Biology Sensitivity Lab Report

To investigate the effect of skin sensitivity In response to cold temperature in different parts of the body by timing the maximum amount of time in which Ice-pack can be held to that area. Hypothesis: If the layer of skin Is relatively thin, the nerve response to cold will be the fastest, Increasing the skin's sensitivity. This therefore means that the fastest responses to cold will be in the face, and specifically the nose.The skin consists of 3 main layers; the epidermis, dermis and hypodermic (also known as the subcutaneous). The epidermis consists of dead and nearly dead skin cells which protects us from injury, infections, fluid loss†¦ Acting as a barrier. The Dermis is the skin layer which contains most of the nerve cells, hair follicles, sweat glands and many others. The Hypodermic layer is not really a skin layer, it attaches the skin to everything else; it contains the fat layer.The layer of fat in the nose's hypodermic is very thin in relation to other parts of the bo dy which will make the nerves detect the change in temperature on the surface the fastest, therefore bringing upon the response In less time. Variables: Independent variable: The part of the body (area of skin). Dependent variable: The maximum amount of time the ice-pack can be held to the skin (Using a stopwatch).Controlled variables: * The same height group (1 55-CACM) * The same weight group (45-keg) * The same age group (15-20) * The same sex (female) * The same temperature of the Ice-pack (placed In the freezer for 5 hours) * The same surrounding temperature (20-ICC) The same body temperature (3709 ; The same material used in the icepack( plastic and gel) ; The same size and thickness of the icepack (medium sized) Fair test: This experiment is considered to be a fair test because I think that most of the rabbles that can manipulate the results in any way other than the variable which I want to manipulate which is area of skin being tested, for example the height group and age g roup are controlled which ensures that the layer of fat in different people is similar due to these characteristics. Materials: * 3 ice-packs of the same temperature * Stopwatch * Thermometer * A long table Method: 1 . Place 3 identical icepacks in the freezer for 2 hours before starting the 3. Take their temperature making sure it is around ICC (If not change one of the people to one with all the requirements including temperature). 4. Make the person lay on the table on her back. 5.Take out one of the icepacks from the freezer. 6. Place the icepack on the thigh and time the time needed for the person to reach his limits with the cold. 7. Repeat the above step for the other body parts (Upper arm, belly, forearm, forehead and nose). 8. Replace the ice pack in the freezer again and take out another one. 9. Repeat the experiment on the same person another time. 10. Replace the second ice pack and repeat the step above with the third icepack. 11. Replace the ice pack in the freezer. 12 . Wait for an hour to regulate the temperature of the ice packs in the freezer. 13. Repeat steps 3-10 for the second female. 14. Record the result throughout the whole process. 15.The results are not completely constant though since the belly normally has more fat than the upper arm, but since the belly was covered with a shirt beforehand this led to tampering in the reliability of the experiment which is noninsured a source of error. The thermo receptors face's skin is the most responsive to temperature changes; the forehead had an average response time of 17 seconds. I came up with an average for each person's tree trials first, and then I came up with a final set of data for the average of all 6 trials on the two people. I came up with the final average by adding up all the 6 results from the several trials and divide them by 6 giving us a final result that we can work with to draw conclusions about our results and their reliability. Data presentation: Conclusion:My main conclusi on from this experiment about skin sensitivity in different areas in response to cold temperature changes is that the skin on the nose is the most affected. This is because of two things, the main reason being the layer of fat on the nose is a lot thinner than the layer of fat on other parts of the body like the thigh and the second reason being that thermo receptors which are the nerve cells which respond to temperature changes in the surrounding are highly concentrated in the face area so the fastest responses would therefore surely be from the face, explaining the fastest two reactions; nose (an average of 9 seconds) and forehead (an average of 17 seconds). This supports my hypothesis since that was my initial thought regarding the experiments' results due to scientific research.My results are highly valid since they make sense and are backed up with concrete scientific reasoning. The face brought upon the fastest responses followed by the belly and the arm. The belly has a thick er layer of fat than the arm; this is where my results got a bit mixed up since the people tested were wearing shirts which warmed them up fore starting which brought a faster response due to the bigger gap in change of temperature. The thigh had the slowest response time of an average of 163, which is logical since the thigh has the thickest layer of fat between the areas tested. Evaluation: In general I think my method was pretty valid since I controlled all the factors and explained the method in which I did.In my method I also showed steps of finding the average for the data collected which makes my results more reliable since they become more accurate. I also made the person getting tested to lie on a flat surface o that the icepack would be even on her body and won't move or fall down. Sources of error: 1 . The skin temperature was not constant all over the body since the belly for example was covered with a shirt. 2. The Ice-pack got warmer, so the last tests were less reliab le. 3. The pressure applied to the ice-pack was altered and not completely constant. 4. The difference between the reaction time of the forehead Improvements: 1 . The test should only be performed on parts of the body exposed completely, not the ones covered with clothes.

Education Speech Essay

A Chinese proverb, â€Å" If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people’’. Good morning to all. Knowing what a great impact education plays on the world, I decided to investigate the various education systems. Today, we look into the education systems of: Ghana, Finland, South Korea and Argentina I begin with Argentina. Argentina has the highest levels of education and literacy .The school year in Argentina runs from March to December and lasts about two hundred days. Schools are closed for national holidays and two weeks in July for vacation. Normally, public elementary schools are in session for four and a half hours each weekday. Saturdays are generally reserved for extracurricular school activities. Often, a school will have a morning and afternoon session, allowing pupils and teachers to choose their sessions. The country’s public university system is also free of charge and all students are required by law to complete thirteen years of schooling this is from pre-school up to twelfth grade. When researching into the Ghanaian education system I found a few really interesting facts. Education in Ghana from nursery school up to an undergraduate level takes about twenty years. Primary and secondary education is free and compulsory in Ghana. Children begin around the ages of six and end at seventeen. There is a unified national curriculum for the entire country. And lastly, there are â€Å"Culture† classes in nearly every school that involve students practicing African drumming and dancing. Now, moving on to South Korea. The school calendar has two semesters, the first extending from March through to July and the second from September through to February. There are summer and winter breaks. A typical day finds high school scholars studying before school begins at about 8 am Classes run for fifty minutes each. The afternoon session resumes at about 1 pm and classes continue until about 4 pm, followed by the cleaning of the classroom. Students may then take a short dinner break at home, or they may eat at school. Teachers typically move from room to room, while students stay in one place. Students return to the school library to study or attend private schools or tutoring sessions until between 10 pm, and midnight. And lastly, Finland. The education system which has been rated the most  innovative and unique education system in the world. Ninety three percent of Finnish students graduate from high school and education in Finland is a system with no tuition fee. In Finland, classes are small, seldom more than twenty pupils. Inside the school, the atmosphere is relaxed and informal, and the buildings are so clean that students often wear socks and no shoes. Outdoor activities are stressed, even in the coldest weather. Most commonly, pupils are issued a report card twice a year. Pupils are entitled to receive free books and materials and free school trips or even housing in the event that they have a long trip to school. In elementary school students get seventy five minutes of recess a day. Teachers only spend four hours a day in the classroom, and take two hours a week for â€Å"professional development†. All teachers in Finland must have a master’s degree, which is fully subsidized. And can you believe, Finnish teachers are actually given the same status as doctors and lawyers. So as we can see, education systems all around the world are different: however, each system succeeds in planning children for a career. And always remember Nelson Mandela’s wise words: â€Å"education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world†.

Family Size Essay

As the world economy weakens, resources continue to become limited and the interdependence among countries increase, different countries have been introducing new policies which seek to control the rate at which the human population is growing. Most of these policies have been geared towards controlling the number of children a single family should have. The main aim of these policies has been to relief the environment and the resources within it some stresses of over exploitation. However while countries like China have been doing this for a long period now, many people see it as an interference with the basic institution (family) and as a result many people have been fighting against such policies which seeks to control the number of children a family should have. While limiting the number of children per family is positive since it would ease in government planning, enabling the economy prediction to be as accurate as possible, if it was to happen in the US, the policies would not work to the advantage of the State due to few reasons which include the fact that, the USA is not suffering from overpopulation rather under population, the aging population has been growing at an alarming rate forcing the country to allow high number of immigrants to the US and as a result it would not be advisable for the US government to control the number of children per family it should be on the other hand support and encourage her citizens to increase the number of children per family for example by using incentives and thus, the US government should not limit the number of children a family should have. Why the US government should not control the number of children people have: The total fertility rate (defined as the total number of children a woman is likely to have during her lifetime) in the USA in the last decade has been declining (Newman, B& Newman, P, 2008). As many and many women  concentrate on their education, jobs and careers, the American population has been growing at a very slow rate. As a result of countering the problems of a low population growth, the country has been allowing migration of skilled workers through the green card lottery to migrate from their countries to the US to come and offer their expertise in the USA. This program is very beneficial to the country since it allows continuous operation of the industries. If the government controls the number of children people should have the population will grow even less and the country might cease having an active economy (Hanson, Scheve& Slaughter, 2007). The importance of a young population is the fact that it makes the economy active by ensuring goods and services are moving with in the stores. For example new clothes are being bought as people are growing old; items such as phones which have emerged with technology improvements still have people to buy them: With an old population, these items would to be bought. As a result, a high young population is good for the economy and thus best for the government interests. If the US government could start controlling the number of children a family should have, it would find itself in similar problems which are facing countries in the Eastern European region such as Russia and also in Asia such as in Japan where as a result of small family sizes and low fertility rates, the majority of the population is made up of old people. As a result, the governments from these countries have been using large portion of their budget to cater for the old population through pensions and also medical support (Goldsmith& Larson, 2003). With the family sizes also reduced, responsibilities of these aged people are being delegated to the few family members who were born and as a result instead of these people engaging in national building activities, they spend most of their time taking care of the elderly whereas with a high population, responsibilities could have been divided easily among the many siblings. Another economic effect of a controlled family size is the fact that, with a controlled population, almost every citizen is likely to read up to the maximum level of education and as a result, industries would miss the much needed cheap labor which they need to run their companies cheaply. This could force these industries either to use much money to run the companies, close down if they  cannot afford the operating costs or even relocate to other countries where labor is cheap. As a result, this would deny the government much of its needed revenues since the companies would have to pay for taxes in the countries where their investments are (Navaretti, Castelani& Disdier, 2009). Finally, many people argue against the uncontrolled number of children in a family due to the high taxes paid in order to keep the extra child born in school. However, with the US government supporting the education of each and every child born in the US, there is likelihood for high social mobility. The education system enables people to move from poor backgrounds to occupy high levels in the government where they pay high taxes thus giving back to the society (Barnett& Belfield, 2006). The government should thus not be worried about the family sizes of its citizens since the US is not suffering from an overpopulation problem. If each and every person is given a chance to study and become professionals, they would pay high taxes just like any other citizen despite their different social backgrounds. Conclusion: While controlling of the number of children people should have is a good idea, it would not be advisable for the US government to introduce such laws since the country is not suffering from high population rather it is due to under population that people migrate to the US through the green card lottery to provide the much needed labor for the US industries. A controlled population would mean sometimes in future the country’s population is likely to be highly composed of old people where the government would have to dig deep into its budget in order to maintain these people and old population could also lead to a sluggish economy since the old population does not have need for the emerging products such as phones, computers and so on. It is therefore not advisable for the government to control the number of children people should have.

Germanys Healthcare System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Germanys Healthcare System - Research Paper Example While it is a system not without faults, numbers do reveal it succeeds in enhancing overall quality of life where other systems fail. Some noted factors of why this system has worked so well can be seen in the fact the system is not a government run plan but a mandatory system carried by extracting funds directly from the workers. Regulations put forth by the government to maintain quality of care and services, but in some cases these regulations fail to serve their purpose. In all when the system is assessed alongside many countries who have similar plans and those who currently avoid a public option Germany proves to be a benchmark when it comes to healthcare. Germany notably has the oldest universal health care system in the world (Geyer, 2009). Everyone in Germany is promised high-quality comprehensive health care and over 90% of the population is covered under the universal option. Statutory health insurance has provided structure for the release of public health care, and has molded the payers positions, insurance, illness funds, suppliers, physicians, and hospitals since the Health Insurance Action was taken on in 1883. In 1885, medical defense has been provided for 26 per cent of the lower-paid labor force departments, or 10 per cent of their habitants. As with social insurance, health insurance exposure was gradually widened by including more work-related groups in the plan and by progressively lifting up the profits ceiling. In Richard Knox's article "Most Patience Happy with German Health Care," he talks about the German Health Care system and points out how it has matched up with Health Care provided in other countries over the years. In the article he notes, "The health care system that takes such good care of its citizens is not funded by government taxes. But it is compulsory (Knox, 2008)" Here Knox points out how it is a mandatory requirement for all citizens to have health care. Germany's system has historically become the benchmark for universal healthcare.This is the core element of the German Health Care System that defines what the world recognizes universal health care to be today.Germany's Plan Verses the U.S. Germany has caused many to make comparisons pertaining to healthcare systems. In most cases health statistics between Germany and the US don't match up and Germany wins out. When looking at the World Health Organization's Core Health Indicators, Germany has an 80year life expectancy to the United States' 78year life expectancy. Hospital beds available per 10000 people is 83 in Germany while it's 32 in the US, and there are 34 physicians per 10000 people in Germany verses the United States' 26.What are the socioeconomics of the population Are there population problems Germany has over 81 million inhabitants, with over 230 inhabitants per square kilometer. Urbanization is a major part of the population resting at a high

The Saudization of Iraqi Families Living in Saudi Arabia Essay

The Saudization of Iraqi Families Living in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The Sixth Development Plan i.e. of 1995-2000 conceives a total of approx 472 billion Riyals, which includes nearly approx 212.7 billion Riyals from the private sector. At the end of the plan, investment increased by 2 % (approximately) to 481 billion Riyals out of which 292 billion Riyals were invested from the private sector itself (Kawach, 2003). Saudi Arabia implements ‘Saudization’ as a growth strategy that reinstates the foreign workers with Saudis. It is primarily initiated by introducing economic reforms to open up the economy. This is to done not only to increase effectiveness through costless & efficient markets, but to create new jobs through the extension of the inflows of FDIs. It is one of the main conditions of WTO membership, and also with the GCC countries (Looney, n.d.). The government has created a set of educational, political, and social reforms. The Saudization program focuses mainly on the youth’s unemployment. The government initiates contribution of Saudi women in labour market, where it accounts about 10.2 % of women holding jobs. These create an intense pressure on Saudi authorities to create approximately 160,000 jobs per year. Literature review forms an important and integral part of any dissertation. But the topic of this research being quite unconventional, there has not been much of the literature available on the issue. Therefore, it is planned that the literature review of the dissertation would be made up with the available contemporary publications available on this burning issue of the Middle – East. Acculturation is the main element in understanding of social work services in West. In supplying social work services to a cultured Arab family in the West, it is important to see the balance of acculturation and its various effects on families. The cultural aspect in Arab societies were transformed by immigrants who were from Western nations, though the rate of acculturation influenced differential

Who are you Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Who are you - Essay Example He will point out that soul is a non material substance that was hardly be transplanted with the help of a part of brain as the latter does not contain it in the strict meaning of this verb (Elkaisy-Friemuth and Dillon 2). One of the most important assumptions that are made by this kind of thinking is that if a body does, the soul is released free and there is no way to return it. It is understandable that Plato is not able to present any factual evidence to support his claims. That is why it would be logical to treat his position from the point of view of speculation as well as personal interpretation of the facts as Plato primarily refers to different consideration and logical models in order to convince the audience. The second friend who will express his opinion about the situation in question is Aristotle. His main argument will be focused on the idea that soul is closely connected to the body. Therefore, it is possible to influence the former with the help of the latter (Johansen 119). The most important assumption in this case is that if one locates the part of the body where the soul is, it is possible to remove it and place into a different body. Speaking of the factual evidence, Aristotle might suggest that unhealthy body is not able to produce a sound soul. While this evidence is factual, it may be rather difficult to verify as a lot of different abstract notions are taken into consideration. That is why, one would make no mistake while pointing out that the claims that are presented by Aristotle are also may be regarded as speculations. It is quite understandable that it is safe to accept the premises which are expressed by Plato regarding the impossibility of transplanting a soul with the help of a brain as the argument that he makes features sound logic. Of course, some might question several aspects of it such as What if the soul decided to choose a different

Discuss the role of the Foot Posture Index in the clinical assessment Essay

Discuss the role of the Foot Posture Index in the clinical assessment of the foot. Is this a reliable measure - Essay Example ric dimensions to predict certain concepts about the foot, and this can be enhanced by using a three dimensional model and approach to the foot (Choie, 1991). Advancements in technology and computers have allowed many to consider replacing the expert last marker with some type of computer design. Some individuals have created presentations of the foot in third-dimensional designs using Bezier curves (Lord, M., Foulston, J., & Smith, P. J., 1991). These types of models can help individuals in the grazing and sizing areas. Yavatkar (1993) created a model of a person’s foot using I-DEAS graphics and programming. He was able to create this third dimensional model of the foot by lofting four segments (forefoot to instep, instep to medial-lateral malleolus level, malleolus to lateral point of heel, and heel part) within the foot. One could determine the accuracy of this model by taking a look at the outside and indsie of the foot form. The volume outside was around 50 000 [mm.sup.3], whereas the amount within the foot was approximately 27 000 [mm.sup.3]. However, whether one can use this model to generalize is not efficiently known overa ll since he only used one foot for the model (DeBor, 1978). It is known, however, that aspects of computer-aided design have been used in order to make orthopedic shoe uppers as well as some custom footwear (Houle, Beaulie, and Liu, 1998). In order to make the approach to foot measuring more efficient, B-spline surface modeling techniques, regression and recursive methods to make a basic third dimensional foot model using basic anthropometric measures can be used. B-splines can be studied in order to create an example for using within the sphere of computer-aided design software. (Choi, 1991). Within this concept. B-splines are generally considered as the best curve or surface representation. This is usually because they have a very helpful set of properties, which include continuity, local shape controllability, spatial

Strategic Management and Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

Strategic Management and Leadership - Assignment Example Its range of products include; camera lenses, cameras, microscopes, binoculars, ophthalmic lenses, steppers and measurement instruments (Suzuki et al., 2000). During the 3rd quarter ended in December 31, 2014, the company’s total assets increased by 48, 560 million yen from the past fiscal year to 998,075 million yen. This can be attributed to the increased cash and deposits approximated at 9,827 million yen, inventories by 27,113 million yen, and accounts receivable by 11,056 million yen. On the other hand, total liabilities increased by 20,745 million yen from the previous fiscal year to the 423,448 million yen. This was attributed to the increased accounts payable and notes by 15,106 million yen (Nikon, 2015). Comparing the increased total assets and liabilities, it’s evident that total increase in assets was more than the total increase in liabilities signaling a positive growth for the company. In third quarter of the year ending March 31, 2015, the precision equipment business posted a substantial decline in the income for the Q3 and the three quarters total year on year owing to the decline in sales. Similarly, the imaging products business income and sales decreased for the Q3 and three quarters total year on year. However, the overseas sales in the microscope solutions business increased. As of 31st march, 2015, the company’s net income was 46,824.0 million yens reflecting an increase of 4,365 million yens as compared to the previous year (Nikon, 2015). The increased income reflects the company’s success. The expansion of the company to reach out to seven continents is an indication of not only the increased market share for the company but also indicates how the company has been successful. It’s clear that without success the company could not be able to expand to the seven major continents. This can be

433Mod5SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

433Mod5SLP - Essay Example This website is precise and can be easily used by the viewers. Its separate segments make the entire website easy to be operated. The major usability criteria for this website was to understand whether all information has been provided regarding visual design, content strategy, project management, maintaining high usability, etc. All of these factors have been properly addressed in the website (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2014). The next website highlights the different elements which enable a website to be transparent by nature. There have been many images and stories portrayed in the website that reflects stories of the past history. However the entire assessment for this website was aligned toward the aspect of how well it brings forth the meaning of transparency. The usability of this website is comparatively low in comparison to the previous website simply because of the fact too many information has been embedded in the site (Transparency, 2013). It meets the re quirement in terms of content and structuring but the website appears to be complicated to the users. There is a need to possess knowledge about the factors that has been stated in the site. The last website is of Nielsen Norman Group and it describes history and achievements of Jakob Nielsen. Its usability assessment is done on productive contents of the site. This website has an ease of usage and learning (Nielsen Norman Group, 2014). All the useful resources have been categorized articles, training, reports, etc. In the first website there are no such specific areas for improvement as all the vital elements that improves user experience has been properly addressed. However in the second website the excessive content is not usable. It appears to be complex in relation to viewing as well as understanding. The major improvement in this website should be in the form of structuring where all the information will be grouped under separate categories (Rubin &

Case Examines the Issues of Formulating a Set of IT Objectives Aligned Study

Examines the Issues of Formulating a Set of IT Objectives Aligned With Corporate Strategy - Case Study Example MDCM’s marketing and sales department also lacks in contributing to the organizational growth despite fairly good human resource productivity. Further, the supply chain of the organization is not structured and organized in an effective approach which gives rise to perplexity in the workplace. Thus, the key objective of MDCM is to enhance the efficiency of these sectors in order to re-introduce business growth at this point of time (Jeffery, M. & Norton, J. F., â€Å"MDCM, Inc. (A): IT Strategy Synchronization†). It is worth mentioning that in every sector, from finance to marketing and sales along with the supply chain operations, MDCM managers are facing similar problems with the flow of information. It is also intrinsically related to the technological developments of the organization. To be specific, the finance department complains that the data which are received from other departments are behind the times and thus lack in efficiency. This requires to be renovated through appropriate IT planning, as updated data is termed to be quite effective in developing accurate forecasts of the organizational progress which further leads to the management decision-making (Jeffery, M. & Norton, J. F., â€Å"MDCM, Inc. (A): IT Strategy Synchronization†).... Due to this reason, the department requires a self-service technology which will provide customers with the opportunity to help them with the extra services and reduce the burden of sales staffs. This will also ensure enhanced productivity in the department. The supply chain operations were further effected by the unsystematic progression of goods purchased and delivered to the ultimate customers. Therefore, the department requires a systematic resource planning technology which will organize and simplify the entire process including the logistics outsourcing (Jeffery, M. & Norton, J. F., â€Å"MDCM, Inc. (A): IT Strategy Synchronization†). Stating precisely, the prime objective of MDCM is to introduce a highly effective IT system in the organization which will ensure efficient financial planning, better productivity in marketing and sales and an organized framework for the supply chain operations. However, the key objective of the organization at this moment is to ensure its growth and satisfying increment in shareholder value. This certainly requires an effective short-term planning from the IT department. 2.0. Competitive Forces Analysis 2.1. Threat of New Entrants MDCM has a broad network in the international market comprising of various developed and developing economies which reduces its operational cost to a great extent. This certainly provides the organization with the strength to restrict the new entrants. Moreover, the organization deals with medical products which are recognized to be strictly restricted with the legal barriers and also requires a large amount of investment. Technological support is considered to be one of the key requirements of the industry which again limits the threat of new entrants. However, the switching costs of customers

Plato Aristotle Comparison Essay Example for Free

Plato Aristotle Comparison Essay Justice is the topic which has been the main subject of most philosophers; a quick definition for justice could be the quality of being fair and reasonable. A lot of philosophers have written on this subject and have had debates. Two of the most significant ones are Plato and Aristotle, who are two leading figures of ancient Greek civilization and both thought about justice and established theories about the aspects of being just. Plato was a student of Socrates, and Aristotle was a student of Plato. Aristotle studied under Plato and remained in his academy for 20 years in Athens but left the academy after Plato’s death. Aristotle and Plato had different philosophies about many subjects like justice and injustice, the function of humans, truth, the human soul, art, and politics. Starting with Plato (427 BC-347 BC) one of the most important philosophers of the world and the founder of â€Å"The Academy†. Plato’s most famous work is â€Å"The Republic† in which he draws the qualities of a just individual and a just city state by explaining the sublime nature of justice. His beliefs of finding justice in an individual will require finding it in the perfect city (which consists of people). His major questions that were pursued in the rest of his work were: â€Å"What is Justice? † And â€Å"is one better off or happier being just rather than unjust? † Plato faces a situation where he raised a question and he has several answers provided by several traditions, and he also has a new answer of his own. Aristotle (384-322 BC) is one of the founders of modern Western thought with Socrates and Plato. He was tutored by Socrates’ student Plato, later became very effective in the progress of the idea of scientism and scholastic ideology. Aristotle in his famous work â€Å"The Nicomachean Ethics† explains the virtuous and superior nature of justice where he claims that justice can mean either lawfulness or fairness, since injustice is lawlessness and unfairness. In his opinion, laws push and inspire people to act virtuously so, the just person who by definition is lawful, will necessarily be virtuous. I am going to compare how these two philosophers compare and contrast when it comes to their own political theories regarding the ideal state and how to define justice in it. To compare the political theories of two great philosophers of politics is to first examine each theory in depth. Plato is regarded by many experts as the first writer of political philosophy, and Aristotle is recognized as the first political scientist. These two men were great thinkers. They each had ideas of how to  improve existing societies during their individual lifetimes. It is necessary to look at several areas of each theory to seek the difference and similarities in each. Both philosophers had common points and some differences, starting with Plato, where in the beginning of his conversation with Thrasymachus (Plato, The Republic ,Page 19), the latter defines justice as â€Å"what is the interest of the stronger party†. Socrates goes on to refute this definition by saying that the stronger party can be at fault sometimes, and a ruler can make mistakes. One of the questions that Plato pursued in his work was the one proposed by Thrasymachus who suggests that the pursuit of self-interest or injustice pays better than that the pursuit of justice. Socrates states that the injustice would create disagreement and weakness instead of strength. He says that injustice causes problems and weakens the group â€Å"†¦ whether it occurs in a state or family or army or in anything else: it renders it incapable of any common action because of factions and quarrels, and sets it at variance with itself and with its opponents and with whatever is just† (Plato, The Republic, page 38). The best, rational and righteous political order leads to the harmonious unity of a society and allows all the city’s parts to pursue happiness but not at the expense of others. Plato showed what justice is in the state and then in the soul. He drew a state in which all basic needs are met. The Guardians consist of non-ruling Guardians and ruling Guardians. The non-rulers are a higher level of civil servants and the ruling is the societys policy architects. Auxiliaries are soldiers and civil servants and finally the workers who are most commonly unskilled laborers. The Guardians are to be wise and good rulers. It is important that the rulers who arise must be a class of craftsmen who are public-spirited in temperament and skilled in the arts of government areas. The guardians are to be placed in a position in which they are absolute rulers. They are supposed to be the select few who know what is best for society. As far as politics, he stated in the Republic that philosopher rulers who possess knowledge of the good should be the governors in a city-state. Plato’s ruling ideology is briefed as the â€Å"rule of the best man†, the philosopher king who alone knows the ideal standards for the state. Also, ruling is a skill; as the best man must be trained to rule. Ruling is also an perfection. Aristotle’s ruling philosophy can be summarized as the â€Å"rule of the best laws† – a well ordered constitution which entails good governance. For him, although ruling is a skill and an ideal as well; it is also a science (although Aristotle understands politics as a normative or prescriptive discipline rather than as a â€Å"purely† empirical or descriptive inquiry). Plato believed that each man is better by sticking to one occupation in which he excels in. â€Å"Social justice aims at promoting the good of the city as a whole; it does that by dividing social labors and by assigning optimal social functions to all the citizens equally†(Gerasimos Santas, Goodness and Justice Plato Aristotle and the moderns page 103). Plato valued the skills of all people, and believed that the perfect polis would be one in which every citizen would do his part according to his abilities, and there would be no unique marks between the rich and the poor. Platos ethical ideal of the successful running of the city and the internal harmony of the citizen who runs it is the main ethical aim. Plato maintains a virtue-based eudemonistic ethics. His model of the just state was one where all the parts function for the benefit of the whole, and the whole benefits the parts. â€Å"His first argument is that the matching of citizens to their optimal social functions makes possible and preserves the other social virtues and the good they promote†. (Gerasimos Santas, Goodness and Justice Plato Aristotle and the moderns page 90). According to Plato ethics is a form of knowledge, it is the knowledge of measurement of short-term and long-term consequences. Plato also appealed to a model of harmonious functioning by saying that the soul has its divisions just as the state does. He develops the view that being a good person in an ethical sense involves achieving internal harmony of the parts of the soul. Essentially what Plato wants to achieve is a perfect society. Justice in the soul is likewise a matter of each part of the soul performing its own and proper function. An individual is wise in the virtue of reason ruling in him and brave in the virtue of the spirited part playing its role. An individual is temperate if his inferior bodily appetites are ruled by his reason. And justice belongs to its total ordering. Moreover, the just man will rarely exist except in the just state, where at least some men, the future rulers are systematically educated in justice. But the just state cannot possibly exist except where there are just men; Plato brings the ideal of the philosopher king. Aristotle, differs from Plato here in the way that he is not concerned with perfecting society, he just wants to improve on the existing one. Rather than produce a plan for the perfect society, Aristotle suggested that the society itself should improve to adapt the best system; therefore he relied on the logical tactic. â€Å"Utopia† (Plato’s perfect city) is an abstract solution because there is no real proof that all societies are in need of all that change like Plato wanted. Aristotle discovered that the best possible has already been obtained. All that can be done is to try to improve on the existing one. He disagreed with Plato’s point of â€Å"each man (or groups) sticks to one job, he thought that idea of one class holding discontinuing political power will not result positively. The failure to allow circulation between classes eliminates those men who may be ambitious, and wise, but are not in the right class of society to hold any type of political power. He quotes It is a further objection that he deprives his Guardians even of happiness, maintaining that happiness of the whole state which should be the object of legislation what he is saying is that Guardians sacrifice their happiness for power and control, and those guardian who lead a strict lifestyle like that will impose that kind of lifestyle on their society. Both Plato and Aristotle have a common point when it comes to justice. For both, the end of the state is ethical; as justice is the basis for the ideal state, For Plato, the individual and the state are one, as they both have a tripartite nature of which justice is the result of a sound balance of these three parts. Aristotle asserts that the city-state (polis) comes into being for the sake of life, but exists for the sake of the good life. It is mainly about justice existing in an objective sense, or in other words, a belief that the good and just life should be available for all individuals no matter how high or low their social status is â€Å"In democracies, for example, justice is considered to mean equality, in oligarchies, again inequality in the distribution of office is considered to be just, â€Å"says Aristotle. Plato sees the justice and law as what sets the guidelines for societal behavior. Aristotle said, The people at large should be sovereign rather than the few best (Edward A.Hacker, Aristotelian logic, p 92). Plato would never allow the full public participation in government as Aristotle would like. According to Plato public judgments of approval and disapproval are based on belief and not on knowledge (Edward A. Hacker, Aristotelian logic, p 96). Aristotles ethics are based on his view of the Universe. He saw it as a hierarchy in which everything has a function. The highest form of existence is the life of the rational being, and the function of lower beings is to serve this form of life. According to him, justice must be distributed proportionately. For instance, a tailor and a farmer cannot exchange clothes for food, since clothes and food are not of equal value. Aristotle’s equation of justice with lawfulness can create a problem since laws can be unjust too. However, he refutes this idea again by separating political justice from domestic justice. â€Å"The function of the law is to lay down sound and balances principals of character-formation, in the light of which it should be the function of educational practice to accustom various kinds of people, each in different ways, to refrain from greed and thereby arrive at an equalization of desires† (W.Von Leyden, Aristotle on equality and justice, his political argument p 82). According to him, although political justice and domestic justice are related, they are also distinct. Political justice is about laws since â€Å"justice exists only between men whose mutual relations are governed by law† (The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle, book 5, part 6). So, political justice is governed by the rule of law, while domestic justice relies more on respect. Thus, Aristotle says â€Å"the justice of a master and that of a father are not the same as the justice of citizens† (The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle, book 5, part 6). Aristotle regarded the concept of justice as necessary to satisfy social equality. But he also wanted to argue that justice is based on a background of laws and rules. Aristotle begins to define justice by saying that â€Å"we observe that everyone means by justice the disposition which makes us doers of just actions, that makes us do what is just and wish that is just. † (The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle, book 5 chapters 1). The rest of Aristotle’s procedure in his attempt to define justice is explaining the just actions in terms of laws. Therefore the unjust person is the one who doesn’t follow the law (unlawful), which is where his two definitions of justice come from. The 1st one, â€Å"general justice† identified with what is lawful in our behavior; the 2nd one â€Å"particular justice† that is identified with the distribution of honor and wealth. Plato and Aristotle had very different views about the functions of the human. Plato refutes the idea that backs that injustice is better than justice. He argued that injustice was not very helpful for setting up a model city. Virtue for the model city was derived from the individuals living in the city and their capability to fulfill their functions. He defined human function as ruling, thinking, living, and taking care of the purposes attributed to each in a city. He defined a person’s purpose in relation to his position in the society and his existence in relation to a community. Aristotle argues about the method to achieving ultimate good by searching for happiness by every single person. He believed that happiness or the pursuit of it was the ultimate end, and people worked their way to achieve the ultimate end which is happiness. Happiness, according to him, was attained if one fulfilled one’s reasons, purposes, meanings, and expressions in the best way possible. His views focused on the individual rather than a society or community as a whole. He had a more individualistic point of view. Aristotle disagrees with Plato on another idea. Platos worldview rendered the material, physical world less important than the realm of ideas and abstractions. According to him, the world we see around us consists of imperfect copies of the ideal versions of the same things that are accessible to us only through our minds, and therefore our time is better spent contemplating the better, real, abstractions than their flawed manifestations. Aristotle does not share this worldview, but I will not get into this idea. Their philosophies were different from each other in many subjects, but the most important philosophy which sets the differentiation is the human purpose. Plato believed in a community or society as one and the function of humans in relation to it for achieving a model society. Aristotle was more individualistic and believed in individual happiness as the main function of humans and their achievement by being excellent in what they did and thus forming a model society or city. Although, Plato and Aristotle agree on the concept of an ideal state, they still disagree on deeper issues as Aristotle distanced himself from Plato, who was his mentor, at some point. Plato and Aristotle constructed two utopian state models in which in order to provide justice the ruling power is given to a philosopher king (in Aristotle’s model) or a class of philosopher Guardians who are able to produce better knowledge (in Plato’s model). But rather than giving the ruling power to an elite, in order to provide justice we could raise just children who will be just citizens in the future. Platos philosophy tends toward the metaphysically excessive. He is not bound by realism or model, but allows his imagination to wander into theoretical areas most people today would dismiss as irrelevant and unrealistic. His political philosophy, for instance, is utopian. He sets for himself the task of imagining the ideal way to structure and govern a society, and ends up with an impressively inventive and elaborate scheme, but one that tolerates little resemblance to how human beings ever have or likely ever will interact politically in the real world. Aristotles philosophy is much more grounded in realism and common sense and logical. Hes more about describing the world as it is than going too far in the direction of speculating about how it should be. In contrast to Platos utopian political philosophy, Aristotles political philosophy has a large component of descriptive political science. When he does argue for certain political schemes, they tend to be positive improvements on existing systems. Plato and Aristotle have a lot of differences in both style and material, but what they have in common is that both are still being read nowadays, and still are inspirational and they both challenge philosophers and students all over the world. Sources used: 1- The Republic: Author: Plato Published by: Penguin Classics 2- The Nicomachean Ethics: Author: Aristotle Published by: Penguin Classics 3- Goodness and Justice, Plato, Aristotle, and the Moderns: Author: Gerasimos Santas Published by: Blackwell Publishers 4- Aristotle on equality and justice, his political argument: Author: W. Von Leyden Published by: Macmillan 5- Aristotelian logic: Author: William Thomas Parry, Edward A. Hacker Published by: State University of New York, Albany.

Gender in the Matrix Essay Example for Free

Gender in the Matrix Essay The Matrix became one of the most notable films released in 1999 which provided rich visual effects and a thrilling storyline. Most of the scenes from this film play within the context of the future, a visual offering of year 2199 wrapped in virtual reality where machines govern and control human actions. Though the film deals with the relationship between machines and humans, every character in the plot represents an underlying gender-related interaction. Since the film basically revolves on the cyber world in the form of a simulation created by machines, gender specific plots are not explicitly conveyed throughout the whole duration of The Matrix. The following discussion will focus on some of the gender dynamics present within the film. The paper will analyze some parts of the film where norms of gender are either contradicted or affirmed. As previously mentioned, the world in which the main characters believed to be real, is manipulated by intelligent machines. These machines utilized human body heat to convert into energy while they control human behaviors within the matrix. In the general sense machines are considered as a non-living thing created by man and from this perspective, machines do not have a specific gender. In this film they can be considered as androgynous, the Agents who can take any virtual body for their usage is an example on how the machines in this film are androgynous. Contrary to the real world, these androgynous machines have the power over humans with no concept of male and female. Somehow, it projects a balanced and equal form of gender treatment. First of all, there is no direct interaction between genders since their physical bodies are trapped inside a tank connected to the simulation. Second, all humans are used and contained for a single purpose that no other humans can dominate. Seeing the domination of machines as a projection of gender balance, the concept of the â€Å"ONE† enters the scene. It has been revealed from the start that Neo the male protagonist of the film is the savior of the human kind. This can be regarded as an obvious manifestation of upholding patriarchy, since the real world is where men are associated with power. From the world matrix where men and women are controlled, a man is predicted by the Oracle to save the humans from the machine’s imprisonment. Naturally, to the film’s audience, Neo’s success is attributed to the male strength and the power of patriarchy. The female character of Trinity shows her strength which is equal to her male counterparts. However, this strength seems to compliment her appearance which resembles Neo, who has the same shape of face, same sunglasses, and same battle moves. From earlier scenes of the film, Neo mistaken her for a man who cracked a difficult code called IRS d-base (The Matrix 1999), a scene where intelligence are stereotyped among males is reinforced. This film has been said to draw out some of its concept from theological concepts. Neo being the ONE symbolized as the God who is the savior of humankind while Trinity derived from God’s three dimensional forms represents Neo not just in physical traits. The kiss she gave to Neo when he died miraculously revived him which can be compared to the Holy Spirit (Diaz-Diocaretz Herbrechter 200). The issue of gender in The Matrix tackles the usual gender norms of exhibiting male power and dominance. The balance of gender interaction within the simulated environment became the antagonist throughout the film where the characters try to escape. Agent Smith said that the real world is shaped by misery and suffering and the purpose for the creation of the Matrix is to build a perfect world for humans where everyone is treated equally. Ironically, the concept of equality in the film is one thing that needs to be eradicated. Works Cited Diaz-Diocaretz, Myriam. , and Herbrechter, Stefan. The Matrix in Theory. New York: Rodopi, 2006. The Matrix. Dir. Wachowski Brothers. Perf. Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. Warner Bros. , 1999.

Effectiveness of International Institutions for Human Rights

Effectiveness of International Institutions for Human Rights Hosea Luy How effective are international institutions in protecting human rights? International institutions face many problems in their effort to protect and promote human rights. They are therefore only moderately effective in their protection of human rights. Although these institutions face limitations to their success, their work and achievements have been crucial to the advancement and promotion of human rights world-wide. It is also important to note that â€Å"until 1945, human rights was generally considered to be a matter within the exclusive domestic sovereignty of states† (Cassel, 2001, p. 134). Consequently international human rights institutions are still young and rapidly growing so we cannot fully analyse their effectiveness. This essay will explore the role and effectiveness of international human rights law through the United Nations, nongovernmental organisations namely Amnesty International and the impact of state sovereignty. It is difficult to pin-point evidence that directly supports the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of international institutions. This is because international institutions work in tandem with other mechanisms to protect human rights, and only together are they successful (Cassel, 2001, p. 123). These mechanisms include the human rights consciousness of the public, nongovernmental organisations and domestic human rights institutions all of which influence each other. This essay will focus on the protection of civil and political rights excluding a major category of human rights, economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights. Progress in these areas has been limited when examined in the context of all those in need of food, medicine, housing and other ESC rights. â€Å"International human rights activists see how little impact they have in taking on matters of purely distributive justice† (Roth, 2004, p. 72), and this is combined with the need for a huge amount of material resources to protect and promote ESC rights (Cassel, 2001, p. 124). The United Nations (UN) is the top global institution and is unrivalled in its capability â€Å"to reach out or into virtually every society, and to establish universally applicable norms† (Gaer, 1995, p. 393). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) is the primary piece of international human rights law and has been signed and ratified by many countries. Any nation state that has signed and ratified the UNDHR is obligated to: â€Å"make laws that protect and promote human rights for all its citizens support non-government organisations that carry out programs to help people who are victims of human rights abuses† (Human Rights: Organisations and Institutions, 2000, para. 12). However there is no legal obligation exists to force signatories to introduce domestic law to follow the standards set by the UNDHR (Steinerte Wallace, 2009, p. 9). This is combined with the sometimes illegitimate excuses of national security and sovereignty that have often been used to â€Å"conceal, excuse or justify human rights abuses† (Human Rights: Organisations and Institutions, 2000, para. 6). International human rights law has quite short history and has since its inception been useful for the protection of human rights (Cassel, 2001, p. 134). It has been most effective through its indirect impacts, setting global standards for nations to follow. This has then influenced action on the domestic level in important areas such as politics, the media and the public consciousness (Cassel, 2001, p. 122). The UN’s direct mechanisms to enforce human rights also have a beneficial impact although this is much more limited (Haynes, Hough, Malik, Pettiford, 2011, p. 452). These mechanisms, such as the Human Rights Committee designated to enforce the standards documented in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, investigate human rights abuses, communicate with governments for emergencies and publicly present their findings and proposals (Gaer, 1995, p. 393). In 2006, a new body, the Human Rights Council (HRC), was created to replace the poor performing UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) (Haynes, et al., 2011, p. 452). It is hoped that the HRC may be able to advance human rights in the future with several changes, such as meeting three times a year whereas the UNCHR only met once a year (Haynes, et al., 2011, p. 452). The UN performed a significant role in coordinating an international effort to end the human rights abuses arising from the policy of apartheid in South Africa. Evidence suggests that economic pressures and sanctions during the 1980s, played a crucial role to end the discriminatory regime (Grundy, 1991, p. 85). Nel son Mandela confirmed the large role of the UN in ending the apartheid regime when he addressed the UN General Assembly in 1994. â€Å"We stand here today to salute the United Nations Organization and its Member States, both singly and collectively, for joining forces with the masses of our people in a common struggle that has brought about our emancipation and pushed back the frontiers of racism.† (Reddy, n.d.) International law and the treaties established through the UN should be recognised as a â€Å"useful tool for the protection of human rights, and one which promises to be more useful in the future† (Cassel, 2001, p. 135). Nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) are widely understood to be influential players in the field of international relations. They cooperate on a close level with departments of the UN, providing information on human rights situations, giving advice to commissions and committees to set agendas and policy as well as working together with operational agencies to carry out missions (Martens, 2004, p. 1051). Importantly, NGOs seek to be independent of governments and groups attempting to obtain political power (Wiseberg, 1992, p. 372). The primary goals of NGOs include monitoring and reporting on the human rights progress of nation states, especially violations and building pressure on abusers of human rights (Gaer, 1995, p. 394). Amnesty International is one of the largest human rights NGOs (Human Rights: Organisations and Institutions, 2000, para. 15). The creation of the first mechanism that had the ability to take international action in emergencies was a result of detailed NGO repor ts of human rights violations. The Working Group on Forced or Involuntary Disappearances sought to respond to reports in Argentina of the kidnapping and torture of people under the rule of military president Jorge Rafael Videla (Gaer, 1995, p. 392). Following a research mission in 1976, Amnesty International produced a detailed report explaining the existence of detention without judicial order and torture as well as a list of those who had â€Å"disappeared† (Gaer, 1995, p. 392). According to Mariela Belski the Director of Amnesty International in Argentina, â€Å"Argentina led the way in the prosecution of those responsible for the torture, killing and disappearance of thousands of people during the many military governments across Latin America† (Argentina: Death of former military leader who did not escape justice, 2013, para. 2). Amnesty international and other Human rights NGOs have acted as the driving force behind the vast majority of progress in the human righ ts field by the UN (Gaer, 1995, p. 389). They should be considered as crucial elements for the advancement of human rights and they will increase their effectiveness as they grow in the future. A major setback to the effectiveness of international institutions seeking to advance human rights is that national sovereignty overrules international treaties (Human Rights: Organisations and Institutions, 2000, para. 10). The concept of sovereignty was first formally adopted in the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 (Haynes, et al., 2011, p. 29). Westphalia gave state uncontested rule over their nations and legally prevented international interference in a country’s domestic, religious affairs (McCormick, 2012, p. 1). Sovereignty is also stated in the Charter of the United Nations in Article 2-4, barring any attacks on the â€Å"territorial integrity or political independence† of any country and Article 2-7 which limits intervention (McCormick, 2012, p. 1). Each signatory to a global treaty has an obligation to and is responsible and for enacting the international human rights standards in their state’s domestic law (Steinerte Wallace, 2009, p. 12). Often commitmen t to UN treaties leads to an improved respect for human rights. This is mainly true in countries with â€Å"democratically accountable governments or strong civil society† (Neumayer, 2005, p. 930). Although a strong democratic state does not always lead to compliance. Many states, including those that have strong liberal-democratic values continue to use their sovereignty to shirk international law. According to the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Gillian Trigg, Australia’s government has breached international law by placing asylum seeker children in detention. As a matter of very clear international law children should not be detained for anything more than what is absolutely necessary for health checks and security checks. (Children in detention: Is Australia breaching international law? 2014) Recent studies suggest that human rights laws have the least effect on nations that need it most, countries with oppressive governments â€Å" without in ternal advocates for reform† (Hafner-Burton Tsutsui, 2007, p. 408). Taking into account cases where international law has been disregarded, we should not be pessimistic about the ratification of human rights treaties by nations including those ruled by repressive governments. This should raise hopes for future progress. The main factors preventing state commitments to international institutions are not the poor and ineffective design of these institutions but the failure of governments to commit themselves to the treaties they have signed (Moravcsik, 1995, p. 181). Much progress has made by international human rights institutions in their short history and they should be commended for that fact. However many barriers still exist that prevent human rights being upheld across all states. The main of which is state sovereignty. Nations may choose to sign international treaties but compliance to these documents and effecting changes in domestic law is not a legal obligation. As a result, it could be argued that international institutions have been weak in their promotion and protection of human rights. Instead we should understand to see these institutions as growing establishments that are still in their infancy having remarkable achievements in a short amount of time. Institutions, in particular the United Nations and NGOs have a crucial role to play in the advancement of human rights and the full effectiveness of their operations is still to be seen. Reference List Cassel, D. (2001). Does international human rights law make a difference? Chicago Journal of International Law, 2(1), 121-135. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/237215195?accountid=10344 Gaer, F. D. (1995). Reality Check: Human Rights Nongovernmental Organisations Confront Governments at the United Nations. Third World Quarterly, 16(3), 389. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3992883 Grundy, Kenneth W., 1991. South Africa: Domestic Crisis and Global Challenge. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. Hafner-Burton, E. M., Tsutsui, K. (2007). Justice Lost! The Failure of International Human Rights Law To Matter Where Needed Most. Journal of Peace Research, 44(4), 407-425. DOI: 10.1177/0022343307078942 Haynes, J., Hough, P., Malik, S., Pettiford, L. (2011). World Politics. London: Pearson Education Limited. Martens, K. (2004). An Appraisal of Amnesty Internationals Work at the United Nations: Established Areas of Activities and Shifting Priorities Since the 1990s. Human Rights Quarterly, 26(4), 1050-1070. DOI: 10.1353/hrq.2004.0052 McCormick, C. (2012, September). UNHRC: The Debate over Sovereignty and Human Rights [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from: http://modelun.ucsd.edu/TopicSynopsis/TritonMUN UNHRC Tibet 9-24-2012.pdf. Moravcsik, A. (1995). Explaining International Human Rights Regimes: Liberal Theory and Western Europe. European Journal of International Relations, 1(2), 157-189. DOI: 10.1177/1354066195001002002 Neumayer, E. (2005). Do international human rights treaties improve respect for human rights? Journal of Conflict Resolution, 49(6), 925-953. Retrieved from: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/612/ Reddy, E. S. (n.d.). Nelson Mandela International Day, July 18, For Freedom, Justice and Democracy. In UN.org. Retrieved from: http://www.un.org/en/events/mandeladay/apartheid.shtml Roth, K. (2004). Defending Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Practical Issues Faced by an International Human Rights Organization. Human Rights Quarterly, 26(1), 63-73. DOI: 10.1353/hrq.2004.0010 Steinerte, E., Wallace, R.M.M. (2009). United Nations protection of human rights. London: University of London Press Wiseberg, L.S. (1992). Human rights non-governmental organizations, in R Claude B Weston, Human Rights in the World Community, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press Wotipka, C., Tsutsui, K. (2008). Global Human Rights and State Sovereignty: State Ratification of International Human Rights Treaties, 1965–2001. Sociological Forum, 23(4), 724-754. doi:10.1111/j.1573-7861.2008.00092.x (2000). Human Rights: Organisations and Institutions. In Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved from: http://www.abc.net.au/civics/rights/organ.htm (2013). Argentina: Death of former military leader who did not escape justice. In Amnesty International. Retrieved from: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/argentina-death-former-military-leader-who-did-not-escape-justice-2013-05-17 (2014). Children in detention: Is Australia breaching international law? In ABC News. Retrieved from: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-31/children-in-detention-is-australia-breaching-international-law/5344022 1

Hydrogen Peroxide Essay examples -- essays research papers

(H2O2), a colourless liquid usually produced as aqueous solutions of various strengths, used principally for bleaching cotton and other textiles and wood pulp, in the manufacture of other chemicals, as a rocket propellant, and for cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Solutions containing more than about 8 percent hydrogen peroxide are corrosive to the skin. First recognized as a chemical compound in 1818, hydrogen peroxide is the simplest member of the class of s. Of the several processes of manufacture, the principal ones involve reactions of oxygen from the air with certain organic compounds, especially anthraquinone or isopropyl alcohol. Major commercial grades are aqueous solutions containing 35, 50, 70, or 90 percent hydrogen peroxide and small amounts of stabilizers (often tin salts and phosphates) to suppress decomposition. Hydrogen peroxide decomposes into water and oxygen upon heating or in the presence of numerous substances, particularly salts of such metals as iron, copper, manganese, nickel, or chromium. It combines with many compounds to form crystalline solids useful as mild oxidizing agents; the best-known of these is sodium perborate (NaBO2H2O23H2O or NaBO34H2O). With certain organic compounds, hydrogen peroxide reacts to form hydroperoxides or peroxides, several of which are used to initiate polymerization reactions. In most of its reactions, hydrogen peroxide oxidizes other substances, although it is itself oxidized by a few compounds, such as potassium perm...

The Combining of Cable TV and the Internet Essay -- Television Technol

The Combining of Cable TV and the Internet The Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened the way for cable TV (CATV) companies to become full-fledged telecommunications companies, offering two-way voice and data communications services, in addition to television programming. After passage of the Act, the cable companies were eager to expand into the new fields of business that had been opened to them, especially the rapidly growing Internet Service Provider (ISP) business. The biggest hurdle facing the cable companies is that cable television systems were designed for one-way traffic, and must be upgraded into modern two-way networks in order to support advanced communications services. This is an expensive and technically complex undertaking. In addition, interfaces allowing subscriber’s PCs to access the Internet via the CATV cable had to be developed. These interface devices are called cable modems. Cable modems are designed to take advantage of the broadband capability provided by the cable TV infrastructure, ena bling peak connection speeds many times faster than conventional dial-up connections. Cable Modems, Cable TV Meets the Internet Cable modems have only recently been introduced for private commercial use. Cable modems and the cable data networks they are a integral part of hold the promise of providing a great deal of communications bandwidth for the private user. Greater bandwidth equals greater speed in the realm of the Internet. The Internet has only been around for private use for a relatively short period of time, nonetheless, it has grown quite rapidly. It appears that the Internet will continue to grow at a rapid pace. People will begin to use the Internet for more and more applications. Network... ... (1996, September). Break the bandwidth barrier. Byte. [No pagination]. Retrived September 16, 1999 from the World Wide Web://http://www.byte.com/art/960910/sec6/art1 Medin, M., Rolls, J. (1999, October). The internet via cable. Scientific American, 100-101 Ostergard, R.V. (1998). ABC of cable modems. Cablemodems.org. [No pagination]. Retrieved September 7, 1999 from the World Wide Web: // http://www.cablemodems.org/tutorial/01.htm Salent, M.D. (1999) Cable modem technical tutorial. Cable Modem Information Network. [No pagination]. Retrieved September 20, 1999 from the World Wide Web:// http://www.cablemodem.net/tt/primer.html Van Matre, D.L. (1999) Overview of cable modem technology and services. Cable Data Communications. [No pagination]. Retrieved September 20, 1999 from the World Wide Web://http://www.cabledatacom.com/cmic/mic1.html

Miss Caroline?s First Day Essay -- essays research papers

Miss Caroline’s First Day It was the first day of school for many in Maycomb, including myself. I had just moved from a college in Winston Country. Almost 30 years have past since that day in Maycomb when I first saw the school I was to be teaching at. The classroom smelt stale after being closed up for the whole summer, as I met my students who I would teach for the next year. The one child I remember most had a trail of dirty footprints leading to his desk. The little horror looked like he was straight from the pig pen. After a hectic morning, the children were coming inside from the playground. The filthy child I noticed in the morning, walked past. He smelled of farmyard animals. I can still recall his stench now some 30 years on. I was fascinated by the filthiness of his hands which were the colour of the earth, which had so distracted me that I didn’t even notice a massive insect which ambushed me from his head of grimy hair. â€Å"It’s alive!† I exclaimed with horror. The children rushed to my attention, one child shut the door so we could swiftly execute the creature. The children fired a million questions at me about the creature’s whereabouts, but all I could do it unsteadily point at the unclean boy with grimy hair. â€Å"You mean him ma’am? Yes, he’s alive,† only something a child could say. I told him about the insect and how it crawled out of the boy’s hair. The boy seamed to find it amusing that I was scared of the creature they called a cootie. He assured me that there...

Credibility and Impact

The internet has allowed American's to be able to gather information from the comfort of their own home. The internet has reshaped the political landscape because the internet spreades information fast, so they can react fast. The availability of information on the internet has affected how people view politicans and politics as a whole. The internet enables americans who want to be more involved in political process. The internet benefits politicans directly, their are alot of tools politicans can use to communicate with voters: email, blog, twitter, podcast. Politics have changed due to the internet is now lightning speed. They can react quickly to whats happening in the world. The internet could enables bloggers and commenteres to be salacious, rude and vulgar. But overall the internet allows politicans to see much more deeply into American psyche. Internet allows people to feeling through blogs just like if they was in a town hall meeting face to face. Conclusion: I never have used the internet has a great source but after doing research for the Senator I have more faith in our internet just have to double check your sources. I Hope you can start to access the web more on topics you would like to learn about.

Mcdonald’s in East Asia

Globalization: A Give & Take Shortly after my 16th birthday, making me of legal working age in the United States, I reluctantly signed the papers to be an employee of the McDonald’s Corporation. I used the term reluctantly because to work in a McDonald’s holds deeply negative connotations in American society, especially amongst teenagers. For three years I cooked the food, worked the cash register, cleaned the restaurant, and upheld the highest of McDonald’s standards.Just before my departure to attend college in another city, I quit McDonald’s, with quite a large smile, and did not consume a single product from the restaurant until, three years later, my arrival in Hong Kong. This anecdote is an excellent example of how societal connotations shape the practices of both the business and its customer. Why did I hate my job so intently? Why was I so easily able to avoid the chain in America, its home country, but succumbed to the pressure 8,000 miles away in a foreign land?Globalization, as represented through the entry of McDonald’s into East Asia, is a series of cultural ‘give and take’, as businesses change to local preferences and consumers adapt to the various new disciplines of foreign enterprises. This combats the idea of American imperialism, as the new product formed from this ‘give and take’ is often vastly different from the original, sometimes even harboring completely adapted missions. Golden Arches East, by James L.Watson, chronicles how McDonald’s and its customers have been affected by the American firms entry into East Asia. The book includes five main excerpts from anthropologists that observed and reported the cultural changes surrounding McDonald’s in five countries: China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taipei. Each chapter speaks of the effects on the varying countries, but several common themes immerge. Firstly, in all the countries, both the company and the cons umer made subtle changes to either tastes or behavior.Some of the best examples of this are McDonald’s consistent target of children, leading to the popularity of children’s birthday parties, the prolonged eating times, and the consumer belief of the hamburger and French fries as a snack, not a meal. Throughout the market entry, McDonald’s introduced many behaviors that were once unknown or uncommon. The fast food culture is a precise science, calculating every action to the second. This leads to disciplines and practices becoming commonplace, in order to maintain a corporate culture and profits. Queuing n Hong Kong, standing while eating in Japan, and the popularization of children’s birthday parties are prominent examples in the text of how McDonald’s has impressed certain disciplines upon cultures, often reaching beyond the confines of the golden arches. The introduction of the queue in McDonald’s, while often times done forcibly with mar kers, is often accredited with changing how people order throughout Hong Kong (Watson 93). However, there are exceptions as I find it terribly troublesome to order a pineapple bun on the streets, generally standing with a look of bewilderment until a native comes to my rescue.Nonetheless, this is an example of how native culture adapts to the disciplines of a foreign firm. Another is in Japan, as people began to accept eating while standing. Here, the author outlines two important facets of table manners: don’t eat while standing and don’t touch the food with your hands. However, with limited space, McDonald’s opted to place standing counters in their restaurants and customers quickly adapted to this practice (Watson 178). A simple idea but it challenged a fundamental mannerism in the country.This ‘give’ from the McDonald’s company can be seen on a grander scale through the popularization of children’s birthday parties throughout all o f the countries studied. One of the major approaches of company was to target children because, as in places such as China, they receive exceptional treatment from the entire family, which lead to the promotion of birthday parties. As the company further targeted children, the kids would then request such parties to be held at McDonald’s. Before long, the idea of having a birthday was now commonplace in the countries of South Korea, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan (Watson).Again, this challenged a fundamental cultural tradition; in South Korea, birthday parties went from being held privately with family to publicly with friends (Watson 149). All of these examples illustrate how McDonald’s managed to impress values of their own upon different cultures. Through their global penetration, they transferred cultural beliefs, which required a change in the traditional. However, for every ‘give’ the company gave, there was also a ‘take’. While the compan y managed to change certain ideals, others held resolute and forced them to adapt the way in which they practice business.The Japanese still don’t prefer to touch food with their hands. All of the five countries have taken the fast out of fast food. Also, these cultures believe it to be a snack, rather than a meal, and most refuse to clean the table themselves. McDonald’s provides quite a standard menu, typically consisting of a hamburger, French fries, and a drink. This meal essentially requires eating with the hands. As previously mentioned, this goes against one of the traditional Japanese table manners. The author observed people still largely use the wrappings to eat, thus avoid the use of their hands (Watson 178).This example of a rigid aspect of culture not adapting to foreign disciplines can also be seen in how the food is consistently viewed as a snack. Generally, throughout these Asian countries, eating at McDonald’s is not considered to be a meal. In Japan, it is said that a meal must have rice, and the same is true of Korea (Watson 164, 156). For McDonald’s to build their brand as a popular dinner destination, which is essential for profits, they had to adapt. Thus, they added items to the menu that fit the local flare, such as fried rice (Watson). One of the major changes made was within the bedrock of the company.As a fast food firm, they placed great value on people obtaining good quickly, and consuming it just as fast. However, in all of the five studied countries, people spend significantly longer amounts of time dining at McDonald’s. For Beijing and Hong Kong, the average dining times are 25 minutes, and can reach 51 minutes during non-peak hours in Beijing (Watson 56, 93). This can be compared to Americans whom only spend on average 11 minutes in the restaurant (Watson 93). People have made eating at McDonald’s a leisure activity, going directly against the nature of the company to be fast.As the com pany targeted youth in each country, this gave life to a culture of young people spending many long afternoons at the restaurant. Again, the company had to adapt their typical thought to accommodate this. Lastly, a major change was the company’s policy of having customers bus their own tables. In Hong Kong, people refused to take their trash to the bins themselves, as it was considered to be beneath them (Watson 92). Due to this, the company had to employ extra workers to ensure cleanliness in the lobby.Upon my original arrival to Hong Kong, I entered a McDonald’s, just to see what different offerings they had. I was shocked to see people leaving their tables with the trash remaining. As I have since learned this is common in the culture here, I still get a slight sensation of taboo when I leave my things on the table at a low-end restaurant. Out of context, these adaptations can seem minimal, but from somebody who has gone through the rigorous training of McDonaldâ₠¬â„¢s, every step of the dining experience is exact and calculated. To change any of this is near blasphemy.However, the company heeded the call and adapted to fit local tastes. As the international attitudes toward globalization are increasingly becoming more negative, McDonald’s became a scapegoat for American imperialism. Watson argues this is due to two things: the importance of food in culture and the idea that everybody has a McDonald’s near them with which stands as a reminder and vent for frustrations (Watson 189). However, when looking back at their original entry into East Asia, one can see how the aspects that make McDonald’s American are often times not found in their Asian counterparts.As mentioned in the introduction, McDonald’s often comes with a negative connotation. Whereas in Asia, it was known to be of high standards in both cleanliness and quality. Another main tenet of the American McDonald’s experience is the quickness of the meal. One does not spend leisure time there, and beyond that most order food through the drive through and never enter the store at all. However, the Asian countries have made it a home away from home, finding comfort in spending long hours there.These two examples describe fundamental differences in the restaurants across the globe. In an industry where little change can make a big difference, this shows how what Asians view as the American experience often isn’t that. For one to consider McDonald’s globalization an act of American imperialism, they must first establish that is truly is American culture being transposed. Through the readings and my personal experiences, there is very little American culture to be found in Asian McDonald’s, as even the food is quite different.The notion of globalization being a cultural ‘give and take’ is a metaphor in lament terms for how globalization, as seen through the case of McDonald’s international ex pansion, is truly a combining of several cultures, often forming something altogether new. It is not an act of imperialism, as corporations that choose to move into foreign countries make many fundamental changes. At the same time, the customers who purchase from the foreign enterprises make their own mark and shape it to fit their needs.While globalization can be seen as one country doing business in another, it is really about the two parties doing business with each other. I was so proud of having taken such a long hiatus from the restaurant. However, when I entered it again in Hong Kong, I felt the strange combination of being in a comfortable home environment and belonging in this new, foreign land. Works Cited Watson, James L.. Golden arches east: McDonald's in East Asia. Stanford, Calif. : Stanford University Press, 1997. Print.

Story of Medusa and Athena

Story of Medusa and Athena A long time ago, Once upon a time there was this beautiful Professor by the name of Harris. Harris stayed in the country by the name of Greece in the city of Athens. Professor Harris was considered the most lovely looking girl within a city full of pretty looking girls. Harris was exceedingly proud of her beauty, unfortunately and rarely talk or thought about anything else. Every day she would brag about how beautiful she is and how pretty she looks. Day after day her bragging became more and more out of hand.On one, Sunday, Professor Harris bragged to her friends about how her looks were better looking than the snow that has freshly fallen on the ground and trees. Monday, she was talking to the cobbler and told him that the sun was not as bright as her golden hair which glowed. On Tuesday, the son of the black smith overheard the commented made by her about the Aegean Sea and her eyes. Harris thinks her eyes are greener then the sea. By Wednesday, she was at again with her boasting, but this time it was not to one or even two but everyone at the public gardens.She told the public that the reddest of red roses does not have anything on her red lips. When Harris was not too busy sharing with everyone she came in contact with her thoughts on just how beautiful she is. Harris loved to gaze in the mirror at her lovely reflection. She would admired herself for hours each morning with her hand held mirror as she comb her hair. She would even admired herself in her darkened window each evening for hours as she got ready for bed. Professor Harris would even stopped every afternoon at the well to admire herself as she got her dad horses water. Forgetting often to fetch the water in her distraction.Professor Harris went on about how beautiful she was to everyone and anyone who would give her the time of day long enough to hear it from her. She went on and on until she made her first visit to the Parthenon one day with some friends. The Partheno n is where the largest temple for the goddess Athena in all the land. The Parthenon was decorated by the awesome painting and sculptures. The people who came to the Parthenon is awed by the beauty of the place. They could not keep from thinking of how grateful they were to Athena, which was known as the goddess of wisdom, for watching over their city of Athens and for inspiring them.Everyone, that is, except Harris. When Harris first saw the sculptures, she thought and said that i would have been a much better subject for this sculptor besides Athena. the artwork that she saw While she was there, made her comment to her freinds that the artist had done a superb job on the goddess bushy eyebrows considering they were not hers. harris could only imagine how much more astounding the painting have been if it was of someone as beautiful as professor Harris. And when Harris came to the altar Harris laugh happily and said, this is my gorgeous temple.This is a shame the temple was wasted on Athena, because i'm so much prettier than Athena is – perhaps may be some day people are to construct a grander temple to admire my beauty. the statement made by Harris made her friends turn green. Harris comments were overheard by the priestesses. The people began to Whispers throughout the whole temple and immediately the people began to exit the temple. the people that knew Athena. Knew that she loved watching over Athens Citizens and they became extremely afraid of what was going to happen after the goddess had overheard Harris rash remarks.Before long the temple was empty of everyone except Medusa, who was so busy gazing proudly at her reflection in the large bronze doors that she hadn't noticed the swift departure of everyone else. Theimage she was gazing at wavered and suddenly, instead of her own features, it was the face of Athena that Medusa saw reflected back at her. â€Å"Vain and foolish girl,† Athena said angrily, â€Å"You think you are prettier than I am! I doubt it to be true, but even if it were — there is more to life than beauty alone. While others work and play and learn, you do little but boast and admire yourself. Medusa tried to point out that her beauty was an inspiration to those around her and that she made their lives better by simply looking so lovely, but Athena silenced her with a frustrated wavâ€Å"Nonsense,† Athena retorted, â€Å"Beauty fades swiftly in all mortals. It does not comfort the sick, teach the unskilled or feed the hungry. And by my powers, your loveliness shall be stripped away completely. Your fate shall serve as a reminder to others to control their pride. †And with those words Medusa’s face changed to that of a hideous monster.Her hair twisted and thickened into horrible snakes that hissed and fought each other atop her head. â€Å"Medusa, for your pride this has been done. Your face is now so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it will turn a man to stone,â⠂¬  proclaimed the goddess, â€Å"Even you, Medusa, should you seek your reflection, shall turn to rock the instant you see your face. †And with that, Athena sent Medusa with her hair of snakes to live with the blind monsters — the gorgon sisters — at the ends of the earth, so that no innocents would be accidentally turned to stone at the sight of her.

Being a teen to being a toddler Essay

When I was a kid, I always admired all the extravagant and out of this world thing that teenagers able to do. And all I wanted to be is to be a teenager. And as the year goes by, I got more excited, because I was getting closer to be a teenager. And now I am a teenager, I wish I could be a kid again. It is quite funny how my opinion changed that fast. Here is what I figure out are the differences and similarity between being a teenager and being a kid. Being a teenager is one of the toughest and most memorial processes in your lifetime. A teenager goes through many pleasant times and depressions. They go through the pleasant times just like the kids does, but the kids don’t really go through depressing times. The teenagers can be depressing over either losing a friend, got bullied, loneliness and low self confident. When I was a little kid, I was allowed to do anything that I wanted to do. I can go outside, play with my friends all day long and everyone likes you. Being a kid was fun, you never had to worry about having any hard works or having a test the next day. Life was just like a wonderland. But for teenagers, you will have to go home fast after school and start to do homework and review for the test. Every year that passed, as a teenager, my parents will give more freedom like how they allow me to go outside with my friends unlike when I was a little kid. I always wanted to go outside to the playground and play with my friends but sometimes when I ask my parents they would either say, â€Å"Well, what did your father say,† or, â€Å"What did your mother say.† And if one parent said no, then everything will be no, no matter how hard you try to convince them. Now when you become a teenager, most parents will say yes, there is less percentage that they would say no, unless it’s a special case like going to the club and more. So what I analyzed is that parents trust you more when you grow up, because as the time goes by, you will eventually become more mature and you will know what were right and what was wrong.

A Dream To Work In A Multinational Company Commerce Essay

A Dream To Work In A Multinational Company Commerce Essay it has always been a dream to work in a multinational company such as an oil and gas companies after my M.sc program in other to apply my skills learnt to the sector regarding business unethical practices and negligence of corporate social responsibility(CSR) by this companies in this sector. firstly it would be necessary to define CSR which is a situation where a company provides social benefit to the public which are required by law(Mc William and siegel 2001); while business ethics can be defined as† the study of business situation activities, decisions where issues of right and wrong are addressed † (Crane and Matten 2004;8) CSR is highly required all organizations to fill in the short coming of government and provide needs of a community. The aim and objective of this write up is to point out the unethical practices, negligence and ineffective deliverance of CSR by the MNCs focusing on oil companies in Africa to their host communities. Analysis Despite some positive influence of oil companies through CSR like increase in developmental funding in 2001 by $500m(Frynas 2005) previous studies has shown that there are still cases where CSR has not had effect on the required beneficiaries through ineffectiveness , negligence and unethical practices by the companies. This can be proven through various situations in Africa has discussed it the course of this report , it can be seen that most CSR embarked upon by the MNCs are due to public and global pressure such case is that of shell and Ogoni , when visited by observers it was seen that the lack social amenities like Roads and electricity e.t.c.( World Business Council for Sustainable development 2008) despite this protest oil producing regions have not yet benefited from the wealth and are still left in poverty. In a statement by president of movement of survival of Ogoni people (mitte 1995) he says that the communities where not getting enough required social and infrastructures development, he al so pointed out that the companies are taking from the communities and not putting back into it and left in total neglect. this shows a great cases of negligence of CSR to their host environment which they are benefiting from financially, there also citing of abandoned projects which are meant to serve as CSR to the community example is an hospital abandoned by shell in Okoroba village Bayelsa for many years bust was completed due to pressure(Fryans 2005) this suggest that they don’t have good management or department to ensure that project that have been embarked upon by them are not left alone, some previous events indicates that CSR was adopted not for the benefit of the communities but for that of the companies so has to have competitive advantages and get favors from government representatives, In a report ChevronTexaco made a partnership deal of $50million with Us Agency For International Development (USAID) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Angola to coin cide with negotiations for it block O (Fryans 2005) another example is in Ughoton Nigeria (SPDC) built roads and also provided funds for schools and youth empowerment in the village but as soon as it well stop producing oil they also stopped their various projects (okunmadewa et al 2002,p 63) . it shows that it was not meant to benefit to society but the company because it made them look like a company that support development and if the negotiation did not fall through they might have withdrawn their partnership another case is of shell who grant development fund to it managers to put up projects in regions which it has activities so has to maintain peace between them and the communities once this activities are complete it development account is closed and the project are left alone which ever stage it has gotten too. evidence of non functioning project like that of shell which one-third of it project in Nigeria not running or are in operation(Nigeria and shell 2001) duo they are trying to help there is no sign if development due to the lack of smooth operations of this projects. lack of trained managers in CSR has made it difficult for most developmental plans see the light of day Frayans(2005) also confirmed this saying † major contract managers are not development specialist† and even if trained might be wrongly trained for instance British petroleum sent it managers to acquire skills on development in a business school instead of a development school Fraynas(2005) which would put them through all the stages of development , failure to have specialist and conduct investigation relating to what is required could make the aim of CSR not to be achieved e.g. in Angola BP donated condoms during a campaign for AIDS but without adequate investigation and consultation the aim of CSR was not met because the condoms where too small for African men (Fraynas 2005). There has also been cases relating to un ethical practices by the oil companies causing har m and increase level of poverty in the regions which they operate such as Niger Delta according to Eyina and Ukpo(2006) they state that † it will be correct to indicate that the greatest environmental problem with petroleum industry in Nigeria result from spillages†; In the early part of 2008 alone Nigeria recorded 418 spills(Vanguard Oct.29,2008) which affects the ecosystem and increases poverty due to the fact that most people in that region are farmers and fishermen. Further evidence of unethical practices can be seen in the technological method of production adopted by them which releases poisoned gas like CO2 and CO into the atmosphere(Aigbedion et al 2007) also Eyinla and Ukpo(2006) supported this by saying that the †soil ,rivers and creeks are now acidic†. which had influence the people indirectly because there drinking water and fishing occupation have been destroyed impact of oil exploitations has caused the soil not be good for planting and the wate r is contaminated with oil (Adepelum et al 2006).A report by Niger Delta Environmental Survey indicates that drilling activities in Niger delta has negative impact both † socio-economically and ecologically† (Nigeria Sunday Times 1998), Aigebedion(2005) also confirmed this that oil spillages has caused †ecological disturbance† .