The Role of Accounting on Business and Our Society Research Paper

The Role of Accounting on Business and Our Society - Research Paper Example The balance sheet is the most effective tool in communicating the financial health of a business. The balance sheet reveals the financial position of a business and reports the assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity as at a given point in time (Allee & Yohn, 2009). This financial statement also reveals the resources that remain unused at the end of the period and available for use in the following periods. Additionally, the balance sheet reports the claims for resources that remain unpaid at the end of the period and the capital represented in various forms it is constituted. The functions of accountants include recording, analyzing, and reporting the financial status of a company or a person. Either an accountant or a certified public accountant can perform accounting. Accountants do not legally have to acquire any degree or any form of accounting license for them to perform their duties; any person over 18 years old and is good in numbers can be an accountant (Seetharaman, Sun & Wang, 2011). A certified public accountant must earn an accounting degree from an accredited institution, pass the CPA Examination, pass the professional Ethics Exam from the American Institute of CPAs, and work for 1,800 hours in one year under supervision of a licensed CPA. The accounting function in the organization is critical because it enables identifying, measuring, and communicating economic information to permit informed judgments and decisions. However, the accounting function is expensive to maintain because of high costs of installing systems and paying salaries and wages for accountants. I would prefer to form a merchandising company to a service company. Charts of accounts provide a list of all accounts in the company’s system (Seetharaman, Sun & Wang, 2011). Merchandising company charts of accounts have more code numbers than the charts for service industry. Charts of accounts in a service industry provides a list of

Should Exams Be Abolished Essay Example for Free

Should Exams Be Abolished Essay According to a recent survey of â€Å"Education Newspaper†, what cause students to be frightened the most is â€Å"exams†. Some students say that the exams should be abolished because they make students absolutely anxious and stressful. However, the exams play an important role in school’s life and also have many advantages. So I believe that the exams should not be abolished because of some reasons. The most important reason is that exams are a method to examine students’ level and .Depending on results of exams; teachers can determine how students acquire knowledge. If marks are from 7-10 that mean students apprehend well the content of subjects, teachers will give them some difficult exercises to help students develop their creation. On the other hand, if marks are below 7 that mean students don’t understand clearly the subjects. In addition, after doing exams, students can know more about their knowledge. Students will determine what are weak points, where are the holes in their knowledge. From these, students review these parts in order not to puzzle when do them later Another reason is that exams make students to study harder. Some fast or mini exams will force students to attend the classes frequently.Some teachers don’t want to remind when students have mini exams. Any time teachers see some interesting exercises, teachers will gives students do those which are like mini tests. If students don’t attend class those days, they will lose one or two column marks, which make their mid-term results low It’s true that exams make students stressful and anxious. Some students say that when exams come near, they have to cram a lot of lesson in short time, which make them exhaust. That is the reason why students wish exams would be abolished. However, these pressures aren’t caused by exams but students. During the studying, students should take note the main points of each subject and review after classes. And when they have exams, they just read again but can remember the important information. They no longer feel stressful in order to cram the lessons. Moreover, if there are no the exams, how can students examine their levels? They study more and more, but they don’t know what the destinations are and how many percents they apprehend the knowledge after studying. As the result, they feel vague and bored. In the end, students’ studying will not be effective if there are no exams. Although they make students absolutely anxious, they  shouldn’t be abolished.

Human trafficking and child sex trafficking

Human trafficking and child sex trafficking In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the research of human trafficking, both in general and in child sex trafficking as a specific and crucial phenomenon. According to the U.S. Department of State (2007) trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises with an approximate number of 800.000 victims each year trafficked over international borders. Anti-trafficking campaigns and NGOs have mushroomed and anti-trafficking policies have become important features of both international development agencies and governmental agendas (Piper 2005:203). Largely, scholars have concentrated their research on South East Asia; a region which is often described as the hub of trafficking in persons, particularly for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Since the UN Transitional Authority period child sex trafficking and child sex tourism have been identified as a specific problems and Cambodia has become the focus of many UN activities. Child sex trafficking is describ ed as relatively new phenomenon in Cambodia which did not exist before 1970 (Archivantitkul: 1998). The political and economic landscape of Cambodia as well as moral and social values have changed considerably in the last three decades since the Khmer Rouge regime. This fact makes Cambodia particularly vulnerable for people who seek to make a profit from the poverty of people who may be overwhelmed by the ongoing fast changing impacts which come to their country. South-East Asia has a large scale of undocumented labour migration. Those migrations flows are greatly facilitated by recruiters in destination and origin countries which can cause an exploitative situation. There is a fine line between the issues of migrant smuggling and trafficking and their distinctions are often blurred. Therefore, trafficking has to be seen as a part of migration flows (Piper 2005: 207). Most of human trafficking activities in South East Asia, particularly in the Mekong sub-region, take place domestically and so one can refer more to a regional or national problem than to an international one (ibid.:204). This part of the issue should be considered carefully as different patterns such as globalisation and the socio-economic conditions play an important role and could make trafficking in Cambodia again an international problem considering the causes ( ibid.:205). The definition of trafficking has changed considerably in the last number of decades and yet there is still no consensus about a universally valid definition (Laczko 2005: 10). The lack of a common definition together with the refusal of some states to recognise the existence of trafficking within their country makes it hard to combat this issue effectively on a global scale (Savona and Stefanizzi 2007: 2). In 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons  [1]  , also known as the Palermo Protocol. The protocol offers for the first time a legally binding international definition of trafficking as the control of one person over another for the purpose of exploitation: Trafficking in persons shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. Human trafficking and in particular child sex trafficking is considered by different scholars and studies (e.g. Williams and Masika 2002; Jana 2002; Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking 2003) as a highly gendered topic. Despite the lack of research and accurate data on trafficking patterns, and it is clear that the majority of trafficking victims are women and girls (UNODC, 2006). Hence, one can say that trafficking is so often seen to be caused and facilitated by unequal gender relations and patriarchal values and systems (Williams and Masika 2002: 6). Undeniably, this creates of vulnerabilities and therefore human rights violations on women and children. Understanding the gender dimensions of this phenomenon is crucial to obtain a clear picture of the recruitment of trafficking victims up to the development of policy strategies and campaigns to combat these human rights violations. 1.1. The construction of the victim of child sex trafficking Existing research as well as political and criminal justice activity has the tendency to focus on the offender and their identification and punishment, rather than considering the victims of sex trafficking as equal players. This reflects a traditional criminology research approach which is often criticised by victimology discourse (Goody 2005: 239). Despite the large amount of literature and research which addresses child sex trafficking in Cambodia, there remains a gap about the conceptualisation of the victim of child sex trafficking. From a western perspective, victim conceptions are diverse which can be seen for instance in the ideal victim (Christie 1986) and in social constructivism views (e.g. Schà ¼tz 1962). Therefore it is also vital to consider the gender perspective of trafficking and the social role and construction of women and girls in the Cambodian society today in contrast to the past. For a better understanding of the origin of the construction perceptions it is interesting to take a closer look at constructivism theory. The concept of the victim underlies a construction of a certain reality within a culture, a society and in particular an institution. Those constructions of realities can be seen in the light of constructivism which means the construction of social realities. The theory of social constructivism has been contributed to by Schà ¼tz (1962), Berger and Luckmann (1966) and Gergen (1985, 1999). Regarding the construction of knowledge Schà ¼tz (1962: 5) argues that (a)ll our knowledge of the world, in common sense as well as in scientific thinking, involves constructs, i.e. a set of abstractions, generalizations, formalizations, idealizations, specific to the relevant level of thought organization. In terms of constructing the picture of a victim one can assume that the content of a perception is constructed in an active- constructive process of production rather than a passive- receptive process of representation (Flick 2004: 89). We find access to our world of experience which includes natural and social environment as well as certain conceptions by the construction of concepts and knowledge which are used to interpret experiences, understanding and attribution of meaning (ibid.: 90). It is crucial to regard the construction of knowledge and concepts in the context of social research and figure out the relevance for the present dissertation. Schà ¼tz (1962: 208ff) describes that social research uses pre-existing everyday constructs out of everyday knowledge and constructs with this another more formalised and generalised version of the world (Flick 2004: 91). Due to the lack of research about the conception of a victim in Cambodian society, my dissertation will focus on the social construct of a child sex trafficking victim and how it differs depending on the social environment or society the child is living in. This research seeks to identify the concept of a child sex trafficking victim which NGOs, International Organisation and the Cambodian government develop campaigns and policies to combat trafficking on. To get a clearer picture of the causes of child victim Piper (2005) claims that there is more research required into pre-trafficking situations (evidence of child abuse, family situation, and socio-economic pressure on family) and the challenges faced by trafficked victims who return to their countries and/ or regions of origin. Also the question arises of whether the victim can attain victim status after being returned to the family or whether stigmatisation causes him/her to be seen as an outcast. I would like to consider these issues for my qualitative interviews with NGOs and governmental representatives in Cambodia. 1.2. Additional literature review Apart from the literature referred to in the text above, essential texts for researching human trafficking and child sex trafficking in particular are e.g. Micollier (eds) (2004) who edited different essays which examine the social construction of sexuality, gender roles in the family, and gendered power relations in society in East Asia. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also published various studies and books concerning human trafficking. The most contributive one for my research (IOM 2005), gathers a collection of essays that describe data collection and research of human trafficking from different countries. Relevant for the Mekong sub-region, Nicola Piper (2005) gives a review in this book about undertaken research on trafficking in South East Asia and Oceania. She highlights the gaps of knowledge in literature and research of trafficking issues. Savona and Stefanizzi (eds) (2007) and their contributors have a similar focus but offer a deeper analysis of migrat ion flows and trafficking and improving monitoring mechanisms for these complex criminal activities. An important study about human trafficking in Cambodia was undertaken by the Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking (2003): Gender, Human Trafficking and the Criminal Justice System in Cambodia. Their research focus was on the gender perspective of trafficking and the underlying causes and contributing factors. Another study by the Asian Foundation (2006): A Review of a Decade of Research On Trafficking in Persons, Cambodia, aimed to provide a systematically review on trafficking related research about the consequences, scopes and patterns of trafficking. They review more trafficking in general and in its various patterns. Child sex trafficking is considered in a small but well researched paragraph. Summing up, these key readings and studies all critically asses human trafficking and offer a variety of valid perspectives on the phenomenon. 2. Research question and aim Research question As introduced to in the paragraph above, my research question arises out of a literature gap.: What type of conceptualisation of a victim do victim support centres, NGOs and the government in Cambodia have and how do those concepts influence their work, campaigns and policy strategies? Research aim The research aim is to identify the different existing constructions of a child sex trafficking victims in Cambodia provided and to explore if the social and cultural construction of a trafficked child differs depending on society and social environment like shelters or vocational training programme the child lives in or is involved in. Possible sub-questions that contribute to the research question are: How do children become victims of trafficking? What is the social construction of women and girls in Cambodia? Explore the historical development of the term child and juvenile in Cambodia in legal and cultural ways. Is there a changing meaning of those terms? How important is virginity for Cambodian men? 3. Research Method/ Design According to Flick (2006), the foundation of qualitative research is the reconstruction of social realities. Through the exploration of subjective perceptions, patterns of interpretation, structural characteristics and the latent meaning of action, a deeper understanding of a study field can be achieved. Thereby, no proband taming takes place by presetting of answering categories, but it creates a space for individual perspectives of the study field (Muckel 1996: 66). The general claim of qualitative research is to describe life worlds from the inside out, from the point of view of the people who participate (Flick et al: 3), to contribute to a better understanding of social realities. In comparison to quantitative social research where one examine already formulated hypothesis, the aim of qualitative research is to discover new ideas and to develop empirically justified theories (Flick 2006: 15). Though, the communication of the researches of the particular field, i.e. the subjectiv ity of the researcher and the researched, becomes an essential component of the research process and the finding (Flick 2006). Contrary to quantitative research controlling or excluding influence from the researched as interfering variables, in qualitative research the reflection of the researchers actions, his perceptions and observations as well as impressions and irritations are involved in the data evaluation process (ibid.: 16). The openness to the primary world of the researched and their different constructions of reality as well as according to the applied research methods are a basic characteristic of qualitative research (ibid.). My research interest focuses on the subjective views and conception of the victim of child sex trafficking in Cambodia. Therefore it is essential to apply qualitative research methods. In the following I will describe the chosen methods of collecting and evaluating data. 3.1. Method of data collection The dissertation seeks to asses NGOs, crisis centres and governmental agencies conceptions and views of the victim of child sex trafficking in Cambodia. The aim is to examine how their construction of a child victim influences their project, campaigns and policies. This interrelation is possible to depict verbally but not easily to detect throughout observation processes due to ethical considerations. The observation of the work with victims is ethically not justifiable in such a short research time frame as the identity with victims is strictly confidential and observation is not approved by the organisations or shelters if the researcher is not able to stay at least 2 month. Therefore the qualitative interview with the organisations and shelters was chosen as a research method. The main interest is to find out about particular perceptions and more complex argumentations. Therefore the questioning should be more active and probing (Hopf 2004: 204). Semi-structured Interview The semi-structured interview is an appropriate approach to explore the subjective perception and theories that stands behind my questionnaire. Scheele and Groeben (1988) introduced this approach to explore the construction and subjective theories behind everyday knowledge and the field of study (Flick 2006: 155). Their assumption was that interviewees are encouraged to express their perceptions and their reasoning behind certain topics in a natural manner if the interviewer provides a semi-structured question setting. Therefore one can reconstruct the subjective theories and views of the interviewee for the purpose of the study. The main elements of the semi-structured interview are open and confrontational questions. (see box 1) They offer the interviewee space to express their perception and knowledge. The confrontational question has a responsive function to the subjective theories offered by the interviewee and is asking a competing alternative to re-examine the opinions (ibid.: 156). An example for my research would be: (Text box 1) Another set of questions would be hypothesis-directed questions (see text box 2) which test scientific literature written about the research topic (ibid.). They give the interviewee the chance to become more explicit and help the interviewer to get the required information for the researched topic: (Text box 2) In specific: the Expert Interview The expert interview is a subcategory of the semi-structured interview. The approach of the dissertation questionnaire is to interview on the one hand service providers like victim support centre, crisis centres and NGOs that support the victim needs and rights. On the other hand it is an aim to speak to the Cambodian government which means in particular MP Mu Sochua of the Ministry of Womens and Veterans Affairs (MWVA). Here the interest is not so much the biographic background of the actual person but more the perception of the actual institution or the Cambodian Parliament about the research topic. The interviewees are seen as representatives for a certain group not as individuals (Flick 2006: 165). There are several research practical amenities for the expert interview. In an early exploration phase of a theoretical, less prestructured and informational less cross-linked research, the expert interview offers unrivalled dense data acquisition. This stands in contrast to the elaborate, cost and time-intensive accomplishment of participant observation, field study and systematic quantitative research (Bogner and Menz 2005: 7). It is recommended to choose expert interviews if a study field is hard or impossible to access especially when it comes to delicate issues like child sex trafficking and child prostitution. Beside the economic advantages and the chance to get information even about an awkward issue, another advantage is the facilitation of further field access when the expert refers to other colleagues and dialogue partners. It should also be noted out of a methodological view that a further benefit is that it is much easier to interview an expert as they usually have a higher linguistic competence which contributes directly to the analysis of the narrative. Hence, in an idealised conception, two academic socialised dialogue partners meet in this interview setting (ibid.: 8). To ensure validity of my research and to ascertain patterns of the construction of the victim of child sex trafficking, I intend to carry out 15-20 interviews with victim support centres, Human Rights NGOs who are concerned about child sex trafficking and government representatives (all in Phnom Penh). All institutions are contacted via email and telephone to arrange an appointment during my field trip in Cambodia and to offer them an outline of the research project which gives them the opportunity to prepare for the questions. I will use open-ended questions that give the interviewee space to present their perceptions and views. It also allows for the emergence of new topics that were not originally thought to be part of the interview. I will prepare 8 broad topics for the interviews that are formulated as broad questions and introduce them one after the other  [2]  . Depending on the interview course, I will specify the topics and ask in more detail to clarify vague formulations. 3.2. Limitations Whilst there are many advantages to this research design, there are also several limitations to the expert interview. Meuser and Nagel (2002:87) identify the expert might not always react as desired where their expertise may emerge as being limited and impede the interview process. Further, they identify the eventuality that the interviewee may not t participate in the question-answering game (Flick 2006:165) giving instead a speech to promote their knowledge and/or agenda. Whilst this can sometimes contribute to the research topic, it can also digress from the point and make it difficult to return to the original question. Another potential weakness of expert interviews is that the interviewee can change roles from being an expert to being a private person. Whereby, the interview looses objectiveness and private/ personal perceptions and bias may interfere with the representation of the institution or expert knowledge (ibid.). To ensure reliability for this method it is crucial that the interviewee, here the expert, understands the research context and the questions fully. Bulmer and Warwick (1983) identify the difficulties of conducting social research in developing countries which gives this research proposal an interesting angle. It is widely recognised that the availability of social data in developing countries is limited. Existing data is often of poor quality and therefore of little use due to limited administrative capacity, lack of manpower and infrastructure (ibid.: 4-5). The validity might be restricted and misleading if one relies only on administrative sources. The Cambodian law enforcement agencies and administration are perceived as the most corrupt sector. The Global Corruption Barometer also shows that 70% of the citizens are likely to pay bribes to the police (Anti- Corruption Resource Centre 2009) which proves the normality and explicitness of corruption within the population. When it comes to delicate issues such as human trafficking high ranking Cambodian law enforcement official are believed to accept bribes to facilitate human trafficking and child prostitution (US Department of State Human Rights Report 2006). A revealing example for corruption compliance within sex trafficking is the former Deputy Director of the Police Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Department and two officials under his supervision were convicted and imprisoned for facilitating human trafficking (Anti- Corruption Resource Centre 2009). Due to the ubiquity of corr uption, corruption this must be recognised within my research and considered when seeking out NGOs, who can offer a different picture of the reality throughout their mandate, their reports and research. With this considering and an awareness of these potential difficulties and obstacles within the interview process, a valid data collection can be better guaranteed. If one does so, the expert interview can be a very useful and powerful source to generate valid data. After weighing up the variety of pro and cons, the expert interview is an appropriate interview method for this research to provide an interpretative account of the concept a child sex trafficking victim. 3.3. Alternative Method: Problem-centered Interview (PCI) Initially the problem-centered interview (Witzel 1982; 1985) was considered as an appropriate interview method for my research question about construction of a victim. The principles of the problem-centred interview are to gather objective evidence on human behaviour as well as on subjective perceptions and ways of processing social reality (Witzel 2000:1). In this sense, the basic concern is the exploration of subjective cognition, approaches, motivation for actions and situation al interpretations. In contrast, the narrative interview (Hopf 2004: 206) is considered in this context to be inadequate because it produces a lot of material which leads to a huge data amount. Further, there should be no intervention in the process where the role of the interviewer is an attentive listener. This would be inappropriate considering the specific research questionnaire in mind and the given time frame. The problem-centered interview to large extent draws upon Glasers and Strausss (1967) theory generating method of the Grounded Theory. The primary reason for excluding this research method is the fact that it is a biographic focused interview where the biography and personal experiences of the interviewee are integral to the data generated. The expert knowledge of a certain field or of a particular organisation and expertise which mirrors the ideology of that institution is of more use than the biography of the expert and their personal motivations and views. Nevertheless, the research interest is to ascertain and interpret why the concept of the victim is constructed as described by the organisation experts and why it might differ from Western views of the child as a victim of sex trafficking. Therefore cultural and social constructions of realities have to be included. 3.4. Data analysis The reliability of this study will be maximised by transcribing all interviews conducted and building categories based on an initial reading of the transcripts. This process is described as coding (e.g. Flick 2006: 295 and Seale 2004: 306ff) which is based in based in grounded theory as discussed earlier  [3]  . Seale identifies that the purpose of coding qualitative data is to reduce large amounts of data and to develop and test out theories (2004: 313). The main challenging task for the researcher is to filter out comparisons and identify similarities and differences in the interview material. For my research I will use open coding which means the process of breaking down, examining, comparing, conceptualising and categorizing data (Strauss and Corbin 1990: 61). The coding strategy enables me to analyse the concepts of the victim of child sex trafficking, group them into categories and subsequently discuss them in depth. The last step of coding is a list of terms together with an explanatory text (Bà ¶hm 2004: 271). 3.5. Ethics in qualitative research Multiple ethical considerations arise throughout the research process for this dissertation. Starting from the research design and the appropriateness of certain methods to collecting data and further on to the point of analysing the gathered data. More recently there has been a paradigm shift from the ethical concerns in social research concerned with the ways in which participants are affected by the research to a more post-structuralist approach which includes the social world and the knowable and objective truth is uncovered by researchers (Ali and Kelly 2004: 116). A crucial influence in social research ethics comes from feminist researchers who emphasise [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the role of power relations at all levels of knowledge production, from epistemology, through research relationships, to the dissemination of findings (ibid.). Research regarding child sex trafficking can be seen from the perspective of feminist research as it is a highly gendered topic. It is therefore crucia l to consider feminist research practices and its related ethical elements. A primary aim of feminist research is to contest and dispute the marginalised status of woman, and in this particular case vulnerable child, by representing their needs, perspectives and perceptions (Gillies and Alldred 2005: 39). There have been many controversies surrounding the role of the researcher in the production of knowledge about women and representing the Other (Wilkonson and Kitzinger 1996, in: Gillies and Alldred 2005: 39). The ethical concerns posed when carrying out research on trafficked children as such a vulnerable group are profound. I therefore consider it ethically unjustifiable to interview children about their experience with sexual exploitation within this short research period. Such an approach could potentially cause further distress to an already vulnerable and exploited subject group. As such, I have therefore decided against interviewing victims of trafficking and will conduct interviews exclusively with experts. Respect will be given to existing ethical precautions and regulations for social research whilst also acknowledging that an ethical practice will often comes down to the professional integrity of the individual researcher (Ali and Kelly 2004: 118). Translator difficulties A further challenge to potentially interviewing victims would be the requirement of a translator which can creates a multitude of problems: The dynamic can create a tense and unbalanced atmosphere for the victims to talk comfortably. There is a risk that the translator may not translate the verbatim accurately. Finally, interpretation of the language particulars of the victim is crucial to the data and therefore not understanding Khmer creates a large obstacle when reviewing the interview translations. This may be hard to overcome even with a translator. In consideration of this I decided to interview English speaking NGOs and government representatives. How generalisable will our results be to the sectors as a whole? 5. Timescale from 15th April to 2nd September Date 2010 Literature Review Contacts Questionnaire Design Fieldwork Cambodia Data Processing Data Analysis Write Report Submit Report April 15 * April 22 * April29 * * April 6 * * * May13 * * * May20 * * * May 27 * June 3 * * June 10 * June 17 * * June 24 * * July 1 * * July 8 * * July 15 * * July 22 * * July 29 * Aug 5 * * Aug 12 * * Aug 19 * Aug 26 * Sep 2 * Sep 9 * Sep 15 * (Bloch, A. (2010) Timescales for Research Project: The Professional Capacity of Nationals from the Somali Regions in the UK, Moodle City University, slides of lecture 6) 6. Bibliography Books and journal articles: Ali, S. and Kelly, M. (2004) Ethics and social research, in Seale, C. Researching Society and Culture. London [et al.]: Sage Publications. Archivantitkul, K. (1998) Trafficking in children for forced labour exploitation including child prostitution in the Mekong sub-region. Bangkok: ILO-IPEC. Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking (2003) Gender, Human Trafficking and the Criminal Justice System in Cambodia http://wwww.humantrafficking.org/uploads/updates/gender_report_cambodia.pdf [accessed 7th April 2010]. Berger, P.L. and Luckmann, T. (1966) The Social Construction of Reality. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. Bloch, A. (2010) Timescales for Research Project: The Professional Capacity of Nationals from the Somali Regions in the UK, Moodle City University, slides of lecture 6. Bogner, A., Menz, W. (2005) Expertenwissen und Forschungspraxis: die modernisierungstheoretische und die methodische Debatte um die Experten., in Das Experteninterview: Theorie, Methode, Anwendung. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag FuÃÅ'ˆr Sozialwissenschaften. Bà ¶hm, A. (2004) Theoretical Coding: Text Analysis in Grounded Theory, in Flick et al A Companion to Qualitative Research. London[et al.]: Sage Publications. Bulmer, M., Warwick, D. (1983) Social Research in developing countries. Surveys and Censuses in the Third World. Chichester [West Sussex]: Wiley. Christie, N. (1986) The Ideal Victim, in Fattah, E.A. From Crime Policy to Victim Policy. Reorienting the justice system. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Macmillan. Flick, U., von Kardorff, E. and Steinke, I. (2004) A Companion to Qualitative Research. London [et al.]: Sage Publications. Flick, U. (2004) Constructivism, in Flick,U., von Kardorff, E. and Steinke, I. A Companion to Qualitative

Stanley Fish :: Political Politics Essays

Stanley Fish It is one of the minor symptoms of the mental decline of the United States that Stanley Fish is thought to be on the Left. By some of his compatriots, anyway, and no doubt by himself. In a nation so politically addled that 'liberal' can mean 'state interventionist' and 'libertarianism' letting the poor die on the streets, this is perhaps not wholly unpredictable. Stanley Fish, lawyer and literary critic, is in truth about as left-wing as Donald Trump. Indeed, he is the Donald Trump of American academia, a brash, noisy entrepreneur of the intellect who pushes his ideas in the conceptual marketplace with all the fervour with which others peddle second-hand Hoovers. Unlike today's corporate executive, however, who has scrupulously acquired the rhetoric of consensus and multiculturalism, Fish is an old-style, free-booting captain of industry who has no intention of clasping both of your hands earnestly in his and asking whether you feel comfortable with being fired. He fancies himself as an intellectual boot-boy, the scourge of wimpish pluralists and Nancy-boy liberals, and that ominous bulge in his jacket is not to be mistaken for a volume of Milton. In a series of audacious bounds, then, we have argued our way from a 'radical' anti-foundationalism to a defence of the Free World. This leaves Fish in the enviable position of accruing cultural capital to himself by engaging in avant-garde theory while continuing to defend the world of Dan Quayle. A superficially historicist, materialist case - our beliefs and assumptions are embedded in our practical forms of life - leads not only to a kind of epistemological idealism, but to the deeply convenient doctrine that our way of life cannot be criticised as a whole. For who would be doing the criticising? Not us, since we cannot leap out of our local cultural skins to survey ourselves from some Olympian viewpoint; and not them either, since they inhabit a different culture which is incommensurable with our own. They may think that we are raiding their raw materials and exploiting their labour power, but that is just because they have never heard of the civilising mission of the West. The felicitous upshot is that nobody can ever criticise Fish, since if their criticisms are intelligible to him, they belong to his cultural game and are thus not really criticisms at all; and if they are not intelligible, they belong to some other set of conventions entirely and are therefore irrelevant.

A Comment on the Road from Colonus Essay

Edward Morgan Forster was an English novelist, short story writer, essayist and librettist. He is known best for his ironic and well-plotted novels examining class difference and hypocrisy in early 20th-century British society. Forster’s humanistic impulse toward understanding and sympathy may be aptly summed up in the epigraph to his 1910 novel Howards End: â€Å"Only connect†. In part one of The Road from Colonus, Mr. Lucas and her daughter travelled to Greece, to fulfill his dream which has lasted for 40 years. When they were in a Khan in a small town of Greece, Mr. Lucas discovered a very strange tree which has a stream flow from it. He was very excited and felt that he had found his â€Å"habitant for heart†, so Mr. Lucas wanted to stay there for more time, but his daughter frustrated him and finally they left Greece. In part two, Ethel, Mr. Lucas’s daughter, was about to get married, and she got a parcel from a friend who has been with her during the trip, her friend told Ethel that the tree beside the khan was blow down and all the people there were dead, when Ethel told Mr. Lucas about the tragedy, he seemed totally indifferent to it, and just complained about his house and neighbors. In these two parts, water acted as a very important role. In first part, water stands for passion, energy and it can fresh Mr. Lucas’s old spirits and create a new value for him. So in this situation, water symbolized the reborn of him, but in the second part, fresh water became into dead water, and Mr. Lucas was totally dead in his mind, and what he can do is to complain the reality. There are three groups of people in this novel, one group is Ethel and her friends, they are the representatives of young people in Britain of that period of time, and they have received good education, fostered a strict and strong priority of their country and culture, so when they felt that the common value of their society was being offended, the first reaction is to extinguish the possibility of expansion, that is the reason for their objection of Mr. Lucas’s stay in Greece. In their mind, old people can’t be isolated from the youth and they are supposed to rely on the support of their children and also, their life was being projected by their children. For Mr. Lucas, he is among the old class or weak group of society, on one hand they pursued for independence, and searched for a habitant of heart, so that they could get through the rest days in a very peaceful and independent way, they didn’t want to be interfered by other factors such as children, work, and so on, but on the other hand, the society forbade them to do what they like to, Mr.

Cooperative Learning Sample Lesson

Cooperative Learning Sample Lesson Cooperative learning is a great technique to implement into your curriculum. As you begin to think about and design this strategy to fit into your teaching, consider using the following tips. Present the material first, cooperative learning comes after students are taught.Choose your strategy and explain how it works to the students. For this sample lesson, students will be using the jigsaw strategy.Assess students individually. Although students will work together as a team they will also be working individually to complete a specific task. Here is a cooperative learning sample lesson using the the Jigsaw method. Choosing Groups First, you must choose your cooperative learning groups. An informal group will take about one class period or the equivalent to one lesson plan period. A formal group can last from several days to several weeks. Presenting the Content Students will be asked to read a chapter in their social studies books about the first nations of North America. Afterward, read the childrens book The Very First Americans by Cara Ashrose. This is a story about how the first Americans lived. It shows the students beautiful pictures of art, clothing, and other Native American artifacts. Then, show students a brief video about Native Americans. Teamwork Now its time to divide students into groups and use the jigsaw cooperative learning technique to research the First Americans. Divide students into groups, the number depends on how many subtopics you want the students to research. For this lesson divide students into groups of five students. Each member of the group is given a different assignment. For example, one member will be responsible for researching the First American customs; while another member will be in charge of learning about the culture; another member is responsible for understanding the geography of where they lived; another must research the economics (laws, values); and   the last member is responsible for studying the climate and how the first American got food, etc. Once students have their assignment they can go off on their own to research it by any means necessary. Each member of the jigsaw group will meet with another member from another group that is researching their exact topic.For example, students that researching the First Americans culture would meet regularly to discuss information, and share information on their topic. They are essentially the expert on their particular topic. Once students have completed their research on their topic they return to their original jigsaw cooperative learning group. Then each expert will now teach the rest of their group everything that they learned. For example, the customs expert would teach members about the customs, the geography expert would teach members about the geography, and so on. Each member listens carefully and takes notes on what each expert in their groups discusses. Presentation: Groups can then give a brief presentation to the class on the key features that they learned on their particular topic. Assessment Upon completion, students are given a test on their subtopic as well as on the key features of the other topics that they learned in their jigsaw groups. Students will be tested on the First Americans culture, customs, geography, economics, and climate/food. Looking for more information about cooperative learning? Here is the official definition, group management tips and techniques, and effective learning strategies on how to monitor, assign and manage expectations.

Kobe Earthquake 1995 essays

Kobe Earthquake 1995 essays Earthquakes are natural hazards, which occur on plate margins. Earthquakes are the result of plate movements. The strain builds up along the fault line between two plates until they move causing earthquakes. So why did the Kobe earthquake happen? Japan is at a high risk to earthquakes. Kobe is no exception. Japans second most major port is situated on a minor fault, the Nojma Fault. Unfortunately it lies above a destructive plate margin. Kobe is located above where the Philippines crust (oceanic crust) and the Eurasion crust (continental crust) meet. It was along this fault that the triggered the earthquake that hit Kobe. At 5.46am on January 17th 1995, whilst many of its citizens were still asleep, the Japanese city of Kobe was hit by the largest earthquake in Japan since 1923. It was recorded at 7.2 on the Richter scale and lasted for 20 seconds. During this time the ground moved 18cm horizontally and 12cm vertically. The earthquake was not only powerful but the epicentre was only 20km away from the city, it resulted in massive damage to property and loss of life. The worst effected area was in the central part of Kobe, a region about 5km by 20km alongside the main docks and port area. This area is built on soft and easily removed rocks; especially the port itself is built on reclaimed ground. Here the ground actually liquefied and acted like thick soup, allowing buildings to topple sideways, resulting in huge cranes in the harbour toppling over into the sea. More than 102,000 buildings were destroyed in Kobe, leaving 300,00 people homeless. The cost to repair the infrastructure of the city was est imated at $150 billion dollars, and that was just for the state owned buildings and services. The final cost makes the earthquake the most expensive natural disaster in modern history. Remember all that for just 20 seconds of earthquake. ...

The Fall of the House of Usher

The Fall of the House of Usher Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher is a short story which makes the reader feel fear, depression and guilt from the very first page and up to the final scene.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Fall of the House of Usher specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Having read the story up to the end, it seems that Usher and his sister are the most depressive people in the house and a simple guest, Usher’s friend who arrived becomes deeply depressed too because of the general conditions and mood in the house. However, looking at the situation from another angle, it is possible to see that depressed and gloomy atmosphere in the house is much exaggerated because of the pessimistic vision of life by the narrator personally. Therefore, having read a story attentively, it is possible to doubt the events which took place there and try to consider the situation from another point of view. The Poe’s The Fall of t he House of Usher is a story about Usher and his family. The house is depicted as the symbol of the atmosphere and relations in the family. From the very beginning the house is shown as the place that gives â€Å"a sense of insufferable gloom† and â€Å"natural images of the desolate or terrible† (Poe, 2000, p. 1264). The narrator sees â€Å"the blank walls†¦ with an utter depression of soul†¦ after-dream of the reveler upon opium† (Poe, 2000, p. 1264). Describing the house, the protagonist sees â€Å"iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart†, and â€Å"barely perceptible fissure, which, extending from the roof of the building in front, made its way down the wall in a zigzag direction, until it became lost in the sullen waters of the tarn† (Poe, 2000, p. 1265).Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More All these descriptions c reate the gloomy mood before the reader gets acquainted with those who live in the house. Therefore, seeing the health problems the inhabitants of the house have, the reader takes it for granted that the atmosphere in the house is depressive. Reading of the books, listening to the music and even watching the paintings, in a word, everything the inhabitants of the house do puts the reader to consider the whole situation as depressive because of Usher and his sister. However, if one takes a closer reading and considers the first lines of the story, everything may be changed. â€Å"During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of evening drew on† (Poe, 2000, p. 1264) is the first part from the Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher. Have not seen the house, have not experienced the doom atmosphere there, the protagonist is already depressed. Therefore, this scene makes a reader doubt the events which took place in the story. Hinzpeter (2012) makes an offer that â€Å"the first-person-narrator may have suffered from depression or some other sort of causeless melancholy from the very beginning and was therefore easily influenced by the gothic setting† (p. 10). So, it may be concluded that the gothic setting makes the narrator discuss simple life of people who do not communicate with the outside world due to their diseases as a depressive and criminal. The events which happened in the story may be an imagination of the narrator.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Fall of the House of Usher specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, one detail makes the reader doubt this statement, the â€Å"perceptible fissure† which is not too big at the beginning, and then the fissures are too big at the end and they cause the house fall. Reference List Hinzpeter, K. (2012). Unreliable Narration in Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher The Narrative Creation of Horror. New York: GRIN Verlag. Poe, E. (2000). The fall of the house of Usher. In R. Bausch R.V. Cassill (Eds.), The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction (pp. 1264-1277). New York: W. W. Norton.

Many of todays drivers have dangerous habits Essay

Many of todays drivers have dangerous habits - Essay Example One of the main reasons for this increase in figure is that people have very little regard for traffic laws and many have a poor road sense. Moreover, the condition of the roads is very poor and needs lot of improvement. No amount of booking cases and fining motorists can cure this menace. One incident that constantly reminds me of the ugly face of rash driving is from news clipping, when an old man was hit from the back on the highway while he was driving within the speed limit. He suffered a severe shock and when he climbed out of the car and attempted crawling to cross the road to reach a point of safety, none of the many motorists on the road stopped to help him. I have particularly pointed out this incident not because it was the case of an old man but because it was a case of inhumanity or human insensitivity. Drunken driving has shown a gradual rise over the years. No amount of cajoling or strictness has hampered the enthusiasts who enjoy driving after getting heavily drunk. It has been observed that such incidents increase especially on festive occasions. Everyday, 36 people in United States die, and approximately 700 more are injured in motor vehicle crashes because of alcohol impaired drivers. This demands a zero tolerance laws against drunk drivers. Laws for the road should be followed with more determination. According to some members of the law and administration branch, fast driving does not mean rash driving. Thus, in case of an accident, it needs to be seen whether the driver was driving fast or rash. Rash and negligent driving accounts to the maximum percentage of life-claiming accidents all over the world. Next is the crop of under-age drivers who very often violate the traffic rules. The best possible way to address this road safety hazard is to educate both the parents and the children on road safety and bring about more strict rules for such offences which cradle under the term childish. About 30% of crashes killing young

Describe this art figuer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Describe this art figuer - Essay Example At first, I did not see the relevance between the title of the artwork, and the woven textile. So I searched the title and found out that it was named after the humans common cold virus. The pattern in the woven art is a resemblance of the actual genetic sequence of the rhinovirus type 89. Phillip Stearns is an artist whose works focus on translating digital information into an artwork. In the case of the Rhinovirus Type 89, into a woven textile. The codes are translated into computer-generated data that can be expressed through the textile being woven and knitted. Each color of the textile in the artwork pertains to the specific code of the genome sequence (Stearns, 2014). With more information on the background of the artwork, I found it even more amusing and revolutionary. How it was created shows the merging of science, technology and arts, and it is really fascinating to see that the letters or codes that scientists use can be deciphered by

Common law and Equity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Common law and Equity - Essay Example Equity is no part of the law, but a moral virtue which qualifies, moderates and reforms the rigour, hardness and edge of the law and is a universal truth. It also assists the law where it is defective and weak in the constitution. It refers to a particular set of remedies and related procedures. The role of the office of equity is to support and protect the common law from shifts and crafty devices against the justice of the law. Equity neither destroys nor creates the law but assist it. Equity is a means of preventing any unfairness which might otherwise result from rigid application of formal legal rules (Hudson, 2005, p.14,). Equity supplemented and remedied the deficiencies in the common law. The main remedy at common law is damages. Equity offers remedies other than damages such as the injunction and specific performance (Gubby, 2004, p.37). Equity will not suffer a wrong to be without a remedy, and thus equity establishes its core jurisdiction to ensure that a claimant will be entitled to acquire some redress for a wrong done to him or her or to protect some right in property (Hudson, 2004, p.9). The fundamental similarity between common law and equity is that... s a moral character to the common law and may be used synonymously with common law for the simple reason that what is legal is necessarily moral (Hamilton, Jaren, Pound, 1999, p.91). Except for different mode of administering justice in each court, it is law and reason which governs both equity and common court. Both equity and common law are 'damages'. 'Damages' at common law means a monetary response to a breach of duty. That breach of duty might be a breach of contract or it might be tort. This approach nullifies a prevalent view that 'damages' are synonymous to compensation. In common law, non compensatory monetary awards for wrongs that are acknowledged to be forms of damages namely exemplary damages, restitutionary damages and disgorgement damages. All these forms of damages have counterparts in equity. Awards of equitable compensation or 'accounts of profits', which responds to wrongs in equity, are actually different forms of damages. With the recognition that the former are simply equity's 'compensatory damages' and the later are equity's 'disgorgement damages', an understanding of rules of causation and remoteness in equity can be developed in comparison to common law counterparts. Although different sets of rules apply for different wrongs and different conducts, the nature of law is always relevant for both common law and equity. For example, the wrong of fraudulent representation in equity is identical to the tort of deceit and for that matter the same test of remoteness should apply and comparison is helpful (Robertson, 2004, p.32). Differences In case of common law, remedy is granted to a claimant who could establish a case at law, usually in proof of certain formalities and pleading a specified form of action. A common law is fairly inflexible in

Philosophy of Justice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy of Justice - Research Paper Example Socrates was a mysterious personality, attributed as one of the originator of Western philosophy. He was a firm believer that justice is good, this could be attained through self-knowledge. It is imperative to understand what is good i.e. justice and what is injustice or evil. According to Socrates, natural needs are good. Good is always desired. The desire or the requirement to be satisfied varies with a person's nature called the daimon. It is exclusive to every person. Thus, in this scenario, it is the individual's knowledge that plays a vital role in deciding the good and taking the decision. If knowledge is enabling a person to apply for good, then knowledge is also good. It is knowledge that empowers a person to discriminate between good and evil. A wrong action is a direct implication of ignorance. Socrates defined four virtues viz. bravery, self-control, justice, faithfulness (Socrates: the Search of Justice). According to Socrates, retribution for the offense is the treatmen t for wickedness and justice leads to that penalty. A man who has done no erroneous is better-off than a man who has received retribution for his proceedings. Socrates pronounced that the just life is more significant than outside belongings. If one scale evil, first is the man who does incorrect and finds chance of escaping where as the man who does wrong comes second (Socrates: the Search of Justice). On the contrary Adolf Hitler was a firm believer of Bible. According to Hitler, "As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice". He said, "I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator" (Brainy Quotes). These quotes imply Hitler's temperament towards justice. He defensible his battle for the people of Germany and in opposition to Jews by means of Godly and Biblical interpretations. In reality, one of his most enlightening declarations further enunciate this: "Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord." Apart from Socrates, who believed that knowledge plays an imperative role in judging and providing justice; Adolf Hitler was of the opinion that God and His preaching aids in interpreting and defining justice. Although, Hitler was always misapprehended as he never practiced religion in church (Hitler's religious beliefs and fanaticism). In today's scenario this holds true to some extent. Knowledge is powerful in making a person judgmental and to appreciate the truth and honest opinion. Beliefs related to religion and its preaching find little relevance in the epoch of technology. Justice is what is being followed as per the guidelines set by the organizations of the nations, any violation of these set norms is considered to be injustice. Knowledge and awareness about self and surroundings is vital in taking decisions. To some e xtent the saying "power corrupts" holds true as it is capable of changing the thinking of a common man about the justice in the present scenario. The dictatorship portrayed by Saddam Hussein is known worldwide. He was known for creating horror and terror of his personality against his own crew. He was known to be the greatest tyrants. He was a brutal killer and neither knowledge nor the

Little bee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Little bee - Essay Example No matter what journey you take it not where you end and what you achieve but what is more important is how you have been able to succeed it; if you have succeed it and if not then it also makes you realize that what have you done to fail it. The path of the journey is more important than the meaning of the journey. It takes minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and even years to reach to the destination but the end it only for a moment; in which you discover the purpose and outcome of the journey; but what is remembered most is how it was conducted; what strategies where made; what personal and professional factors were kept in mind to ensure that we reach to the best outcome. All journey’s taken have a purpose and an aim to achieve; some want to prove that they are strong; some wants to prove that they need help; some wants a break and other are just travelling. All these purposes add up to the different aspect of a human life and personality. Adventurous trips are a reflection of loud nature; where people would put the purpose of the journey above all; even their lives. They are well aware of the fact that how dangerous it can be and no matter how amount of preventive measures are taken they might face the wrath of God. On the other side religious trips is the reflection of subtle nature; where people would want to explore peace and patience and would want to find a way where they can eliminate the world’s pleasure and sacrifice their wishes to achieve the happiness and acceptance of God. People travel miles from the corner of the world to be at the house of God. There are few journey that you take and you know that you are going to take them; you are well prepared all things are in place; everyone around are also involved in making it a better experience; but there are some journey that are not expected like the journey of LIFE. One is never prepared for the unexpected events and the turns that it will take during the course; what moment are

Essay depends on "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere"

Depends on "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" - Essay Example Packer’s characters also learned to change their perceptions in relation to the people and the world with those experiences. The theme of loss of innocence indicates how the increase in knowledge about the world impacts the character and his/her personality. Packer has used Loss of innocence as the central theme in her short stories ‘Brownies’ and ‘Speaking in Tongues’. This paper will analyze how the author has characterized loss of innocence in these stories to influence the readers. The selected two stories based on loss of innocence are ‘Brownies’ and ‘Speaking in Tongues’. In ‘Brownies’, the author wants to show that anger and hatred that developed in the black and white races had no origin rather each of them did not even know why they hate others. They just show to the world what they see, observe and experience. In the story ‘Speaking in Tongues’, the author has shown how the main character lost her innocence due to pressurized sexual experience at a very young age. ZZ Packer projected loss of innocence in her stories as a transition from childhood to adulthood without any relation to gender, religion or culture. ‘Brownies’ is a story focusing on racial segregation and prejudice that existed between white and black Americans. The author showed that the girls in both troops were innocent but when they watched the behaviors of others around them their perception changed, and that’s where the loss of innocence is applied in the story. The black girls’ troop identified that the white girls’ troop called them names based on racism. The author showed in her text that the white girls did not even know why they hate the black girls or abuse them. It was rather their surrounding that made them think negative and misbehave with the black Americans. Similarly, the black girls found out that the troop of white girls also consisted of some ‘delayed learners’ who were

Philosophy of Justice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy of Justice - Research Paper Example Socrates was a mysterious personality, attributed as one of the originator of Western philosophy. He was a firm believer that justice is good, this could be attained through self-knowledge. It is imperative to understand what is good i.e. justice and what is injustice or evil. According to Socrates, natural needs are good. Good is always desired. The desire or the requirement to be satisfied varies with a person's nature called the daimon. It is exclusive to every person. Thus, in this scenario, it is the individual's knowledge that plays a vital role in deciding the good and taking the decision. If knowledge is enabling a person to apply for good, then knowledge is also good. It is knowledge that empowers a person to discriminate between good and evil. A wrong action is a direct implication of ignorance. Socrates defined four virtues viz. bravery, self-control, justice, faithfulness (Socrates: the Search of Justice). According to Socrates, retribution for the offense is the treatmen t for wickedness and justice leads to that penalty. A man who has done no erroneous is better-off than a man who has received retribution for his proceedings. Socrates pronounced that the just life is more significant than outside belongings. If one scale evil, first is the man who does incorrect and finds chance of escaping where as the man who does wrong comes second (Socrates: the Search of Justice). On the contrary Adolf Hitler was a firm believer of Bible. According to Hitler, "As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice". He said, "I believe today that my conduct is in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator" (Brainy Quotes). These quotes imply Hitler's temperament towards justice. He defensible his battle for the people of Germany and in opposition to Jews by means of Godly and Biblical interpretations. In reality, one of his most enlightening declarations further enunciate this: "Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord." Apart from Socrates, who believed that knowledge plays an imperative role in judging and providing justice; Adolf Hitler was of the opinion that God and His preaching aids in interpreting and defining justice. Although, Hitler was always misapprehended as he never practiced religion in church (Hitler's religious beliefs and fanaticism). In today's scenario this holds true to some extent. Knowledge is powerful in making a person judgmental and to appreciate the truth and honest opinion. Beliefs related to religion and its preaching find little relevance in the epoch of technology. Justice is what is being followed as per the guidelines set by the organizations of the nations, any violation of these set norms is considered to be injustice. Knowledge and awareness about self and surroundings is vital in taking decisions. To some e xtent the saying "power corrupts" holds true as it is capable of changing the thinking of a common man about the justice in the present scenario. The dictatorship portrayed by Saddam Hussein is known worldwide. He was known for creating horror and terror of his personality against his own crew. He was known to be the greatest tyrants. He was a brutal killer and neither knowledge nor the

Essay depends on "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere"

Depends on "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" - Essay Example Packer’s characters also learned to change their perceptions in relation to the people and the world with those experiences. The theme of loss of innocence indicates how the increase in knowledge about the world impacts the character and his/her personality. Packer has used Loss of innocence as the central theme in her short stories ‘Brownies’ and ‘Speaking in Tongues’. This paper will analyze how the author has characterized loss of innocence in these stories to influence the readers. The selected two stories based on loss of innocence are ‘Brownies’ and ‘Speaking in Tongues’. In ‘Brownies’, the author wants to show that anger and hatred that developed in the black and white races had no origin rather each of them did not even know why they hate others. They just show to the world what they see, observe and experience. In the story ‘Speaking in Tongues’, the author has shown how the main character lost her innocence due to pressurized sexual experience at a very young age. ZZ Packer projected loss of innocence in her stories as a transition from childhood to adulthood without any relation to gender, religion or culture. ‘Brownies’ is a story focusing on racial segregation and prejudice that existed between white and black Americans. The author showed that the girls in both troops were innocent but when they watched the behaviors of others around them their perception changed, and that’s where the loss of innocence is applied in the story. The black girls’ troop identified that the white girls’ troop called them names based on racism. The author showed in her text that the white girls did not even know why they hate the black girls or abuse them. It was rather their surrounding that made them think negative and misbehave with the black Americans. Similarly, the black girls found out that the troop of white girls also consisted of some ‘delayed learners’ who were

Opportunity Network Application Essay Example for Free

Opportunity Network Application Essay The best-selling author and motivational speaker Roger Crawford once said, â€Å"Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.† I have encountered numerous obstacles in my life, but none were as difficult as learning my second language, English. When I moved to the United States in 2009, I knew no English. Thus, my dad enrolled me into a bilingual school, hoping that I would learn English quickly with the help of Chinese-speaking teachers. Instead, all of my classmates spoke in Chinese and so I learned English much more slowly. By the time I entered high school, my relatively poorer English skills prevented me from doing homework efficiently and making friends. After half a year, my teachers noticed how depressed I was. They helped boost my self-esteem by complimenting my academic achievement. That was when I realized I had strengths, too. I began striving for excellence, because I realized that my dedication and hard work would ultimately be recognized and rewarded. Gradually, more classmates talked to me and I began to feel like I belonged in my community. I am grateful for this challenge as it opened my heart and taught me to be determined. Not only do I like making new friends, I also like challenges. Even though some challenges seem beyond my reach, I demand myself to do the best I can. I don’t always succeed, but I see each challenge as a learning experience. I know that, as a Chinese proverb says, an intense storm is always followed by a beautiful rainbow.

Criminal Theory Case Study: Whitey Bulger

Criminal Theory Case Study: Whitey Bulger Criminal Behavior James Joseph Bulger III (better known as) Whitey Bulgers criminal behavior started early on in life. Whitey ran away to join the circus at ten years old. According to Biography.com, Whitey Bulger was first arrested when he was 14 years old, for stealing, and his criminal record continued to escalate from there. As a youth, he was arrested for larceny, forgery, assault and battery, and armed robbery and served five years in a juvenile reformatory. Upon his release, he joined the Air Force where he served time in military jail for assault before being arrested for going AWOL. Nonetheless, he received an honorable discharge in 1952. (Biography.com) After the military, Bulger returned to Boston and committed multiple bank robberies in multiple states. In 1956 he was sentenced to 25 years in Federal prison for those bank robberies. After his release from prison Bulger immersed himself into Bostons organized crime, and by 1979 he was one of the top figures in Bostons underworld. After work ing with the FBI, he led the FBI on a 16-year manhunt. Whitey Bulger was finally caught by the FBI in 2011. In 2013, Bulger faced a 33-count indictment, including money laundering, extortion, drug dealing, corrupting FBI and other law-enforcement officials and participating in 19 murders. He was also charged with federal racketeering for allegedly running a criminal enterprise from 1972 to 2000. (Biography.com) Bulger was not convicted of everything, after a two-month trial, a jury of eight men and four women deliberated for five days and found Bulger guilty on 31 counts, including federal racketeering, extortion, conspiracy and 11 of the 19 murders. They found he was not guilty of 7 murders and could not reach a verdict on one murder. (Biography.com) Whitey Bulgers Life Whitey Bulgers childhood was rough. James Joseph Bulger Jr. was born on September 3, 1929, in Dorchester, Massachusetts, (Where I was born) as second of the six children, to Roman Catholic Irish parents who immigrated to America. (www.thefamouspeople.com) Whiteys father was a longshoreman that lost his arm in an industrial accident forcing him and his family to move to government housing in South Boston (Where I attended elementary school). When Bulger was ten years old, he attempted to run away and join the circus. When Whitey was 14, he was charged with stealing and forgery and other crimes resulting in being held in a juvenile reformatory for five years. Bulger joined the Air Force and was charged with AWOL ultimately being honorably discharged. Once Bulger returned to Boston, he returned to a life of crime and ultimately rose to the top crime boss in Boston. Bulger reigned over Bostons underworld for nearly 20 years. Oddly enough he was an informant for the FBI against another cr ime family which ultimately help Bulgers enterprises. When indictments against Bulger came down his connections at the FBI tipped him off to the impending arrest allowing Bulger to go on the run from 1996 until he was ultimately arrested in California 2011. Bulger was convicted of most of the charges levied against him, and he is currently incarcerated at Coleman Federal Penitentiary in Sumter County. Bulger was disciplined for sexual activity while in prison in 2016. Theories of Criminal Behavior I believe that the first of three theories that could describe White Bulgers criminal lifestyle would be Albert Cohens Theory on Delinquent Boys. Cohens research and resulting theory were a reaction to the limitations and oversimplifications he saw in Robert Mertons strain theory, according to the University of Portsmouth. Cohen agreed that criminal behavior was in part the result of the strain of being unable to accomplish ones goals, but he disagreed with Mertons hypothesis that crime was individual, gain-based and could occur at any socioeconomic status. In 1955, his book Delinquent Boys, Cohen investigated trends of criminal behavior in lower-class urban areas of the United States, then built on emerging findings about the delinquent subculture. Florida State Universitys College of Criminology and Criminal Justice states that Cohens investigation of gangs revealed that the groups were mostly lower-class males who seemed to be retaliating against a world that had given them empty promises regarding the American Dream. Cohens theory on the delinquent subculture also predicts that the existence of the subculture would likely draw in lower-status persons exposed to it, therefore creating more delinquency among anyone who might believe that their only opportunities for progress existed in the ranks of gangs. (www.reference.com) I believe Whitey Bulger also fit into the Durkheims Deviance theory, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦his discoveries were so deviant that people had a hard time accepting them. And they still do! Which is why Durkheims views of deviance have been pretty much ignored by sociologists for over 100 years. Durkheim was a firm believer in observation. So he began his study of deviance by observing as many societies as he could. He studied his own, those in neighboring European countries, and even those of the ancient past. What did he notice? They all had deviance! It didnt matter where or when he looked. In every society, there was something that got defined as deviant, and someone who did that deviant thing. (http://www.nonjudgmentday.org) I also believe that Whitey Bulger would fit into the Social Disorganization Theory. The theory of social disorganization states a persons physical and social environments are primarily responsible for the behavioral choices that a person makes. At the core of social disorganization theory, is that location matters when it comes to predicting illegal activity. Shaw and McKay noted that neighborhoods with the highest crime rates have at least three common problems, physical dilapidation, poverty, and a higher level of ethnic and culture mixing. Shaw and McKay claimed that delinquency was not caused at the individual level, but is a normal response by normal individuals to abnormal conditions. Social disorganization theory is widely used as an important predictor of youth violence and crime. (Mark Bond, Ed.D) There is little doubt that South Boston or Boston, in general, could fit this theory just as well as Chicago. Theoretical Application to Whitey Bulgers Life History Growing up in South Boston with a father that was a longshoreman and that was ultimately disabled allowed Whitey to do as he pleased and he did just that fitting the Albert Cohens Theory on Delinquent Boys. As a young man, Whitey was arrested for assault and battery, armed robbery, larceny, and assault. Those charges resulted in Whitey being sentenced to five years in a juvenile reformatory. After his release from the reformatory, Whitey joined the Air Force and subsequently went AWOL. Despite this, he was granted an honorable discharge. I included the military factor in this theory because as we know, men dont fully mature until at least 25 years old. Due to Whiteys now developed deviant behavior as a youth, I believe that he fits into Durkheims Deviance theory. As we all know there is deviance everywhere and I think that during Whitey Bulgers criminal rise he just took advantage of the deviance and rose to the top of Bostons underworld. Some say his power made him like a Robin Hood for the city, For years, James Whitey Bulger was viewed as a Robin Hood-like figure on the streets of South Boston, valued by his neighbors who saw him as a tough guy who kept drug dealers out of their neighborhood. That image was shattered when authorities began digging up bodies. (www.boston.cbslocal.com) Finally, Whitey Bulgers criminal activities fit in my opinion into the Social Disorganization Theory. Boston, like Chicago, was ripe for the picking when it comes to poor neighborhoods, high crime rates, socially disadvantaged people. Whitey dominated a city that had many poor areas that were very ethnically diverse just like Chicago. The mixture of these three theories, I feel, created Whitey Bulger. In my opinion, many of these theories are interchangeable and could fit almost any powerful crime figure. The mixture of these three theories, I feel, created Whitey Bulger. In my opinion, many of these theories are interchangeable and could fit almost any powerful crime figure. References http://www.biography.com/people/whitey-bulger328770#early-life http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/whitey-bulger-5588.php#5aP3OvO2zXd6OAzH.99 https://www.reference.com/world-view/albert-cohen-s-delinquent-subculture-theory-56a567cc29ecb061 http://www.nonjudgmentday.org/judgment-card-galleryblog/-durkheims-deviant-view-of-deviance https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/criminology-social-disorganization-theory-explained-mark-bond http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/06/23/whitey-bulger-described-as-robin-hood-diabolical-killer/

Workaholics and Workaholism: A Growing Problem for Companies :: ESL Essays

Workaholics and Workaholism: A Growing Problem for Companies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Workaholics – people, who have a compulsive and unrelenting need to work (www.dictionary.com) – appear more and more among the working people of United States and other developed countries. At first glance, workaholics do not seem to be such a problem for industry and society as a whole. But in spite of all devotion to their work the workaholic will not be as valuable as a normal worker. Workaholics do not think about anything else except work that can cause severe health problems and can cause problems on their work. All that causes a reduction of economic profit for the company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The term â€Å"workaholism† appeared in the beginning of the 20th century after Frederick Taylor integrated new organization of work system. Taylor, famous businessman was born in 1856 in Philadelphia, and was known as â€Å"father of scientific management†. His new theory of work management has been known as â€Å"Taylorism†. The term â€Å"Taylorism† is seldom used in a positive way. For a short description, according to JoAnn Greco, the journalist of â€Å"The Journal of Business Strategy†, â€Å"Taylorism† is â€Å"a sort of ruthless and quasi-Victorian efficiency that melds man with machine, often to man’s disadvantage.† According Taylor’s theory of work organization the worker is nothing but a tool for gaining profit. (Greco)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It will be unfair to say that Taylor’s theory did not do any good for the economy as a whole. In fact it really helped the economy in age of industrial development. But presently, in the age of high technologies we do not need to stress people to work hard. Many jobs require qualified people that being fired very hard to replace. Creating a workaholic – Type A persons, can be very dangerous for future economics of single company and nation’s economy in the whole. Perfect example of the typical Type A person was presented in essay â€Å"Company Man†, written by Ellen Goodman. The main character Phil was working in one company all his life striving for president’s position. There would be nothing wrong with that except for his fanatic desire to work – â€Å"If he wasn’t at the office, he was worried about it,†- summarizes Goodman in the end of the essay. In his desire to become a president, Phil had to sacrifice the other part of his life – his family. His wife Helen and his children did not even see their father too much - even on weekends he could not forget about his work.

Capital Punishment †The Debate Continues :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

As the war on crime continues, two truths hold steady: eliminating all crime is impossible, and controlling it is a must. The main weapon used to control crime in this war is deterrence. The government's deterrent for committing murder is the death penalty. The fear of death will not deter every person who contemplates murder from doing it. Whether it is for religious reasons and the hope of salvation or something else, stopping some people is not possible (Cohen 48). The intent is not to stop those people, but instead every other would-be killer. Capital Punishment has been in the national spotlight for many years and the center of the debate still remains whether it actually deters would be offenders. Does this age-old penalty for the ultimate sin achieve its goal? There are many lofty and rational arguments on both sides of this issue. Advocates of the death penalty claim that the primary reason for this harsh punishment is that the fear of death discourages people from committing murder. The main ways in which they support this theory are: the severity of the punishment, various polls of citizens and prisoners, and two in particular studies. The most obvious deterring justification is the severity of punishment (Calebresi 19). This means, put simply, to punish for a crime in a way that the punishment outweighs the crime. If the punishment for robbing a bank is to spend one day in jail, then bank robbing would become a daily occurance. On the same note, if there is a reward for a lost item of jewelry and the reward is less than the selling price for that jewelry, the finder has no reason to bring it back. On the other hand, if the reward exceeds the value of the jewelry, the new owner will bring it back very promptly. In the case of capital punishment, if a person wants someone dead badly enough, and the punishment for murder is a short stay in prison, what will possibly keep that person from doing the unthinkable (Van Den Haag 68). If a person is afraid for their life, then the stakes for their actions are much higher, probably even too high for most people. Many psychologists believe that these "stakes" do not even have to be in conscious thought for them to work. The theory is that a person's conscience weighs out many factors in all instances. While a would-be offender might be contemplating the deed, the death penalty imbeds itself into that person's subconscience as a possible consequence of their actions, and thus the

Measuring Socialism in America

Which of the two countries is more socialist, Canada or the United States of America? It must first be state that neither Canada nor the USA is considered a socialist state. For the purpose of this project, a socialist state would be one such as Greece was until the early 1990†³s; a country where the state owns all forms of companies and/or businesses and offers practically every type of social service known to modern governments. Since none of the two North American countries that will be featured in this paper can accurately compare to the bove description, the paper will simply attempt to determine which of the two has a higher degree of socialism when matched against each other following a Before going any further, let†s view the conceptual definitions to the key elements of this paper. Socialism, as referred to throughout the text, can be defined as follows: any of various social or political theories or movements in which the common welfare is to be achieved through the establishment of a socialist economic system. A socialist economic system can be defined as an economic structure in which the community owns the means of production, istribution, and exchange collectively, and the benefits are distributed to all members of that community. In this economic layout the people will run the government in a highly democratic fashion . Having established what socialism is, let†s move on to the research question, or hypothesis. It is assumed that Canada will have a higher lever of socialism than the United States of America based on its higher level of taxation and its apparently more developed social services system. The research question is therefore: is Canada truly more socialist than the United States of America? The variables that will be used to measure socialism are the level of democracy; social services offered; the minimization of social classes; and finally, the collective ownership of factories, corporation, and companies. According to the conceptual definition given earlier, a socialist country must be highly democratic. We must then find data that would help indicate the variable of democracy. What makes a country democratic? The representation and support of diverse political views as well as a high level of public participation in political decisions are two social characteristics that would ndicate a high level of democracy. To measure the representation and support of diverse political views, let†s examine the different popular political parties in both Canada and the United States of America. According to the network CNN , in the latest US federal election which took place in November 2000, three political parties could be said to have garnered enough public support to be considered important. After the tally of 99 percent of precincts, the Democratic Party stood at 49 percent of public support, the Republican Party at 48 percent, and the Green Party accumulated enough votes to have 3 percent of all votes. No other party received a single percent of all votes. There is also a federal election being held in Canada this month, and the nation will vote on November 27th. According to the latest Reuters/Zogby Research Canada poll , the Liberal Party holds the lead with an approximate 42 percent of public support, followed by the Canadian Alliance, which polled 29 percent, the Progressive Conservative Party holds 12 percent support, the Neo-Democratic Party has 7 percent and finally, the Bloc Quebecois holds 8 percent of public support. Canada therefore has five important political parties, all of which hold more public support than the United States† third important party. However, it would be incorrect to assume that Canada is more democratic than the USA by simply counting the number of political parties. Let†s instead look at how many political views are represented in both countries. In the USA, the Democratic Party can be said to be mostly left of the center on the â€Å"left/right† line, the Republicans would be mostly right of the center, and the Green Party would be considered to represent fairly left political views. If we place the political parties in Canada on the same left/right line according to the views they represent, we see that many more views are covered. The Neo-Democratic Party can be labeled as a far-left party, the Liberal Party and the Bloc Quebecois would be considered left-of-the-middle parties, while the Progressive Conservatives are right of the center and the Canadian Alliance (formerly the Reform Party) represents far-right views. It is evident that once the political views of the parties are exposed, Canada seems to have the edge over the USA when it comes to Let†s now take a look at the second variable that will be used to compare the degree of democracy between Canada and the USA: a high level of public participation in political decisions. To measure this variable, we will look at the number of public representatives who are elected by the population. At the municipal level in the USA, according to the City of St-Louis Board of Elections , the population elects a mayor, a comptroller, a President of the Board of Aldermen, the members of the Board of Aldermen (councilors) and school board members. At the state and federal levels, as maintained by the North Carolina Board of Elections , the population of North Carolina elects members of the US House of Representatives (In North Carolina,12 members are elected), associate Justices of the Supreme Court (2), Judges of the Court of Appeals (5), District Attorneys (37), Judges of District Court (87), members of State Senate (50), members of the State House of Representatives (120), Judges of Supreme Court (Non Partisan) (31), local County Commissioners ( 5), a President and Vice-President, a Governor, a Lieutenant Governor, an Attorney General, an Auditor, a Commissioner of Agriculture, a Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Labor, Secretary of State, a Superintendent of Public Instruction, a Treasurer, a Chief Justice of NC Supreme Court and an Associate Justice of NC Supreme Court. In Canada, at the local level elections are similar. According to Elections Canada the public elects a Mayor, Councilors and School Board members, but no comptroller and no President of the Board of Aldermen, such as is the case in the United States. At the Provincial Level, according to the Government of Ontario , the population elects Members of the Provincial Government (Legislative Assembly) (In Ontario, 103 members are elected), and a Premier. Contrary to the USA, the population does not elect the Lieutenant Governor, the Attorney General, the Auditor, nor any secretaries, superintendents, treasurers, ministers, Chief Justices, Judges or District Attorneys; these positions are awarded by the governing Premier and his Cabinet. The same pattern exists at the federal level. In accordance with the Government of Canada , the Canadian population elects a Prime Minister and members of the House of Commons (In Canada, there are 301 members). Again, there is a stark contrast with the American political ! stem, as Canadians do not elect members of the Supreme Court, or even Senators. When we count the number of representatives who are elected by the population, it seems that the American political system is more democratic than the Canadian system, as it is clear that many important positions are chosen by the people in America and by the politicians in Canada. It is important however to note that the men and women who hold the most power of all in both countries, the members of cabinet, are named by the leading politician. In Canada these people must be chosen from the Legislative Assembly at the provincial level, and the House of Commons at the federal, therefore they were elected to represent the population . However, in the US the Governors and President may choose whomever they please as their cabinet , whether they were elected or not. Despite the previous fact, when looking at the democracy variable as a whole it must be acknowledged that the US is at least as democratic as Canada, therefore the first variable must be considered void. Let†s now move on to the second variable, well-established social services system. For a state to be deemed socialist, it must offer numerous social services to its people, free of charge. Lets begin by examining education. The first indicator for education is the amount of years of free education that are offered by the state. Both countries offer free pre-school, elementary and secondary education through the public schooling system. (A totally socialist state would also offer free post-secondary education. ) In Canada, according to Statistics Canada , most provinces offer 14 years of free education, beginning at the age of 4 with pre-kindergarten. The only exception is Ontario, which currently offers an optional 15th year, known as the Ontario Academic Curriculum. OAC is basically a fifth year of high school, designed to prepare students for university, also acting as their first year of university. However, the Government of Ontario has passed a bill to abolish OAC ! by the year 2002. In the USA, according to the National Education Association , all states offer 15 years of public education, beginning a year earlier than in Canada, therefore offering one year of pre-school more than the provinces of their neighboring country does. It can therefore be said that the USA offers more years of free education than Canada does. But how much does the state spend on these years of education? Let†s look at the second indicator for the variable of education: the amount spent-per student per-year on education. In accordance with data from Statistics Canada , the three levels of government combined to spend an approximate 50,407,100 Canadian dollars per student for the school year of 1996-97. In that same year, Statistics Canada states that 5,065,914 students were enrolled in public schools across the country. Therefore, the state spent approximately 9,949 Canadian dollars per student. Based on the US Census Bureau†s data , all three levels of American government combined to spend an approximate 5,882 US dollars per-student for the same school year of 1996-97. In order to compare these numbers realistically, let†s convert the Canadian dollars to US dollars. In 1997, the Canadian doll! ar was worth approximately 0. 68 American dollars, therefore the Canadian government spent an approximate 6,765 American dollars per-student, compared to the US government†s approximate 5,882. The next social service to be examined is income security. It must be noted that the term â€Å"income security† does not mean exactly the same thing in both countries. In Canada, income security stands for social assistance, benefits to the elderly, employment benefits and child benefits. These services are covered by the Canadian and Quebec Pension Plans, Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, Spouse†s Allowance, Unemployment Insurance, Children†s Financial Benefits, Social Assistance, and Worker†s Compensation. On the other hand, in the United States the term â€Å"income security† stands for disability insurance, private pensions, federal employees retirement, and disability programs. These services are offered through Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Earned Income Tax Credit and Unemployment Compensation. In 1994-95, according to the Government of Canada†s overview of Income Security , the Canadian governments ! spent a total of 88,900,000,000 dollars on Income Security. When divided by the approximate population at the time, 29,500,000 people, it averages out to 3014 Canadian dollars per citizen. If that number is then multiplied that by . as the Canadian dollar was worth approximately 86 cents American at the time, we get 2050; the average spent per citizen in American dollars. The United States governments spent 257,000,000,000 dollars on Income Security in 1999, according to the Budget of The United States Government for the fiscal year 2001 . When divided by the US population in 1999, which was 272,691,000, according to the US Census Bureau , we get the amount spent per citizen on Income Security: 942 US dollars. It seems as though Canada spends more on Income Security, but it must be taken in account that the US also has what they call Social Security. The latter covers Old-Age benefits, and Survivors, and Disability Insurance. Since these services fall under the Canadian defi! nition of Social Insurance, it would only be fair to measure them under the same variable. According to the US Census Bureau, 383 billion dollars was spent on Social Security in the US in 1999. That comes out to 1405 US dollars per citizen. When added to the previous total (amount spent per US citizen on Income Security) we get a total of 2347 US dollars spent per US citizen, compared to 2050 US dollars spent per citizen in Canada. However, before declaring the United States more socialist when it comes to Income Security, we must consider the fact that the Canadian data dates back to 1994-95, almost five years younger than the American data. It must be assumed that the Canadian Government has increased its spending on Income Security since 1995, as has been the trend with all of the social services for both Canada and the US. However, we must still recognize the fact that the United States governments spend a good deal of money on these types of services and can be said to sp! end more, or perhaps only slightly less than the Canadian governments do. The final social service variable to be inspected is health care. In order to compare the two countries' health care systems, two indicators will be examined: the number of health services offered for free and the amount spent per citizen on heath care. In the United States, there are two types of heath care services: Medicare and Medicaid. According the US Federal Government , Medicare is offered to most citizens who are 65 years of age or older, people entitled to Social Security disability payments for 2 years or more, and people with end-stage renal disease. Medicaid is offered to certain low-income families to help cover their medical costs . The Medicare recipients will receive durable medical equipment such as oxygen equipment, wheelchairs, arm, leg, back and neck braces, ostomy pouches, surgical dressings, splints and casts, one pair of eyeglasses after surgery, and other medically necessary equipment that a doctor prescribes for use at home. Medicare also helps cove! r the costs for doctor's services, outpatient hospital care, blood, lab tests and physical and occupational therapy. Medicaid on the other hand covers much more. On the other hand, according to the Health Care Financing Administration, Medicaid recipients receive inpatient and outpatient hospital services, physician services, medical and surgical dental services, nursing facility services for persons aged 21 or older, laboratory and x-ray services, pediatric and family nurse practitioner services, ambulatory services to individuals under the age of 18 and individuals entitled to institutional services, prenatal care and delivery services for pregnant women, as well as some home health and clinical services. In Canada, as stated by the Government of Ontario's Ministry of Heath , health care covers all services by a physician (except work or school-related physicals), five or ten annual visits to a podiatrist (chiropractors, osthopasths) and Physiotherapists, dental services do! ne in hospital, optometry services every two years for all 20 to 65 year olds and once a year for all under 20 and all over 65 year olds, and importantly, emergency care of injuries that occur outside of the country. If we compare the services offered in both countries, we see that Medicaid is very comparable to the Canadian Health Plan, plus and minus a few services, while Medicare trails both systems, at least as far as services offered are concerned. The second indicator for health care is the amount spent per person on health services. This is an area where the US is expected to perform poorly, as mentioned in the hypothesis, because so few Americans actually receive government-paid health care. In fact, according to the US Census Bureau any form of government-paid health care covers only 24. ercent of the US population. Medicare covers 13. 2 percent of the population, and Medicaid covers 10. 2 percent while the remaining 3. 1 percent are military personnel who receive basic military health benefits. According to the US Census Bureau , the three levels of government in the United States of America spent 40,168,000,000 dollars on 34,900. 000 Americans in 1991, therefore spending 1147 US dollars per recipient. However, when divided by the total America population at the time, which was approximately 258,000,000 people, we see that a mere 156 US dollars was spent per citizen on heath care. Canada on the other hand offers heal! th care to all of its citizens, therefore it is expected that the per-citizen number will be higher. According to Health Canada , in 1994-95, the three levels of Canadian government jointly spent 51,900,000,000 Canadian dollars on health care. When divided by the total population at the time (29,500,000 people), we get 1759 Canadian dollars per person. Hence, after the conversion to US dollars, the amount spent per person on health care in Canada is 1196, almost eight times as much as the US spending. Consequently, it must be alleged that although the US data is four years younger than the Canadian data, Canada still spends much more on health care than the United States does. Canada then comes out on top when we add all of the variables together in an attempt to determine who is of a more socialist nature, as far as social services go. It must nevertheless be admitted that aside from health care spending, the US does not trail Canada by an extreme amount when in comes to soci! al services, and even comes out on top when in the amount of years of free education offered through the public schooling system. Aside from an advanced social services system, a socialist country must also have a low level of diversity when it comes to social classes. In order to reduce the difference between social classes, one must first reduce the variation of income levels. Therefore, the indicator for the variable â€Å"minimization of social classes† will be income inequality. As said by the paper Income inequality in North America: Does the 49th parallel still matter? , â€Å"Canada has not seen the substantial increase in income inequality that has occurred in the United States. The paper states that the US† average income level has been rising rapidly when compared to Canada†s, but that the US†s income inequality has been growing consistently as well. â€Å"In terms of comparative economic well-being, Canadian families in the bottom 25% of the income distribution were better off in absolute terms in 1997 than were their counterparts in the United States. However, in the top one-fifth of the income distribution, American families had disposable incomes more than 20% higher than their Canadian counterparts. In the top one-tenth of the income distribution, disposable incomes among American families were about 25% higher. † (Income inequality in North America: Does the 49th parallel still matter? , The Daily, Statistics Canada) Although it was not possible to view the data that was used by the author to make the above conclusions, the information will be considered credible for this paper, as it was written on the part of Statistics Canada, which is highly reputed to be an accurate source of data. A more precise way of determining Income Distribution would be to actually compare the spread of income in both countries. According to a US Census Bureau chart, in 1998, 3,6 percent of American households were in the lowest quintile of income (lowest level of income), 9 percent were in the second quintile, 15 percent in the third, 23. 2 percent were in the fourth quintile, and finally, 49. 2 percent of households were in the highest quintile of income. In Canada, the same chart can be found in Canadian Fact Book On Poverty, which was posted on the Posted on the Canadian Council on Social Development website (http://www. cfc-efc. ca/docs/00000327. m). According to the data, in 1991, 4. 7 percent of the Canadian households could be found in the bottom quintile, 10. 3 were in the second quintile, 16. 6 were in the middle quintile, 24. 7 were in the fourth quintile and 43. 8 percent were in the top quintile. Although the difference may not be huge, there is no denying the fact that there is a larger gap between the income levels in the US as the above data shows. As mentioned in the paper Income inequality in North America: Does the 49th parallel still matter? he highest quintile plays a major role in the spread of income in the US. Almost half of all households are in the highest fifth, whereas in Canada, seven percent less (43. 8) households are in the highest quintile. What does all this mean? In keeping with the conceptual definition of socialism used for the purpose of this paper, it means that Canada fits the description of socialism better than the United States of America when it comes to income distribution since the gap ! between the rich and the poor is thinner in Canada than it is in the United States. Aside from having a high level of democracy, good social services and a low level of distribution of social classes, a socialist state must also own many, if not all businesses. That brings us to the fourth variable of a socialist state; collective ownership of corporations, companies, and factories. Traditionally, Canada has had many Crown Corporations (Corporations owned by the State), but the recent trend has been to sell these companies to private investors. Nonetheless, the Canadian governments still own many businesses today. Even so, the Federal Government still owns 49 Crown Corporations according to the Treasury Board of Canada . The most commonly known of these corporations would likely be Canada Post, a nation-wide postal service, The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, which runs the CBC and SRC radio and television stations, and VIA-Rail. A few of the less known companies are the Canadian Commercial Corporation, International Development ! Research Center, Royal Canadian Mint, the Business Development Bank of Canada, Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, Export Development Corporation, Farm Credit Corporation, Defense Construction Limited, National Capital Commission, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. Bank of Canada, Marine Atlantis Inc. , and Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc. In addition to federally owned Crown Corporations, the provinces also own their own â€Å"public businesses† the government of British Columbia for example runs sixteen Crown Corporations. The most commonly known of these are BC Hydro, BC Rail and BC Ferries. The US Governments also own similar corporation, although they usually tend to be agencies more than companies. A few examples would be the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. There are however some agencies that can compare to the ones owned by the Canadian governments, as illustrated on the White House†s Federal Agencies and Commissions web page ! such as the US Postal Service, AMTrack, the Export-Import Bank of the US, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Bank for Reconstruction & Development, the Legal Services Corporation, the National Park Service, the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, the Overseas Private Investment Corp. , and the Securities Investor Protection Corp. Since the â€Å"corporations† are included with the agencies and commissions all government sites, it is difficult to count a precise number of government divisions that could be considered â€Å"Crown Corporations† in the US. It can however be estimated that at the Federal level, between 10 and 20 of these corporations exist. In addition, the American public also owns a television station independently of all forms of government. The educational station PBS is funded entirely by the people, depending largely on personal pledges for its survival. It must however be concluded that Canada has a great deal of State-owned companies when comp! ared to the US since it is nearly safe to say that there are at least twice as many of these corporations in Canada than there are in the United States. In conclusion, the hypothesis must be accepted, as the research proves that Canada is indeed more socialist that the United States of America. Although America is relatively strong when it comes to education, Canada does indeed spend more social services than the United States of America does. Canada also has more state-owned corporations than does the United States of America. Since the US does not clearly come out ahead of Canada in any of the variables, we cannot claim is as being in the same league as Canada as far as socialism goes. We can however state that the United States offers more years of public education than Canada does, and that it spends approximately the same on income security. In fact, if the United States offered health care to all of its citizens like Canada does, it could be argued that both countries are very similar in terms of socialism, with Canada being the frontrunner. However that is not the case, and what the entire research came down to was t! fact that health care is only offered to 24 percent of all Americans. The US Government actually spends 1147 US dollars per health-care recipient, only 49 US dollars less than Canada spends per recipient. What does this research tell us? It simply reinforces the theory that Canada is more socialist than the United States of America in its ways of governing. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that it is younger than its southern neighbor, that it still follows its European parents, France and England. America has matured more than Canada has, since it has been a free nation for much longer. There is no doubting that the US has developed its own governing system, with its own distribution of services and is striving off of it economically. There is however no less doubting that Canadians are proud of their social services, and education and democratic system. It seems both countries are in a state of comfort. America is generally content with its system and Canada is also generally happy with the way the country is run. It is however always fun to peek on the other side of the fence and see how our neighbor is doing, and how we compare to him/her.