Sociology of Education - 1597 Words

Sociology of Education This assignment will compare and contrast competing theoretical perspectives on education process. Functionalism, Marxism and interactionist theories will be included. The definition of education is that it is a process or the act of gaining or teaching general knowledge; it is an act that assists in the development of reasoning as well as judgement and generally preparing oneself or others the intellectuality for mature life. Functionalism in essence deduces each part of society in terms of how it adds to the constancy of the society as a whole. It is therefore agreed that society is more than just the sum of its constituent. Each fraction has a role to play in guarantying that the whole society remains steady. The role of education for society as a whole in particular its contribution to maintaining social stability through the development of value consensus, social harmony and cohesion: it examines the links between education and other social intuitions such as the family and the work place. Education allows people to meet a key function requirement by educating the new generations the culture, central and core values of society. This is achievable through the actual subjects learnt at school and the hidden curriculum. Also it provides a connection between the particularistic value and ascribed status of the family and the universalistic values and achieved status of industrial society. Browne (2006) cited Durkheim who argued that schools are aShow MoreRelatedSociology : Sociology Of Education1095 Words   |  5 Pages Zhenwen Li Sociology 215: Sociology of Education Monday Wednesday 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm Instructor: Dr. Ryan C. Sperry Inequality on education The Decision from case, Brown vs. Board of Education, which protested against segregation due to race on education. It has been more than 60 years after the case, Brown vs. Board of Education. However, the unequal and separation still exists among races on education. It was still expected the inequality would decline in 10 years and the numbers of multi-Read MoreSocial Perspectives On Education And The Sociology Of Education1273 Words   |  6 PagesPerspectives in Education Assessment 2 - Essay TANUWIJAYA, Wirya Z3483970 Why is it important and/or helpful for initial teacher educators such as yourself, to learn about, and learn to use, ideas from the sociology of education? Social influences on educational outcomes and the social nature of education structures of the past and present exemplify how social institutions can affect education perceived by individuals. This can also be defined as the sociology of education; a study of education systemsRead MoreQuestions On Sociology Of Education Essay1539 Words   |  7 PagesAssignment 2: Sociology of Education 1 Submitted by: Bhawna Kapoor (M2014EE004) Systems of stratification in Indian Context Social stratification refers to a system by which categories of people in a society are ranked in a hierarchy. This hierarchy then shapes people’s identity and experiences, their relations with others, as well as their access to resources and opportunities. Social stratification is a society-wide system that unequally distributes social resources among categories of peopleRead MoreThe Historical Sociology Of Education1868 Words   |  8 Pagesargue that we already have the solution to both by taking propositions from two completely different time frames in history with the help of Stanford University’s professor David Labaree, whose primary area of scholarship is the historical sociology of education. I will explain how the United States of America’s educational system is inoperative and present how to use the layout of our pre-existing system to transition into Plato’s Republic to further exceed the ever-changing educational prosperitiesRead MoreSociolog y Of Education As A Social Institution1489 Words   |  6 PagesSociology of education The sociology of education is a diverse and vibrant subfield that features theory and research focused on how education as a social institution is affected by and affects other social institutions and the social structure overall, and how various social forces shape the policies, practices, and outcomes of schooling (www.thoughtco.com). Sociology of education is the systematic study of educational system within the broader social context. At the heart of sociology is a specialRead MoreHistory, Politics, And Sociology Of Education3391 Words   |  14 Pagesfar (politics, history, sociology, anthropology, or philosophy). Conclude your response with a brief reflection on the driving forces behind the major trends / developments you identified. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the various developments in the field of education in the United States since 1960 through three different perspectives: History, Politics, and sociology. These three disciplines known as aspects of the foundations of education serve along with philosophyRead MoreEssay on Sociology and the Value of Education1790 Words   |  8 Pagesin certain circumstances as well as what should not be done. Values are sociologically important because it can help explain how or why certain patterns of behavior occurs within and outside of specific societies. Like most Americans, I value education and everything that comes with it like a good stable job and a sense of accomplishment. Aside from values that Americans hold, I value what my family thinks to a great extent. My family has always encouraged me to attend college so that I can beRead MoreSociology and the Education System in America Essay1154 Words   |  5 Pages The definition of Sociology is that it is the study of human societies through the synthesis of theoretical analysis and controlled research, focusing on the social patterns and forces that influence humans. The study of sociology is the issues, concepts, investigations, and more importantly, the systematic study of relationships among people. While the study of sociology focuses on groups, or society as a whole, it should not exclude an emphasis on individuals because individuals formsRead MoreThe Sociology Of Education Is The Study Of How Public Institutions1326 Words   |  6 PagesThe sociology of education is the study of how public institutions and individual experiences affect education and its outcomes on the students and staff members. It is mostly concerned with the public schooling systems of modern industrial societies, including the expansion of higher, further, adult, and continuing education at all institutional levels. Sociology is important because it looks at the structure of society and how its components and institutions fit together. It helps us to understandRead MoreThe Contribution of Functionalist Sociology to an Understanding of the Role of Education in Soc iety1337 Words   |  6 PagesThe Contribution of Functionalist Sociology to an Understanding of the Role of Education in Society Works Cited Missing Schools serve a function in a complex industrial society that family and peer groups cannot ( Durkheim,1956) Education is important in society. The structure and processes of education systems are related to the general process of socialisation. All sociologists agree with this, but sociologists have many different views about how societies are structured

The war which the world feared upon never happened Free Essays

The war which the world feared upon never happened, the Cold War. United States of America and the Soviets are preparing for this battle as who among these super powers will really dominate the world. As a means of preparation they are to dominate the seas, especially the under sea navigational fleet, the Submarines. We will write a custom essay sample on The war which the world feared upon never happened or any similar topic only for you Order Now American leaders as a means of preparing for battle put their trust and confidence in their submarine force. Empowered by their own power plants these nuclear submarines are to dominate the seas with unbelievable sophistication and with weapons of incredible destructive power. The idea of submarine came from the Germans who were the ones who pioneered in the creation of the vessel during World War II (Weir, 1998). The US Navy has envisioned that submarines of the future would go deeper and move much faster. Thus as the years passed, the nuclear submarine was created. Under the US military force, the main mission of the first known SSBNs or â€Å"Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear† was for the prevention of war to happen. They are to be deployed to strategic sites for them to guard and thus to prevent war   (Weir, 1998). Because of their relentless power, as the nuclear is used to propel them, they have the capability to submerge and circumnavigate the world with fewer expenses. They can submerge for number of days to avoid detection and can easily guard strategic sites as their main mission. They are considered as the guardians of a possible nuclear war. According to David Munns in his book, the greatest advantage so that submarines, armed with ballistic missiles, can release its relentless power is that they have to be close to the shore. This idea was the main basis for the development of the undersea military force of both United States and the Soviet Union. Throughout the 45-year Cold War both countries developed submarines, especially nuclear powered, to gain intelligence or for espionage, due to its stealth power, and to attack and destroy any possible enemy surface ships. Its powerful ballistic missiles have the ability to attack ground or land based targets. Both countries develop such powerful undersea fleet and were considered as the most potent nuclear threat for both of them. (Munns, 2004) The main idea was that to counter this powerful surface warships and nuclear propelled missile cruisers and aircraft carries they have to develop more powerful underground fleet (Munns, 2004). With the development of the nuclear power, the first ship that was ever built by the Americans that went to sea is the USS Nautilus. It went to sea on January of 1955. It is propelled by pressurized-water nuclear reactor plant. This firs submarine built by the Americans sets the new standard for submarines (Huchtausen, 2002). The Russians on the other hand, built their first submarine which went to sea on a much later date. The K-3 or also known as Leninsky Komosol, it is a part of the November class of attack submarines only went to sea only on 1958. This submarine was the first Soviet sub who have reached the North pole, only in 1962, which the United States first sub USS Nautilus have already done four years earlier. The November class submrines however had serious problems one example was the accident happened in 1968 of its K-27 due to a radioactive gas lead which killed 9 people (Huchthausen, 2002). The next Class of submarines that was built by the Americans was the Skipjack Class Submarines. Built in 1959, this attack submarine was the first to combine nuclear power which has extraordinary speed. This is more hydronamic which has a new teardrop hull design. All other US submarines that was created was based on this design. The known accident that happened for this class of submarine was on May 21, 1968 when the USS Skipjack Scorpion was lost in the sea and was nowhere to be found even due to extensive military search. All the 99 people aboard the submarine also lost their lives (Compton-Hall, 1999). The Soviet built the Hotel-class submarines on 1960. This is the first Soviet Nuclear subs which carries with it ballistic missiles. The design of the November Class is much similar to that of the November class, but with much larger compartment to accommodate the ballistic missiles (Compton-Hall, 1999). On the same year the Skipjack Class was created, the US Military built the USS George Washington Class. Built and deployed on 1959, this submarine was the first Nuclear Ballistic missile submarine which was created. The main idea for this ballistic missile submarines was that it would attack land-based targets with its nuclear weapons. They are to be deployed near shore targets so that their long range missiles can easily hit their targets. The Soviets then build the Victor Class submarines in 1967. Their design was to attack enemy submarines and to protect surface ships of the Soviets. The new teardrop hull enabled the Victor Class to attain higher speed. The Soviets however abandoned the construction of the second Victor submarine design after learning through spy information that the NATO forces could easily track them (Compton-Hall, 1999). Due to this, the Soviets created the Victor III submarine. The Americans on 1961 built the Thresher Class attack submarines. This submarine is much stronger, much faster, and can dive much deeper. It is also designed to be quieter than the Skipjack Class, the materials used in this class have more streaming improvements. The name was however changed from Thresher Class to Permit Class when the submarine Thresher sank in New England in 1963 killing all 129 crew (Huchtausen, 2002). In 1967, the Soviets created the Yankee Class submarines. This is the first Submarine that has the same firepower as that of the US submarines. This is much quieter than the Hotel Class due to a new hull shape, a new propeller design, and exterior sound-deadening coatings which is much harder to track. Several modifications were also made on this class, with its big design it was enabled to carry miniature submarines. On 1976, the Americans built and deployed the Los Angeles class. This class had 62 vessels built and is considered as the world’s largest nuclear-propelled submarine. This class was designed to primarily protect carriers and other enemy submarine. The purpose of this submarine was the same as that of the Soviet’s Victor Class. This submarine however was much more powerful than the Victor class because of its capability to do other special missions such as deployment of Special Forces on the ground and attacking larger targets. The Los Angeles class was also improved for better ice operations on the North and South Pole (Compton-Hall, 1999). The next class built by the Soviet and one of the last Class is the Typhoon class submarine. During its time, in 1981, it was considered as the world’s largest attack submarine. This improved design which is much quieter compared to its size. This submarine is also more maneuverable even if it is huge. The design of this submarine is much more complicated due to the existence of two pressure hulls which is parallel with each other and a third hull which is on top of them. This design increases its width and had simplified internal arrangements. Being part of a cooperative arms reduction program of the former Soviet states, six of the Typhoon class was dismantled in 2003 (Compton-Hall, 1999). The Ohio-class submarine is the last among the long line of designs of the ballistic-missile submarine fleet of US.   It replaced the old 1960s version and was larger and more capable than its precedents.   These subs can carry more and longer-range weapons, operate more quietly, and dive deeper (Compton-Hall, 1999).   Russia, on the other hand, designed the contemporary of Ohio, the Oscar submarines.   These are Russia’s largest and most advanced and are still active submarines.   Designed to attack U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups, it carries three times as many antiship cruise missiles than its predecessors (Compton-Hall, 1999). Norman Polmar and K.J. Moore, were two naval officials under the US Armed Forces who were interviewed by Munns in his book. They said that â€Å"the United States and the Soviet Union put to sea a combined total of 936 submarines, of which 401 were nuclear propelled,† during the whole Cold war from 1945-1991 (Munns, 2004). The Soviet Union was the one who is aggressive in the development of submarines. This development still continues until after the 1970’s where research and effort to make the vessels more powerful were developed. From the mid-1940s until early 1990s, Cold War was a period of conflict and competition between two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union.   It was also a period of great technological advancements in the military with no less than the development of nuclear submarines.   Faster, quieter and deadlier weapons were developed. It was also this same period which placed the entire world on edge. And knowing the potentials of these weapons, the war that never happened also brought unparalleled relief to mankind. WORKS CITED: Compton-Hall, Richard. The Submarine Pioneers. Sutton Publishing, 1999. Huchthausen, Peter. K-19: The Widowmaker—The Secret Story of the Soviet Nuclear Submarine. National Geographic Books, 2002. Munns, David W. Sea Power. May 2004. Retrieved at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3738/is_200405/ai_n9345820 Polmar, Norman and Moore,K.J. COLD WAR SUBMARINES: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines.   Dulles, Va.: Brassey’s, March 2004. 336 pp. Weir, Gary E. Deep Ocean, Cold War. Washington: Brassey’s, 1998. Evolution of Subs: U.S. and Soviet Submarine Milestones of the Cold War. National Geographic. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/k19/evolution_main.html http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/usw/issue_7/deepocean.htm How to cite The war which the world feared upon never happened, Essay examples

Marketing strategies of Houzit Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Marketing strategies of Houzit. Answer: Introduction Marketing strategies particularly known as a plan of action which has been designed by the company for promoting and selling its products and services in the market. Moreover, these strategies must be designed and alter as per the changing environmental condition in order to stay aligned with the latest trend [[1]]. Furthermore, they are made by the company to do marketing of their products and services in an effective manner. Moreover, the present report describes themarketing strategies of Houzit which is a chain of home wares stores in Brisbane which is headquartered in Milton. It specializes in bathroom fittings, bedroom fittings and decorative items. Furthermore, the report describes the organizational overview and its objectives. Along with that, it also focuses on identifying the available opportunities by doing the environmental and risk analysis. At last, the tactics have been suggested for implementing these strategies in the market [[2]]. Swot Analysis SWOT analysis of Houzit has been done by its marketing manager in order to scan the organization internally and externally. Strength Weaknesses Staff is excellent, skilled and knowledgeable in terms of home-wares. Retail space is huge and has bright lightening, functional as well as commercial urban district ([3]). Customer loyalty is high. High number of offerings and in different varieties which exceeds the offering of competitors in terms of quality, accessibility and range. Marketing budget is limited due which brand awareness cannot be done in a proper manner. Struggle for continuity in funding for the growing long-term repayments plans which have been taken by the customers. Opportunities Threats Market is growing in a high growth area. Target market can be grown by creating awareness about the brand among potential customers. Sales opportunities can be increased other than the target area. Competition is high from the local independent retailers. High competition from national chains which are establishing in Brisbane market. A crunch in economy reducing purchasing power of the customer on home-wares. Marketing Objectives In a general term, these are goals which have been set by a business during the promotion of its products and services to the potential customers ([4]). Few marketing objectives which have been set by Houzit for the current year is as follows: To increase its sales from $15 million per year to $20 million per year in the coming 3 years. To enhance its loyal customers list from 10,000 to 15,000 customers. To establish a brand recognition program in Brisbane in order to create awareness among target market so that at least 1 in 3 people recognizes the brand Houzit. Strategies It is considered as the action plan which is designed by the marketer for promoting and selling its products and services to the target market ([5]). These strategies are made based upon the opportunities which the company has in its hand. Two major opportunities have been outlined for Houzit and they are as follows: Company can grow themselves in a growing market where they have significant number of target market who is not aware about the offer of Houzit. This can be achieved by merger and acquisition with the other popular brand of home-wares. Sales could be increased outside the target area in Brisbane. This could be grabbed by franchising the brand so that it sales get increased. In order to create strategies, company has to understand its marketing mix elements which will help the firm in building effective strategies and it is as follows: Product: The Company must include more home-ware products in its product line in order to cater more and more customers. Decorative lights, home furnishing items like sofas, dining table, stylish doors and windows, etc. Price: Not only high pricing but moderate priced products should also be included in order to serve the middle class customer as well. Place: In order to grow in the high growth market and increase its sales, company should also start selling its products online. Moreover, by opening more retail outlets using the option of franchising and merger and acquisition, these opportunities could be grabbed. Promotion: Heavy promotion using social media marketing and digital ads, company can promote its products. Moreover, doing sales promotion like festive offer discounts, referral program, etc. sales can be increased ([6]). Moreover, by analyzing risk and gap analysis, these strategies could be designed in a more effective manner. Risk analysis: By analyzing the SWOT analysis, it has been identified that the company has skilled staff, huge retail space, high customer loyalty and huge assorted offerings so it can do the franchising which will give significant results ([7]). However, it has limited budget for marketing which may hinder the promotion for brand recognition. Furthermore, competition from local independent retailer and national chain for home-ware is very high and this could lower down the sales of the company. On the contrary, company has good customer base which will help in retaining its identity. Implemnetation After devising marketing strategies, marketing manager is required to implement these strategies for achieving the marketing objectives for Houzit. There are some of the tactics have been mentioned for implementing the strategies ([8]). Scheduling: The Company makes the schedule regarding all the marketing activities. Activities Weeks Market Research 18-20 weeks Product or service development (Franchising agreement and merger acquisition agreement) 25-30 weeks Promotional program 10-15 weeks After sales services 1-2 weeks Budgeting: It has been allocated to carry out all the marketing activities. Expense Amount Franchising and Merger acquisition cost $25,00,000 Promotion cost $3,00,000 Stationary $25,000 Total $28,25,000 Roles and responsibilities: Marketing manager: His duty is to do market research and develop strategies and find out ways to implement those strategies ([9]). CEO: To approve the budget. Legal officer: To make the agreement and take approvals for franchisee and merger acquisition. Monitoring process: This is a typical monitoring process of Houzit for developing and implementing strategies: Bibliography https://www.inc.com/murray-newlands/15-marketing-strategies-that-inspire-strategic-thinkers.html https://houzit.com.w3snoop.com/ https://www.mymoneycoach.ca/budgeting/what-is-a-budget-planning-forecasting/ https://articles.bplans.com/how-to-perform-swot-analysis/ Ferrell, O.C. and Hartline, M., 2012.Marketing strategy, text and cases. Nelson Education. How to develop a marketing strategy. 2010. [Online]. Available through https://www.smarta.com/advice/sales-and-marketing/advertising-and-marketing/how-to-develop-a-marketing-strategy/. [Accessed on 12th October, 2017]. Baker, M.J., 2014.Marketing strategy and management. Palgrave Macmillan. Varadarajan, R., 2010. Strategic marketing and marketing strategy: domain, definition, fundamental issues and foundational premises.Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,38(2), pp.119-140. Ataman, M.B., Van Heerde, H.J. and Mela, C.F., 2010. The long-term effect of marketing strategy on brand sales.Journal of Marketing Research,47(5), pp.866-882. Morgan, N.A., Katsikeas, C.S. and Vorhies, D.W., 2012. Export marketing strategy implementation, export marketing capabilities, and export venture performance.Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,40(2), pp.271-289. Hanssens, D.M., Rust, R.T. and Srivastava, R.K., 2013, May. Marketing strategy and Wall Street: nailing down marketing's impact. American Marketing Association. Slater, S.F., Hult, G.T.M. and Olson, E.M., 2010. Factors influencing the relative importance of marketing strategy creativity and marketing strategy implementation effectiveness.Industrial Marketing Management,39(4), pp.551-559. Fifield, P., 2012.Marketing strategy. Routledge.

Insider Trading Should It Be Abolished free essay sample

Insider trading is defined as â€Å" trading whilst in possession of non-public information and if known to the public, may lead to a substantial movement in a security’s price† . In Australia it is prohibited by insider trading regulation (IT regulations) in the Corporations Law (CL) 1991 , though it was initially established from recommendations made by the Rae committee in 1974 on the mining company scandals . The latest law changed one single section to 20 wide and complex sections, causing critique of Australia IT regulations . Henry G Manne argued that IT regulations should be abolished supported by three basic economic arguments. This essay will examine the pro and contra of each argument and shows that IT regulations have spoiled the notion of fairness at the expense of efficiency, despite the objective of any securities markets regulation to promote both aspects . 1. Insider trading could compensate corporate entrepreneurs . Pro and Contra This argument is supported by Carlton and Fischel who argued that the IT regulations are the same with setting government regulation of terms and conditions of employment; similar to restrict salary bonuses, stock options, vacation leave, and the others which can motivate management for their entrepreneurial skills . We will write a custom essay sample on Insider Trading: Should It Be Abolished? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However their assumptions ignore the difference between the volatile share price and a certain amount of normal compensation. As argued by Easterbrook, where there is a volatile share price, the management compensation argument reverts into a â€Å"lottery-ticket argument† . Because in the volatile share price, even informed traders will hardly predict the increase or decrease of share price in the future. The high fluctuation equalizes the possibility of losing their investment and getting profit, which as called ‘compensation’. From the two extremes, It can be concluded that compensation argument can be valid if the share price is relatively stable otherwise not all insiders can get their compensation through insider trading. Director’s fiduciary duty to Shareholder However, if IT regulation were only applied for a liquid market, what is the role of fiduciary duty? In Exicom’s case fiduciary argument was established where persons who are subject to a legal relationship of trust and confidence, arising from either a prior relationship with the securities issuer (typically directors, employees and corporate agents) or the other party to trade should not make a profit from that position or allow a conflict of interest to arise. Moore supports IT regulation on the basis of fiduciary duty. He reasons that directors have some fiduciary duty to their shareholder to fully disclose all information they could benefit from. His idea is supported by the fact that although there is no general principal that directors owe fiduciary duty to shareholders (in addition to the company), with the purpose to prevent directors when in the position of holding confidential information to spread the it to outsiders , such duty in recognized in Hooker’s case . Sub Conclusion Insider trading as a compensation for corporate executive is argued only happened in a stable market where they can use the information to predict the trend otherwise the profit compensation turn to be a lottery compensation. Here fiduciary duty of the insiders is questioned where in Hooker’s case it is possible that directors owe fiduciary duty to shareholder although there is no general principal on it. 2. Insider Trading Contributes to Market Efficiency Pro from Leland and Estrada Manne argued that ‘allowing an unfettered market in information will have salutary effects unheard of in connection with regulatory â€Å"disclosure†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ . Recently, Leland and Estrada also stated similar idea that insider trading contributes to market efficiency through signaling where signal-trading by insiders pushed share price more quickly towards its equilibrium price. Pro from Empirical Measures Theory Moreover, empirical measure presents a theory; the more information gets into market, the lower transaction cost, the more liquid the market and the smaller volatility produced. Since investors get more helpful information to predict market trend, the transaction cost here is lower. Transaction cost is the cost to take the risk if the companies, which they invest in, somehow default. Thus lower transaction cost is equivalent to lower risk, which can encourage more investor to trade. As trading in the market occurs significantly in one flow (either buy or sell) based on the information they got, the volatility, which represented by the bid-ask (difference between the buy and sell quotes at any one time), decreases. Consequently liquidity increases. Evidence from Real Study In practice, Dodd and Officer found evidence that no significant abnormal returns (return of a security over its average or expected return) occurred on the day take over rumour was published, although some abnormal returns typically occurred prior to the publicity of rumour. This prior abnormal return must be because of insider trading, as the unpublished information they possess allow them to predict the trend up to takeover bid, thus, at the date of take over published, market already reached equilibrium price. Contra from Cox and Georgakopoulos and Response from Wyatt However, there are some disagreements on Manne argument. First, Cox claims that insider trading cannot make the price movement towards equilibrium price purely by their own actions . Also microstructure theory by Georgakopoulos, which states that whether support or against insider trading is depending on the market liquidity . A liquid market as discussed in the compensation arguments will give more benefit to insiders because the votality is lower and they can easily predict trend in stable price, hence, IT regulations in this case can be useful. On the other hand, illiquid market leads both insider and outsider traders away regardless the information they received since the votality is high and even unpublished information may just let them gamble on the security’s price, hence, in such market the presence of IT regulations has no effect to the market. The idea is that the uninformed traders is discourage to involve in market because of unfairness arise from the profit making activity by informed traders, hence, reducing the market effectiveness. For all that, both claims can be doubtful considering Wyatt suggestion that outsiders follow insiders action and further can encourage market liquidity . His suggestion is also supported by the fact that trader’s identity is kept confidential, thus, uninformed traders cannot be certain of the percentage of informed traders which make them discourage from trading. IT Regulation Distorts Market Efficiency Further issue is whether IT regulation increase market efficiency or it just increase the cost of compliance for companies and financial services firms? If IT regulation inhibits market efficiency then it should be revised. IT regulations in Australia reinforces continous disclosure (CD) regulations such in Crown Casino’s case where the chairman, who has no power on the company’s behalf, disclosed information to outsiders before the board disclosed it to the Exchange. The court emphasized on the breach of continous disclosure specifically on the abuse of the term ‘immediately’ . If IT regulation is just a flip-case of CD regulations, then it is obsolescent, as CD regulation already governs tardy disclosure . Sub Conclusion nsider trading contributes to market efficiency by moving the share price more quickly towards equilibrium price is supported by empirical measure which shows that insider trading increase market liquidity, and by Dodd and Officer finding on significance abnormal returns prior to take over rumour instead of on the date of publicity. Although Cox and Georgakopoulos go against the concept, Wyatt response that their arguments can be the contrary, that informed traders can be an opportunity for uninformed traders to get profit by following them instead of discourage them by unfairness. 3. Insider Trading and Long-term Investors Pro and Contra Finally, insider trading does no significant harm for long-term investors , â€Å"whose market decisions will be a function of time† . In detail, Manne asserts that the less frequent someone trades, the less significant effect of the unfair use of valuable information from insider trading they receive. Such investors just make investment on the basis that they are timely and not affected by the share price, which is affected by insider trading. However, this view is questioned by Schotland . He argued that even long-term investor needs cash and when they need it they will consider to ait for a right price to sell it. Further, Manne suggest that long term investor can ignore price to avoid being harmed by the effect of insider trading, expect for one, which is the lost of not having inside information in the range of the buying and selling price so that it is insignificant. Here Manne only refers to one investment. Yet, how about when the investors have more than one (in which the common condition to diversify)? They may need to watch a series of share price otherwise they will end up will sell it with no profit after putting so much faith waiting for it. Sub Conclusion Insider trading does no significant harm for long-term investors as they just invest on the basis of time instead of share price and only need to watch insignificant loss from the valuable information exploited by insider trading. The idea is fully objected by Schotland by arguing even long-term investors need cash and should consider the right price to sell the share. Also the insignificant loss only refers to one share, but in practice long-term investor such as retirees diversify shares by holding more than one. Conclusion In summary, the essay demonstrates a number of both pros and contras of whether insider trading should be abolished. Looking the above discussion, insider trading should be outlawed as it can cause significant harm to investors. It is also contradict with fiduciary argument. However, Insider trading is also evidenced contribute to market efficiency. Moreover, as in Crown Casino’s case, IT regulation is criticized to be a mere flip-case of CD regulation and the presence just increase the cost of compliance. Therefore, It would be better if IT regulations is revised in a way that promote both fairness and efficiency equally.

Character study of Willy Loman Essays

Character study of Willy Loman Essays Character study of Willy Loman Paper Character study of Willy Loman Paper Willy Loman is a very unique character, he is pathetic and a modern tragic hero. I think the problem comes mainly from his excessive daydreaming, and his view of the American Dream, which is to succeed in life by being attractive and well liked by society. He spent most of his life pursing a dream but failed. His determination and dedication in pursing something that failed greatly affected his family members. Through Willys actions, he affected the future of Biff and Happy by straying them in the wrong directions. Willy and Biff always fight and argue due to Biff not living up to Willys expectations and also having yet to make anything out of himself. Happy and Biff try to help Willy, but every attempt always results in an argument. He believes he is well liked and popular but in reality nobody likes him and for that he is a small man. The interactions between Willy, Linda, Biff and Happy are usually never happy or normal. They always fight and argue with each other. Biff and Willy always have conflicts about getting a life and making money. Willy complains that Biff is nobody and as a result he doesnt listen to Biffs point of view. Instead, he makes fast and irrational conclusions such as not letting Biff talk about his visit to Oliver Biff: His answer was- Dad, youre not letting me tell you what I want to tell you! Willy: You didnt see him, did you? Biff: I did see him! Willy: Whatd you insult him or something? You insulted him, didnt you? Biff: Listen, will you let me out of it, will you just let me out of it! (Page 108-109) In turn, Biff gets angry that Willy doesnt listen and never gives him a chance to say anything, and a conflict occurs. Willy doesnt even let Linda comment on anything, instead he yells at her. Linda: Oliver always though the highest of him- Willy: Will you let me talk? Biff: Dont yell are her, Pop, will ya? (Page 65) Linda was trying to support Biff about going to Oliver for a job only to show Willy that Biff is actually trying to do something with his life. I believe that in Willys mind, he thought that Biff and Happy are great kids and going to be very successful, but in reality his sons were the opposite. He would never listen because it was hard for him to see a smart person like Bernard doing better than Biff and Happy. He would only try to think differently to convince himself that his sons were the best and going to live better than Bernard. If Willy took the time to listen to his family and friends, and be open to everyones advice and opinions, he might have not committed suicide. He is a very selfish person and ignored reality. He tried to make things better than they were which the opinions he choose which led to his destruction. Willy talks to himself a lot throughout the play; he daydreams about being successful and well liked at the end by creating a false image. In reality, he is unsuccessful and nobody likes him. Linda: Why didnt anybody come? Charley: It was a very nice funeral Linda: But where are all the people he knew? Maybe they blame him (Requiem) Nobody even went to his funeral because they dont know Willy anymore despite working for the Wagner firm for 34 years. Willy is jealous of Charlies success, every week he would find himself asking Charley for money. Willy thinks he is a much better man than Charley, but in fact he is just jealous that he is living a better life than he is. Even when Charley is nice enough to lend Willy money, he still gets mad at the smallest comments that Charley makes, like offering him a job. Charley: Why dont you want to work for me? Willy: Whats the matter with you? Ive got a job. Charley: Then whatre you walkin in here every week for? Willy: Well, if you dont want me to walk in here- Charley: I am offering you a job Willy: I dont want your goddam job! Charley: When the hell are you going to grow up? (Page 96-97) Willy is a closed minded, and a self centred person, he doesnt want to accept the fact that Charlies life is much better than his. I believe that Willy makes many sacrifices; one main one would be a good future. He aimed way to high and failed miserably. Linda knew what Willys situation is and is very supportive. Willy: Youre my foundation and my support, Linda. Linda: Just try to relax, dear. You make mountains out of molehills. (Page 18) The American Dream has deceived him, now he works on commission and eventually fired by Howard, Biff is a failure in his eyes and Charley is a successful man. He failed to raise his sons accordingly and his strong beliefs were just delusions. Is Willy a small man? I truly believe that he is, his aims in life have been useless and hasnt achieved anything. He is even abandoned by his two only sons at the restaurant. Happy even told the two girls that he picked up wasnt even his father. Letta: Dont you want to tell your father- Happy: No, thats not my father. Hes just a guy. Come on, (Page 115) Biff no long respects Willy after his affair, Willy Loman finds himself less capable in every aspect, financially and mentally. He wants his sons to be successful and better of than he is, but he corrupted them. Although they will never be successful, I truly think that Willy did the best he could, although he delayed their future by giving them a false image. Willy Loman is truly a low man, he has a very low self-esteem, in my opinion his goals are great only if he becomes a reality but what he doesnt realize, is that there would be devastation if he doesnt succeed. He was the main motivator of the family being dysfunctional. Linda is angry that Happy and Biff doesnt respect Willy and shows no worries for his actions and behaviour. Biff doesnt respect Willy anymore because of the constant pressure he puts on him, and also because of an affair he has with another women. I personally dont think that Willy is a crazy and inane man, but I certainly dont think that he is normal either. Willy Loman is just a confused man that took his goals one step to far, and by the time he realized it, it was too late. He believed that life is worth nothing anymore. I believed that he tried to make his goals worth something instead of nothing by killing himself, so that the insurance money would go to his family and some how help them. Therefore Willy Loman goals and dreams ultimately led to his destruction.

Business Analysis Of HSBC

Business Analysis Of HSBC HSBC is public limited bank and it’s headquartered is located in London, England since 1993. HSBC bank was founded in 1865 in and it was started with name † The Hong kong and Shanghai Banking corporation â€Å".The bank has lots of branches throughout the world. HSBC bank offers wide range of banking, Investment and financial service to high and economic customers. It holds international network of 8000 properties in 88 countries and regions in Europe, Hong kong, Rest of Asia-Pacific, The Middle East, The Americas and Africa. Previously, the Middle East is known as part of ‘Rest of Asia -Pacific ‘. HSBC offers comprehensive range of financial service within these international network. Banking service such as Credit and debit accounts, bank loans (secured loans, loans, unsecured loans, car loans etc.), mortgages, overdraft facility, and insurance are being served by the bank. It also provides Internet banking and Offshore banking. HSBC is one of the worldâ €™s largest banking and financial service group with 8th rank, according to Forbes Magazine. It has market capitalisation of US$ 199 billion since 31st December 2009. It is listed on the so many stock exchanges like London, Hong kong, New York , Barmuda and Paris; it is also part of the FTSE 100 index and HangSeng index. HSBC is also world’s first bank which was opened internationally that means â€Å"World’s Local Bank† and it was financed various projects like Railroad Building due to mordenization in early 20th century. History of HSBC: The history of HSBC is as old as extremely intresting for the each and every person and organization who wants great deal with the bank around the globe. Furthermore, bank is offering large amount of service to an individuals and institutions. FOUNDATION AND GROWTH : HSBC originally stands from â€Å"The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation † which is established by Scot Thomas Sutherland in Hongkong ( 3rd marc h ) in 1865. Then and as now,1 Queen’s Road Central was bank’s headquartered in Hongkong , plus another was opened in Shanghai one month later in 3rdapril 1865 to finance growing trade between China and Europe. In addition, one year later the London office was opened. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the bank opened its more branches in China, Asia, Japan, Europe and North America to provide financial service for its clients. Throughout the Second war the bank closed its many branches due to an international financial crisis and the head office was temporarily moved from Hongkong to London. Then after, the bank played major roll in rebuilding of Hongkong economy and that was the time for geographical spread through acquisition and alliances . In 1959, the bank purchased two banks that was The British Bank of Middle East and The Mercantile Bank (based in India). The Bank moved to Canadian and Australian market to expand its business during 1981-1986. I n 1987 The Marine Midland Bank (Now HSBC Bank of USA) became a member of the group. In 1991, HSBC Holding PLC was established and it became parent company to The Hong kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the shares were traded in both London Hong -kong stock exhanges.

Hewlett-Packard Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hewlett-Packard - Coursework Example In line with this merger, many have stated that this endeavor is both beneficial to the company. Upon analyzing the performance of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq as separate entities, these two are making waves for their markets specifically those of IT in nature. The merging of the company created a US$ 19 Billion value of the company, which signaled a big boom in the financial markets with high hopes and expectations regarding the company's operation formed by two IT giants. The company's future undertakings made me more interested in this study. The website www.news.com, also cited that this company would dictate a whopping 81% share in the US PC Market. One question was still unsettled, " will this merger eliminate all doubts and speculations during the negotiations of these giants to merge" Making profit out of the production if we are to deal with the IT industry is not the main goal of it nor it would justify the productivity of the company. In this regard, the threat of extinction among the big names in the IT industry is inevitable. The said companies (HP and Compaq) are making profit in this field, however, to compensate the needs of these companies and for them to be stable, they must increase their production above the projected number of these companies in order to compensate the demands and high rising cost of maintaining an IT company. To add to that, competitors like DELL, IBM, Toshiba, Sony and Sun Microsystems are some of the many competitors who divides the market of HP and Compaq. These premises made HP and Compaq decide to join forces in order to dominate the IT world. There are numerous mergers in the IT industry, which these mergers were intended to dominate the Market, wherein the common thinking during that time is " the survival of the fittest." Below is the timetable of the merger of these two companies. Table A Due to rising competition among different It companies, merger seems to be only option left fro the market of the company to expand and survive. REASONS FOR THE MERGER: Dealing with IT market is a great task to deal with. Innovations and related strategies is an important component to fare with other activities that are dominated by some firms. To further analyze the problem, it is essential to know different components concerning this. There are main reasons on why merger took place regarding the merger of the said companies. 1) Servers- Perhaps this is the main reason on why competitions in the IT industry is a though thing to deal with. Market leaders in this sector are the HP Alpha 9000 series servers with UNIX playing a dominant role as well. Other noteworthy firms in this sector are IBM and Dell but they are far behind from HP. Compaq is not a factor in this sector. 2) The rise of digital gadgets- Printers, Scanners and Digital cameras is indeed dominating the world of technology. In this regard, innovations concerning these gadgets are fast rising and these challenges are among the main reason of being obsolete from these things compared with the products and services offered by these two companies. 3) IT Services- The importance of this kind of service play a vital role not only in the World of technology, but the business world who needs it badly which is their primary

Abuse of authority the ethical implications Essay

Abuse of authority the ethical implications - Essay Example In some cases the abuse of authority is clearly seen as in situations like the RAMPART days in Los Angeles in other cases it is far less visible and can be seen in daily interactions between citizens and law enforcement. The purpose of this paper is to define what abuse of authority is, and to address the ethical dilemma that is rightly attached. Additionally addressed will be my personal stance, what changes could be made as well as the implications of the abuse of power when coupled with one’s faith. Abuse of Authority the ethical implications The definition of authority is a person who is command, or a government agency tasked with the role of administering to the public. The definition of abuse as defined by Merriam Webster dictionary is, â€Å"Improper or excessive use or treatment, physical maltreatment, a corrupt practice or custom† (Abuse, 2011). When combined and applied to the criminal justice system these words create a phrase that means a government agency w hich is corrupt or uses improper or excessive force. Some more common examples of abuse of power are, politicians using their position to profit, law enforcement using their position to promote non sanctioned methods, direct physically oppressive behaviors and using a nations military to secure private corporate monetary and physical gains. The abuse of power or authority can result in a loss of confidence by the general public, riots and war if it is advanced enough. None of these are beneficial to the state at large especially with regards to the criminal justice system and the desire to advance order through a fair and impartial justice system. With modern communications ability one event can quickly become a much larger political issue causing fractures in the fabric of society as a result. Personally, I believe that the abuse of power or authority is a crime and cannot be tolerated. Seeing that the abuse of authority can cause much larger problems it is necessary to ensure that when it occurs it is immediately stopped and if necessary an example is made so as to prevent future instances of this nature. As a professional member of the criminal justice world it is up to me to apply a fair and even approach regardless of the situation and to never use my power either perceived or real to profit personally or in an abusive manner. The United States is largely Christian and even though there are other religious and non-religious views that it is to a large part Christian can also have a positive or detrimental effect on the abuse of power. Researcher Joycelyn M. Pollock in her manuscript Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice states, â€Å"A fundamental question discussed by philosophers and religious scholars is whether God commands us not to commit an act because it is inherently wrong, or whether an act acquires its â€Å"badness† or â€Å"goodness† solely from God’s definition of it† (Pollock, 2008 pg. 41). Does this mean we act base on what we believe God wants or what we have agreed to do as per the law of the land. The Bible itself clearly states that we are to â€Å"Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves â€Å"(Biblegateway, 2011). Simply put by following the commands laid out for us in the Bible the abuse of power should never be an issue personally for Christians, however, we are all human as well. This means that mistakes can and are made, unfortunately, if a person is a Christian and is convicted of abusing their authority then it can have greater repercussions then just politically. Additionally because of the current various threats both external and

Piece on The lake Essay Example for Free

Piece on The lake Essay My head rested peacefully against the bark of the willow tree, my back floated on a bed of grass and my feet were gliding in the calm water of the lake, occasionally being nibbled by various fish. It was the perfect atmosphere to have a little nap; however I knew that if I fell asleep I would regret getting to admire the lakes precious beauty on this spectacular day. The sky was as clear as sapphire, the sun was a rosy apricot colour and was surrounded by pillows of clouds and somehow my imagination managed to convince me that there were little angels dancing and prancing above them. The sky looked even more radiant in the lakes refection; it added a glittery appeal to it, magical. I gazed wondrously towards the other side of the lake where the troop of trees stood, practically hugging each other. I enjoyed watching the giant trees sway with each other as if they were moving towards natures music. On my side of the lake, there was a choir of frogs chattering and birds chirping. I sang a little melody too, but the frogs and birds suddenly stopped, they must have disliked my tune. As I was about to rest my eyes a little, nature woke me up. The calming breeze tickled my ear lobes and I could faintly hear it whispering secrets to me. Every time the wind passed by, it left behind a scent of maple and berries so strong that it made my nose twitch. It smelt heavenly organic yet delightfully tasty. When I took a careful look at the lake, it looked similar to a heart shape; just one side was slightly bigger. The colour of the water was like an innocent girls eyes, so pure. It was a dark turquoise and if you looked  carefully you could see the luminous scales of various fish. Every now and then a heard of teeny tiny jump fish would be racing across the glowing surface of the lake as if they were being chased by the police. The lake was indescribably beautiful as it was but looking at what was on land around it was just the icing on top of the cake. Flowers bloomed as if they were living the last day of their life; bees flew as if there was no hurry; dears drank water as if there were no predators and birds sang as if they were in a symphony. The wind softly whispers through the trees as I rest on the soft green bed beneath me, peaceful feelings overtake me and my spirits seem to soar from within just like the birds circling above me.

Business Management Essay -- Business Management

Business Management   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The world of business has undergone radical and dramatic changes in the last decade changes that present extraordinary challenges for the contemporary manager. A manager is an organizational member who is responsible for planning, organizing, leading, and controlling the activities of the organization so that the goals can be achieved. According to a widely referenced study by Henry Mintzberg, managers serve three primary roles: interpersonal, informational, and decision-making. Management is process of administrating and coordinating resources effectively and efficiently in an effort to achieve the goals of the organization.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The concept of management within an organization typically occurs in an organizational setting. Organizations compromise a group of individuals who work together toward common goals. The concept of management within an organization can also be looked upon as a context as well as a process. Within the process of management there are four major functions planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Managers at all levels of the organizational hierarchy must engage in planning. Planning involves setting goals and defining the actions necessary to achieve those goals. In planning the top-level manager establishes the overall goals and strategies for the organization. While on the other hand the other managers in the hierarchy develop operational plans for their work groups, which has a responsibility to help the organization. All the managers must develop goals that are supportive in the over all strategy of the organization. Organizing involves determining the tasks to be done, which will do them, and how those tasks will be managed and coordinated. Managers of an organization have to put a work team together so that proper information, resources, and tasks can flow properly and efficiently in an organization. Managers should be able to lead the members of their work groups toward the accomplishment of the organization’s goals. Leading is defined as motivating and directing the members of the organization so that they contribute to the achievement of the goals of the organization. In order for leaders and managers to be effective they must understand the dynamics of individual and group behavior, to be able to motivate their employees, and be effective communicators. It is said that a good ... ...by using job rotation; job rotation is the assigning of jobs to individuals to a variety of job positions once they have mastered their original job. Another way to help an organization or manager in dealing with quality is by assigning self managed teams. A self-managed team is a group of employees who design their job responsibilities to achieve the self-determined goals and objectives of the team. With these teams the organization may be able to run more smoothly and less pressure will be on the middle manager, or the first-line manager. Finally another way to control quality effectively is by using (TQM) total quality management. Total Quality management is a systematic approach for enhancing products, services, processes, and operational quality control.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quality is a very important thing in an organization; therefore it is not possible to improve the quality of a product or service substantially without major changes in all aspects of the organization. Because quality is so important if changes aren’t made throughout the organization the output of the product will no be very successful. Everyone in the organization plays a major role in the out come of its products.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 23

â€Å"Two,† he said after a moment's hesitation. â€Å"Just two.† â€Å"Just two,† I repeated flatly, thinking oh shit. â€Å"Is that including you?† â€Å"Yes.† I rubbed my temples, wondering how I could warn Jerome and Carter that we had two nephilim to deal with now. No one had mentioned that possibility. â€Å"Someone should have known that,† I muttered, more to myself than to Roman. â€Å"Someone should have sensed it†¦ there would have been two different nephilim signatures. That's how Jerome knew it was you. You have a unique signature – no one else has it.† â€Å"No one else,† Roman agreed with a smirk, â€Å"except my sister.† Oh shit. â€Å"Jerome didn't mention more than one – ah.† I blinked in sudden understanding. Jerome, by his own admission, hadn't actually been around for the birth. â€Å"Twins? Or†¦ more?† The archdemon could have fathered quintuplets for all I knew. Roman shook his head, still highly amused at my deductions. â€Å"Only twins. Just the two of us.† â€Å"So this is a family act then? You two hit the road together, going from town to town, wreaking havoc†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Nothing so glamorous, love. Usually it's just me. My sister tries to keep a low profile – spends more time on her job and living her life. She doesn't really get caught up in grand machinations.† â€Å"Then how'd you rope her into this one?† Again, I thought about Erik's words, how most nephilim simply wished to be left alone. â€Å"She lives here. In Seattle. We're on her turf, so I talked her into going in on the final kill with me. She wasn't really into any of the stuff with the lesser immortals.† â€Å"Except beating on me,† I pointed out. â€Å"I am sorry about that. I think you pissed her off.† â€Å"I don't even know her,† I exclaimed, wondering which was worse: a nephilim in love with me or a nephilim holding a grudge. He just smiled. â€Å"I wouldn't be so sure of that.† He reached out to touch me, almost casually, and I backed away, making his smile slip. â€Å"Now what's wrong?† â€Å"What do you mean? You think you can just dump this on me and then expect things to be all peachy between us?† â€Å"Well, why not? Honestly, what have you got left to worry about?† I opened my mouth to protest, but he continued before I could speak: â€Å"I've already told you, I'm not going to hurt you or any of your friends. The only person left on my list is someone you don't even know or care about. That's it. End of story.† â€Å"Oh yeah? What'll happen then? After you kill Carter?† He shrugged. â€Å"Then I leave. I'll find someplace to hang out for a while. Probably teach again.† He leaned toward me, holding my gaze. â€Å"You could come with me, you know.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Think about it.† He spoke eagerly, excitement growing with each word. â€Å"You and me. You could settle down and do all the things you like to do – your books, your dancing – without any immortal politics to muck your life up.† I scoffed. â€Å"Hardly. It's not like I can stop being a succubus. I still need sex to survive.† â€Å"Yes, yes, I know you'd still have to tag the occasional victim, but think about the times in between. You and me. Together. Being with someone you don't have to worry about hurting. Being with someone simply for the pleasure of it, not for survival. No superiors to harass you about meeting your quotas.† Seth came to mind just then, part of me idly wondering what it'd be like to be with him â€Å"just for pleasure.† Shifting back to my harsh reality, I told Roman, â€Å"I can't just run off. Seattle is my post. I have people to answer to; they wouldn't let me leave.† Cupping my face in his hands, he whispered, â€Å"Georgina, Georgina. I can protect you from them. I have the power to hide you. You can live your own life. No more answering to the bureaucracy above. We can be free.† Those hypnotic eyes hooked me like a fish on a line. For centuries, I had lived out immortality achingly alone, bouncing from one short-term relationship to another, ending any connection that got too deep. Now, Roman was here. I was attracted to him, and I didn't have to push him away. I couldn't hurt him through physical contact. We could be together. We could wake up together. We could live out eternity together. I would never have to be lonely again. Longing surged up within me. I wanted it. Oh God, I wanted it. I didn't want to hear Jerome chastise me for my â€Å"all lowlifes, all the time† seduction policy. I wanted to come home and tell someone about my day. I wanted to go out dancing on the weekends. I wanted to take vacations together. I wanted someone to hold me when I was upset, when the ups and downs of the world pushed me too far. I wanted someone to love. His words blazed through me, piercing my heart. I knew, however, they were only that: words. Eternity is a long time; we couldn't hide forever. Eventually we'd be found, or when Roman finally got destroyed on one of his â€Å"protest† missions, I'd be exposed and have a lot of angry demons to answer to. He was offering me a child's dream, an impractical fantasy with a short-lived, doomed run. Furthermore, running off with Roman meant complying with the outcome of this insane plot of his. Logically, I could understand his angst and desire to lash back. I felt for his sister – even if she inexplicably hated me – who simply wanted to live an ordinary life. I had seen slaughter and bloodshed over the years, the extinction of entire populations of people whose names and cultures no one remembered today. To live with that over and over throughout these long millennia, to always be on the run, hiding simply because of an accident of birth†¦ yes, perhaps I would be pissed off too. Yet, I still could not see that as sufficient reason for the random killing of immortals, simply to â€Å"prove a point.† The fact that I knew these immortals personally made it worse. Carter's attitude still unnerved me, yes, but he had saved my life, and my days with him hadn't been unbearable. If anything, Roman should laud the angel. The nephilim's biggest complaint was that immortals stayed locked into archaic sets of rules and roles, but Carter had broken the mold: an angel who chose friendship with his hypothetical enemies. He and Jerome typified the kind of rebellious, nonconforming lifestyle so advocated by Roman. Too bad that didn't seem to be enough to dissuade the nephilim. I wondered if I could. â€Å"No,† I told him. â€Å"I can't do it. And you don't have to do it either.† â€Å"Do what?† â€Å"This plot. Killing Carter. Just let him go. Let it all go. Violence only begets more violence, not peace.† â€Å"I'm sorry, love. I can't. There's no peace for my kind.† I reached out and touched his face. â€Å"You call me that, but do you really mean it? Do you love me?† He caught his breath, and I suddenly realized he could be just as hypnotized by my eyes as I was by his. â€Å"Yes. I do.† â€Å"Then do this for me if you love me. Walk away. Walk away from Seattle. I†¦ I'll go with you if you do.† I hadn't realized I'd meant it until the words escaped my lips. Running off was a child's fantasy, true, but it would be worth it if I could avert what was to come. â€Å"You mean it?† â€Å"Yes. As long as you can keep me safe.† â€Å"I can keep you safe, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stepped away from me and paced around, running a hand through his hair in consternation. â€Å"I can't walk away,† he finally told me. â€Å"Almost anything in the world I would do for you, but not this. You can't imagine what it's been like. You think immortality's been cruel to you? Imagine what it's like always running, always watching your back. I have just as much trouble settling down as you. Thank God for my sister. She's the only one I have, the only mainstay in my life. The only one I loved – until you, at least.† â€Å"She can come with us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He closed his eyes. â€Å"Georgina, when my mother was still alive – millennia ago – we lived in a camp with some of the other nephilim and their mothers. We were always running, always trying to stay ahead of those pursuing us. One night†¦ I'll never forget it. They found us, and I swear, Armageddon itself could never be so terrible. I don't even know who did it – angels, demons, or whatever. I mean, when it comes down to it, they're all the same really. Beautiful and terrible.† â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. â€Å"I've seen them.† â€Å"Then you know what they can do. They swept in and just destroyed everyone. It didn't matter who. Nephilim children. Humans. Everyone was considered a liability.† â€Å"But you escaped?† â€Å"Yes. We were lucky. Most weren't.† He turned back to look at me. His heartache made my eyes burn. â€Å"Do you see now? Do you see now why I have to do this?† â€Å"You only further the bloodshed.† â€Å"I know, Georgina. For Christ's sake, I know. But I have no choice.† I saw in his face then that he hated being a part of that bloodshed, part of the same destructive behavior that had haunted his childhood. But I also saw that he was inextricably tied to that. He could not escape it. He had lived too long, so much longer than me. The years of fear and anger and blood had twisted him. He had to see this game played out. Ifight every day to not let the past overtake me. Sometimes I win, sometimes it does. â€Å"I have no choice,† he repeated, face desperate. â€Å"But you do. I still want you to come with me when I'm done.† A choice. Yes, I did have a choice. A choice between him and Carter. Or did I? Was there anything I could do to save Carter at this point? Did I want to save Carter? For all I knew, Carter had slaughtered countless nephilim children over the years in the name of good. Maybe he deserved the punishment Roman wanted to mete out. What were good and evil, really, but stupid categories? Stupid categories that restricted people and punished or rewarded them based on how they responded to their own natures, natures they really didn't have any way to control. Roman was right. The system was flawed. I just didn't know what to do about it. What I needed was time. Time to think about all of this, time to figure out a way that would save angel and nephilim both, if such a feat were possible. I didn't know how to buy that time, though, not with Roman standing there staring at me, aflame with his romantic notion of running off together. Time. I needed time and had no idea how to get it. I had no powers to help in a situation like this. If Roman decided I was a threat, I would be unable to fight against him. A nephilimcould easily blow one of you out of the water. I could not pull divine strings and contracts like Hugh, had no superhuman reflexes and strength like Cody and Peter. I was a succubus. I changed shape and had sex with men. That was it. That was it†¦

Jeanne Wilson Essay

Jeanne Wilson was employed as a nurse at the Mary McClellan hospital in the late 1970s. While employed there she heard tale of â€Å"The Pink Lady† who roamed the halls of the maternity ward and seemed drawn to a certain room, with a particular patient. â€Å"Well, when I was working at the Mary McClellan Hospital in Cambridge (that’s just across the river from here) I had the night watch of the maternity ward. The other nurses used to tell me to watch myself up there because of this pink lady. I most certainly believe in ghosts although I have never seen any myself you understand. I was never really afraid, I just figured she’d be peaceful and never bother any of us doing the good work up on the floor. Sometimes at night you would hear the swoosh, swoosh of someone’s bathrobe rubbing on their legs or the scuffle sound of slippers on the floor. There would never be anyone there, but you’d hear it just the same. This one time we had a lady come in who was dying. She was an older woman and the nurses really loved her. Well, she asked to die on the maternity ward so all of the nurses felt this was ok. We brought her up and got her settled. It was a very small hospital you know. Anyway, I was checking in patients late at night and as I was walking past her room, I noticed the door was shut. I looking in through the little window on those doors and there was the pink lady! She had pink curlers in her hair, a pink robe on, and pink slip-on kind of slippers on her feet! Well, I almost died myself right there. I couldn’t believe my eyes. When I caught my breath, I peeked back in the door to see her just standing over the old woman just watching her sleep. I creaked open the door and sure enough she disappeared. They said the pink lady only walked the maternity ward because she had lost all of her children in those rooms. When she died of cancer later on, she had asked to be in the maternity ward to die like her children! Well, I never expected her to visit this woman. Of course, when I think of it now, it makes perfect sense! They don’t deliver babies in the hospital anymore – actually its not even a hospital now. But, that’s the pink lady and I’m telling you – she’s real. † Ms. Wilson states this story as a full-fledged memory from her past. While employed at the hospital she points out others telling her this singular truth, and denied knowledge of any other tales of this nature in the ward. The story comes from a region other than place interviewed, not allowing for cross-reference with other individuals. Hospital stories of this nature are found throughout history, with a higher concentration surrounding Civil War hospitals. The time-frame for the inception of the tale can best be ascertained as the 1950s era due to the physical description of the pink lady. One can assume the story originated at that time. The telling was very excited with strong body language used throughout. Exaggerated facial expressions and multiple hand manipulations of air demonstrated actual behavior during the encounter. The skills of her trade do not enter the story, nor are they necessary other than putting Ms. Wilson in the hospital after hours. Ms. Wilson was interviewed with her elderly mother present. This parent did not obviously believe the tale, nor did she appreciate the telling of it. This did not hinder the younger Wilson woman; in fact, she seemed eager for acceptance of the tale. The recording of her story may well have promoted a more fascinating telling of the story with added bits of detail. The education level of Ms. Wilson was undetermined. Apparently, she is not a qualified nurse, having never gone to school to keep up with the educational demands of the field. She currently works in a rest home. The idea of her having been a nurse at the time appeared to have given the tale more validity in her mind as she felt it was a scientific study of sorts. She was reminded of the nature of the recording. References Wilson, J. (personal communication, October 14, 2006)

Juvenile Delenquency

Juvenile Delenquency Free Online Research Papers There are numerous theories to why a person becomes who they are and how they got there, what makes it difficult to understand is which correct theory to follow and believe. Listed are a brief analysis of a few theories and two case studies of two troubled youths that will help to open a window to witness what is happening to society’s youth and how they contribute to adulthood. Although, several theories are around regarding juvenile delinquency, tapering them down to one solution is nearly impracticable. Knowing that a theory is simply an educated guess, one can see there is not one single cause for delinquency in society today .However, there are several theories that should be considered and explored. We should make a more in-depth look at figures and determine where crime actually begins. The following are two separate crimes and for many, the correct theories surrounding them. I will explore theories such as the Robert Agnu’s General Strain Theory which suggest that anger, frustration and adverse emotions are linked to negative and destructive relationships. I will also explore Sigmund Freud’s psychodynamic theory which suggests delinquent behavior is a product of abnormal personality structure formed early in life which consciously controls her choices. Juvenile Delinquency I will begin with Lakeisha McCoy a 16 year old girl living in Malvern Arkansas, a rural area in county seat of Hot Springs with the population of 9,021; (Wikipedia 2000) Lakeisha is from a single parent home with her mother and three other your female siblings surviving on the income $ 375 a week and no father figure in the home. Lakeisha’s mother works 40-50 hours per week at the Waffle House and has no daycare for the younger children .Therefore Lakeisha is unsupervised for better part of (6) hours after school due to her mother’s schedule. Lakiesha’s mother has an extensive criminal record possible mental illness, and was a troubled youth. She chooses boyfriends are less than desirable citizens most have little job security as well as drug and alcohol tendencies. Lakiesha was recently arrested for shoplifting at the local dollar store after stealing two pairs of shoes and three shirts. Next subject is Martin, a 14 year old male who lives in Dallas Texas, a large metropolitan city with the population of 1,299,543; (Wikipedia 2008) Martin is from a two parent household with one younger sister living on the annual income of $100,000.00 a year. Martin’s parents are both employed, however, they work opposite shifts to ensure at least one parent is available for supervision at all times. Both parents keep the children at home after school and they are not involved with any after school or extra family functions. Martin was arrested for breaking and entering into a neighbor’s home during the day when his mother was a doctor’s appointment with his younger sister. What would society believe to be the reasoning behind both Lakeisha and Martins crimes? Some would say â€Å"There just troubled kids† or maybe would say â€Å"It’s because neither had supervision†. However, research and theorists view it in a completely different way. Let’s look at Sigmund Freud’s psychodynamic theory which suggests delinquent behavior is a bi product of abnormal personality structure formed early during the beginning stages of life. This theory would then explain her choices in relationships and how she feels about herself .Example mental torment can lead children into violence and aggression .An neglected child attention from peers will introduce them to a family structure or gang. This theory indicates that children act on unconscious needs and desires. With id, egos ,and super ego functioning together a child can live a normal in the aspects of personality if one becomes dominate then abnormal personality traits can be viewed in a â€Å"God† like complex.(Siegel et al.† 2003). Arousal theorists believe that obtaining thrills is a motivation of committing crimes. They believe children commit crimes like shoplifting for the thrill of possibly getting away with it .They also believe this directly linked environmental and genetic reasons and this group responds to a different brain stimuli. This might indicate that some children need more stimuli to feel comfortable which links higher degrees of excitement .The theories do not stop with just a chemical thrill seeking side of these children; there are a few other facts to consider. (Siegel et al., 2003) Robert Agnu’s General Strain Theory explores the notion that anger, frustration and adverse emotions are directly linked to negative and destructive relationships. Example, Lakeisha’s mother is one with abusive tendencies, she is ridiculed and called names which affects her behaviors both inside and outside the home by harboring a since of fear. Disappointment and anger. This eventually leads to antisocial behavior. He indicates that the negative behavior is linked to a certain peer group which might lead the adolescent to riskier behavior such as drug use. (Siegel et al., 2003). Also Edwin Sutherland’s differential association theory suggest children exposed to and learn prosocial and antisocial attitudes and behavior ;meaning that the definitions of violating the law outweigh the definitions of being law abiding .Lakeisha’s mother has a long criminal record including , shoplifting , robbery and drug dealing. Since Lakeisha was exposed to this behavior most of her life, she begin to understand the law differently than a child whose parents were law abiding citizens. Terrence Thornberry’s interactional theory suggests most onset of criminal activity is linked to the weakening of social bonds during adolescence; marked by the deterioration of attachments of function within a society. It also believes that seriously delinquent children form a counter cultural belief system that justifies their behavior they interact with peer groups that that reinforce the same type of behavior and beliefs. This reinforces the term â€Å"Birds of a feat her flock together† .Together they may look for excitement and engage reckless behavior and by doing so; they will justify their actions by stating â€Å"we have to do something for enjoyment† (Siegel et al, 2002). In Lakeisha’s case all three theories can be tied to her behavior, individual sociological and developmental stages have all been tainted .From birth Lakeisha was statistically predisposed to commit crimes and have a delinquent youth. Today, there are 100,000 children incarcerated throughout the United States and the number in continuing to rise. Studies show that in 19999 there were nearly (2) million juvenile adjudicated in the United States courts. That is an increase of 27% since 1990. The number of drug law violations increased by 168% public order increased by 74% and offenses of a person increased by 55% (Puzzanchera, 1999). Martins’ case is linked more towards the interactional theory and arousal theory than the opposite. His behaviors seem easier to turn towards the positive aspect than the latter. After several years of juvenile justice the general consensus should consider exploring there issues first. look in and around all the theories and perhaps children can avoid obstacles in their way. REFERENCES Foster care and juvenile delinquency (n.d.) Retrieved July 24, 2010 , from http;// www,ark.edu/psyc112/fostercare/. Pussanchera, C (1999) The national juvenile court data archives. Retrived Oct 19, 2005 from Juvenile Court Statistics Web site: http//www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles I /ojjdp/201141.pdf#search=Juvenile%20statistics Siegel, L (2002) Juvenile delinquency, The Core, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Sigel. J., Welsh, B, C, Senna, J.J. (2003) Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, practice, and law (8th Ed.). United States: Thomson Wikipedia (2002).Retrieved July 27, 2010 from the free Encyclopedia Website: Wikipedia (2006) Retrieved July 27, 2010 from The free Enc Research Papers on Juvenile DelenquencyThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThree Concepts of PsychodynamicHip-Hop is ArtThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductResearch Process Part One

Hobbe's notion of political obligation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hobbe's notion of political obligation - Essay Example A proper insight into Hobbes’ concept of political obligation or the moral conduct that every individual must have towards political order has been provided within the scope of this paper. Every man has a moral duty to obey the laws of the land that he is bound by; this is the concept of political obligation. According to Hobbes, individuals came together in the form of a social contract in order to live in a civil society in a sophisticated manner. Hobbes presented this state of nature in the backdrop of the American Civil War in 1651 where life was brutish, poor, nasty, solitary and hellish for every man. Thus, he postulated the theory of a sovereign central power being there to guide everyone and provide them with certain rights and duties at the same time. Political duty has been said to be one of man’s main obligations; something that he is bound to follow and carry out in order to serve the State. Political obligation is thus an obligation or a duty that every cit izen belonging to a State has, to follow the law and live by the rules that have been laid down in the land. Anyone who has an obligation to obey the law thus has a moral duty to discharge, at least when there are no overriding moral considerations that justify disobedience. Obligation may differ from a duty or a sense of morality to be exact in a number of ways, the most simple of the reasons being that obligation is a compulsion or a ‘moral’ right of a man to carry out a duty. For Hobbes, the social contract theory meant that every man would have his own rights and powers and freedom and would not be restricted by others living within the same society. However, he would have to follow the sovereign authority of the state and would be obligated to derive and obey the law from the consent of the governing body. This raises a fundamental question in the minds of most political philosophers, â€Å"Why should we obey the government, and when, if ever, do we have the right not to? â€Å"The rational necessity of renouncing our rights and investing them in an all-powerful sovereign, he concludes that our obligation to obey such a sovereign is absolute, right up to the moment when he actually attempts our destruction.† (Duff, Konstancja) As per the laws of nature, Hobbes stated that if a man desired his own preservation in the eyes of the State then he must act according to the rules that were laid down by the sovereign powers. He writes that the judgement that the sovereign authority passes is maintained as the trump card or the deciding factor for everything that takes place within the State. Thus, following the same concept, political obligation recognises the same and as per this private normative judgements of the people might never be taken into account. Disobedience of the law of the land may only be taken into account when a person’s life is in immediate threat or danger. Political obligation in simple terms only refers to a civic duty that every citizen possesses. Hobbes maintained the fact that it was important to obey the rules and regulations laid down or dictated by anyone trying to maintain political order as a part of political obligation of a person. Such tyranny made people unhappy and uneasy to follow. He was opposed by political philosophers like John Locke for stating his version of political

Impact of NGOs on Chinas Labour Rights CSR Component Essay

Impact of NGOs on Chinas Labour Rights CSR Component - Essay Example The role of NGOs is growing more important in China given the lack of political independence, as well as freedom of association, for work councils and trade unions on the factory floor. This vacuum is filled partially by labour support and labour rights NGOs, which bargain for labour rights and offer support to work for councils at factories and other workplaces. These organizations have more room to manoeuvre since they can bypass political aspects because of their business model, although this can also lead to additional dependencies that hamper their strategies for collective action focused labour rights (Lin, 2010). NGOs, thus, face the delicate task of balancing dependencies between businesses and states and expanding on what current labour laws, both national and international, provide. Their effectiveness against this backdrop will be discussed with regards to labour rights within their larger CSR monitoring mandate. NGOs working in the labour rights and labour support sector in China have several government-recognized frameworks to ensure adherence to CSR, particularly labour rights. One of this is the 2008 Labour Law that was passed in mid-2007 and implemented the next year. In passing the new labour law, the Chinese legislature strengthened worker protection and made a real attempt at adhering to internationally recognized labour regulations (Zheng, 2009). This law required that employees in all Chinese companies give their workers a written contract and restricted use of casual labourers, while also making it more difficult to lay off workers. The law also softened its stance on foreign companies that were a threat to those in China, as well as enhanced the role of the state-owned union in collective bargaining. The law also requires that all employers give equal treatment to immigrant and local employees. In addition, the law also requires that the written contracts offered by employers to w orkers meet minimum safety and wage regulations (See, 2009). For NGOs in China, most of which are funded by foreign labour rights organizations, this moves the country towards a European-style regime of labour regulations.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington - Essay Example ared to the political climate within the current era; noting key similarities and differences as well as specifying issues, obstacles, and difficulties that Mr. Smith might face if in fact the movie was cast and produced within the current era and focused upon the current political climate within Washington DC. Through such a level of analysis, the intention of this student is to provide a running commentary; both on the way in which corruption is similar to the way in which it was fully 75 years ago as compared to the way it exists today. Additionally, commentary will be provided in terms of the unique differences and the growth of systemic rot and corruption within government power as they exist today in terms of how they might be related to the film. One of the first differentials that should necessarily be understood in terms of the way that the film was represented and the general sentiment of the population today is in terms of the overall level of trust that citizens have in their government. Whereas it is ultimately true that there have always been a large number of individuals that inherently distrust power and believe it to be corrupt, the overall number of people 75 years ago, and those represented within the film, or ultimately of the belief that individuals in Washington were at least attempting to do the right thing and to look out for their best interests. Whereas it is inherently true that the corruption of the governor and the prior senator were clearly noted within the film, the common people were of the opinion that a reformer and an honest man could make some difference and could ultimately change the situation as it currently existed (Corliss 4). Yet, within the modern era, people have become increasingly skept ical of the potential for anyone to change the way in which Washington operates. After electing one of the most charismatic political leaders of the past 50 years, Barack Obama, only to realize that the platform on which he campaigned

Write about Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Write about Japan - Essay Example The emperor appoints an executive prime minister. Shinzo Abe is the current premier of Japan. The capital city of Japan is Tokyo. This paper explains the economic changes that took place after the Second World War that turned Japan into an economic hub. The Second World War extensively destroyed properties in Japan and thousands of people lost their lives. Industries were not spared either and those that were running lacked industrial inputs. Japan had lost almost 25% of its wealth after the war (Osubo, 4). In 1952, Japan could have been categorized as an underdeveloped state. From 1952 to 1968, Japan adopted strategies that transformed it from a less developed country to an economic powerhouse only behind the United States of America. The availability of dedicated labor is among the factors that led to the growth of Japan to an industrialized nation. The young generation was migrated from the villages to towns to provide the necessary workforce that was required in the industries. The government also invested heavily in private industries and its policy to adopt new technologies from other nations led to the growth of industries such as the automobile industry. The government introduced local banks to offer financial assistance to the local business men to enhance their businesses. The return of Japan into the international stage allowed the international monetary fund to boost its economy. The government also encouraged locals to do savings that provided funds to be invested in the various sectors. The savings allowed Japan not to borrow from other countries with high interests. The education system was changed and modeled to resemble the American system where students were required to attend three years elementary and six years of high school education. When Prime Minister Hayato took office in 1960, he promised to double the economy in ten years. In fact, that was achieved in seven years. Other plans to grow the economy were

Midwife Views on Amniotomy to Speed Up Labour

Midwife Views on Amniotomy to Speed Up Labour Abstract This dissertation considers the views of midwives on the procedure of amniotomy with the specific relevance of its use in speeding up labour. The available literature is considered in detail to try to establish the current evidence base for the assumption that amniotomy does speed up labour and it finds that the evidence is poor, both in terms of number and quality of the papers available. One of the biggest problems appears to be that it is very difficult to carry out a study that isolates the specific and unique effects of amniotomy on the speed of labour from all of the other potential confounding factors that can influence the eventual outcome. There appears to be a gap in the literature in specific regard to the midwife’s views on the subject. A proposal is therefore made for a pilot project to evaluate the midwife’s views by the means of a qualitative survey using the semi-structured interview technique. The rationale for such a study structure is discussed in detail. Acknowledgements (Client to personalise) Contents page Abstract Acknowledgements Contents Purpose of the study Literature Review What is already known? Amniotomy and induction of labour Complications associated with amniotomy What are the perceived benefits of amniotomy? Does amniotomy speed up delivery? Midwife’s views on the subject Methodology Search history. Classification of evidence levels Research question or hypothesis Study design Sample Data Collection Rigour Ethical Issues Budget Timetable. Dissemination of findings Proposed semi-structured interview questions References Purpose of the study: The research question. The procedure of amniotomy was first described in the 18th century. Despite having therefore been in constant use for over 200 years, its effect on the induction and the course of labour still remains a matter of dispute and conflicting evidence. (Greenwood C et al. 2003) Amniotomy is generally held to be the artificial rupture of intact membranes with a view to facilitating, stimulating or inducing labour. (ODriscoll K et al. 1986). This dissertation has purposely started with a definition of amniotomy that is over 20 years old. During the course of the exploration of the evidence base surrounding the procedure of amniotomy we shall consider whether this definition is still held to be true in current practice. The procedure is typically done with gloved hands and the healthcare professional ruptures the amniotic sac with an amnihook (or similar instrument) between contractions, as this reduces the risk of cord prolapse because the amniotic fluid is under less pressure. (Kirby R S 2004). The hand is kept in the vagina allowing the fluid to drain in a controlled manner and the nature (colour consistency and amount) of the fluid is noted. It would be considered good practice to assess the foetal heart both immediately prior to the procedure and again immediately after it to check for foetal distress due to cord compression. Many authorities advocate performing the procedure in the semi-sitting position in order to minimise the effects of aortocaval compression and thereby optimise the blood supply to the uterus. (Burnett A F 2000) Indications for amniotomy still include the â€Å"promotion of labour†. This can be taken to mean both the induction of labour and the speeding up of labour (Cummingham F G et al. 2005) however, hard evidence for either is difficult to find for reasons that we shall discuss. Literature Review What is already known? For ease of presentation, this section will be divided up into various sub-headings considering the different aspects of amniotomy as a procedure Amniotomy and induction of labour Amniotomy is frequently cited as a means of inducing labour particularly if the cervix is considered to be â€Å"ripe†. Unfortunately amniotomy alone is an unpredictable inducer of labour with the possibility of long intervals between amniotomy and the onset of significant contractions. The Mouldin trial considered a direct prospective comparison of amniotomy alone and amniotomy with an associated oxytocin infusion. The results showed a statistically significant difference in the two groups with the latter group having a shorter induction to delivery interval. (Mouldin P G et al. 1996) There is a huge variation in the literature concerning the ability of amniotomy to hasten the onset of labour. Some early papers suggested that the effect was only minimal (Caldeyro-Barcia R 1975) whereas the majority of others suggest a much more obvious effect. As with other areas of investigation, difficulty arises in trying to separate out the effects of the amniotomy from the myriad of other variable factors that are present when a woman goes into labour. Friedman questions whether amniotomy hastens labour at all since many of the prospective trials have considered the case when amniotomy is done in early labour when the contractions would naturally begin to accelerate in any event (Friedman, E.A 1998) Complications associated with amniotomy This is a particularly contentious area with different authorities citing not only different associations of complications but significantly differing incidences as well. If we consider the Sheiner paper (Sheiner E et al. 2000) we can show a number of significant findings when early amniotomy was compared with both premature rupture of membranes (PROM) and oxytocin induction of labour. The significant differences found between the groups included a higher rate of caesarean section with 26.7% in the amniotomy group and 11.6% in the PROM and 16.9% in the oxytocin groups. It should be noted however, the authors performed a number of subsidiary analyses and showed that when the incidence of a previous caesarean section was controlled for then the amniotomy group had a similar incidence of caesarean section to the other groups. This would imply that amniotomy is more likely to be considered an option when a previous caesarean section has occurred. The authors make no comment as to why the y believe this might be. A much larger and more rigorous survey (Segal D et al. 2000) reviewed the outcomes of nearly 2000 cases of early amniotomy performed in association with a poor cervical score (Bishop scores of Amniotomy has been shown to increase the incidence of abnormalities in the patterns of foetal heart rate.( Goffinct F et al. 1997) Again this effect is hard to isolate convincingly as the risk may be consistently underestimated because women who do not have amniotomy are more likely to be given oxytocin which also increases the incidence of abnormal foetal heart rate patterns. (Rouse D J et al. 1999) Amniotomy may also be associated with an increase in infection rates. (Ventura S J et al. 1997) What are the perceived benefits of amniotomy? A number of authoritative texts state that routine early amniotomy can shorten labour by a variable amount, usually one or two hours (viz. Vincent M (2005) and Sheiner E, et al. (2000) and Albers L L et al. (1996)), Others suggest that it may reduce the use of oxytocics and the number of women who report the most intense degrees of pain during labour. (Klaus M H (1998) This picture is however, clouded by the fact that modern practice with its use of oxytocin (which makes labour more painful) and analgesia, including the epidural, which obviously reduces the overall pain experience, makes the statistical analysis of the relationship between amniotomy and pain very difficult Amniotomy has been cited as being indicated when there is a need for closer monitoring of the foetus allowing the direct attachment of scalp electrodes and incidentally evaluating whether the baby has passed meconium into the amniotic fluid. (Thornton J G et al. 1994). The presence of meconium is a significant clinical sign and is associated with an increased foetal morbidity and mortality (Ramin K D et al. 1996) Although its observation is enhanced by amniotomy, it is only of peripheral relevance to our considerations in this dissertation and therefore will not be considered further. Other authorities observe that this is not a good indication for amniotomy as the release of the amniotic fluid may expose the umbilical cord to increased compression during contractions. (Klaus M H 1998) Amniotomy also allows the positioning of an intrauterine pressure catheter in order to measure uterine contractions. Does amniotomy speed up delivery? This is an issue that has appeared in many older papers. A significant trial of 20 years ago (Seitchik J et al. 1985) concluded that the procedure of amniotomy appeared to enhance the cervical dilatation rate in patients with already well-dilated cervices and that are already dilating at a satisfactory rate and it conversely slows dilatation in some other patients, particularly those whose cervices are less dilated. This finding is cited in a number of contemporary text books. The difficulty is that the findings in this paper are only evidence base level 3. Many other papers refer to the trophic effects of amniotomy but none have had the discriminatory power to isolate the effects of amniotomy from the multitude of other variables which are inevitably present during the process of labour. The paper by Sherman (Sherman D J et al. 2002) primarily considers the patterns of foetal heart rate during the induction of labour and, in doing so, provides circumstantial evidence that amniotomy increases the speed of labour. Amniotomy was however, only performed in this trial if the cervix had dilated to more than 3 cms. without an associated spontaneous rupture of membranes. Oxytocin was also used in a significant number of cases thereby masking any effect which amniotomy alone might have. A different view is expressed by Pozaic who considered the case proven and puts forward the view that amniotomy should only be reserved for cases where there is abnormally slow progress of labour and then amniotomy should be performed to speed up the process. Again this is little more than level 4 evidence as the author does not cite what her evidence base is for making such an assumption. (Pozaic S 2004) To present a balanced argument one can cite the work of Steer (actually written when he was a house officer but then went on to become a professor of obstetrics), who published a controlled study of two matched groups of patients, all of whom had oxytocin induced labour. One group had their membranes ruptured and the others were allowed to rupture spontaneously. Steer found that the duration of labour was shorter in all patients who had ruptured membranes although, for reasons that were not explained, the uterine contractions were found to be at their greatest when the membranes were intact. In short, there was no evidence that amniotomy increased the speed of labour and there was evidence to suggest that the uterine activity was greatest in the group with membranes intact until well into labour. (Steer P J et al. 1975) Midwife’s views on the subject In terms of determining midwife’s views on the subject, there appears to be an almost complete gap in the literature on the subject. Extensive searching reveals no definitive authoritative texts on the subject and a very few that have sought the patient’s view on the issue. The Lavender paper (Lavender T et al. 1999) considered the issue only peripherally as part of a larger exploration of patient’s views and concluded that women who had long and protracted labours welcomed virtually any type of intervention that was perceived to reduce the time in labour and this included amniotomy. Clearly it is likely that this was perceived by the women as a â€Å"labour shortening procedure† and it is very unlikely that any discussion of informed evidence base would have taken place prior to its use. These issues are explored further in the more recent and larger qualitative investigation by Hodnett who considered the experiences and evaluations of childbirth in terms of overall pain experience. The paper is long and involved and, in the main, peripheral to our considerations here other then the fact that one of the main factors that the women cited as significant in terms of their positive appreciation of the process of labour was their perception of the attitude and behaviour of the midwives and this was rated as being more significant than the actual procedures that they employed. This finding appeared to override other factors including such variables as â€Å"age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, childbirth preparation, the physical birth environment, pain, immobility, medical interventions, and continuity of care†. (Hodnett, E D. 2002). One can only therefore speculate as to whether this finding vicariously influences the decisions made by the midwives in terms of tr ying to provide a complete service to their patients. Another paper which is peripherally relevant to this issue is the well written and thought-provoking essay and investigation by Sookhoo (Sookhoo M L et al. 2002) which considered the wider issues of how midwives learn their clinical skills and the mechanisms by which they acquire their practical knowledge. The authors devote a substantial proportion of their paper to how this knowledge actually influences their professional judgements in both the assessment and the progress of the course of labour. This particular paper is worthy of examination on several levels, not only for its actual content and results, but because it is structured on a grounded theory premise and conducts a number of semi-structured interviews and then attempts to construct theories from the results. It is very significant that a major finding in this paper was that the authors hypothesise that a major determinant of clinical activity for a midwife is the way in which she conceptualises uncertainty (which clearly is a major element in the management of labour). It is also significant that they found that one of the major techniques for avoiding uncertainty was to rely upon conventions and put trust in specific procedures â€Å"almost as a ritual†. The authors suggest that the experienced midwife tends to draw upon a much wider range of evidence and experience which has been accumulated through their clinical practice than the novice midwife who tends to rely on guidelines and strategies which they t end to see as predictive and protective. This has great relevance to the practice of amniotomy as Sookhoo et al. found that the experienced midwives tended to avoid inappropriate intrusion into the process of labour as a matter of routine. We should therefore be aware that amniotomy may be conceived as â€Å"inappropriate intrusion† by the experienced midwife and our study should perhaps be structured to evaluate this possibility. Perhaps the last word on this subject should go to the overview of the subject published by Katz Early amniotomy remained an independent risk factor for operative delivery on multiple logistic analysis controlling for confounding variables. These findings imply that caution is needed when deciding to perform early surgical induction unless it is a final option or other approaches are contraindicated. (Katz, Miriam 1999) Methodology Search history. The mechanism of the literature review was to conduct a number of literature searches through both electronic and hard copy data bases at the local University Library and the local Post Graduate Library (client to personalise). A number of search terms were used including: amniotomy; amniotomy knowledge; amniotomy indications; amniotomy benefits: amniotomy complications; amniotomy speed of labour; midwife views amniotomy; midwife procedures. The electronic databases included Bandolier and The Cochrane Library and Cinhal. These searches provided a great many texts which were accessed either electronically or in hard copy and then critically reviewed to ascertain the level of the evidence presented. The level of evidence was categorised into the following levels. Classification of evidence levels The highest level of evidence available was then used to support each point raised Research question or hypothesis It appears to be generally accepted that evidence based practice should be the â€Å"gold standard† of modern clinical practice (NMC 2004). However, many experienced healthcare professionals would attest to the fact that clinical decisions in their everyday practice is still influenced by individual experience and advice from colleagues. (Williams P R 2000). The rationale behind this study derives from the suspicion that many midwives use amniotomy to speed up labour and that there appears to be little in the way of a hard evidence base to support this view. It is the intention of this study to try to define the degree that individual midwife practice is determined (in this specific regard) by their own experience and professionally received advice and to what extent it is determined by reliance on their own independently derived evidence base. Study design This study will be qualitative in design. There are a number of different qualitative approaches that could be adopted (DeWalt, K. M et al. 1998) and brief consideration will be given to each. The phenomenological approach is primarily a philosophical mechanism which employs that technique of concentrating on the conscious and subjective experiences of the subjects. (Hammond et al, 1995). It is therefore written from the first person viewpoint. Such an approach is not without its critics however, as the classic approach is from the third person (impersonal) viewpoint (Ahmed, 2006). Hammond characterises the phenomenological genre as â€Å"unconstrained by scientific rigour† as it is simply a recording of the experience as the observer experiences and interprets it. It is therefore not purged of subjectivity and bias as many other scientific approaches are. The phenomenological approach was considered for this project and discounted as it is conceded that such an approach may give rise to a very idiosyncratic view of the subject and may not be representative of the majority view. Grounded theory may, at first sight, appear to be a suitable approach for this study. The prime element in a grounded theory study is the fact that the data is obtained and then the investigators then attempt to formulate or identify appropriate theories from the processed data. (Glaser, 1992). This approach may seem suitable by virtue of the fact that midwives could be approached and data obtained to see if there are any constant factors which motivate their particular pattern of behaviour when considering the procedure of amniotomy. A problem may arise however, because of the intrinsic need for theory formulation. Charmaz characterises the problem by stating â€Å"It compels the researcher to impose explanations were no explanations naturally exist, or indeed are necessary†. (Charmaz, K. 2006). In this study it is the intention to explore midwife’s views on whether amniotomy increases the speed of labour rather then to specifically generate theories to explain these views. For this reason grounded theory was discounted as a possible approach After much consideration it was decided to adopt an ethnographic approach to the study. This involves a hybrid approach with an analysis termed by Agar as being from the point of view of â€Å"The professional strangerâ€Å" (Agar, 1996). This approach has elements of both qualitative and quantitative analysis and is primarily carried out using the analysis of â€Å"in the field† interviews of midwives. Kottak describes the ethnographic approach (in the broadest terms) as collecting data â€Å"in the field by living among and blending in with a particular group, society or culture, observing and recording their particular habits and detailing their experiences and reactions† (Kottak, 2005). The researcher is expected to be a part of the community studied but to â€Å"retain a certain degree of detachment, impartiality and objectivityâ€Å" (Kottak, 2005). The object of this study requires the observer to record the number of times a midwife uses the procedure of amniotomy and then to obtain her views on the rationale for the procedure through the mechanism of the semi-structured interview. Sample Constraints on time and finances will largely dictate the overall size of the project (client I have no idea what potential funds you have available for this project so I have made a number of assumptions that you will have to modify if they are not correct). It is considered prudent to make a pilot study in order to test the validity of the interview questions and to also trial the analysis techniques. The initial pilot would be in the labour ward of the author’s hospital (client to personalise here) and would therefore potentially include 12 midwives. If the study were to yield potentially significant findings, then its scope could be widened to include staff from different sites and thereby include perhaps different protocols and possibly different work practices. This would have the benefit that it is possible that certain work practices may be determined by peer pressure in a specific geographical location and broadening the scope of the investigation would help to minimise the biasing effect of such practices. (Rosner B 2006). There is also considerable merit in trying to ensure that the cohort of midwives studied contains a wide spectrum of experience, ideally from the newly qualified midwife through to the most experienced, as it would be unlikely that the work practices would be the same in all groups. (Strauss, A et al. 1990). It is therefore clearly of benefit to try to structure the sample to include representatives from all of these groups in order to minimise the effects of such potential bias. (Carr L T 1994). It foll ows from this requirement that the study group will be asked to provide information relating to their years of experience in addition to other demographic markers. Analysis of the pilot study will help to determine whether purposeful sampling or general sampling will be appropriate in the final study. (Moher D et al. 1999). In the former method, subjects are specifically chosen because of the likelihood of their being able to give valuable information to the study. Patton describes this method of recruitment as â€Å"selecting only a limited number of information-rich cases for investigation, in order to obtain a particularly detailed insight into an issue. (Patton 1999). Although this may be, at first sight, useful in trying to maximise the information yield of the study, it has the obvious downside that it is a source of considerable potential bias giving rise to a small and potentially unrepresentative sample. (Patton 1999). A variation of this technique of recruitment is called snowballing whereby one key subject is asked to recommend others who may have either specialist knowledge or a specific interest in the subject in question. This te chnique is recommended by MacQueen as â€Å"being particularly suitable in qualitative studies, where detailed and in-depth understanding of a little-known subject is required† (MacQueen K M, et al. 2004). Although this clearly has the ability to optimise the collection of significant information, it does not eliminate the potential for bias apparent in the purposeful sampling technique. If we consider that amniotomy is a widely used practice amongst midwives, then neither method is sufficiently useful to outweigh the potential bias that they would engender. For these reasons it is considered appropriate to approach all of the midwives in the local unit to take part in the study. Data Collection In line with the principles of the ethnographic approach, this study will adopt the dual mechanisms of direct observation and the semi-structured interview. (Breakwell et al, 1999). The semi-structured interview technique is explored in depth by De Martino who contrasts the technique with unstructured and fully structured interviews. The former â€Å"essentially amounts to an informal conversation with no guiding principles, and structured interviews are characterised by the asking of a predetermined and fixed set of questions with strict guidelines. Semi-structured interviews however, entail asking a preset group of questions but with some flexibility, so that interesting leads can be explored further† (De Martino B et al. 2006). The semi-structured interview technique is considered to be the most useful for this type of study because of the lack of rigid constraints placed upon both interviewer and subject. The questions are designed to be â€Å"open† thereby allowing the subject to introduce appropriate topics which can then be followed up at the interviewer’s discretion. This flexibility is perhaps the most appropriate for this type of study as the interviewer does not know in advance just what factors influence the midwife’s opinions. Frey broadens the issue by suggesting that, in this context, attitudes of the subjects can be typically analysed in any of three â€Å"dimensions†, namely: emotion, cognition, and behaviour. (Frey et al. 2001). It might therefore be important to structure the semi-structured interview questions so that they cover all three of these dimensions. Typical examples in this regard might be (a)â€Å"How does performing as amniotomy on your patients make you feel emotionally?† (b)â€Å"What are your views about amniotomy and the speed of labour?† (c)â€Å"How do you actually choose to speed up your patient‘s labour?† This may not prove to be completely relevant, as one could suggest that emotional involvement is actually counterproductive in this particular circumstance. It is clear that a large element of discretion will have to be left with the interviewer as it is likely that the answers given may clearly be either carefully considered and evidence based on one extreme or superficial and unconsidered on the other. This flexibility will allow the subject to impart their own intention without being unduly hampered by rigid questioning and should allow the emergence of a detailed set of data which reflects each individual midwife‘s opinions and practices clearly. (Concato, et al. 2000) In addition to the semi-structured interviews there will also be an element of direct observation to ascertain the labours that are managed with amniotomy and to contrast them with the labours that are managed without the procedure. It may well be of considerable value to include an element of questioning in the semi-structured interview phase that asks about the rationale for performing the procedure Data Analysis Data analysis can be carried out using time-honoured methods originally developed in the social science setting with various qualitative analytical methods. (Vickers, A. J et al. 2001). The most commonly used is probably thematic analysis (Braun V et al. 2006) which involves coding the themes that are derived from the responses. The themes are initially identified during the semi-structured interview stage and are then assigned a code (or number) depending upon the frequency with which the various subjects refer to the particular theme. From reading Braun it is apparent that there is considerable flexibility in the coding and identification of the themes (which is in contrast to the mechanisms described for both grounded theory and other forms of qualitative analysis). Some authorities find that this flexibility and lack of proscription is a negative feature of the thematic approach but Braun argues that it enhances the quality of the analysis by allowing a â€Å"richness of analysi s not provided for by other methods†. (Braun V et al. 2006). This is clearly a complex exercise and it will be attempted in the pilot study by the author, but it is accepted that it may be more appropriate to enlist the help of an experienced researcher to assist in the analysis of the full project It is considered likely that the various themes will be obvious from the data obtained. Braun suggests a five stage mechanism for optimum data retrieval, namely: (1)Familiarising oneself with the data. (2)Developing a coding system and identifying bits of data consistent with specific codes. (3)Looking for and identifying themes in the data (4)Labelling or naming the themes identified, with appropriate justification (e.g. quotations from interview transcripts) (5)Writing up the report, including data extracts, in a compelling fashion. (Braun V et al. 2006). The interviews will be initially tape recorded and then transcribed in order to allow for identification of the various themes. It is clearly likely that the themes will be expressed in different terms by different subjects and therefore a degree of latitude will be needed by the interpreter to ensure that similar themes will be included and analysed together. (Berlin J A et al. 1989) Rigour The value of any study ultimately depends upon the rigor with which it is conducted. (Green J et al. 1998). It is in the very nature of a qualitative study that it does not intrinsically possess the precision of the classical quantitative study. It is therefore of great importance that attention is paid to reliability and repeatability during both the design and execution stages of the study. Triangulation is one mechanism that can help in this regard. (Piantadosi S. 1997). This requires comparison of the results obtained by one method with those obtained by another. The classic structure is to see whether the data obtained from the study matches with that obtained from subject feedback. (Leaverton PE. 1998). Berwick also suggests that any apparently aberrant or atypical cases should be examined as these will help to establish the overall validity of the study. (Berwick D. 1996) Ethical Issues It is central to the instigation of any study that the approval of a Local or National Ethics Committe