Dance Essays - Dance In Mythology And Religion, Mythography, Dance

Dance A series of set of movements to music, either alone or with a partner. That is the definition of dancing. Dancing is a way to express one's feeling and to get active. Dance has been a part of human history since the earliest records of human life. Cave paintings found in Spain and France dating from 30,000 -10,000 BC. have vivid drawings of dancing figures in association with ritual illustrating the pesents of dance in early human society. Many people around the world see life as a dance from the movements of the heavens and the turn of the seasons to the unique dance of every creature. The history of dance reflects the changes in the way people see the world, relate to their bodies and experience the cycles of life. In India among the Hindus, the Creator is a dancer who dances the world through the cycles of birth, death and rebirth. In the early churches of Europe, Christian worship included dance while at other times in western history dancing was outlawed and banned. In Ancient Egypt, ceremonial dances were enacted by the pharaohs as a dancing priest- king representing his people. These dances, culminating in ceremonies representing the death and rebirth of the god Osiris became more and more complex until ultimately they could only be performed by a highly valued professional class of dancers. In Ancient Greece, Egyptian dance influences were carried over by Greek philosophers who went to Egypt for general study. The dance rituals of the Gods and Goddesses of the Greek pantheon are recognized as the origins of contemporary Western theater. Around Dionysus, the god of transformation and generation celebrated through wine, grew a cult of primarily of women followers known as the maenads who worshiped with captivating dance. These dances eventually evolved to include praise songs and myths that were enacted by trained dancers and actors. By the end of the 5th century BC, these dance dramas were part of entertainment and provided social and political commentary on the times. Amongst the Romans, dance waxed and waned in acceptance by the powers that ruled. Until 200 BC, dance brought life to Roman processions, festivals and celebrations. However, in 150 BC all of the dancing schools were closed as Roman nobility considered dance as suspicious and even dangerous activity of the masses. Dancing has come a long way since ancient times. But there are still some similarities. When people thought up these dances they were trying to express themselves, their emotions, their problems and beliefs. Today we do the same thing. We make up dances according to our attitudes, beliefs, thoughts and feelings. The future will also contain dances that will reflect that society. There are many different kinds of dances. There is ballet, line dancing, slow dancing, the list goes on and on. Some of these dances are slow. Some of them are fast. They all use different type of instruments. Each dance representing a time, an event, an expression or feeling. Each dance expressing something different. Dances will never die. They are too interconnected in the world's society. They will live. They will show the generations ahead what the ancient 90s were like. Through dance our culture and society will be remembered to the end of time. Speech and Communications

PCI, Case Study, Mia Case Study Essays

PCI, Case Study, Mia Case Study Essays PCI, Case Study, Mia Case Study Paper PCI, Case Study, Mia Case Study Paper INTRODUCTION The issue started on February 2008 when the new appointed Managing Director of PCI Sdn Bhd, En Ghani reviewed 2007 Financial Report and found out there were recent increases in costs of goods sold and inventories. The rate of increase in costs of goods sold had been disproportionate with growth of sales. En Ghani was informed that one of the reasons for the increase in cost was because of the current purchasing system that contributes to redundant purchasing and high inventory holding costs. Siti Aminah, the Chief of Financial Officer was asked to review the current purchasing system and suggested the need to implement a new computerized purchasing system that would help relieve some of its manual operations and at the same time would ensure it has the proper controls in place. En Ghani requested a formal report on current purchasing system and suggestion for a new system before the next management meeting which would be in two weeks time. En Ghani assigned Siti Aminah on the special task instead of the senior Chief Production Officer and she did not have any experience in system and technology. The new system must be able to reduce costs, enhance control and provide easy management of users and services in qualitative and quantitative ways. CHARACTERS En Ghani : as the new appointed Managing Director of Penda Cable Industry Berhad, who reviewed past year Financial Report and asked for formal report from Siti Aminah. Siti Aminah : the Chief of Financial Officer that being asked to make formal report instead of the Senior Chief of Financial Officer. CURRENT PURCHASING SYSTEM IN PCI Purpose : to ensure the purchase of raw material (exclude external Aluminium cable scap) that was required for the manufacturing of cable, conductors and associated products. 1) Monthly Raw Material Summary Cik Lim General Manager of Material Resources and Planning En Razi Assistant Purchasing Manager (MRMS) Review 1st week of Forecasted Monthly Every month Material Requirement En Sam General Manager Purchasing (MMR)MRMS Planning Section En Razi 2) Cik Anne Purchasing Clerk RM100 000 En Ghani Filing En Min Raw Material Storekeeper RM 100 000 Cik Lim PURCHASE ORDER COCORDER CONFIRMATION CompetitiveNot En Sam En Razi Vendors Competitive Quotation Quotation 3) Suppliers Invoices Cik Lim Cik Anne Coded, Batched and Checked Invoices Delivery Store Received a) Verification Order Notes b) Account Payable Reference No. En Min c) Update Account Payable list in Assistant Finance Manager the computer. 4) Enclosed with the return receipt of cheque / TT for notification of payment DO,COC Vendors MaterialRAW MATERIAL STORE RMRR VCAR Financial Department (for payment) InvoicePURCHASING SECTIONShipping Document Shipping PCI BANK Document VOUCHER Voucher Approved Delivery Order RMS 2 Form Purchasing Clerk En Min Assistant Finance Manager Signed QUANTITATIVE DECISION | 2006| 2007| GROSS PROFIT MARGIN(Gross Profit/Revenue)| (12086851/176877312) = 0. 07| (48053370/298146915) =0. 16| OPERATING PROFIT MARGIN(Operating Profit/Revenue)| (6386819)/176877312 =(0. 03)| 35657392/298146915 =0. 12| INVENTORY TURNOVER(COGS/Inventories)| (164,790,461)/27434751=(6) | (250,093,545)/45,575,893=(5. 48)| AVERAGE COLLECTION PERIOD(Debtors/(Revenue/360))| 15,506,128/(176,877,312/360) =31. days| 8,453,275/(298,146,915/360) =10 days| Gross Profit Margin When the company shows the higher GPM, it indicates that the company is better in controlling their cost of sales. PCI gross profit margin in 2007 is higher than 2006. It means that the company can manage their cost of sales. For becoming years they need to make an agreement with their suppliers to prevent raw material price increase. Operating Profit Margin When the company shows higher operating profit margin ratio, it indicates that the company is profitable. Based on the calculation, PCI current year shows an improvement from the previous year. For becoming years, operating expenses in terms of administrative and selling expenses need to be avoided from getting increase to maintain the profit. Average Collection Period (Debtor) The shorter the period to collect payment from debtors, the more efficient the company is in handling their debtors. CONCLUSION As for conclusion, Siti Aminah can suggest only to maintain their old system instead of new purchasing system. This is because, the current situation did not incurred too much damage to the company, the company still can sustain even though they have to buy the raw materials in higher price. PCI is not the only company that have problem in purchasing their raw materials but all the purchasing departments across the industry experienced similar dilemma. Their main dilemma included establishing and maintaining profitable supplier relationships, confronting the problem of price increases and ensuring supply quantity. What they need actually do is to pressure suppliers to keep prices low when the cost of raw materials decreases. They can better do this by keeping their own tabs on the raw materials market.

How Open was the Landed elite during the era 1780 - 1888 Essay

How Open was the Landed elite during the era 1780 - 1888 - Essay Example In European agrarian societies, after the medieval period, land was attributed as a highly demanded asset because it enabled the feudal lords to produce crops for subsistence. However, that was not the only purpose land served. Land was largely seen as a status symbol, a highly valued possession, whose worth could be gauged and flaunted .It was regarded as a safe asset, where wealth could be sustained for a long period, without the fear of deception or fraud. In addition to economic power, land enabled the landowners to amass political powers as well. This was so, as the owner of an estate also served as the head of the community and solved domestic disputes. Moreover, it allowed the landlords to control the inhabitants that lived on his estate, the majority of which derived subsistence through working on his lands. A landlord had a wide access to people who held positions of authority, which buttressed his influence and prestige in his region . Hence, land enabled him to uphold an administrative role in his area, in addition to it,accruing economic and political power. In England, while some men acquired land in order to establish their names, from a feudal family or become part of the landed elite, the others acquired it as an investment or amenity. Due to laws and policies, acquiring land became easier. For example, the Act of 1711 passed in Ireland, which forced MPs to hold land, which was later, revised in 1760 to add more people who were legally able to possess land, greatly incentive people to acquire landiii. The legal obstacles were removed for them and lawyers devised easy and cheap ways to acquire land. Some political entities also bought land in order to ensure their electoral strength.The demand for land also increased as people sought to keep it in order to undertake leisurely endeavors such as shooting and hunting. Some bought land in order to keep it as a buffer before they retirediv. Interest rates came to be greatly associated with the worth of land in the early eighteenth century. Sometimes, when the interest rates were low, espec ially during and after Louis XIV wars, many people expected that the value of land would adjust to ultimately lower levels and hence, acquired lands. During the mid-Victorian boom 1790-1815, rental rates in England surged, and hence, the attractiveness of land as an asset increased. In addition, it was regarded as a stable investment as its value did not fluctuate as much as government bonds in England, as a result of political shocksv. Marriages also allowed for acquisition of land, as office holders who belonged to prestigious families but did not have lands, often married into landholding families, and hence became part of the landed elite. Many of them either belonged to political establishment, or were rich merchants. Many of them were traders in East India Company, who later themselves married into land owning families, or married their sons and daughters, and became part of the landed elitevi. A number of these merchants, who served in the subcontinent, commonly known as â₠¬Ëœ

Myths, Misconceptions, and Fears Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Myths, Misconceptions, and Fears - Assignment Example That is, many are those who have had the fear that using hypnosis will lead to permanent criminal and immoral conduct in patients. But this is a fear that can clearly not be substantiated because hypnosis is known to be a therapy that has a moderation of service, compassing its implementation for only temporary situations and not permanent basis (Husky, 2011). In the application and usage of hypnosis as a complementary and alternative medicine, there are some biases that are often complained of by researchers. This bias has to do with the kind of revelations that people undergoing hypnosis are made to reveal about their lives. The commonest form of argument has been that people are made only to reveal the deepest darkest secrets of their lives, exposing them to public ridicule. But this situation has been explained by Cuellar (2006), explaining that hypnosis that is done as showbiz must be differentiated from those that are done on a clinical medicinal basis. Finally, the use of hypnosis would be contraindicated in patients who show excess aggression and characteristic chaos when exposed to the method. The reason for this is that such people have wrong reactions toward the process and if not withdrawn from may bring about unexpected consequences and side

Persuasive speech about why iIllegal immigrants should not be given or Presentation

Persuasive about why iIllegal immigrants should not be given free health care - Speech or Presentation Example Also an unauthorized migrant might be one who violates the set terms of a legal entry. In 2008 it was estimated that the population of illegal immigrants in the US was approximately 11 million, which was said to be a drop from 12.5 million recorded in 2007 (Bogen 12). Bogen further points out that Mexican immigrant take the highest percentage (56%) out the total immigrants’ population. Studies reveal that majority of the current immigrant are well educated, many of them having at least a college degree. However, in general, the US population is better educated than that of the immigrants. Since 1990s, legal migrants continued to be outpaced in number by the illegal immigrants who are increasingly occupying various areas around the country. Most of the families in the US estimated to be 13.9 million individuals have at least one spouse, who is an illegal immigrant and most of them settle in areas characterized by large immigrants’ population (Beasley 32). He observes tha t unauthorized contemporary migrants comprise of about 44% of the total population of us. Majority of them settle in Florida, Texas, California, New Jersey, Illinois and Pennsylvania with California harboring the highest population of approximately 2.93 million illegal migrants.

Social Inequality and Insecurity in Canada

Social Inequality and Insecurity in Canada ASSIGNMENT-2 Social inequality illustrates a scenario in a society where there is disparity that has limiting effect on a group’s social status and class. Inequality, in this reference, refers to the differences in status, experience, and outcomes among various groups of individuals in the society. The social inequality covers aspects like right to vote for every adult individual, right to speech, right to access property and right to education, quality of healthy living, quality of housing, traveling, vacationing and other social goods and services. It can also be viewed in the quality of family and neighborhood life, occupation, job satisfaction, and right to credit. Social insecurity refers to a condition in a society where people do not receive benefits because of their employment program. For instance privilege for retirement pensions, disability insurance and employment guarantee program. The provision of services may vary from country to country which may include health care, financial support during unemployment or retirement, safety at work. Insecurity rises from temporary work that does not give a commitment by the agency for permanent employment. This does not provide a reliable level of income or work for the workers. Temporary workers face dismissal at work place and lack job security. A recent study conducted in Canada revealed that the main difference between inequality and insecurity. Inequality describes the situation where the workers with equal labor productivity, ability, education, training and experience are treated unequal. They face inequality in employment selection procedure, job promotion, level of wages, training and other areas. However, insecurity is a situation where an employee has a perception that his or her job is uncertain and may come to an end sooner or later. This perception stands as a threat caused by the instability and unsteadiness of job or unsatisfied for possibly being fired at any time. The major causes of inequality and insecurity are different. Work inequality is affected characteristics like racism, gender inequality, skin color, age, family background, tradition, religion, physical fitness and the nationality of a person. However, work insecurity depends on work background, job importance, job content, work environment, job sat isfaction and career development. The effect of social inequality and insecurity on Canadian society is the division of labor market into good jobs and bad jobs. Social Inequality is dominated by professional and skilled workers and social insecurity is dominated by women and racist groups. The bad jobs provide little security of job and nearly about one tenth of the Canadian population is engaged in it. The birth of non-standard jobs is due to inequality as there is vulnerability of unemployment. Therefore, people hold multiple jobs at a time for survival. Temporary work is also a form of non-standard jobs wherein the job is dependent on the season and terms of contract with the company. A new type of agencies have been started which act as a broker between the employee and the employer. These agencies make arrangements for the temporary positions and individuals seeking jobs. The agency’s income is derived from the difference between what it charges the company and what it pays the individual worker. Self-em ployment is referred to as a means to achieve flexibility and freedom from the regular unemployment, low wages, and insecurity. It is segmented between a primary and a secondary market. In the primary self-employment market, companies run on full-time basis and often have few employees who have access to the benefits. This market segment mostly consists of older men who all have an established network of potential clients. In the secondary self-employment market, there is more uncertainty of work, lack of control of labor market and protection and inadequate incomes. Studies have revealed that insecurity in Canada has increased over the past 20 years. The possibility of unemployment is a significant reason for insecurity in Canada. It varies from workers in permanent full-time jobs to workers in temporary positions in contract. â€Å"Churn† refers to the very high turnover rates associated with certain occupations. A number of jobs, such as contract work and seasonal jobs show insecurity in their nature. Unemployment risk is higher for working individuals (25-64 years age) having a high school diploma or nothing. Unemployment risk is also higher for those in the primary sector than in the tertiary sector. But some areas of the tertiary sector, such as health and education, show low unemployment and infrequent job changes. While jobs like in hospitality and food services show higher unemployment and high turnover rates due to seasonal variations. In 2010, minimum wage levels ranged from $7.5 per hour in British Columbia to $9.5 per hour in Ontario. An individual earning $8.00 per hour and working forty hours per week will earn $16000 per year, if that individual does not take any off from work for the entire year. This individual living anywhere in Canada likely to have housing or other living expenses, job changes and will live below the low-income cut-off rate. The major causes of inequality in Canada were studied and deduced as follows:- Women: Women have always played a key role in the economy, yet their work, whether paid or unpaid, has never been recognized. Considerably, Women’s participation in the labor market has hiked since the end of World War II. The reasons being: desire for economic independence, less number of children per family, changed marital status, better access to education. Radicalized groups: The employment patterns of radicalized groups are similar to those of women. They experience a low average income, low participation rates, and higher unemployment rates. They also are less involved into white-collar jobs and are more in to the pink and blue-collar jobs. These groups of workers are more employed in non-union positions. They are likely to be absent in professional and managerial occupations. Persons with disabilities:- The majority of these people are excluded from school, work and society. This group has low participation and employment opportunities and the rate of low incomes is twice that of persons with no disabilities. They face more of the fluctuations in the labor market and social exclusion. Young workers, Aboriginal persons and old workers: Aboriginal persons have very low employment level because of the differences in education levels. As increasing numbers of Aboriginal persons are getting their post-secondary education, they find themselves alongside others who are seeking work and are not included in Aboriginal organizations. The labor market patterns of older section of people are also changing particularly due to the factors like loss of jobs, pensions and mandatory retirement. The income level due to these conditions has not allowed them to purchase property or save money for retirement. Young workers constitute another group who face unemployment in Canada due to lack of experience which plays the major reason for their condition. Fig 1:-The above graph is a study conducted in year 2009 showing the low income rate among various countries using MBM. Fig 2:-The above graph shows the income gap between the rich and the poorest groups in Canada over the past 10 years. The effective policies brought in by the Canadian government to reduce inequality in Canada are changes in wages and salaries distribution. The changes are as follows: Changes in work environment, part-time working opportunities, self-employed and non-standard labor contracts and an increase in division of work hours. Technological changes with the benefits of technical progress among the high-skilled. Regulatory policies targeted at promoting growth and productivity, which enhanced both employment and income inequality. Re-distribution through taxes and benefits in mitigating income inequality within all countries. Tax provisions being reviewed on top-income households to ensure the tax system is progressive and fair. Better education facilities for certain groups in Canada, certainly among Aboriginals. This is a major issue of concern requiring more efficient policy action. REFERENCES 1. http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/hot-topics/caninequality.aspx 2. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/09/26/growth_of_inequality_in_canada _cannot_be_denied.html 3. http://www.mqup.ca/social-inequality-in-canada-products-9780886292799.php 4. http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Committee/403/HUMA/Reports/RP4770921/humarp07 /humarp07-e.pdf 5. http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/594ENG.pdf 6. http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/hoc/Committee/403/HUMA/Reports/RP4770921/humarp07 /humarp07-e.pdf 7. http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/rise-canadas-richest-1 8. John Loxley, Public Service, Private Profits: The Political Economy of Public/Private Partnerships in Canada

Why Might Economic Growth Not Always Be A Good Thing? :: Economics

Why Might Economic Growth Not Always Be A Good Thing? When a country undertakes the challenge of economic growth, it does it for a number of reasons, but possibly the most important of these is to satisfy its population. At the end of the Second World War, South Korea wanted to grow economically in order to escape their predominantly farming lifestyles and to experience all of the benefits of consumerism. But instead what South Koreaand many other developing economies find themselves left with is far from their idealistic dreams. Growth is not always something to be welcome for the vast majority of economically growing countries and can have devestating effects. The problems we see today is endless. From the smallest microcosm to the entire earth, economic growth and waste is slowly destroying everything around us. As members of an industrialised society the effects are all too apparent. And in general, the destroying of the landscape and the pollution of air and water decrease our ability to enjoy the "real" amenities of life, thus questioning the accepted opinion that materialism brings more to our daily lives than for example, the life of someone in a pristine and enjoyable natural environment. As I sit here writing this essay, in front of me lie vast swathes of land ripped wide open, and in their place, concrete sits. To the growing economies of the world, we must pose one question and one question alone - Is this what you really want? Socially, one might argue that perhaps, economic growth might be a good thing. All of the stereos, holidays, mobile phones and apartments, some might say bring "enjoyment". But with this massive growth often society "wants" are often created faster than the industrial machine can satisfy them, leading to a continual, bitter desire that always rises beyond what can satisfy it. Human nature dictates this. I will not stop and be satisfied with my Jaguar, my Rolls Royce and my BMW - no, now I want a Mercedes. This leaves people often dissatisfied than before, when consumerism had been given a lower value. Today, in our "advanced" society, consumption exists not to satisfy consumer wants, but merely to justify production. Not only this, but also the demands of high economic growth and consumerism also place a huge toll on the cogs of the industrial machine, the workers. Why do some many people take depressants and commit suicide in developed nations if they are really enjoying the "real" amenities of life? The stress and high-paced lifestyle is not always what people in less developed countries or even in developed countries would necessarily want. So far, I have merely dealt with the problems that countries that have

Cultural relativism Essay

Cultural relativism is the view that all cultures that is beliefs, customs and ethics are relative the individual within his social context. It simply means what is right or wrong is culture specific because what may be considered moral in one society may be considered immoral in another. Therefore, because there is no universal measure to standards of morality in the society, no one has the right to judge the other on what is wrong or right (Martin 1950). According to Kenneth (1981) an anthropologists, no culture is superior to the other, for example you cannot be allowed to condemn a terrorist community or vampires or night runners as evil. Cultural relativism sees nothing inherently wrong or good in any cultural set up. Therefore, viewing one culture as immoral due to their moral beliefs could be seen as ethnocentrism. Cultures are diverse and even those with conflicting moral beliefs should not be viewed in terms of right and wrong or good and bad. We can therefore conclude that cultural relativism is being widely accepted in modern anthropology. Cultural relativism has touched on all aspects of life and computers and information technology has not been spared either. Computer revolution has necessitated the need for future global ethics or information ethics. Computers through information technology and the internet have created a global community. With the creation of global community and therefore giving rise to the need for unification of moral systems or what has been referred to as global ethics. Therefore, unifying ethical rules have to be constructed within a cyberspace that can serve a new global ethic. Cultural relativism has had great influence on computer ethics especially on information technology. The main affected areas are privacy, intellectual property rights and freedom of information. Information ethics could be looked at from cross cultural and inter cultural contexts. In cross cultural context differences exist between moral systems of different cultures which have very important implications for moral attitudes towards uses of information and information technology. In intercultural information ethics context we reflect moral questions regarding information technology and use of information on the basis of different cultural conditions. This should be focused comparative study of moral systems. Its overall aim would be to interpret compare and critically evaluate moral systems in different cultures regarding their moral attitudes and behavior towards information and information technology (Brey 2007). We need to specifically look into these three areas that is privacy, freedom of information and intellectual property rights whose ethics differ is relative especially between western and non western countries. These countries have different policies regarding the ethics governing those three issues due to different moral attitudes on information systems. Privacy of information is well instituted in some countries while in others there are no policies governing privacy. Privacy is an individual right, however such right may not be recognized in countries that belief in collective interests which take priority over individual rights. For example in non western countries like china Japan and Thai have no concept of privacy. So probably privacy laws let alone on information are not enacted (Martin 1950). For instance, what they refer as private sphere in Thai and Japan has different meaning in western countries (David 2006). In china, a word close to privacy is â€Å"yinsi† which means â€Å"shameful secret† and is associated with shameful things. In Japan, they have a word for private, â€Å"watakusi† meaning partial’, secret and selfish (Bao and Xiang 2006). Although these words have started to take the privacy meaning in the recent past due to western influence, the individual rights have not been well implemented in those countries. Japan, china and Thai have only recently implemented privacy laws; however though Thai privacy laws are hardly enacted may be due to western influence. This cannot be narrowed to those countries only, there are many more through out the world who believe in collective recognition due to their cultural beliefs (Brey 2007). Intellectual property rights are another issue characterizing the revolution of computers. This touches on those individuals and companies that develop soft ware and other applications and who feel that there intellectual property should be protected by for example copyrights. In the west the governments are keen on protecting such rights, unlike, taking a case study of china where due to communist rule such property is not protected by the government. To them all means of production like farms and factories are communally owned until very recently. However due to economic reforms and increased interaction with the west they have had to institute IPRs (intellectual property rights) only to harmonize Chinese economic systems with the rest of the world. China is still struggling with this concept up to date. In such countries which have communist culture, piracy cannot be labeled as crime but copyrights and patents are viewed as selfishness (Paul 1955). Freedom of information is another issue that has displayed an aspect of cultural relativism in computers. Freedom of information comprise two principles: freedom of speech which is expressing ones opinion or ideas in speech freely or in writing and secondly freedom of access to information. Freedom to express one self through publication can be viewed as the third principle (Brey 2007). In western countries freedom of information is basically a constitutional and inalienable right to every individual. The government can only be allowed to sensor information in extreme cases like hate speech and information undermining national security. In such countries people post all types of information on the internet and it is upon the parent and other individuals to protect their children from information that should not be accessible to the children especially pornography and bad eating habits (Paul 1955). On the contrary in other non western countries freedom of information is not a guiding principle and there are many practices interfering with freedom of information. This is because of their reserved culture or their religious beliefs. In these countries the internet, databases and libraries are censored especially when they are accused of disseminating â€Å"inappropriate† information to the society. Mass media being government owned, they see it as the right thing to do to protect its citizens and ensure they have access to the â€Å"right† information (Brey 2007). The values of privacy, freedom of information and intellectual property are central in analyzing cultural relativity in computer world and information ethics. In western world information is accessible to everyone and there is respect for individual information ethics and is not concentrated on morality that is the values that are central in western information ethics are not the values central in many non western systems of morality (David 2006). We can immensely conclude that cultural relativism is true for computers through information systems. In conclusion, cultural relativism touches on every aspect of human life and in the recent part it is becoming more widely acceptable. The value systems of different countries influence the way they perceive computer and information ethics. At least two different approaches to morality are found in the world; a virtue centered morality that emphasizes good for the community and are found in traditional cultures like southern and eastern Asia and in Africa, and rights center morality that that stresses value of individual freedom like the west. Despite the modern technology and some expected rules to play along like Christianity, cultural relativism is here to stay and it is really gaining ground despite its challenges. Reference: Bao, X & Xiang, Y. (2006). Ethics and information digitalization: Digitalization and global ethics Journal. (8), 41-47. Brey, P. (2007). Global information ethics and the challenges of cultural relativism. New York: SAGE. David, Wong (2006). A defense of pluralistic relativism. New York: Oxford University Press. Kenneth, E. Goodpaster. (1981). Relativism in ethics. New York: HBS Case Services. Martin, Gardner. (1950). Beyond Cultural Relativism. Ethics Journal, (1):38-45. Paul, F. Schmidt (1955). Some Criticisms of Cultural Relativism. Journal of Philosophy, (25):780-791.

The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Different Aims of Punishment Essays

The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Different Aims of Punishment Essays The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Different Aims of Punishment Essay The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Different Aims of Punishment Essay The definition of crime is breaking the laws set by the State and the general agreement of people is that if someone commits a crime they should be punished in some way. Punishment practices are ancient; we accept them without question. However, punishment requires justification, as it is an infliction of pain upon an individual. What is the justification of punishment? What are its aims? Before the aims of punishment can be discussed why people commit crimes should be examined to further understand how we should punish. Some people believe that all human actions are caused by factors outside human control, these people are hard determinists. John Locke, a philosopher, believed moral choice was an illusion. He gave the example of a man sleeping in a locked room, man wakes and decides to stay in the room, he thinks he has a free choice to do so but he does not know it is locked. His ignorance makes him believe he has a choice. This relates to punishment and punishment must presuppose moral blame. No person can be held morally blameworthy if they have no freedom of choice. This suggests punishment is irrelevant as no one can be held responsible for his or her actions. Clarence Darrow, a US attorney who was also a determinist argued just that point. In 1924 two youths kidnapped and murdered a 14 year old boy, Darrow pleaded for mercy on the grounds that it was the boys environment that was the cause of their crime. Darrow was successful in his argument; the boys were saved from death. Darrow was not suggesting that the criminals shouldnt be punished as one aim of punishment is to protect society, but he questioned the common assumption that criminals are morally responsible for what they do. Libertarians do not reject determinism completely but they do deny the principle of universal causation, which states that human actions can be predicted. They distinguish between personality and moral self. A person may be pre-disposed to steal because of their personality but their moral self may stop them from doing so. So Libertarians would see the aim of punishment to penalise criminals as they can be held morally accountable for their actions. John Stewart Mill states that we use the past as an excuse for ones actions as we fear the responsibility of freedom, but the past does influence our actions. One aim of punishment is as a deterrent and this is stated in the utilitarian theory. This looks at the consequences of punishment and decides if the punishment is right or wrong by the principle of utility, which is if it does or does not increase the sum total of human happiness. A famous Utilitarian Bentham said punishment involves pain so it is an evil, however it is justifiable if the increase in pain for the criminal leads to the prevention of crime therefore an increase in societys happiness. He saw punishment as an instrument for good with a deterrent effect. The infliction of pain is motive not to re-offend. it also includes the final incapacitation, imprisonment or death. Punishment also protects society by making it physically impossible to re-offend. Another approach to punishment is the Deontological theory. In this theory the aim of punishment is retribution. The theory states a punishment should fit a crime, that it is unjust to impose a sentence on a criminal which they didnt deserve, for example if a few drivers who parked illegally were hung others would be deterred but this would be unjust. This theory believes that there is a moral imbalance caused by crime which must be corrected by punishment and it concentrates on the criminal rather than the victim. The retributive theory is similar to the Old Testament views on punishment, e. g. an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth. The idea being that the criminal must repay society that an injustice would be done if someone could inflict pain without having it inflicted upon him. Here retribution links in with the utilitarian theory as retribution also has a deterrent effect. If you know that chopping off a mans hand leads to you losing your hand, then you would think twice about doing it. The idea of retribution is appealing to the general public, for example hanging a Nazi war criminal forty years after his crime had been committed. No victims would be brought back to life, but it would be seen that he had paid for his crimes with his life. Cant, a German philosopher, believed executions were necessary unless society decided to forget all about injustice, unless murderers are executed people would behave like justice didnt matter. R. S. Downie was also an advocate of the retributive theory. He said that this theory is often seen as barbarism but provides a safeguard against the inhumane sacrifice of the individual for the social good. Brunner sees the theory of punishment also in Biblical terms. He sees punishment as achieving a moral balance similar thinking as the atonement of our sins. Brunner believed the penal system is flawed and the guilty should make expiation for their offences. De Wolf was also a Christian thinker and in his work Crime and Justice in America he attempted to show a Christian perspective on the Criminal Justice System. He listed a set of ethical norms of criminal justice by which our system should be evaluated. Consistence and coherence with realities. Benevolent good will and respect towards all person. Equal rights for all persons. Presumption of innocence. Special care to protect poor, weak and unpopular from unfair treatment. Restoration of community and responsibility of all individuals to the community. An opposing view on the aims of punishment is the idea of rehabilitation and reform. Here the focus is on the criminal, someone who couldnt cope with society due to a weakness. In helping them society will benefit, society should help them overcome their negative tendencies. Society should find a way to change them or reform them to bring them back to Society. Controlling or suppressing criminal tendencies, re-education or psychological treatment can do this. The idea is that the criminal is sick rather than wicked and needs help rather than punishment. It can be seen, as utilitarian in its outlook as it aims to have an improving effect on people, which in turn will benefit Society. In the Bible God punishes to reform the wicked happy indeed is the man who God corrects. In the 19th Century Christians used solitary confinement to achieve rehabilitation. Criminals had time to think about their evil deeds and repent. Prisoners were shut away from each other and cared for by chaplains. The Reformation and Rehabilitation theory disagreed with other ideas of the aims of punishment as they see prisons as a place where criminals enhance their criminal skills. How can you teach someone to be free when they are behind bars? The Reform and Rehabilitation theory believes in alternatives to traditional punishment, for example, probation, parole and community service, the latter even benefits society. An advocate of this theory was Crook. He saw punishment and crime as the responsibility of society. He suggested that everyone is responsible for the actions, but they are influenced by society. He believed it was possible to predict persons actions so therefore society should share in the responsibility for the offenders crime. He saw our legal system as wrong as individuals pay the price at the hands of our system. He believed society must pay the price of correcting these dangerous and destructive situations. John Hospers discussed a compromise view in which he combined retribution and reformation. He was a determinist and as such he saw men as not responsible for their actions, if a man commits murder because he ate a certain combination of foods, for example ham and cheese, we could not hold him morally responsible for his crime as it would be the ham and cheese which made him do it. He believed punishment should meet two conditions, that it should be deserved and that it should do well to someone the victim, the offender, society or all three. To meet the latter he suggested that the penal system shouldnt focus on punishment but treatment. He does not state he is a Christian thinker but his ideas are in line with Christian ideology. The philosopher Moberlys ideas were on a par with Hospers ideas. Moberly produced a theory, which combined elements of the retributive and reform aspects of punishment. He envisaged punishment as a form of ritual or mirror to bring criminals to their senses by representing crudely the moral deterioration, which had already taken place within them. Moberly believed the criminal had inflicted a wound upon society. He thought the penalty inflicted must symbolise and be felt to symbolise a double role of punishment, so imprisonment means the person imprisoned is unsuited to membership of society, however Moberly felt that the punishment in relation to the crime is artificial. He saw serious limitations to the effectiveness of punishment. He believed that there are authorities far too amoral to impose punishment and some criminals are too incorrigible and incapable from benefiting from it. At the other end of the scale he saw a intermediate moral region people who are truly repentant and communities too morally advanced to need punishment. Moberly sees that some criminals may not benefit from punishment but they still need to be taken out of circulation to protect the public. However, Moberly does not think that the people segregated from society should be left to rot in low quality prisons. In conclusion these theories seem to stand up on their own merit at first glance, but on closer inspection it is clear they have their flaws. The utilitarian aim of punishment is as a deterrent; however, it does not always deter people. Prisons are often just universities of crime simply making matters worse. Also the fear of punishment can lead to crime for example someone stealing money to prevent going to jail for not paying a fine. The theory of deterrence can be used to justify punishing the innocent on the grounds that it serves to deter others. The utilitarian idea assumes we have a legal system that will produce good results, but the threat of punishment is not very effective in reducing crime or preventing serious crimes such as murder or rape. The philosopher Hoose believed the deterrent effect does have some effect on crime but that it is far from automatic. He pointed out that when the death penalty was abandoned in Canada the homicide rate went down. The Dentological view that retribution is the aim of punishment also has criticisms as it could be seen as the harshest of all the aims of punishment. Gandhi said that if the retributive theory and eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth was used throughout the world the world would soon be blind and toothless. Christians should see that the retributive theory is wrong as Jesus taught forgiveness and co-operation not retribution only God has righteousness and judgement. Also many people argue that all retribution does is satisfy a primitive and barbarous desire for revenge. In Exodus it states an eye for an eye but how do we determine which punishment fits which crime? How long should the punishment be? This theory has too many unanswerable questions. Karl Menninger believed retribution was immoral and ineffective. He saw it as useless and expensive. He believed in rehabilitation and reform as he saw the criminal as a patient and that crime was a disease that people could be cured of. However, the theory of rehabilitation and reform is not without its critics. C. S. Lewis stated rehabilitation and reform does not really have an effect on people, that it is pointless. Some people are beyond help. Can a man who rapes and kills his family be helped? The theory in question also overlooks social advantages of deterrents. If there were not deterrents then how could psychologists and prison officers cope with the sheer numbers that would need help. As with the retributive theory the question of how long a punishment should be arises. A murderers chance of a repeat offence is low but a thief is much more likely to repeat his offence. Should the thief be given a longer sentence than the murderer? Also recent statistics by the prison reform trust show that probation and community service have not proved more effective than prison in stopping re offending. For example 57% of men and 40% of women discharged from prison in 1987 re offended in two years. The figures for probation and community service were 56% men, 37% women, 55% men, and 41% women re offended. The re-offending rate of prisoners is more than those in community service but not on a large enough scale to make a difference. This theory is supposed to be about reform but the way criminals are cured by mind altering drugs, surgery or brain washing is not reform. It is just creating a brand new person. The criminal loses the right to be him or herself in that case. C. S Lewis also stated his humanitarian theory, that in rehabilitation and reform the criminal becomes the case and not a person subject to rights. I believe that the most feasible of the aims of punishment is that put forward by Moberly and Hospers. Their views of compromise seem to be a very logical aim of punishment. Their ideas do not over punish criminals nor do they leave the victims feeling as if justice has not been served. Moberly also suggests that in some cases punishment may not be necessary. Retributivists however, may advocate punishment is a duty in all circumstances, but surely if in a particular case punishment would probably make matters worse and an alternative action, for example kindness, would improve matters, the morally right course of action would be the latter.

Women Artists essays

Women Artists essays It is ridiculous that in times such as these, women are not being recognized for their artwork. In the movie, Dennis Reid highlighted the fact that only 8% of the artwork in museums is that of women. It is possible that the old ways of male superiority have not completely died in the art world, but it is time that they do. It is obvious that women are able to create art that is equally worthy of the attention received by the other gender. It is surprising to me that there exists only one museum in the world that is entirely devoted to the work of women artists. The Museum of Woman Art should in fact be one of many of its kind. Throughout the film, we viewed several incredibly talented women such as, Emily Carr, Mary Pratt, Joyce Weiland, and Doris McArthy, who deserve to have their work placed in highly regarded museums. I was shocked by the story Doris McArthy told of her troubles receiving a membership into The Ontario Society of Artists. Even though she had had her work in the groups exhibition for 3 years in a row, she was still denied membership due to the fact that she was young. Doris believes the only reason she was denied the honor was because she was a women. Many of the women depicted in the film tell similar stories of their hardships of being accepted into the art world. It was disappointing to not see the conclusion of the film during class. I am interested to learn if the art world is now accepting women more than in years past. I believe and hope that this is true. On a recent trip to BMoCA, I was surprised and happy to see that the number of woman artists in their show The Living End outweighted the number of men. Perhaps now that The Dinner Party has a home, women artists will be more frequently invited into collectors homes as well as public museums. ...

Residential Schools Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Residential Schools - Research Paper Example The schools were formed for the purpose of educating but they ended up with devastating results due to their deviation from their goal of providing education. The residential schools run in Canada were mostly run by Christian missionaries. The residential schools are believed to play a negative role in the lives of many natives as these natives had been physically and sexually abused at many instances in the schools. This issue became highlighted after these acts were revealed by some of the natives. Moreover even some native leaders came ahead and spoke about the abuse that they had to face in these residential schools and their public statements further served to highlight this issue. This led to the formation of different commissions to look into the matter which included The Truth and Reconciliation Commission which was directed to find out more about the residential schools and as to how they affected the society in a negative or positive way (Austen 2008). This essay would furt her revolve around the purpose of these native schools and the impact that these residential schools left on the natives. Residential Schools The first known residential schools were basically initiated in North America and Canada. The primary role of the residential schools operating in Canada and North America was to inject the western culture into a society which was mostly unaware about it and thus it had the purpose of making the western culture dominant above the other cultures that were present in these countries. The schools were based on a scheme of removing children from their family’s influence at a very early age by making their enrollment compulsory in these schools so that they could not grasp much of their... This paper stresses that the Residential Schools faced from unhygienic conditions because of which the natives suffered from different kinds of diseases. Smallpox and tuberculosis were seen to be common in the natives who studied in these schools because of these conditions. They also paved a platform for the enmity between the natives and the government as they created a difference between the goals of the government and the goals of the natives. Moreover because of the lower budget allocated to these schools it was also seen that the natives had to face from the problem of clothing. This report makes a conclusion that the residential schools left a negative impact on the whole native society. The implementation of the scheme of residential schools proved to be a total failure and was presumably aimed at eradicating the culture of natives from the country. Snatching away the rights of the natives was a theme of the residential school scheme because of which many of the natives still suffer till date. After studying from the residential schools the natives are also seen to suffer from disorders such as the Residential Syndrome. The physical and sexual abuses suffered by many of the aboriginals have come forward in front of the world. A commission has been formed to find out everything about the residential schools and it is believed that the commission would soon be providing with its results. The impact that the residential schools brought to the natives was a negative one and many of the natives are still recovering from the incidents that they faced while study ing in these schools.

Postwar Urban Development in the Golden Horseshoe Research Paper - 1

Postwar Urban Development in the Golden Horseshoe - Research Paper Example Even though there were challenges in the urban development of Golden Horseshoe during the postwar period, there is a key contribution of demographic policies, which facilitated the rapid urban growth. Urban developments and expansion are due to planning policies, which are vital because they ensure that there is no exploitation of natural resources in the area. Urban housing is very strategic in the development process. Creation of a good security network should be embraced. Back ground information Postwar period are always difficult times in history of many countries. It is the most dangerous, when the resources and population are reduced during the war. In this respect, policies that conform to population trends are instrumental in planning any urban developments agenda. Demography reflects all the changes that occur in population growth. It covers some specific geographical location, gender concerns, age, education attainment, household income, and other valuable personal belongings. This research focuses on the housing developments policies, population variations, suburbanization, and impacts of immigration policies on the urban development and finally, the rise and dominance of the metropolis within Ontario. Population Increase and its Effects The Golden Horseshoe population is dense which makes up one fourth of the total population in Canada. The total population of the Greater Golden Horseshoe was 8.1 million individuals according to census results of 2006 (MacFarlane 65). By the year 2031, the population is projected to grow up to about 12 million (MacFarlane 66). This shows that the expected growth rate per year is about 12.5 %.