â€Å"a 20th century religious system growing out of theosophy and centering on human development. † (http://www. m-w. com/cgibin/dictionary, 20/11/12). The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy interprets Anthroposophy in a similar way and names it â€Å"The Christian and occultist movement associated with Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) emphasizing the cultivation of spiritual nature and the way to gain spiritual awareness of a higher world† (Oxford, 1994, p. 5) Anthroposophy is not only involved in education but we can recognize this philosophical direction in several other activities including healing dance – eurhythmy, the arts, medical practice, health and hygiene, biodynamic agriculture, banking and financial consulting, publishing, the anthropological Society and also a formal Church called The Christian Community. (http://www. waldorfcritics. org, 6/12/12). Criticism of Waldorf Schools Education or schooling of our children should certainly be objective as much as possible without occultist practices. We should educate independent human beings able to view their lives with freedom, able to search for verifiable information themselves without penalties. Freedom of choice should be the right for every individual. One should not be excluded or asked to â€Å"leave† when asking â€Å"inconvenient† or â€Å"suspicious† questions. The evidence is not only found in personal experience of many people, but there are several commentaries about obscure theories and indefinite views described on a website for non-sectarian schools called PLANS. We can find a number of such websites that criticize similar matters but PLANS seems to be working with dedicated researchers, people who used to work very closely for the Waldorf schools and whose first great impression of the whole system reached alarming proportions after several years inside the system. Many a reader may raise objections against their criticism but since there are always the same asked questions and repeatedly occurring the same problems that harm, we should not make light of this problem. One should be aware of the fact that it is not a common criticism of an ordinary school system and its problems. Students as well as their parents naturally face everyday unpleasant situations that appear at school due to many common factors. Such ordinary problems often emerge from misunderstanding of two sides, student’s negative attitude towards their studies and similar problems. In Waldorf schools there certainly arise the already mentioned problems as well but what makes the two educational systems different is the fact that people involved in the common educational process do not usually set up, generally speaking, groups against the system or organizations searching for precise fundamental questions about the nature of certain practices of the system itself. The following quotation from the website can sketch a broad outline of PLANS to clarify their activities. |†Welcome! People for Legal and Non-Sectarian Schools (PLANS) is a world-wide network of former Waldorf parents, teachers, students, | |administrators and trustees who come from a variety of backgrounds with a common goal: to educate the public about the reality behind Waldorf’s| |facade of progressive, arts-based education. Waldorf is the most visible activity of Anthroposophy, an occultist sect founded by Rudolf Steiner| |(1861-1925). (www. waldorfcritics. org 4/12/12) | The statement about the â€Å"most visible activity of Anthroposophyâ€Å"might be one of the crucial points that may cause the everlasting confusion in understanding of â€Å"who they actually are†. There are certain signs that most decidedly catch the observer’s eye and facilitate Waldorf schools. It is always the choice of colours, natural materials and pictures that often portra y angels or such spiritual beings. Symbolism is used across the whole Waldorf educational system. These indications and signs often lead the outside observer to a conclusion that Waldorf school uses religious devices to present itself. Nevertheless one of the official definitions of Waldorf school found in Webster Dictionary states that: â€Å"Waldorf education (also known as Steiner education) is the largest independent alternative educational movement in the world. It is based on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy. Learning is interdisciplinary, integrating practical, artistic, and conceptual elements. The approach emphasizes the role of the imagination in learning, developing thinking that includes a creative as well as an analytic component. The educational philosophy’s overarching goals are to provide young people the basis on which to develop into free, morally responsible and integrated individuals and to help every child fulfil his or her unique destiny, the existence of which anthroposophy posits. Schools and teachers are given considerable freedom to define curricula within collegial structures. † (www. merriam-webster. om 9/1/13) In the definition the reader does not receive any information about religious or occultist practice in Waldorf education. The whole characteristic of the school seems unique, interesting and at first sight describing an ideal type of school. Many a parent prefers such a school and there is no wonder that the description attracts parents who want to have an independent, creative child that is voluntarily seeking knowledge. The last sen tence of the definition is nevertheless crucial and to an educated and experienced teacher, it probably foreshadows further questions. At this point it is essential to emphasize that particularly the Czech Waldorf school collegial structures are made up of often non- teachers or of teachers who reached the high school education only. A further sample of the text written by Debra Snell, the President of the association PLANS summarizes, through her personal experience, the feelings and thoughts of majority of people who happened to be a part or came into contact with the Waldorf education. †My personal experience with Waldorf was very confusing. Instead of the progressive and liberal alternative school I was led to expect by the school’s promotional materials and staff, I discovered a rigid, authoritarian environment that seemed to be rooted in a medieval dogma that I did not understand. When, in an effort to make sense of things, I asked questions about this, I found Waldorf teachers to be strangely defensive†. â€Å"I was stunned to arrive at the conclusion that the education of children — at least as I use the term â€Å"education† — did not seem to be the school’s most important focus and objective. But what was? † â€Å"I began to ask questions. What is Anthroposophy? Why don’t teachers allow students in the preschool through the early elementary grades to use black crayons in their drawings? Why do students use the wet-on-wet watercolour painting technique exclusively for so many years? Why is mythology taught as history? Where is the American flag, and why don’t Waldorf schools teach civics lessons in America? In a school system that promotes itself as â€Å"education toward freedom,† why do students copy everything from the blackboard? Why do Waldorf teachers talk in high voices and sing-song directions to their classes? Why must the kindergarten room walls be painted â€Å"peach blossom†? Why is learning to read before the age of 8 or 9 considered unhealthy? Why do so many Waldorf classes have problems with bullying, and what is the school’s policy for dealing with this? Why are teachers always lighting candles? † (www. waldorfcritics. org 4/12/12) Snell points out existing questions and facts many parents begin to sense when explanations to their questions start being vague or ambiguous. Every question is worth answering especially a question of a parent or a child. Unfortunately many parents who place their children to Waldorf school often get a recommendation to leave when asking too much. Why are not the answers obvious and logical? Why do not the parents receive any straight explanation? There have been many similar questions asked by parents all over the world and as we can see, while browsing the internet and other sources such as debates and newspaper articles, very often such questions stay unanswered. No matter which country the Waldorf school backers come from, their experience and feelings are very similar. They wish to find clear answers, which is not a simple task, but generally one could be satisfied at least to gain some basic awareness and knowledge of the facts why at all we shall ask these questions. There are so many controversial issues, such as writing in capital letters only until the age of eight, as well as not learning to read until a certain time, the prohibition of electronic devices such as a CD, DVD player, a computer or the lighting of candles to attract the good spiritual forces.

Love at First Sight Essay

Love at First Sight Writing Sample Once upon a time there was a girl. One day she saw a boy she’d never met across a crowded room. Their eyes locked: she froze in her tracks, her face stuck in awe. Her blood ran cold; her fingers began to tingle as a shiver ran through her entire body. 8.2 seconds later the boy flashed her a beaming smile. His expression injected a flood of warmth into her fragile heart and her mouth involuntarily turned up to return the gesture. She didn’t know how or why but she knew at that moment that this boy was the one. This is the true and universal story of a phenomenon known as love at first sight. When I was a child I used to shamble after my mom around the house asking her â€Å"Mommy, what’s it like to be in love?† she always sat me down and answered â€Å"It’s nothing I can explain, sweetie, you’ll know it when you feel it†. How could this be? How could an experience be so complex it can’t be described in words? How on earth could this happen with one look? Science says it’s simple: it’s all in our biological makeup. In a recent article published in Psychology Today; John R. Buri, Ph.D. describes that when we experience an â€Å"instant attraction† neurotransmitter chemicals are released into our nervous system stimulating a powerful â€Å"physiological arousal†. But how far does this stimulant take us? We all know what it’s like to encounter a â€Å"hot† boy or girl on any regular day but this exciting meeting is usually easily forgotten and rarely affects us in any way besides providing topic of conversation among friends (â€Å"Have you seen that new cashier? He is fine! And he totally checked me out today†). Some may say that this brief glitch of pleasure is all that will ever result from a first meeting, but stories all around us attest to something greater. A submission to the PBS segment â€Å"American Love Stories† reads â€Å"I met my husband in an emergency room while he was doing a medical school rotation. I was being  treated for a migraine headache. From twenty-five feet away and despite numerous interruptions, including my pain, our eyes locked, and we married a little over a year later.† This is just one of the tales that pop-up all around us converting the emotionally willing to hopeless romance. The question we must ask, though, is how much of this phenomenon is rooted in fairytales and how much is it rooted in science? In an experiment recently conducted by Cornell University on a sample of fruit flies, female fruit flies were able to sense, upon first encounter, males of the same species that were genetically capable of producing more offspring with them than other males that weren’t. The scientists explained this result by concluding that the female flies were innately â€Å"wired for love† and â€Å"the chemicals and proteins needed for their response [were] already in place, without the need for new genes to be activated†. Though there are differences between the genetics in humans and fruit flies, the same principles may apply. Clara Moskowitz, author of the article â€Å"Love at First Sight Might be Genetic†, refers to an experiment where humans were more attracted to the scents emitted from T-shirts that were not of those who were genetically related to them, proving that human bodies have a natural instinct that prevents inbreeding and is able to â€Å"senseâ₠¬  their better match. It’s hard to imagine the amazing complexity of the human mind and feelings but a lot of people put all of their faith or belief into something they can’t even see or understand. In the article â€Å"Love at First sight† Psychology today reveals that approximately 60% of Americans believe in love at first sight. This might be due to the fact that over 50% said they have experienced it. Whether or not one â€Å"believes† in love at first sight, it’s no question that humans are scientifically capable of it. Our culture is surrounded by the magical idea of true love and impossibly romantic fairytales that seem too good to be true; but maybe the reason these stories seem so out of reach is because they have an outrageous take on relationships and the circumstances in which they develop. So what is love? A romantic duet in a pond under a star-sprinkled sky? A brave, handsome prince rescuing a gorgeous, innocent damsel in distress from a fire-breathing dragon? A happily ever after? Most would have a hard time defining something as mysterious as love, but with the burst of technology in the last decade, scientists have uncovered explanations for more than ever thought possible. Judith Newman investigates her heart out in the Parade Article â€Å"The Science of Love†, breaking down the concept into three chemicals in the brain that each contribute to a different piece of the love puzzle. The first, dopamine, is connected to the addictive feeling of pleasure one may feel around someone they love. Norepinphrine, the second neurotransmitter released, causes the jitters and nerves that result from being in love. The third, Serotonin, balances out the norepinphrine by releasing a calming chemical into the brain. These three transmitters release enough â€Å"mix of emotions† into the body to cause the sensation we know as love. As scientists discover more and more about humans, more and more is revealed about how we were biologically constructed to find a life-long partner. And if love really is just a release of fancy brain chemicals, it’s likely that they can work fast enough to be triggered at first sight; we are pretty smart after all. To make the claim that love is all mental is, well, plain mental; yet to say it is scientifically impossible is just as crazy. It’s plain to see that love happens all around us and most importantly when we’re not expecting it. Not everything can be explained by science, even when it comes to biological instinct, but sometimes a simple meeting of the eyes or a flash of a genuine smile explains it all. Works Cited 1. Love, Home /. â€Å"Love at First Sight, Blind to the Future.† PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. . 2. Moskowitz, Clara. â€Å"Love at First Sight Might Be Genetic | LiveScience.† Live Science. 08 Apr. 2009. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. . 3. Buri, Ph.D, John R. â€Å"Love At First Sight.† Psychology Today. 16 Feb. 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. . 4. Newman, Judith. â€Å"The Science of Love.† Parade 12 Feb. 2012: 9+. Print

Martin Luther King Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Martin Luther King - Essay Example After developing this persuasive statement, King then proceeds into his rational argument concerning the significant steps of any peaceful campaign.   King’s examination of the reasons and essential disputes that are propelling the turbulence amid blacks and whites in Birmingham uses logos. â€Å"Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United State.† He uses such boundaries to reinforce his point of view. By utilizing logical argument that is well thought-out and chronological, King pleas to a cultured audience imagination and logic. Another occasion when Martin Luther King Jr. uses the technique of honestly dealing with his audience to present his refutation is manifest in the part of his letter's beginning. "You may well ask: Why direct action?"/isn't negotiation a better path?". For this case, Martin Luther King uses to appeal to logic as the key spine of his argument but infrequently intertwines pathos and intelligent word choice along th e logos. King’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† is a grand piece of writing. Emotional strength of the letter is one of the aspects behind the success of this writing. In spite of the utilization of pigeonhole sentences, his message is clear and sensational. However, I feel that this letter was slightly verbose and florid as the same time. Also, I felt that the use of stereotyped letters somehow blithely weighed down a little on the overall message in the letter. In all, King has been capable of making it one of the most broadly read article.

The Issue of Child Abuse in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Issue of Child Abuse in America - Essay Example This situation depicts the kind of family dynamics that children today are experiencing in America. The American government should reform its child protection programs to stop child suffering within the family structure. Most American Parents have neglected their parental responsibilities as they pursue their personal goals without minding child welfare. In the Glass Castle, Walls (13) states that Brian had suffered from injury but his parents decided not to take him to the hospital just because there was another kid in the hospital. They said that â€Å"one child at a time in the hospital was enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , which depicts their ignorance and unwillingness to take care of the medical needs of their children. From such a careless statement, it is possible to point out that the parents neglected their parental responsibilities to ensure that children are healthy which is in accordance with children right of good health. Also, Brian’s mother, Wall, finds it worthy to engag e in painting rather than cook for the children. Consequently, children have to cook for themselves, without having to worry about the risk of fire that is associated with this task. In America today, most parents have placed more weight on the job and often leave children with the responsibility of fending for themselves. This abuse of children's rights is a manifestation of negative family dynamics that can only be corrected through a proper corrective reform in the children’s rights acts. In modern America, Children have to undergo tough conditions while conforming to the harsh environments that most parents subjected them to. Walls (17-20) notes the kind of life that her family lived due to the conditions of the environment that they lived. Rex, the family head, lives in a desert and keeps moving to ensure that he escapes his debtors. He moves the children in the middle of the night when he cannot be found by his collectors and the children hardly have a peaceful night. T hey have to sleep in the middle of the desert and acclimatize to the cold and the heat fluctuations of the environment. Shifting is a routine they have to keep up with to avoid any kind of misfortune that may befall their greatly indebted father. This makes it tough to live a comfortable life. In America, parents are always moving to new environments in search for better job subjecting their children to harsh living conditions. For instance, when families move, the children have to shift their from their schools every time making their academic life unstable and often unfriendly. In this regard, there is a need to protect children academic life by instituting stricter measures on parental care to safeguard children welfare. Parents who abuse drugs subject their children to physical as well as mental torture that often has a permanent effect on the children. In the glass Castle, Rex drinks a lot and does not mind the welfare of his children at all. When he takes the children to the f orest, he uses a commanding tone that scares them and subjects them to mental torture. When he doesn’t win in his gambling game, the children have to go hungry while he spares nothing for them to sustain his drinking habit.  

Profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Profile - Essay Example Therefore, his choice to make appearance in this profile leans on the interesting aspect of charisma and personality that is infused in his daily activities as noted in his hobbies. Alternatively, Aysha Janahi stands out because of his unwavering resolve to utilize his education as a tool to liberate his nation from the turbulence of the simmering Arab Spring. This actually compliments his optimism that is also observable in the inability to judge persons of non alignment in terms of sexuality and preference. In other words, Aysha comes as a young man who is ready to conquer the world despite the choking influences of his Bahrainian background. The above mentioned student was born in the Muslim dominated Bahrain on 3rd July in 1994 to a trader father and a housewife mother. According to their culture, Bahrain stands for two seas and young Aysha was able to grow smoothly with his two sisters as he watched his dad conduct his business and cook his dinners. However, because of his inabi lity to excel and conceptualize the subject of math, the young decides to migrate to American school where he enrolled for a course in Media Communication at the age of 18 only. Aysha is an outgoing boy who has relied on his parents for moral direction and mainly loves tanning in the sun, jet skiing and resting on the beach. He also has an addiction for shopping that makes him own several shirts that bear tags in his room (Stein & Paterno 2001, p. 67). In the same view, Aysha tries to adapt to the organic lifestyle by constantly working out and enjoys soccer with friends. However, the most interesting thing with this young man who would love to use his education to further the revolution is the ability to cook pasta. He learnt this habit after constantly watching his father prepare the dinner for him and his sisters much to their delight. Accordingly, Aysha Janahi is an accomplished young man with dexterity at playing football and a staunchly religious person. In the same respect, t he young man is an intrapersonal person who values the meeting of new people in order to expand his horizon of life. In fact, in his own words, he asserts: â€Å"I am the type of person that likes to get to know people. I am not shy. I care so much put people first.† This is also reflected in his flexibility to tolerate people with different perceptions of life without making irrational judgments. In others words, Aysha Janahi insists that he is a person who thinks situations positively instead of negatively in order to find better perspectives of life. Additionally, it is also critical to highlight the ability of Aysha to maintain their culture despite acquiring his schooling in a liberal university in American. This suggests that despite the exposure to a conflicting culture that normally alters the minds of most foreign students; he is able to retain his sense of integrity and dignity. Moreover, he is a reflection of the struggle of balancing the life a liberal nation. Thi s includes adapting to the lifestyle of munching barbeques, watching TV and sunning in the beach during summer while there is a background that is against most of the things. However, in stark contrast, Bahrain is steeped in the stringent conservative lifestyle that is akin to that of Saudi Arabia that does not permit lots of freedoms (Stein & Paterno 2001, p. 71). Aysha Janahi, as noted above, is a student of promise

Global Management Styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global Management Styles - Essay Example The kind of the company I would like to manage is the registered limited company in which the liability of all the members is limited to a number of shares they hold. There are various management policies that the manager of a limited company needs to follow to ensure that the company runs smoothly. In this ISO 9000, certification represents a means of internal communication to customers and other constituents. I will be required to adhere to the ISO 9000 developed framework by constantly referring to the requirements in the operational manual. I will be required to use my skills to ensure that I make proper judgment especially in cases of disagreements. The company requires filing tax returns, and it will be my responsibility to ensure that there is complete compliance. ISO 9000 standards are not for evaluating finished products or the delivered service but assure that the organization has well-documented quality management systems such as written procedures and rules. Policies requ ired by the company include the keeping of the company's records in addition to ensuring that its accounts are true and fair (Mendel, 2006). As the manager the company, managing employees and ensuring that each performs his or her duties perfectly will be of great use. ISO guidelines will be our guiding factor to rationalization or conceptualization logic. Another challenge that I may be faced with is decoupling in which the returns on assets may diverge from their normal pattern of correlation.

DNA Barcoding Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

DNA Barcoding - Lab Report Example The protocol utilizes short sequences of organisms to characterize them. These oligonucleotides fall in positions in the genome which are agreed upon and its standard for a particular genome of interest. The DNA barcode sequences are also rather short in comparison to the entire genome and can be extracted with relative ease utilizing cheap methods. For instance, the cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 mitochondria region (COI) has in the recent times being the standard barcode region for higher animals. One define characteristic of the DNA barcode is its commonality within a species (within species) and variations among species (without species). ie for a selected DNA barcode of a particular species there exists ranging differences and these differences are minor in individuals of the same species to gurantee the sequence segment to be used as a barcode. In obtaining the DNA for branding, the mayfly should be killed in a ‘DNA friendly fashion’ by avoiding the use of preservation agents such formalin which may degrade DNA. Genomic DNA is isolated via the fast DNA extraction method from fresh or frozen specimens. Combination of Chelex protocol with Proteinase K may rule out the need for tissue disruption while guaranteeing the release of DNA leaving chitinous material left intact. PCR amplification is done with an optimal primer specific for the barcode region. The barcode products obtained from the PCR are in most instances sequences bidirectional and later deposited in the barcode reference library.  

Strategic Plan of my current employer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Plan of my current employer - Essay Example Internal environmental factors affecting an organization’s performance include strengths and weaknesses. Externally, opportunities and threats influence an organizations’ performance among industry competitors. Inefficiency in the planning process is dangerous to the survival of an organization. Mistakes by the management while lying down the strategic plan management consequentially lead to failure and loss of business to competitors. In the extreme, an organization faces liquidation (Bo?hm, 2009). To achieve is purpose of â€Å"to develop a self-actualized scholar, who possesses a knowledgeable and discerning mind, thrives in service to others, and is prepared for college,† Paulo Freire Charter School must effectively manage its internal and external environments effectively and efficiently. Internal factors adequately affect the strengths and weaknesses of an organization. The management of any organization needs to plan for the purpose of hedging against any form of internal problems. Resources and human capital are essential elements in the internal factors management. Availability of raw materials, financial capital for investment and labour to work in the various departments are the internal factors affecting the performance of an organization. To achieve organizational goals, adequacy of resources is essential. Internal factors make both the organizational strengths and weaknesses. ... Long-term finances are essential in financing long-term operations of the school. Inadequate finances for an organization are its weakness, while adequate finances are its strength. Purchase of machinery, hiring of workers, and expansion of a classes and addition of courses offered by the school are the major uses of long-term funds in the school. Strategic budgeting process by an organization ensures proper allocation of resources according to the requirements of the organization. Poor budgeting of organizational funds potentially leads to financial problems to the school. Prioritizing needs with reference to the organizational needs and requirements will help the organization from getting into financial problems. Bo?hm (2009) points out that as strength, adequate finances greases the various wheels used by the management to achieve the school’s purpose. However, this could also form part of its weaknesses. Inadequate funds, misappropriation of the school’s income and poor liquidity position are a weakness that can lead to poor results, and thus the school losses business to its competitors. Human capital is responsible for the achievement of organizational goals and objectives (Bruce, 2006). To achieve its goal the school needs human resources, and these need care and profession in their handling. Investing in human resources of the organization increases the organization quality of services. At the same time, the organization achieves its goals, reaches its vision and lives up to its mission statement. Proper motivational strategies to the teachers increase their output. According to Frey (2002), there is more to motivation than offering good salaries to the employees. Although

Aerodynamics and Propulsion principles Coursework

Aerodynamics and Propulsion principles - Coursework Example To understand the operation of a turbofan, first we need to look into its construction and the function of individual components. Figure 1 describes the arrangement of the components of a turbofan and indicates the direction of normal air flow in the engine. All the 5 components: intake, compressor, combustion chamber, turbine and the exhaust nozzle have their unique role to play in the working of a turbofan and contribute in providing the necessary thermodynamic and aerodynamic requirements of the overall system. By understanding the individual function of these components, we can determine the performance measures and the complexities that have to be considered in the design of a turbo fan. Before we proceed to the operation of a gas turbine, we will describe the aerodynamic role of individual parts.In this section, we will describe the aerodynamic behavior of the engine components that were mentioned in section 1 in the same order as the air encounters them in a turbofan. Intake g uides the air from the atmosphere to the fan of the engine and assists the engine by increasing the pressure before the air is sucked in by the engine (Gordon). It has an aerodynamic design to minimize the drag and is basically a nozzle with increasing cross section (Jet Propulsion) that results in a higher pressure at the fan. Moreover, its front should not generate any turbulence in the flow of air as it can cause severe conditions inside the engine and lift may dangerously drop. Intake has to accommodate both the bypass and engine streams of air so that no considerable pressure gradients result at the face of the fan. For faulty conditions, intake may have to provide a larger mass of air than normal requirement of an engine and so has to have a reasonable choke limit. 3.2 Fan and Compressor Compressor is the first component of considerable aerodynamic complexity that the air meets in its way to the exhaust. A compressor is made up of several fan-like moving blades called airfoils alternately arranged with the stators are the stationary blades (Figure 2). Figure 2: Axial compressor. (Turbine Engines) The airfoils blow the air ahead and stators decelerate it, thus increasing the pressure with successive sections. There are usually two separate parts of a compressor: the low pressure and the high pressure compressor. This division is necessary because as the pressure increases, the speed of rotating airfoils has to increase. To maintain the air mass flow rate which depends both on the speed of flow and pressure, compressor

Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Anthropology - Essay Example They are early hominids having common origin and overlapping with early human species even though they are not the direct ancestors. Homo habilis fossils evidence found in Africa is generally sketchy, but they are the closest representation of the early form that is related to human. Homo erectus also developed in Africa and later moved to Asia the oldest fossil evidence were found in Africa, later other fossil evidence were found in Asia. Homo sapiens are spread into different forms known as archaic, early modern through to modern (Adds et al, 141). They spread from Africa and from Asia then into Europe and finally, in modern times into other spheres of the earth. Neanderthal man is known mainly from Europe with an eastern distribution to the extent of central Asia. There is a distinct evolutionary trend in the species of the genus Homo from the early Homo habilis through Homo erectus to Neanderthal man and later Homo sapiens (Adds et al, 141). Significant developments in the evolution of the genus Homo interacted with the enormous changes in climate –that is cold climates alternating with warm climate, this is because of successive Ice Ages (Adds et al 142). Moreover, fluctuating temperatures led to changing sea levels, during a glacial period, sea levels were lower and there were land connections between some of the major continents. The evolution of hominoids from their extinct ancestors to human form as is known today has these features the enlargement of the brain size, growth of bipedalism. Increase usage of manipulative skills of hands, becoming upright, growth and diversity of language together the use of complex features and characters and other intellectual activity connected to the modern day human being. Fossil evidence of the Laetoli footprints and the skeleton of Lucy an Australopithecine give evidence to the early hominids ancestors

Is fundamental analysis redundant Essay Example for Free

Is fundamental analysis redundant Essay Introduction Shortly after the stock market crash in 1929, as the first batch of financial experts in the Great Wall, Benjamin Graham and David Dodd firstly mentioned the concept in a book called security analysis: Based on public information that intelligent investors are able to analyse securities and determine whether the current price of stocks and bonds is over or below their intrinsic value. The Critical thinking and strong logic make this theory become the foundation of nearly all investments theories in Wall Street. Warren Buffett, John Neff, Peter Lynch and other famous investors become the  best practitioners in fundamental analysis. This essay will firstly introduce the related theories of fundamental analysis. Secondly, the essay will explain free cash flow model to equity valuation and the qualitative and quantitative factors of fundamental analysis. Thirdly, choosing a particular company analyses the relationships between the leading financial ratios and its stock price. Finally, indicating why financial ratios and free cash flow model cannot explain Berkshire Hathaway cooperation’s stock price changed during global financial crisis. Theory Aasuumption Metholody Theory Fundamental analysis which is based on analyzing the intrinsic value of securities, focuses on factors affecting the stock price and its trend and lets investors determine what type of securities they choose to buy and when to buy. (Lee and Swaminathan 1999, 8 )The basic assumption of fundamental analysis is that value investors believe that the market price is determined by its intrinsic value and the stock price can reflect its intrinsic value in the long term. Cash flow model Fundamental analysts use cash flow model, dividend model to roughly estimate a company’s intrinsic value. They assume that the stock price of the intrinsic value is its present value of the stream of expected cash flows and the selected reference values are based on generating the cash flow data. For example, using free cash flow model to measure intrinsic value, investors firstly assume the observed company can increase at constant rate and then choose the reference value based on a constant growth rate (g)to estimate free cash flow the next 10 years. Secondly, they calculate the present value of the 10-year cash flow based on the constantly discounted rate (k). Secondly, they estimate the terminal value P10=free cash flow*(1+g)/(k-g) and calculate its present value. Thirdly, they get the present value of the company and calculate pre- share value: equity value/numbers of shares. Rational investors can make well-informed investment decisions according to the relationship betw een market price and intrinsic value. Qualitative factors On the company level, fundamental analysis focused on two factors: qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative and quantitative analyses have a dialectical relationship. Both analyses should join together to analysis and inspect on a particular company. Although qualitative analysis is used for physical areas, with the usage to tackle non-financial information, it can be widely useful in business and finance fields.(kesh and Raja 2005, 167) The qualitative analysis of the company level is concerned with products and services, competitive advantage, management efficiency, corporate culture. Advanced products can get increasing cash inflows and improve company value (Carter and Demissew 2008, 63) because booming demand for products and services can lead to a high reinvestment rate of the company, this creates additional wealth.( Madden 2007, 125) Competitive advantage can includes producing capacity and the efficiency of a company’s design and cost controlling better than the industry’s competitors. Generating a competitive advantage for a company will creates stakeholder value. (Vilanova, Lozano and Arenas 2009, 63) The improvement of management efficiency can lower operating costs and company culture can enhance corporate image, leading to improvement of company value. Quantitative factors The quantitative factors in fundamental analysis are based on a deep understanding of financial reports which is the process of identifying opportunities and threats from the company, so investors must be concerned with the balance sheet, cash flow statement and income statement analysis. Financial statements consist of all important historical information about the company’s operation management during a specific time period (quarterly, annually). All these information provide an overview of a company’s business activities and can help managers assess the company’s wellbeing. (Dayanandan 2010, 116) Financial statement Different users are interested in different areas of the financial statements. For example, investors and equity holders are concerned with  expected earnings and dividends of the observed companies. Company’s executives usually focus on the company’s capacity. Therefore, based on historical reports, different users can get valuable information about what they concentrate on. Financial statement analysis includes selected data from financial statements to predict the company’s financial health.( Hagos and Pal 2010, 441) Applying these data from financial reports, such as profitability ratio, liquidity ratio, management efficiency ratio, debt ratio, market performance ratio analyses year by year to determine whether to buy or sell observed companies. Based on analyzing financial statements, financial analysts are able to use profitability ratio, including gross margin, ROE to indicate how efficiently revenue is generated. The liquidity ratio such as current ratio, net working capital can be used to prove the firm’s ability to generate sufficient liquidity when needed and to meet short term obligations. For example, current ratio is an indicator as a rate of current assets to current liabilities. It measures the liquidity status of a company. With a higher current ratio over time, this company will be able to meet its current obligations and experience less financial risk.( Zaki, Bah and Rao 2011, 315) Table1 Sourced by Berkshire Year ROE Total asset turnover Debt/equity P/E P/B closed Price 2003 0.105 0.588 1.32 12.7 1.34 $84280 2004 0.085 0.394 1.20 18.8 1.6 $87900 2005 0.093 0.412 1.16 15.5 1.45 $88620 2006 0.102 0.397 1.27 12.5 1.27 $109990 Table 1 above shows the some figures provided by Berkshire corporation’s annual report from 2003 to 2006. During this period, the stock price has a significant increase from $67600 in Jan 2rd, 2003 to $109990 in Dec 1st, 2006. And from 2003 to 2006, Berkshire Hathaway Inc’s net worth is $13.6billion, $8.3billion, $5.6billion and 16.9billion respectively. Graph1: Berkshire Hathaway(BRK) Inc’s stock price between 2003 and 2006 Sourced by yahoo finance The increase of Net worth can indicate the stock price’s change during this period. The gain in net worth during 2003 was $13.6billion, which increased the per-share book value of its stock by 21% from $41727 to $50498. Because of good quarterly reports and an annual report, the stock price reflected the company’s performance, rising from $67600 to $89490. However, between 2004 and 2005, the gain in net worth increased $8.3billion and $5.6billion. Although in 2004 Berkshire’s book-value gain of 10.5% fell short of the index’s 10.9% return, the net worth fell from $13.6billion to $8.3billion, leading to fluctuation of the stock price during 2004. In 2005, the net worth fell to $5.6 billion because hurricane caused loss worth of $34billion. And in the stock market, the price fluctuated and even slightly increased. However, the price reflected the company’s performance. As a multi-business company, its main business-insurance company called GEICO improved its management efficiency at nearly 32% and warranty numbers increased by 26%. On the other hand, insurance float of BRK’s insurance company increased from 46 billion to 49 billion. Due to the capital cost rate of mostly 0% and improving competitiveness, its stock price rose sharply. Financial ratios (price to book ratio and earnings per share ratio) measure share price compared to earnings, book value per share and indicate whether the market overvalues, undervalues and appropriately values the firm’ shares. Managers use to assess investors’ perceptions of future prospects. Some investors invest in stock market based on analyzing financial statements. Table2 Table2 shows mainly the relationship between the book value and stock price. Financial analysts are willing to use book value to measure the stock price. From the table 2 above, the book value of the Berkshire Hathaway increases from $14426 in 1995to $70281 in 2006 and the companys stock movements, rising from $31900 in 1995 to $110050 in 2006. In addition to particular years, these two charts reflect clearly whether a short term or a long term, the trend of the book value and stock price is roughly the same. In the long term, the growth rate of the net worth is a useful indicator to justify intrinsic value. From 1995 to 2006, the net worth of Berkshire Hathaway’s  net worth increased from $5.3billion to $16.9billion, more than 3.18 times growth during the period. Stock price had increased 3.44 times with book value 4.87 times. Although 1n 1999, the net worth fell to 0.358billion, in the long term, this company still had a significant increase in its stock market performance . Analysts also can apply activity ratios such as total asset turnover ratio and average payment ratio period to measure management effectiveness in managing its assets and to determine whether the investment in particular asset categories is too high or too low and also find out the efficiency or speed in converting accounts to sales or cash. (Dayanandan 2010, 114)Debt ratios such as debt to equity ratio and debt ratio can indicate financial leverage and the apparent financial risk assumed by the firm’s equity holders. Application Dow Jones Graph2 Dow Jones industrial index Sourced by yahoo finance Graph2 shows the change of Dow Jones industrial index before, during and after global financial crisis. The global financial crisis started in 2007 because the burst of housing bubble caused credit crisis especially in the debt markets.( McCarthy, Solomonand Mihalekl 2012, 1277 ) the stock market highly violated between 2007 and 2009. For example, in United States, the stock market increased to the peak in October 2007 with the Dow Jones Industrial Average about 14,000. After that duration, the Dow Jones dropped sharply from 12,000 in August 2008 to 6,600 in March 2009. After 2009, there is significant increase until now, rising to 14,929. Company- Berkshire Hatchaways Berkshires core business for insurance business includes the property casualty reinsurance and special class insurance company. For the past 25 years, this company has increasingly strong capital and little debt, for shareholders to create the value of more than 25% growth on average every  year. Table 3 shows analysis ratios and stock price from 2006 to 2012. Table3 Year ROE Total asset turnover Debt/equity P/E P/B closed Price 2006 0.102 0.40 1.27 12.5 1.27 $109990 2007 0.109 0.43 1.24 13.8 1.51 $141600 2008 0.046 0.40 1.41 38.16 1.71 $96600 2009 0.059 0.38 1.19 18.1 1.11 $99200 2010 0.08 0.37 1.29 14.9 1.24 $120450 2011 0.06 0.37 1.32 19 1.18 $114755 2012 0.077 0.38 1.23 14 1.1 $133000 Sourced by Berkshire Graph3 Berkshire’s stock price between 2006 and 2012 Sourced by yahoo finance The gain in net worth during 2006 was $13.6billion, which increased the per-share book value of its stock by 18.4% to $109990. In 2007, the net worth is 12.3billion, which increased the per-share book value of its stock by 11% to $141600. However, in 2008, the stock price fell to $96600, and then there is an increasing trend from 2009 to 2012. Total assets turnover ratio Total assets turnover ratio measures the management efficiency of the firm in managing its total assets to generate sales. A high ratio suggests greater efficiency. Figures shown in table3, the total assets turnover ratio during global crisis had slight change between 0.37 and 0.40. However, the stock price changed sharply, so the stock price can not reflect the stability of this ratio. ROE indicates the rate of return realized by a firms shareholders on their investments and uses as an indicator for the company’s operation. Return on equity (ROE) Return on equity (ROE) is the best indicator to learn how much money a company is making for its investors and measurement of the company’s operations. (Dayanandan 2010, 117) However, ROE is also sensitive to leverage. Assuming that proceeds from debt financing can be invested at a return greater than the borrowing rate, ROE will increase with greater amounts of leverage. From 2007 to 2008, the debt to equity ratio increased by 13.7%, from 1.24 to 1.41. However, ROE rate fell sharply from 10.9% to 4.6%. Although ROE overreact to debt change, Berkshire’s fundamental did not change in 2008. Most of Berkshires business is affected by the economic significant downward in 2009. However, its manufacturing services and retail generated a lot of cash flow and continued to consolidate their market competitive advantage. Berkshires two most important businesses: business insurance and utilities also had a good growth rate. These businesses produced a large amount of business prof its in 2008. P/E ratio P/E ratio is a common approach used by security analysts. In practice, investors usually use expected P/E ratio for the following year and analyse whether the stock price is overvalued or undervalued on the basis. P/E ratio indicates that a stock of its P/E rate over 30 is more likely to be overpriced. The P/E ratio in 2007 and 2008 is 13.8 and 38 respectively and the stock price during the period time of 2007 and 2008 is $141600 and $96600. The change of stock price is overreact to the pre-share earnings. P/B ratio P/B ratio gives some idea of whether an investor is paying too much for what would be left if the company went bankrupt immediately. From 2006 to 2009, P/B ratio increased or decreased had no direct correspondence with the stock price. However, to most companies, the book value is always lower than the stock price. Because most companies have intangible assets such as brand name, specialized skillsï ¼Å'product pricing power. These factors can not reflect in the balance sheet, but the long term trend of the market value is similar with book value. It seems that when P/B ratio increases, the gap between book value and stock price increases. On the other hand, the gap shows investors are willing to hold the stock due to its intangible assets. Cash flow model All these financial ratios cannot explain what happened in 2008 and using cash flow model to estimate the stock price also cannot explain this situation. Because investors assume the company can increase at constant rate. Although they use long-term GDP growth rate to reduce the risk of assessing value, this growth rate cannot explain and predict what happened during the investing period. They also use CAPM to measure discounted rate given by the risk-free interest rate plus a risk premium. The formula is ki=Rf+(Rm-Rf)ÃŽ ²i. However, ÃŽ ²sometimes cannot estimate risk between the market and stock. For example, a company’s market value increases from 10billion t0 20billion is less than market value of the company from 10billion to 3billion. If the company still operate well, from the market side, the risk of buying a company of the market value of 20billion is less than buying the same company of its market value of 3billion. Conclusion Therefore, during global financial crisis, fundamental analysis was useless. It is clear that during some periods the stock price is overvalued or undervalued significantly from its intrinsic value, leading to highly volatility of market price. Any market volatility is considered as irrational performances, so these market valuations caused by behavioral finance which do not have impacts on the company’s assets valuations and  operations. (Adams, Armitage and FitzGerald 2012, 157). In the long term, the trend of the stock price is similar to the trend of its intrinsic value. On the other hand, in the short term, market price is influenced and fluctuated by political, economic, psychological factors, so market price is always undervalued or overvalued, but it is fluctuating around the intrinsic value. Some research show that sometimes earnings information cannot react to the stock market simultaneously and all the public financial information pose a gradual influence on the stock market for a while. During global financial crisis, the stock price sharply fluctuated because of financial behavior. Debt crisis caused by housing loan had a significant impact on people’s confidence. Trader’s low confidence let them make decisions irrationally. Reference list 1. Lee, C.M.C. and Swaminathan, B. 1999. Valuing the Dow: A bottom-up approach. Financial Analysts Journal 55 (5): 4-23. 2. Kesh, Someswar. and Raja, M. K. 2005. â€Å"Development of a qualitative reasoning model for financial forecasting.† Information Management Computer Security 13 (2): 167-179. 3. Carter, T. and Demissew, D.E. 2008. Value innovation management and discounted cash flow. Management Decision 46(1): 58-76. 4. Madden, B.J. 2007. Guidepost to Wealth Creation: Value-Relevant Track Records. Journal of Applied Finance 17 (2): 119-130. 5. Vilanova, M., Lozano, J.M. and Arenas, D. 2009. Exploring the Nature of the Relationship Between CSR and Competitiveness.Journal of Business Ethics 87: 57-69. 6. Dayanandan, R. 2010. Working Capital Management for Sustainable Cooperatives. Global Business and Management Research 2(1): 102-124. 7. Hagos, T.M. and Pal, G. 2010. The means of analysis and evaluation for corporate performances. Annales Universitatis Apulensis : Series Oeconomica 12 (1): 438-449. 8. Zaki, E., Bah, R. and Rao, A. 2011. Assessing probabilities of financial distress of banks in UAE. International Journal of Managerial Finance 7 (3): 304-320. 9. McCarthy, Mary., Solomon, P., and Mihalek, Paul. 2012. Financial Crisis During 2007 And 2008: Efficient Markets Or Human Behavior? Journal of Applied Business Research 28 (6): 1275-1281. 10. Adams, A., Armitage, S. and FitzGerald, A. 2012. An analysis of stock market volatility. Annals of Actuarial Science 6ï ¼Ë†1ï ¼â€°Ã¯ ¼Å¡153-170.

Overview of the Malthus-Ricardo Debate

Overview of the Malthus-Ricardo Debate The world known controversy between the Malthus and Ricardo has long been considered as a source of history for economic thought. But no one try to investigate this as a polemical dialogical exchange (Glyn, 2006). The present study is undertaken to fill this gap within the framework of a more ambitious project that places controversies at the center of an account of the history of ideas, in science and elsewhere. According to my views the dialogical co-text is essential for comparing and contrasting the Malthus and Ricardo views about different economic perspectives. The initial step towards analyzing these controversies is the analysis of their backgrounds. Because backgrounds are essential part to investigate the real story of Ricardo Malthus debate. Then we shall move towards the comparison of their views towards different economic perspectives (Cremaschi Dascal, 1998). Malthus was born in 1766, in the core of troubled but optimistic period. He was the younger son of his father, Daniel Malthus. His father was a gentleman from good family background. Daniel Malthus has some sort of intellectual statutory into his personality. Malthus was born into an English family that belongs to the gentry of the country. Malthus was having the disadvantage of stammering by birth. Due to this defect he has to face huge difficulties in selecting his profession. This natural disability was the major constraint in the Malthus career choice (Cremaschi Dascal, 1998). As a student Malthus was a boy with excellent academic career. He was pride for his teachers. He performed distinctions, got scholarships and selected as fellow of Trinity College. Malthus lived a relatively placid life. During his stay in the Trinity college, he began to develop the perfectibility and of philosophic anarchism in him. He also learned about the rationality and how men and women could learn to live rationally through their whole life and can accomplish their lives (Cremaschi Dascal, 1998). The first edition of his essay in 1798 made him famous in the age of 32. The essay got hatred from some sections of community due to its deriding the hopes for progress and arguing about the futility of charity to children. The below passage can clearly portrays the Malthus View of human progress, â€Å"The vices of mankind are active and able ministers of depopulation. They are the precursors of the army of destruction; and often finish the dreadful work themselves. But should they fail in this war of extermination, sickly seasons, epidemics, pestilence, and plague advance in terrific array, and sweep off their thousands and ten thousands. Should success be still incomplete, gigantic inevitable famine stalks in the rear, and with one mighty blow, levels the population with the food of the world† In these excerpts Malthus made it clear that overpopulation can be disastrous for the mankind. His argument was totally against the Godwin’s faith in the ability to rule the rationality as supplant the principle of overpopulation (Glyn,2006). David Ricardo was born six years after Malthus and to a very different station in life. Ricardo’s father was a broker who had been migrated from Amsterdam to London just few years before the birth of Ricardo. His father joined the Jewish community and Ricardo was sent to Jewish school in Amsterdam to get proper education when he became old enough. HE returned to London in age of fourteen and start taking interest in his father’s business. Due to controversy between Ricardo and his parents, he had to leave the house. After quitting house, Ricardo opt the trade profession, the only professions he knows. He quickly proved himself to be the Boy Wonder of Thread needle Street. Till the age of thirty he collected enough wealth and get bored from this accumulation of wealth. So he started turning his mind towards other things like economics (Rashid,1981). Economics was the major thing which he adopted after leaving the wealth accumulation. In 1799 he read the Wealth of nations and this inspired him too much to continuously read and think about the economics. Ricardo took participate to solve he inflation crisis in the parliament. This and some of the other major events e.g. depreciation of led to the first meeting between David Ricardo and Malthus. And from the very first meeting they became good friends. They were good friends but they could never long out for each other’s minds. Below are the major controversies of their thought and views on some major theories and perspectives. The Corn Laws Controversy The extraordinary collaboration of their thoughts emerged after few years of their initial encounter. The occasions were the controversy over the Corn Laws. Corn Laws were about the variable tariffs and export subsidies which were levied to protect and promote the English agriculture. In the times of Napoleonic Wars, farm prices were specifically high due to the coincidence of wartime demand. After war ended, the economic destabilization caused due to some bumper crops. This destabilization lowered the wheat prices by 50% in 1812-1815. Tariff protection was necessary tool to protect the agriculture demand. This was the major debate of that time. Malthus and Ricardo first time entered into the public debate from opposite sides over this issue. The debate is the basis for the formulation of rent theory of Malthus and Ricardian elaboration of rent theory of Malthus. The argument served as kernel for the establishment of the political economy and taxation. Ricardo was of the view that with the growth of country’s population, capital or wealth would be accumulated and this can cause the farming prices to fall. As the farmers have to resort to least productive land. This would also cause to fall down the general profit rates for agriculture in the economy. Malthus completely disagrees with this conclusion of Ricardo. He published his observation on the Corn Laws in the form of pamphlet. This pamphlet was the review of advantages as well as disadvantages of imposing tariff on imported agricultural commodities. Malthus was of the view that retaining the high tariffs on corn is necessary for its protection. Malthus argued that protection of Corn Laws is vital for protecting the English Agriculture as ways improving the vitality of English ways and institutions. Ricardo Continuously argued about the adverse effects of the population growth and capital accumulation due to protection of rents which was supported by Malthus. Ricardo argued against the Malthus concept of rent vehemently that Future success of the English economy depends upon the progress of industries which is being stifled through Corn laws. Ricardo argument about Corn Laws can be concluded as â€Å"If, then, the prosperity of the commercial classes will most certainly lead to accumulation of capital, and the encouragement of productive industry; these can by no means be so surely obtained as by a fall in the price of corn.† Although this debate did not lead them towards making any final theory about the policy issues, but it provided the strong basis for theory of national income. There were some similarities in their arguments too. They both relied upon the population theory while explaining level of real wages. Malthus theory of rent was focal point of Ricardo and Malthus arguments. They both recognized that rate of profit in agriculture can be determined through the productivity of the marginal land which is cultivated. Thus they include the marginal productivity into economic thoughts although in limited manner. They also agreed that rate of profit had to be the same in all industries where competition prevailed. Thus all the ingredients of Ricardian distribution and growth theory were in place and agreed upon. The Gluts Controversy The next controversial debate between Ricardo and Malthus was one the â€Å"gluts†. After the Waterloo English economy slumped into severe postwar depression called as glut. They were thinking about the possible solution to mitigate this challenge. Ricardo perceived that condition of general overproduction is impossible without the transiently. To balanced the oversupply of one commodity shortage of other commodity in necessary. Malthus argued about hat point that total demand can be smaller than the total output. But working population and other resources could produce if fully employed. The working population is able to buy subsistence only. If the well-off classes were too abstemious, the prices of luxuries could fall to the point where there was no profit in producing them, and glut would ensue. In the extreme, Malthus pointed out, if everyone lived on a subsistence scale there would have to be a vast oversupply of commodities since each worker could produce much more than bare subsistence for himself and his family. This debate was revived hundred years after the death of both the Malthus and Ricardo. Malthus devoted the final chapter of his book to the issue of glut and the need for a class of unproductive consumers who would provide the demand that would keep the rest of the economy employed profitably. Malthus pointed out those English landed gentry was the exception ally that is well equipped to fulfill that function. Ricardo holds the argument that â€Å" I can see no soundness in the reasons you give for the usefulness of demand on the part of unproductive consumers. How their consuming, without reproducing, can be beneficial to a country, in any possible state of it, I confess I cannot discover.(Glyn, 2006) The Value Controversy All the while that Malthus and Ricardo were arguing about the Corn Laws and the nature of gluts, they were conducting a third interminable dispute. This one concerned the definition, measurement, and cause of value. From our perspective, the concern over value, which extended from Adam Smith to Stanley Jevons at least, was a great waste of words and time. But Malthus, Ricardo, and their contemporaries took it very seriously, and with some reason (Rashid, 1981). They had enough experience with inflations, crop failures and bumper crops, and other economic disturbances to recognize that money prices fluctuated too erratically to indicate long-run relation-ships or to reveal underlying trends. They believed that each commodity had a property that, following Adam Smith, they called its natural value, which explained the ratio of its money price to the prices of other commodities (Glyn, 2006). Both Ricardo and Malthus agreed upon this fact but when they define the natural value they were devising to measure it in practice. In devising the endless practice, they too became engaged in the debate. The debate was about the practical measurement of values of the commodities. In this perspective, Ricardo argued that there is no tool for measuring the value of commodities. Instead the natural values of the commodities can be expressed in terms of approximation by comparing with the precious metals (O’Brian, 1981). In this scenario, Malthus advocated that values of the commodities can be measured by using the cost of labor (wages). This can be done of the grounds that there should be equal quantity of labor for measuring the natural as well as absolute value (Glyn, 2006). Malthus-Ricardo debate on under consumption Malthuss under consumption theory of business recession be summarized as follows; ‘If producers have not anticipated a fall in consumption demand, they will not be able to sell their products at a price that yields a normal rate of return. Discouraged by their losses, these producers will scale down their production levels and engage in less investment than they would otherwise. As a result, an under consumptions business recession ensues: Ricardo took the Malthus remarks as most important part for his principals. He responded the under consumption theory in two different ways (O’Brian, 1981). These are; Statement of effects: The first response was in the form that he did not understand the Malthus theory. The reason for this was that Ricardo was anticipating a model type system which he could not find the under consumption theory. Direct criticism: The other response was in the form of direct denigration on the Malthus theory. Ricardo found it difficult to hold completely the Malthus theory. Ricardo separated the conclusions for the theory and criticizes them. He criticizes the defects in the reasoning (O’Brian, 1981). One conclusion not satisfying the Ricardo was general access of supply termed as glut. Ricardo argued that any excess supply can be balanced by demands. Malthus argued about hat point that total demand can be smaller than the total output. But working population and other resources could produce if fully employed. The working population is able to buy subsistence only. If the well-off classes were too abstemious, the prices of luxuries could fall to the point where there was no profit in producing them, and glut would ensue. In the extreme, Malthus pointed out, if everyone lived on a subsistence scale there would have to be a vast oversupply of commodities since each worker could produce much more than bare subsistence for himself and his family. This debate was revived hundred years after the death of both the Malthus and Ricardo. It can be concluded that Malthus and Ricardo were good friends who could never agree with each other on economic matters. Their first controversy was about the Corn Laws. Corn Laws were about the variable tariffs and export subsidies which were levied to protect and promote the English agriculture. In the times of Napoleonic Wars, farm prices were specifically high due to the coincidence of wartime demand. Malthus completely disagrees with this conclusion of Ricardo. He published his observation on the Corn Laws in the form of pamphlet. This pamphlet was the review of advantages as well as disadvantages of imposing tariff on imported agricultural commodities. Malthus was of the view that retaining the high tariffs on corn is necessary for its protection. Malthus argued that protection of Corn Laws is vital for protecting the English Agriculture as ways improving the vitality of English ways and institutions (O’Brian, 1981). Ricardo Continuously argued about the adverse effects of the population growth and capital accumulation due to protection of rents which was supported by Malthus. Ricardo argued against the Malthus concept of rent vehemently that Future success of the English economy depends upon the progress of industries which is being stifled through Corn Laws. The other major controversy was on the glut issue. There were good reasons why they could never agree. One of the reasons for their continuous conflict was that they were born and bred in two different cultures and traditions. The adopted the economics after getting through different occupations and preconceptions. These conceptions shaped their views and thinking about Corn Laws and glut controversies (Glyn, 2006). In the extreme, Malthus pointed out, if everyone lived on a subsistence scale there would have to be a vast oversupply of commodities since each worker could produce much more than bare subsistence for himself and his family. This debate was revived hundred years after the death of both the Malthus and Ricardo. Malthus devoted the final chapter of his book to the issue of glut and the need for a class of unproductive consumers who would provide the demand that would keep the rest of the economy employed profitably Although they brought up in two different cultures and modes, Ricardo was quick, brilliant and concise while Malthus was moderate and motivated. Although Ricardo as the archetypical theorist while Malthus was the practical economists. Ricardo favors the clean and simple cases while Malthus developed its thoughts from the rich and complex economic life. This is not the strange that they could not agree each other but simple thing is that they could not stand each other. Their differences arise in their mind sets, collaborations, cultures and perceptions. This can be reflected through their collaborations and friendships. Both Ricardo and Malthus agreed upon this fact but when they define the natural value they were devising to measure it in practice. In devising the endless practice, they too became engaged in the debate. The debate was about the practical measurement of values of the commodities.Their struggles to convey to each other their views of the forces that drove their economy are an inspiring case study in both the difficulty and the possibility of human communication. They were best friends who could not satisfy each other through their arguments and judgments. And they could never minimize their differences. Their differences can be more visibly seen from their writings, speeches and manuscripts and analysis. There are some similarities in their analysis too but mainly there was differences and opposite arguments about certain economic t heories. But their differences and opposite arguments gave the most valuable analysis of modern economic theories. The long debate help to view the economic theories from every perspectives. References Cremaschi, S., Dascal, M. (1998). Persuasion and argument in the Malthus-Ricardo correspondence.Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology, 1-64. Cremaschi, S., Dascal, M. (1998). Malthus and Ricardo: Two styles for economic theory.Science in Context,11(02), 229-254. Dascal, M., Cremaschi, S. (1999). The Malthus-Ricardo correspondence: Sequential structure, argumentative patterns, and rationality.Journal of pragmatics,31(9), 1129-1172. Glyn, A. (2006). The corn model, gluts and surplus value.Cambridge Journal of Economics,30(2), 307-312. OBrien, D. P. (1981). Ricardian economics and the economics of David Ricardo.Oxford Economic Papers, 352-386. Richerson, P. J., Boyd, R. (1998). Homage to Malthus, Ricardo, and Boserup Toward a General Theory of Population, Economic Growth, Environmental Deterioration, Wealth, and Poverty.Human Ecology Review,4, 85-90. Rashid, S. (1981). Malthus Principles and British economic thought, 1820–1835.History of Political Economy,13(1), 55-79.

Professional Philosophy And Occupational Therapy

Professional Philosophy And Occupational Therapy The definition of occupational therapy as gradually metamorphosis from its genesis till date, yet it has gradually evolved from its first definition in 1914 by George Barton who stated that if there is an occupational disease, why not an occupational therapy. While in 1919, he further postulated that occupational therapy is the science of instructing and encouraging the sick in such labours as will involve those energies and activities producing a beneficial therapeutic effect. Over the years, the definition of occupational therapy had transited and in 1923, Herbert J. Hall define occupational therapy as that which provide light work under medical; supervision for the benefit of patients convalescing in hospital and homes, using handicraft not with the aim of making craftsmen of the patients but for the purpose of developing physics and mental effectiveness. American occupational therapy Association (AOTA) proposed the definition that occupational therapy is the art and science of di recting mans involvement in selected task to reinstate, reinforce and enhance performance, to facilitate learning of the skills and functions essential for adaptation and productivity, diminish or correct pathology and to promote and maintain health. In 1994 AOTA mmrevised the definition and stated that occupational therapy is the use of purposeful activity or interventions to promote health and achieve functional out come to develop, improve or restore the highest possible level of independence with person who is limited by a physical injury or illness. The goal of occupational therapy is to assist the individual in achieving an independent, productive and satisfying life style. Occupational therapist use adaptive activities to increase the individuals functioning and productivity in view of achieving independence and satisfaction. Occupational therapy is a health discipline concerned with enabling function and well-being (Baum, 1997) Occupation in Occupational Therapy (Polatakjo 2007, Wilcock 2000), states that the ultimate impact of occupational therapy in multidisciplinary health care service must be a profound understanding of enabling occupation (Pollock and McColl 2003) also stresses that the knowledge of occupation is employed as a means to enhance the development of health in people. Occupational therapists also aspire to the goal of facilitating occupational engagement and performance as the end or outcome of therapy. Occupation is the purposeful or meaningful activities in which human beings engage as part of their normal daily livesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ all aspects of daily living that contribute to health and fulfilment for an individual(McColl 2003 p1) Schwammle (1996) encourage occupational therapists to focus on enabling clients achieve a sense of well being via occupation. In contrast, (Wilcock 2006) de-emphasises occupation in favour of established concepts that are more consistent with a medical model. He also stressed that medical focus, rather than an occupational focused may have resulted in therapists looking at remedying performance components rather than addressing occupation itself, but (Molineux, 2004) said it will be highly problematic as it will lead to issues of role blurring, role overlap and role ambiguity. A different dimension to core philosophy of occupational therapy is functional independence or activity of daily living as the ultimate goal of occupational therapy (Thornton and Rennie 1998). Chavalier (1997) concurred that occupational therapists experience difficulty agreeing on what occupational therapy is, and also that the diverse opinion is a strength to the occupational therapy profession. There seems to be an overall conclusion by occupational therapy experts that occupational therapy as a profession should mainly focus and emphasis on occupation as the core centre of the profession. (Baum and Baptiste 2007, Law et al 2002, Wilcock 2000, Asmundsottir and Kaplan 2001) all stress that occupation should be central in occupational practices. Various authors also gave reasons why occupation should be the epicentre of occupational therapy: It will provide an exclusive perspective that will ensure the professional survival of OT in health service (Pierce 2001) It will unite OT and ensure its continued survival (Nelson 1996). It will enable OT to achieve its full potential (Crabtree 2000) Occupation-focused practice may result in more satisfying practice for individual occupational therapists (Molineux 2004, Wilding 2008) Occupation focused may assist therapists intervention s to be more meaningful when dealing with complex issues (Persson et al 2001) It makes OT to be a true, self-defining profession. Metamorphosis Of Occupational Therapy Right from the inception of occupational therapy. the concepts of occupation is the foundation upon which the profession is built. The founders of occupational therapy the likes of George Barton, Fleanor Clarke Slage, Adolph Meyer etc based the new profession on their own personal experiences of the health enhancing effects of engagement in purposeful and meaningful activities (Peloquin, 1991a), Kielhofner (1992) noted for the early part of twentieth century how occupation is seen to play an essential role in human life and lack of it could result in poor health and dysfunction, occupation is also seen as the link between the mind and soul. Occupational therapy There was a shift of focus to mechanistic paradigm in the (1960s). These emphases the ability to perform depend on the integrity of body systems, and functional performance can be restored by improving or compensating for system limitations. KIELHOFNER (1992) saw a growing dissatisfaction among occupational therapist with the mechanistic approach whiled Reilly (1992) called for therapist in the early 1960s to focus on occupational nature of humans and also the ability of the profession to emphasize on the occupation needs of people contemporary paradigm (1980- present day).(Molineux 2009) Relationship between professional philosophy and occupational therapy A professional philosophy helps set values, beliefs truths and focuses the therapist on the principles that governs his actions. It gives credence to the profession existence and substantiates reasons for practitioners therapeutics processes. In studying the philosophical basis of a profession, it is essential to look at it from its three components as it relates to occupational therapy Metaphysical component. This bothers on what the nature of humankind is. -active being, occupation performance, Reductive approach and Holistic approach. Epistemology component. This relates to the development of a professional philosophy. It analyse the nature, origin and limits of human knowledge.(Adaptation, Thinking, feeling and doing) Axiology component. It concerns with the values of the profession. Quality of life, client catered approach, code of ethics Man is an active being whose development is influenced by the use of purposeful activities, using their capacity for intrinsic motivation; human beings are able to influence the physical and mental health and their physical environments through purposeful activity. Adaptation is a change in function that promotes survival and self-actualisation, it is also described as the satisfactory adjustment of individual s within their environment over time. . Dysfunction may occur when adaptation is impaired, while purposeful activity enhances the adaptive process. Health care system has been developed from a reductionistic approach where man is viewed as separate body function and each part treated separately and focuses on specific problem for greater efficiency. However, medicine has metamorphosis into addressing all the bodily functions of the client, this is a holistic approach by occupational therapy traced to Adolf Meyer. He sees the human body as a live organism acting. The holistic approach emphasises organic and fundamental relationship between the parts and the whole being, an interaction of biological, psychological, socio-cultural and spiritual elements. Occupational therapy trend is shifting away from holistic practice to specialised (reductionistic) approach again. For example, occupational therapy practitioners working in hand rehabilitation refers to themselves as hand therapists or those in psychiatry call themselves psychiatric therapists. Critical analysis of model and frame of reference MODEL AND FOR In advancing the theoretical foundation of occupational therapy, a model is defined as a theoretical simplification of a complex reality (Frolitch, 1993) and consists of several explicitly defined concepts. Conceptual models are schematic or graphic representation of concepts and assumptions that act as a guide for theory development. The frame of reference is based on philosophy or a paradigm and attempts to describe or explain what we believe or value. Models are developed within a frame of reference. Hence, FOR are viewpoints, beliefs or values. FOR are connected sets of ideas that form the basis for action. (Duncan, 2006) Reed and Sanderson (1999) states that no perfect or ideal model for health, functioning and disability exists for occupational therapists. Rather, they suggest that occupational therapists should select the aspects from those health models that most closely fit the belief and values of occupational therapy. According to Townsend (2002), Occupational performance is defined as the result of the dynamic relationship between the person, the environment and the occupation. It refers to the ability to choose and satisfactorily perform meaningful occupations that are culturally defined and appropriate for looking after ones self, enjoying life and contributing to the social and economic fabric in the community. Occupations are groups of activities and tasks of everyday life. Activities of Daily Living (ADL) The initial process of occupational therapy assessment involves interviews with the patient and the carer to establish previously held life roles and the tasks and activities that were completed within these roles. Observational assessment is undertaken of personal self-care tasks, including showering, dressing, toileting, grooming, and eating, and domestic or instrumental tasks, including meal preparation, shopping, cleaning, laundry, and management of finances and medications. Standardized measures may include the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), [6 MODELS Model of human occupation (MOHO) The model emphasis that occupational behaviour is a result of the human system, the subsystem, the habitation subsystem and the environment. MOHO is a behavioural model. He defines occupational performance from a behavioural perspective. The model sees occupational performance as a result of mind-brain-body performance subsystem. Haglund and Kjellberg (1999) argue that the MOHO lacks the influence of the environment on human behaviour. Though it includes the environmental factor, he does not explain the interaction and relationship between the person and the environment. Canadian Model of Occupational Performance (CMOP). See in occupational performance terms of dynamic relation between occupation, environment and a person, the key elements of environment are cultural, institutional, physical and social. While the purpose of occupation can be leisure, productivity or self-care. The CMOP presents the person as an integrated whole, incorporates spiritual, affective, cognitive and physical need (Townsend, 2002) The CMOP defines occupational performance as the result of dynamic relationship between the person, the environment and the occupation. OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE MODEL (Australia) In contrast to the ICF where rest is a body function, rest has an activity perspective in the OPM. CORE PROCESS (HAGEDORN 2006) The first extensive presentation of occupational therapy core competencies was produced by Mosey (1986) she based her domains of concern of the profession as performance components, occupational performances, the life cycle and the environment. While (Neistadt and Crepeau 1998) give a list at entry level to be development of skills, socialization in the expectation related to organisation, peers and the profession, acceptance of responsibility and accountability in relevant active-ties. In 1994,the college of occupational therapist published a position on core skills and conceptual framework for practice. Core skill is defined as the expert knowledge at the hearth of the Professional. The unique core skills of occupational therapy are Engage in purposeful activity and meaningful occupation as therapeutic tools to enhance health and wellbeing. Enable people to explore, achieve and maintain balance in their daily living tasks. Evaluate the effects of manipulate, physical and psycho-social environments, maximise function and social integration. Ability to analyse, select and apply occupation to focused therapeutic media to enable dysfunction in daily living tasks and occupational roles. For a therapist to be able to display core professionalism via the above listed core skills. The therapist needs to use four core processes. Therapeutic Use of Self In the heart of therapeutic intervention is the ability of the therapist to communicate with the client and establish a therapeutic relationship or alliance. Mosey (1986) described conscience use of self as one of the legitimate tools of practice. ASSESSMENT OF INDIVIDUAL POTENTIAL, ABILITY AND NEEDS For an effective therapeutic intervention, there must be a clear and accurate evaluation of the potential and abilities of the clients in view of the clients needs and goals. This is achieved through the array of tests, checklists and other assessment tools. Assessment may require detailed observation, measurement and repeated testing in relation to ADL which the individual engages. OT is concerned with the whole spectrum of human skills through all ages: past, present and future. Possibilities and probabilities need careful evaluation which requires experience and indepth clinical reasoning. ANALYSIS AND ADAPTATION OF OCCUPATION A fundamental assumption of occupational therapy is that engagement in occupation promotes health and well being. Hence, occupational analysis seeks to break down the tasks into smallest units of which performance is composed. The client skill components can be identified and the therapist can map how this can be built into competence. To achieve this, the therapist must observe, record and analyse elements of performance via work, leisure and self care activities. The therapist also employs analytical methods to determine client interaction between occupational role and social life relationships. ANALYSIS AND ADAPTATION OF ENVIRONMENT Therapists acknowledge that the environment has an effect on behaviour. It facilitates interaction, reduce stress and promote engagement. Hence, adapting to the environment can enhance occupational performance or impede engagement in task. The analysis of the environment should be at an holistic level and not limited to the physical aspects alone, but also socio-cultural aspects, emotional and financier environment. CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT COT 2010 On a daily basis, occupational therapists are confronted with situations that requires decisions. Moral and ethics have the potential to affect the clinicians decision making practice. Ethics are philosophical stands on the rightness or appropriateness of various voluntary actions. The adoption of ethical principles is one characteristic often used to distinguish professions from other occupations (Vollmer Mills, 1966). The code of ethics and professional conduct produced by the college of occupational therapists (COT) and NPC are formulated to guide O. T in their professional conduct in terms of competent combination of knowledge, skills and behaviors. The code of ethics and professional conduct are sub divided into major sections: Service user welfare and autonomy, this includes: Duty of care, welfare, mental capacity and informed consent and confidentiality. Service provision: Equality, Resourses, the occupational process, risk management and record keeping. Personal professional integrity: Personal integrity relationships with service users, professional integrity, fitness to practice, substance misuse, personal profit or gain, and information representation. Professional competence and lifelong learning: professional competence, delegation, collaborative working, combining professional development, and occupational therapy practice education. Developing and using the professions evidence base. The code of ethics and professional conduct enacted various laws upon which an occupational therapist base his/her practice, these include: Health Act 1999 Occupational therapist is protected by law and can only be used by persons who are registered with the health professions council (HPC) O.T personnel must respect the right of all people under the Human Right Act 1998. Mental Capacity Act 2005 code of practice states that: A person must be assumed to have capacity unless it is established otherwise. Data protection Act 1998: gives individual the right to know what information is held about them and that personal information is handled properly. Roles of COT and HPC (Code of ethics and professional conduct.COT,2010)

Essay --

With a topic as frequently discussed as racial discrimination within our criminal justice system, there are many opinions and theories as to why our correctional facilities are populated with the type of inmates that are housed within. Fortunately, it has not been proven true that our criminal justice system is run in a racially discriminating manner, rather debated and analyzed in many lights. Discrimination is prohibited, as a matter of constitutional and statutory law, in a wide range of settings (Banks, Eberhardt & Ross, 2006). Who is it that teaches us who to be afraid of within society? Who are the â€Å"bad guys† that we should avoid? How many times do our parents tell us during our childhood to avoid certain people and places? Examples being a stranger with a van, neighborhoods to avoid late at night and other precautions that shape the way we think and believe as we grow of the dangers within our society. These same precautions that we are accustomed to during our ch ildhood become embedded into our minds throughout adolescence and leading into adulthood. How do our parents determine who the â€Å"bad guys† are that we ought to avoid? If our own parents are raising us to distinguish between individuals, are they possibly raising us in a racially discriminating way? If that were the case, then who are we to criticize our criminal justice system for possibly doing the same? Criminologists generally agree that young people are more likely to commit crime than old people, men more than women, city dwellers more than country folk, the poor more than the rich, and the minorities more than whites (Cole, 1999). Logically, there is no one criteria of who can be immediately classified as the â€Å"type† of person that would commit crimes and the... ...e to look for and apprehend individuals. As Cole (1999) explained, police departments must be willing to disclose to the public the demographics of their enforcement tactics. If society is not aware of why the police is going after the individuals they are, society is left to assume their own reasons which more often than not leads to the thought of racial discrimination. Racial discrimination is not a just way to run a criminal justice system nor any other aspect of our free communities. As a country, the United States has come a long way and as a nation has given us the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Until there is concrete proof that the criminal justice system is being run on a racial basis, it would behoove us to trust those in charge and continue following the laws in place to make the best possible example for others within our society.