Melamine poisoning Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Melamine poisoning - Research Paper Example They are not much bother about the safety of the consumers. â€Å"China milk poisoning incidents make everyone afraid to look at the daily news report. Every day, the reports are changing. No one can clearly tell us what to eat and not to eat† (Smsasad). Even in baby food items product manufacturers are using some harmful chemicals in order to keep the baby foods secure for a longer period and also to make it tastier. China is one country which keeps no ethics or morality in business practices. They are producing in bulk without bothering much about the quality of their products in order to compete effectively in the market. Even in baby milk, manufactured by the Chinese business people, many of the harmful chemical ingredients were found recently. Melamine is a basic organic chemical intermediate, with chemical formula C3H6N6. It is commonly produced from urea, and contains 66 percent nitrogen by mass. Nitrogen is a very important building stone of all living beings. The element is an essential ingredient of proteins, which make up most of the human body that isn’t bone or water. As such, making nitrogen measurement is a common practice for protein content estimation. The Kjeldahl and Dumas testing methods are the standard tests used in the food industry for measuring total nitrogen in crude protein content while they can be misguided by adding nitrogen-rich compounds such as melamine (Milk Poison Could Come From Melamine Scrap) Even though, melamine has much other industrial use, it is never adviced to use with food items. The detection of melamine in Chinese infant milk products has created many concerns about the safety of using Chinese food items. This paper briefly analyses the Melamine poisoning in Chinese milk production. Melamine contains 66% nitrogen by mass. It is formed in the body of some mammals through some natural or biological process. It is used widely to produce thermosetting plastics.

Air Pollution and Automobiles Essay Example for Free

Air Pollution and Automobiles Essay The automobiles that we travel in everyday play a vital role in our lives. They get us around from one place to another on a daily basis. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA 2010) many studies show that exhaust emissions from these vehicles are the number one air pollutant in the United States. Air pollution causes many different issues that affect personal health as well as environmental factors. Over the years many different studies have been done by different people and agencies showing how reducing air pollution from automobiles can only benefit the earth. The government has been one of the largest advocates of lowering emissions from automobiles. Because excessive exhaust emissions created by automobiles is a major factor in air pollution, the government has enacted many laws and regulations limiting the amount of emissions vehicles may produce. Automobiles are a major cause of air pollution around the world. As the number of vehicles on the road increases, the amount of emissions from these vehicles increases. As of 2003 Leslie Miller shows that the (World Almanac 2003) reported that there were more than 107 million households throughout the United States (U.S. ) Leslie reported that the Bureau of Transportation statistics show that there are roughly 204,000,000 vehicles registered in the U. S. That produces a ratio of 1. 9 cars to 1. 8 people per household in the U. S. The number of vehicles registered in the U. S. has been doubling every five years. If this trend continues as it has over the past 30 years, by the year 2030 there will be approximately 1,200,000,000 (1. 2 Billion) vehicles producing some type of toxic emission into our earth’s atmosphere. The vehicles that we drive produce many different toxic gasses affecting our earth negatively. These emissions affect our environment and damage the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the process in which infrared rays are emitted from the sun into the earth’s atmosphere trapping heat that keeps the earth’s temperature in a habitable range. Toxic gasses from our automobiles released into the atmosphere do much damage to this natural process. As the gasses release, the atmosphere will deteriorate which allows the earth’s core temperature to rise. This process causes difficulty in farming as well as the melting of the polar ice caps virtually flooding the earth slowly. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the most emitted gas into the atmosphere. The Environmental Protection Agency (2010) shows that cars release 76% of the CO2 that is present in the earth’s atmosphere. For every gallon of gas used by an automobile there is approximately 20 pounds of CO2 released into the atmosphere. CO2 is a heat-trapping gas released by the combustion process by our vehicles. (Cakmak 2006), Shows that CO2 is the largest contributing factor to the smog in highly congested areas around the U. S. The following is an emissions chart breaking down the source of the seven most common air pollutants. As you can see highway vehicles are the largest source of air pollution in the geographic area of The United States. The major pollutants abbreviations are shown below and correlate with the graph that follows. Geographic Area: United States Pollutant: Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (Nox), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), Sulfur Dioxide SO2, Particulate (size 2. 5 micrometers) (PM 2. 5), Particulate (size 10 micrometers) (PM 10), or Ammonia (NH3) [pic] Emissions by Category Chart (Environmental Protection Agency, 2002). The exhaust systems on our vehicles also produce another pollutant known as hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are produced by our vehicles when fuel molecules in these vehicles do not fully burn and then travel through the exhaust system. In addition to these deadly hydrocarbons, Nitrogen Oxide (Nox) is another large contributor of air pollution in the U. S. today. The EPA’s (2010) studies links approximately 30% of the NOx in the atmosphere to the vehicles on the road in the U. S. today. NOx has been linked by studies to the formation of acid rain in our in our environment. Simply said the reduction of vehicle emissions will cause the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere to lower creating less negative effects on our earth’s environment and our health. Cakmak, Dales and Jedek (2006) says that air pollution has many negative effects on the environment as well as our personal health. Many respiratory issues come from breathing in the gasses released from automobiles. CO2 affects us by lowering the amount of oxygen our blood can carry throughout our bodies causing death in some cases. Air pollution is linked to lung cancer as well as lower birth rates that are common among people in cities that record higher vehicle registrations. The EPA has shown that these cities are at a higher risk for many health issues. Children residing in areas with higher concentrations of air pollution are three to four times more likely to develop asthmatic conditions. Automobiles are a major cause of vehicle deaths in the form of vehicular accidents. EPA (2010) statistics show that approximately 120 people are killed by a vehicular accident with each day that goes by. Many environmental issues caused by automobile emissions are overlooked by the average person. The acid rain produced from vehicle emissions has caused many bad health problems for humans. Acid rain is has been shown to cause eye irritation as well as coughing as well as asthma in more extreme cases. Urban smog in addition to global warming are the most common factors in air pollution. Smog is a product of different greenhouse gasses mixing together which produces a visible layer very close to the earth’s surface known as the ground ozone layer. The smog acts like a blanket around the earth trapping the harmful emissions allowing us to breathe them in each day. Over the years the effects of air pollution have been noticed by many from politicians to auto manufacturers. Many within these agencies have worked to reduce the emissions that our automobiles produce. One of the major changes in our society that created focus on the issues of air pollution caused by automobiles was the Clean Air Act of 1963. This bill was introduced to allow the government limited enforcement power over interstate pollution issues. In 1965 a Motor Vehicle Act was introduced. Melosi(2004) explains that this act allowed auto manufacturers the ability to practice stricter emission standards for new vehicles with government funding such as grants. In 1970 the acting president of the U. S. Richard Nixon, signed an amendment to the Clean Air act enforcing stricter fuel regulations on auto manufacturers. This Act was the most stringent air pollution law ever passed in the U. S. The Clean Air Act has been revised throughout the years to conform to stricter guidelines as air pollution becomes more of an issue throughout the U. S. The Clean Air Act was not originally designed to prohibit pollution; rather it was enacted to define an acceptable amount of pollution allowed to be emitted from vehicles. Despite the fact that the Clean Air Act was passed there are still major issues that emissions from vehicles create including health and environmental issues. Crabb and Johnson (2010) wrote an article in The Energy Journal showing the main issue that does contribute to the amount of emissions from automobiles is the fuel economy that is attained by each vehicle. The Energy Policy and Conservation Act established guidelines known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE. ) During President Nixon’s time in office the 1975 CAFE regulations were written to require manufacturers to obtain a corporate average of 18 miles per gallon (MPG) or higher starting with 1978 model year vehicles. Between 1985 and 1992 multiple adjustments were made to make the cafe regulations stricter. By the mid 1990’s the government increased the MPG requirement to be raised to 27. 5 MPG corporate average. As we move forward in time the regulations have only become stricter for auto manufacturers. The year 2009 brought on many new accomplishments for the U. S. in that auto manufacturers began making newer models that will take us into the next decade. An article written by Tarlow (2009) shows that President Obama fought hard for his place in the White House, one of his main concerns being air pollution and the amount of emissions caused by automobiles. After being elected President Obama revealed a proposal for new CAFE regulations that will reduce emissions and further reduce the U. S. dependency on imported oil. The regulation that President Obama has proposed will require auto manufacturers to meet the strictest guidelines for fuel economy ever. Obama’s proposal will require auto manufacturers to meet a strict 35. 5 MPG by the model year 2016. The following graphs show the minimum combined miles per gallon that manufacturers are required to meet and post on the vehicles. The graphs break down different types of fuel as well as the amount of CO2 released per mile driven. Chart 1 shows the requirements prior to the EPA changing the way they figure a vehicles MPG. With model year 2009 and newer the EPA became stricter when figuring MPG for different fuel types. Chart 2 reflects the new criteria with the stricter guidelines enforced. As you can see, the Greenhouse gas (GHG) score is higher as a vehicle produces less CO2 per mile. [pic] Chart 1 (Environmental Protection Agency, 2010) [pic] Chart 2 (Environmental Protection Agency, 2010) Meeting the strict guidelines does not come at zero cost. Meeting the guidelines will cost auto manufacturers no matter how it is broken down. The research and development in meeting stricter regulations does have a cost attached to it. On the other end if auto manufacturers do not meet the CAFE guideline the government has allowed civil liabilities to be charged. The liabilities allowed by the government may cost manufactures approximately $5. 50 for each tenth of a mile that they are under the minimum requirement set forth. The EPA (2010), reports that between the year 1993 and 2004, various manufacturers paid approximately $618 million in penalties. This report also included the fact that in the same period no Asian or U. S. manufacturers have ever been charged any penalties. Many have argued that the cost of meeting increasingly difficult fuel emissions has added cost to the bottom line value of a vehicle as well as slowing sales and potentially putting smaller car dealers out of business. Much research has been done in the area of estimating costs of incorporating better emissions equipment on newer automobiles. Initially, when emission regulation were introduced in the U. S. around 1970, many manufacturers were concerned that to meet the guidelines there would need to be costly research done to find the most cost effective practices to lower emissions. Crabb and Johnson (2010) show that many manufacturers estimated initial costs for catalytic systems designed to reduce emissions would cost approximately $3,000. The government challenged the manufacturers and discounted these findings proving that with some changes to the processes the cost can be cut down by two thirds the initial cost that was estimated. The government was able to show that the systems could be incorporated on motor vehicles for about $1,300. , which is significantly less than estimated. The EPA (2010), reports that many other agencies have conducted research regarding any issues caused by stricter guidelines from the government as well as the cost factor included. The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) has not been able to document any negative sales because of the Clean Air Act or stricter guidelines. On the contrary, they have been able to show that the sales of new vehicles have fluctuated between 13 and 17 million new vehicles each year for the past 20 years and never declining below these numbers. Much of the fluctuation has been attributed to the changing economical times throughout the history of the U. S. over the last 20 years. Many believe that because diesel engines typically produce a higher rate of exhaust emission than gasoline engines, which may make it more difficult to purchase diesel vehicles in Clean Air States. Diesel engines are most commonly used on vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of more than 8500. The CAFE regulations do not affect the sales or use of these diesel vehicles. The more common everyday on-road use vehicles such as the GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 series as well as the popular Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 series vehicles are the vehicles that will feel the greatest impact on emission regulations. Passenger vehicles such as the Volkswagen Golf TDI are not currently certified under the California Air Resources Board (CARB. ) CARB is a set of standards that the state of California has enacted to control the amount of emissions vehicles registered in the state may emit. Many states followed California in adopting these strict standards that go above and beyond the government requirements. Massachusetts, Maine, New York, New Jersey and Vermont are some of the states that have adopted CARB standards for vehicles sold in those states. As more states adopt their own standards that are stricter than government guidelines, auto manufacturers have difficulty selling certain new vehicles in certain states. Many of the diesel engines used in vehicle applications do not meet the strict EPA and state regulations. In 2010 most new trucks with diesel engines will utilize Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) to lower the NOx released by diesel engines by injecting a urea compound that breaks down the NOx. Cummins, the world’s second largest diesel engine manufacturer has met all emission guidelines that went into effect for all 2010 and newer model year vehicles since the model year 2007. This is helped to benefit sales for the companies that use the Cummins Diesel engine. One such company is Chrysler Corporation that uses the Cummins Diesel in their Dodge Ram Heavy Duty line up. Hirata shows that by using this engine Chrysler has been able to stay at the forefront in technology. As others struggle to find ways to meet regulations, Chrysler will benefit from the technology because their vehicles meet all regulations. The only change Cummins made was adding an inexpensive technology called Selective Catalytic Reduction to further reduce NOx emissions into the earth’s atmosphere. Other manufacturers utilizing diesel engines will be developing systems that require the addition of urea at an additional cost to the customer driving consumer cost through the roof. Cummins has the advantage that the prices for their system will not fluctuate as other diesel engine manufacturers prices will increase because of the cost associated with their new technologies. To reduce the emissions throughout the U. S., not only are the government and auto manufacturers responsible, we are each individually responsible to do our part in reducing the greenhouse gasses we contribute. The manufacturer changing the design of automobile systems is a key part in the reduction. The way we personally use our vehicles will also contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gasses. Things that can be done on our part may include reducing the allowable amount of vehicles in an area by issuing quotas and permits for different areas. Many people have looked into the use of hybrid vehicles as alternatives to fully gas or diesel powered vehicles. Lowering the personal use of our vehicles as well as participating in car pools will fully reduce the amount of green house gasses that we individually release into the atmosphere. In doing the things necessary to lower emission we must be proactive and take an interest in the positive things that will benefit us by reducing the amount of emissions. Although the government has worked with auto manufacturers to reduce vehicle emissions, our cars still produce toxic emissions into the air. With the increasing regulations on fuel economy we will only benefit from less emissions being released into the air. Many things may be done on a consumer level as well. We have access to alternative fuels such as E-85 (ethanol) which comes from corn as well as compressed natural gas which releases very little emissions if any. The government and auto manufacturers are always looking for ways to reduce emission further. As time goes on unless we completely stop using automobiles we will still be faced with the release of toxic emissions from automobile exhaust systems. The available resources will always become better as time goes on and companies create the next best thing to reduce the amount of emissions released by their vehicles. The only way to ensure that our children have a cleaner environment is by educating them with the necessary information that will allow a greener environment over the years to come. References Cakmak, S. , Dales, R E, Judek, S. (Jan-Feb 2006). Respiratory health effects of air pollution gases: modification by education and income. (Author abstract). Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, 61, 1. p. 5(6). Retrieved January 22, 2010, from General OneFile via Gale: http://find. galegroup. com. ezproxy. apollolibrary. com/gps/start. do? prodId=IPSuserGrou pName=uphoenix Crabb, J. , Johnson, D.. (2010). Fueling Innovation: The Impact of Oil Prices and CAFE Standards on Energy-Efficient Automotive Technology. The Energy Journal, 31(1), 199- 216. Retrieved January 22, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1942210741). Environmental Protection Agency. (2010) [Graphs that show Greenhouse Gas Score Criteria that vehicles must meet as per the EPA regulations on emissions. ] Greenhouse Gas Scores. Retrieved from http://www. epa. gov/greenvehicles/Aboutratings. do Environmental Protection Agency. (2002) [This is a picture of a chart breaking down the sources of the 7 major air pollutants in the United States] Air Data. Retrieved from http://www. epa. gov/cgi- bin/broker? _service=airdata_program=progs. webprogs. emcatbar. scl_debug=2 geotype=usgeocode=usageoname=United+Statesepol=CO+NOX+VOC+SO2+PM 25+PM10+NH3years=2002mapsize=zscreqtype=viewmap Hirata, K. , Masaki, N. , Yano, M. , Akagawa, H. , Takada, K. , Kusaka, J. , Mori, T.. (2009). Development of an improved urea-selective catalytic reduction-diesel particulate filter system for heavy-duty commercial vehicles. International Journal of Engine Research: SPECIAL ISSUE ON EXHAUST AFTER-TREATMENT SYSTEMS FOR DIESELS, 10(5), 337-348. Retrieved January 22, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1873528061). Melosi, M. (2004). The Automobile and the Enviornment in American History. Retrieved from http://www. autolife. umd. umich. edu/Environment/E_Overview/E_Overview1. htm Tarlow, S. (2009). President Obama’s CAFE Standards Will Reduce Auto Emissions. Retrieved from http://personalmoneystore. com/moneyblog/2009/05/19/cafe-standards-car- emissions/ U. S. Enviornmental Protection Agency. (2010). Air Pollution Effects. Retrieved from http://www. epa. gov/ebtpages/airairpollutioneffects. html.

Summary Of The Power And The Glory English Literature Essay

Summary Of The Power And The Glory English Literature Essay à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I am a bad priest and a bad man' (Greene 126). In Graham Greenes The Power and the Glory, the main character, an unnamed priest, admits that he is a bad priest. The reader first encounters the priest when the priest is waiting for a boat to Vera Cruz because he is on the run from the police. The novel takes place during a time when the state is trying to eliminate Catholicism. At first, the priest seems like a devoted Catholic who is just trying to spread his faith and help others. However, the priest does not set the greatest example for fellow Catholics; in fact, Greene sometimes even refers to him as a whiskey priest. He spends a lot of time in a state of self-pity. He examines his decisions and actions and realizes that he is in a state of mortal sin; however, he does nothing to change his situation. Not only does he have an alcohol addiction, but he also commits adultery. By the end of the novel the priest grows in his own relationship with God; however, he does n ot set a good example for other Catholics. A priest should strive to give guidance and assistance to others, especially during a time when authorities are trying to eradicate religion. Although the priest seems to grow strongly in his faith by the end of the novel, he exemplifies a bad priest. Throughout the novel, the priest admits to himself and others that he has committed grave sins; however, he does not attempt to correct his mistakes. Early on, Graham Greene reveals that the priest commits adultery about six years prior to the novels setting. This grave sin results in Brigitta, the priests illegitimate daughter. When referring to his act of adultery he admits that fear and despair and half a bottle of brandy and the sense of loneliness had driven him to an act which horrified him (Greene 66). Although he knows he has done wrong, the priest cannot stop thinking about his illegitimate daughter all through the novel. When his execution is imminent, he finds that he cannot repent for this sin. In addition, his love for his daughter leaves him incapable of praying for anyone else, but in the moment of prayer he switched back to his childà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦and he knew it was for her only that he prayed (Greene 208). His sin distracts him from his priestly duties, and he is una ble to ask forgiveness. The priest also has a very noticeable drinking problem; in fact, other characters sometimes refer to him as the whiskey priest. He frequently carries a bottle of brandy while he is on the run from the authorities. When he must miss a boat to Vera Cruz to help a boy and his mother, he says, Give me the brandy,' and then he [takes] a long pull at it (Greene 17). The priest drinks a substantial amount of brandy before tending to a dying woman. It seems that he needs alcohol to help him continue his priestly duties; a priest should not need alcohol to help him follow his duties. He continues to drink excessively, even on the day before the authorities execute him; without thinking what he [is] doing, he [takes] another drink of brandy (Greene 207). The priest realizes that he has a drinking problem; however, he does not attempt to fix it, and he continues drinking until the morning of his execution. A whiskey priest that cannot repent for committing adultery is n ot a good priest. When the priest performs a good deed, he usually does so with reluctance; he acts as though someone is forcing him to carry out a good deed. When a boy asks the priest to help his dying mother, he does not want to go, but [he] [gets] up as though unwillingly he [has] been summoned to an occasion he [cannot] pass by (Greene 16). Reluctantly, as if he has no choice, the priest agrees to accompany the boy back to his house. As he leaves he says, It always seems to happen. Like this; this implies that he always seems to get pulled back to his priestly duties unwillingly (Greene 16). The word always indicates that the priest has responded to a similar situation in the same manner. It is good that the priest ultimately decides to help the boy; however, it does not seem very priest-like to be so reluctant when a situation like this occurs. The whiskey priest sometimes finds himself thinking that he has made the wrong decision in becoming a fugitive. At times, he thinks that it may have been more beneficial to follow Padre Joses example and surrender to the states demands. Near the end of the book, when the lieutenant captures him, the priest begins to think about the pain that is in store for him, and wonders if it is too late for him to renounce his priesthood like Padre Jose. He mulls over the fact that the authorities have not given him a chance to renounce his faith; perhaps if he suggested it himself, he would escape yet (Greene 209). The priest regrets refusing the states conditions regarding his faith. It is good that the priest evades arrest and attempts to help people; however, he does so reluctantly, which gives the impression that he takes no joy in helping others if it is inconvenient for him. Regardless of the spiritual realizations that the unnamed priest has, his actions and decisions indicate that he is a bad priest. He sets a bad example for anyone that looks to him for guidance; he even admits this multiple times throughout the novel. He is far from being an exemplary priest, which is someone that that observes his vows and follows the commandments. It is impossible, of course, to be perfect; however, the priest makes a weak attempt at being a good priest. He has a constant sense of self-pity and uselessness. He even refers to himself as a bad priest and a bad man. After recognizing his sins of drinking and adultery, he should be able to submit completely to God and repent. His illegitimate child prevents him from asking forgiveness for committing adultery, and he does not even attempt to stop drinking. Although he tries to perform his priestly functions whenever possible, his constant sin sets a bad example for people who might look to martyrs for inspiration. The w oman who the priest has an affair with says, Suppose you die. Youll be a martyr, wont you? What kind of a martyr do you think youll make? Its enough to make people mock (Greene 79). The unnamed man sets a bad example for others and is a bad priest.

Modern Day versus Civil War Racism in America :: Race

Today racism still exists, but not to the extent that it did during Civil War times. There is still the same amount if not more racism today even though it is very subtle in how it is displayed and also, due to laws that protect US citizens from it. Racism can be displayed through the media, marriage, and even at public schools. Usually television commercials are used to bring the good out of different products and the people that consume or sell the product, but sometimes the commercial will bring out the good in the product, but bring out the bad in the person. One example of this kind of advertisement would be a McDonald’s commercial that aired not too long ago. The setting was in a McDonald’s restaurant with two young, blank males. Each talking about how great a chicken dish was off the 1.00 Menu, but at the same time some foul language was being bleeped out. This helps contribute to some people’s beliefs that all black men do not care about the use of their language in public. Although, the use of foul language from rap music may trigger this, but how racist can this get? The media will also show racism in everyday situations. During a 20/20 episode that aired lately there were different situations that helped bring out the racism in everyday, white Americans. The first situations were about a group of young, white, teenage boys that stated to vandalize a car in this parking lot. During this several bystanders took a look and kept on walking by and only some people called the police. The second scenario was another group of teenage boys, but this time they were black. The setting was in the same parking lot, but there was not vandalism going on these young boys were just sleeping in the car. Again several white bystanders walked by and almost all of them called the police on the sleeping boys. These young men were just taking a nap in their car, not causing any problems. The third and last scenario was the same black boys, but this time they were vandalizing a car and every single one of the bystanders called the police like the world was goi ng to end if they did not. This shows the racism when it comes to the difference between white and black men in certain situations.

Animal Rights and Ethical Theories Essay

Human Rights and Philosophical Theories We live in a society where many people fight for rights of their specific groups. Women’s rights, African American’s rights, and rights for handicapped people are just a few examples. Now these are all groups, where people verbally fight for their groups, but what about animal rights? Animals cannot speak or communicate for themselves, they are unable to defend themselves and fight for their rights in our world. Many philosophical theories are used to decide whether or not something is ethically right or ethically wrong, but the theories are pertaining to humans and are species prejudice. We will review animal rights, concerns, and how animal rights are looked upon when applying different ethical theories. We will also conclude that the deontology theory would be most in benefit of animals in the case of animal right whereas the utilitarian theory would be in the greatest benefit of humans when looking at animal rights. There are many big differences between animals and humans. Even within the different species of animals you have many differences. It is nearly impossible to compare an insect to a wolf for example. So when studying animal rights activists’ articles and media, it is hard to agree and say animals are equal to humans. Even when comparing animals to humans who are mentally ill and cannot communicate, there is still a huge difference. Humans are able to communicate with one another where animals have their way of communicating as well but it is tough to compare their way to ours. If an animal is mistreated, it is impossible for that animal to speak up for itself and seek protection. Sometimes animals find protection but this is because humans will stick up for them and act as their voice. Utilitarianism states; â€Å"This arrangement, more than any other, will be the  most beneficial to the greatest number of people.† (Mosser, 2013) Note the word people at the end. So how does this affect other species? So when applying this to animals, automatically we look at how humans are affected by the way animals are treated. We use animals for our resources and have for a very long time. Not only are they part of our 3-course meal but due to testing on animals, cures are found for diseases and often even things like make-up are tested on animals first to make sure no harm will come upon humans. This is not fair to animals and often while being used for food and testing they are mistreated and abused in the process. Sad as this is, would you choose an animal’s right over a cure for cancer being found? It is really tough to think of issues like this. Many animal rights activists will argue that animals have right too, and although they do, when looking at most humans, animals just simply come second. A person’s life at the end of the day has more meaning then an animal’s life. In recent years more produce at grocery stores has become caged free, many companies and farms advertise a more humane kind of farming. When you think about it though, whether the animals are treated right or not, they are still getting butchered to end up on our dinner plates. Now there is a great deal of vegetarians and even vegans but they still do not make up a large part of overall society and probably never will. Animals have feelings and do deserve a fair treatment but according to the utilitarianism theory, whatever is being judged has to be ethically right for the greatest number of people. As people we eat animals, we test on animals to find medical cures, we use animals to make clothing, and we use animals for a variety of other reasons and a variety of other types of testing as well. â€Å"The fundamental wrong is the system that allows us to view animals as our resources, here for us — to be eaten, or surgically manipulated, or exploited for sport or money. Once we accept this view of animals – as our resources – the rest is as predictable as it is regrettable.† (Regan, 1986) Although his point as an animal rights, as an animal activist is clear and valid but would you offer a human life for an animal life? The answer is no. As an animal lover myself I do not want to see animals being mistreated. I  try to buy produce that advertises cage free animals and enjoy pets. Too say that animals are equal to us in any way is far-fetched. â€Å"We begin by asking how the moral status of animals has been understood by thinkers who deny that animals have rights. Then we test the mettle of their ideas by seeing how well they stand up under the heat of fair criticism. If we start our thinking in this way, we soon find that some people believe that we have no duties directly to animals, that we owe nothing to them, that we can do nothing that wrongs them. † (Regan, 1986) When reading this you have to question if his thoughts pertain to all animals or not. If he only cares about mammals but steps on a spider, another animal rights activist may come along and say he is being unfair because he is only an advocate for certain species of animals. â€Å"The great appeal of utilitarianism rests with its uncompromising egalitarianism: everyone’s interests count and count as much as the like interests of everyone else. The kind of odious discrimination that some forms of contractarianism can justify – discrimination based on race or sex, for example – seems disallowed in principle by utilitarianism, as is speciesism, systematic discrimination based on species membership.† (Regan, 1986) You have to draw the line somewhere as far as I’m concerned. â€Å"There are many other obvious ways in which men and women resemble each other closely, while humans and other animals differ greatly. So, it might be said, men and women are similar beings and should have equal rights, while humans and nonhumans are different and should not have equal rights.† (Singer, 1989) Nobody can argue with this statement but one might say monkeys are very close to humans in their appearance and in many of their capabil ities. Yet humans are humans and we are the top of the foods chain. Facts also state that most people are not vegetarians, most people wear animal skins, and most people are for and not against animal testing for medical reasons. I believe that animals should have rights but that those rights should not be in any way equal to humans rights. Their rights should pertain to minimizing suffering. â€Å"If a being suffers, there can be no moral justification for refusing to take that suffering into consideration. No matter what the nature of the being, the principle of equality requires that its suffering be counted equally with the like suffering—in so far as rough comparisons can be made—of any other being.† (Singer, 1989) According to the utilitarianism theory, this would benefit the greatest number of people  because people could continue to use animals as their resources, and by minimizing suffering the animals would also be in a better place ethically then they are now. Now let’s look at the deontology theory. â€Å"Deontology focuses on the duties and obligations one has in carrying out actions rather than on the consequences of those actions.† (Mosser, 2013) So when looking at this, animals would have the greatest benefits. If we apply this theory we would not be cruel, we would not test on animals. When applying this theory we would not care that human lives will be saved if animals were tested on. Basically testing on animals would be looked upon as cruel and inhumane so therefor when not caring about the outcome, it just would not happen. Basically animals are mistreated but at the end of the day, even if they were not abused and treated wrongly, what we do to them for our reasons is ethically wrong no matter how you look at it. The deontologist would not do wrong in the beginning and therefor we would not mistreat and abuse animals and the outcomes of us not doing so would be neither here nor there. Virtue ethics is a little bit tougher to apply in this case. Virtue ethics looks at the character of the individual committing the act and looks at if this person is genuinely a good person or not. What the act is would be considered to be good because a good person would not commit a bad act because it is out of their character to do so. When trying to apply this theory here it is a little tough. Someone could be a great person but still eat meat or still use products that are tested on animals. So although that person is not himself or she committing the bad act against the animals themselves they are still benefitting from the act committed. It is very tough to apply this and analyze this because it can go so many different ways. Basically when looking at animal rights it is a very tough topic to apply ethics to. Animals do not have the ability to speak or defend themselves and whether people and especially animal right activists want to admit it or not, we come higher above them in the food chain. Our knowledge and capabilities as humans makes us very dominant over any other species. That  is just a fact that cannot be denied. It is however not fair that we use animals as our resources but if you had to choose between ending an animal’s life or a family member’s life, what choice would you make? I think even the most extreme of animal rights activists would have a tough time with that choice if they were faced with it. So when applying the theories, the deontology theory acts in the greatest benefit of the animal while the utilitarianism theory is in the greatest benefits of humans when it comes to the topic of animal’s rights. Animals would not be hurt but humans would not be saved if the deontology theory were applied. When applying the utilitarianism theory, the fact that animals get hurt or mistreated makes no difference either way as long as the greatest number of people benefit from it in the end. References Mosser, K. (2013). Understanding Philosophy. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education. Singer, P. (1989). All animals are equal. In T. Regan & P. Singer (Eds.), Animal rights and human obligations (pp. 148-162). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Retrieved from http://spot.colorado.edu/~heathwoo/phil1200,Spr07/singer.pdf Regan, T. (1985). The case for animal rights. In P. Singer (Ed.), In defense of animals (pp. 13-26). New York, NY: Basil Blackwell. Retrieved from http://www.animal-rights-library.com/texts-m/regan03.htm  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­

My Personal Learning Style

Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘’Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. ’’ Great quote to simplify how some people learn best, by doing rather than seeing or hearing. It is important to realize that most students do not know the learning style that stands out in their personalities; under that circumstance, it could be hard for them to improve their grades.That is why I consider important knowing and understanding the characteristic of a kinesthetic learner to thereby adjust my study habits and do better in college. Whereas for some people it is easy to remember materials they have seen or heard, for me it is easy to remember things that I have experienced. Likewise, I can say that ‘’learning through doing’’ is the first characteristic that helped me to recognize myself as a kinesthetic learner.Additionally, there are three others characteristics that put me in that category. First of all, I learn bes t by actively exploring objects. I do not usually read instructions or manuals, ‘’Forget the manual, I will work it out’’ is a phrase I use often when I buy a new electronic device or any product that needs to be assembled. Secondly, as a kinesthetic learner I find hard to study by reading or listening. It takes me more time to remember and understand the material given in class.As a result, I quickly get tired and bored about studying and later I may become distracted by my need for activity. The final characteristic that makes a this kind of learner is that I need to be active constantly. I may feel uncomfortable if I have to sit for long periods of time, specially in classrooms where I lack of opportunities for exploration. The only exception of a class where I never become bored during high school was chemistry, due to the experiments that the professor assigned in class.It is important for me as a student to know the study habits that fit better my le arning style, it not only will help me to preform better in college, but it also will make me understand and study the material given in class easily and quickly. The first adjustment I would like to make to my study habits is joining to study groups. Better understanding of the course material and the development of teamwork skills are some of the benefits I can obtain by joining to people who are willing to learn with me.Another change I would make to my study habits to fit my learning style, would be studying in short blocks. It is true that my need of exploring distracts me while I study for tests or quizzes, but taking breaks of 15 minutes as a reward after studying from 45 to 60 minutes, will help me to get rid of any possible distraction or negative feelings such as, boredom or tiredness. By carefully making the right adjustments to my study habits that, at the same time, would fit my personal learning style, I know that I would improve and do better as a student not only in tests and quizzes, but also in college.

Pio Baroja essays

Pio Baroja essays Pio Baroja was born on the twenty-eighth of December in the year of 1872 in the Basque Country (Rouco). At the age of fifteen, his family moved to Madrid because his father, Don SerafÃÆ'Â ­n, was transferred there when he had obtained a seat in the Geographic and Statistical Institute (Caro Raggio). In Madrid is where Baroja grew up to learn about medicine. After receiving his medical degree from the University of Madrid in 1893, he practiced medicine for a short time in a village in northern Spain. Discusted by the country life he returned to Madrid to manage the family bakery along side his brother, Ricardo (Book Rags). After working with his brother, he ran unsuccessfully on two occasions for a seat at the Cortes, the Spanish Parliament, as a Republican. As the Spanish American War rolled around in 1898, Baroja began to protest against "Spain's social abuses and the corrosive influence of the Catholic Church" (Book Rags). He was known throughout history as an anarchist who believed that all forms of government are oppressive and undesirable and should be abolished. He began to write about the injustices within his country. He got his start from writing newspaper articles and moved onward to produce novels. After writing so many articles and letters, Pip Baroja moved away from the business scene and became more dedicated to writing (Caro Raggio). Soon he realized that his real passion was to write novels. He became one of the most influential and popular Spanish novelists of the twentieth century. The writing of Pio Baroja mainly was considered "forceful though loosely constructed, characterized by a spare yet lyrical style and an undercurrent of social discontent" (Columbia Encyclopedia). His many books revolved around harsh criticism of his country, Spain, and a pessimistic view of the human existence. His first novel was La Casa de Aizgorri (The House of Aizgorr ...

Joseph Stalin foreign policies

Joseph Stalin foreign policies Introduction Joseph Stalin was born in the year 1879 in Georgia and was an influential politician in Soviet State from the year 1922 until he died in 1953 (Imdb.com).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Joseph Stalin foreign policies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More During this time, Stalin served â€Å"as the first general secretary of the communist party of the Soviet union’s central committee† (Imdb.com) and he managed to consolidate more authority and power in his governance until he become dominant over all other political groups within this party. As a result of his outstanding policies, Stalin geared the soviet State towards achieving major transformation and the country become a â€Å"great industrial power† causing swift economical changes to occur (Imdb.com). Stalin’s policies Foreign policies are combined strategies which a State or a country designs and pursues in order to safeguar d its concerns and interests within the international arena (Foreignpolicy.com). As such, Joseph Stalin had developed specific policies in order to ensure that Soviet Union was successful in many areas primarily in national security. Throughout his reign, Stalin took necessary measures to develop strategies which enabled him maintain power while on the other hand safeguarding the interest of his country (Foreignpolicy.com). Joseph Stalin was obsessed with power and for this reason he wanted to be in a position where he can command and control everything; he therefore developed different strategies such as policies to maintain political power, policies to enable Soviet State acquire economically stability so that the country could become superior over its enemies and policies to safeguard the interest of the nation (Foreignpolicy.com). Discussion Foremost, when Joseph Stalin came into power, he formulated policies which would enable him stay in power for a long time by eliminating al l the people who worked in the previous administration while replacing this group of employees with his own people and friends (Histclo.com). Thereafter, Stalin also initiated a revolutionary wave which would see the Soviet Union acquire higher level of economical stability driven by the industrialization process (Histclo.com). During this industrialization process, there were major developments in the Soviet state and the government was fully able to control all sectors of the country including the most important sectors such as the treasury department because of Stalin hold on power. This firm control was necessary for Stalin’s administration because it enabled the government to direct funds in developing capable and strong military defense that Stalin needed to advance his military policy that was meant to be both defensive and aggressive (Imdb.com). Additionally, as a result of the high level of industrialization, the Soviet Union became self sufficient and very developed in terms of military power as the country was generating sophisticated and high standard military weapons to further its foreign military policy.Advertising Looking for essay on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Stalin also strengthened the country’s army in other ways through quality training of the country’s Red army which was intended to function as preemptive and preparative strategies in case of conflict outbreak between itself and its German neighbors or other countries such as Japan (Imdb.com). Just before the outbreak of Second World War, Stalin had established a policy to increase the number of military officers and by the year 1939 he had made sure that the population of army in the country had increased tremendously; in fact about 1.9 million of the population was army officers (Britannica.com). This ensured that the state was fully prepared to preempt any military attack especially form the Germans (Britannica.com). In this regard it is good to understand that just before the year 1930, Stalin had not developed a good foreign policy for his country, but since he was an ambitious person, Stalin did everything within his power to prepare his country for any eventuality of war which ultimately occurred. As a commanding leader of the Soviet Union, Stalin also developed several foreign strategies aimed at protecting the interests of the Soviet State apart from the military end (Britannica.com). Towards this end, Stalin established several strategies that ensured his country become recognized as an aggressive power. He then advanced a policy to protect the land of the Soviet State which was the basis of the countries saying that stated â€Å"we do not want a single foot of foreign territory, but we will not surrender a single inch of our territory either† (Histclo.com) in which he was quoted saying during one of his many speeches to his people (Histclo.com). This particular policy was adopted by Stalin just few months before the outbreak of World War II (Britannica.com). After this policy, Stalin desire to protect his country made him develop a much better foreign policy that was reconciliatory in nature which enabled Soviet Union to pursue open dialogues with most of the neighboring countries in order to build good relationship with these countries so that they could become allies in case of an outbreak in war (Foreignpolicy.com). Therefore during this time, Stalin developed policies that were both defensive and reconciliatory by strengthening the military while at the same time pursuing a policy that intended to befriend its neighboring countries. Indeed, Stalin developed about four major foreign policies which served as effective instrument of promoting strong military and good relationship with its neighbors. The first was to build up a good business relationship with all neighbor countries so that Soviet Union could win their trus t by engaging with them in trade. The second strategy was to avoid any form of conflict or argument between Soviet Union and the neighboring countries so as to maintain strong bonds of friendship (Foreignpolicy.com).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Joseph Stalin foreign policies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The third policy was to create a strong Red army and navy in order to facilitate reinforcement of the military force and also enable the defense mechanism to be ready to handle attackers from every side at any given time. Lastly Stalin developed another policy of creating good relationship with all foreigners living in his country whilst also ensuring good international bonds were maintained with its allies (Foreignpolicy.com). It is clear that, Joseph Stalin was a strategist and through his scheming he also ensured that treaties of all the above agreements that furthered the country’s policies were si gned by the neighboring countries as a mark of commitment to these goals. Stalin also created foreign policies that addressed other countries policies that were being made by its enemies such as Poland and German; because he responded to this by pursuing policies that intended to make allies from its friendly countries. Pros and cons of Joseph Stalin During the period when Joseph Stalin was in authority, the Soviet Union experienced major transformations such as industrialization, economical development and good military defense which are among the most positive achievements of Commander Joseph Stalin as discussed below during his reign (Foreignpolicy.com). Since Stalin was an ambitious person, he did everything within his power to ensure that the Soviet Union would become a superior state. Therefore, during his reign, Stalin developed a strong team in his government that helped in facilitating urbanization of the Soviet Union to become more industrialized than ever before (Histclo. com). This is because Stalin was very determined to make the Soviet Union acquire higher level of industrialization despite the internal pressure which was opposing his initiatives. Stalin sold much of the agricultural products all over the land so that he could be able to acquire funds that would facilitate his government in supporting this project. This is no doubt one of the many achievements that Joseph Stalin achieved because of the great desire to have his country become much superior as well; this is one of his greatest achievements (Histclo.com). In addition, Joseph Stalin enabled the country to acquire economical stability due to the major developments that he facilitated in the industrial sector. Because of the higher level of industrialization acquired by the Soviet State, the country was able to be of economical influence over other neighboring countries in the region (Foreignpolicy.com). Furthermore, Stalin also was able to develop a strong and capable military defense which he invested heavily in order to safeguard the interest of the Soviet State. During this period, Stalin invested heavily in strengthening the Red army in every front such as by increasing training for the navy and airborne officers. Besides this, Stalin also advocated for increase in the number of army soldiers in order to ensure that the country was ready to face its enemies during war outbreak which had by then became imminent (Histclo.com).Advertising Looking for essay on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Despite of all these achievements, Joseph Stalin as a leader of the Soviet Union also negatively affected the country because of his foreign policies as well as his internal policies and his great ambitions to acquire more power. While trying to develop an industrialized State, Stalin had to sell a lot of agricultural products such as wheat from the farmers which eventually caused a great famine and consequently caused a mass death of Soviets citizens due to lack of enough food in the country (Foreignpolicy.com). Furthermore, while imposing his policies, Stalin violated the right and freedom to religion by abolishing all religious activities across the nation (Foreignpolicy.com). Britannica.com. â€Å"Joseph Stalin (prime minister of Union of Soviet.† Web.. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Stalin Foreignpolicy.com. â€Å"Stalin statue in Virginia a huge bust†. 2010. Web. Histclo.com â€Å"Biography : Joseph Stalin, 2009†. Web. https://www.histclo.com /bio/s/bio-stalin.html Imdb.com. â€Å"Biography for Joseph Stalin†. 1998. Web. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0821672/bio Stel.ru. â€Å"Joseph Stalin Biography, 2004†. Web.

Critical evaluation organization's Resources and Capabilities of Coursework

Critical evaluation organization's Resources and Capabilities of Starbucks in Thailand. (internal environment) - Coursework Example The company’s high return from its new investments, made in the booming market of Thailand, helps to capture the confidence and loyalty of its value chain partners and shareholders (Hitt, Ireland, and Hoskisson, 2010). Intangible Resources The company has gained a strong brand image in the global market, since the last forty years of its establishment, which has helped it to win active support of its business stakeholders in Thailand for its business projects. The quality product and valuable diversification have transformed the individuals of Thailand into loyal customers of the company. The efficient marketing strategy used by the company, for delivering new coffee deviations in the market, has helped it to gain popularity in the market of Thailand (Zhang and McCornac, 2013). Human Resources In Thailand, Starbucks Corporation uses wholly owned subsidiary model to expand its business. Roby (2011) found that human resource strategy of the company differs significantly with the change of entry mode or mode of business operation. As part of wholly owned subsidiary model in Thailand, 3 member core Store Development team works for the company to analyze the market potential of a particular store location and supervise the entire retail chain expansion strategy of the company (Getchee, 2013). Training and development of staff in different Starbucks stores in Thailand is being done in human resource departments of the team. Capability and skill level of staff in various retail stores of Starbucks is being enhanced through periodic training programs. Consideration of research works of Roby (2011) reveals the fact that Starbucks Corporation focuses on capturing local talents and individuals while expanding business in Asian countries like Malaysia, Thailand or China because culture of these countries diverges significantly from western countries. To mitigate the cultural gap, in Thailand, the coffee retailing giant recruits more of Thai people who can understand local culture and customs and fulfil customer requirements in efficient manner. Therefore it can be said that Starbucks Corporation uses well defined human resource strategy develop talented and responsive human capital who can help the company to achieve business success in Thailand. Starbucks Capabilities Strategies in terms of Value Chain The value chain is the chain that denotes the various activities and services conducted by a firm in order to serve a valuable service or product in the market. Figure 1: Value Chain Diagram (Source: Porter, 2008) Inbound Logistic The company’s branch in Thailand offers a close-association among its investors, suppliers and customers in the market. Cocoa seeds have few cultivation fields worldwide. Thus, the company considers its suppliers to be very important as they supply the required raw materials to them at right time and place (Sridharan, Caines and Patterson, 2008). Operations The company claims that its primary operation in the m arket is to serve the world’s best coffee to the individuals. The Quality Strategy of

Art Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Art - Assignment Example On the other hand, Rome is based on aristocratic and hierarchical form of government and society. The two types of pottery are hand-built and wheel-thrown pottery. There are 3 techniques in making hand-built potter namely pinch pot, coil pot, and slab pot techniques. Pinch pot technique is undertaken by kneading the clay and then shaping it into different potteries such as bowl, dish, cup, etc. The coil pot technique is achieved by making long, round clips of clay and then these are coiled and stacked to achieve the desired shape. The third technique is the slap pot which is used to make clay boxes and other geometric forms and shapes. Advanced or complicated shapes can be achieved through the combination of the techniques. The other type of pottery is the wheel-thrown pottery which uses a potter’s wheel to be able to form shapes. The use of the said tool is a needed skill thus it is the primary requirement in using this method. Another important skill is to know the amount of water to use in making the pottery. This water suspension is referred to as the slip. The potter y glaze seals and waterproofs the pottery and undertaken after the first firing process that hardens the clay. Another term important in pottery is leather-hard which means a stage wherein the pottery is considerably hard but still workable. This stage is included in the greenware stage of pottery process which is prior to being put in the kiln or the baking apparatus. Pottery at this stage is also called bisque. The Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations are included in the earliest human civilizations with very distinct culture and art forms. The Mesopotamian civilization originated near the Tigris-Euphrates River while the Egyptian civilization originated near the Nile River. They both have a society based on religious beliefs. This can clearly be seen in their art wherein the

Motivating Employees Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Motivating Employees - Assignment Example For employees whose drives and needs are focused on satisfying lower order needs (physiological, social and security needs), extrinsic factors (money or compensation) could be the most effective motivators. However, for employees who crave for satisfying higher-order needs (self-actualization and fulfillment), intrinsic factors must be the most effective motivators of performance. The motivational theories that were evidently applied included Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, as well as Herzberg’s two factor model (Martires & Fule, 2004). By accurately identifying the level of needs, as well as the motivational (or hygiene) factors, employers are assisted in designing motivational programs that would keep employees productive, satisfied and motivated. Based on one’s personal and professional experiences and from the readings, one would recommend that employers need to accurately assess the needs and drives of employees to enable them to design motivational or incentive programs that match these needs. As disclosed, intrinsic and extrinsic factors (or hygiene and motivational factors) need to be incorporated in the job to make the tasks inherently interesting, challenging, satisfying, and rewarding. Ryan, R., & Deci, E. (2000). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New Directions. Retrieved December 28, 2014, from Contemporary Educational Psychology:

International Human Rights Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Human Rights Law - Essay Example f attaching to third world repressive regimes and conflict zones often permits the most horrific human rights abuse through promulgation of unsavory business practices as pointed by GE1. Several of these multi-national firms are accused of economic imperialism and the fostering of intercountry competition as related in Blake,et al 2. Governed by the rules of supply and demand, their loyalties are solely afforded to their stockholders. Amidst accusations and public scrutiny, extra-territorial corporate regulations are implemented to address human rights concerns as provided by U.S. Dept. of Commerce3. Serious calls for legislative challenges alleged that the American Government as a whole benefited from this internationalization of production and marketing. As the parent country of TNC’s, such allegations created fear among the public officials who are likely dragged into the difficult situation. As a result of these concerns, the government has imposed stringent measures to unravel the complications of jurisdictional disputes and direct relationship of the parent state and the host country over the multinational corporations. Along with other parent countries standard policies for control were established to meet the specific demands of their parents and host. In response a number of multinational corporations countered with their own voluntary policies and/or codes developed with industry groups, intergovernmental organizations and multi-stakeholder initiatives to provide as an adjunct to the established principles provided by the state or parent countries, in Simons4. Voluntary Principles were also established by the United States and United Kingdom to offer as guidelines for human rights assessment techniques. The United Nations Human Rights Responsibilities also upheld an effective model for voluntary self-assessment and verification methods to ensure corporate accountability. Problems are often encountered though at their regulations especially in

We are Americans Undocumented Students Pursuing the American Dream Annotated Bibliography

We are Americans Undocumented Students Pursuing the American Dream - Annotated Bibliography Example As the â€Å"old man† illustrated within the story disputes the changes that have taken place, the reality of the fact is that a greater level of social cohesion is represented within the town he lives; even if he might feel uncomfortable with this. Census data indicated that the vast majority of North American population could trace their own heritage, or that of their parents, to a foreign country. This helps to illustrate the strong immigrant backgrounds that are represented within North America; up until the current time. However, the piece also goes into a great deal of discussion referencing the way in which former immigrants came to view â€Å"newer† immigrants as something â€Å"separate† and alien. This behavior has had negative ramifications with respect to the degree and extent to which otherwise similar individuals have been able to coalesce into a diverse or homogenous society. Yet, the authors point to the fact that the same underlying motivation ha s encouraged virtually all of these immigrants to come to North America; the promise of economic freedom and the ability to start their lives afresh. With this underlying concept standing at the core of similarity between these otherwise diverse peoples, the authors effectively underscore the similarity of self-interest serves as the main similarity that is otherwise exhibited.

To practice following the law of least intervention and develop the Essay

To practice following the law of least intervention and develop the habit of nipping potential misbehavior in the bud - Essay Example entails the introduction of an aversive stimulus, which more often than not inflicts physical or psychological harm on the victim, with the sole intention of deterring undesired behaviors. In light of this, it is possible for teachers to deter their students from engaging in disruptive behaviors. As outlined in the Module 4’s text, a hierarchy of intervention strategies exists for teachers to use to deter unwanted behaviors (COMP 4.22). Almost two years ago, I happened to be interning at an elementary school in the district, when I came across the most bizarre disruptive behavior from a student. Approximately ten minutes into the lesson, this young boy would start tapping his pencil on the desk rapidly. As time elapsed, the tapping got louder, which caused students seating near him to lose their concentration. At first, I wrote this behavior off because I simply assumed that it was the student’s way of internalizing taught concepts. It was only when students started complaining about the behavior, that I decided to intervene. Immediately the boy began tapping his pencil ten minutes into the lesson, I first ignored him for a minute. However, as the tapping got louder, I made eye contact with the student, and soon increased the physical proximity between the student and I. This did not seem to deter this bizarre behavior, and I could tell that the student was unaware of my intention. Therefore, I decided to touch his hand gently, an action, which forced him to spontaneously stop the behavior. Excited that I had achieved what I had set out to do, I walked away from the student. By the time I got to the front of the classroom, the tapping commenced. This prompted me to engage the student directly whereby, I deliberately asked him a question hoping that the destruction would pull his attention from the undesirable behavior, and in turn help me assess whether he had grasped the course content. He answered correctly, which made me aware that his behavior was

International Human Rights Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

International Human Rights Law - Essay Example f attaching to third world repressive regimes and conflict zones often permits the most horrific human rights abuse through promulgation of unsavory business practices as pointed by GE1. Several of these multi-national firms are accused of economic imperialism and the fostering of intercountry competition as related in Blake,et al 2. Governed by the rules of supply and demand, their loyalties are solely afforded to their stockholders. Amidst accusations and public scrutiny, extra-territorial corporate regulations are implemented to address human rights concerns as provided by U.S. Dept. of Commerce3. Serious calls for legislative challenges alleged that the American Government as a whole benefited from this internationalization of production and marketing. As the parent country of TNC’s, such allegations created fear among the public officials who are likely dragged into the difficult situation. As a result of these concerns, the government has imposed stringent measures to unravel the complications of jurisdictional disputes and direct relationship of the parent state and the host country over the multinational corporations. Along with other parent countries standard policies for control were established to meet the specific demands of their parents and host. In response a number of multinational corporations countered with their own voluntary policies and/or codes developed with industry groups, intergovernmental organizations and multi-stakeholder initiatives to provide as an adjunct to the established principles provided by the state or parent countries, in Simons4. Voluntary Principles were also established by the United States and United Kingdom to offer as guidelines for human rights assessment techniques. The United Nations Human Rights Responsibilities also upheld an effective model for voluntary self-assessment and verification methods to ensure corporate accountability. Problems are often encountered though at their regulations especially in

To practice following the law of least intervention and develop the Essay

To practice following the law of least intervention and develop the habit of nipping potential misbehavior in the bud - Essay Example entails the introduction of an aversive stimulus, which more often than not inflicts physical or psychological harm on the victim, with the sole intention of deterring undesired behaviors. In light of this, it is possible for teachers to deter their students from engaging in disruptive behaviors. As outlined in the Module 4’s text, a hierarchy of intervention strategies exists for teachers to use to deter unwanted behaviors (COMP 4.22). Almost two years ago, I happened to be interning at an elementary school in the district, when I came across the most bizarre disruptive behavior from a student. Approximately ten minutes into the lesson, this young boy would start tapping his pencil on the desk rapidly. As time elapsed, the tapping got louder, which caused students seating near him to lose their concentration. At first, I wrote this behavior off because I simply assumed that it was the student’s way of internalizing taught concepts. It was only when students started complaining about the behavior, that I decided to intervene. Immediately the boy began tapping his pencil ten minutes into the lesson, I first ignored him for a minute. However, as the tapping got louder, I made eye contact with the student, and soon increased the physical proximity between the student and I. This did not seem to deter this bizarre behavior, and I could tell that the student was unaware of my intention. Therefore, I decided to touch his hand gently, an action, which forced him to spontaneously stop the behavior. Excited that I had achieved what I had set out to do, I walked away from the student. By the time I got to the front of the classroom, the tapping commenced. This prompted me to engage the student directly whereby, I deliberately asked him a question hoping that the destruction would pull his attention from the undesirable behavior, and in turn help me assess whether he had grasped the course content. He answered correctly, which made me aware that his behavior was

The Character of Uncle Tom Essay Example for Free

The Character of Uncle Tom Essay Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel â€Å"Uncle Tom’s Cabin† made such a momentous statement in American culture, at the time it was published, until today, in the 21st century. Some secondary schools had the book banned from their roster of books in their libraries, mainly because of its supposedly controversial nature (The strength of ,2008). The reason why the book has been the root of much controversy is that Ms. Stowe injected a lot of melodrama into her story, to the point that readers considered it a caricature of reality. Some of Ms. Stowe’s detractors contend that she did not sufficiently show the real horror of slavery, but instead, narrating the softer aspect of slavery in her novel (The strength of ,2008). Published in the early 1850’s, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was said to have contributed to the tension in America over slavery, and encouraged the abolitionist movement (The strength of ,2008). Abolitionists are those who fought for the abolition of slavery in America. Ms. Stowe was said to be a woman who was involved in religious and feminist causes (The strength of ,2008). Ms. Stowe’s influence on the American northern states was undisputed. In fact, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was said to have led to Civil War (The strength of ,2008). It is often reported that Ms. Stowe’s purpose in writing the novel was to expose the evils of slavery in the North, where many Americans were not aware of what was actually going on in the rest of their country (The strength of ,2008). The book, amazingly successful by selling 300,000 copies in its first year, inspired President Lincoln, upon meeting Ms. Stowe, to say, â€Å"So this is the little lady who made this big war (The strength of ,2008). † Uncle Tom’s Cabin 4 Despite this, many historians complain that Ms. Stowe’s novel is historically inaccurate, and that Ms. Stowe grossfully exaggerated the evils in slavery so she can drive home her point. These issues remain largely debated, except for one. The character of Uncle Tom has been detrimentally re-created a hundred times over, and in this paper, I will explore the character behind â€Å"Uncle Tom†, and why it has become what it is in today’s times. Uncle Tom has been charged with demeaning African Americans with his overly subservient behavior (The strength of ,2008). Modern times have derided Uncle Tom, and insist that his nature undermines the real struggles of black freedom through ingratiating himself with their white overseers and master. Ironically, I believe that Ms. Stowe created Uncle Tom to illustrate the brutality and cruelty of slavery during those times, and packaging Uncle Tom into a person filled with humility, dignity and ingrained with a strong, Christian faith (Page, 1996). Up until he drew his dying breath, Uncle Tom showed to be morally superior to his white masters by his ability to forgive those who had abused him to the point of death (Page, 1996). Let me introduce you to Uncle Tom. He is one of the long-suffering slaves of Arthur and Emily Shelby, and a dear friend of their very young son, George, who called him Uncle Tom. Faced with the possibility of losing their farm because of debts, the Shelby’s decide to sell Tom, and the son of Mrs. Shelby’s maid, Harry. When the maid, Eliza, finds out about this, she escapes with her son (Allen, 2008). Tom was sold and while traveling on a riverboat, she rescues a white girl, Eva, when she falls into the river. Her father, Augustine St. Clare, bought Tom from the slave trader Uncle Tom’s Cabin 5 and took him to live on their plantation in New Orleans. Meanwhile, Eliza met up with her fugitive husband, George, in an attempt to reach Canada. At that time, they were being hunted by a slave trader named Loker, whom George eventually shoots in a scuffle. Eliza convinced George to bring the wounded Loker to a Quaker settlement nearby, for medical attention (Allen, 2008). In New Orleans, St. Clare tries to prove to his cousin Ophelia that bias against blacks were wrong, and buys a young slave, Topsy, for Ophelia to educate. Eva dies of a protracted illness, and she shared a vision of heaven in her deathbed. People who heard her account changed for the better, and St. Clare vowed to free Uncle Tom. Before he can do so, St. Clare is fatally wounded in a fight. In anger, his wife sold Uncle Tom to a vicious Northern farm owner, Simon Legree (Allen, 2008). Uncle Tom endured endless tortures from Legree, specially when he refused to whip a fellow slave. Tom found refuge in his Christian faith, which he generously comforted the other slaves with. At one point, Uncle Tome refused to divulge to Legree where two fugitive slaves had run to, so Legree ordered him killed. Before he died, Uncle Tom forgave his killers, who, humbled by the experience, became Christians. Arthur Shelby’s son comes to buy Uncle Tom his freedom, but was too late. George went home to his own farm, frees all his slaves, and reminds them to remember Uncle Tom’s sacrifices and his unwavering faith in Christianity (Allen, 2008). Ms. Stowe described Uncle Tom as benevolent, kind, humble and simple (Willis, 2002). Of course, the white masters did everything to destroy a slave’s dignity and self-respect (Willis, 2002). Nevertheless, Uncle Tom kept his morality, and was transparent Uncle Tom’s Cabin 6 about yearning for freedom. This transparency and honesty is NOT the behavior of a subservient slave, who would not dare to venture his desires for freedom, even to a kind master (Willis, 2002). It is high time we re-think â€Å"Uncle Tom. † We should pay tribute to the depth of Uncle Tom’s character, rather than degrade him into an epithet. This development in latter times of deriding Uncle Tom is perhaps one of the most harmful and tragic historical developments in American culture (Allen, 2008). Despite the brutality in his life as a slave, Uncle Tom stood tall at all times. Sometimes, Uncle Tom would annoy readers because of his goodness. In fact, Uncle Tom could’ve run away from Arthur Shelby who trusted him with money. Yet, Uncle Tom never took advantage of Shelby, because of his deep-seated loyalty to his master (Willis, 2002). In the novel, Ms. Stowe does not provide a background on Uncle Tom. Therefore, one doesn’t know whether his loyalty to Shelby was something that was inculcated with him since childhood if he was born in the Shelby plantation (Willis, 2002). However, it is implied in the story that Shelby’s promise of freedom to Uncle Tom could have made Uncle Tom loyal, although Shelby never confirms when he will free Uncle Tom (Willis, 2002). Shelby even betrays Tom by selling him when he ran into debt (Willis, 2002). No matter what, Uncle Tom still continued to trust white people, and trust in God. Many readers disliked this behavior (Willis, 2002). Speaking of faith, Uncle Tom’s unwavering faith was put to the test when St. Clare sold him to Legree. Even though Uncle Tom maintained his loyalty and faithfulness to his master, he did contemplate about escaping (Willis, 2002). To note, escape for Uncel Uncle Tom’s Cabin 7 Tom was not exactly in the physical sense of escape, but in spiritual escape (Willis, 2002). On the other hand, Legree realized that Uncle Tom was a valuable slave who had capacities for large amounts of work. At the same time, Legree also recognized that he would have to break Uncle Tom’s spirit at some point, if he were to maximize Uncle Tom’s value (Willis, 2002). To recall, during their first confrontation, Legree ordered Uncle Tom to whip a slave girl. Uncle Tom refused by honestly telling Legree that his soul will not surrender to a mortal (Willis, 2002). He even egged on Legree by saying that if he died as a result of beatings, then that would just send him faster to heaven (Willis, 2002). This illustrates that Uncle Tom has been contemplating death, and ultimate escape from slavery. He was pragmatic about Legree, though, and knew with a certainty that Legree will not have second thoughts about killing him for resisting (Willis, 2002). A final confrontation yet occurs between Legree and Uncle Tom, when the former asked Uncle Tom to divulge where two runaway slave girls have gone to (Willis, 2002). Ms. Stowe reiterated that as two slaves brought Uncle Tom before Legree, Uncle Tom acknowledged the power of Legree. Yet, at the same time, he affirmed that God gave him the strength to face death, rather than be traitor to the two helpless runaways Legree was after (Willis, 2002). He sat his basket down by the row, and, looking up, said, Into thy hands I commend my spirit! Thou hast redeemed me, oh Lord God of truth (Willis, 2002)† Like Jesus Christ, Uncle Tom resigned to his faith to Legree. Legree symbolizes the Uncle Tom’s Cabin 8 â€Å"evils of slavery†, while Uncle Tom can be likened to the archangel who resisted Satan’s temptations (Willis, 2002). Through this moments, Uncle Tom’s courage, nobility and humility surfaces when he tells Legree that he is able to shed his blood for the sake of the innocent in the same way that Jesus Christ did (Willis, 2002). Legree deals Uncle Tom his death blow. When he died, he had forgiven his killers. Uncle Tom used passive resistance to the hilt until it brought him closer to his God through death. No. Uncle Tom was not an â€Å"Uncle Tom†. Uncle Tom’s was a more puritanical kind of Christianity (The strength of ,2008). Therefore, if a reader is searching for a revolutionary role-model, someone who captains his own fate in the most shaming circumstances, then he/she will not find that hero in Uncle Tom (Younge, 2004). However, one seldom finds revolutionary role models. Uncle Tom’s sense of duty despite his slavery, is depressing. When his wife urges him to escape together with Eliza, he says: Masr always found me on the spot he always will. I never have broke trust and I never will (Younge, 2004). Moreover, his unwillingness to align his principles to everyone’s own good, is frustrating. When tempted by a slave to kill Legree while the latter was drunk, Uncle Tom said: No! good never comes of wickedness. Id sooner chop my right hand off Uncle Tom’s Cabin 9 The Lord hasnt called us to wrath. We must suffer, and wait his time (Younge, 2004). Uncle Tom instilled in us his belief that he would rather wait for his true freedom in heaven, as opposed to fighting for his freedom on earth. I t is from this same well of belief is Uncle Tom able to preserve his basic humanism, despite daily exposure to degradation and deprivation of respect (Younge, 2004). It is in his stoic faith and consistency do we realize Uncle Tom’s integrity (Younge, 2004). Through his integrity, he was able to stand for himself, encourage and comfort his fellow slaves, yet at the same time, restrain himself from abhorring the whites (Younge, 2004). Hecne, to understand why this epitome of dignity, self-respect and faith has becme an epitome for subservience and betrayal, we have to look at politics, film and the theater (Younge, 2004). Stage renditions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin tookaway radical yet subtle anti-slave messages, turning the story into one, big, minstrel show (Younge, 2004). In fact, Uncle Tom was the first cinematic role played by a first lead in a black film in the year 1914 (Younge, 2004).

Case Study Marketing: Nyquil

Case Study Marketing: Nyquil Nyquil is a brand of over the counter drug produced by Vicks, which is a division of the Procter and Gamble Company. This drug comes in form of syrup and liquid capsules and tablets that are used to for the treatment of a wide range of cold symptoms. Marketing of Nyquil is done both in the domestic market and internationally by the Procter and gamble through it Vicks subsidiary that it bought from Richardson Vicks in 2005.Vicks is known world widely for its marketing of branded consumer health care products. Before its acquisition by PG the Vicks Company had more than thirty subsidiaries all over the world some of which were acquired by PG too. One of them is the India Richardson Hindustan Limited (RVL) Company that has greatly contributed in the manufacturing and distribution of the Nyquil drug (Richardson Vicks Inc. (RVI)).Nyquil is the number one drug recommended by pharmacists for night time relief of cold among adults and it is available in more than 70 countries within five continents where its distributed by varied PG distributors. Drug distributors in pharmacies, government and private hospital and pharmaceutical companies get their Nyquil drugs shipped to their countries with the by the manufactures and the Subsidiaries of PG pharmaceutical products. This physical distribution of the drug is done through a well organized supply chain that spreads from the manufacture to the consumer. The purchasing of this drug can either be done by physically visiting the pharmaceutical companies or by placing online bids through website like Amazon.com and Vicks.com Some pharmaceutical companies that dont produce the Nyquil drug act as the distribution centers by buying the drug in bulk from Vicks company and other pharmaceutical associated with PG and they repackage it with direction and permission from the manufacturer. Such companies employ sales agents who sell the drug either directly or through the internet. They market Nyquil to the wholesalers, private buyers, hospitals and sometimes to selected retail dealers. The wholesalers buy from such companies, break the bulk and redistribute the drug to the retail sellers in pharmacies and small private hospitals. This multi channel distribution of Nyquil has made it easy to export the drug to various markets all over the world. The marketing of the Nyquil drug has for the longest of time been assisted by its brand strength. Mention Nyquil to any American and they will understand what you are taking about. In fact it could equally qualify as the most abused cold over the counter drug since it has a sedating effect on its user. Widespread television radio and print advertisement have helped create product awareness and created ideal market exposure for the drug. The liquid variation of Nyquil was tested for the first time in 1966, and officially launched into the market in 1968 with several television and magazine advertisement and recommendation from the medical world. Consequently, Procter and Gamble used $ 17 million dollars to promote liquid Nyquil during its launch in 1980(New York Magazine 12 Vol. 24, No. 38) Further more, Nyquil has become a common name to most house holds in American households and its the mostly recommended over the counter drug for remedying cold symptoms. Its slogan that calls it The nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, best-sleep-you-ever-got-with-a-cold medicine is an eye catcher for anyone displaying the mentioned symptoms of a cold. With this slogan comes a list of Nyquil variation, each tailored to the different formulations on offer. More over the Nyquil Liquid medication is available in ranges of the Soothing Original, Soothing Cherry, and Vanilla Cherry Swirl. The earliest marketing of Nyquil also created a niche market for it as the best night time relieve for cold since it has an ingredient that makes someone drowsy and help him sleep peaceful. This quality of Nyquil was previously critiqued by those who didnt want to use a cold remedy with the intention of sleeping immediately. To maintain the drugs niche and retain her customers Vicks company came up with Dayquil, a daytime counter part of Nyquil which does not contain the sedating ingredients or alcohol that is found in Nyquil. Therefore, Procter and gamble s able to satisfy both the day time and night time consumers of effective cold remedy. Another marketing method used in the marketing of Nyquil is the use of Nyquil Coupons. This coupons which are distributed by either Procter and Gamble Sunday News Circular supplement called PG Brand Saver, from the physicians and allergists, weekly circular of pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS or in third party Coupon Sites like Coupon.Com.These coupons enables to one buy Nyquil medication at a discounted rate during a repeat purchase and are working to attract and sustain repeat buyers of the product. To make it easier for customers the coupons are available in clippable and printable online form, and so any person is able to access them (Pharmacy Drug Guide.com). Another promotion strategy that was launched for this product in 2009 was the use of social media Facebook.According to the a customer review the most attractive thing about the Nyquil face book page was that the introductory language used in it did not try to get you straight to the product but first told you about the page itself detailing the growing number of its fans in order to make someone feel like he was missing out on something. During the same period it had a free Nyquil T-shirt offer for the Nyquil customers who posted the best peaceful sleeping photos purported to have been taken after one had taken Nyquil for their cold. According to another blogger, it took only 7 days for the number of Nyquil fans to grow from 30199 to 95,125 and in the next twenty four hours they had grown to a hundred thousand. This kind of marketing has created an extensive exposure to the product and interested buyers from all over the world can easily access information on it. In effect, the approach has helped in creating wide spread product knowledge and in beating the common misconceptions that competitor sometimes spread about the product. Other than face book, marketers at PG use different Websites to advertise their product. For instance, Vicks.com is a website that gives product information on all the variations of Nyquil medication and any promotions involved in its purchase and where to shop for it. For instance, on the Nyquil and Dayquil product information page there is information on the availability of Combo packages of the drug and on the promotion page there is a promotional advert that asks someone to Search Nyquil on face book to enter the Vicks Nyquil/Dayquil search for the most dedicated NFL fan. The Promotion catch line is In the NFL there are no sick days. Such promotional activities are aimed at appealing the drug to the NFL fans (Vicks.com). The marketers of Nyquil have also been known to market the product through creation of its demand. This kind of marketing plays on human psychology by using words that are attractive to the consumer. Most Nyquil advertisements Market it as a medication that that work while a person is sleeping. This is interpreted to mean that it does not interfere with a persons daytime schedule. This night time appeal combined with the fact Nyquil tablet comes in not only Tablet and capsule form but also in liquid form helped increase the demand for the product. In essence there fore Nyquil is perceived as the most potent cold medication. This is a pull approach that helps in attracting consumers to the product without the manufacturer prodding them to do so. Although NyQuil contains 25% alcohol this remedy has become the gold mark of cold medication. However, the variation of Nyquil given to children only come in syrup form and does not contain any alcohol. When it comes to customer care, PG aims at providing the best for her Nyquil customers who are spread all over the world. The task of handling so many customers can be quite a logistic burden and man power burden to one company. There fore, PG usually out-sources the customer care service from Public Relation experts on contract basis. This extra service complements and helps to build up the customer skills displayed by PG personnels. For instance on June 30th, 2003 the company outsourced the customer care expertise of Syke Enterprises Incorporated on a five year contract at a cost of 70 million. Sykes, a reknown giant in provision of customer care services was to provide customer care management services and help provide solution to the P G consumer problem and help save cost. Part 2 Although the above marketing methods have helped open the sales gates for Nyquil some of them have achieved decreasing sustainability. For instance, in some cases PG has been accused of engaging in illegal marketing strategies in the promotion of Nyquil. Example was in the late 2009 when PG got itself under the scrutiny of the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for illegally touting two Vicks branded over-the -counter drugs, Vicks Nyquil plus vitamin C and its day time counterpart Vicks daytime plus vitamin C as both a medication for cold as well as a dietary supplements. The marketing language used on this drugs said that they worked by combining the powerful multi symptom relief of Dayquil with more than 150% of the recommended value of vitamin. This was done as a marketing strategy during the time of a swine flu epidemic but FDA claimed that there isnt well researched and verified material that shows vitamin C helps in prevention of colds. Consequently, the company was given 15 day s to amend the violation (Straczynski). Market competitors of Nyquil have also critiqued the use of alcohol as an ingredient to the drug. This has led to the rampant abuse of the drug is search for the high that is derived from its overdose. Although its manufacturers tried remedying this problem by changing the formulation of this medication it realized that the sedating quality of the medicine was still needed by those suffering from cold. This made customers abandon the New Nyquil in search for a drug with the qualities of the original Nyquil. Vicks was forced to revert back to the old formulation but the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 only allows regulated over the counter purchase of this drug. Another critique is in the use of social media where one is only able to access the Nyquil page through series of applications that asks for private information that may drive away potential customers. The Nyquil wall does not allow interactive participation of the fans and it fails on not engaging customers enough. Consequently, Instead of using the platform to engage their user they have reverted to the traditional marketing tactic where you are only allowed to see the product but you cannot comment on it. They forget that the number of fans on a social website page does not always translate to potential customers since some people just like them for nostalgic reasons. Lastly although the drug has become a brand in America, it may have corresponding competition from other cold remedy manufacturers when it goes to outside markets. Never the less most of the advertisement and promotional activities have been concentrated in America where there is already saturation of information. In consequence there the following remedial measures should be taken in marketing of Nyquil. Instead of the manufacturer constantly changing the drug formulation due to its controversial sedating characteristics caused by the alcohol ingredient(Green 60), its marketers should be confident with the original Nyquil and market it as it is, since market research has shown that most initial consumers of this drug prefer it in its original form. Different formulation of the same medication erodes the consumer confidence in the product. Second, if the marketers of Nyquil plan to use social media network for marketing and advertisement purposes they should do it in a way that allows for consumer feed back. Lack of interaction creates disinterest and most potential consumers are likely to dislike the Nyquil page. 3. Illegal marketing strategy that gives lying information to consumers a marketing no-no that should be discouraged at any chance. Nyquil marketers should only advertise the truth about the product because customers may abandon the product when they find out that someone has been lying about it (Straczynski).This will happen due to reduced confidence in a product. 4. Finally, if PG want to increase it sale of Nyquil to the market outside America, is should increase, it advertising and promotional activities in these countries through its subsidiaries and distributors. This will accentuate the sales volumes especially from the largely untapped market. Research study: factors that enable depression Research study: factors that enable depression Introduction Research studies are essential to the practice of Social Work. Social Work practice is extremely complex and research studies allow social workers to develop theories and hypotheses that will help them understand the root of the issues that their clients are experiencing. Academic evidence is vital for backing up the practices, policies and values that underpin Social Work practice. Academic research not only benefits the social worker through the expansion of their knowledge but can also benefit clients and society at a policy level. In this essay I will be evaluating the research carried out by Brown and Harris (1984) in their book â€Å"Social origins of depression: a study of psychiatric disorder in women†, specifically on chapter 10, â€Å"Social class, provoking agents and depression†. Brown and Harris carried out this research to find out how life events and social and cultural factors may lead to the development of depression amongst women. I will briefly descri be their study and their findings and then discuss the methodology they used and the advantages and disadvantages of their methodology. I will also discuss how Brown and Harris’ research is extremely important and influential for the practice of Social Work and how the study is still used today to show how social and cultural factors can lead to depression. Description of study and findings The study aimed to find out how social factors and life events lead to women’s depression. They sampled 458 women in the south London area of Camberwell and surveyed them using â€Å"clinical based interviews† (Brown Harris 1984) on their daily lives and depression. Brown and Harris aim to contest the wide spread belief that depression is more common amongst women of higher social classes, as asserted by previous studies carried out by sociologist Pauline Bart, psychiatrist Ernest Becker and psychologist Charles Costello. Brown and Harris’ study contests this idea that middle class women are more likely to develop depression as they found in their study of 458 women that it was much more common for those who were working class to develop a psychiatric disorder, depression in particular. They found that 23% of working class women were â€Å"considered cases† as opposed to only 6% of middle class women. They measured the social class of the women by the occ upations of the women’s husbands and when this wasn’t available they used the occupation of the women’s father to determine their social class. In addition to class differences, Brown and Harris also looked at the â€Å"five life stages† which consisted of, three stages where women has a child at home with the youngest child being less than 6, between 6 and 14 and 15 and over. The remaining two life stages consisted of women younger than 35 where there was no child at home and women over 35 where there was no child at home. They found that in all life stages, working class women had a higher rate of depression than middle class women. Most notably, the highest percentage was of 31% for working class women with a child of less than 6 compared to 5% of middle class women. Brown and Harris found that depression was more prevalent amongst women of working class because there is greater vulnerability attached to working class. Vulnerability factors included lack of a confiding relationship, loss of mother before age of 11, unemployment, poor housing and low finances. These vulnerability factors, which were more common amongst those women who were working class, were found to increase the chance of developing depression. Vulnerability factors, when combined with stressful life events, like divorce, illness and death, which Brown and Harris called â€Å"provoking agents† further increased the chances of developing depression amongst working class women as they are more vulnerable with less support, financial and familial. These provoking agents or life events were ranked in severity by Brown and Harris, ranging from the most severe being â€Å"death† to the least â€Å"residence change†. â€Å"When social class is considered it is onl y severe events that show a class difference and then only among women with children† (Brown Harris 1984) , for both working and middle class women without children 1 in 3 experience at least one severe life event in the year, however when considering those with children the number stays the same for working class women, 1 in 3 whereas it drops to 1 in 5 for middle class women with children, implying that middle class women with children are more protected from provoking agents that lead to depression. The study concluded that social factors and life events are linked to depression. Working class women were more likely to develop depression than middle class women in all instances showing that the risk of developing depression is linked to social class. Brown and Harris found that being from a lower class meant increased vulnerability and greater chance of being exposed to provoking agents than middle class women. Importance to Social Work The study by Brown and Harris has been marked for many years by a combination of imaginative flair and commitment to the rigorous testing of their ideas (Tennant and Bebbington 1978). This study is extremely important to social work practice as it providing a turning point in looking at depression amongst women. The study provided an awareness of women’s mental health. Before this study, most research focused on personality traits and experiences in childhood that linked women to depression, however Brown and Harris’ study was different in that it investigated the social and cultural factors related to women’s mental health. It’s a very important study as it recognized that depression could be linked to social class and that life events or difficulties relating to social class could provoke the development of depression. Brown and Harris’ study is very important to the practice of social work as it provided a theory of the relationship between socia l class or status and depression amongst women and a clear understanding that poverty is linked to depression. In addition to finding a link between class and depression, this study is also very significant to social work as it allowed for the broadening of perspectives. Before, there was a medicalised model or way of looking at depression and mental illnesses however this study allowed social workers to develop the social model of depression, a thinking which challenged the medical model and looked for a much broader understanding of the reasons for depression. Furthermore, this study was connected to the growing awareness of women’s unequal position in society and in the family, so whilst it did not originate from feminist enquiry the study helped the evolving feminist movement which began to give women a voice in society. It also led to the development in the understanding of the demands of caring for children and the impact of the reduction in the extended family at this time. This study is very important to Social Work practice as it strengthened the role of social work with families and individuals who are in distress through community based practice. It also allowed women and mothers’ networks to strengthen as the study helped shine a light on the difficulties of being a mother, of experiencing different life events and the difficulties related to being working class. The study highlights the importance of social work values like anti-oppressive practice that strive towards equality for women and the recognition that wha t women feel should be understand. Furthermore, this study is extremely important to social work practice as it allows social workers to understand the roots of depression in women. This study shines a light on the social factors that lead to depression, social workers can use this study to identify what social factors lead to depression and target these factors and implement prevention techniques for those women who are most likely to develop depression. Advantages and Disadvantages of methodology Brown and Harris used a mixed methodology in their research. Statistical data was gathered and analysed by Brown and Harris, alongside the qualitative data obtained by individual narrative and stories. They used a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods which increases validity and reliability. Reliable data means that the research could be repeated and the same results would occur and valid data means it’s a true picture of what the researcher is trying to measure. Brown and Harris used random sampling in their research and they used the sample of 458 women to represent the target population – middle class and working class women. Random sampling means their research is representative of the target population and they can therefore make generalisations about depression suffered by middle class women in contrast to working class women. Brown and Harris carried out semi-structured interviews meaning that the women could be asked open-ended questions which would give qualitative data, increasing validity by obtaining an in-depth understanding of the women’s situations. Interviews mean that the conversation developed naturally and so is a good method for researching sensitive issues like depression as the natural conversation allows the interviewee to feel relaxed and able to open up more to their interviewer. Interviews also allow a relationship to build between researcher and respondents. Brown and Harris continued their research over a long period of time (1969/71 and again in 1974/75) which would also strengthen their relationship with the women, allowing their evidence to be more valid and paint a true picture. However, there have been criticisms made of the methodology used by Brown and Harris. Tennant and Bebbington (1978) criticise Brown and Harris’ methodology on the basis of their random sampling. They argue that 15% of households in the sample had 2 or more age-eligible women living in them, but Brown and Harris only chose one. Tennant and Bebbington therefore argue that there is bias in the sample and that larger than average households are slightly underrepresented in their research. Tennant and Bebbington (1978) further criticise Brown and Harris on their â€Å"conceptualization and definition† of the concept of â€Å"vulnerability factors†. Tennant and Bebbington argue that the construction of the vulnerability factor â€Å"parental loss† is open to criticism. Brown and Harris argue that maternal loss influences the risk of depression whereas paternal loss doesn’t affect the risk of developing depression. They argue that Brown’s definition of loss consists of three different variables, â€Å"loss through death, separation from one parent, and marital separation of the parents† events which Tennant and Bebbington describe as â€Å"qualitatively quite different† and that the composition of â€Å"maternal† and â€Å"paternal† loss groups may be so different that they are not valid to compare their impact on mental health (1978). They argue that in the instance of separation women usually get the custod y resulting in a paternal loss and regarding death, the risk of losing fathers in childhood is greater than the risk of losing your mother (Langer and Michael 1963 cited by Tennant and Bebbington 1978) and so this comparison in relation to depression is misleading and it would be much more appropriate to compare maternal/paternal death and maternal/paternal separation for more valid results. Conclusion In conclusion, I would argue that this research study by Brown and Harris is undeniably important to Social Work practice. Through its mixed methodology, using both qualitative and quantitative methods of research, it proves a very reliable and valid picture of class differences and social factors linked to women’s mental health. This research is vital to Social Work practice as it marks a turning point in a change in attitude towards mental health, a shift away from the medical model to a social model of depression. It underpins values that are at the heart of Social Work practice like anti-oppressive practice and equality for women. Word count: 1941 Bibliography Brown, G, W. Harris, T, (1984) 10. Social class, provoking agents, and depression' from Brown, G W. Harris, T, Social origins of depression: a study of psychiatric disorder in women pp.150-169,353-358, London: Tavistock Publications Brown, G. W., Harris, T. (1978). Social origins of depression: a reply.Psychol Med,8(4), 577-88. Tennant, C., Bebbington, P. (1978). The social causation of depression: a critique of the work of Brown and his colleagues.Psychological Medicine,8(04), 565-575.